From what I recall, the main duties of a second are:
Act as go-betweens for all communication between the parties, who must not speak directly between the challenge and the duel.
Do everything in their power to resolve the challenge without a duel
If a duel is unavoidable, arrange the place, time, etc., and take care of the set-up
Help their primary prepare for the duel in any way necessary
Try once again to convince both parties not to duel, and, after each exchange, to stop before the duel is fatal, and
If one of the primaries is indisposed due to reasons unrelated to the duel (injury, illness, etc.), take the primary’s place.
6 is a non-issue, as both parties are fully healthy to start, and present.
You’re a little bit late on the scene for 1-4, but you can still provide some coaching and other support between exchanges.
I would think, though, your main duty right now is to try to convince SPH that the damage done to Mr. Hum is sufficient to repair SPH’s wounded honour without killing him, or to convince Hum to give into SPH’s demands so that he doesn’t get killed.
During the duel itself, a second would also be responsible for making sure the affair was handled fairly and above board: your principal’s weapon is sound and is equally lethal as his opponent’s, that no foul play takes place on the field of honor by the opponent, and act as a witness that the affair is brought to its proper conclusion.
Additional reading for personal interest and not required for the game in any way: the twenty-six rules of original Code Duello published in Ireland is a good start (although in time many regions had their own variation, which is why SPH requested the Weatherby edition) and this 80 page volume published in 1836 is an interesting read.
ETA: Ridley Scott’s The Duellists is also excellent.
Yes, that was more specifically my concern. But I can “yes, and” my way through it well enough… I just can’t log in as Ssskidwish for a couple of hours yet.
disappointed(worst possible result for the Waltz) politely disappointed(worst possible result for the Double Quadrille) courteous(worst possible result for the Grand March) quietly pleased pleased(best possible result for the Grand March) openly pleased(best possible result for the Double Quadrille) enthusiastically pleased(best possible result for the Waltz)
Yes, indeed. All “visibly pleased” results are equivalent to “pleased” and indicate a small success. That’s what I get for tidying up the adjectives in the middle of generating the turn results.
If you’re angling for a position as copyeditor when all this is done, you are certainly building a compelling case. Thanks for catching that.
No thanks. Copyediting is lots of fun when it’s just the occasional typo. I just have to read through well-written work smoothly, and then I trip over an error. Having to read through poorly-written, non-paragraphed walls of text that have to be rewritten totally, on the other hand… *shudder*
Besides, my writing style is (somewhat deliberately) tedious and sesquipedalian. My high school essays had the word “AWK” scrawled in every margin. I’m not sure anyone would want me to copyedit a longer work.
But you’re quite welcome; again, when the work is 99% of the way there, catching the few niggling bits isn’t any trouble.
@messana What is the difference between Space Hussars and the Space Dragoons? If we pick an ensign rank with one I assume we stick with that ranking structure right for future commissions?
Just at first glance, it looks like you get better +MIL bonuses per pound sterling spent in the Hussars, and better +Rank bonuses for the money in the Dragoons.
I’m wondering about the switching back-and-forth myself; with my limited income, it looks like the only way I’d be able to join the Dragoons (which, privileging a +Rank bonus, would be the better choice).
Just for the avoidance of doubt, and not that I’m suggesting that the purchasing of commissions in armed forces is inherently a bad idea, but Lord Cardigan isn’t still in charge of the Space Hussars, is he?
St-Patrick-Hartbrooke would fervently agree with that suggestion if you were to make it; he sees it as “buying social standing.” He might stop by Leviathan’s at some point to grouse about it.
