DUELMASTERS NEWSLETTER

Date   : 11/04/2003    Duedate: 11/17/2003

ZUKAL ARENA

DM-9    TURN-478

This Weeks Top Honors

THE DUELMASTER IS

SCHIZOPHRENIC
DSM4 (239)
(9-4595) [14-7-0,110]

Chartered Recognition Leader   Unchartered Recognition Leader

SCHIZOPHRENIC                  POSITION IS EMPTY
DSM4 (239)                     
(9-4595) [14-7-0,110]          

Popularity Leader              This Weeks Favorite

GWEN RYDER                     BLUE GOOSE
DREAM PARK (447)               BLUE MOON (381)
(9-4867) [16-4-0,93]           (9-4937) [15-12-0,72]

THE CURRENT TOP TEAM

BLUE MOON (381)

          TEAMS ON THE MOVE            TOP CAREER HONORS
Team Name                  Point Gain  Chartered Team
1. DREAM PARK (447)            22
2. DSM4 (239)                  18      DSM4 (239)
3. CLAN O' WHOOPAS (457)        0      Unchartered Team
4. LETTER BOMBS (436)           0
5. FIRST STRIKE (453)           0      PAUL'Z PARTS (277)

The Top Teams

Career Win-Loss Record           W   L  K    %  Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns    W  L K
 1- 1*FIRST STRIKE (453)         1   0  0  100   1/ 1 BLUE MOON (381)           9  6 0
 2- 2 SUPERIOR SPLASHES (410)   11   4  0 73.3   2/ 3 DREAM PARK (447)          5 10 0
 3/ 0 DSM4 (239)               345 273 23 55.8   3- 2*CLAN O' WHOOPAS (457)     3  6 0
 4/ 3 DREAM PARK (447)          28  26  0 51.9   4/ 0 DSM4 (239)                2  0 0
 5- 4*CLAN O' WHOOPAS (457)     17  16  1 51.5   5- 4*FIRST STRIKE (453)        1  0 0
 6- 5 LETTER BOMBS (436)        59  66  2 47.2   6- 5 SUPERIOR SPLASHES (410)   1  1 0
 7/ 6 BLUE MOON (381)          282 396  9 41.6   7- 6 LETTER BOMBS (436)        1  5 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[(< + -----:----- + >)] The Free Cities #71 [(< + -----:----- + >)]H[(<

Riztab:

     "There was something out there," Tillouisa whispered, squinting into the moonlit
distance.  "I SAW it moving across the water."
     "Somebody night-fishing in a rowboat," Song of Summer said in a normal voice.
"Everything isn't monsters, Til."
     "Ha!  That just shows how much YOU know."  Tillouisa abandoned her whisper and
scowled at her teammate triumphantly.  "I've SEEN monsters, Summer.  I know what I'm
talking about.  There are ALWAYS monsters around water--"
     "In the Shagornan Desert, maybe, but--"
     "Everywhere!  Water's tricky, Summer.  You can't TRUST it," the Rirorni woman
stated positively.
     Before Song of Summer could reply to that, a cry floated to them from the dark
lake.  Not a human cry, nor the call of any nightbird that either woman had heard
before.  There was a little of the wolf howling in it, but what wolf would be in the
middle of miles of water?  And even the howl of a wolf did not chill the blood quite
so effectively.
     After a moment, Song of Summer swallowed twice and said, "It might not be a
monster even so."  She didn't sound like she believed that.  "It might be...just some
strange creature out there."
     There was another cry from the lake, this time all too human, shrill with terror
and despair.  Splashes accompanied it.
     "I guess there was a night-fisherman out there, after all," Tillouisa noted.
     "You don't have to sound so cheerful about it!  That poor man probably died
horribly."
     "He would've heard the rumors of monsters same as we did," Tillouisa said,
shrugging.  "If he chose to risk the lake anyway, well, what did he expect?"  She
turned away from the waterfront.
     "I don't suppose there's anything we could do to help him?"
     "I don't suppose so.  He's probably dead by now.  Come on."  Tillouisa grabbed
her teammate's arm and started towing her back up the sloping street.
     "Where are we going?"
     "Around this block of buildings.  They're all collapsed, and we couldn't get
through them.  I want to check out the old records building now while the monster's
out on the lake."
     "Til!  You're INSANE!  We don't know there's only ONE monster."
     "We can find out, then."

