* The Rules of Engagement *
           * A Warrior's Guidelines To Combat Arena Protocol *
=============================================================================
[Blood Match Challenging]
    A Warrior may issue a blood-match challenge--a battle to the death--
to any other resident Warrior. This is a serious action! The winner may opt
to slay, maim, or spare the loser. Death is final: the loser will be
deleted from the roll of Warriors! A blood-match challenge is resolved in
the following two ways. 
    If the challenging Warrior is ranked higher than the challenged Warrior
(a decision which is based on a comparison of fame, skill level, wins, equip-
ment enhancements, etc.), then the challenged Warrior has the option of
declining. If he accepts, then the combat will take place the very next time
that the challenged Warrior goes into the arena.
    If the challenging Warrior is ranked lower than the challenged
Warrior, than the challenged Warrior cannot decline the challenge except at
the risk of suffering ignominious shame and being stripped of all weapons,
protective equipment and fame! If the challenge is accepted, then combat will
take place as soon as the challenged Warrior logs on and goes into the
arena.
    The challenged Warrior will be given the option to accept or decline the
challenge when he attempts to enter the arena for combat.

[Normal Combat]
     Normal combats are resolved immediately (while on-line). The results
are determined by the skills, training, and equipment of the opponents. For
the most part, these contests are not fatal, although that risk certainly
exists to a small degree. Usually it is the fighter who will not admit when
he is defeated who ends up getting killed--the possibility of death usually
only occurs when a Warrior has refused to surrender, and his ability to endure
more damage goes to zero. Other permanent damage can occur if a winning
Warrior refuses to accept another's surrender--a Warrior attempting to
surrender, and then receiving a Coup de Grace instead of mercy may suffer
permanent damage (the odds of which are determined by fate, constitution,
luck--as an attribute--and chance.
    The Warrior being fought by the player who is online is controlled by
a script file. The script file determines the non-controlled Warrior's combat
strategies, and the way he will react to certain opportunities.

[Travelling To Other Guilds]
    The top three Warriors of each system can journey (whether or not the
Local Guild (system) has become a registered member of the Organization of
Guilds) to distant guilds, in an attempt to spread their fame and intimidate
the Warriors of other Guilds (systems). The results of fights between local
and visiting Warriors are displayed in the MELEE echo if the system carries
that echo and the SysOp has the game configured to post messages into that
echo. In this way, Players can gauge their Warrior's abilities against other
Warriors on other systems.