DUEL 2 NEWSLETTER

Date   : 10/05/2005    Duedate: 10/18/2005

ARVAT ARENA

DM-32    TURN-508

This Weeks Top Honors

THE DUELMASTER IS

BEFORE THE DAWN
CALL THE PRIEST (344)
(32-4148) [14-2-0,118]

Chartered Recognition Leader   Unchartered Recognition Leader

BEFORE THE DAWN                VANITY
CALL THE PRIEST (344)          FRIEND OR FOE? (365)
(32-4148) [14-2-0,118]         (32-4267) [2-1-1,33]

Popularity Leader              This Weeks Favorite

ELECTRIC EYE                   ELECTRIC EYE
CALL THE PRIEST (344)          CALL THE PRIEST (344)
(32-4156) [10-6-0,79]          (32-4156) [10-6-0,79]

THE CURRENT TOP TEAM

CALL THE PRIEST (344)

          TEAMS ON THE MOVE            TOP CAREER HONORS
Team Name                  Point Gain  Chartered Team
1. CALL THE PRIEST (344)       38
2. FRIEND OR FOE? (365)        26      FLAMING DEATH (347)
3. DEVIL ADVOCATES (105)       23      Unchartered Team
4. FLAMING DEATH (347)         21
5. COLLEGE RADIO (364)         18      GEMSTONE BEASTS (362)

The Top Teams

Career Win-Loss Record           W   L  K    %  Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns    W  L K
 1/ 1*GEMSTONE BEASTS (362)      3   1  0 75.0   1/ 1 CALL THE PRIEST (344)    11  4 0
 2/ 2 FLAMING DEATH (347)       11   4  1 73.3   2/ 2*ANGELS OF PAIN (360)      7  2 0
 3/ 3 CALL THE PRIEST (344)    120  65  6 64.9   3/ 3 DEVIL ADVOCATES (105)     6  8 0
 4- 4 BLITZKRIEG II (354)       27  15  2 64.3   4/ 4*FRIEND OR FOE? (365)      6  9 3
 5/ 5 DEVIL ADVOCATES (105)    809 492 43 62.2   5/ 5 FISHERMAN'S WHARF (288)   5 10 1
 6/ 6*ANGELS OF PAIN (360)      20  14  0 58.8   6/ 6 THE STORMLORDS (337)      5 10 0
 7/ 7 THE STORMLORDS (337)     135 124 10 52.1   7/ 8*GEMSTONE BEASTS (362)     3  1 0
 8/ 9 FISHERMAN'S WHARF (288)  354 521 11 40.5   8/ 7*COLLEGE RADIO (364)       3  5 0
 9/ 8*FRIEND OR FOE? (365)       6   9  3 40.0   9/ 9 FLAMING DEATH (347)       1  0 1
10/10*COLLEGE RADIO (364)        5   8  0 38.5  10-11*KAOS (254)                0  1 0
11-11*KAOS (254)                 0   1  0  0.0  11-10 BLITZKRIEG II (354)       0  1 0
12-12*DARK TOADS (363)           0   1  0  0.0  12-12*DARK TOADS (363)          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[ Old Secrets #5 ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ +

Riztab:

     Torric really didn't want to go into the old ruin.
     But he'd promised the wizard that he'd bring out the chest with the old, old,
OLD records.
     And it wasn't a good idea to break a promise made to a wizard.
     It was dark, of course, one never went into treacherous ruins by daylight.  And
stormy, which was also to be expected, the spymaster supposed.  A dark and stormy
night.  No moon, threat of rain, wind tossing the tree tops around.  All that stuff.
Totally gazebo.  He paused.  Gazebo?  Where had that come from?  It sounded like one
of Debby Tonte's words.  He squinted into the wind, which was ripping across the lake
and throwing bits of spray in his face.  Gazebo?  It sounded like a sneeze.  He
sneezed.  Cold and nasty out tonight, maybe it WAS gazebo.  Who was he to decide?
     The spymaster shrugged, squinted into the gazebo wind, or the gazebo night, as
the case might be, one last time, and turned toward the dark bulk of the old records
building.  He had been into it before, but never in the dark.  His feet seemed
reluctant to take the next step.  Damn.  He hated it when his feet were smarter than
the rest of him.  With a muttered curse, he stepped forward.
     The old records building was one of the oldest buildings still standing in Old
Town.  It was all that remained of the old citadel, stronghold of the earliest
warlords of Riztab.  Torric sometimes wondered whether their family name had been
Makrok.  Not that it mattered, just an idle thought.  Because the lake had risen, or
the shore had subsided (or, of course, both), the ground floor of the old building
was always flooded with two to three feet of water.  If there had been a cellar, it
could no longer be reached.
     Tonight Torric, who was only five-foot-eight, found the water up to his waist.
And cold.  Once he was inside and could no longer be seen from, well, from anywhere
else, he lighted his lantern, holding it high.  There was nothing to see in the first
chamber but the stone walls, dripping wet and blotched with some kind of unwholesome
growths, and the black surface of the water.  The doorway to the inner hall and
staircase appeared at first simply to be a shadow in a corner.  If he hadn't known
that was where to look...well, it could probably be counted as a defense of the
building's secrets.  He waded toward it.
     The floor in this room was stone, or brick, or tile, but something hard and not
subject to water damage.  (He had a brief, horrid image of what it would have been
like to step on a wooden floor that had rotted through, dropping him into abyssal
cellars.)  But it had accumulated mud over the decades, and other things he didn't
care to speculate on, and the surface under his boots was squishy.  Once his step
released a malodorous bubble.  Things brushed against his legs.  The lantern shook as
his hand shook, making the light quiver and the shadows twitch.  The wind whistling
through some unglazed window higher up sounded like a voice whispering.
     Sounded uncommonly like a voice.
     Torric froze in the doorway.  Across from him was a bricked-up archway.  He had
speculated idly in the past, wondering when it had been closed off and why, but he'd
never wondered enough to pursue the question.  Now there was a...shape emerging from
it.  Faintly luminous, more or less man-shaped but larger than a human (not so large
as a normal Shew).
     "The Demon Prince shall not best me a second time," it said.  "Zukal rule
Riztab?  Not so long as a Makrok stands!"
     The shape drifted toward him, and Torric could not move out of his way; his
limbs were frozen, perhaps by fear, or perhaps by some more eldritch power.  Arms
reached toward him, then passed by like wisps of cold fog.  With a roar of anger and
frustration, which Torric could barely hear, the apparition flowed around him and
away toward the outer night.

Near Arvat:

     The path emerged from the close-growing, man-tall reeds onto open water.  Well,
open except for waterlilies, and lower reeds of some grass-like type, and patches of
miscellaneous plants.  Spymaster Lovenar was not a botanist, and to him they were all
weeds.  The important thing was the tower on the other side of the water.  It was, as
Geroge Kase had reported, half-ruined and apparently vacant.  But only a wizard would
have built such a tower in the first place, and even deserted, a wizard's tower might
hold prizes worth having.  He meant to have them.
     While Lovenar was staring at the tower, the Captured Orc wrenched free of his
grip, lunging sideways into the reeds.  "I brought you here," Kase said.  "That's all
I promised to do, and I'm LEAVING."
     Lovenar tore his gaze from the tower and turned to glare at the orc, but Kase
had vanished into the heavy growth.  He should have put a leash on the damned beast,
but he hadn't thought of that in time.  Which meant that now he'd have to find his
own way across the water to the tower.  Or around the water, if it was a pool rather
than a channel.  The spymaster frowned.  He could swim, as he would maintain to
anyone who questioned that, but to himself he admitted that he didn't swim well.  And
the idea of swimming in the water that was the next to a moat for a wizard's tower
did not appeal.  He broke off the long stem of one of the taller reeds and began to
probe the bottom ahead of him.

     Kase lay in the shelter of the undergrowth, trying to pant quietly, smothering a
laugh by pressing his face against his sleeve.  Lovenar had tricked him into being a
guide to the tower, but the fool had not asked enough questions to know the danger in
which he now stood.  It wasn't that Kase had lied, he wouldn't have dared to lie to
the spymaster, but did the fool think that an abandoned wizard's tower had existed
near Arvat for very long without being noticed?  The orc was prepared to state
positively that the tower had not been there--not just not visible, but not THERE at
all--last month.  The clearing had been empty last month.  He had walked through it,
right through where the tower now stood.  And he hoped that whatever had brought the
tower here now would eat Lovenar.

      * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ *

                        ---===FREE BLADES REGIONAL NEWS===---

                                     Duelmasters
                                     -----------
 DM   9 ZUKAL (turn 525): COPY CAT of ARENA FELINES (Garfield, mgr.)
 DM  12 RIZTAB (turn 525): LUIGI of TEAM MARIO (?, mgr.)
 DM  15 MALCORN (turn 519): GO AND GO of TRIPLE CROWN (Sultan, mgr.)
 DM  16 WILLAF (turn 522): CAT MAN DO of ARENA FELINES (Garfield, mgr.)
 DM  17 ALJAFIR (turn 520): ALEXANDER THE GREAT of HEROESANDFOUNDONES (The Judge)
 DM  19 ZUWAYZA (turn 517): ELLE of THE MAGNIFICENT MAGS (Jorja, mgr.)
 DM  28 SLAUGHTER PRIEST MEM (turn 259): GRIM BLACKSMITH of NORTHERN BADLANDS
                                         (Maximillian, mgr.)
 DM  29 LAPUR (turn 511): TETRICUS of EQUESTORS (Spartacus, mgr.)
 DM  31 CHIMLEVTAL (turn 257): IT FELT GOOD of WHY DID I DO IT (Fizban, mgr.)
 DM  32 ARVAT (turn 507): BEFORE THE DAWN of CALL THE PRIEST (Destitute Noble, mgr.)
 DM  33 NIATOLI ISLAND (turn 505): WRETCHEDMISERY of CHAOTICDISORDER (Bobby Bigfoot)
 DM  35 MURSKA (turn 498): LOCO of PHILANTHROPISTS 3 (Aragorn, mgr.)
 DM  43 VEASTIAN (turn 461): TIRANIAN of THE FAMILY (Jorja, mgr.)
 DM  45 STORMCROWE (turn 233): HOT LIPS of DARQUE FORCES (Master Darque, mgr.)
 DM  47 SCOMSS SWAMP (turn 228): KALYPSO of DARQUE FORCES (Master Darque, mgr.)
 DM  50 SNOWBOUND (turn 215): YAIWE of DARK SIDHE (Daehir, mgr.)
 DM  56 ROCANIS (turn 386): GLASS JOE of PUNCH-OUT! (Huckle Cat, mgr.)
 DM  61 JURINE (turn 365): STONE DOG of BLACK PEARL (Dr. Guts, mgr.)
 DM  73 ERINIKA (turn 164): VANISH of THE INANIMATES (Mannequin, mgr.)
ADM 103 FREE BLADES (turn 412): SAMOO of DARKENED PRIDE from SIBIKHAS (Ultraist)

                                      Top Teams
                                      ---------
 DM   9 ZUKAL (turn 525): ARENA FELINES (Garfield, mgr.)
 DM  12 RIZTAB (turn 525): ARENA FELINES (Garfield, mgr.)
 DM  15 MALCORN (turn 519): TRIPLE CROWN (Sultan, mgr.)
 DM  16 WILLAF (turn 522): GOLDEN GLADIATORS (Midas, mgr.)
 DM  17 ALJAFIR (turn 520): HEROESANDFOUNDONES (The Judge, mgr.)
 DM  19 ZUWAYZA (turn 517): FUNKY FOLK (Papa Bear, mgr.)
 DM  28 SLAUGHTER PRIEST MEM (turn 259): NORTHERN BADLANDS (Maximillian, mgr.)
 DM  29 LAPUR (turn 511): EQUESTORS (Spartacus, mgr.)
 DM  31 CHIMLEVTAL (turn 257): LORDS OF VALHALLA (High Lord Bosk, mgr.)
 DM  32 ARVAT (turn 507): CALL THE PRIEST (Destitute Noble, mgr.)
 DM  33 NIATOLI ISLAND (turn 505): CHAOTICDISORDER (Bobby Bigfoot, mgr.)
 DM  35 MURSKA (turn 498): PHILANTHROPISTS 3 (Aragorn, mgr.)
 DM  43 VEASTIAN (turn 461): THE FAMILY (Jorja, mgr.)
 DM  45 STORMCROWE (turn 233): DARQUE FORCES (Master Darque, mgr.)
 DM  47 SCOMSS SWAMP (turn 228): none
 DM  50 SNOWBOUND (turn 215): DARK SIDHE (Daehir, mgr.)
 DM  56 ROCANIS (turn 386): BAD APPLES (Uncle Wolf, mgr.)
 DM  61 JURINE (turn 365): FEAR FACTORY (Var, mgr.)
 DM  73 ERINIKA (turn 164): THE BULLS (Crip, mgr.)
ADM 103 FREE BLADES (turn 412): DARKENED PRIDE, etc. (Ultraist, mgr.)

