DUEL 2 NEWSLETTER Date : 11/15/2005 Duedate: 11/28/2005 KALTOS ARENA DM-5 TURN-535 This Weeks Top Honors THE DUELMASTER IS ERLOI GILL THE MIDDLE WAY 5 (453) (5-4620) [20-24-0,108] Chartered Recognition Leader Unchartered Recognition Leader ZAKAU POSITION IS EMPTY JOHNS (379) (5-4623) [27-16-0,118] Popularity Leader This Weeks Favorite ZAKAU NORLE PARTH JOHNS (379) THE MIDDLE WAY 5 (453) (5-4623) [27-16-0,118] (5-4658) [16-19-2,102] THE CURRENT TOP TEAM EVEREST LLP (490) TEAMS ON THE MOVE TOP CAREER HONORS Team Name Point Gain Chartered Team 1. EVEREST LLP (490) 33 2. THE MIDDLE WAY 5 (453) 23 EVEREST LLP (490) 3. JOHNS (379) 5 Unchartered Team 4. TONS OF CHEESE (501) 0 5. I HEART BALLS (498) 0 DEATHPUNKS ON ACID (161) The Top Teams Career Win-Loss Record W L K % Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns W L K 1- 1*TONS OF CHEESE (501) 1 0 0 100 1/ 1 EVEREST LLP (490) 9 6 1 2- 2*I HEART BALLS (498) 1 0 0 100 2/ 2 THE MIDDLE WAY 5 (453) 8 7 1 3/ 3 EVEREST LLP (490) 45 25 3 64.3 3/ 3 JOHNS (379) 6 3 0 4/ 5 THE MIDDLE WAY 5 (453) 243 244 12 49.9 4- 5*TONS OF CHEESE (501) 1 0 0 5/ 6 JOHNS (379) 248 388 8 39.0 5- 6*I HEART BALLS (498) 1 0 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[ Nightfall #8 ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ + On the south coast of the Ardivent Peninsula: Two men stood on the roof of the manor house and stared out at the bay. A black tower rose from the water near the string of rocky islands that narrowed the channel between Ardivent and Kaltos. Near the islands, but not on them. "I can't make out what it's standing on," Harbad Kore said. The Guard was Ambitious, but his inclinations had not led him to study charts of the bay. He felt there was more scope for him on land. "Not an island, not a charted rock," Ternas d'Aleen said. D'Aleen had shipping interests, or maybe just was interested in ships and boats, but at least he was likely to know about the waters here. You'd never take him for an Assassin, and now that the Assassins' Guild had been outlawed again, he didn't practice. At least, he said he didn't practice assassination any more. Although how he supported himself based on occasional appearances in the arena as a standby... maybe he really was a shipper. Kore shrugged that off. It wasn't his business, anyway. "Okay, then what IS it standing on?" D'Aleen raised an eyebrow. "How should I know? But it arrived courtesy of magic, so maybe it has a magical foundation, as well." "Magic." The guard considered that for several minutes. "And it's threatening Ardivent's shipping, right? Probably the Transelites did it." "An unfounded assumption," the assassin said. "No it isn't! Transel's got loads of magicians, and the whole island lives off piracy. Seems reasonable to me that they're doing this." His hand went to his sword. "We should Take Steps. Those pirates can't be allowed to get away with this!" "We all know you're a bit of a fool, Kore," the assassin said coldly. "But you don't need to keep demonstrating it. And fortunately for us all, you are not the one who must make the decision. That is the Baron's prerogative. We are merely here to observe and report." Kore twitched his shoulder. The comment about him being a fool he decided to ignore; practicing or not, D'Aleen WAS an assassin. "Okay, fine, I