DUELMASTERS NEWSLETTER

Date   : 02/19/2004    Duedate: 03/17/2004

KYR'TERR ARENA

DM-71    TURN-143

This Weeks Top Honors

THE DUELMASTER IS

TOMB
SHADOW GOLD (402)
(71-4704) [14-1-0,121]

Chartered Recognition Leader   Unchartered Recognition Leader

TOMB                           CHESS
SHADOW GOLD (402)              SHADOW GAMES (536)
(71-4704) [14-1-0,121]         (71-4968) [3-2-0,32]

Popularity Leader              This Weeks Favorite

LOKI                           LOKI
ARCTIC GUARDS (403)            ARCTIC GUARDS (403)
(71-3798) [13-12-1,101]        (71-3798) [13-12-1,101]

THE CURRENT TOP TEAM

SHADOW SONGS (535)

          TEAMS ON THE MOVE            TOP CAREER HONORS
Team Name                  Point Gain  Chartered Team
1. SHADOW SONGS (535)          36
2. CASTLE BLACK (430)          32      SHADOW GOLD (402)
3. SHADOW GAMES (536)          10      Unchartered Team
4. SHADOW GOLD (402)            9
5. DEATH LEGION (372)           7      SHADOW SONGS (535)

The Top Teams

Career Win-Loss Record           W   L  K    %  Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns    W  L K
 1- 1*SUPERIOR FORCES 22 (433)   6   3  1 66.7   1/ 4*SHADOW SONGS (535)        8  1 0
 2/ 3 SHADOW GOLD (402)        129  69  3 65.2   2/ 1 SHADOW GOLD (402)         7  3 0
 3/ 7*SHADOW SONGS (535)        13   7  2 65.0   3/ 2 CASTLE BLACK (430)        5  3 0
 4/ 6 CASTLE BLACK (430)        96  70  3 57.8   4/ 7 SHADOW TALES (452)        3  0 0
 5- 8 SHADOW MOD (401)          37  29  4 56.1   5- 3 THE MACHINE (623)         3  2 0
 6/ 9 I'M HISTORY II (558)      44  36  4 55.0   6/15*SHADOW GAMES (536)        2  0 0
 7/12*SHADOW GAMES (536)         6   6  0 50.0   7/ 5 ARCTIC GUARDS (403)       2  4 0
 8/11 ARCTIC GUARDS (403)       32  37  2 46.4   8- 6*SUPERIOR FORCES 22 (433)  1  0 0
 9/14 SHADOW TALES (452)         8  10  0 44.4   9/13 I'M HISTORY II (558)      1  1 0
10/ 0 DEATH LEGION (372)        22  28  2 44.0  10/ 0 DEATH LEGION (372)        1  2 0
11-15*CHIEFS' ELITE (624)        2   3  0 40.0  11-16*CHIEFS' ELITE (624)       1  2 0
12/ 0 SCREEN DREAMS (628)       57  86  5 39.9  12/ 0 SCREEN DREAMS (628)       1  5 0
13-16 THE MACHINE (623)         20  34  1 37.0  13-17 SHADOW MOD (401)          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

           + ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ Andorians Abroad #23 ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ +
                                         or
            + ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ Out of the Past #1 ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ +

Off the coast of Andoria:

