DUEL 2 NEWSLETTER Date : 11/07/2005 Duedate: 11/19/2005 ARDIVENT ARENA DM-46 TURN-461 This Weeks Top Honors THE DUELMASTER IS ECLIPSE CYNICAL DELUSIONS (218) (46-2740) [17-2-0,182] Chartered Recognition Leader Unchartered Recognition Leader ECLIPSE POSITION IS EMPTY CYNICAL DELUSIONS (218) (46-2740) [17-2-0,182] Popularity Leader This Weeks Favorite BECKER COLLIN ECLIPSE BLUVALLEY WARRIORS (74) CYNICAL DELUSIONS (218) (46-3850) [10-10-1,50] (46-2740) [17-2-0,182] THE CURRENT TOP TEAM CYNICAL DELUSIONS (218) TEAMS ON THE MOVE TOP CAREER HONORS Team Name Point Gain Chartered Team 1. CYNICAL DELUSIONS (218) 48 2. RUBY DRAGONS (336) 1 CYNICAL DELUSIONS (218) 3. BLUVALLEY WARRIORS (74) 0 Unchartered Team ZODIAC (86) The Top Teams Career Win-Loss Record W L K % Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns W L K 1/ 1 CYNICAL DELUSIONS (218) 185 119 10 60.9 1/ 1 CYNICAL DELUSIONS (218) 11 4 1 2/ 2 RUBY DRAGONS (336) 100 91 2 52.4 2/ 2 BLUVALLEY WARRIORS (74) 8 7 0 3/ 3 BLUVALLEY WARRIORS (74) 348 524 10 39.9 3/ 3 RUBY DRAGONS (336) 2 3 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[ Nightfall #8 ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ + On the south coast of the Ardivent Peninsula: Two men stood on the roof of the manor house and stared out at the bay. A black tower rose from the water near the string of rocky islands that narrowed the channel between Ardivent and Kaltos. Near the islands, but not on them. "I can't make out what it's standing on," Harbad Kore said. The Guard was Ambitious, but his inclinations had not led him to study charts of the bay. He felt there was more scope for him on land. "Not an island, not a charted rock," Ternas d'Aleen said. D'Aleen had shipping interests, or maybe just was interested in ships and boats, but at least he was likely to know about the waters here. You'd never take him for an Assassin, and now that the Assassins' Guild had been outlawed again, he didn't practice. At least, he said he didn't practice assassination any more. Although how he supported himself based on occasional appearances in the arena as a standby... maybe he really was a shipper. Kore shrugged that off. It wasn't his business, anyway. "Okay, then what IS it standing on?" D'Aleen raised an eyebrow. "How should I know? But it arrived courtesy of magic, so maybe it has a magical foundation, as well." "Magic." The guard considered that for several minutes. "And it's threatening Ardivent's shipping, right? Probably the Transelites did it." "An unfounded assumption," the assassin said. "No it isn't! Transel's got loads of magicians, and the whole island lives off piracy. Seems reasonable to me that they're doing this." His hand went to his sword. "We should Take Steps. Those pirates can't be allowed to get away with this!" "We all know you're a bit of a fool, Kore," the assassin said coldly. "But you don't need to keep demonstrating it. And fortunately for us all, you are not the one who must make the decision. That is the Baron's prerogative. We are merely here to observe and report." Kore twitched his shoulder. The comment about him being a fool he decided to ignore; practicing or not, D'Aleen WAS an assassin. "Okay, fine, I know I'm not the diplomatic type, but mark my words, we'll end up going to war with Transel over this. I just wish...." He glanced down at the building beneath them uneasily. "Oh, I agree," D'Aleen said. "I would much have preferred almost any other vantage point, but this IS the best place for observing the black tower." "That statue in