Dalt on weapons

A

Before bed Dalt tells everyone the next day to come to breakfast ready for an expedition. All the weapons, explosives, magics they would need for a challenging assault.

The next day they find their way to the mess area and find a table for each of them. On the table is a plate with a burrito like thing 18" long. and a thick burrito.

With dalt is a striking woman. She wears black denim an a thick padded shirt under a Front Warrior Harness. She watches carefully.

Dalt says " the burrito before you will be standard rations two meals a day for 6 days a week for awhile. 1 day a week we will eat in a local restaurant and you just never know. While you will learn to fight here our main job is to gauge the locals for whatever catches our attention. That's what Benedict is paying me for and the school is a good cover.

This is a common dish. It is mainly pear and beef in strips 18" long. marinated in an onion and pepper stuff. Rolled into the Unsat leaves. Unsat leaves do not burn. The logs are put in a hot part of the pit, turned occasionally, after a couple hours, served up. I quite like them. Sit and eat. But first unload onto the table every weapon you brought, from machine guns to paring knives. Armor too. strip it all down then eat. Kareeena here will be bringing out a breakfast beer. Mostly beer and OJ.”

He watches them peel weaponry of every description. Knives, swords, runs, riffles, grenades, and other things into piles on their table. On top the put body armor for all over the body.

“Go ahead and eat. Regard your weaponry.” Karineeena and Dalt talk a table and eat as well.

B

In time Dalt rises and sits on his table. “What you put on the table made you formidable warriors. Add to them your magics. But they don't make you good fighters. Dependence on weaponry leaves one vulnerable if stripped of it. Notice how most of you ranked as Warriors. To activate your fighting status you need to have 32 fights recorded by a Fight Referee. I have a friend who will be coming to over see your fights. He will be here in 3 days. You will fight each other.

“Warrior fights use blunt wood weapons made of various woods. Many Grade Warriors fights use them too. In many of the Warrior fight clubs they limit to wood weapons too. “ He pulls out basically SCA weapons.

“Above Grade Warrior you'll use blunted steel weapons. They are balance to edged weapons which you wont use till upper gladiator fights.” He passes around blunted swords.

Maces and cudgels and staffs and other weapons are legal but in this school we will be using broad and long swords. Shields are allowed. We will be using 24” round steel rimmed shields with the Ludus Daltus symbol. Before you fight in public clubs you will develop a Fight Bag.”

“Three more things and I'll let you get back to eating. You will wear a metal codpiece under your trousers. Believe me you want them. Secondly. Helms. There is a long store about helms but that is for another time. And helm policy differs from place to place. But here, for all ranks and all field modes, the helms are utilitarian. Some venues will want you to wear their helms. But you'll have a couple in your bag. Ages ago they found allowing helms to be a personal item lead to them be ostentatious and decorated and issues arose over expensive helms being targeted and it goes on and on. So from Gesheka, to Gusduideam, to the Dramaturge to here, most helms are a general, undercoated munitions grade helm.”

“Lastly. Until you rank as gladiators, for the most part in public arenas and clubs, you will fight under the Honor Rule. Fights are refereed but the choice to accept a killing blow is yours. Get a reputation for hitting hard and taking light and your reputation will prosper. I have a small staff, and you'll meet them, who will over see getting you into clubs to fight as often as you want. 3 billings a day is good but ambitious. “

“To advance in rank you Lodge a Request for Observation. You will then fight someone in the grade you want to advance to. Sometimes several of them. You must win 10 out of 15 fights to advance. Its a trade off. There is a lot of money and a lot of reputation in fighting a long time in one rank. Becoming one of the best in that rank. But eventually others will call for you to advance and if you decline too long, the reputation goes away.”

“I don't expect you to be here long enough for you to rise more then a few ranks. That will be up to each of you. All I ask is fight the 32 to activate your card then pitch in and fight around here. Mine is a strange school. I won't run tight discipline but I won't accept rudeness. Ask anything but take no as and answer. Now, finish your meal. We will do construction in the morning and drill just before midday rest. After that we fight.”

He turns and sits, Picks up a chunk with a unsat leaf and continues to eat. He and Kareeena speak softly.