DUELMASTERS NEWSLETTER
Date : 10/02/2003 Duedate: 10/15/2003
ZORPUNT ARENA
DM-24 TURN-462
This Weeks Top Honors
THE DUELMASTER IS
CANE TOAD
AUSSIE KILLERS (455)
(24-4425) [9-5-0,103]
Chartered Recognition Leader Unchartered Recognition Leader
CANE TOAD POSITION IS EMPTY
AUSSIE KILLERS (455)
(24-4425) [9-5-0,103]
Popularity Leader This Weeks Favorite
TRISHA WINGFOOT TELLAR FLEET
KRILL CAVALRY (403) KRILL CAVALRY (403)
(24-4330) [18-27-0,87] (24-4415) [10-5-1,36]
THE CURRENT TOP TEAM
BATTLEMANIA (71)
TEAMS ON THE MOVE TOP CAREER HONORS
Team Name Point Gain Chartered Team
1. AUSSIE KILLERS (455) 22
2. THE ASININE (272) 14 THE ASININE (272)
3. BATTLEMANIA (71) 13 Unchartered Team
4. SAVAGES (178) 0
5. THE MC5 (445) 0 FARM BOYS (334)
The Top Teams
Career Win-Loss Record W L K % Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns W L K
1- 1 DIABLO ALSO (458) 45 19 1 70.3 1/ 1 BATTLEMANIA (71) 9 6 1
2/ 2 THE ASININE (272) 87 76 8 53.4 2/ 4 AUSSIE KILLERS (455) 7 2 1
3/ 6 AUSSIE KILLERS (455) 34 30 3 53.1 3/ 3 THE ASININE (272) 5 5 1
4- 3 THE MC5 (445) 97 86 9 53.0 4/ 2 KRILL CAVALRY (403) 5 10 0
5/ 4 BATTLEMANIA (71) 353 322 24 52.3 5- 5 THE MC5 (445) 3 2 0
6/ 5 KRILL CAVALRY (403) 361 352 11 50.6 6- 6 DIABLO ALSO (458) 1 0 0
7- 7 SAVAGES (178) 105 127 12 45.3 7- 8*BAND OF THE HAND (61) 0 1 0
8- 8*BAND OF THE HAND (61) 1 5 0 16.7 8- 7 SAVAGES (178) 0 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 Aruaki Clanhold #119 ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ +
Tobir:
Karanjal of Zorpunt held the invitation to adventure while Daisy January swung
the hammer with more determination than skill. He would have felt safer if HE had
been the one with the hammer, but there was no arguing with a determined woman who
didn't want to listen. But if "safe" had been something that really mattered to him,
he'd never have become a gladiator.
"You really expect someone to respond to this...invitation to disaster?" he
asked.
"Not anyone with YOUR attitude. It's an invitation to ADVENTURE. To explore
the whole issue of why Krael is attacking coastal towns. And yes," Daisy said
calmly, "I DO expect people to respond." She glanced over her shoulder at him, then
stepped away from the wall. "You should know how bored warriors can get on the Isle,
after all.
Karanjal shrugged, but he could hardly argue with that. "You'd better have a
definite plan," he warned her.
"I do. I'll tell you about it over lunch." She set off briskly toward a small
cafe the gladiators in Tobir favored.
"Tell me while we walk," he suggested. "I can't bear to wait that long."
"Ha ha. Like this was some huge city that it would take more than ten minutes
to walk across." She frowned straight ahead, then shrugged slightly. "Okay. This
won't be the first time gladiators have investigated Krael, you know. There was a
group from Point and Iaye that set out to do that several years ago--"
"I don't think I ever heard of that," Karanjal admitted. "What happened?"
"It was hard to find out." She ducked under the awning that protected the front
of the cafe and made for a booth against the far wall. When Karanjal slid in across
from her, she said, "I had a hard time finding any information about it--" To the
waiter she said, "Pizza with everything, I don't want to piss off the pizza guys."
Her companion frowned. "Is this a joke?"
"Hey, the Pizza Guys here in Tobir carry swords! I don't want them mad at me!"
