DUELMASTERS NEWSLETTER
Date : 10/01/1999 Duedate: 10/28/1999
ILLIS ARENA
DM-59 TURN-109
This Weeks Top Honors
THE DUELMASTER IS
JEWEL
DARK ANGELS (236)
(59-2140) [12-5-0,108]
Chartered Recognition Leader Unchartered Recognition Leader
JEWEL POSITION IS EMPTY
DARK ANGELS (236)
(59-2140) [12-5-0,108]
Popularity Leader This Weeks Favorite
SURE SHOT!!!!!! URMUNG COSBU
BRACE FOR SHOCK (92) BLOODGUARD (190)
(59-1806) [22-15-0,81] (59-1397) [8-2-0,48]
THE CURRENT TOP TEAM
DARK ANGELS (236)
TEAMS ON THE MOVE TOP CAREER HONORS
Team Name Point Gain Chartered Team
1. BLOODGUARD (190) 35
2. DARK ANGELS (236) 17 DARK ANGELS (236)
3. BRACE FOR SHOCK (92) 13 Unchartered Team
4. ISLANDERS (247) 7
5. ISLE OF SKYE (58) 0 (-1)
The Top Teams
Career Win-Loss Record W L K % Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns W L K
1/ 1 DARK ANGELS (236) 66 44 1 60.0 1/ 1 DARK ANGELS (236) 6 4 0
2- 2 DAMAGE INC. (71) 82 58 2 58.6 2/ 3 BRACE FOR SHOCK (92) 6 7 0
3- 3 ISLE OF SKYE (58) 232 182 14 56.0 3/ 2 MILLENNIUM (162) 5 2 0
4/ 5 BRACE FOR SHOCK (92) 153 162 10 48.6 4/ 4 ISLANDERS (247) 5 10 0
5/ 6 MILLENNIUM (162) 203 216 6 48.4 5/ 0 BLOODGUARD (190) 4 1 1
6/ 0 BLOODGUARD (190) 25 33 3 43.1 6- 5 ISLE OF SKYE (58) 2 3 0
7/ 7 ISLANDERS (247) 38 51 1 42.7 7- 6 DAMAGE INC. (71) 1 1 0
'*' Unchartered team '-' Team did not fight this turn
(###) Avoid teams by their Team Id ##/## This turn's/Last turn's rank
TEAM SPOTLIGHT
+ ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ The Osksi Empire #23 ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ +
Osksi:
Lord Medan tossed the scroll onto the table and looked around at the assembled
rulers of the Osksi Empire. "Word from Istoreth--"
"A report from Tainvar?" old Lord Korvish asked.
"No, we've had no word from him since he reached Leemith," Medan said. "This is
from the Triumvirate of Istoreth, accepting our offer of alliance."
"And our terms?" Arnhold asked.
"Not entirely, but we didn't expect complete acceptance." Medan shrugged. "I
think the few, the very few points unacceptable to us can be negotiated."
"Not if Tainvar's gone off chasing a wild hare," Korvish snorted. "We can't send
more people over there. We need someone at home to keep hold of the reins!"
"I'm sure Tainvar has his mind on the job," Medan said.
Leemith, Skaithvarn:
Lord Tainvar, closely followed by the young woman Giula, moved carefully closer
to the sound of drums. He carried his sword bare in his hand. One lookout he had
already dispatched with silent efficiency, taking a certain self-amused pride in his
own competence. He was by no means an old man, whatever his son's friends might
think! And the admiration in Giula's face had been pleasing, too... Once they got
out of these cursed tunnels--
Their narrow bare passage intersected one that was wider and plainly more used--a
strip of red carpet (the color of fresh blood) ran down the center of the floor, there
were hangings on the walls, and lamps in brackets at intervals, and no dust.
"We can probably follow this passage to get out," Tainvar whispered.
"Which way, though?" Giula asked, then gasped, gripping Tainvar's arm briefly,
and flattened herself against the wall.
Someone was coming.
Tainvar pulled back into the shadows and waited as the shuffle of feet drew
closer. Several someones. The lords of Leemith came into sight, moving in a
straggling group. They were all wearing black robes with scarlet pelerines, and
peculiar hats like square boards attached by the flat side to skullcaps. Lord Mievel,
who was to wed Giula, carried a staff topped by a black orb that was held in the grip
of three steel claws, and the other lords carried slim knives like stilettos. At the
tail of the procession came servants leading men and women who were bound and hooded,
cattle to whatever slaughter lay ahead of them.
Tainvar and Giula waited until the whole group had passed, vanishing into the
distance and around a slow bend of the passage.
"We can get out by going back the way they came from," Giula said.
"And leave them to continue their doubtless foul practice?" Tainvar asked. He
hefted his sword, looking down the passage thoughtfully. "I'm minded to see if I can
bring an end to it."
*** ***** *** ***** ***
"You'd think they'd have at least one lookout, wouldn't you?" Blood muttered,
looking up at the archway. It gaped blackly like a mouth, and the air that breathed
out of it was foul.
"No doubt they're relying on the reputation of their city after dark," Sgt.
Scroll said, stepping forward briskly onto the strip of crimson carpet.
"We've seen nothing to substantiate that," Hernvoreth noted.
"Well, the night's young yet..."
In the southern Trier:
The pirate ship, for such any vessel flying Malandur's flag must be, glided
nearer. They could see that the big ballistae on the deck were cocked, with
smoldering pots of some kind on the ends of the bolts, and the sailors who lined the
railing were a villainous looking lot.
A man in fine silks stood on the high rear deck and raised a megaphone to his
mouth, calling on them to surrender and permit his men to board and search the ship.
Even as he spoke, his ship was edging closer to the Marijo, evidently meaning to lie
rail to rail with her.
"Search for what?" Kersovag demanded, fingering his sword.
"Anything they want," the captain of the Marijo said. "We must yield, else
they'll use Ratani Fire, and there is no defense against that."
