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Date   : 10/21/2025    Duedate: 11/03/2025

STORM ROCK ARENA

DM 107    TURN 369

RANK TEAMS                 W    L   K    %  RANK TEAMS                 W    L   K    % 
  1 RHYME TYME 55/385    558  358   4 60.9    3 BIG LAKE OUT 81/410  421  443  10 48.7
  2 REDHORSE 56/469      961  997   8 49.1      BIG LAKE SOLUTION 81/439
    MOSSRUNNERS 1/113

                                  WARRIOR SPOTLIGHT

                      Mission to Green Valley Gate, Chapter One

"It don't look too promising," Rabid Moose commented, and spat into the surf.

"This is the outside," Vengeance told him.  "There's supposed to be an inside, in the 
crater of the volcano.  Supposed to be nicer."

The five men gazed up at the jagged slope above the small cove, where a few buildings 
clung to a beach.  Beyond and above them, a road led to what looked like the mouth of 
a lighted cave.  As the ship glided into the harbor, more details became visible, 
including the sight of men and women unloading crates full of fish, and then the they 
saw a wide one-story building with a bright red sign over the door.  A warm breeze 
from the island brought a scent of green growing things, and the odor of dead fish. 
And a slight hint of rotten eggs.

"Monster!" said Teddy Brewster, pointing.  "A two-headed dog!"

The four other gladiators peered at the shore.  "Huh," Teetotaler grunted. "You'd 
think something like that'd be wild and dangerous, but a couple of kids are petting 
it."

"Canid Mortalis," Tortured Trout offered. Tallish and thin, he had long, red-dyed hair 
pulled into a braid down his back, and a long, scraggly brown beard.  "You find them 
around chaos gates sometimes, the chaotic energy mutates them.  Their bite is 
poisonous because they eat plants containing aconite.  Not all of their pups are born 
alive, but supposedly the aconite stabilizes the mutations.  I never heard of them 
being tame, though."  He pressed his lips together.  He was a mage but he had no 
healing ability.  They did have a few healing potions, but that was all. He didn't 
know how to treat aconite poisoning.

As their small ship, the Lazy Daisy, pulled up to the dock, Rabid Moose kept watching 
the kids with the dog, but Vengeance and his lieutenant, Teetotaler, began sending 
sailors to the hold to get the team's luggage.

The land sloped up from the docks into a crescent of rocky ground packed with 
buildings that faced the water, and two other tiers of buildings above the dockside 
ones.  The wide building in the lowest row, the one with the big red sign, turned out 
to be a tavern.  The script looked foreign, but under the words was a picture of a 
tankard of ale.

Two men and a woman, all of them brawny, came down the dock leading light pony carts 
with net sides.  The ship's captain called down to them to take the gladiators' 
luggage first. Then he came over to the five men at the rail and said, "Welcome to 
Herring.  It's been a pleasure having you all ride with us. There be monsters in the 
sea, and we liked knowing that you would fight them if it come to that.  And you been 
real polite, too. Good luck with your mission.  We'll come by again in a couple weeks, 
if you're still here by then and need a ride back to Alastari. Same low price."

Once on shore, the five men followed their luggage carts uphill, on a switchback road, 
to the cave opening. A warm breeze came out of it, smelling of green crops and rotten 
eggs, but not of fish.

"What are these light?" Teetotaler asked, stopping to gaze at one of the lamps in the 
cave walls.  "That's a bright, steady light."

"It's a flammable gas that comes out of the ground," answered Tortured Trout.  "I've 
read about it. That's the rotten egg smell, you know.  Swamp gas. They've found a way 
to bottle it and use it.  Very clever folks, here."

Teetotaler frowned.  "Wouldn't that be dangerous?"

"Oh, it is.  But the occasional explosion isn't a high price for all the convenience.  
I hope they have this kind of lighting at our hotel.  It's excellent for reading. I 
wonder if I can buy a few bottles of the stuff to use with my spells."  

Marduk grimaced.  He seldom spoke, but now he said, "Wasn't someone supposed to meet 
us here?  Someone magical?"  He glanced at the Trout.  "Besides you I mean."

"He'll probably be at the hotel," Vengeance told him.  "I was told he came here ahead 
of us, to make preparations."

