Overlord Grant.

[Tareth Thorn]

Being that it's now within my power to grant a free challenge to a duelist of my choice, Caedia Thorn now has grant to pick a Baron at her discression for immediate testing.

~TT

[Skyler]

::The teenage boy was strolling by the board when he saw Tareth's announcement. He pulled out his Wang -- just to marvel at its splendor for a moment -- and noticed it was still tinted red with the dried blood of the Thorn woman. An obnoxious comment came to mind, and he saw no reason not to pen it. Sneering odiously, he scrawled a reply in red crayon beneath the Overlord's post. The reprobate's large, sloppy, childish letters looked almost like graffiti.::

She might want to get that gaping hole in her stomach looked at first.

~Skyler Jackson Chamberland

[Max Blue]

Please challenge me.


MQB

[Cassius Gaius Maximius]

Congratulations on your win in TDL over Caedia Thorn, Skyler. I'm glad to see you feel confident again, confident that you can make a comic/tragic attempt at asserting yourself as a bully again. I'd like to say it's amusing in a pathetic manner, and under most circumstances I guess it would be, but you have a strange talent for getting under my skin.

So that's why I am here and now making a challenge to you. Challenge me for New Haven. For the 13th. So that there are no misunderstandings or attempts to misconstrue my words, let me make my statement as clear as a modern glass: I am calling you out to challenge me. I suspect that anyone who can sneer and brag over besting a new challenger--on the indisputable strength of a single duel, nonetheless!--will be glad to prove they are better than me too.

You've been overheard boasting about fifteen peer wins. That's five more than you need, so if you need directions to my villa to deliver the notice of challenge, I can have a servant meet you in the Outback tonight, if you want. You can choose the date, the time, the official, the format if you want.

I realize that you have nothing to lose by refusing. You'll look like a coward, sure...but your reputation is so ruined in the Arena that one more claim against you won't matter a whit. The few friends you have(all of whom are younger duelers who haven't really gotten a chance to know you, I've noticed) will encourage you, but you know and I know that even my most implacable enemies in this bloodsport won't pick you to win. So, actually...you have nothing to lose by accepting either, do you?

I expect you'll respond to this with a few juvenile, half-witted insults. You'll chuckle to yourself, you'll feel vindicated for a second. You'll probably make a lewd comment about Caedia or my girlfriend, since public displays of misogyny are the closest explicit contact you get to women. But when it's all said and done, I'll still be who I am and you'll still be who you are. You'll find, once again, that being immature and offensive to people as is your trademark did nothing to change the fact that that person is better at this bloodsport than you will ever be.

So, since you have nothing to lose, surprise me.

[Mistress Azhrae]

knowing that no one is about, she silently steps from the shadows, moving the fog around her feet so it swirls in an eerie pattern. her silent tread brings her before the message board.....

Brows furrowed, the myriad of colors in her eyes darken...as she begins to remember somethin...

Her hand rises as slender finger brush the messages with almost a reverent touch..

Pain dances across her face....as she tries hard to remember...

With a cry of anguish, she drops her hand and briskly wipes the tears of blood from her eyes...

Spinning on her heals she fades into the darkness as the fog once again settles around the message board, erasing all signs of her appearance as if it was mocking her.

[Skyler]

WHOA, BABY.

I pull my fishing line out of the water, and look who I find dangling on the hook – Cassius! Where have you been, baby? I must admit – I actually got AROUSED reading your post. I haven’t been that aroused since I put Wang into the Overlord’s sister on Saturday night.

Hmm . . . I wonder? You wrote that I was overheard boasting fifteen peer wins. There were not many people who overheard that. Before I get to my response, let me ask you something. What’s he got on you? Come on, you can tell me. Did he catch you over at New Haven in bed with another man, or one of your livestock perhaps? Don’t be a lapdog, Cassius. It doesn’t suit you. You see, I know what this is all about. It’s a coordinated effort to burn up my peer wins before I put them where they’ll do the most damage.

As far as your challenge – I remember putting you on your ass in the ring a good eight or nine years ago. What makes you think you can take me now? I’m in the best shape of my life, I’ve got an incredible new sword, and I’ve beaten the best duelists this sport has to offer. I’m eighteen years old! You’ve got to be pushing forty, at the very least right?

I know what’s really going on. You’re jealous of me. You always have been. No matter how hard you try, you can’t seem to make people detest you as much as they detest me. You’ve studied me, analyzed me, emulated me, and nothing works. You speak of my “ruined reputation” as if such a state of being bothers me, when in fact, I’ve put a lot of effort into being perceived as I am. You think it’s easy to be this disreputable? Every time polite gestures a nice comments come to me, I have to suppress them. It gets difficult.

As for your challenge, I don’t disagree with your notion that I have nothing to lose, but I don’t have much to gain by accepting, either. I can picture it now. About ten to fifteen people will be there to heckle, insult and ridicule me the entire match. That would be nice and all, but is it enough reason to burn up all my peer wins? I’ll have to think on it.

But what else would I have to gain? Beating you in front of all of your false friends? No thanks. A barony? No thanks, not interested. If you were Overlord, that would be more tempting – it would be cool to be Overlord for a while, I think. But oh, wait, you’re not the Overlord.

Still, even knowing all this, I’m leaning toward accepting your offer. I long to challenge you on a grand scale, with something important to you at stake. The spite and the personal loathing you project at me is so, so tantalizing. I want more, and that may be the only way I get it.

