DUEL 2 NEWSLETTER
Date : 04/17/2008 Duedate: 05/14/2008
ARKERS ARENA
DM-8 TURN-295
This Weeks Top Honors
THE DUELMASTER IS
UNHOLY TERROR
BLOOD RITES (585)
(8-5051) [11-7-2,125]
Chartered Recognition Leader Unchartered Recognition Leader
UNHOLY TERROR STARR OF DESTINY
BLOOD RITES (585) ROUGH RIDERS (587)
(8-5051) [11-7-2,125] (8-5088) [2-1-1,17]
Popularity Leader This Weeks Favorite
RABBIT RABBIT
THE ANIMALS (576) THE ANIMALS (576)
(8-4965) [11-10-0,62] (8-4965) [11-10-0,62]
THE CURRENT TOP TEAM
SMITHSONIAN (245)
TEAMS ON THE MOVE TOP CAREER HONORS
Team Name Point Gain Chartered Team
1. BLOOD RITES (585) 41
2. THE ANIMALS (576) 24 Z GLADIATORZ (519)
3. LEVIATHAN (556) 16 Unchartered Team
4. Z GLADIATORZ (519) 15
5. MIDDLE WAY 11 (546) 11 ROUGH RIDERS (587)
The Top Teams
Career Win-Loss Record W L K % Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns W L K
1- 1*CONSANGUINEOUS (567) 10 0 0 100 1/ 1 SMITHSONIAN (245) 9 4 0
2- 2 ORCISH IDIOMS (563) 52 21 3 71.2 2/ 2 THE ANIMALS (576) 8 7 0
3/ 3 Z GLADIATORZ (519) 116 59 0 66.3 3/ 4 Z GLADIATORZ (519) 5 0 0
4/ 4 SMITHSONIAN (245) 577 367 13 61.1 4/ 6 BLOOD RITES (585) 5 7 1
5/ 5 BLOOD RITES (585) 51 35 3 59.3 5/ 5 MIDDLE WAY 11 (546) 5 10 0
6/ 0*ROUGH RIDERS (587) 6 5 2 54.5 6/ 7 LEVIATHAN (556) 5 10 0
7/ 6 THE ANIMALS (576) 50 54 0 48.1 7- 3*CONSANGUINEOUS (567) 4 0 0
8- 7 PENUMBRAL MISTS (571) 53 61 1 46.5 8- 8 PENUMBRAL MISTS (571) 3 2 0
9/ 8 MIDDLE WAY 11 (546) 104 139 2 42.8 9- 9 ORCISH IDIOMS (563) 1 0 0
10/ 9 LEVIATHAN (556) 42 103 4 29.0 10/ 0*ROUGH RIDERS (587) 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[ The Andorian Succession #2 ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ +
Senator Sedalia stood at the ferry boat's rail and waited for the mists ahead to
clear. It was always like this when one approached the Isle of the Eye: a bit of
mist over the water when you left the mainland, and then, faster than seemed
reasonable, you were sailing through a dense fog. He had never really understood how
the ferry master kept a straight course through it--or if he did. And then, the fog
thinning to mist and fading away until--
"The Isle of the Eye," he said, waving his hand.
Beside him, Gissanniah was silent for several minutes. Finally she said, "I
hadn't expected it to be so... gray."
Sedalia blinked and looked again. He had seen the Isle before several times,
and he realized that he not really looked at it since the first time. Though the
mist had cleared, the sky overhead was cloudy. What light got through was, indeed,
gray. And Talahya, THE city on the Isle (only Free Blades in Lirin Kiv and Darkholm
in Willow Beach were located elsewhere than in Talahya), was, at best, "picturesque."
It was too crowded to be beautiful now, if it ever had been. Crowded with gladiators
who had, the senator knew, many virtues which did not include civic housekeeping.
The city was crowded, dirty, and on the waterfront run-down. Under this leaden
sky... he glanced sideways at his young companion and tried to imagine what it was
like to see Talahya for the first time in this gloomy light. Not inspiring, that
much was clear. "It's better when the sun shines," he offered.
Gissanniah shrugged. "I guess. Not that it really matters. It isn't like I'm
going to be STAYING here. We just want to talk to the king and then go home. But
what I do NOT understand is why HE stays here."
"No more do I," Sedalia said. "The business of the Isle is dueling and nothing
else. That the king should visit an arena occasionally is one thing. But to take up
residence here? The king's business is to govern the Andorian League, and every day
spent on the Isle is a day he's not doing his job. And he's been here now for...
years. I don't even know how long!" The senator's mouth set in grim lines. "Time
to remind him of his duty."