                                   Recent Graduates
                                  -----------------
 DM  12 RIZTAB (turn 525): CAT TAGIOUS of ARENA FELINES (Garfield, mgr.)
               (turn 524): ANARCHY of CASTLE (Citizen Kane, public relations)
 DM  31 CHIMLEVTAL (turn 257): HELM HAMMERHAND of LORDS OF VALHALLA (High Lord Bosk)
                   (turn 256): DOOM HAMMER of THE STORM REAVERS (?, mgr.)
                               GREYSCALES of THE STORMBRINGERS (High Lord Bosk, mgr.)
                               SPATHA of SOL INVICTUS (Bobby Bigfoot, mgr.)
 DM  32 ARVAT (turn 507): TASSALTER of FISHERMAN'S WHARF (Jorja, mgr.)
 DM  33 NIATOLI ISLAND (turn 505): WRETCHEDMISERY of CHAOTICDISORDER (Bobby Bigfoot)
 DM  47 SCOMSS SWAMP (turn 228): KALYPSO of DARQUE FORCES (Master Darque, mgr.)
                   (turn 227): GREGOLA of LIFE'S LESSONS (Street Legal, mgr.)
 DM  50 SNOWBOUND (turn 214): ELLITA FESS of MIDDLE WAY 6 (Jorja, mgr.)
                  (turn 213): HOLLAN INNIS of MIDDLE WAY 6 (Jorja, mgr.)
 DM  56 ROCANIS (turn 386): GLASS JOE of PUNCH-OUT! (Huckle Cat, mgr.)
                (turn 385): KID QUICK of PUNCH-OUT! (Huckle Cat, mgr.)
 DM  61 JURINE (turn 365): STONE DOG of BLACK PEARL (Dr. Guts, mgr.)
               (turn 364): AFFLICTED of FEAR FACTORY (Var, mgr.)
 DM  73 ERINIKA (turn 164): VANISH of THE INANIMATES (Mannequin, mgr.)
                (turn 163): BASE ON BULLS of THE BULLS (Crip, mgr.)

