DUEL 2 NEWSLETTER Date : 11/06/2006 Duedate: 11/18/2006 ARDIVENT ARENA DM-46 TURN-487 This Weeks Top Honors THE DUELMASTER IS DR STEINBURGER FANDILS (75) (46-3442) [22-7-0,100] Chartered Recognition Leader Unchartered Recognition Leader MARY CATHERINE POSITION IS EMPTY FANDILS (75) (46-3459) [12-5-3,102] Popularity Leader This Weeks Favorite AZGUD SPARROW-BLASTER INFERNAL LORDS (8) CYNICAL DELUSIONS (218) (46-3253) [14-13-0,95] (46-3900) [9-5-2,94] THE CURRENT TOP TEAM FANDILS (75) TEAMS ON THE MOVE TOP CAREER HONORS Team Name Point Gain Chartered Team 1. CYNICAL DELUSIONS (218) 34 2. FANDILS (75) 30 CYNICAL DELUSIONS (218) 3. BLUVALLEY WARRIORS (74) 21 Unchartered Team 4. DEATH (349) 0 5. TUFT-TASTIC! (265) 0 FACES OF DEATH (194) The Top Teams Career Win-Loss Record W L K % Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns W L K 1/ 1 CYNICAL DELUSIONS (218) 256 144 14 64.0 1/ 4 FANDILS (75) 8 5 1 2- 2 TUFT-TASTIC! (265) 99 66 2 60.0 2/ 1 CYNICAL DELUSIONS (218) 6 3 0 3/ 3 FANDILS (75) 806 615 27 56.7 3/ 2 INFERNAL LORDS (8) 5 2 0 4/ 4 INFERNAL LORDS (8) 186 157 10 54.2 4/ 5 BLUVALLEY WARRIORS (74) 5 10 1 5- 5 DEATH (349) 28 37 2 43.1 5- 3 TUFT-TASTIC! (265) 3 2 0 6/ 6 BLUVALLEY WARRIORS (74) 388 612 13 38.8 6- 6 DEATH (349) 3 2 0 7- 7 ALAN'S BOZLEEYOTCH (318) 6 10 0 37.5 7- 7 ALAN'S BOZLEEYOTCH (318) 1 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[ Cities by the Shore ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ + Krael: An explosion could not have been more disruptive of the activity in the plaza. There were several work-parties engaged in clearing it, and the magicians commanding them immediately began directing their laborers against the newly arrived Lord Protector. And no matter how good a fighter a Lord Protector may be, he cannot hold out forever against overwhelming numbers. Not with them coming from all directions. "We have to help him!" Fandil said. He spun his magician's staff as a warrior might spin a quarterstaff, and the end traced a wheel of flame in the air. With a word of command, he released the flames. The wheel flew toward the struggle. Adie spoke, and shafts of sunlight flashed outward from the center of the wheel like scythes. The first of the Kraelian magicians it encountered screamed and threw up his arm to shield his eyes. He staggered blindly across the plaza, still screaming and still covering his face, and fell over the line of broken stones that marked an ancient wall. The laborers he had been controlling stood numbly. When the expanding rim of fire and light passed them, they fell silently. Those who were Aruaki by blood began to take their feline shapes, but slowly. Cho touched her lightly on her shoulder. "You could do no otherwise, Lady, and your clean sunlight may yet bring them recovery." "I know," she said, wiping at the tears on her face. "I wish..." she sighed and shook her head, following the burning wheel's progress. "At least we can hope to prevent any others from being taken by these...fiends." As the wheel neared the gladiator Eclipse, he flung up his shield. A flash and a crack of thunder. The wheel turned, deflected; it was only a circle of fire now. The sunlight had been...absorbed by the dark barrier of his shield; it was Adie's turn to stagger at this unexpected interruption of the power moving through her. A tiger who had once been Aruaki lurched to its feet, jumped through the burning hoop and ran across the plaza and into the fringe of buildings that separated Krael from the peninsula. Steel rang behind them. Adie risked a glance over her shoulder. Cho was engaging two swordsmen. They were bigger than he was, younger than he was...and utterly over-matched by the old Adantri. The tip of his blade was beginning to trace bright