They arrived on the Isle at midday, and it took most of the rest of that time to
work their way through the layers of petty officials to the final secretary, an
elderly part-elf by the name of Arkinsutram, who was able to grant them an
appointment with King Mikel. "Tomorrow morning at eleven, and see to it that you're
on time. But no more than half an hour, mind! The king is very busy."
Sedalia bit back his first impulse, which was to ask, "busy doing what?" And
his second impulse, which was to question the king's name. "Mikel" sounded almost
right, but not quite.... Maybe he had forgotten, so long as it had been since the
king had done anything for his people. Or maybe it was this "simplified spelling"
movement that came and went. Not that it was likely to matter. If he was, indeed,
the king they were to see on the morrow, he could call himself Rumplestiltskin for
all Sedalia cared. "We will be here," he said. "We'll be early."
Senator Sedalia spent the evening visiting with other Consortium gladiators on
the Isle. And why not? They were here, they were in some degree colleagues of his,
and you could never know when a few extra votes would make the difference between
victory and defeat. Or who might have noticed some little detail that would provide
the key to handling the situation.
As it happened, it was Brujah, a newly arrived graduate who had not yet fought
on the Isle, who raised the critical question. "What about the oath, Senator?" she
asked. Seeing his raised eyebrows, she went on, "I have not fought here yet, so I
have not yet taken the oath which all MUST take before entering an arena on the Isle.
But I've heard others take it, and seen more than I heard. That oath is... binding.
Seriously binding. Everyone who takes it is pledged, by magic even more than honor,
to obey the Grey Witch in her every command. I suspect that this is how she's
controlled the whole Andorian situation so far. Anyone who takes the oath, if told
that this King Mikel is THE king of the Andorian League and that his decisions are
not to be questioned must be unable to question them. She--or anyone properly
designated by her, I would suppose--must be able even to command a Lord Protector to
attack his own manager or teammates and be obeyed. All of Alastari, through
believing her at first to have their best interests at heart, and then through not
paying attention to the details, has put this terrible weapon in the Grey Witch's
hands. How will you fight it, Senator Sedalia? You have fought here, you have taken
the oath."
The senator cleared his throat and blushed a little. "I'm a politician," he
said. "Oaths..." he snapped his fingers. "I'm not making light of your warning, I
will definitely remember it and take it into account, but it is very nearly
impossible to bind a politicial with an oath. I believe I have free action in this
matter, and I know that my companion, Gissanniah, has never fought here and so has
taken no oath."
"Such might see to your own free will," Lady Huntsman said. She was a graduate
of his own team, the Lenpros of Iaye. "But what will you do if I, or Cardinal
Arizpe, or some other is commanded to attack you?"
"I believe you underestimate the slipperyness of a politician, my lady," the
Cardinal said from across the room. "I've no doubt he would fight if we cornered
him, but that is easier said than done, eh?"
Sedalia nodded. "Just so. And the oath may not bind you all with equal
strength, or any of you quite so much as you think."
"True," Brujah conceded at once. "We won't know until it's tested. And then it
will be too late if the binding IS strong enough to compel us."
"So we will evade the need for that test for as long as may be," the senator
said.
Senator Sedalia and Gissanniah were at the White Tower early. "Better to spend
some time waiting," the senator said, "than arrive on time and find our appointment
had been preponed and we missed it."
"Prepone? Is that a word?"
"Yes. Prepone or antipone, either one, they go with postpone as the reverse
case." He dismissed that issue with a gesture. "As it is, here we are and--"
The door at the rear of the waiting room opened. The man who stood there was
completely unmemorable, a perfect bureaucratic type... except for his eyes. Dark,
and sharp as nails. He seemed surprised them, and he frowned. "Sedalia from Iaye?"
"In person," the senator said, standing. "If the king is ready to see us now,
we--"
"The king cannot see you at all," the bureaucrat said. "He is unwell and needs
his rest."
"His kingdom is unwell and needs his attention," Sedalia countered.
The man's eyes darkened further, sharpened further. No one but a politician
could have stood up to that piercing scrutiny without a twitch. "The king cannot see
you," he repeated.
"So be it, can we see him?"
"I said--"
"Just see him, to verify his presence. Proof of life," the senator said.
"There are people in the Andorian League who have begun to question his continued
survival."
"I, who am the Master of the White Tower for the Lady Sheila, say the king lives
and is here, but ill. This is enough. Who would question me?"
"Many people across the Andorian League, I should think. Come now, it would be
a simple matter to just let us take a quick look in on him. No need to disturb him,
all we need is to SEE him."
"You are impertinent. It is impossible. Leave." He stepped back into the room
behind him, of which they had no glimpse, and shut the door.
