DUELMASTERS NEWSLETTER
Date : 03/31/2004 Duedate: 04/13/2004
LAPUR ARENA
DM-29 TURN-472
This Weeks Top Honors
THE DUELMASTER IS
LUCIUS
EQUESTORS (158)
(29-4406) [17-13-2,107]
Chartered Recognition Leader Unchartered Recognition Leader
LUCIUS POSITION IS EMPTY
EQUESTORS (158)
(29-4406) [17-13-2,107]
Popularity Leader This Weeks Favorite
LUCIUS SOUTHEASTERN SHREW
EQUESTORS (158) SHREW CAN IT BE NOW (309)
(29-4406) [17-13-2,107] (29-3719) [7-6-2,76]
THE CURRENT TOP TEAM
CROC FILES (374)
TEAMS ON THE MOVE TOP CAREER HONORS
Team Name Point Gain Chartered Team
1. SHREW CAN IT BE NOW (309) 43
2. CARDOW HUNTERS (359) 33SHREW CAN IT BE NOW (309)
3. EQUESTORS (158) 12 Unchartered Team
4. DEATH THREAT (376) 5
5. CRIMSON KINGS (388) 0 LEGENDS (295)
The Top Teams
Career Win-Loss Record W L K % Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns W L K
1/ 5 SHREW CAN IT BE NO (309) 64 47 8 57.7 1/ 1 CROC FILES (374) 9 6 0
2/ 4 DEATH THREAT (376) 84 62 12 57.5 2/ 2 DEATH THREAT (376) 8 3 2
3/ 6 CROC FILES (374) 155 127 14 55.0 3/ 6 SHREW CAN IT BE NO (309) 8 6 2
4/ 7 BLACK SAMURAI (166) 243 245 20 49.8 4/ 7 CARDOW HUNTERS (359) 6 6 0
5- 9 TANKS A LOT! (387) 27 28 1 49.1 5/ 4 CRIMSON KINGS (388) 5 10 1
6/ 8 CRIMSON KINGS (388) 31 33 2 48.4 6- 3 TANKS A LOT! (387) 4 6 0
7/10 EQUESTORS (158) 467 518 36 47.4 7/ 5 EQUESTORS (158) 4 10 1
8/11 CARDOW HUNTERS (359) 178 237 7 42.9 8/ 8 BLACK SAMURAI (166) 3 1 0
9-12*CELESTIAL WARDENS (389) 0 1 0 0.0 9-12*CELESTIAL WARDENS (389) 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[(< + -----:----- + >)] The Free Cities #78 [(< + -----:----- + >)]H[(<
Near Barikala:
Twilight rushed westward, following the sun and leaving darkness in its wake.
The stars gave more light than city people realized, but not enough to tell Artemisia
what was approaching around the blacker curve of Barikala island. Something was.
Probably the canoes her lookout had guessed: she could see the flicker of starlight
off what might be paddles rising and falling. That it was to be an attack, she
didn't doubt. There was no other reason for approaching in the darkness like this.
These waters were too dangerous for--
Something bumped against the side of her ship, scraped along it. Other bumps,
maybe a dozen...the canoes. The Lady Protector drew her cutlass and knew that her
crewmen were doing the same. Did these attackers really think she would be so
careless as not to notice their approach?
Something showed over the rail, dark against the dark water, but it gleamed
white briefly in the starlight. She took one long step forward and brought her blade
down on it. From close up, she could smell it, a horrible rotten-meat stink. It
fell away and hit the water and the canoe below with a sodden clunk-splash. There
was no time to think about it; another one was reaching over the rail beside it. She
cut sideways, then reversed to cut the other way at a third. Her crew was lined up
on either side of her, hacking steadily. There was no sound but their grunts of
effort, and their feet shifting on the deck.
"Not everyone here!" Artemisia commanded. "Mr. Horlon, take a half-dozen men
and watch the other rail before they come at us from behind!"
She could hear her first officer's low-voiced commands, and men moving out of
the line. The ones still fighting on this rail moved to cover the gaps in their
line; it was actually better now, because they had room to work.
"These are DEAD men!" one of her sailors exclaimed. "They're already DEAD!"
Zombies? Should that be possible with the Arcanum weakened? Not that it
mattered. Dead or alive, she didn't want them on her ship. "Make them twice dead,
then," she ordered.
In truth, the zombies were not hard to fight with. You had to dismember them to
get them to stop attacking, but they had no skill. Since her crew was more numerous,
the end was not in doubt.
And whoever had launched this attack must know that....
A feint? She wanted desperately to look around for the other attack, the real
one. But the problem with a really good distraction like this was that it was
dangerous. If you ignored it, then the distraction became the real attack.
Artemisia hacked at another zombie trying to climb over the rail and realized
that she had been able to see it very clearly. Too clearly for a moonless night.
She glanced up quickly and then froze. The pillar of light over Barikala had become
a roaring torrent, a blaze to match the sun...and there were shapes moving within the
shining column.
Approaching Niatoli Island:
Ghenis had settled for a small, fast ship, the kind that was used for smuggling
small cargoes. He'd been hunted in Zukal; he wasn't sure why. Had Pelishtekan
somehow guessed that he, Ghenis, had become a deadly enemy? It didn't seem possible,
since he'd spoken to no one of his plan, but maybe the damned Ferencian had ways....
