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For those blessed with working eyes and ears, and even those without, the recent confrontation between Duke and Bodybagger cannot have gone unnoticed. For the past two weeks Torn's most notorious loan shark has been forced to fend off daily attacks by the city's strongest player, and in an effort to do so, events have turned most ugly indeed. If one were to make love in an ugly tree and give birth somewhere inside the forest of unfathomable hideousness, you'd have to drag said offspring for miles through de-beautifying foliage to produce a child halfway as grotesque. But for those who are unaware, let us briefly recap the situation thus far.
On the 7th of October an employee of Bodybagger's Oil, Ridgerunner, revealed that he and his fellow Oil Rig workers had been targeted by Duke in a surprise mass attack. This was apparently in retaliation for an unprovoked spree of daily aggression by Bodybagger, and since then both parties have increased their activity threefold, with neither Duke nor the Bodybagger's Oil chief making any effort to end hostilities.
So who is to blame? Well, this reporter can exclusively reveal that over the past week Torn's strongest player has taken close to $1billion from Duke's pockets. This is due to a constant wave of Bodybagger led attacks, sometimes as many as three a day, with almost all of the proceeds going straight into Bodybagger's pocket. Obviously, this mockery did not sit well with Duke, and his response has been swift, calculated and brutal.
When these incidents were made public to the people of Torn there were two clearly distinct sides taken; those who believed Duke was acting unlawfully through his targeting of the innocents, and others, who saw this as Bodybagger being force-fed his just desserts. Let us first tackle the latter, by asking whether Bodybagger is fair in his assessment that the attacks he assists with help other players to achieve certain "victories" in Torn.
Bodybagger is known to charge a considerable sum for his services in this regard, with fees of up to $30million required if he is to lead an attack against the Duke. Now, if said fees were charged and the monies acquired via mugging were distributed evenly to those who took part, one could say this would be a fair outcome. But, if Bodybagger is taking a fee, along with every last cent of the cash he mugs, clearly his actions become unethical; especially when he also insists on taking something else of note - the moral high ground.
Duke is a simple man who suffers greatly due to his penchant for feline medication, and the habit of keeping cash upon his person - a necessary measure if he is to dole out loans to citizens, and also if he wishes to allow further attacks upon himself - but should everyone be allowed to take advantage of this indiscretion, or just Bodybagger? Duke has mentioned on several occasions that those who relieve him of money are not considered his enemies, far from it in fact, as he believes being repeatedly mugged by a broad selection of citizens keeps him on his toes.
Having been shaken down by Bodybagger and his goons repeatedly, Duke, knowing that both men would repeatedly stalemate in a confrontation, attacked his Oil Rig employees in a Machiavellian attempt to reduce the attacks. This brazen attempt to subvert Bodybagger's obvious physical strength was applauded by some but condoned by others, so let us now examine Duke's actions through the grubby lens of morality.
Several employees of Bodybagger's Oil are known to have quit the firm in light of Duke's actions, including the aforementioned Ridgerunner, who was one of Bodybagger's most trusted lieutenants. However, in recent days Ridgerunner's forum correspondence seems to indicate his belief that the blame lies solely with his former boss. My sources tell me several more Bodybagger's Oil workers have made overtures to Duke offering help if the attacks could briefly subside, but I am yet to discern whether such an approach has been well-received.
It is furthermore believed that in order to press Bodybagger further, Duke is in the process of courting one or more factions as paid-for hitmen to assist him in this venture. One could say this is no different to Bodybagger's pairing with other players to take Duke down, with the only discrepancy being that Bodybagger gets paid, whereas Duke has no friends, allies or associates, and must, therefore pay for the privilege.
But with Duke known to be influential amongst Torn hierarchy, and his business backed by official revenue sources, many have questioned the fairness of this situation. Is it right that such a gilded individual is allowed to run roughshod over one of Torn's finest oil rigs? Are his reasons justified, or should we intervene? And if so, who are we? The citizens? The indignant? The strongest? Many would say Duke should simply be provided with the weaponry or abilities to resist such attacks, but, in my humble opinion, this seems a rather impotent and uninspired way of dealing with the situation.
