DUELMASTERS NEWSLETTER

Date   : 04/22/2004    Duedate: 05/19/2004

ARKERS ARENA

DM-8    TURN-243

This Weeks Top Honors

THE DUELMASTER IS

RANCID WAIF
HAPLESS WAIF (515)
(8-4413) [15-9-0,113]

Chartered Recognition Leader   Unchartered Recognition Leader

RANCID WAIF                    KOOL GREEN
HAPLESS WAIF (515)             ENTENTER (534)
(8-4413) [15-9-0,113]          (8-4568) [4-3-0,15]

Popularity Leader              This Weeks Favorite

MONGOOSE                       FRENZIED WAIF
A.K.A. (346)                   HAPLESS WAIF (515)
(8-2663) [14-17-0,69]          (8-4345) [12-13-0,83]

THE CURRENT TOP TEAM

LA PENTARCHIE (481)

          TEAMS ON THE MOVE            TOP CAREER HONORS
Team Name                  Point Gain  Chartered Team
1. PHANTOM FORCES 2 (400)      60
2. BLACKTHORN ORCS (425)       59      Z GLADIATORZ (519)
3. SMITHSONIAN (245)           24      Unchartered Team
4. TEN TON TOGAS (536)         20
5. HAPLESS WAIF (515)          18      ENTENTER (534)

The Top Teams

Career Win-Loss Record           W   L  K    %  Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns    W  L K
 1/ 1 Z GLADIATORZ (519)        49  26  0 65.3   1/ 1 LA PENTARCHIE (481)      13  2 0
 2/ 2 LETHAL JUSTICE (375)      61  39  1 61.0   2/ 6 TEN TON TOGAS (536)       9  1 0
 3/ 3 SMITHSONIAN (245)        486 323 13 60.1   3/ 3 SMITHSONIAN (245)         8  4 0
 4/ 4 BLACKTHORN ORCS (425)    242 162 22 59.9   4/ 5 PHANTOM FORCES 2 (400)    8  5 0
 5/ 6 TEN TON TOGAS (536)       97  74  6 56.7   5/12 BLACKTHORN ORCS (425)     7  8 0
 6/ 7 LA PENTARCHIE (481)      144 113  3 56.0   6/ 0 YAKUZA (541)              6  9 0
 7/ 5 PHOENIX FIRE (532)        26  22  1 54.2   7/ 8 Z GLADIATORZ (519)        5  6 0
 8/ 0 YAKUZA (541)              85  72  2 54.1   8/ 2 X-FORCE (484)             5 10 0
 9/ 8 HAPLESS WAIF (515)        52  51  1 50.5   9/10 HAPLESS WAIF (515)        4  7 0
10/10 PHANTOM FORCES 2 (400)    81  93  7 46.6  10/ 4*ENTENTER (534)            4  8 0
11- 9 TREE PEOPLE (511)         51  59  1 46.4  11/ 9 A.K.A. (346)              4 10 0
12/11 A.K.A. (346)              67  86  6 43.8  12/ 7 PHOENIX FIRE (532)        3  5 0
13/12 X-FORCE (484)             92 119  7 43.6  13-11 TREE PEOPLE (511)         2  3 0
14/13*ENTENTER (534)             9  18  0 33.3  14/13 LETHAL JUSTICE (375)      1  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?

            + ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ Out of the Past #6 ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ +
                                   Andorian Edition

Aruak City:

