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)