                                      SPY REPORT

     Good day, in ARVAT a quiet thief gets rich, but a quiet spymaster gets poor.  So 
bring me ale and harken to my tidbits of news.  ULTHAR ULSAY has lost to FREEWHEEL 
BURNIN', falling 9 points, while helping make THE STORMLORDS a 1-4-0 turn.  Defending 
hers title for another turn, BEFORE THE DAWN kept ARVAT's warrior, KUNG-FU MASTER, 
from claiming the throne.  Tell me, is nothing sacred?  I have heard from 
unimpeachable sources that The Warty Toad uses trolls in their stew.  Talk about 
gristle!   
     Oriental wise man once say, 'Hiding behind shields prevents proper sun tanning.' 
Inscrutable, but true.  DEVIL ADVOCATES has cause to stand tall, as they were ARVAT's 
most avoided team.  A smart manager knows this is a team to beat.  And guess who 
avoided DEVIL ADVOCATES stable the most?  Believe it or not, it was CALL THE PRIEST.  
Anyone surprised?  Well, sports fans, take notice that TASSALTER from FISHERMAN'S 
WHARF was ARVAT's most challenged warrior this turn.  In a brave attempt, IZUSU 
TROOPER from FLAMING DEATH challenged up 20 points to fight TASSALTER from the 
FISHERMAN'S WHARF stable.  IZUSU TROOPER perhaps got its just desserts, seeing as it 
killed TASSALTER and ended up with 94 recognition points.  FREKI of THE STORMLORDS 
had better have a good reason for challenging down 8 points in a challenge which he 
lost.  I thought FREKI showed great skill and promise when he was defeated by SINNER. 
All right, so I slept through it!  Big deal!   
     We only live a short time in this world, so why not take a sharp blade, and 
shave it close?  FISHERMAN'S WHARF has lost TASSALTER to the arena in the sky, but 
they don't seem to be worried.  What do you expect from 14-36-1?  Kudos go out to DEE 
SPADER this turn, for revenging DEVIL ADVOCATES' bloodfeud against FRIEND OR FOE?'s 
warrior VANITY.  Well done.  Is it really true that ARVAT has more dishwashers per 
capita that fighters?  Just thought I'd ask...   
     Remember, blood on the purple robe does not change it from a purple robe.  Dare 
to fight bravely.  Always good to rest in ARVAT, but never good to wear out my 
welcome.  Look for me in future turns.  Until you see my quill in ARVAT again, 
farewell-- Alarond the Scribe  

DUELMASTER                     W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 BEFORE THE DAWN 4148         14   2  0   118       CALL THE PRIEST (344)

CHALLENGER CHAMPIONS           W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 IZUSU TROOPER 4062            9   1  1    94       FLAMING DEATH (347)

CHAMPIONS                      W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 ELECTRIC EYE 4156            10   6  0    79       CALL THE PRIEST (344)
 SINNER 4165                   7   5  0    75       CALL THE PRIEST (344)
 M. A. FISTAFOLES 4191         8   4  0    68       DEVIL ADVOCATES (105)

CHALLENGER ADEPTS              W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 UNITED 4162                   5   8  1    61       CALL THE PRIEST (344)
 LOGGERHEAD 4149              13  20  0    59       FISHERMAN'S WHARF (288)
 FREKI 4179                   12   4  0    58       THE STORMLORDS (337)
 DEE SPADER 4192               8   4  3    58       DEVIL ADVOCATES (105)

ADEPTS                         W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
-NAUTILUS 4134                 7   3  0    51       BLITZKRIEG II (354)
 CHARON 4103                  10  11  0    46       THE STORMLORDS (337)
-LOGGERHEAD 4133               3   2  0    44       BLITZKRIEG II (354)
 FREEWHEEL BURNIN' 4245        5   0  0    42       CALL THE PRIEST (344)
-DESERT FOX 4131               5   5  1    35       BLITZKRIEG II (354)

CHALLENGER INITIATES           W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
-DAHLGREN 4132                 3   2  1    33       BLITZKRIEG II (354)
 VANITY 4267                   2   1  1    33       FRIEND OR FOE? (365)
-JUSTICE 4217                  3   2  0    29       ANGELS OF PAIN (360)
 LOU CYPHER 4188               7   7  0    28       DEVIL ADVOCATES (105)
 DAMNATION 4214                5   3  0    28       ANGELS OF PAIN (360)
 TORMENT 4271                  3   0  0    27       ANGELS OF PAIN (360)
-MISERY 4235                   3   1  0    27       ANGELS OF PAIN (360)
 TAKE YOUR LUMPS 4260          1   2  0    26       COLLEGE RADIO (364)

