DUELMASTERS NEWSLETTER
Date : 04/12/2004 Duedate: 04/24/2004
NIANIA ARENA
DM-2 TURN-379
This Weeks Top Honors
THE DUELMASTER IS
TOOFLESS
GLORY BOUND TROLLS (599)
(2-5103) [23-4-0,118]
Chartered Recognition Leader Unchartered Recognition Leader
TOOFLESS POSITION IS EMPTY
GLORY BOUND TROLLS (599)
(2-5103) [23-4-0,118]
Popularity Leader This Weeks Favorite
ANALIRA BILLY
THE GOLDEN FISH (147) BIG COUNTRY (593)
(2-5087) [15-21-1,89] (2-5153) [10-4-0,103]
THE CURRENT TOP TEAM
GLORY BOUND TROLLS (599)
TEAMS ON THE MOVE TOP CAREER HONORS
Team Name Point Gain Chartered Team
1. THE GOLDEN FISH (147) 26
2. RESURRECTION (570) 17 GLORY BOUND TROLLS (599)
3. GLORY BOUND TROLLS (599) 11 Unchartered Team
4. KNOT WHOLE (443) 8
5. INTIMATE APPAREL (591) 0 KROQ (373)
The Top Teams
Career Win-Loss Record W L K % Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns W L K
1- 1*DARK ANGELS (605) 5 1 0 83.3 1/ 2 GLORY BOUND TROLLS (599) 6 2 0
2/ 2 GLORY BOUND TROLLS (599) 53 19 0 73.6 2/ 3 RESURRECTION (570) 6 4 0
3/ 3 BIG COUNTRY (593) 81 67 5 54.7 3/ 1 BIG COUNTRY (593) 6 7 2
4/ 4 RESURRECTION (570) 187 184 17 50.4 4/ 7 THE GOLDEN FISH (147) 5 10 0
5- 5 INTIMATE APPAREL (591) 13 14 0 48.1 5- 4*DARK ANGELS (605) 2 0 0
6/ 6 KNOT WHOLE (443) 13 17 2 43.3 6/ 6 KNOT WHOLE (443) 2 2 0
7/ 7 THE GOLDEN FISH (147) 318 511 9 38.4 7- 5 INTIMATE APPAREL (591) 2 3 0
8- 8*RATTLESNAKE (578) 0 1 0 0.0 8- 8*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 #4 ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ +
Near Fratsfa:
Gladiators sailed up the river from Kati-Tei through Andor, Fratsfa, and Zensu
to the Isle of the Eye. Some came as tourists, some as newly-graduated warriors,
some to attend and participate in the Spring Tourney. This was a steady source of
income for boatmen, and many of them made the trip two or three times a month; the
river and its shores were well known to them.
"I don't remember a castle on that hill," one sailor muttered, squinting at the
shore. "And I was along here just last week...."
"There was no castle there," Lady Fern, manager of the Flower Girls in Fratsfa
confirmed. "And a week is certainly not long enough to build one!"
"There was one...eight hundred years ago," a voice murmured behind her.
The statuesque manager glanced back at her gladiatress, Nasty Nasturtium. The
woman was an Araoi, and elf of the purest blood, and Lady Fern supposed it was
possible that Nasturtium actually REMEMBERED a castle there, but she hoped not. The
thought of having a warrior that old was unsettling. "You're sure, Nasty?"
The elfin blonde nodded firmly. "Yes, my mother told me about it--one of her
brothers helped to bring the castle down. The Castle of Storms, that was its name, a
place of the darkest arts. It was the stronghold of Prince Illrienherthinil
Silverthorn, who was called the Ill Rain."
Lady Fern glanced at the sky automatically. It WAS getting cloudy, but that
was, must be, coincidence. After all, changeable weather was common at this time of
year.
"That wasn't on Khaldren's list." The short, stocky man removed his bowler and
extended a hand to Lady Fern. "Raoul, Lord Protector In Gerfel We Trust."
"Kennelworth has spoken of you," Lady Fern admitted. "But what do you know of
this Castle of Storms?"
