DUEL 2 NEWSLETTER

Date   : 06/13/2007    Duedate: 06/26/2007

IAYE ARENA

DM-30    TURN-551

This Weeks Top Honors

THE DUELMASTER IS

POP IDOL
WORLDLY DECLINE (445)
(30-4617) [15-10-0,123]

Chartered Recognition Leader   Unchartered Recognition Leader

THE BOY KING                   POSITION IS EMPTY
WORLDLY DECLINE (445)          
(30-4615) [16-9-1,131]         

Popularity Leader              This Weeks Favorite

QUEEN CHINEE                   THE BOY KING
THE WARLOCKS (430)             WORLDLY DECLINE (445)
(30-4588) [25-18-1,111]        (30-4615) [16-9-1,131]

THE CURRENT TOP TEAM

LENPROS (145)

          TEAMS ON THE MOVE            TOP CAREER HONORS
Team Name                  Point Gain  Chartered Team
1. WORLDLY DECLINE (445)       46
2. LENPROS (145)               16      THE WARLOCKS (430)
3. THE WARLOCKS (430)           8      Unchartered Team
4. THE A'S -- LOSERS II (431)   7
5. RESCUE RANGERS II (385)      0      NO PLACE FOR SEX (252)

The Top Teams

Career Win-Loss Record           W   L  K    %  Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns    W  L K
 1/ 2 THE WARLOCKS (430)       148  90  8 62.2   1/ 1 LENPROS (145)             8  6 0
 2/ 3 LENPROS (145)            950 615 27 60.7   2/ 2 RED DOG GANG (356)        8  7 1
 3/ 4 THE A'S -- LOSERS  (431) 189 160  6 54.2   3/ 3 THE A'S -- LOSERS  (431)  6  0 0
 4/ 6 WORLDLY DECLINE (445)     47  41  2 53.4   4/ 5 WORLDLY DECLINE (445)     5  4 0
 5/ 5 GAMEHENDGE (299)         171 153 11 52.8   5/ 4 GAMEHENDGE (299)          3  3 1
 6- 7 RESCUE RANGERS II (385)   16  15  2 51.6   6/ 8 THE WARLOCKS (430)        2  1 0
 7- 8*FIRE AND RUIN (453)        1   1  0 50.0   7- 9 RESCUE RANGERS II (385)   0  2 0
 8/ 9 RED DOG GANG (356)       495 671 11 42.5   8- 7*FIRE AND RUIN (453)       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[ Cities by the Shore #16 ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ +

Aruak City, the Bulldog Inn:

     "Things are worse than they look," Kennelworth said.  The old innkeeper rubbed
his forehead.  "I don't know where to start in telling you--"
     "Start with the plague," Fandil suggested.  "We've heard that has reappeared."
     Kennelworth shrugged.  "Something LIKE the plague, but I'm not sure it's the
same."
     "Unintended shape-change, with the Aruaki being unable to change back?" Adie
asked.
     "That, yes, but that's the least of it.  A lot of the people who change die
immediately, sometimes in the process of changing."  He grimaced.  "Very...
unpleasant to clean up after.  The ones who survive either go on a bloody rampage--"
     "Instinctively seeking the power of blood magic to restore themselves?" Fandil
theorized.
     "How should I know?  The ones that don't go all-out for blood fade away, wither,
as though they were aging fifty years in an hour, and they die of it.  This is not a
good time to be Aruaki."
     "And probably no better a time to be Narsh Utur, even though their origin is a
little different," Fandil said.  "I wonder if it would help to know exactly what the
old magicians put into their spells when they were creating the Aruaki?"
     "Maybe," Adie said, "but that's a project for a different year.  It could take
months to find out, *IF* it is possible at this late date, and we have more urgent
problems."
     "The alligators," Fandil said, nodding.  "Is there any pattern to this version
of the plague?  Does it hit only people who are already functional shapechangers?
People of a given clan, age, gender...?"
     "The closer they are to an arena, the greater the risk," Kennelworth said.  "But
everything's worse near the arena, and worst of all on or right after fight days.
Hatred expressed between Aruaki and non-Aruaki.  Casual violence, and not just by,
well, thugs and the like.  Last week I saw a woman, a genuine lady--I won't tell you
her name--kick a man in, ah, the lower body because he didn't get out of her way fast
enough.  I've seen children pushed under carriage wheels to get them out of someone's
way.  Nobody CARES about anything except themselves these days.  If this is
Khaldren's doing, then the sooner we take him down, all the way down, the better.
Anything it takes to defeat him, I say we do it.  Whatever the cost.  Or there won't
be anything left here worth having."
     Adie stood, eyes blazing and jaw set.  "We have to go after Khaldren.  Now."
     "We're not ready, Adie," Fandil protested.
     "If we follow Cho's advice and WAIT--" she spat the last word, "we'll waste our
energies fighting the damned alligators and have no strength LEFT when it comes time
to tackle Khaldren.  If he ever decides it is time."
     "Cho is honest," Fandil said, "and I know he's being straight with us in his
advice.  It really would be a bad idea to ignore--"
     "I'm tired of going around in circles, poking at the edges of the problem with a
long stick.  I'm starting now, and I'm going to move fast and act with all my
strength, whether you will help me or not.  This has got to stop!"
     "I think you're making a mistake," Fandil said, "or at least taking bigger risks
than you realize.  But if you're determined to do it, I'll help you any way I can."
     "Good."  She took a deep breath and sat down again.  "I'm not going to take of
without a thought, you know.  I realize we need a plan of some kind.  BUT!  We don't
need an elaborate, every I crossed and every T dotted plan.  I say we start at the
arena here.  Find, again, that device or talisman that collects the blood-power and
stores it and transmits it to Khaldren.  Destroy it--cut its connections, drain it of
power, and destroy it, as a first step.  Yes?"  She looked at Fandil and Kennelworth.
     Fandil exhaled noisily, stared at the ceiling for a moment, then looked back
down.  "Okay."
     "Better to do it now, before the fights, then," Kennelworth said.