     Towers rising out of the misty dawn.  They had sailed due east from Skaithvarn,
so that had to be the coast of Andoria, but Raoul couldn't remember any coastal city
with such slender, pearl-colored spires.  Those looked more like the skyline of a
dream than practical stonework.  They caught the growing light and glowed.  They were
beautiful, but unearthly.  Unreal.  Not residences for practical folk.  Raoul thought
it a fitting destination for the boat Khaldren had made with his magic, though.  The
boat was, in its way, as dreamlike as the city ahead;  The hull was mother of pearl,
the sails were webs of cloud.  Magic, of course.  Powerful magic.  Raoul wondered
uneasily what Khaldren had done to assemble that power.
     The exiled Kraelian had already demonstrated that he was ruthless in pursuit of
his goals.  Raoul shifted slightly, uneasily aware of the waves of magic that seethed
throughout the uncanny vessel.  Khaldren had not hesitated to cast a spell on the
three gladiators when they entered his tower in Skaithvarn.  A binding of loyalty and
obedience, the Lord Protector guessed.  He had not resisted at the time.  In truth,
he had been taken completely by surprise.  But he sensed that the spell had not
gripped him so thoroughly as the wizard intended.  He was fairly sure he could break
it, and very sure that he wanted to be further away from Khaldren when he did that--
THIS spell, he could break, but what if the wizard immediately countered with
something stronger?  And the fate of the two women with him was unknown; they might
be as lightly held as he was, or belong to Khaldren body and soul.
     "That is Zorpunt," Jeri Northwind said.  Her voice was calm, emotionless.  Very
certain.
     Zorpunt?  Raoul blinked and controlled his impulse to question that statement.
True, there were towers in the coastal city, but nothing like those slender spires of
glass!  Without turning his head, Raoul looked sideways at the wizard.
     Khaldren's face was set in lines of effort, sheened with sweat.  Using his magic
to turn the work-a-day port city into this dream?  Wasteful of energy...unless he had
some inexhaustible source at hand.  And why?  "Krael shall be reborn," he muttered
through clenched teeth, "and Celestinvael, and Orgillat in the south.  But this shall
be my seat of power in the new world that will be...."
     The ship of pearl glided to a stop beside a dock that had been transformed
into...agate, Raoul decided.  Or something like that.  It was the kind of thing the 
Chaos contamination might have done in the recent past.  Maybe that was part of
Khaldren's power, that he could harness the residual Chaos energy?  Not a comfortable
thought, although the gladiator supposed it was better than using lives to fuel
magic.  So long as it didn't get loose.
     There was no one on the dock, no one moving anywhere in sight.  Khaldren stepped
ashore as an emperor might step ashore in conquered province.  The gladiators
followed, and the ship dissolved into mist behind them.
     The Assassins' Guild's Black Book appeared in the wizard's hands, and he smiled
at it coldly.  "I note that 'Arenamaster Kai' has a secret he would not like
advertised," Khaldren murmured.  "For a price, I will keep his secret between these
covers.  Bring him to me."  He didn't look at the gladiators at any point while he
spoke.
     Raoul felt the magic sliding around him, urging him forward, and he was willing
to go.  Once out of the wizard's sight, he would test the binding, but not here.  He
and the two women walked quietly into the city.  Jeri, a native of Zorpunt, was
slightly ahead of the older gladiators.
     The streets were filled with mist even though the sun must now be up.  The
buildings, even the street underfoot, showed the effects of transforming magic.  They
were ethereal, idealized.  Unreal.  Nothing and no one moved that Raoul could see.
     Jeri turned a corner.  Looking up the cross street, Raoul saw what he guessed
was the arena, although no arena of his experience had ever had those delicate arches
of gold-veined marble.
     Raoul stopped, setting his feet firmly when the magic tried to force him onward.
It scrabbled at his mind, feeling like a handful of energetic bugs.  But he wasn't a
puppet.  He would not BE a puppet, especially not for a man who should have been dead
centuries ago!  He served his manager Generalissimo Puerco, King Mickeal of Andoria,
and Sheila Greywand.  The oath he had taken when he first reached the Isle shimmered
in his mind.  Khaldren's magic shrieked against it, fingernails on a slate, then fell
away.  The wizard would--must--know that he'd broken free.  Raoul turned set off at a
run down the first street he saw.  A real street, this one, with cracked paving
stones, and rubbish piled against the curbs.
     Someone was running and panting beside him.  He risked a glance.  Hallie O'Dene,
the Delarquan Lady Protector.  But not Jeri.
     They ran for several minutes, but at the first sign of people ahead, living
people, they dropped to a walk without needing to discuss it.  Running people are
conspicuous.  Neither of them spoke of their problem, either.  Time enough for that
when they were out of the city.  Zorpunt was a narrow city, stretched along its
river; and they were crossing its axis.  There was a bridge ahead, which would put
them on the south bank and that much farther from the arena and the dock where they
had left Khaldren..  That much closer to the countryside.
                       ***     *****     ***     *****     ***
     Hallie O'Dene leaned back against one of the trees at the edge of the road.  She
was breathing hard.  "Do you think we're far enough away?"
     Raoul dropped onto the grass beside her and glanced back toward Zorpunt.  The
city's skyline, barely visible in the distance, shimmered slightly but otherwise
looked normal.  "I think so, doll," he answered.  "I hope so!"
     After a minute, Hallie sat up straighter.  "I wish we could have brought Jeri
away, too!  I didn't realize until it was too late that she wasn't with us."
     "I don't think we could've done it, doll," Raoul said quietly.  He took off his
hat and stared at the dusty crown for a moment, then put it back on.  "I think it's
Lady Greywand's magic that saved us--the oath we took when we got to the Isle.  Jeri
might be a Lady Protector, but she never went to the Isle.  She had no defense
against...his spell."  He found himself reluctant to speak the wizard's name here, as
though it might draw the man's attention.
     "People have to be warned--"
     "And there's only us to do it," Raoul agreed.  "I'm heading for Andor by the
fastest road."
     "And I for Delarq Tor.  We are menaced, too.  Celestinvael and Orgillat!  Gods 
protect us.  If they're anything like the histories say...."  She shook her head.
     "I've heard of Celestinvael," Raoul said slowly.  "It was between Ardivent and
the Federation, and it existed at about the same time as Krael.  But Orgillat?"
     "Near the mouth of the Selwin river," Hallie said.  "It was of the same time.
We remember it--when we must--as a place of power and fear.  If...that man would
recreate the Empire of Skorlos, he must be stopped!  By any means that we can."
     Raoul nodded.  "The legends of Krael are dark legends, too.  I should be able to
reach King Mickael with the warning.  Who would be equivalent in the Delarquan
Federation?"
     "No one has complete power," Hallie said, frowning.  "Princess Chrysanth, maybe,
but...."  She sighed and shrugged.  "It's a place to start."  She got to her feet and
held out her hand as Raoul rose also.  "Good luck."
     "To both of us, we'll need it," Raoul agreed, standing.  He grasped her hand
warmly for a moment.  "May all your gods go with you."
                       ***     *****     ***     *****     ***
     Arenamaster Kai of Zorpunt glared at the stranger, hands twitching with the urge
to reach for his sword.  But the damned wizard had already demonstrated that he could
get a spell off faster than even an arenamaster could attack.  At least, Kai supposed
it was a spell, even if it was like nothing he'd ever seen before.  And nothing he
ever wanted to experience again.  "What do you want?" he croaked.
     "Your obedience.  This 'arena'--it will now be run for me, instead of Sheila of
the Grey Wand.  The blood will be spilled in my name, not hers, the power from that
blood will come to me, not to her.  This will be the beginning of a new Alastari, and
I will rule it!"

            + ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ Out of the Past #2 ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ +

Zorpunt:

     If anyone was aware of a difference in the air of the city, or in the texture of 
life and death in the arena, they did not mention it.  Of course, with a stranger 
holding a wizard's staff and guarded by... some kind of monsters sitting in the 
arenamaster's box, who was going to mention things, even if they DID notice?
     And who, dying messily in the Dark Arena, would mention strange lights and 
unexplained whistling noises?  If Arenamaster Kai saw fit to lay down pentagrams and 
other designs of colored sand on the arena floor before each fight... well, he WAS 
the arenamaster.  No doubt he knew what he was doing.
     It was known that a few managers intended to protest that they had not ordered 
the actual, literal death of their warriors, but only formal dismissal from the 
gladiatorial system.  But when they came back from the arenamaster's office, they 
looked pale and shaken, and they had nothing to tell anyone about the situation.  And 
one or two of them didn't come back at all.
                      ***     *****     ***     *****     ***
     "There IS something going on," Penok muttered to Jessie June as they waited in 
the ready area for their fight to be called.  "Something bad.  I can feel it in my 
bones.  I don't care what the Rau says."  She jerked her head sideways slightly, 
indicating Tijiss Rau, the arena steward waiting in the archway just ahead of them.
     "You know Rau," Jessie June muttered back.  "'All for the best in the best of 
all possible worlds', that's Rau.  He wouldn't know 'something bad' if he ate it for 
dinner and got sick right after."  She eyed the crystals set into the wall of the 
arena.  About a third of them were black, the rest were blood red.  They reminded her 
of the eyes of spiders.  "If those are purely ornamental, I'll eat 'em."
     "Magic," Cane Toad said flatly, coming up behind the two women.  "Blood magic.  
You can smell it in the air.  At least, I can.  There's a lot of it down south where 
I come from, and I'd know that smell anywhere."
     "I thought all magic was screwed up because of the Chaos and the Arcanum and 
all!" Penok protested.
     The poisonous Toad shook his head firmly.  "Not blood magic.  You spill enough 
blood, nothing else matters."
     "And there's always a lot of blood spilled in the arena," Jessie June whispered, 
horrified at the possibilities.
     "And the arena's been bloodier since those crystals went up," Cane Toad said.  
"There's something bad going down here."

