DUEL 2 NEWSLETTER

Date   : 02/12/2020    Duedate: 02/25/2020

DAL SHANG ARENA

DM-65    TURN-720

This Weeks Top Honors

THE DUELMASTER IS

SIOUX
POSSE (718)
(65-7544) [8-4-0,111]

Chartered Recognition Leader   Unchartered Recognition Leader

SIOUX                          CANNELTON
POSSE (718)                    PLACES (767)
(65-7544) [8-4-0,111]          (65-7523) [4-0-0,73]

Popularity Leader              This Weeks Favorite

DON LO                         DON LO
SAND DANCERS (233)             SAND DANCERS (233)
(65-7716) [18-8-0,96]          (65-7716) [18-8-0,96]

THE CURRENT TOP TEAM

SAND DANCERS (233)

          TEAMS ON THE MOVE            TOP CAREER HONORS
Team Name                  Point Gain  Chartered Team
1. POSSE (718)                 38
2. PLACES (767)                14      THAT SMELL (760)
3. PAPER TIGERS S19.1 (782)    12      Unchartered Team
4. THE MENTORS 17081 (778)     11
5. VIRGO (780)                  8      VIRGO (780)

The Top Teams

Career Win-Loss Record           W   L  K    %  Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns    W  L K
 1/ 1*VIRGO (780)                2   0  0  100   1/ 1 SAND DANCERS (233)        8  7 0
 2/ 2 THAT SMELL (760)         141  77  6 64.7   2/ 4*PLACES (767)              3  3 0
 3/ 3 THE MENTORS 17081 (778)    8   5  1 61.5   3/ 2 THAT SMELL (760)          3  4 1
 4/ 4 SAND DANCERS (233)       %1633 %1727 51 48.6   4/ 0 POSSE (718)               2  3 0
 5/ 5*PLACES (767)              10  11  1 47.6   5/ 3*VIRGO (780)               1  0 0
 6/ 0 POSSE (718)              287 323 20 47.0   6/ 5 THE MENTORS 17081 (778)   1  1 0
 7/ 0*PAPER TIGERS S19.1 (782)   4   5  0 44.4   7/ 0*PAPER TIGERS S19.1 (782)  1  1 0
 8/ 0*CAR STARS (783)            0   1  0  0.0   8/ 0*CAR STARS (783)           0  1 0

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

                                    TEAM SPOTLIGHT

                                    Dark Stoicism

The giant sword cut a furrow into the dirt. The night's light reflected from a few 
patches on its slowly rusting blade, which rose out through an upturned mouth. The 
ricasso head stretched past a crossguard of outstretched hands. The stylized fighter 
handle stood on a pommel skull. Two beefy hands grasped the figure's body. The sword 
was massive, like the warrior holding it, called Stoic. The sword was sleek and 
battle-worn, the warrior was bloated and uncertain. Towering though he was, even under 
plates of armor, fat rolls peeked out. One might wonder if the cook decided to go to 
war while the soldiers stayed in the kitchen.

Stoic looked back. His manager, memory, had been there just a moment ago, but the tree 
line had misted over, obscuring the entrance. He shrugged under the weight of the 
armor and looked through his helmet. The moonlight was bright on a clearing in the 
forest. All was deadly quiet, night mist roiling. His sollrets clunking through patchy 
grass occasionally broke the silence. It would be serene, but he could feel eyes 
everywhere and the promise of death. This was not a quiet forest and certainly not the 
boisterous and sandy arena he normally fought in. This was the Dark Arena, final 
resting spot of the failed gladiator. 

                                        * * *

"I can do better. I can! Please!" Stoic pleaded but memory was unmoved. "My decision 
is final. You don't have the desire to live a life of war. You have not grown into the 
gladiator name I gave you." Stoic was on his knees, begging, searching memory's 
unseeing eyes for hope. Memory's mouth tightened as he let out an almost imperceptible 
sigh. He pulled the hood of his tight black cloak over his head, turned, and drifted 
away. 

"Wyvern, please. Surely you can save me?" The trainer put a hand on his shoulder. With 
Stoic on his knees, he and the diminutive trainer were eye to eye. An immortal warrior 
with many years and many deaths behind her, she did not harbor his fear of the 
unknown. "Today's fight is over. Tomorrow we will train for the next." She locked eyes 
with him, passing on some of her inner resolve. "Come," she bade, as she led him from 
the infirmary back to their training hall.

