Orcish Marriage Duels

Brask dodged backward, jumping away from Lirza's poleaxe. The woman's reach gave her a significant advantage, especially since Brask only had his machete. He spun it in his hand as he watched Lirza steady her footing. Behind her, Brask could see her father looking on with a grin. Though he was technically in the fight as well, his presence was truly just a formality. Lirza needed no assistance in battle, as Brask had learned over the last three years fighting alongside her.
Another jab from Lirza sent Brask rolling to his left, barely avoiding her backswing. She spun on her heels, chopping at him as he dove past her. He got to his feet, turning to face her again. She was already pointing her long blade at him, ready for the next assault. She was smiling, like this was all a game, "Do you plan to actually fight, Brask, or are you just here to show me how light you are on your feet? Maybe dancing would be more appropriate for you than battle."
Her words were playful, but Brask heard the ring of truth in them. He couldn't do this without attacking himself. But he couldn't let her goad him into a foolish attack. He had to find an opportunity. Her weapon was more unwieldy than his, so all he needed was to capitalize on one miss from her, and he could take his victory. The problem was, she wasn't giving him much chance. She knew her weapon too well. As another jab came at him, Brask decided to take a very stupid risk.
He lunged at her, the poleaxe jabbing into his lower stomach. Fortunately, Lirza's attempt to minimize her weakness meant she wasn't using the full capability of the chopping weapon, so while the wound was painful, Brask could keep going. He grabbed the handle of the poleaxe and hacked it in two with his machete, pulling the blade out of him as he did so. Lirza brandished the rod she was left with, not giving up yet. But Brask knew he had the advantage over her. Or at least, he thought he did. A heavy force collided with the small of his back, knocking Brask to the ground. He rolled over to see Lirza's father standing over him, smiling and readying his mace for another swing. Before he could, Lirza put her foot firmly on Brask's chest, lightly smacking him in the head with her broken handle, "Are you ready to admit defeat, old friend?"
Brask looked to his left. His machete had been knocked from his grasp, and was lying several feet away. Both his adversaries were right on him. He had no choice. He nodded, then looked away from the duo in shame. Lirza helped him to his knees, letting him regain his breath. She knelt down in front of him, putting one hand on his shoulder and one to his chin, forcing him to look her in the eyes, "Brask, we aren't done here. I've beaten you here, which means I have a choice. We could just walk away from this, I could hurt you, or" she pulled Brask in closer, "I could claim my prize."
Brask looked at her in confusion, "You had us both go through all that, wielding our actual weapons, just so-"
Lirza cut him off, "So I would be the husband and you the wife, yes. You've had my cooking before Brask, you should know to prefer this."
Brask sighed. He thought to himself that at least now he could agree with all the wives of the other soldiers. Husbands are an awfully foolish bunch.

History

The tribes of Hordarik have always been ruled by the idea of survival by the fittest, so it should come as no surprise that their ideas on marriage are the same. In ancient times, there was no structure at all, the strongest simply taking anyone they wanted and mating with them. As tribes started to form, it became apparent that someone couldn't just kill their tribemate and take their spouse. However, the community as a whole still wanted the strongest to breed the next generation. So, it was determined that sparring would determine who could be whose spouse. Not too long after, the idea became extended to those who were not wed, allowing them a fight to either submit or refuse. As time went on, these duels became more codified, largely to make them less injuring to the participants, and because a large number of people got the silly idea of wanting to wed someone they loved. One of the earliest changes was that neither participant wear armor, as the point was to reward the strong, not just whoever had managed to stitch together thicker skins. Some tribes, though not a majority, have transitioned to supporting homosexual marriages. Those who do not allow these unions argue that the need to reproduce is too great, and that regardless of opinion, a marriage must have the opportunity for children. If the husband already has one or more wives, and at least one of them is the opposite gender, more tribes are open to the idea of having same-sex spouses. This is especially true if the women are the majority, since it allows for more simultaneous pregnancies, and therefore more births.

Execution

When one person wishes to wed another, the two agree on a time and place for the duel to determine if the marriage shall happen. The challenger fights alone, while the challenged fights alongside either their current spouse or, if they are unwed, a caretaker. All participants meet at the agreed on time, unarmored. Typically, they then are supplied with blunt weapons, but circumstances (or the preferences of the participants) may cause this part to be ignored. With all involved now prepared, they battle, the winner determining the outcome. If the outcome is that the two shall marry, the victor of the fight is called the husband, and the loser called the wife, regardless of gender.

Components and tools

Long, thick tubes of glass are commonly provided as weapons, to make sure everyone involved has blunt weapons. Particularly religious tribes may also have specified clothes to wear for the duels, usually adorned with religious imagery.

Participants

While the only people necessary to attend are those involved in the fight itself, family almost always watches from the audience. In addition, a shaman frequently oversees the duels in order to ensure they are carried out fairly. And of course, if any of the participants have other wives, they will also be there, though they only provide moral support instead of fighting.

Observance

It is traditionally believed that it is best to hold the battle in an area that is significant to any elemental spirits in the area, though necessity may make this an impossibility. The time and day the event takes place are dictated only by the whims of those involved.