Valamantis:

     Hallie O'Dene went overland from Andoria to the Delarquan Federation.  It might 
have been faster to sail--if she could have found a ship going where she needed to 
go, or hired one.  But she found herself distrusting the Trier.  The mage Khaldren 
had come out of the Trier, after all.  He might have some power over it.  And he was 
bound to notice that she and Raoul hadn't come back from the errand he'd commanded.  
But these were all logical reasons that she had arrived at to explain her decision to 
herself.  In fact, she simply hadn't trusted the Trier at an instinctive level.  She 
made her way on foot along the coast to Gelafan, then hired horses as needed for a 
fast ride south.  Well... fast!  She might have laughed if she hadn't been so 
worried.  Six days to Valamantis.  What horrors might the mad wizard have 
accomplished in six days?
     Her plan was to take a riverboat up the Feyranse past Mordant to Sibikhas, and 
then go by horse again to Delarq Tor.
     But there were towers behind Valamantis, where no towers had been for hundreds 
of years.  They had none of the dream-like unreality of the vision towers that 
Khaldren had raised over Zorpunt, and that was alarming.  Valamantis was much older 
than Zorpunt.  There had once BEEN towers--it was called Old Valamantis now, and it 
was in ruins except for the arena where the Bloodgames were held.  On that thought, 
Hallie froze briefly, horrified by the realization that there had been Bloodgames 
recently, lakes of blood spilled on that ancient soil.  What might Khaldren have 
conjured out of that?  She didn't think she wanted to know.

Aruak City:

     The return of a wizard from drowned Krael was news that should reach Andor as 
quickly as possible.  It took Raoul two days to reach Aruak City from Zorpunt, longer 
than he would have liked, but faster than he had feared.  The Aruaki countryside had 
suffered badly during the civil war and from the Chaos contamination just before 
that.  People were getting it back into shape now, but there were no horses to be 
rented or bought.  Or stolen, come to that.  Walking was faster than riding a plow 
horse would've been, even if he could've gotten hold of one of the plowhorses.
     But he was damned glad to see the towers (most of the towers, some were nothing 
but stumps) of Aruak city ahead.  He compared their slightly battered appearance with 
the towers of Khaldren's Zorpunt and found this much better.  This was REAL.  Maybe 
not perfect, maybe not as beautiful as a dream, but real.  He'd take this over the 
perfect illusion any day.
     His first goal in the city was the Bulldog Inn.  He needed news, he needed to 
contact his manager, and he wanted to alert Adie, the manager of the Tuft Tuggers, to 
the danger.  Adie was a magician of some kind--he'd never bothered with the details--
and she could be an important part of the opposition to the Kraelian.  EARLY 
opposition, too, before the man got entrenched in Zorpunt.  That might make a 
difference.
     The Inn was jammed.  Odd, that.  Aruak City had always had a vigorous dueling 
community, but... this many gladiators?  He could barely SEE across the common room, 
much less move quickly.  But there was a table of managers in an alcove at the back.  
He'd find news there, if he could reach it.
     The Lord Protector took a last look at the crowd, shook his head, and plunged in 
under the elbow of a Shew.  The man was too tall for most managers, but there were 
always one or two who would give a large gladiator a chance.  From the looks of the 
scars, this man had been at it a while, but he was nobody Raoul recognized.  Well, 
he'd been away for a long time.  Quite a long time, actually.
     "Raoul!"
He paused and looked toward the woman whose hand was on his sleeve.  Hair like a 
sunrise and wide violet eyes.  "Lady Adeolar!  You're one of the people I wanted to 
find.  There--"
     "Not here in the middle of the floor, Raoul."  She drew him to one side and 
through an inconspicuous door.  "Jhordeal will be glad to know you are well, but 
that's not what you came for, is it?"
     "Glad to know I'm...?"  When had he been in Aruak City last?  Mantor, it was 
years ago!  Before the civil war, and he had died....  He took off his hat, looked at 
the rounded, dusty crown, ran a hand over his head, and put the hat back on.  No time 
to go into that now.  "No, doll, that's not why I came this way.  There's magical 
trouble.  Serious magical trouble, I think."
     "You came from Zorpunt?"  She twisted a lock of hair between nervous fingers.  
"I have felt something happening there--something dark--"
     He nodded briefly.  "I saw it start, and it's going to be damned dark," he 
muttered.  Quickly, he sketched in what he and Hallie had learned of the wizard 
Khaldren and his intentions.  "I don't know how he's doing that much magic," he 
finished, "because everyone says the Arcanum is in decline and spells aren't working, 
but--"
     "He's using blood magic."  The woman's beautiful face hardened.  "It is the 
oldest magic and the most primitive.  Almost always used for darkness and 
destruction," she muttered, frowning, "even though it doesn't have to be....  It's 
the least dependent on the Arcanum, unfortunately, the easiest to pervert, and the 
hardest to control once it gets started."  She frowned, twisting the lock of hair 
harder.  "In the hands of a powerful wizard with no scruples...."
     "That's what me and Hallie figured," Raoul said, nodding.  "I'm headed for 
Andor--the king has to be warned.  And Hallie's taking the warning to Delarq Tor."
     "Yes, of course.  Definitely the right thing to do.  But you need to see your 
manager before you leave town, Raoul.  He's been worried about you."  She patted his 
arm absently, still frowning.  "I will gather as much information about this wizard 
and his spells as I can....  I wish Shania were here, she is so good at that.  Well, 
I must work with what I have."  She patted his arm one last time and opened the door 
to the inn's main room.  "Off with you, and tell the other managers that... tell them 
I have things to do, and I'll add to your news later."