"If you say so. What about Krael?"
"I did manage to find one of the gladiators that went on that expedition, and he
said--well, he said a lot of stuff, but the important thing was that some kind of
time shift occurred, and when they came back to OUR time from the last days of Krael,
someone from then came too."
"Oh...shoot," Karanjal said softly. "I don't like where I think this is going.
There were a lot of wizards in Krael, especially in the 'last days'. If one of THEM
came to our time...."
"Exactly. Quite a possible adventure, don't you think?"
+ ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ Andorians Abroad #15 ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ +
Istoreth, Skaithvarn:
From the ship, Istoreth was a city of spires, white marble and dark pines
climbing a cliff together above a crowded harbor. Silent, beautiful, not quite
familiar. Close up, with the Iayen ship moving restlessly against the worn stone of
a wharf, it was more familiar, less beautiful, and not at all silent. The basic
nature of a waterfront is not changed by the language of the people inhabiting it.
Goff was arguing with somebody who acted official, probably a harbormaster,
Raoul decided. No doubt there would be docking fees or something of that kind, and
they might have to identify themselves and their purpose, register somewhere as
visiting foreigners. None of that stuff was his problem. Goff could handle the
harbormaster, he was doing that already. And Berdan could make himself useful
dealing with any other officials. The Fratsfan looked like somebody who could deal
with officials, maybe even enjoyed it. If he'd been a gladiator, he would probably
have been a total parry....
The ex-assassin was talking to another man a little farther along the dock.
Raoul saw money change hands, and Berdan accepted a package from the stranger. The
gladiator frowned, watching the stranger walk away quickly. Berdan wasn't supposed
to know anybody here...except the other assassin, Peranis. And that man was not
Peranis. Was this an indication of the wide contacts Raoul had suspected all along
that Berdan had? Probably. But was it a sign of treachery, or at least that Berdan
was playing his own game as well as theirs? Possibly. The man was an ex-assassin,
which automatically made him...not exactly untrustworthy, perhaps, but someone to be
watched carefully. The assassins had been spies, as well as killers. Concealing
their purposes was second nature. And he was a Fratsfan, besides, a race noted for
the labyrinthine complexity of their thoughts and schemes. But he and Jeri and Goff,
and by extension King Mickeal, had to trust somebody.
Still, Raoul watched very closely as Berdan came back toward Goff's boat. The
man was holding his package, still unopened, very carefully, on the palm of his
opened hand and well away from his body.
"I need a bucket of water," Berdan said quietly. "I need it rather quickly," he
added when the others gaped at him. "I don't think this will explode until I open
it, but I can't be sure...."
Jeri jumped and reached for a bucket, Raoul took it from her and dunked it over
the side, then held it out.
"Set it over there, away from us all," the ex-assassin said. "There are even a
few explosive devises which are activated by water, though I don't think this is
one." He wasn't quite whispering. "They're...tricky to handle, and Peranis had to
leave this in the hands of a stranger who might be careless. It should be something
simple, perhaps not even magical." When the bucket was positioned to his
satisfaction, and Goff had drawn the staring harbormaster out of the way, Berdan
lowered the package gently into the water and sprang back.
"If it's magical, what difference will water make?" Jeri asked.
"More than you might think," Berdan answered. "Water is amazing stuff and
washes out many things." The bucket suddenly erupted into a plume of dark foam.
"Ah! I wondered what Peranis might have available. That he would risk using black
ice tells us that he is truly desperate." As he spoke, the plume reached the height
of a man, collapsed, and dissolved the end of the dock before falling into the
harbor.
"The other ships!" the harbormaster exclaimed, looking around frantically.
"They're not in danger," Berdan said. "The black ice has exhausted itself. You
see?" He pointed downward. "It is dissipating."
"You said it would be safer to put the package into water," Jeri muttered in a
shaky voice.
"It is, it was, young lady. Had black ice been exposed to air before water, the
results would have been disastrous."
"It's disastrous as it is!" the harbormaster wailed. "My dock!" He turned on
Berdan fiercely. "You brought this here--"
"I did nothing of the sort," the ex-assassin answered coldly. "It was handed to
me but moments ago by one of YOUR men."
