DUEL 2 NEWSLETTER

Date   : 09/29/2010    Duedate: 10/12/2010

MALCORN ARENA

DM-15    TURN-650

This Weeks Top Honors

THE DUELMASTER IS

QUASIL
TERMINUS (417)
(15-4254) [18-6-0,103]

Chartered Recognition Leader   Unchartered Recognition Leader

POSITION IS EMPTY              POSITION IS EMPTY

Popularity Leader              This Weeks Favorite

STONEBOW                       TERRASQUE
GREENWARDENS (244)             DARK CREATION (471)
(15-4993) [15-18-0,103]        (15-5033) [7-5-1,36]

THE CURRENT TOP TEAM

RAINBOW CONNECTION (503)

          TEAMS ON THE MOVE            TOP CAREER HONORS
Team Name                  Point Gain  Chartered Team
1. GREENWARDENS (244)          39
2. TERMINUS (417)              17      TERMINUS (417)
3. RAINBOW CONNECTION (503)    15      Unchartered Team
4. DARK CREATION (471)         -7
                                       CO A 15TH OHIO (187)

The Top Teams

Career Win-Loss Record           W   L  K    %  Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns    W  L K
 1/ 1 TERMINUS (417)            74  45  1 62.2   1/ 2 RAINBOW CONNECTION (503)  9  6 0
 2/ 2 RAINBOW CONNECTION (503)  38  31  1 55.1   2/ 4 TERMINUS (417)            8  2 0
 3/ 3 DARK CREATION (471)      396 337 21 54.0   3/ 3 GREENWARDENS (244)        8  6 0
 4/ 4 GREENWARDENS (244)       722 818 16 46.9   4/ 1 DARK CREATION (471)       7  8 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[ At the Gate of Hell ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ +

     The gladiators all stared at each other with relief.  Redfox had an impulse to
hug someone--Young Joan or Necroma for choice--but hesitated.  Joan he knew slightly,
and she was not one to allow liberties.  She grinned and hugged him quickly, then the
older gladiator, Math op Owain, and cast a speculative look at Uncle Wolf, who
scowled.
     Blackwind had no such qualms and threw a friendly arm around Necroma.  He looked
at Wolf and Lord Malcorn.  "What happens now?"
     Malcorn looked across the valley at the Door.  It was huge, twenty or thirty
feet tall and nearly as wide, the two halves standing open on flame-shot darkness.
No living creatures were visible.  "Now we shut the Door," he said, "and there will
be resistance--"
     "Should you say that?" Necroma asked.  "Expectations shape what we meet in the
Spirit Land, and you could be creating trouble just by expecting it."
     "Some trouble exists here without a mortal's expectations," Uncle Wolf said.
"And we are no longer precisely in the Spirit Lands.  Here in the Valley, the rules
change again."
     She groaned.  "I really hate that.  I wish the rules would just... be what they
are, whatever they are, and not change when someone takes two steps in a different
direction!  How can you plan anything if--"
     "You develop a knack for it," the old shaman said, "or you get into a different
line of work."
     Blackwind saw that the young woman was going to argue further and spoke quickly
to cut her off; they didn't need arguments here and now.  "One thing I've been
wondering.  I understand about the different routes to make sure at least some of us
got here.  But you and Lord Malcorn are the only ones who know how to close this
Door--I'm guessing it isn't just a case of walking up and swinging it shut.  If you
didn't make it, what would be the point in us arriving?"
     "You would have figured something out," Uncle Wolf said.  "Each of you was
chosen--by me or by circumstances--because you are a person who finishes any job he
begins.  Or she begins," he added quickly, seeing Young Joan frown.
     Lord Malcorn sighed and straightened, seeming even taller now than his seven-
and-a-half foot height.  Darker than his black hair and swarthy skin had seemed when
Blackwind had seen him on the streets back in Malcorn.  There, he had been
affectionately known to his subjects as "Blackie."  Here... with some kind of power
rising in him, he could only be Lord Malcorn.  He was beginning to look big enough
and strong enough to close that massive Door unaided.
     "They're coming," he said.
     Without thought, responding to the same trained impulse, every gladiator present
drew his or her sword, turning to face outward from their group.
     Blackwind more than half expected to see floods demons and monsters pouring
toward them from every direction.  If so, they must be invisible, all he could see
were the shadows that filled the valley.  He squinted.  "Is it my imagination, or is
it getting darker here?"  That would be bad.  Darkness would make it harder to fight.
     "Valley of Shadow," Math op Owain said.  "We should have realized--"
     "So you should," Uncle Wolf answered.  "In this place, the shadows are as
dangerous as what casts them."
     "More dangerous," Lord Malcorn corrected.
     The old shaman shrugged and nodded.  "Perhaps.  At that level of danger, the
distinction is unimportant."
     "How do we fight shadows?" Redfox asked.  "You must have had something in mind,
or you wouldn't have drawn us here."
     "The light is behind the... creatures that cast the shadows," Wolf pointed out.
"That makes the shadows advance toward you, ahead of the creatures.  You must make of
yourselves lights to drive the shadows back on their creators."
     "How can we--?"
     "No, 'Fox, I think I see what he means!"  Math drew the gladiators aside.  "Come
over out of the way, and I'll tell you.  Let them deal with the Door."
     "He's right," Necroma said before Math could begin his explanation.  "We *are*
lights if we know it."  She paused, selecting words.  "Here, even if it isn't exactly
the Spirit Lands, the spirit is what matters the most.  Sure, we're here physically--
and we can die physically--but just as the body dominates in the Mortal World, so the
spirit dominates here.  If our spirits are strong and bright, they'll be like lights
here!"
     "That's easy to *say*, and it sounds good," Blackwind objected, "but what are we
supposed to *do*?"
     "It's like... ah!  Like the meditation exercises they teach us on the Isle, to
increase our Will or our Wit," Math said.  "That kind of focus, but we concentrate on
light and life and warmth--"
     "Well put," Necroma said.  "And we'd better do it right now."
     "Not forgetting," Young Joan was actually beginning to glow as she concentrated,
"that we will have to deal with physical creatures once we have vanquished the
shadows."
     Gladiators muttered as they concentrated, mantras that had helped them meditate
on the Isle, or curses when their minds wavered and they lost the focus,
encouragement and advice to themselves and each other.
     Uncle Wolf's mouth quirked.  "They'll do," he said.  He turned his full
attention back to the Door they had to close.
     Malcorn hadn't heard his comment.  He was running his hands up and down through
the air as though feeling along a wall that stood between them and the Doorway and
doing some muttering of his own.  He pressed against it with both hands and the full
weight of his big body, snapping out three words that crackled with power.  Nothing
visible happened.
     The old shaman adjusted his perceptions to "see" the wall.  Still no response to
Malcorn's efforts.  He sighed.  "If it was easy," he muttered, "it would need us to
do it."
     Malcorn smiled grimly.  "True."  He knocked on the wall of air.  "I think this
may be more in your line than mine."
     Wolf squinted.  "Some kind of elemental," he decided.  "Air elemental--wind?"
He laid his own hands on the invisible wall.  "No, too static.  Even when a wind
elemental stays in one place, it moves, spins."
     "Then I thank the gods it isn't one.  A tornado would do us no good at all,"
Malcorn said.
     "Mmm."  Wolf shifted his attention, feeling for any chink or facet of identity.
A tornado would have been easier to deal with, because it could have been identified.
Perhaps even torn from the control of whoever was guarding this Gate and then turned
against--
     Heat blasted out of the unchanging air.  Both men jumped back, and Wolf cursed
softly, blowing on burned fingers.  "Heat waves," he gasped.  After a moment to get
himself back under full control, he added, "Partly heat waves.  Even that should show
motion--"
     "It isn't the world we know," Malcorn said.  "So it may not follow any of the
rules we know."
     Wolf snorted.  "Going to teach me to suck eggs, boy?  The rules of the world,
no, of course they can't be counted on.  But elementals have their own rules, and
unless the entity causing this has the power of a god, the elements must perform
according to their natures."
     Malcorn took three long paces to the side, then looked back at the wall on a
slant.  "No heat-wave motion," he said.  "Not even a ripple."  He squinted.  "What if
it isn't an elemental, what if it's... a specialized demon of some kind?"
     "That would be... tricky."  The shaman looked at him.  "How can there be
'specialized' demons?"
     "I've heard of some breeding experiments."  Malcorn shrugged.  "The consensus
was that they couldn't possibly succeed, but no one actually knows.  And this might
be such an experiment.  Half demon, half elemental."
     "So what do we do about it?"  Wolf put his hands on his hips and glared at the
invisible wall.  "I can handle an elemental--probably.  A demon, only sometimes."
     "If our opponent is being creative, then we must be also."  Malcorn frowned.  "I
have an idea...."