know I'm not the diplomatic type, but mark my words, we'll end up going to war with Transel over this. I just wish...." He glanced down at the building beneath them uneasily. "Oh, I agree," D'Aleen said. "I would much have preferred almost any other vantage point, but this IS the best place for observing the black tower." "That statue in the front hall--" The guard shivered. "I believe it isn't actually a statue," D'Aleen said after a moment. "I seem to have heard that it is actually a living person, preserved in amber. A Lady Protector...Stepharoo, or something like that." "It isn't decent," Harbad Kore said. "She should be, I don't know, put out of sight at the least, or buried, or something. Just having a naked woman standing there in the hall...." "Not buried," D'Aleen said. "If she's a Lady Protector, which is what I remember, then even if she's dead she isn't really dead. To be buried alive..." he shuddered. "But if we have to use this place again, I would agree that we can move her into a closet or something." Weeks had passed. The Black Tower had come and gone and come again, sometimes interfering with shipping, other times ignoring it. No one ever appeared on the roof of the tower to demand toll or make any explanation. No ship was searched, no cargo seized. But some ships disappeared, and some were destroyed despite all efforts to protect them physically or magically. "Magic," Ternas d'Aleen said bitterly. "I hate cases where magic is an important factor. There is so very little that an ordinary person can do against it." "Very little?" Harbad Kore stared at his companion. "I thought there was NOTHING we could do. Except get caught by it ourselves," he added. "And I still don't see why WE have to be the ones watching for the tower." The assassin shrugged. "We didn't get out of sight fast enough when the Baron asked for volunteers." He looked at the manor house they'd used as an observation post before and grimaced. "We're going to put that...chunk of amber out of sight this time." The Ambitious Guard nodded agreement. The Lady Protector preserved in amber gave him the creeps. He couldn't regard her as being truly alive, but neither did she seem to be completely dead, and anyway, it was indecent. Not just because she was nude, either, it was...an insult to HER that she should be displayed like that. He wondered uneasily what magician she had offended, and how, to have drawn such a fate. More to change the subject than for information, d'Aleen said, "What's the news around the court about the Black Tower? Any word from the other Bay Ports?" "How should I know?" "You're a guard in the Baron's palace. You must hear things." "I'm not supposed to repeat what I hear," Harbad Kore said primly. "Bull." "Well...I guess this is a 'need to know' situation, isn't it?" The Guard glanced over his shoulder. There was no one behind them, nothing but the forest and the lane, both drifted deeply with fallen leaves. "Everyone denies having anything to do with it. Transel, too. Word is that some magician in Valamantis thinks he's got a clue but can't make it work. Figures. Magicians!" "So," the assassin mused, "no information and no plan. Not good." Kore shrugged and pulled the heavy wrought-iron key to the old manor from his pocket. He scanned up the front wall. "This