The cave was a tunnel through the volcano's wall.  As they emerged from the other end 
of it, they found themselves at the top tier of a the town of Coldbridge, which 
marched down the south side of the volcanic cauldron.  Beyond the town, a lush 
patchword of pastures and planted fields lay beneath a layer of soft mist.  

Their inn, the Green Valley Host, was two tiers down, but just before the five men 
could follow their luggage into the inn yard, a scream echoed down the street.  There 
was a warbling snarl. They saw a pair of teenagers trying to fight off a giant six-
legged, armored thing wielding a short sword and a weighted net.

"CHAAAARRRGE!" Teddy Brewster roared, racing toward the fight. Vengeance, Teetotaler, 
Rabid Moose, and Marduk caught up with him, their weapons drawn.  Only Tortured Trout 
held back a little, still walking toward the fight, his lips and hands moving as he 
prepared a spell.  

The boy fell to the street, bleeding from the chest and abdomen, and the girl slashed 
at the monster with a big knife.  Her blade broke against the thing's armor, or 
armored hide, as the rescuers arrived.

                                   * * * * * * * *

                         Mission to Green Valley, Chapter Two

Teddy Brewster's headlong charge made him the first to reach the young girl being 
attacked by the armored... thing. But Vengeance was right behind him to back him up, 
or bail him out of trouble if needed.  The weapon Teddy wielded was not the official 
equipment of any gladiator in Greywand's arenas.  It was long, curved and heavy like a 
scimitar but with a wickedly hooked tip, made of a blue-tinted metal.  The hilt was 
two-handed, wrapped in leather, ending in a heavy lead club.  As he reached the 
monster he pivoted and kicked, landing the steel toe of his boot between two of its 
six limbs, apparently attacking ribs.  There was a loud thud, and the creature 
grunted, interrupting its low-pitched warble.  The teenaged girl tried to pull away 
from the monster, but its first pair of limbs tightened the clawed fingers imbedded in 
her shoulders and she screamed in pain.  Following up with a mighty swing of his 
weapon, the gladiator struck the creature's side, the blade cutting into the armor, 
his arms feeling the powerful impact, but with no sign of blood or other fluids. 
Whatever the thing was made of, it was tough.

At least it was distracted; it let go of the girl, and Vengeance pulled her away.  She 
stumbled back, her tanned face pale, eyes wide. The shoulders of her shirt were red 
with much too much blood.

"Get them to safety!" Vengeance grated.  Marduk bent and picked up the unconscious, 
bleeding boy.  Rabid Moose, not too swift on the uptake, realized he should get the 
girl into the hotel.  Teetotaler loomed near as the teenagers were carried toward the 
building.  As Teetotaler and Vengeance set themselves on opposite sides of the alien 
creature, Tortured Trout called out, "Get back!  Incoming!"

Vengeanced and Teetotaler each took a step back.  A bright light streaked from the 
Trout's hands to the six-legged creature, making it glow for a moment.  It screamed.  
Then the glow faded. The creature shuddered and uttered a strange chortling sound, 
then pivoted on its rear four legs and lunged at Vengeance.

"Oops," said Tortured Trout.  "Sorry boss.  New spell, needs work."

Although he met it with the point of his blade in the alien's abdominal armor, 
Vengeance staggered back from the heavy impact and felt its claws in his chest.  
Teetotaler barrelled into the thing from the side, knocking it away from his boss, 
plunging his spear into its body.  This time, with Teetotaler's considerable mass 
behind it, the blade penetrated the armor and sank a good eight inches into the 
thing's body.  It shrieked, a quavering sound that hurt everyone's ears.

"Get back!" said the Trout. "Lightning!"

They knew this spell worked, so Vengeance and Teetotaler backed up.  Vengeance's blade 
came free; Teetotaler's remained stuck, but he let go of it.  They ducked their heads 
and covered their eyes.  There was a sharp ozone smell as the lightning hit.  All 
three gladiators felt a jolt up through the ground, making their feet and legs tingle, 
but they all knew from bitter experience to keep their sphincters tight.

With a hoarse and fading scream, the alien fell to the pavement.  Its charred body 
broke into smoking chunks.  It smelled a bit like roasted meat, but not something that 
might be edible.