Before the harbormaster could respond, a squad of soldiers thundered onto the
dock. "Everyone here is to see Lord Dankilvan immediately!" the leader commanded.
+ ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ Andorians Abroad #16 ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ +
Possibly Zuwayza:
It seemed to take Tankesh forever to fall out of the Gate, his motion slowed to
the point where he wasn't even sure he was moving at all. And then there was a sort
of soundless click, and the floor came up fast and hard, knocking the breath out of
him as he hit and rolled.
Voices speaking akkhadic, upper-class accents. Shouting. No time to sort
things out. Gasping for breath but too well-trained to pause, he rolled to his feet
with his sword out, ending crouched and ready for anything. By the grace of all the
gods, he was face to face with the Karnhorn vizier, Khannarth. The man who had
betrayed his city and his ruler, plotted with the Satrap's First Wife to turn over
the Zuwayza to the minions of Inzolas, tried to have the Satrap's Second Wife and
Tankesh killed..... Ah, it was GOOD to be here, now, and ready.
The Vizier was looking past him and commanding someone to "get him!"
Right, voices, plural. Other people in the room. Probably guards. Tankesh
took a quick slash at the retreating Vizier; not a killing blow, but he felt the
resistance of clothing and flesh. Continued the motion into a turn. Right, guards.
Two...three. Startled by his arrival out of nowhere, not expecting him to come
around so fast. The first man would never have a chance to adjust his thinking; the
slash aimed at HIM gutted him and nearly cut him in two. The second was a little
farther back. He might recover, if he got the bleeding stopped in time. But with
only one hand left to use, that wasn't likely. Shocked by the unexpected and extreme
violence, he was out of the fight. Khannarth was screaming orders behind him, and
the third man was leveling his spear for a charge. Stupid weapon to carry indoors,
maybe it was tradition, maybe it was just ornamental, didn't matter.
Tankesh edged to the right, drawing the spearman's attention with him. When the
man was fully committed, all his momentum focused into the charge, Tankesh ducked to
the left. Tripped over his first victim but rolled and came up again, whacked the
spear in two in passing, kicked the man in the belly as his charge brought him within
range, and turned to face Khannarth again.
The Vizier was holding his robes against a bleeding chest wound with one hand
and tugging on a bell-pull with the other. Tankesh lunged closer and cut through
bell rope.
And then froze as a man with a cocked and ready crossbow appeared in the doorway
behind the Vizier. More than one man, and several with crossbows. Karnhorns, of
course. Damn. They were all dressed alike, no doubt a uniform, but not the same as
worn by the three guards he'd just dealt with. Khannarth began babbling out
accusations and orders.
The first of the newcomers silenced him with a curt word. "You will BOTH
explain yourself to the Exalted Satrap, may His justice be swift and sure," the man
said. He gestured them out into the hallway with his crossbow. "Now."
SPY REPORT
Well, what are you looking at, ZORPUNT? Ain't you never seen Snide Clemens
before? Ah, shaddup and listen to my news. Of course, we're all terribly impressed
to see RICH CRANIUM win a fight and gain 19 points, terribly. Tsk, tsk, RICH CRANIUM
beat SPANKYTIME and SPANKYTIME lost 13 points. You're breakin' my heart. Due to
absence, and inability to defend the throne, CURTIS JOSEPH has lost the Title of
Duelmaster. Start setting that alarm earlier! And it's out with the old, in with
the new, as CANE TOAD 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, ZORPUNT?
My mother always told me, 'If you don't have anything nice to say, start
talking.' I loved that woman. What's the big D? THE ASININE was the most avoided
team? Bunch of lily livered... grumble... mumble... curse... And it looks like
BATTLEMANIA avoided them the most this turn. What a pack of would be losers, if you
ask me. Hmph. TELLAR FLEET was challenged more times this turn than the Duelmaster.
Now was the DM insulted or feared? Heh, heh.
