Hadaul

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Hadaul is a game played by the Darsh, the perverse inhabitants of the planet Dar Sai, as described by American science fiction writer Jack Vance in his novel The Face.

The contestants or "roblers" (typically a maximum of twelve and a minimum of four) pay an entry fee that becomes part of the prize money. The prize is placed on a pedestal in an inner maroon circle, four to eight feet in diameter. Surrounding it are three concentric circles, each ten feet wide, colored (from innermost to outermost) yellow, green and blue. The roblers begin in the yellow circle, as "yellow roblers".

The object of the game is to eject the other roblers by any means from the playing field. A robler who is thrown out of the yellow circle can no longer return to it. The same applies to the green ring, while a player tossed out of the blue is eliminated from the game. There are few if any rules. Players can ally with each other or equally easily betray one another.

It is possible for a hadaul to end with a single robler in each of the three circles, in which case the prize is split up in the ratio 3-2-1. However, a yellow robler can choose to enter either of the other two rings without penalty and try to eject another player, though he places himself at risk of being thrown out himself. Similarly, a green robler can try to eliminate a blue robler. The players declare when the game is over.

However, a green or blue robler can then wager the amount of the yellow robler's prize and re-enter the yellow ring to start the game anew. A challenger can put up an amount equal to the prize, but the winner need not accept, depending on the local rules in effect. If the challenger pays double the amount, the previous winner can no longer decline, unless he has been incapacitated. The challenge match is often fought with "knives, staves, or, on occasion, whips", but even a friendly hadaul can result in a corpse.