DUEL 2 NEWSLETTER

Date   : 01/26/2010    Duedate: 02/22/2010

FRATSFA ARENA

DM-52    TURN-266

This Weeks Top Honors

THE DUELMASTER IS

NOT SO HOT
PYROMANIA (184)
(52-2076) [15-13-1,132]

Chartered Recognition Leader   Unchartered Recognition Leader

NOT SO HOT                     POSITION IS EMPTY
PYROMANIA (184)                
(52-2076) [15-13-1,132]        

Popularity Leader              This Weeks Favorite

TORTURING TULIP                NOT SO HOT
FLOWER GIRLS (189)             PYROMANIA (184)
(52-3974) [14-12-1,71]         (52-2076) [15-13-1,132]

THE CURRENT TOP TEAM

BLOOD AND GUTS! (365)

          TEAMS ON THE MOVE            TOP CAREER HONORS
Team Name                  Point Gain  Chartered Team
1. PYROMANIA (184)             46
2. BLOOD AND GUTS! (365)       42      FLOWER GIRLS (189)
3. DRAGONS GUARD II (253)      36      Unchartered Team
4. SEA DOGS (421)              29
5. OTTO'S PARTS (150)           0       (-1)

The Top Teams

Career Win-Loss Record           W   L  K    %  Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns    W  L K
 1- 1 WATCH OUT! (391)          57  25  1 69.5   1/ 1 BLOOD AND GUTS! (365)    11  4 1
 2- 2*KIWI CONNECTION (337)     10   5  1 66.7   2/ 2 PYROMANIA (184)           9  6 1
 3/ 3 FLOWER GIRLS (189)       539 334 17 61.7   3/ 7 DRAGONS GUARD II (253)    6  3 0
 4/ 4 BLOOD AND GUTS! (365)    135  94  8 59.0   4- 4 OTTO'S PARTS (150)        6  4 2
 5/ 6 DRAGONS GUARD II (253)    22  20  4 52.4   5/ 6 FLOWER GIRLS (189)        5 10 0
 6- 5 OTTO'S PARTS (150)       309 284 16 52.1   6- 3 WATCH OUT! (391)          4  1 0
 7/ 7 PYROMANIA (184)          100  94  5 51.5   7- 9*KIWI CONNECTION (337)     2  1 0
 8/ 9 SEA DOGS (421)            25  29  2 46.3   8/ 8 THE ORDER (412)           2  8 0
 9/ 8 THE ORDER (412)           35  41  5 46.1   9/ 5 SEA DOGS (421)            2 12 0

    '*'   Unchartered team                       '-'  Team did not fight this turn
   (###)  Avoid teams by their Team Id          ##/## This turn's/Last turn's rank

                                    TEAM SPOTLIGHT

                                FRATSFA QUEST TURN 8

I moved a few days ago to a new flat without web access, so I have to do this quite
quickly... please shout if I made any error.  8)  Well, I made an error, so here is
the right one... sorry for the repeat!

TEAM             MANAGER                (SCOUT, CHAMPION)
Blood & Guts     La Pentarque           (Zoum La Bouse, Two)
Bronze Knights   Lord John Snow         (-,-)
Flower Girls     Lady Fern              (Caustic Crocus, Gloating Gardenia)
Fire Inc         Wretch                 (Fire Wall, -)
Otto\'s Parts    Crip                   (Runny Nose, -)
Pyromania        Marmaduke              (Tuscan Flame, 451 degrees)
Sea Dogs         One Armed Bandit       (Stabby Joe, Jolly Roger)
Silver Knights   Toker                  (-,-)
The Order        Torak                  (Praecisus, Anastrianna)
Undead II        Death Jester           (Zombie, Skeleton)
Watch Out        Paranoia               (Sinistrophobia, Lockiophobia)

Watch Out!: 4-1 (+3) SW +2 CW +3 HUCW (Lockiophobia/Savage Snowball, +18) +5= +13
Blood and Guts: 3-2-1 (+2) CW +3 SW +2 CTT +3 = +10
Otto's Parts: 3-2-2 (+3) SW +2 CW +3 = +8
Flower Girls: 3-2 (+1) CW +3 SW +2 = +6
Undead II: inactive = 0
The Order: 2-3 (-1) SW +2 CL -3 = -2
Pyromania: 2-3 (-1) SL -2 CL -3 DM +1 = -5
Sea Dogs: 0-4 (-4) SL -2 CL -3  = -9

So...