In fact, the man must be a wizard of some kind to pull of the "divine signs" that had
appeared during the worship performances. Which was all the more reason not to go
back to Zukal until he had found the TRUE demongod.
There were men belonging to the cult who owned boats, but Ghenis had not gone to
one of them for transport. No point in making his trail obvious. Being a gladiator
gave him contacts Pelishtekan couldn't guess at. He'd rented the boat from a man who
asked no questions, a man who had been a gladiator on Barikala before the invasion.
Ghenis leaned back against the low cabin in the middle of the boat and began to
plan his operation on Niatoli. Contact his teammate, Cousin Og. Then...other
gladiators. Potential worshippers for the demongod, when he found It. And allies.
He'd have to raise some money, you couldn't start a rival cult without money.
Piracy, maybe, or a little treasure hunting. Maybe raid...Monuntial. Yeah, no one
would mind, no one that mattered to him, anyway, if he raided the invaders.
+ ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ Out of the Past #4 ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ +
Near Fratsfa:
Gladiators sailed up the river from Kati-Tei through Andor, Fratsfa, and Zensu
to the Isle of the Eye. Some came as tourists, some as newly-graduated warriors,
some to attend and participate in the Spring Tourney. This was a steady source of
income for boatmen, and many of them made the trip two or three times a month; the
river and its shores were well known to them.
"I don't remember a castle on that hill," one sailor muttered, squinting at the
shore. "And I was along here just last week...."
"There was no castle there," Lady Fern, manager of the Flower Girls in Fratsfa
confirmed. "And a week is certainly not long enough to build one!"
"There was one...eight hundred years ago," a voice murmured behind her.
The statuesque manager glanced back at her gladiatress, Nasty Nasturtium. The
woman was an Araoi, and elf of the purest blood, and Lady Fern supposed it was
possible that Nasturtium actually REMEMBERED a castle there, but she hoped not. The
thought of having a warrior that old was unsettling. "You're sure, Nasty?"
The elfin blonde nodded firmly. "Yes, my mother told me about it--one of her
brothers helped to bring the castle down. The Castle of Storms, that was its name, a
place of the darkest arts. It was the stronghold of Prince Illrienherthinil
Silverthorn, who was called the Ill Rain."
Lady Fern glanced at the sky automatically. It WAS getting cloudy, but that
was, must be, coincidence. After all, changeable weather was common at this time of
year.
"That wasn't on Khaldren's list." The short, stocky man removed his bowler and
extended a hand to Lady Fern. "Raoul, Lord Protector In Gerfel We Trust."
"Kennelworth has spoken of you," Lady Fern admitted. "But what do you know of
this Castle of Storms?"
"Not a thing, doll. But I'm wondering if Khaldren's magic isn't raising more
ruins than he planned on--anyplace with enough of the wrong kind of magic
concentrated in it."
"This Khaldren is...?" Nasturtium asked.
"A wizard who escaped the sinking of Krael," Raoul explained. "He wants to
bring Krael forward in time, or back from the dead, or something. And other places
he knows about from that era."
"That would take a great magic," Nasturtium protested. "With the Arcanum in the
current low state, it should not be possible."
"Adie in Aruak City says he could be using blood magic based on the arena
deaths, doll. She seems to think that'd do it for him."
The elf recoiled. "It would!" she whispered, "and that would call to all sites
where dark magic has sunk deep. This must be stopped!"
"Well, I'm taking the warning to Lady Sheila--"
"She can do nothing, even if she would," Nasturtium snapped. "She dares not
touch blood magic, even to fight it, except in the most indirect fashion, and
indirection will not serve! Not soon enough, anyway."
"Adie will think of some way to fight Khaldren," Raoul said, a little uneasily.
He took a deep breath and put his hat back on. "And until he's stopped, we will
fight everything he brings up from the past."
"If we have to fight the Ill Rain," Nasty Nasturtium predicted, "it won't be
easy."
Valamantis:
Lord Protector Ka D'Argo, on a brief trip to his home on Kolact, had planned to
take ship at Valamantis. But the port city was not as he had expected. There was
always bustle, but now...it reminded him of a disturbed anthill. And where had those
towers on the landward side come from? They weren't something that could have been
built in a day, or even a year, and he'd been through here four months ago.
"It's Old Valamantis," Arenamistress Sitalva said grimly. "We've had word of
some kind of magic afoot aimed at ruined cities, and with all the blood spilled in
the recent Bloodgames, it would have been more surprising if something had NOT
happened there. But understanding why doesn't help us now. The oldest levels of Old
Valamantis," she said grimly, "were Folstrom. NOBODY wants to see the Folstrom loose
in the world again."
"Bringing the ruins back is one thing," the tall gladiator argued, "but the
people...? Surely Ahringol won't release their souls because of a spell and some
blood."
Sitalva watched the slight wavering of the resurrected towers and shivered,
though the day was already warm. "We'll find out, when the city stabilizes. The
Silver Mage says sometime in the next week and a half or two weeks. But we can see
people moving around in there. And even if they're zombies, it isn't going to be
good."
