Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Usurpator 09-12-05, 03:52 PM	Hear, hear, latest news and gossip from our beloved city and arena: New husbandry laws? Scuffles were reported at the gate where Draconis Regina came wandering into Gladius with a untrained Hippogriff in tow. She was barely able to control the fierce creature when guards approached her accusing her of not having the proper papers for keeping a Hippogriff. Draconis defended herself by claiming she was not keeping the creature, only bringing it to a proper trainer. Rumors of a new law that required gladiators to have formal papers for every animal they kept spread across the city like wildfire: many gladiators were seen at the stables, trying to move their mounts to a less public place while others were wondering if they had to turn in their trusty mounts for fear of breaking the law. Guilds laws being discussed Many wise men were seen gathering all around our beloved city. Most were speaking about new guild laws that are rumored to be passed soon by the council. Some guilds had already posted their charter, but caused some consternation when their entry requirements were suddenly changed. Everyone is expe Free-for-all matches to be banned? Both public and gladiators issued several complaints about the free-for-all match format. The public demanded more excitement and action, while the gladiators were clamoring for rightfull rewards and the right to choose their own opponent. A few new proposals were handed over to the Arena management, but when asked about their opinion they stated ‘no comment’. Mithril Shortage Feared! A recent survey held among the starting gladiators revealed where the drain on the nearest mithril mines is coming from. Amazingly more than a quarter of the rookies (28%) preferred not to wear any armor at all. Of those who do wear armor the chain shirt is still in vogue, 63% of the gladiators wears a jingling shirt of mail. Studded leather and full plate (both 10%) is less popular, breastplate is hanging in there (7%) and almost no sane gladiator wants to be seen in leather armor or banded mail (both 5%). But most amazingly of all, the startups have managed to scrape together enough gold to that almost one-third of all armor (30%) is made of mithral. That’s 150 lbs. of mithral people, enough to keep an average dwarven mine busy for a year! One gladiator even order a adamantine suit of armor, and one set of dragonhide was spotted as well. As a side note, 6 gladiators preferred their armor outfitted with deadly spikes. Amazing Victory The award for the most amazing victory this week goes to Grik in Tatyana and the Amazing Death Missile vs Grik (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7200845). Even after getting hammered by sonic missiles from Tatyana, Grik’s trusty bow kept on shooting, and hitting! Grik commented by saying, “It be ‘Luk’ that won it for me, it was! My reeelly nice bow ‘Luk’. Foolish Loss The award for most foolish loss this week goes to Maeril in The First Horseman vs. Maeril (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7212790). In this fight Maeril floored his opponent with a sleep spell and instead of killing him woke his opponent up and asked if he wanted to surrender. The First Horseman replied with his fists and spiked armor, crushing the hapless paladin to bloody pulp. Afterwards the First Horseman commented: “I am a horseman of the apocalypse and will kill indiscriminately. Asking me to surrender is like asking the sun not to rise.” Maeril was praying at the local shrine of Heironeous and unavailable for comment. Hotly Contested Without a doubt the team match between Vivi and Zassl vs. Methos and Gang Lion (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7220395) was this weeks most contested match. Right after the match Zassl and the referee were spotted shouting at each other, the small kobold verily purple from anger, with Gang Lion and Methos shouting some arguments from the side lines. None of the parties were available for comment later. Thank you for buying & reading Gladius Weekly. We keep you up to date! The editor
Usurpator 09-20-05, 03:09 AM	Amazing insight, news you haven't heard on the streets! The Amazing Hrolf This week a new fearsome gladiator has entered the arena: Hrolf the Grappling Horse. Hrolf single-hoofedly slew Methos, a gladiator well known for his expertise at unarmed combat. After the match spectators and gladiators alike were lining up at the stables to see the Hrolf from up close. There was much speculation about where Pirotess managed to get such a fine specimen, and who trained him this expertly at seek and destroy operations. The wicked spikes on the animal’s flimsy leather barding were the object of much admiration as well. It is rumored that agents have been sent to discover where Pirotess got this animal, and we might be seeing more of his kind in the near future. Read more >> (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7259006) Spiky Issues Also this week a gladiator re-discovered some forgotten passages in a document that serves as an addendum to the Codex of the Arena. It seems that while the Codex allowed certain uses of armor spikes, the Addendum forbids them. Several learned gladiators and elders perused both documents. Some argued the laws and rules of the Codex should prevail, since it is a more official source than the Addendum, while others argued that the Addendum is also an official source, and a more recent one at that. The issue seems to be swinging towards accepting the addendum. In a possibly related story, Guts (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=5978432), a gladiator famed for his skill with armor spikes, was seen leaving Gladius. Guts refused to give any comment, so we must wonder if this is the real reason he is leaving, and will he ever return? Gladiators and City Administration at odds Since the gladiators began organizing their own guilds the city administration has stepped in to pass laws that help those guilds become professional organisations. Many drafts have been proposed and good progress is being made on building permits, salary rules and assorted laws. A more controversial issue is that the city administration has raised the entry requirements for many burgeoning guilds. A sizeable number of gladiators fear that they will now be unable to join the guild that had originally intended to, arguing that the Gladius council has no business in determing who they admit to their guilds. Will the dissatisfied gladiators go rogue and start underground guilds or will a compromise be found? Only time will tell. Draknisis under siege: update As we all know a siege has been laid upon the port city of Draknisis by a contruct army from an artificer-wizard gone mad for some time now. Several of Gladius citizens have responded to Draknisis’ call for aid rushed out to the besieged city. We have recently received message from a minor outpost that the heroes arrived there to commandeer a shipment of adamantine. Most unusually, they were accompanied by giant blueish snakelike creature, who chatted amiably with Lady Tira. Additionally our messenger reported that the heroes relayed that they were ambushed by a quartet of wyverns who slew their horses. The infested swamp now awaits the heroes, will they succeed in their mission without their mounts or will Draknisis fall before they arrive? Read more >> (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=457081 ) Prison Report Kronos the Farslayer was put in prison (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7259963) early this week, and hasn’t been released yet. Prison officials said he had forfeited on some debts. We immediately visited and interviewed shopkeepers, and it seems like Kronos had some tattoos scribed and bought potions which he never paid for. We tried to contact Kronos accountant, but nobody seems to know where he is. Kronos is being held in prison until his arena fight has finished, which should earn him enough money to pay off his debts. Unfortunately for Kronos the fight is continually being postponed, is someone out there to get the Xeph? Match of the Week With a solid majority the public voted for Gang Lion vs. Silas (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7266718) as match of the week. One spectator commented: “It was good to finally see some gladiators trade blows back and forth the oldfashioned way!” another said “I like thoroughly enjoy matches that last for more than a minute. Some fights today are finished so fast you don’t have time to take a sip of your beverage.” Coward of the Week With overwhelming majority the public voted the scaly Devolved Sleestak as the coward of the week. The Sleestak fought Grik (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7264701), a gladiator well known for his direct and no-nonsense approach to combat. The Devolved one not only used a potion of invisibility (a recipe for impopularity with this crowd) but kept backing away from his opponent. Some readers might think Sleestak a feeble wizard or psion, but nothing could be further from the truth. The lizard-folk has an impressive physique and wicked claws to boot. Why doesn’t he fight? Thank you for buying & reading Gladius Weekly. We keep you up to date! The editor
