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[Bralbaard]

The signs were there the last round, the age of the minotaurs is over. The smaller contestants that have invested in equipment and training now have the advantage over brute, dumb force. 470 gold on Logem!

[kesperan]

 

[Nekkowe]

470 gold on Logem!

Goodness gracious, there's our new record highest bet of the tournament once more - and with that, Logem vs. Beast already has Logem vs. Sweetteeth beat. And in just three bets!

[Warzagg]

Here here! The Committee gladly adds to the pile, and bets every gold piece it has on Logem.

[kesperan]

* sweats nervously *

H...how much is bet on Logem now?

[Bralbaard]

A lot of gold, it is very important that you win this. People could, you know, hire a necromancer to arrange a post mortem 'meeting' in the case of failure.

I would not have the funds to do so in such a case, but well, it's always good to warn your friends when they are in danger.

[Nekkowe]

* sweats nervously *

H...how much is bet on Logem now?

That'd be 892☼ so far, with 343☼ on the Beast of Spearimpale and 91☼ on Knifin' Around. But the deadline's still a while off, so there's yet room for more!

[DeKaFu]

Can't believe Sweetteeth ate my bat man and my money.

Oh well, I'm gonna toss 100 gold on Knifin' Around.

[dr00]

Meng, slipping between shadows to avoid the gaze of any relatives, places 30 gold of his own gold on Ine.   What *UGG* has placed in the backroom betting parlors is anyone guess. 

[Nekkowe]

Bets for the semifinals are now closed!

[Nekkowe]

And just like last round, it's time for some statistics about the bets to tide you over until the results!

- - -

This round, a total of 1456 gold (up from last round's 1442☼) in were bet on the four remaining gladiators, with each gladiator receiving at least one bet.

Logem Branchsyrup (892☼ up from 747☼ last round) and the Beast of Spearimpale (343☼ up from 309☼ last round) once again find themselves in first and second place, followed by Knifin' Around (191☼)!

As in each round before, we see a new highest tournament-wide bet - of 470 bucks, once again placed by Bralbaard, once again on Logem Branchsyrup.
But the stakes are rising all around - the average bet this round is 208☼ flat, almost double the previous round's, but even the (less outlier-affected) median bet at 100☼ is our highest yet!

Four of our seven bets focus on the star match of the semifinals - 5B, Logem Branchsyrup vs. The Beast of Spearimpale.
Much like in the quarterfinals, this match sets both a new record as the single match with the highest stakes (a total of 1235☼, up from Logem vs. Sweetteeth's total of 1001☼) and a new record for most bets placed on a single gladiator in one match (the aforementioned 892☼ placed on Logem).

- - -

As the arena heats up and our competitors are pared down, so too do things heat up at the bookie's office.
By the end of the quarterfinals, 9 out of our 50 bettors had gone bust, and a further 19 had fallen below their 100☼ starting funds.
Of course, new bettors are still welcome in the finals to follow!

But for our semifinals, while the Round 5 matches have yet to kick off, one thing is already plain:
Of our seven bettors this round, five have opted to (either fully or just about) go all-in on their candidate.
We could see as few as three of them remain - but as some of their chosen fighters are at odds, we're certain to see no less than one go bust.

- - -

Who remains in the running, both among the gladiators and the bettors?

Who overplayed their hand, and who can still claw their way back - be it at the betting table or in the eventual Losers' Battle Royale?

As we await the outcome of the semifinals with bated breath, all the best of luck to our gladiators and their managers!

[Mkhos]

Knifin' Around:
Never before had the human taken such keen interest in her training. She brought three silver shields to the chambers, all polished to a reflective shine.

“When you aren’t in the gym, you will practice with these,” said the human, “it is called shadow boxing.”

The marmot woman’s hand clenched the pommel of her blade. If it were not for the sliver of discipline she possessed, the human would be in pieces for what she did.  She sliced the first shield in twain with a contemptuous flick of her blade.

“No. No don’t slice them. Look, you can watch your movements. See your weaknesses. Learn to fight better.”

The marmot woman turned to her reflections in the shields.

Fight better.
        Yes, good.

Knifin’ Around.
        The Feared One.

She took a stance, her blue blade now facing two others.
        Opponents that had come with her, who wanted the same as her.

