DUEL 2 NEWSLETTER
Date : 04/08/2008 Duedate: 04/21/2008
KATI-TEI ARENA
DM-41 TURN-533
This Weeks Top Honors
THE DUELMASTER IS
RAMBLING OX
WANDERERS (329)
(41-4280) [22-16-1,83]
Chartered Recognition Leader Unchartered Recognition Leader
RAMBLING OX LADY GRACE HAMMER
WANDERERS (329) TEMPLARZ HAMMERZ (395)
(41-4280) [22-16-1,83] (41-4355) [5-1-1,54]
Popularity Leader This Weeks Favorite
RAMBLING OX RAMBLING OX
WANDERERS (329) WANDERERS (329)
(41-4280) [22-16-1,83] (41-4280) [22-16-1,83]
THE CURRENT TOP TEAM
TEMPLARZ HAMMERZ (395)
TEAMS ON THE MOVE TOP CAREER HONORS
Team Name Point Gain Chartered Team
1. TEMPLARZ HAMMERZ (395) 25
2. WANDERERS (329) 6 RADIO CLASH (394)
3. RADIO CLASH (394) 1 Unchartered Team
4. THE PLAGUE (93) 0
TEMPLARZ HAMMERZ (395)
The Top Teams
Career Win-Loss Record W L K % Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns W L K
1/ 1 RADIO CLASH (394) 20 13 2 60.6 1/ 1*TEMPLARZ HAMMERZ (395) 9 6 0
2/ 2*TEMPLARZ HAMMERZ (395) 17 13 3 56.7 2/ 3 RADIO CLASH (394) 6 3 0
3- 3 THE PLAGUE (93) 242 239 17 50.3 3/ 2 WANDERERS (329) 5 10 0
4/ 4 WANDERERS (329) 549 569 13 49.1 4- 4 THE PLAGUE (93) 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[ The Andorian Succession #2 ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ +
Senator Sedalia stood at the ferry boat's rail and waited for the mists ahead to
clear. It was always like this when one approached the Isle of the Eye: a bit of
mist over the water when you left the mainland, and then, faster than seemed
reasonable, you were sailing through a dense fog. He had never really understood how
the ferry master kept a straight course through it--or if he did. And then, the fog
thinning to mist and fading away until--
"The Isle of the Eye," he said, waving his hand.
Beside him, Gissanniah was silent for several minutes. Finally she said, "I
hadn't expected it to be so... gray."
Sedalia blinked and looked again. He had seen the Isle before several times,
and he realized that he not really looked at it since the first time. Though the
mist had cleared, the sky overhead was cloudy. What light got through was, indeed,
gray. And Talahya, THE city on the Isle (only Free Blades in Lirin Kiv and Darkholm
in Willow Beach were located elsewhere than in Talahya), was, at best, "picturesque."
It was too crowded to be beautiful now, if it ever had been. Crowded with gladiators
who had, the senator knew, many virtues which did not include civic housekeeping.
The city was crowded, dirty, and on the waterfront run-down. Under this leaden
sky... he glanced sideways at his young companion and tried to imagine what it was
like to see Talahya for the first time in this gloomy light. Not inspiring, that
much was clear. "It's better when the sun shines," he offered.
Gissanniah shrugged. "I guess. Not that it really matters. It isn't like I'm
going to be STAYING here. We just want to talk to the king and then go home. But
what I do NOT understand is why HE stays here."
"No more do I," Sedalia said. "The business of the Isle is dueling and nothing
else. That the king should visit an arena occasionally is one thing. But to take up
residence here? The king's business is to govern the Andorian League, and every day
spent on the Isle is a day he's not doing his job. And he's been here now for...
years. I don't even know how long!" The senator's mouth set in grim lines. "Time
to remind him of his duty."
They arrived on the Isle at midday, and it took most of the rest of that time to
work their way through the layers of petty officials to the final secretary, an
elderly part-elf by the name of Arkinsutram, who was able to grant them an
appointment with King Mikel. "Tomorrow morning at eleven, and see to it that you're
on time. But no more than half an hour, mind! The king is very busy."
Sedalia bit back his first impulse, which was to ask, "busy doing what?" And
his second impulse, which was to question the king's name. "Mikel" sounded almost
right, but not quite.... Maybe he had forgotten, so long as it had been since the
king had done anything for his people. Or maybe it was this "simplified spelling"
movement that came and went. Not that it was likely to matter. If he was, indeed,
the king they were to see on the morrow, he could call himself Rumplestiltskin for
all Sedalia cared. "We will be here," he said. "We'll be early."
