DUEL 2 NEWSLETTER Date : 01/04/2006 Duedate: 01/17/2006 LAPUR ARENA DM-29 TURN-518 This Weeks Top Honors THE DUELMASTER IS MOLLY CROC FILES (374) (29-4645) [11-11-0,97] Chartered Recognition Leader Unchartered Recognition Leader MOLLY SHANGGAR CROC FILES (374) PHILANTHROPISTS (407) (29-4645) [11-11-0,97] (29-4703) [3-1-0,44] Popularity Leader This Weeks Favorite QUICK STINGER LADYBUG CARDOW HUNTERS (359) CARDOW HUNTERS (359) (29-4600) [17-15-0,79] (29-4709) [3-0-0,21] THE CURRENT TOP TEAM CROC FILES (374) TEAMS ON THE MOVE TOP CAREER HONORS Team Name Point Gain Chartered Team 1. ECHL-EAST (313) 19 2. PHILANTHROPISTS (407) 17 CROC FILES (374) 3. CARDOW HUNTERS (359) 6 Unchartered Team 4. CROC FILES (374) 2 5. GET FUZZY (380) 1 PHILANTHROPISTS (407) The Top Teams Career Win-Loss Record W L K % Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns W L K 1/ 1*PHILANTHROPISTS (407) 7 1 0 87.5 1/ 1 CROC FILES (374) 9 5 0 2/ 2 CROC FILES (374) 265 242 16 52.3 2/ 3 CARDOW HUNTERS (359) 7 8 0 3- 3*ARENA FELINES (399) 4 4 0 50.0 3/ 2*PHILANTHROPISTS (407) 5 1 0 4- 4 EQUESTORS (158) 590 610 45 49.2 4- 4 EQUESTORS (158) 2 3 0 5/ 0 ECHL-EAST (313) 14 15 0 48.3 5/ 0 ECHL-EAST (313) 1 0 0 6/ 5*GET FUZZY (380) 6 8 0 42.9 6- 5*ARCANE PHARMACY (401) 1 2 0 7/ 6 CARDOW HUNTERS (359) 265 358 7 42.5 7/ 7*GET FUZZY (380) 0 2 0 8- 7*ARCANE PHARMACY (401) 4 17 0 19.0 8- 6*ARENA FELINES (399) 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[ A Crocodile in the Shadows #12 ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ + Bindi's attention was fixed so firmly on the people up the slope that she didn't watch where she was going and tripped on the tufted grass. The chain that attached her collar to that of Agro in front and Tyrai in back didn't have enough slack for her to fall, but she was dragged along, half-choking, as she tried to get her feet back under her. One of the elves shouted angrily and lashed at her with a quirt, another one shouted at him. The one whose horse was towing them slowed while the others raced up the hill. The Croc staggered onto her feet again and looked up. The four new people had vanished. Ducked down into the high grass, she guessed, maybe they were already creeping over the crest and hoping to make a run for it. Not much chance when these elves were mounted, but at least the other people had weapons. And she could see that the horses were laboring, too; at least, their movements were rough, almost lurching, and sweat streaked their hides. Good! Then their own chained line hit the steeper part of the slope and she had no time nor breath for watching the others. Crocs were not built for this kind of sustained exertion, they were sprinters, not long-distance runners, and the lack of water had weakened her more than she had realized at first. The horse that was dragging their chain swerved suddenly, pulling Agro and Bindi both off their feet. Bindi gasped and struggled to get up, sure they would be dragged. The chain prevented her from rolling back up, and with her hands bound she couldn't use them to help. Then she realized that the horse had fallen, too, and was screaming as Agro threw himself toward it--jerking at the neck-chain--and his teeth closed over the rider's throat. Then someone