Takillya of Sunset raised an eyebrow. "What is Ratani Fire?" she asked.
"In the pots on the ballista bolts," Kersovag answered. "It clings to whatever
it hits and burns hotter than pitch. Water does not quench it."
"Aye," the captain said bitterly. "You can see the need to surrender, then--
Malandur won't care if a ship is burned and sunk now and then, to add to the
reputation of his fleet."
"Let him worry about his own reputation, I've got mine and Tricorus' to think
of," Kersovag said.
"We could let the pirates come aboard and then take them," Joppa Klee suggested.
"Not if the men on our ship are determined not to fight," Kersovag said
disgustedly.
Takillya leaned close to Kersovag and said, "Let them come aboard, stand aside as
though it was nothing to do with us. Then, when most of the pirates are here, we jump
across to their ship and capture it!"
+ ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ The Osksi Empire #24 ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ +
Somewhere near Xochithlan:
Autumn Rain, who had chosen to keep the first watch, frowned and rubbed her eyes,
then stared into night again. Starlight and a ground mist made a silvery gauze over
the landscape, beautiful but deceptive. It seemed like light, but concealed more than
it illuminated. Just now...she thought she saw a movement among the fern-leaved
shrubs in the middle distance. Or was it the stirring of the breeze that lifted her
hair and cooled her? Or even a trick of her tired eyes and weary mind....
Without taking her eyes from the suspicious area, she backed up far enough to
reach Zin with one boot and kicked him lightly, willing him to wake quietly. But he
wasn't a man to panic, so she hoped--
"What is it, Rain?" he whispered.
"I don't know," she answered as quietly. "Something moving. I can't make out
any details."
He rolled to his feet and followed her gaze. After a moment, he said, "There is
something moving. If it was the wind, all the bushes would wave, and they aren't.
But it doesn't seem to be coming any closer, just shifting back and forth out there."
"Belgadh's barrier against monsters?"
"Could be, I suppose."
There was a mewing cry, like a gull...but they were too far from the Trier and
any other open water for it to be a gull. A faint voice that panted and faded and
wandered said, "Rithakar. Hurry. I can't last much longer."
Both gladiators stiffened.
"What--?" Zin began.
"Who--?" Autumn Rain asked.
The claws-on-slate screech came again, from somewhere high overhead. The dazzle
of starlight darkened as a cold wind swept over them and was gone. When they could
see again, there was no movement and no whisper out of the night.
"Rithakar," Autumn Rain said thoughtfully. "Well, we're going there anyway."
*** ***** *** ***** ***
They rode on at first light, pushing their horses hard, and by late afternoon
were able to leave the blasted heath which had once been a forest behind. They did so
with relief. That night they camped with a small Rirorni band and exchanged their
weary horses for fresh ones. One day stretched into another as they rode, following
no caravan trail but navigating by the sun and stars. Sometimes they stopped at night
with other Rirorni bands, sometimes they camped alone.
Finally they topped a long slow rise and Bergoi, one of their Rirorni companions,
pointed ahead at a cluster of golden domes against the foot of a dark mountain.
"Tsaumarn," he said. "We will sleep there this night, in the Three Camels Serai."
"Better we should camp on the plain outside," Belgadh muttered. "To sleep within
walls is not the Rirorni way."
Onour Amoun:
The descent from the plains of the Shagornan Desert to the Ratani city of Onour
Amoun was long and difficult. The local people called it the Rirorni Stair, and that
was not far out. Horses could handle it, but only if unburdened and led; mules could
descend with half-loads. At a serai at the top of the Stair, it was possible to rent
mules to move cargoes down, and the people there almost certainly made a good living
out of it.
Moonbeam and Doomslug stood at the head of the Stair, looking down, while they
waited for their captors to negotiate for mules. There were enough of the Roadsmen
around to prevent any attempt at escape. The drop was not sheer for the whole length,
but there were cliffs here and there, and the rest of the slopes were steep and
inhospitable.
"How far down is it?" Moonbeam asked one of their guards.
The man shrugged. "A mile...a mile and a half, maybe. Very steep. A bad trail,
but the only way down." He saluted as the leader of his group, a man by the name of
Naggal, strode over from the serai.
"We'll wait here," Naggal said shortly. "Think of it as your last rest and savor
it."
"Why are we waiting?" Doomslug asked. He'd decided that since the Roadsmen
wanted them alive and well, he might as well ask any question that occurred to him.
They weren't likely to kill him for it.
"Until Abeq comes. A week or so. He has contracted for warriors."
*** ***** *** ***** ***
High Onour, the natives called it. Almost any vice could be purchased here, the
gladiators found. Strangers in the town were fair game, to be cheated, robbed,
kidnapped, even killed if someone felt so inclined and could do it. Moonbeam and
Doomslug stayed together and were soon glad of the company of Naggal's soldiers, too--
at least, so long as Naggal insisted that the gladiators remain unarmed.
No one stopped them asking questions, and they slowly pieced together a picture
of the situation in this area:
The Rirorni on the high ground here were slowly draining away to the south and east,
reason unknown. Below the great cliff were the independent Ratani Emirates and a
different game of empire. The different emirates were jostling against each other,
striving to conquer and expand. Onour Amoun, at the foot of the Stair, was the rival
of Mazgourrah, though it seldom came to outright war. A little to the north along the
base of the cliff was Alunzar, an emirate which had already conquered more than one
neighbor, and it, too, had its eye on Mazgourrah. Mazgourrah, one merchant explained,
had the best farmland in all Ratan. Lured (and Moonbeam could be very alluring) into
conversation, Naggal had admitted that he thought the gladiators would find themselves
in the army of Alunzar.
Beyond Ratan was southern Lirith Kai, and long lines of slaves came up the Stair
who were golden-skinned and dark haired and said by the merchants in High Onour to be
Adantri. Captives from Alunzarn raids, the merchants guessed, and would have nothing
to do with the unfortunates, though many of them dealt in slaves. "No good will come
of this," the merchants said, "for the Adantri will not suffer their people to be sold
into foreign slavery. There will be war." And those who brought the captives up from
the lowland laughed and said, "Let there be war! That'll mean more captives."