Senator Sedalia spent the evening visiting with other Consortium gladiators on
the Isle. And why not? They were here, they were in some degree colleagues of his,
and you could never know when a few extra votes would make the difference between
victory and defeat. Or who might have noticed some little detail that would provide
the key to handling the situation.
As it happened, it was Brujah, a newly arrived graduate who had not yet fought
on the Isle, who raised the critical question. "What about the oath, Senator?" she
asked. Seeing his raised eyebrows, she went on, "I have not fought here yet, so I
have not yet taken the oath which all MUST take before entering an arena on the Isle.
But I've heard others take it, and seen more than I heard. That oath is... binding.
Seriously binding. Everyone who takes it is pledged, by magic even more than honor,
to obey the Grey Witch in her every command. I suspect that this is how she's
controlled the whole Andorian situation so far. Anyone who takes the oath, if told
that this King Mikel is THE king of the Andorian League and that his decisions are
not to be questioned must be unable to question them. She--or anyone properly
designated by her, I would suppose--must be able even to command a Lord Protector to
attack his own manager or teammates and be obeyed. All of Alastari, through
believing her at first to have their best interests at heart, and then through not
paying attention to the details, has put this terrible weapon in the Grey Witch's
hands. How will you fight it, Senator Sedalia? You have fought here, you have taken
the oath."
The senator cleared his throat and blushed a little. "I'm a politician," he
said. "Oaths..." he snapped his fingers. "I'm not making light of your warning, I
will definitely remember it and take it into account, but it is very nearly
impossible to bind a politicial with an oath. I believe I have free action in this
matter, and I know that my companion, Gissanniah, has never fought here and so has
taken no oath."
"Such might see to your own free will," Lady Huntsman said. She was a graduate
of his own team, the Lenpros of Iaye. "But what will you do if I, or Cardinal
Arizpe, or some other is commanded to attack you?"
"I believe you underestimate the slipperyness of a politician, my lady," the
Cardinal said from across the room. "I've no doubt he would fight if we cornered
him, but that is easier said than done, eh?"
Sedalia nodded. "Just so. And the oath may not bind you all with equal
strength, or any of you quite so much as you think."
"True," Brujah conceded at once. "We won't know until it's tested. And then it
will be too late if the binding IS strong enough to compel us."
"So we will evade the need for that test for as long as may be," the senator
said.
Senator Sedalia and Gissanniah were at the White Tower early. "Better to spend
some time waiting," the senator said, "than arrive on time and find our appointment
had been preponed and we missed it."
"Prepone? Is that a word?"
"Yes. Prepone or antipone, either one, they go with postpone as the reverse
case." He dismissed that issue with a gesture. "As it is, here we are and--"
The door at the rear of the waiting room opened. The man who stood there was
completely unmemorable, a perfect bureaucratic type... except for his eyes. Dark,
and sharp as nails. He seemed surprised them, and he frowned. "Sedalia from Iaye?"
"In person," the senator said, standing. "If the king is ready to see us now,
we--"
"The king cannot see you at all," the bureaucrat said. "He is unwell and needs
his rest."
"His kingdom is unwell and needs his attention," Sedalia countered.
The man's eyes darkened further, sharpened further. No one but a politician
could have stood up to that piercing scrutiny without a twitch. "The king cannot see
you," he repeated.
"So be it, can we see him?"
"I said--"
"Just see him, to verify his presence. Proof of life," the senator said.
"There are people in the Andorian League who have begun to question his continued
survival."
"I, who am the Master of the White Tower for the Lady Sheila, say the king lives
and is here, but ill. This is enough. Who would question me?"
"Many people across the Andorian League, I should think. Come now, it would be
a simple matter to just let us take a quick look in on him. No need to disturb him,
all we need is to SEE him."
"You are impertinent. It is impossible. Leave." He stepped back into the room
behind him, of which they had no glimpse, and shut the door.
"That was a very strange encounter," Sedalia said. "Do you think--?"
"I think we should do as we were told and leave," Gissanniah said. "Without
discussion." Dropping her voice to just above a whisper, she added, "The walls may
have ears."
"Ah. Yes, silly of me not to have thought of that." He held open the outer
door for her. "It seems a shame to return to Iaye--or wherever--without more
information, but I can't see that we have any other options. Waiting around here...
I don't think that paper-pusher is going to soften and let us in, do you?"
"Not in this lifetime!" Gissanniah turned toward the ferry. Or, at least,
toward the road that would eventually take them to the ferry. "I don't like the feel
of this place, and the sooner I'm away from it, the happier I'll be."