lines in the air--bright lines and sprays of scarlet blood, because he was doing more than drawing a web with it. Adie jerked her gaze away before she could be trapped by that glittering pattern. It was a spell of some kind, but she didn't need to know more. Not right now, anyway. More sunlight, that's what she needed, but NOT to send anywhere near the warrior named Eclipse. She reached for the light and realized that it was...dimmer. Clouded, somehow, as though it had to come through a dirty window. But it was sunlight, and she needed. Now. The Kraelian mages had recovered their focus and were taking steps. Sending ALL the workers toward the three intruding mages and the lone gladiator. What did that make the odds, twenty to one? Thirty to one? More? And these laborers were not the guilty ones. Cho cut down the first to reach them. "No!" Adie said. "They're innocent, tools, you can't punish the tools for--" "Precisely tools," Fandil said grimly. "Look at them, look one in the eye, Adie. They have lost soul and self, they are no more people than a hammer is." His staff was spinning again, lashing out, sweeping and thrusting. It was a weapon now, and not a magician's tool; there was no time to set up a proper spell. "Zombies, of a sort," Cho said, his sword darting and flashing. "There are worse fates for these than death, and no better ones." "I know," Adie said. "But I don't like it." Still, there were things she could do; a priestess of the sun didn't have to establish a formal spell structure. She could direct the power of the sun--what there was at this time and place--as a gardener direct water with a hose. And Fandil and Cho were right. The Kraelians had sucked the last humanity out of their slaves when they sent them to fight. If you could call this stumbling wave of bodies a fight. She went back to back with her companions as the wave curled around them. Okay, it was a fight. And with something filtering out the strongest rays of the sun, it was a hard fight. She couldn't see the gladiator any longer and hoped he had found a defensive position. He was looking for one. Dropping out of that deserted Country of the Mimes into this was a shock. He didn't know where he was, but people were making noise, so it wasn't Mime-Land. And they were attacking him, which was the pits but not something he couldn't handle. Provided he could find a wall or something to put his back against, because the odds were...not good. True, the attackers were fighting dumb. Just ordinary tools, shovels, crowbars, that kind of thing, instead of weapons, no armor, no indication that any of them were trained to fight. But the numbers would overwhelm him even so, if he didn't get his back to a wall. There were walls around, broken but sufficient for his needs. On all sides, so which way to go? As he pondered this, his blade darted in and out, slashed and hacked and stabbed, and he smashed his dark shield into arms and faces and bodies. He could see, through temporary breaks in the crush of bodies around him, another cluster of battle at the edge of this open space, on the down-slope side. Try to join them, or go another way? The up-slope edge of the plaza was closer, and he really needed something at his back. He began to edge upward. Lady Protector Stepharoo sat on a bench with her back against the main cabin of the ferry. She sipped from a bottle of Marvelous Elixir and tried to make sense out of what had happened. "I was on the Ardivent Peninsula," she said. "And there was a Black Tower, something to do with the Tarot Mimes. So me and Eclipse--another Lord Protector from Ardivent--went do something about that. And we were in the Tarot Mime world, and we had to split up, and then... I was here. I don't know what