DM 029 Newsletter

Total warriors from this arena = 1220

View Awards History for this Arena
DM 029 Newsletter

DUEL 2 NEWSLETTER

Date : 04/01/2026 Duedate: 04/14/2026

LAPUR ARENA

DM 29 TURN 1043

This Week's Top Honors

THE DUELMASTER IS

SKUNK
AVOID ME! (535)
(29-6675) [26-18-1,128]

Chartered Recognition Leader Unchartered Recognition Leader

SKUNK 1.75L
AVOID ME! (535) BUFFALO TRACE '25 (567)
(29-6675) [26-18-1,128] (29-6914) [5-2-0,47]

Popularity Leader This Week's Favorite

BRINE SUSPECT HOUN DOG
BLUE HERRINGS (566) CARDOW HUNTERS (359)
(29-6903) [14-14-1,105] (29-6872) [13-10-1,103]

THE CURRENT TOP TEAM

MID EARTH (223)

TEAMS ON THE MOVE TOP CAREER HONORS
Team Name Point Gain Chartered Team
1. BLUE HERRINGS (566) 32
2. CARDOW HUNTERS (359) 20 AVOID ME! (535)
3. AVOID ME! (535) 18 Unchartered Team
4. BUFFALO TRACE '25 (567) 17
5. MID EARTH (223) 9 BUFFALO TRACE '25 (567)

The Top Teams

Career Win-Loss Record W L K % Win-Loss Record Last 3 Turns W L K
1/ 1 AVOID ME! (535) 224 129 7 63.5 1/ 1 MID EARTH (223) 12 3 1
2/ 2*BUFFALO TRACE '25 (567) 12 7 1 63.2 2/ 2 ARMY OF DARKNESS (283) 6 6 0
3- 3 ALMOST EXACTLY (20) 859 685 50 55.6 3/ 7 AVOID ME! (535) 5 1 0
4/ 4 MID EARTH (223) 1087 889 50 55.0 4- 3 ALMOST EXACTLY (20) 4 6 0
5- 6 BLACK KELTS (233) 328 320 12 50.6 5/ 6 BLUE HERRINGS (566) 4 6 0
6/ 7 ARMY OF DARKNESS (283) 201 224 6 47.3 6- 5 BLACK KELTS (233) 3 4 0
7- 8 POKE' MON (568) 22 26 0 45.8 7- 9*COVEY XIX (564) 2 0 0
8/ 9 CARDOW HUNTERS (359) 1140 1467 26 43.7 8/10 CARDOW HUNTERS (359) 2 1 0
9/10 BLUE HERRINGS (566) 47 75 3 38.5 9/11*BUFFALO TRACE '25 (567) 2 1 0
10-11*COVEY XIX (564) 2 6 0 25.0 10- 4 POKE' MON (568) 1 7 0

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

TEAM SPOTLIGHT

Another New Beginning

The city of Lapur breathed in iron and spectacle. Every morning, the bells along the
Duskblood River tolled low and steady, echoing through narrow streets and over the
high stone walls of the arena. And every morning, inside the Mid Earth guild hall,
five warriors rose to meet a future measured in sand, steel, and survival.

The guild had changed. Warius and Kuhris, names once spoken with pride in the same
breath as victory, are gone now. Elevated to Lord Protector status, they have traveled
to the Isle of the Eye, leaving behind empty quarters, quiet corners, and expectations
too large for any single fighter to inherit.

But the arena did not wait. It demanded warriors and new replacements had come.

Visionist stood at the high window of his chamber, his lined face cast in pale morning
light. In his sixth decade, he had learned the weight of watching men rise and fall.
Below him, in the courtyard, the new formation assembled under Kalimac's watchful eye.

"Five again," Visionist murmured.

Behind him, Dirmael shuffled parchment across a heavy desk. "Five bodies," the
administrator corrected dryly. "Whether they become a unit is yet to be seen."

Visionist gave a faint grimace. "They always do or they die trying."

