The Test of Salt

The Test of Salt is a ritual duel fought by Göthemiri in circumstances where only the death or violent defeat of a foe can satisfy an accuser's honor. In fact there is little different between the Test of Salt and any other honor duel fought throughout Rhyduania, except the method by which the duel is fought.
Opponents are stripped to the waist, and their hands strapped to the haft of a weapon called a kaduk, the jaw bone of a predator affixed to haft in a shape resembling a kama or sickle. The hafts of the kaduks are connected by a thick leather strap or metal chain, no longer than 10 feet in length. The combatants then wade waist-deep into the ocean, and the fight begins.
No weapons besides the kaduks are permitted, and most forms of magic are banned. Any kind of natural interference by the ocean, from slippery rocks to shark attacks, is considered a natural hazard of the Test of Salt. Victory is achieved when there is a clear winner and that winner is satisfied; this is often achieved by a concession on the part of the loser, but more often achieved by death or unconsciousness.

Related Ethnicities

• Göthemiri