Somewhere in Lirith Kai:
"If that fat so-and-so doesn't stop complaining," Colin grumbled to Dune, "I'm
going to kill him."
His fellow gladiator shrugged. "So he doesn't like being crammed into a public
stage with all the stinking peasants--"
"And he's too cheap to hire a private carriage, even though he could afford it,"
Colin pointed out. "I don't care what happens to Tricorus, but you gotta admit, this
guy would make a rotten king. We'd be doing them a favor to kill him."
"Yeah, but what about us? We go back to Tricorus and say, oh, by the way, the
guy we were guarding was such a pain in the neck, we killed him. That'll make us
popular, I don't think."
Colin sighed. "Yeah, I guess. And there's the problem of how we'd get back,
too. I've got about enough money to travel one day on this damned stage, and we've
been weeks on the road already." He glanced at his companion. "What about you?"
"Broke, pretty near." The gladiator was silent for a moment, listening to the
running litany of complaint from their employer on the forwardmost of the coach's
three seats. "Maybe somebody else will kill him. He don't have the knack of making
friends."
"If someone else tries," Colin observed gloomily, "we'll have to stop them.
We're supposed to be protecting Sarivan."
*** ***** *** ***** ***
Sarivan looked around his quarters with a mixture of pleasure and
dissatisfaction, and Colin supposed he could understand that. It was a very pleasant
inn, though not the best in Chan Hisar--rooms of a decent size, airy and clean, beds
maybe a little on the hard side but not unbearably so, food rather exotic, maybe, but
good and plentiful...and prices high. All the Tricoran merchant's protests and
arguments had been useless in getting a lower rate. Even the room shared by the two
gladiators, `servants' quarters', was as expensive as the best room in the Blue
Dolphin in Tricorus. Finally the merchant took a gulp from his wineglass (he hadn't
offered any to Colin and Dune), and sighed, then said, "Well, according to the
information the priest gave us, the tomb of this Harbindal should be somewhere near
by."
"To the east, I'd suppose," Colin said, having studied the map provided by the
innkeeper. He opened the map and attempted to hand it to Sarivan.
The merchant pointedly ignored it. "Very well. Go find it, the two of you, and
bring me the contents."
"Hey, wait a minute!" Dune protested. "This is supposed to be your quest--"
"I am to be the King of Tricorus, not the Chief Adventurer," Sarivan said
sharply. "A good king delegates tasks of this nature to those best suited to be
`heroes'. Meaning you two. I hope you're up to it."
Taegskel, notes from the diary of Medan Dashell, Jr.:
Well, here we are stuck in this blighted hole, and Sheff thinks it's a great
thing. At least, I suppose that's what he thinks. I don't think so. Well, I ask
you!
I mean to say, I thought I would toddle along to the nearest tavern and talk to
the regulars, get the feel of the place, what? And then see about getting up a little
friendly darts tournament, a bun fight, some congenial give and take, don't you know?
And the only place I could find-- Mind you, I'm not forgetting we just fought a sort
of a little war here and burned a few what-nots, but there was only one tavern! Fact!
Run by a particularly hot number named Torhalga. A few minutes in the same room with
her and it makes a chap really understand about those spiders that eat their husbands.
Well, I always used to pretty much disbelieve that, don't you know. I mean, does it
make sense to you? I mean, here's this lady spider who's found herself a congenial
gentleman spider, and they can't be all that common, don't you, because you never hear
of widower spiders, do you? And then she, you know, has him once and then eats him!
Wasteful, I call it. But that is absolutely what this Torhalga wench made me think
of.
Well, what happened is, I went into this place, you see. The Sailor's Delight or
some such name. I went in there, and I see this woman who was obviously constructed
to some sultan's specifications, what I mean is, very large, very small, very large,
and falling out of her bodice, what? And she comes toward me sweeping all before her,
as they say, and I begin to sweat. I like a little light flirtation as well as the
next chap, but this, I could see, was Too Much of a Good Thing. But it isn't me she
wants, for which I devoutly thank anybody who wants my thanks. She wants Sheff!
Incredible. I mean, quite a good looking chap in his way, no doubt. Not that I'm a
judge, you understand, because who knows what women like? Sheff and those two
gladiators he's got hanging out with him, Hargreave and Jallors. Terribly energetic
chaps, all three of them, and they'll need to be if they're going to stay out of her
clutches!
To be absolutely frank with you, I didn't have the nerve to ask her about a darts
tournament.
"Torhalga said what?" Hargreave demanded. He barely managed to change a laugh
into a cough.
"It's no joke," Sheff snarled. "The woman's a...she's insatiable. And she wants
you, too! You and Jallors."
"Oh, but we'd just be appetizers," Jallors said, grinning. "It's you she's got
her, um, heart set on, Captain."
"What you do with or without her is your own business," Sheff said crisply, "but
I'll have nothing further to do with that...person." He gestured at the map spread
out on the table that served as his desk. It showed Taegskel and the area for five
miles around in considerable detail. "What have you got to report?"
"Slow but steady progress on the harbor works," Jallors said. "We've got the
land side dock built out to water deep enough to take a ship's boat. As slowly as the
bottom drops, though, getting it out to where even a modest trading packet could reach
it is, well, not going to happen any time soon. As to building something out in deep
water for ships to tie up to or unload at for ferrying inward, no. Not a chance,
unless you've got a reasonably powerful magician in your pocket."
"Then not now," Sheff decided. "Damned if we do and damned if we don't--hiring a
magician to fix our port takes money, and to get money, we have to have a working
port."
"Having a dock at all will help," Jallors said. "I know a lot of ship captains
who will be more likely to trade here now--if we can find something to offer them
here, at least."