Le Pentarque  - 81
Paranoia      - 68
Crip          - 59
Death Jester  - 44
Lady Fern     - 42
Wretch        - 28
Marmaduke     - 26
Toker         - 24
Wasby         - 21
Expatriate    - 21
Torak         - 16
OAB           - 11

Happy New Year!  I am very happy to welcome back two of the inactive managers!
Impressive return from Paranoia, nice scented comeback, Crip and myself held the
ground.  The first day of the year was a little less jolly for the other managers,
but I guess they will have their revenge.
Good luck to all!  Let's fight!

        + ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ The Andorian Succession #42 ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ +

In the mountains west of Fratsfa:

     Elosjon had almost all his attention on the spell he was using.  A little on the
bear-golem itself, too, but spells had to be watched closely or they ran away from
you and did things you didn't expect.  And he didn't have to worry about secondary
attacks, not with someone like Fandil to watch his back.  That was just amazing--
Fandil, who had a high reputation among the experienced magicians of the Andorian
League, was watching HIS back!  If he survived, he'd have something really impressive
to tell his friends.  But that was for later; for now, he had to hold his ball of
lightning steady as it flew into the arms of the bear-golem.  It was getting a little
loose, trying to unravel.  He remembered his instructor warning him about that:
warning him that lightning didn't really want to form a ball, so he was going to have
to hold it together with his own will.  He could do that... if his attention didn't
stray.  He tightened it up and resisted the temptation to push it a little faster.
"Speed is the enemy of coherence in a lightning spell," his instructor had said.
Move it too fast and it would come apart.
                         *****   ***   *****   ***   *****
     Fandil watched the youngster for a moment and then nodded.  Elosjon lacked
experience, but his instincts and training were good.  If he survived this
expedition, he would be a fine magician, someday.  One to be reckoned with.  And for
the matter in hand, he was doing very well.  The boy could be left to it while he
himself did other things.
     Such as watched for other guards.  True, he had said this bear-golem had been
made almost casually to frighten away ordinary people.  He believed that.  But he
also believed that there would be at least one genuine, dangerous watchdog.  Maybe a
real demon, maybe a more carefully-made golem--
     A sudden scent of sulfur-and-something announced the arrival of the real guard.
Fandil scanned the hillside quickly and saw it condense out of a drift of mist or
smoke.  A true demon--it had the classic markers: red skin, hooves, horns, tail,
wings, nasty disposition.  Not an impressive demon, probably one of the lowest rank.
But still, a demon, and even the least of them required careful handling.
     Try simple things first.  He had dealt with true demons before and knew the
drill.  First a spell of banishment, with a little extra magical muscle behind it.
It... twitched.  Twitched?  Fandil's mustache bristled.  The demon should have
vanished in a cloud of saffron smoke!
     He took a deep breath and coughed a little at the sulfur fumes.  Not just as
simple as it looked, then.  Well, he could STILL handle it.  Fandil narrowed his eyes
and traced out the patterns, the ripples, in the Arcanum that had resulted from the
encounter between demon and spell.  Odd.  A flat in the key of aleph, a kink in
gimel, and... a medusa-knot in the tertiary subtext?  That should not be possible.
Medusa-knots were totally incompatible with the key of aleph.  No one but a Chaos-
mage would even attempt--
     Fandil's mind stumbled.  A Chaos-mage.  He had been worried about one earlier,
but he'd let that concern lapse.  Big mistake.  Maybe very big mistake, if this semi-
demon was alert and skillful enough to grasp him through center of the medusa-knot.
No time to try to close it now, even if he could.  The important thing was to get OUT
of the key of aleph before--  No.  He brought his unruly thoughts under control.
Don't even think about what could be done against him, because a truly skilled
opponent could pluck that right out of his mind.  More than one mage had defeated
himself that way.
     Key of epsilon, that's what he wanted.  Seven right-hand sharps and a tremolo.
Twist of lemon if there's time... yes!  There came the counter through the medusa-
knot:  the three-legged asp.  It rammed into the epsilon shield, was shredded,
twisted, and sent back.  Strong, though.  Even stopping it depleted his energies.
     The demon's form shifted, flowing through a truly disgusting ape into something
unearthly but compellingly female.  Fandil took refuge in humor, which no demon
understood:  What would his sister Fern call this?  A Calamitous Calla?  The shape
wobbled and fell in on itself.