place was built to last," he said, "but it won't, not unless it gets a tenant who cares about it. A Lady in amber can't keep it in good condition." D'Aleen shrugged again. "So long as it doesn't fall down while we're in it, I don't care," he said indifferently. "It's just a building." "Listen, this is a classic of the Early Medjal era," Kore said. "It's HISTORIC." He slipped the key into the lock and turned it, not without difficulty and a lot of noise. "It's just a building," the assassin said. He helped his companion push open the door. The hinges squealed, and the door scraped heavily on the stone floor of the hall. "Where's that light coming from?" "Gods! The amber--it's cracking!" * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * ---===DELARQUAN REGIONAL NEWS===--- Duelmasters ----------- DM 1 MORDANT (turn 531): FLAIR of WIND STORM (Lord Xiang, mgr.) DM 2 NIANIA (turn 416): SCARDY CAT of ARENA FELINES (Garfield, mgr.) DM 3 OSKSI (turn 539): POSITION IS EMPTY DM 4 JHELUM (turn 535): VANGUARD of ORCCON THUGS (DMobster, mgr.) DM 5 KALTOS (turn 534): HOFFA of JOHNS (Dear, mgr.) DM 6 TRANSEL (turn 538): JUSTIN of THE LADY'S LIST (A-Sop, mgr.) DM 7 BONSUR (turn 535): SWEATY of BRAIN (LHI, mgr.) DM 10 KOLACT (turn 530): SIR DA of SIR AGLIO (Sultan, mgr.) DM 18 TALCAMA (turn 521): BOOKIE of ARROGANCE (A-Sop, mgr.) DM 21 SUNSET (turn 520): ASHANDAR of AGE OF EMPIRE (Doc Steele, mgr.) DM 36 JHANS (turn 494): FRANKENSLOSH of HELTER SKELTER (Cosmo, mgr.) DM 38 CLIFFHOME (turn 484): SIR LICKSALOT of ARENA FELINES (Garfield, mgr.) DM 39 XOCHITHLAN (turn 214): OUTLAW STAR of DARQUE ANGELS (Master Darque, mgr.) DM 42 RODEKI (turn 472): OSTMAN of WAY OF THE SWORD A3 (Vhagar, mgr.) DM 51 TRICORUS (turn 420): DELANGE of DARK HORSEMEN (Nick, mgr.) DM 54 TROCAR (turn 200): VIRET of TRADERS OF TROCAR (Jinda, mgr.) DM 59 ILLIS (turn 188): DUFF of ISLANDERS (Nick, mgr.) DM 62 VALAMANTIS (turn 369): POSITION IS EMPTY DM 72 DRAGONHEAD (turn 165): KOOL AID of LIQUIDS (Assurnasirbanipal, mgr.) ADM 104 DARKHOLM (turn 413): WIGGLER of THUNDR + LITENING from TALCAMA (Doc Steele) Top Teams --------- DM 1 MORDANT (turn 531): none DM 2 NIANIA (turn 416): THE GOLDEN FISH (Nick, mgr.) DM 3 OSKSI (turn 539): SORCERY COVENANT (Visionist, mgr.) DM 4 JHELUM (turn 535): HARMONY (?, mgr.) DM 5 KALTOS (turn 534): EVEREST LLP (?, mgr.) DM 6 TRANSEL (turn 538): THE LADY'S LIST (A-Sop, mgr.) DM 7 BONSUR (turn 535): WASTELAND II (The Muffin Man, mgr.) DM 10 KOLACT (turn 530): SIR AGLIO (Sultan, mgr.) DM 18 TALCAMA (turn 521): WASTELAND (The Muffin Man, mgr.) DM 21 SUNSET (turn 520): AGE OF EMPIRE (Doc Steele, mgr.) DM 36 JHANS (turn 494): none DM 38 CLIFFHOME (turn 484): JINDA-BAN (Nick, mgr.) DM 39 XOCHITHLAN (turn 214): CRIMINAL ELEMENT (Fizban, mgr.) DM 42 RODEKI (turn 472): COLOR ME SUAVE (Suave, mgr.) DM 51 TRICORUS (turn 420): DARK HORSEMEN (Nick, mgr.) DM 54 TROCAR (turn 200): CARESS OF STEEL (Maximillian, mgr.) DM 59 ILLIS (turn 188): CHAPEL ROCK (Crip, mgr.) DM 62 VALAMANTIS (turn 369): MIDDLE WAY 10 (Nick, mgr.) DM 72 DRAGONHEAD (turn 165): TWISTED SISTERS (Savant, mgr.) ADM 104 DARKHOLM (turn 413): BLACK PRIMERS, etc. (Doc Steele, mgr.) Recent Graduates ----------------- DM 1 MORDANT (turn 531): FLAIR of WIND STORM (Lord Xiang, mgr.) DM 3 OSKSI (turn 538): NOTTHUR of SORCERY