the front hall--" The guard shivered. "I believe it isn't actually a statue," D'Aleen said after a moment. "I seem to have heard that it is actually a living person, preserved in amber. A Lady Protector...Stepharoo, or something like that." "It isn't decent," Harbad Kore said. "She should be, I don't know, put out of sight at the least, or buried, or something. Just having a naked woman standing there in the hall...." "Not buried," D'Aleen said. "If she's a Lady Protector, which is what I remember, then even if she's dead she isn't really dead. To be buried alive..." he shuddered. "But if we have to use this place again, I would agree that we can move her into a closet or something." Weeks had passed. The Black Tower had come and gone and come again, sometimes interfering with shipping, other times ignoring it. No one ever appeared on the roof of the tower to demand toll or make any explanation. No ship was searched, no cargo seized. But some ships disappeared, and some were destroyed despite all efforts to protect them physically or magically. "Magic," Ternas d'Aleen said bitterly. "I hate cases where magic is an important factor. There is so very little that an ordinary person can do against it." "Very little?" Harbad Kore stared at his companion. "I thought there was NOTHING we could do. Except get caught by it ourselves," he added. "And I still don't see why WE have to be the ones watching for the tower." The assassin shrugged. "We didn't get out of sight fast enough when the Baron asked for volunteers." He looked at the manor house they'd used as an observation post before and grimaced. "We're going to put that...chunk of amber out of sight this time." The Ambitious Guard nodded agreement. The Lady Protector preserved in amber gave him the creeps. He couldn't regard her as being truly alive, but neither did she seem to be completely dead, and anyway, it was indecent. Not just because she was nude, either, it was...an insult to HER that she should be displayed like that. He wondered uneasily what magician she had offended, and how, to have drawn such a fate. More to change the subject than for information, d'Aleen said, "What's the news around the court about the Black Tower? Any word from the other Bay Ports?" "How should I know?" "You're a guard in the Baron's palace. You must hear things." "I'm not supposed to repeat what I hear," Harbad Kore said primly. "Bull." "Well...I guess this is a 'need to know' situation, isn't it?" The Guard glanced over his shoulder. There was no one behind them, nothing but the forest and the lane, both drifted deeply with fallen leaves. "Everyone denies having anything to do with it. Transel, too. Word is that some magician in Valamantis thinks he's got a clue but can't make it work. Figures. Magicians!" "So," the assassin mused, "no information and no plan. Not good." Kore shrugged and pulled the heavy wrought-iron key to the old manor from his pocket. He scanned up the front wall. "This place was built to last," he said, "but it won't, not unless it gets a tenant who cares about it. A Lady in amber can't keep it in good condition." D'Aleen shrugged again. "So long as it doesn't fall down while we're in it, I don't care," he said indifferently. "It's just a building." "Listen, this is a classic of the Early Medjal era," Kore said. "It's HISTORIC." He slipped the key into the lock and turned it, not without difficulty and a lot of noise. "It's just a building," the assassin said. He helped his companion push open the door. The hinges squealed, and the