     Conversation in the Bulldog Inn stopped as the ground shifted slightly
underfoot, then resumed.  A little faster, a little more shrill.  There had been a
lot of earth tremors lately, and in one way, people were getting used to them.
Nobody rushed outside in alarm.  Nobody talked about moving to some other area.
There was a betting pool on when the next tremor would occur.
     But in another way, they weren't getting used to them at all.  Earthquakes in
Aruak City were WRONG.  In Seam, okay, if they were mild and didn't happen very often
(although lately they had been frequent and devastating).  You expected strange earth
movements in Seam, because of the hot springs.  Hot springs meant things like that
might happen.  But not HERE.
     "It's because of Krael rising," explained Thermodynamics, a gladiator from Point
passing through the city.  "The balances are disturbed.  You see, Krael came from the
bottom of the Trier, which is very cold.  Therefore, some place else has to become
very hot to balance it."  He paused and frowned.  "Or maybe some other place has to
sink, a down to balance the new up, so to speak."
     Adeolar, listening to him, sighed with exasperation.  "It isn't that," she
muttered.  "Oh, maybe the bit about some other area sinking to balance the rising of
Krael--I've got people watching for that, all along the coast.  But the 'hot and
cold' business--"
     "Let him talk," Kennelworth said, gauging the mood of the crowd.  "It's an
explanation people can accept, and they'll feel less alarmed by it.  We don't want a
riot, and there's nothing they can do about things right now, so...?"  He looked back
at the flame-haired manager.  "There isn't anything, is there?"
     Adie grimaced.  "I don't know.  I don't think stopping Khaldren in Zorpunt will
be enough to stop what's happening, now.  The spell he started has taken on a life of
its own.  I'm trying to discover a counterspell--that won't make things worse in some
other way!  But until then, just...treat the symptoms.  Fight the monsters, help the
people displaced," she shrugged, "the obvious things.  And keep arena deaths down,
because the blood feeds the spell."  She began to twist a lock of hair around her
finger, tugging on it thoughtfully.  "I've been thinking about a counterspell.  The
original magic came from Krael, however it got to the present.  Maybe the
counterspell can be found there."
     "Searching Krael for the spell that would sink it again will be dangerous," the
old innkeeper and manager warned.  "The reports say that there are people there who
are ready to defend it."
     "That's what gladiators are for, isn't it?" Adie asked.  "Protecting Alastari.
Stopping this spell that is bringing the past to life falls under that heading."

Iaye:

     Great Dane looked over the improvised barricade that divided the island of Iaye
from the risen city of Krael and whistled.  "You said they were regular people," he
commented, scanning the muddy approach.  "Those are, I guess they're zombies."
     Goff shrugged.  "I guess the regular people I saw when the city first rose were
wizards, at least some of them.  And there must have been plenty of dead around for
them to turn into zombies.  Damn.  How do you kill something that's already dead?"
     Great Dane glanced back at the people straggling toward the barricade from
Iaye's side.  "That isn't going to be our first problem.  The first one is, how do we
get our defenders to stand fast against them?  Those are fishermen, farmers,
shopkeepers.  You think they're going to fight zombies?"
     "Gladiators, too," Goff protested.
     "Not enough, if the wizard in charge of those zombies knows anything about
battle."

      * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ *

                          ---===ANDORIAN REGIONAL NEWS===---

                                     Duelmasters
                                     -----------
 DM   8 ARKERS (turn 242): CLOSED MIND of BLACKTHORN ORCS (Slugbait, mgr.)
 DM  11 ARUAK CITY (turn 487): B.B. KING of THE BLUES (Keldon Blackfang, mgr.)
 DM  14 TOBIR (turn 487): HYDE of OTAGO HIGHLANDERS (The Mun, mgr.)
 DM  22 SOLVEN (turn 480): SKEEMER of KELLUMBO'S KIDS (Detective Kellumbo, mgr.)
 DM  24 ZORPUNT (turn 476): KID ROCK of THE MC5 (Street Legal, mgr.)
 DM  25 LYRATILAN (turn 476): XYLZ AREE of THE MIDDLE WAY 4 (Leeta, mgr.)
 DM  26 CALEAM (turn 477): SAPPER of SHERWOOD FOREST (Papaiz, mgr.)
 DM  30 IAYE (turn 472): CHERKO of RED DOG GANG (Leeta, mgr.)
 DM  40 ZENSU (turn 438): SUSAN STO HELIT of THE DISC (Technogeek, mgr.)
 DM  41 KATI-TEI (turn 431): TORA HAMLIN of WANDERERS (Leeta, mgr.)
 DM  46 ARDIVENT (turn 424): DODGER of HARDTIMESINBABYLON (Technogeek, mgr.)
 DM  52 FRATSFA (turn 190): GRIM GLADIOLA of FLOWER GIRLS (Lady Fern, mgr.)
 DM  60 ARADI (turn 335): GUMMI GHOUL of THE UPSTARTS III (Anti, mgr.)
 DM  63 AMEN-TEI (turn 325): FREAN of SAFE HAVEN (Keldon Blackfang, mgr.)
 DM  71 KYR'TERR (turn 145): TOMB of SHADOW GOLD (Shadowgate, mgr.)
ADM 105 ANDORAK (turn 372): MONICA VIRTUESHIELD of KNIGHTS OF VIRTUE from ARUAK CITY
                            (JRK, mgr.)

