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DUELS

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death and taxes

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the use of magic for harming others, physically or psychologically, is considered a great crime. offensive or illegal use of magic can be tracked by authorities on patrol or sensed using various charms and devices set throughout the city. the use of such magic without a proper bypass license or mission statement is illegal. haphazard use destructive magic may result in anything from fines or capital punishment, depending on the severity of the crime.using magic against other witches must be licensed (which occurs when a witch accepts a mission that would involve such a task).
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that being said, witches battling witches in duels and tournaments is not uncommon. these must take place in a free-magic-zone created by use of restriction bypass licenses (used so that the sensors are not overworked), which are usually regulated by the council.
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duels are irrespective of magical ranking, meaning that novices and masters alike gather in the same tournament. the aim of witches partaking in a light-hearted or tournament-styled duel will always be to make contact (magically) with the opponent or the opponent's familiar. a duel of submission, on the other hand, continues until a witch is forced to recall their familiar. finally, a duel to kill or a duel of death continues until one of the witches perishes. the last option is extremely uncommon and almost archaic in modern witch society, the first is most common and the middle option is sometimes done as a fight for honor, or to determine hierarchy in some covens.
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no one knows how duels originated- but they seem to have been integral in forming witch society. in the beginning, the only kinds of duels were duels till submission- where all forms of healing magic were banned and the competitors simply battled until one or other was forced to retract their familiar or died because they were unwilling to.
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as society progressed, pride and virility melted into a more socially acceptable system of "honor" and the barbarian ideas of death and submission were replaced with values now being attached to "skill" and quick-casting. the rule for victory changed from crushing your foe to inflicting magical contact while remaining untouched yourself.
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it became a signifier of class and magical skill- something done as a challenge on pride or as a measure of the authenticity behind threats, promises or otherwise hollow words. but as witches began to use town squares and riversides for their "duels," they began attracting crowds. at first, duel-happy witches were used as examples by the less magically inclined- "don't join that coven or you'll wind up bleeding into the verde yourself"
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indeed, the helios knights was full of duels for power and status, duels for integrity. smaller covens mimicked what they saw and created whole hierarchies based on the system. in leviathan, duels to submission (and death) still lingered. eventually, the idea of honor expanded outwards. duels to the death re-emerged not as fights for individual for dominance, but as fights for the honor of the coven.
[break][break] in one of the most historic duels in the last century, saebro wistcoff of leviathan and daever chayes dueled in the center of sundial (a place that has now been taken as a part of the helios knight's garden ground). the resultant death of chayes was said to be one of the ignitors of the great war between the two covens.
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dozens of people lost their lives (very publically) to duels, and it became vital to control these fights for integrity. duels to the death were soon after outlawed as murder, and following the war, became popularized as a means of entertainment. "contact-based duels" became the next norm as society seemed to emerge from a dark age of violence and justified murder.
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now popularized and somewhat marketed (and yet in many places still retaining its status as honorable and ritualistic), duels take on a variety of sizes and formats, the most popular being "three strikes" or "last strike". typically, the rules for a duel is as follows:
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these are the rules for a standard (contact-based) witch duel:

1. the familiar of both witches must be materialized. recalling the familiar means admitting to defeat.[break]
2. it is recommended to be done in the presence of at least one witness and a medic.[break]
3. a "round" of a duel ends when magical contact is made.[break]
4. "magical contact" occurs when:[break]
a) an open wound is visibly seen on any witch.[break]
b) a witch or familiar is knocked off their feet [break]
c) a witch no longer has mana to continue the duel[break]
d) a witch or familiar is pushed off the designated arena [break] e) a witch loses grip of their wand for more than two seconds.[break]
5. some duels may offer multiple rounds, with three or five rounds being common and three being the standard for tournaments in a "three strikes" format.[break]
6. if multiple rounds are not offered ("last strike"), the victor is the one who is able to "make magical contact with the opponent given that the contact is not returned within ten seconds of being afflicted"[break]
7. the designated witness(es) will have the right to determine the contact/post-contact or if a round should be nullified for any reason[break]
8. non-magical contact/weaponry is strictly prohibited[break]
9. all competitors must use wands.[break]
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duel etiquette