"That was a very strange encounter," Sedalia said. "Do you think--?"
"I think we should do as we were told and leave," Gissanniah said. "Without
discussion." Dropping her voice to just above a whisper, she added, "The walls may
have ears."
"Ah. Yes, silly of me not to have thought of that." He held open the outer
door for her. "It seems a shame to return to Iaye--or wherever--without more
information, but I can't see that we have any other options. Waiting around here...
I don't think that paper-pusher is going to soften and let us in, do you?"
"Not in this lifetime!" Gissanniah turned toward the ferry. Or, at least,
toward the road that would eventually take them to the ferry. "I don't like the feel
of this place, and the sooner I'm away from it, the happier I'll be."
"Quite understandable, dear lady," the senator said. He fell into step beside
her. They walked in silence for a block. Two blocks. The traffic was lighter than
it had been the day before, the district around the White Tower seeming almost
deserted. It occurred to Sedalia that this could have a sinister implication, and he
peered searchingly into every alley they passed, every mist-shrouded doorway.
"Something is wrong here," he said quietly.
Beside him, Gissanniah shivered and put her hand on the hilt of her sword.
"There's going to be an ambush," she said just as quietly. "That Master of the White
Tower does not want us taking any news to the people of the League."
+ ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ The Andorian Succession #3 ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ +
They walked down the street as though nothing bad was expected. It was hard to
do, not to peer too closely into alleys and doorways, not to draw his sword and hold
it at the ready. Not the hardest thing Sedalia had ever done, there had been--
Well, this wasn't the time to delve into the past. But not easy. It seemed to him
that the White Tower had eyes that were boring into the back of his head, also. He
wanted to turn and look, but did not. Again, not an easy thing. He huffed a laugh
at his thoughts. When had things worth doing ever been easy?
Gissanniah jabbed an elbow at him and hissed.
Sedalia nodded slightly and moved his hand, casually, as though he wasn't
thinking about it, to rest on the hilt of his sword. Without turning his head, he
cataloged all the obstacles he could see. Trash cans and indistinct debris--the mist
had thickened and might be hiding anything--an old couch with someone sleeping on it,
something that might have been ancestral to a junkyard dog, lurking in an alley and
breathing... flame? And, abruptly, half a dozen armed men.
"Dacoits," Gissanniah said. She sounded disgusted. "Either of us could handle
them alone, but why waste the time? You take the ones on the right, I'll get the
ones on the left."
"Works for me," the senator murmured. A sudden thrust, a sidestep and kick to
the knee, slash and recover. "Nothing but daggers and clubs! Pointless--"
"Then they must be meant to distract us from something worse," his companion
countered, dealing with her own dacoits as easily.
"A thrilling prospect I would be willing to forego." Sedalia wiped his sword
blade clean on the shirt of one of his opponents and squinted into the fog. "What
will it be, I wonder? Lord Protectors driven by their oath?"
Gissanniah shrugged, inspected her own sword to make sure it was clean, and
sheathed it. "It could be monsters," she said. "This whole place is rotten with
magic, so I assume getting some monsters here would be easy."
Reminded of the maybe-dog he'd seen earlier, Sedalia looked around. No sign of
it now. Or of what he had thought was a body on the discarded couch. "Wasn't there
someone on that--?"
"Maybe, I don't remember, but if there was, well, I'm not surprised he left.
Let's go down this side street. It doesn't look so obvious."
"Certainly it would be the course of decision and good sense to leave," Sedalia
said, "but I thought him dead. He looked dead."
"Appearances can be deceiving, especially in a fog like this. Directions, too."
Gissanniah hesitated, turning in place in search of landmarks at what had become an
intersection of two streets.
Sedalia motioned her to silence and pointed down one leg of the fork. Leaning
close, he murmured directly into her ear, "I think the ferry is that way, but be as
quiet as you can. I want to discover whether we're being followed."
They walked quickly for what felt like half an hour, no sound but their
footsteps disturbing the fog. No footsteps behind them. Sounds that might be the
wind, except that there was no wind. A distant, anonymous murmur of city life. A
bell tolling the hour. Somewhere ahead of them, the mournful foghorn whistle of the
ferry.
"Dagnabit. We're going to miss today's boat," Sedalia said. He was still
speaking softly, but the absence of footsteps behind them was reassuring.
"Would they even let us on it?" Gissanniah asked. "I seem to recall some kind
of security measures--guards checking people on and off."
"Blast it, you're right. I'd forgotten." Sedalia hesistated. It hadn't been
age that made him forget. No, it couldn't have been. "I've had a lot on my mind,"
he said. "I suppose we might be able to bluff-- No, of course not. If they're
looking for us, they'll have magic to help. But there are other boats on the Isle.