Usurpator 09-26-05, 05:37 PM	More amazing stories from Gladius and environs: Students Kidnapped! Three days ago a witness saw several creatures ransacking two buildings on the campus of The Arcane Order and capturing several young students. The wizardress named Pirotess (of Hrolf the Grappling Horse fame) defended the campus bravely and managed to rescued several students. The creatures were later identified as devils by learned members of the Order. Many of the faculty have gone missing, and some students say they were kidnapped. The Magister has been unavailable for comment (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=502666). All classes have been put on hold until the source of the attack is determined. What makes this most troubling is that the campus is the only known place in Gladius that has a magical ward against the Nimbus. Read more >> (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=506130) Guild Laws Continue to Cause Turmoil The new Guild Laws bill is still a source of much confusion in Gladius. This week a petition appeared against the passing of the guild laws and number of gladiators signed it as a form of protest. We spoke with several gladiators who signed, and it seemed some of them were misinformed about the content of the current draft, since some laws have been relaxed since the last protest. A representative of the City Council made a speech at the assembly hall this week, impressing upon all present to wait until the complete bill has been finished before dismissing it. He stated that their best legal experts were working on it, making sure the new laws would be fair, just and easy to apply. Read more >> (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=456309&goto=lastpost) Obituaries This week Crovax’ body was found in the coastal forest several leagues out of Gladius, or at least what remains of his body, since much of it was eaten by unknown marauders. Crovax was a relatively new citizen of Gladius, and while some people dismissed him as arrogant and boastful, the drow was undeniably competent. This happened only a week after Zamier was found dead in the same area. Some people already whisper that the place is cursed, but we other gladiators take the news less seriously, commenting that anyone who names himself after a legendary vampire should not be surprised if he turns up dead (or undead) sooner or later. Will Crovax’ Curse strike again next week? Read more >> (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=506119) Spectator wounded In the fight between the undefeated Balbanes and Daeren Stronghammer no less than 14 bolts and 26 arrows where fired, and both gladiators produced several bad misfires which landed in the stands. One of those, a crossbow bolt from Daeren, struck a 32 year old woman in the shoulder. While formal apologies were offered, her healer’s costs were paid for, and her ticket was refunded, voices among Gladius higher circles demanded stricter security measures from the arena. Such security measures will undoubtedly detract from the experience of attending a gladiatorial match. Read more >> (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7344733&postcount=423) Match of the Week The fight between The Phantom Lord and Shakari was voted as this weeks match of the week. It was a contest between the natural and the unnatural, between animals savagery against the unwavering undead. It resulted in a solid and lenghty fight between two evenly matched opponents and provided for much excitement which proved to be exciting until the very last moments. After the match a brief bar brawl erupted between both contestants in the Cheeky Owl. Patrons who were on the scene tell us that vile insults were hurled before fighting broke out, but stories conflict about who started it. This maybe the beginning of a exciting rivalry! Read more >> (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7344007) Save Rebreg! This week Rebreg Eennoss (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7073338) suffered his fourth defeat in a row and has yet to win his first fight here. After Rebreg was ressurected by the Nimbus he looked about ready to give up. Several gladiators were seen comforting the unfortunate half-giant and giving him tips for future fights. Unfortunately, the loan sharks of this city have less mercy upon Rebreg, and it has become clear that he is one of the few gladiators who is unable to make a living from fighting in the Arena. A few more fights like this and he will probably be bankrupt. After leaving the arena, Rebreg has retreated into meditation, apparently preparing for his next fight. Since the editors of this newsletter would hate to see Rebreg leave, they call upon his fellow gladiators fighting in the arena next week to voluntary donate a small amount of their earnings, say 25 golden crowns, to their unfortunate brother in arms. While this initiative still has to be cleared with arena administrators, a strong public show of support will undoubtedly help. Thank you for buying & reading Gladius Weekly. We keep you up to date! The editor
Usurpator 10-06-05, 04:53 PM	Letter from the Editor I must offer out sincere apologies to our devoted readers for the delay in this week’s edition. Normally we procure services from the Arcane Order to make copies of our newsletter for distribution around Gladius. This week the guildmaster cancelled the copying agreement, invoking the extraplanar threat clausule. We scrambled to get good writers in from all over town to copy the newsletter by hand instead of by magic, but this has caused major delays. We would be grateful for anyone who can assist the Arcane Order with their troubles, since we don’t have a fast and reliable alternative to the service they offered us. Council Members Stranded It was fairly quiet in City Hall this week. A delegation of the Gladius Council left on a diplomatic mission to Ghelmere, but unexpected and unexplained bad weather forced them to postpone the return trip. With the Arcane Order in a state of chaos since the attack by devils last week, no wizards were available to get them out of their predicament by use of their magic. Without their leadership development on the new Guild Laws have slowed to a crawl. An increasing number of citizens are petitioning for heroes to go in and bring them back, or at the least find out what is causing the unusually bad weather. Obituaries Crovax’s Curse strikes again! This week Torgirr’s remains where found quite close to the pond where Crovax mutalited body was found a week earlier. He was sliced into tiny bits by some razor-sharp device and traces of digestive juices were found on what remained of him. Still, it seems that more heroes have stepped up to investigate that particulary dangerous area. Will the curse be finally laid to rest? Elves taking over Gladius? The first Gladius census in many years has finally been completed. This census also revealed interesting figures about out population of gladiators. While it may come as no surprise that of the 124 gladiators 71% were male, 23% were female and the rest were of undetermined gender. More suprising was that 25% was of elven origin, while just 29% was human. Full figures below: 1 Aasimar 1 Dragon 1 Dromite 1 Drow 6 Dwarves 2 Elan 32 Elves 2 Githzerai 3 Gnomes 3 Half-Dragons 10 Half-Giants 5 Halflings 2 Half-Elves 5 Half-Orcs 36 Humans 2 Kobolds 1 Krenshar 2 Lizardfolk 1 Maenad 1 Mephit 2 Orcs 3 Pixies 2 Sahuagin 2 Tieflings Those Who Laugh Last.... A hotly anticipated match was slated this week between a trio of spellcasters and a nasty acid-ridden demon from the Abyss and his lizard cohorts. Initially the fight seemed to be going for the three gladiators, but when the fight wore on it seemed that had spent their strength to early. The demon used used his superior mobility and stealth to good advantage and openly taunted his opponents. Then Va’ria came flying in, and with her last spellpower unleashed a terrible revenge upon the demon. Read more >> (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=511389) True