COVENANT (Visionist, mgr.) DM 6 TRANSEL (turn 537): COOKIE FOR THE SOUL of HOLE IN THE WALL (The Muffin Man) DM 10 KOLACT (turn 529): SIR REALISTIC of SIR AGLIO (Sultan, mgr.) DM 36 JHANS (turn 494): SHADOW STARR of SUICIDAL DREAMS (Talon Darkhart, mgr.) DM 51 TRICORUS (turn 419): HARZOGH of DARK HORSEMEN (Nick, mgr.) DM 59 ILLIS (turn 187): EVANGELION of IMPROVED ILLUSION (Phantasm, mgr.) DM 62 VALAMANTIS (turn 369): DOC FELLE of MIDDLE WAY 10 (Nick, mgr.) DUELMASTER'S COLUMN Notes from the arena champ. Ha! An orc on the throne, and what do you think of THAT, eh? I laugh in your collective face. Hoffa SPY REPORT The sages err'd not in their foretelling of a god descending upon KALTOS, for I, Novgorodny Vir, have returned! THE MIDDLE WAY 5 posted a nice gain, to come in 2nd. Everybody loves a winner... Practice pays for GRIMM, who pummelled CHESTER EGG, to pocket 19 points. Win some, lose some. Speaking of which, GRIMM was winsome, after beating CHESTER EGG and seeing him lose 16 points. Now I can't insult ERLOI GILL, as he has gloriously dueled to the top. Oh great new Duelmaster!!! (Stop me if I lay it on too thick) Word has it one team in KALTOS is taking speech lessons to try to bore their opponent to death. I'll bet it works. A Zenmaster once told me, 'Does not the spinning wheel turn? And do not the little birds cry out?' Any ideas? Is there life after death? Pragmatics (and warriors) know there is death after life! Ask not for whom the sword slashes; it slashes for thee. Do not think spyreporting in KALTOS is the highlight of my life. My fingers tire and I fear my incessant prattling may cause unfair judgement upon my impeccable character. Can anything compare to the pleasure of writing Spyreports for KALTOS? On that giddy note I take my leave-- Novgorodny Vir DUELMASTER W L K POINTS TEAM NAME ERLOI GILL 4620 20 24 0 108 THE MIDDLE WAY 5 (453) CHALLENGER CHAMPIONS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME ZAKAU 4623 27 16 0 118 JOHNS (379) HOFFA 4348 10 87 0 117 JOHNS (379) NORLE PARTH 4658 16 19 2 102 THE MIDDLE WAY 5 (453) CHALLENGER CHAMPIONS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME LHOTSE 4683 10 4 0 93 EVEREST LLP (490) CHAMPIONS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME BLABB 4684 9 5 1 83 EVEREST LLP (490) HOFFA 4622 19 24 0 82 JOHNS (379) GRIMM 4681 10 4 0 79 EVEREST LLP (490) INGOLD KERR 4652 17 19 2 78 THE MIDDLE WAY 5 (453) ANGUS 4680 8 6 0 73 EVEREST LLP (490) CHALLENGER ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME CHESTER EGG 4662 14 16 0 59 THE MIDDLE WAY 5 (453) ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME HILDE 4697 8 5 2 52 EVEREST LLP (490) GLORIA IMBRO 4718 4 2 1 35 THE MIDDLE WAY 5 (453) INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME -IAN 4737 1 0 0 23 I HEART BALLS (498) -MUFFINGTON 4794 1 0 0 18 TONS OF CHEESE (501) '-' denotes a warrior who did not fight this turn. THE DEAD W L K TEAM NAME SLAIN BY TURN Revenge? CULT MEMBER 602 0 1 0 1 GLORIA IMBRO 4718 535 NONE PERSONAL ADS Zakau -- Well, all I can say is that I hope you know you've got Egg on your face! -- Chester Egg P.S. Go wash it, man. Hoffa -- What? I won, so how can you--? Oh, there are two of you, right. And it's the other one who has the hot seat. Oh, well, I didn't want to write a column anyway. -- Norle