"Quite understandable, dear lady," the senator said. He fell into step beside
her. They walked in silence for a block. Two blocks. The traffic was lighter than
it had been the day before, the district around the White Tower seeming almost
deserted. It occurred to Sedalia that this could have a sinister implication, and he
peered searchingly into every alley they passed, every mist-shrouded doorway.
"Something is wrong here," he said quietly.
Beside him, Gissanniah shivered and put her hand on the hilt of her sword.
"There's going to be an ambush," she said just as quietly. "That Master of the White
Tower does not want us taking any news to the people of the League."
* }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ *
---===ANDORIAN REGIONAL NEWS===---
Duelmasters
-----------
DM 8 ARKERS (turn 294): LORD BYRON of SMITHSONIAN (Curator, mgr.)
DM 11 ARUAK CITY (turn 590): SELIA STORM of KRILL CAVALRY (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 14 TOBIR (turn 590): MOLYNEUX of OTAGO HIGHLANDERS (The Mun, mgr.)
DM 22 SOLVEN (turn 583): 365 GTB4 of HOT WHEELS (Apex, mgr.)
DM 24 ZORPUNT (turn 579): MITCHELL PAIGE of MEDAL OF HONOR A3 (The Anarchist, mgr.)
DM 25 LYRATILAN (turn 579): KEG STAND of BARHOPPERS (Apex, mgr.)
DM 26 CALEAM (turn 576): CAYLON MCCANN of STEEL CRUSADE (Cassius Calvata, mgr.)
DM 30 IAYE (turn 572): WINDSONG of RED DOG GANG (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 40 ZENSU (turn 541): ELDA MAINZ of BEYOND THE PALE (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 41 KATI-TEI (turn 532): RAMBLING OX of WANDERERS (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 46 ARDIVENT (turn 523): NIVIX of INFERNAL LORDS (DeGotti, mgr.)
DM 52 FRATSFA (turn 242): BYRON of SITTEES (Barnabas, mgr.)
DM 63 AMEN-TEI (turn 425): ATRION of THE EXILED ONES (Darklock, mgr.)
DM 71 KYR'TERR (turn 195): BENITO CHATTE of THE ZOO (Jorja, mgr.)
ADM 105 ANDORAK (turn 475): AXLY HIMSELF of GERFEL'S FRIENDS (Generalissimo Puerco)
Top Teams
---------
DM 8 ARKERS (turn 294): SMITHSONIAN (Curator, mgr.)
DM 11 ARUAK CITY (turn 590): NEVERWAKE (Doc Steele, mgr.)
DM 14 TOBIR (turn 590): OTAGO HIGHLANDERS (The Mun, mgr.)
DM 22 SOLVEN (turn 583): KELLUMBO'S KIDS (Detective Kellumbo, mgr.)
DM 24 ZORPUNT (turn 579): MEDAL OF HONOR A3 (The Anarchist, mgr.)
DM 25 LYRATILAN (turn 579): THE MIDDLE WAY 4 (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 26 CALEAM (turn 576): ULTRA-VIOLENT (Deep Thought, mgr.)
DM 30 IAYE (turn 572): RED DOG GANG (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 40 ZENSU (turn 541): BEYOND THE PALE (Jorja, mgr.)
DM 41 KATI-TEI (turn 532): TEMPLARZ HAMMERZ (Hammer, mgr.)
DM 46 ARDIVENT (turn 523): THE ZEN ZONE (Jondeaux, mgr.)
DM 52 FRATSFA (turn 242): FLOWER GIRLS (Lady Fern, mgr.)
DM 63 AMEN-TEI (turn 425): THE EXILED ONES (Darklock, mgr.)
DM 71 KYR'TERR (turn 195): THE ZOO (Jorja, mgr.)
ADM 105 ANDORAK (turn 475): SUPERIOR FORCES (Manager, mgr.)
Recent Graduates
----------------
DM 11 ARUAK CITY (turn 590): SELIA STORM of KRILL CAVALRY (Jorja, mgr.)
SAFFRON SKUNK of ANIMAL FARM (Mino, mgr.)
(turn 589): FLEA BAG of BULLDOGS (Kennelworth, mgr.)
DM 14 TOBIR (turn 590): ABBOTT of OTAGO HIGHLANDERS (The Mun, mgr.)
DM 26 CALEAM (turn 576): UP-CHUCKY of STEEL CRUSADE (Cassius Calvata, mgr.)
DM 24 ZORPUNT (turn 578): MANUEL PEREZ of MEDAL OF HONOR A3 (The Anarchist, mgr.)