                                        * * * 

A biting pain seared through an exposed flap of skin on his stomach. His mind had 
wandered away from the fight. His opponent, a Dark Arena champion, had entered 
silently. An elf stood before him, two feet shorter, but standing tall and towering 
above Stoic by confidence and bearing if not physical height. He might have been a 
glimmering angel, moonbeams dancing on exquisite silver mail. The elf brought his 
needle-thin sword up, hilt to face, blade skyward, in honorable warrior salute. He was 
sure he had won, and everyone knew it. He had time to honor the walking dead. 

                                        * * * 

Old Wyvern snaked a short spear under his guard, stopping just short of cutting. She 
always used her deadly spear, even in training, such was her skill and control. He had 
a greatsword, blunted for training, but massive. "I can barely move it. How can I 
train or fight if it's too heavy?" He felt a familiar and painful whack from the blunt 
end of Wyvern's spear. "Don't blame the sword. Desire victory and the sword will 
move." She struck again and he moved to the side, not moving the sword so much as 
standing it in the path of the attack. The parry was unorthodox but successful. 
"That'll do. Now strike!"

                                        * * * 

Stoic tried to recall his training as the fight continued. It wasn't working. He was 
bleeding profusely. He fell back on his reserves of strength and willpower. Slash, 
cut, smash... the elf was striking every weak spot in his armor, inflicting damage at 
will. Circle, stab, circle, slash, circle, cut. Stoic had been on the ground twice 
before struggling to his feet, stumbling and throwing up defenses with little success. 
He felt frustrated and clumsy but kept defending. Maybe the attacks were coming more 
slowly...

                                        * * * 

The arena crowd was restless, only moderately attentive to the morning's rookie 
warriors. The sand worked its way between his toes. He was just a boy. His parents did 
not love their son so much as an arena bounty. Stoic was scared and slow and the man 
in front of him wished him harm. And harm he did. Stoic cowered behind his shield, 
without even a weapon. "It's better this way. Rely on your hands. I want to see what 
you can do," memory had said. Stoic was bruised and bleeding. His opponent was more 
tired than injured, exhausted, really. Under a slowly diminishing rain of blows, Stoic 
heard calls from his teammates. "Now strike!" They were yelling frantically. He peered 
over his shield to see his opponent, sweating, breathing heavily, grip loosening on 
his sword. The attacking gladiator overextended above his head, ready to deliver 
another hacking, unopposed blow. Stoic roared upward to his full height, at the same 
time sending his shield through the surprised gladiator's face. Blood spattered, he 
flipped once and landed face down with a thud, sword flying end over end to land ten 
feet away. The crowd gasped for a moment then roared. His team roared. He looked to 
see memory, gazing forward blindly as always, but clearly smiling at him.

                                        * * * 

Back in the night mist, he was tired and hurt. After a long fight, minutes under this 
barrage. It must happen soon. Stoic knew he would die. But he wasn't dead yet. He saw 
the elf circling, waiting for another attack. He saw the moonlight and the trees. He 
felt the watching eyes. He felt memory and old Wyvern and his team. He knew they could 
see. He felt his opponents and all the gladiators in him for this moment. He felt his 
parents, who only saw in him a mouth to feed. He saw the high elf, still glistening, 
now with sweat -- still looking down on Stoic -- looking down not with haughty 
indignation as before, but the desperation of a man trying to chop down a stone tower 
and just realizing his error. Stoic saw not confidence but desperation. For the first 
time, resignation gave way to fury. "Strike Now," he heard in his mind.

The elf leapt forward, blade flashing. Stoic spun to his right, pulling the massive 
blade in his wake. The elf and his blade shot through the spot Stoic had been, then 
turned back in disbelief at the unexpected life in his easy quarry. "Strike Now," 
Stoic thought, as he continued his spin, continued his fury, pulling the blade full 
circle, letting out a roar that called all the judging eyes to witness.

The blade felt warm in his hand. He struggled to catch his breath. The arc of the 
blade had pulled him another half circle away from his opponent. He looked back at the 
elf, ready for the next attack. The elf's body stood, head lying on its shoulder, neck 
detached entirely where the blade had hewn through. The head's eyes were still open, 
judging differently now, askew. Immortal these Dark Arena champions were, and 
immortality makes death an odd thing. Stoic fell to his knees, sobbing. The fight was 
over. And it might never end. 

