(07-27-2013, 10:41 AM)FreelanceWizard Wrote: So, that's it, really. There is no other way to challenge for nunh other than a fight if your character is a "normal" tribal Seeker of the Sun. Now, certainly you have a tribe that's different from the norm, but because this would be a pretty major variance from lore, you need to explain why your tribe is like that and be prepared for flak from other tribes that call yours weak because you don't do things the "right" way.I think the idea is that there may be more than one way for a Nuhn to be challenged, but straight up brawling until one submits or is killed sounds pretty standard. Seekers want what's best for the future of the tribe and, since some still live in very harsh environments, may be unwilling to waste resources or leave things to chance.
Counting broken shields or weapons is a good way to test endurance, but those are things the tribe needs to fend off monsters or rival tribes. Depending on where and how the tribe lives, they may not have a ready supply of metal, wood, or bone that can be thrown away like that. Trading is always an option, but would a tribe that prefers to keep to itself really spend a whole day mingling with outsiders just to get metal and lumber when fists work just as well for ceremonial combat?
First blood scenarios have so many technicalities and isn't a good way to see who's the best at fighting. One could trip and skin his knee, drawing blood, and technically count as drawing first blood. It wastes time trying to cover every little technicality like that and too many rules become hard to remember when limbs are flailing around as fast as they can.
A tightrope joust would be interesting, and probably one of the more elaborate ways a duel can be carried out, but the rest strike me as too human for a race that was previously compared to animals.
This, of course, coming from a person who doesn't have decade-old textbooks, works of fiction, or meals with authors as reliable credentials.
