DUELMASTERS NEWSLETTER
Date : 03/01/2004 Duedate: 03/13/2004
NIANIA ARENA
DM-2 TURN-377
This Weeks Top Honors
THE DUELMASTER IS
TOOFLESS
GLORY BOUND TROLLS (599)
(2-5103) [21-4-0,101]
Chartered Recognition Leader Unchartered Recognition Leader
ONE BROW DESPAIR
GLORY BOUND TROLLS (599) DARK ANGELS (605)
(2-5101) [11-2-0,112] (2-5170) [4-1-0,57]
Popularity Leader This Weeks Favorite
ANALIRA BILLY
THE GOLDEN FISH (147) BIG COUNTRY (593)
(2-5087) [14-20-1,87] (2-5153) [10-3-0,100]
THE CURRENT TOP TEAM
RESURRECTION (570)
TEAMS ON THE MOVE TOP CAREER HONORS
Team Name Point Gain Chartered Team
1. RESURRECTION (570) 32
2. THE GOLDEN FISH (147) 19 GLORY BOUND TROLLS (599)
3. BIG COUNTRY (593) 17 Unchartered Team
4. DARK ANGELS (605) 9
5. KNOT WHOLE (443) 9 DARK ANGELS (605)
The Top Teams
Career Win-Loss Record W L K % Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns W L K
1/ 1*DARK ANGELS (605) 4 1 0 80.0 1/ 3 RESURRECTION (570) 10 3 0
2/ 2 GLORY BOUND TROLLS (599) 49 18 0 73.1 2/ 2 BIG COUNTRY (593) 9 6 2
3/ 4 BIG COUNTRY (593) 77 63 3 55.0 3/ 1 GLORY BOUND TROLLS (599) 8 2 0
4- 5 HARLEQUINS (577) 135 125 8 51.9 4/ 4 THE GOLDEN FISH (147) 4 11 0
5/ 6 RESURRECTION (570) 185 181 17 50.5 5/ 7*DARK ANGELS (605) 2 0 0
6/ 8 KNOT WHOLE (443) 12 16 2 42.9 6/ 9 KNOT WHOLE (443) 2 6 0
7/ 9 THE GOLDEN FISH (147) 314 505 9 38.3 7- 6 HARLEQUINS (577) 1 3 0
8/ 0*RATTLESNAKE (578) 0 1 0 0.0 8/ 0*RATTLESNAKE (578) 0 1 0
'*' Unchartered team '-' Team did not fight this turn
(###) Avoid teams by their Team Id ##/## This turn's/Last turn's rank
TEAM SPOTLIGHT
+ ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ Out of the Past #3 ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ +
Valamantis:
Hallie O'Dene did not stay in Valamantis. She hadn't been able to get an
audience with the ruler of the city-state, Garlor Shanmarrik, and the clerk to whom
she had given her warning had been...disbelieving. Had, in fact, threatened her with
imprisonment if she "stirred up unrest." A very proper bureaucrat, he'd been.
Hallie considered slicing off his ears and nailing them to the wall, or possibly
nailing the man's ears to the wall without slicing them off, but such action would
serve no purpose but to express her anger, so she didn't. There really wasn't any
point in that. She gave her warning to Arenamistress Sitalva, who was at least
polite, and then went on her way. Carefully circling wide around the ruins of Old
Valamantis and ghosts of the ancient city that came and went unstably above them.
The people of Valamantis, in the person of the Lord's clerk, had chosen to ignore her
warning, and there were others she had to find and warn, others who might listen.
Arenamistress Sitalva did not exactly believe Hallie's warning about the danger
from the Bloodgames, but she didn't disbelieve, either. She had already seen the
mirage-like ancient towers above the bloody ground. She had seen those ghostly
towers before, after other Bloodgames, had accepted them as a normal illusion there.
Maybe she needed to re-think "normal."
She couldn't imagine anyone resurrecting Old Valamantis for any kind of GOOD
reason.
The oldest levels of the city were Folstrom.
And saturated with dark magic.
Mordant:
Mordant was like a stirred up hive of bees, full of activity, and hostile to any
stranger who had the misfortune to get in the way. She guessed that she wouldn't
have any more luck getting in to see Queen Talissen of Mordant than she had in
Valamantis. Which was frustrating, since it was a serious warning she had to
deliver. Well, she hadn't expected this to be easy....