                                          -- memory

                                      SPY REPORT

     Greetings, warriors of DAL SHANG!  Once again I've been called out of retirement 
for my abilities and insights into Spyreporting.  What's with DON LO?  He actually 
beat DAL SHANG's MALDI STONEBREAKER, and walked away with 15 more points from the 
fight.  Major screwup at SAND DANCERS.  PEARL JOSEPHINA lost 8 points to PRIME.  Some 
new strategies, perhaps?  Maybe PEARL JOSEPHINA will provide more easy wins...  I'm 
sure DAL SHANG is excited about SIOUX, the new Duelmaster from POSSE.  (remember?)  
But when you've seen as many as I have...  Advice to fighters with a 1 will--give up 
fighting!   
     If at first you don't succeed, avoid.  That'll get you in the Spyreports.  How 
well I know the feeling of being in the most avoided team!  Don't fall out of 
practive, SAND DANCERS!  The bums at PLACES couldn't face the challenges from SAND 
DANCERS!  No excuse for that!  How well I know the feeling of being the most 
challenged warrior, PEARL JOSEPHINA!  Don't make idle boasts, they may come back to 
haunt you.   
     Warriors of DAL SHANG unite.  You have only your games to lose!  Many a warrior 
has met his fate in a hungover stupor.  You young rapscallions, take note!   
     Many other cities have retirement homes for aged warriors.  Any plans here?  DAL 
SHANG is a nice place to live, but I don't like to live in nice places.  Time for my 
medication, so I'll leave now.  Practice, practice, practice!-- Olaf Modeen  

DUELMASTER                     W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 SIOUX 7544                    8   4  0   111       POSSE (718)

CHALLENGER CHAMPIONS           W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 PRIME 7660                    8   4  1    99       THE MENTORS 17081 (778)
 DON LO 7716                  18   8  0    96       SAND DANCERS (233)

CHAMPIONS                      W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 MO STANK 7692                12   6  0    87       THAT SMELL (760)
 PEARL JOSEPHINA 7714         14  13  0    77       SAND DANCERS (233)
 CANNELTON 7523                4   0  0    73       PLACES (767)

ADEPTS                         W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 KHORGA KHAN 7737              4   2  0    51       PAPER TIGERS S19.1 (782)
 MIGHTY MITE 7720             12  13  1    50       SAND DANCERS (233)
 LARRIS TAN 7740               8   4  0    39       SAND DANCERS (233)
-TELL CITY 7524                3   1  0    35       PLACES (767)

INITIATES                      W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 YOUNG GUN 7535                2   0  0    20       POSSE (718)
 TAU VIRGINIS 7723             2   0  0    18       VIRGO (780)
 RANCH ROAST 7746              1   0  1    11       THAT SMELL (760)
 FARGO BORUM 7751              2   1  0     7       SAND DANCERS (233)
 FROSTOP 7758                  1   0  0     6       PLACES (767)
 FENNHAVEN LAKE 7541           0   3  0     3       PLACES (767)
 HARRISON FORD 7755            0   1  0     3       CAR STARS (783)
-OLBERDING CAFE 7748           0   1  0     1       PLACES (767)

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

THE DEAD                W  L K TEAM NAME            SLAIN BY              TURN Revenge?
FERRET INFERNO 7743     0  1 0 PAPER TIGERS S19 782 RANCH ROAST 7746      720   
AIMER 7761              0  1 0 POSSE 718            SERPENT SLAYER        720  NONE
BASHER 7760             0  1 0 POSSE 718            SERPENT SLAYER        720  NONE
BASHER 2 7759           0  1 0 POSSE 718            DELHARAN THE SIL      720  NONE
RANCID 7703             0  1 0 THAT SMELL 760       BLUESTONE             720  NONE

                                     PERSONAL ADS

Mo Stank, write the DM Column before the bath. It will be more potent. -- Wanderer, 
Mgr. of Places

Fargo, perhaps sometime I shall post a story of what went down near Fennhaven Lake. 
Perhaps. -- Wanderer

Mighty Mite, perhaps no so mighty? -- Cannelton

Fargo Borum, stop in for a burger some time. Leave the weapons home. Let me recover a 
little first, though. -- Olberding CafC)

Health. Humility. Honor. (an a little wandering.) -- Wanderer

A good way  to start our turn.  A win over a standby. -- Don Lo

Even the Kunfusian lost gracefully. -- Pearl Josephina
P.S.  But the sun is shining, which means a good day.

