DUELMASTERS NEWSLETTER

Date   : 04/07/2004    Duedate: 04/20/2004

MURSKA ARENA

DM-35    TURN-460

This Weeks Top Honors

THE DUELMASTER IS

INANNA
LADY OF BATTLES (336)
(35-3537) [12-5-0,112]

Chartered Recognition Leader   Unchartered Recognition Leader

INANNA                         BARRISTER
LADY OF BATTLES (336)          BLITZKRIEG (357)
(35-3537) [12-5-0,112]         (35-3817) [3-1-1,56]

Popularity Leader              This Weeks Favorite

GWALCHMAI                      BADDA BADDA
CHILDREN OF LLYR (141)         BLITZKRIEG (357)
(35-3749) [16-11-3,72]         (35-3815) [2-2-0,8]

THE CURRENT TOP TEAM

BLITZKRIEG (357)

          TEAMS ON THE MOVE            TOP CAREER HONORS
Team Name                  Point Gain  Chartered Team
1. BLITZKRIEG (357)            71
2. LADY OF BATTLES (336)       14      LADY OF BATTLES (336)
3. STRONGHOLD (282)            11      Unchartered Team
4. LOST CAUSE (268)             4
5. FERROUS MEN (11)             0      DEVILS OF THE DEEP (358)

The Top Teams

Career Win-Loss Record           W   L  K    %  Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns    W  L K
 1/ 1*DEVILS OF THE DEEP (358)   3   1  0 75.0   1/ 2*BLITZKRIEG (357)          8  2 3
 2/ 2*BLITZKRIEG (357)          13   7  4 65.0   2/ 1 STRONGHOLD (282)          8  7 1
 3/ 3 LADY OF BATTLES (336)     22  14  0 61.1   3/ 4 LOST CAUSE (268)          7  8 0
 4- 4 THE BEARS (253)          317 234 20 57.5   4/ 6 LADY OF BATTLES (336)     5  1 0
 5/ 5 LOST CAUSE (268)         282 234 26 54.7   5/ 3 CHILDREN OF LLYR (141)    3 12 0
 6- 6 FERROUS MEN (11)         101  95  7 51.5   6/ 5*DEVILS OF THE DEEP (358)  2  1 0
 7/ 7 STRONGHOLD (282)          25  26  3 49.0   7- 7 FERROUS MEN (11)          2  3 0
 8/ 8 CHILDREN OF LLYR (141)   426 650 18 39.6   8- 8 THE BEARS (253)           1  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

     Like the magnificent Sun, rising upon the Dawn and exiling the Night for a Day, 
I, Novgorodny Vir, return once again!  The boys at STRONGHOLD left the arena 
dejected, after being kicked out of the top spot by BLITZKRIEG.  Good show!  Good 
things come to those who fight well, as BLITZKRIEG can attest, moving up by 1.  
BLITZKRIEG had cause to celebrate, after BARRISTER got 32 points by beating SPARHAWK. 
Win some, lose some.  Speaking of which, MUSCLE HEAD was winsome, after beating LYN 
SAIN and seeing her lose 13 points.  INANNA successfully staved off a grab for the 
roses by GWALCHMAI of CHILDREN OF LLYR.  Does MURSKA have no one talented enough to 
dethrone her?  Word has it one team in MURSKA is taking speech lessons to try to bore 
their opponent to death.  I'll bet it works.   
     My mother wished me to avoid conflict, and seek the gentle trade of Spyreporter. 
But warriors aren't supposed to avoid fights!  Like a horde of jackals fleeing from 
the lion, so did the "warriors" in MURSKA avoid CHILDREN OF LLYR.  As a woman of good 
breeding scorns the "warriors" of STRONGHOLD, so did that sorry team shy from 
CHILDREN OF LLYR Everyone is famous for fifteen minutes, and BRANGWYN is it right 
now.  Most challenged warrior.  Isn't CHILDREN OF LLYR proud!  My love of complete 
Spyreports dictates that I note the mismatched fight, MEGALODON and BRANGWYN.  Are 
DEVILS OF THE DEEP unwilling to engage in a fair fight?  I thought MEGALODON showed 
great skill and promise when he was bested by BRANGWYN.  All right, so I slept 
through it!  Big deal!   
     Ah, the duel!  The roar of the oppenent, the smell of the crowd!  BARRISTER of 
BLITZKRIEG sends SPARHAWK of STRONGHOLD goes to the Weary Warrior's Retirement Home.  
MURSKA has no place for weaklings!  SPARHAWK of STRONGHOLD met the ultimate defeat at 
the hands of BARRISTER of BLITZKRIEG.  We wait with tainted breath for bloodfeud.  
Ask not for whom the sword slashes; it slashes for thee.   
     Do not think spyreporting in MURSKA is the highlight of my life.  My fingers 
tire and I fear my incessant prattling may cause unfair judgement upon my impeccable 
character.  Do not despair!  I shall return!-- Novgorodny Vir  

