Rings of Honor

Anyone meeting the following criteria can challenge a Keeper for their title.

1. Hold the rank of Enchanter or above.
2. Be an active member in the Duel of Magic for at least 60 days.
3. Has not challenged for Keeper status within the last 60 days.
4. Has not lost Keeper status in the last 30 days.
5. Does not already hold a Keeper title. If a Keeper desires to challenge another Keeper for their title, then they must first resign from their current title before issuance of challenge.

Rights of Challenge

1. Any challenger challenging for the title of Keeper must be an active dueler in the Duel of Magic for at least one cycle (Two months). Duelers who are reinstated from retirement or who have been removed from the standings due to inactivity must duel actively for two months before they may challenge.
2. Each Keeper may be challenged once per month. If a challenger defeats a Keeper in a given month the new Keeper will still be open for challenge within that month. (i.e. Duelist X Challenges Keeper Y in December and wins. Duelist X takes the Keeper title but will still be open for challenge for the month of December). The former Keeper must wait one cycle before having the ability to challenge for the Keeper title again.
3. Challengers are allowed *one* challenge per cycle; challenges are not cumulative. If a potential challenger does not challenge within a cycle, their opportunity will not carry over to the next affording them two challenges the next. Also, a challenge is considered complete when the actual challenge match is finished. In other words, if you challenge on the last day of a cycle and do not complete the actual duel until the first of the next cycle, the Challenger will not be able to challenge again until the following cycle. Example: Challenger challenges on December 31st, fights the actual match on January 3rd. The Challenger in question is not able to challenge again until March.
4. Only one challenger may challenge a particular Keeper at a time. If multiple challenges are issued to the same Keeper by different challengers, the first challenge received will be the one honored. There will be no challenge queue accepted.
5. No rightful challenge may be refused by any one of the Keeper title. If a Keeper is issued a challenge he or she may not deny it for any reason; they must defend or forfeit the title. The only exceptions to this are a Keeper having defended within the last 30 days and the Celestial Keeper. That title will be unchallengable as a perk of the current ArchMage. Only the first challenge to be issued after the 30 day grace period of a previously challenged Keeper or the 7 day grace period of a new Keeper will be accepted as "legitimate" and subject to the rules of validation above.

The Challenge Process

Challenge matches will not occur during regular dueling hours. The time of the duel is dependent upon the agreement of the Challenger, the Defender, and the calling official (DUEL). Challenge matches may proceed upon verification of rightful challenge from the DoM Coordinator to all parties involved, and must be completed within two weeks of said verification.

Challenges must be made in writing to the DoM Coordinator and a post of intent to challenge on the Duel of Magic Message Boards. * The Challenged is expected to respond there as well. Upon receipt of the request, the Coordinator will verify the requirements have been met. The Challenge will be validated both privately and publicly and a best of three match will then be scheduled. The DoM Coordinator will contact the Keeper challenged and request a suitable date and time.

The Keeper has first preference on dates, times, and choice of official, but consensus between the challenger and the official must be reached. If neither the Keeper nor the challenger have a preference to a official, the first official available to call the match on the selected day will do so. Correspondences regarding the particulars of the challenge must be sent to a mail list that includes all parties involved: The DoM Coordinator, Keeper being challenged, Challenger, the official that will be officiating, and the remaining four Keepers.

After receiving confirmation of the date of the match, either Keeper or Challenger is expected to post date and time as well as any changes as they may occur.

Once this criteria is met, only then will the Challenge be dueled.

The Challenge Match

Both duelers are expected to arrive on time and prepared to duel. If one of the duelers fails to show within ten minutes after the match was scheduled to begin, the dueler present will be asked if he or she would like to continue to wait. If the dueler agrees to wait, the match will be held up for another ten minutes. If after that time the missing dueler fails to show, the match will be rescheduled for within one week. If the same person does not appear for the rescheduled match, they will be disqualified and no further rescheduling will be allowed. In other words, if any one dueler is late twice to a challenge match, they will be disqualified and their opponent declared the victor. * If the duels begin, then all three must be completed that night. If one duelist has to leave, there will be no rescheduled once the first round of the first duel has been called. The duelist leaving will forfeit the remaining duels. Unfortunately, this will also have to be the case in the event of a "punt" that lasts more than fifteen minutes. In this event, that duel will be forfeit. If the duelists fails to return after an additional five minutes (a total of 20 minutes) then the remaining duels will also be forfeit.