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

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

                                     Duelmasters
                                     -----------
 DM   8 ARKERS (turn 240): LUMBERING WAIF of HAPLESS WAIF (Berylstar, mgr.)
 DM  11 ARUAK CITY (turn 482): POSITION IS EMPTY
 DM  14 TOBIR (turn 482): JERRY CURL of DA AFRO (?, mgr.)
 DM  22 SOLVEN (turn 475): BLIND GIRL of KELLUMBO'S KIDS (Detective Kellumbo, mgr.)
 DM  24 ZORPUNT (turn 471): TAZZY TIGER of AUSSIE KILLERS (THawk, mgr.)
 DM  25 LYRATILAN (turn 471): ABSOLUCIOUN of CHAUCERS WORDS (Berylstar, mgr.)
 DM  26 CALEAM (turn 472): HERCULES of HISTORY! (Guardian, mgr.)
 DM  30 IAYE (turn 468): SNOTMAN of I TRAINED THEM (Soultaker, mgr.)
 DM  40 ZENSU (turn 433): CMOT DIBBLER of THE DISC (Technogeek, mgr.)
 DM  41 KATI-TEI (turn 426): PELICAN of BIRDS (JE, mgr.)
 DM  46 ARDIVENT (turn 419): OPURT of DEATHTONGUE (Technogeek, mgr.)
 DM  52 FRATSFA (turn 188): GRIM GLADIOLA of FLOWER GIRLS (Lady Fern, mgr.)
 DM  60 ARADI (turn 331): LIGHTNING IX of DEATH STUDS VII (Death Stud, mgr.)
 DM  63 AMEN-TEI (turn 320): FURIOUS TERROR of CAR AND DRIVER (Talon Volksie, mgr.)
 DM  71 KYR'TERR (turn 142): TOMB of SHADOW GOLD (Shadowgate, mgr.)
ADM 105 ANDORAK (turn 367): SNOWY OWL of CALL OF THE WILD from KYR'TERR (Poison Ivy)

                                      Top Teams
                                      ---------
 DM   8 ARKERS (turn 240): PHOENIX FIRE (Bobby Bigfoot, mgr.)
 DM  11 ARUAK CITY (turn 482): THE BLUES (Keldon Blackfang, mgr.)
 DM  14 TOBIR (turn 482): THE DEATH SQUAD (Street Legal, mgr.)
 DM  22 SOLVEN (turn 475): JUST CHILLIN (Mr. Freeze, mgr.)
 DM  24 ZORPUNT (turn 471): THE MC5 (Street Legal, mgr.)
 DM  25 LYRATILAN (turn 471): CHAUCERS WORDS (Berylstar, mgr.)
 DM  26 CALEAM (turn 472): HEADBANGERS (Sablon-O-Vlad, mgr.)
 DM  30 IAYE (turn 468): I TRAINED THEM (Soultaker, mgr.)
 DM  40 ZENSU (turn 433): BATTLE SCHOOL (?, mgr.)
 DM  41 KATI-TEI (turn 426): WANDERERS (Leeta, mgr.)
 DM  46 ARDIVENT (turn 419): DEATHTONGUE (Technogeek, mgr.)
 DM  52 FRATSFA (turn 188): ASSASSIN NATION (Ghab, mgr.)
 DM  60 ARADI (turn 331): DEATH STUDS VII (Death Stud, mgr.)
 DM  63 AMEN-TEI (turn 320): SAFE HAVEN (Keldon Blackfang, mgr.)
 DM  71 KYR'TERR (turn 142): SHADOW GOLD (Shadowgate, mgr.)
ADM 105 ANDORAK (turn 367): DA AFRO, etc. (?, mgr.)

