Volume 1, Issue 24 - Turn 372

Welcome friends to one of our largest issues ever, our 24th in this fair city. Not only do we have a much-requested featured article on a new contest in our arena complex, we also are proud to present our second ever manager interview as part of a new series of Manager Spotlights, and Raul's subsequent attempt to steal his employer's limelight with his own, unique manager interview of DIE's Ilneval. Oh Raul, you cad!

As usual, we also present Cliff Banana's BC Round-Up and all the other content you have come to love.

Anyway, onwards and upwards!


FEATURED ARTICLE - THEY'VE GOT PRESENCE
Dux Mortalitas has erected an odd pavilion in front of the Arena complex in recent weeks. Atop it sits a sign, "REGISTER HERE FOR PREDETERMINED."

In and out pass pretty boys and glamour girls, an influx of so-called talent from some other place, a place whose name exists only in whispers. "Hollywood". What business could they possibly have in our fair city? Well, apparently, thanks to an unsanctioned contest taking place within the arena, these seemingly talentless hacks are beginning to preen their way into our sanguine sport. Within Dux’s tent they appear to be appraised solely for their good looks and glowing personalities. It seems only the most vapid are approved to join this comic festival of semi-competence.

And while flashing toothy, too-white smiles and exhibiting bronzed, though somewhat under-muscled bodies -- a few are barely able to wield weapons more weighty than a stiletto -- some of these circus refugees are even winning. Take Cleaver, for example, somehow 12-0-1, even fighting off a 23 fight downwards BC this turn, possibly by charming Luicifer’s socks off.

We here at the Gazette are appalled, and yet enthralled, by this travesty of a contest. If we can stomach it, we may even provide continued coverage as the dainties and the gadflies begin to, hopefully, drop like flies in the coming turns.

SPOTLIGHT ON...DUDE DOOMER, MEMBER OF NO BOZO SQUAD
For those not familiar with his work, Dude Doomer (along with Ffunker, Ted Supreme and Mygdar Le Gnome) forms one-quarter of the Veteran’s Blade Alliance known as the No Bozo Squad. Dude Doomer has just recently crossed the 2000 Fight mark in our fair city and has recently warred with GAPPDA, Acheron and Vic Vegas in semi-separate conflicts. While not yet possessing a winning record in our arenas, Dude Doomer can lay claim to over 50 kills (54 to be exact, as of Turn 372) and runs one of the more intriguing Top 100 warriors, Half-Orc Barbaq 3. As a manager on the rise, his best warriors are just now starting to clear 50 fights. With the stage now set, let’s move on to the interview.

The Gazetteer: What is the origin of your manager name?
Dude Doomer: In real life my first nickname was “Dudu” (which is a play on my given name), standing for “Dude”. I like the word "Doom" and how one's fate or destiny can be doomed. So, Dude Doomer.

The Gazetteer: How long have you been participating Blood Pit? Is the Veteran's Blade your first Pit Arena? If not, where did you start?
Dude Doomer: In fact, I began sending warriors onto the sands around 2000 for 6 months, but I was not able to continue at the time. 2 years ago, my friend Raymond Stryker let me to this city and arena, and I am still here.

The Gazetteer: What is your overall goal in Blood Pit?
Dude Doomer: I would like very much to have fun. And, if possible, I would like to maintain a 50% win/loss ratio, too

The Gazetteer: You have some excellent warriors (Barbaq 3 springs to mind) and a few that are less than excellent (Fleurie 5).
The Gazetteer: Tell me about the ones that are your favorites.
Dude Doomer: Bahbahabah ... Fl...Barbaq, of course.

The Gazetteer: Many managers monster underperformers. Why do you not do so?
Dude Doomer: I monster enough bad warriors, I promise you. Fleurie (and some others) are experimental. I learn something from their defeats, and I couldn’t monster them now anyway. In fact, I’m a kind of sentimental.