                                      Top Teams
                                      ---------
 DM   8 ARKERS (turn 242): LA PENTARCHIE (The Pentalque, mgr.)
 DM  11 ARUAK CITY (turn 487): BULLDOGS (Kennelworth, mgr.)
 DM  14 TOBIR (turn 487): ALL THE MUN'S MEN (The Mun, mgr.)
 DM  22 SOLVEN (turn 480): none
 DM  24 ZORPUNT (turn 476): WATER DECK (Destitute Noble, mgr.)
 DM  25 LYRATILAN (turn 476): CHAUCERS WORDS (Berylstar, mgr.)
 DM  26 CALEAM (turn 477): WARCKERS (Papaiz, mgr.)
 DM  30 IAYE (turn 472): RED DOG GANG (Leeta, mgr.)
 DM  40 ZENSU (turn 438): WIMPS MOST FOWL (Wimpy, mgr.)
 DM  41 KATI-TEI (turn 431): MEMPHIS MAFIA (Bookie, mgr.)
 DM  46 ARDIVENT (turn 424): HARDTIMESINBABYLON (Technogeek, mgr.)
 DM  52 FRATSFA (turn 190): OHIO (Berylstar, mgr.)
 DM  60 ARADI (turn 335): LOCK-OUT (Elephant, mgr.)
 DM  63 AMEN-TEI (turn 325): WAYFARERS (Leeta, mgr.)
 DM  71 KYR'TERR (turn 145): CASTLE BLACK (Shadowgate, mgr.)
ADM 105 ANDORAK (turn 372): SUNNYDALE, etc. (LHI, mgr.)

                                   Recent Graduates
                                   ----------------
 DM   8 ARKERS (turn 242): CLOSED MIND of BLACKTHORN ORCS (Slugbait, mgr.)
               (turn 241): MELTDOWN of X-FORCE (Savant, mgr.)
 DM  11 ARUAK CITY (turn 485): CONNOR MACLEOD of SCARLET KNIGHTS II (Talon Warsmith)
 DM  14 TOBIR (turn 487): HYDE of OTAGO HIGHLANDERS (The Mun, mgr.)
              (turn 486): BLACK HEART SEEKER of CEASE TO EXIST (Sceptre, mgr.)
                          10% VIGORISH of THE DEATH SQUAD (Street Legal, mgr.)
 DM  22 SOLVEN (turn 480): MAXIMUS of KELLUMBO'S KIDS (Detective Kellumbo, mgr.)
 DM  24 ZORPUNT (turn 476): KID ROCK of THE MC5 (Street Legal, mgr.)
 DM  25 LYRATILAN (turn 476): XYLZ AREE of THE MIDDLE WAY 4 (Leeta, mgr.)
                  (turn 475): LANCE of POWER AND FATE (Sceptre, mgr.)
 DM  26 CALEAM (turn 477): SAPPER of SHERWOOD FOREST (Papaiz, mgr.)
                           OMNIBOOK 500 of AT WORK (The Muffin Man, mgr.)
 DM  30 IAYE (turn 472): CHERKO of RED DOG GANG (Leeta, mgr.)
                         BLOODY MOUTH of BLOOD OATH (Ganolus Oakleaf, mgr.)
             (turn 471): DUMB, DUMB of RED DOG GANG (Leeta, mgr.)
                         HELL'S WHISPER of PERFECT HARMONY (Sceptre, mgr.)
 DM  40 ZENSU (turn 437): CMOT DIBBLER of THE DISC (Technogeek, mgr.)
                          JOPHAN of BEYOND THE PALE (Leeta, mgr.)
 DM  46 ARDIVENT (turn 424): DODGER of HARDTIMESINBABYLON (Technogeek, mgr.)
                 (turn 423): PURPLE SASH of HARDTIMESINBABYLON (Technogeek, mgr.)
 DM  60 ARADI (turn 335): WINKER X of 4000 BLOWS (Nuln, mgr.)
              (turn 334): LIGHTNING IX of DEATH STUDS VII (Death Stud, mgr.)
 DM  71 KYR'TERR (turn 144): LOKI of ARCTIC GUARDS (Yukon Cornelius, mgr.)