After a moment's thought, she headed straight for the arena, bypassing the
palace entirely. There would be people who'd listen to her at the arena, because she
was one of them. Kakar was arenamaster in Mordant, she'd met him once. A grim man,
but who wouldn't be if they had to live in Mordant? She avoided looking at the
pitted black stone that most of the city was built of, and the windowless
architecture. The Mordanti were a grim people all around.
The arena was seething with activity and speculation, though it wasn't fight
day. Rumors were flying; before she managed to locate the arenamaster, Hallie heard
seven different versions of "an attack on the Queen!" which had been foiled by a
gladiator, or maybe more than one gladiator, or maybe it had been made by a
gladiator, or only reported by a gladiator, or.... The attack on the Queen, if it
had happened at all, was the main topic, but there was a froth of other rumors in the
background: monsters in various likely or unlikely places, out in the swamp, down in
Valamantis, in the Syrinwald lake, or up in the mountains. A war that might or might
not be happening between two different kingdoms in the south, and even the supposed
participants kept changing--Trocar, Rocanis, Xochithlan, the wild Rirorni. Banditry
around Tricorus; she shrugged that one off. There was always banditry around
Tricorus.
Arenamaster Kakar was closeted with a sober looking man, tall for a Kannar, and
richly dressed. Kakar didn't actually refuse to listen to Hallie, but he made it
clear that he didn't have much time to spare.
Hallie shrugged. The way things had been going since she'd set out to spread
the warning, his attitude was no surprise. She wondered in passing whether Khaldren
could have managed some kind of spell that made people unwilling to listen. Not that
it mattered at the moment. "I bring word of a powerful wizard who has come out of
the past to spread disaster in our time," she began. "He is a wizard from drowned
Krael, and he claims the intention to resurrect Celestinvael and other lost cities
and build a new empire in Alastari."
The tall man leaned forward, suddenly frowning. "Celestinvael is five hundred
years dead," he stated. "How can this be 'resurrected'?" Celestinvael was also,
Hallie knew, the closest of the dangerous ruins to Mordant, unless you counted Old
Valamantis--which Khaldren hadn't mentioned.
"I'm no wizard," she answered. "I don't know. But he stated his intention to
use 'blood magic' to do it, which he believes will work even with the Arcanum in
flux." She shrugged. "I don't know about magic, but he seemed confidant, and I saw
him work spells of great power."
"No doubt we've mages around who can confirm or deny this possibility," the tall
man said. "I will carry the warning to Queen Talissen and set our magicians to
work." Seeing her surprise, he added, "I am Allech Rabo, Her Majesty's Herald. I
have the authority to take these steps."
"Good! You might pass word to Valamantis, too--I couldn't get to see anyone but
a damned clerk. If it's blood magic at work, well, there was a lot of blood spilled
in Old Valamantis just over a month ago--"
"Mordan!" The Herald leaped to his feet. "The Bloodgames! If blood magic
still works, then the danger is extreme! I must go to the Queen at once!"
"And I will speak to the gladiators of this city about the dangers ahead," Kakar
said when the Herald had gone. "Doubtless they will be called upon to take arms
against enemies of Mordant."
Iaye:
The first ground tremors made people uneasy, but no more than that. There had
been small earthquakes for months now, mostly centered on Seam and its underground
disturbances. They posed no threat to the island, except in the case of those boats
who were just coming into the docks when tremor-waves hit. And even that...the
sailors of Iaye were skilled, and they had learned to deal with it.
But the mild tremors didn't stop, they were replaced by serious jolts, and the
ground underfoot shivered like jelly in a bowl. All the sailors who could took their
ships out of the harbor and around the island toward the center of the Trier. No one
wanted to get caught by a bigger wave than usual and shoved onto a rocky shore.
Once the ships were safely away from the land, alarm turned to eager
speculation. Did this herald new geysers for Seam? Would a volcano erupt and
destroy the town entirely? Bets were placed. After all, Seam wasn't THEIR town....
Or maybe this quake would strike a little closer to home, like the one that had
cracked open the Ogre's Tomb in Point. That thought sobered people. There had
been...things in the Tomb, and it had taken all the warriors who could reach Point to
deal with them. What else might be down there, to be released by a fresh earthquake?
They didn't really want to know.
Most of the ships were strung out parallel to the coast north of Point and Iaye.
Far enough apart not to damage each other if something went wrong, close enough to
pass messages along. The message that came up from the southern end of the line near
sunset was unexpected, and more than a little alarming. Everyone knew there were
ruins under the lake between Point and the island of Iaye. But nobody had expected
them to rise.
And none of the half-remembered stories of Krael made people happy about the
great city's reappearance.
