DARKHOLM SPORTING JOURNAL

Date   : 11/01/2003    Duedate: 11/14/2003

DARKHOLM

DM-104    TURN-361

RANK TEAMS                  W    L  K    %  RANK TEAMS                  W    L  K    %
  1 DARK PANTHEON 6/643  1131  422  7 72.8   10 THE A TEAM 38/1044    581  580  6 50.0
    THUNDR + LITENING 18/309                    BIG MEAN FISH 18/292                  
    LEGENDS OF STEELE 1/1047                    ONE SURFING HINDU 97/1071             
  2 MONGREL HORDE 10/964  480  234  3 67.2      GUANO GROUP 51/1065                   
  3-TOTEM 74/1146          47   25  2 65.3      FURNITURE BARN 42/1109                
    THAT SUCKS! 19/1144                         LOOK OUT BELOW 6/1042                 
    DEATH STUDS VIII 82/1086                 11 THE MENTORS 10/408     35   36  0 49.3
  4-PIGS ON PARAD 9/1154  168  129  2 56.6   12 SHAMROCKS 58/424      154  162  3 48.7
    GUARDIAN'S SLAVES 42/1157                13 BLADES OF ICE 7/192   322  341  2 48.6
    THE GUARDIANS II 18/1155                    BLADES OF CHAOS 5/961                 
    THE GUARDIANS 21/1156                       BLADES OF MIST 4/959                  
  5 BELLYFLOP 82/1097    1414 1150 16 55.1      ZODIAC KNIGHTS 3/958                  
    4-LETTER FLUIDS 82/1166                  14 NIGHT TRAIN 37/545      8   10  0 44.4
    4-LETTER DESCRIPTION 82/1167                NIGHT TRAIN 6/1158                    
    WHY WE LOVE TUM 82/1164                  15 BEAST MASTERS 37/136   94  133  1 41.4
    WHY I PLAY DM 82/1116                       ELEMENTS OF PSI 58/423                
    STREET PIZZAD I 82/1096                     ACTS OF NATURE 6/415                  
    4-LETTER EPICS 82/1165                   16 CRIMINAL ELE 39/1074   21   30  1 41.2
    MY WIFE'S COSMETICS 82/1038                 INDULGENT DRINKS 54/1153              
    WHAT I ATE FOR XMAS 82/1114              17 DELVERS 42/1000       195  330  1 37.1
    STREET PIZZA 18/114                         DOGS OF WAR 4/999                     
    SESAME SPINE 82/1070                        GAMES LIBRARY 3/998                   
    CHEAP DENTISTRY 82/1098                  18 JOHNS 5/927           742 1293 16 36.5
    4-LETTER WORDS 48/1063                      ARROGANCE 18/732                      
    PARENTHOOD 82/1122                          SCARRY TEAM 36/824                    
    ROCK BOTTOM 82/1080                         THE LADY'S LIST 6/917                 
    FASCINATIN' RYTHYM 82/1152                  LETHAL LADIES 4/768                   
  6 STYROFOAM 82/1090    1116  967  8 53.6      JUST BECAUSE 38/1151                  
  7 EXODUS! 3/956         440  381  3 53.6   19 NINJAS 7/1107          34   60  1 36.2
    SPIDERS FROM MARS 21/950                    RESURRECTION 2/1143                   
    THE TAO 36/923                              GENOCIDE 51/1110                      
    FIANADHA 69/945                             KILLERS 41/1145                       
    THE DARK TEMPLE 18/978                   20 BIG BAD 7/1073        437  818  8 34.8
  8 QUBIT 10/1140         528  467  2 53.1      SHEPHERDS 18/432                      
    ON A WHIM 82/1014                           SUPER BASH BROTHERS 6/1067            
    SIR AGLIO 10/600                            NEXT GENERATION 18/1150               
  9 DOH! 24/1147         1460 1297  6 53.0      NEXT GENERATION 58/1075               
    THINGSINPUG'SCOOLER 4/1088                  FAMOUS HITTERS 3/1079                 
    DP CLONES 24/1045                           FOUND IN THE SAND 32/1034             
    WASTELAND 18/468                            MIGHTY MORALS 51/1120                 
    PEPPER PRACTICE II 57/1069                  THIS LITTLE PRIGGY 25/1162            
    WASTELAND II 7/500                       21-SRETSAMLEUD 37/1134     3    6  0 33.3
    DIABLO TOO 23/1037                       22 UNKNOWNS II 1/1168     10   22  1 31.3
    I'M SO SEXY 42/1072                      23 FLAGG 16 42/352        44  101  1 30.3
    OUTSIDE IS 48/1061                          FLAGG'S FIVE 42/1108                  
    COOL WHEELS 58/943                       24-TOWNSVILLAIN 10/1089   10   23  0 30.3
    BAD HAND 24/1125                         25 DWARVEN LEGI 21/1139    3    8  0 27.3
    DIABLO ALSO 24/1163                         THE HOLY LEGION 10/490                
    CEMENTIA 61/1112                      

    '##/###' Avoid teams by their Team Id     '-'  Team did not fight this turn

                                  WARRIOR SPOTLIGHT

          + ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ Eye of the Storm #67 ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ +

In the Far North:

     "Errodan's grace, she destroyed the Eye!?!" Shatterstar whispered, breathless
with surprise.  He moved quickly to the now still form of the dragon, the hole in its
head giving off a constant swirl of green and black smoke.  He stopped just before
the beast's great head and stared at the fist-sized hole--not much to a creature the
size of this dragon, but more than enough to fell the beast.  He placed a hand
tentatively on the dragon's snout and used a trickle of magic to feel for life within
and found none.  The loss of the Eye of the North had been too much for the once
noble creature.
     Swash and Chi'en came up behind him, the sailor putting a hand on Shatterstar's
shoulder and clearing his throat to speak.  "Is it dead,  Shat?" he asked, his voice
hoarse from the earlier dunking in the sea and the subsequent battle.  "Did she kill
it?"
     Shatterstar turned to face them, his hand dropping loosely to his side and his
expression giving them their answer.  There was great sorrow etched on the general's
face, unmistakable sorrow in his eyes as he nodded a simple yes.  The elf then seemed
to remember something and moved off behind the other two, moving quickly to where
Phantazia and Sayn Vann were kneeling over the Jhadzia's limp body.
     Phantazia turned at her older brother's approach, her face beaming.  "She's
alive, Shat," she said, her voice full of relief.  She saw the change in his eyes
when she spoke and her smile widened to see it.  "And what's more, she appears to be
uninjured."
     "I've never seen anything like it," Calth whispered in awe.  "The blast should
have torn her to shreds, yet here she lays unscathed."
     "But unconscious," Chi'en said, coming up to join them with Swash in tow.  She
indicated Calth off to the side, his face pale and his leg bleeding again as he had
passed out and the tourniquet had worked its way loose.  "Let's get them both off the
ice and somewhere warm before we lose them."
     "What about her," Swash asked, indicating Camisole's body.
     "Bring her as well," Shatterstar said without hesitation.
     "Bring them where?" Phantazia asked, removing her cloak and using it to make a
litter to help move her friends.
     They all followed Shatterstar's gaze as he turned it towards the main gate of
the castle.
                       ***     *****     ***     *****     ***
     It wasn't until after they had found the sleeping quarters that had been used by
the wizard that they found suitable beds for their companions.  All the other beds
were made for the Gargoyles and Northwights, and weren't at all suitable.  The
wizard's study was emptied of any valuables, as he had obviously come back to his
suite before departing, but there was a large bed for Calth and a smaller for Jhadzia
to use while they tried to get them some kind of healing.  Camisole they laid on
their cloaks off to the side, covering her dead body with a sheet taken from a linen
chest in the room.
     Jhadzia would have to wait, since Calth was by now in danger of losing his leg.
Sayn Vann had stayed with the man, trying to make sure the tourniquet wasn't too
tight, but also trying to make sure he didn't bleed to death.  It was a delicate
balance, but the experienced soldier managed to do what needed to be done.
Shatterstar took out a knife and cut away the fur coverings from Calth's leg, giving
them all a clear look at the wound.  A good part of the thigh was just gone, ripped
off by the teeth of the mighty dragon, and the bone was plain to see.  The gladiators
had all seen bad wounds before, but only Shatterstar and Sayn Vann could say they'd
ever seen anything this bad.
     "Can you help, General Dayspring?" Sayn Vann asked, his voice full of hope.  The
loss of even one of their companions weighed heavily on the man, but the though of
losing another bothered him even more.
     Shatterstar looked to the side where Camisole lay and shook his head.  "I am not
a healer of Camisole's skill, and even she, I think, would have had a difficult time
with such a wound."
     "You have to try, Shat," Phantazia said.  She and Chi'en were getting a fire
started and had found a basin of fresh water they could use to bathe the wound.
     The elf looked at his sister and nodded.  "You are right, of course," he said,
closing his eyes and falling once again into his magic.  It still felt different, but
it didn't feel like interference or feedback any longer.  He felt rejuvenated and
empowered.  Reaching into the natural healing ability of Calth's body, he began to
manipulate the muscles and skin, forcing them to speed up the healing process,
forcing the leg to regenerate itself.  It took a tremendous amount of willpower and
concentration to do it, but with each passing moment, her felt more and  more power
flowing through him, warming his body, his mind, and even his soul.  That warmth
spread to everyone throughout the room, everyone standing riveted by the sight of
Calth's leg literally growing new muscle and skin to repair the damage done by the
dragon.  No one noticed the intense amber glow coming from one of Jhadzia's hands.
     Shatterstar collapsed in a heap as the magic he'd been channeling suddenly fell
away.  At first he was worried that it was gone, that the ability to work magic had
left his body for good.  But after a moment's contemplation he realized that the
ability was still there.  He'd stopped casting because Calth's leg was completely
healed.
     The other's continued to stare in awe as Calth's breathing was deep and heavy,
his skin where he had been wounded fully healed without even the slightest hint of a
scar.  His face was no longer pale and he even appeared to be smiling, as if he was
having a pleasant dream.
     "How?" was all Swash could get out.
     Shatterstar looked at him, feeling more than a little intoxicated by the power
he'd felt.  "The Eye," was his only answer.
     "But Jhadzia destroyed the Eye to kill the dragon," Chi'en said, her voice
reflecting her doubts.
     Shatterstar simply shrugged in answer.  "There is no other possible
explanation," he replied quietly.  "During the battle, the very proximity of the Eye
allowed both Camisole and I to use our magic freely before the dragon turned the eye
on us and--"  He stopped, looking pained that he had survived but his she had not.
     "And overpowered you both," a husky woman's voice said from behind them.  They
spun to see Jhadzia sitting up, staring at them, her eyes aglow with rich amber
light.  Chi'en started forward but a look form her best friend stopped her in her
tracks.  Jhadzia smiled at her and the Adantri woman surprised herself by smiling
back.
     Jhadzia turned her attention back to Shatterstar.  "Only through the power of
your sword were you saved, Scion of Errodon," she said.  "It gives me great pleasure
to meet you, and greater pleasure still to thank you all for saving me from my former
Guardian."  Her gazed turned upon each of them one by one, making them all feel a
little uneasy.
     "Who are you, if not Lady Jhadzia Shimmermoon?" Shatterstar asked, his hand now
resting gently on the hilt of his sword.
     If Jhadzia notices, it didn't show.  "My name is unimportant after so long, but
you would know me as the Eye of the North."  As she spoke, she slowly raised her left
hand, palm upward, where she held a large amber that glowed more brightly than her
eyes.  "Jhadzia is here as well, for I am only using her body as a receptacle, for I
would be unable to speak to you otherwise."
     "And when can we expect Jhadzia back?" Chi'en asked, taking a step forward.
     Jhadzia stopped her in her tracks again, as she turned to look at her.  The glow
left her eyes and intensified in the stone, which now looked more looked a large,
gleaming cat's eye.  "Right now, Chi'en," she said, her voice now back to normal.
"The Eye meant no harm or offense, but only wanted to thank you herself."
     Swash stepped forward, sword and dagger drawn.  "How do we know it's really
you?" he asked the question that was on everyone else's minds as well.
     She turned a sideways grin his way and winked.  "Swash, if you don't put those
weapons away, I'll have to sheath them for you--in your belly."
     Phantazia chuckled and elbowed Swash in the ribs. "That's her all right," she
said.
     Swash, too, chuckled as he put his weapons away with a bow.  "My apologies, Lady
Shimmermoon, I meant no offense."
     "None taken."
     "So, what happened out there?" Sayn Vann asked, unable to wait any longer.  He
was a patient man, but even patient men have their limits.
     Jhadzia stood up and went to the washbasin and began washing her face as she
explained.  The others took the cue and did the same thing, getting the blood and
grime off their hands and faces at the least.
     "During the fighting, I got this really strange feeling that I should charge the
beast and attack it head on," she said.  "So I dropped my bow and did just that.
While the dragon was distracted by Swash and Chi'en, I jumped up and climbed its neck
to its head, where I had intended to run my sword through its eye and into its
brain."
     "Brave," Sayn Vann said, his voice full of respect.
     "Foolish," Chi'en said, disapproval in her voice at her friend's recklessness.
     Jhadzia smiled at them both as she continued talking.  "Once I got into position
and was about to drive my sword home, I realized I was about to make a huge mistake.
If I killed the dragon, who was in a symbiotic relationship with the Eye, I would
likely kill the Eye as well.  That isn't what we came here for."
     "Wait a second," Phantazia interrupted.  "What do you mean, kill the Eye?  Are
you saying...."
     "Yes," Jhadzia answered, smiling.  "The Eye of the North is alive; always has
been.  She was placed here by Lady Greywand after volunteering to serve here.  The
dragon was her companion, and for centuries they lived here together in peace and
harmony."
     "So what happened to ruin it," Sayn Vann asked.
     "A Folstrom wizard, presumably our friend with the fireball, came to them under
guise of one of Sheila's lieutenants.  He promised them that their time here was
almost over, but that Lady Greywand had cast a spell on them bonding them to this
location, which was why they'd never felt inclined to leave.  He would need them both
to lower their resistance to magic so he could release them from the spell.  It took
some convincing, but after centuries of service, even a dragon and a sorceress turned
into a magic Eye need a change.  They both agreed, and the wizard had them.  The
spell he cast didn't release them form anything at all, but instead enslaved the
dragon to the wizard's will.  The Folstrom have had a long time to develop more
powerful spells, and one of the things they did was modify their dragon control
spells.  Not only was the dragon enslaved, but the counterspell the Eye tried
backfired, forcing the symbiotic relationship between them.  She was absorbed into
the dragon's head and overpowered by the ancient creature' s will."
     "She wants to apologize for the magical overload she was forced to use on you
and Camisole, General Dayspring," Jhadzia said, turning to face Shatterstar squarely.
"She has a way to help restore Camisole as well, but there is a catch, so she won't
do it without your approval.  She keeps referring to you as 'Son of Errodan'--what
does she mean?"
     "You can communicate with her, then?" Swash asked, intrigued.
     "Yes, I can," Jhadzia answered.  "As can all of you.  She can hear what you say,
but you can only hear her if you are touching her.  Unless..."
     "I give her my permission to use Camisole as a host, right?" Shatterstar said,
his distaste sounding clearly in his voice.  "She wants to use her body for her own,
since she is now trapped in an immobile form.  I'll nev..."
     "Sir, she wants to talk to you," Jhadzia said, lifting the gem toward the
knight.  "She says that a Son--no, a Scion of Errodon should know what she intends.
She was once an elf, like you, after all.  Why does she keep calling you that?
What!?!"  Her face took on an incredulous look as she took a seat back on the bed.
Her expression changed several times, as if suffering some internal conflict, then
settled on bewildered as she numbly handed the Eye over to Shatterstar.  The elf took
it without hesitation and the gem flashed brighter still for a moment before
returning to the same level of brightness as before.
     Chi'en moved forward and sat with her friend, turning to look into her eyes.
Jhadzia looked up as if she was seeing her for the first time, through her arms
around the diminutive woman and began to cry, sobbing heavily into Chi'en's shoulder.
     Shatterstar stood briefly with the Eye held in his outstretched hand.  His
expression was grave and stayed that way even as Jhadzia started to cry. After only a
few minutes, he nodded, as if answering an unspoken question, and walked over to
Camisole's body.
     Gently, he uncovered Camisole's face and place the gem on the middle of her
forehead, where the glow intensified to its brightest yet.  Shatterstar backed away
slowly, still watching the gem's glow intensify.  He felt a small hand in his and
knew that Jhadzia had come to join him.  He turned his head for a moment, gazing down
at her, and wondered at how much alike the two of them really were.  He held her hand
tightly and turned back to face the magic being worked by the Eye.  The gem flashed
brightly one final time, a sound like wind chimes fading with the last of the light,
and all went still.  Shatterstar and Jhadzia approached the priestess, the others all
close behind, and saw that the Eye was now embedded in the center of Camisole's
forehead.  She, like Calth, was breathing normally and had full color back in her
cheeks.  Her eyes, all three of them, flitted open and she pushed herself up into a
seated position.  She looked at them all staring back at her, her once blue eyes now
amber with cat's pupils, and laughed aloud.
     With a leap she was on her feet, hugging both Shatterstar and Jhadzia, who were
both hugging her back.  She stepped back from them, her smile taking in everyone else
in the room.
     Shatterstar got everyone's attention when he spoke.  "Welcome back to the land
of the living, sister."
     To the astonishment of the all, Jhadzia embraced her once again and said, "Yes,
dear sister.  Welcome back."

          + ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ The Tides of Magic #15 ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ +

Not Lirin Kiv:

     Shylock wasn't at all sure he approved of, much less liked, Master Dan Shao, the
approximate arenamaster of this place.  This place that was not Lirin Kiv, or the
Isle of the Eye, or anywhere else familiar.  Dan Shao was altogether too ready to be
familiar...with Clemenda.  And she wasn't pulling away in horror.  Best if she
remembered that she was HIS date and companion at present.  If necessary, he would
remind her.  In unmistakable terms.
     But at least Dan Shao had been willing to provide them with quarters here in
this arena complex, once Shylock had stated that they needed a chance to rest and
recover from the shock of the unexpected inter-dimensional transition.  He did,
indeed, need a quiet place where he could relax, but not from shock.  He needed time
to plan.
     Shylock had long been looking for a place to make his own.  Jade Mountain had
not been that place--definitely not.  The Lucan family was much too powerfully
entrenched.  And even if he had managed to become the highest power in the valley,
there was still the rest of Lirith Kai, the Emperor, and the Sun Legion.  No, not
Lirith Kai.  But Jade Mountain had served its purpose; it was there that he had
earned the Greywand's agelessness.  A tricky spell, agelessness, extremely complex
and requiring not only great power but peculiar and rare ingredients.  He was well
pleased to have let the Greywand incur that burden for him.  But his investigations
seemed to indicate that once agelessness had been bestowed, it was a stable
condition, which meant that he didn't NEED the Greywand any more.
     And Sheila Greywand had stood squarely between him and his goal of power.  So
long as she lived, the Isle of the Eye was not the place he was looking for.  And
killing her might be...difficult.  Very difficult.  A person didn't live to be five
thousand years old, or whatever she was, without learning how to defend herself.
     But here....  Shylock leaned back on the couch which seemed to be what these
people used for relaxing (the chair by the small table was simple, hard, and not the
place to loll) and smiled a little.  This place seemed to be quite different.  He
would need to do a detailed examination, of course, but just from the first scans
he'd made:  The Arcanum here was stable.  A little lower in energy levels than that
of Ghea in the good times, but sufficient for his needs.  There was no one--NO ONE--
within his zone of sensitivity who was making any use of magic at all!  He had been
able to feel the Greywand's presence for miles, even when she was apparently not
doing anything magical.  There was the sort of undifferentiated background shimmer
which he associated with groups of Adantri using their arts of hiu, probably
gladiators, or champions as they were called here, engaged in intensive practice.  It
had that texture to it.
     But the single, glorious fact was that this place appeared to have no
competition for him.  He could establish himself here, begin the subtle influencing
and control of people and events which he sought, and NO ONE WOULD KNOW.  He could be
the uncrowned king here, the emperor, he could be like a GOD here....
     But there were things he needed to do first.  He needed to make sure, absolutely
sure, that this world did not hold practitioners of magic who would be able to
challenge him.  And then he needed to find and close the Gate through which he and
Clemenda had arrived, to make sure that no competitors from Ghea followed.
     He leaped to his feet, eager to make a beginning.
                       ***     *****     ***     *****     ***
     Clemenda was not in the room assigned to her when Shylock checked it.  She was
walking in a garden with Arenamaster Dan Shao, and enjoying it.  If she felt a little
guilty at not waiting until Shylock was rested and ready to accompany her, well, she
had that guilt under control.  After all, it had only been a dinner date.  It wasn't
like they were seriously involved.  And she could always say that she was finding out
more about this world, which had the advantage of being true.
     As nearly as she could figure out, this world had a Lirith Kai in it that wasn't
too different from the Lirith Kai of Ghea.  But there was no Alastari.  And while
this place, this Liran Kiv, was on an island, it had the whole island to itself.  If
there was anything like the rest of the Isle of the Eye, any Darkholm, Andorak, Free
Blades, any Talahya, Home Guard, or Primus, it was somewhere else.
     She found it hard to imagine a world without Alastari.  She hadn't thought she'd
ever feel homesick for the crowding, jostling nations, the patches of old magic gone
bad from the days of the Chaos Wars, the confusion of races and languages made
possible by Alastari's numerous Gates.  It must be...very peaceful here.  Very...
boring?
     Dan Shao came to a stop in front of a monument of polished dark stone and paused
silently.  It was inscribed with rows of something, names, she guessed, in the
Adantri monumental script.
     Clemenda hadn't learned more than the minimum of the Adantri chancery cursive
script required for citizenship, and this angular, antique variation was beyond her
ability.  She glanced at Dan Shao questioningly.
     "It is a monument to those of our number who have fallen in our on-going war
with the Gray Witch of the East," he said.  "We have held the line so far, but unless
the people of the Middle Sea come in on our side..." he shrugged.  "There may be many
more names to add to this pillar before the matter has been settled."
     "An on-going war...."
     "It is the great burden on all the people of Aleth, though some refuse to
acknowledge it, or even welcome the Witch in her rule.  But we of Lirith Kai will
never yield to her, and it is for this that our Champions here are trained and
selected and trained further, sent to war, and..." he sighed, "many ultimately
perish."
     "Why is this Gray Witch an enemy?" Clemenda asked curiously.
     "Setting aside the matter of iniquitous taxation, her imposition of worship in
manners and of deities unworthy of our blood, and the horrible draft of young people
from the lands she controls to feed her machinery of power, she risks the very
integrity of our world, the stability of the cosmos, by her unbridled use of Gates
into other dimensions."
     "Gates such as the one Shylock and I came through."
     "Ultimately, yes, that is a case in point.  I have consulted the scholars, and
they feel that the Gate which brought you here, fair lady, was not opened
deliberately.  But that it opened at all is a sign of the degree to which her
tampering with the fabric of reality has weakened the wall between universes.  That
is why it is imperative that your Gate be closed--because it does weaken that fabric
and thus it imperils all existence, possibly that of your world as well as ours."

   * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ * }%|[ As the Turns Whirl ]|%{ * }%|[-----+O+-----]|%{ *

     Galen walked down the gangplank with the two Lord Protectors, Phetmolge the
troll-like creature and Khirza the cat-woman.  He was nervous.  After years of
searching, he was going to meet Jolane again.  Of course she was dead now, or rather
undead.  But still, he had a chance to settle an issue that had weighed on his soul
for three years.  He sighed as he stepped down the little stair onto the deck.
     Phetmolge looked down at him.  The gladiator was huge and gray and spotted here
and there with patches of short, oddly colored hair like lichen on a rock, but
according to a Commission memo Galen had seen, anatomically he was far more human
than troll.  The big gray man said, "So you have a history with this woman.  I'm
sorry.  Were you and she lovers?"
     "No," Galen said.  "No, not at all."  He followed Phetmolge across the deck to
the ladder leading down.  "She was a prostitute."  At Phetmolge's glance, he blushed
and added, "I wasn't a customer of hers either.  I met her one night in a police
station.  I was a little bit kind to her and she passed me a note.  It was written
with lipstick on a handkerchief, I couldn't make out what it said.  Someone had to
decipher it for me.  She was asking me to help her sister.  But I'd lost track of
this woman, Jolane, at the police station, I didn't know her name or where to find
her or her sister or what kind of help was needed... Later on, I met a person who may
or may not be her sister, a woman named Perdina."
     Khirza, bringing up the rear, dropped down from the ladder and said, "Perdina
the goddess of lost causes?  Or named after her?"
     Galen shrugged.  "The goddess herself, if she is a goddess.  Although I don't
know how a prostitute and a goddess could be sisters, or what kind of help Perdina
might need.  Maybe Jolane had more than one sister."
     "All questions we hope she'll answer today," rumbled Phetmolge as he pushed open
the door to the boiler room.
     To prepare for this interview, Galen had done a bit of research at the Korga
Khan Memorial Library.  The sirens of the Lake of Mist were undead, suicides who had
drowned themselves (or been eaten while attempting to drown themselves).  They had
the power to fascinate the opposite sex (or, if their victims were alternate-
lifestyle, the same sex).  Then they would drown their victims with a kiss and take
them to an underwater lair where the victim, quite dead, would be eaten.  Sirens had
a fixation on the issue over which they had ended their lives, and limited sentience
in regards to that issue although where anything else was involved they were pretty
much just nasty, murderous undead.  No one knew exactly what happened if a siren
succeeded in resolving its issue, because as far as it was known, none ever had.  The
most effective weapons against them were--
     "Galen!" said a sweet voice.  A long-legged blonde, even more beautiful and
voluptuous than she had been in life, held out her pale arms to him.  "I've waited so
long for you!"
     He wasn't ready.  The glory of her golden-brown eyes stunned and overwhelmed
him.  The vial of blessed earth tumbled from his fingers and shattered on the deck.
     He took a step forward and then a huge hand closed on the collar and back of his
coat and jerked him upward.  Dangling uncomfortably by the bunched-up fabric in his
armpits, Galen said, "Jolane, I'm here!"  Although his arms were somewhat
constricted, he struggled to tuck in his shirt; he wanted to present a neat
appearance to his lady-love.
     She rose from her bed of weedy ropes and walked toward him on her bare,
unbelievably graceful, precious white feet which he longed to kiss, swerving nimbly
around the cat-woman who was busy scooping something up off the floor.  She reached
for him; Galen managed to grab her hand although Phetmolge lifted him higher.  The
hand was wet and slipped from Galen's grasp.  Above the commotion of Galen and Jolane
calling to each other, the trollish man said, "We found her and locked her in this
room three days ago.  You'd think she would have dried out a bit."
     "Enchanted wetness," Khirza said, standing up with her cupped hand full of dirt.
"Too bad you can't bottle it, people could put it on their house plants when they go
on vacation."  With her free hand she tapped the siren's soggy white-clad shoulder.
"Ma'am, instead of killing him, don't you have something to tell him?"
     Jolane whirled, baring a mouthful of shark-like teeth, and snapped at Khirza,
who swiped with her claws, jumped way back, and drew a short sword.  Then Jolane
lunged for Galen.  Phetmolge, still holding the spyreporter up in the air by the
scruff of his neck, turned to protect his charge, pushed the siren away with his free
hand and then drew up his leg and attempted a side kick.  It was a grotesque thing to
watch, thought Galen, momentarily distracted from his obsession with Jolane by the
remarkable sight of an eight-foot, 300-pound humanoid attempting to fight like an
aimed blow.  The gray-skinned gladiator actually managed to get his leather-clad leg
up, deeply flexed and hip-swiveled so it was in position to lash out like a piston.
But then Jolane stepped to the side, Phetmolge attempted to pivot on his other foot
in order to keep her in range, and suddenly waved his free arm wildly in a frantic
effort to keep his balance.
     "Oh noooo!" Galen shouted as the huge man, evidently still trying to protect him
from Jolane, twisted around in order to fall on top of him.
     When Galen regained consciousness, it was rather dark and he felt like his head
was caught in a vise.  It was hard to breathe.  He could move one leg freely and
could wiggle all his fingers.  The other leg was pinned but nothing seemed to be
broken.  He realized that his head was being pressed between the deck and the massive
gladiator's chest.  Phetmolge was snoring gently.  Galen could see a narrow band of
lamp light, about the width of his own head, and some wooden decking.  There was the
edge of a pile of weedy ropes, so he thought he was still in the boiler room.  He
struggled briefly, trying to roll the gladiator off of him.  It was no use.
Phetmolge looked like about a 300-pounder, but maybe he was actually a lot heavier.
     Feet appeared in the lighted space: pale, graceful, wet feet.  Then a pair of
hands came down to the floor, along with a quantity of soggy white rags.  Then a
lovely white face with crimson lips and vivid amber-brown eyes.  She had to lie down
on the floor in order to look at him.
     "Galen, my love, come out of there," Jolane said.
     "I can't," Galen said.  "Not until he wakes up.  He must have hit his head."
     "But I want to kiss you."
     "I know!  I want it too, but we'll have to wait."  He was struck by a moment of 
sanity.  "Meanwhile, maybe we could talk."
     "I don't want to talk," she pouted.  "I want to kiss."
     "So do I, but...well, there you have it."  He would have shrugged helplessly.
"Tell me about your sister who needs my help.  Is it Perdina?"
     "You are far too late, my love, my failed hero, my miserable little rat of a
would-be rescuer.  Why didn't you help her before she was beyond all help?"
     "Because I didn't know who she was, or who you were, or where to find you so I
could ask you!"
     "Ignorance of the quest is no excuse."
     "It jolly well is so!"
     "I should have known you would let me down.  It is the nature of men."
     Normally, Galen's attitude toward women was very respectful...deferent...he
let them order him around...basically, it seemed to be his destiny to be pussy-
whipped.  However, being wedged between a hard deck and an unconscious behemoth was
having its effect on his attitude.  "Oh for pity's sake!  You have this in common
with your sister: you are very ready to hand out undeserved guilt.  Short of dying,
I'm willing to do what I can for your sister, if there's anything that can still be
done.  I don't happen to know what her problem is.  You forgot to mention that little
detail."  He made a little sound of discomfort and tried again, with no success, to
push the gray man off of him.  "Your sister is Perdina, right?"
     "Yes."  Lying on the deck and peering under Phetmolge's chest, Jolane gazed
thoughtfully at Galen.  "Do you promise to help her?"
     "No!  I barely know the woman and she hasn't been very nice to me.  I promise
I'll...I'll look into it, and help her if I can reasonably well do so."
     "That's not good enough," Jolane said.
     "Well, what is her problem?  If it's something simple then maybe I could make a
more comprehensive pledge."
     "She needs to get out of a sticky marriage."
     "Eh?  Is that why you killed yourself?  Because your sister wants a divorce?"
     "No, of course not."
     "Then why did you?"
     "It's none of your business."
     It was very hard to think clearly when his head was being squeezed.  However,
Galen definitely recalled reading that sirens were only rational (relatively
speaking) in regards to the subject that had made them commit suicide.  "Jolane, I
beg your pardon for pointing this out so bluntly, but you're dead.  Undead, rather.
Why are you still concerned about your sister's unhappy marriage?"
     "Isn't it just like a man to say such a cold-hearted thing!  Oh, I'm going to
kill you and be done with it!"  She reached under Phetmolge's chest, her graceful
hand becoming a clawed, bony talon as it slid towards his face.  He renewed his
effort to throw the huge gladiator off.
     Another clawed hand, this one covered with taffy-colored fur, seized the
attacking arm and dragged it away from him.  After that, all he could see was a
jumble of furred appendages and pale white ones tumbling and scrambling past his
narrow field of vision.  There was cursing, snarling, a shriek, and then a gagging
sound and some rhythmic thumping on the deck.
     Very suddenly, the weight was lifted from his head and body.  "I think it's safe
to let you up now," rumbled Phetmolge, rising to his feet.
     Galen sat up, appreciating the power of taking a deep breath.  The first thing
he saw was Khirza, crouching over Jolane's convulsing white body and holding her
mouth shut.  Jolane's hands clutched Khirza's forearms, which were covered with
bleeding scratches.  Galen watched, feeling no strong urge to interfere.
     When Jolane stopped twitching, Khirza stood up and took a step back.  The cat-
woman glanced at Phetmolge.  "Could you get a tarp?"
     With a nod, the great gray being left the room.
     "Thanks," Galen said.  He stared at the body.  There was dirt around Jolane's
red lips.  "You fed her the blessed earth?"
     "Yeah."
     "Actually it was only supposed to be sprinkled on her skin."
     "Oh well."
     He cleared his throat.  "I'm sure your method will be fine, though."
     He helped them roll her into the tarp, then watched as Phetmolge systematically
crushed the bundle and dumped the mess into the lake, where it was rapidly devoured
by schools of nasty little monsters.  The library book had not mentioned any special
methods of disposing of a slain siren, but this one seemed to ensure that if Jolane
could somehow resurrect herself, she would not be doing it anytime soon.
     "I don't understand it," Galen said as they all washed themselves in buckets of
clean water from a barrel.  "Why would she kill herself and become an undead over her
sister's marriage?"
     "You'd better let it go," said Phetmolge.  "You're out of it now, whatever IT
is.  You don't want to get sucked back in, do you?"
     Galen splashed cold water on his face, which still felt strange from being
squeezed.  "Well, evidently Perdina has a serious problem."
     Khirza said, "Galen, she may be a very minor goddess but she's still a goddess.
When someone asks you if you want to help a deity with their marital problems, you
say NO."
     "Yes of course, but still...I wish I understood why..."
     Khirza dipped a fresh bucket of water from the barrel and poured it over Galen's
head.  The rest of his comment was lost in sloshes and sputters.

