Laws and Etiquette of The Host

[Nobody]

Aug 26, 2014 0:00:14 GMT Nobody said:

ARCADIAN LAWS & CUSTOMS
All is fair in love and war among the Arcadian, especially against those not of the Arcadian. Except for the cardinal rule of obeying the authority of the Great Court rulers and the following customs:

One’s Word is One’s Bond
Once a Arcadian has given their word, they are honor-bound to keep it and they hold everyone else to the same standard and same penalties. An oath-breaker may be punished by death or at least a magical backlash is likely. The Huntsman might be sent after them or the land itself may enforce punishment of an oath broken if the situation is dire enough. The most common result of a broken oath is the Arcadian will be permanently weakened and tarnished in a way visible to any who see them. Careful wording of oaths can allow ‘loopholes’ however, so one should take care when asking for promises from the Arcadian or giving your word to them.

Giving Gifts
Due to the seriousness Arcadian give to promises given and kept, they tend to consider unsolicited gifts with suspicion. A gift suggests the Arcadian will have an unspoken obligation to the giver which may be perceived as an insult if the giver is unknown to the Arcadian. If a price for such gifts is not made clear, the Arcadian may react in anger, even though in most cases well-meaning but ignorant Non-Arcadian are just trying to be kind. If a Arcadian gives a gift to someone unasked, it most assuredly has strings attached that the Arcadian will make clear in some fashion, although not always understandable to the person who receives it.

Tears as Gifts
The only exception to the usual issue of gift giving is a particular Arcadian tendency to view the shedding of tears (and other fluids if very Unseelie) as gifts offered to the one who has caused the tears (or other things) to flow. Sometimes however the cause doesn’t matter, just the results. Some Seelie may only respond to tears of joy or sorrow, but Unseelie are likely to respond to tears of pain or rage as well, especially if they are the cause. The Arcadian also consider signs of great passion (of whatever kind) directed towards them as gifts in some circumstances. The typical response is for the Arcadian to accept the gift of one’s tears by drinking them, either directly by licking them up, or indirectly by various methods. The Arcadian in question generally feels closer to the one who has offered the tears afterwards, but it is not necessarily always a good thing to have more Arcadian attention, especially from an Unseelie Arcadian.

Acknowledge Beauty
It is considered rude, or bad form, to ignore the beauty of another Arcadian. While this may seem like outright flirting to Non-Arcadian, this is a simple matter of etiquette. Considering many of the Arcadian’s various needs and cravings, overt sensuality is quite normal in most Arcadian dealings.




Insulting behavior--
Arcadian act differently to humans, and they have a lot of formal traditions that players need to be aware of. There are many different ways to insult a member of the Arcadian community. So BEWARE!!

One of the greatest laws of the Arcadian involves swearing oaths. If an Arcadian gives their word or swears an oath, then they cannot break it and are bound by it. To break their word (to be foresworn) means that they will be out-cast. Even the rulers of each Court must abide by their oaths.

It is impolite to try and read someone's magic on a first introduction. It means that you do not believe they have the power to shield him/herself from even your casual/weakest magic.

It is an insult to ask for modesty in a non-sexual situation. To send someone away implied lack of trust or dislike, and only when their behavior is inappropriate can they be asked to leave.

If another Arcadian does not use your title after you have used theirs it is an insult. Likewise it is an insult to insist that a ruler of another court uses your title. Using someone’s title and then dropping it during a conversation is being deliberately rude.

Arcadian do not ask personal questions unless they are invited to do so. Then they make ask whatever they wish. It is considered impolite to do otherwise.

Using magic to persuade another Sidhe noble is an insult. To do so implies that you considered the other noble to be a lesser Arcadian.

A monarch cannot order another monarch to do anything; it is one of the laws of the Arcadian.

To display anger in front of another Arcadian implies that they are not important enough for you to hide your anger from them. It means that you consider the other person to be lesser than you and/or a lesser Arcadian.

Sidhe call the smaller Arcadian, especially demi-Arcadian, the 'wee ones'. Lesser Arcadian call the Sidhe the 'large ones'. Neither names are particularly polite.

The Sidhe are very private, and anyone who shares their most intimate secrets with the humans will be exiled or executed, depending on the court.

The elder Arcadian do not thank each other, it is considered an insult. Only Arcadian under 200 years old would thank someone.

