DUEL 2 NEWSLETTER
Date : 02/14/2020 Duedate: 02/27/2020
LIN TIRIAN ARENA
DM-78 TURN-667
This Weeks Top Honors
THE DUELMASTER IS
ROBIN HOOD
FAMOUS ARCHERS (360)
(78-3369) [15-5-0,131]
Chartered Recognition Leader Unchartered Recognition Leader
WILLIAM TELL POSITION IS EMPTY
FAMOUS ARCHERS (360)
(78-3325) [38-9-1,161]
Popularity Leader This Weeks Favorite
WRANGLE LEGOLAS
V IS FOR VIOLINS (354) FAMOUS ARCHERS (360)
(78-3338) [21-5-0,105] (78-3362) [11-9-0,108]
THE CURRENT TOP TEAM
FAMOUS ARCHERS (360)
TEAMS ON THE MOVE TOP CAREER HONORS
Team Name Point Gain Chartered Team
1. FAMOUS ARCHERS (360) 75
2. SAND DANCERS (68) 21 FAMOUS ARCHERS (360)
3. HOWLIN CASE (352) 0 Unchartered Team
4. BAD BLOOD II (365) -7
5. V IS FOR VIOLINS (354) -10 JELLICO CATS (233)
The Top Teams
Career Win-Loss Record W L K % Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns W L K
1/ 1 FAMOUS ARCHERS (360) 134 47 3 74.0 1/ 1 FAMOUS ARCHERS (360) 11 1 1
2/ 2 V IS FOR VIOLINS (354) 83 39 2 68.0 2/ 2 SAND DANCERS (68) 7 8 1
3- 3 HOWLIN CASE (352) 107 65 5 62.2 3/ 3 V IS FOR VIOLINS (354) 3 5 0
4/ 4 BAD BLOOD II (365) 11 10 1 52.4 4/ 4 BAD BLOOD II (365) 0 3 0
5/ 5 SAND DANCERS (68) %1359 %1589 46 46.1 5- 5 HOWLIN CASE (352) 0 2 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
DUELMASTER'S COLUMN
Notes from the arena champ.
Robin Hood is a legendary heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore
and subsequently featured in literature and film. According to legend, he was a highly
skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions of the legend, he is depicted as being
of noble birth, and in modern retellings he is sometimes depicted as having fought in
the Crusades before returning to England to find his lands taken by the Sheriff. In
the oldest known versions he is instead a member of the yeoman class. Traditionally
depicted dressed in Lincoln green, he is said to have robbed from the rich and given
to the poor. Through retellings, additions, and variations, a body of familiar
characters associated with Robin Hood has been created. These include his lover, Maid
Marian, his band of outlaws, the Merry Men, and his chief opponent, the Sheriff of
Nottingham. The Sheriff is often depicted as assisting Prince John in usurping the
rightful but absent King Richard, to whom Robin Hood remains loyal. His partisanship
of the common people and his hostility to the Sheriff of Nottingham are early recorded
features of the legend, but his interest in the rightfulness of the king is not, and
neither is his setting in the reign of Richard I. He became a popular folk figure in
the Late Middle Ages, and the earliest known ballads featuring him are from the 15th
century.
There have been numerous variations and adaptations of the story over the
subsequent years, and the story continues to be widely represented in literature,
film, and television. Robin Hood is considered one of the best known tales of English
folklore. And, he IS our Duelmaster.
-- Arrowhead (for Robin Hood, DM6)
SPY REPORT
Thankyouthankyou. It's great for me, The Unknown Spymaster to be back in LIN
TIRIAN. Hope you enjoy the show. Oh, who am I kidding? I already got paid! Hey
everybody, watch out for WILLIAM TELL, who flew up 33 points in the rankings after
mashing AMBUSH like a melon. Keep your eye on this guy. Ya know, some days it
doesn't pay to walk out on the sands. RUMPUS was defeated by LEGOLAS and drops 10
points. Going for the gusto and coming up with aught but bloody knuckles was V IS
FOR VIOLINS' MELEE, who was turned away from the Duelmastership by ROBIN HOOD. 4 out
of 5 gladiators surveyed protect the body, so try and avoid aiming at that location.
But enough of that bunch, let's get on to the wimps who like to avoid battle!