"Good one, Trout," Vengeance gasped, shaking the tingles out of his body.  He looked 
down at the remains of his bloody shirt.  "Damn.  This doesn't rate a healing potion, 
I think.  Stitches and bandages, yeah?"

"They must have a medic around here," Teetotaler said.  He offered his shoulder to 
Vengeance, who slung an arm over him.

As they helped Vengeance into the hotel, Marduk and Teddy Brewster came to meet them.  
"Let that be a lesson to the monsters," Brewster said.  Marduk added, "We have a 
healer.  This way."

They led the combatants into a meeting room off the lobby. Though he was in pain, 
Vengeance noticed a small humanoid tending to the two teenagers, who lay on a pair of 
leather couches, already bandaged. The room smelled of something herbal.

Marduk said, "Orv, these are Tortured Trout, Teetotaler, and our boss, Vengeance."  He 
looked at Vengeance.  "This is Orv, sent by Lady Greywand to help us."

Orv, who seemed rather like a human child of about eight years, nodded gravely at 
Vengeance.  "Please sit.  I have made poultices and a healing tea.  Those creatures, 
the Kharack, have unclean claws that leave infections."  Its voice was light, but 
could be either male or female.

"What else can you tell us about them?" Vengeance asked, dropping into a leather 
armchair.

"From what I have learned, they are a peaceful race, but the ones here are not at all 
peaceful.  They hate everything that is not their kind."

"Then why didn't they stay where they came from?"

The little being shrugged, as he (or she) helped Vengeance to remove his tattered 
shirt.  "Hatred is uncooperative."

                             REPORT FROM WITHIN THE TOWER

Woe!

There were six fights in Storm Rock Arena today.  Three involved stand-ins, and the 
other three featured two actual gladiators.  Perhaps this arena should merge with Home 
Guard?  At least we'd have some company then.  No one challenged or avoided, no one 
died, and the stand-ins had a 3-0 turn.  There were four stylemasters.

     MOD COD (55-2638) (453-229-5,338) of RHYME TYME fought HUMMINGBIRD (56-3475) 
(111-124-0,257) of REDHORSE.  MOD COD devastated HUMMINGBIRD in a 1 minute mismatched 
Title fight.  Mod Cod remains, of course, the Champion of the Horn, and is top Lunger.  
Hummingbird is top Slasher.
     BURM WOLFSNARL (81-113) (110-78-0,218) of BIG LAKE OUTCASTS fought MOOSE (56-
3459) (80-109-0,204) of REDHORSE.  BURM WOLFSNARL vanquished MOOSE in a 2 minute 
uneven battle.  Burm Wolfsnarl is our best Total Parry, and got 11 points for this 
victory.  Moose is top Striker.
     BUCK (1-2291) (78-175-0,181) of MOSSRUNNERS fought THE LEPER'S HAND (81-2940) 
(80-48-1,197) of BIG LAKE SOLUTION.  BUCK was savagely defeated by THE LEPER'S HAND in 
an action packed 3 minute fight.
     JAVELINO (56-3728) (70-83-1,210) of REDHORSE fought TELGOR (107-27) (0-0-0,200).  
JAVELINO was devastated by TELGOR in an exciting 1 minute one-sided fight.  Javelino 
lost 20 poinra doe rhia disgrace.
     BROKEN TOE (56-3683) (73-111-1,166) of REDHORSE fought VILLAINOUS INFORMER (107-
23) (0-0-0,181).  BROKEN TOE was bested by VILLAINOUS INFORMER in a 2 minute brawl.
     DURN WOLFSNARL (81-3955) (21-21-1,80) of BIG LAKE SOLUTION fought AMBER 
WOLFWALKER (107-11) (0-0-0,92.  DURN WOLFSNARL was vanquished by AMBER WOLFWALKER in a 
1 minute mismatched fight.

     The Leper's Hand is the overall popularity leader.  How fortunate that leprosy 
has been cured.  Everyone active in the arena made the popular list, but it was The 
Leper's hand, again, who was voted this turn's favorite.  Durn Wolfsnarl was least 
popular.

That's all.  Go and circulate petitions to have Storm Rock join with Home Guard.