Master of Souls From one of our roving reporters: Wow...talk about upset of the century. Well, at least that's what most folk think. Pale-Rider could never see just why this guy named, "Balbanes", was given so much credit. Pale-Rider thought he was nothing more than a spoiled rich kid, playing with daddy's money. Earlier in the week, Balbanes had gone all over town bragging about how he was going to "pwng" Pale-Rider. Pale never returned the teasing. When cornered one day at the local coroners office performing an autopsy he was simply quoted as saying, "Hmmph. We'll see i guess. It's all about touch and deliverance", was all he said. None knew what he meant until the fight day. The bookies had pegged Balbanes at 243:1 odds of winning. This didn't bother the Pale-Rider though, he had a game plan. Offense, right from the starting gate. Pale spurred his mount, Pestilence, onward burning Balbanes with a glob of acid. From then on, Balbanes was completely on the defensive. Summoned creatures swarmed around Balbanes, nearly plucking his eyes out. Then the ghostly hand appeared, and it was all made clear what he had said now that day at the coroners. Pale-Rider continued to assault Balbanes with shocking jolt after shocking jolt. One by one, the black energy sapped the life-force out of Balbanes until he was a worthless husk on the arena floor. Was was so amazing about this victory is that Balbanes had hardly even scratched the frail necromancer. Having spent all of daddy's money, Balbanes was dragged uncermoniously from the arena floor where the Nimbus ressurected him to a new life of poverty. Meanwhile, the bookies were scrambling to make payments on the odd few who bet in favour of Pale-Rider...and one of those people was his good friend, KRUNCH! After learning that the bookie wasn't able to pay him, Krunch went ballistic killing absolutely everyone in the gambling house. Patrons and bookies alike fell to his mighty flachion. After a short while, he did calm down and was promptly escorted out by a contingent of security force personell. Read more >> (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7408638) Rebreg Continues Losing Streak Once again Rebreg Eennoss (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7073338) lost a fight, putting him at five to naught. Some spectators claimed this was his closest fight yet and he actually seems to be building up quite a loyal following despite his inability to perform in the arena. The match between him and the newcomer Shirl Ravenlock this week has already been sold out. ---------------------------------------- Thank you for buying & reading Gladius Weekly. We keep you up to date! The editor
Usurpator 10-11-05, 05:33 PM	Week of Reunions Last week many gladiators of old were seen once again lounging in the taverns of Gladius. Nobody is sure why they have returned in such numbers at the same time. Do they have knowledge of some impending catastrophe that is to befall our beloved city? We have questioned them about their purposes but they refuse to explain it and claim it’s a coincidence. In any case, the crowd yearns to see some of glorious veteran’s to grace the arena with their presence once again, and possibly teach all the upstarts a lesson. Will next week be the ‘Week of the Comebacks’? Council Members return from Ghelmere Although the weather off the coast is still unusual for this time of year, the delegation from City Hall has braved the waves and returned to Gladius. It seems there time was well-spent, for they brought with them almost completed legislative documents regulating the Guilds. The news laws met with approval from many important citizens, and didn’t spark any firestorms as they did before. Read more >> (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=6467442) Unusual Gladiators Since the results of the census last week, knowledgeable readers have asked all kinds of questions. One of the more puzzling results is the exodus of wild elves. Every educated citizen knows that wild elves generally abhor civilization, yet they have appeared in great numbers in our city. Amantar ( http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7090786) and Kermadec ( http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7090810) arrived this week to join their fellow gladiators Axhind ( http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7090802) and Keltsat ( http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7090810). The druid we consulted claimed their tribal markings seem to indicate that all belong to the same tribe from the Iliqinwood in the north. The same druid also claimed that a white dragon was terrorizing the inhabitants of that pristine forest, possible causing the exodus. Read more >> (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=514381) Rebreg a True Hero! It seems that all the adoration showered upon him by his fans has finally paid off: Rebreg has won his first! After the match he was congratulated by his opponent, Shirl Ravenlock, who remained fair and sporting even after being forced to fight amidst a largely hostile crowd. With his winnings, Rebreg can undoubtedly pay off the loan sharks he was indebted to. The stoic warrior took it all in stride, promising his fans to return to the arena soon. A fan club has been founded, and immediately demanded a large pre-booked share of seats for the Rebreg matches. Will Rebreg claim another victory soon? Some of the older gladiators who returned to Gladius immediately weighed in on the matter, saying that they’ve had worse losing streaks in the past. This editor doesn’t know if that’s a record worth bragging about, though. Read more >> ( http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7450576) Familiar magic? This week Auburn (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7209993) has finished her master’s thesis on magical field effects and how they interact with the familiar bond. She intends to start her next project on spectral hands and charged magical touch effects next week. Both subjects are highly volatile since the actions of Vandelar’s hawk familiar Ganon in his fight against the new warrior from the deep, Aquin the Sahuagin. Read more >> (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7453763) Curse Thwarted? No deaths were reported from our sources from abroad. For the first week since some time, it looks like the regular deaths and mutilations nicknamed Crovax’s Curse have abated. Considering this it is very unfortunate that Crovax himself was unable to take advantage of this boon as he lost his contest against Brilf in the arena this week in an interesting battle. Read more >> (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7470127) The Arcane Order Reorganizes Also, as disclosed in a press conference, with the disappearance of the Magister, Vandalar has been named Magister pro tem. His first act as has been to organize a group of adventurers to deal with the threat to the school. Vandalar will be heading the expedition. The leadership of TAO believe the campus will be reopened within 3 weeks. Students injured durring the original attack are all doing fine. For the time being, TAO has relocated its classes to the Red Lion Tavern, located 1/2 mile west of the campus on Mandelbrot Lane. TAO insists that there will be no interruptions in classes, and continues to request applicants for new staff. Read more >> (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?goto=newpost&t=229519) Dwarven master smith speaks “A true mithral chain shirt, forged for a dwarf or a human weighs about 10 pounds. Anybody carrying a heavier shirt must realize that the mithral has been diluted with iron and thus has been the target of a swindle. We know that with the recent mithral shortages there has been a tendency for armorsmiths of lesser repute to produce these substandard shirts. Do not accept such shoddy work! Maybe the new guild laws will help secure the quality and the reputation of mithral shirts in the future.” This report was made possible by the donations bestowed upon our organization by the dwarven-run United Mining Clans (UMC). Fight of the Week The three-way Hunter match between Ielenia, Delaria and Casgish was undoubtedly this most exciting fight of the week. Rarely has Gladius seen such a close contest, with all three gladiators lying unconscious and bleeding on the arena right next to each other at the end. This is the stuff the arena was built for! Read more >> (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7436972) The editor also wishes to thank the Arcane Order for their press releases and for re-instating the copying contract with our newsletter.