DUELMASTER                     W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 INANNA 3537                  12   5  0   112       LADY OF BATTLES (336)

CHAMPIONS                      W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
-IRONMONGER 1022              13   9  0    82       FERROUS MEN (11)
 GWALCHMAI 3749               16  11  3    72       CHILDREN OF LLYR (141)

CHALLENGER ADEPTS              W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
-TOM THUMB 3791                6   1  1    62       THE BEARS (253)

ADEPTS                         W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 BARRISTER 3817                3   1  1    56       BLITZKRIEG (357)
-MONA FERRULE 1041            12   8  0    54       FERROUS MEN (11)
 KAN'SHI 3802                  6   3  1    53       STRONGHOLD (282)
 O'MALLEY 3816                 3   1  1    40       BLITZKRIEG (357)
 SEBASTION 3834                3   1  0    39       STRONGHOLD (282)
 CLYDE 3665                    9   9  2    38       LOST CAUSE (268)

CHALLENGER INITIATES           W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 FLASH 3818                    3   1  1    33       BLITZKRIEG (357)

CHALLENGER INITIATES           W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 BRANGWYN 3793                 3  13  0    31       CHILDREN OF LLYR (141)
-LORD FERRIC 1181              4   3  2    28       FERROUS MEN (11)
 OISAN 3794                    5  11  0    26       CHILDREN OF LLYR (141)
 STUPID 3840                   3   0  0    25       LOST CAUSE (268)
 MUSCLE HEAD 3847              2   0  0    25       STRONGHOLD (282)

INITIATES                      W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 DARLING NIKKI 3842            2   0  1    23       BLITZKRIEG (357)
 MEGALODON 3838                3   1  0    18       DEVILS OF THE DEEP (358)
 PANE 3822                     2   3  0    16       LOST CAUSE (268)
 ESTHER 3739                   2   1  0    14       LADY OF BATTLES (336)
-LADY FERRIC 1180              3   4  0    13       FERROUS MEN (11)
 BADDA BADDA 3815              2   2  0     8       BLITZKRIEG (357)
 LYN SAIN 3849                 1   1  0     4       CHILDREN OF LLYR (141)
 CU-CADAL 3848                 0   2  0     2       CHILDREN OF LLYR (141)
-IRON SKILLET 3843             0   1  0     1       FERROUS MEN (11)
 BRUTE 3850                    0   1  0     1       LOST CAUSE (268)
-OLD BLUE 3829                 0   1  0     1       THE BEARS (253)

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

THE DEAD               W  L K TEAM NAME             SLAIN BY             TURN Revenge?
RED HERRING 3827       0  1 0 THE BEARS 253         O'MALLEY 3816         457         
MELGWYN 3804           3  6 0 CHILDREN OF LLYR 141  KAN'SHI 3802          458         
BROKE 3846             1  1 0 LOST CAUSE 268        DARLING NIKKI 3842    460         
HURT 3833              0  2 0 LOST CAUSE 268        FLASH 3818            458         
DEATH DEALER 3826      1  4 0 STRONGHOLD 282        MOUNTAIN TROLL 18     460 NONE    
SPARHAWK 2927          7  6 0 STRONGHOLD 282        BARRISTER 3817        460         
RIPPER 3819            2  1 0 STRONGHOLD 282        LORD FERRIC 1181      456 REVENGED

                                     PERSONAL ADS

Tom Thumb -- For a guy who is all thumbs you get around pretty quick. -- Kan'shi

Dangerous Criminal -- You *are* dangerous.  Watch where you point that thing; it is
all fun and games till someone gets stuck with the pig sticker. -- Sparhawk

For Spy Master for this arena -- Man, you guys must have jacked up the NPCs in the
arenas abroad.  In my day, all the NPCs were a joke, lol.  Stop giving those guys
steroids or I'm telling the commission.   (laughing) -- Silver Stroke mgr. stronghold

Old Blue -- Now your name is fitting. -- Muscle Head
P.S.  I'm here to pump you up.

All -- If I don't start winning soon, my name will have merit!  (sweating profusely)
-- Death Dealer

Inanna -- (heavy sigh)  I knew you were trouble as soon as I saw you were a Karnhorn.
Darkly beautiful, mind you, but trouble through and through. -- Gwalchmai
P.S.  I don't think it was luck.
P.P.S.  And with Bran, what you saw was all he had in the way of FE.  We don't do
tourneys so reliably that they've stopped sending us the mini-overviews.