Having been acquainted with Duke personally in the past, I know he is a stubborn man, and an offensive one to boot. However, those who call for his sanctioning for such crimes would do well to remember their own actions, especially considering my expose of the trove of despicable emails sent to Duke over the years. I fear such an innocent, uneducated man such as Duke may have been irrevocably warped by the filth sent his way, and as such, he has become the filthiest of mirrors, reflecting Torn's worst parts back upon itself with unsettling accuracy.
Bodybagger's use of Duke as his own personal ATM was tolerated at first, but once it became a daily occurrence, once Bodybagger became greedy and entitled, it seems Duke's attitude hardened. In Duke's mind, there is room for only one greedy, entitled individual in this town, and his name is Duke. And so, with two strong-willed, meat-loving, blood and guts alpha-males repeatedly butting heads and refusing to budge, it is those who surround them who inevitably must suffer.
But should we feel sorry for them? Are Bodybagger's oil employees truly innocent bystanders? The administrators of the Nazi regime famously proclaimed their own innocence when confronted with the crimes of their superiors, yet we hear of no sympathy for the administrative wing of the Gestapo. Society has long-established its views on such matters - you are guilty by association - and even if it hadn't, does such a thing as innocence even exist in a place as dark as Torn? Bodybagger's oil employees are well aware of his crimes, so by continuing to work for him, are they not giving him their tacit approval? Are they his accomplices, or are they fait accompli?
If we do judge them innocent, then Bodybagger knows he is continuing to inflict pain by proxy upon his own workforce, yet he does nothing to stop. If your boss stole from the local Mafioso and their henchmen took your knees in response, who would you blame? Everyone in Torn has a choice. You choose to bounty your enemies into oblivion because they irk you. You choose to riddle an opponent with bullets because they have taken your money or your spouse. Bodybagger has chosen to continue attacking Duke, deliberately reducing his ability to provide funds for small businesses, drug dealers and plushie addicts throughout the city. In turn, Duke has chosen to respond, deliberately reducing Bodybagger's ability to earn capital himself. An eye for an eye? It certainly seems that way.
With Duke clearly the victim rather than the instigator, it is this reporter's humble opinion that the quarrel between these two men will only end if Bodybagger manages to curtail his relentless assault, or if both men are destroyed in a maelstrom of monstrous violence. As Torn is so evenly split by this turn of events, such a conflict could easily escalate towards civil war if we aren't careful.
Especially, if it is as rumoured, that one, or both, is in possession of a Dirty Bomb.
Editor's Note: It must be stated for the record that this reporter has in no way been unduly influenced by Mr Shirley Prima Dante Calabrese. Those images which purport to show this article being written with automatic weaponry pressed against our journalist's temple are clearly doctored, and the events depicted therein bear no resemblance to those which actually took place.
On the 7th of October an employee of Bodybagger's Oil, Ridgerunner, revealed that he and his fellow Oil Rig workers had been targeted by Duke in a surprise mass attack. This was apparently in retaliation for an unprovoked spree of daily aggression by Bodybagger, and since then both parties have increased their activity threefold, with neither Duke nor the Bodybagger's Oil chief making any effort to end hostilities.
So who is to blame? Well, this reporter can exclusively reveal that over the past week Torn's strongest player has taken close to $1billion from Duke's pockets. This is due to a constant wave of Bodybagger led attacks, sometimes as many as three a day, with almost all of the proceeds going straight into Bodybagger's pocket. Obviously, this mockery did not sit well with Duke, and his response has been swift, calculated and brutal.
When these incidents were made public to the people of Torn there were two clearly distinct sides taken; those who believed Duke was acting unlawfully through his targeting of the innocents, and others, who saw this as Bodybagger being force-fed his just desserts. Let us first tackle the latter, by asking whether Bodybagger is fair in his assessment that the attacks he assists with help other players to achieve certain "victories" in Torn.
Bodybagger is known to charge a considerable sum for his services in this regard, with fees of up to $30million required if he is to lead an attack against the Duke. Now, if said fees were charged and the monies acquired via mugging were distributed evenly to those who took part, one could say this would be a fair outcome. But, if Bodybagger is taking a fee, along with every last cent of the cash he mugs, clearly his actions become unethical; especially when he also insists on taking something else of note - the moral high ground.