I've seen them. An excursion barge, I remember taking a ride on that years ago.
Fishing boats. We'll just have to--"
"I was down on the waterfront yesterday afternoon, after we talked to that
Master," Gissanniah said. "I did see a couple of boats, little ones, but they were
tied to the dock, and people were talking about some kind of monsters being active in
the lake." She paused as the narrow street they were on joined a wider one and
looked carefully both ways. Jerked back, hissing. "Guards--some kind of City Watch,
poking around into every doorway."
"They may not be looking for us. Were I the Master of the White Tower, I would
not want the situation--loyal Andorians not premitted to see the king!--made public."
"He could've lied to them about why we're to be stopped," Gissanniah argued,
looking back along their route for some alternate path. "And even if they aren't
looking for us particularly, so what? There doesn't seem to be much of anybody else
out right now, maybe us being here would be suspicious in itself."
"Just a fountain of good cheer this morning, aren't you?" Sedalia muttered.
"And guards or watchmen or whatever deemed capable of handling the populace of
Talahya--such a high proportion of lord protectors... I wouldn't want to figght them
if it could be avoided. Even if we won, there'd be delay. Publicity. Rumors." He
shuddered. "If we do meet guards, can't avoid them," the senator said, "remember
this--give me a chance to talk to them and I can tie them in knots."
Gissanniah laughed. "I believe it! Look, this alley seems like it might go
through."
"Excellent! Lead me to it!"
The two gladiators stopped in another alley, leaning on the wall and panting.
Behind them, well behind, dogs barked. But other than dogs and City Guards, there
had been no signs of life.
"This is eerie," Gissanniah muttered. "I've always heard that Talahya is packed
like fish in a tin, but we haven't seen ANYONE in the past couple of hours."
"True. Many possibilities occur to me," Sedalia said. "All the way from
'Everyone's gone to the tourney' up to 'We've been shunted into a pocket universe
without other inhabitants'. I could use some lunch," he added, "and a beer or two."
He straightened away from the wall and dusted off his suit, which was the worse for
fences climbed and alleys negotiated with more haste than care. "This is
ridiculous."
"Which part?"
"Being trapped on the Isle. We can't get anywhere near the waterfront, much
less the ferry dock. When did Talahya become a cage?"
"Maybe it's been one all along and nobody noticed."
The senator grunted skeptically. "Somebody would have noticed. This has to be
recent." He straightened his tie. "We should keep moving. We might get lucky."
"As if!" Gissanniah started to brush back her hair, then froze. "That might be
it!"
"What? Surely you don't think Debby Tonte can help us? A charming young lady,
true, but not a practical person--"
"Lirin Kiv--"
"The arena has been closed."
"Yes, I know, Free Blades is using it now. But I remember hearing that Lirin
Kiv, the town, had its own ferry. Maybe it still does. Of course, it might be
watched, too."
"It won't hurt to look. We're accomplishing nothing here," Senator Sedalia
said.
* }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ *
---===ANDORIAN REGIONAL NEWS===---
Duelmasters
-----------
DM 8 ARKERS (turn 294): LORD BYRON of SMITHSONIAN (Curator, mgr.)
DM 11 ARUAK CITY (turn 591): CHIEF SITTING BULL of BULLDOGS (Kennelworth, mgr.)
DM 14 TOBIR (turn 590): MOLYNEUX of OTAGO HIGHLANDERS (The Mun, mgr.)
DM 22 SOLVEN (turn 583): 365 GTB4 of HOT WHEELS (Apex, mgr.)
DM 24 ZORPUNT (turn 580): MITCHELL PAIGE of MEDAL OF HONOR A3 (The Anarchist, mgr.)
DM 25 LYRATILAN (turn 579): KEG STAND of BARHOPPERS (Apex, mgr.)
DM 26 CALEAM (turn 576): CAYLON MCCANN of STEEL CRUSADE (Cassius Calvata, mgr.)
DM 30 IAYE (turn 572): WINDSONG of RED DOG GANG (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 40 ZENSU (turn 542): ELDA MAINZ of BEYOND THE PALE (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 41 KATI-TEI (turn 533): RAMBLING OX of WANDERERS (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 46 ARDIVENT (turn 524): CUTTER of DEATHTONGUE (Technogeek, mgr.)
DM 52 FRATSFA (turn 242): BYRON of SITTEES (Barnabas, mgr.)
DM 63 AMEN-TEI (turn 426): ATRION of THE EXILED ONES (Darklock, mgr.)
DM 71 KYR'TERR (turn 196): AYE OF THE NEEDLE of HAZAARDS OF CLONGING (Crip, mgr.)
