City of Curses: Bluegrass and Duels

Something brief for Wednesday.  Two little things for #Crux as a setting.  Duels, and a mixed-culture and its music, Bluegrass.

Bluegrass.

Blending between different cultures has shown more visible than ever before.  In Crux, they represent a growing group of different mixed cultures.  The recent population boom has led to even more mixing.  Even if some prominent icons in the City of Curses dislike it.

The Sabizi and Tomasi families are known as the Herbatus, a Tomasi term referring to grass.  Herbatus families have their own culture in parts of Crux.  They have emerged after decades of blending between the two tribes.  Tomasi look down at most Herbatus.  Tomasi think Herbatus lack the capacity for sorcery they obsess over.  Herbatus almost always seem to possess some bardic capacity, despite Tomasi disregard of that.

The Herbatus struggle against Tomasi discrimination.  Sabizi caravans lack the political means to aid their offshoots with the Tomasi.  Of note is how the Herbatus have combined the music and dance of their heritage.  Unlike the stiff music of the Tomasi, they have a rich diversity of it.  Often this music referred to as bluegrass, after the blue colors in the hair of the Herbatus.

Herbatus Names: Herbatus tend to have two names, a first name and a second name.  Most Tomasi parents do not give their Herbatus children a Cognomen.  Unlike their Sabizi ancestors, Herbatus do not use gendered surnames.  But their surnames often end up being new inventions.  They derive first names from either Tomasi or Sabizi origins.

Dueling

The practice of dueling never left Ith.  Inherited from Othebea and Ainesia, duels became a way for persons of honor and standing to defend claims against them. For Ith, this practice created a subculture of violence amongst its most prominent magi.

For those of honor to challenge another to a duel is the last step in a disagreement. Doing so is saying: "you've dishonored me sir, and you will step away from this insult or face the consequences."  Sometimes there are set conditions for the duel.  There is a set code of conduct for such affairs.  The Code Duello.

It is against Ithic law, yet remains practiced regardless.

At a duel, every chance is given for the accuser or the accused to step away. Rounds are called. Seconds repeatedly act as go-betweens. But folk of all kinds always manage to find a way to die because of it.

It isn't just a means for gentlefolk for retribution.  A duel can skip across class lines, even between the unsorcerous and sorcerous.  It can provide a means of prestige for those of less means or esteem against those who otherwise would be above them.

Of course, those without magic sometimes have trouble if a duel's weapons are spells.  So, often such unsorcerous make certain to ask for pistols.  This gives themselves an equal means with magi foes.