     All five of the gladiators had managed at least some degree of light, but they
were finding it harder than they'd expected, and they hadn't expected it to be easy.
Math op Owain repeated his mantra yet again, trying to get past his embarrassment at
a lack-luster performance.  Each of the others *else* was glowing like a lantern, and
he was barely a candle, and a dim one at that.
     "Is it my imagination," Necroma asked, "or am I doing especially poorly here?
Maybe because I studied necromancy--"
     "You're doing great!" Blackwind said.  "It's me that is being a dim--"
     "Ah!"  Young Joan nodded.  "I see it now, each of us can only see outside our
own light--"
     "Like trying to see the backs of our own heads," Redfox broke in.  "We can see
the light from the others, but not our own.  Well, good, I thought I wasn't managing
to do this at all.  Thought I was going to let the rest of you down."
     Math looked toward the advancing shadows, now advancing more slowly.  But they
seemed denser, darker.  They even seemed to have a form of sorts, as though they
were... creatures composed entirely of shadow.  As though they had substance and were
obstacles that the light was flowing around as water flows around rocks.  His hand
tightened on the hilt of his sword, and he forced himself to relax and loosen the
grip; there isn't much you can do if you're gripping so hard your muscles are locked.
     A Shadow on the edge of the pack, it was hard to think of them as anything but
creatures now, rushed forward suddenly, elongating.  Its shape changed from upright
and vaguely man-like to leaping-wolf to a thick spear--aimed at Blackwind, who was on
the left end of the line the gladiators had formed.  The Malcornishman threw himself
down and to the side--to the left, leaving a gap between himself and his companions.
There'd been no other obvious way for him to go, Redfox was too close on his right,
just over arm's length away.  But two more Shadows followed the first, toward that
gap, and the one Blackwind had evaded doubled back on itself, returning to a wolf-
like shape that was mostly gaping jaws and fangs like dark daggers.

Near Vithicar:

     The spell didn't work.  Master Darque resisted the impulse to lash out at the
nearest person, his bodyguard Tyre.  To punish the non-responsible for the failure of
a spell was the mark of a minor magician; he would not stoop to that.  But it should
have worked.  It was such a *basic* scrying spell.  He had been using it for
centuries, he could cast the damned thing in his sleep.  This failure would have
driven a normal man to cursing, but he was always careful about that.  As a half-
demon, his curses had power, and a competent magician did not waste power.  Not
unless he was *really* angry.
     He knew what the problem was, of course.  That idiot down in Kurukar, messing
around with "dark powers."  As if any human could hope to control them!  Without a
heritage like his own, the powers would eat any fool who tried, and the sooner the
better.  Necromancy!  Master Darque's lip curled in a sneer.  It had its uses, he had
done a little in that line himself, but it was ultimately a minor magical art.
Inherently messy, as anything involving human nature would always be.
     He sighed, laid down the wand he had been using, and turned to look at Tyre.
The dwarf was expressionless, pointedly not paying attention to the spell-workings.
"We're going to have to do something about Kurukar," Master Darque said.
     Tyre brightened at the prospect of action.  "Good!  When?"
     "Now."