Some people like volunteer work in the hospitals. I volunteer for ZORPUNT's
morgue. More variety. Gee, THE ASININE, ain't it past due for sending YOU HATE ME
Dark Arena? What took ol' '13-6-0' so long? Hope? Ha ha aha ha! Now hey, I like
to see a death as much as the next guy, but hey THE ASININE, whyja send YOU HATE ME
to the Dark Arena, look at his record, huh? Not that I'll be buying the drinks, but
I'll be glad to see FLESHHARROWER and THE ASININE at The Welcome Wench tonight
celebrating their bloodfeud victory over PENOK. Honor is like a chainmail shirt, it
only shines through use. Certain nameless cowards will doubtless rebuke me on this
one.
What does the ZORPUNT arena have in common with the inns? It's just as
comfortable to sleep in either place. Ha ha ha ha! Well, I've had enough of this
drivel, and I'm sure you have too. Off like a dirty shirt of padded leather. I see
the crowds are getting restless, I must leave now-- Snide Clemens
DUELMASTER W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
CANE TOAD 4425 9 5 0 103 AUSSIE KILLERS (455)
CHALLENGER CHAMPIONS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
-SLIM SHADY 4370 13 12 0 117 THE MC5 (445)
-CURTIS JOSEPH 4384 12 11 0 104 THE MC5 (445)
CHALLENGER CHAMPIONS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
CONE SHELL 4422 11 3 1 96 AUSSIE KILLERS (455)
-KID ROCK 4340 21 15 0 93 THE MC5 (445)
CHAMPIONS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
TRISHA WINGFOOT 4330 18 27 0 87 KRILL CAVALRY (403)
TAZZY TIGER 4423 7 7 0 80 AUSSIE KILLERS (455)
FLESHHARROWER 4462 7 2 1 75 THE ASININE (272)
CHALLENGER ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
RICH CRANIUM 4464 8 0 0 66 THE ASININE (272)
-ASSASSASSIN 4454 7 3 0 66 DIABLO ALSO (458)
DEHUMANIZER 4461 5 4 1 57 THE ASININE (272)
ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
SPANKYTIME 4446 7 3 1 44 BATTLEMANIA (71)
ORESTES 4471 4 2 0 40 BATTLEMANIA (71)
OLD MAN WINTER 4467 5 2 0 39 BATTLEMANIA (71)
TELLAR FLEET 4415 10 5 1 36 KRILL CAVALRY (403)
CHALLENGER INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
PENOK 4445 5 5 1 33 BATTLEMANIA (71)
-BROAD WITH A ROD 4452 8 4 0 32 DIABLO ALSO (458)
-MAGIC LASS 4455 7 5 0 32 DIABLO ALSO (458)
INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
-EASTERN BROWN 4424 4 7 2 21 AUSSIE KILLERS (455)
TOMBO LARK 4488 3 1 0 19 KRILL CAVALRY (403)
JESSIE JUNE 4466 4 5 0 18 KRILL CAVALRY (403)
-BARGHEEL 450 1 0 0 16 BAND OF THE HAND (61)
DAMNATION 4492 1 0 1 13 THE ASININE (272)
-GEORGE CLINTON 4470 2 3 1 10 THE MC5 (445)
-IGGY POP 4469 0 5 0 5 THE MC5 (445)
-ARGHH! 449 0 2 0 2 BAND OF THE HAND (61)
-ELFARREN 453 0 1 0 2 BAND OF THE HAND (61)
-DARGHETTE 452 0 1 0 1 BAND OF THE HAND (61)
'-' denotes a warrior who did not fight this turn.
THE DEAD W L K TEAM NAME SLAIN BY TURN Revenge?