happened, and I don't know where Eclipse is, and I don't LIKE this. We were a TEAM." The alchemist patted one of her hands, and the politician patted the other, and they both made soothing noises. "Maybe your friend got brought back to Ghea, too," the other woman, Gissanniah, suggested. "How far apart were you? Maybe he's that far away here?" Stepharoo looked out over the lake, suddenly alarmed. "He could drown!" "He could be, I don't know, in Point, maybe, just as likely as out in the lake," Gissanniah countered. Steph considered this. "The distance might be about right," she admitted, "but I have no idea at ALL about directions." She looked east, toward the mainland that was rapidly getting nearer. "I suppose that's a place to start looking." DUELMASTER'S COLUMN Notes from the arena champ. Well, Dr Steinburger continues to balk at writing his required DM Column. He has much to learn in the area of Humility, although there do seem to be small advances daily. With that in mind, I shall help him out this round. So you wonder what the Fandils looked like at birth? Look no further. ST - 9, 10, 10, 10, 13 CN - 4, 9, 10, 13, 17 SZ - 10, 10, 13, 16, 17 WT - 7, 14, 15, 15, 15 WL - 9, 10, 15, 16, 17 SP - 5, 6, 11, 16, 16 DF - 7, 10, 10, 14, 21 Now that is a collection that SHOULD understand HUMILITY! Fandil The Wise SPY REPORT Welcome ARDIVENT. I, Olaf Modeen remember this place well. Many the fights have I fought here. The celebrations, the disappointments... Bein' on top is great while it lasts, CYNICAL DELUSIONS. But how many friends do you have now? Ya gotta be quick on yer feet! Keep your elbow off the table! Thrust! Block out the pain! FANDILS is now ranked 1st with a 3-1-1 turn. What's with HAMMER? He actually beat INFERNAL LORDS' BROQUS, and walked away with 22 more points from the fight. Major screwup at INFERNAL LORDS. BROQUS lost 11 points to HAMMER. Some new strategies, perhaps? Maybe BROQUS will provide more easy wins... SPARROW-BLASTER was reminded on the sands why DR STEINBURGER is Duelmaster. Wouldn't it be nice to have live subjects to practice on? I hear some team is looking into the uses of convicted prisoners. No matter the time or place, men will always duel. How well I know the feeling of being in the most avoided team! Don't fall out of practive, CYNICAL DELUSIONS! The bums at FANDILS couldn't face the challenges from CYNICAL DELUSIONS! No excuse for that! There have been some calls to lengthen the time limit. Do you want the fighters to walk away, or not? BECKER COLLIN, with his forgettable 14-32-1, was killed by MARY CATHERINE in a forgettable match. BLUVALLEY WARRIORS didn't seem to mind very much. Here's some advice: study your opponent, master many skills, fight dirty. Well, I'm pretty much through. You guys need to get back practicing. Are you as tired of reading this as I am of writing it? Actually, I guess I'm writing it before you read it. Oh, well. Remember--a good fighter needs both good skills and good luck. Until next time,-- Olaf Modeen DUELMASTER W L K POINTS TEAM NAME DR STEINBURGER 3442 22 7 0 100 FANDILS (75) CHALLENGER CHAMPIONS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME MARY CATHERINE 3459 12 5 3 102 FANDILS (75) AZGUD 3253 14 13 0 95 INFERNAL LORDS (8) SPARROW-BLASTER 3900 9 5 2 94 CYNICAL DELUSIONS (218) CHAMPIONS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME -TEMPTATION 3314 9 5 0 89 INFERNAL LORDS (8) GALOOT 3907 12 1 0 74 CYNICAL DELUSIONS (218) -TERRENCE WYCLIFF 3433 8 2 0 73 TUFT-TASTIC! (265) -JHEZRA STEELBLADE 3017 10 8 0 69 TUFT-TASTIC! (265) CHALLENGER ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME QUAR-RAL 3898 11 1 0 63 CYNICAL DELUSIONS (218) DAVY PRIVETTE 3447 15 3 0 60 FANDILS (75) GLAVER 3915 8 4 0 60 CYNICAL DELUSIONS (218) -LOTHAR LIGHTSWORD 3650 5 4 0 57 TUFT-TASTIC! (265) ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME -ANNETTE TEVERLY 3651 6 3 1 54 TUFT-TASTIC! (265) -RYTHYM WIZARD 3357 8 6 0 51 INFERNAL LORDS (8) -THORN 3904 8 5 0 51 DEATH (349) -SHTEFFI GRAAF 3388 6 3 0 45 ALAN'S BOZLEEYOTCHS (318) -HELLSPAWN 3903 5 8 1 44 DEATH (349) -EUROQ 3901 6 5 0 42 INFERNAL LORDS (8) -IRONWOLF 274 5 1 0 42 BARBARIAN HORDE (47) -QUIETUS 3913 5 6 0 40 DEATH (349) -TUVOLD 3946 4 0 0 38 TUFT-TASTIC! (265) DEBRA CONKLIN 3890 6 18 0 37 BLUVALLEY WARRIORS (74) EARL 3951 3 1 0 37 FANDILS (75) CHALLENGER INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME -DREAD 3902 5 8 1 33 DEATH (349) JACINTHE 3892 4 18 0 30 BLUVALLEY WARRIORS (74) -JUANITA 3926 6 4 0 29 FANDILS (75) INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME HAMMER 3962 1 0 0 22 CYNICAL DELUSIONS (218) INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME ZELLIT 3948 4 2 1 21 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) -VLDL 3943 2 4 0 17 DEATH (349) -WEASEL 273 4 2 0 15 BARBARIAN HORDE (47) PELLOZOEN 3961 1 1 0 13 BLUVALLEY WARRIORS (74) BROQUS 3947 3 2 0 11 INFERNAL LORDS (8) '-' denotes a warrior who did not fight this turn. THE DEAD W L K TEAM NAME SLAIN BY TURN Revenge? BECKER COLLIN 3850 14 32 1 BLUVALLEY WARRIORS 74 MARY CATHERINE 3459 487 PERSONAL ADS Lady Adie -- It was pleasant to finally see your ads. Glad to see you do your "personal" duty. -- Fandil The Wise Rhythm Wizard -- I was never good at that dancing stuff. Why, I was the first voted off "Dancing With The Stars". -- Juanita Stepharoo, Senator Sedalia, Old Doc Circ, Fandil The Wise--PLUS Eclipse, Adie, Cho, and Gissanniah all in the same spot!? The Scribes have been busy! -- The Consortium Elders Galoot -- Jeez! You were too enduring. Note: I DID NOT say endearing. -- Davy Privette Glaver -- I was apparently quite "on" this day. I did myself proud, luck and all. -- Mary Catherine DeGotti -- There is only one Dwayne The Dog. (Even though he sometimes goes by Rageman, Manager, Manalger, Managerr, etc.) Surprisingly, he teamed with our weird Creepster in the last TOGS and they almost pulled it off. -- The Consortium Elders Zellit -- All right! Maybe there is something worthwhile in me after all. -- Earl Becker Collin -- That was no easy win for the title. You put up a battle worthy of a Duelmaster. -- Dr. Steinburger That WAS Dr. Steinberger speaking, wasn't it? -- WOF Adie -- Responding to one of your on-line questions, it is true that TigToad is no longer competing. You saw Jon Snow (TC ripper) running under the protectorship of The Consortium flag. -- WOF Jhezra -- Thanks for the match, hope we can battle longer next time. -- Sparrow Blaster Mary Catherine -- Well I stand in awe, you're definitely much more skilled then I. Till next time, maybe during a title match. -- Glaver Davy -- I'm sure that the next match will indeed be different. A more different strategy that is. I had to slow your advance a bit and give everyone a chance to catch you. -- Galoot Annette T -- Ouch, quit jabbing me, your skill level is growing quickly, I'm hoping it won't pass mine anytime soon. -- Quar-Ral I apologize for not defending my title but a bad bad Andorian Flu caught me off guard, it was a pleasure fighting in this arena, good luck to all. -- Break Point Dr. Steinburger -- Congrats on another win as Duelmaster. -- Adie Sparrow-Blaster -- Good challenge and win. -- Jhezra Hey, WAIT A MINUTE! Since when does a team that was TOTALLY inactive the turn before have the right or ability to challenge?! The Commission is a FRAUD!! -- Jhezra Quar-ral -- Figures. -- Annette Sorry WoF and DeGotti, other worlds are keeping me busy, I have to take a break, but I will be back soon. -- Adie