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

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

                                     Duelmasters
                                     -----------
 DM   9 ZUKAL (turn 653): HOMESTAR of HOMESTAR & CO (Otto X Frothingslosh, mgr.)
 DM  12 RIZTAB (turn 655): HULL SCRUBBER of SEA DOGS (One Armed Bandit, mgr.)
 DM  13 DULLENS (turn 541): JOEL OLIVER of HOUSE OF CARDS (Zalgor Prigg, mgr.)
 DM  15 MALCORN (turn 649): QUASIL of TERMINUS (Carick, mgr.)
 DM  16 WILLAF (turn 651): GOLDEN DELICIOUS of GOLDEN GLADIATORS (Midas, mgr.)
 DM  17 ALJAFIR (turn 643): POSITION IS EMPTY
 DM  19 ZUWAYZA (turn 644): ERIC CARTMAN of CUNNING RUNTS (Deep Thought, mgr.)
 DM  28 MORYA (turn 324): TEZCATLIPOCA of THE PENTARCHY (Le Pentarque, mgr.)
 DM  29 LAPUR (turn 641): GAEGLIN of MID EARTH (Visionist, mgr.)
 DM  31 CHIMLEVTAL (turn 322): LODEN NORVIS of MIDDLE WAY 7 (Jorja, mgr.)
 DM  32 ARVAT (turn 637): LIL ETHE of DEVIL ADVOCATES (The Dark One, mgr.)
 DM  33 NIATOLI ISLAND (turn 634): SHARK BAIT of SEA DOGS (One Armed Bandit, mgr.)
 DM  35 MURSKA (turn 626): ICICLE of URBAN JUNGLE (Jugger, mgr.)
 DM  43 VEASTIAN (turn 587): VAISTINIE of THE FAMILY (Jorja, mgr)
 DM  45 STORMCROWE (turn 299): LADY WINTER of NORTHERN LIGHTS (Jorja, mgr.)
 DM  47 TEMPLE OF ABARSIS (turn 293): MY SHADOW of KAOS (Grimm, mgr.)
 DM  50 SNOWBOUND (turn 280): CASS DOLAN of MIDDLE WAY 6 (Jorja, mgr.)
 DM  56 ROCANIS (turn 516): BACK of GET (JE, mgr.)
 DM  60 ARADI (turn 502): READY EDDIE of RED DOG GANG (Spot, mgr.)
 DM  61 JURINE (turn 483): COUNTER OFFER of VIKING LINGO (The Dark One, mgr.)
 DM  65 DAL SHANG (turn 478): ABRA CADAVER of REIGNING DOOM (Zalgor Prigg, mgr.)
 DM  73 ERINIKA (turn 229): DEATH SUCKS of BLACKMAIL (The Mun, mgr.)
 DM  74 DAYLA KIV (turn 440): ONE of NUMB-ERS (Sherlock, mgr.)
 DM  75 JADE MOUNTAIN (turn 433): WATERLOO of KIWI CONNECTION (The Mun, mgr.)
 DM  78 LIN TIRIAN (turn 426): MATT of J (Sherlock, mgr.)
ADM 103 FREE BLADES (turn 542): ALE'CHAI TALLSKY of PHILANTRHOPISTS (Aragorn, mgr.)

