DUEL 2 NEWSLETTER
Date : 09/17/2005 Duedate: 09/30/2005
WILLAF ARENA
DM-16 TURN-521
This Weeks Top Honors
THE DUELMASTER IS
GOLD FILLING
GOLDEN GLADIATORS (362)
(16-4510) [24-7-0,101]
Chartered Recognition Leader Unchartered Recognition Leader
GOLD FILLING XENOPHOBIAC
GOLDEN GLADIATORS (362) D.S.M.V. (578)
(16-4510) [24-7-0,101] (16-5586) [2-1-0,19]
Popularity Leader This Weeks Favorite
CAT MAN DO CAT MAN DO
ARENA FELINES (452) ARENA FELINES (452)
(16-4901) [14-15-1,97] (16-4901) [14-15-1,97]
THE CURRENT TOP TEAM
GOLDEN GLADIATORS (362)
TEAMS ON THE MOVE TOP CAREER HONORS
Team Name Point Gain Chartered Team
1. GOLDEN GLADIATORS (362) 25
2. ARENA FELINES (452) 14 GOLDEN GLADIATORS (362)
3. D.S.M.V. (578) 12 Unchartered Team
4. BLOODBANE CLAN (525) 6
5. FUNKY FOLK (565) 0 D.S.M.V. (578)
The Top Teams
Career Win-Loss Record W L K % Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns W L K
1- 1*KLK PARTY GAMES (575) 1 0 0 100 1/ 1 GOLDEN GLADIATORS (362) 12 3 0
2/ 2 GOLDEN GLADIATORS (362) 331 162 5 67.1 2/ 2*D.S.M.V. (578) 6 9 2
3/ 3 ARENA FELINES (452) 149 100 8 59.8 3/ 4 ARENA FELINES (452) 4 2 0
4- 4 FUNKY FOLK (565) 35 25 7 58.3 4/ 5 PUNNY AMINALS (305) 4 8 0
5/ 6 PUNNY AMINALS (305) 426 628 16 40.4 5- 3 FUNKY FOLK (565) 3 1 1
6/ 5*D.S.M.V. (578) 6 9 2 40.0 6- 6*KLK PARTY GAMES (575) 1 0 0
7/ 0*BLOODBANE CLAN (525) 4 8 0 33.3 7/ 0*BLOODBANE CLAN (525) 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 Black Ship #5 ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ +
Aljafir:
"Move, dammit!" The vice gripping Korranjal's arm shook it once more and let
go. "I'm not dragging you further. I need both hands to fight with."
Lej Korranjal blinked again and managed to clear his sight, more or less. There
were still strangely colored spots of light drifting across his vision, but he could
make out the shape of Shagrath the Assassin moving away from him. The dwarf was
twirling an axe in either hand, advancing on a less distinct shape that climbing over
the lip of the harbor into the street. Korranjal fumbled his own blade out of its
scabbard. He saw that another of the creatures was climbing out of the water a
little farther down and moved to cut off its efforts to get behind Shagrath.
He didn't get a clear look at the creature, barely had time to block an arm that
ended in a scythe-like claw with his sword. The arm had scales as well as claws, he
discovered as his blade slid along it with a nails-on-a-slate screech.
"Back to back!" Shagrath shouted, whirling away from the wreckage of a monster
to put his own back against Korranjal's. "We've got to work our way to the Water
Temple, there are too many for us here!"
The gusty rain was coming down more heavily now, veiling the horde of creatures
crawling onto the waterfront, but this was familiar ground to Korranjal. He could
find the Water Temple in pitch darkness, and a good thing that was. No more than a
hundred yards, but they had to fight for every foot. Whether they fought a few
monsters to the death or had passing encounters with a score he couldn't tell.
The Water Temple was dedicated to one of Kjarran's lesser aspects--some people
said to a whole different deity--called Ksuuljin, a patron of ships and sailors. The
small arcade was crowded with sailors, dock workers, and waterfront loungers who had
taken refuge first from the rain and then from the creatures loosed by the Black
Ship. There were a lot of drawn blades around, and several people were shouting, but
Korranjal's height and strength opened a path for him and the assassin.