Sheff turned to Hargreave, who shrugged. "As far as I can tell, Taegskel has no
products," the gladiator said. "If the Rirorni tribes can be convinced to bring
their, ah, whatevers--"
"Fleeces and weavings, I think," Jallors offered doubtfully. "And things they
get in trade farther east and south, I suppose."
"If you say so." Hargreave looked dubious. "I don't see that as being a big
incentive for anyone to trade here, though. I mean, they--the Rirorni--would have to
pass Trocar, Xochithlan, Jhans, all those places along the Selnaga, to get here to
trade, and why would they?"
"Gods, why would anybody come here?" Jallors asked, glancing around the make-
shift office. "Why have a town here at all?"
+ ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ The Delarquan Federation #23 ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ +
Tsaumarn:
Ultraist pulled on his clothes, which someone had placed outside the tent, and
then stepped out to see what Barkab was shouting about.
"Time to get moving," the Orc leader said. "Come, sword-brother, we will assault
the fortress of the Defender of Tsaumarn!" For a man who had been drinking hard a few
hours ago, Barkab seemed annoyingly cheerful.
Ultraist looked at the sky, which was still pitch-dark. The city of Tsaumarn, he
recalled, was walled, and the gates had guards on duty. It seemed probable that the
gates would be closed at night, or why have any? But he supposed the Orc knew what
they would facing--he hoped the Orc knew.
*** ***** *** ***** ***
The attacking party consisted of Ultraist, Barkab, two other young Orc
males...and the woman with whom the manager had just spent a satisfying few hours; her
name was Saureza. They had rope ladders attached to grapples and scaled the city wall
that way; a guard on the sentry walk looked the other way as they came over the
battlements.
Barkab, a handful of coins clinking musically, walked over to the guard and hit
him on the head, stuffed the coins into the man's belt pouch, then bound and gagged
him. "He agreed to let us enter, for a suitable fee, but I don't trust him not to
betray us afterwards," the Orc said. "So we will play it safe--as safe as we can,
anyway. Now, down these stairs, and keep quiet if you value your lives; there are
other guards about, and some of them are honest."
They crept down the stairs and out into the benighted streets of the city. There
were few lights along the main streets, none at all on the side streets and twisting
alleys. Windows were tightly shuttered, although chinks of light and the muffled
sounds of music and laughter indicated that not everyone slept. In fact, there was a
feeling of other people present, of motion in the shadows, and constant coming and
going on the dark streets. The five of them were simply one more group in near-silent
motion through the night.
Eventually they stopped under a looming wall. "The fortress," Barkab whispered.
"There may be magical watches and wards, so go very carefully indeed along here."
The woman Saureza put out her hand and touched the wall with her fingertips.
"Old magic," she murmured. "Very old, layer on layer...."
"This way," Barkab hissed, leading off again.
They followed the wall around a corner, and another corner. The spot where they
stopped was not apparently any different from other sections of the wall. Barkab
huddled against the stones, shielding his actions with his body, though that was
hardly necessary in the darkness, which here was complete. Ultraist had a sense that
they stood on a narrow pathway between the wall and a steep drop, a feeling of some
open and empty gulf beside them. It would be a bad place to fight.
Delarq Tor:
"Not a matter I'd want to bring up before the full Crown Council," Holonvarnes of
Mordant said, "at least, not until we have more facts. But...what about the Andorian-
Karnhorn treaty? Is it on, is it off, is it being renegotiated, what's happening?"
"None of our agents can give us any kind of certainty," Sonfaldun of Osksi
admitted. "It seems most likely that there is no certainty, even in Andor and
Zuwayza."
"Then now is the time to set our agents to work," Alyenthe of Xochithlan
suggested. "A treaty there is certainly of no benefit to us. Now is the time to
apply whatever influence we can."
"The Federation's treasury is in no condition to be making substantial bribes,"
Chrysanth protested. "It's still not up to pre-War levels."
"No, but bribery won't get us as far as we might hope for, anyway. A pox on
these one-man governments," Sonfaldun said. "If you can't reach the man at the top,
there's a limit to the usefulness of bribery in such a matter. Of course, if you can
reach that one man...." He drummed his fingers on the table, then shook his head.
"No, neither Mickeal of Andor nor Kharijal of Zuwayza are likely to shape their
national policy because of bribery."
"Their advisors?" Holonvarnes suggested.
"Our efforts would be better spent," Alyenthe said, "in so arranging things that
neither side wants to renew the treaty."
All looked at the elf respectfully. In matters of delicate and subtle influence,
he was without peer.
"We already hear rumors of tension, strife, disagreement on critical points,"
Alyenthe mused. "If these little problems were to become big problems...."
"They're still at odds over the slavery issue," Chrysanth observed. "And
religion." She wrinkled her nose in disgust. "How anyone can worship that demon--!"
"It's what you're born to, I suppose," Sonfaldun said with a shrug, "but the only
way they can hope to convert is by the sword. Intolerable."
"The Andorians likely find it so, too. They must be encouraged to see all the
foulness of that worship," Alyenthe said. "To see that the Karnhorns will not cease
from pressing the Foul One on all they meet, nor will they cease to keep slaves. I
would judge, in the present temper of the Andorians, that this would be enough to
weaken any possible treaty."
"And the Karnhorns are having problems of their own," Holonvarnes added
thoughtfully. "They won't be in a position to press for a treaty."
"What problems?" Sonfaldun demanded. As he himself was considered the most
knowledgeable about Skaithvarn, and Alyenthe most in touch with events in the Andorian
League, so Holonvarnes was the specialist in Karnhorn events and politics.
Holonvarnes smiled narrowly. "Unless I miss my guess, they are going to have a
civil war on their hands in short order."
"This `Western Secession' I've heard of?" Alyenthe asked dubiously. "It seems to
be mostly talk...."
"Talk may lead to action, but there are other stresses, too--a religious war in
the making, as it turns out that many of the peasants, especially the farmers, give
the Foul One no more than lip service while worshipping an aspect of Ruvian."
