ELEPHANT MUD PEOPLE


The Best of The Drakenwood Times

Article 1: Who were the Real Winners? - by Midnight.

Fifty lay claim...
12 stood to prove it...
Eleven were defeated...
One walked away victor...


Nevertheless, who where the real winners?

The title of Gladiator Champion was up for grabs again. Every four years, the best of the realms fight it out to prove they are the "Best of the best". Whatever your views on the tournament, be it a brawl of the highest most powerful or just a clash of the biggest egos, it was dramatic right up until the end. I was there to bring you the report.

First Round
Foxxy Vs Torin
Thundercloud Vs Usgreth
Cormac Vs Rue
Alter Vs Eldge
Getafix Vs Handy
Leefuss Vs Moloch

The much disputed first fight of Foxxy and Torin, was perhaps one of the longest of the event, spanning around 2 hours. Torin was defeated when, in breach of the rules, he used a restore scroll and it backfired on him. Thus, leaving him weak for Foxxy to end the fight. Thundercloud claimed a massive defeat against the fighter/rogue, when he ran into to the room and showing off by casting the warmage rainbow spell. This was, in contrast to the first fight, the shortest fight of the tournament. The defeat of Cormac against Rue came as no surprise, and kept the bookies happy. With eerie ease, Moloch marched in to the arena and massacred Leefuss. For some reason, Leefuss never got a chance to hit back. With equal ease Eldge charged at Alter and left the remains for the birds. An easy fight for Handy, the soul cleric of the event, when his oppentant Getafix paid, but failed to turn up for the fight.

Second Round
Handy Vs Thundercloud -

The bookmakers had a slow day with this fight, as Handy's rage for the Warmages demon summoning overtook him and he left Thundercloud a gibbering wreck in the corner of the arena. After several minutes, the Arena Veteran removed him from the place.

Rue Vs Moloch -

After Moloch's last battle, the same trick didn't work twice. Rue forced his way toward the fighter and in a mixture of counters and lightening castings the Rogue/Druid walked away almost unhurt.

Eldge Vs Foxxy -

After a judges ruling to disqualify Eldge from the event. Foxxy was claimed victor.

Third Round League

Win = 2 pts
Loss = -1 pts

Wins Losses Pts

Foxxy 2 0 4
Rue 1 1 1
Handy 0 2 -2

Rue Vs Handy
Handy Vs Foxxy
Foxxy Vs Rue

The dirty tricks round of the event. Handy using evil to help him combat the two druids in a dramatic twist to the fights. Rue using caltrops, proving that he may be the metaphorical thief, but he is a rogue at heart. The ex-Leader, Valjean, stood proud as he watched from the heavens. Foxxy showed to the realms, however, that no trick was going to stop him from claiming the last round as his.

Final
Foxxy Vs Rue

The final was the most nail biting round of the event. Rue had proved he was competent, while Foxxy was out to make sure that he was the better. The crowd were not disappointed. The fight went on for an hour. The fists flew, and the screams of pain were heard throughout the realms. In the end Foxxy used every skill available and defeated Rue.

It is important to remember that when you stand up and say, as these twelve did, 'I am the best, and I'm here to prove it!' you have already become the best you can be. Everyone that took part here, although they may have been defeated, were not beaten. They had the guts to prove what they thought they where, thus becoming what they are...
Champions of the Realms.

Article 2 : Demons amongst the Saints - by Gildor
Recently, there have been a number of cases where members of the Warmage guild have found that Handy, Cleric leader, has been attacking their demonic followers because they are against his beliefs. Handy's decision to attack mages' followers has annoyed warmages who feel that his act is an attack on their right to choose if they wish to summon demons. I talked to Lall, council deputy and respected warmage, to obtain his thoughts on the matter.

Lall (Warmage Deputy):
"As I see it, Handy is in a state of holy madness. We are not bound to any god or to worshipping nature or any such rubbish. Power lies within us, mostly brought forward by years of training and research. As a result of our research we encounter many powers, some dangerous, some not. Based on our own free will we have to decide which way to follow. If we decide to use the arcane act of summoning demonic spawns, we are doing this by risking our own lives. We have a strong mental link with our creature it's not a tool or a weapon, it's our follower we know he has the power to kill us and we accept this. I think the clerics have given up the way of free-thinking and choose to follow a pantheon of Gods. There is no free will, they are limited by their beliefs but I will help any cleric who wants to breathe the air of the free man with a free will."

Lall's words point towards an emphasis on the individual's right to choose which path he or she wishes to travel. To hear Handy's explanation for his actions, I spoke to the Cleric.

Handy (Cleric Leader):
"My point is that the clerical church in Drakenwood is dedicated towards the good. Demons are the exact opposite. Just look at Baal as a prime instance, he is a prince of hell and thus directly opposed to the clerical views. In my opinion all evil should be expunged from the realm and sent back to where it comes from, as the gods tell us. I have nothing against warmages personally (except those that side with evil), but the demons they summon should be sent packing."

Buffy (Cleric):
"It's the duty of a cleric to fight evil wherever may reside. I believe Handy is right in wanting to rid the mud of evil - That is the sworn duty of a Cleric, but I believe in the case of fellow adventurers, he should have consulted the other clerics first to agree on whether conversion is a better system than erradication."

Night (Warmage):
"I've never had any trouble with Handy, but I do think it's unfair to kill warmages' followers. I just use mine to carry food. I'm not bothered if they're evil or good, but it seems that Handy is."

Handy made the point that he did not wish to create any ill feelings between clerics and warmages. If he chooses to carry on attacking the warmages' followers because of his beliefs and not theirs, then unfortunately, it seems that warmages will grow increasingly annoyed with his actions. Hopefully we can resolve the problem before adventurers take any drastic action.


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