Usurpator 10-19-05, 04:03 PM	Gladius most popular newsletter has returned to bring you the latest gossip and truth around our beloved city: Older gladiators afraid? Last week saw the return of many old gladiators, and some of them spoke bold words. It was unfortunate to see so few of them competing in the arena. The public was disappointed with seeing only Lissa Longfellow in action against a quartet of aging gnomes. An interesting an exciting fight for sure, but the public expected more. Are the older gladiators afraid? Read more >> (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7512849&postcount=503) The truth about the Magister? Just yesterday we picked up an interesting rumour about the cause of the Magister’s disappearance. Secret conclaves are being held in the Guildhouse of the Arcane Order for several weeks now, and it seems like the leadership’s sceptre of the guild has been passed to Vandelar the Red for the time being, but they’re not sharing what has been said in their conclaves. Our latest source suggests another reason for the Magister disappearance: family matters. Our source told us that the Magister’s wife is pregnant! We wish to congratulate the Magister if this is true, and hope he can find the time to continue to grace us with his presence. Read more >> (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7532454) Gladius needs you! Sadly, two gladiators that had been sent north to act as ambassadors for our fine city have abandoned their duties. Ambassadorial aide Kaigan ( http://boards1.wizards.com/member.php?u=276552) has requested at least two new skilled heroes to travel north as soon as possible to assist their comrades-in-arms, Sir Valkin and Tergus Ciancil, in their quest to prevent an outbreak of war on our northern front. Gladius security depends you! Read more >> (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7539902) Gladius’ most fearsome gladiators It is high time this newsletter published the top ranked gladiators of this . These guys and gals are the meanest gladiators in their respective leagues, bringing home victory after victory, even against powerful opponents. Coming week this newsletter will open a ballot where you vote for your favourite amongst these giants: 1. Uhmentarymster the Old (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=5179937) (Caterane) Coming in at 2197 victory points with 18 matches won and only 2 lost, this old gray elf wizard has seen it all. 2. Mer-Man (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=5179940) (Caterane) Clocking in at 1996 victory points and 1 loss against 13 victories, this stranger from the deep seas has amazed friend and foe with his skill. 3. Balbanes, Avatar of Life (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=6884101) (King Uther) Weighing at 1626 victory points, Balbanes, flying, glaive-wielding and spell-slinging self-appointed saviour of Gladius has already instilled fear in many gladiators in the lower leagues, and his 9 wins against one loss is testament to his ability. 4. Indri'ynar Per-El'ereth (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=5179939) (Caterane) At 1611 victory points, Indri’ynar is a multi-talented wood elf not to be trifled with. 13 wins against 5 losses make him a feared gladiator, although some voices mourn the dark path he has taken recently. 5. Nexa (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7020028) (Usurpator) For 1582 victory points, Nexa the Monk/Druid wood elf closes the ranks of the top gladiators, having successfully evaded a confrontation with Balbanes, but being the only unbeaten gladiator amongst these dangerous figures at 6 wins against 0 losses. Massacre This week a truly gruesome massacre occurred in Gladius monster arena that appalled some of the audience. Few words can describe the despair these gladiators must have felt who were so outmatched by their opponents that they were unable to inflict even a single wound. Read more >> (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7510304) Who is stopping Archie? Archie Longbow scored his eight victories in a row and is still undefeated in this arena. Most opponents were unable to find an answer to his combination of perfect flight and a whole battery of defensive spells. Can no one tack this otherworldly tiefling? Are there no mortals left who can stand against this fiendish wizard? Is it only a matter of time until he joins the top five? Read more >> (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7526829) Farewell to Amion We are sad to announce that Amion Da’rath (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=6706752) has left our city for good. When he first came to Gladius and won his first two fights here, some said that he held great promise. Unfortunately, that promise was never fulfilled. After his first two victories he managed to acquire a mind-boggling NINE consecutive defeats. “I must leave before I hit the double figures.” the soft-spoken Amion told our reporters. “If only I had the support Rebreg enjoys, maybe I would have stayed...” Read more >> (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7535933) Rebreg unlocking his potential? On a more positive note, Rebreg has won his second victory in our great arena. While fans continue to adore him, dark voices whisper of a deal he has made with forces from the nether planes to grant him these victories. These voices say the evidence is found in the names of both of his opponents, which share one particular word.... Read more >> (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7535652) Fight of the Week This week’s fight of the week was not clear-cut as last week’s. The public cast a lot of different votes, but winning by a small margin was the fight between Fjörd Thjünderbjürd and Amantar. The combination of a true stand-up performance by Fjörd with his air guitar, a veritable swarm of dogs and other odd animals, a lengthy match, and a doughty barbarian chopping up opponents left and right with abandon gained this fight the honorary position. Congratulations to these fine gladiators! Read more >> (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7531707) Reporters sought! This newsletter is in search of reports who can deliver interesting news stories from abroad. Many of our heroic gladiators regularly take on missions abroad, and we have a shortage of manpower. Anyone who wishes a glamorous freelance job against a decent pay, apply here: PM me plz (http://boards1.wizards.com/member.php?u=269446)
Usurpator 10-26-05, 05:05 PM	It doesn’t matter if you win or lose, nobody can survive in Gladius without reading the Arena Weekly! Tavern closed One of the old favorite taverns of many of Gladius gladiators was suddenly closed today. City administrators cited laws and ordinances and it seems the old tavern will be demolished. Fortunately a brand new tavern opened its doors right next to the old spot, already pulling in an eager audience. Some discussion were continued by old-timers like nothing had happened. Read more >> (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=525782) Brilf with new lover? One of our most steadfast gladiators in the Arena, Brilf the Monk totally lost it during his bout this week. After being struck with a volley of her cupid’s arrows, all Brilf could do was grab his beautiful feminine opponent and embrace her most tightly. She returned his passion with some serious love bites of her own, but this did not deter Brilf, he just wouldn’t let go until they almost both passed out from sheer ecstasy. Some of Gladius’ older citizens complained that Arena Management really should come up with some rating system so they wouldn’t need to feel embarrassed by fights like this. Read more >> (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7557508) Boltfight at the Gladius Arena Anya versus Perius was one of the surprise fights this week. Those who expected a ‘wild’ fight between the two wilders couldn’t have been more wrong. Neither gladiator took big chances nor both settled for a lock and load duel. Neither was very well trained in archery, and it showed. Bolts whizzed through the air for many minutes before Anya finally decided the match. After the match the arena physician saw many spectators in his office, most complaining of neck strains. Enterprising citizens have turned the discarded bolts into special fight memento’s for the wealthy, although rumors of fake ‘fight bolts’ are already turning up. Read more >> (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7598300) Uhmentarymster Falls In a hotly anticipated fight two colossal gladiators squared off against each other. Uhmentarymster the Old with an impressive record of 18 wins and 2 defeats and a handicap off 12522 versus Hagrid with a respectable 9 vs. 9 win/lose record and a handicap of 6270. The bets were going on a 2:1 rate when the match started. The public gasped as they saw Hagrid moving across the arena with a flash, launching a deadly arrow at Uhmen, severely wounding the old and frail elven wizard, unable as he was to keep up with his rival’s blinding speed. What really added insult to injury however, was not Hagrid killer missile, but the fact that Uhmentarymster was ultimately defeated by falling of his own horse. We have heard of the saying ‘the higher you climb the harder you fall’, but we never imagined that to include falling of your own (high?) horse. Read more >> (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7550041) Gladius’ most underrated gladiators After seeing the top ranked gladiators, everybody is eager to hear of those poor souls clinging to the bottom rungs of the arena rankings. Well, here they are, the gladiators who collect losses as if they were precious. The editor wishes to remind folks that these are generally the diehards of the arena, since many lesser gladiators have left the arena after accumulating a few losses. Not these guys though. 