ADM 105 ANDORAK (turn 476): AXLY HIMSELF of GERFEL'S FRIENDS (Generalissimo Puerco)
Top Teams
---------
DM 8 ARKERS (turn 294): SMITHSONIAN (Curator, mgr.)
DM 11 ARUAK CITY (turn 591): BULLDOGS (Kennelworth, mgr.)
DM 14 TOBIR (turn 590): OTAGO HIGHLANDERS (The Mun, mgr.)
DM 22 SOLVEN (turn 583): KELLUMBO'S KIDS (Detective Kellumbo, mgr.)
DM 24 ZORPUNT (turn 580): KRILL CAVALRY (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 25 LYRATILAN (turn 579): THE MIDDLE WAY 4 (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 26 CALEAM (turn 576): ULTRA-VIOLENT (Deep Thought, mgr.)
DM 30 IAYE (turn 572): RED DOG GANG (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 40 ZENSU (turn 542): BEYOND THE PALE (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 41 KATI-TEI (turn 533): TEMPLARZ HAMMERZ (Hammer, mgr.)
DM 46 ARDIVENT (turn 524): THE BEARS II (Papa Bear, mgr.)
DM 52 FRATSFA (turn 242): FLOWER GIRLS (Lady Fern, mgr.)
DM 63 AMEN-TEI (turn 426): THE EXILED ONES (Darklock, mgr.)
DM 71 KYR'TERR (turn 196): THE ZOO (Jorja, mgr.)
ADM 105 ANDORAK (turn 476): SUPERIOR FORCES (Manager, mgr.)
Recent Graduates
----------------
DM 11 ARUAK CITY (turn 591): SLEDGE of NEVERWAKE (Doc Steeke, mgr.)
(turn 590): SELIA STORM of KRILL CAVALRY (Jorja, mgr.)
SAFFRON SKUNK of ANIMAL FARM (Mino, mgr.)
DM 14 TOBIR (turn 590): ABBOTT of OTAGO HIGHLANDERS (The Mun, mgr.)
DM 24 ZORPUNT (turn 580): MITCHELL PAIGE of MEDAL OF HONOR A3 (The Anarchist, mgr.)
DM 26 CALEAM (turn 576): UP-CHUCKY of STEEL CRUSADE (Cassius Calvata, mgr.)
DM 24 ZORPUNT (turn 578): MANUEL PEREZ of MEDAL OF HONOR A3 (The Anarchist, mgr.)
DM 30 IAYE (turn 571): DON FRANCIS of LENPROS (Lenpro, mgr.)
JACK STRAW of THE WARLOCKS (Malaquar, mgr.)
DM 46 ARDIVENT (turn 524): CADDO SCOT of BLUVALLEY WARRIORS (Jorja, mgr.)
(turn 523): NIVIX of INFERNAL LORDS (DeGotti, mgr.)
DM 52 FRATSFA (turn 242): PAS DE QUARTIER of BLOOD AND GUTS! (Le Pentarque, mgr.)
DM 71 KYR'TERR (turn 196): I OF THE KNEE DOLL of HAZAARDS OF CLONGING (Crip, mgr.)
DUELMASTER'S COLUMN
Notes from the arena champ.
There are no losers, only non-competitors. There are no defeated, only
quitters. There are no worthless, only lazy men....
These are the truths that drive me. May they long be held in your heart.
Lord Byron
SPY REPORT
Good day, in ARKERS a quiet thief gets rich, but a quiet spymaster gets poor.
So bring me ale and harken to my tidbits of news. Now keep the taverns open late
tonight, for there are sorrows to drown for CONSANGUINEOUS, whose 0-0-0 this turn
dropped them by 4 into 7th. And let's see, WAR BOND fought MARSHMALLOW and gained 16
points and contributed to SMITHSONIAN's 3-2-0. CRIMSON MIST has lost to ZIP, falling
10 points, while helping make BLOOD RITES a 2-2-1 turn. Somebody's not going to like
this, (then again, somebody will), but our Duelmaster, LORD BYRON, has died, and
UNHOLY TERROR has killed him. By the way, was that our Duelmaster that I saw last
night, cramped under the table at The Dripping Blade?
He who challenges well, fights well. He who avoids without cause, shall lose
for good reasons. My mama told me that one. I also notice that the PENUMBRAL MISTS
stable was the most avoided team this turn. Come on ARKERS, what are you afraid of?
And guess who avoided PENUMBRAL MISTS stable the most? Believe it or not, it was
SMITHSONIAN. Anyone surprised? Well, sports fans, take notice that CRIMSON MIST
from BLOOD RITES was ARKERS' most challenged warrior this turn.