INITIATES                      W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 ULTHAR ULSAY 4199             2   8  0    22       THE STORMLORDS (337)
-DEAD 60'S 4258                2   1  0    21       COLLEGE RADIO (364)
 ROLTON 4250                   2   0  0    19       GEMSTONE BEASTS (362)
 MALICE 4270                   1   2  0    17       FRIEND OR FOE? (365)
 BRIAN BORU 4263               2   2  0    15       THE STORMLORDS (337)
 THE SHRIMP 4264               2   1  0    14       FISHERMAN'S WHARF (288)
 FURY 4286                     1   0  0    13       ANGELS OF PAIN (360)
 HEAVEN 4261                   2   1  0    12       COLLEGE RADIO (364)
-YUGO CV 4066                  1   0  0    12       FLAMING DEATH (347)
 BILL ZEYBUB 4244              2   4  0    10       DEVIL ADVOCATES (105)
 GREATER ORC 4249              1   1  0     8       GEMSTONE BEASTS (362)
-VW BEETLE 4064                1   0  0     6       FLAMING DEATH (347)
 HERON 4273                    1   2  0     5       FISHERMAN'S WHARF (288)
 FREDDIE 4265                  1   2  0     5       FISHERMAN'S WHARF (288)
 STUBBORN 4269                 1   2  0     5       FRIEND OR FOE? (365)
-GLOBETROTTERS 4254            0   1  0     5       DARK TOADS (363)
-FORD PINTO 4234               0   1  0     1       FLAMING DEATH (347)

INITIATES                      W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
-GROPO 3185                    0   1  0     1       KAOS (254)

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

THE DEAD               W  L K TEAM NAME             SLAIN BY             TURN Revenge?
ARGONAUT 4135          9  3 0 BLITZKRIEG II 354     TASSALTER 4112        506 NONE    
DEBI BOLICAL 4287      0  1 0 DEVIL ADVOCATES 105   ARENAMISTRESS SUG 332 508 NONE    
M. EDGAR D'SERPE 4236  1  5 0 DEVIL ADVOCATES 105   VANITY 4267           507 JUST REV
TASSALTER 4112        14 36 1 FISHERMAN'S WHARF 288 IZUSU TROOPER 4062    508         
BOOYAH JIM 4285        1  1 1 FRIEND OR FOE? 365    BANDIT PRINCE 334     508 NONE    
129121791015 4288      0  1 0 FRIEND OR FOE? 365    MOUNTAIN TROLL 327    508 NONE    
FTF NICE GUY 4289      0  1 0 THE STORMLORDS 337    BLACK ORC 329         508 NONE    

                                     PERSONAL ADS

Personal Ads delayed from last turn:

Destitute Noble -- RE:  Metal Meltdown's reappearance in Aradi.  The answer is yes,
it is more than overdue.  Get your (donkey) back where you belong and bring the rest
of the League Arcane droolers, too! -- The Sentinel

Loggerhead -- At least I was more courteous about it than the Saratoga Glory crew who
have been putting people in body bags! -- Izusu Trooper

The Icelord -- That is the tone of the response I expected from you given the class
with which you've handled everything else recently.  I just wanted you to know that
with the tantrum and the smear campaign you were doing nothing more than embarrassing
yourself (and maybe sucking up some losses in the process by the look of it).  I'll
leave you two to your dispute, but it passed the point of merely being annoying for
the rest of us many weeks ago. -- The Sentinel

Love Potion #10 was:  9-9-16-5-11-17-17.  This misguided ST was a big fan of Love
Potion #9, who was killed by a COL warrior in Chimlevtal.  He was RH, was stupid,
responding to the actions of his foes rather than controlling the fight, made feints
that fooled no one, was often fooled by a feint and didn't think about resting as
much as he should have.  He was a quick fighter, very highly coordinated w/the
ability to use a weapon in each hand, had poor endurance, couldn't carry a lot of
weight in weapons and armor, was very quick on his feet and could do good damage with
a blow.  It is easy to see how he got his name.  He just as easily could have been
named "Casual Observer"' a cowardly pud who can't sign his personals with a real
manager name or ID himself. -- The Icelord

Freewheel Burnin' -- JUST about had you there!  Why you all loaded up on armor?
Afraid to die?  Well Mr. Tournament Victor, you won, but if you didn't have those 13
fights from the FTF I would of had you and you know it.  Tell Casual Observer he
sucks. -- Brian Boru

Friend or Foe? -- Welcome!  From the look of the third number on your team record,
I'd definitely say that you've been more foe than friend so far. -- The Sentinel

Call the Priest -- You guys stay away from me, please.  Your records are too good for
my liking. -- Izusu Trooper

Dark One -- Angels of Pain back on the sands and no longer fighting under the banner
of the great Zukal.  I never expected to see that, but it is good to see you back in
the game. -- The Sentinel

The Icelord -- Tal Warrior!  Strong Steel, My Brother!  Tull awaits. -- High Lord
Bosk

Destitute Noble -- You the man!  Brilliant strategy!  Attack Bosk and then turn it
around and make yourself look like the good guy!  Keep fooling them and you'll go
far. -- "Casual Observer"

Before the Dawn -- Well done, and I have never lost with a lighter heart. --
Tassalter

Dee Spader -- What?  I didn't catch that one. -- Loggerhead

Torment -- You tall people are all alike! -- The Shrimp

     You mean...tall? -- Ed.