Below Point or Krael:

     This new tunnel had none of the polish of the ones they'd started with.  It was
naked rock with exposed tool marks (though nothing crude), and it seemed to
Gissanniah that it was, in some way she couldn't define, more "dwarven."  Okay, she
could define the low ceiling, but other than that...she could almost see the dwarves
working here.  In fact, she could see them, shadowy ghosts moving about their ancient
business.  How odd.  Could they be ghosts?  And if they were ghosts of the builders,
why should they be HERE?  She wished Kegrald, the Khalhums Dwarf of Iaye who had
first told them about the tunnels, was here.  Kegrald had said his grandfather (some
ancestor, she couldn't remember now if it was his father or his great-grandfather or
some other) had told about the building of these tunnels.  Which must mean he hadn't
died here.  But maybe some of the others had?  It was not unknown for powerful men to
kill the people who had prepared secret places, in order to keep the secrets.  If
some of the dwarves had been killed to keep the secret of these tunnels--and others
had escaped in time to take it out into the world--then that must prove the tunnels
were important?  At least, that they had been important once.
     She bumped into Old Doc Circ and stopped, blushing a little.  At least no one
would be able to see her blushes in this murky underground place!  "What?"
     "First power node," the alchemist said, steadying her with one hand and
gesturing upward with the other.
     A sigil had been carved into the arched ceiling of the passage.
     "Oh...good.  That means we're on the right track, then?  Do we destroy it now,
or what?"
     "Or what, I believe," Senator Sedalia said.  "How does this sound as a plan:  We
will penetrate to the heart of this place, marking the nodes as we pass them.  Devise
the destruction to work by a remote signal after we're out again--"
     "GOOD idea!"
     "But in any case, move quickly," the senator finished.
     "Right."  Circ removed his backpack and began to take out small bottles, half of
them round, the other half cubical.  He passed the round ones to Gissanniah, the
square ones to Sedalia.  "These potions are inert by themselves," he said.  "Poured
together, one bottle of each, onto a double handful of lamb's wool," which he also
pulled from his pack, "they turn it into a clay-like mass that can be molded and
stuck to walls or ceilings.  Ten minutes after mixing, the result becomes rather
drastically explosive and should be enough to muck up any magical sigils they're
stuck to."
     Sedalia looked at one of the square bottles dubiously.  "I'm not sure I like the
sound of this procedure."
     "You'd be strange if you did," Cho answered.  "But it'll work, and everything
else I can think of would take longer to set up."  He unrolled the map and held it
against the wall so they could all see it.  "We're here."  He pointed to a node at
the edge of the pattern of tunnels.  "This node over here is the central one.
Blowing it is necessary but not sufficient to destroy Krael again.  For sufficiency,
for certainty, we need to take out at least three other nodes as well."  He traced a
route with his finger.  "We'll go in this way and come back out by the same path.  I
know that isn't the wisest thing, but some the tunnels may be impassable.  The ones
we've already been through, we know will be open."
     "We aren't going to argue," Sedalia said.  "Let's do it and get out."