Kalimac did not believe in gentle beginnings.

"Again!" the weapon master barked, his voice cutting through the clang of steel.

Zagrid did not need the command.

The veteran Kannar zombie was now the guild leader, he moved with a strange unsettling
fluidity, his body bearing the faint signs of death, but his strength and speed
undeniable. His skin held a muted pallor, his eyes a dull ember glow, but his blade
work was precise and efficient.

He parried Grakus's overhead strike and countered with a shove that sent the younger
Harkany retreating across the packed dirt before falling.

Grakus grinned as he rose. "Good," he said, rolling his shoulders. "Do it again." The
Harkany was power incarnate, broad, muscled, and relentless. Every swing of his weapon
carried the weight of someone who had learned early that strength could decide a fight
before skill ever entered.

Zagrid tilted his head slightly. "You rely too much on force."

"And you rely too much on not worrying about dying," Grakus shot back.

From the edge of the ring, a low chuckle rumbled.

Elhad, an initiate Shewish Giant, stood apart, leaning on a pillar with a training
spear resting across his shoulders. Towering above them all, he had struggled in his
early bouts: too slow, too easy to read. But something had begun to change. His
movements, once lumbering, now held intent.

"Both of you talk too much," Elhad said. "In the arena, breath is better spent staying
alive."

Nearby, novice Daviel wiped sweat from his brow, watching the exchange closely. He had
none of their presence, no towering frame, no monstrous aura. Just a lean build,
steady hands, and eyes that missed very little. He practiced alone, again and again.
simple strikes, footwork, timing. Improvement was his weapon.

And then there was newcomer Imgur. He crouched atop a low wall, golden eyes tracking
every movement below. The Arauki had only been tested once in a true arena match so
far, but everything about him suggested potential and coiled energy, sharp instincts,
and a confidence that bordered on dangerous.

"You're all predictable," Imgur called lazily.

Grakus snorted. "Then come down and prove it."

Imgur grinned, showing a flash of teeth. "Soon."

Inside the guild hall, Dirmael adjusted the roster scroll.

"They lack unity and cohesion," he said.

Visionist stepped beside him. "They lack history."

"They lack discipline," Dirmael countered.

Visionist nodded toward the courtyard, where Kalimac had now forced all five into a
chaotic, rotating spar.

"They are learning it."

Below, the training had devolved into something closer to battle.

Zagrid adapted quickly, shifting targets with unnatural awareness. Grakus fought like
a storm, forcing space through sheer power. Elhad moved slower, but when he struck,
the ground seemed to answer. Daviel slipped between them, avoiding direct clashes,
learning, always learning and Imgur--finally dropping from his perch--became something
else entirely.

He moved unpredictably, darting between fighters, striking and vanishing, testing them
all.

For a moment--just a moment--it worked.

The five began to move not as individuals, but as something resembling a unit.
Covering gaps. Pressuring weaknesses. Surviving the chaos together.

Kalimac raised a hand. "Enough!"

The courtyard fell silent but for heavy breathing. He walked among them, eyes sharp.
"You are not Warius," he said. "You are not Kuhris." No one spoke. "You are what
remains. And what comes next." His gaze lingered on each of them in turn.

"Zagrid, lead with your mind, not just your endurance."

"Grakus, control your strength, or it will control you."

"Elhad, your size is not your advantage. Your timing is."

"Daviel, stop watching and start deciding."

"Imgur, confidence is a blade. Use it carefully, or it will cut you first."

He stepped back, "The arena will test you and it will test the name you carry."

The next morning, the bells of Lapur rang again. The list of the matches had been
posted by the commission. The Mid Earth guild would enter the arena at full strength
once more.

In his basement office, Visionist listened to the echoes.

"Do you think they're ready?" Dirmael asked.

"No," the manager said simply.

Dirmael frowned. "Then why send them?"

Visionist's eyes hardened, reflecting the arena's distant glow.