rolled against her. Bindi twisted around, prepared to do so throat-tearing of her own. It was Tyrai, curled into a ball, gasping and sweating with some kind of effort. Suddenly the cat-woman's bound wrists slipped past her feet and she straightened, her hands now in front of her body. She reached for Bindi's neck. The Croc bared her teeth. "Hold still!" Tyrai said. "This chain isn't locked, and if I can get it off...." She made an impatient sound and twisted her hands, the rope that bound them making it hard to manipulate whatever it was that held the chain. Agro lunged again, dragging Bindi and Tyrai after him. But that and Tyrai's efforts combined to release Bindi. She rolled free. Her body was not flexible enough for her to do as Tyrai had done and get her hands in front, but she could still bite anybody she could catch. She began to look around. Even allowing for the tall grass that blocked parts of her view, the scene was chaotic. Several of the horses and their riders were down, and there were fights going on, mostly one-on-one. The people they'd seen on the slope must have laid an ambush. Bindi jerked at her wrists, wishing she could do something really effective, because the odds were still in favor of the damned elves. She looked around for the nearest enemy. "Hold still!" Tyrai, that was. A hand on Bindi's shoulder, then the cold slide of steel on her arms, and the rope fell apart. "Wait! Do mine before you rush off to kill somebody," the arenamistress said. "I can't get the right angle on the ropes." Bindi turned and cut, and then leaped away toward the nearest enemy. He was still mounted, had his sword out and was trying to circle back toward them despite the unevenness of the ground. Rage and desperation washed out any caution she might have felt. Besides, she'd taken bigger risks in the arena, and with less need. Two strides and jump, colliding with the man in the saddle. A shallow cut on her side that could be ignored. Slap his blade out of line. Rake him with her claws, jarring on the scales of his armor and then catching under an edge, ripping off disks of metal that flashed as they spun away in the sunlight. She could tell when he lost the stirrups and began to slide. The horse was fighting, too, as the rider tried to keep himself on by gripping the reins more tightly. They fell off and rolled down the slope, but she didn't let go of her foe. She scrabbled at his mail, then closed a clawed hand on his throat. Bindi stripped her victim of his weapons, then paused. Maybe she should take the clothing, too. It would fit, more or less, and Crocs burned easily if not protected from the sun. After a moment's hesitation, she knelt to that task. "Good thinking." She looked up at Agro. He hadn't been able to find anything that fit well, he was too big, but he had appropriated one of the bronze-studded leather kilts, and a blanket that had been slashed to make a poncho. "Tyrai thinks we should take some of the horses. I know we need food, but...." He grimaced. Bindi nodded. She knew what he meant: horses didn't like crocs. It was rare to find one that would consent to be ridden. Of course, they were generally food to crocs, and they knew it. She licked her lips. She was hungry. Tyrai emerged