User Guide

Marshals' Manual Page 25 of 35
June 2002
Item: Shortly after the hour of noon, the Knights of the West Kingdom will introduce themselves, and
would invite their challenges to offer their own introductions, that the combatants of our two
kingdoms might be better known to one another.
Item: Following the introductions, there will be a Grand Mêlée, in which all combatants are invited to
take to the field, armed with but a one single-handed sword and no shield, to be fought for the
entertainment of the gallery and for the joi de combat of the combatants. This combat will use
counted blows, there each combatant may be struck with three good blows before they must
retire from the field.
Item: The defenders will form a line on the King's side of the lists, holding themselves ready to receive
their challenges and then shortly to report for combat.
Item: The challengers will then form a line on the Queen's side of the lists, offering persuasive words of
challenge while the previous combatants arm and prepare to take the field.
Item: For the challenge, the attackers should strike Charlemagne's Tree of Shields, choosing the shield
that represents the kind of combat they desire: Argent: counted blows (thrown); Azure,
Combats over the barrier; Vert, Single combats in the field, the number of blows received to be
one, three, or five; Or, any two combatants with single swords only, fought in the usual way.
Item: After everyone has had an opportunity to challenge, a barrier will be erected across the center of
the field, and gentles may defend their side of the barrier with single sword. When struck, they
must retire to their banner issue their war-cry, at which point they may re-enter the fighting.
This combat will take place for fifteen minutes.
Item: The ladies of the gallery will then choose five of the challengers whose virtue stands out,
requesting of them single combats in any style that is pleasing to the gallery. These gentles may
in turn take this commandment to any member of the defenders, sharing their honor with them.
These five fights will take place one after the other, for the pleasure of the gallery and the
combatants.
Item: If there is time, other single challenges might be accepted by the defenders following the five
champions.
Item: We will close the pas d'armes with a grand mêlée over the barrier, fought with spears. A single
kill will be sufficient to eliminate a combatant, but they might petition the gallery to allow them
to rejoin their companions. The combat will end when there are no companions left on either
side, or when the combatants determine that the fight should be ended.
Item: There will be no prize for this pas d'armes, but it is strongly recommended that the individual
combatants bear tokens of their appreciation with them that they can present to the combatants
or consorts who strike them as particularly worthy of honor. In this way will the renown of
virtuous combatants and fair ladies be strengthened, such being the purpose of the pas
d'armes.
E. MAD DOG LIST
A Mad Dog list is a bit like an informal round robin.
• A large list field is staked out; combatants are free to enter the list field, find a marshal and pick a fight.
• The two combatants then report the results of the combat to the list person who keeps track of how many
wins each combatant has.
• Sometimes, points are assigned to a combatant based on his rank (e.g. Sergeants are worth 1, Knights are
worth 2), and the combatant who beats them get the number of points the defeated combatant is worth.
• The combatant with the most point at the end of the day is declared the winner.