Iaye:
The fishing boats that had fled Iaye when the earthquakes began crept back one
by one as the Trier grew calm again. Most of them followed the coast down toward
Point, not because they needed the guidance but to see for themselves if drowned
Krael had truly risen from the waves.
It had.
Lord Protector Goff, assistant manager of the Red Dog Gang, stood on the gently
rocking deck of his boat and stared through a spyglass at the rampart of buildings
that blocked what had been the strait between Iaye and Point. He wasn't sure what he
had expected, but not this.
Krael stood above the water, but not as it must once have looked. Many of the
taller buildings showed broken tops, and all was slimed with mud and weed. Here and
there, decaying wrecks lay in the streets or even on the roofs of houses. The smell
of dead fish was obvious even from a mile away. Krael LOOKED like a city that had
spent centuries under water. The people who moved among those ruins didn't. There
weren't enough of them to represent the entire population of the city at the time of
its disaster, he guessed at no more than two hundred. But they looked...normal.
Alive. And their activity--they seemed to be trying to clear one section of the city
of its mud and debris--were just what you'd expect.
And they seemed to take the whole situation for granted. They must KNOW, from
the state of Krael now, what had happened, but they just calmly went about cleaning
up.
That was the most unnerving thing of all.
Xochithlan:
There were no ruins around Xochithlan to rise up at the wizard's call, because
the modern city was the old city, continuously lived in for longer than most
Alastarian cities had existed. There was, perhaps, a tendency for certain long-
buried residents to stir in their graves, but if any came out to walk the streets, it
was not immediately obvious.
What was obvious was the forest.
There had been a forest around Xochithlan for a long time, but it had been
burned away during the Rirorni War. Replanting efforts had been ongoing for the last
eight years, but eight years is not long enough to bring back a major forest. And
what surrounded the city now, pressing in against the walls and disturbing the newer
suburbs, was a major forest.
Not, however, a forest such as the Xochithlani remembered.
This was a Forest Primeval.
This was a forest that might hide...anything.
And according to the scholars of ancient texts consulted by King Feyen of
Xochithlan, it probably did.
Zuwayza:
Zuwayza was as old as Xochithlan, and there were as many dark secrets buried
under its streets. The foundation of the city, Vekhirn knew, went back to the days
before the first humans. There were Folstrom traces, but there was also something
older. Maybe more than one something. And they were all stirring. Too much blood
had been spilled here, especially in the years since the invasion--during the
invasion itself, and in the slow beating back of the Eastern forces.
And in other ways, or for other causes, as well. The court wizard had sensed a
new feeling in the people of the old city. Harder. Crueler, perhaps. Less patient,
less tolerant--and the Glorious Empire had never been noted for tolerance. The woman
Jayde, who claimed to be the daughter of Kjarran, her death and her mysterious
apotheosis, had that been the start of this dark bitterness that gripped the people?
He shrugged that off. Whatever the cause for the change of heart, blood had been
spilled. And somewhere, someone had called on spilled blood to raise old evils, and
spilled blood everywhere had answered.
Aruak City:
Adeolar stared into the gilt-framed mirror, frowning and twisting a lock of hair
between nervous fingers. Nothing she was Seeing was good. Not that the mirror was
the best way to See, but it was the only scrying device she had that was still
working. There was a bloody film over the glass that could not be washed off, and
that, she suspected, was a sign of just how bad things were. Blood magic, used to
excess, tainted everything. There was no doubt that the wizard in Zorpunt was strong
and ruthless, but what he had started seemed to be taking on a life of its own. And
no one, so far, seemed able to stop him.
She would have to take steps herself.
+ ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ Out of the Past #5 ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ +
Dal Shang:
From the top tier of the arena, you could see a long way out to sea, because the
arena was built on a cliff above the harbor. So was a lot of the rest of Dal Shang,
but except for the governor's palace, it mostly wasn't as high as the arena.
Lord Protector Wais, who had come home to Dal Shang in a vague effort to boost
that beleaguered arena, was sitting on the top tier brooding. The arena was
shrinking faster than a pool of water in the desert. Promising warriors who were
looking for a career in the arena were not looking in THIS arena. Fourteen active
warriors last time, and two of them had been retiring by way of a Dark Arena
appearance. His own team, even, had gone inactive! Something had to be done, but he
had no idea what. Even the fans had deserted Dal Shang arena.
With a sigh, he turned away from the empty arena to look out to sea. And so he
saw the waters of the lake heave as though they were boiling, and a new--or very
old--island rise like a black reef no more than five miles off shore. Five miles is
too far away to see the details, but there was something disturbingly regular about
the broken ridgeline of that island. Like buildings....
A note for the people of the Free Cities and Lirith Kai:
Some people say that if you get rid of magic, the world will be much simpler.
Some people say that the destabilization of the Arcanum will get rid of magic. Ha!
High Magic, the stuff that highly educated wizards do, falters as the Arcanum
weakens. But there are other kinds of magic. Older. Cruder. Less vulnerable.
There's Blood Magic. Spilling blood releases power. The more blood, the more power.
And a very powerful wizard of several centuries ago, Khaldren of Krael, who
decided that he didn't want to die when the city around him was dying, has come to
the present. He's made a spell to bring Krael back from ruins, and he's tied it to
Blood Magic.