Malice -- I dunno, you tell me if you're friend or foe. -- Freddie

Stubborn -- Today, at least, a friend. -- Heron

Lord Protector Tassalter -- Now, I'm sure you're going to be sensible and undemanding
about this, aren't you?  The lands thing, you know.  I've talked to your manager, and
she says you'd do just fine with a subscription to a duck blind!  We don't have any
Ducks in this arena--so far, knock on wood--but I've heard they're just a handful,
you know?  Go blind some, boy! -- Arenamistress Sugar

15 September 2005
                             HAMMER ANNOUNCES RETIREMENT

     Be it known from the highest mountains to the darkest alleys of Alastari that
the veteran manager known far and wide as Hammer has now officially retired from
sponsoring contests as of September 15, 2005.
     What a long time ago was a fun motivated activity to help promote our common
DM/D2 gaming interest in an effort to promote the growth and competitiveness of
selected arenas has become a far from fun experience.
     In other words Hammer has had it!
     The combination of real life situations interfering with the time needed to
effectively sponsor a contest, plus the attitudes expressed during such sponsorship
interference has led to Hammer closing his personal coin coffers and retiring from
his planned sponsorship of any future contests.
     There are others in our close knit gaming community who are well able to step up
to the plate and continue sponsoring contests that make the basic game a fun
experience for all those who choose to compete and interact in such future endeavors.
     Hammer thanks all managers both active and inactive who helped to make the
Hammer sponsored contests a historical and entertaining experience well worth the
time, effort and money spent over the past several years.
     May the Cheers and the Jeers of future contests build upon the legacies of those
who have paved the way in years gone by to help make this game what it is today.
     Hammer has no regrets for the part he has played in that history.

19 September 2005
I'd like to say hello to everyone I know that is still around after my being gone for
five years.  Hope to see you all on the sands, and may your weapons strike true and
your shields protect you (except, of course, against MY warriors *grin*)!! -- Lord
Xiang, D2-101

5 October 2005
To those once of Willaf -- It's time to come back to the sands.  I'm back,
exclusively at Willaf.... -- Kurd the Vivisectionist, Your Better

                                  LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS

BOOYAH JIM was butchered by BANDIT PRINCE in a 1 minute Dark Arena fight.
FTF NICE GUY was viciously butchered by BLACK ORC in a 1 minute Dark Arena duel.
129121791015 was savagely slain by MOUNTAIN TROLL in a 1 minute Dark Arena fight.
DEBI BOLICAL was butchered by ARENAMISTRESS SUGAR in a 2 minute Dark Arena contest.
DEE SPADER defeated VANITY in a 2 minute master vs. amateur Bloodfeud match.
FREEWHEEL BURNIN' overpowered ULTHAR ULSAY in a 1 minute one-sided Challenge struggle.
IZUSU TROOPER butchered TASSALTER in a 1 minute one-sided Challenge competition.
FREKI was viciously subdued by SINNER in a action packed 5 minute Challenge duel.
M. A. FISTAFOLES savagely defeated LOGGERHEAD in a 2 minute gruesome Challenge duel.
MALICE overpowered HERON in a 1 minute one-sided Challenge fight.
STUBBORN was handily defeated by THE SHRIMP in a 1 minute one-sided Challenge bout.
ROLTON demolished FREDDIE in a 1 minute mismatched Challenge competition.
BEFORE THE DAWN devastated KUNG-FU MASTER in a 1 minute one-sided Title battle.
ELECTRIC EYE was beaten by KHALHUMS DWARF in a popular 3 minute master's conflict.
CHARON overpowered LOU CYPHER in a 1 minute uneven struggle.
UNITED handily defeated DAMNATION in a 1 minute bloody mismatched bout.
TAKE YOUR LUMPS devastated GREATER ORC in a 1 minute one-sided fight.
BILL ZEYBUB was luckily beaten by HEAVEN in a exciting 4 minute brutal bout.
BRIAN BORU was defeated by TORMENT in a 1 minute amateur's conflict.
FURY devastated MORDANT DESERTER in a 1 minute one-sided bout.