Fratsfa:

     "Okay," Lenpro said, "not better a bad ruler than none.  How do you propose to
make sure we get a good ruler, though?  Or even tell if someone will make a good
ruler or not?"
     "Emperor Alonj of Fratsfa--"
     "Will not be acceptable to most people, because they believe he's either crazy
or a half-wit."
     "He is NOT crazy or a half-wit," Fern answered.  "And he has one thing that
others don't: legitimacy.  It would be legitimate for Alonj to govern the whole
League."
     "But he doesn't want to," Sizzling Sunflower protested.  "We've all heard that."
     "And sometimes we have to do things we don't want to," her teammate Outcast
Orchid said.  "We've all heard that, too.  If Emperor Alonj can hold off whatever
this Korneth is trying to do until Andoria finds its feet, well, I figure he's got a
duty."
     Sunflower ignored that.  Pointedly.  "And if Emperor Alonj doesn't want to do
something, his wife will back him up," she went on.
     "Unless she sees it as his duty," Orchid said.  "Very strong on duty, Empress
Kitiara."

        + ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ The Andorian Succession #43 ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ +

In the mountains west of Fratsfa:

     Fandil waited, poised, for the demon to take its next form.  Carefully not
thinking what that next form might be, lest he give it a clue against him.  Nothing
appeared.  Was it through?  Surely not!
     A shimmer in the air and a twist of iris-colored smoke.  One of the sharps in
his epsilon shield shrieked and went flat.  The orthodox response to that called for
blank verse in a blue-and-magenta palette, which was a good argument for taking a
different direction.  And fast, his opponent was too good--and too dangerous--for
"stop and think."  Acting on an instinct he didn't question, Fandil shifted to a
ballad form in earth tones, with a hint of paprika wave at the end.
     The little cloud of smoke flashed red, flashed black, and fell in on itself,
leaving a robed and hooded figure in its place.  Not the demon, there was no sulfur
in its signature.  The mage, his opponent.  Very tall, very thin, stiff and unmoving
once it appeared.  The sigil over its heart (if it was put together in human pattern)
was Folstrom.
     "Begone," the hooded mage intoned.  "You interfere with my necessary work!  The
ways must be opened for the Masters to return--"
     "The Folstrom?  I don't think so," Fandil snapped.
     "The Masters will know how to deal with the prancing elves and the Aruaki
beasts--"
     "I seem to recall that the Folstrom idea of good government and cultural
stability was to have everyone submissive to them, and that more than half the
population of Alastari at that time died in their Chaos Games."
     "They brought order and unity!" the mage shrieked.  "And I have seen the Chaos
Games, and they are a performance of beauty, not like the bloody holocaust of the
arena system.  The Folstrom understand the order that lies in the heart of Chaos--"
     "And that has driven them mad," Fandil said.  "The Folstrom are insane."
     "No!"  Where the mage had stood was now a shaft of intensely violet light.
     Fandil could feel the power of it burning against his shield, but he had
expected this, or something like it.  He was ready.  His will reached down through
his feet to grip the bedrock of the mountain top, up through his raised hands into
the clouds that boiled black overhead.  He seized the lighting and pulled it down
onto his enemy.

       + ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ Report from the Tourney #1 ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ +

     Larkin here, with a report from the Winter Tourney.  Okay, maybe this isn't
Atlantis, but it's somewhere warm, and if that isn't a beach, at least it's sand,
and, as advertised, there are drinks with umbrellas in them.  And young women with a
lot of suntan showing.  By the time you read this, the tourney will be over, but
while I'm writing it, the tourney is NOT over.  And a lot of you guys reading this
won't have been able to go, anyway.
     I'm interviewing Zalgor Prigg, one of the managers participating in the Old
Valamantis Bloodgames, and let me tell you, Old Valamantis is not a place you want to
hang around if you don't have to.  It's rotten with magic, to begin with--Folstrom
magic, the blackest there is--and then it's got all this blood and violence on top of
it, and it makes for a dark and scary venue.  Anything might rise out of the ruins
around the arena, summoned by the blood and the curses of the managers.
     "Mr. Prigg, could you tell us why you--"
     "It was the play on words," the manager said, overriding the question.  "I
couldn't resist--the chance to call a Bloodgames team Phoenix, you know, the 'rising
from the ashes of death' business.  Of course, then I had to change it to Phonetix,
but that's okay, keep people guessing."
     "I've heard the Commission mages talking about that name, sir, and they seem
alarmed.  One of them said the name was practically a spell in itself, used here."
     "I heard.  That's why I had to change it."
     "Have you considered what might actually rise from the ashes and blood here as a
result?"
     "Well, no, but that isn't my business, you know.  I manage gladiators.  Let the
mages worry about what pops in from some other dimension.  Besides, what if nothing
happens?"
     "But, sir, there have already been reports of zombie rats and tentacled monsters
lurking in the backs of the locker rooms!  And someone is bound to consider that you
have a partial responsibility--"
     "No," Prigg said, "I have no responsibility for that kind of thing.  I'm no
magician, I haven't been reading forbidden tomes...."  He paused, looking thoughtful.
"Maybe it was TigToad with his Obscure Lore...."
     "I don't believe there's a team of that name in this Bloodgames--"
     "No, not here.  Earlier, in Veastian.  He could have been, hmm, preparing for
this, opening contacts if not gates, stuff like that.  Has anybody seen any Dark
Toads around?"
     "Not until they've had six drinks with umbrellas in them.  Tell me, sir, have
you given any thought to the moral implications of the Bloodgames?"
     "What moral implications?" the manager asked.  "This isn't about morals, it's
about survival.  And the way to survive on the sands is to kill your opponents every
chance you get!"
     "Yes, but--"
     "There's a reason they don't hold these contests up in Andoria," the manager
said sternly.  "Good people in their ways, the Andorians, but they just aren't cut
out for this kind of grim business."  He paused to listen to the roar of the crowds
jamming the ancient arena.  Checked the marquee where slaves dangled from ropes and
updated the records of participants.  Nodded, grimly satisfied.  "Another death.
That's good--can't have too many survivors, or it cheapens the victory at the end."
     "But the death toll--"
     "Bah!  Don't get the idea that these gladiators are the flower of Alastarian
youth.  The ones who enter the Bloodgames are the men with no hope.  We offer them a
future they could never have dreamed of, but they have to work for it, sweat for it,
bleed for it, and sometimes die for it.  The survivors..." he bared his teeth in a
grin that would not have looked out of place on a wolf, "they owe us EVERYTHING, and
they'll do anything to repay us."
     "But--"
     "And besides," Zalgor Prigg went on, "if you really want to take up the moral
question, go talk to the Grey Wand.  She's the one set this up, after all."
     "I don't see the point, frankly.  She's got plenty of Lord Protectors, and they
have longer training, skills polished and honed to a--"
     "The Bloodgames victors, they're Her enforcers," Prigg said.  "No polish, sure,
but when a dirty job needs doing, one of these guys will do it, and no questions
asked."

       + ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ Report from the Tourney #2 ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ +

     Larkin here once again, with more interviews from the tourney.  This time I'm
talking to a new manager, so new he doesn't even have a manager name.  "Sir... what
would you like me to call you, by the way?"
     "Why do you have to call me anything?  I don't understand why you want to
interview me.  There are lots of great managers here who could probably tell you
stuff--"
     "I'm looking for a new perspective, the point of view of someone who is just
starting out with the gladiatorial games."
     "Oh.  Well, I guess that would be me."
     "Absolutely right!  Tell me, what do you think of the tourney?  This is your
first, right?"
     "Right, my first," the young man agreed.  "And it's GREAT!  Everyone is just
great here!  I mean, most of these managers, they're, like, legends, you know?
Everybody's heard of them, and they have stables of HUNDREDS of gladiators, and
they've been polishing their tricks for YEARS, and I didn't figure I had much of a
chance, you know?"
     "The popular view is that no matter how much you know, the arena can always
throw a surprise at you--"
     "Yeah, yeah, I've heard that.  I don't know if I believe it, but I've heard it.
But that isn't the best thing about this tourney.  The best thing is that everyone
here has been GREAT.  Or else I didn't meet them--the ones that might not have been.
But I think I met just about everyone, and--"
     "And they were great.  I'm glad.  But perhaps you could tell our readers a
little more, maybe tell them how these experienced managers were great to you?"
     "Well, yeah, okay.  It's that everyone was so friendly and helpful, see?  The
ENTIRE Consortium talked to me about warrior design, for instance.  I learned a lot
there.  And, well, there was Mannequin, and The Greek Guy, and I actually met
Manager, too!  And they were all really helpful.  Advice, you know, and charts, and
all that stuff that was so confusing.  It was just the best experience!  I'm going to
do it again, for sure!"