                                      SPY REPORT

     Well, what are you looking at, ARKERS?  Ain't you never seen Snide Clemens 
before?  Ah, shaddup and listen to my news.  If this keeps up, X-FORCE, you'll have 
to shine swords instead of use them.  A drop of 6 in the rankings?  BLACKTHORN ORCS 
turned their 5-0-0 turn into a 5th 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, PHANTOM FORCES 2, the Fates teach humility, and the Fates are proud. 
Of course, we're all terribly impressed to see DREAM STEALER win a fight and gain 23 
points, terribly.  Tsk, tsk, DREAM STEALER beat KAMI and KAMI lost 14 points.  You're 
breakin' my heart.  And if variety is the spice of life, ARKERS may be getting bland, 
as CLOSED MIND stays top dog in the city.  The Warty Toad, humph!  I've tasted better 
ale at mortuaries.  Where do they get this stuff?  From ARKERS' trash dumps?   
     Well, let's take a look at some more misdeeds of you miserable sword-boys.  
ARKERS, I am losing what little hope I had in you.  TREE PEOPLE the most avoided 
team?  What insult will suffice, I cannot say.  And it looks like SMITHSONIAN avoided 
them the most this turn.  What a pack of would be losers, if you ask me.  Hmph.  
TOBACCO ROSE was challenged more times this turn than the Duelmaster.  Now was the DM 
insulted or feared?  Heh, heh.  I guess I can give a little credit to SHRIEK of 
PHANTOM FORCES 2 for challenging up by 19 to ROMULUS.  SHRIEK lost to get 2 points of 
recognition.   
     Death and Taxes.  The less death I see, the more it taxes my patience.  Let's 
see if anyone's dead or dying.  Gee, X-FORCE, ain't it past due for sending POLARIS 
Dark Arena?  What took ol' '7-6-0' so long?  Hope?  Ha ha aha ha!  Titanium shields 
and bamboo daggers, guess what brave team is developing these kinds of weapons?   
     What does the ARKERS arena have in common with the inns?  It's just as 
comfortable to sleep in either place.  Ha ha ha ha!  Phlllt!  Just had to do that 
before I leave the fine city of ARKERS.  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                  
 RANCID WAIF 4413             15   9  0   113       HAPLESS WAIF (515)

CHALLENGER CHAMPIONS           W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 AARNS 4622                   17  14  3   112       TEN TON TOGAS (536)
 NIGHT BLACK 3174             16  19  0   106       PHANTOM FORCES 2 (400)
 DREAM STEALER 3576            9   4  0   101       PHANTOM FORCES 2 (400)
-TOM SAWYER 4281               9   4  0   100       SMITHSONIAN (245)
 TAISHO 4690                  24   9  1    94       YAKUZA (541)