"Not a thing, doll. But I'm wondering if Khaldren's magic isn't raising more
ruins than he planned on--anyplace with enough of the wrong kind of magic
concentrated in it."
"This Khaldren is...?" Nasturtium asked.
"A wizard who escaped the sinking of Krael," Raoul explained. "He wants to
bring Krael forward in time, or back from the dead, or something. And other places
he knows about from that era."
"That would take a great magic," Nasturtium protested. "With the Arcanum in the
current low state, it should not be possible."
"Adie in Aruak City says he could be using blood magic based on the arena
deaths, doll. She seems to think that'd do it for him."
The elf recoiled. "It would!" she whispered, "and that would call to all sites
where dark magic has sunk deep. This must be stopped!"
"Well, I'm taking the warning to Lady Sheila--"
"She can do nothing, even if she would," Nasturtium snapped. "She dares not
touch blood magic, even to fight it, except in the most indirect fashion, and
indirection will not serve! Not soon enough, anyway."
"Adie will think of some way to fight Khaldren," Raoul said, a little uneasily.
He took a deep breath and put his hat back on. "And until he's stopped, we will
fight everything he brings up from the past."
"If we have to fight the Ill Rain," Nasty Nasturtium predicted, "it won't be
easy."
Valamantis:
Lord Protector Ka D'Argo, on a brief trip to his home on Kolact, had planned to
take ship at Valamantis. But the port city was not as he had expected. There was
always bustle, but now...it reminded him of a disturbed anthill. And where had those
towers on the landward side come from? They weren't something that could have been
built in a day, or even a year, and he'd been through here four months ago.
"It's Old Valamantis," Arenamistress Sitalva said grimly. "We've had word of
some kind of magic afoot aimed at ruined cities, and with all the blood spilled in
the recent Bloodgames, it would have been more surprising if something had NOT
happened there. But understanding why doesn't help us now. The oldest levels of Old
Valamantis," she said grimly, "were Folstrom. NOBODY wants to see the Folstrom loose
in the world again."
"Bringing the ruins back is one thing," the tall gladiator argued, "but the
people...? Surely Ahringol won't release their souls because of a spell and some
blood."
Sitalva watched the slight wavering of the resurrected towers and shivered,
though the day was already warm. "We'll find out, when the city stabilizes. The
Silver Mage says sometime in the next week and a half or two weeks. But we can see
people moving around in there. And even if they're zombies, it isn't going to be
good."
Iaye:
The fishing boats that had fled Iaye when the earthquakes began crept back one
by one as the Trier grew calm again. Most of them followed the coast down toward
Point, not because they needed the guidance but to see for themselves if drowned
Krael had truly risen from the waves.
It had.
Lord Protector Goff, assistant manager of the Red Dog Gang, stood on the gently
rocking deck of his boat and stared through a spyglass at the rampart of buildings
that blocked what had been the strait between Iaye and Point. He wasn't sure what he
had expected, but not this.
Krael stood above the water, but not as it must once have looked. Many of the
taller buildings showed broken tops, and all was slimed with mud and weed. Here and
there, decaying wrecks lay in the streets or even on the roofs of houses. The smell
of dead fish was obvious even from a mile away. Krael LOOKED like a city that had
spent centuries under water. The people who moved among those ruins didn't. There
weren't enough of them to represent the entire population of the city at the time of
its disaster, he guessed at no more than two hundred. But they looked...normal.
Alive. And their activity--they seemed to be trying to clear one section of the city
of its mud and debris--were just what you'd expect.
And they seemed to take the whole situation for granted. They must KNOW, from
the state of Krael now, what had happened, but they just calmly went about cleaning
up.
That was the most unnerving thing of all.
Xochithlan:
There were no ruins around Xochithlan to rise up at the wizard's call, because
the modern city was the old city, continuously lived in for longer than most
Alastarian cities had existed. There was, perhaps, a tendency for certain long-
buried residents to stir in their graves, but if any came out to walk the streets, it
was not immediately obvious.