from the tall grass, leading a horse and followed by three men that Bindi didn't know. One was...maybe Adantri from his look, one was an orc, and the last one was tall and blond as a Fratsfan. They were leading horses, too. And they looked upset about something. "There are more of the slavers nearby, a much larger group," Tyrai said. "We'll need the horses to get away from them, if we can--" "Lady Shania said she would turn them aside," the Adantri said. "She will do what she says." "We shouldn't have allowed her to--" The orc stopped himself, drew a deep breath, then said more calmly, "I still think it was a bad plan." The tall blond said something in a language Bindi didn't know, but it was bitter and savage. The Adantri, or maybe he was from Illis, his accent didn't sound quite like the few Adantri she'd met, turned to the two Crocs and Tyrai. "Our comrade, Lady Shania Silverstar, spotted the other group of slavers--fifty or so a few miles off--and has gone to lead them away from us." By the way he clipped his words and the fierce calmness of his face, he didn't like this any better than his companions. "We will see the three of you safely on your way, then curve back to rescue her. Let us lose no time getting started." * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * ---===FREE BLADES REGIONAL NEWS===--- Duelmasters ----------- DM 9 ZUKAL (turn 532): PUSS of ARENA FELINES (Garfield, mgr.) DM 12 RIZTAB (turn 532): INSIGHTFULL INGIE of HIGH JINKS (Jondeaux, mgr.) DM 15 MALCORN (turn 526): GREENGROVE of GREENWARDENS (Jorja, mgr.) DM 16 WILLAF (turn 528): PYOA of WYLDERNESS WYLD (Barnabas, mgr.) DM 17 ALJAFIR (turn 527): EXODUS of THE OLD TESTAMENT (Ganolus Oakleaf, mgr.) DM 19 ZUWAYZA (turn 524): SUE SHE of FUNKY FOLK (Papa Bear, mgr.) DM 28 SLAUGHTER PRIEST MEM (turn 262): WYATT BURP of DODGE BULLETS (Uncle Wolf) DM 29 LAPUR (turn 517): WENDY of CROC FILES (THawk, mgr.) DM 31 CHIMLEVTAL (turn 260): BARTOFELES of THE STORMGUARDS (The Icelord, mgr.) DM 32 ARVAT (turn 514): SINNER of CALL THE PRIEST (Destitute Noble, mgr.) DM 33 NIATOLI ISLAND (turn 512): MALODOROUSREEK of CHAOTICDISORDER (Bobby Bigfoot) DM 35 MURSKA (turn 504): HUCKLE CAT of BUSY, BUSYTOWN (Huckle Cat, mgr.) DM 43 VEASTIAN (turn 466): DART of WOLF RIDERS (Dr. Guts, mgr.) DM 45 STORMCROWE (turn 237): HOT LIPS of DARQUE FORCES (Master Darque, mgr.) DM 47 SCOMSS SWAMP (turn 232): TOTO of LAND OF OZ (Oz the Successful, mgr.) DM 50 SNOWBOUND (turn 219): YAIWE of DARK SIDHE (Daehir, mgr.) DM 56 ROCANIS (turn 393): ZIPPER of RESCUE RANGERS (JE, mgr.) DM 61 JURINE (turn 372): MUDVAYNE of FEAR FACTORY (Var, mgr.) DM 65 DAL SHANG (turn 358): DUCKMAN of MIGHTY DUCKS (Woody, mgr.) DM 73 ERINIKA (turn 167): ENDU ENDU of DUDS (Amy A. Airhead, mgr.) DM 74 DAIYLA KIV (turn 329): LOQUE of FACING WORLDS (The Sentinel, mgr.) DM 75 JADE MOUNTAIN (turn 326): ARNAL REDAXE of SAND DANCERS (Lorana, mgr.) DM 78 LIN TIRIAN (turn 313): IRLON of SAND DANCERS (Jorja, mgr.) ADM 103 FREE BLADES (turn 418): PARANOIA of DSM4 from ZUKAL (The Sandman, mgr.) Top Teams --------- DM 9 ZUKAL (turn 532): ARENA FELINES (Garfield, mgr.) DM 12 RIZTAB (turn 532): CULTS-R-US (?, mgr.) DM 15 MALCORN (turn 526): GREENWARDENS (Jorja, mgr.) DM 16 WILLAF (turn 528): GOLDEN