CHAMPIONS                      W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 MURDER-MEX 3016              15   5  0    90       LETHAL JUSTICE (375)
 L'ORC BLEU 4352              15  12  0    89       LA PENTARCHIE (481)
 GREY FOX 2880                14  11  1    88       A.K.A. (346)
 ZIT 4385                     12   2  0    86       Z GLADIATORZ (519)
 FRENZIED WAIF 4345           12  13  0    83       HAPLESS WAIF (515)
 ZIG ZAG 4384                 14   5  0    80       Z GLADIATORZ (519)
 ZZZZ'S 4381                  15   5  0    78       Z GLADIATORZ (519)
 HUNGRY WAIF 4349              9  16  1    78       HAPLESS WAIF (515)
 KAMI 4683                    21   9  0    73       YAKUZA (541)
 SENSEI JAN 4676              14   7  0    71       YAKUZA (541)
 MONGOOSE 2663                14  17  0    69       A.K.A. (346)

CHALLENGER ADEPTS              W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
-FULL PLATE 3135              10   2  0    62       LETHAL JUSTICE (375)

CHALLENGER ADEPTS              W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
-MRS MURDERMEX 3066           10   4  0    61       LETHAL JUSTICE (375)
-REDWOOD 4304                 14   8  0    57       TREE PEOPLE (511)
-FIRE FLY 4533                 6   0  0    57       PHOENIX FIRE (532)

ADEPTS                         W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 HELEN OF TROY 4603            5   1  0    54       SMITHSONIAN (245)
-RICHARDTHELIONHEART 4023      9  11  1    52       SMITHSONIAN (245)
 HAMMURABI 4219                8   5  0    52       SMITHSONIAN (245)
 DART 4586                     9   0  0    50       X-FORCE (484)
-ZIP 4383                      7   6  0    48       Z GLADIATORZ (519)
-CASTOR BEAN 4442             11   8  0    44       TREE PEOPLE (511)
 PSYLOCKE 4470                 5   8  1    44       X-FORCE (484)
 TOBACCO ROSE 4529             6   7  1    43       PHOENIX FIRE (532)
-ZYCONIAN 3201                 5   2  0    41       LETHAL JUSTICE (375)
-WITLESS WAIF 4347             2   3  0    39       HAPLESS WAIF (515)
 SPRITE 4600                   4   4  0    38       PHANTOM FORCES 2 (400)
 JULIANA 4618                  6   1  0    37       TEN TON TOGAS (536)
 FALCON 3422                   5   6  0    34       A.K.A. (346)

CHALLENGER INITIATES           W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
-POLE CAT 3111                 6   9  1    33       A.K.A. (346)
-ZABABA 4633                   3   0  0    33       PHOENIX FIRE (532)
 LUXOR 4619                    4   4  0    32       TEN TON TOGAS (536)
 JAGUARMAN 4532                6   7  0    31       PHOENIX FIRE (532)
 V.BALTIMORE-'W.BALT 4598      4   5  0    27       LA PENTARCHIE (481)
 L'AUBERGISTE 4614             4   1  0    26       LA PENTARCHIE (481)
 JEALOUSY 4652                 2   0  0    26       PHANTOM FORCES 2 (400)
 ROMULUS 4616                  2   0  0    25       TEN TON TOGAS (536)
 MOTEL DU LAC 4580             6   5  0    24       LA PENTARCHIE (481)
-GRYPHOS 4582                  2   2  0    24       PHOENIX FIRE (532)