door scraped heavily on the stone floor of the hall. "Where's that light coming from?" "Gods! The amber--it's cracking!" * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * ---===ANDORIAN REGIONAL NEWS===--- Duelmasters ----------- DM 8 ARKERS (turn 263): ZIG ZAG of Z GLADIATORZ (Mr. Zee, mgr.) DM 11 ARUAK CITY (turn 527): VIRGINIA'S SECRET of WAR-C-KERS (Papaiz, mgr.) DM 14 TOBIR (turn 527): PEREGRINE of RAPTORS (Warden, mgr.) DM 22 SOLVEN (turn 520): CRIMSON WONDER of MEDIEVAL CHAOS (Huckle Cat, mgr.) DM 24 ZORPUNT (turn 516): PINE LEAF of KRILL CAVALRY (Leeta, mgr.) DM 25 LYRATILAN (turn 516): SPARK of ERRATA (JE, mgr.) DM 26 CALEAM (turn 514): BOUNCER of GOLDEN CANYON (Leeta, mgr.) DM 30 IAYE (turn 509): DR. ROSENZWEIG of LENPROS (Lenpro, mgr.) DM 40 ZENSU (turn 478): JENIPHER of BEYOND THE PALE (Leeta, mgr.) DM 41 KATI-TEI (turn 470): FLUTTERLEE of WANDERERS (Leeta, mgr.) DM 46 ARDIVENT (turn 460): ECLIPSE of CYNICAL DELUSIONS (Eclipse, mgr.) DM 52 FRATSFA (turn 210): COLLAPSED LUNG of OTTO'S PARTS (Crip, mgr.) DM 60 ARADI (turn 376): BRUSHFIRE of NATURAL DISASTERS (Soultaker, mgr.) DM 63 AMEN-TEI (turn 364): MALICHAI of WAY OF THE BLADE 2 (Vhagar, mgr.) DM 71 KYR'TERR (turn 165): SHALL BE of WHY (Elderberry, mgr.) ADM 105 ANDORAK (turn 412): BRUENOR BATTLEHAMME of FORGOTTEN REALMS from BARIKALA (Talon Warsmith, mgr.) Top Teams --------- DM 8 ARKERS (turn 263): CHAMPIONS OF STEEL (Blackstorm, mgr.) DM 11 ARUAK CITY (turn 527): BULLDOGS (Kennelworth, mgr.) DM 14 TOBIR (turn 527): THE DOGHOUSE (Leeta, mgr.) DM 22 SOLVEN (turn 520): KELLUMBO'S KIDS (Detective Kellumbo, mgr.) DM 24 ZORPUNT (turn 516): KRILL CAVALRY (Leeta, mgr.) DM 25 LYRATILAN (turn 516): THE MIDDLE WAY 4 (Nolan Orgel, team captain) DM 26 CALEAM (turn 514): GOLDEN CANYON (Leeta, mgr.) DM 30 IAYE (turn 509): LENPROS (Lenpro, mgr.) DM 40 ZENSU (turn 478): PHILANTHROPISTS (Aragorn, mgr.) DM 41 KATI-TEI (turn 470): WANDERERS (Leeta, mgr.) DM 46 ARDIVENT (turn 460): CYNICAL DELUSIONS (Eclipse, mgr.) DM 52 FRATSFA (turn 210): ODIN'S CHOSEN (Heathen, mgr.) DM 60 ARADI (turn 376): NATURAL DISASTERS (Soultaker, mgr.) DM 63 AMEN-TEI (turn 364): WAYFARERS (Leeta, mgr.) DM 71 KYR'TERR (turn 165): NIGHTHAWKS (Savant, mgr.) ADM 105 ANDORAK (turn 412): BOXES, etc. (Doc Steele, mgr.) Recent Graduates ---------------- DM 8 ARKERS (turn 263): ZIG ZAG of Z GLADIATORZ (Mr. Zee, mgr.) YMIR BLOODRAVEN of NORTHERN BADLANDS (Maximillian, mgr.) ZIT of Z GLADIATORZ (Mr. Zee, mgr.) DM 11 ARUAK CITY (turn 527): BRANFORD HAWKE of TUFT TUGGERS (Tankesh Dushanbe) (turn 526): ALMOND ALBATROSS of ANIMAL FARM (Mino, mgr.) HOT DOG of BULLDOGS (Kennelworth, mgr.) RAINSONG of ELFQUEST (Armalias, mgr.) DM 22 SOLVEN (turn 519): CLINT EASTWOOD of THE REPUBLICANS (The Judge, mgr.) DM 46 ARDIVENT (turn 459): POISED TO KILL of CYNICAL DELUSIONS (Eclipse, mgr.) PALANTIRIATHALASA of RUBY DRAGONS (Talon Warsmith, mgr.) DM 52 FRATSFA (turn 210): MUTILATE of ASSASSIN NATION (Ghab, mgr.) DM 60 ARADI (turn 376): BRUSHFIRE of NATURAL DISASTERS (Soultaker, mgr.) SPY REPORT Greetings warriors! It is I, Zontani Sharp Eyes, here to bring report of the clash and bustle of the weekly ARDIVENT games. VECORDIUS caught the eye of many in the gladiatorial commission as he skillfully bested DEBRA COLLIN and was awarded 10 points in recognition. In one of the week's more notable duels, VECORDIUS put down DEBRA COLLIN, causing her to lose 7 points of recognition in the process. Not for nothing has ECLIPSE in the past laid claim to the Duelmaster's throne, and this week he's proven