Sports

Hunting is much enjoyed by people of any class. The nobles and gentry favour hunting with hounds on the chase and falconry. This kind of hunting actually mainly involves riding around, watching trained animals hunt for you, while enjoying witty conversation, fliriting, and perhaps listening to music. Amony some, hunts for boars, bears and deer remain popular, though many leave this to their game wardens.

Commoners are forbidden by the law to hunt most large game animals, but they may hunt fowl and small game. This is mostly done with bow and arrow, sling, or snare. Poaching is widespread, and ensures a lively black market in large game meat.

Angling is a popular sport, and rich and poor are just about equal in this field. The sport is considered relaxing and meditative.

Fencing is the prime sport for gentlemen. One may fence with or without shields or bucklers, gripping the sword with one or two hands, and if shield or buckler is not used, the off hand may or may not hold a dagger. In most styles it is permissible to enter into close combat, slamming and grappling one's opponent. In practice matches the opponents usually use wasters -

The gentry and nobility spar in full armour and with blunted weapons. Generally speaking, the more competent of them are not adverse to having an audience at their practice matches, and their tournaments and trials by combat are public spectacles.

Burghers also engage in swordfighting, often with limited or no armour, as a burgher doesn't prepare to prove himself on the battlefield, but rather to hold off footpads or rivals at a moment's notice.

The higher classes generally learn fencing as squires, while commoners and the lower gentry may study under fencing masters, professionals who may set up schools (salles) or travel as iternat teachers

Jeu de paume is a sport suitable for both gentlemen and ladies. It is played in a rectangular court, with a low net separating the players. A 2 1/2 inch ball (made of cork wrapped tightly in cloth and covered in white felt) is struck with a bare or leather-gloved hand. The ball is bounced off the players' side of the court, and across the net into the other half of the court. The ball must bounce once before it is struck back from the receiving side.

Jeu de paume is often played on a lawn, but walled courts have become very popular, and plays of walls and other fixtures offer a new level of complexity.'

Pancratium is the general term for unarmed combat. Pretty much every conceivable unarmed technique is permissible, though one does not, generally speaking, kick much, and high kicks are unknown. Pancratium is a martial art, originating in the old empires of Terra Centralis, but the term is used for all barehanded fighting. Gentlemen mainly study wrestling techniques, as fist-fighting is considered crude (and rather inefficient against armoured opponents). Pancratium matches are fought barehanded, and sometimes have lethal outcomes. In the Cargan and Clemencian empire, prizefights are fought with spiked gloves, cesti.