INITIATES                      W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
-WEEDS II 4577                 4   3  0    23       TREE PEOPLE (511)
 TIEN 4672                     5   6  0    21       YAKUZA (541)
-MAPLE-WOOD 4587               3   3  0    20       TREE PEOPLE (511)
 BLISSFULL SPEED 4694          1   0  0    20       BLACKTHORN ORCS (425)
 KOOL GREEN 4568               4   3  0    15       ENTENTER (534)
 AUJARD 4639                   3   0  0    15       LA PENTARCHIE (481)
 LADY MACBETH 4627             1   2  0    15       SMITHSONIAN (245)
-JUPITER 4637                  1   0  0    13       TREE PEOPLE (511)
 MAID OF MUD 4692              1   0  0    11       BLACKTHORN ORCS (425)
 LUKE 4566                     2   4  0    10       ENTENTER (534)
-KANAGE FETIA 3279             2   1  0     9       LETHAL JUSTICE (375)
 GLOW BUG 4693                 1   0  0     9       BLACKTHORN ORCS (425)
 FAILED FOOL 4691              1   0  0     9       BLACKTHORN ORCS (425)
 BASILISK 4659                 1   1  0     8       A.K.A. (346)
 TITILLUS 4617                 1   1  0     7       TEN TON TOGAS (536)
-BEAM 4565                     1   3  0     6       ENTENTER (534)
 RETRO ACTION 4635             1   1  0     4       ENTENTER (534)
 SHRIEK 4651                   0   2  0     2       PHANTOM FORCES 2 (400)
 SILKE 4662                    0   1  0     1       X-FORCE (484)
 SUNSPOT 4663                  0   1  0     1       X-FORCE (484)

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

THE DEAD               W  L K TEAM NAME             SLAIN BY             TURN Revenge?
DAN 4569               1  4 0 ENTENTER 534          WURM KIN 411          243 NONE    
HERBERT LE VERT 4604   2  1 0 LA PENTARCHIE 481     POLE CAT 3111         239 REVENGED
POLARIS 4547           7  7 0 X-FORCE 484           STONE GOLEM 410       243 NONE    
NUBUNAGA 4666          0  3 0 YAKUZA 541            SHEWISH GIANT 405     243 NONE    

                                     PERSONAL ADS

Congratulations to Lord Protector Closed Mind, a great Duelmaster.  Well done,
Slugbait. -- Curator of Smithsonians

Ten Ton Togas -- A 5-0?!  Hubba, hubba, hubba! -- Curator

Ed -- "Hubba's" need to be presented more succinctly in this world, but you can see
in the ad above what you have done to me--a changed man. -- Curator

     *looking around*  *cautiously*  Are you speaking to me? -- Ed. the slightly
     confused

Aujard -- Perhaps thee art best handled by avoids?  Thinketh thee?  "A poor player
who struts and frets his hour upon the stage and then is heard no more...." -- Lady
Macbeth

Meltdown -- It took us a long time, but we got that fence painted, didn't we?  Thanks
for all the help, pal. -- Tom Sawyer

Jaguarman -- Some days you get the bear, er, a, cat.  Some days the cat gets you. --
Helen of Troy (A horse person, herself)

Maple-Wood -- You saw me at my best! -- Hammurabi

Hey, way to go Closed Mind Orc!  I like your style!  You are the man!  (Can you say
that about orcs?) -- Mr. Zee

Frenzied and Hungry Waifs -- Thank you for being there when we really needed you. --
ZZZ's and Zit

Aarns -- You just plain put it to me!  Salute!  You and your team are red hot! -- Zig
Zag

Good luck to all in The Mailer. -- Mr. Zee and The Z Gladiatorz

Tom Saw -- We had a good endurance contest. -- Meltdown

Sprite -- At least I didn't catch you by surprise.  So I guess it was skill this
time! -- Dart

Richard The Lionheart -- I hope you have relieved all your stress, because that was
very painful! -- Psylocke

Highlander -- I hope you keep on getting lucky! -- Savant

Dream Stealer -- It looks like I got myself into trouble again with a blind
challenge. -- Tobacco Rose

Helen of Troy -- Nicely done! -- Jaguarman

Weeds II -- Thanks for the challenge.  It was a tough fight. -- Zababa

Dart -- Death to skum! -- Sprite

Basilisk -- I had first fight jitters, didn't you hear me? -- Shriek

Luke -- Where did you learn to fight like that?  I can't say I have one bit of --
Jealousy

Tobacco Rose -- Maybe you should hit the weed a little less and the sands a little
more before challenging me again.  Your dreams are mine now.... -- Dream Stealer

Rancid Waif -- @#@#$@%^$@ -- Night Black

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....

14 April 2004
CHAOS Inc. proudly announces our newest member, Silver Stroke.  He becomes the
seventh brother of Chaos.  We shall indeed be better for his joining.