"What's out there?" someone shrieked in his ear.
Korranjal looked down. The top of the priest's head only came to his shoulder,
and he could only be heard over the crowd and the storm when he screamed, but the man
still radiated dignity and authority. "Some kind of monsters," Korranjal said. "I
never got a clear look at one. Seems like they came out of the Black Ship."
"I didn't see 'em clear, either," Shagrath growled, "but I can tell you they're
mortal."
"Good to know," the priest said. "When the sacrifice bell rang at the main
temple, I feared the worst, for in this time spilled blood opens gates that might
otherwise remain closed. Hoist me up!" When Korranjal gaped, he added, "I need to
be above the crowd a little if I'm to speak to them and be heard. Hoist me up!"
Korranjal dropped to one knee and braced his other hand on the tiled floor.
"Climb onto my shoulders."
The priest scrambled upward with an ease that suggested an earlier career as a
sailor. When he was high enough, he clapped his hands sharply. The sound was picked
up by the temple's acoustics and became a drumbeat. "Friends!" he shouted, "those
are not demons, they are monsters of the flesh, and they can be killed. Let us clear
our harbor of the scum! Forward!"
The crowd, boiling with fear and anger, swirled, roared, and poured back out
into the night.
"A lot of them will die," Shagrath said as Korranjal lowered the priest.
"All men die," the priest answered. "Their bodies, at least. These will die
fighting, which is the proper way for a man to go down, and their souls will soar
free. There are worse fates."
+ ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ The Black Ship #6 ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ +
Stormcrowe:
"How should I know what it is?" Dothalne the Beggar said. "Do I look like some
kind of sage?"
Guardsman Morgron, whose ambitions did not include being sassed by beggars,
however persistent, thumped his companion on top of the head and continued to stare
out at the bay and the peculiar storm.
Dothalne rubbed his head and tried to glare at the orc, but he was more than a
foot shorter, and ended up merely glaring at the guardsman's breastplate. Battered
by use but basically well-kept, he noted, and with a couple of badges that could be
detached easily enough and sold...IF he had happened to be a thief instead of a
beggar. "Guardsman brutality," he said absently. "Don't do that again, or I'll sue.
Probably some kind of magic," he added, referring to the turmoil out over the water.
"Nasty stuff, magic."
"Tell me something I don't know, Doth!" Morgron held a hand the size of a
shovel to his brow and peered under it. "Some ship's in trouble out there, far's I
can see."
"No ship from here is out tonight," Dothalne said promptly. "I'd know."
"A Karnhorn, then, and who cares about them?" But he continued to stare
outward, and his voice lacked conviction. "If it's pirates, the vulture-lovers can
fend for themselves, but what if it's demons?"
"What?" The beggar straightened sharply. "Demons? Why should it be demons?"
"Because it might be the Black Ship," Morgron said, "and I heard the king saying
that the Black Ship carries demons."
"But who--?"
"That black-hearted kaliv at Kurukar." He glanced down at his companion. "A
person hears things, working at the castle. The kaliv's been sending out black
ships, and he already controls the canal to the Trier. The king figures he wants to
control this whole bay, besides, and then expand into the Storm Sea. That means
trouble for us, even if he DOES attack the other Karnhorns first."
"But why haven't the magicians at Vithicar done something about it?"
The guard snorted. "You think Vithicar's still there? When was the last time
you heard anything about Vithicar? I figure the Black Kaliv dropped more snow and
ice on it, and now it's buried forever."
"But--"
"So if we want to fight the black ships, we have to do it ourselves."
"But we're not magicians! To go fighting demons, well, that needs a mage--"
"I never heard of a demon that didn't back off when you put a couple feet of
steel through its liver."
DUELMASTER'S COLUMN
Notes from the arena champ.
I know you are all happy to see me on the throne. After all, having a nice,
gentle warrior who has massive teeth problems on top, merely means it should be easy
for the rest of the warriors to unseat him. Don't you think?
But I am going to do my best to keep that from happening. I have some team help
"up here" to take on the challenging aimers, and I am hoping to keep matching with
styles more to my liking. (And an aimed blow sure ain't one to my liking!)