1. Crovax Trucido (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7261208) (Nightbanegod) With an abominable ranking of 630 with 4 losses and no wins, Crovax the dark elf is proud to be the only gladiator who has an actual curse named after him. With being inspiration for the curse of the defeated, it is only fitting that Crovax should hold first place in these rankings. And they said drow were powerful! 2. Aeryn Valaer (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=6739289) (Altaris13) Ranked just above Crovax with a ranking of 649 and one win versus 5 losses, Aeryn left Gladius briefly after graduating from the neophyte league. Unfortunately, nothing has been heard from him for a long time and the worst is feared. So much for the supposed superiority of spiked chains! 3. Tak the Hungry (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7183096) (Oldmangray) This aptly nicknamed gladiator was still hungry for his first victory after four matches, with a lowest ranking of 703. It seems that this week he will escape this list with his victory over HG Milstead. 4. Ielenia Naïlo (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7386831) (Snommelp) Little is yet known of this petite goldsmith-turned gladiator. Expert say she will either leave the arena soon and continue with her excellent handiwork or turn her luck around and start winning. With only 3 losses and a ranking of 710, she is of to a bad start, but hardly hopeless. 5. Vivi (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7016241) (Dr.Funk) What in gods name is an old geezer with the name of Vivi doing in the arena? His ranking of 713 answers this question: nothing much. Although the statistics mention 1 win against 4 defeats, archivists claim that his opponent did nothing more than stand still in that single victory. Well, even my lapdog can defeat a gladiator who doesn’t defend himself. Last but not least, the editors want to make an honorary mention of Ch'ch'ili (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=6640369) who has held the top rank in this list for many, many weeks, but was just pushed off the list by a few upstart newcomers. True Gladius fans predict the dromite male, currently ranked at 721, will make a comeback soon, but they doubt if he can bump Crovax from his throne. Fight of the Week This week’s fight of the week was the not very well visited HG Milstead vs. Tak the Hungry. Neither was gladiator has a big following among the spectators, but they did put up a fine match. There was ranged combat, spellcasting, running and dodging, hiding and generally a lot of varied interaction between both gladiators. Maybe not a big and flashy spectacle like some of the more recent fights, but and enjoyable little gem among the big names that usually pull the large crowds. Read more >> (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7584031) Gladiators Afraid of Krunch? For a new guy on the battlefield, without much of a power ranking, it seems as though this stout little dwarf has raised more than a few eyebrows. Not feeling that anyone at his own ECL can properly challenge him, he has taken it upon himself to "beat up da bigger guys" as he puts it. After proving his worth in the arena two weeks running, including an opponent of higher ECL than he, it seems as though the ECL 6 and ECl 7 roster pairings have mysteriously been left blank. This has made Krunch quite furious and has scribbled, "FIGHT ME U FOOLS!" in bold red ink upon the roster sheets. After a few more days of passing and still no new names, the red line has been traced to the ECL 5 rankings and put the number "2" there. Does Krunch wish to take on two ECL 5's if no worthy opponents can be found at his own level? Krunch issued a direct comment at the mighty Balbanes and it would seem as though even he does not wish to fight Krunch. In fact, Balbanes was heard commenting last week, "Dang. I thought I was going to have to fight that brute. Thank goodness I got stuck with another chump to pad my rating once again. Daddy's money has served me well so far. He actually scares me." When asked for comments "on the record", all gladiators thus far have refused to say anything for fear of retaliation by Krunch. Off the record however, gladiators have been bragging how easy it would be to defeat the little dwarf, but that a match against him would ‘cramp their style’. Read more >> (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7550041) Exotic Hairstyles in Vogue We always keep up to date with the newest fashions and it seems that a new hairdo has started a trend among the Gladius gladiators. This particular coup makes your hair resemble a crown of flames and is what fashion sensitive citizens have been talking about the whole week. This week we saw Flamehair (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7474112) and Alexi Wood (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=6864997) fighting in the arena, both sporting a similar hairdo. Both gladiators denied knowledge of the other’s haircut and claimed to be the originator of the trend. Read more >> (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7569747) Thanks to our guest columnists Soullord and Tellish of Ket and for their contributions.
Usurpator 11-02-05, 06:24 PM	It doesn’t matter if you win or lose, nobody can survive in Gladius without reading the Arena Weekly! Disease Ravages Iamden Nexa and Daeren have returned from the northern forest bringing tales fraught with despair. A terrible disease has struck the village of Iamden and the surrounding area, affecting animal and people alike, killing them within days and the turning them into subservient undead-like creatures. Daeren and Nexa defeated an evil druid, a large white dragon and a dark naga in their quest to find a cure. They discovered that another mighty creature is behind the spread of this disease, but while they did deliver the ingredients of the cure to one of the local herbalists, they were unable to discover the origin of the plague. Read more >> (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=514381) Talari disappears The druidess Talari Leafwhisperer returned last week after stopping evil wizards and their ettin ally from burning down a large part of Jindl Forest. While she was thanked profusely by members of the Living Tree and some other guilds, a day after she returned she has inexplicably disappeared. Nobody has seen her since, and she hasn’t kept several appointments she had made. Friends of her fear for her health and have put out a call to everyone to let them know as soon as they see her. Silver Soldier returns This week a priceless collectors item has returned to Gladius. The statue known as the Silver Soldier was thought to have been destroyed with the city of San Alto when Argon the Red leveled the city over 400 years ago. To date, no other artifacts of the city have been found. Details are sketchy on how the statue found it's way to Gladius. Read more >> (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=521601) Dromite enters Gladius Last week the gate guards were surprised by an small insectoid creature requesting to enter Gladius. The guards let is pass without much questioning and several witnesses described this being as ‘cute’. We learned that this four-foot bug called himself Arbados, and that his primary purpose here is assimilation. What exactly he desires to assimilate is still unclear, but some people fear that the insect is a scout for an invasion force. Many