                                   Recent Graduates
                                   ----------------
 DM   8 ARKERS (turn 240): LUMBERING WAIF of HAPLESS WAIF (Berylstar, mgr.)
               (turn 239): ABYSS of PHANTOM FORCES 2 (The Catalyst, mgr.)
 DM  11 ARUAK CITY (turn 482): GOLDEN MOMENT of COLORIFIC (Purple People Eater, mgr.)
                   (turn 481): B.S. of BULLDOGS (Kennelworth, mgr.)
 DM  22 SOLVEN (turn 475): GARY CONDIT of THE DEMOCRATS (Al Gore, mgr.)
                           JUSTICE of THE REPUBLICANS (The Judge, mgr.)
 DM  26 CALEAM (turn 471): SARINA of GOLDEN CANYON (Klondike Kate, mgr.)
 DM  30 IAYE (turn 467): SONIC TACO of TRIP OUT (Angus, mgr.)
 DM  41 KATI-TEI (turn 425): SKOWIE of SPRINGFIELD XIII (Snotman, mgr.)
 DM  46 ARDIVENT (turn 419): OPURT of DEATHTONGUE (Technogeek, mgr.)
                 (turn 418): BANANA JR of DEATHTONGUE (Technogeek, mgr.)
 DM  52 FRATSFA (turn 188): RED EYE of ASSASSIN NATION (Ghab, mgr.)
 DM  60 ARADI (turn 331): ACUTE of THIEVES GUILD (Hombre, mgr.)
                          GAZREKK of DEMONS OF DARKNESS 2 (Rillion, mgr.)
 DM  63 AMEN-TEI (turn 320): WANDERING JO of WAYFARERS (Leeta, mgr.)

                                 DUELMASTER'S COLUMN
                             Notes from the arena champ.

Hail Kyr'Terr!

   Well, I am still here despite fighting Loki without armour!  I would be in a good 
position if it wasn't for the fact that I have my nemesis style right below me!  
Needlessly to say I will be avoiding him and challenging Loki again! Maybe next time, 
Ben!

                       Your DM,
                               Tomb

                                      SPY REPORT

     I was going on vacation, see?  Surf, sun...  But what do those bums say?  "Hit 
the road, Debby Tonte.  KYR'TERR needs a spyreport."  Oh, well.  Too bad, SHADOW 
GOLD, but SHADOW SONGS was just too good to be stopped.  SHADOW GAMES like really 
fought hard to move up to 6th from 15th.  Way to go!  One team deserves special 
mention 'cause they moved up 3 after going 4-0-0.  Keep it up, SHADOW SONGS!  MVP 
award for VLADIMIR TALTOS?  CASTLE BLACK's proud of him after beating BEN FRANKLIN 
and getting 19 points.  Talk about yer big time losers!  BEN FRANKLIN got smashed by 
VLADIMIR TALTOS, and lost 20 points!  Like ARCTIC GUARDS' LOKI is sweating since she 
got challenged by Duelmaster TOMB!  This Duelmaster is like something else!  TOMB 
stopped LOKI dead in hers tracks!  Who was the wiseguy that said KYR'TERR's 
Duelmaster was paying for drinks at The Swinging Aardvark?  Don't look at me!   
     AAARRGH!!!  I HATE SPYREPORTING!!!  Sorry.  I just had to say it.  The warriors 
of ARCTIC GUARDS must be getting lonely.  They were the most avoided team.  Do you 
guys know something that I don't?  I don't know what I'M HISTORY II's been doing.  
They certainly haven't been accepting many fights from ARCTIC GUARDS, that's fer 
sher.  Like, is LOKI popular, or what?  She was challenged the most in all of 
KYR'TERR!  She's got a 13-12-1, is that good?   
     Challenges, revenges, Bloodfeuds.  All KYR'TERR ever talks about is fighting!  
Me, I'm more laid back.  Fight, fight, fight.  Is that all you guys can do?   
     I really didn't, you know, study when I was a kid.  Who would've guessed I'd be 
a famous Spyreporter?  I gotta leave.  KYR'TERR is like such a dump, and you guys 
smell too much!  Its been really albendranius!  Later, guys-- Debby Tonte  

DUELMASTER                     W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 TOMB 4704                    14   1  0   121       SHADOW GOLD (402)

CHALLENGER CHAMPIONS           W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 VLADIMIR TALTOS 4191         12   8  0   109       CASTLE BLACK (430)
 LOKI 3798                    13  12  1   101       ARCTIC GUARDS (403)
-ALIERA 4192                  12   7  0    96       CASTLE BLACK (430)
-LOIOSH 4059                  13   7  0    91       CASTLE BLACK (430)

CHAMPIONS                      W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 VAULT 4353                   17   2  0    88       SHADOW GOLD (402)
 BEN FRANKLIN 5133            15  10  0    86       I'M HISTORY II (558)
-SEKA 5596                    11  13  0    68       SCREEN DREAMS (628)

CHALLENGER ADEPTS              W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 SIF 3925                     11  11  0    66       ARCTIC GUARDS (403)
 MORROLAN E'DRIEN 4909         5   6  0    57       CASTLE BLACK (430)

ADEPTS                         W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
-LANCER 3368                   7   5  0    42       DEATH LEGION (372)
 RUMOR 4372                    7   3  0    35       SHADOW TALES (452)
 LARA CROFT 5591               6   6  1    35       SCREEN DREAMS (628)
 KNYTE 3373                    6   5  1    35       DEATH LEGION (372)