                                      Top Teams
                                      ---------
 DM   9 ZUKAL (turn 653): BLUE MOON (Jorja, mgr.)
 DM  12 RIZTAB (turn 655): SWEET MAGIC (Jorja, mgr.)
 DM  13 DULLENS (turn 541): HOUSE OF CARDS (Zalgor Prigg, mgr.)
 DM  15 MALCORN (turn 649): DARK CREATION (H.P.L. West, mgr.)
 DM  16 WILLAF (turn 651): GOLDEN GLADIATORS (Midas, mgr.)
 DM  17 ALJAFIR (turn 643): MIDDLE WAY (Jorja, mgr.)
 DM  19 ZUWAYZA (turn 644): MONOPOLY (Sherlock, mgr.)
 DM  28 MORYA (turn 324): FORCE OF FIVE (?, mgr.)
 DM  29 LAPUR (turn 641): MID EARTH (Visionist, mgr.)
 DM  31 CHIMLEVTAL (turn 322): MIDDLE WAY 7 (Jorja, mgr.)
 DM  32 ARVAT (turn 637): DEVIL ADVOCATES (The Dark One, mgr.)
 DM  33 NIATOLI ISLAND (turn 634): SEA DOGS (One Armed Bandit, mgr.)
 DM  35 MURSKA (turn 626): URBAN JUNGLE (Jugger, mgr.)
 DM  43 VEASTIAN (turn 587): THE FAMILY (Jorja, mgr.)
 DM  45 STORMCROWE (turn 299): STREET WALKERS (Roadkill, mgr.)
 DM  47 TEMPLE OF ABARSIS (turn 293): LAND OF OZ (Oz the ALL-Succeeding, mgr.)
 DM  50 SNOWBOUND (turn 280): LIFE IMPACTS (Smitty, mgr.)
 DM  56 ROCANIS (turn 516): MIDDLE WAY 20 (Jorja, mgr.)
 DM  60 ARADI (turn 502): BUGS, SLUGS & THUGS (A-Sop, mgr.)
 DM  61 JURINE (turn 483): DOCTORS (Sherlock, mgr.)
 DM  65 DAL SHANG (turn 478): SAND DANCERS (Jorja, mgr.)
 DM  73 ERINIKA (turn 229): SUPER STARS (?, mgr.)
 DM  74 DAYLA KIV (turn 440): NUMB-ERS (Sherlock, mgr.)
 DM  75 JADE MOUNTAIN (turn 433): KIWI CONNECTION (The Mun, mgr.)
 DM  78 LIN TIRIAN (turn 434): SAND DANCERS (Jorja, mgr.)
ADM 103 FREE BLADES (turn 542): MIDDLE ITALY et al (The Dark One, mgr.)

                                   Recent Graduates
                                  -----------------
 DM  15 MALCORN (turn 648): CYBERMANCER of DARK CREATION (H.P.L. West, mgr.)
 DM  19 ZUWAYZA (turn 644): ERIC CARTMAN of CUNNING RUNTS (Deep Thought, mgr.)
 DM  28 MORYA (turn 324): ANFERROUS of STEEL AND SILK (Michael Eldritch, mgr.)
              (turn 323): BLACK ROSE HAMMER of FLOWERED HAMMERZ (Hammer, mgr.)
 DM  29 LAPUR (turn 641): GAEGLIN of MID EARTH (Visionist, mgr.)
                          DEATHWIND FORGE of CLAN CROW (Owsly, mgr.)
              (turn 640): RINDEL of MID EARTH (Visionist, mgr.)
 DM  31 CHIMLEVTAL (turn 322): LODEN NORVIS of MIDDLE WAY 7 (Jorja, mgr.)
 DM  33 NIATOLI ISLAND (turn 632): CRAB SMASHER of SEA DOGS (One Armed Bandit, mgr.)
 DM  35 MURSKA (turn 626 BRENDAL of CHILDREN OF LLYR (Jorja, mgr.)
               (turn 625): PELICAN EEL of SEA DOGS (One Armed Bandit, mgr.)
 DM  45 STORMCROWE (turn 299): LADY WINTER of NORTHERN LIGHTS (Jorja, mgr.)
 DM  47 TEMPLE OF ABARSIS (turn 292): SPAWNING OF SPEWN of MANAGERIAL MAYHEM (Fizban)
                                      TEN LORDS ALEAPING of ROYAL FLUSH (Crip, mgr.)
                                      RONDOL QUIGLO of THE MIDDLE WAY 3 (Jorja, mgr.)
 DM  65 DAL SHANG (turn 478): ABRA CADAVER of REIGNING DOOM (Zalgor Prigg, mgr.)
                  (turn 477): ICECLAW of CASTAWAYS (She-Puppy, mgr.)
 DM  73 ERINIKA (turn 228): SQUEEZE of BLACKMAIL (The Mun, mgr.)
 DM  74 DAYLA KIV (turn 439): SPARTAN 1 of GATES OF FIRE (Chief Illiniwek, mgr.)
 DM  78 LIN TIRIAN (turn 425): SHILLIS VAIR of SAND DANCERS (Jorja, mgr.)