Pane -- It wasn't ME broke that window, honest! -- Oisan

Stupid -- (heavier sigh than Gwalchmai's)  I don't suppose it matters if you're
stupid if you don't have to think, does it? -- Brangwyn

Death Dealer -- Wow, are we a couple of inepts, or what? -- Lyn Sain

Broke -- Maybe we should've changed trains?  YOU take the Denver & Rio Grande
Western, and ME take the El Paso & Northeastern. -- Cu-Cadal

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

DEATH DEALER was barely slain by MOUNTAIN TROLL in a 2 minute bloody Dark Arena fight.
CLYDE was vanquished by FLASH in a 1 minute uneven Bloodfeud battle.
MEGALODON was subdued by BRANGWYN in a 1 minute beginner vs. master Challenge fight.
O'MALLEY devastated OISAN in a 1 minute one-sided Challenge fight.
MUSCLE HEAD demolished LYN SAIN in a 1 minute mismatched Challenge competition.
INANNA overpowered GWALCHMAI in a 1 minute one-sided Title struggle.
SPARHAWK was butchered by BARRISTER in a 1 minute one-sided competition.
KAN'SHI overcame AMBITIOUS GUARD in a 1 minute melee.
SEBASTION unbelievably bested CAPTURED ORC in a 9 minute gory beginner's duel.
BADDA BADDA lost to STUPID in a 3 minute novice's duel.
ESTHER overpowered BRUTE in a 1 minute uneven match.
PANE overpowered CU-CADAL in a 2 minute one-sided fight.
DARLING NIKKI murdered BROKE in a 1 minute bloody mismatched competition.

                                    BATTLE REPORT

             MOST POPULAR                        RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS     
|FIGHTING STYLE               FIGHTS        FIGHTING STYLE     W -   L -  K   PERCENT|
|LUNGING ATTACK                   8         TOTAL PARRY        6 -   2 -  0      75  |
|WALL OF STEEL                    4         PARRY-LUNGE        6 -   3 -  1      67  |
|BASHING ATTACK                   3         LUNGING ATTACK    27 -  16 -  3      63  |
|TOTAL PARRY                      2         PARRY-STRIKE       8 -   5 -  0      62  |
|STRIKING ATTACK                  2         AIMED BLOW         3 -   2 -  0      60  |
|PARRY-LUNGE                      1         STRIKING ATTACK   10 -   8 -  3      56  |
|PARRY-STRIKE                     1         SLASHING ATTACK    6 -   6 -  1      50  |
|PARRY-RIPOSTE                    1         WALL OF STEEL     16 -  17 -  3      48  |
|SLASHING ATTACK                  1         PARRY-RIPOSTE      6 -   9 -  0      40  |
|AIMED BLOW                       0         BASHING ATTACK     8 -  23 -  0      26  |

Turn 460 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-LUNGE        1 -  0     BASHING ATTACK     1 -  2         3  LUNGING ATTACK 
PARRY-STRIKE       1 -  0     WALL OF STEEL      1 -  3         2  WALL OF STEEL  
PARRY-RIPOSTE      1 -  0     AIMED BLOW         0 -  0         1  AIMED BLOW     
TOTAL PARRY        2 -  0     SLASHING ATTACK    0 -  1         1  PARRY-STRIKE   
LUNGING ATTACK     4 -  4                                       1  PARRY-LUNGE    
STRIKING ATTACK    1 -  1                                       1  TOTAL PARRY    
                                                                1  SLASHING ATTACK
                                                                1  STRIKING ATTACK

                               TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE

FIGHTING STYLE   WARRIOR                     W   L  K PNTS TEAM NAME                  
LUNGING ATTACK   INANNA 3537                12   5  0  112 LADY OF BATTLES (336)
WALL OF STEEL    GWALCHMAI 3749             16  11  3   72 CHILDREN OF LLYR (141)
PARRY-LUNGE      KAN'SHI 3802                6   3  1   53 STRONGHOLD (282)
TOTAL PARRY      SEBASTION 3834              3   1  0   39 STRONGHOLD (282)
Note: Warriors have a winning record and are an Adept or Above.

The overall popularity leader is GWALCHMAI 3749.  The most popular warrior this turn 
was DEATH DEALER 3826.  The ten other most popular fighters were BADDA BADDA 3815, 
KAN'SHI 3802, PANE 3822, FLASH 3818, O'MALLEY 3816, MUSCLE HEAD 3847, INANNA 3537, 
BARRISTER 3817, ESTHER 3739, and DARLING NIKKI 3842.

The least popular fighter this week was SEBASTION 3834.  The other ten least popular 
fighters were BROKE 3846, CU-CADAL 3848, BRUTE 3850, SPARHAWK 2927, GWALCHMAI 3749, 
LYN SAIN 3849, OISAN 3794, CLYDE 3665, STUPID 3840, and BRANGWYN 3793.

               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