GLADIATORS (Midas, mgr.) DM 17 ALJAFIR (turn 527): MIDDLE WAY (Jorja, mgr.) DM 19 ZUWAYZA (turn 524): FUNKY FOLK (Papa Bear, mgr.) DM 28 SLAUGHTER PRIEST MEM (turn 262): DODGE BULLETS (Uncle Wolf, mgr.) DM 29 LAPUR (turn 517): CROC FILES (THawk, mgr.) DM 31 CHIMLEVTAL (turn 260): none DM 32 ARVAT (turn 514): DEVIL ADVOCATES (The Dark One, mgr.) DM 33 NIATOLI ISLAND (turn 512): THE SEWING CIRCLE (Jorja, mgr.) DM 35 MURSKA (turn 504): FLIPPERS ARCADE (?, mgr.) DM 43 VEASTIAN (turn 466): THE FAMILY (Jorja, mgr.) DM 45 STORMCROWE (turn 237): A DEAL'S A DEAL (Applejack, mgr.) DM 47 SCOMSS SWAMP (turn 232): AGE OF EMPIRES (The Historian, mgr.) DM 50 SNOWBOUND (turn 219): DARK SIDHE (Daehir, mgr.) DM 56 ROCANIS (turn 393): RESCUE RANGERS (JE, mgr.) DM 61 JURINE (turn 372): FEAR FACTORY (Var, mgr.) DM 65 DAL SHANG (turn 358): SAND DANCERS (Lani, mgr.) DM 73 ERINIKA (turn 167): DARK RUNES (Liam the Goth, mgr.) DM 74 DAIYLA KIV (turn 329): CORPS (Papa Bear, mgr.) DM 75 JADE MOUNTAIN (turn 326): SAND DANCERS (Lorana, mgr.) DM 78 LIN TIRIAN (turn 313): THE LEGENDS (Loch Ness, mgr.) ADM 103 FREE BLADES (turn 418): EXACTLY!, etc. (The Dark One, mgr.) Recent Graduates ----------------- DM 16 WILLAF (turn 528): PYOA of WYLDERNESS WYLD (Barnabas, mgr.) DM 28 SLAUGHTER PRIEST MEM (turn 262): WYATT BURP of DODGE BULLETS (Uncle Wolf) YOUNG JOAN of DODGE BULLETS (Uncle Wolf) DM 29 LAPUR (turn 517): WENDY of CROC FILES (THawk, mgr.) (turn 516): CHARLIE of CROC FILES (THawk, mgr.) DM 31 CHIMLEVTAL (turn 259): RAUNI of SOL INVICTUS (Bobby Bigfoot, mgr.) DM 45 STORMCROWE (turn 236): DEATH FOG of SUPERIOR FORCES (Manager, mgr.) DM 47 SCOMSS SWAMP (turn 232): TOTO of LAND OF OZ (Oz the Successful, mgr.) DM 56 ROCANIS (turn 392): SHANKS PONY of REDHORSE (Mila, mgr.) DM 61 JURINE (turn 372): MUDVAYNE of FEAR FACTORY (Var, mgr.) DM 65 DAL SHANG (turn 358): $1.25 Q-STAFF of MIGHTY DUCKS (Woody, mgr.) DM 75 JADE MOUNTAIN (turn 326): ARNAL REDAXE of SAND DANCERS (Lorana, mgr.) SPY REPORT It's me, The Unknown Spymaster, back to give you this week's Spy Report. Sit back in your seats and we'll have more fun than a barrel of Zontanis. Hey everybody, watch out for ORATHAI, who flew up 19 points in the rankings after mashing ACCO like a melon. Keep your eye on this guy. Ya know, some days it doesn't pay to walk out on the sands. ACCO was subdued by ORATHAI and drops 14 points. Well, everybody's pal WENDY moved hers record to 15-6-0 by defeating VENOMOUS CONCUBINE in the Duelmaster's Title Bout and gaining 5 recognition points. Can you believe they are paying me 10 gold to deliver this stuff? Here is other news that is of note. Did you hear that CROC FILES was most avoided team this week? Well, knowing the personal hygiene of CROC FILES' warriors, I'm not surprised! And you guys like to boo me? Well, unsling your rasberries, cause PHILANTHROPISTS beats feet every time CROC FILES smiles at them. Try farming, eh? Well dang howdy, but if challenges were votes, STONETOOTH would be president. Although it may be a contest he doesn't want to win. Being a spy is great--other people die and you spend the rest of the day drinking to their memory. Better tanked than dead! Knowing when to use the right tactics at the proper time is a very important step on the road to Duelmaster. Well, there's the manager of the LAPUR giving me the 'cut' sign (or is that 'They're going to strangle you in the alley?). C'mon, Leadfoot, let's make some tracks. And remember, you can pick your friends and you can pick your--(loud boos), oh, you've heard that one already!