The Dark Arena is for those who cannot win, not who cannot lose with grace.
Dignity in life or death is the warrior's creed. A brave warrior does not carry a
red shield, he has nothing to cover or hide when the fight is over. Consider well.
Thought for the day, a new sword shines bright, but the notched sword sings the
sweetest. It's been nice chatting with you, until we meet again, keep your swords
sharp and your hammers heavy. Until the sun next rises and my pen sets to paper--
Alarond the Scribe
DUELMASTER W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
UNHOLY TERROR 5051 11 7 2 125 BLOOD RITES (585)
CHALLENGER CHAMPIONS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
ZIP 4383 15 10 0 106 Z GLADIATORZ (519)
-ME CHEAT U LOSE 4854 10 4 0 101 ORCISH IDIOMS (563)
-NYTHIA 4923 14 9 0 99 PENUMBRAL MISTS (571)
-KIK BAKET OW TOE 4852 9 4 0 99 ORCISH IDIOMS (563)
HAMMURABI 4219 21 15 0 96 SMITHSONIAN (245)
IMBER LACK 4748 19 28 0 92 MIDDLE WAY 11 (546)
-ZINGER 4890 19 6 0 91 Z GLADIATORZ (519)
CHAMPIONS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
-ROCK GLAS HUT FUN 4851 13 5 3 87 ORCISH IDIOMS (563)
FEORDIS INK 4746 18 32 0 86 MIDDLE WAY 11 (546)
CRIMSON MIST 5047 12 6 1 83 BLOOD RITES (585)
BULL FROG 5022 11 6 0 79 THE ANIMALS (576)
PEARL HARBOR 5076 9 4 0 78 SMITHSONIAN (245)
AERYN SUN 4811 15 19 0 70 LEVIATHAN (556)
CHALLENGER ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
-GOT CAT'S TONGUE 4855 11 5 0 64 ORCISH IDIOMS (563)
-MORNGRYM 4926 10 13 0 64 PENUMBRAL MISTS (571)
-ZERO 4658 6 1 0 63 Z GLADIATORZ (519)
RABBIT 4965 11 10 0 62 THE ANIMALS (576)
MORG POTTS 4868 14 16 0 58 MIDDLE WAY 11 (546)
ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
-ZENITH 5082 5 2 0 55 Z GLADIATORZ (519)
SANTA MARIA 5092 3 3 0 53 SMITHSONIAN (245)
MEERKAT 4963 11 9 0 52 THE ANIMALS (576)
-ZILCH 5081 5 0 0 52 Z GLADIATORZ (519)
MARSHMALLOW 4878 9 21 3 51 LEVIATHAN (556)
-ONIROMANCER 5023 7 9 0 51 PENUMBRAL MISTS (571)
-CONUNDRUM 4892 4 0 0 48 CONSANGUINEOUS (567)
WAR BOND 5066 10 4 0 47 SMITHSONIAN (245)
BLOOD STAIN 5049 12 6 0 44 BLOOD RITES (585)
-FAT CAT YUMMY 4863 9 3 0 44 ORCISH IDIOMS (563)
ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
BOILING BLOOD 5093 7 3 0 43 BLOOD RITES (585)
-CONSTERNATION 4896 3 0 0 36 CONSANGUINEOUS (567)
CHALLENGER INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
KERBIN NOTTS 5040 7 12 0 33 MIDDLE WAY 11 (546)
-MACHIAVELLA 5085 5 3 0 33 PENUMBRAL MISTS (571)
AROURA 4928 4 19 1 32 LEVIATHAN (556)
INDIOR LANDIS 5058 7 10 0 31 MIDDLE WAY 11 (546)
-CONFIDENCE 4894 2 0 0 31 CONSANGUINEOUS (567)
ALLEY CAT 5021 4 13 0 25 THE ANIMALS (576)
SAM 5101 3 2 0 24 LEVIATHAN (556)
INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
-MALBORGIA V 5084 5 3 0 18 PENUMBRAL MISTS (571)
STARR OF DESTINY 5088 2 1 1 17 ROUGH RIDERS (587)
ROCA THE BLAZE 5086 2 1 1 13 ROUGH RIDERS (587)
SIR MARTIN 5083 2 7 0 13 LEVIATHAN (556)
GORRILLA 5099 3 3 0 12 THE ANIMALS (576)
-EBARK THE ROUGH 5089 1 1 0 9 ROUGH RIDERS (587)
-CONFESSION 4895 1 0 0 9 CONSANGUINEOUS (567)
-TOGA THE RAGER 5087 1 1 0 4 ROUGH RIDERS (587)
-GHREMSH THE JUST 5090 0 1 0 1 ROUGH RIDERS (587)
'-' denotes a warrior who did not fight this turn.
