Dueling
Dueling is one of Rokugan's foremost answers to ending personal conflicts. If a slight is made to a samurai, then the samurai might choose to challenge the slighter to a duel. It is, for the most part, considered dishonorable for any samurai to refuse a duel under any circumstances, for it is believed that if your cause is just, the kami will guide your blade true to cut down the offending party. That being said, samurai who make a habit of starting duels over the most minor of issues will soon find themselves unwelcome at court, uninvited to social events, and ignored in conversations.
These rules will be in effect for this forum game, as the traditional method of dueling noted in the core book - wherein duels might not happen for months, if not years after they have been issued - is simply not feasible in a forum game. Assume that the much more laborious process described in the core book came about in later years; in this era, we will be using the social constructions outlined below.
Timing and Legality
It is generally considered to be good form to set a duel anywhere from one to three days from the time of the initial challenge, in order to allow both sides to prepare for the possibility of death, and to set their affairs in order. In heated situations, this deadline may be rushed, but attempting to postpone the duel beyond the three day limit is often seen as a sign of cowardice, once a formal challenge has been issued.
Regardless of how much time has passed, any duel that is not fought in the presence of a magistrate of some sort - whether Clan or Imperial - is considered to be an illegal duel. Finding a magistrate is usually not that difficult, as even the smallest of courts typically has at least one magistrate on hand for such purposes. While there are few penalties for illegal nonlethal duels - after all, by definition, there are no magistrates around - a lethal duel that has not been overseen by a magistrate is viewed as no different than murder by the authorities and society as a whole.
In the event that you find yourselves in a duel, you may contact a GM with the time of the duel, and a magistrate will be assigned to attend the duel as an official witness. Of course, you may always make your own arrangements as well (typically for a PC magistrate).
It is considered common courtesy to hold duels outside, in places where potential blood splattering will not infringe upon the courtesy of one's host. Bridges and open fields are popular locations.
Permission for Dueling
The idea of rebirth is a central tenet of bushido. Because a person lives numerous lives, samurai often place little value on their current incarnation. A samurai need not fear death, for he receives another life after the current has ended. So long as a samurai obeys the precepts of bushido, it is believed that his next reincarnation will bring him one step closer to eternal life in Yomi with his ancestors.
In a very real sense, to the Rokugani, Honor is more important than life. Very few daimyo would seek to prevent a samurai from answering an insult to his Honor, or the Honor of his Clan, and for this reason, samurai do not require their lord's permission to engage in a duel. It is assumed to be implicitly given when a samurai receives their daisho at their gempukku ceremony.
This permission covers both typical dueling, which is, by default, assumed to be only to the first blood, as well as shi duels, or duels that are fought to the death.
First Blood
A duel to the first blood is actually something of a misnomer, as it actually refers to a duel wherein the winner is the first one to strike an opponent, regardless of whether or not the winner's attack actually draws blood. Many skilled duelists make it a point of pride to never draw the blood of their opponents, instead using their skill to slice mons from kimono or to trim mustaches.
Note that if both duelists miss on their initial strikes - a rare but possible outcome - the duel will progress into skirmish rounds as normal, until one duelist or the other manages to strike their opponent.
Shi Duels
Shi duels are duels that are fought to the death, either in one masterfully well-placed stroke, or in a brutal combat that takes place after the initial iaijutsu strike. If both parties agree to a shi duel, then the duel progresses in that manner without further interruption. If one of the parties does not agree, however, then the duel is only to the first blood...though "accidents" sometimes happen.
Accidental Death
A death during a duel that is being fought to the first blood is not only a terrible outcome for the loser (obviously), but also for the victorious duelist. This is most often seen as a sign of a duelist's lack of skill, as they were unable to properly control their blade, and as such the winning duelist gains a number of points of Infamy equal to the fallen samurai's Glory Rank. A duelist who frequently makes such "accidents" is typically viewed as a murderer by their fellow samurai, though there is little that can legally be done against them, save to petition the samurai's lord for punishment and/or reparations for their fallen opponent.
This is the sort of thing that has been known to start wars between Clans.
Refusing a Duel
Once a challenge has been issued, the challenged samurai must either back down and apologize, retracting whatever slander they issued, or else defend their words with steel. Backing down, of course, is a tremendous loss of prestige and face, and a wise samurai will never issue an insult or accusation without being prepared to back it up in a duel. Should a samurai refuse to take part in a duel, they suffer a loss of Honor, as if they had committed a Major Breach of Etiquette, and a loss of Glory, equal to twice the Challenger's Glory Rank.
Status
Status can sometimes be a shield against unwanted duels. Characters with a Status of three or more ranks higher than the challenger may refuse to participate in the duel, without suffering any consequences (social or otherwise) for refusing.
Champions
Because shugenja and courtiers are part of the samurai caste they must abide by its rules. It is therefore demanded by them that if they are challenged to a duel, that they should answer as any bushi would. Shugenja and courtiers are generally not deemed skilled enough to participate in the duel themselves, however, and thus are allowed to have a Champion (otherwise known as a second) stand in for them during the duel. They must still face the consequences of the loss if their Champion loses the duel; if the duel is to the death, this means sepukku.
While Champions are most commonly drawn from members of one's own Clan, it is not uncommon for close friends or allies to arrange for skilled duelists to stand in for someone, or to even do so themselves. There is no stigma involved in such an arrangement, and indeed, such a substitution is often seen as a show of support for the side of the challenged party. Courtiers and shugenja who issue challenges may ask Champions to stand in for themselves in much the same way.
In the event that a character is unable to find a Champion for their cause, one's host typically provides a bushi to stand in for them, if they are not involved in the duel, or failing that, a letter is sent requesting a Champion from the nearest city or village of significant size. In this case, the duel is postponed long enough for the Champion to arrive, typically no longer than one to three days. It is considered bad manners to ask one's host to provide a Champion to stand in for them during a shi duel, and as such most samurai in such a position elect to wait for their Clan to provide them with a Champion.
Other Forms of Dueling
While the default form of the duel is iaijutsu, it is not unknown for duels of other sorts, such as storytelling or origami, to settle disputes, typically among courtiers who do not wish to put the lives of bushi at risk. In order to change the type of a duel, both parties must agree to the change; if even one of them refuses, then the duel remains an iaijutsu duel. There is no social stigma attached to refusing to change the duel to something other than iaijutsu.
Taryu-Jiai Dueling
There is a special exception made for a shugenja who challenges another shugenja to a duel. In these instances, the shugenja typically face off against each other in a special kind of magical duel known as "taryu-jiai." For a shugenja to suggest that a duel with another shugenja take any other form is tantamount to admitting that one's magical skills are sub par, and thus this is rarely done.