-- The Unknown Spymaster DUELMASTER W L K POINTS TEAM NAME MOLLY 4645 11 11 0 97 CROC FILES (374) CHAMPIONS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME STONETOOTH 4560 22 23 0 89 CARDOW HUNTERS (359) -MARIUS 4602 19 9 0 86 EQUESTORS (158) QUICK STINGER 4600 17 15 0 79 CARDOW HUNTERS (359) -FURY 3872 8 3 0 75 ECHL-EAST (313) CHALLENGER ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME MURRY 4638 10 13 0 66 CROC FILES (374) WALKS SOFTLY 4568 11 30 0 64 CARDOW HUNTERS (359) ORATHAI 4598 4 1 0 62 ECHL-EAST (313) -GALLIENUS 4607 14 13 1 60 EQUESTORS (158) ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME -AUREOLUS 4631 10 12 0 49 EQUESTORS (158) ACCO 4691 6 2 2 48 CROC FILES (374) SHANGGAR 4703 3 1 0 44 PHILANTHROPISTS (407) -THE CLEAR 4632 4 2 0 42 ARCANE PHARMACY (401) -MIGHTY MOUSER 4621 2 2 0 34 ARENA FELINES (399) CHALLENGER INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME -YEAR OF THE CAT 4624 2 1 0 28 ARENA FELINES (399) INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME -MAKADOS 4704 3 0 0 23 PHILANTHROPISTS (407) LADYBUG 4709 3 0 0 21 CARDOW HUNTERS (359) -POSTUMUS 4684 4 5 2 19 EQUESTORS (158) IZALOR 4702 1 0 0 17 PHILANTHROPISTS (407) -ROBBO 4415 1 1 0 14 GET FUZZY (380) SHIRELY 4673 0 2 0 6 GET FUZZY (380) SNOWSHOE 4712 1 2 0 5 CARDOW HUNTERS (359) -CICERO 4708 0 2 0 2 EQUESTORS (158) -KID BOBCAT 4622 0 1 0 1 ARENA FELINES (399) '-' denotes a warrior who did not fight this turn. THE DEAD W L K TEAM NAME SLAIN BY TURN Revenge? MAD DOG 4625 7 15 0 CARDOW HUNTERS 359 ACCO 4691 515 PERSONAL ADS Wendy -- I salute you, Duel2Dudette and Lizard Protector! You eat those flies, gal! -- Stonetooth P.S. I think you chipped that tooth. I'm going to have to get some dental work done here, and not the cheap kind either. A crown, probably. I like the idea of wearing a crown. Easy sleeps the head that wears a firmly glued porcelain crown, you know. Murry -- (heavy sigh) Next thing you know, YOU will be graduating and then going on a pogrom against everyone who DARED to call you furry. It wasn't me that did it, you know. That was the Mad Dog, and he's already been taken care of. -- Walks Softly and limps Makados -- I don't consider your actions in the arena today to have been philanthropic in the least. Or should that be philepusic? -- Snowshoe P.S. Don't forget the words of the old song: Be kind to your fine furry snowshoe, for it may pull you out of a drift during a blizzard. P.P.S. Jorja said we should urge you to write personals. Since my manager here is technically Uncle Wolf, I see no reason to make any such suggestion. Charlie -- Somehow I had an idea you were supposed to be a tuna. But you look a lot more like something that's going to EAT a tuna--eat a WHOLE tuna unaided in one sitting--than a fish. Life is full of these little puzzles, I suppose, but I don't have to LIKE it. -- Quick Stinger I don't really understand the POINT of putting the Convicted Thief in the