his combat skill yet again. Heed this! A seer has warned that if exactly 6 die in duels this week, the whole city shall perish! Just remember...5 or 7! Many and various are the arts of battle. In ARDIVENT "art" is a word that has long since passed from the language! Mighty fighters cannot but expect competition from those below. FLINT HILLS take warning! You have more than a few enemies in ARDIVENT. A match that raised a few eyebrows at the games this week, it seems that GOLDEN FURY posted a challenge against the more highly recognized FLINT HILLS. The results, you ask? Well, the firebrand GOLDEN FURY overcame FLINT HILLS. Remember warriors, this is the discipline of steel. Is not Death a warrior's foremost adviser? Warriors, may this counselor stand ready at your right hand forever! Fate is a fickle mistress. She showers the miserable with fortune but sets enemies against the victorious. Remember this! A thought before I go. Each warrior practices one style, but must not the wise manager learn the secrets of them all? Ahh, but I can hear the spires of a far off city calling to me. I must away! Till next we meet remember - the pen is mightier than the sword, but a maul is a different story!-- Zontani Sharp Eyes DUELMASTER W L K POINTS TEAM NAME ECLIPSE 2740 17 2 0 182 CYNICAL DELUSIONS (218) CHALLENGER CHAMPIONS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME VECORDIUS 3870 9 3 0 105 CYNICAL DELUSIONS (218) SOLARIS 3759 21 31 0 94 RUBY DRAGONS (336) CHAMPIONS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME FLINT HILLS 3796 18 36 0 90 BLUVALLEY WARRIORS (74) GOLDEN FURY 3887 5 0 1 88 CYNICAL DELUSIONS (218) DEBRA COLLIN 3816 19 23 0 86 BLUVALLEY WARRIORS (74) ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME BREAK POINT 2741 14 11 0 68 CYNICAL DELUSIONS (218) ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME BECKER COLLIN 3850 10 10 1 50 BLUVALLEY WARRIORS (74) -IRONWOLF 274 5 1 0 42 BARBARIAN HORDE (47) CHALLENGER INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME LORI COLLIN 3888 3 0 0 32 BLUVALLEY WARRIORS (74) INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME HERMY COLLIN 3878 4 3 0 23 BLUVALLEY WARRIORS (74) -UG 271 4 2 1 19 BARBARIAN HORDE (47) -KROKUS 272 4 2 0 19 BARBARIAN HORDE (47) -TARAMON 270 3 3 0 18 BARBARIAN HORDE (47) -WEASEL 273 4 2 0 15 BARBARIAN HORDE (47) '-' denotes a warrior who did not fight this turn. THE DEAD W L K TEAM NAME SLAIN BY TURN Revenge? PLINT MILLS 3889 0 1 0 CYNICAL DELUSIONS 218 SPYMASTER 22 461 NONE PERSONAL ADS Palantiriathalasa -- Great send off for you, to leave with a victory over a young fighter such as myself. Oh and by the way, Poised will be joining you in your guild house on the Isle, he might even move in. -- Vecordius Solaris -- Well, it's the battle of the striker and the TP. The fights are at least getting longer. I'm in good shape so you will have to extend the fights to at least fifteen minutes in order to see me sweat a bit. Don't worry, my time is coming up soon, and the throne will be yours. -- Eclipse Becker -- Didn't you see that coming, first it's BP then me. Different style and all, but retirement might be the best option. -- GF Deb -- I thought we were on good terms, then you go and wipe me out in the sixth inning; what kind of person are you? -- Break Point Poised to Kill -- Dammit, don't DO that. It gives me the willies every time you take that "poised" stance. -- Flint Hills P.S. Actually, I suppose you can go ahead and do it all you want now, since you won't be doing it here. We'll