Challenge Matches are held in a best of 3 format and all duels will be fought until a winner is declared; no ties will be allowed. Matches conducted in this manner may exceed 15 rounds.

The duelists will duel at the rank of the lower ranked duelist as stated on the most current Standings. The higher ranked duelist will choose which of the spells at their disposal they will use up to the number held by the lower rank. These spells are to be stated before the duel in the manner Mage Emetri start their selected Mage Power. Example: Challenged is ranked on the Standings as Mage, the Keeper is ranked on the Standings as Enchanter. The Mage Challenger would be required to state which one of their five earned spells he/she will be using before the commencement of the Best of Three duels. These spells will be used for the duration of the Best of Three. The only exception to this will be Mage verses Mage Emetri Keeper challenges. In this case the Mage Emetri will have full privilege of their rank including the ability to switch between Nether Ray and Immolation between duels.

Duelers are allowed a brief five-minute break between each match.

The Keeper being challenged will retain the right to the use of Elemental Fury once during each of the three duels. This spell unleashes a raw wave of elemental force against the hapless target. Exactly how it manifests depends entirely on the Keeper's element.

Fire = A curtain of flames
Earth = An avalanche of stone and soil
Water = A tidalwave
Air = A vortex or whirlwind
Celestial = A near-barage of tiny stars

SPECIAL NOTE RE: ARCHMAGE CHALLENGE -
Even though the Archmage is also the Celestial Keeper, he/she may NOT use Elemental Fury in the archmage challenge match, as having the ability to use both Immolation and Nether Ray is already enough of an advantage. The exception to this rule is when the challenger is also a keeper, since keepers who win the AMT are no longer required to give up their title in order to challenge the Archmage. In this situation the normal rules of duels between keepers applies and each of them may use Elemental Fury once per duel.

Challenge Results

Upon a successful defense, the winning Keeper may not be challenged for one month (4 weeks). He or she will also retain the rights and privileges of that title. If another challenge is issued to that Keeper within the four (4) week period, they may accept it if they wish, but they are not required to do so until the grace period has expired.

1. The former Keeper will have until the next issued standings to carry the Keeper title, allowing time for closure of the Keeper's duties and clearing of the tower. (i.e., If the Challenger wins on a Thursday, the former Keeper would maintain their title until the day the standings are released.)
2. The new Keeper will have a week following official listing as a Keeper where he or she will have the opportunity to carry the Keeper title challenge free. No challenges against the new Keeper within that week will be honored. From the time the Challenger is declared the new Keeper on the standings, to the following week when the standings are issued again, the new Keeper may not accept or receive any challenge, either written or verbal.

Maintaining the Keeper Title

To Maintain their status title the bearer of the title *MUST*:

1. Remain an Active member of the Duel of Magic. Should a Keeper retire or become inactive, he or she will lose the right to bear their Keeper status. To maintain active status, a Keeper must duel twice a month, and maintain a presence on the (IC) message board. Tournament duels and challenge matches do not count towards meeting these requirements.
2. Win all challenge matches with duelists eligible for Keeper status.
3. Maintain the rank of Enchanter or above. If a Keeper falls below the rank of Enchanter, he or she will lose the status of Keeper and a tournament will be held to fill the vacant position.
4. Defend against a challenge within two weeks of said challenge. First failure to appear will result in the challenge being rescheduled for within one week of the original date. Second failure to appear will be considered a forfeit and the challenger will be awarded the title. If a Keeper knows that they will be unable to answer potential challenges within a given week, the Keeper must give the DoM Coordinator advance notice ((This is to accommodate vacations, finals weeks, and like circumstances. This will be handled on a case by case basis.)) The DoM Coordinator will, on approving the extension, notify all parties involved: Both Challenger and Challenged, and the remaining Keepers. Only one possible extension per challenge will be approved. Extensions will vary according to the reason behind it at the discretion of the DoM Coordinator. At the termination of the extension, the Keeper has one week (7 days) to defend or stand in forfeit of title. Example: Extension is granted ending July 7. The Best of Three challenge must be scheduled and completed within 7 days, ending July 14.
5. May not refuse any challenge validated by the DoM Coordinator, with the exception of following successful defense within the prior 30 days.

