DUEL 2 NEWSLETTER Date : 04/08/2008 Duedate: 04/21/2008 AMEN-TEI ARENA DM-63 TURN-426 This Weeks Top Honors THE DUELMASTER IS ATRION THE EXILED ONES (31) (63-2733) [8-2-1,86] Chartered Recognition Leader Unchartered Recognition Leader ATRION GALATIANS HAMMER THE EXILED ONES (31) BIBLICAL HAMMERZ (321) (63-2733) [8-2-1,86] (63-2743) [4-2-0,26] Popularity Leader This Weeks Favorite CELEDON CELEDON THE EXILED ONES (31) THE EXILED ONES (31) (63-2735) [7-3-0,65] (63-2735) [7-3-0,65] THE CURRENT TOP TEAM THE EXILED ONES (31) TEAMS ON THE MOVE TOP CAREER HONORS Team Name Point Gain Chartered Team 1. WAYFARERS (248) 44 2. BIBLICAL HAMMERZ (321) 25 THE EXILED ONES (31) 3. THE EXILED ONES (31) 9 Unchartered Team 4. THE BIG GUYS (319) 0 5. OXYMORONS (322) 0 BIBLICAL HAMMERZ (321) The Top Teams Career Win-Loss Record W L K % Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns W L K 1/ 2*BIBLICAL HAMMERZ (321) 19 11 0 63.3 1/ 1 THE EXILED ONES (31) 10 5 2 2- 3*THE BIG GUYS (319) 4 3 1 57.1 2/ 2*BIBLICAL HAMMERZ (321) 10 5 0 3/ 4 THE EXILED ONES (31) 406 326 17 55.5 3/ 4 WAYFARERS (248) 7 8 0 4/ 6 WAYFARERS (248) 617 655 14 48.5 4- 3*THE BIG GUYS (319) 2 0 0 5- 7*OXYMORONS (322) 3 17 0 15.0 5- 6*OXYMORONS (322) 1 9 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.) SPY REPORT Hail AMEN-TEI! Warriors of the arena, prepare to be praised and blamed for your deeds. And let's see, ZECHARIAH HAMMER fought TRUSTWORTHY SCRIBE and gained 18 points and contributed to BIBLICAL HAMMERZ's 3-2-0. JESPIX has lost to RUTHLESS JAYWALKER, falling 9 points, while helping make THE EXILED ONES a 1-4-0 turn. The attempts to dethrone the Duelmaster have failed, and ATRION remains AMEN-TEI's top warrior for another turn. Tell me, is nothing sacred? I have heard from unimpeachable sources that The Dripping Blade uses trolls in their stew. Talk about gristle! Oriental wise man once say, 'Hiding behind shields prevents proper sun tanning.' Inscrutable, but true. The Dark Arena is for those who cannot win, not who cannot lose with grace. Dignity in life or death is the warrior's creed. Is it really true that AMEN-TEI has more dishwashers per capita that fighters? Just thought I'd ask... Thought for the day, a new sword shines bright, but the notched sword sings the sweetest. Well, I'm burning daylight here in AMEN-TEI and I've a long road ahead of me. Happy Trails. Until you see my quill in AMEN-TEI again, farewell-- Alarond the Scribe DUELMASTER W L K POINTS TEAM NAME ATRION 2733 8 2 1 86 THE EXILED ONES (31) CHALLENGER ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME CELEDON 2735 7 3 0 65 THE EXILED ONES (31) M.T. LANE 2720 13 14 0 60 WAYFARERS (248) MARIA 2736 6 4 2 58 THE EXILED ONES (31) ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME ZANTHOR 2732 7 3 0 47 THE EXILED ONES (31) HYRAM CARTER 2728 8 8 0 38 WAYFARERS (248) JESPIX 2747 7 2 1 38 THE EXILED ONES (31) CHALLENGER INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME CRUZIA GARDETT 2748 5 3 0 33 WAYFARERS (248) GALATIANS HAMMER 2743 4 2 0 26 BIBLICAL HAMMERZ (321) ZECHARIAH HAMMER 2742 2 4 0 25 BIBLICAL HAMMERZ (321) -MAC KINLEY 2718 1 1 0 24 THE BIG GUYS (319) INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME -FIFTY FOOTER 2719 2 0 1 21 THE BIG GUYS (319) EPHESIANS HAMMER 2744 5 1 0 17 BIBLICAL HAMMERZ (321) -SURE BET 2753 1 3 0 16 OXYMORONS (322) LEVITICUS HAMMER 2741 4 2 0 15 BIBLICAL HAMMERZ (321) ZEPHANIA HAMMER 2740 4 2 0 14 BIBLICAL HAMMERZ (321) VALNAKORINE 2761 1 0 0 13 WAYFARERS (248) YALO TACTSIE 2750 1 6 0 9 WAYFARERS (248) -REDWOOD 2715 1 0 0 9 THE BIG GUYS (319) -REGGIE 2717 0 1 0 7 THE BIG GUYS (319) -QUIET STORM 2752 0 4 0 4 OXYMORONS (322) '-' denotes a warrior who did not fight this turn. THE DEAD W