The Gazetteer: It seems like a lot of managers spend their first year struggling with losing warriors and then latch onto a couple of winning concepts and move away from running losing warriors in their second year. Ffunker makes a good example. You seem to still run a good variety of warriors both winning and struggling. What are you doing differently?
Dude Doomer: In fact I like all the offensive styles. I attempt to make my stable use all styles, but I prefer Martial Combat, Bash, Total Kill, and also Wall of Steel and Lunge

The Gazetteer: What set Barbaq 3 apart from the majority of your early warriors that has made him so successful comparatively? It seems like more of his wins have come above 50 fights than came before.
Dude Doomer: For the five kills, luck, and a good new strategy. His genius-level intelligence helps, too.

The Gazetteer: Livarot seemed to be on his way to a winning record ten turns ago and then fell back a bit. What have you been doing to make this warrior win more and will you be able to get him to a winning record some day?
Dude Doomer: Livarot, I am sad to say, is a bit tired. Oddly, his genius-level intelligence doesn’t help.

The Gazetteer: Who is your favorite young warrior?
Dude Doomer: Metallica 6.

The Gazetteer: Which of your warriors is going to be a legend some day and why?
Dude Doomer: None! All? Barbaq 3 is a legend in my alliance, for certain.

The Gazetteer: You run a lot of Half-Elves, more than most managers in the Pit do. Why?
Dude Doomer: I like rapidity, swords and strength. For a long time I have figured Half-Elves could bring me the best mix of these three areas. I was probably wrong.

The Gazetteer: Brie de Meaux and Zara 5 might argue with you on that.
Dude Doomer: The funny thing is, they are experimental too, but they turned out to be very good, especially Zara. To think, some time ago I really thought about monstering her.

The Gazetteer: You also run a lot of Humans. Why?
Dude Doomer: I felt that average capabilities could be efficient some times if they were Human.

The Gazetteer: You only run one Dwarf. Why? Have you ever run more?
Dude Doomer: Honestly, I don't know why.

The Gazetteer: You only run 2 Elves at the moment. Why? Have you ever run more?
Dude Doomer: In fact, they are too “Fragile” to me.

The Gazetteer: Who are your biggest rivals in Blood Pit?
Dude Doomer: Nobody.

The Gazetteer: Really, nobody? Not GAPPDA or someone in GAPPDA? They seem to challenge you and your alliance-mates enough to qualify. What about Vic Vegas?
Dude Doomer: Well! The guys of GAPPDA were my best enemies during a little 3 turn long war. They are cool and I don’t consider them like rivals, even if a victory against Xavier, Poppa or Marius is always a sweet one.
Dude Doomer: As for Vic...I like Vic Vegas, he’s probably one of my best win/loss ratios! No, really I like vV ... at breakfast or lunch each morning.

The Gazetteer: If you could pick one opponent warrior you have faced that you wished was yours, who is it and why?
Dude Doomer: Solitude, because he was a kind of legend at the same time that my warriors were starting out.

The Gazetteer: What warrior or warriors do you dread facing?
Dude Doomer: Those who give me perms. No one in specific.

The Gazetteer: What manager or managers do you dread facing?
Dude Doomer: The others managers from NBS.

The Gazetteer: Because they are good or because they are friends?
Dude Doomer: Of course, it‘s because the NBS results are better, beware of the NBS.

The Gazetteer: What manager or managers do you love to face?
Dude Doomer: Newbies and Vic Vegas some turns ago. I am just kidding!

The Gazetteer: What in your mind makes NBS the best or strongest Alliance in Blood Pit?
Dude Doomer: Nothing (laughs). I have no reason to care about NBS becoming the strongest alliance.
NBS is here only to help each others out.

The Gazetteer: What keeps you playing Blood Pit every turn?
Dude Doomer: The fun of it all ... and the desire to discover and play with some funny tactics and some funny managers.