miss you. P.P.S. Okay, as Leeta has so KINDLY pointed out, even when we're in the arena with you, we miss you. Break Point -- But not THAT point, I guess. And still your record is better than mine. -- Debra Collin P.S. This is totally gazebo. Golden Fury -- Picture me as Blushing Shame. -- Becker Collin What kind of cults do half elves have? -- Hermy Collin P.S. I thought cults were into purity and stuff. That Constable was WAY too Friendly. I had to slap his silly face. -- Lori Collin Eclipse -- No, that hadn't occurred to us. Our sympathies to your manager. -- Leeta and the Bluvalley Warriors, also internet-dependent 12 October 2005 Magic Man -- You are a fellow Canadian, are you not? Where do you hail from? I live in Kelowna, B.C. -- Maximillian, 8,13, 28, 47, 54 5 November 2005 It is with a proud heart that I announce the newest member of the Desolate Empire alliance. Dok Sik will be known from here forth as Dark Knight Dok Sik, of the Desolate Empire. May he be blessed with victory and courage. May his enemies' blood flow freely! -- The Dark Knights Wasby and Toker LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS PLINT MILLS was butchered by SPYMASTER in a 1 minute Dark Arena fight. VECORDIUS devastated DEBRA COLLIN in a 1 minute one-sided Challenge duel. GOLDEN FURY demolished FLINT HILLS in a 1 minute uneven Challenge fight. ECLIPSE viciously subdued SOLARIS in a popular 3 minute veteran's Title contest. BREAK POINT unbelievably bested BECKER COLLIN in a action packed 4 minute gory brawl. HERMY COLLIN was devastated by AMBITIOUS GUARD in a 1 minute mismatched match. LORI COLLIN handily defeated TRUSTWORTHY SCRIBE in a 1 minute uneven melee. BATTLE REPORT MOST POPULAR RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS |FIGHTING STYLE FIGHTS FIGHTING STYLE W - L - K PERCENT| |STRIKING ATTACK 4 SLASHING ATTACK 3 - 0 - 0 100 | |TOTAL PARRY 2 STRIKING ATTACK 22 - 6 - 1 79 | |SLASHING ATTACK 1 PARRY-RIPOSTE 4 - 2 - 0 67 | |AIMED BLOW 1 WALL OF STEEL 6 - 3 - 0 67 | |PARRY-LUNGE 1 AIMED BLOW 4 - 3 - 0 57 | |PARRY-STRIKE 1 PARRY-STRIKE 5 - 5 - 0 50 | |BASHING ATTACK 1 BASHING ATTACK 11 - 12 - 0 48 | |PARRY-RIPOSTE 0 PARRY-LUNGE 4 - 6 - 1 40 | |LUNGING ATTACK 0 TOTAL PARRY 7 - 12 - 0 37 | |WALL OF STEEL 0 LUNGING ATTACK 0 - 2 - 0 0 | Turn 461 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: SLASHING ATTACK 1 - 0 AIMED BLOW 0 - 1 4 STRIKING ATTACK STRIKING ATTACK 3 - 1 PARRY-LUNGE 0 - 1 2 TOTAL PARRY TOTAL PARRY 1 - 1 PARRY-STRIKE 0 - 1 1 BASHING ATTACK PARRY-RIPOSTE 0 - 0 1 PARRY-STRIKE LUNGING ATTACK 0 - 0 1 PARRY-LUNGE BASHING ATTACK 0 - 1 1 SLASHING ATTACK WALL OF STEEL 0 - 0 1 AIMED BLOW TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE FIGHTING STYLE WARRIOR W L K PNTS TEAM NAME STRIKING ATTACK ECLIPSE 2740 17 2 0 182 CYNICAL DELUSIONS (218) TOTAL PARRY BREAK POINT 2741 14 11 0 68 CYNICAL DELUSIONS (218) Note: Warriors have a winning record and are an Adept or Above. The overall popularity leader is BECKER COLLIN 3850. The most popular warrior this turn was ECLIPSE 2740. The ten other most popular fighters were BECKER COLLIN 3850, VECORDIUS 3870, SOLARIS 3759, BREAK POINT 2741, LORI COLLIN 3888, GOLDEN FURY 3887, HERMY COLLIN 3878, PLINT MILLS 3889, DEBRA COLLIN 3816, and FLINT HILLS 3796. The least popular fighter this week was FLINT HILLS 3796. The other ten least popular fighters were DEBRA COLLIN 3816, PLINT MILLS 3889, HERMY COLLIN 3878, GOLDEN FURY 3887, LORI COLLIN 3888, BREAK POINT 2741, SOLARIS 3759, VECORDIUS 3870, BECKER COLLIN 3850, and ECLIPSE 2740.