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

                         ---===DELARQUAN REGIONAL NEWS===---

                                     Duelmasters
                                     -----------
 DM   1 MORDANT (turn 481): CHYNA of HAWKS (Mr. Monsen, mgr.)
 DM   2 NIANIA (turn 366): MORADOR of RESURRECTION (Shocking Toad, mgr.)
 DM   3 OSKSI (turn 486): SANDMAN of SIMPLY DESSERTS (Sweet Tooth, mgr.)
 DM   4 JHELUM (turn 483): SHERMAN of DOGS OF WAR (Nick, mgr.)
 DM   5 KALTOS (turn 481): FOLIE HANNA of THE MIDDLE WAY 5 (Nick, mgr.)
 DM   6 TRANSEL (turn 485): SHEMAN DO of HEME-JO CONDITION (Hamich, mgr.)
 DM   7 BONSUR (turn 482): ARROWROOT of SUGAR AND SPICE (Mannequin, mgr.)
 DM  10 KOLACT (turn 477): FELICITAS of PRAETORIAN GUARD (Shocking Toad, mgr.)
 DM  18 TALCAMA (turn 468): LILITH of THE SHADOWS (Goat, mgr.)
 DM  21 SUNSET (turn 467): STINKALOGICAL of BOOK OF STINK (Kleptov Grenufelbitz)
 DM  36 JHANS (turn 441): ZANTARA of IRON TIGERS (Jinx, mgr.)
 DM  38 CLIFFHOME (turn 432): EAGLE'S NEST of EAGLES CLAW (Talon Volksie, mgr.)
 DM  39 XOCHITHLAN (turn 187): B.A. TURRY of CRIMINAL ELEMENT (Fizban, mgr.)
 DM  42 RODEKI (turn 419): DRAXUS BREMOORE of FLAGG'S FIVE (Flagg, mgr.)
 DM  51 TRICORUS (turn 367): DROGOI of DARK HORSEMEN (Nick, mgr.)
 DM  54 TROCAR (turn 174): SLIPPERY NIPPLE of INDULGENT DRINKS (Fizban, mgr.)
 DM  59 ILLIS (turn 162): LUCIA of ISLANDERS (Nick, mgr.)
 DM  62 VALAMANTIS (turn 317): BLACK WIDOW of SLAUGHTERHOUSE 5 (Soultaker, mgr.)
 DM  72 DRAGONHEAD (turn 139): CONSTANTINE of AGELESS WONDER (Belyn, mgr.)
ADM 104 DARKHOLM (turn 360): BARROCH of SHEPHERDS from TALCAMA (Assurnasirbanipal)

                                      Top Teams
                                      ---------
 DM   1 MORDANT (turn 481): none
 DM   2 NIANIA (turn 366): RESURRECTION (Shocking Toad, mgr.)
 DM   3 OSKSI (turn 486): SIMPLY DESSERTS (Sweet Tooth, mgr.)
 DM   4 JHELUM (turn 483): DOGS OF WAR (Nick, mgr.)
 DM   5 KALTOS (turn 481): THE MIDDLE WAY 5 (Nick, mgr.)
 DM   6 TRANSEL (turn 485): JETHRO'S TOOLS (TigerTiger, mgr.)
 DM   7 BONSUR (turn 482): none
 DM  10 KOLACT (turn 477): THE MENTORS (Dr. Feelgood, mgr.)
 DM  18 TALCAMA (turn 468): SHEPHERDS (Assurnasirbanipal, mgr.)
 DM  21 SUNSET (turn 467): SWORD OPERA (Nick, mgr.)
 DM  36 JHANS (turn 441): EVER AFTER (SOL, mgr.)
 DM  38 CLIFFHOME (turn 432): ALL FINESSE (Mannequin, mgr.)
 DM  39 XOCHITHLAN (turn 187): CHEAP SHOTS (?, mgr.)
 DM  42 RODEKI (turn 419): FLAGG'S FIVE (Flagg, mgr.)
 DM  51 TRICORUS (turn 367): DARK HORSEMEN (Nick, mgr.)
 DM  54 TROCAR (turn 174): INDULGENT DRINKS (Fizban, mgr.)
 DM  59 ILLIS (turn 162): THE EXPLORERS (Kellog, mgr.)
 DM  62 VALAMANTIS (turn 317): SAMURAI KIDS II (Sensei Jan, mgr.)
 DM  72 DRAGONHEAD (turn 139): FAVORITE THINGS (?, mgr.)
ADM 104 DARKHOLM (turn 360): DARK PANTHEON, etc. (Doc Steele, mgr.)

                                   Recent Graduates
                                  -----------------
 DM   1 MORDANT (turn 481): CHYNA of HAWKS (Mr. Monsen, mgr.)
                            MAN NEXT DOOR of HOMICIDAL MANIACS (Nick, mgr.)
 DM   4 JHELUM (turn 483): SHERMAN of DOGS OF WAR (Nick, mgr.)
 DM   7 BONSUR (turn 482): ARROWROOT of SUGAR AND SPICE (Mannequin, mgr.)
                           MIAMI MIA of BEACH BABES (Surfer Sam, mgr.)
 DM  10 KOLACT (turn 477): GRANDIOSE GRETA of SPRINGBORN (Still, mgr.)
 DM  18 TALCAMA (turn 468): LILITH of THE SHADOWS (Goat, mgr.)
                            SON OF CAIN of UNTOUCHABLES (Angus, mgr.)
                            VAIN VARICOSE of CAULDRON OF HATE (Philthy Phil, mgr.)
                            DIRE WOLF of BEAST MASTERS (The Druid, mgr.)
 DM  21 SUNSET (turn 467): STINKALOGICAL of BOOK OF STINK (Kleptov Grenufelbitz)
                           POTOMACC of GRIM FANDANGO (Stik, mgr.)
               (turn 466): ADAM AND STINK of BOOK OF STINK (Kleptov Grenufelbitz)
 DM  38 CLIFFHOME (turn 431): FIDDLESTICKS of ALL FINESSE (Mannequin, mgr.)
 DM  39 XOCHITHLAN (turn 187): B.A. TURRY of CRIMINAL ELEMENT (Fizban, mgr.)
                               WHAT'S UP, DUCK? of DUCKS UNLIMITED (Crip, mgr.)
 DM  42 RODEKI (turn 418): PUDDING PARADE of COLOR ME SUAVE (Suave, mgr.)
 DM  62 VALAMANTIS (turn 316): RAY of THE BOLT (Hombre, mgr.)
                               DADDY of MIKE'S INK (Hombre, mgr.)
 DM  72 DRAGONHEAD (turn 139): SIR LANCELOT of KNIGHTS TEMPLAR (Baphomet, mgr.)