Wow what nice surprise going 3-0 last turn. Guess I can only go down hill from there! :) -- DeGotti WoF -- You know we have always had a great respect for you and the rest of the Consortium. I am always glad to be in an arena with you. -- DeGotti WoF -- All those avoids don't help much with random match ups now do they? -- DeGotti Eclipse -- You have been rather quiet the last few turns. Perhaps you have been too busy doing tourney prep? -- DeGotti Shteffi Graaf -- Did anybody ever tell you that it's really, like, lots easier to talk if you swallow the mashed potatoes first? I mean, no offense, but I don't even know what you SAID, there at the end. -- Debra Conklin Euroq -- I didn't understand at first, but now I see your true nature and all. I think it was when you burst into flames and laid an egg in the arena that did it. Very startling. -- Jacinthe Earl -- Ha, I've got YOUR number now. You're just a sinister, left-handed troublemaker, that's what YOU are. I hate that in a man. -- Zellit Dr Steinburger -- Just call me "Trainer of Champions" Collin, eh? (sigh) I suppose SOMEBODY has to do it. -- Becker Collin Broqus -- Ah? Cool! I didn't think it would be that easy, especially at the beginning. But...cool. -- Pellozoen Dr Steinburger -- But you are, now, very clean. This is important. -- Lori Collin Juanita -- Really? When I want to hit a chart, I usually grab a flyswatter. -- Debra Conklin Jhezra -- Nah, I could NOT have hit you first. It would be ungentlemanly of me, and I am as polite as I can be, you know. -- Becker Collin P.S. If it's lame, it isn't a tirade, it's a jeremiad. Lothar -- You call that...bit? Cheese. -- Jacinthe DeGotti -- Oh, okay. Um, white rum or dark? -- Zellit Ed. -- A dwarf with no beard is not a dwarf. Hard, but there it is. A beard is a critical defining characteristic. This also explains why, when the Commission sees ANYONE with a beard, they're liable to label him, her, or it a dwarf. -- Kurli Kegbiter, Dwarf of Khalhums I think someone needs to work at changing that narrow definition! Dwarves should be allowed more freedom of expression! -- Ed. 20 October 2006 In accordance with those rules set forth by the Lady of the Realm, I hereby announce the formation of a small group of managers calling themselves "The Outsiders". The group consists of the following members: Doc LeGrande Apex Street Legal Carnage Ghoti Roadkill Valamond This group has only one rule. Respect the play of the managers of this alliance. We have no worries about not playing by the rules set forth by others. We fight the way we like, and all those in this group appreciate what tools each manager brings. We have managers from the Delarquan, Andorian and Free Blade regions. We have managers that focus on the tournament arenas, and we have those that focus on the regular city arenas. We have those in our ranks that fight with honor and respect for all, and we have those that have a bloodlust that cannot be quenched. Our goal is simple. To create a ensemble of managers that will show their prowess in the land of Alastari, and to bring a new level of competition to all those that share the sands with our warriors. Our warriors are many throughout the land. We have no home arena. We have no pacts we abide by. Our fighters range from Mordant to Talcama, from Lapur to Lyratilan, Aruak City to Valamantis, the Primus arena to Talahya, and many more arenas throughout the land. Whether we are sought out or ignored makes no difference to us. We are what we are. We fight how we fight. And we do it however we wish. We have no rules. We have no leader or ruler. Be prepared. We are. 20 October 2006 The Dark Knights of the Desolate Empire respond thus to the Avengers of the Light: Where are you? EACH AND