So, after much thought, I have a counter offer for you. A little “you scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours” kind of deal. You meet me in the Arena or the Annex during regular dueling hours sometime this week and face me in a regular duel. Regardless of the outcome, I will then invoke these peer wins of mine and press challenge for your Barony, submitting to any format, date or caller you name. And it doesn’t have to be this week. Bottom line, I will issue my challenge as soon as you face me in a regular duel. I do this out of consideration for you. When you face me in the regular duel, you will probably realize that you’re no match for me, cry off your “challenge” and beg me not to set my sights on the thirteenth ring. If this is your request, I’ll let you off the hook. If you still want me to oust you from your estate, then I shall. I give you my word. And you better bring your “A” game, cause I’m going to beat the crap out of you, dude. I can’t wait to see my Wang glisten with the blood of a Roman warrior. This week I’ll be in the Arena on Thursday, from nine o’clock until eleven. Friday and Saturday from ten o’clock until midnight, and Sunday from open to close. I’m sure you can come down off your throne at least once this weekend and grace the Arena with your presence. You see what I’m getting at? You accept my challenge, and I’ll accept your challenge. I can compromise – can you?

And by the way, it’s nice to know I get under your skin, but not that much of a compliment. I’ve been despised by better men than you.


~Skyler Jackson Chamberland

[Alyxz]

um...wow.

I actually got dumber reading that.


Anyway...GO CAEDIA!

[G]

I feel sorry the most for Gork. He has to deal with you on his team. That's not something I'd wish on anyone.

As for how Cas found out about your boasting the 15 peer wins, did you honestly think I wasn't going to share that great bit of humor? I mean, it couldn't possibly have been a threat, after all, this is you we're discussing, Skyler, and you're not threatening.

Of course I shared with Cas what you said about Peers. It was comical. In fact, I recall laughing out loud the moment you said it.

In conclusion, thank you for the humor of trying to use your peers as a threat, and whatever you do, challenging Cas or Tareth, it's nothing to worry about because, as I said, you're one of the least threatening people here.

And, I apologize for Gork having to put up with you. Noone should have to suffer that.

G

[Skyler]

So, Gnort, who will you be backing in the match between Cassius and myself? Ehh? Care to wager some silver? It'll be much more interesting.

~Skyler

[G]

Which match? The unconfirmed one that you take up in the Arena this weekend? Or the challange you stated you'll give regardless of result of the weekends unconfirmed match?

I Would be willing to bet different amounts based on those events. Of course, I also have reason to doubt you'd actually pay up in either event, too.

Call it a matter of trust. I don't trust you to pay up should you lose.

[Skyler]

That's understandable. Nevertheless, since my account is plainly visible to you, I'm sure you can see its balance is well over two thousand nobles. I'm aware that your own accounts far exceed this and it may seem like small time action to you, however, I'll put up 500 silver nobles against the outcome of both matches, pending Cassius' acceptance, of course. If I lose both, I owe you a thousand silver nobles. I win both, you own me the same. I win one and lose one we're even. How are those terms? I'm open to a counter offer, but I can't go over 500 a match. I don't want to go broke, you understand. Plus, as a token of good faith, I'll even sign over the 1000 nobles as soon as Cass accepts, and I'll trust you to give the appropriate amount back if I win.

Do we have a deal?

Skyler

[G]

I'll accept the wager, Skyler, upon seeing whether or not Cas accepts the challenge issued from you regardin the weekend.

Upon confirmation that he will fight you this weekend, I will accept the wager completely. Should you win one and not the other, then we will be even. Should you win both, I owe you 1k. Should you lose both, you owe me 1k. The terms are acceptable.

Additionally, the weekends match only pertains to a single duel officiated by an acceptable official. Personal favorites of mine would be Imp, Xenograg, Pslyder, Azjah to name a few. I don't trust Vanion not to tamper with the Wards, so would not want him calling.

I would expect a result from that Official designating who was victorious in that first duel. Don't worry, I know how to find those. And again, this is all going to be based upon whether or not Cassius accepts your challenge.

G

[Skyler]

Upon confirmation that he will fight you this weekend, I will accept the wager completely. Should you win one and not the other, then we will be even. Should you win both, I owe you 1k. Should you lose both, you owe me 1k. The terms are acceptable.

Just to clarify, the "I owe you 1k" means that you keep the 1k I forwarded to you initially, correct? So basically, if I lose, I don't have to forward you another 1k....you just don't have to give back the 1k I will give you at Cass' acceptance?

Skyler

[Skyler]

Also, I'm sure you'll understand that I won't have complete control over the identity of the offical. While I have no desire to see Vanion call the match, it's not like if ....Rissa for example was the only one there, I could say no...

So if you don't find acceptable the offical who calls, what then? Best we hammer out these details now I think

Skyler

[G]

Upon confirmation that he will fight you this weekend, I will accept the wager completely. Should you win one and not the other, then we will be even. Should you win both, I owe you 1k. Should you lose both, you owe me 1k. The terms are acceptable.

Just to clarify, the "I owe you 1k" means that you keep the 1k I forwarded to you initially, correct? So basically, if I lose, I don't have to forward you another 1k....you just don't have to give back the 1k I will give you at Cass' acceptance?

Skyler

Well, I wasn't going to have you forward the 1k outright. But if you think I'll feel more secure receiving it before the duels, then yes.

First, Cassius has to accept the duel for this weekend.

Then, after he accepts, you may send the 1k for safekeeping.

Should you defeat him this weekend, I would return 500, plus the 500 I initially lose for the wager.

Then you challenge for his Barony.

Should you defeat him for the Barony, I would return your second 500, along with my 500 for losing the wager.

If he defends the Barony, I would keep the 500 you sent me.

If you lose the weekend duel, I would keep the 500 then, and then wait for the challenge match.

Should you win the challenge, I return 500 plus 500 for lost wager.

Should you lose both duels, I keep the 1000 you initially sent me.

Does this sound correct?

G