Malcorn:

     "It looks like somebody laid a plate, or a shield, or, I dunno, a cartwheel or
something on the field," Blacklock said doubtfully.
     "If plates, shields, or cartwheels came twenty feet across, yes, it surely
does," Birdsong agreed.
     Blacklock moved to study the circle of flattened grain--which was to have been
cut today--from another angle.  Not that there was anything different to see.
Perfectly circular, perfectly flat.  "It'd be hard to cut grain that's been trampled
down like that, wouldn't it?"
     "Yeah, really hard--like impossible, and that's a lot of grain.  It isn't like
we've got so much to spare, you know."  Birdsong knelt and touched the smashed
stalks, drawing her hand back quickly.  "They're frozen!"
     "A twenty-foot cartwheel of ice?" Blacklock speculated doubtfully.  "Well,
anyway, it's too bad, but it happened.  What caused it, and what do we do about it?"
     "I don't know to both, but I think..." Birdsong stood and frowned at the ruined
grain.  "I think we tell Lord Malcorn."
     "Oh, SH-- uh, shoot!  You think he's been dabbling in magic and did this?"
     "Of course not!  Lord Malcorn isn't careless or destructive," Birdsong stated
positively.  "But he'll know what to do."
                       ***     *****     ***     *****     ***
     Lord Malcorn, Blackie in more informal situations, was staring at another circle
of smashed crops.  Hay, this time, and a couple of rabbits who had been so unlucky as
to be inside the circle when disaster fell.  He knew, in a general sense, what had
caused it--when he had loosed the Dregur from the Silent Place, other things had
escaped also.  From the Silent Place, and from other restraints elsewhere.  He didn't
know exactly which "other things" had caused this, but he was sure that the ultimate
blame attached to him.  That was the trouble with taking drastic measures to counter
drastic problems.  You never knew what secondary effects might occur.  Or what kind
of measures would be required to deal with the secondary problems, and what tertiary
problems might arise from THAT.  He could spend the rest of his life cleaning up
after the results of releasing the Dregur....  But then, he could have spent the rest
of his life cleaning up after the invaders, too.
     He sighed and turned to the farmer.  "Keep your livestock and your workers out
of the fields," he directed.  "There may be more of these, and it will require a
complicated bit of work to put a stop to it."

Warriors and managers of the Free Cities, your participation in these events is
invited.  An email to Livia@reality.com or a personal is all it takes. -- the Scribe