Here's a song for you: Who's afraid of the big, bad FAMOUS ARCHERS? Big bad FAMOUS
ARCHERS. Big bad FAMOUS ARCHERS. LIN TIRIAN's afraid of the big bad FAMOUS ARCHERS.
Tra la la la la! Okay, so I may not be funny, but catch V IS FOR VIOLINS' act in the
arena. Those acrobats seem to be fairly deft at running from FAMOUS ARCHERS. And
who is this CLINT you ask, with 87 points and a 11-10-1 record. Ooh, the tales I
could tell!
Death is kind of like a new puppy: he's always around wanting to play. (Ha
Zontani, how's that for a wise saying?). This round goes to FAMOUS ARCHERS, their
38-9-1 warrior, WILLIAM TELL slew the 15-5-1 AMBUSH. Stay tuned next week to see
what happens. Carrion Bird Heaven: AMBUSH was put to death by WILLIAM TELL (The
true definition of 'Street Pizza'). Here's some advice: warriors with little wit
and will may encounter problems on the trail to the Isle.
Well, that wasn't too bad; Alarond told me that the people in LIN TIRIAN have no
sense of humor. Or maybe that they were senseless. Well, there goes another Spy
Report. Good luck in next week's fights. See ya next time I'm on this circuit!--
The Unknown Spymaster
DUELMASTER W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
ROBIN HOOD 3369 15 5 0 131 FAMOUS ARCHERS (360)
CHALLENGER CHAMPIONS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
WILLIAM TELL 3325 38 9 1 161 FAMOUS ARCHERS (360)
LEGOLAS 3362 11 9 0 108 FAMOUS ARCHERS (360)
WRANGLE 3338 21 5 0 105 V IS FOR VIOLINS (354)
MELEE 3334 12 10 0 93 V IS FOR VIOLINS (354)
RUMPUS 3314 11 5 0 91 V IS FOR VIOLINS (354)
CHAMPIONS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
CLINT 3374 11 10 1 87 BAD BLOOD II (365)
CHALLENGER ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
LINK 3378 9 3 0 62 FAMOUS ARCHERS (360)
ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
-BROKEN LOCK 3311 7 0 0 57 HOWLIN CASE (352)
ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
TINKER SAMUEL 3370 9 13 1 42 SAND DANCERS (68)
CHALLENGER INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
YGRITTE 3385 3 1 0 33 FAMOUS ARCHERS (360)
TIMMY TANGO 3388 3 1 1 31 SAND DANCERS (68)
-LEATHERBOUND 3384 2 1 0 29 HOWLIN CASE (352)
JUSTINE 3387 3 1 0 28 SAND DANCERS (68)
EUGENE 3393 3 0 0 27 SAND DANCERS (68)
INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
AVRIL HOUND 3381 5 7 0 22 SAND DANCERS (68)
'-' denotes a warrior who did not fight this turn.
THE DEAD W L K TEAM NAME SLAIN BY TURN Revenge?
CULT MEMBER 0 0 0 TIMMY TANGO 3388 667 NONE
AMBUSH 3361 15 5 1 V IS FOR VIOLINS 354 WILLIAM TELL 3325 667
PERSONAL ADS
Robin Hood is such a champion of the people! -- Arrowhead
Rumpus, I am going to tell Frodo, and maybe even Gimli, on you! -- Legolas
Ambush, well you tried, but I guess I wasn't that ambushable? -- William Tell
What the devil am I going to do with all 78 of these political points? Run for Swiss
President? -- William Tell
Health. Humility. Honor. Thwack! -- Arrowhead
Right, the Devil's Turn 666, probably an oh-fer.
The Ambitious Guard laughed at me. But I'll GET him for that. There's an alley on
the way from the arena to town. -- Tinker Samuel
I lost to the Fratsfa Slave. I hate it when that happens. -- Timmy Tango
And I lost to my standby, but it was a truly Dangerous Criminal so I expected to. --
Avril Hound
Gosh, I won! That breaks the streak. -- Justine
And I won, too. Which makes us two-three against standbys. -- Eugene
LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS
LEGOLAS viciously subdued RUMPUS in a action packed 4 minute master's Challenge fight.
WRANGLE handily defeated CLINT in a action packed 1 minute one-sided Challenge match.