                                 DUELMASTER'S COLUMN
                             Notes from the arena champ.

     And IIIII, aye, yiii, yiii,[deep breath], will always, [snort, wheeze], Luv
uuuuu [gasp, chortle, sneeze].  I'd like to thank all the judges, all over Iaye who
showed me all their love and voted me to be their next Duelmaster.  Life is full of
limitless possibilities, just ask Cardinal Arizpe what a little strategy change can
do.  I love you all, and am here to tell you that all your dreams--as long as you can
well-place a longsword to your opponent's groin--can come true. -- Pop Idol

                                      SPY REPORT

     Greetings warriors!  It is I, Zontani Sharp Eyes, here to bring report of the 
clash and bustle of the weekly IAYE games.  Did only my eyes note the 3-0-0 record 
which WORLDLY DECLINE managed to post this round?  I don't doubt that such a record 
will draw challengers!  THE BOY KING caught the eye of many in the gladiatorial 
commission as he skillfully bested LADY HUNTSMAN and was awarded 21 points in 
recognition.  In one of the week's more notable duels, IRISH CREAM put down PRIVATE 
PERNA, causing him to lose 9 points of recognition in the process.  Most watched of 
the fights this week, the spotlight was on DR TRINAIRE as she bore arms against the 
challenge of reigning Duelmaster POP IDOL.  Not for nothing has POP IDOL in the past 
laid claim to the Duelmaster's throne, and this week she's proven hers combat skill 
yet again.  No confirmation, but my sources claim that the top team has gained their 
position using magical aids.  Charmed weapons perhaps?   
     Many and various are the arts of battle.  In IAYE "art" is a word that has long 
since passed from the language!  My inside sources tell me that the team to beat in 
IAYE these days is THE WARLOCKS.  At least, most blades in town are looking to avoid 
them.  Apparently the stalwarts of LENPROS are catching the bulk of jests down at the 
challenging board for their large share of the avoids.  Loose talk at the arena has 
reached my ears and it but confirms the knowledge that many fighters are after LADY 
HUNTSMAN.  Watch your back!   
     What warrior does not hone his years, impatiently waiting for the moment of his 
foe's mortality?  OUT OF TIME must hold silent, for this week it was humbled in the 
arena by a successful Bloodfeud won by DON FRANCIS of LENPROS.  Hail DON FRANCIS for 
thy victory!  Fate is a fickle mistress.  She showers the miserable with fortune but 
sets enemies against the victorious.  Remember this!   
     The girls are as pretty in IAYE as ever I remembered them....and the fighters as 
ugly!  Don't let your reputation slip!  More than a sharp eye must I keep, indeed a 
stout pair of legs must I keep as well!  The endless paths of Alastari await me!  
Till we meet again, remember:  a turtle walks slow, hides head in a shell, and harms 
no one; a lion runs to slay its prey.-- Zontani Sharp Eyes  

DUELMASTER                     W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 POP IDOL 4617                15  10  0   123       WORLDLY DECLINE (445)

CHALLENGER CHAMPIONS           W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 THE BOY KING 4615            16   9  1   131       WORLDLY DECLINE (445)
 QUEEN CHINEE 4588            25  18  1   111       THE WARLOCKS (430)
 LADY HUNTSMAN 4579           26  12  0   104       LENPROS (145)
 DON FRANCIS 4619              7   4  0    99       LENPROS (145)
 EARTHQUAKE EXCUSE 4584       20  23  1    95       THE A'S -- LOSERS II (431)

CHAMPIONS                      W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 DR TRINAIRE 4606             17  17  0    90       RED DOG GANG (356)
-CARDINAL ARIZPE 4645         12   6  2    87       LENPROS (145)
-GADGET 4528                  10  10  1    78       RESCUE RANGERS II (385)
 FENCE POST 4604              14  22  0    71       RED DOG GANG (356)

CHALLENGER ADEPTS              W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 KLINK 4647                   12   8  0    65       THE A'S -- LOSERS II (431)
 SLEEPS ALL DAY 4603          10  10  1    60       GAMEHENDGE (299)
 OUT OF TIME 4681             10   4  1    57       GAMEHENDGE (299)