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

                        ---===FREE BLADES REGIONAL NEWS===---

                                     Duelmasters
                                     -----------
 DM   9 ZUKAL (turn 477): GWEN RYDER of DREAM PARK (Zalgor Prigg, mgr.)
 DM  12 RIZTAB (turn 475): CUNNING CALICO of ARENA FELINES (Garfield, mgr.)
 DM  15 MALCORN (turn 471): MAN O' WAR of TRIPLE CROWN (Sultan, mgr.)
 DM  16 WILLAF (turn 471): PERSIFLAGE of SHROUD IN MYSTERY (Noachian, mgr.)
 DM  17 ALJAFIR (turn 469): ASH of DELTA DOOM (Barnabas, mgr.)
 DM  19 ZUWAYZA (turn 468): ADARA AL ZAHRA of JAGUAR WARRIORS (Noachian, mgr.)
 DM  28 MORYA (turn 234): TERRIBLE TOTOMAC of IDIOTIC ICCERS (THawk, mgr.)
 DM  29 LAPUR (turn 460): BUZZARD of THE TAKEN (Stillgard, mgr.)
 DM  31 CHIMLEVTAL (turn 232): GAELIN BLACKTALON of THE NIGHTHAWKS (Firehawk, mgr.)
 DM  32 ARVAT (turn 457): STARBREAKER of CALL THE PRIEST (Destitute Noble, mgr.)
 DM  33 NIATOLI ISLAND (turn 455): WILD CARD HAMMER of CASINO HAMMERZ (Hammer, mgr.)
 DM  35 MURSKA (turn 448): KING BEAR of THE BEARS (Papa Bear, mgr.)
 DM  43 VEASTIAN (turn 411): HEMERA AHKISAR of TERMAGANT VOTARY (Noachian, mgr.)
 DM  45 STORMCROWE (turn 209): BINGE N PURGE of EMETICS (Berylstar, mgr.)
 DM  47 NORTH FORK (turn 203): JUMBO MUMBO of SPOONERTIKS (Spawn, mgr.)
 DM  50 SNOWBOUND (turn 190): MAEGOLOS of DARK SIDHE (Daehir, mgr.)
 DM  56 ROCANIS (turn 336): ROYCE GRACIE of SADISTS-OCTAGON (SunGod, mgr.)
 DM  61 JURINE (turn 316): ALPHABETIZED AL of PISSED AT WORK (Nuln, mgr.)
 DM  73 ERINIKA (turn 139): MONGOL HORDE of WORLDWIDE GORE (Crip, mgr.)
ADM 103 FREE BLADES (turn 361): NEMESIS of CHAMPIONS from JHELUM (Shadowgate, mgr.)

                                      Top Teams
                                      ---------
 DM   9 ZUKAL (turn 477): BLUE MOON (Jorja, mgr.)
 DM  12 RIZTAB (turn 475): ARENA FELINES (Garfield, mgr.)
 DM  15 MALCORN (turn 471): none
 DM  16 WILLAF (turn 471): BLACKHEART'S AXE (?, mgr.)
 DM  17 ALJAFIR (turn 469): SPECIAL ED (PTFT, mgr.)
 DM  19 ZUWAYZA (turn 468): NATURE'S WRATH (?, mgr.)
 DM  28 MORYA (turn 234): KESSEN (Iker, mgr.)
 DM  29 LAPUR (turn 460): CROC FILES (THawk, mgr.)
 DM  31 CHIMLEVTAL (turn 232): WORDS TO THE WISE (Wordsmith, mgr.)
 DM  32 ARVAT (turn 457): DEVIL ADVOCATES (Dark One, mgr.)
 DM  33 NIATOLI ISLAND (turn 455): CASINO HAMMERZ (Hammer, mgr.)
 DM  35 MURSKA (turn 448): THE BEARS (Papa Bear, mgr.)
 DM  43 VEASTIAN (turn 411): MEDS (Berylstar, mgr.)
 DM  45 STORMCROWE (turn 209): MIKES MORGUE (Mike, mgr.)
 DM  47 NORTH FORK (turn 203): SPOONERTIKS (Spawn, mgr.)
 DM  50 SNOWBOUND (turn 190): MIDDLE WAY 6 (Jorja, mgr.)
 DM  56 ROCANIS (turn 336): REDHORSE (Mila, mgr.)
 DM  61 JURINE (turn 316): FAVORITE GUYS (Jorja, mgr.)
 DM  73 ERINIKA (turn 139): DHOOMZDEY (Fizban, mgr.)
ADM 103 FREE BLADES (turn 361): MEOW MIX, etc. (Ultraist, mgr.)