You guys don't know how lucky you have it. Take me, for example; every time
some opponent smacks one of those metal weapons against my shield, driving it into my
face in close proximity to my face and gold filled teeth, the galvanic reaction
lights up my mouth! Dang, that hurts! I have to put up with that when I did a good
thing and blocked the blow? Gonna get me some of those old time wooden shields, I'll
tell you that!
So come on up and get me--if you can. My real goal is going to keep y'all at
bay, and battle it out with the NPC's. Great strategy, huh? Well, after all, I am a
nice, gentle warrior.
See you on the sands.
Gold Filling
SPY REPORT
Like the magnificent Sun, rising upon the Dawn and exiling the Night for a Day,
I, Novgorodny Vir, return once again! GOLDEN GLADIATORS had cause to celebrate,
after GOLDEN ARCHES got 16 points by beating PUNH JENTLY. PUNH JENTLY certainly had
a baffled expression on his face, after losing to GOLDEN ARCHES and losing 14 points
in the process! Like a flirtacious debutante, WILLAF's Duelmaster GOLD FILLING found
himself the man of the hour, being "invited to dance" 2 times! CAT MAN DO found out
that WILLAF isn't a democracy. You've gotta be the best to be Duelmaster here! Word
has it one team in WILLAF is taking speech lessons to try to bore their opponent to
death. I'll bet it works.
My mother wished me to avoid conflict, and seek the gentle trade of Spyreporter.
But warriors aren't supposed to avoid fights! Like a horde of jackals fleeing from
the lion, so did the "warriors" in WILLAF avoid ARENA FELINES. Like a pup with its
tail between its legs, GOLDEN GLADIATORS scurried away from ARENA FELINES. Oh, the
shame!
Like the wind whispering among the pines, do hearest I many disquieting rumors.
Oh hard! that to strike a flame, the match itself must needs be wasting!
Do not think spyreporting in WILLAF is the highlight of my life. As if buffeted
by forces of nature beyond my control, I must take my leave of this place. WILLAF, I
leave you now. The Duelmaster has agreed to foot my bill at The Dripping Blade.
'Til next time-- Novgorodny Vir
DUELMASTER W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
GOLD FILLING 4510 24 7 0 101 GOLDEN GLADIATORS (362)
CHALLENGER CHAMPIONS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
CAT MAN DO 4901 14 15 1 97 ARENA FELINES (452)
FLUFFY 5060 17 4 0 96 ARENA FELINES (452)
CHAMPIONS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
GOLDEN ARCHES 4984 8 2 0 83 GOLDEN GLADIATORS (362)
CHALLENGER ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
-MARI ACHIE 5471 7 6 2 66 FUNKY FOLK (565)
PUNH JENTLY 5485 11 13 0 65 PUNNY AMINALS (305)
ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY 5491 8 0 0 53 GOLDEN GLADIATORS (362)
-LIZA LOTT 5570 5 1 0 53 FUNKY FOLK (565)
-CAT A. CLYSMIC 5074 8 7 0 49 ARENA FELINES (452)
O. FISH 5482 9 18 0 45 PUNNY AMINALS (305)
-LUCY FURR 5527 3 1 1 43 FUNKY FOLK (565)
KITTEN KABOODLE 5515 4 3 0 41 ARENA FELINES (452)
KETL PHYSHE 5489 6 15 0 40 PUNNY AMINALS (305)
O PUNCHA 5531 6 9 0 36 PUNNY AMINALS (305)
INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
XENOPHOBIAC 5586 2 1 0 19 D.S.M.V. (578)
NARCOLEPTIC 5588 2 1 1 16 D.S.M.V. (578)
SEDRAN 5008 3 0 0 15 BLOODBANE CLAN (525)
PURZ! 5591 2 0 0 12 ARENA FELINES (452)
-DISAPPEARING ROCKS 5550 1 0 0 10 KLK PARTY GAMES (575)
GOLD RUSH 5592 1 0 0 8 GOLDEN GLADIATORS (362)
POT OF GOLD 5590 1 2 0 7 GOLDEN GLADIATORS (362)
KLEPTOMANIAC 5589 1 2 1 6 D.S.M.V. (578)
TRISKADECAPHOBIAC 5587 1 2 0 5 D.S.M.V. (578)
UMAR GROHND 5009 1 2 0 5 BLOODBANE CLAN (525)
'-' denotes a warrior who did not fight this turn.