The Gazetteer: Do you challenge specific warriors and managers? If so, what motivates you to challenge? If not, why not? If you challenge a random selection of warriors and managers, why do you do so?
Dude Doomer: Actually at the moment, peace reigns and I challenge nobody. In the past I have challenged at random or for the NBS.

The Gazetteer: What managers and warriors have you learned the most from?
Dude Doomer: NBS members and Dux also.

The Gazetteer: What's one thing you have learned from the NBS and one thing you have learned from Dux?
Dude Doomer: Too many things from my fellow managers of the NBS. We exchange information every week.
Dude Doomer: From Dux, I have learned a lot about activity level and some about good use of triggers, as when my warrior is “on the ground”.

The Gazetteer: What is your favorite race to run?
Dude Doomer: Human (see above) for favorite.

The Gazetteer: Least favorite? Why?
Dude Doomer: Halflings because I prefer big weapons.

The Gazetteer: What is your favorite style to run?
Dude Doomer: Martial Combat! One day one of my Martial Artists to became a legend!

The Gazetteer: Least favorite? Why?
Dude Doomer: Parry is my least favorite. It’s not a real style. Your gladiator stays behind a shield, and just awaits the referee’s boulders. No, I can’t force my warriors to run this strategy.

The Gazetteer: What has been the toughest thing to figure out for you in designing and managing BP warriors?
Dude Doomer: Warriors with too much presence.

The Gazetteer: What advice would you give to new managers joining Veteran's Blade for the first time?
Dude Doomer: Be patient. And don’t challenge my warriors.

Thank you, Dude Doomer, for sitting down with the Gazette.


FEATURED ARTICLE – RAUL'S ALLIANCE UPDATE
Greetings friends. It is once again I, Raul Anjinarikar Siv, risking life, limb and hygiene to bring you the freshest information about the world of Alliances. This week we have a special treat as none other than Illneval (or Nev, as I am not allowed to call him) granted an audience with me to do an interview with. Well, truth be told, he was sitting at the bar, and I was next to him when I realized I should probably do something resembling my job!

The conversation started out congenial enough with a ‘hello’ and ‘can I ask of you questions, good man?.’ He said nothing to me, and in my culture silence is assent, so I proceeded with the questions. To my delight he answered them in an almost not threatening tone of annoyance. Here is the ‘gist’ of our conversation, or at least the parts that are fit to print without being edited out entirely.

Raul: So, tell me, as a self-described killer, how is it that you avoid the authorities?

Nev: I need not worry about the so-called authorities in this city. You might even say that I have them in my back pocket, so to speak. I don't have anything to worry about.

Raul: DIE is the smallest of the alliances, but one could argue it has the fullest, thickest teams. Does this mean that you and your warriors, you know, partake of herbal concoctions or enhancements?

Nev: That's a filthy LIE. Where do you come up with this crap? Did you hear this from that little rat of an editor you have? You tell him that I know where he lives. I want to eat his children. Praise be to Gruumsh!!!!

Raul: It was said that once you where a Lord of Darkness, when did you decide to break ranks with the most favored alliance of the Padishah?

Nev: I broke from that little band of managers when I felt I was shunned from the ranks. One member in particular didn't care for my presence, and he made it well known.

Raul: Did something I do offend you, causing you to leave?

Nev: You spoke, isn't that enough?

Raul: What is it like drinking the watered down swill that passes for ale here?

Nev: I never drink the Ale here. Tastes too much like Halfling piss for my tastes. I prefer a nice Orcish-blend Ale, and you just can't get that around here. At least not the good stuff.

Raul: Can you describe, with at least four adjectives, the amount that Sanguine Savior can drink in one sitting?

Nev: I can't

Raul: Is it really that little? I hear he drinks much more than you say.

Nev: No comment.

Raul: What if I pay you, will you tell the truth then?

Nev: You don't have enough in your pathetic salary to appease me.