What was obvious was the forest.
There had been a forest around Xochithlan for a long time, but it had been
burned away during the Rirorni War. Replanting efforts had been ongoing for the last
eight years, but eight years is not long enough to bring back a major forest. And
what surrounded the city now, pressing in against the walls and disturbing the newer
suburbs, was a major forest.
Not, however, a forest such as the Xochithlani remembered.
This was a Forest Primeval.
This was a forest that might hide...anything.
And according to the scholars of ancient texts consulted by King Feyen of
Xochithlan, it probably did.
Zuwayza:
Zuwayza was as old as Xochithlan, and there were as many dark secrets buried
under its streets. The foundation of the city, Vekhirn knew, went back to the days
before the first humans. There were Folstrom traces, but there was also something
older. Maybe more than one something. And they were all stirring. Too much blood
had been spilled here, especially in the years since the invasion--during the
invasion itself, and in the slow beating back of the Eastern forces.
And in other ways, or for other causes, as well. The court wizard had sensed a
new feeling in the people of the old city. Harder. Crueler, perhaps. Less patient,
less tolerant--and the Glorious Empire had never been noted for tolerance. The woman
Jayde, who claimed to be the daughter of Kjarran, her death and her mysterious
apotheosis, had that been the start of this dark bitterness that gripped the people?
He shrugged that off. Whatever the cause for the change of heart, blood had been
spilled. And somewhere, someone had called on spilled blood to raise old evils, and
spilled blood everywhere had answered.
Aruak City:
Adeolar stared into the gilt-framed mirror, frowning and twisting a lock of hair
between nervous fingers. Nothing she was Seeing was good. Not that the mirror was
the best way to See, but it was the only scrying device she had that was still
working. There was a bloody film over the glass that could not be washed off, and
that, she suspected, was a sign of just how bad things were. Blood magic, used to
excess, tainted everything. There was no doubt that the wizard in Zorpunt was strong
and ruthless, but what he had started seemed to be taking on a life of its own. And
no one, so far, seemed able to stop him.
She would have to take steps herself.
+ ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ Out of the Past #5 ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ +
Dal Shang:
From the top tier of the arena, you could see a long way out to sea, because the
arena was built on a cliff above the harbor. So was a lot of the rest of Dal Shang,
but except for the governor's palace, it mostly wasn't as high as the arena.
Lord Protector Wais, who had come home to Dal Shang in a vague effort to boost
that beleaguered arena, was sitting on the top tier brooding. The arena was
shrinking faster than a pool of water in the desert. Promising warriors who were
looking for a career in the arena were not looking in THIS arena. Fourteen active
warriors last time, and two of them had been retiring by way of a Dark Arena
appearance. His own team, even, had gone inactive! Something had to be done, but he
had no idea what. Even the fans had deserted Dal Shang arena.
With a sigh, he turned away from the empty arena to look out to sea. And so he
saw the waters of the lake heave as though they were boiling, and a new--or very
old--island rise like a black reef no more than five miles off shore. Five miles is
too far away to see the details, but there was something disturbingly regular about
the broken ridgeline of that island. Like buildings....
A note for the people of the Free Cities and Lirith Kai:
Some people say that if you get rid of magic, the world will be much simpler.
Some people say that the destabilization of the Arcanum will get rid of magic. Ha!
High Magic, the stuff that highly educated wizards do, falters as the Arcanum
weakens. But there are other kinds of magic. Older. Cruder. Less vulnerable.
There's Blood Magic. Spilling blood releases power. The more blood, the more power.
And a very powerful wizard of several centuries ago, Khaldren of Krael, who
decided that he didn't want to die when the city around him was dying, has come to
the present. He's made a spell to bring Krael back from ruins, and he's tied it to
Blood Magic.
But there's more blood being spilled around Alastari than he realized, and a lot
of Lost Cities that want to live again. If you have some old ruins near your house,
and there's an arena where people are bleeding and dying, you've got trouble coming.
This is now your story, too.