ADEPTS                         W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 IRISH CREAM 4654              7  10  0    39       RED DOG GANG (356)

INITIATES                      W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
-CELL BLABBER 4616             3   3  0    19       WORLDLY DECLINE (445)
 MAJOR KOHLER 4716             1   0  0    18       LENPROS (145)
 PRIVATE PERNA 4690            4   3  0    17       LENPROS (145)
-DALE II 4025                  1   0  1    16       RESCUE RANGERS II (385)
-KESTRINA 4696                 1   1  0    16       FIRE AND RUIN (453)
 KID MEDICATION 4713           1   2  0    15       WORLDLY DECLINE (445)
 WINDSONG 4702                 2   5  1    12       RED DOG GANG (356)
-FRENCH VETO 4618              1   6  0     9       WORLDLY DECLINE (445)

INITIATES                      W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 LADY WOOF 4715                1   1  0     4       RED DOG GANG (356)

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

THE DEAD               W  L K TEAM NAME             SLAIN BY             TURN Revenge?
DUKE OF WHIRLPOO 4704  3  2 0 LENPROS 145           OUT OF TIME 4681      550 JUST REV
PRINCESS DIANA 4614   11 11 1 WORLDLY DECLINE 445   CARDINAL ARIZPE 4645  548 REVENGED

                                     PERSONAL ADS

Out Of Time -- Shucks!  I think that was a coup for you Gamehendgers.  I do.  Your TP
killed my godling (a little humor there) aimer, Duke Of Whirlpool who was a 9(+1)-
11(+1)-12-7-18(+1)-10(+1)-21 normal damage, otherwise mode, warrior.  It will not be
difficult to get a better recruit, I hope.  Meanwhile, hmmmmmmmm. -- Lenpro

Pop Idol -- No fair.  You are not allowed to pray! -- Cardinal Arizpe

Pop Idol -- Good challenge, good win.  A salute to the Duelmaster. -- Lenpro

The Boy King -- Well, I tried hard to avoid you, but when you cornered me, I just had
to give in to your ministrations.  Sigh. -- Lady Huntsman

Queen Chinee -- I must give you credit.  Great fight. -- Don Francis

That scribe was trustworthy!  Bring me the devious one; I will swing harder. --
Private Perna

Health.  Humility.  Honor.  Iaye Forever. -- Lenpro

Our turn envelope burst open in the post office (or so I'm told, I wasn't there), and
a lot of turns fell out.  Some--not all--of the fights and other pages showed up at
the guildhouse about five days later.  If there's something missing from our
personals, blame it on the post office, okay?  We're doing our best here. -- Jorja,
Red Dog Gang

Hmm, I notice that in EACH fight, the report begins with "the audience falls silent
as the dueling begins."  What were they talking about that they were so reluctant to
stop until the last moment, and so quick to return to the discussion as soon as the
fight was over?  Is it the rumor that Arenamaster Penrue has been keeping company
with Lady Huntsman and Bigfoots has vowed revenge?  Or the one about the tentacles
coming out of the drains in the women's side of the gladiatorial shower rooms?  Or
betting irregularities involving the Shiftyeyed Volunteer and M. Chardinee?
Inquiring Minds want to know!

Gadget -- Yes, well, I'm glad you recovered in a few days.  If you hadn't been so
grudging about the whole thing, I wouldn't've had to hit you the second time, you
know. -- Dr Trinaire

Earthquake Excuse -- How can you expect a fence to stand firmly when the ground is
shaking?  I was at a serious disadvantage there! -- Fence Post
P.S.  Obviously, the audience was talking (in hushed tones of admiration) about my
stance.  Rock solid.  Except when the ground shakes.

Sleeps All Day -- I wish! -- Irish Cream
P.S.  Amazing, the power of suggestion.  You knocked me down, and I immediately went
to sleep.  Of course, this made it hard to get back up again, which may have had
something to do with me losing the fight....

Kid Medication -- You shouldn't touch that stuff.  It's unnatural, and it'll rot your
body right out from under you. -- Windsong
P.S.  I wish I knew how I got onto this team, I'm sure I don't belong here.  I have a
THING about islands.  I should be on the mainland.

P.P.S.  Given your connections, did the Infirmarian give you a break on the
medication costs?  Naturally, your insurance company refused to pay, but they always
do.