                                 DUELMASTER'S COLUMN
                             Notes from the arena champ.

     Well, it's good to be back to Malcorn after about a two year hiatus.  And it's
especially nice to return back to the Iron Throne that I sat in before I left.  Best
luck to Cybermancer on the Isle.  Glad Miyamoto got to receive your parting beating
before you left and not me.

                                      SPY REPORT

     Much has changed in MALCORN since last I was here.  Never fear, Olaf Modeen 
adapts to many situations, as do all successful fighters.  Bein' on top is great 
while it lasts, DARK CREATION.  But how many friends do you have now?  GREENWARDENS 
showed MALCORN what they were made of as they fought with a vengeance to walk off 
with 5-0-0.  What's with STONEBOW?  He actually beat TERMINUS' AVERY, and walked away 
with 13 more points from the fight.  Major screwup at DARK CREATION.  QREATED lost 9 
points to POT OF GOLD.  Some new strategies, perhaps?  Maybe QREATED will provide 
more easy wins...  Try as he might, KUNG-FU MASTER wasn't good enough at persuading 
QUASIL to step down from the Duelmaster's throne...  Advice to fighters with a 1 
will--give up fighting!   
     No matter the time or place, men will always duel.  MALCORN thinks DARK CREATION 
and their 396-337-21 is too much!  If at first you don't succeed, give up...  
Management must be dealin', as the boys at TERMINUS ain't reelin'!  DARK CREATION's 
mad!  How well I know the feeling of being the most challenged warrior, STONEBOW!  
Don't make idle boasts, they may come back to haunt you.   
     A fighter's lot is filled with strife, revenge, and killing.  Some fighters 
don't accept this.  The best do.  Many a warrior has met his fate in a hungover 
stupor.  You young rapscallions, take note!   
     Well, I'm pretty much through.  You guys need to get back practicing.  The end 
of another Spyreport!  That's cause for celebration in my book!  I don't want to 
overstay my welcome...-- Olaf Modeen  

DUELMASTER                     W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 QUASIL 4254                  18   6  0   103       TERMINUS (417)

CHALLENGER CHAMPIONS           W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 STONEBOW 4993                15  18  0   103       GREENWARDENS (244)
 MIYAMOTO 4253                15   9  0    98       TERMINUS (417)
 MORGUE 4917                   8   1  0    93       TERMINUS (417)

CHAMPIONS                      W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 AVERY 4256                   15   9  0    85       TERMINUS (417)

CHALLENGER ADEPTS              W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 JIM 5021                     10   6  0    66       RAINBOW CONNECTION (503)
 POT OF GOLD 5045              7   1  0    62       RAINBOW CONNECTION (503)
 VARICK 4916                   9   3  1    58       TERMINUS (417)