It's all a plot, and probably a dark one. Where is Daylight Savings time when
you need it?
SPY REPORT
If you were disturbed from your beauty rest only to have to watch a bunch of
NIANIA brutes like you, you'd be grouchy, too. Later days, BIG COUNTRY, since GLORY
BOUND TROLLS took top team from you this turn, you guys are old news. THE GOLDEN
FISH turned their 3-2-0 turn into a 4th place rank in the listings this turn. Any
better than this, and you get put on hit lists. Of course, we're all terribly
impressed to see BETTY win a fight and gain 17 points, terribly. Tsk, tsk, BETTY
beat JARCK and JARCK lost 11 points. You're breakin' my heart. Looks like NIANIA
has some guts at least, TOOFLESS the Duelmaster was this turn's most-challenged
warrior. BILLY challenged NIANIA's Duelmaster for a shot at the throne. And if
variety is the spice of life, NIANIA may be getting bland, as TOOFLESS stays top dog
in the city. Kickbacks and bribes, kickbacks and bribes, how else do you think some
of these guys win their fights? Skill? Ha!
He who fights and runs away will live to fight another day, the coward.
RESURRECTION, I suppose you'll be glad to know you were this turn's most avoided
team. Care to know who is the most afraid of you? And who led the way in this mass
act of cowardice? Let's see, well, whatcha know? It was BIG COUNTRY. Ha ha ha ha!
I suspect either a 21 will or a 21 ego on this one, but TOLDERST has challenged up by
49 in an attempt against SORRY JUNK. My sides still hurt from laughing about SORRY
JUNK losing and giving TOLDERST 24 points of recognition. Ha ha ha ha!! Now here's
guts and stupidity all rolled into one, BRUTUS challenged up 27 to take on NELLISTHA
of THE GOLDEN FISH. And, oof! BRUTUS saw stars around his helmet, after losing the
fight, and disappointing the crowds, I might add.
Ah, now we come to my favorite part, where we see all the guys who are dead and
gone, and get to see if their team cared. Titanium shields and bamboo daggers, guess
what brave team is developing these kinds of weapons?
There's got to be a better place in NIANIA to get a drink than Jim's Tap Room!
Any suggestions? Phlllt! Just had to do that before I leave the fine city of
NIANIA. I feel much better now. I see the crowds are getting restless, I must leave
now-- Snide Clemens
DUELMASTER W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
TOOFLESS 5103 23 4 0 118 GLORY BOUND TROLLS (599)
CHALLENGER CHAMPIONS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
ONE BROW 5101 13 2 0 116 GLORY BOUND TROLLS (599)
BETTY 5107 12 6 2 114 BIG COUNTRY (593)
BILLY 5153 10 4 0 103 BIG COUNTRY (593)
TOLDERST 5159 13 3 0 92 RESURRECTION (570)
CHAMPIONS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
JARCK 5132 14 8 0 90 RESURRECTION (570)
ANALIRA 5087 15 21 1 89 THE GOLDEN FISH (147)
SORRY JUNK 5161 9 5 1 85 BIG COUNTRY (593)
ABALONEA 5032 11 36 0 69 THE GOLDEN FISH (147)
YELLOW PIKE 5031 10 37 1 68 THE GOLDEN FISH (147)
CHALLENGER ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
-WONDER BRA 5025 8 4 0 66 INTIMATE APPAREL (591)
-FORMIDABLE 5177 4 2 2 64 KNOT WHOLE (443)
-DESPAIR 5170 5 1 0 59 DARK ANGELS (605)
NELLISTHA 5156 12 10 1 58 THE GOLDEN FISH (147)
ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
LUBAYA 5126 12 15 0 54 THE GOLDEN FISH (147)
PROWESS 5155 5 10 0 34 KNOT WHOLE (443)
CHALLENGER INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
-SKID MARK 5116 5 0 0 32 INTIMATE APPAREL (591)
INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
BRUTUS 5248 3 1 0 23 BIG COUNTRY (593)
INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
CHYLEYA 5225 3 2 0 22 RESURRECTION (570)
XENOTH CLY 5266 2 1 0 19 RESURRECTION (570)
-QUEMBY 5265 1 1 0 15 RESURRECTION (570)
J.J. 5247 2 3 2 11 BIG COUNTRY (593)
-BWA HA 3650 1 2 0 7 KNOT WHOLE (443)
-ROSARIO 4893 0 1 0 7 RATTLESNAKE (578)
'-' denotes a warrior who did not fight this turn.