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

                          ---===ANDORIAN REGIONAL NEWS===---

                                     Duelmasters
                                     -----------
 DM   8 ARKERS (turn 318): WAR BOND of SMITHSONIAN (Curator, mgr.)
 DM  11 ARUAK CITY (turn 637): GREEN THUMB of COLORIFIC (Purple People Eater, mgr.)
 DM  14 TOBIR (turn 637): PITCH of THE DOGHOUSE (Jorja, mgr.)
 DM  22 SOLVEN (turn 622): JILIAN NORMAN of MIDDLE WAY 15 (Jorja, mgr.)
 DM  24 ZORPUNT (turn 626): WILD FIRE of DISASTER (Papa Bear, mgr.)
 DM  25 LYRATILAN (turn 622): AIKIDO of DARK FORCES (The Walkin' Dude, mgr.)
 DM  26 CALEAM (turn 621): DEATH RATTLE of ULTRA-VIOLENT (Deep Thought, mgr.)
 DM  30 IAYE (turn 619): MAJOR MARTIN of LENPROS (Lenpro, mgr.)
 DM  40 ZENSU (turn 583): CORBIE LEK of BEYOND THE PALE (Jorja, mgr.)
 DM  41 KATI-TEI (turn 579): HELL HOUND of DA DOG POWNDAZ (Marma Duke, mgr.)
 DM  46 ARDIVENT (turn 570): SHADOW BLADE of SERPENT'S HOLD (Khisanth, mgr.)
 DM  52 FRATSFA (turn 265): NOT SO HOT of PYROMANIA (Marma Duke, mgr.)
 DM  63 AMEN-TEI (turn 469): VALNAKORINE of WAYFARERS (Jorja, mgr.)
 DM  71 KYR'TERR (turn 219): WITCH of DOGS OF WAR (Omega, mgr.)
ADM 105 ANDORAK (turn 522): VISION of KELLUMBO'S KIDS (Detective Kellumbo, mgr.)

                                      Top Teams
                                      ---------
 DM   8 ARKERS (turn 318): Z GLADIATORS (Z Man, mgr.)
 DM  11 ARUAK CITY (turn 637): BULLDOGS (Kennelworth, mgr.)
 DM  14 TOBIR (turn 637): POSITION IS EMPTY
 DM  22 SOLVEN (turn 622): SERPENTS HOLD (Khisanth, mgr.)
 DM  24 ZORPUNT (turn 626): MEDAL OF HONOR Z3 (The Anarchist, mgr.)
 DM  25 LYRATILAN (turn 622): THE MIDDLE WAY 4 (Jorja, mgr.)
 DM  26 CALEAM (turn 621): GOLDEN CANYON (Jorja, mgr.)
 DM  30 IAYE (turn 619): RED DOG GANG (Jorja, mgr.)
 DM  40 ZENSU (turn 583): MEDAL OF HONOR Z1 (The Anarchist, mgr.)
 DM  41 KATI-TEI (turn 579): THE PLAGUE (Reaper, mgr.)
 DM  46 ARDIVENT (turn 570): FANDILS (Wise Old Fandil, mgr.)
 DM  52 FRATSFA (turn 265): BLOOD AND GUTS! (Le Pentarque, mgr.)
 DM  63 AMEN-TEI (turn 469): WAYFARERS (Jorja, mgr.)
 DM  71 KYR'TERR (turn 219): INSECTOSOIDS (The Storm Lord, mgr.)
ADM 105 ANDORAK (turn 521): KELLUMBO'S KIDS (Detective Kellumbo, mgr.)

                                   Recent Graduates
                                   ----------------
 DM  14 TOBIR (turn 637): PITCH of THE DOGHOUSE (Jorja, mgr.)
              (turn 636): HELENA of OTAGO HIGHLANDERS (The Mun, mgr.)
 DM  41 KATI-TEI (turn 579): COUNTRY RHODES of WANDERERS (Jorja, mgr.)
 DM  52 FRATSFA (turn 264): NUMBSKULL of OTTO'S PARTS (Crip, mgr.)
                            BRAIN TUMOR of OTTO'S PARTS (Crip, mgr.)
                            PULLED HAMSTRING of OTTO'S PARTS (Crip, mgr.)
 DM  71 KYR'TERR (turn 219): WITCH of DOGS OF WAR (Omega, mgr.)

                                 DUELMASTER'S COLUMN
                             Notes from the arena champ.

     Hail, hail, fair warriors of Fratsfa!  It has been quite some time since a
Pyromaniac has sat on throne of this fine city, and I am truly honored and thankful
that Marma Duke has shown faith and perseverance in my abilities... for his patience
with me has wavered at times.
     I have to thank Phobo for a well fought fight, I must say I hope our paths cross
yet again... for you are my kind of opponent!  You let me swing, you let me hit, and
you let me win!  These are the kinds of people I like to face on the arena sands!!!
     Kudos to my younger brethren of this fair city....  Hopefully the young pyros
can continue to slowly ascend the ranks and hold their own against the other fine
warriors in the Fratsfa quest.  The journey is long, the competition is stiff and
there is no room for the weak... that much we know.
     Until next time, my friends, I encourage you to make fire... burn a candle, grab
a lighter, make a bbq, rub some sticks together, and spark up some gasoline.  For I
am a Pyromaniac!!!

