Yes Bink, you merit the distinction of mention in a category heading. My best bud and evil-minded mentor Lin was always preaching I should strike first and ask about the balance later, but my relations with Zesam, Tumarellan, and Vhaile were pretty open about whether I should avoid them or look to them for assistance. So when you attacked me unforewarned that one time by Hamsah, from there on I marked you as a hostile windbag who needed a lung perforated. I bled you a few times to no effect, but I did love the cat-and-mouse I had with you. How ironic that so shortly after you escaped me that last time, I died my final death. "Oh come now, Yrillbink. We both know you are too slippery for me to kill." I loved your character all the same.

Zesam and Tumarellen - You two struck me as the first two real leaders of this cabal, with a clearly defined notion of how they might assist the underdogs in a balance. Zesam chose to work behind the scenes where Tumarellen would actually offer to aid me in retrieving against the Empire or Tribunal. It was with Zesam that I started addressing healers and druids as Holy One, as I refused to use anyone’s title and and the Shooloo took offense when I refused to play the “artist formerly known as Prince” roleplay. A fun role that kept me offbalance. Loverly!

Vhaile – I thought you were quality. You kept me aware when the balance was tipping against me, and your open challenge instead of smile and backstab approach to keeping the balance commanded respect. After our one duel I had no desire to fight such a wonderful character, and if I could have I would have built a longterm friendship with you.

Drezen – When we were both unprepared and you wielded flails, I was not the least bit concerned. Let Drezen try to strip or blind, for if he misses I have a good chance of putting the hurt on him, and if he entwines me the nightwalker won’t be able to rescue him out. You were the first character I had fought with the disarm legacy, and it worked much better than I had heard and took me by complete surprise the first time we fought. Prepared, you were a demon I would have been wise to avoid whether I was prepared or not. You made raiding the Spirit look way too easy, which says a lot of your character’s strength. Good job.

Laviter – Back when hurl throat was deemed buggy, I felt I had an even chance to beat you, but when it was fixed I was lunchmeat. You had better hitpoints, superior protection, and far, far more damage output than I could produce. I played around with protections, but even a 4 path invoker can quickly find a way around them or tear through another invoker’s shields.

Isspyn & Golhyrr – You are not the same character, but you presented the same problem to me. Every dagger specialist I fought tore me apart; the envenomed dagger was specifically meant for killing unprepped elves wielding 13 pound weapons and who can’t run to a healer and spam heal heal. Woe to high elven Villagers without the Head and an empty bank account! I suspect that even had I tried to fight either of you under optimal conditions I would have died. You both seemed more than competent.

Rettis – I didn’t get a feel for your character, as it seemed like you were always trailing along as someone’s haste monkey and neuro spammer. Transmuters didn’t scare me in one on one fights, but your ability to scout and augment your allies made you a threat.

Runaktla – No, I never met you, but I got a chance to see many of your writings with this character and I was very impressed! Great work!

Aomiern - I don't know if your PBF would bear it out, but tactically I thought you were the best shapeshifter I have ever fought in my years playing CF. Excellent, excellent character and a very difficult fight for me.

Victoria & Ravon – I have strategies for dealing with fireballs and iceballs, but lashes of the slave is a sick combination of a fire giant flurry with disarm and bard maladicts and other goodies. I have yet to figure out how to fight that skill as an elf dagger specialist. Victoria I have a high regard for, as I saw you running around solo often and seemed to be less inclined to log off after grabbing a kill or facing bad odds. Both of you are impressive.

Nuloh – I should have mentioned you in the Tribunal section, but I forgot until I hit the AP category. If I could stop you from spamming fireball and iceball, I didn’t mind fighting you. If you had the use of your voice, I might as well take my ball and go home. You are the only AP I recall using faceslash or crippling strike against me, the former quite effectively. I also see you as a pioneer in the human AP field, which is great to see too.

Satebos – I enjoyed fighting you when I could find you, but if I could have taken away your little toy that allowed you to get away all those times I would have given Lin’s right arm to do so. Our last fight on the sea was a great surprise! Stay innovative, and pray that when someone else finds you near Tir Tilath they too don’t notice you are sleeping. I was so angry at myself! Good foe.

Lechlerr – After my utter humiliation in our duel, the last thing I wanted to do was fight you again without magic. Ugh. One thing I hated about both you and Satebos was that as free agents, I could not force you to defend or retrieve, which made dictating the terms of a fight with you very difficult. Assuming they are posted at your death, I look forward to reading your PBF and logs.

Orcs – I loved you all, lately Smuerlk whom I saw on during the hours where Fortress was raping and pillaging anything that moved. It helped that I had a build that could stand up to your hordes, and evade and my edges made it possible to survive the sick damage you animals could crank out with savage feeding and hack, but each chieftain I fought solo was gracious in victory or defeat. My only gripe regarding orcs was when someone else raided the Tree and then gave the Fetish to a lowbie orc because their forces could keep out the Outlander heroes, but Tremblefist was way too much for the younger retrievers that can have easily retrieved from any other cabal. Boo and hiss to those Scions who pulled that stunt.