SPY REPORT
Well, what are you looking at, NIANIA? Ain't you never seen Snide Clemens
before? Ah, shaddup and listen to my news. Later days, GLORY BOUND TROLLS, since
RESURRECTION took top team from you this turn, you guys are old news. KNOT WHOLE
turned their 1-1-0 turn into a 6th place rank in the listings this turn. Any better
than this, and you get put on hit lists. Gee, I'm impressed, a 4-1-0 is nice, but
don't get cocky, RESURRECTION, the Fates teach humility, and the Fates are proud. Of
course, we're all terribly impressed to see BILLY win a fight and gain 17 points,
terribly. Tsk, tsk, BILLY beat FIERCE ONE-EYE and FIERCE ONE-EYE lost 8 points.
You're breakin' my heart. And if variety is the spice of life, NIANIA may be getting
bland, as TOOFLESS stays top dog in the city. I'm not in a very good mood today, but
why am I telling you this? You want to know what's new, don't you, NIANIA?
He who fights and runs away will live to fight another day, the coward. What's
the big D? RESURRECTION was the most avoided team? Bunch of lily livered...
grumble... mumble... curse... And it looks like BIG COUNTRY avoided them the most
this turn. What a pack of would be losers, if you ask me. Hmph. Ooh, I'm
frightfully impressed, ONE BROW was this turn's most challenged warrior. Watch that
ego swell, sports fans. I guess I can give a little credit to SORRY JUNK of BIG
COUNTRY for challenging up by 18 to ONE BROW. SORRY JUNK lost to get 80 points of
recognition. And we have CHYLEYA in a challenge, going down 14 points for the fight.
Guess what? I thought CHYLEYA showed great skill and promise when she overcame J.J..
All right, so I slept through it! Big deal!
Some people like volunteer work in the hospitals. I volunteer for NIANIA's
morgue. More variety. We're all going to die in the end, so why worry if the fate
catches up with you sooner that later?
I was about to buy a new quill pen the other day, but some fighter took it for
an epee. Forgive me for writing with a dagger. Just wait 'till next time I show up
here, I won't be so nice! So nyaaah! I see the crowds are getting restless, I must
leave now-- Snide Clemens
DUELMASTER W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
TOOFLESS 5103 21 4 0 101 GLORY BOUND TROLLS (599)
CHALLENGER CHAMPIONS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
ONE BROW 5101 11 2 0 112 GLORY BOUND TROLLS (599)
BILLY 5153 10 3 0 100 BIG COUNTRY (593)
JARCK 5132 14 6 0 97 RESURRECTION (570)
CHAMPIONS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
ANALIRA 5087 14 20 1 87 THE GOLDEN FISH (147)
BETTY 5107 10 6 2 86 BIG COUNTRY (593)
FIERCE ONE-EYE 5104 16 9 0 85 GLORY BOUND TROLLS (599)
SORRY JUNK 5161 8 4 0 80 BIG COUNTRY (593)
-SOLITARE 5120 9 10 0 79 HARLEQUINS (577)
TOLDERST 5159 12 3 0 68 RESURRECTION (570)
ABALONEA 5032 11 34 0 67 THE GOLDEN FISH (147)
CHALLENGER ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
YELLOW PIKE 5031 10 35 1 66 THE GOLDEN FISH (147)
FORMIDABLE 5177 4 2 2 64 KNOT WHOLE (443)
DESPAIR 5170 4 1 0 57 DARK ANGELS (605)
ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
LUBAYA 5126 11 14 0 47 THE GOLDEN FISH (147)
NELLISTHA 5156 10 10 1 47 THE GOLDEN FISH (147)
-COMEDY 5139 8 7 1 44 HARLEQUINS (577)
CHALLENGER INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
-MELODY 5151 4 2 0 28 HARLEQUINS (577)
CHYLEYA 5225 3 1 0 26 RESURRECTION (570)
PROWESS 5155 4 9 0 25 KNOT WHOLE (443)
BRUTUS 5248 3 0 0 25 BIG COUNTRY (593)
INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
QUEMBY 5265 1 1 0 15 RESURRECTION (570)
XENOTH CLY 5266 1 1 0 11 RESURRECTION (570)
-BWA HA 3650 1 2 0 7 KNOT WHOLE (443)
ROSARIO 4893 0 1 0 7 RATTLESNAKE (578)
J.J. 5247 1 2 1 6 BIG COUNTRY (593)
'-' denotes a warrior who did not fight this turn.