Parth Lhotse -- Don't be that way! You're such a hotse, I want to be FRIENDS with you. -- Ingold Kerr Grimm -- It's the season for it. -- Erloi Gill P.S. But you have to work harder at it. Embezzling Scribe -- I suppose you had to embezzle because you were too rotten at anything else to earn a living. -- Gloria Imbro 5 November 2005 It is with a proud heart that I announce the newest member of the Desolate Empire alliance. Dok Sik will be known from here forth as Dark Knight Dok Sik, of the Desolate Empire. May he be blessed with victory and courage. May his enemies' blood flow freely! -- The Dark Knights Wasby and Toker LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS HOFFA was devastated by ERLOI GILL in a 1 minute mismatched Title fight. ZAKAU vanquished BLABB in a 1 minute uneven battle. NORLE PARTH subdued HOFFA in a crowd pleasing 2 minute expert's fight. CHESTER EGG was devastated by GRIMM in a exciting 1 minute one-sided fight. LHOTSE devastated VENOMOUS CONCUBINE in a 1 minute uneven brawl. INGOLD KERR overpowered HILDE in a 1 minute one-sided struggle. ANGUS bested M. CHARDINEE in a 1 minute competition. GLORIA IMBRO assassinated CULT MEMBER in a 1 minute gruesome uneven melee. BATTLE REPORT MOST POPULAR RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS |FIGHTING STYLE FIGHTS FIGHTING STYLE W - L - K PERCENT| |WALL OF STEEL 3 SLASHING ATTACK 8 - 4 - 0 67 | |STRIKING ATTACK 3 LUNGING ATTACK 13 - 7 - 0 65 | |AIMED BLOW 2 STRIKING ATTACK 22 - 16 - 4 58 | |BASHING ATTACK 2 BASHING ATTACK 11 - 8 - 0 58 | |LUNGING ATTACK 1 WALL OF STEEL 15 - 12 - 1 56 | |SLASHING ATTACK 1 AIMED BLOW 15 - 12 - 0 56 | |TOTAL PARRY 1 TOTAL PARRY 5 - 10 - 0 33 | |PARRY-LUNGE 0 PARRY-STRIKE 0 - 0 - 0 0 | |PARRY-STRIKE 0 PARRY-RIPOSTE 0 - 0 - 0 0 | |PARRY-RIPOSTE 0 PARRY-LUNGE 0 - 0 - 0 0 | Turn 535 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: AIMED BLOW 2 - 0 PARRY-LUNGE 0 - 0 2 BASHING ATTACK LUNGING ATTACK 1 - 0 PARRY-STRIKE 0 - 0 2 WALL OF STEEL SLASHING ATTACK 1 - 0 PARRY-RIPOSTE 0 - 0 2 AIMED BLOW BASHING ATTACK 2 - 0 STRIKING ATTACK 0 - 3 2 STRIKING ATTACK WALL OF STEEL 2 - 1 TOTAL PARRY 0 - 1 1 LUNGING ATTACK 1 SLASHING ATTACK 1 TOTAL PARRY TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE FIGHTING STYLE WARRIOR W L K PNTS TEAM NAME LUNGING ATTACK ZAKAU 4623 27 16 0 118 JOHNS (379) SLASHING ATTACK LHOTSE 4683 10 4 0 93 EVEREST LLP (490) STRIKING ATTACK BLABB 4684 9 5 1 83 EVEREST LLP (490) AIMED BLOW GRIMM 4681 10 4 0 79 EVEREST LLP (490) BASHING ATTACK ANGUS 4680 8 6 0 73 EVEREST LLP (490) WALL OF STEEL GLORIA IMBRO 4718 4 2 1 35 THE MIDDLE WAY 5 (453) Note: Warriors have a winning record and are an Adept or Above. The overall popularity leader is ZAKAU 4623. The most popular warrior this turn was NORLE PARTH 4658. The ten other most popular fighters were ERLOI GILL 4620, GRIMM 4681, LHOTSE 4683, ANGUS 4680, GLORIA IMBRO 4718, ZAKAU 4623, INGOLD KERR 4652, HOFFA 4622, CHESTER EGG 4662, and HOFFA 4348. The least popular fighter this week was HILDE 4697. The other ten least popular fighters were BLABB 4684, HOFFA 4348, CHESTER EGG 4662, HOFFA 4622, INGOLD KERR 4652, ZAKAU 4623, GLORIA IMBRO 4718, ANGUS 4680, LHOTSE 4683, and GRIMM 4681. The following warriors will travel to AD after next turn: ERLOI GILL (5-4620) THE MIDDLE WAY 5 (453)