THE DEAD W L K TEAM NAME SLAIN BY TURN Revenge?
FIERCE ONE-EYE 5104 16 10 0 GLORY BOUND TROLL 599 SORRY JUNK 5161 378
HALF-TIME 5125 10 6 0 HARLEQUINS 577 BETTY 5107 375 NOT REVE
PERSONAL ADS
Sorry Junk -- ROCK ON! Too Much Scum in this arena, especially at the top. I hope
you clean out Toofless with a Blood Feud. Thanks. -- Shocking Toad
Betty -- When was the fight? -- Analira the shocked and stunned
P.S. That was a classic one-shot. Well done.
Despair -- The arenamaster wasn't the only person who was disgusted with the turn the
duel had taken. Cheese. You win, learn five skills, and all *I* get are the
injuries. -- Lubaya
One Brow -- I question that! I think you ARE the most formidable foe in a bathtub.
Is that why you tend to avoid them? -- Abalonea
Wonder Bra -- (shocked and horrified look) I'm a NICE boy! -- Yellow Pike
Prowess -- You impress and inspire me, ma'am. Long may you, er, whatever. --
Nellistha
Sorry Junk -- John Deere is good. How about a midnight ride through the cornfield?
-- Abalonea
P.S. I'll sit on your lap.
Nellistha -- That's it?!? You take advantage of my prow and teach me no skills?
BEGONE! -- Prowess
18 March 2004
St. Valentine's Day Massacre Update
We are pleased to announce that the kLk sponsored St. Valentine's Day Massacre
kill contest in DM 36 is off to a great start. We are also pleased to announce that
in addition to the 10 team rollups we are also able to offer the renaming of a dark
arena warrior as a prize to the manager with the most kills. The contest is only 2
turns old and is still wide open. There are currently 5 managers tied with one kill
each. Anything can still happen so hurry up and get into the arena.
On a personal note, no other alliances have entered the arena in force to
challenge the kLk dominance. We were expecting The Firm to put up a fight for their
supposed home arena. But, they were a no show. Guess they proved what they are
really made of. *evil grin*
Perhaps another alliance would like to step in to give us a challenge. We are
throwing down the gauntlet. Perhaps the Chaos Inc. boys I keep hearing about would
like to step in and challenge the kLk for arena dominance. If you don't show up,
Chaos, don't feel bad. FAR better managers than you have been invited into Jhans but
have chosen to pass on the offer.
So if you consider yourself worthy to compete, like fierce competition, and
enjoy arenas where the personals are as fierce as the fighting, come visit JHANS DM
36. We're already planning our next contest, "Capture the Flag," and have a
storyline being actively worked on in the arena. Whatever you like about DM you can
find it in JHANS.
Bookie
mgr. of Suicidal Dreams
and Director Jhans Board of Tourism
kLk Alliance
27 March 2004
This notice is to inform the DM world that CHAOS INC. has added CHEETO to its
ranks. He joins APEX, FLAGG, MATRIX, ASSAMITE, and RUDE BUDDHA as the 6th member.
May your chaotic wings spread disaster and CHAOS for all your days! Welcome CHEETO!!
27 March 2004
Has anyone seen it in print that the "Goat" is leaving the "Cartel"? There were
some diplos to the effect of a special branch of the Cartel being formed, like secret
societies, governmental agencies and alliances certain agendas are developed. To
obtain the desired effect of any agenda only key personnel can be used. The "Goat"
is "Cartel" so until you see it with me announcing that I am not Cartel, remember,
"The Agenda of the Core is for you to fight for." I hope this stops the confusion.