"Splendid! For say what you will, the peasants are the foundation of any state."
Sonfaldun paused and frowned. "And what of this invasion that seems to be on
everyone's mind?"
"It's a real threat, and an immediate one," Chrysanth said promptly. Seeing the
startled looks of her companions, she went on rather smugly, "I've been in touch with
people of influence in the Charter Cities and Chimlevtal. They're expecting to find
the Easterners on their doorstep any day now."
"That could work to our advantage, by focusing Karnhorn energies eastward,"
Holonvarnes said after a moment's thought.
"Or to our disadvantage by causing them to seek allies," Sonfaldun finished.
"And speaking of allies," Chrysanth said, "I think we--the Federation as a
whole--should be ready to aid the Charter Cities in repelling this invasion."
"No such thing!" Holonvarnes said. "Even if the invaders should succeed, by the
time they get anywhere near our borders, they'll be exhausted and easily defeated.
Then the whole Charter Cities area will lie open to our conquest."
"That's probably what the Frafrejans said when they invited the Serva Pirates to
help fight the Shews," Chrysanth noted. "Maybe even what the Andorians said when the
Serevadan priestly clique came and took over the Serva--and founded the Karnhorn
Empire. We've got enough home-grown trouble; there's no need to encourage foreigners
to bring their problems here."
In Valamantis Bay:
It went hard against the grain to leave two of their own behind to face the
killers on the island, but what else could they do? Tiddle asked himself. The
gladiators had been outnumbered too completely to have had a chance of success, and
poor old Pharfrum had gone all to pieces, and Bannor.... He shook his head. If he'd
ever seen a man with the death-mark on him, it was Bannor. He couldn't grudge the
gladiator a chance to go out fighting, if that's what he wanted. Abby Normal,
Pharfrum's sister, was just in front of him, and he could hear her crying, but she
kept going, too.
Tiddle ran a quick eye over his group, checking to make sure that everyone else
was there and traveling okay. Even though it was Honey who'd talked him into this,
he felt like he was in charge. Team captain, or something. Squint Eye was in the
lead and doing fine; he might not be the brainiest man to step into an arena, but
there was nothing wrong with ol' Squint's memory. He said he remembered the safe
route through the marsh, and Tiddle believed him. Port-a John had put Honey down,
and was helping her along. Maybe a little more than strictly necessary, but who
wouldn't? The Death Duck was weaving back and forth across the trail; if it'd been
possible for the Duck to be drunk...but it wasn't. Maybe he was just loopy. Abby
looked okay.
Tiddle risked a glance over his shoulder, but the camp and the battle where
Bannor and Pharfrum had stayed behind were out of sight. Not out of hearing, though.
Even if Pharfrum had come out of his shock to help fight, that must be quite a battle
going on. He was tempted to go back and help--maybe Bannor would be able to-- No,
he'd heard the Valamantan singing his death song, and warrior didn't do that casually.
Bannor had smelled his death on the wind and accepted it. It was because he had no
expectation of surviving that he'd been able to put up that wild fight. A man who
hoped to live would be in the way.
A mis-step that landed him in water up to his armpits jerked Tiddle's attention
back to the matter at hand: getting away. He floundered out of the hole and slogged
on behind the others.
Kaltos:
"So we snuck up on Telga's Rock by wading the shallows," Tiddle reported, "and
we found the raiders all right. Kjarran-worshippers," he said, his voice dropping
into disgust.
"The only Kjarran-worshippers on this side of the Daggerspines are gladiators,
mostly in the Andorian League," Lord Lindharrow pointed out.
Tiddle shrugged, a little uneasily. The thought had occurred to him; he'd heard
there were a lot of Karnhorn gladiators up in Andoria who made no secret of their
religion. It surprised him the Andorians tolerated it, them being such sweetness-
and-light types and all, but he never claimed to understand politics. "I don't think
they were gladiators," he offered, then hoped that the Protector of Kaltos wouldn't
ask for reasons, because it was just a feeling he had.
"Whether they are or not, they must be stopped," Lindharrow stated. "An
expedition...." He drummed his fingers on the desk as he thought. "Ships and
marines, and best, maybe, to have more than just Kaltese on it--Transel, Valamantis,
even Ardivent--everyone directly affected by the raids and their impact on shipping."
+ ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ The Delarquan Federation #24 ]H[ + ---:--- + ]H[ +
Tsaumarn:
After a time that probably seemed longer than it was, there was a soft click from
where Barkab was huddled against the wall, then a groan of stone moving ponderously on
stone. Presently it stopped. An opening was faintly visible in the gloom, a grayer
shade in the absolute darkness of the wall. Somewhere inside, there was a light, but
not close by.
"Absolute silence from here on," Barkab whispered. "Follow me and watch for my
signals."
"We likely to meet any guards?" Ultraist asked.
"Probably. Kill them. We've no friends in here, except in the dungeons."
*** ***** *** ***** ***
The silence inside the fortress, and the absence of activity--no guards, nobody
moving around in the areas they traversed, only the occasional lantern illuminating
nothing in particular--was eerie. They crossed a small oblong courtyard, passed under
an archway, traversed a long passage that turned several times, crossed another
courtyard, on and on. Other directions offered, side passages, other exits from
courtyards, but Barkab never hesitated.
Ultraist, bringing up the rear of their small group, felt the hairs on the back
of his neck rise like a hackle and had to maintain a constant control over himself not
to change to his lion form and go racing away. The place seemed to be a maze, and an
uninhabited one. All his instincts said that this was some kind of trap. Maybe not
for them, specifically, but it could be a trap for any intruders.
They came to a small round courtyard or roofless room and Barkab stopped, staring
at each of the two passage mouths ahead. There was nothing to distinguish one from
the other, except for being on the right or left hand of the approaching party. Not
much to go by, but it should have been enough. Now, however, the Orc leader seemed
uncertain. Finally he indicated that the party should split, with himself and the two
young Orcs going one way, and Ultraist and Saureza going the other.