ROBIN HOOD devastated MELEE in a 1 minute one-sided Title contest.
AMBUSH was slain by WILLIAM TELL in a crowd pleasing 3 minute master's match.
LINK won victory over TINKER SAMUEL in a crowd pleasing 1 minute brutal fight.
TIMMY TANGO viciously butchered CULT MEMBER in a 2 minute gory competition.
AVRIL HOUND was handily defeated by YGRITTE in a 1 minute gruesome uneven melee.
JUSTINE vanquished CONVICTED THIEF in a 1 minute uneven fight.
EUGENE vanquished CONVICTED THIEF 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-RIPOSTE 3 PARRY-LUNGE 5 - 1 - 0 83 |
|BASHING ATTACK 2 SLASHING ATTACK 7 - 2 - 0 78 |
|WALL OF STEEL 2 AIMED BLOW 6 - 2 - 0 75 |
|LUNGING ATTACK 2 BASHING ATTACK 8 - 4 - 0 67 |
|STRIKING ATTACK 2 WALL OF STEEL 11 - 6 - 2 65 |
|AIMED BLOW 1 TOTAL PARRY 7 - 6 - 1 54 |
|PARRY-LUNGE 1 PARRY-RIPOSTE 10 - 9 - 0 53 |
|SLASHING ATTACK 1 LUNGING ATTACK 7 - 11 - 0 39 |
|TOTAL PARRY 1 STRIKING ATTACK 9 - 16 - 1 36 |
|PARRY-STRIKE 0 PARRY-STRIKE 0 - 0 - 0 0 |
Turn 667 was great if you Not so great if you used The fighting styles of the
used the fighting styles: the fighting styles: top eleven warriors are:
AIMED BLOW 1 - 0 PARRY-STRIKE 0 - 0 2 TOTAL PARRY
PARRY-LUNGE 1 - 0 LUNGING ATTACK 0 - 2 2 LUNGING ATTACK
SLASHING ATTACK 1 - 0 STRIKING ATTACK 0 - 2 2 BASHING ATTACK
BASHING ATTACK 2 - 0 1 SLASHING ATTACK
TOTAL PARRY 1 - 0 1 PARRY-LUNGE
PARRY-RIPOSTE 2 - 1 1 AIMED BLOW
WALL OF STEEL 1 - 1 1 PARRY-RIPOSTE
1 WALL OF STEEL
TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE
FIGHTING STYLE WARRIOR W L K PNTS TEAM NAME
SLASHING ATTACK ROBIN HOOD 3369 15 5 0 131 FAMOUS ARCHERS (360)
TOTAL PARRY WILLIAM TELL 3325 38 9 1 161 FAMOUS ARCHERS (360)
PARRY-LUNGE LEGOLAS 3362 11 9 0 108 FAMOUS ARCHERS (360)
AIMED BLOW WRANGLE 3338 21 5 0 105 V IS FOR VIOLINS (354)
LUNGING ATTACK MELEE 3334 12 10 0 93 V IS FOR VIOLINS (354)
PARRY-RIPOSTE RUMPUS 3314 11 5 0 91 V IS FOR VIOLINS (354)
WALL OF STEEL CLINT 3374 11 10 1 87 BAD BLOOD II (365)
BASHING ATTACK LINK 3378 9 3 0 62 FAMOUS ARCHERS (360)
Note: Warriors have a winning record and are an Adept or Above.
The overall popularity leader is WRANGLE 3338. The most popular warrior this turn
was LEGOLAS 3362. The ten other most popular fighters were AMBUSH 3361, WRANGLE
3338, LINK 3378, TIMMY TANGO 3388, YGRITTE 3385, RUMPUS 3314, ROBIN HOOD 3369,
WILLIAM TELL 3325, EUGENE 3393, and TINKER SAMUEL 3370.
The least popular fighter this week was AVRIL HOUND 3381. The other ten least
popular fighters were MELEE 3334, CLINT 3374, JUSTINE 3387, TINKER SAMUEL 3370,
EUGENE 3393, WILLIAM TELL 3325, ROBIN HOOD 3369, RUMPUS 3314, YGRITTE 3385, and TIMMY
TANGO 3388.
The following warriors will travel to AD after next turn:
ROBIN HOOD (78-3369) FAMOUS ARCHERS (360)