                                   Recent Graduates
                                  -----------------
 DM  12 RIZTAB (turn 474): MIKE BELIEVE of POWERPUFF GIRLS (The Narrator, mgr.)
                           EQUALIZER of THE LAWMEN (?, mgr.)
 DM  17 ALJAFIR (turn 469): INBRED FRED of SPECIAL ED (PTFT, mgr.)
 DM  28 MORYA (turn 233): LUCKY LUCIEN of CANADIAN BACON (Firehawk, mgr.)
                          POLARIS of ASTRONOMY DOMINE (Razorback, mgr.)
                          RAPAX of THE PENTARCHY (The Pentalque, mgr.)
 DM  31 CHIMLEVTAL (turn 231): DELWYNNDWN of THE NIGHTHAWKS (Firehawk, mgr.)
                               GILGAMESH of THE STORMBRINGERS (High Lord Bosk, mgr.)
 DM  43 VEASTIAN (turn 411): HEMERA AHKISAR of TERMAGANT VOTARY (Noachian, mgr.)
                 (turn 410): SUNGOD DESIGNED ME of WENSINWASIN (Youngblood, mgr.)
 DM  45 STORMCROWE (turn 208): IPECAC of EMETICS (Berylstar, mgr.)
 DM  47 NORTH FORK (turn 203): JUMBO MUMBO of SPOONERTIKS (Spawn, mgr.)
                   (turn 202): THREEKARD of CARNIVAL (Carny, mgr.)
 DM  50 SNOWBOUND (turn 189): MR. HOOPER of OPEN SESAME (Crip, mgr.)
 DM  56 ROCANIS (turn 335): DUMPLING of BAD APPLES (Uncle Wolf, mgr.)
 DM  73 ERINIKA (turn 139): SUNGLASSES of FOUND IN THE SAND (Assurnasirbanipal, mgr.)
                (turn 138): I.O.U. of ALPHABET SOUP (Crip, mgr.)

                                      SPY REPORT

     If you were disturbed from your beauty rest only to have to watch a bunch of 
ZUKAL brutes like you, you'd be grouchy, too.  Of course, we're all terribly 
impressed to see ACACIA GARCIA win a fight and gain 12 points, terribly.  Tsk, tsk, 
ACACIA GARCIA beat BLUE RUIN and BLUE RUIN lost 11 points.  You're breakin' my heart. 
And it's out with the old, in with the new, as SCHIZOPHRENIC takes the Title and last 
week's bar tab from the old Duelmaster.  Heh, heh.  I'm not in a very good mood 
today, but why am I telling you this?  You want to know what's new, don't you, ZUKAL? 
     He who fights and runs away will live to fight another day, the coward.  LETTER 
BOMBS, 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 it looks like DREAM PARK avoided them the 
most this turn.  What a pack of would be losers, if you ask me.  Hmph.  BLUE GOOSE 
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 ALEX GRIFFIN of DREAM PARK 
for challenging up by 21 to BLUE GOOSE.  ALEX GRIFFIN lost to get 41 points of 
recognition.   
     Some people like volunteer work in the hospitals.  I volunteer for ZUKAL's 
morgue.  More variety.  Honor is like a chainmail shirt, it only shines through use.  
Certain nameless cowards will doubtless rebuke me on this one.   
     There's got to be a better place in ZUKAL to get a drink than The Blue Boar Inn! 
Any suggestions?  Just wait 'till next time I show up here, I won't be so nice!  So 
nyaaah!  Glad to see the back of this place-- Snide Clemens  

DUELMASTER                     W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 SCHIZOPHRENIC 4595           14   7  0   110       DSM4 (239)

CHALLENGER CHAMPIONS           W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 GWEN RYDER 4867              16   4  0    93       DREAM PARK (447)

CHAMPIONS                      W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
-E. VICTOR 4864               13  10  0    83       LETTER BOMBS (436)

ADEPTS                         W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 BLUE GOOSE 4937              15  12  0    72       BLUE MOON (381)

CHALLENGER ADEPTS              W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 INSOMNIAC 4870                6   1  0    60       DSM4 (239)

ADEPTS                         W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
-RAVEN CLIFF 4488              7   2  0    47       SUPERIOR SPLASHES (410)
 ALEX GRIFFIN 4856             6   7  0    41       DREAM PARK (447)
-SLASH LARUE 4993              4   2  0    40       CLAN O' WHOOPAS (457)

CHALLENGER INITIATES           W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
-TITO THE GUIDO 4992           5   2  0    33       CLAN O' WHOOPAS (457)
 BISBEE 5002                   4   3  0    33       BLUE MOON (381)
 BLUE MONDAY 4968              7   7  0    31       BLUE MOON (381)
 ACACIA GARCIA 4862            4   4  0    28       DREAM PARK (447)
-CLEOPATRA SCHWARTZ 4990       4   3  1    26       CLAN O' WHOOPAS (457)