DM 30 IAYE (turn 571): DON FRANCIS of LENPROS (Lenpro, mgr.)
JACK STRAW of THE WARLOCKS (Malaquar, mgr.)
DM 46 ARDIVENT (turn 523): NIVIX of INFERNAL LORDS (DeGotti, mgr.)
DM 52 FRATSFA (turn 242): PAS DE QUARTIER of BLOOD AND GUTS! (Le Pentarque, mgr.)
DUELMASTER'S COLUMN
Notes from the arena champ.
This is all a plot, isn't it? I have to study Kung-Foot until I master it,
whether I want to or not. Heck.
Rambling Ox
Of course I've made a point of studying my opponent! Who else would I be likely
to fight here? This Dumb Ox *W*I*L*L* learn to perform Kung-Foot accurately, or he
will be trampled into the sands.
Gilgor Hammerfoot,
Master of Kung-Foot and Other Arts
SPY REPORT
Well, what are you looking at, KATI-TEI? Ain't you never seen Snide Clemens
before? Ah, shaddup and listen to my news. Of course, we're all terribly impressed
to see TERRINDAR win a fight and gain 13 points, terribly. Tsk, tsk, TERRINDAR beat
JANIE JONES and JANIE JONES lost 10 points. You're breakin' my heart. Our
Duelmaster has lost, folks, lost to KHALHUMS DWARF, BUT RAMBLING OX is still the
Duelmaster because he has the most recognition points! Kickbacks and bribes,
kickbacks and bribes, how else do you think some of these guys win their fights?
Skill? Ha!
My mother always told me, 'If you don't have anything nice to say, start
talking.' I loved that woman.
Death and Taxes. The less death I see, the more it taxes my patience. Let's
see if anyone's dead or dying. Honor is like a chainmail shirt, it only shines
through use. Certain nameless cowards will doubtless rebuke me on this one.
There's got to be a better place in KATI-TEI to get a drink than The Dripping
Blade! Any suggestions? Just wait 'till next time I show up here, I won't be so
nice! So nyaaah! Glad to see the back of this place-- Snide Clemens
DUELMASTER W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
RAMBLING OX 4280 22 16 1 83 WANDERERS (329)
CHALLENGER ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
-EYES THAT BURN 4339 7 4 0 65 THE PLAGUE (93)
GUNS OF BRIXTON 4348 8 3 1 61 RADIO CLASH (394)
ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
LADY GRACE HAMMER 4355 5 1 1 54 TEMPLARZ HAMMERZ (395)
-RAISE THE ABYSS 4331 9 5 0 53 THE PLAGUE (93)
SIR HAMMER HAMMER 4352 3 3 1 43 TEMPLARZ HAMMERZ (395)
GHETTO DEFENDANT 4351 7 4 1 40 RADIO CLASH (394)
TERRINDAR 4340 6 11 0 39 WANDERERS (329)
CHALLENGER INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
-BREAK STUFF 4344 4 3 0 32 THE PLAGUE (93)
HOLY WATER HAMMER 4354 4 2 1 30 TEMPLARZ HAMMERZ (395)
INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
STANLOY MEDAR 4369 5 1 0 23 WANDERERS (329)
JANIE JONES 4349 5 6 0 21 RADIO CLASH (394)
-TRINITY REBORN 4337 5 6 0 21 THE PLAGUE (93)
COMMUNION HAMMER 4356 4 2 0 19 TEMPLARZ HAMMERZ (395)
VALARELLE 4365 4 4 0 16 WANDERERS (329)
SIR KNIGHT HAMMER 4353 1 5 0 8 TEMPLARZ HAMMERZ (395)
GOTHELCINA 4376 1 2 0 7 WANDERERS (329)
'-' denotes a warrior who did not fight this turn.
THE DEAD W L K TEAM NAME SLAIN BY TURN Revenge?
SAD WINGS 4368 1 1 0 THE PLAGUE 93 SIR HAMMER HAMME 4352 529 REVENGED
PERSONAL ADS
The Ambitious Guard? Isn't there anyone else? Yes, okay, I lost to him, but that
isn't why I'm annoyed about this. There are gladiators on the rankings closer to me
than the Guard was, dammit. -- Valarelle
P.S. Besides, he didn't teach me anything. I wanted more skills.
Janie Jones -- You're a pretty little thing. Would you believe I let you win because
I like your looks? No, I didn't really expect you to. Mind, I *do* like your looks,
but the blow to the head that sent me desperate has a lot to do with my loss. --
Terrindar
Sir Hammer Hammer -- I feel a rankling class resentment, me a peasant, you a knight.