dismiss this as a fable, claiming that a creature so small and cute can only be harmless. Casgish, one of the Darath brothers, made short work of the Dromite, but the crowd expressed sympathy for the defeated Arbados. Read more >> (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7631485) Silk at premium The prices of silk rose sharply upon news that an East Habari Trading Company ship has not returned from the southern lands of Parthalia. The investigation is ongoing, but it seems that the ship never left the harbor of Parthalia, and the crew has disappeared. The harbor of Parthalia has threatened to seize the ship if it is not claimed. The E.H.T.C. had no comment on the matter. Read more >> (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=518701) Goodbye Archie This week Archie was defeated by Alac Rensellaer in the upset of the week. Public was shocked as Alac, hardly known for his glorious victories in the Arena, surprised Archie with a combination of avoidance and magic missile attacks. The feisty Tiefling initially took the defeat rather lightly: “I was ill prepared, I know I should have planned better for this fight, but I was too busy packing in my stuff” she said abjectly. Alac refused to comment on the battle and snuck silently out of the arena. One day later Archie returned, this time all fired up. She slammed down several documents in front of the judges, demanding a review. To the surprise of the referees the documents held irrefutable proof that Alac had broken arena rules and was immediately disqualified. We desperately tried to get the cheater to comment on the matter, but he has disappeared without a trace. Read more >> (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7632685) Weekly Rankings This weeks top and bottom gladiators listed for your convenience: Top 5 1. Mer-Man (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=5179940) (Caterane) at 2046 2. Uhmentarymster the Old (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=5179937) (Caterane) at 2011 3. Balbanes, Avatar of Life (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=6884101) (King Uther) at 1705 4. Indri'ynar Per-El'ereth (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=5179939) (Caterane) at 1611 5. Nexa (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7020028) (Usurpator) at 1582 Not much has changed since last report. Uhme lost his top spot to Mer-Man because he fell to Hagrid while the Sahuagin massacred Brilf. Conspicously absent of course is Archie Longbow, who left our beloved city to pursue other matters. Bottom 5 1. Crovax Trucido (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7261208) (Nightbanegod) at 630 2. Vivi (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7016241) (Dr.Funk) at 642 3. Aeryn Valaer (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=6739289) (Altaris13) at 649 4. Kraegin (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=6687335) (TelinArtho) at 702 5. Ch'ch'ili (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=6640369) (Begferdeth) at 721 This weeks marks the glorious return of Ch’ch‘ili, who fought hard to get into the bottom 5 again. Welcome back! As predicted Vivi also climbed closer to a rank befitting his stature although still unable to beat Crovax rating. But since Crovax isn’t expected to fight this week, Vivi is poised to take over the bottom spot, and all the fame that goes with it. Fight of the Week The public was treated to raw excitement, blood and guts in this week’s fight of the week: Tan vs. Donak. Does anyone even remember the last time we saw a gladiator slice into his opponent with a dagger, much less two gladiators going at each other with one? Before the fight, Tan, an entertainer pur sang, was seen stepping languidly towards the arena as we stopped him for an interview: “Arena fight, today? I totally forgot! Where’s Jimmy, he is supposed to inform me of these things? And I did not feed Popper yet this morning! I guess I just have to win to get him some dog food. Oh, leave your questions with Jimmy, he’ll answer them for me.” Donak marched passed us without noticing us, his face tight and drawn, common among first-time gladiators. When he left the arena, bleeding heavily and barely conscious, he looked immensely wiser. We wish both gladiators a fruitful career in Gladius. Read more >> (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7640083) Evil in Decline? It seems Law and Chaos hang in the balance as they were evenly matched last week as indicated by our survey of the bulk of the fights in the lowest brackets. Good however seems to take the upper hand as they are more morally upright gladiators than their evil counterparts. The largest portion of the good gladiators resides in the lower leagues while the agents of evil have more members in the middle leagues. Could the current balance of power change in the future? Will organizations like the E.T.H.C. be a thing of the past? (statistics computed from last week results) Thanks to our guest columnists Soullord and Vathelokai for their contributions!
Usurpator 11-06-05, 05:52 PM	Special Bulletin! Gladius most infamous newsletter has decided to sponsor the: - Mr. and Ms. Gladius contest - Entry requirements 1. Must have fought at least two times in the arena 2. Charisma of 14+ 3. Must e-mail or PM me with: - a brief description of the character, which should include the reason why citizens should vote for him or her - a single in-character statement/payoff/punchline/battle-cry - an image/link to image of the character Prices - Eternal Fame - Exclusive news coverage in the Gladius Arena Weekly - The editor will confer with the City Elders about additional prices for the winners Additional Info If I get enough contestants then voting will start after next week's pairings are up.
Usurpator 11-09-05, 05:12 PM	It’s that time of the week again, the highly coveted Gladius Arena Weekly makes another appearance! Bat Attack Gladius has very strict laws regulating the keeping of animals, as some gladiators found out when they were marched of to prison for violations. Gladius separates the animals in two broad categories: which are basically dangerous animals and harmless animals. Taxes are much less for exotic animals who are thought not to be capable of harming people. Recently one of our gladiators pets was accused of harming a fellow citizen. This seemed impossible because the fruitbat in question was clearly categorized in the harmless category. Other senior pet-owning senior citizens immediately threw their weight into the discussion and a meeting of city elders was held to see if the laws needed amendment. After voting was completely it was decided that bats will from now on be treated as ‘dangerous’. Read more >> ( http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=530124) Taxes lowered In all their wisdom, the Gladius city council has decided to lift property taxes levied off citizens who go away on long campaigns to defend Gladius reputation and her interests abroad. There are some fears that the reduced income will cause a shortage of funds, but most officials are taking a wait and see position on this issue, hoping the Gladius economy will be strong enough to counter the loss of revenue. Gladius gladiators unanimously welcomed the new law. Read more >> (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=531865) Dancing shoes for a discount The city council has been pretty busy last week, because another law that affects gladiators is going to be altered. The council convened on the issue of Hennan’s vocal implants. Each citizen in possession of a masterwork instruments get special discount on performing taxes from the city, and Hennan claimed this discount as well. When he got to the city office the officials refused him his discount on the reason that ‘vocal implants’ are not an instrument according to the letter of the law. Several well-known musicians started a pretty vocal protest after this ruling by the official and elders were forced to convene. Current voting seems to go in the direction of allowing this and other corner cases to get the discount as well. Read more >> (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=532717) Guild Halls Busy The newly erected guild halls have seen regular visitors. Already the Arcane Order, Celestial Forces and Warfare Alliance have more applicants than they need. The once mighty ETHC seems to be struggling to get by, and we have heard alarming sounds coming from the PSI Consortium as well. Will a shortage of founding members be the downfall of these barely started guilds. Have their founders misjudged their attractiveness, or is it just a case of insufficient publicity? Guildmasters