"Because readiness is a luxury the arena has never offered and because tomorrow, they
become something more than replacements."

In the dim training yard, five shadows lingered. Not yet legends. Not yet united, but
no longer strangers.

And in Lapur, that was where every great story began.

DUELMASTER'S COLUMN
Notes from the arena champ.

As expected, I am again Duelmaster, and I will once again perfume this throne.
Smells so sweet, eh?

Things to know about me:

You can call me Mephitidae.

I like the night, but avoid the Dark Arena.

I think in terms of black and white.

I am an omnivore and not at all picky about food.

I have a very explosive butt.

You are best off avoiding me.

I would make a good Hokie. (Don't tell the Bloke.)

Chanel is not my thing.

Winning Duelmaster crowns is.

-- Skunk, DMII

SPY REPORT

Greetings Lapurians, one and all. No invitee to honor this week and I am short on
ideas for an opening. What to do, What to do? Okay, SKUNK is our current two-time
champ. At the top, we have a trio of Bashers and one is former two-time Duelmaster
Soap Dropper. Then we could have a boring rematch between the smelly one and the
entitled one and lastly a lone Aimed Blow stalking his prey. Well those are our title
match possibilities. Who is your money on? Let's find out what happened.

Well jeez!! Looks like everyone took off for the tourney. Ten teams in the rankings
and four took the week off entirely and only one fielded a full squad, so that leaves
us with only ten fights on the lists. Ohh well, things will pick back up after the
tourney. Let's see... No deaths to report on. The fight for the title is a rematch of
last week's snooze fest between SKUNK of AVOID ME! challenging ENTITLED CITIZEN of
ARMY OF DARKNESS, with the Bloke's two-time defending malodorous champ once again
outwaiting Master Beru's privileged warrior, but this time in a 29 minute stare down.
All hold your nose for the three time champ!

In team news, Visioinst and his MID EARTH crew managed a 3-2-0 result. Holding onto
the 2nd spot is Master Beru and his ARMY OF DARKNESS despite a 0-4-0. Sometimes you're
the windshield and sometimes you're the bug. Jumping from 7th to 3rd is the Bloke and
his AVOID ME! trio, who had a 2-1-0 outcome. The Most Avoided Team goes to the absent
Vlad and ALMOST EXACTLY, who received four avoids. Several other teams had 3 avoids.
The Team on the Move is the BLUE HERRINGS, who gained 32 points.

"My Fight of the Week" goes to this one: PRETTY ALRIGHT of BLUE HERRINGS fought
ERRATIC EDUCATOR of ARMY OF DARKNESS, with Mr. Blue's adequate warrior viciously
subduing Master Beru's mercurial warrior in a 2 minute veteran's duel. Well done to
you both.

In other individual achievements...
The Biggest Winner is BRINE SUSPECT, who gained 22 points in beating the Biggest
Loser.
The Biggest Loser is GRAKUS, who lost 19 points.
This Week's Favorite is HOUN DOG.

Only one challenge, no deaths, and no invites. The title fight was longer than my
report. <sign> This brings my shortest report ever to a close. All that showed up this
week, the first round is on me, 'Til next time.

-- Eoghan McGrimm

DUELMASTER W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
SKUNK 6675 TP 26 18 1 128 AVOID ME! (535)

CHALLENGER CHAMPIONS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
ZAGRID 6858 AB 19 5 1 113 MID EARTH (223)
BRINE SUSPECT 6903 PS 14 14 1 105 BLUE HERRINGS (566)
HOUN DOG 6872 ST 13 10 1 103 CARDOW HUNTERS (359)
-DROP THE SOAP 6811 BA 17 11 0 99 ALMOST EXACTLY (20)
ENTITLED CITIZEN 6817 TP 25 16 0 97 ARMY OF DARKNESS (283)