INITIATES                      W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
-STONEWALL JACKSON 4991        4   3  0    16       CLAN O' WHOOPAS (457)
 CHESTER HENDERSON 4868        2   1  0    15       DREAM PARK (447)
-STRIKE 3 4943                 1   0  0    11       FIRST STRIKE (453)
-B. TRAYOR 5019                1   1  0     9       LETTER BOMBS (436)
 BLUE RUIN 5023                2   1  0     7       BLUE MOON (381)
 MORENCI 5003                  0   7  0     7       BLUE MOON (381)
-T. ZER 5011                   0   2  0     2       LETTER BOMBS (436)
-GREEN MACHINE 5027            0   1  0     1       CLAN O' WHOOPAS (457)

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

THE DEAD               W  L K TEAM NAME             SLAIN BY             TURN Revenge?
PERSIS 5020            1  1 0 BLUE MOON 381         CLEOPATRA SCHWAR 4990 475 REVENGED
SHIFT DOWN 1 5028      0  1 0 DREAM PARK 447        BANDIT PRINCE 628     478 NONE    

                                     PERSONAL ADS

Acacia Garcia -- Graceful and delightfully blonde, but I find you rather thorny. --
Bisbee

B. Trayor -- You DID!  You did it to ME!  I thought for SURE I'd get a win that time,
and you just TOOK it. -- Morenci

Raven Cliff -- Always remember to use sunblock when sitting on the cliff above the
water.  You know how much reflection you can get! -- Blue Goose

Stonewall Jackson -- Whew!  Glad I won that.  I hate beating my head against a stone
wall. -- Blue Monday

T. Zer -- Enough of me and you won't be teasing anybody. -- Blue Ruin

I wouldn't mind dying a thousand deaths if I could be SURE of coming back nine
hundred ninety-nine times.  And sure that one thousand is the exact number, and so
on. -- Morenci

J. Thunder -- You never know.  One of the things that keeps people coming back to
this game is the element of chance.  And very, very few managers start as stars.
Hang in there, and ask if you need advice.  Everyone likes to give advice! -- Jorja,
Blue Moon

31 October 2003
     Come one, come all, to the greatest contest in Alastari!  The Third Annual Turf
War will be in North Fork (DM 47) starting in about 6-7 turns....  C'mon and get your

team some experience, and get declared!
     More info available in North Fork's newsletter.
     Bloody Sands. -- Asmo Dius, TCB

                                  LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS

SHIFT DOWN 1 was butchered by BANDIT PRINCE in a 1 minute Dark Arena fight.
ALEX GRIFFIN was devastated by BLUE GOOSE in a 1 minute one-sided Challenge duel.
CHESTER HENDERSON demolished MORENCI in a 1 minute uneven Challenge fight.
GWEN RYDER was bested by SCHIZOPHRENIC in a popular 1 minute veteran's Title contest.
BLUE MONDAY was demolished by INSOMNIAC in a 1 minute mismatched competition.
BISBEE was vanquished by DANGEROUS CRIMINAL in a 1 minute mismatched fight.
ACACIA GARCIA overpowered BLUE RUIN in a 1 minute mismatched brawl.

                                    BATTLE REPORT

             MOST POPULAR                        RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS     
|FIGHTING STYLE               FIGHTS        FIGHTING STYLE     W -   L -  K   PERCENT|
|WALL OF STEEL                    4         AIMED BLOW         3 -   2 -  0      60  |
|BASHING ATTACK                   3         PARRY-LUNGE        4 -   3 -  1      57  |
|STRIKING ATTACK                  2         WALL OF STEEL     22 -  17 -  0      56  |
|PARRY-LUNGE                      1         TOTAL PARRY        6 -   5 -  0      55  |
|PARRY-STRIKE                     1         STRIKING ATTACK    9 -   8 -  1      53  |
|LUNGING ATTACK                   1         PARRY-STRIKE       2 -   2 -  0      50  |
|AIMED BLOW                       0         SLASHING ATTACK    4 -   4 -  0      50  |
|PARRY-RIPOSTE                    0         LUNGING ATTACK    10 -  12 -  1      45  |
|SLASHING ATTACK                  0         BASHING ATTACK     9 -  15 -  0      38  |
|TOTAL PARRY                      0         PARRY-RIPOSTE      0 -   3 -  0       0  |

