Ritual Duels

“I invoke a Ritual Duel upon us, most hated enemy.” –typical invocation of a Ritual Duel by a Jidera

Ritual Duels were one-on-one duels between two Jidera that were overseen by at least one Jidera shaman. A single Jidera could invoke a Ritual Duel against another Jidera, which would in most Jidera religions jeopardize both of their souls’ fates. Once invoked, unless a Ritual Duel was properly carried out between the two participants, neither of their souls would reach the afterlife. A Ritual Duel was completed once one of the participants killed the other, and brought proof of death to a Jidera shaman.

History
The origin of Ritual Duels was unknown, but most early communities of Jidera created some version of ritualized one-on-one fights between rival Jidera, and these were in all cases monitored by Jidera shamans.

Ritual Duels were rare occurrences, as most Jidera felt it was better to resolve rivalries with others than to risk the safety of their souls. Because of the necessity of a Jidera shaman’s presence during a Ritual Duel, it was forbidden to invoke a Ritual Duel against a Jidera shaman, and Jidera shamans were also forbidden from invoking Ritual Duels entirely.

Procedure
A Ritual Duel would begin when a Jidera told another Jidera that he or she wanted to face the other, using the Jijid words for “Ritual Duel.”  When the phrase “Ritual Duel” was uttered, a Ritual Duel was considered officially invoked, and the souls of both Jidera were in danger of not reaching the afterlife.

After an invocation, the two Jidera would seek out a Jidera shaman who could administer the Ritual Duel. Once a shaman had agreed to oversee the Ritual Duel, that shaman would lead the two Jidera who would fight to an area outside of village territory. This area would serve as the fighting ground. The shaman would choose a place where he would observe the fight, and the two Jidera would face each other. Neither participant would be allowed to bring any weapons, using only their bare hands or assembling weapons from objects around them.

On the Jidera shaman’s command, the Ritual Duel would begin. The two Jidera could carry their fight anywhere on Jidshi except the village from which they hailed, but a victor would have to return to the place where the shaman was observing the Ritual Duel. The participants would fight to the death, and any tactic that did not endanger the life of the shaman was allowed in the duel. The Ritual Duel could only be considered finished when one participant had killed the other. The victor would then be required to present proof of victory to the shaman monitoring the Ritual Duel. This was often a body part of the fallen Jidera, sometimes even the head. The Jidera shaman would then bless the body part and the victor, and according to the religion of the village, the souls of both of the participants would reach the afterlife.