Cannelton -- Pride goes before a fall. -- Mighty Mite

At least the standbys know their job.  Lose and teach skills. -- Larris Tan

Olberding Cafe -- But I wanted a Sloppy Joe, and it isn't on your menu. -- Fargo Borum

                                  LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS

RANCID was butchered by BLUESTONE in a 2 minute Dark Arena fight.
BASHER was butchered by SERPENT SLAYER in a 1 minute Dark Arena duel.
AIMER was murdered by SERPENT SLAYER in a exciting 1 minute gory Dark Arena melee.
BASHER 2 was slaughtered by DELHARAN THE SILENT in a 1 minute Dark Arena brawl.
MO STANK was devastated by SIOUX in a exciting 1 minute one-sided Title fight.
PEARL JOSEPHINA was devastated by PRIME in a popular 1 minute uneven brawl.
DON LO devastated MALDI STONEBREAKER in a crowd pleasing 2 minute mismatched match.
CANNELTON handily defeated LARRIS TAN in a 1 minute uneven melee.
KHORGA KHAN won victory over MIGHTY MITE in a popular 1 minute duel.
YOUNG GUN viciously subdued FARGO BORUM in a popular 1 minute gory duel.
TAU VIRGINIS overpowered FENNHAVEN LAKE in a 1 minute one-sided melee.
HARRISON FORD was defeated by FROSTOP in a crowd pleasing 1 minute novice's match.
RANCH ROAST easily killed FERRET INFERNO in a 1 minute one-sided contest.

                                    BATTLE REPORT

             MOST POPULAR                        RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS     
|FIGHTING STYLE               FIGHTS        FIGHTING STYLE     W -   L -  K   PERCENT|
|AIMED BLOW                       6         LUNGING ATTACK     6 -   1 -  1      86  |
|BASHING ATTACK                   4         AIMED BLOW        17 -   7 -  1      71  |
|STRIKING ATTACK                  3         PARRY-RIPOSTE     13 -   7 -  0      65  |
|PARRY-STRIKE                     2         PARRY-STRIKE      10 -   6 -  0      63  |
|LUNGING ATTACK                   2         WALL OF STEEL      2 -   2 -  0      50  |
|PARRY-RIPOSTE                    2         STRIKING ATTACK    4 -   5 -  1      44  |
|WALL OF STEEL                    2         BASHING ATTACK     8 -  13 -  0      38  |
|PARRY-LUNGE                      0         TOTAL PARRY        1 -   8 -  0      11  |
|SLASHING ATTACK                  0         PARRY-LUNGE        0 -   1 -  0       0  |
|TOTAL PARRY                      0         SLASHING ATTACK    0 -   0 -  0       0  |

Turn 720 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-STRIKE       2 -  0     PARRY-LUNGE        0 -  0         4  AIMED BLOW     
LUNGING ATTACK     2 -  0     PARRY-RIPOSTE      0 -  2         2  PARRY-STRIKE   
STRIKING ATTACK    2 -  1     SLASHING ATTACK    0 -  0         2  PARRY-RIPOSTE  
AIMED BLOW         3 -  3     BASHING ATTACK     0 -  4         1  STRIKING ATTACK
                              TOTAL PARRY        0 -  0         1  BASHING ATTACK 
                              WALL OF STEEL      0 -  2         1  LUNGING ATTACK 

                               TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE

FIGHTING STYLE   WARRIOR                     W   L  K PNTS TEAM NAME                  
STRIKING ATTACK  SIOUX 7544                  8   4  0  111 POSSE (718)
AIMED BLOW       PRIME 7660                  8   4  1   99 THE MENTORS 17081 (778)
PARRY-STRIKE     DON LO 7716                18   8  0   96 SAND DANCERS (233)
PARRY-RIPOSTE    PEARL JOSEPHINA 7714       14  13  0   77 SAND DANCERS (233)

FIGHTING STYLE   WARRIOR                     W   L  K PNTS TEAM NAME                  
Note: Warriors have a winning record and are an Adept or Above.

The overall popularity leader is DON LO 7716.  The most popular warrior this turn was 
DON LO 7716.  The ten other most popular fighters were SIOUX 7544, YOUNG GUN 7535, 
PRIME 7660, KHORGA KHAN 7737, FROSTOP 7758, CANNELTON 7523, TAU VIRGINIS 7723, RANCH 
ROAST 7746, AIMER 7761, and MO STANK 7692.

The least popular fighter this week was RANCID 7703.  The other ten least popular 
fighters were FERRET INFERNO 7743, FENNHAVEN LAKE 7541, LARRIS TAN 7740, BASHER 2 
7759, BASHER 7760, HARRISON FORD 7755, FARGO BORUM 7751, MIGHTY MITE 7720, PEARL 
JOSEPHINA 7714, and MO STANK 7692.