Privileges of Keeper Rank

Keepers will hold the title, Tower and have the once per duel use of their Elemental Fury in all challenge matches.

Keepers will have the privilege of use of their Elemental Fury spell once per duel in any Keeper versus Keeper (including the unchallengable Celestial Keeper) regular duel during regular dueling hours on Twilight Island.

Be recognized and listed in the history of DoM as well as in a special area to be set aside for the Keepers of Twilight Isle. This will come to include a small written history of each Keeper and their reign.

Keepers and Tournaments

Any Keeper of Mage rank entering the ArchMage Tournament of Challenge and being victorious at the end of the Preliminaries (the first night of the AMT), may press their challenge to the current ArchMage. The ArchMage rank carries the perk of being Celestial Keeper.

Keepers who win the AM Tourney and decide to challenge the Archmage get to keep their Keeper title for the Challenge, and retain it if they lose. If they win, then the Keeper will give up their previous Keeper title to be the Celestial Keeper/Archmage, and turn over the key to their Tower to the organizer of the AMT or senior official present. The Keeper title will then be open for tournament.

Participation in a Keeper Tournament will not be considered use of challenge right. However, one who has participated in a Keeper Tournament may not lay challenge to a Keeper within 30 days. This is a compromise between not counting Tournament seek of a Keeper title as challenge right and not allowing immediate challenge again after participating in seek of the title through Tournament. The exception to this is one of Mage rank participating in the ArchMage Tournament of Challenge. Regardless of the last date a Mage or Mage Emetri challenged or participated in a Keeper Tournament, they will not be denied entry to the AMT.

Violations of Rules Governing the Keepers

Violation of these rules may bear consequences to be discussed by the Keepers, the ArchMage, and the DoM Coordinator. The DoM Coordinator has the final decision in all matters.

This system for ranking Mages is to be used to determine position in the ArchMage Tournament of Challenge.  For ranking purposes Mage Emeriti shall also be included in the system.

Mages will be ranked according to how they fare against other Mages.  Any duel that qualifies will count towards the mage ranking system.  It is a percentage system, so the Mage that wins a larger percent of his/her duels against peers, will be ranked higher.

Ties will not count either for or against duelists.  A Mage that is 4/2/0 will share the same percentage ranking as a Mage that is 4/2/1.  Basically, these duels will be thrown out.

A qualified duel is a duel against another Mage, a Mage Emeritus or the Arch Mage.  Only these duels will be reflected in the Mage's ranking.  Only Mages who duel a certain number of "qualified" duels will be eligible for the ranking system.  This number will be equal to the total number of duels the "average" Mage duels in a given week.  In other words:  If, in week 1 there are a total of 60 qualifying duels fought.  Double that number since there have to be 2 people in each duel, for a total of 120 qualifying duels that week.  If there are 60 current Mages, then the average qualifying duels per Mage would be 2.  If, in week 2, the average is 1 duel, then Mages will have to have fought 3 qualifying duels in order to make the rankings.  The minimum number for each week will be one.

In addition to the above system for "qualified" duels, the rankings will be split up as follows:

• Top bracket - All the Mages who qualify as having fought the "total number of duels the average Mage fights in a given week" or more, will fall into this bracket. Ranked on winning percentage.
• Bottom bracket - All the Mages who did not qualify for the top bracket.  Ranked based on winning percentage.