Dueling Protocols

In samurai tradition you should not be afraid to face any challenge. Even one that has had
terms outlined by the opponent. However a complex bit of social niceties does surround this,
as well as the option to back down.

Crab with Tetsubo 5 offers a challenge with Tetsubo for sport (not to the death) to Toshimoko-
sama. Toshimoko's honor is not directly challenged and the Crab has not offered a proposition
that is likely to take Toshimoko away from his lord's service (permanently).

Toshimoko should accept. However he is entirely within his rights to suggest a time for the
contest so as to secure permission from his lord (who may force him to decline citing risk to a
valued retainer) and possibly to train in the use of tetsubo. Mushashi skipped out for years to
train sometimes.

Once the contest begins Toshimoko may yield immediately, losing a tiny bit of glory (but no
honor) and giving the Crab a tiny bit of glory for defeating an inferior but higher glory
opponent.

Or he can play it out. If he wins (not at all hard to imagine with his Ancestor helping) he gains a
modest bit of glory for beating a superior opponent. If the Crab wins he gets the same reward
as if Toshimoko had yielded.

Or Toshimoko can decline. Refusing a challenge looks bad, but it is a challenge from a lower
ranking (by glory) individual, so he loses a tiny bit of glory, and perhaps a point of honor, and
the Crab gains several points of glory for cowing a higher glory individual.

Afterwards Toshimoko is equally entitled to suggest a Iaijutsu art challenge (not to the death)
and now their positions are nearly reversed.

The Crab should also accept no matter how badly outclassed (a samurai does not fear failure).
He also may suggest the date of the contest so that he may gain permission or train. (note that
the eloquence of the suggestion and the reasonableness of the time offered play a big part in
the glory of the character asking for a delay.)

Now the Crab has the opportunity to yield after the contest begins. Toshimoko gains trivial
glory and no honor (unless the Crab was very good at iaijutsu) as he is both more skilled and
of higher glory. The Crab losses a bit of glory and possibly some honor (dependant on how the
Crab looks at such things).

The Crab can play it out. If (when) he loses he faces the same consequences and Toshimoko
gains the same insignificant gain. Should (by some miracle) the Crab win he gains a healthy
pile of glory, a bit of honor (most likely) and a few new enemies for defeating a more skilled
and higher glory opponent.

OR he can decline the entire challenge, causing him to lose a little glory (Toshimoko is both
higher glory and more skillful) and some honor (it's not going to keep him from his duty, so
he's showing cowardice).

Look at what this exchange means: Tetsubos (Crab win) Crab gains a little glory, Toshimoko
loses little glory Iaijutsu (duh) Crab loses some glory, Toshimoko gains trivial glory.

Net result after the two contests is both of them lost some glory. Not much, but a little. Neither
of them gained honor and either may have lost some.

These are losing exchanges for the participants. So they don't happen without an outside force
motivating them.

Now when these challenges are elevated to duels, where one person may, or will perish,
cowardice is not a factor, but performing one's higher duty to one's lord becomes a
consideration. Declining a duel then becomes a possible loss of glory (dependant on your
presentation of case for not meeting challenge because of higher duty) while loss of honor is
uncertain (does character hold avenging wrongs against family higher than service to lord?).

Thus, done properly you my decline a duel to the death citing that it does not serve your lord.
However, if your presentation of this is not flawless there will be doubt in the minds of
observers and you will lose glory. Similarly, if there is any doubt in the samurai's own mind
about his motivation in refusing any challenge (being to the death or not is irrelevant) being for
any reason other than higher duty (like a nagging doubt that he is being a coward) then that
character will lose honor.
Note also that the person issuing the challenge is being evaluated. A challenge to the death for
sport is the mark of a bloodthirsty samurai. A challenge to the death because you accuse the
the other guy of ravishing your sister is going to get more approval. While the challenged
should accept either challenge (unless using the duty clause), there will be far less public
censure (and glory loss) for declining a deadly challenge that is without cause.

Add to all of this the fact that you must acquire a witness (of higher glory rank than either of
the participants) to support the necessity of the duel (should the legality be questioned later)
and you have a system that doesn't let every brash young samurai with a grudge get himself
killed, no matter how hard he tries. If said brash youth can't get an older, wiser (more glorious)
person to go along, and take the heat if there is an inquiry, he's SOL.

Now if he challenges somebody and forces the duel without procuring a witness, it's an illegal
duel, and much easier to decline. It's still a challenge, and you should still accept, but
upholding the Emperor's laws is pretty important, so you have just cause to decline. Of course
you could just accept and kill the twit.

If both parties agree to the duel without a witness, the winner/survivor may have to answer to
his lord, the other guy's lord, or the local magistrate. None of these are good people to piss off,
so usually somebody locates a witness before blood is shed. On the other hand, all those folks
may agree the duel was justified and the matter is concluded.

When there is a difference of opinion either the witness (more glory = more pull) or the survivor
(less glory = talk fast) must justify the duel. If he cannot he may be ordered to seppuku or a
blood feud is about to start.