Turn 478 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-LUNGE        1 -  0     WALL OF STEEL      1 -  3         3  LUNGING ATTACK 
PARRY-STRIKE       1 -  0     AIMED BLOW         0 -  0         3  WALL OF STEEL  
LUNGING ATTACK     1 -  0     PARRY-RIPOSTE      0 -  0         2  STRIKING ATTACK
STRIKING ATTACK    1 -  1     SLASHING ATTACK    0 -  0         2  BASHING ATTACK 
                              BASHING ATTACK     0 -  3         1  SLASHING ATTACK
                              TOTAL PARRY        0 -  0     

                               TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE

FIGHTING STYLE   WARRIOR                     W   L  K PNTS TEAM NAME                  
LUNGING ATTACK   SCHIZOPHRENIC 4595         14   7  0  110 DSM4 (239)
WALL OF STEEL    GWEN RYDER 4867            16   4  0   93 DREAM PARK (447)
STRIKING ATTACK  INSOMNIAC 4870              6   1  0   60 DSM4 (239)
Note: Warriors have a winning record and are an Adept or Above.

The overall popularity leader is GWEN RYDER 4867.  The most popular warrior this turn 
was BLUE GOOSE 4937.  The ten other most popular fighters were SCHIZOPHRENIC 4595, 
INSOMNIAC 4870, ALEX GRIFFIN 4856, CHESTER HENDERSON 4868, GWEN RYDER 4867, BISBEE 
5002, ACACIA GARCIA 4862, SHIFT DOWN 1 5028, MORENCI 5003, and BLUE MONDAY 4968.

The least popular fighter this week was BLUE RUIN 5023.  The other ten least popular 
fighters were BLUE MONDAY 4968, MORENCI 5003, SHIFT DOWN 1 5028, ACACIA GARCIA 4862, 
BISBEE 5002, GWEN RYDER 4867, CHESTER HENDERSON 4868, ALEX GRIFFIN 4856, INSOMNIAC 
4870, and SCHIZOPHRENIC 4595.

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

SCHIZOPHRENIC (9-4595) DSM4 (239)
GWEN RYDER (9-4867) DREAM PARK (447)

                       TOURNEY FREEZE CHANGE -- ADVANCE NOTICE

     Beginning at the Winter Face-to-Face in Tempe (January 2004), we will implement 
several changes affecting tournaments.  The tournament announcement for the upcoming 
FTF and future tourneys will reflect these changes.
     First, we will eliminate the tourney freeze for all regular DM warrior classes.  
Regular DM warriors will not be classed ahead of the tournament, but instead will 
fight according to their FE on the date of the tourney.  There will still be a freeze 
for the ADM classes, occurring on the same timeline as before, approximately 6 weeks 
before the tournament.
     In addition to the above change, the warrior classes will be slightly altered.  
The new tourney classes will be as follows:

                DM Tourney Classes                 ADM Tourney Classes
              ======================              ======================
                  0 FE:  Rookies                        Freshmen
                1-4 FE:  Apprentices                    ADM
               5-10 FE:  Initiates                      Eligibles
              11-20 FE:  Adepts                      ---induction---
              21-30 FE:  Champions                      Contenders
                31+ FE:  Challengers                    Primus

     All regular DM tourney classes will remain solely FE based.  All ADM classes will 
now be based on warrior characteristics (i.e., the ADM split algorithm), including the 
Freshmen class.
     The Gateway and Primus arenas will be merging before the FTF to form one top 
arena.  These warriors will be split into two tournament classes, the Contenders and 
the Primus classes, again based upon their characteristics.  More information on this 
will be published in the newsletters for those arenas.
     If you have any questions about the above changes, please contact Customer 
Service.  Good luck in your games.

                                          -- Green Eyes and the RSI staff