THE DEAD W L K TEAM NAME SLAIN BY TURN Revenge?
LORD BYRON 4935 14 5 0 SMITHSONIAN 245 UNHOLY TERROR 5051 295
PERSONAL ADS
Crimson Mist -- You got your wish. You know what they say--be careful what you wish
for.... -- Lord Byron
Oniromancer -- You made a fine case for avoiding your contribution, you toughie! --
War Bond
Morg Potts -- That felt a little better. It did. -- Hammurabi
Mourngrym -- That was me at my very best. You like? (wink) -- Pearl Harbor
Imber Lack -- Sometimes a gal enjoys having her button pushed, you know? (wink) --
Pearl Harbor
All -- May the Spring Mailer treat you well. -- Curator
Boiling Blood -- I suspect that mine boiled higher! -- Zenith
Feordis Ink -- And a zippety yay day to you. -- Zip
Zowee!! The Z Gladiatorz are zooming! -- The Z Man
Morg Potts -- No. -- Aeryn Sun
Zip -- Ahhhh, zapped again. -- Feordis Ink
Unholy Terror -- Does this imply that I should get somebody holy to tackle you? --
Imber Lack
Hammurabi -- Surely THIS wasn't on the tablet of the law? -- Morg Potts
Aeryn Sun -- For one of your beauty, madam, I could do no less. -- Indior Landis
P.S. Would that I could have done a bit more....
Meerkat -- Euwh! Take it away! Little furry clawed things give me the creeps! --
Kerbin Notts
Zenith -- I think it's adding Ossa to Pelion when the peak recedes deliberately. --
Morg Potts
Zip -- Some ink spots serve a useful purpose, for instance, when they appear to add
an extra zero to a paycheck. -- Feordis Ink
LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS
ZIP devastated CRIMSON MIST in a 1 minute mismatched Challenge fight.
HAMMURABI vanquished FEORDIS INK in a 1 minute brutal uneven Challenge battle.
BLOOD STAIN was savagely defeated by RABBIT in a 3 minute Challenge duel.
BOILING BLOOD overpowered INDIOR LANDIS in a 2 minute one-sided Challenge fight.
LORD BYRON was butchered by UNHOLY TERROR in a 1 minute uneven Title brawl.
PEARL HARBOR was defeated by IMBER LACK in a 2 minute struggle.
AERYN SUN beat MORG POTTS in a 4 minute gory master's brawl.
BULL FROG viciously subdued VETERAN MERCENARY in a 2 minute gruesome melee.
MARSHMALLOW was viciously subdued by WAR BOND in a 3 minute gory duel.
SANTA MARIA vanquished ALLEY CAT in a 1 minute gory one-sided duel.
MEERKAT beat AROURA in a 2 minute melee.
KERBIN NOTTS narrowly defeated SIR MARTIN in a 3 minute fight.
GORRILLA was luckily beaten by STARR OF DESTINY in a 3 minute match.
ROCA THE BLAZE was bested by SAM in a 6 minute amateur's conflict.
BATTLE REPORT
MOST POPULAR RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS
|FIGHTING STYLE FIGHTS FIGHTING STYLE W - L - K PERCENT|
|SLASHING ATTACK 5 AIMED BLOW 26 - 16 - 0 62 |
|BASHING ATTACK 5 BASHING ATTACK 35 - 27 - 2 56 |
|TOTAL PARRY 4 LUNGING ATTACK 19 - 15 - 0 56 |
|AIMED BLOW 3 WALL OF STEEL 18 - 15 - 0 55 |
|PARRY-RIPOSTE 3 PARRY-LUNGE 1 - 1 - 0 50 |
|PARRY-STRIKE 2 PARRY-RIPOSTE 16 - 17 - 0 48 |
|LUNGING ATTACK 2 TOTAL PARRY 31 - 34 - 0 48 |
|WALL OF STEEL 2 PARRY-STRIKE 7 - 8 - 1 47 |
|STRIKING ATTACK 1 SLASHING ATTACK 28 - 32 - 1 47 |
|PARRY-LUNGE 0 STRIKING ATTACK 5 - 10 - 0 33 |
Turn 295 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:
PARRY-STRIKE 2 - 0 BASHING ATTACK 2 - 3 3 BASHING ATTACK
LUNGING ATTACK 2 - 0 PARRY-RIPOSTE 1 - 2 2 AIMED BLOW
AIMED BLOW 2 - 1 TOTAL PARRY 1 - 3 2 LUNGING ATTACK
SLASHING ATTACK 3 - 2 PARRY-LUNGE 0 - 0 2 TOTAL PARRY
WALL OF STEEL 1 - 1 STRIKING ATTACK 0 - 1 1 STRIKING ATTACK
1 SLASHING ATTACK
TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE
FIGHTING STYLE WARRIOR W L K PNTS TEAM NAME
BASHING ATTACK UNHOLY TERROR 5051 11 7 2 125 BLOOD RITES (585)
LUNGING ATTACK HAMMURABI 4219 21 15 0 96 SMITHSONIAN (245)
AIMED BLOW CRIMSON MIST 5047 12 6 1 83 BLOOD RITES (585)
SLASHING ATTACK BULL FROG 5022 11 6 0 79 THE ANIMALS (576)
WALL OF STEEL PEARL HARBOR 5076 9 4 0 78 SMITHSONIAN (245)
TOTAL PARRY BLOOD STAIN 5049 12 6 0 44 BLOOD RITES (585)
FIGHTING STYLE WARRIOR W L K PNTS TEAM NAME
Note: Warriors have a winning record and are an Adept or Above.
