FAQ - A Duel of A Different Color From: dar6@cornell.edu (RATT) Date: Thu, 11 Nov 1993 17:27:05 +0000 This FAQ is the beginning of addressing what the Duel of A Different Color PBM game. Version 0.1 - November 11, 1993 1) What is A Duel of a Different Color? A Duel of a Different Color is a play by postal/e-mail game which simulates magical combat in a university setting. You assume the role of an instructor to a small class of students. Upon entering Catadu Academy, each student selects a field of study, such as Mind Spells, which is symbolized by Violet. Beware, when advising students of their discipline, make sure their heritage does not negatively affect their choice of study! Each student, with your help, then designates a plan to pass the exam. The duel is the exam. Many internal and external elements influence the outcome of the duel. Some of the colleges, such as fire and water are in direct opposition of each other. The student's life signs or emotions throughout the duel may affect, which spell is cast in bodily combat. The students cunning and intelligence is tested by the Crystal Combat. You must outwit your opponent by converting a majority of the color sensitive crystals to your color. To reign victorious the student must either possess three of the five crystals or triumph over your opponent in bodily combat. As more duels are fought and won, your student reaches for the ultimate goal -- to be a Master of Color! 2) Is there anyroom for Role-Playing? Active players usually take on the role of an Intructor, but playing characters personas in not unheard. Players have the entire section of the communication section of the results to interact with each other. There is a quartly newsletter, The Fractal Spectrum, that contains character/team spotlights as well as separate columns for DUEL. 3) How do I start? The address of the company which runs A Duel of A Different Color is: Fractal Dimensions 17-29 Main St., Suite 316 Cortland, New York 13045 Voice: (607) 753-9246 (1:00pm to 6:00 est) FD Castle Chaos BBS: (607) 753-6579 Internet: dar6@cornell.edu 4) What should I expect back for results? You should will get a english narrative for 5 students that usually runs 2 pages for each student. The average total results length is about 13 pages of text along with the cover statisitics sheet. 5) Misc Duration: Completely open-ended w/advancement to higher levels Turns: Optional two or four week turn around GM: Computer moderated Costs: $5.00 for 5 students characters Rules $5.00, Initial set-up: Rules and 2 turns for $13.00 5) Example Turn Next Date for Duel: November 20, 1993 Team Name (25): Rising Sun Player Name: John Doe Account: $5.00 - Name: Divine Wind RACE: abooda COLOR: yellow EXP: 30 Combat Primary: 7 7 5 5 0 7 0 5 0 7 Energy Level (P): 2 2 2 2 0 2 0 1 0 1 Combat Secondary: 4 4 4 6 0 4 4 4 0 8 Energy Level (S): 1 1 1 2 0 0 0 1 0 1 Emotion Level: 10 10 10 9 7 7 7 7 7 7 Color Strategy: 4 5 1 2 3 4 5 1 2 3 Divine Wind Violet 0[0]-1-0 2[0]-1-0 Rising Sun (25) Crystal Shards (42) Yellow Hue Violet Hue Abooda Female Human Female STR:12 INT:8 DEX:13 LPS:8 STR:11 INT:13 DEX:8 LPS:9 clever energetic paranotic clever persistance serendipitic intuition serendipitic deviant The wind howled and died. Its death spasms were a splendid ballet. Their shrieking a drug. It begged me to taste it, breath it. I entered the chambers with zest. A whole new world begins with one step. "I have tasted blood and it tastes like poisoned wine. Who's to be my next Duelmate?" Lurking in the shadows across the grey marble floor was my opponent, Violet, who was rumored to be of the Crystal Shards. She was tall in stature and light in form. Her dueling gown owed nothing to any known style, being a wrapping and overlapping and skillful draping of what appeared to be dozens of bits and pieces of violet colored fabric. I blinked. The chamber tingled with strange forces. I saw hazes of colored light everywhere. Small bright-hued presences lurked in the shadowed reaches of the ceiling. Violet wore a halo of force that was strong and violet. I reached out, grasped a handful of her violet aura, and began weaving a Vacuum into it. "Catadu is filled with symbols," Violet said, thinking out loud. "Symbols left behind by all the people who have inhabited this place since the beginning of time. The great stone