YOU HATE ME 4366 13 7 0 THE ASININE 272 SPYMASTER 414 462 NONE
AIMER 4427 7 3 0 THE ASININE 272 PENOK 4445 461 JUST REV
DA22 4493 0 1 0 BATTLEMANIA 71 SHEWISH GIANT 413 462 NONE
TESSELA RYDER 4490 1 2 0 KRILL CAVALRY 403 DAMNATION 4492 462
KERMET 4465 1 4 0 KRILL CAVALRY 403 GEORGE CLINTON 4470 458 REVENGED
HOFFA 4332 12 31 2 SAVAGES 178 CONE SHELL 4422 460
PERSONAL ADS
Darkfist -- Thanks. Though to be perfectly honest, I was surprised myself that I
took the throne so quickly.... --THawk
Asinine -- Well, I tried to warn Aimer. Must not have been paying attention. No
more cheap wins for you with that one. Thanks, girlfriend! -- Old Man Winter
Jessie June -- We need to fight someone else once in a while or people will start
talking about us! -- Spankytime
Tombo Lark -- You sure went down easy. Wish all my fights went that way.... -- Old
Man Winter
Asinine -- I think I've found my favorite weapon! Bring on the bloodfeud, I've
already beaten Dehumanizer, came very close once with Dick, 'You Hate Me' would be a
bad idea after this kind of defeat so I guess it will be Fleshharrower. If I don't
win I'll probably die so we could very well end up trading bloodfeuds for a while.
Let's dance! -- Penok
Tessela Ryder -- Huh, just like the Old Man said recently, I kept hitting you nowhere
near my aiming point. Any idea why? -- Orestes
Tellar Fleet -- Ah, just what exactly is a konep? And why is that bad...? -- Penok
Tazzy Tiger -- Not today, pussycat. -- Trisha Wingfoot
They're extinct, you know. It's rather a disadvantage. -- Ed.
Spankytime -- You're so RUDE. And not even a guy. -- Jessie June
Dehumanizer -- You make my blood run cold (quite inhuman) with your very name! And
your puissance turns my bones to jelly. My hair turns white at the sight of your
terrifying face. Other comments as may be appropriate. -- Tellar Fleet
P.S. That was about what I expected, actually.
Old Man Winter -- You chilled me to the bone, which was not comfortable. Ever try
wearing an overcoat on your bones? -- Tombo Lark
Orestes -- Wow, the skills! I don't care what you got up to with your mother if you
can teach me like that. -- Tessela Ryder
Penok -- (recklessly) Sure, why not? It's my year to live dangerously after all.
Where shall we go? Out for dinner and dancing or...stay in and do other kinds of
dancing? -- Tellar Fleet
Spankytime -- I should hope so! You make ME nervous, and I want to return the favor.
-- Jessie June
9 September 2003
WE'RE LOOKING FOR A FEW GOOD MANAGERS! If you think you have what it takes to match
wits and blades with some of the best managers in Alastari, then WE WANT YOU! The
Tournament Of The Golden Scrod #4 will begin in Aradi (DM 60) the turn after the Fall
Mail-In. It's not too late for you to sign up. I realize that many of you may be
hesitant after seeing that myself and Hombre have teamed up again, but we'll try to
take it easy on you guys a little bit. For more information on T#%S IV, please
contact me at ganolus@aol.com. We're looking for a few good managers...the few, the
proud, the TOGS!
-- Ganolus Oakleaf, T#%S IV Commish
15 September 2003
An Announcement Concerning the Brotherhood of the Blade Alliance:
I have chosen to withdraw my membership from the Brotherhood of the Blade
alliance. The years I have spent in the alliance have been the best of my DM career.
I leave the alliance with many great friends and will always remain close to my
former brethren.
The Brotherhood of the Blade will not skip a beat without my membership. It
remains in very capable hands and its roster is among the strongest in the game.
With the return on some of its founding members to DM, I know the BOB will continue
to grow in strength and prestige in the years to come. -- The Sandman
29 September 2003
All -- Let it be known that the Firm accepts SOL into its ranks. The Firm is:
SunGod, Dark Spirit, Youngblood, Tripwire, and SOL.
LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS
YOU HATE ME was butchered by SPYMASTER in a 1 minute bloody Dark Arena fight.
DA22 was slaughtered by SHEWISH GIANT in a 1 minute Dark Arena battle.
FLESHHARROWER overcame PENOK in a popular 1 minute Bloodfeud match.
CONE SHELL won victory over TRISHA WINGFOOT in a 1 minute Challenge brawl.