arena. Are we trying to train him to fight, so that he can go from being a pickpocket to being a mugger? Is this WISE? -- Ladybug Lizard Protectress Wendy -- Same to you, scaly wench! -- Chetam, odd-job man around Lapur arena 30 December 2005 Just a reminder to all you online type people. It is much appreciated if you send your personals in PLAIN TEXT, rather than HTML or formatted text. HAL, in his infinite wisdom, doesn't DO formatting, which means having to unsnarl your personal ads from bunches of extraneous...stuff. So, if your e-mailer has a plain text option, let it be your friend. -- Ed. P.S. Sometimes it's the formatted text which makes ads go astray. Not often, but sometimes. LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS MOLLY devastated STONETOOTH in a 1 minute mismatched Challenge Title fight. MURRY lost to QUICK STINGER in a 2 minute brutal expert's Challenge battle. SHANGGAR was defeated by WALKS SOFTLY in a 2 minute bloody mismatched Challenge duel. WENDY overpowered VENOMOUS CONCUBINE in a 1 minute one-sided fight. ACCO was bested by ORATHAI in a action packed 1 minute gory brawl. SHIRELY was viciously subdued by LADYBUG in a crowd pleasing 3 minute amateur's match. SNOWSHOE was handily defeated by IZALOR in a 1 minute uneven melee. BATTLE REPORT MOST POPULAR RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS |FIGHTING STYLE FIGHTS FIGHTING STYLE W - L - K PERCENT| |STRIKING ATTACK 4 AIMED BLOW 7 - 2 - 0 78 | |WALL OF STEEL 3 STRIKING ATTACK 19 - 12 - 2 61 | |LUNGING ATTACK 2 WALL OF STEEL 19 - 16 - 0 54 | |PARRY-RIPOSTE 1 LUNGING ATTACK 7 - 6 - 0 54 | |BASHING ATTACK 1 TOTAL PARRY 3 - 3 - 0 50 | |PARRY-LUNGE 1 BASHING ATTACK 11 - 12 - 0 48 | |TOTAL PARRY 1 SLASHING ATTACK 8 - 11 - 2 42 | |AIMED BLOW 0 PARRY-STRIKE 2 - 3 - 0 40 | |PARRY-STRIKE 0 PARRY-RIPOSTE 6 - 10 - 0 38 | |SLASHING ATTACK 0 PARRY-LUNGE 4 - 7 - 0 36 | Turn 518 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-RIPOSTE 1 - 0 AIMED BLOW 0 - 0 3 WALL OF STEEL BASHING ATTACK 1 - 0 PARRY-LUNGE 0 - 1 2 BASHING ATTACK WALL OF STEEL 2 - 1 PARRY-STRIKE 0 - 0 2 PARRY-LUNGE LUNGING ATTACK 1 - 1 SLASHING ATTACK 0 - 0 2 LUNGING ATTACK STRIKING ATTACK 2 - 2 TOTAL PARRY 0 - 1 1 PARRY-RIPOSTE 1 STRIKING ATTACK TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE FIGHTING STYLE WARRIOR W L K PNTS TEAM NAME WALL OF STEEL QUICK STINGER 4600 17 15 0 79 CARDOW HUNTERS (359) LUNGING ATTACK ORATHAI 4598 4 1 0 62 ECHL-EAST (313) STRIKING ATTACK ACCO 4691 6 2 2 48 CROC FILES (374) FIGHTING STYLE WARRIOR W L K PNTS TEAM NAME Note: Warriors have a winning record and are an Adept or Above. The overall popularity leader is QUICK STINGER 4600. The most popular warrior this turn was LADYBUG 4709. The ten other most popular fighters were WALKS SOFTLY 4568, QUICK STINGER 4600, MURRY 4638, SHANGGAR 4703, ORATHAI 4598, IZALOR 4702, MOLLY 4645, SHIRELY 4673, ACCO 4691, and STONETOOTH 4560. The least popular fighter this week was SNOWSHOE 4712. The other ten least popular fighters were STONETOOTH 4560, ACCO 4691, SHIRELY 4673, MOLLY 4645, IZALOR 4702, ORATHAI 4598, SHANGGAR 4703, MURRY 4638, QUICK STINGER 4600, and WALKS SOFTLY 4568. The following warriors have traveled to AD after fighting this turn: WENDY (29-4657) CROC FILES (374)