Item: This pas d'armes will be held in the customary manner, being contested solely for honor and renown, rather than for the base spirit of victory.
Item: The Knights of the West Kingdom will stand to defend the lists, to cross swords and to pass a pleasant afternoon in à plaisance combat at the barrier, with single sword, and with counted blows.
Item: All who would fight in this pas d'armes, be they knight, squire or man-at-arms, should come to the field by the hour of Noon on Friday, to the list enclosure before the West Kingdom Royal Pavilion, bearing their pennant and arms as are appropriate for knights to bear: poleaxes, swords, masses, or axes.
Item: Shortly after the hour of noon, the Knights of the West Kingdom will introduce themselves, and would invite their challenges to offer their own introductions, that the combatants of our two kingdoms might be better known to one another.
Item: Following the introductions, there will be a Grand Mêlée, in which all combatants are invited to take to the field, armed with but a one single-handed sword and no shield, to be fought for the entertainment of the gallery and for the joi de combat of the combatants. This combat will use counted blows, there each combatant may be struck with three good blows before they must retire from the field.
Item: The defenders will form a line on the King's side of the lists, holding themselves ready to receive their challenges and then shortly to report for combat.
Item: The challengers will then form a line on the Queen's side of the lists, offering persuasive words of challenge while the previous combatants arm and prepare to take the field.
Item: For the challenge, the attackers should strike Charlemagne's Tree of Shields, choosing the shield that represents the kind of combat they desire: Argent: counted blows (thrown); Azure, Combats over the barrier; Vert, Single combats in the field, the number of blows received to be one, three, or five; Or, any two combatants with single swords only, fought in the usual way.
Item: After everyone has had an opportunity to challenge, a barrier will be erected across the center of the field, and gentles may defend their side of the barrier with single sword. When struck, they must retire to their banner issue their war-cry, at which point they may re-enter the fighting. This combat will take place for fifteen minutes.
Item: The ladies of the gallery will then choose five of the challengers whose virtue stands out, requesting of them single combats in any style that is pleasing to the gallery. These gentles may in turn take this commandment to any member of the defenders, sharing their honor with them. These five fights will take place one after the other, for the pleasure of the gallery and the combatants.
Item: If there is time, other single challenges might be accepted by the defenders following the five champions.
Item: We will close the pas d'armes with a grand mêlée over the barrier, fought with spears. A single kill will be sufficient to eliminate a combatant, but they might petition the gallery to allow them to rejoin their companions. The combat will end when there are no companions left on either side, or when the combatants determine that the fight should be ended.
Item: There will be no prize for this pas d'armes, but it is strongly recommended that the individual combatants bear tokens of their appreciation with them that they can present to the combatants or consorts who strike them as particularly worthy of honor. In this way will the renown of virtuous combatants and fair ladies be strengthened, such being the purpose of the pas d'armes.
Written this 2nd day of July by our hand in the shire of Crosston, Principality of the Mists in the West Kingdom, by my own hand in service of Their Most Puissant and Undoubted Majesties, Alden & Madeline.
Brian R. Price
AKA SCA Brion Thornbird ap Rhys, Earl & Knight, OL
Chancellor, Company of Saint George
1 Quoted from Foissart, invitation to the Tournament at Saint-Ingelvert, May 1390. Research by Catherine Keegan.