Hollymock
A form of ritual combat, Hollymock is an ancient Milosian practice used to determine guilt between two parties. Believed to have once been a bloodless way for kings to settle their differences, now any man with the strength or confidence to bear arms may challenge another.
Each combatant is handed a weapon and three shields. The objective is to break all three of the opponent's shields before he manages to break three of yours. The winner is determined to be virtuous, and is declared the winner of the conflict.
Hollymock has often been used in disputes over land, though it has also been used regarding accusations of adultery and even murder. This can sometimes mean that the loser of a hollymock faces a death sentence, if combat shows they are guilty of murder, for example. Because of this, and other reasons, hollymock is sometimes used as an excuse to "accidentally" slay one's adversary, either for revenge or so they cannot speak against you afterward, or even out of zeal to avoid the harsh punishment that may follow a loss.
Today, hollymock is a strictly Southern tradition in Milos, having been replaced by the Monosi concept of dueling in the Northern cantons. Urudun is alone in outlawing both these practices, being far more influenced by Khabarese and Zaljan customs from the west, where Khan Imralla Ra Alasrad famously observed, "These Peninsulan gods seem ever to favor the virtue of the man with the stronger arms."
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