The Hastilude Event: Pas d'armes
Although not a core event run by the Host World, the Pas d’armes is a prominent feature at most Hastiludes. Houses or Companies will seize areas of intersection such as crossroads, bridges, gateways and river fords, and declare themselves Tenants, challenging all other Knight who pass, Venans, to fight them on equal terms or leave a ransom of their shame. It has been known that some Tenants were so preoccupied with challenges that they have neglected to attend any of the events at the Hastilude, but have gone away wealthy in both honour and riches.
Contents
Participants
The Tennants will determine any participation restriction. In most cases a House or Company will hold the field together and any opposing Knights, the Vennans, will match them. The Vennans have less Knights is customary for the Tennants to stand down a number of Knights so that they fight on equal terms, but the reverse is not always true.
Field
Each House or Company wishing to establish a Pas d’armes will need to supply their own field on which their challenges will take place (or contact the EO to arrange for one to be brought).
Rules
There are few rules surrounding the Pas d’armes as they are not officially part of the Hastiulde but more of a series of private challenges issued by attending Houses and Companies. Something that is customary though is for the Tennants to provide all those who face them on the field with some form of favour or token, whether they won or lose is irrelevant.
Some Tennats will create intricate trials for the Vennans, most will conduct simple duels and there will be a myriad of styles in between. Some previous examples include;
Across a Barrier: normally a division of some form like a river, restricting weapons to range weapons only.
Bridge Crossing: a narrow area of fighting restricted to melee and often limiting the number of Knights who can duel at one time, if one Knight falls another steps in to take its place.
Cross Roads: Tennants hold the middle and the Vennans approach along the roads.
Scoring
In the vast majority of cases, there will be no scoring system, instead it is a duel between two or more Knights until either all of the Vennans or Tennants have yielded. More intricate styles of Pas d’armes like the Round Tables may have scoring system set by the Tennants.
Winner
Although there is no official game, the host of the Hastiulude will often award some form of award or recognition to the House or Company which held the most successful or entertaining Pas d’armes during the Hastilude.