To the manager, this seemed like a bad plan. If they met with trouble--well, the
group was small enough to begin with. He had come this far on the assumption that
Barkab knew what he was doing, but now the question began to look doubtful. Since the
Orc was still adamant about silence, Ultraist gestured his unwillingness to divide the
party.
Barkab's gestures were insistent. Saureza touched Ultraist's arm to get his
attention and indicated support for the division. Reluctantly, the manager gave way
and allowed her to lead him down the right-hand passage while Barkab entered the left.
This passage was short and gently curving, finally ending at yet another
courtyard, this one large and unlike the others they'd passed through in that it was
floored with beaten earth instead of stone. There was an indefinable air about it
which suggested that it was `in use', as the others had not been. It curved away out
of sight around a massive pile of stone that might be the working part of the
fortress. The keep, most likely. There were torches rather than lanterns to light
it.
Saureza stopped him just short of the archway that would give entry to the
courtyard and indicated they had now to wait. For what, gestures couldn't tell.
Ultraist didn't like the idea of waiting. The longer they hung around inside this
fortress, the greater the risk of discovery. Could the whole expedition be some kind
of elaborate trap?
There was a noise--a lot of noise, on the far side of the building, out of sight
from their own location. An alarm bell, Ultraist decided, and shouts, and soon the
sound of battle cries and weapons clashing that drowned out everything else. At that,
Saureza plunged forward through their own archway. Another alarm bell rang, but
probably few of the defenders heard it over the noise of Barkab's party--for such it
must be--fighting the defenders of the keep.
Saureza led the way straight to a small door in the back of the keep. It was
locked or barred, secured from within. She laid her hands flat on the wood and her
mouth shaped words, but still without sound. The panels of the door splintered and
crumbled.
Delarq Tor:
"I don't see why this emergency session was called," Sonfaldun whispered to
Holonvarnes. The statement was accompanied by a questioning look, as everyone knew
that Holonvarnes was close to the Princess personally, and so might have some extra
clue to her thoughts.
The Mordanti shrugged. "I don't know anything about it, either," he said.
The clock at the back of the chamber chimed the hour, and Chrysanth tapped on her
desk to call the Crown Council to order. "I have received a message from the south,"
she said without preamble. "The gladiator Zeus, a worthy Delarquan of this city, has
sent word from Tsaumarn--"
"What's he doing there?" one of the lesser representatives asked.
"He is on a mission of some importance for the Federation," Chrysanth said. "You
do not need to know more about it at this time. What you--all of you--need to know is
that Zeus reports a dangerous situation brewing in the land of the Rirorni. The nomad
tribes have a new Great Khan, and there are disquieting rumors of forces being
gathered for another assault on southern Alastari."
"They haven't the strength to take us," Sonfaldun said, but there was a note of
uncertainty in his voice.
"I, for one, am not prepared to give them a chance to try," Alyenthen of
Xochithlan declared. "Nor will King Feyen wait tamely while they ride on us again."
The elf was silent for a moment, then went on, "It is a peculiarity of the Rirorni
system that when a leader dies, any coalitions he has formed immediately disintegrate.
I would judge our best course is to send assassins to locate and remove this threat to
our peace and prosperity."
SPY REPORT
Busy, busy, busy, lots of things happening in ILLIS this turn, and let's start
with a look at some of the teams. And let's see, BANN fought CONVICTED THIEF and
gained 13 points and contributed to BLOODGUARD's 4-1-1. SHONA has lost to KUNG-FU
MASTER, falling 7 points, while helping make ISLANDERS a 2-3-0 turn. Well done,
ILLIS, the Duelmaster was this turn's most challenged warrior. Perhaps SCHRODINGER
is not as thrilled, being challenged 2 times. JEWEL challenged for the
Duelmastership this turn, attempting to dethrone MILLENNIUM's warrior. And all eyes
were on JEWEL this turn as she ascended to the throne of Duelmaster. ILLIS has a new
victor! Can someone confirm a rumor for me? I hear the top team makes their losing
fighters do dishes at The Swinging Aardvark until they win. Maybe?
Oriental wise man once say, 'Hiding behind shields prevents proper sun tanning.'
Inscrutable, but true. I also notice that the DAMAGE INC. stable was the most
avoided team this turn. Come on ILLIS, what are you afraid of? And avoiding DAMAGE
INC. more than any other team we find DARK ANGELS. ILLIS, are we going to accept, or
respect this sort of thing?
A coward dies a thousand deaths, a brave man only once. Wise men know this to
be true. A brave warrior does not carry a red shield, he has nothing to cover or
hide when the fight is over. Consider well.