fortifications of the Munenut, and even older things, the images left carved in stone by vanished races..." Signing an ancient letter, she cast the Mystic Mist protection spell. The violet spell that Violet created to counter my yellow one proceeded to leave the wineg crystal in the same clear state as it was before our spells were conjured. [Examiner's Comments: Divine Wind's state of health was excellent and fatigue status was good. Violet's state of health was excellent and fatigue status was excellent. Divine Wind owned no crystals. Violet owned no crystals.] Violet cast me a chilled glance. "Did you know that one of your teammates was a problem once. I distrusted your comrade from the first. I was obliged to use an illegal potion to dull magic as we all do at times -- you would know about that, wouldn't you? Well, I was eventually discovered and, well, let us say, I have always underestimated the Rising Sun." I shivered as my Vacuum died. There was a distant memory, the swirl of light and the sound of someone flying, but the thought faded as quickly as it came. Gooseflesh crawled over my limbs. I nearly exclaimed aloud. Powers and Presences! Violet was trying to work an unusual Forgetfulness. Someone had spoken of it during a lecture just a few weeks before. Or was it during the duel preparation? Anyway, it was a forward thing, a purely learned sort of sorcery -- unlike others which were scholastic and inherent both. Spinning gold and yellow corkscrews in the air, I enwrapped the yoneli in my color. I could see it take on a yellow cast. Violet's eyes ignited. "If you were any sort of an abooda, you-" she began, then scowled. She gestured. I noticed the air shrink around me as the ran'n took on a violet color. My Cloud projected into being and crossed the floor to engulf Violet. A violet light shone about Violet's forehead. After a second it faded. "What the hell are you attempting?" I said irately. "Just a little something I've been saving just for you, Divine Wind." She answered. I could tell from her facial expression that she was lying. Violet's violet spell met my yellow spell on it's way to the adadi' crystal of Nuvaw. They balanced each other, leaving the adadi' in a clear state. [Examiner's Comments: Divine Wind's state of health was excellent and fatigue status was poor. Violet's state of health was excellent and fatigue status was good. Divine Wind owned the yoneli. Violet owned the ran'n.] I invoked a basic Cloud, but the spell was not staunch enough to endure and, thus, ceased before I could put it into action. I saw a strong violet glow flair and fade around Violet, leaving a faint aura. "That's better." She said. "A Rest does wonders." A globe of yellow light came to me, hovering just in front of my face, reaching out soft, nonsolid fingers touched my cheeks. I blinked, blinded for a long moment. When I could see again, I saw the glow haloing the ran'n, changing it from dark violet to a translucent clear. I goggled at Violet. I could sense the rage surging inside her, then felt it end and congel. Horga! A glowing violet thread extended from Violet to the wineg, converting it from transparent to violet. With a quick gesture, a silver and yellow triangle blazed above my chest and, then, faded. A much needed warmth flowed throughout my body. Violet erected a Mystic Mist defense for protection. Carefully, I picked the tanenipol crystal for my conversion hex. It was, indeed, successful. Violet's spell was successful in that she was able to convert the ran'n to violet. [Examiner's Comments: Divine Wind's state of health was excellent and fatigue status was poor. Violet's state of health was excellent and fatigue status was good. Divine Wind owned the tanenipol and yoneli. Violet owned the ran'n and wineg.] I uttered a heartfelt groan. The humiliation was unbearable. That, I, an upcoming distinguished scholar, an abooda of letters, a trusted confidant of my instructor, should be incapable of conjuring a Vacuum. The human's mental roar was red pain in my head, an agony so unexpected that I became unaware for the moment. All I could perceive was violet tinted light. With intense concentration, I proceeded to fire my yellow spell at the violet wineg crystal. I smiled as the crystal cleared. A violet cloud descended on the tanenipol and changed it from yellow to it's