CHAMPIONS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
PRETTY ALRIGHT 6905 PL 12 16 1 90 BLUE HERRINGS (566)
-STONE HINGE 3455 AB 16 40 1 89 BLACK KELTS (233)
UPCHUCK 6721 TP 21 14 0 83 AVOID ME! (535)
GRAKUS 6920 BA 11 6 0 81 MID EARTH (223)
APOSTATE POSTMAN 6847 BA 14 14 0 79 ARMY OF DARKNESS (283)
ERRATIC EDUCATOR 6826 SL 14 18 1 76 ARMY OF DARKNESS (283)

CHALLENGER ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
POX 6950 BA 7 2 0 66 AVOID ME! (535) *
ELHAD 6965 ST 5 4 0 62 MID EARTH (223) *
-END OF BIDET 6849 AB 8 4 1 59 ALMOST EXACTLY (20)

ADEPTS W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
SUE CHEF 6848 SL 12 16 0 52 ARMY OF DARKNESS (283)
-MAEVE MANIAC 6916 AB 9 7 0 52 BLACK KELTS (233)
LITTLE FISHY 6902 BA 3 25 0 52 BLUE HERRINGS (566)
1.75L 6914 LU 5 2 0 47 BUFFALO TRACE '25 (567)
-FROSLASS 6963 WS 6 1 0 41 POKE' MON (568)
-POPPY POPPINS 6933 PS 7 6 1 39 BLACK KELTS (233)

CHALLENGER INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
-SNORLAX 6941 TP 7 3 0 39 POKE' MON (568)

CHALLENGER INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
-FELONIOUS FRUNK 6973 ST 3 2 0 31 ALMOST EXACTLY (20) *
-BRIAR 6940 SL 4 6 0 28 POKE' MON (568)
IMGUR 6986 LU 2 0 0 27 MID EARTH (223) *
-SILENCE 6868 2 2 0 25 COVEY XIX (564) [PL-PR]

INITIATES W L K POINTS TEAM NAME
DAVIEL 6982 SL 3 1 1 21 MID EARTH (223) *
-STOMPER ROOM 6954 PL 3 4 0 20 ALMOST EXACTLY (20) *
-WINDLESS WHISPER 6956 ST 3 4 0 19 ALMOST EXACTLY (20) *
-SALAZZLE 6974 PL 2 3 0 17 POKE' MON (568) *
-LOPUNNY 6976 2 2 0 12 POKE' MON (568) [ST-TP]

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

THE DEAD W L K TEAM NAME SLAIN BY TURN Revenge?

PERSONAL ADS

If you aren't avoiding me, you are exactly what they say about fools. So AVOID Me! --
the Bloke

Houn Dog -- You aint nothin but... -- Zagrid

Pretty Alright -- Wow! Thanks for the training assist! -- Grakus

Little Fishy -- I am envious of your training. -- Elhad

Convicted Thief -- One shot to the leg kills you? I think someone paid off the
infirmary staff. -- Daviel

Irratated Housewife -- Go nag your husband. -- Imgur

LAST WEEK'S FIGHTS

SKUNK outwaited ENTITLED CITIZEN in a 29 minute master's Challenge Title fight.
APOSTATE POSTMAN was demolished by HOUN DOG in a popular 3 minute one-sided melee.
GRAKUS was devastated by BRINE SUSPECT in a 1 minute one-sided contest.
ZAGRID overpowered UPCHUCK in a 1 minute mismatched match.
PRETTY ALRIGHT viciously subdued ERRATIC EDUCATOR in a 2 minute veteran's duel.
SUE CHEF was devastated by POX in a action packed 1 minute one-sided competition.
LITTLE FISHY was viciously subdued by 1.75L in a 1 minute gory uneven duel.
ELHAD vanquished CAPTURED ORC in a 1 minute one-sided duel.
DAVIEL was overpowered by DANGEROUS CRIMINAL in a 1 minute uneven match.
IMGUR overpowered EMBEZZLING SCRIBE in a 1 minute one-sided fight.