But there's more blood being spilled around Alastari than he realized, and a lot
of Lost Cities that want to live again. If you have some old ruins near your house,
and there's an arena where people are bleeding and dying, you've got trouble coming.
This is now your story, too.
It's all a plot, and probably a dark one. Where is Daylight Savings time when
you need it?
* }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ *
---===FREE BLADES REGIONAL NEWS===---
Duelmasters
-----------
DM 9 ZUKAL (turn 488): ALEX GRIFFIN of DREAM PARK (Zalgor Prigg, mgr.)
DM 12 RIZTAB (turn 486): KNOTHEAD of BLOODSUCKERS (Way Cool, mgr.)
DM 15 MALCORN (turn 482): ABRA-HAM! of SACRILEGIOUS MEAT (Klep, mgr.)
DM 16 WILLAF (turn 482): ANTEZEL of WYLDERNESS WYLD (Barnabas, mgr.)
DM 17 ALJAFIR (turn 480): GHENGIS KHAN of HEROESANDFOUNDONES (The Judge, mgr.)
DM 19 ZUWAYZA (turn 479): BLUE of THE SIERRAS (Barnabas, mgr.)
DM 28 MORYA (turn 239): PARADOX of SHADOW GATE (Shadowgate, mgr.)
DM 29 LAPUR (turn 471): SCRAPPA of CROC FILES (THawk, mgr.)
DM 31 CHIMLEVTAL (turn 237): HUNGRY BONES of UNFIT TO BE ORCS (Slugbait, mgr.)
DM 32 ARVAT (turn 468): LOCKED IN of CALL THE PRIEST (Destitute Noble, mgr.)
DM 33 NIATOLI ISLAND (turn 466): TOMB SCONE of BAD BREAD (Otto X. Frothingslosh)
DM 35 MURSKA (turn 459): INANNA of LADY OF BATTLES (Poison Ivy, mgr.)
DM 43 VEASTIAN (turn 422): FACE BREAKER of WIDOWMAKERS (Soultender, mgr.)
DM 45 STORMCROWE (turn 214): MING of DYNASTIC (Jack Wolfspider, mgr.)
DM 47 NORTH FORK (turn 209): HONEY BEAR of THE BEAR'S PAW (Kat, mgr.)
DM 50 SNOWBOUND (turn 196): TOM SMITH DISEASE of STRANGE TUNES (Berylstar, mgr.)
DM 56 ROCANIS (turn 347): APPLEMINT of BAD APPLES (Uncle Wolf, mgr.)
DM 61 JURINE (turn 327): FREDDIE of FAVORITE GUYS (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 73 ERINIKA (turn 144): KASENKO of PERFECTION QUEST II (Mannequin, mgr.)
ADM 103 FREE BLADES (turn 372): SETHRA LAVODE of CASTLE BLACK from KYR'TERR
(Shadowgate, mgr.)
Top Teams
---------
DM 9 ZUKAL (turn 488): BLUE MOON (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 12 RIZTAB (turn 486): THE CITY (Berylstar, mgr.)
DM 15 MALCORN (turn 482): TRIPLE CROWN (Sultan, mgr.)
DM 16 WILLAF (turn 482): WYLDERNESS WYLD (Barnabas, mgr.)
DM 17 ALJAFIR (turn 480): HEROESANDFOUNDONES (The Judge, mgr.)
DM 19 ZUWAYZA (turn 479): THE SIERRAS (Barnabas, mgr.)
DM 28 MORYA (turn 239): IDIOTIC ICCERS (THawk, mgr.)
DM 29 LAPUR (turn 471): CROC FILES (THawk, mgr.)
DM 31 CHIMLEVTAL (turn 237): STORMWATCH (Polar Bear, mgr.)
DM 32 ARVAT (turn 468): SARATOGA GLORY (The Trainer, mgr.)
DM 33 NIATOLI ISLAND (turn 466): CASINO HAMMERZ (Hammer, mgr.)
DM 35 MURSKA (turn 459): STRONGHOLD (Silver Stroke, mgr.)
DM 43 VEASTIAN (turn 422): THE FAMILY (Don John, mgr.)
DM 45 STORMCROWE (turn 214): P.A.C. (Coach, mgr.)
DM 47 NORTH FORK (turn 209): THE BEAR'S PAW (Kat, mgr.)
DM 50 SNOWBOUND (turn 196): TEAM VIRTUE (Boy Scout, mgr.)
DM 56 ROCANIS (turn 347): REDHORSE (Mila, mgr.)
DM 61 JURINE (turn 327): FAVORITE GUYS (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 73 ERINIKA (turn 144): MAGIC MAYHEM (Fizban, mgr.)
ADM 103 FREE BLADES (turn 372): MEOW MIX, etc. (Sylvester Frothingslosh, mgr.)
Recent Graduates
-----------------
DM 9 ZUKAL (turn 488): ALEX GRIFFIN of DREAM PARK (Zalgor Prigg, mgr.)
DM 15 MALCORN (turn 482): ABRA-HAM! of SACRILEGIOUS MEAT (Klep, mgr.)
DM 16 WILLAF (turn 481): HIMEI of YAMABUSHI (Doc Miracle, mgr.)