She took an experimental swipe.
        Saw an opening on her flank.

Plunges the blade forward.
        Twists back to deflect.

As she practiced she saw the human smiling in the reflection.
She swore to herself she would never lose her knife again.

I

AM

THE

KNIFE!

Knifin’ Around   249.5 pts

Expert Fighter -> Accomplished Fighter -57 pts
Great Knife User -> High Master Knife User -125 pts
Accomplished Dodger -> Great Dodger -55 pts
237 points spent, 12.5 points remain

Ine:
Hopefully Meng can get it right with the Arena management this time.

Ine Semifinal Pool: 227.5

Professional Swordsman to Master Swordsman - 165
Adept Dodger to Expert Dodger - 40
Proficient Observer to Talented Observer - 18

Ine Points Spend: 223

Beast of Spearimpale:
bay12 user: memmet
Points: 130

Copper shield (-0)

Fighter 8 (-0)
Biter 2 (-0)
Kicker 2 (-0)
Wrestler 4>7 (-72)
Misc. Obj. User 2 (-0)
Armor User 3 (-0)
Dodger 3>4 (-20)
Observer 5>6 (-18)
Shield User 8 (-0)
Discipline 3>4 (-12)

Points remaining: 8

Logem Branchsyrup:
Logem had watched the huge minotaur with interest. How could a beast so large and lumbering, and armed with only a shield have come so far in a tournament such as this?
He absent mindedly scratched at his still healing ear.
Brawn, he guessed. One hook from that meaty fist and he was a goner. He lit another stogie and shouted to the quartermaster.

"Hey, bub, where's the gym?"

Round 5 (275 points)

Professional to Accomplished Swordwolverine -50
Professional to Master Dodger -165

Remaining 60

[Eris235]

Spoiler: art of semifinals (click to show/hide)

Finished this up the minute upgrades dropped. Which, good news is the equipment is already right, so its actually fully accurate for once!

Good luck to our brave competitors!

[Nekkowe]

Oooohhh, amazing work as always! :0

[dr00]

Spoiler: Do or Die (click to show/hide)

Meng receives another whispered report from one of the cousins infiltrating the sparring areas of the other competitors.  He nods and cuffs the younger gremlin away.  He watches Ine spar against several gremlins at once. 

"Fighter, come, we talk."

Ine, dripping with sweat, parries the sneak attacks from the training gremlins.  He waits until he is sure they have stood down from the sparring.  He walks back to Meng's office in the corner of the warehouse, trying to stretch out the scarred over but still tender wounds from the fight with Sharpfist.  The Arena doctors patched him up well, but he still remembers the dark bloods of those final hits.  Workers and drones flit around the place, clearing debris and keeping an ever watchful eye on Ine. 

"Meng, what's up? I have another hour of sparring."

Meng uses a small dagger to clean his claws and studies Ine.

"Fighter, those who remain are fierce.  The crazy one you face... you must show no fear.  Most of all, you must fight your hardest, quickest and deadliest, every blow with that knife of hers."  Meng shakes his head, looking grim.  "Few blocks will prevent damage.  You must strike, and strike quickly.  The thread-metal is strong and light.  She holds nothing back, make sure you do the same."

Ine paws at the ground.

"Meng, I've trained, and trained against so many, I can defeat them all."

Meng, knowing his charge was not the best at odds and math, brought up neither statistic around Arena battles. 

"You have come far, it is true.  She has come just as far, and holds nothing back.  You must do the same, if you are to survive."

Ine nods.  What Meng speaks, even in the scrublands and savanna, it is known to avoid the hill-den people, for they are small, but fierce.  He swallows, wipes the sweat from his muzzle.

"Then tell the cousins to hold nothing back.  If she will hold nothing back, then I must prevail against an overwhelming horde."

Mend scowls but nods.  "The healers we have will be able to repair damage from the sparring, but cannot stop the pain, there is too little time before the battle."

Ine walks back into the center of the warehouse.  "Do it.  I must prepare or die."

Meng glances at the foot of his office desk, reassured by something.  "As you wish, Fighter."  He shouts at the stop of his voice in Gremlish, and a snarling horde of gremlins of all ages appear from the shadows and encircle Ine...