                                  LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS

POLARIS was butchered by STONE GOLEM in a 3 minute bloody Dark Arena fight.
NUBUNAGA was dispatched by SHEWISH GIANT in a 1 minute Dark Arena battle.
DAN was assassinated by WURM KIN in a 1 minute Dark Arena duel.
AARNS devastated L'ORC BLEU in a 1 minute one-sided Challenge contest.
ZIG ZAG luckily beat HUNGRY WAIF in a 2 minute master's Challenge match.
ZIT slimly won victory over FRENZIED WAIF in a 6 minute veteran's Challenge duel.
ZZZZ'S was devastated by NIGHT BLACK in a 5 minute one-sided Challenge competition.
DART outwaited TOBACCO ROSE in a crowd boring 14 minute Challenge duel.
HELEN OF TROY overpowered PSYLOCKE in a 1 minute uneven Challenge duel.
LADY MACBETH luckily beat TITILLUS in a exciting 9 minute gruesome Challenge fight.
RETRO ACTION was overpowered by JEALOUSY in a 1 minute one-sided Challenge fight.
BASILISK was bested by MOTEL DU LAC in a 1 minute Challenge conflict.
SHRIEK was devastated by ROMULUS in a 1 minute mismatched Challenge bout.
CLOSED MIND handily defeated GREY FOX in a 1 minute uneven fight.
RANCID WAIF overpowered MURDER-MEX in a action packed 4 minute uneven Title struggle.
TAISHO devastated MONGOOSE in a 1 minute mismatched brawl.
KAMI was overpowered by DREAM STEALER in a exciting 1 minute one-sided bout.
SENSEI JAN beat KUNG-FU MASTER in a popular 1 minute bloody match.
FALCON slimly lost to HAMMURABI in a 2 minute gory contest.
JULIANA overpowered LUKE in a 1 minute one-sided duel.
SPRITE beat JAGUARMAN in a action packed 1 minute fray.
LUXOR unbelievably bested TIEN in a popular 1 minute contest.
KOOL GREEN was subdued by L'AUBERGISTE in a popular 1 minute fight.
V.BALTIMORE-'W.BALT vanquished POLITE BEGGAR in a 1 minute one-sided match.
AUJARD won victory over STRAY CATMAN in a 1 minute fight.
BLISSFULL SPEED overpowered VIRTUOUS SCRIBE in a 1 minute uneven match.
GLOW BUG beat SUNSPOT in a 2 minute gory beginner's duel.
FAILED FOOL overcame STRAY CATMAN in a 1 minute amateur's bout.
MAID OF MUD outwaited SILKE in a popular 7 minute novice's bout.

                                    BATTLE REPORT

             MOST POPULAR                        RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS     
|FIGHTING STYLE               FIGHTS        FIGHTING STYLE     W -   L -  K   PERCENT|
|STRIKING ATTACK                  9         TOTAL PARRY       65 -  40 -  1      62  |
|TOTAL PARRY                      8         AIMED BLOW        39 -  25 -  0      61  |
|LUNGING ATTACK                   6         SLASHING ATTACK   20 -  18 -  1      53  |
|PARRY-LUNGE                      6         WALL OF STEEL     18 -  18 -  0      50  |
|AIMED BLOW                       4         BASHING ATTACK    20 -  20 -  1      50  |
|SLASHING ATTACK                  4         PARRY-LUNGE       23 -  24 -  2      49  |
|WALL OF STEEL                    4         PARRY-STRIKE       9 -  10 -  1      47  |
|PARRY-STRIKE                     3         LUNGING ATTACK    38 -  43 -  0      47  |
|PARRY-RIPOSTE                    3         STRIKING ATTACK   27 -  42 -  0      39  |
|BASHING ATTACK                   3         PARRY-RIPOSTE      9 -  22 -  1      29  |