ADEPTS                         W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
-ENTITY 5555                   4   4  0    35       THE MACHINE (623)

CHALLENGER INITIATES           W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
-ORANGUTANG 4088               5   1  1    33       SUPERIOR FORCES 2200 (433)
 CHESS 4968                    3   2  0    32       SHADOW GAMES (536)
-KI-LYNN 3371                  3   4  1    31       DEATH LEGION (372)
-CHEROKEE 5563                 1   2  0    31       CHIEFS' ELITE (624)
 AMERICAN PIE 4966             4   0  1    30       SHADOW SONGS (535)
-DARK YUKON 4718               3   2  0    29       SHADOW MOD (401)
-IDOL 4706                     4   5  0    28       SHADOW GOLD (402)
 NEW WORLD MAN 4967            3   1  0    28       SHADOW SONGS (535)
-RAVAGE 5557                   5   5  1    27       THE MACHINE (623)

INITIATES                      W   L  K POINTS      TEAM NAME                  
 SNOWBLIND 4963                3   1  1    23       SHADOW SONGS (535)
 BUFFY 5589                    3   3  0    23       SCREEN DREAMS (628)
-POKER 4972                    2   0  0    23       SHADOW GAMES (536)
 PRESTO 4965                   2   2  0    22       SHADOW SONGS (535)
-RAYBEEZ 5551                  2   1  0    20       THE MACHINE (623)
-KANEONUSKATEW 5567            1   0  0    19       CHIEFS' ELITE (624)
-THE CRANK 5550                1   2  0    16       THE MACHINE (623)
 SAMANTHA THE WITCH 5586       1   2  0    15       SCREEN DREAMS (628)
-KASIMIR 5549                  2   1  0    14       THE MACHINE (623)
 SANGUINE 3369                 3   4  0    13       DEATH LEGION (372)
-BETSY ROSS 5134               1   1  0    11       I'M HISTORY II (558)
-SAM ADAMS 5138                1   5  1    10       I'M HISTORY II (558)
-PYRAMID 4938                  2   3  0     9       SHADOW GOLD (402)
-PATRICK HENRY 5136            1   1  0     7       I'M HISTORY II (558)
-MORRIS 4091                   1   2  0     5       SUPERIOR FORCES 2200 (433)

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

THE DEAD               W  L K TEAM NAME             SLAIN BY             TURN Revenge?
GRIND 3804             0  2 0 DEATH LEGION 372      STONE GOLEM 26        143 NONE    
RULE 4981              1  1 0 SHADOW GOLD 402       ULLER 4179            140         

                                     PERSONAL ADS

All -- Welcome to Chief's Elite, The Machine, and also to I'm History II! May you 
stay here be long!  I need someone other than Yukon to beat up on! :) -- Shadowgate 

Cherokee -- Wow!  I won that fight?  That is especially surprising knowing you TVed 
and have more FE than I do!  Maybe that bodes well for my Inits tourney this MI!  
Thanks for those skills! -- Rumor

Ben Franklin -- What, when, where did you come from!  I wasn't expecting you!  I 
decide to lighten up my armor and you show up!  Okay, maybe the armor wouldn't have 
helped, but I would have been more confortable! -- Vault

Sif -- Ouch!  I just don't seem to be able to beat you and you're starting to not be 
able to teach me much.  I would challenge someone else but there is no one above 
me...  I guess that means look out below! -- Morrolan E'Drein

All -- Well, I will be back this turn from the dead!  YEAH me!  I TVed in Dead Inits 
and will be finally returning to my team Shadow Mod. -- Rabid Dog

28 January 2004
All -- I send out this invitation to all teams and managers.  A new Alliance has been
formed.  The Living Essences Alliance is being formed to join forces in an effort to
eliminate common foes and to help the joined warriors grow and learn to the best of
their abilities by offering suggestions and advice.  It doesn't matter what arena
you're in, or if you're in another alliance already, as of today.  This Alliance is

open to one and all!  If you are interested in joining, please DIPLO me, or send a
personal ad to DM 93's newsletter.  If you wish to join beyond March 2004, send a PA
to DM 82.  Come join the fun! -- Dagan LifeGiver, mgr. Shadow Warriors (DM 93)

28 January 2004
This notice is to formally introduce our young alliance, CHAOS INC.  We consist of
APEX, FLAGG, MATRIX, ASSAMITE, and now RUDE BUDDHA.  If we aren't already there, we
WILL be coming to an arena near you soon!  Hope to see you all at the ZALCON II.