                                          -- Olaf Modeen

CHAMPION OF THE HORN           W   L  K PNTS  TEAM NAME                  CITY           
 MOD COD 55-2638             454 229  5  348  RHYME TYME (385)           KHALANI

GRAND CHALLENGER CHAMPIONS     W   L  K PNTS  TEAM NAME                  CITY           
 BURM WOLFSNARL 81-113       111  78  0  229  BIG LAKE OUTCASTS (410)    SHADOWSPIRE
-NARSIL 81-3401               62  43  1  227  MIRKWOOD ORCS (467)        SHADOWSPIRE
-ANDURIL 81-3435              49  46  1  215  MIRKWOOD ORCS (467)        SHADOWSPIRE

GRAND CHAMPIONS                W   L  K PNTS  TEAM NAME                  CITY           
 HUMMINGBIRD 56-3475         111 125  0  210  REDHORSE (469)             ROCANIS
-RENEGADE-RAT 41-388          50  43  3  208  RAT PAK (468)              KATI-TEI
 THE LEPER'S HAND 81-2940     81  48  1  201  BIG LAKE SOLUTION (439)    SHADOWSPIRE
 MOOSE 56-3459                80 110  0  199  REDHORSE (469)             ROCANIS

GRAND CHAMPIONS                W   L  K PNTS  TEAM NAME                  CITY           
 JAVELINO 56-3728             70  84  1  190  REDHORSE (469)             ROCANIS
-RAT SOLDIER 62-5152          63  30  0  190  RODENTIAN NATION (466)     VALAMANTIS
 BUCK 1-2291                  78 176  0  188  MOSSRUNNERS (113)          MORDANT
-RINGIL 81-3633               44  36  2  183  MIRKWOOD ORCS (467)        SHADOWSPIRE

GRAND CHALLENGER ADEPTS        W   L  K PNTS  TEAM NAME                  CITY           
 BROKEN TOE 56-3683           73 112  1  166  REDHORSE (469)             ROCANIS

GRAND CHALLENGER INITIATES     W   L  K PNTS  TEAM NAME                  CITY           
-FYNA GLUHM 43-5511           19  39  4  100  PRIDE OF ALASTARI (475)    VEASTIAN

GRAND INITIATES                W   L  K PNTS  TEAM NAME                  CITY           
 DURN WOLFSNARL 81-3955       21  22  1   73  BIG LAKE SOLUTION (439)    SHADOWSPIRE

'-' denotes a warrior who did not fight this turn.

THE DEAD                   W   L  K TEAM NAME              SLAIN BY                  TURN

                               PERSONAL CORRESPONDENCE

Olaf Modeen, Arena Commission or whoever -- Maybe an all arena ad advocating for the 
managers to consider sending a warrior or two to bulk up the arena here? The ringing 
sound of the Storm Rock death knell, is upon us all. /shrug -- Khag

Buck -- We met again and another win for me. Sorry dude, just a bad style match-up for 
you. -- Anduril

Den -- How'd that total and complete beatdown Narsil gave The Leper's Hand last turn 
feel? On The Leper's challenge, no less. -- Khagn

Hummingbird -- Well, that makes me 2-3 vs you. Is that how this is going to go, L, W, 
L, W, L? -- Rat Soldier

Broken Toe -- Has your broken toe never healed? That must hurt. -- Renegade-Rat

An NPC who is maxed out on their skills. Why am I not surprised. /SMDH -- Ringil

Burm Wolfsnarl -- They reattached my arm, and assured me it'll be ready for this 
coming fight.  I appreciate that you showed restraint in your choice of attack 
locations. Good fight. -- Moose

Mod Cod -- Psh!  When you stepped out on the sands, I knew I was done for. -- Javelino

Rat Soldier -- That last hit was not where I was aiming.  You are a valiant opponent. 
-- Hummingbird

                                  LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS

MOD COD devastated HUMMINGBIRD in a 1 minute mismatched Title fight.
BURM WOLFSNARL vanquished MOOSE in a 2 minute uneven battle.
BUCK was savagely defeated by THE LEPER'S HAND in a action packed 3 minute fight.
JAVELINO was devastated by TELGOR in a exciting 1 minute one-sided fight.
BROKEN TOE was bested by VILLAINOUS INFORMER in a 2 minute brawl.
DURN WOLFSNARL was vanquished by AMBER WOLFWALKER in a 1 minute mismatched fight.