DM 17 ALJAFIR (turn 480): GHENGIS KHAN of HEROESANDFOUNDONES (The Judge, mgr.)
DM 28 MORYA (turn 239): POPPY HAMMER of FLOWER HAMMERZ (Hammer, mgr.)
DM 29 LAPUR (turn 471): SCRAPPA of CROC FILES (THawk, mgr.)
DM 31 CHIMLEVTAL (turn 237): HUNGRY BONES of UNFIT TO BE ORCS (Slugbait, mgr.)
(turn 236): SODOM of DARQUE FORCES (Master Darque, mgr.)
PALLADICE of STORMWATCH (Polar Bear, mgr.)
DM 43 VEASTIAN (turn 422): FACE BREAKER of WIDOWMAKERS (Soultender, mgr.)
NHAVARL of THE FAMILY (Don John, mgr.)
DM 47 NORTH FORK (turn 209): SUGAR CUBE of COFFEE RULES! (Mr. Coffee, mgr.)
101 PROOF!! of COFFEE RULES! (Mr. Coffee, mgr.)
(turn 208): UR BRAIN ON EGG of MYSTIC ORC FEAST (Slugbait, mgr.)
DM 50 SNOWBOUND (turn 195): NASSE of DARK SIDHE (Daehir, mgr.)
DM 56 ROCANIS (turn 346): ELEVEN BLADE of GENERAL SURGERY (Darkfist, mgr.)
DM 73 ERINIKA (turn 144): GAI-JIN of RISING SUN (?, mgr.)
SPY REPORT
I can't believe the violence in LAPUR! I still haven't told Mom I'm writing
Spyreports. She'd have a cow! Well, here we go... The guys at SHREW CAN IT BE NOW
like really pulled together to get a 3-2-0 this turn, moving up by 3. Cut this out
and put it in your scrapbooks, CARDOW HUNTERS! 'Cause they got 3-1-0 and moved up to
4th! MVP award for FLINT EYE? CARDOW HUNTERS' proud of him after beating PRINCE
RUPERT and getting 25 points. Talk about yer major upsets! PRINCE RUPERT's match
with FLINT EYE cost him a loss of 23 points! Was that a tear I saw in LUCIUS' eye,
as he took over Duelmastership? And wasn't SCRAPPA fit to be tied! I hear the top
team insists all their warriors get nine hours sleep. They want photogenic fighters
for PR photos.
So just why would someone becomes a warrior anyway? It can't be for these
really neat Spyreports can it? EQUESTORS was LAPUR's most avoided team. Is there
some award for that? Hhmph! What kind of warriors are BLACK SAMURAI? EQUESTORS, an
easy team to beat if I ever saw one, can't get them to accept an invitation! Like,
is TALL TREE popular, or what? He was challenged the most in all of LAPUR! He's got
a 16-25-0, is that good?
Challenges, revenges, Bloodfeuds. All LAPUR ever talks about is fighting! Me,
I'm more laid back. EQUESTORS figured it was better to let BINDI kill GALBA
unpunished, and not worry about getting nailed again! TALL TREE bloodfeuded (is that
a word?) SOUTHEASTERN SHREW for revenge over some guy's bad fortune. Was it really
worth it? Hey you guys, don't you think your families would like to hear from you?
Write! (Or have someone write for you.)
I really didn't, you know, study when I was a kid. Who would've guessed I'd be
a famous Spyreporter? I know how much you like reading this stuff, but I really
should stop. I had a fun time, see you later-- Debby Tonte
DUELMASTER W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
LUCIUS 4406 17 13 2 107 EQUESTORS (158)
CHALLENGER CHAMPIONS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
-RAGING FIRE 4407 14 4 2 147 DEATH THREAT (376)
BINDI 4454 14 4 1 100 CROC FILES (374)
CHAMPIONS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
TALL TREE 4380 16 25 0 90 CARDOW HUNTERS (359)
-ENOSHIMA 4349 24 8 0 86 BLACK SAMURAI (166)
THE MINCER 4490 8 5 1 79 CRIMSON KINGS (388)
SCORPUS 4393 19 17 2 78 EQUESTORS (158)
SOUTHEASTERN SHREW 3719 7 6 2 76 SHREW CAN IT BE NOW (309)
CHALLENGER ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
MACRINUS 4452 8 10 2 64 EQUESTORS (158)
SHORT-TAILED SHREW 3747 8 5 0 64 SHREW CAN IT BE NOW (309)
ACCO 4535 4 1 0 60 CROC FILES (374)
ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
-UBER-PANZER 4498 8 2 0 54 TANKS A LOT! (387)
LEAST SHREW 3513 8 5 1 53 SHREW CAN IT BE NOW (309)
FLINT EYE 4511 8 4 1 51 CARDOW HUNTERS (359)
ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
MUCIANUS 4478 10 6 1 47 EQUESTORS (158)
MACHIGAI 4506 9 2 0 46 BLACK SAMURAI (166)
-POKIN' PERSHING 4499 6 4 1 45 TANKS A LOT! (387)
COOKIE 4455 10 8 2 43 CROC FILES (374)
-CHUBON 4381 3 3 0 42 BLACK SAMURAI (166)
BLACK TIGER 4436 6 15 0 38 CARDOW HUNTERS (359)
-SNAKE PIT 4467 3 3 0 35 DEATH THREAT (376)
CHALLENGER INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
-OTARU 4245 6 5 1 31 BLACK SAMURAI (166)
PRINCE RUPERT 4493 5 8 0 31 CRIMSON KINGS (388)
LUCY 4520 2 6 0 26 CROC FILES (374)
INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
KOJIRO 4456 4 3 1 23 BLACK SAMURAI (166)
RIP TIDE 4509 2 1 0 22 DEATH THREAT (376)
-HOWIETZER 4539 2 1 0 21 TANKS A LOT! (387)
-THE PLAGUE 4519 2 2 1 16 DEATH THREAT (376)
RED 4543 1 0 1 14 CRIMSON KINGS (388)
TINY 4537 1 4 0 8 SHREW CAN IT BE NOW (309)
STONEBOW 4542 1 1 0 4 CARDOW HUNTERS (359)
-TORTISE 4541 0 1 0 1 TANKS A LOT! (387)
-ZARACHIEL 4500 0 1 0 1 CELESTIAL WARDENS (389)
QUICK DEATH 4544 0 1 0 1 DEATH THREAT (376)
'-' denotes a warrior who did not fight this turn.