ADEPTS                         W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 STEVE 5027                    7   7  1    49       RAINBOW CONNECTION (503)
 SWORDMAGE 5037                7   4  0    44       DARK CREATION (471)
 QREATED 4999                 10  11  2    43       DARK CREATION (471)
 TERRASQUE 5033                7   5  1    36       DARK CREATION (471)
 SOURWOOD 5047                 6   2  1    34       GREENWARDENS (244)

CHALLENGER INITIATES           W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 HONEYSUCKLE 5038              7   4  0    32       GREENWARDENS (244)
 ESREVER 5054                  2   3  1    30       DARK CREATION (471)
 BOBCAT 5056                   2   0  0    26       GREENWARDENS (244)

INITIATES                      W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 SKITTLES 5048                 4   2  0    18       RAINBOW CONNECTION (503)
 SILVER GHOST 5055             2   2  0    15       GREENWARDENS (244)

INITIATES                      W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 IN THE DARK 5046              2   6  0    12       RAINBOW CONNECTION (503)
-KHAMUL 4033                   1   5  0     8       THE BLACK RIDERS (391)
-NEMO 4648                     1   1  0     4       DOWN WITH THE SHIP (468)
-AKHORAHIL 4031                0   1  0     4       THE BLACK RIDERS (391)
-ADUNAPHEL 4032                0   4  0     4       THE BLACK RIDERS (391)
 GOREMONGER 5057               0   1  0     1       DARK CREATION (471)

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

THE DEAD                W  L K TEAM NAME            SLAIN BY              TURN Revenge?
SILVERBIRD 4994        17 12 0 GREENWARDENS 244     MASTER DARQUE 5015    646  NONE

                                     PERSONAL ADS

     Formatting error in the spotlight last turn, this has been reprinted, with more
     material. -- the Scribe

Stonebow -- How exactly does one punch through my shield?  Better your fist than your
blade or that may have ended badly for me. -- Quasil

Venomous Concubine -- Best stick to your other profession. -- Morgue

Jim -- The last thing on my mind in the arena is worrying about scars, but thanks for
not leaving any. -- Avery

Honeysuckle -- We've got to try that again. -- Varick

Quasil -- Sounds like something I'd take to make me throw up, or not throw up.  I
think I'll opt for "not." -- Stonebow
P.S.  Skills would be good.

Pot of Gold -- Clearly an illusion. -- Sourwood

Varick -- For some reason, I got the idea you hang out with the Prince of Denmark.
Tell him to watch out for traitors, okay?  And be nicer to Ophelia. -- Honeysuckle

Skittles -- I get five skills, who cares about the win? -- Silver Ghost

Oh, for the Hound's sake!  I am *not* a golem. -- Bobcat the seriously annoyed

27 September 10
Note -- We are still looking for additional teams in Arvat, DM 32.  I still have a
number of good team rollups available FREE for whoever wants one.
     Contact the Devil Advocates ASAP to join the fun!  You can either reach me by
diplo or on the RSI site.
     Also, whoever sent me the diplo with no name on it requesting a rollup /
information on how to get into Arvat, I'm embarassed to admit that the diplo slipped
out of my folder and was lost.  Please just send me another one with your mailing
address and I'll get a rollup to you ASAP.  Sorry about that!

                                  LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS

AVERY was viciously subdued by STONEBOW in a 3 minute master's Challenge fight.
VARICK overcame STEVE in a 1 minute Challenge match.
QUASIL savagely defeated KUNG-FU MASTER in a crowd pleasing 4 minute Title duel.
MORGUE defeated KUNG-FU MASTER in a 1 minute fight.
MIYAMOTO demolished VETERAN MERCENARY in a 1 minute mismatched competition.
QREATED was overpowered by POT OF GOLD in a 1 minute one-sided struggle.
JIM devastated SWORDMAGE in a 1 minute one-sided competition.
ESREVER unbelievably bested IN THE DARK in a 3 minute gruesome melee.
HONEYSUCKLE won victory over OSKSI NOBLE in a 1 minute duel.
SOURWOOD overpowered CULT MEMBER in a 1 minute uneven duel.
TERRASQUE savagely defeated SKITTLES in a exciting 8 minute gruesome fight.
BOBCAT overpowered CONVICTED THIEF in a 1 minute one-sided fight.
SILVER GHOST demolished GOREMONGER in a 1 minute mismatched competition.