THE DEAD W L K TEAM NAME SLAIN BY TURN Revenge?
HALF-TIME 5125 10 6 0 HARLEQUINS 577 BETTY 5107 375
PERSONAL ADS
Toofless -- It constantly amazes me how someone with your unfortunate affliction
manages to bite so many people so vigorously. -- Analira
Sharpened steel false teeth? -- Ed.
Billy -- (heavy sigh) Well, as you see, I have a lot of practice at losing. And I'm
an experienced teacher, too. -- Yellow Pike
Sorry Junk -- Fill me full of holes and call me buttons. -- Abalonea
P.S. Winning is on the "bright side," right?
P.P.S. Some tractors can be really sexy. What kind do you have? I like a John
Deere, but International Harvester is also good.
You know this team is having a cursed week when even the Ambitious Guard wins. --
Nellistha
Despair -- Oh, I assure you, I do! -- Lubaya
Wally the Wacko -- Sounds like one of your new warriors is an escapee from our team!
-- Nick
25 February 2004
Readers, and especially those who volunteered warriors -- My apologies for the sudden
lack of episodes. I've been sick, but expect to be back at the keyboard soon. -- the
Scribe
3 March 2004
MONGO'S MARDI GRAS MADNESS DUELMASTERS AUCTION
Mongo, aka Matt McIntosh and ex-Warden of the Dark Circle, is auctioning off his
entire collection of Duelmasters warriors and stables. Don't miss out on this chance
to own some fantastic warriors! There are ADM warriors available in every class from
Primus to Freshmen, as well as over a dozen Basic stables.
Does a Slasher with +4 attack, +4 decisiveness, +3 initiative and +2 riposte
sound good? How about a Lunger who received the benefit of a TC prize, has TVed
three times after graduating--and still hasn't maxed out his skills!? How about a
Striker in the Freshmen class who has decisiveness for a favorite learn and the MAUL
for a favorite weapon!?
Or perhaps you prefer playing in Basic. Then how does a stable with four Adept
class warriors who have a combined record of 41-19-9 sound? Or maybe a stable with
three 21-Will warriors? Or perhaps a stable with four Initiates and a Rookie who
have a combined record of 23-6-1?
The quality of the lots is excellent. All you need to view and bid on the lots
is go to:
http://members.aol.com/jvmerlino/mardigras.html
If you want to be on the mailing list to receive regular updates on the auction,
just send an e-mail to JVMerlino@aol.com. Merlin, aka John Merlino and also an ex-
Warden of the Dark Circle, will be running this auction for me. I just moved to New
Orleans and am likely currently stumbling around the French Quarter...because it's
Mardi Gras! So I have named my auction in honor of this occasion.
The auction will start on Saturday, March 13th, 2004, and will continue for
several weeks. But you should get your bids in early if you want your best chance at
owning any of these fantastic warriors and stables.
Many thanks to all for your interest and your bids,
Mongo
5 March 2004
Style Masters Symposium
Hosted by Hammer
The years have slipped by and many DM Managers have come and gone since the last
Hammer's Handbook was compiled and printed.
There is now a stirring within me to begin writing and editing yet another
Handbook with a distribution date sometime in 2005.
This Handbook will be made available via Email with a possibility of burning the
info to a CD for distribution.
Special arrangements will be made to provide the information via printed page to
those contributors who are serving sentences behind bars.
The working title of this new Handbook is "Style Masters Symposium Hosted by
Hammer".
Distribution of this Handbook is projected to be MAINLY for those DM Managers
who contribute information/articles to Hammer by June 2004.
Informative and entertaining articles should focus on insights regarding Any or
All 10 Style Masters for both the Basic and ADM arenas as well as Tourney
competition.
Articles focusing on Weapons/Armor are also encouraged for inclusion.
Whether you are a Newbie Manager without a clue or a Jaded Veteran; everyone has
discovered something about this gaming experience that is both Insightful and
Entertaining.
Email Your Articles to HammerDM@fastermail.com or send them via Diplo to either
Flower Hammerz (372) in DM 28 or Casino Hammerz (576) in DM 33.
Length and Content of the Style Masters Symposium Hosted by Hammer will be
Determined by the Quality and Quantity of Contributors Combined with the Literary
Efforts of Hammer who is currently overseas for an indefinite period of time.
Articles Contributed for this Project should be of Sufficient Length and Content
to Warrant being Included to Receive the Finished Document when Hammer has completed
this literary work to His satisfaction.