Raul: Who is your favorite warrior, and which alliance would you like most to see do away with him?

Nev: My favorite is the one that kills, whoever that may be from week to week, and if I have to see him die, then I prefer it to be another DIE member do the deed.

Given the way his bodyguards eyed me so, I decided not to ask my follow up question about women’s clothing and our habits when we think we are alone but have left the curtain undrawn. We sat in awkward silence until the bill arrived, then more awkward silence until he left without paying.

So, what is it, you say, did I learn from this? Well, first, members of DIE like to eat the young flesh of the offspring of others; they have a liking for all things Orcish in both the swill and the deity department; they are equally angry while drunk or sober, and that you cannot know more than three adjectives. Overall, I’d say a roaring success. I tried to find Sanguine in a more sober mood to interview him, but I do not get up that early in the morning.

Well friends, if I write any more, my hands may fall off and I do not have disability insurance. And with the pending Olympics of Alliances (I for one think it is a grand idea!) I will need all my strength to withstand the odor in the stands as the most seasoned and unbathed of managers cram into the seats to watch the fights. Until next time, Salaam and Good Hunting.


100 WIN CLUB WATCH
From the darkness emerged Geryon and manager Damion, with no comment or explanation of their disappearance from and reappearance in the city. Tied at 99 wins with Stalker's Halfling Popper, one might have expected an epic show-down between the two to determine who would next cross the 100 Win marker. Sadly, Gouged Eye Inc. instead sent Leonord DeQuirm after Popper, and in just around 2 minutes was pulled from the match, with the ref granting Popper his 100th win. Popper joins recent 100 Win Club members M. Noirceur, Elfkiller and Rihn the BladeSinger as this Spring's most recent winners of the Race to 100 Wins. As Sleazee P Martinee's recent 100 Win addition, Popper gives Stalker 2 living members of the 100 Win Club at this time, while Dux Mortalitas leads with 3. This means that 3 managers control more than half (7 out of 12) of the extant membership of the Club at this time. Good show Dux, Sleazee and Stalker.

Across the complex, Geryon was stepping into a random match with Sanguine Savior's slightly younger Mystical Charade. Geryon would not be stepping out of the match with his 100th win, however, leaving him, for the moment, one of two final contestants in the current Race to 100.

Our other remaining contestant, Asiago won his 3rd straight later in the day, killing Hosehead's oldest warrior Spoo in the process, allowing him to pull even with Geryon at 99 Wins. This leaves only Geryon and Asiago to contend for the honor of not being the only non-winner of our Race to 100 Wins. With a win, Asiago will give Poeg himself 2 living members of the 100 Win Club, further separating the elite from the chaff.

The Gazette Staff looks with much anticipation to next turn and the probable completion of the current Race to 100 Wins. Congratulations again to Stalker and Popper.


NEXT TURN'S 100 FIGHT BIRTHDAYS
Though Turn 372 brought us a dire dearth of 100th Fight days, next turn threatens to provide us with double our pleasure, and both thanks to GAPPDA manager Fusion. It may be a tough row to hoe, however, as it seems a certain opposing manager might be taking a dim view on GAPPDA's ownership of 100+ super-veterans. What makes our periodical suppose such a thing? Well, one need only look at this turn's attempt by Sleazee P. Martinee's The Rage to Overcome, dropping down nearly 30 fights, to crush Fusion's Dwarf, Tubor, at 99 fights. Tubor lasted 3 minutes against the more experienced Dwarf, however, and survived to take the loss. Tubor's stablemate, Halfling Mammy, was lucky enough to avoid such a soul-crushing kill attempt, and both warriors go into their 100th Fight next turn with excellent records already secured (65-34-3 for Mammy, 66-33-1 for Tubor).

As usual, the Gazette staff has nothing but good wishes for next turn's 100th Fight day gladiators. We would also suggest some blanket avoids for a certain warriors that might wish there to be fewer GAPPDA 100 Fight warriors rather than more.