THE DEAD W L K TEAM NAME SLAIN BY TURN Revenge?
NECORPIILIAC 5585 0 3 0 D.S.M.V. 578 HIGH ELF 535 521 NONE
PERSONAL ADS
O. Fish -- What can I say? You make a great sandwich! -- Golden Arches
Kleptomaniac -- The next time I catch you with your hand in someone else's pot, it is
sayonara! -- Pot Of Gold
Tevik Zokharj -- I don't want or need any cheap tidbit of Willaf. No
responsibilities, capiche? I am retiring to pure R&R. -- Old Gold zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz
Punh -- But I like the feel of the sand. It stimulates me! -- Golden Arches
O Puncha -- Whew! I almost lost my golden opportunity there. -- Golden Opportunity
Punh Jently -- Perhaps my gold wasn't as old as I thought? You caught me at my best.
Perhaps you can do better punhing out some gold fillings? Have fun and good bye. --
Old Gold
Golden Gladiators -- You listened and acted. That 5-0 is much more representative of
my expectations! -- Midas, Golden Gladiators Manager
All -- It's really too bad that the Golden Gladiators has moved in and taken over
Willaf arena. There used to be so many more good teams and players before those
Gold-digging Stumps have dominated everything. All of you should be painfully aware
of who is your real enemy here in Willaf, and that is the Golden Gladiators. Those
Goldy Glad boys need to be chopped down, and only through your combined efforts can
that be accomplished. Dethrone the Goldies and put them down to their place in the
sewers of Willaf. It's time for their self-righteous arrogance to end, and end now.
Old Gold -- Hasta la vista, friend. -- Punh Jently
P.S. Could I call that "seeing you off with a win" and thus escape Jorja's censure?
Golden Arches -- Ah, those high-stepping feet! Try NOT to step on my kidneys next
time, okay? -- O.Fish
Golden Opportunity -- Heck, I was HOPING that it was MY golden chance to win. -- O
Puncha
Kitten Kaboodle -- Sounds like one of our names, on one of Jorja's better days.
(sigh) It amazes me that you were able to learn that much and STILL win the fight.
Depresses me, too. -- Ketl Physhe
Gold Filling, Golden Opportunity, and Old Gold -- Without us, you'd have to buckle
down and fight for your lives. -- Venomous Concubine and Fratsfa Slave
P.S. I can't speak for my companion, but I assure you that I am not Fratsfan and
only have this despicable name because I was horribly ENSLAVED by the Fratsfans but
managed to escape. Will the stigma never fade?
O Puncha -- But I like using a mace to convert people. -- Nazar of Salrin, Cult
Member in good standing
15 September 2005
HAMMER ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT
Be it known from the highest mountains to the darkest alleys of Alastari that
the veteran manager known far and wide as Hammer has now officially retired from
sponsoring contests as of September 15, 2005.
What a long time ago was a fun motivated activity to help promote our common
DM/D2 gaming interest in an effort to promote the growth and competitiveness of
selected arenas has become a far from fun experience.
In other words Hammer has had it!
The combination of real life situations interfering with the time needed to
effectively sponsor a contest, plus the attitudes expressed during such sponsorship
interference has led to Hammer closing his personal coin coffers and retiring from
his planned sponsorship of any future contests.
There are others in our close knit gaming community who are well able to step up
to the plate and continue sponsoring contests that make the basic game a fun
experience for all those who choose to compete and interact in such future endeavors.
Hammer thanks all managers both active and inactive who helped to make the
Hammer sponsored contests a historical and entertaining experience well worth the
time, effort and money spent over the past several years.
May the Cheers and the Jeers of future contests build upon the legacies of those
who have paved the way in years gone by to help make this game what it is today.
Hammer has no regrets for the part he has played in that history.
LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS
NECORPIILIAC was butchered by HIGH ELF in a 1 minute bloody Dark Arena fight.