                                    BATTLE REPORT

             MOST POPULAR                        RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS     
|FIGHTING STYLE               FIGHTS        FIGHTING STYLE     W -   L -  K   PERCENT|
|LUNGING ATTACK                   3         PARRY-LUNGE        4 -   0 -  0     100  |
|TOTAL PARRY                      3         SLASHING ATTACK    6 -   4 -  0      60  |
|STRIKING ATTACK                  2         LUNGING ATTACK    23 -  19 -  0      55  |
|SLASHING ATTACK                  1         AIMED BLOW        13 -  11 -  0      54  |
|AIMED BLOW                       0         TOTAL PARRY       17 -  21 -  0      45  |
|PARRY-LUNGE                      0         STRIKING ATTACK    6 -  14 -  0      30  |
|PARRY-STRIKE                     0         PARRY-RIPOSTE      2 -   5 -  0      29  |
|PARRY-RIPOSTE                    0         WALL OF STEEL      2 -   6 -  0      25  |
|BASHING ATTACK                   0         PARRY-STRIKE       0 -   0 -  0       0  |
|WALL OF STEEL                    0         BASHING ATTACK     0 -   0 -  0       0  |

Turn 369 was great if you     Not so great if you used      The fighting styles of the
used the fighting styles:     the fighting styles:          top eleven warriors are:

LUNGING ATTACK     2 -  1     TOTAL PARRY        1 -  2         3  LUNGING ATTACK 
                              AIMED BLOW         0 -  0         3  TOTAL PARRY    
                              PARRY-LUNGE        0 -  0         2  AIMED BLOW     
                              PARRY-STRIKE       0 -  0         2  STRIKING ATTACK
                              PARRY-RIPOSTE      0 -  0         1  SLASHING ATTACK
                              SLASHING ATTACK    0 -  1     
                              STRIKING ATTACK    0 -  2     
                              BASHING ATTACK     0 -  0     
                              WALL OF STEEL      0 -  0     

                               TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE

FIGHTING STYLE   WARRIOR                     W   L  K PNTS TEAM NAME                  
LUNGING ATTACK   MOD COD 55-2638           454 229  5  348 RHYME TYME (385)
TOTAL PARRY      BURM WOLFSNARL 81-113     111  78  0  229 BIG LAKE OUTCASTS (410)
SLASHING ATTACK  HUMMINGBIRD 56-3475       111 125  0  210 REDHORSE (469)
STRIKING ATTACK  MOOSE 56-3459              80 110  0  199 REDHORSE (469)

The overall popularity leader is THE LEPER'S HAND 81-2940.  The most popular warrior 
this turn was THE LEPER'S HAND 81-2940.  The ten other most popular fighters were 
BURM WOLFSNARL 81-113, MOOSE 56-3459, BROKEN TOE 56-3683, MOD COD 55-2638, BUCK 
1-2291, JAVELINO 56-3728, HUMMINGBIRD 56-3475, DURN WOLFSNARL 81-3955,  0-0, and  
0-0.

The least popular fighter this week was DURN WOLFSNARL 81-3955.  The other ten least 
popular fighters were HUMMINGBIRD 56-3475, JAVELINO 56-3728, BUCK 1-2291, MOD COD 
55-2638, BROKEN TOE 56-3683, MOOSE 56-3459, BURM WOLFSNARL 81-113, THE LEPER'S HAND 
81-2940,  0-0, and  0-0.

Arena (Number)       W  L K  Arena (Number)       W  L K  Arena (Number)       W  L K  
MORDANT(1)           0  1 0  ROCANIS(56)          0  4 0  SHADOWSPIRE(81)      2  1 0  
KHALANI(55)          1  0 0  

TOP WARRIOR OF EACH ARENA     W   L  K PNTS  TEAM NAME                  CITY           
 BUCK 1-2291                 78 176  0  188  MOSSRUNNERS (113)          MORDANT
 MOD COD 55-2638            454 229  5  348  RHYME TYME (385)           KHALANI
 HUMMINGBIRD 56-3475        111 125  0  210  REDHORSE (469)             ROCANIS
 BURM WOLFSNARL 81-113      111  78  0  229  BIG LAKE OUTCASTS (410)    SHADOWSPIRE