should know that the best deals in Gladius are made in dark and shady corners, and not on the open street. Secret of Sam and Grik Contrary to common practice fellow gladiators Sam (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=6968278) and Grik (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7022092) have a very peculiar tactics. They adamantly refuse to use potions, scrolls, tattoos or other magical expendables in their fights. Despite this obvious fault in their tactics they have fared fairly well in the arena. Sam is even at 4 vs. 4 while Grik is up a respectable 7 to 3. Prior to their last fight we even heard Yoriko Obato (” http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=6778414) say about Sam: “Hmm, he seems to be better at just about everything then I am except for ranged combat and movement.” Is this a hint, have the two gladiators caught on to a new and effective strategy? Will we see more of this? It seems that the shady upstart pipsqueak going by the obvious nickname “Memorex (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=6576274)” has already made this strategy part of his philosophy. And he’s up 2 to 0. The Curse of Vandelar the Red It seems characters who have defeated Vandelar the red are misteriously dissapearing by chronological order the Battle maiden Zaya who fought him february 5th and Mugen who fought him on march and Xyanthraxia who fought him next in a free for all match. All have dissappeared without a trace since. Luni was interviewed about this alleged curse "Nonsense it's a known fact that some gladiators move on to other places after a few fights" After this Luni was reported missing she showed up a few days later claiming personal business had kept her busy. Curse or perhaps a vendetta against those gladiators who have bested him this reported interviewed Vandelar. "Curse! What the devil are you speaking about, Get out of here! NOW!, don't you have some real news to cover?" Mr. and Ms. Gladius elections The response to our announcement has been less than overwhelming. Only one gladiator actually bothered to show up our registration booth. And he did not show himself once, he slammed his registration form down every day since we announced the paegant. Uncouth and badly mannered, this dwarf is the last person we would like to present as Gladius finest, and his reponse when we told him he didn’t meet the criteria for entering his response was: “Charisma 6? So, i'm da i'm da best looking dwarf 'round, and ya best vote fer me, or i'll chop yer head off if ye don't. I ain't so good luukin', but my wins are. Just ask that knock-off, spoiled little rich kid i just pummelled. Ya like dat? eh? eh? Well der's plenty more where it came frum. Beside, i gots a snazzy new suit o' plate. Vote, or face the falchion.” In the face of this (literally), we are forced to lower our entry requirements. No longer are gladiators required to bring forth a decorative painting of themselves, and we require only a single descriptive sentence (we even accept badly spelled ones!). We will send out reporters to likely prospects next week. Gladiators, you have a responsibility to our fair Arena and city to join! Don’t let the dwarf win! Rebreg Leaving? This week one of our most favorite gladiators, Rebreg Eenoss told one of our reporters he was contemplating of leaving Gladius. For good. “What else is there to prove?” He said after reaching 5-5 in matches won vs. lost after annihilating Perius. “I’ll go and meditate on it while I practice my woodcarving skills.” He added. His fan base, although dwindled of late, has been struck hard with this news. We want to see Rebreg at least with more victories and losses, the head of the fanclub commented. Fans were seen preparing flags with “Rebreg Don’t Go!”. The fans were already shocked at the farewell of Archie, are they prepared to take another loss of serious magnitude? Read more >> (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7680545) B-Krunch After both contestants shooting there mouths off around town about who was the better combatant, it was easy to see why this would be the most hotly watched fight of the week. It was standing room only in the arena that day and many people from the past came to cheer on their favourites. Even one of the Harvesters showed up to watch the match. But he started fidget and get a little uneasy when Krunch's cousin Spike took a seat next to him. Nervously Harv turned to Spike, "So, uh...good popcorn hunh?" To which Spike's reply was a non-commital grunt and with a quick flash and a draw of his mighty magical falchion, cleaved Harv's head clean off in one stirke. Spike sat down again, despite the pool of blood forming at his feet and was heard mumbling, "Damn spooky guy was get tin' on me nerves." A few of the Celestial Forces newfound members where there to cheer on their champion, until they all got a glaring shot from Spike. And the fight went on...At first it seemed like Krunch might be in trouble, but those huge muscles of his snapped those vines like they were...uh..vines. He took off in the air and the fear in Balbanes facial expressions could be seen and throughout the crowd everyone recognized that it spelled doom for Balbanes. Even the Celestial guildmates commented, "Yup, it's over." and "Oh boy, he's ticked, Balby is screwed now." And about as fast as it began it ended. Krunch cleaving into all the images and the horse and then finally Balbanes, ensuring nothing is left standing in the arena. It was told by some spectators that his head went flying so far from his body that it took the cleaning crew nearly 2 hours to find all the pieces and piece him back together again for the ressurection. Read more >> (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7692275) Weekly Rankings This weeks top and bottom gladiators listed for your convenience: Top 5 1. Mer-Man (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=5179940) (Caterane) at 2046 2. Uhmentarymster the Old (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=5179937) (Caterane) at 2011 3. Indri'ynar Per-El'ereth (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=5179939) (Caterane) at 1611 4. Nexa (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7020028) (Usurpator) at 1582 5. Balbanes, Avatar of Life (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=6884101) (King Uther) at 1563 As last week, there was little movement in the top 5. Balbanes was the only active one of the top dogs, and while he took a loss to Krunch, it was not enough to topple him entirely from the list. Nexa and Indri both move up a spot thanks to the loss though. The closest threats to the top 5 are all campaign, so it will probably be unchanged next week as well, unless Balbanes loses another fight that is. Bottom 5 1. Vivi (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7016241) (Dr.Funk) at 591 2. Santos Fi’Corma (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=6719309) (Gonbow) at 641 3. Aeryn Valaer (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=6739289) (Altaris13) at 649 4. Ch'ch'ili (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=6640369) (Begferdeth) at 656 5. Tak the Hungry (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7183096) (Oldmangray) 699 This week Vivi has taken the bottom spot, congratulations! The wizard is closely followed by Santos, a new entry in this list. Old favorites like Aeryn, Ch'ch'ili and Tak the Hungry are still hanging in there. This editor would like to add that Crovax’ disappearance from this list has nothing to do with blackmail of any kind. Crovax has not threatened to call upon his dark elven friends to raid our office, nor has he threatened to kill our families with vile magic. Our reporter that was to interview him this week suddenly had to leave the city to visit his ailing aunt, and we must repeat that there has been no violence of any sort from Crovax. Fight of the Week There were a number of fights this week were the crowd had barely taken their seat when the sign ‘fight over’ was given. Fortunately, there were more than the usual share of battles, so the public was treated to some tense matches as well. One of the most exitic and bloody matches of this week with one of the public favorites, Grik, faced off against a true abomination of the deep: Aquin. After some initial missile exchange both gladiators got into a really nasty wrestling match. On the brink of death, the orc managed to put down Aquin a mighty last effort before collapsing and dying himself. Read more >> (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7661041&postcount=582) Thanks to our guest columnists/reporters Tellish of Ket and Soullord for their contributions!