The overall popularity leader is RABBIT 4965. The most popular warrior this turn was
RABBIT 4965. The ten other most popular fighters were IMBER LACK 4748, WAR BOND
5066, KERBIN NOTTS 5040, AERYN SUN 4811, MARSHMALLOW 4878, GORRILLA 5099, HAMMURABI
4219, BOILING BLOOD 5093, MORG POTTS 4868, and BULL FROG 5022.
The least popular fighter this week was SAM 5101. The other ten least popular
fighters were ROCA THE BLAZE 5086, ALLEY CAT 5021, LORD BYRON 4935, INDIOR LANDIS
5058, BLOOD STAIN 5049, FEORDIS INK 4746, STARR OF DESTINY 5088, AROURA 4928, UNHOLY
TERROR 5051, and CRIMSON MIST 5047.
THE STOMPING GROUNDS
The new all-basher arena will be in Seam, DM 20. Only new teams (0FE) may
participate. The only rule is that all of your warriors must be bashers.
The first turn of the contest will be due on Monday, April 28. It will be a slow
turn-around arena. If you wish to enter a team, please submit your new team and first
turn strategies before then. Only one team per manager, please.
This arena will stay open indefinitely, providing there is interest (i.e., this is not
a contest that runs a set number of turns, although there are prizes scheduled after
the first 15 rounds). For more information, see details in the first newsletter or on
the forums.
-- RSI
Zeb Karan looked around the table at the rest of Dwes Eg's staff. Arenamasters,
standby and Dark Arena warriors, stewards and infirmarians, even the maintenance crew.
There was wine and beer on the side-table, even sandwiches, but no one was partaking.
"Stop looking like your dog died," Lew Voth said. He had once been the
arenamaster of Sentern and had taken his turns overseeing the fights in Dwes Eg. "We
all knew this day would come. When are they closing us down?"
"Immediately after the tourney, according to the information I was given."
"Short notice," Jame Rinvar, another arenamaster commented.
"No offense intended, these things just creep up on people. Tourneys make it
worse, I suppose, all the new teams being entered." Zeb grimaced. "Some of the file
cabinets have exploded from over-stuffing, you know, and it takes so long to run
through all the registered gladiators to find those who are planning to fight on any
given day that the day is OVER by the time we're ready to start."
"Which is why they closed down Sentern, Cimmeriac, and Firehold," Lew pointed
out. "This is the same thing all over again."
"Cycles," Jame said. "Things happen, and then later they happen again. We live
with it. And Dwes Eg did last for, what, eight and a half years before it reached the
explosion point. That isn't bad. That's forever, speaking practically."
"Eight or nine years is not forever--"
"The only thing that's real is today, and maybe, up to a point, tomorrow. I
don't see a problem with this. What are the new parameters, Zeb?"
"Dwes Eg remains open, existing teams can run and can recruit new members. BUT,
no new teams will be accepted. New teams will go into a new arena, DM 84, running its
first turn on the seventh of May. A regular two-week cycle."
"So Dwes Eg isn't actually being closed, just closed to new teams. Okay. This
works," Jame said again. "Number 84... does this mean it'll be out at that Blackstone
place? Rotten weather half the year, but I suppose you could say that about any site.
What about regional allegiance?"
"None specified in the data I received. Probably a personal-choice situation,"
Zeb said.
"Transfers?" Lew asked.
"I don't know about transfers IN," Zeb said, "but I'd guess yes, they would be
allowed. No transfers OUT, though. None out of DM 82, for that matter. Once you're
in 82 or 84, the only way out is death or graduation."
"That fairly describes most arenas," Jame said. "Anyone who takes up the
gladiatorial life has already accepted that."