BATTLE REPORT

MOST POPULAR RECORD DURING THE LAST 10 TURNS
|FIGHTING STYLE FIGHTS FIGHTING STYLE W - L - K PERCENT|
|BASHING ATTACK 4 WALL OF STEEL 8 - 4 - 0 67 |
|TOTAL PARRY 3 LUNGING ATTACK 15 - 10 - 0 60 |
|SLASHING ATTACK 3 TOTAL PARRY 28 - 19 - 0 60 |
|LUNGING ATTACK 2 STRIKING ATTACK 22 - 16 - 0 58 |
|STRIKING ATTACK 2 AIMED BLOW 23 - 20 - 2 53 |
|AIMED BLOW 1 PARRY-RIPOSTE 6 - 7 - 0 46 |
|PARRY-LUNGE 1 BASHING ATTACK 25 - 30 - 0 45 |
|PARRY-STRIKE 1 PARRY-LUNGE 14 - 17 - 0 45 |
|PARRY-RIPOSTE 0 PARRY-STRIKE 10 - 14 - 1 42 |
|WALL OF STEEL 0 SLASHING ATTACK 13 - 24 - 1 35 |

Turn 1043 was great if you Not so great if you used The fighting styles of the
used the fighting styles: the fighting styles: top eleven warriors are:

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

TOP WARRIOR OF EACH STYLE

FIGHTING STYLE WARRIOR W L K PNTS TEAM NAME
TOTAL PARRY SKUNK 6675 26 18 1 128 AVOID ME! (535)
AIMED BLOW ZAGRID 6858 19 5 1 113 MID EARTH (223)
STRIKING ATTACK HOUN DOG 6872 13 10 1 103 CARDOW HUNTERS (359)
BASHING ATTACK GRAKUS 6920 11 6 0 81 MID EARTH (223)
LUNGING ATTACK 1.75L 6914 5 2 0 47 BUFFALO TRACE '25 (567)
Note: Warriors have a winning record and are an Adept or Above.

The overall popularity leader is BRINE SUSPECT 6903. The most popular warrior this
turn was HOUN DOG 6872. The ten other most popular fighters were PRETTY ALRIGHT
6905, ZAGRID 6858, POX 6950, 1.75L 6914, APOSTATE POSTMAN 6847, BRINE SUSPECT 6903,
ERRATIC EDUCATOR 6826, SUE CHEF 6848, ELHAD 6965, and IMGUR 6986.

The least popular fighter this week was SKUNK 6675. The other ten least popular
fighters were ENTITLED CITIZEN 6817, DAVIEL 6982, LITTLE FISHY 6902, UPCHUCK 6721,
GRAKUS 6920, IMGUR 6986, ELHAD 6965, SUE CHEF 6848, ERRATIC EDUCATOR 6826, and BRINE
SUSPECT 6903.

SUMMER FACE-TO-FACE IN CHARLOTTE!

We hope you will join us at our summer FTF in Charlotte, NC July 17-19, 2026! It
will be held at the DoubleTree Suites Charlotte - SouthPark at 6300 Carnegie Blvd,
Charlotte NC 28211 (704-364-2400). Room rates are $169.00 per night, 1-2 occupancy.
There's free wifi, a restaurant and lounge, fitness center, business center, outdoor
pool, and free parking. The rooms are blocked (no code, but you can tell them you're
with RSI if you call).

The official block cutoff is mid-June so make your reservations ASAP!
The hotel reservation site is: https://tinyurl.com/FF75inCharlotte

As always, if the block appears full or the reservation site isn't working correctly,
please make your reservation the best you can **through the website** and then let us
know and we'll work with the sales office to get them to correct your reservation.
(IMPORTANT: Do not prepay or use any other booking site to reserve your rooms,
because they can't be corrected! Corrections should be done before mid-June and
absolutely can't be done after you check in.)

Minioverviews and the tournament announcement will be out in June.

We look forward to seeing you in July! -- RSI