Your Duelmaster,
Not So Hot

                                      SPY REPORT

     Hail and well met warriors of FRATSFA!  Know me for who I am, Zontani Sharp 
Eyes, Spymaster extraordinaire of all Alastari.  There were bitter words at SEA DOGS' 
guildhouse after a 1-4-0 showing this week which dropped the stable into 9th.  Dark 
Arena anyone?  Warriors--remember that glory waits always around the corner!  Witness 
how this week DRAGONS GUARD II went 3-2-0 to move up 4 in the rankings.  TWO caught 
the eye of many in the gladiatorial commission as he skillfully bested TORTURING 
TULIP and was awarded 22 points in recognition.  In one of the week's more notable 
duels, DESPAIR put down ANASTRIANNA, causing her to lose 18 points of recognition in 
the process.  Not for nothing has NOT SO HOT in the past laid claim to the 
Duelmaster's throne, and this week he's proven his combat skill yet again.  No 
confirmation, but my sources claim that the top team has gained their position using 
magical aids.  Charmed weapons perhaps?   
     But come now, let us look deeper into the maze of contention and crossed blades 
that is city FRATSFA.  FRATSFA, city of gladiators!  Mighty among the names of thy 
guilds is BLOOD AND GUTS!, a guild shunned and avoided by many in the weekly duels.  
If you didn't look down dark alleys you'd have been hard pressed to find any of 
FLOWER GIRLS last week.  Busy avoiding BLOOD AND GUTS!?  Loose talk at the arena has 
reached my ears and it but confirms the knowledge that many fighters are after 
PRAECISUS.  Watch your back!   
     Vendettas.  Bloodied blades and broken spears.  Indeed the city has seen more 
than its fair share of red in recent times.  Some say a warrior is judged by the way 
he bears arms.  One thing is sure, better a dagger in hand then a sword on the belt!  
     If it were not for my skills as a spy I would have been mugged three times 
already in FRATSFA.  Nice atmosphere you have here!  Sadly warriors, now longer can I 
keep thy company nor savor the ale of thy fine city.  Depart I must and soon!  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                  
 NOT SO HOT 2076              15  13  1   132       PYROMANIA (184)

CHALLENGER CHAMPIONS           W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 GLOATING GARDENIA 4083        8   4  0    96       FLOWER GIRLS (189)

CHAMPIONS                      W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
-PHOBOPHOBIA 3840             14   4  0    90       WATCH OUT! (391)
 TWO 4039                     10   4  2    89       BLOOD AND GUTS! (365)
 ZOUM LA BOUSE 4037           11   4  0    76       BLOOD AND GUTS! (365)
-SINISTROPHOBIA 3835          14   6  0    75       WATCH OUT! (391)
 TORTURING TULIP 3974         14  12  1    71       FLOWER GIRLS (189)
-FAT LIP 3791                  9  12  0    69       OTTO'S PARTS (150)
 JOLLY ROGER 4092              7   4  1    67       SEA DOGS (421)

CHALLENGER ADEPTS              W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 DESPAIR 2282                  7   3  1    66       DRAGONS GUARD II (253)
-MELOPHOBIA 3836               7   7  0    66       WATCH OUT! (391)
-MURRAY 3341                   5   2  0    61       KIWI CONNECTION (337)

ADEPTS                         W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 451 DEGREES 2415              8   5  0    50       PYROMANIA (184)
-LOCKIOPHOBIA 4141             4   0  0    50       WATCH OUT! (391)
-GLEN 3339                     4   0  1    48       KIWI CONNECTION (337)
 ANASTRIANNA 4023              9   7  1    47       THE ORDER (412)
 ONYX 2283                     6   4  0    42       DRAGONS GUARD II (253)
-RUNNY NOSE 3877               6   4  0    42       OTTO'S PARTS (150)
 CROW'S NEST GUY 4095          6   5  0    37       SEA DOGS (421)

CHALLENGER INITIATES           W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 CAUSTIC CROCUS 4103           5   5  0    32       FLOWER GIRLS (189)
 SAVAGE SNOWBALL 4085          5   6  1    31       FLOWER GIRLS (189)
 AREOPOLITE 4138               5   2  0    31       BLOOD AND GUTS! (365)
 HOT STUFF 4136                3   4  0    29       PYROMANIA (184)
 CHAMP CHUMP 4147              3   1  0    27       BLOOD AND GUTS! (365)