4 February 2004
Greeting from Jhans, DM 36 -- In 2 turns the kLk will host our first annual "St.
Valentines Day Massacre" in Jhans, arena 36.  (Kill Contest)  The contest will begin
on turn 450.  It will run for 10 turns.  On turn 461 the winners will be announced.
There will be 3 separate categories, the team with the most kills, the alliance with
the most kills, and the warrior with the most kills.  For the manager of the team
with the most kills a PRIZE of 10 ROLL-UPS will be rewarded (or $50 deposited into
his account).  No need to declare yourself in the personals.  If you are in DM 36,
you will be part of the contest whether you like it or not.  We encourage as much
trash talk as you'd like.  All teams, managers, and alliances invited.  Please
contact Polarius (mgr. of Blitzkrieg) in DM 36 with questions.  Or you can email me
at jamieptmo@hotmail.com.  Good luck and see you in the sands. -- Polarius

                                  LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS

GRIND was dealt death by STONE GOLEM in a 3 minute Dark Arena fight.
TOMB bested LOKI in a action packed 4 minute veteran's Challenge Title duel.
BEN FRANKLIN was demolished by VLADIMIR TALTOS in a 1 minute uneven fight.
VAULT outwaited SIF in a 8 minute veteran's fight.
MORROLAN E'DRIEN demolished LARA CROFT in a 2 minute gruesome mismatched competition.
AMERICAN PIE overpowered OSKSI NOBLE in a 2 minute one-sided struggle.
KNYTE devastated SAMANTHA THE WITCH in a 2 minute one-sided competition.
BUFFY was viciously subdued by RUMOR in a 2 minute gruesome melee.
CHESS vanquished CULT MEMBER in a 1 minute one-sided duel.
SANGUINE lost to SNOWBLIND in a 2 minute duel.
PRESTO overpowered MORDANT DESERTER in a 2 minute one-sided fight.
NEW WORLD MAN handily defeated EMBEZZLING SCRIBE in a 1 minute one-sided bout.

                                    BATTLE REPORT

             MOST POPULAR                        RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS     
|FIGHTING STYLE               FIGHTS        FIGHTING STYLE     W -   L -  K   PERCENT|
|LUNGING ATTACK                   5         WALL OF STEEL     10 -   1 -  1      91  |
|TOTAL PARRY                      3         TOTAL PARRY       26 -   8 -  0      76  |
|PARRY-LUNGE                      3         PARRY-LUNGE       19 -  13 -  0      59  |
|PARRY-STRIKE                     2         STRIKING ATTACK   21 -  16 -  2      57  |
|AIMED BLOW                       2         AIMED BLOW         6 -   7 -  0      46  |
|SLASHING ATTACK                  1         LUNGING ATTACK    42 -  51 -  2      45  |
|BASHING ATTACK                   1         PARRY-RIPOSTE      6 -   8 -  0      43  |
|WALL OF STEEL                    1         BASHING ATTACK     5 -   8 -  0      38  |
|STRIKING ATTACK                  1         PARRY-STRIKE       7 -  15 -  2      32  |
|PARRY-RIPOSTE                    0         SLASHING ATTACK    3 -   7 -  0      30  |

Turn 143 was great if you     Not so great if you used      The fighting styles of the
used the fighting styles:     the fighting styles:          top eleven warriors are:

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

                               TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE

FIGHTING STYLE   WARRIOR                     W   L  K PNTS TEAM NAME                  
TOTAL PARRY      TOMB 4704                  14   1  0  121 SHADOW GOLD (402)
LUNGING ATTACK   VLADIMIR TALTOS 4191       12   8  0  109 CASTLE BLACK (430)
AIMED BLOW       BEN FRANKLIN 5133          15  10  0   86 I'M HISTORY II (558)
BASHING ATTACK   KNYTE 3373                  6   5  1   35 DEATH LEGION (372)
Note: Warriors have a winning record and are an Adept or Above.

The overall popularity leader is LOKI 3798.  The most popular warrior this turn was 
LOKI 3798.  The ten other most popular fighters were SIF 3925, MORROLAN E'DRIEN 4909, 
GRIND 3804, TOMB 4704, VLADIMIR TALTOS 4191, VAULT 4353, KNYTE 3373, SNOWBLIND 4963, 
RUMOR 4372, and CHESS 4968.

The least popular fighter this week was SANGUINE 3369.  The other ten least popular 
fighters were BUFFY 5589, SAMANTHA THE WITCH 5586, LARA CROFT 5591, BEN FRANKLIN 
5133, PRESTO 4965, NEW WORLD MAN 4967, AMERICAN PIE 4966, CHESS 4968, RUMOR 4372, and 
SNOWBLIND 4963.