                                 THE GUARDIAN'S FORUM
                      Reflections by the Keeper of the Runeblade

Not much to report on the last couple of title fights.  Dusky Jawfish was shown what
Darkholm's Challenger Champion class is supposed to look like.  Buul the Bull fell in
classic basher style after my first riposte.

With the win, I once again have a winning career record.  It may end this very turn,
as I have TV'd (again) Voldric the Blue.  Voldric is one of the reasons I had a
losing career record, but we are better matched now.

I have one, maybe two fights left in my long mostly unstoried career.  Even should I
lose them both, my career has come full circle.  I started strong and I finish
strong.

-- Barroch

...notes from Assurnasirbanipal...
It is amazing how long it has been since I've run a Lunger!  I have one in basic
right now, but other than that, I don't think I've run one since Barroch (other than
a couple turns here and there).  If I cared, I'd run a whole lot more, but I just
can't bring myself to it.  So I'll happily retire Barroch and continue bringing up my
Bashers.

                             REPORT FROM WITHIN THE TOWER

Warriors of Darkholm, hi there!

     Our title fight this turn was our only successful TV challenge.  BARROCH (18-
2684) (88-87-1,299) of SHEPHERDS TV challenged VOLDRIC THE BLUE (18-6259) (59-44-
0,220) of THUNDR + LITENING.  Top Lunger BARROCH devastated top Total Parry VOLDRIC
THE BLUE in a 2 minute mismatched Challenge Title fight.  He was surely helped by the
fact that he wrote a column.  And Barroch, well done!  You stand now at 89-87 and I
guess that you will retire with a winning record!
     It is worthy noting that Assurnasirbanipal has two stylemasters this turn,
Barroch as well as top Basher Blinky.  SUE E. SYDE (39-3240) (36-28-1,182) of
CRIMINAL ELEMENT challenged BLINKY (18-2683) (73-114-4,203) of SHEPHERDS.  SUE E.
SYDE was defeated by BLINKY in a crowd pleasing 3 minute Challenge match.
     There is just one other manager with two stylemasters this turn.  Well done,
Lord Andarus!  Master Total Parry DEORNE (7-2529) (67-50-1,206) of BLADES OF ICE
fought OH WELL (10-2205) (27-23-4,178) of THE MENTORS.  DEORNE overpowered OH WELL in
a 1 minute one-sided duel.  Clearly, Deorne is no scum.  And then, leading slasher
RENAE (7-4304) (54-39-3,231) of BLADES OF ICE fought MUCKER (42-3596) (47-54-1,193)
of DELVERS.  RENAE beat MUCKER in an exciting 1 minute fray.
     Look, we have a new high-ranked Aimed Blow this turn!  FACEMAN (38-4129) (40-35-
2,213) of THE A TEAM fought MR PIBB (24-4253) (52-20-1,205) of DP CLONES.  FACEMAN
overpowered MR PIBB in a 1 minute uneven duel.  And what happened to Large Spinny
Guy?  Former top Aimed Blow, LARGE SPINNY GUY (23-4361) (52-29-2,233) of DIABLO TOO
fought top Striker MAHI MAHI (18-4899) (83-59-1,240) of BIG MEAN FISH.  LARGE SPINNY
GUY was overpowered by MAHI MAHI in a popular 1 minute one-sided bout.  Well well!
     Naturally, Lee at Tourney is our overall popularity leader.  WHIRLING WORD (48-
3815) (50-31-0,233) of 4-LETTER WORDS fought LEE AT TOURNEY (4-3565) (105-117-1,271)
of LETHAL LADIES.  WHIRLING WORD was savagely defeated by LEE AT TOURNEY in a 3
minute fight.  Keep it up, Lee, and you will have a winning record before you know
it.
     Our spectators' scum sympathy vote went to Floating Swiss, who managed to remain
standing throughout its fight with Christianity.  CHRISTIANITY (51-4965) (38-32-
0,194) of GENOCIDE challenged FLOATING SWISS (4-4461) (22-13-0,217) of
THINGSINPUG'SCOOLER.  CHRISTIANITY was viciously subdued by FLOATING SWISS in a 5
minute Challenge fight.
     And then there was...John Ashcroft.  JOHN ASHCROFT (24-4355) (16-10-2,43) of
DOH! fought PROFFESSOR GRIM (10-2613) (17-11-0,77) of THE MENTORS.  JOHN ASHCROFT was
handily defeated by PROFFESSOR GRIM in a 1 minute mismatched bout.  Mr. Ashcroft is
right down there near the bottom of the rankings, folks, and nobody likes him.  Use
your tools, man!  Challenge, avoid, tinker with your strategy.  You'll come up out of
the cellar.
     Our very lowest-ranked warrior, of course, is a newcomer to Darkholm, Huge
Twirling Man.  He had the distinction of getting killed this turn, which means to me
that he fights hard enough to risk death, and you won't see him at the bottom for
very much longer.  HUGE TWIRLING MAN (24-4457) (18-6-0,75) of DIABLO ALSO fought FLEM
(82-12614) (4-4-0,16) of 4-LETTER FLUIDS.  HUGE TWIRLING MAN was murdered by FLEM in
a 1 minute one-sided conflict.
     Our other two honored dead are Arsonist Art and Gree Chak.  DUNE (82-10414) (5-
5-0,20) of 4-LETTER EPICS fought ARSONIST ART (39-3325) (23-15-0,82) of CRIMINAL
ELEMENT.  DUNE slaughtered ARSONIST ART in a popular 1 minute gory one-sided duel.
GREE CHAK (41-3859) (37-26-2,179) of KILLERS challenged ROB A. REE (39-3241) (29-15-
0,104) of CRIMINAL ELEMENT.  GREE CHAK was executed by ROB A. REE in a 1 minute one-
sided Challenge melee.  Look, the manager of Criminal Element (who is that, by the
way?) instructs his warriors to fight hard enough to kill or be killed on a regular
basis!  Well done!
     And what of Sex on the Beach, who for some time has been flirting with our
lowest rank?  I am far too sophisticated to exploit the coincidence of arena names,
but RAW SEX APPEAL (82-1331) (9-4-0,31) of WHY WE LOVE TUM fought SEX ON THE BEACH
(54-2435) (19-7-3,70) of INDULGENT DRINKS.  RAW SEX APPEAL demolished SEX ON THE
BEACH in a popular 1 minute gory uneven battle.  That was a random match.  Sex On, in
order to rise to a rank that your record says you deserve, you've got to keep using
your challenges and avoids!
     Oh, speaking of avoids, this turn it was Criminal Element who avoided Qubit.
Well done!  That's using all your tools!
     Our most challenged warrior was Braden, who (despite an inviting record) had
what it took to teach his challengers the type of lesson they didn't want.  LUC
STARWALKER (58-6100) (26-31-0,62) of NEXT GENERATION challenged BRADEN (6-4867) (47-
82-0,82) of THE LADY'S LIST.  LUC STARWALKER was demolished by BRADEN in a 1 minute
one-sided Challenge bout.
     I believe that concludes my report for this turn.  Best wishes to you all for
the harvest season.

                                 Desiree

KEEPER OF THE RUNEBLADE       W   L  K PNTS  TEAM NAME                  CITY           
 BARROCH 18-2684             89  87  1  320  SHEPHERDS (432)            TALCAMA

GRAND CHALLENGER CHAMPIONS    W   L  K PNTS  TEAM NAME                  CITY           
 LEE AT TOURNEY 4-3565      106 117  1  289  LETHAL LADIES (768)        JHELUM
 BUNNY WAILER 3-5356         34  19  0  275  EXODUS! (956)              OSKSI
 DOONE 42-1183               43  41  2  267  FLAGG 16 (352)             RODEKI
 MAHI MAHI 18-4899           84  59  1  263  BIG MEAN FISH (292)        TALCAMA
 SLAYER II 10-2125           36  24  1  258  THE MENTORS (408)          KOLACT
 FACEMAN 38-4129             41  35  2  239  THE A TEAM (1044)          CLIFFHOME
 RENAE 7-4304                55  39  3  235  BLADES OF ICE (192)        BONSUR
 MAJOR TOM 21-4598           42  31  1  231  SPIDERS FROM MARS (950)    SUNSET
 BRAHMA 97-731               28  28  4  230  ONE SURFING HINDU (1071)   SHADOW GROVE
 GEO METRO 58-5740           61  61  2  229  COOL WHEELS (943)          DELARQ TOR
 JACK BOY 82-2030            66  50  0  227  ON A WHIM (1014)           DWES EG
 FLOATING SWISS 4-4461       23  13  0  226  THINGSINPUG'SCOOLER (1088) JHELUM
 DIERDRE 69-9439             39  36  1  225  FIANADHA (945)             CIMMERIAC
 OBSESSIVE 58-2447           40  34  1  215  ELEMENTS OF PSI (423)      DELARQ TOR
 RAZOX 7-2400                73  52  1  214  BLADES OF ICE (192)        BONSUR
 COOLER 82-7277              28  13  1  214  STYROFOAM (1090)           DWES EG
 DEORNE 7-2529               68  50  1  212  BLADES OF ICE (192)        BONSUR