THE DEAD W L K TEAM NAME SLAIN BY TURN Revenge?
IRRITATED HOUSEWI 367 0 1 0 1 RED 4543 472 NONE
SUGARPLUM 4432 9 11 0 CARDOW HUNTERS 359 SOUTHEASTERN SHR 3719 470 JUST REV
FORMENTERA LADY 4513 3 7 0 CRIMSON KINGS 388 SHEWISH GIANT 386 472 NONE
THRAK 4521 3 4 0 CRIMSON KINGS 388 SHAMBLING MOUND 384 472 NONE
THE FIRE WITCH 4489 8 4 0 CRIMSON KINGS 388 RAGING FIRE 4407 471
GALBA 4389 22 12 1 EQUESTORS 158 BINDI 4454 468 NOT REVE
LENTULUS 4540 1 2 0 EQUESTORS 158 THE PLAGUE 4519 471
DEAD SHREW 4545 0 1 0 SHREW CAN IT BE N 309 DARK CHAMPION 389 472 NONE
FRANK THE TANK 4488 7 4 0 TANKS A LOT! 387 SOUTHEASTERN SHR 3719 471
TREAD HEAD 4505 3 5 0 TANKS A LOT! 387 MUCIANUS 4478 470
PERSONAL ADS
All -- Oh, dear. It's been a bad week for the ladies of the Crimson Kings. First the
Fire Witch, so recently deposed from her brief reign as Duelmistress, goes rushing
into a Raging Fire and doesn't come back out. Then Formentera Lady gets lost on her
way to the arena, and stumbles into a bad part of town late at night--oh, did I give
her bad directions? Oh, I *am* sorry. I'd better send Thrak to go find her. I
suppose it's been a bad week for me as well. -- The Yellow Jester
Raging Fire -- Well fought. Not that that will stop us from trying to avenge our
beloved Fire Witch. -- Crimson Kings
Croc Files -- Two in a row! What *is* the world coming to? -- Prince Rupert
Lucy -- (sigh) Yet another young Croc to be trained. Our work is never done. --
Flint Eye
The Mincer -- The thing is, when I yell, "Coming down!" you should move out of the
way. -- Tall Tree
P.S. No, I do not yell, "Timber!" That's for YOU to yell when you cut me off at the
knees.
Least Shrew -- Damn, I can't even beat the least little shrew now. How awful. I
guess I should go eat worms. -- Black Tiger
Tortise -- I find it very strange, given our respective styles and what I know to
have been my own offensive effort, that I got the jump. You might want to work on
that little problem. -- Stonebow
3 March 2004
MONGO'S MARDI GRAS MADNESS DUELMASTERS AUCTION
Mongo, aka Matt McIntosh and ex-Warden of the Dark Circle, is auctioning off his
entire collection of Duelmasters warriors and stables. Don't miss out on this chance
to own some fantastic warriors! There are ADM warriors available in every class from
Primus to Freshmen, as well as over a dozen Basic stables.
Does a Slasher with +4 attack, +4 decisiveness, +3 initiative and +2 riposte
sound good? How about a Lunger who received the benefit of a TC prize, has TVed
three times after graduating--and still hasn't maxed out his skills!? How about a
Striker in the Freshmen class who has decisiveness for a favorite learn and the MAUL
for a favorite weapon!?
Or perhaps you prefer playing in Basic. Then how does a stable with four Adept
class warriors who have a combined record of 41-19-9 sound? Or maybe a stable with
three 21-Will warriors? Or perhaps a stable with four Initiates and a Rookie who
have a combined record of 23-6-1?
The quality of the lots is excellent. All you need to view and bid on the lots
is go to:
http://members.aol.com/jvmerlino/mardigras.html
If you want to be on the mailing list to receive regular updates on the auction,
just send an e-mail to JVMerlino@aol.com. Merlin, aka John Merlino and also an ex-
Warden of the Dark Circle, will be running this auction for me. I just moved to New
Orleans and am likely currently stumbling around the French Quarter...because it's
Mardi Gras! So I have named my auction in honor of this occasion.