                                    BATTLE REPORT

             MOST POPULAR                        RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS     
|FIGHTING STYLE               FIGHTS        FIGHTING STYLE     W -   L -  K   PERCENT|
|WALL OF STEEL                    5         BASHING ATTACK    10 -   5 -  0      67  |
|SLASHING ATTACK                  4         LUNGING ATTACK     6 -   3 -  1      67  |
|TOTAL PARRY                      3         WALL OF STEEL     17 -   9 -  0      65  |
|STRIKING ATTACK                  3         PARRY-STRIKE      10 -   6 -  0      63  |
|BASHING ATTACK                   2         TOTAL PARRY       13 -   8 -  1      62  |
|AIMED BLOW                       1         AIMED BLOW        15 -  13 -  0      54  |
|PARRY-STRIKE                     1         SLASHING ATTACK   22 -  20 -  0      52  |
|LUNGING ATTACK                   1         STRIKING ATTACK   24 -  22 -  1      52  |
|PARRY-LUNGE                      0         PARRY-LUNGE        1 -   5 -  0      17  |
|PARRY-RIPOSTE                    0         PARRY-RIPOSTE      0 -   0 -  0       0  |

Turn 650 was great if you     Not so great if you used      The fighting styles of the
used the fighting styles:     the fighting styles:          top eleven warriors are:

AIMED BLOW         1 -  0     STRIKING ATTACK    1 -  2         3  STRIKING ATTACK
PARRY-STRIKE       1 -  0     PARRY-LUNGE        0 -  0         3  SLASHING ATTACK
LUNGING ATTACK     1 -  0     PARRY-RIPOSTE      0 -  0         2  WALL OF STEEL  
WALL OF STEEL      4 -  1                                       1  TOTAL PARRY    
TOTAL PARRY        2 -  1                                       1  AIMED BLOW     
SLASHING ATTACK    2 -  2                                       1  BASHING ATTACK 
BASHING ATTACK     1 -  1     

                               TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE

FIGHTING STYLE   WARRIOR                     W   L  K PNTS TEAM NAME                  
TOTAL PARRY      QUASIL 4254                18   6  0  103 TERMINUS (417)
AIMED BLOW       MIYAMOTO 4253              15   9  0   98 TERMINUS (417)
BASHING ATTACK   MORGUE 4917                 8   1  0   93 TERMINUS (417)
WALL OF STEEL    AVERY 4256                 15   9  0   85 TERMINUS (417)
SLASHING ATTACK  JIM 5021                   10   6  0   66 RAINBOW CONNECTION (503)
PARRY-STRIKE     TERRASQUE 5033              7   5  1   36 DARK CREATION (471)
LUNGING ATTACK   SOURWOOD 5047               6   2  1   34 GREENWARDENS (244)
Note: Warriors have a winning record and are an Adept or Above.

The overall popularity leader is STONEBOW 4993.  The most popular warrior this turn 
was TERRASQUE 5033.  The ten other most popular fighters were STONEBOW 4993, IN THE 
DARK 5046, MIYAMOTO 4253, POT OF GOLD 5045, SILVER GHOST 5055, AVERY 4256, QUASIL 
4254, MORGUE 4917, JIM 5021, and SOURWOOD 5047.

The least popular fighter this week was GOREMONGER 5057.  The other ten least popular 
fighters were SKITTLES 5048, SWORDMAGE 5037, QREATED 4999, BOBCAT 5056, HONEYSUCKLE 
5038, ESREVER 5054, STEVE 5027, VARICK 4916, SOURWOOD 5047, and JIM 5021.