NOTABLE DEATHS
As in Turn 371, the fans of the Veteran's Blade found themselves with fewer than normal kills to enjoy this week, though certainly not lacking in star power, as a warrior with nearly 4 years of fighting experience was to fall in Turn 372 as was another within 3 fights of their 100th Fight Day.

Topping the list, of course, is the aforementioned meeting of 100 Win Club contestant Asiago, managed by the Legion of Darkness' Poeg, ending the lengthy run of Hosehead's oldest remaining warrior, and nearly 200 Fight Elf, Spoo in a 3-minute random match.

Hosehead, seemingly distraught, sent his comments to the Gazette by registered letter. "Spoo was amazingly mediocre. 14 mastered skills and I could never find a style that made him win regularly. I monstered him long ago before the Competition Committee removed our ability to bring warriors back to life, because I really liked his build. So, technically, he was the last of my "originals", having the same makeup as my first recruit on my first team from years ago."

Spoo expires only 9 wins short of the 100 Win Club (though also only 2 losses from the 100 Loss Club, a much more exclusive club I might add) having put together only 2 kills in 189 fights.

Though the loss above certainly must have been a disappointment to Hosehead, one of his remaining veterans, butt Hat, brought him some amount of relief with his own kill of a veteran, Scotty Body's Ozzy. Of course, if rumors are true and there is a familial connection between Hosehead and Scotty Body, than perhaps this kill was no help at all.

Ozzy takes a bite out of the afterlife having secured 50 wins and 3 kills in 97 turns within the arena complex.

It was a rough day for Cliff Banana, who not only suffered through only 11 wins in 25 fights, but lost his oldest living warrior, Dwarf Flerk, to Caesar Invictus' killer Half-Orc Pit Fiend.

The Banana shared his thoughts with reporters on the tough loss at his weekly press conference. "Flerk's death is quite disappointing. He was my most experienced warrior. Although I did realize that he had been living on borrowed time for the past 10 turns, due to his many injuries, it was still a bit of a shock. The final blow was to his very fragile abdominal cavity. He took the fight into Minute 6 primarily fighting a defensive fight. Over the last couple of minutes, Flerk conceded the initiative to Pit Fiend, because he had reached his endurance limits. When he did swing, he was hitting pretty hard, but he just didn't have enough to put away Pitt Fiend, so it wasn't a 1 sided affair."

Caesar Invictus also briefly shared his perspective on the fight, noting darkly, "Crappy fight went longer than it should have. Might have caught Flerk experimenting with a new style. Flerk landed a couple of nice hits on Pit Fiend but it was too little, too late. The outcome was never really in question."

Flerk perishes having put together a solid 50 wins and 4 kills in just 83 fights, leaving Cliff Banana with just 4 50+ warriors.

Bringing in a relatively rare kill on a non-challenge, Sleazee P. Martinee's Athrogate Ironforger annihilated Drachir's loser Half-Elf Orchid in 3 minutes of action.

Orchid pushes up daisies having accrued a meager 36 wins and one kill in 82 fights.

Having suffered the loss of 2 50+ warriors to Acheron last turn, Lord Kelvin's rough stretch continued this week, as Halfling Scarecrow was cut down in a Blood Challenge match by Marcus' Half-Elf Pain. Even with these recent losses, however, Lord Kelvin can take some solace in his 9 remaining veterans.

Scarecrow passes on having excelled to the turn of 42 wins and a kill in 66 fights.

Much as Hosehead could take some solace in a veteran kill to balance out a rough loss, Lord Kelvin added a small notch to his belt, and will sure receive many, many thank you cards and bouquets for preventing one of the worst warriors in the arena, Aconite's Zasda "The Cut" Zass from ever disgracing our fair sands again. Some may think that dispatching such an execrable warrior would be no real solace to one who has lost more accomplished warriors over recent days. These people are probably right, sadly.