Thought for the day, a new sword shines bright, but the notched sword sings the
sweetest. It's been nice chatting with you, until we meet again, keep your swords
sharp and your hammers heavy. Until the sun next rises and my pen sets to paper--
Alarond the Scribe
DUELMASTER W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
JEWEL 2140 12 5 0 108 DARK ANGELS (236)
CHALLENGER CHAMPIONS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
LORD FOUL 1395 10 7 1 98 BLOODGUARD (190)
CHAMPIONS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
-SVAD BONEGRIN 954 14 11 0 87 DAMAGE INC. (71)
-FEDIFENSOR 379 14 14 1 83 DAMAGE INC. (71)
SURE SHOT!!!!!! 1806 22 15 0 81 BRACE FOR SHOCK (92)
MENDEL 2184 10 6 0 76 MILLENNIUM (162)
CHALLENGER ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
LABORIEL 2168 7 5 0 64 DARK ANGELS (236)
EMERALD 2139 12 3 0 60 DARK ANGELS (236)
ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
JALLORS 2179 13 5 0 52 ISLANDERS (247)
SHONA 2177 10 8 0 52 ISLANDERS (247)
URMUNG COSBU 1397 8 2 0 48 BLOODGUARD (190)
-SKARP-HEDIN 2159 6 10 1 44 ISLE OF SKYE (58)
BOOM!!!!!!!!!!! 2169 8 3 0 40 BRACE FOR SHOCK (92)
IRONJAW!!!!!!!! 2051 8 8 0 39 BRACE FOR SHOCK (92)
2-HEADED MUTANT 2059 7 8 1 39 BRACE FOR SHOCK (92)
-JESUS MOOTZ 'O'PAIA 2128 9 10 0 37 ISLE OF SKYE (58)
BENDER 2178 8 10 1 35 ISLANDERS (247)
MODESTY 2165 6 6 0 35 DARK ANGELS (236)
CHALLENGER INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
-GU 2207 2 2 0 29 ISLE OF SKYE (58)
CERSEI 2205 5 4 0 28 DARK ANGELS (236)
INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
HAMP 2191 4 10 0 23 ISLANDERS (247)
-D'ARTAGNAN 2174 6 4 0 22 ISLE OF SKYE (58)
DUFF 2180 2 16 0 22 ISLANDERS (247)
TABBEK 1613 4 6 1 19 BLOODGUARD (190)
HAPPY DRUNKARD 2126 2 2 0 15 BLOODGUARD (190)
BANN 2162 1 1 1 14 BLOODGUARD (190)
'-' denotes a warrior who did not fight this turn.
THE DEAD W L K TEAM NAME SLAIN BY TURN Revenge?
CONVICTED THIEF 1 0 1 0 1 BANN 2162 109 NONE
PERSONAL ADS
All, I have returned at long last!! Hopefully I'll stay longer than the last time. --
Sigurd Fafnisbane, Bloodguard
Welcome back! -- Ed.
MHC -- Is our agreement still on? -- Sigurd
Schrodinger -- It feels like it was only yesterday we fought last time, and it almost
is. You have improved a lot since our last fight, or was I just lucky 2 turns ago? --
Jewel
Hamp -- How sweet of you to let me win. You are my favorite Islanders. :) -- Modesty
Jallors -- I feel good when small little things like this happen. -- Laboriel
2-Headed Mutant -- A warrior with 2 heads burn endurance twice as fast. -- Emerald
Laboriel -- A couple of skills are always useful. Thanks. -- Jallors
Modesty -- I wrote up a real story of our encounter, how modesty was always on the
verge of being lost (you know, a strap slipping here, a skirt torn there...) but
triumphed in the end, and it was, um, lotsa fun. But my manager, the prig, says I
can't print it. Anyway, good fight. -- Hamp
Mendel -- Well done, sir. -- Shona
Ironjaw -- Darn. Just call me "glassjaw." -- Bender
Boom -- I was going to attack, but then this explosion occurred and distracted me. --
Duff
6 September 1999
LISTEN UP! YES YOU! A Carnival tip you "might enjoy." It's in no way the ARENA.
Dueling in the PR,PL style.
A novel. New in the library or $24 hardcover.
Published: 1999 Harcourt Brace
Author: Arturo Perez-Reverte
Name: The Fencing Master
Year 1848,dangerous times. A fencing master, long seeking the unstoppable
tactic, accepts a new student. A mysterious woman with a small dueling scar....
-- Carny
13 September 1999
Hey rookie managers -- Stormcrowe (45) currently has only one unchartered team so
those awards are practically being given away! If you think that ;your newbies have
the stones to face the likes of MHC & Hearts of Oak, Dark Overlord & Descendents of
Darkness, the Fuhrer & Aryan Assassins, Seamus & Irish Marauders, GraveDiggers and
many other hardcore teams and managers then by all means bring them on over. This
invite is extended to all veteran managers as well, but we figure that you are smart
enough to avoid our killing grounds.
All -- Spreading the word about PBM 'zines and newsletters:
Paper Mayhem--has suspended publication. Dave is selling the magazine (due to
illness, I've heard). Looking for someone to assume close to $10k in subscriber debt
and maybe cash on top of it.
PBM Report--has a new editor, Chuck Miro, and owner Madhouse USA. Submissions
should be sent to: Chuck Miro/ASHRAE
1828 L St. NW suite 906
Washington DC 20036-5104
Submissions may also be emailed (no address available).
New! Free! Rains Adventure Journal--send submissions or requests to:
Kyu Seong Lee
PO Box 979137
Unit D 29145-037
Miami, Fl 33197-9137
-- Asmo Dius mgr. the Horsemen DM 47
All Mangers (well the ones that care....) -- Swifty McSwift has died. That's right
D-I-E-D. The poor little guy took his own life after a hellish week of DM turns.
That's right, you are all rid of him for good. No more October Rust teams running
around, no more unending ICQ chat invites, no more annoying PA's. He had two last
wishes: First, Chance takes over Troop 709 and second he had some choice words for
choice people.
Chance -- Rock on, bro.
Crow -- You win.
Nithril/Lerch -- Thanks for being pals.
Manager/Soultaker/UC -- Thanks for all the help you gave me.
R/RR -- Thanks for being such cool guys.
Troop 709 -- Live on, kill often.
DOOMcorps -- BITE ME!!!
RSI -- Thanks for the fun.
And to anyone else who helped me over the years, I say thank you.
Well that's all. Happy Dueling -- RIP Swifty
LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS
JEWEL bested SCHRODINGER in a action packed 1 minute master's Challenge Title fight.
CERSEI savagely defeated DUFF in a exciting 1 minute gory Challenge melee.
SURE SHOT!!!!!! was vanquished by LORD FOUL in a 1 minute mismatched brawl.
MENDEL defeated LABORIEL in a 2 minute fight.
SHONA was demolished by KUNG-FU MASTER in a 1 minute mismatched competition.
EMERALD viciously subdued IRONJAW!!!!!!!! in a unpopular 19 minute brutal fight.
URMUNG COSBU slimly won victory over MODESTY in a popular 8 minute competition.
