Arcanist's Duel

Arcanist's duels are formalized displays of magical power practiced by the Kirin Tor, in which two duelists attempt to display their superiority. Traditionally, such duels are regarded as matters of honour, with a slighted party demanding a duel as satisfaction for a perceived wrong.

Archaic Dueling
Amongst the early mages of Arathor and later Dalaran, duels between arcanists mirrored those of warriors. The two combatants would face off at an appointed hour, and would attempt to subdue or kill each other with magic. Such duels were nearly always lethal in practice, because of the natural destructiveness of magic when employed as a weapon. Such duels are exceptionally rare now, and generally only occur when the gravest of insults are given.

Because of the lethality of early dueling practices, mages quickly codified dueling rules to prevent such deaths. Now, duels take the form of a competition between the aggrieved parties, in which each demonstrate their magical prowess and are judged by a trio of officiators, typically archmagi.

Modern Dueling Procedures
The duel begins when a challenge is given by one mage and accepted by the other. Though no mage is obliged to accede to a request to duel, if the insult given is severe, failure to do so is viewed as dishonourable or shameful.

The two combatants report their wish to duel to their superiors, who arrange for three judges to preside over the contest. The judges are traditionally responsible for attempting to reconcile the two duelists prior to their combat. If the judges determine that reconciliation is not possible, then the duel commences.

Each duel takes place in three rounds. During each round, one of the judges will select one of the schools of arcane magic, and the duelists will display their prowess in that field, often in the form of flashy and even garish shows. After each round, the judges confer and determine the winner of that round. Whichever contestant wins two of the three rounds is declared the duel's victor.