But I also feel sneaking admiration for your ability to use that weapon. -- Stanloy
Medar
Sir Knight Hammer -- Eh? What the heck was the announcer talking about, "the
momentum shifting to" me? It was mine all along! -- Gothelcina
LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS
RAMBLING OX was unbelievably bested by KHALHUMS DWARF in a 2 minute Title fight.
GUNS OF BRIXTON viciously subdued SIR HAMMER HAMMER in a 1 minute gory match.
LADY GRACE HAMMER vanquished VISITING ORC in a 1 minute gory mismatched brawl.
GHETTO DEFENDANT overpowered VALARELLE in a 1 minute mismatched match.
JANIE JONES was devastated by TERRINDAR in a 1 minute one-sided duel.
COMMUNION HAMMER devastated SHIFTYEYED VOLUNTEER in a 1 minute mismatched match.
HOLY WATER HAMMER handily defeated GOTHELCINA in a 1 minute uneven fight.
SIR KNIGHT HAMMER lost to STANLOY MEDAR in a action packed 1 minute duel.
BATTLE REPORT
MOST POPULAR RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS
|FIGHTING STYLE FIGHTS FIGHTING STYLE W - L - K PERCENT|
|PARRY-LUNGE 3 SLASHING ATTACK 13 - 3 - 1 81 |
|AIMED BLOW 2 TOTAL PARRY 5 - 2 - 0 71 |
|PARRY-STRIKE 2 WALL OF STEEL 10 - 6 - 0 63 |
|SLASHING ATTACK 1 BASHING ATTACK 5 - 3 - 1 63 |
|WALL OF STEEL 1 AIMED BLOW 11 - 7 - 1 61 |
|PARRY-RIPOSTE 1 LUNGING ATTACK 8 - 7 - 0 53 |
|LUNGING ATTACK 1 PARRY-LUNGE 17 - 15 - 2 53 |
|STRIKING ATTACK 1 PARRY-STRIKE 6 - 6 - 0 50 |
|BASHING ATTACK 1 STRIKING ATTACK 5 - 6 - 0 45 |
|TOTAL PARRY 0 PARRY-RIPOSTE 8 - 10 - 0 44 |
Turn 533 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 3 - 0 PARRY-RIPOSTE 0 - 1 4 PARRY-LUNGE
SLASHING ATTACK 1 - 0 LUNGING ATTACK 0 - 1 1 STRIKING ATTACK
WALL OF STEEL 1 - 0 STRIKING ATTACK 0 - 1 1 AIMED BLOW
AIMED BLOW 1 - 1 BASHING ATTACK 0 - 1 1 SLASHING ATTACK
PARRY-STRIKE 1 - 1 TOTAL PARRY 0 - 0 1 PARRY-RIPOSTE
1 BASHING ATTACK
1 LUNGING ATTACK
1 PARRY-STRIKE
TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE
FIGHTING STYLE WARRIOR W L K PNTS TEAM NAME
STRIKING ATTACK RAMBLING OX 4280 22 16 1 83 WANDERERS (329)
AIMED BLOW GUNS OF BRIXTON 4348 8 3 1 61 RADIO CLASH (394)
SLASHING ATTACK LADY GRACE HAMMER 4355 5 1 1 54 TEMPLARZ HAMMERZ (395)
FIGHTING STYLE WARRIOR W L K PNTS TEAM NAME
PARRY-LUNGE GHETTO DEFENDANT 4351 7 4 1 40 RADIO CLASH (394)
Note: Warriors have a winning record and are an Adept or Above.
The overall popularity leader is RAMBLING OX 4280. The most popular warrior this
turn was RAMBLING OX 4280. The ten other most popular fighters were GUNS OF BRIXTON
4348, STANLOY MEDAR 4369, LADY GRACE HAMMER 4355, GHETTO DEFENDANT 4351, TERRINDAR
4340, HOLY WATER HAMMER 4354, COMMUNION HAMMER 4356, SIR KNIGHT HAMMER 4353, SIR
HAMMER HAMMER 4352, and VALARELLE 4365.
The least popular fighter this week was GOTHELCINA 4376. The other ten least popular
fighters were JANIE JONES 4349, VALARELLE 4365, SIR HAMMER HAMMER 4352, SIR KNIGHT
HAMMER 4353, COMMUNION HAMMER 4356, HOLY WATER HAMMER 4354, TERRINDAR 4340, GHETTO
DEFENDANT 4351, LADY GRACE HAMMER 4355, and STANLOY MEDAR 4369.