GRAND CHAMPIONS               W   L  K PNTS  TEAM NAME                  CITY           
 BLINKY 18-2683              74 114  4  210  SHEPHERDS (432)            TALCAMA
 DR DAZZLE 57-4485           43  26  0  209  PEPPER PRACTICE II (1069)  ANDOR
 BODHISATVA 36-4027          37  25  0  209  THE TAO (923)              JHANS
 SCHYLER 6-4866              49  81  1  206  THE LADY'S LIST (917)      TRANSEL
 ETCHED IN STONE 61-3112     32  11  0  206  CEMENTIA (1112)            JURINE
 DUSKY JAWFISH 18-6978       38  35  1  205  BIG MEAN FISH (292)        TALCAMA
 BLACK WIDOW 37-1303         52  60  2  203  BEAST MASTERS (136)        SIBIKHAS
-OSCAR THE SLOUCH 82-1316    39  29  3  201  SESAME SPINE (1070)        DWES EG
 ZALTAN 6-4616               56 106  2  200  THE LADY'S LIST (917)      TRANSEL

GRAND CHAMPIONS               W   L  K PNTS  TEAM NAME                  CITY           
-NO SALARY CAP 82-6494       20   6  1  200  WHY I PLAY DM (1116)       DWES EG
 SALIEL 3-5485               56  46  1  199  ZODIAC KNIGHTS (958)       OSKSI
 RYGEL 18-7142               39  28  0  199  WASTELAND (468)            TALCAMA
 TRANQUILITY 36-3765         47  39  3  198  THE TAO (923)              JHANS
 SID VICIOUS 18-6054         31  24  2  198  THE DARK TEMPLE (978)      TALCAMA
 DARK GUMBY 7-4694           42  28  0  197  WASTELAND II (500)         BONSUR
 SIR ENE 10-4360             40  26  3  197  SIR AGLIO (600)            KOLACT
 3-7-2-D-S 82-5727           34  28  0  197  FASCINATIN' RYTHYM (1152)  DWES EG
 LARGE SPINNY GUY 23-4361    52  30  2  196  DIABLO TOO (1037)          TI
 WHIRLING WORD 48-3815       50  32  0  196  4-LETTER WORDS (1063)      CAER
-STORM XCIX 82-14095         20   7  1  196  DEATH STUDS VIII (1086)    DWES EG
 MUCKER 42-3596              47  55  1  195  DELVERS (1000)             RODEKI
 CHRISTIANITY 51-4965        38  33  0  195  GENOCIDE (1110)            TRICORUS
-SYPHILIS 19-3085            84  49  2  194  THAT SUCKS! (1144)         ZUWAYZA
 FAT BASTARD 42-3804         46  23  0  194  I'M SO SEXY (1072)         RODEKI
 DR NUT 24-4254              43  26  2  194  DP CLONES (1045)           ZORPUNT
 SPEEDI 58-3029              91  77  3  193  SHAMROCKS (424)            DELARQ TOR
 MISS HONEY 36-4850          60  53  0  192  SCARRY TEAM (824)          JHANS
 VOLDRIC THE BLUE 18-6259    59  45  0  192  THUNDR + LITENING (309)    TALCAMA
 MR PIBB 24-4253             52  21  1  192  DP CLONES (1045)           ZORPUNT
-DARK ORIGIN 42-2770         26  16  0  192  GUARDIAN'S SLAVES (1157)   RODEKI
 JANAE 5-3867                51  41  3  191  BLADES OF CHAOS (961)      KALTOS
 SHOCKING TOAD 7-310         48  61  1  191  NINJAS (1107)              BONSUR
 CHICK WITH A STICK 23-4365  40  42  1  190  DIABLO TOO (1037)          TI
 WHIRLING DOG 10-4177        59  31  1  189  MONGREL HORDE (964)        KOLACT
-GRIZZLY 74-2710             41  42  0  189  TOTEM (1146)               DAIYLA KIV
 A DIFFERENT GRAPE 82-1258   32  17  0  189  MY WIFE'S COSMETICS (1038) DWES EG
 LUCRETIA BORGIA 4-3563      93 130  0  188  LETHAL LADIES (768)        JHELUM
 CLEANER WRASSE 18-6495      58  58  2  186  BIG MEAN FISH (292)        TALCAMA
 SUE E. SYDE 39-3240         36  29  1  185  CRIMINAL ELEMENT (1074)    XOCHITHLAN
 LADY STARDUST 21-4601       46  23  2  184  SPIDERS FROM MARS (950)    SUNSET
 BUUL THE BULL 2-4840        36  39  1  184  RESURRECTION (1143)        NIANIA

GRAND CHALLENGER ADEPTS       W   L  K PNTS  TEAM NAME                  CITY           
 HOT 48-3858                 40  40  2  180  OUTSIDE IS (1061)          CAER
 DRUNK AND AT DENNY 82-2255  34  35  2  180  ROCK BOTTOM (1080)         DWES EG
 ROB A. REE 39-3241          30  15  1  180  CRIMINAL ELEMENT (1074)    XOCHITHLAN
 SPLURGE ON WAX LIP 18-6485  49  39  1  179  STREET PIZZA (114)         TALCAMA
 OH WELL 10-2205             27  24  4  179  THE MENTORS (408)          KOLACT
 JANET RENO 42-3823          33  34  1  178  I'M SO SEXY (1072)         RODEKI
 SINISTER MIDGET 6-5113      36  42  5  177  LOOK OUT BELOW (1042)      TRANSEL
 SILAS 18-6796               33  57  2  176  SHEPHERDS (432)            TALCAMA
-DAVID CARUSO 82-2269        18   9  1  174  BELLYFLOP (1097)           DWES EG
-BIGFATHAIRYDEAL 82-1321     20   8  1  173  STREET PIZZAD I (1096)     DWES EG
 A NEW PONY! 82-1306         16  17  0  172  WHAT I ATE FOR XMAS (1114) DWES EG
 TOLAIS DEEPHEART 42-1620    81  92  0  171  DELVERS (1000)             RODEKI
 HARLEQUIN TUSKFISH 18-6977  39  33  0  169  BIG MEAN FISH (292)        TALCAMA
 TOWER 7-4461                36  18  1  169  BLADES OF ICE (192)        BONSUR
 THRENODY 4-4557             33  30  1  169  BLADES OF MIST (959)       JHELUM
-IRON HEAD LEE 18-6563       12   3  0  169  THE GUARDIANS II (1155)    TALCAMA
 RAMZA 7-4340                52  32  2  168  BLADES OF ICE (192)        BONSUR
 THANOS 37-1406              25  29  2  166  NIGHT TRAIN (545)          SIBIKHAS
-MOJO JOJO 10-4643           26  26  2  163  TOWNSVILLAINS (1089)       KOLACT
 CYCLOPS 7-4625              25  24  1  163  BIG BAD (1073)             BONSUR
 TORNADO 6-2249              25  32  2  162  ACTS OF NATURE (415)       TRANSEL
 DOC STEELE 18-6010          50 100  6  160  ARROGANCE (732)            TALCAMA
 HOCKEY 82-5719              17  16  0  160  CHEAP DENTISTRY (1098)     DWES EG
 HORRIBLE POSSESSION 6-4997  31  13  0  157  DARK PANTHEON (643)        TRANSEL
 LUIGI 6-5142                28  33  2  153  SUPER BASH BROTHERS (1067) TRANSEL

GRAND ADEPTS                  W   L  K PNTS  TEAM NAME                  CITY           
 DOC STEELE 18-6808          38  54  1  150  ARROGANCE (732)            TALCAMA
 SHINY PENNY 32-3789         29  60  2  146  FOUND IN THE SAND (1034)   ARVAT

GRAND ADEPTS                  W   L  K PNTS  TEAM NAME                  CITY           
 JOB 18-6129                 21 122  0  146  SHEPHERDS (432)            TALCAMA
 SALESGUN 1-6745             19  38  2  143  LEGENDS OF STEELE (1047)   MORDANT
 BEAR 7-4628                 24  34  1  137  BIG BAD (1073)             BONSUR
 GREE CHAK 41-3859           37  27  2  135  KILLERS (1145)             KATI-TEI
 SLEEPLESS PARANOIA 82-2252  13  14  1  132  PARENTHOOD (1122)          DWES EG
 THE HUNGER 21-4622          20   8  1  130  SPIDERS FROM MARS (950)    SUNSET
 QUID PRO QUO 10-4794        26   7  1  128  QUBIT (1140)               KOLACT
 BASS 5-3666                 48  85  2  123  JOHNS (927)                KALTOS
 LIFE 3-4196                 35 121  0  123  GAMES LIBRARY (998)        OSKSI
 LINK 6-5144                 25  34  2  123  SUPER BASH BROTHERS (1067) TRANSEL
 ELI 18-7272                 20  24  3  123  SHEPHERDS (432)            TALCAMA
 EXCREMENTO 51-4968          38  34  1  121  GUANO GROUP (1065)         TRICORUS
 BORGUS BASHIMUS 58-6097     21  28  1  117  NEXT GENERATION (1075)     DELARQ TOR
 THE WICKER KING 42-3904     22  17  0  112  FURNITURE BARN (1109)      RODEKI
 STING 10-429                20  16  2  110  THE HOLY LEGION (490)      KOLACT
 MAGINOT MIKE 4-4509         51  54  1  102  DOGS OF WAR (999)          JHELUM

GRAND CHALLENGER INITIATES    W   L  K PNTS  TEAM NAME                  CITY           
 SLAYER 3 10-2530            25  10  1   96  THE MENTORS (408)          KOLACT
 MIMIC BLENNY 18-7541        23  13  1   94  BIG MEAN FISH (292)        TALCAMA
 DUNE 82-10414                6   5  1   93  4-LETTER EPICS (1165)      DWES EG