So, I'm a "Fratsfan"?  Does that mean I get to be blonde instead of red-headed?  If
so, I think I'll be a golden retriever.  You got gold, I'll retrieve it.  Useful
stuff, gold. -- Lady Woof
P.S.  That Beggar wasn't really polite.  He didn't do it the RIGHT way, which, of
course, any good dog knows how to do.  Being a good dog, I do know how begging should
be done, but I'm not going to tell HIM.  He was rude!

Ruthless Jaywalker -- Oh, ha!  I'm shaking in my shoes!  Tell me something scary. --
Windsong

                                  LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS

DON FRANCIS devastated OUT OF TIME in a 2 minute gruesome mismatched Bloodfeud fight.
POP IDOL demolished DR TRINAIRE in a 1 minute one-sided Challenge Title melee.
THE BOY KING overpowered LADY HUNTSMAN in a 6 minute mismatched Challenge duel.
QUEEN CHINEE overpowered VETERAN MERCENARY in a 2 minute mismatched match.
EARTHQUAKE EXCUSE narrowly defeated VIRGINAL CONCUBINE in a 3 minute struggle.
KLINK handily defeated HAPPY PEASANT in a 1 minute uneven fight.
FENCE POST unbelievably bested SLEEPS ALL DAY in a action packed 3 minute duel.
PRIVATE PERNA was vanquished by IRISH CREAM in a 1 minute uneven fight.
WINDSONG lost to KID MEDICATION in a 2 minute fight.
LADY WOOF was overpowered by MAJOR KOHLER in a popular 1 minute uneven match.

                                    BATTLE REPORT

             MOST POPULAR                        RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS     
|FIGHTING STYLE               FIGHTS        FIGHTING STYLE     W -   L -  K   PERCENT|
|LUNGING ATTACK                   5         PARRY-STRIKE       7 -   3 -  1      70  |
|TOTAL PARRY                      3         BASHING ATTACK    11 -   6 -  3      65  |
|AIMED BLOW                       2         AIMED BLOW        19 -  14 -  0      58  |
|PARRY-LUNGE                      2         TOTAL PARRY       19 -  15 -  1      56  |
|PARRY-STRIKE                     1         PARRY-LUNGE       16 -  13 -  0      55  |
|PARRY-RIPOSTE                    1         PARRY-RIPOSTE      7 -   6 -  0      54  |
|BASHING ATTACK                   1         STRIKING ATTACK    7 -   6 -  0      54  |
|STRIKING ATTACK                  1         WALL OF STEEL     12 -  11 -  2      52  |
|WALL OF STEEL                    1         LUNGING ATTACK    24 -  26 -  0      48  |
|SLASHING ATTACK                  0         SLASHING ATTACK    6 -   9 -  1      40  |

Turn 551 was great if you     Not so great if you used      The fighting styles of the
used the fighting styles:     the fighting styles:          top eleven warriors are:

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

                               TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE

FIGHTING STYLE   WARRIOR                     W   L  K PNTS TEAM NAME                  
LUNGING ATTACK   POP IDOL 4617              15  10  0  123 WORLDLY DECLINE (445)
AIMED BLOW       THE BOY KING 4615          16   9  1  131 WORLDLY DECLINE (445)
PARRY-STRIKE     QUEEN CHINEE 4588          25  18  1  111 THE WARLOCKS (430)
TOTAL PARRY      LADY HUNTSMAN 4579         26  12  0  104 LENPROS (145)
PARRY-LUNGE      KLINK 4647                 12   8  0   65 THE A'S -- LOSERS II (431)

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 QUEEN CHINEE 4588.  The most popular warrior this 
turn was THE BOY KING 4615.  The ten other most popular fighters were SLEEPS ALL DAY 
4603, QUEEN CHINEE 4588, WINDSONG 4702, DON FRANCIS 4619, POP IDOL 4617, EARTHQUAKE 
EXCUSE 4584, MAJOR KOHLER 4716, KLINK 4647, FENCE POST 4604, and IRISH CREAM 4654.

The least popular fighter this week was LADY HUNTSMAN 4579.  The other ten least 
popular fighters were PRIVATE PERNA 4690, DR TRINAIRE 4606, OUT OF TIME 4681, LADY 
WOOF 4715, KID MEDICATION 4713, IRISH CREAM 4654, FENCE POST 4604, KLINK 4647, MAJOR 
KOHLER 4716, and EARTHQUAKE EXCUSE 4584.

The following warriors will travel to AD after next turn:

POP IDOL (30-4617) WORLDLY DECLINE (445)