Welcome to the Fort Town Steampunk Festival's Tea Dueling.
Unlike the Parasol Dueling & Soft Dart Gun Duelling, Tea Dueling will not be run as a tournament due to time constraints.
Our goal is to invite as many attendees to participate as possible.
With that in mind, you are invited to join us on the lawn, near the Visitor Centre.
Fill your cup with the tea of your choice.
Have a seat and an opponent will soon sit across from you.
In a moment, your Tea Tiffin will begin the Tea Duel.
Good luck and we hope you enjoy the tea and biscuits!
RULES for the Fort Town Steampunk Festival's Tea Duel
1. The only permissible beverage is tea. Coffee and chocolate are prohibited. This beverage may be any blend; however, at the festival, you will have a choice of three types. The duelists may add milk and sugar to taste. This beverage should be no less than 65 degrees at the time of the duel. The beverage is known as the "Brew Martial."
2. No alcohol tipple may be added to the brew martial, so no "toddy" at the festival. Sorry!
3. The provision of the brew martial along with the Kegs (cups) and suitable biscuits shall be the responsibility of the "Pot Master."
4. The duel shall be facilitated by the appointed officer, known as the "Pot Master" and/or "Tiffin Master."
5. The Tiffin Master shall supply the biscuits. Respecting the Queen's regulations, The Hague Convention, and the Atlanta Convention of 1902, we have selected the following biscuits: Pepperidge Farm Chessmen Butter Cookies.
6. The duel will begin with opponents shaking hands and/or bow. Then, the Tiffin Master lays out the biscuits. Ten biscuits will be lain upon a white napkin on a serving plate.
7. The Pot Master will supervise the provision of the Kegs of brew martial ready for the duel to commence.
8. The duelists will take their keg of brew martial and place them on the table, which is set up between them.
9. The Tiffin Master will place the charger of biscuits on the table between the duelists.
10. On the command "choose your weapon," the dualists will each select a single biscuit. No handling or replacing of biscuits is permitted.
11. The dualists will hold the biscuits in one hand with finger and thumb no further than one half inch from the edge.
12. The Tiffin Master will give the order "Ready" and both biscuits will be positioned over the appropriate keg, no further than six inches over the lip.
13. On the command "Dunk" both duelists will immediately and swiftly lower their biscuit into the brew martial. The Tiffin Master may declare a penalty "a bagging" against any duelist who unduly delays their dunk, and the biscuits will be removed and discarded. Replacement biscuits will be chosen by both duelists from the remaining biscuits. (Note: if a dualist is penalized twice for bagging, then they shall forfeit.)
14. If the Tiffin Master is happy that there has been a clean dunk, they shall count to five (5). Duelists shall not remove their biscuit from the brew martial before the Tiffin Master calls "five."
15. Once five (5) has been counted and the biscuit removed, the duelists shall attempt to eat the biscuit. 94% as adjudged by the Tiffin Master must end up in the duelist's mouth for a clean "Nom."
a. If a biscuit falls back into the brew martial this is known as a "splash" and the duelist is considered beaten.
b. If a biscuit falls onto the table or floor this is known as a "splatter" and the duelist is considered defeated.
c. If a biscuit falls onto the duelist's person this is known as a "splodge" and the duelist is considered defeated with credit.
d. Where both duelists manage a clean Nom, then the duelist who last mouthed their biscuit is considered to be a victor with their opponent defeated.
e. If no duelist has managed a Nom after two rounds (and there has been no win by credit of a splodge over other scores), the third and final round shall be decided by default as the last duelist to splash, splat or splodge as called by the Tiffin Master.