The auction will start on Saturday, March 13th, 2004, and will continue for
several weeks. But you should get your bids in early if you want your best chance at
owning any of these fantastic warriors and stables.
Many thanks to all for your interest and your bids,
Mongo
5 March 2004
Style Masters Symposium
Hosted by Hammer
The years have slipped by and many DM Managers have come and gone since the last
Hammer's Handbook was compiled and printed.
There is now a stirring within me to begin writing and editing yet another
Handbook with a distribution date sometime in 2005.
This Handbook will be made available via Email with a possibility of burning the
info to a CD for distribution.
Special arrangements will be made to provide the information via printed page to
those contributors who are serving sentences behind bars.
The working title of this new Handbook is "Style Masters Symposium Hosted by
Hammer".
Distribution of this Handbook is projected to be MAINLY for those DM Managers
who contribute information/articles to Hammer by June 2004.
Informative and entertaining articles should focus on insights regarding Any or
All 10 Style Masters for both the Basic and ADM arenas as well as Tourney
competition.
Articles focusing on Weapons/Armor are also encouraged for inclusion.
Whether you are a Newbie Manager without a clue or a Jaded Veteran; everyone has
discovered something about this gaming experience that is both Insightful and
Entertaining.
Email Your Articles to HammerDM@fastermail.com or send them via Diplo to either
Flower Hammerz (372) in DM 28 or Casino Hammerz (576) in DM 33.
Length and Content of the Style Masters Symposium Hosted by Hammer will be
Determined by the Quality and Quantity of Contributors Combined with the Literary
Efforts of Hammer who is currently overseas for an indefinite period of time.
Articles Contributed for this Project should be of Sufficient Length and Content
to Warrant being Included to Receive the Finished Document when Hammer has completed
this literary work to His satisfaction.
Managers contributing articles are also requested to include a DM Bio of
Themselves along with any Notable Successes and/or Failures during Their DM Career in
Basic, ADM and/or Tourney Play.
A listing of Active Stables would also be Helpful for Anyone Seeking to Reply to
Contributors via Diplo, Email or Snailmail.
May Your Blades Be Sharp And Your Wits Sharper!
-- Hammer of Flower Hammerz (372) DM 28 and Casino Hammerz (576) DM 33
18 March 2004
St. Valentine's Day Massacre Update
We are pleased to announce that the kLk sponsored St. Valentine's Day Massacre
kill contest in DM 36 is off to a great start. We are also pleased to announce that
in addition to the 10 team rollups we are also able to offer the renaming of a dark
arena warrior as a prize to the manager with the most kills. The contest is only 2
turns old and is still wide open. There are currently 5 managers tied with one kill
each. Anything can still happen so hurry up and get into the arena.
On a personal note, no other alliances have entered the arena in force to
challenge the kLk dominance. We were expecting The Firm to put up a fight for their
supposed home arena. But, they were a no show. Guess they proved what they are
really made of. *evil grin*
Perhaps another alliance would like to step in to give us a challenge. We are
throwing down the gauntlet. Perhaps the Chaos Inc. boys I keep hearing about would
like to step in and challenge the kLk for arena dominance. If you don't show up,
Chaos, don't feel bad. FAR better managers than you have been invited into Jhans but
have chosen to pass on the offer.
So if you consider yourself worthy to compete, like fierce competition, and
enjoy arenas where the personals are as fierce as the fighting, come visit JHANS DM
36. We're already planning our next contest, "Capture the Flag," and have a
storyline being actively worked on in the arena. Whatever you like about DM you can
find it in JHANS.
Bookie
mgr. of Suicidal Dreams
and Director Jhans Board of Tourism
kLk Alliance
27 March 2004
This notice is to inform the DM world that CHAOS INC. has added CHEETO to its
ranks. He joins APEX, FLAGG, MATRIX, ASSAMITE, and RUDE BUDDHA as the 6th member.
May your chaotic wings spread disaster and CHAOS for all your days! Welcome CHEETO!!
27 March 2004
Has anyone seen it in print that the "Goat" is leaving the "Cartel"? There were
some diplos to the effect of a special branch of the Cartel being formed, like secret
societies, governmental agencies and alliances certain agendas are developed. To
obtain the desired effect of any agenda only key personnel can be used. The "Goat"
is "Cartel" so until you see it with me announcing that I am not Cartel, remember,
"The Agenda of the Core is for you to fight for." I hope this stops the confusion.
-- Goat
LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS
FORMENTERA LADY was barely slain by SHEWISH GIANT in a 1 minute Dark Arena fight.
THRAK was slaughtered by SHAMBLING MOUND in a 1 minute gruesome Dark Arena battle.
DEAD SHREW was killed by DARK CHAMPION in a 2 minute Dark Arena fight.
SOUTHEASTERN SHREW was unbelievably bested by TALL TREE in a 2 minute Challenge brawl.
ACCO savagely defeated MUCIANUS in a 1 minute Challenge match.
LUCY was bested by BLACK TIGER in a crowd pleasing 1 minute bloody Challenge match.
SCRAPPA was overpowered by LUCIUS in a 1 minute uneven Title melee.