original neutral, clear state. "Nicely done." I nodded. "I shall have to retrieve the Tanenipol back again." There were so many things that my instructor cautioned me not to talk about in the dueling chambers. Weakness was one of them. Silently, I coaxed yellow flames to life and felt their warm glow revive me. "Catadu is filled with symbols," Violet said, thinking out loud. "Symbols left behind by all the people who have inhabited this place since the beginning of time. The great stone fortifications of the Munenut, and even older things, the images left carved in stone by vanished races..." Signing an ancient letter, she cast the Mystic Mist protection spell. Giving Violet a quick look, I decided to protect my yoneli crystal by throwing another yellow spell on it. Violet's eyes inflamed. "If you were any kind of an abooda, you-" she began, then grimaced. She gestured. I felt the air constrain around me as the adadi' took on a violet color. [Examiner's Comments: Divine Wind's state of health was excellent and fatigue status was poor. Violet's state of health was excellent and fatigue status was fair. Divine Wind owned the yoneli. Violet owned the adadi' and ran'n.] Stupid, STUPID. Was I drunk with arrogance. or was it something more sinister that possessed me to charge blindly against Violet with a Cloud. I can never trust myself. Never be sure whether a particular impulse is mine or something whispered in my ear by the DARKSOUL. It wants to be free of the chains of conscience and revulsion in which I keep it bound. Violet chanted in a language that was unknown to me, her voice reached out to touch me. As she spoke silvery shimmers mixed with violet spangles came from her mouth, twirling above the chamber, waltzing in visible harmony. I watched the colors prance until each one fluttered out. A globe of yellow light came to me, hovering just in front of my face, reaching out soft, nonsolid fingers touched my cheeks. I blinked, blinded for a long moment. When I could see again, I saw the glow haloing the adadi', changing it from dark violet to a translucent clear. I goggled at Violet. I could sense the fury gushing inside her, then sensed it end and freeze. Knowledge and Talent! A radiating violet thread stretched from Violet to the wineg, converting it from translucent to violet. I conjured a Rest to try to restore some of my magical strength. "That was a spell your instructor taught you well." Violet smiled. It was a most unpleasant smile. My eyes widened. Violet held her head high and mumbled some words too low that I could not hear them. A silver and violet symbol flared in the air above her head, then faded. She took quick deep breaths. Violet's face showed an overwhelming explosion of pain. I extended a magical yellow thread at the ran'n. I felt warmth come back through my thread. Violet's had created a violet thread, also, for the ran'n crystal. The crystal remained in its violet state. "Spin as you wish, Divine Wind. But I can also counter that type of spell." Violet said. [Examiner's Comments: Divine Wind's state of health was excellent and fatigue status was fair. Violet's state of health was excellent and fatigue status was poor. Divine Wind owned the yoneli. Violet owned the ran'n and wineg.] I focused to assemble a Vacuum. The invocation slowly slunk into existence. It wasn't one of my better efforts. It needed vigor and development. This spell would be of no use against Violet. I decided to disperse the invocation. The human's mind scream was white pain in my head, an agony so intense that I became feeble for the moment. All I could perceive was violet tinted light. As the tanenipol traveled close, I reached out and touched it. It blazed and turned yellow. Violet's spell was successful in that she was able to convert the adadi' to violet. When Violet let go with that dazzling violet crystal spell, it took time for my eyes to adjust to the darkness again. When they finally did, I realized that she had changed a third crystal to her own color. I had obviously lost and the taste of victory was hers. [Examiner's Final Comments: Divine Wind's state of health was excellent and fatigue status was poor. Violet's state of health was excellent and fatigue status was awful. Divine Wind owned the tanenipol and yoneli. Violet owned the adadi', ran'n, and wineg.] - RATT Up