[MR] A Personal Invitation to Balynar

[Malone, N.]

Unto: Balynar, titular baron of Caer Mear;
Does
Ashahito the humble scholar and man of faith sends dire words.

Good Gentles; I make this offer public so that none can claim that I,
unlike my adversary, have ever engaged in secret or hidden or
underhanded dealings.  Yes I know that Balynar claims that our conflict
is a case of his own ignorance and lack of mental faculties, not
chicanery. After having met and spoke with him at a Viking type
gathering, I can well believe this to be true. But men of less than
usually mind and not yet fools must be held accountable for their deeds.
Though his manner of dress would make one wonder if he truly puts
himself above the station of fool.

I am leery of antagonizing such a great man. Many souls have taken to
referring to him as "excellent". The Bards and Storytellers are
unanimous in their opinions of him. I seems his skill at arms is well in
excess of that of most 10-year-old boys. His courage easily surpasses
that of garden fowl, and his stature is somewhat in beyond that of most
medium sized women. Given all this and the fact that the local populace
seems to be mostly westerners and other sorts of Norman rapscallions, he
might indeed be able to summon a goodly army to protect his hide from my
lash. Also, I do not truly want to see copious bloodletting and killing.
Fewer living slaves makes for smaller profits.

Unfortunately; there will indeed be war (May 12th Mongol's Revenge see
your Acorn). There will be many contests and points accumulated to
decide the righteousness of my cause. In Order to make sure that this
Balynar, if that is indeed his real name as it is common for fugitives
and cads to take several names, and sully them all, does not hide behind
a sympathetic nationalism and racial misunderstanding due to barbarians
not understanding higher forms of culture and civilization. I call to
you "Balynar" a personal challenge. The contest shall be of three (3)
parts in order to test; strength, skill, and wit. If you feel unfamiliar
or unarmed in any of these arenas, you may yield.
	First, a man's method of settlement that is popular in both our
cultures, Wrestling. 3 submissions or kills or 10 points scored by
various blows and kicks to sundry areas of the anatomy. To be scored by
4 judges (no score on ties) to be selected by our seconds. The match is
to be all-in, no-holds barred. The only allowance is that the loser or
his seconds shall have 30 minutes unmolested after the match to remove
blood, skin or teeth from the field so as not to attract spirits of
magic detrimental to his old age or offspring.
	Second, the bow, say a flight of 2 dozen arrows at a common range
chosen by you. Since I feel accurate and ready at ranges beyond 10 yards
I will defer the choice of length to you.
	And Third, a contest of horsemen and pawns, you commonly refer to as
chess. You may have white.
I ask if you will accept my challenges as a single point in the tally of
the upcoming war as I would not ask you to pit your WHOLE effort on your
own skills. I would not even ask the question normally, as a real man
would have to accept; but given that you as yet have no house of your
own or claimed offspring, the question of your gender shall be left for
you to answer, verbally and/or on the field if you will.

Also, be it known Balynar that I have amassed several gold coins and
many of baser metal, minted by the ancient empires of Rome, Greece,
Indus, and Byzantium which I shall put forth to reward mercenaries and
champions that harken to my call on the day of battle to uphold honesty
and nobility.