INITIATES                      W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 CONFLICT 2375                 2   1  0    20       DRAGONS GUARD II (253)
 TUSCAN FLAME 4153             2   1  0    18       PYROMANIA (184)
 DEVLISH DAHLIA 4152           1   2  0    16       FLOWER GIRLS (189)
 PRAECISUS 4137                3   2  0    11       THE ORDER (412)
 STABBY JOE 4142               2   4  0    10       SEA DOGS (421)
 THE SCRIBE 4160               2   0  0     9       BLOOD AND GUTS! (365)
 KITIARA 4164                  1   0  0     9       DRAGONS GUARD II (253)
 SALIENT 4149                  1   2  0     8       THE ORDER (412)
-CHEROPHOBIA 4162              1   0  0     7       WATCH OUT! (391)
 SIR BREUSE 4145               0   4  0     4       THE ORDER (412)
 LIGHTER FLUID 4170            0   1  0     1       PYROMANIA (184)

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

THE DEAD                W  L K TEAM NAME            SLAIN BY              TURN Revenge?
DOMINION 2280           3  5 2 DRAGONS GUARD II 253 TWO 4039              265   
LATER 4163              0  1 0 DRAGONS GUARD II 253 CHARLES DE GAULL      266  NONE
MAN OVERBOARD 4168      0  1 0 SEA DOGS 421         ARENAMASTER LATH      266  NONE
MAN OVERBOARD 2 4169    0  1 0 SEA DOGS 421         STONE GOLEM           266  NONE
SELIVANT 4146           0  4 0 THE ORDER 412        WAILIN' WAYNE         266  NONE

                                     PERSONAL ADS

Ah, Aereopolite!  I wanted you.  I seduced you.  I had you.  I feel wonderful!
(wink)  I want MORE. -- Caustic Crocus

Lockiophobia -- You wanted a piece, huh?  Well, I guess girls just wanna have fun.
Next time let's wrestle on my bed at The Flower Shoppe.  Bring cash. -- Savage
Snowball

Fat Lip -- That's not all that is fat, Luv. -- Gloating Gardenia

Veteran Mercenary -- Thanks for being there.  I really did need a change of pace. --
Torturing Tulip

     Our Veteran Mercenary may never be the same.

Praecisus -- You dolt!  That was MY challenge!  I am officially cutting you off, Big
Guy!  (Humpfh!) -- Devlish Dahlia

Not So Hot -- I think maybe you are!  Congrats, Duelmaster.  My gals like it hot, so
come on over to The Flower Shoppe for some fun. -- Lady Fern

Dragons Guard -- Nice start, you Big Hunks!  Looking forward to seeing you at The
Flower Shoppe.  My Girls await. -- Lady Fern

Le Pentarque -- Let us tell you what a pleasure it is to see an update on The Quest
in the newsletter.  Yu da man! -- Lady Fern

Oops... sorry for the welcome, Dragons Guard, but I guess you have what you need to
get a revenge...  Dominion seemed like an nice warrior, and Onyx is terrifying! -- Le
Pentarque.

The comeback of the Scented Ones... Caustic Crocus is now on my list of flowers to
pick! -- Areopolite, not very confident though.

Hum, well, Savage Snowball, I'm not sure I can handle 5 Flowers at once, I think and
act slow... but I can try! -- Zoum la Bouse

Dear Dahlia -- I will always be ready for you. -- Champ Chump

Hail and well met, Fratsfa!  I go by the name of Khisanth and I'm returning to the
sands after a long Hiatus....  I look forward to meeting your warriors on the
sands....  I'd like to enter your arena challenge...  Please add Despair as my
Champion and Conflict as my scout....

Phobophobia -- A luke warm beginning but a damn hot ending to the fight! -- Not So
Hot

Runny Nose -- I'm not sure I enjoyed that... -- Hot Stuff

Melophobia -- We'll have to do that dance again my scared friend. -- 451 Degrees

Stabby Joe -- I would love to do that again... but I died during the tournament. --
Ghost of Towering Inferno