BENDER lost to 2-HEADED MUTANT in a 1 minute duel.
JALLORS vanquished CAPTURED ORC in a action packed 1 minute gruesome one-sided duel.
BOOM!!!!!!!!!!! overpowered TABBEK in a 1 minute one-sided fight.
HAMP overcame OSKSI NOBLE in a slow 5 minute bout.
BANN murdered CONVICTED THIEF in a 1 minute mismatched match.
HAPPY DRUNKARD handily defeated CONVICTED THIEF in a 1 minute one-sided contest.
BATTLE REPORT
MOST POPULAR RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS
|FIGHTING STYLE FIGHTS FIGHTING STYLE W - L - K PERCENT|
|AIMED BLOW 6 STRIKING ATTACK 8 - 3 - 0 73 |
|LUNGING ATTACK 4 BASHING ATTACK 5 - 2 - 0 71 |
|TOTAL PARRY 3 PARRY-LUNGE 10 - 6 - 0 63 |
|PARRY-LUNGE 2 SLASHING ATTACK 6 - 4 - 0 60 |
|WALL OF STEEL 2 PARRY-RIPOSTE 8 - 7 - 0 53 |
|STRIKING ATTACK 1 AIMED BLOW 23 - 21 - 1 52 |
|BASHING ATTACK 1 WALL OF STEEL 14 - 14 - 0 50 |
|PARRY-RIPOSTE 1 TOTAL PARRY 17 - 18 - 0 49 |
|SLASHING ATTACK 1 LUNGING ATTACK 25 - 30 - 0 45 |
|PARRY-STRIKE 0 PARRY-STRIKE 0 - 0 - 0 0 |
Turn 109 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:
STRIKING ATTACK 1 - 0 PARRY-STRIKE 0 - 0 4 AIMED BLOW
BASHING ATTACK 1 - 0 PARRY-RIPOSTE 0 - 1 2 PARRY-LUNGE
LUNGING ATTACK 3 - 1 SLASHING ATTACK 0 - 1 1 LUNGING ATTACK
TOTAL PARRY 2 - 1 1 STRIKING ATTACK
AIMED BLOW 3 - 3 1 WALL OF STEEL
PARRY-LUNGE 1 - 1 1 SLASHING ATTACK
WALL OF STEEL 1 - 1 1 TOTAL PARRY
TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE
FIGHTING STYLE WARRIOR W L K PNTS TEAM NAME
LUNGING ATTACK JEWEL 2140 12 5 0 108 DARK ANGELS (236)
PARRY-LUNGE LORD FOUL 1395 10 7 1 98 BLOODGUARD (190)
AIMED BLOW SURE SHOT!!!!!! 1806 22 15 0 81 BRACE FOR SHOCK (92)
WALL OF STEEL MENDEL 2184 10 6 0 76 MILLENNIUM (162)
SLASHING ATTACK LABORIEL 2168 7 5 0 64 DARK ANGELS (236)
TOTAL PARRY EMERALD 2139 12 3 0 60 DARK ANGELS (236)
STRIKING ATTACK BOOM!!!!!!!!!!! 2169 8 3 0 40 BRACE FOR SHOCK (92)
Note: Warriors have a winning record and are an Adept or Above.
The overall popularity leader is SURE SHOT!!!!!! 1806. The most popular warrior this
turn was URMUNG COSBU 1397. The ten other most popular fighters were JEWEL 2140,
CERSEI 2205, JALLORS 2179, LABORIEL 2168, MODESTY 2165, LORD FOUL 1395, MENDEL 2184,
2-HEADED MUTANT 2059, BOOM!!!!!!!!!!! 2169, and BENDER 2178.
The least popular fighter this week was IRONJAW!!!!!!!! 2051. The other ten least
popular fighters were EMERALD 2139, HAMP 2191, TABBEK 1613, SHONA 2177, SURE
SHOT!!!!!! 1806, DUFF 2180, HAPPY DRUNKARD 2126, BANN 2162, BENDER 2178, and
BOOM!!!!!!!!!!! 2169.
The following warriors have traveled to ADVANCED DUELMASTERS after fighting this turn:
SCHRODINGER (59-2147) MILLENNIUM (162)
The Dawn Always Follows the Night
It can be easily said that the game of Duelmasters has changed greatly over the past
decade or so. Many aspects of the game have changed in recent years: the creation of
Advanced Duelmasters, Primus, regional ADM, Gateway. Modifications to the game have
made it very different since the early days. Some for the good and some not no good.
The Dark Circle has been a major driving force in every aspect of Duelmasters since
very early on. It goes without saying that there is no alliance past or present that
has matched the accomplishments of the Dark Circle. The list of names that have graced
the rolls of the Dark Circle has been a who's who of Duelmasters: Scrag, Neon
Necromancer, Guardian, Papa Bear, mouse, Mr. Animal, Merlin, Sharky, Moriarty, Doc
Steele, Mongo, Boss Rat, Blood Wizard and many more. The alliance has seen many
changes in its time, and now it is time for The Dark Circle to make one last "change".
We have decided to hang up our hats and call and end to this fine alliance. We have
done it all. We can't do any more. The membership of the Dark Circle has done more in
the learning and teaching of the game than any other group before or since. We have
been reviled more than almost any other group since the game's inception, mostly by
those who didn't understand us yet still used what we taught them. We have
accomplished very much indeed, but we, as an alliance, have nothing more to give to
the Duelmasters game or community.
The Dark Circle has officially disbanded and its Wardens are now all independent
managers. With malice towards none and good will towards all, we part company knowing
we have reached the pinnacle of success. We have nothing left to prove. We part as
friends going their separate ways. Think of us as the Beatles of Duelmasters. We did
it right. We did it the way we wanted. We did it in such a way that our
accomplishments are beyond reproach. We part as winners.
Sincerely,
Scrag
Guardian
Merlin
Mongo
Mr. Animal
Papa Bear
Rhialto
Blood Wizard
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