L K TEAM NAME SLAIN BY TURN Revenge? PERSONAL ADS Well, that's the pits. I was the DUELMASTER, I was on the brink of graduation, and the Virginal Concubine killed me. -- Ghost of Valnakaur P.S. She was probably actually a venomous concubine who concealed her poisonous capacities. Atrion -- Huh, I guess that counts as "well fought," at least for you. Oh, well, I wasn't going to get a winning record here anyway. -- M.T. Lane P.S. But watch out for the return of that stinker, Elephant Dung. Maria -- I was going to ask why anyone would exile a cute little thing like you, and then I saw your beard, and you hit me several times, and you just generally destroyed my sympathy. Some days life is like that. -- Hyram Carter Zanthor -- You're a pig, is what *I* think. -- Cruzia Gardett Sure Bet -- Ah, right up there with "friendly hand of poker," am I right? Ouch. -- Yalo Tactsie LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS ATRION devastated KHALHUMS DWARF in a 1 minute mismatched Title fight. CELEDON lost to VETERAN MERCENARY in a action packed 3 minute brutal battle. MARIA was defeated by VETERAN MERCENARY in a 2 minute duel. M.T. LANE unbelievably bested ZANTHOR in a 4 minute gory contest. JESPIX was overpowered by RUTHLESS JAYWALKER in a 1 minute mismatched match. HYRAM CARTER bested EPHESIANS HAMMER in a popular 3 minute duel. CRUZIA GARDETT devastated ZEPHANIA HAMMER in a 1 minute mismatched match. GALATIANS HAMMER overpowered FRIENDLY CONSTABLE in a 1 minute uneven melee. LEVITICUS HAMMER won victory over YALO TACTSIE in a 3 minute duel. ZECHARIAH HAMMER overpowered TRUSTWORTHY SCRIBE in a 1 minute uneven duel. VALNAKORINE overpowered SHIFTYEYED VOLUNTEER in a 1 minute one-sided fight. BATTLE REPORT MOST POPULAR RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS |FIGHTING STYLE FIGHTS FIGHTING STYLE W - L - K PERCENT| |PARRY-LUNGE 3 PARRY-RIPOSTE 12 - 1 - 0 92 | |AIMED BLOW 2 WALL OF STEEL 13 - 7 - 1 65 | |TOTAL PARRY 2 AIMED BLOW 14 - 9 - 1 61 | |LUNGING ATTACK 2 TOTAL PARRY 10 - 7 - 0 59 | |SLASHING ATTACK 2 SLASHING ATTACK 14 - 10 - 3 58 | |WALL OF STEEL 2 STRIKING ATTACK 8 - 8 - 0 50 | |PARRY-RIPOSTE 1 LUNGING ATTACK 19 - 22 - 3 46 | |STRIKING ATTACK 1 PARRY-LUNGE 13 - 21 - 0 38 | |PARRY-STRIKE 0 PARRY-STRIKE 0 - 1 - 0 0 | |BASHING ATTACK 0 BASHING ATTACK 0 - 0 - 0 0 | Turn 426 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 2 - 0 PARRY-STRIKE 0 - 0 2 AIMED BLOW TOTAL PARRY 2 - 0 PARRY-RIPOSTE 0 - 1 2 LUNGING ATTACK PARRY-LUNGE 2 - 1 STRIKING ATTACK 0 - 1 2 PARRY-LUNGE LUNGING ATTACK 1 - 1 BASHING ATTACK 0 - 0 2 SLASHING ATTACK SLASHING ATTACK 1 - 1 WALL OF STEEL 0 - 2 1 STRIKING ATTACK 1 TOTAL PARRY 1 WALL OF STEEL TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE FIGHTING STYLE WARRIOR W L K PNTS TEAM NAME AIMED BLOW ATRION 2733 8 2 1 86 THE EXILED ONES (31) STRIKING ATTACK CELEDON 2735 7 3 0 65 THE EXILED ONES (31) LUNGING ATTACK MARIA 2736 6 4 2 58 THE EXILED ONES (31) WALL OF STEEL ZANTHOR 2732 7 3 0 47 THE EXILED ONES (31) SLASHING ATTACK JESPIX 2747 7 2 1 38 THE EXILED ONES (31) Note: Warriors have a winning record and are an Adept or Above. The overall popularity leader is CELEDON 2735. The most popular warrior this turn was CELEDON 2735. The ten other most popular fighters were HYRAM CARTER 2728, CRUZIA GARDETT 2748, ATRION 2733, GALATIANS HAMMER 2743, ZECHARIAH HAMMER 2742, MARIA 2736, YALO TACTSIE 2750, VALNAKORINE 2761, ZANTHOR 2732, and JESPIX 2747. The least popular fighter this week was M.T. LANE 2720. The other ten least popular fighters were LEVITICUS HAMMER 2741, ZEPHANIA HAMMER 2740, EPHESIANS HAMMER 2744, JESPIX 2747, ZANTHOR 2732, VALNAKORINE 2761, YALO TACTSIE 2750, MARIA 2736, ZECHARIAH HAMMER 2742, and GALATIANS HAMMER 2743.