Conflict -- Well done. -- Tuscan Flame

                                  LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS

SELIVANT was butchered by WAILIN' WAYNE in a 1 minute Dark Arena fight.
MAN OVERBOARD 2 was viciously butchered by STONE GOLEM in a 3 minute Dark Arena duel.
MAN OVERBOARD was murdered by ARENAMASTER LATHRON in a 1 minute Dark Arena fight.
LATER was butchered by CHARLES DE GAULLE in a 1 minute gory Dark Arena contest.
451 DEGREES overpowered SAVAGE SNOWBALL in a 1 minute mismatched Challenge match.
CHAMP CHUMP devastated SALIENT in a 1 minute one-sided Challenge duel.
HOT STUFF was devastated by CROW'S NEST GUY in a 1 minute mismatched Challenge match.
CONFLICT was overcome by AREOPOLITE in a 2 minute gruesome Challenge fight.
DEVLISH DAHLIA won victory over PRAECISUS in a 1 minute beginner's Challenge duel.
NOT SO HOT vanquished ZOUM LA BOUSE in a action packed 1 minute uneven Title fight.
TWO overpowered TORTURING TULIP in a action packed 1 minute one-sided fight.
JOLLY ROGER was overpowered by GLOATING GARDENIA in a 1 minute one-sided fight.
ANASTRIANNA was demolished by DESPAIR in a 1 minute mismatched competition.
ONYX viciously subdued CAUSTIC CROCUS in a exciting 1 minute bloody battle.
STABBY JOE was overpowered by TUSCAN FLAME in a 1 minute mismatched conflict.
THE SCRIBE defeated LIGHTER FLUID in a 3 minute novice's duel.
SIR BREUSE was bested by KITIARA in a exciting 1 minute beginner's duel.

                                    BATTLE REPORT

             MOST POPULAR                        RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS     
|FIGHTING STYLE               FIGHTS        FIGHTING STYLE     W -   L -  K   PERCENT|
|LUNGING ATTACK                   7         TOTAL PARRY       32 -  20 -  0      62  |
|STRIKING ATTACK                  5         SLASHING ATTACK   22 -  14 -  3      61  |
|AIMED BLOW                       5         STRIKING ATTACK   34 -  27 -  3      56  |
|BASHING ATTACK                   4         WALL OF STEEL     27 -  24 -  1      53  |
|WALL OF STEEL                    3         PARRY-LUNGE        2 -   2 -  0      50  |
|TOTAL PARRY                      3         LUNGING ATTACK    37 -  38 -  3      49  |
|SLASHING ATTACK                  2         AIMED BLOW        19 -  21 -  1      48  |
|PARRY-RIPOSTE                    1         PARRY-STRIKE       4 -   5 -  0      44  |
|PARRY-LUNGE                      0         PARRY-RIPOSTE      6 -  10 -  1      38  |
|PARRY-STRIKE                     0         BASHING ATTACK    12 -  30 -  3      29  |

Turn 266 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-RIPOSTE      1 -  0     AIMED BLOW         2 -  3         4  STRIKING ATTACK
STRIKING ATTACK    4 -  1     TOTAL PARRY        1 -  2         3  LUNGING ATTACK 
WALL OF STEEL      2 -  1     LUNGING ATTACK     2 -  5         2  TOTAL PARRY    
                              BASHING ATTACK     1 -  3         1  SLASHING ATTACK
                              PARRY-LUNGE        0 -  0         1  AIMED BLOW     
                              PARRY-STRIKE       0 -  0     
                              SLASHING ATTACK    0 -  2     

                               TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE

FIGHTING STYLE   WARRIOR                     W   L  K PNTS TEAM NAME                  
STRIKING ATTACK  NOT SO HOT 2076            15  13  1  132 PYROMANIA (184)
LUNGING ATTACK   GLOATING GARDENIA 4083      8   4  0   96 FLOWER GIRLS (189)
TOTAL PARRY      ZOUM LA BOUSE 4037         11   4  0   76 BLOOD AND GUTS! (365)
AIMED BLOW       ONYX 2283                   6   4  0   42 DRAGONS GUARD II (253)
Note: Warriors have a winning record and are an Adept or Above.

The overall popularity leader is TORTURING TULIP 3974.  The most popular warrior this 
turn was MAN OVERBOARD 2 4169.  The ten other most popular fighters were NOT SO HOT 
2076, CONFLICT 2375, AREOPOLITE 4138, ONYX 2283, CROW'S NEST GUY 4095, TWO 4039, 
DESPAIR 2282, TUSCAN FLAME 4153, KITIARA 4164, and CHAMP CHUMP 4147.

The least popular fighter this week was LIGHTER FLUID 4170.  The other ten least 
popular fighters were STABBY JOE 4142, ANASTRIANNA 4023, JOLLY ROGER 4092, PRAECISUS 
4137, HOT STUFF 4136, SALIENT 4149, LATER 4163, MAN OVERBOARD 4168, SELIVANT 4146, 
and SIR BREUSE 4145.