BINDI vanquished SCORPUS in a popular 1 minute uneven duel.
THE MINCER viciously subdued MACRINUS in a popular 2 minute gory duel.
COOKIE was overpowered by SHORT-TAILED SHREW in a 1 minute one-sided melee.
MACHIGAI outlasted THE USEROUS MERCHANT in a tiresome 15 minute match.
LEAST SHREW devastated KOJIRO in a 1 minute mismatched conflict.
PRINCE RUPERT was demolished by FLINT EYE in a 3 minute mismatched match.
RIP TIDE beat STONEBOW in a 2 minute conflict.
TINY overcame QUICK DEATH in a 1 minute beginner's fight.
RED assassinated IRRITATED HOUSEWIFE in a 1 minute uneven struggle.
BATTLE REPORT
MOST POPULAR RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS
|FIGHTING STYLE FIGHTS FIGHTING STYLE W - L - K PERCENT|
|LUNGING ATTACK 6 AIMED BLOW 3 - 0 - 0 100 |
|STRIKING ATTACK 6 TOTAL PARRY 19 - 4 - 0 83 |
|SLASHING ATTACK 5 PARRY-STRIKE 6 - 4 - 1 60 |
|BASHING ATTACK 4 STRIKING ATTACK 30 - 27 - 2 53 |
|TOTAL PARRY 2 PARRY-LUNGE 2 - 2 - 0 50 |
|WALL OF STEEL 2 LUNGING ATTACK 46 - 47 - 6 49 |
|PARRY-STRIKE 1 SLASHING ATTACK 25 - 26 - 2 49 |
|PARRY-RIPOSTE 1 WALL OF STEEL 10 - 11 - 0 48 |
|AIMED BLOW 0 BASHING ATTACK 21 - 27 - 1 44 |
|PARRY-LUNGE 0 PARRY-RIPOSTE 6 - 12 - 0 33 |
Turn 472 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 0 - 0 3 SLASHING ATTACK
TOTAL PARRY 2 - 0 PARRY-LUNGE 0 - 0 2 LUNGING ATTACK
SLASHING ATTACK 3 - 2 PARRY-RIPOSTE 0 - 1 2 STRIKING ATTACK
LUNGING ATTACK 3 - 3 BASHING ATTACK 0 - 4 2 TOTAL PARRY
STRIKING ATTACK 3 - 3 2 BASHING ATTACK
WALL OF STEEL 1 - 1
TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE
FIGHTING STYLE WARRIOR W L K PNTS TEAM NAME
LUNGING ATTACK LUCIUS 4406 17 13 2 107 EQUESTORS (158)
STRIKING ATTACK BINDI 4454 14 4 1 100 CROC FILES (374)
SLASHING ATTACK THE MINCER 4490 8 5 1 79 CRIMSON KINGS (388)
BASHING ATTACK SCORPUS 4393 19 17 2 78 EQUESTORS (158)
PARRY-STRIKE FLINT EYE 4511 8 4 1 51 CARDOW HUNTERS (359)
TOTAL PARRY MACHIGAI 4506 9 2 0 46 BLACK SAMURAI (166)
Note: Warriors have a winning record and are an Adept or Above.
The overall popularity leader is LUCIUS 4406. The most popular warrior this turn was
SOUTHEASTERN SHREW 3719. The ten other most popular fighters were THE MINCER 4490,
DEAD SHREW 4545, FLINT EYE 4511, BINDI 4454, RIP TIDE 4509, FORMENTERA LADY 4513,
ACCO 4535, BLACK TIGER 4436, LUCIUS 4406, and LEAST SHREW 3513.
The least popular fighter this week was MACHIGAI 4506. The other ten least popular
fighters were KOJIRO 4456, COOKIE 4455, THRAK 4521, RED 4543, QUICK DEATH 4544,
STONEBOW 4542, PRINCE RUPERT 4493, SCORPUS 4393, LUCY 4520, and MUCIANUS 4478.
The following warriors have traveled to ADVANCED DUELMASTERS after fighting this turn:
SCRAPPA (29-4411) CROC FILES (374)
NEW GRADUATES--FROM ALL ARENAS (INCLUDING CLOSED ARENAS)
For those of you who keep track of such things, 14 additional warriors graduated
from regular DM arenas (including closed arenas) since the last tournament:
ABE SIMPSON (9-4453) SPRINGFIELD
PB-LEAD (23-4385) ROCK-ETTS IV
RATTLESNAKE SHAKE (60-4242) METAL MELTDOWN
CHIP (60-4413) RESCUE RANGERS
SLAKE (82-12993) WORD OF THE DAY
DIS-COMBOBULATE (63-2222) DIS-TEAM
RETARD (68-7501) POLITICALLYINCORRECT
DARKSIDE (22-2714) LOST SOULS 1
ZHARRA TYL MEDAN (40-2586) SUPERIOR FORCES
SMOOGIE (82-2247) STREET PIZZAD III
ARATHEA (13-3318) THE ELITE
PX (82-14364) SUPERIOR FORCES 1203
MIKE, POWERFUL (82-7051) MIKE THE HUNTER
DIS-FUNCTIONAL (63-2223) DIS-TEAM
-- Green Eyes