Turn 243 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     5 -  1     PARRY-RIPOSTE      1 -  2         4  TOTAL PARRY    
AIMED BLOW         3 -  1     STRIKING ATTACK    3 -  6         2  AIMED BLOW     
SLASHING ATTACK    3 -  1     BASHING ATTACK     1 -  2         2  STRIKING ATTACK
PARRY-STRIKE       2 -  1     PARRY-LUNGE        1 -  5         2  WALL OF STEEL  
TOTAL PARRY        5 -  3                                       1  PARRY-LUNGE    
WALL OF STEEL      2 -  2     

                               TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE

FIGHTING STYLE   WARRIOR                     W   L  K PNTS TEAM NAME                  
AIMED BLOW       RANCID WAIF 4413           15   9  0  113 HAPLESS WAIF (515)
STRIKING ATTACK  AARNS 4622                 17  14  3  112 TEN TON TOGAS (536)
WALL OF STEEL    TAISHO 4690                24   9  1   94 YAKUZA (541)
TOTAL PARRY      MURDER-MEX 3016            15   5  0   90 LETHAL JUSTICE (375)
PARRY-LUNGE      L'ORC BLEU 4352            15  12  0   89 LA PENTARCHIE (481)
PARRY-RIPOSTE    SENSEI JAN 4676            14   7  0   71 YAKUZA (541)
SLASHING ATTACK  HELEN OF TROY 4603          5   1  0   54 SMITHSONIAN (245)
LUNGING ATTACK   HAMMURABI 4219              8   5  0   52 SMITHSONIAN (245)
Note: Warriors have a winning record and are an Adept or Above.

The overall popularity leader is MONGOOSE 2663.  The most popular warrior this turn 
was FRENZIED WAIF 4345.  The ten other most popular fighters were NIGHT BLACK 3174, 
SILKE 4662, TITILLUS 4617, RANCID WAIF 4413, HAMMURABI 4219, NUBUNAGA 4666, HUNGRY 
WAIF 4349, MOTEL DU LAC 4580, DREAM STEALER 3576, and SENSEI JAN 4676.

The least popular fighter this week was DART 4586.  The other ten least popular 
fighters were LADY MACBETH 4627, POLARIS 4547, TOBACCO ROSE 4529, MAID OF MUD 4692, 
JAGUARMAN 4532, LUKE 4566, MONGOOSE 2663, GREY FOX 2880, SHRIEK 4651, and RETRO 
ACTION 4635.

The following warriors will travel to ADVANCED DUELMASTERS after next turn:

RANCID WAIF (8-4413) HAPLESS WAIF (515)
NIGHT BLACK (8-3174) PHANTOM FORCES 2 (400)
TAISHO (8-4690) YAKUZA (541)

The following warriors have traveled to ADVANCED DUELMASTERS after fighting this turn:

CLOSED MIND (8-4429) BLACKTHORN ORCS (425)

               NEW GRADUATES--FROM ALL ARENAS (INCLUDING CLOSED ARENAS)

     For those of you who keep track of such things, 14 additional warriors graduated 
from regular DM arenas (including closed arenas) since the last tournament:

                           ABE SIMPSON (9-4453) SPRINGFIELD 
                            PB-LEAD (23-4385) ROCK-ETTS IV 
                      RATTLESNAKE SHAKE (60-4242) METAL MELTDOWN 
                            CHIP (60-4413) RESCUE RANGERS 
                           SLAKE (82-12993) WORD OF THE DAY 
                          DIS-COMBOBULATE (63-2222) DIS-TEAM 
                        RETARD (68-7501) POLITICALLYINCORRECT 
                           DARKSIDE (22-2714) LOST SOULS 1 
                      ZHARRA TYL MEDAN (40-2586) SUPERIOR FORCES 
                         SMOOGIE (82-2247) STREET PIZZAD III 
                             ARATHEA (13-3318) THE ELITE 
                          PX (82-14364) SUPERIOR FORCES 1203 
                       MIKE, POWERFUL (82-7051) MIKE THE HUNTER 
                          DIS-FUNCTIONAL (63-2223) DIS-TEAM 

                                          -- Green Eyes