EVERY Dark Knight can be found in arenas 31 and 52. Your pretty words mean less than nothing if you won't fight. EVERY Dark Knight is more than willing to back up their talk. So...we give you three turns in either 31 or 52, REPEAT 31 or 52 to show up or shut up. If you don't show we'll let all of Alastari know the Avengers are indeed cowards! -- Dark Knights of the Desolate Empire 2 November 2006 I received a Gift Certificate from someone. I'm assuming it's for entry into the Turf War 5. Whoever sent this to me...please email me at rbaphomets@yahoo.com. Thanks. LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS DAVY PRIVETTE was unbelievably bested by GALOOT in a 5 minute Challenge fight. DR STEINBURGER subdued SPARROW-BLASTER in a exciting 3 minute Title melee. MARY CATHERINE assassinated BECKER COLLIN in a 1 minute bloody mismatched duel. AZGUD overpowered GLAVER in a 1 minute one-sided fight. QUAR-RAL outwaited DEBRA CONKLIN in a dull 13 minute brawl. EARL overpowered JACINTHE in a 1 minute one-sided struggle. ZELLIT bested CULT MEMBER in a 1 minute competition. BROQUS was overpowered by HAMMER in a 1 minute uneven melee. PELLOZOEN vanquished SHIFTYEYED VOLUNTEER in a 1 minute uneven duel. BATTLE REPORT MOST POPULAR RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS |FIGHTING STYLE FIGHTS FIGHTING STYLE W - L - K PERCENT| |TOTAL PARRY 3 TOTAL PARRY 32 - 10 - 0 76 | |BASHING ATTACK 3 AIMED BLOW 11 - 8 - 1 58 | |STRIKING ATTACK 2 BASHING ATTACK 23 - 17 - 1 58 | |PARRY-LUNGE 2 SLASHING ATTACK 16 - 12 - 1 57 | |WALL OF STEEL 2 STRIKING ATTACK 12 - 14 - 0 46 | |AIMED BLOW 1 LUNGING ATTACK 17 - 21 - 2 45 | |PARRY-STRIKE 1 WALL OF STEEL 13 - 18 - 0 42 | |PARRY-RIPOSTE 1 PARRY-STRIKE 3 - 6 - 0 33 | |SLASHING ATTACK 1 PARRY-RIPOSTE 3 - 8 - 0 27 | |LUNGING ATTACK 0 PARRY-LUNGE 3 - 10 - 1 23 | Turn 487 was great if you Not so great if you used The fighting styles of the used the fighting styles: the fighting styles: top eleven warriors are: AIMED BLOW 1 - 0 BASHING ATTACK 1 - 2 3 TOTAL PARRY PARRY-STRIKE 1 - 0 PARRY-RIPOSTE 0 - 1 2 BASHING ATTACK STRIKING ATTACK 2 - 0 LUNGING ATTACK 0 - 0 2 WALL OF STEEL TOTAL PARRY 3 - 0 SLASHING ATTACK 0 - 1 1 PARRY-LUNGE PARRY-LUNGE 1 - 1 WALL OF STEEL 0 - 2 1 SLASHING ATTACK 1 LUNGING ATTACK 1 AIMED BLOW TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE FIGHTING STYLE WARRIOR W L K PNTS TEAM NAME TOTAL PARRY DR STEINBURGER 3442 22 7 0 100 FANDILS (75) BASHING ATTACK MARY CATHERINE 3459 12 5 3 102 FANDILS (75) PARRY-LUNGE AZGUD 3253 14 13 0 95 INFERNAL LORDS (8) SLASHING ATTACK SPARROW-BLASTER 3900 9 5 2 94 CYNICAL DELUSIONS (218) WALL OF STEEL DAVY PRIVETTE 3447 15 3 0 60 FANDILS (75) STRIKING ATTACK EARL 3951 3 1 0 37 FANDILS (75) Note: Warriors have a winning record and are an Adept or Above. The overall popularity leader is AZGUD 3253. The most popular warrior this turn was SPARROW-BLASTER 3900. The ten other most popular fighters were DAVY PRIVETTE 3447, MARY CATHERINE 3459, GALOOT 3907, DR STEINBURGER 3442, AZGUD 3253, EARL 3951, ZELLIT 3948, HAMMER 3962, PELLOZOEN 3961, and GLAVER 3915. The least popular fighter this week was QUAR-RAL 3898. The other ten least popular fighters were DEBRA CONKLIN 3890, BROQUS 3947, JACINTHE 3892, BECKER COLLIN 3850, GLAVER 3915, PELLOZOEN 3961, HAMMER 3962, ZELLIT 3948, EARL 3951, and AZGUD 3253. NEW GRADUATES--FROM ALL ARENAS (INCLUDING CLOSED ARENAS) For those of you who keep track of such things, 5 additional warriors graduated from regular DM arenas (including closed arenas) since the last tournament. TONY TWILO (5-4525) of HOUSE OF PANCAKES MARCIE (36-6076) of MER DE NOMS WAR EAGLE (55-3289) of DRAGONFYRE WIPEY (82-12634) of UNJUSTLY RENAMED FORMIDABLE (82-17495) of F-TROOP Congrats to the grads. -- Green Eyes