1. Sex is very natural for Arcadians
2. Sex with family members is encouraged.
3. Sex with multiple partners and in front of courts is acceptable.
4. Naked is natural.
5. Arcadians like many other character, touch for comfort, this is not always a sexual act.
6. Never thank old magic. As it is seen as a surprise that a magic could wielded as if you didn’t expect something or someone to be that powerful.
7. Always show gratitude, especially when it is a gift from the Goddess, Sithen or Consort.
8. Don't ask personal questions unless invited to ask them.
9. Never break an oath. To break an oath is to call your own death to you.
10. It is common knowledge that the Unseelie skirt around the truth but never outright lie.
11. It is common knowledge that the Seelie, love to believe beautiful lies, as it is beautiful it must be true.
12. Don't blatantly use magic on another Arcadian, especially not on a sidhe.
13. Never turn your back on a Sidhe.
14. If an Arcadian wants to drop the topic, drop it. Don’t push the topic with them.
15. It's an insult to ignore someone who's obviously trying to be attractive. Always complement them.
16. Arcadians flirt when invited. The Arcadian do not go where they are not asked. You never enter another’s own Sithen or domicile without the permission of either the royal or the person of that place.
17. One thing the Unseelie teaches is the love of every form of Arcadian. There is beauty in all of us. Ugly is simply not a word you use at the Unseelie court.
18. Never have sex with Goblin without setting the terms, you do this at your own peril.
19) An Arcadian character that is with child is considered married to the one who they got pregnant or who got them pregnant. A divorce can only be approved by the Royal of their court if both agree upon it.
20) Sidhe do not cheat upon their spouses once they are married. It is a breaking of an Oath. However, Goblins and Slaugh have very open marriages.

[Nobody]

Aug 26, 2014 0:00:14 GMT Nobody said:

Dueling is a central part of Arcadian culture as much as anything else and many Commoners think that dueling proves nothing but that the other party knows how to fight, it's still a time-honored tradition of settling issues between Changelings. However, dueling is more than just taking a sword and swinging it wildly, while trying to inflict damage on the enemy -- instead, it's seen more as a matter of honor and keeping face. Even in defeat, you are allowed a chance to show you are brave and willing to put far more important values above your life -- this is how you prove to the higher nobles and your king that you are worthy of being knighted. If you are known to watch out for your life first and foremost, you will not be trusted enough to be called to serve. No nobleman wants a cad as a Vassal, since they might run off at the first sign of trouble, leaving their Liege to fend for himself.

In referral to Commoners, and whether they should be allowed to duel, it ends up being a matter handled individually -- staunch Traditionalists will shudder at the notion, whereas most Modernists will believe that if you can swing a sword you have the right to handle it in defense of your honor.

Duels are both a highly ritualized and formal occurrence, but victory (most of the time) is not as important as putting up a good show: your opponent might be a stronger fighter, but if he steps out of the accorded rules, he will forfeit, independently of skill or strength.



Calling the Duel
Here are a few quick guidelines for you to take in mind while challenging someone. Just because you're about to redecorate someone's face with your blade doesn't mean you get to break etiquette.

Make sure that the local liege is consulted in regards to permission of any duel you want to participate in, even bloodless duels. It's a matter of politeness and deference. If one of the involved parties is not a native to the area, he's considered to be a guest, and thus still obliged to the local lord or lady's authority. However, in duels to the death, their Kings will have to also give their permission for it to occur.

It is considered extremely rude and discourteous to challenge up -- in some cases, challenging one rank up might be accepted (a knight challenging a baron, a squire challenging a knight, and so on), especially if the challenge is worded politely (politeness always pays up in duels, even if you are quite spoiling for a fight). The price for ignoring this rule is that your superior might simply laugh it off, and not even acknowledge your intentions. He will not be penalized in any way, should this happen. Challenges can go downwards without repercussion, however.

Calling a duel for a less than worthy reason is extremely poor form, and will earn you both scorn, and bad reputation. You cannot challenge someone for, say, wearing a ghastly dress to court. Duels should be called to avenge offences, settle disputes and protect one's (or someone else's) honor. A sword should not be unsheathed if you are not ready to shed blood, nor should it be re-sheathed without someone spilling theirs. The same principle applies to duels. If you are not ready to bleed and make others bleed, do not call a duel. Give the person a chance to apologize first. Challenge when you cannot let an insult pass without losing face -- but don't jump immediately to it. Unscrupulous Arcadian will know this, and will try to goad you into challenging so that they have the advantage.