-- Goat
8 April 2004
CLICK (KLK) -- Remember, you asked for it. Chaos is coming....
LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS
BETTY devastated JARCK in a 1 minute gruesome mismatched Challenge fight.
BILLY was luckily beaten by TOOFLESS in a 6 minute veteran's Challenge Title melee.
TOLDERST outwaited SORRY JUNK in a popular 8 minute Challenge contest.
BRUTUS was overpowered by NELLISTHA in a 1 minute bloody mismatched Challenge match.
J.J. was vanquished by PROWESS in a 2 minute mismatched Challenge fight.
ONE BROW overpowered YELLOW PIKE in a 1 minute mismatched brawl.
ABALONEA was overpowered by CONVICTED ASSASSIN in a 1 minute uneven melee.
ANALIRA viciously subdued KHALHUMS DWARF in a popular 3 minute gruesome expert's duel.
LUBAYA vanquished CHYLEYA in a 2 minute one-sided fight.
XENOTH CLY overpowered MORDANT DESERTER in a 1 minute one-sided melee.
BATTLE REPORT
MOST POPULAR RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS
|FIGHTING STYLE FIGHTS FIGHTING STYLE W - L - K PERCENT|
|WALL OF STEEL 4 WALL OF STEEL 25 - 14 - 0 64 |
|TOTAL PARRY 3 TOTAL PARRY 22 - 13 - 0 63 |
|LUNGING ATTACK 3 SLASHING ATTACK 11 - 7 - 0 61 |
|PARRY-RIPOSTE 2 LUNGING ATTACK 18 - 13 - 4 58 |
|SLASHING ATTACK 2 STRIKING ATTACK 7 - 7 - 2 50 |
|PARRY-LUNGE 1 PARRY-RIPOSTE 7 - 10 - 0 41 |
|PARRY-STRIKE 1 BASHING ATTACK 3 - 6 - 0 33 |
|STRIKING ATTACK 1 PARRY-LUNGE 3 - 7 - 1 30 |
|AIMED BLOW 0 PARRY-STRIKE 3 - 11 - 1 21 |
|BASHING ATTACK 0 AIMED BLOW 1 - 4 - 0 20 |
Turn 379 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:
TOTAL PARRY 3 - 0 LUNGING ATTACK 1 - 2 4 LUNGING ATTACK
WALL OF STEEL 3 - 1 AIMED BLOW 0 - 0 2 TOTAL PARRY
PARRY-RIPOSTE 1 - 1 PARRY-LUNGE 0 - 1 2 WALL OF STEEL
SLASHING ATTACK 1 - 1 PARRY-STRIKE 0 - 1 1 SLASHING ATTACK
STRIKING ATTACK 0 - 1 1 PARRY-STRIKE
BASHING ATTACK 0 - 0 1 PARRY-LUNGE
TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE
FIGHTING STYLE WARRIOR W L K PNTS TEAM NAME
TOTAL PARRY TOOFLESS 5103 23 4 0 118 GLORY BOUND TROLLS (599)
WALL OF STEEL ONE BROW 5101 13 2 0 116 GLORY BOUND TROLLS (599)
LUNGING ATTACK BETTY 5107 12 6 2 114 BIG COUNTRY (593)
SLASHING ATTACK BILLY 5153 10 4 0 103 BIG COUNTRY (593)
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 SORRY JUNK 5161, ANALIRA
5087, BETTY 5107, NELLISTHA 5156, LUBAYA 5126, TOOFLESS 5103, PROWESS 5155, ONE BROW
5101, CHYLEYA 5225, and XENOTH CLY 5266.
The least popular fighter this week was ABALONEA 5032. The other ten least popular
fighters were YELLOW PIKE 5031, J.J. 5247, BRUTUS 5248, TOLDERST 5159, JARCK 5132,
XENOTH CLY 5266, CHYLEYA 5225, ONE BROW 5101, PROWESS 5155, and TOOFLESS 5103.