GOLDEN ARCHES vanquished PUNH JENTLY in a 1 minute uneven Challenge battle.
KITTEN KABOODLE was luckily beaten by GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY in a 7 minute fight.
XENOPHOBIAC bested POT OF GOLD in a exciting 1 minute novice's Challenge fight.
GOLD FILLING unbelievably bested CAT MAN DO in a 8 minute expert's Title brawl.
FLUFFY overpowered VENOMOUS CONCUBINE in a 1 minute mismatched brawl.
O. FISH was overpowered by DANGEROUS CRIMINAL in a 1 minute uneven melee.
NARCOLEPTIC was vanquished by KETL PHYSHE in a 1 minute uneven duel.
O PUNCHA savagely defeated CULT MEMBER in a 2 minute gruesome duel.
UMAR GROHND was savagely defeated by PURZ! in a action packed 1 minute novice's fight.
SEDRAN defeated TRISKADECAPHOBIAC in a 2 minute bloody novice's match.
KLEPTOMANIAC was overcome by GOLD RUSH in a 1 minute novice's contest.
BATTLE REPORT
MOST POPULAR RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS
|FIGHTING STYLE FIGHTS FIGHTING STYLE W - L - K PERCENT|
|LUNGING ATTACK 4 TOTAL PARRY 20 - 3 - 0 87 |
|STRIKING ATTACK 4 SLASHING ATTACK 12 - 3 - 1 80 |
|AIMED BLOW 4 PARRY-STRIKE 5 - 5 - 0 50 |
|TOTAL PARRY 2 STRIKING ATTACK 9 - 10 - 0 47 |
|BASHING ATTACK 2 LUNGING ATTACK 23 - 27 - 3 46 |
|PARRY-STRIKE 1 BASHING ATTACK 8 - 11 - 0 42 |
|PARRY-LUNGE 1 AIMED BLOW 6 - 13 - 1 32 |
|SLASHING ATTACK 1 PARRY-LUNGE 3 - 7 - 0 30 |
|WALL OF STEEL 1 WALL OF STEEL 1 - 6 - 0 14 |
|PARRY-RIPOSTE 0 PARRY-RIPOSTE 0 - 1 - 0 0 |
Turn 521 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 1 - 0 AIMED BLOW 1 - 3 3 STRIKING ATTACK
TOTAL PARRY 2 - 0 PARRY-LUNGE 0 - 1 3 LUNGING ATTACK
LUNGING ATTACK 3 - 1 PARRY-RIPOSTE 0 - 0 2 TOTAL PARRY
STRIKING ATTACK 2 - 2 SLASHING ATTACK 0 - 1 1 AIMED BLOW
BASHING ATTACK 1 - 1 WALL OF STEEL 0 - 1 1 PARRY-LUNGE
1 SLASHING ATTACK
TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE
FIGHTING STYLE WARRIOR W L K PNTS TEAM NAME
TOTAL PARRY GOLD FILLING 4510 24 7 0 101 GOLDEN GLADIATORS (362)
STRIKING ATTACK FLUFFY 5060 17 4 0 96 ARENA FELINES (452)
Note: Warriors have a winning record and are an Adept or Above.
The overall popularity leader is CAT MAN DO 4901. The most popular warrior this turn
was CAT MAN DO 4901. The ten other most popular fighters were KITTEN KABOODLE 5515,
O PUNCHA 5531, PURZ! 5591, SEDRAN 5008, GOLDEN OPPORTUNITY 5491, XENOPHOBIAC 5586,
GOLD FILLING 4510, FLUFFY 5060, GOLDEN ARCHES 4984, and KETL PHYSHE 5489.
The least popular fighter this week was KLEPTOMANIAC 5589. The other ten least
popular fighters were TRISKADECAPHOBIAC 5587, NARCOLEPTIC 5588, PUNH JENTLY 5485,
NECORPIILIAC 5585, UMAR GROHND 5009, O. FISH 5482, POT OF GOLD 5590, GOLD RUSH 5592,
KETL PHYSHE 5489, and GOLDEN ARCHES 4984.