Usurpator 11-16-05, 05:08 PM	If it is not in the Weekly, it just as well might not have happened! Crackdown on No-shows Jessie the Slow (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7748463) and Maven (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7745372) were invited for a ‘private’ discussion by the Arena management this week. Not coincidentally both didn’t show up for their fight this week. We spoke to Jessie afterwards and he said he had to aplogize for being too slow too reach the Arena in time for his fight. Maven refused to comment at this time, but we heard from reliable sources that she was seen shopping during the time she should have been fighting in the arena. The Arena management issued a brief statement after speaking to both gladiators: “We are paying each gladiator a fee for their appearances in the arena and the public pays for tickets. We expect any gladiator under contract with us to appear and give us their best in the arena. We have no room for cowards, quitters and no-shows, and such gladiators will get their contracts cancelled. Maven and Jessie have been warned!” Cartography project started We are proud to announce that several influential citizens have started an extensive cartography project. Their goals it to create the most comprehensive map of our world ever made. People who have travelled to Gladius from abroad are urged to contact the Cartographer’s office, since they will pay for reliable information from far away countries. Read more >> (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7733074&postcount=661) Denth's Following Getting Stronger? Its been almost four months since the first Cleric of Denth the Summoner appeared in Gladius. Although Kraegin's effect on the colliseum had little to do with his record, he clearly has sparked the religion into a spurt of growth. This is clearly indicated by the fact that the colliseum has been joined by new clerics of Denth every few weeks. While their records have been nothing to brag about, it is surely concerning that so many are amongst us. Currently, this is the list of known Summoners of Denth: - Kraegin, current leader of the rejuvenation (human Cleric 6) 3 wins/6 losses - Tlanth (human Cleric 3) 0 wins/2 losses (retired) - Vakkor (human Cleric 4) 1 win/2 losses (currently campaigning) - Delaria (human Cleric 4) 2 wins/3 losses Just now, we've been told that another has joined the crowd. She seems to be building on the diplomatic ties of Delaria and Kraegin's crafting ability. No one knows why the clerics of Denth are amassing here - in Gladius - at this particular time. One can only hope that it is not a repeat of Denth's wars from centuries ago. Baelin and Daeren massacred The EHTC allied Baelin was slain in a most gruesome manner by a many-headed cryo-hydra, who left him virtually no chance. Spectators say the assassin didn’t stand a chance and looked out of his element in the dungeon arena. Daeren put up more of a fight, but was overwhelmed by the sheer number of his Ghast opponents. When interviewed he commented: “I could’ve slain them easily, if not for all the expendables the arena management gave them. These tattoos and potions made them next to impossible to hit. We gladiators have to be careful about our investments, but the guys can just blow through the equipment given to them in one fight. I don’t know if that’s right, but I have more important tasks ahead of me. I am going to find the Spear of Fangs, or die trying. Tensions between Guilds rise Our sources have seen frequent visitors entering and leaving the guilds. Many guilds have sent envoys to others, and one can only guess at what they are discussing. The Psi Consortium has been most suspicious, and some report having seen Validi walking inside with two severed heads. A heavily wounded Kronos has been spotted crawling into the halls of the EHTC, but we were unable to confirm who did that to him. No official alliances have been declared as of yet, but our guess is that will be only a matter of time. We hope to keep you updated on the suspected secret alliances as well. Mr. and Ms. Gladius elections We are glad to announce that we have received several entries, but due to pressing business on other fronts we had to postpone invitations to other public-favored gladiators. Hopefully we will be able to present a final list in next week’s newsletters. We would like to thank the current entrants for their willingness to be the face of Gladius abroad. Lycanthropes spotted! This week saw the appearance of the first two lycanthropic gladiators in Gladius for some time. While the eagle-like Imperi Valhalla (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7307744) immediately left Gladius to go questing, the other newcomer, Tezca (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7573203) immediately got to test his mettle against one of the top ranked gladiators: Balbanes. While the fight initially seemed to go to Balbanes, the latest new is that Tezca was given the victory. Judges are still debating the final outcome. An interesting new tactics was revealed in this fight, as it became apparent that some creatures that can climb well can actually charge up the steep pillars and walls of the arena. Read more >> (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7680545) Weekly Rankings This weeks top and bottom gladiators listed for your convenience: Top 5 Gladiators 1. Mer-Man (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=5179940) (Caterane) at 2112 2. Uhmentarymster the Old (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=5179937) (Caterane) at 2011 3. Indri'ynar Per-El'ereth (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=5179939) (Caterane) at 1611 4. Nexa (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7020028) (Usurpator) at 1582 5. Balbanes, Avatar of Life (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=6884101) (King Uther) at 1563 Mer-Man defeated another gladiator, securing his top position. Balbanes fought as well, but first the judges declared him the winner in his match against Tezca, then the decision was reversed after careful scrutiny of the facts. Balbanes appealed against the new decision and Arena Management is not changing his ranking before the issue is resolved. Validi is the only gladiator currently aspiring to join the top ranks. Bottom 5 Gladiators 1. Vivi (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7016241) (Dr.Funk) at 538 2. Ch'ch'ili (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=6640369) (Begferdeth) at 591 3. Tak the Hungry (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7183096) (Oldmangray) 618 4. Delaria (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7301351) at 635 5. Santos Fi’Corma (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=6719309) (Gonbow) at 641 Despite her loss, Ch’ch’ili was unable to dislodge Vivi from the bottom spot, the old geezer remained one step ahead of the dashing Dromite. But it seems that Chili is bent on taking another Lowest Power of Gladius throphy home soon. Tak and Santos remained in the list and we have a new entrant: Delaria, replacing Vakkor as one of Denth’s representatives in this list. Aeryn Valar seems to have retired without word and thus is no longer on this list. Guilds Rankings 1. The Celestial Forces (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=527674) at 4 – 0 2. The Psi Consortium (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=517706) at 4 - 1 3. The Warfare Alliance (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=517715) 3 -2 4. The Arcane Order (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=500767) at 1 - 2 5. The East Habari Trading Company (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=501159) 0 - 1 6. The Living Tree (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=501578) 0 - 1 The Celestial Forces immediately made a strong entry. Only Maeril did not fight, but the other active guildmembers all beat their opponents. The Psi Consortium could have topped them, but Alyana Shanti, a newcomer to Gladius lost her match against Mektos, putting them in second place. The guildmembers of the Warfare Alliance was primarily fighting each other, four of their matches were against members of their own guild. Do these guys like to fight or what? The EHTC and Living Tree members were fairly quiet, one has to wonder if they are able to pay the taxes the guild laws require. Fight of the Week Despite Jessie’s and Maven no-shows, the public was treated to a lot of interesting battles. Steel clashed against arcane energy as the gladiators battled it out. The Hand of Denth played a major role in the match got almost got the most votes: Annix vs. Kraegin (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7735444&postcount=627), but is was the Hunter fight of Zassl, Grik and Daemon took the most votes. Seeing pure muscle, pure magical artillery and a mix of both matched against each other proved exciting. Spell battles, chases, even a change into Xorn that burrowed into the arena were some of this match highlights.Read more >> (http://boards1.wizards.com/showpost.php?p=7733661&postcount=625) Thanks to our guest columnists/reporter TelinArtho for his contribution!