Managers contributing articles are also requested to include a DM Bio of
Themselves along with any Notable Successes and/or Failures during Their DM Career in
Basic, ADM and/or Tourney Play.
A listing of Active Stables would also be Helpful for Anyone Seeking to Reply to
Contributors via Diplo, Email or Snailmail.
May Your Blades Be Sharp And Your Wits Sharper!
-- Hammer of Flower Hammerz (372) DM 28 and Casino Hammerz (576) DM 33
LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS
SORRY JUNK was devastated by ONE BROW in a 2 minute mismatched Challenge fight.
BILLY savagely defeated FIERCE ONE-EYE in a 3 minute veteran's Challenge melee.
JARCK viciously subdued BETTY in a 2 minute gory veteran's Challenge contest.
TOLDERST subdued YELLOW PIKE in a 3 minute Challenge competition.
DESPAIR devastated LUBAYA in a 1 minute one-sided Challenge duel.
CHYLEYA devastated J.J. in a 1 minute mismatched Challenge match.
TOOFLESS unbelievably bested ANALIRA in a action packed 3 minute expert's Title fight.
ABALONEA lost to FORMIDABLE in a 2 minute uneven duel.
NELLISTHA overpowered PROWESS in a 2 minute uneven duel.
XENOTH CLY overpowered ROSARIO in a 1 minute one-sided fight.
BRUTUS overcame QUEMBY in a 2 minute novice's bout.
BATTLE REPORT
MOST POPULAR RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS
|FIGHTING STYLE FIGHTS FIGHTING STYLE W - L - K PERCENT|
|WALL OF STEEL 5 LUNGING ATTACK 20 - 11 - 4 65 |
|LUNGING ATTACK 4 SLASHING ATTACK 12 - 7 - 0 63 |
|TOTAL PARRY 4 TOTAL PARRY 22 - 13 - 0 63 |
|STRIKING ATTACK 3 WALL OF STEEL 23 - 16 - 0 59 |
|SLASHING ATTACK 2 BASHING ATTACK 6 - 7 - 0 46 |
|PARRY-RIPOSTE 2 STRIKING ATTACK 6 - 8 - 1 43 |
|PARRY-LUNGE 1 PARRY-RIPOSTE 7 - 10 - 0 41 |
|PARRY-STRIKE 1 PARRY-LUNGE 3 - 7 - 1 30 |
|AIMED BLOW 0 AIMED BLOW 2 - 5 - 0 29 |
|BASHING ATTACK 0 PARRY-STRIKE 3 - 11 - 1 21 |
Turn 377 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:
SLASHING ATTACK 2 - 0 STRIKING ATTACK 1 - 2 3 TOTAL PARRY
WALL OF STEEL 3 - 2 AIMED BLOW 0 - 0 3 LUNGING ATTACK
PARRY-RIPOSTE 1 - 1 PARRY-LUNGE 0 - 1 2 WALL OF STEEL
LUNGING ATTACK 2 - 2 PARRY-STRIKE 0 - 1 1 SLASHING ATTACK
TOTAL PARRY 2 - 2 BASHING ATTACK 0 - 0 1 AIMED BLOW
1 PARRY-STRIKE
TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE
FIGHTING STYLE WARRIOR W L K PNTS TEAM NAME
TOTAL PARRY TOOFLESS 5103 21 4 0 101 GLORY BOUND TROLLS (599)
WALL OF STEEL ONE BROW 5101 11 2 0 112 GLORY BOUND TROLLS (599)
SLASHING ATTACK BILLY 5153 10 3 0 100 BIG COUNTRY (593)
LUNGING ATTACK JARCK 5132 14 6 0 97 RESURRECTION (570)
STRIKING ATTACK DESPAIR 5170 4 1 0 57 DARK ANGELS (605)
Note: Warriors have a winning record and are an Adept or Above.
The overall popularity leader is ANALIRA 5087. The most popular warrior this turn
was BILLY 5153. The ten other most popular fighters were ANALIRA 5087, JARCK 5132,
ONE BROW 5101, YELLOW PIKE 5031, FORMIDABLE 5177, NELLISTHA 5156, BETTY 5107,
TOLDERST 5159, BRUTUS 5248, and QUEMBY 5265.
The least popular fighter this week was ROSARIO 4893. The other ten least popular
fighters were PROWESS 5155, J.J. 5247, LUBAYA 5126, ABALONEA 5032, FIERCE ONE-EYE
5104, XENOTH CLY 5266, TOOFLESS 5103, CHYLEYA 5225, DESPAIR 5170, and SORRY JUNK
5161.