GRAND INITIATES               W   L  K PNTS  TEAM NAME                  CITY           
 BRADEN 6-4867               48  82  0   87  THE LADY'S LIST (917)      TRANSEL
 FLEM 82-12614                5   4  1   86  4-LETTER FLUIDS (1166)     DWES EG
-MY1STADMWARRIOR 37-4668     19   6  1   84  SRETSAMLEUD (1134)         SIBIKHAS
-PORK CHOP 9-3878            11   5  1   84  PIGS ON PARADE (1154)      ZUKAL
 PATIENCE 51-4949            19  28  1   81  MIGHTY MORALS (1120)       TRICORUS
 PROFFESSOR GRIM 10-2613     18  11  0   81  THE MENTORS (408)          KOLACT
 NUMBERED WON 18-7434        18  20  0   77  NEXT GENERATION (1150)     TALCAMA
 WHARF 58-6101               20  28  3   74  NEXT GENERATION (1075)     DELARQ TOR
 RAW SEX APPEAL 82-1331      10   4  0   70  WHY WE LOVE TUM (1164)     DWES EG
 SACRIFICE 51-4947           14  26  2   67  MIGHTY MORALS (1120)       TRICORUS
 CONSTANCE 42-3875           19  17  2   61  FLAGG'S FIVE (1108)        RODEKI
 WENT TO MARKET 25-4288      15  11  2   59  THIS LITTLE PRIGGY (1162)  LYRATILAN
 ZOT ZIPZIG 6-5688           15  15  0   59  NIGHT TRAIN (1158)         TRANSEL
 LUC STARWALKER 58-6100      26  32  0   57  NEXT GENERATION (1075)     DELARQ TOR
-FROG SLAYER 21-4021         17  18  0   57  THE GUARDIANS (1156)       SUNSET
-TYRONE 21-1769              29  21  1   56  DWARVEN LEGION (1139)      SUNSET
 UGLY 82-14501                7   9  0   55  4-LETTER DESCRIPTION (1167 DWES EG
 MEN WORKING 38-4189         24  38  1   49  JUST BECAUSE (1151)        CLIFFHOME
 TRUMP 24-4359               25  21  1   45  BAD HAND (1125)            ZORPUNT
 JOHN ASHCROFT 24-4355       16  11  2   44  DOH! (1147)                ZORPUNT
 MR. OCTOBER 3-5893          20  24  1   42  FAMOUS HITTERS (1079)      OSKSI
 SEX ON THE BEACH 54-2435    19   8  3   42  INDULGENT DRINKS (1153)    TROCAR
 ARSONIST ART 39-3325        23  16  0   41  CRIMINAL ELEMENT (1074)    XOCHITHLAN
 HUGE TWIRLING MAN 24-4457   18   7  0   35  DIABLO ALSO (1163)         ZORPUNT

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

THE DEAD                    W   L  K TEAM NAME              SLAIN BY              TURN
ARSONIST ART 39-3325       23  16  0 CRIMINAL ELEMENT 1074  DUNE 82-10414          361
HUGE TWIRLING MAN 24-4457  18   7  0 DIABLO ALSO 1163       FLEM 82-12614          361
GREE CHAK 41-3859          37  27  2 KILLERS 1145           ROB A. REE 39-3241     361

                               PERSONAL CORRESPONDENCE

Life of Osksi -- Beanpole?  ME?!?  You're the first to call me that....  I thought
I'd heard them all (Hog, Ape, Dinosaur...) but never before have I been called
Beanpole!  You redeemed yourself last turn.  I'll keep the challenges coming.... --
Job of Talcama

Mucker -- Seems the old problem is still there, too! -- Blinky

Desiree -- Just ignore that Debby Tonte girl.  Being a Free Blader, she has probably
spent the entire last split looking for some statistic that gave a positive spin on
her region.  Here in the Delarquan Federation, we do what we want, when we want, and
if you don't like it, you can try and make us stop (or ask nicely and hope we don't
laugh in your face). -- Assurnasirbanipal, Delarquan

     Assur -- (smiling) You're such a sweetie. -- Desiree

Blinky -- I know golems like me can be confusing, but that's the first time I was
ever given the Hairy Eyeball by a guy. -- Mucker

Desiree -- No, I do NOT want a gender attachment.  I don't have the mental circuits
to handle that kind of confusion. -- Mucker

     It's a wise golem who knows his limitations.

Job of Talcama -- (shriek of outrage)  You did that ON PURPOSE!  You're TRYING to
make me win fights!  I hate you with the perfect hate of a perfectly created golem!
-- Life of Osksi

Bear -- That was MY porridge, and I will NOT share it with some dumb bear. -- Tolais
Deepheart

Eli -- Your dodge confused me; I didn't mean to hit you there.  But I DID hit you,
didn't I?  I actually one-shotted you!  That's incredible.  I love it.  And just
think, you could get in and out of the Infirmary before the rush. -- Maginot Mike

Desiree -- Ah, but an example of WHAT, I ask you?  A HORRID example, perhaps? -- Life
of Osksi
P.S.  I would advise you to distrust hereditary conditions.  You do REALIZE, do you
not, that this means they have already been USED?  Never settle for second-hand.

     Life -- Some hereditary qualities, such as a keen intelligence, are all the
     finer for having been honed so sharp by previous owners. -- Desiree
     P.S.  Hardly.

31 October 2003
     Come one, come all, to the greatest contest in Alastari!  The Third Annual Turf
War will be in North Fork (DM 47) starting in about 6-7 turns....  C'mon and get your
team some experience, and get declared!
     More info available in North Fork's newsletter.
     Bloody Sands. -- Asmo Dius, TCB

                                  LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS

BARROCH devastated VOLDRIC THE BLUE in a 2 minute mismatched Challenge Title fight.
SLAYER II viciously subdued SALIEL in a popular 1 minute gruesome Challenge match.
BUUL THE BULL was devastated by DIERDRE in a 2 minute one-sided Challenge contest.
SUE E. SYDE was defeated by BLINKY in a crowd pleasing 3 minute Challenge match.
CHRISTIANITY was viciously subdued by FLOATING SWISS in a 5 minute Challenge fight.
HORRIBLE POSSESSION devastated STING in a 2 minute one-sided Challenge competition.
CYCLOPS was viciously subdued by SPEEDI in a action packed 2 minute Challenge duel.
THE HUNGER was overpowered by HOCKEY in a popular 2 minute gory uneven Challenge duel.
GREE CHAK was executed by ROB A. REE in a 1 minute one-sided Challenge melee.
LUIGI was overpowered by LUCRETIA BORGIA in a 1 minute one-sided Challenge match.
JOB handily defeated LIFE in a exciting 4 minute bloody one-sided Challenge contest.
BEAR was beaten by TOLAIS DEEPHEART in a crowd pleasing 1 minute Challenge conflict.
BORGUS BASHIMUS was defeated by SINISTER MIDGET in a popular 1 minute Challenge duel.
LINK was devastated by DOC STEELE in a exciting 1 minute uneven Challenge duel.
ELI devastated MAGINOT MIKE in a popular 1 minute brutal mismatched Challenge brawl.
LUC STARWALKER was demolished by BRADEN in a 1 minute one-sided Challenge bout.
NUMBERED WON overpowered MEN WORKING in a 1 minute mismatched Challenge fight.
SACRIFICE was devastated by SLAYER 3 in a 1 minute one-sided Challenge contest.
WHARF defeated ZOT ZIPZIG in a exciting 3 minute Challenge duel.
PATIENCE overpowered TRUMP in a action packed 1 minute bloody uneven Challenge fray.
WENT TO MARKET was overpowered by MIMIC BLENNY in a 1 minute Challenge match.
DOONE overpowered JANAE in a popular 1 minute gruesome one-sided duel.
SHOCKING TOAD was savagely defeated by BLACK WIDOW in a exciting 2 minute bout.
FACEMAN overpowered MR PIBB in a 1 minute uneven duel.
RENAE beat MUCKER in a exciting 1 minute fray.
BRAHMA handily defeated HOT in a 1 minute one-sided duel.
WHIRLING WORD was savagely defeated by LEE AT TOURNEY in a 3 minute fight.
GEO METRO narrowly defeated TRANQUILITY in a exciting 3 minute gory match.
LARGE SPINNY GUY was overpowered by MAHI MAHI in a popular 1 minute one-sided bout.
MAJOR TOM viciously subdued CHICK WITH A STICK in a crowd pleasing 3 minute match.
BUNNY WAILER overpowered DR NUT in a exciting 1 minute one-sided struggle.
ETCHED IN STONE unbelievably bested SID VICIOUS in a action packed 4 minute bout.
SPLURGE ON WAX LIPS was overpowered by DR DAZZLE in a 1 minute one-sided match.
CLEANER WRASSE was demolished by BODHISATVA in a popular 1 minute one-sided duel.
DUSKY JAWFISH won victory over MISS HONEY in a crowd pleasing 1 minute bout.
RYGEL demolished THANOS in a exciting 1 minute uneven competition.
SIR ENE overpowered DRUNK AND AT DENNYS in a 1 minute uneven battle.
WHIRLING DOG was vanquished by JACK BOY in a 2 minute one-sided struggle.
LADY STARDUST was handily defeated by COOLER in a popular 1 minute mismatched duel.
DARK GUMBY overpowered SILAS in a crowd pleasing 1 minute uneven competition.
OBSESSIVE demolished SHADOWMANE in a exciting 1 minute one-sided match.
DEORNE overpowered OH WELL in a 1 minute one-sided duel.
RAZOX savagely defeated FAT BASTARD in a popular 5 minute bloody fray.
3-7-2-D-S vanquished JANET RENO in a crowd pleasing 1 minute one-sided match.
A DIFFERENT GRAPE savagely defeated THRENODY in a exciting 8 minute gory battle.
SCHYLER savagely defeated TOWER in a crowd pleasing 2 minute bloody conflict.
ZALTAN beat A NEW PONY! in a exciting 1 minute struggle.
TORNADO was subdued by RAMZA in a popular 1 minute bloody brawl.
DOC STEELE was demolished by HARLEQUIN TUSKFISH in a 1 minute mismatched battle.
EXCREMENTO was devastated by SHINY PENNY in a action packed 1 minute one-sided bout.
THE WICKER KING bested OLD SAILMAKER in a 2 minute gory fight.
SLEEPLESS PARANOIA was bested by SALESGUN in a crowd pleasing 2 minute conflict.
BASS was beaten by QUID PRO QUO in a popular 4 minute gruesome match.
HUGE TWIRLING MAN was murdered by FLEM in a 1 minute one-sided conflict.
JOHN ASHCROFT was handily defeated by PROFFESSOR GRIM in a 1 minute mismatched bout.
UGLY savagely defeated MR. OCTOBER in a crowd pleasing 2 minute brutal bout.
DUNE slaughtered ARSONIST ART in a popular 1 minute gory one-sided duel.
CONSTANCE overpowered INKEEPER'S SON in a 1 minute brutal uneven melee.
RAW SEX APPEAL demolished SEX ON THE BEACH in a popular 1 minute gory uneven battle.