Zasda lies unmourned having lost 73 times in 95 fights.

The final veteran death of the turn occurred in Team Fights, as Nads' Klud & Sally Killers mistook their foes for peasants and annihilated Stimpy's solid Half-Orc George. Stimpy was surely sad to see George, a warrior who began his career with 23 straight wins before losing his first match while Blood Challenging Abaddon, an 18 fight warrior with 9 wins managed by Missus Bigus.

George passes onto the jungles of the afterlife having accumulated 49 wins and a single kill in 88 fights.

As is customary, the Gazette sends its condolences to those who were fans, friends or acquaintances of the those lost and also salutes their killers.


CLIFF BANANA'S BC ROUNDUP
Greetings! The dark pall recently cast over the Arena continues to plague us. Gone are the days of true contests, of skill versus skill. They are replaced by the simple pursuit of victory. Victory at seemingly any cost, where the art of the blade has become aged and dated and replaced by the sole desire to win, to survive another cycle, and look to further prey upon the weak, to avoid becoming prey to the stronger.

THE GOOD
Our defenders are fewer and fewer with each passing round. There is a greater willingness to victimize the youthful warriors than there has been in the past. While this offers dangerous ground to the intrepid BC Defenders, it also casts them in an even more favorable light. The honorable few who boldly stand and throw back the assault attempted on their stable should be truly proud. A salute to The Demon’s ATOM SMASHER in a bold defense against Folkari’s MANUSHKA. The down-on-his-luck MANUSHKA took a quite laughable 31-44-2 record into the contest, hoping that the additional 42 contests of experience advantage would somehow obfuscate his lack of skill on the sands. MANUSHKA proved to lack honor, skill and temerity and was outclassed by ATOM SMASHER in rather quick fashion. Another whom was hoping that an experience advantage would account for a lack of prowess, was Sah’s CHRISTMAS LOSER, as CHRISTMAS LOSER tempted fate against Tars Tarkas’ PHADRIG OGE. PHADRIG OGE managed to best CHRISTMAS LOSER in a not-so-close 3 minute affair.

The Demon’s ATOM SMASHER (42)
Tars Tarkas’ PHADRIG OGE (27)
Poeg’s CLEAVER (23)
Pip The Troll’s SHWEATY (16)
Mydgar Le Gnome’s CYL “L’ENSORCELEUSE” (16)
Poeg’s VIEUX BOULOGNE (4)

THE BAD
We have seen a number of managers struggle from time to time within a single turn, one where their warriors have been outmatched or outmanaged or were simply victims of a poor circumstance. While these failings can easily be dismissed, persistent struggles are more difficult to ignore. Over the most recent three turn span we have seen some managers have particular difficulty. The Warlord has struggled in losing 9 out of 13 BCs, with 5 of those losses coming in a time and place of his own choosing. Violentkitty has also struggled with 7 losses over 10 fights . While those two managers have had the most prolific difficulty, joining them on this list are Lord Kelvin who has dropped all 4 of his most recent BC fights, and Drachir who has lost 4 of 5 fights, with 3 coming on his own challenges.

THE UGLY
The list of Ugly is truly reflective of the ever-evolving mood of the arena. The sheer diversity of managers on the list is truly indicative of the strong push towards victory, but perhaps more so is the regularity of the three-turn Ugly challenge series. We have now seen a triple digit downchallenge for the fifth consecutive turn, and we can only wait and see if Dux will keep the pressure on, by continuing to drop MISERY on OAK. Perhaps a lesson can be learned in the fate of SPOO, who engaged in a three-turn triple-digit downchallenge, but lost his life this turn.