RICH CRANIUM overpowered SPANKYTIME in a 1 minute one-sided Challenge fight.
CANE TOAD devastated VETERAN MERCENARY in a 1 minute uneven Title brawl.
TAZZY TIGER overpowered DEHUMANIZER in a 1 minute one-sided struggle.
TELLAR FLEET slimly lost to ORESTES in a popular 4 minute gruesome competition.
JESSIE JUNE was vanquished by OLD MAN WINTER in a 1 minute uneven duel.
TOMBO LARK vanquished CONVICTED THIEF in a 1 minute uneven fight.
TESSELA RYDER was dispatched by DAMNATION in a 2 minute brutal novice's fight.
BATTLE REPORT
MOST POPULAR RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS
|FIGHTING STYLE FIGHTS FIGHTING STYLE W - L - K PERCENT|
|LUNGING ATTACK 6 LUNGING ATTACK 42 - 16 - 5 72 |
|PARRY-LUNGE 2 BASHING ATTACK 7 - 3 - 1 70 |
|PARRY-RIPOSTE 2 TOTAL PARRY 20 - 11 - 1 65 |
|STRIKING ATTACK 2 WALL OF STEEL 7 - 6 - 0 54 |
|WALL OF STEEL 2 PARRY-RIPOSTE 8 - 8 - 0 50 |
|SLASHING ATTACK 1 SLASHING ATTACK 9 - 9 - 0 50 |
|BASHING ATTACK 1 AIMED BLOW 11 - 15 - 1 42 |
|AIMED BLOW 1 PARRY-LUNGE 8 - 16 - 0 33 |
|TOTAL PARRY 1 STRIKING ATTACK 10 - 23 - 2 30 |
|PARRY-STRIKE 0 PARRY-STRIKE 1 - 10 - 0 9 |
Turn 462 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:
SLASHING ATTACK 1 - 0 AIMED BLOW 0 - 1 4 LUNGING ATTACK
BASHING ATTACK 1 - 0 PARRY-STRIKE 0 - 0 2 TOTAL PARRY
LUNGING ATTACK 4 - 2 TOTAL PARRY 0 - 1 2 SLASHING ATTACK
PARRY-LUNGE 1 - 1 WALL OF STEEL 0 - 2 1 STRIKING ATTACK
PARRY-RIPOSTE 1 - 1 1 PARRY-LUNGE
STRIKING ATTACK 1 - 1 1 BASHING ATTACK
TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE
FIGHTING STYLE WARRIOR W L K PNTS TEAM NAME
STRIKING ATTACK CANE TOAD 4425 9 5 0 103 AUSSIE KILLERS (455)
LUNGING ATTACK CONE SHELL 4422 11 3 1 96 AUSSIE KILLERS (455)
BASHING ATTACK FLESHHARROWER 4462 7 2 1 75 THE ASININE (272)
PARRY-RIPOSTE ORESTES 4471 4 2 0 40 BATTLEMANIA (71)
PARRY-LUNGE OLD MAN WINTER 4467 5 2 0 39 BATTLEMANIA (71)
WALL OF STEEL TELLAR FLEET 4415 10 5 1 36 KRILL CAVALRY (403)
Note: Warriors have a winning record and are an Adept or Above.
The overall popularity leader is TRISHA WINGFOOT 4330. The most popular warrior this
turn was TELLAR FLEET 4415. The ten other most popular fighters were CONE SHELL
4422, RICH CRANIUM 4464, ORESTES 4471, DAMNATION 4492, FLESHHARROWER 4462, PENOK
4445, TAZZY TIGER 4423, TOMBO LARK 4488, CANE TOAD 4425, and OLD MAN WINTER 4467.
The least popular fighter this week was JESSIE JUNE 4466. The other ten least
popular fighters were DEHUMANIZER 4461, SPANKYTIME 4446, TRISHA WINGFOOT 4330, DA22
4493, YOU HATE ME 4366, TESSELA RYDER 4490, OLD MAN WINTER 4467, CANE TOAD 4425,
TOMBO LARK 4488, and TAZZY TIGER 4423.