                                    BATTLE REPORT

             MOST POPULAR                        RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS     
|FIGHTING STYLE               FIGHTS        FIGHTING STYLE     W -   L -  K   PERCENT|
|LUNGING ATTACK                  33         TOTAL PARRY       54 -  39 -  0      58  |
|WALL OF STEEL                   19         WALL OF STEEL     94 -  68 -  0      58  |
|BASHING ATTACK                  18         PARRY-LUNGE       29 -  24 -  0      55  |
|AIMED BLOW                      11         SLASHING ATTACK   51 -  45 -  4      53  |
|SLASHING ATTACK                  9         LUNGING ATTACK   155 - 139 -  2      53  |
|TOTAL PARRY                      9         PARRY-STRIKE      14 -  15 -  0      48  |
|PARRY-LUNGE                      7         STRIKING ATTACK   22 -  27 -  1      45  |
|STRIKING ATTACK                  6         AIMED BLOW        51 -  66 -  0      44  |
|PARRY-STRIKE                     3         BASHING ATTACK    48 -  91 -  2      35  |
|PARRY-RIPOSTE                    0         PARRY-RIPOSTE      0 -   0 -  0       0  |

Turn 361 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    8 -  1     PARRY-LUNGE        3 -  4         3  LUNGING ATTACK 
PARRY-STRIKE       2 -  1     AIMED BLOW         4 -  7         2  PARRY-LUNGE    
TOTAL PARRY        6 -  3     BASHING ATTACK     5 - 13         2  AIMED BLOW     
LUNGING ATTACK    18 - 15     PARRY-RIPOSTE      0 -  0         1  PARRY-STRIKE   
WALL OF STEEL     10 -  9                                       1  STRIKING ATTACK
STRIKING ATTACK    3 -  3                                       1  WALL OF STEEL  
                                                                1  SLASHING ATTACK

                               TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE

FIGHTING STYLE   WARRIOR                     W   L  K PNTS TEAM NAME                  
LUNGING ATTACK   BARROCH 18-2684            89  87  1  320 SHEPHERDS (432)
PARRY-LUNGE      LEE AT TOURNEY 4-3565     106 117  1  289 LETHAL LADIES (768)
PARRY-STRIKE     BUNNY WAILER 3-5356        34  19  0  275 EXODUS! (956)
STRIKING ATTACK  MAHI MAHI 18-4899          84  59  1  263 BIG MEAN FISH (292)
WALL OF STEEL    SLAYER II 10-2125          36  24  1  258 THE MENTORS (408)
AIMED BLOW       FACEMAN 38-4129            41  35  2  239 THE A TEAM (1044)
SLASHING ATTACK  RENAE 7-4304               55  39  3  235 BLADES OF ICE (192)
TOTAL PARRY      DEORNE 7-2529              68  50  1  212 BLADES OF ICE (192)
BASHING ATTACK   BLINKY 18-2683             74 114  4  210 SHEPHERDS (432)

The overall popularity leader is LEE AT TOURNEY 4-3565.  The most popular warrior 
this turn was FLOATING SWISS 4-4461.  The ten other most popular fighters were FAT 
BASTARD 42-3804, SID VICIOUS 18-6054, BASS 5-3666, MAJOR TOM 21-4598, A DIFFERENT 
GRAPE 82-1258, SUE E. SYDE 39-3240, LEE AT TOURNEY 4-3565, THRENODY 4-4557, ZOT 
ZIPZIG 6-5688, and TRANQUILITY 36-3765.

The least popular fighter this week was JOHN ASHCROFT 24-4355.  The other ten least 
popular fighters were HUGE TWIRLING MAN 24-4457, LADY STARDUST 21-4601, DRUNK AND AT 
DENNYS 82-2255, CLEANER WRASSE 18-6495, HOT 48-3858, MR PIBB 24-4253, WENT TO MARKET 
25-4288, MEN WORKING 38-4189, GREE CHAK 41-3859, and SEX ON THE BEACH 54-2435.

Arena (Number)       W  L K  Arena (Number)       W  L K  Arena (Number)       W  L K  
MORDANT(1)           1  0 0  TI(23)               0  2 0  CAER(48)             0  2 0  
NIANIA(2)            0  1 0  ZORPUNT(24)          0  5 0  TRICORUS(51)         1  3 0  
OSKSI(3)             1  3 0  LYRATILAN(25)        0  1 0  TROCAR(54)           0  1 0  
JHELUM(4)            3  2 0  ARVAT(32)            1  0 0  ANDOR(57)            1  0 0  
KALTOS(5)            0  2 0  JHANS(36)            1  2 0  DELARQ TOR(58)       4  2 0  
TRANSEL(6)           5  4 0  SIBIKHAS(37)         1  1 0  JURINE(61)           1  0 0  
BONSUR(7)            5  4 0  CLIFFHOME(38)        1  1 0  CIMMERIAC(69)        1  0 0  
KOLACT(10)           5  3 0  XOCHITHLAN(39)       1  2 1  DWES EG(82)          9  3 2  
TALCAMA(18)         11  6 0  KATI-TEI(41)         0  1 0  SHADOW GROVE(97)     1  0 0  
SUNSET(21)           1  2 0  RODEKI(42)           4  3 0  

TOP WARRIOR OF EACH ARENA     W   L  K PNTS  TEAM NAME                  CITY           
 SALESGUN 1-6745             19  38  2  143  LEGENDS OF STEELE (1047)   MORDANT
 BUUL THE BULL 2-4840        36  39  1  184  RESURRECTION (1143)        NIANIA
 BUNNY WAILER 3-5356         34  19  0  275  EXODUS! (956)              OSKSI
 LEE AT TOURNEY 4-3565      106 117  1  289  LETHAL LADIES (768)        JHELUM
 JANAE 5-3867                51  41  3  191  BLADES OF CHAOS (961)      KALTOS
 SCHYLER 6-4866              49  81  1  206  THE LADY'S LIST (917)      TRANSEL
 RENAE 7-4304                55  39  3  235  BLADES OF ICE (192)        BONSUR
 SLAYER II 10-2125           36  24  1  258  THE MENTORS (408)          KOLACT
 BARROCH 18-2684             89  87  1  320  SHEPHERDS (432)            TALCAMA
 MAJOR TOM 21-4598           42  31  1  231  SPIDERS FROM MARS (950)    SUNSET
 LARGE SPINNY GUY 23-4361    52  30  2  196  DIABLO TOO (1037)          TI
 DR NUT 24-4254              43  26  2  194  DP CLONES (1045)           ZORPUNT
 WENT TO MARKET 25-4288      15  11  2   59  THIS LITTLE PRIGGY (1162)  LYRATILAN
 SHINY PENNY 32-3789         29  60  2  146  FOUND IN THE SAND (1034)   ARVAT

TOP WARRIOR OF EACH ARENA     W   L  K PNTS  TEAM NAME                  CITY           
 BODHISATVA 36-4027          37  25  0  209  THE TAO (923)              JHANS
 BLACK WIDOW 37-1303         52  60  2  203  BEAST MASTERS (136)        SIBIKHAS
 FACEMAN 38-4129             41  35  2  239  THE A TEAM (1044)          CLIFFHOME
 SUE E. SYDE 39-3240         36  29  1  185  CRIMINAL ELEMENT (1074)    XOCHITHLAN
 GREE CHAK 41-3859           37  27  2  135  KILLERS (1145)             KATI-TEI
 DOONE 42-1183               43  41  2  267  FLAGG 16 (352)             RODEKI
 WHIRLING WORD 48-3815       50  32  0  196  4-LETTER WORDS (1063)      CAER
 CHRISTIANITY 51-4965        38  33  0  195  GENOCIDE (1110)            TRICORUS
 SEX ON THE BEACH 54-2435    19   8  3   42  INDULGENT DRINKS (1153)    TROCAR
 DR DAZZLE 57-4485           43  26  0  209  PEPPER PRACTICE II (1069)  ANDOR
 GEO METRO 58-5740           61  61  2  229  COOL WHEELS (943)          DELARQ TOR
 ETCHED IN STONE 61-3112     32  11  0  206  CEMENTIA (1112)            JURINE
 DIERDRE 69-9439             39  36  1  225  FIANADHA (945)             CIMMERIAC
 JACK BOY 82-2030            66  50  0  227  ON A WHIM (1014)           DWES EG
 BRAHMA 97-731               28  28  4  230  ONE SURFING HINDU (1071)   SHADOW GROVE

                       TOURNEY FREEZE CHANGE -- ADVANCE NOTICE

     Beginning at the Winter Face-to-Face in Tempe (January 2004), we will implement 
several changes affecting tournaments.  The tournament announcement for the upcoming 
FTF and future tourneys will reflect these changes.
     First, we will eliminate the tourney freeze for all regular DM warrior classes.  
Regular DM warriors will not be classed ahead of the tournament, but instead will 
fight according to their FE on the date of the tourney.  There will still be a freeze 
for the ADM classes, occurring on the same timeline as before, approximately 6 weeks 
before the tournament.
     In addition to the above change, the warrior classes will be slightly altered.  
The new tourney classes will be as follows:

                DM Tourney Classes                 ADM Tourney Classes
              ======================              ======================
                  0 FE:  Rookies                        Freshmen
                1-4 FE:  Apprentices                    ADM
               5-10 FE:  Initiates                      Eligibles
              11-20 FE:  Adepts                      ---induction---
              21-30 FE:  Champions                      Contenders
                31+ FE:  Challengers                    Primus

     All regular DM tourney classes will remain solely FE based.  All ADM classes will 
now be based on warrior characteristics (i.e., the ADM split algorithm), including the 
Freshmen class.
     The Gateway and Primus arenas will be merging before the FTF to form one top 
arena.  These warriors will be split into two tournament classes, the Contenders and 
the Primus classes, again based upon their characteristics.  More information on this 
will be published in the newsletters for those arenas.
     If you have any questions about the above changes, please contact Customer 
Service.  Good luck in your games.

                                          -- Green Eyes and the RSI staff