Dux Mortalitas’ MISERY (113)
Palor’s XENLIAN (83)
Shadow Master’s JERLIN (71)
Lady Templar’s THE HOBBIT (58)
Danny D Bloody’s CHUCK THE BARKEEP (54)
Gramps’ SAINT NIXON (47)
Ted Supreme’s TOUCHE REKTAL 2 (38)
Sanguine Savior’s RAWHEAD RED (34)
Poeg’s HOGNOSED (33)
Angel of Death’s VICTR (33)
Egor’s MANTIS (30)
Egor’s SPLITTER (26)
Sah’s ESAD (26)
Drakus’ THE SHOOK (26)

Truly a sad day.


MANAGER OF THE WEEK
Two managers pieced together 20 Win turns this week, with Vic Vegas doing so with anger in his heart (13 points of dishonor accrued on downwards challenges) and Cam doing so with some amount of scum farming on his conscience (4 wins against the peasants).

So how do we unwind this tricky puzzle to unveil to you, pit fans, a Manager of the Week?

The Gazette Staff certainly considered calling it a tie and heading home for the day, but this would be a disservice to our readers. The central question of the day seemed to us to be: Are vicious downchallenges a bigger blight on someone's record than team-fighting the Peasant Scum? It was not many months ago when the Peasants seemed newly dangerous, but that brief period seems to be over. Still, could this be any worse than gaining 6 wins through downchallenges on sub-500 opponents?

After much deliberation, though it pains us to single out a contributing author of this very periodical, we have to place a line in the sand against dishonorable challenges.

So, Manager of the Week for Turn 372 is awarded to Cam, who, while gaining four wins against the Peasants, also managed an additional 16 in randoms or managed team fights.

Congratulations on your achievement, Cam. Surely there will be many to come.


RANDOM NOTES
M. Noirceur is still winless since his 100th Win and now sits one additional loss from hitting 200 fights with the same number of losses.


THIS TURN IN QUOTES
"Thiisss was my besst t-t-turn yet! Woo Hoo! I am ssshh... ocked and amazed by F'nora's kill. The furry-footed warrior had gone without permanently planting a warrior for 51 fights! My con... cond.... condol... apologies to Chen Man Ching. Killing Fernando was furthest from my intentions when I filed the challenge request forms. I was simply trying to break F'nora's 5-loss streak. F'nora's triple train was the icing on the pie... cake... CAKE! I even sent a guy to the mm... mm... monsters!". – Vic Vegas, drunkenly accepting the Manager of the Week award granted to Cam while wielding a cold compress at Dux’s tavern following the turn. He then promptly passed out and sustained a permanent head wound from the podium.


WHISPERS AROUND THE VETERAN'S BLADE
Word on the street is that D-Man is seriously considering sending M.Noirceur against The Monsters for his 200th fight. Whispered explanations for this decision, though likely not directly from D-Man, range from the self-explanatory (it would chap Dux's hide to see M.Noirceur as a Monster before any of his) to the more rational (at 200 Fights M.Noirceur must have at least as good a chance as Nefindil did). We shall see, I suppose.

With an uncharacteristic 8 kills in the last 4 turns (including 4 in Turn 372 and the 2 marquee slaughters in Turn 371), it was probably inevitable that Acheron's stable would draw the attention of the Competition Committee's Commission on Little Debbies Use, which began to apply investigative and legal pressure on the enigmatic manager not long after the arenas emptied on fight night. No word yet has leaked as to the level of cooperation with the investigation coming from Acheron's camp, nor on any juicy early findings from the Committee's hired Mages, but as soon as The Gazette hears anything, our readers will be among the first to know.

Rumors are flying that several managers are in the process of forming a new mega-alliance, larger than any that currently exists (certainly in active managers). No one has been willing to go on record, and several death threats have arrived at the Gazette as we began to follow the trail on this rumor, so we're just going to keep speculation to a minimum at the moment, thank you very much.


That's if for this week's edition of The Gazette! If you'd like to submit items for a future edition or provide feedback and clarifications, please pm them to my account on pitt.bloodspit.net.

-The Staff at The Pitt Gazette