                                    BATTLE REPORT

             MOST POPULAR                        RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS     
|FIGHTING STYLE               FIGHTS        FIGHTING STYLE     W -   L -  K   PERCENT|
|LUNGING ATTACK                   6         SLASHING ATTACK   24 -  19 -  1      56  |
|STRIKING ATTACK                  5         PARRY-RIPOSTE     21 -  17 -  1      55  |
|AIMED BLOW                       5         TOTAL PARRY       20 -  20 -  0      50  |
|SLASHING ATTACK                  4         LUNGING ATTACK    20 -  20 -  2      50  |
|WALL OF STEEL                    3         WALL OF STEEL     20 -  22 -  0      48  |
|PARRY-RIPOSTE                    3         STRIKING ATTACK   25 -  30 -  4      45  |
|TOTAL PARRY                      3         AIMED BLOW        13 -  16 -  1      45  |
|BASHING ATTACK                   3         BASHING ATTACK     6 -  14 -  1      30  |
|PARRY-STRIKE                     1         PARRY-STRIKE       1 -   3 -  0      25  |
|PARRY-LUNGE                      0         PARRY-LUNGE        0 -   1 -  0       0  |

Turn 508 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:

STRIKING ATTACK    4 -  1     AIMED BLOW         2 -  3         3  SLASHING ATTACK
SLASHING ATTACK    3 -  1     PARRY-RIPOSTE      1 -  2         2  PARRY-RIPOSTE  
WALL OF STEEL      2 -  1     LUNGING ATTACK     2 -  4         2  STRIKING ATTACK
                              TOTAL PARRY        1 -  2         1  LUNGING ATTACK 
                              PARRY-LUNGE        0 -  0         1  WALL OF STEEL  
                              PARRY-STRIKE       0 -  1         1  TOTAL PARRY    
                              BASHING ATTACK     0 -  3         1  PARRY-LUNGE    

                               TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE

FIGHTING STYLE   WARRIOR                     W   L  K PNTS TEAM NAME                  
SLASHING ATTACK  BEFORE THE DAWN 4148       14   2  0  118 CALL THE PRIEST (344)
LUNGING ATTACK   IZUSU TROOPER 4062          9   1  1   94 FLAMING DEATH (347)
PARRY-RIPOSTE    SINNER 4165                 7   5  0   75 CALL THE PRIEST (344)
STRIKING ATTACK  DEE SPADER 4192             8   4  3   58 DEVIL ADVOCATES (105)
AIMED BLOW       FREEWHEEL BURNIN' 4245      5   0  0   42 CALL THE PRIEST (344)
Note: Warriors have a winning record and are an Adept or Above.

The overall popularity leader is ELECTRIC EYE 4156.  The most popular warrior this 
turn was ELECTRIC EYE 4156.  The ten other most popular fighters were BILL ZEYBUB 
4244, DEE SPADER 4192, SINNER 4165, M. A. FISTAFOLES 4191, VANITY 4267, BEFORE THE 
DAWN 4148, UNITED 4162, TORMENT 4271, 129121791015 4288, and IZUSU TROOPER 4062.

The least popular fighter this week was BRIAN BORU 4263.  The other ten least popular 
fighters were GREATER ORC 4249, DAMNATION 4214, LOU CYPHER 4188, FREDDIE 4265, 
STUBBORN 4269, HERON 4273, LOGGERHEAD 4149, ULTHAR ULSAY 4199, FTF NICE GUY 4289, and 
BOOYAH JIM 4285.

The following warriors have traveled to AD after fighting this turn:

TASSALTER (32-4112) FISHERMAN'S WHARF (288)