When faced with a silly challenge, you are entitled to refuse it. There will be no loss of face or honor, when you are challenged by a drunk Quigg who disagrees with your choice of shoes, or because you "looked at him funny". You are not forced to accept any kind of duel just to prove you are honorable. You must only accept those that are worthy.



Defining Terms of Duel
A duel will often begin before swords are drawn. After a challenge is issued and accepted, both parties move to negotiate the terms (if any), and place and location of the duel. Usually, a traditional duel is fought immediately (or as soon as possible, if it would not be adequate or possible to have a duel there and then), with swords, and no outside assistance other than one's skill with the blade.
Some Arcadian, especially the Eiluned, will try to convince their enemies to allow magic in the duels, but either party can refuse strange terms. If neither party can agree on the terms, it resets to the standard "swords, skill only".



Champions
If either of the parties will be using a Champion to fight in their stead, that has to be mentioned as soon as possible. Healthy warriors and swordsmen who resort to Champions to fight in their stead are ridiculed and dubbed cowards, and hard to take seriously in the future when they attempt to call further duels, but anyone can call for a Champion.

Usually, that's reserved for those who are unskilled in the arts of Combat, old or very ill Arcadian, and high-ranking nobles. Most of the dueling happens between Knights, and higher ranking nobles often use them to carry out duels. Normally, anyone above Count might have his or her duels fought by a Champion, but, in theory, anyone who has a knight in service can call him to be acting Champion. Some conscious Knights and Champions will try to spare their Lords the awkwardness of having to call for a Champion, when totally capable of fighting themselves -- when they sense a duel is about to be called (or someone called it on their Lord), they will immediately step forward and request for permission to challenge in their stead (or to accept the Challenge in their name).



Types of Duel
In Arcadian society, there are four types of duel, although only three are considered legal and acceptable, and of those three, one of them is a rare occurrence:

The Scarlet Trip - to first blood, with light weapons and light (or no) armor.

The Dragon Dance - everyone's favorite, the traditional and more widely recognized as honorable form of dueling, it's fought till yielding, or until one of the opponents loses consciousness. It can use any weapons and armor of choice.

Dance Macabre of Iron - similar in terms of weapon and armor choice to the Dragon Dance, except it's to the death. The king(s) or queen(s) of both combatants have to sanction this type of duel for it to be considered binding and legal. If either of the Monarchs refuses their permission, the duel is considered called off, and none of the parties will lose face for it.

It is considered extremely bad form:
To unnecessarily hurt your opponent on a Scarlet Trip
To kill your opponent during a Dragon Dance or to ignore his yield (this one will cost you victory on the spot).

By comparison, it WILL NOT be considered bad form:
To spare your opponent after he's down in a Dance Macabre. However, be warned, if you are doing this as a Champion for your Liege, he might command you to finish the job. Or to concede to a much stronger opponent.



And Now the Duel!
Before the fight begins, both participants will have to swear an oath to abide by the rules of the challenge, and not cheat in any form. Again, keep in mind that setting or accepting "odd terms" might open a loophole that your opponents might exploit. If either party cheats or breaks the accorded rules, the Dreaming will punish them harshly; it will become obvious to all attending that the cheater did so, and, thus, immediately forfeited the duel.

In the case of a Dance Macabre involving champions, it is possible to either choose to carry the duel until one of the fighters is unconscious or yields, and the patron of the defeated party either takes his life or is executed; or to fight it as a regular Dance Macabre, until one of the combatants is dead, and his patron will join him in death after the duel.

Duels must have at least a witness, but can have as many as both duelists wish: most of the times, friends and relatives from both sides are in attendance. Being called to be a witness in a duel is considered a great honor -- as it shows the trust of the participants in you.
If you just challenged for a duel someone who's unable to fight for his own stead, and has no champion present, you must forcibly give him time to find for a proper champion. How much time is needed should be agreed by both parties, but unless there an acceptable justification (such as the both of you being stranded in the Deep Dreaming), less than an hour should be enough. Many non-warriors have Champions or bodyguards to take up the challenge. If they don't, the typical choice falls on friends and relatives.


Aftermath
After the duel is over, the victor gets to dictate the rules. If your challenge was over an insult done to you and you won, the normal procedure is to make your defeated opponent to publicly recant his words and apologize publicly. If it was some task the losing side had to done if defeated, they will have to do it to their best ability (or, once more, incur in the wrath of the Dreaming).

When the duel is done, it's done. After the loser does what is asked of him, there will be no more complaining about it. There will be no "I'm challenging you to a duel because you defeated me in duel".