Duke is a simple man who suffers greatly due to his penchant for feline medication, and the habit of keeping cash upon his person - a necessary measure if he is to dole out loans to citizens, and also if he wishes to allow further attacks upon himself - but should everyone be allowed to take advantage of this indiscretion, or just Bodybagger? Duke has mentioned on several occasions that those who relieve him of money are not considered his enemies, far from it in fact, as he believes being repeatedly mugged by a broad selection of citizens keeps him on his toes.
Having been shaken down by Bodybagger and his goons repeatedly, Duke, knowing that both men would repeatedly stalemate in a confrontation, attacked his Oil Rig employees in a Machiavellian attempt to reduce the attacks. This brazen attempt to subvert Bodybagger's obvious physical strength was applauded by some but condoned by others, so let us now examine Duke's actions through the grubby lens of morality.
Several employees of Bodybagger's Oil are known to have quit the firm in light of Duke's actions, including the aforementioned Ridgerunner, who was one of Bodybagger's most trusted lieutenants. However, in recent days Ridgerunner's forum correspondence seems to indicate his belief that the blame lies solely with his former boss. My sources tell me several more Bodybagger's Oil workers have made overtures to Duke offering help if the attacks could briefly subside, but I am yet to discern whether such an approach has been well-received.
It is furthermore believed that in order to press Bodybagger further, Duke is in the process of courting one or more factions as paid-for hitmen to assist him in this venture. One could say this is no different to Bodybagger's pairing with other players to take Duke down, with the only discrepancy being that Bodybagger gets paid, whereas Duke has no friends, allies or associates, and must, therefore pay for the privilege.
But with Duke known to be influential amongst Torn hierarchy, and his business backed by official revenue sources, many have questioned the fairness of this situation. Is it right that such a gilded individual is allowed to run roughshod over one of Torn's finest oil rigs? Are his reasons justified, or should we intervene? And if so, who are we? The citizens? The indignant? The strongest? Many would say Duke should simply be provided with the weaponry or abilities to resist such attacks, but, in my humble opinion, this seems a rather impotent and uninspired way of dealing with the situation.
Having been acquainted with Duke personally in the past, I know he is a stubborn man, and an offensive one to boot. However, those who call for his sanctioning for such crimes would do well to remember their own actions, especially considering my expose of the trove of despicable emails sent to Duke over the years. I fear such an innocent, uneducated man such as Duke may have been irrevocably warped by the filth sent his way, and as such, he has become the filthiest of mirrors, reflecting Torn's worst parts back upon itself with unsettling accuracy.
Bodybagger's use of Duke as his own personal ATM was tolerated at first, but once it became a daily occurrence, once Bodybagger became greedy and entitled, it seems Duke's attitude hardened. In Duke's mind, there is room for only one greedy, entitled individual in this town, and his name is Duke. And so, with two strong-willed, meat-loving, blood and guts alpha-males repeatedly butting heads and refusing to budge, it is those who surround them who inevitably must suffer.
But should we feel sorry for them? Are Bodybagger's oil employees truly innocent bystanders? The administrators of the Nazi regime famously proclaimed their own innocence when confronted with the crimes of their superiors, yet we hear of no sympathy for the administrative wing of the Gestapo. Society has long-established its views on such matters - you are guilty by association - and even if it hadn't, does such a thing as innocence even exist in a place as dark as Torn? Bodybagger's oil employees are well aware of his crimes, so by continuing to work for him, are they not giving him their tacit approval? Are they his accomplices, or are they fait accompli?
If we do judge them innocent, then Bodybagger knows he is continuing to inflict pain by proxy upon his own workforce, yet he does nothing to stop. If your boss stole from the local Mafioso and their henchmen took your knees in response, who would you blame? Everyone in Torn has a choice. You choose to bounty your enemies into oblivion because they irk you. You choose to riddle an opponent with bullets because they have taken your money or your spouse. Bodybagger has chosen to continue attacking Duke, deliberately reducing his ability to provide funds for small businesses, drug dealers and plushie addicts throughout the city. In turn, Duke has chosen to respond, deliberately reducing Bodybagger's ability to earn capital himself. An eye for an eye? It certainly seems that way.
With Duke clearly the victim rather than the instigator, it is this reporter's humble opinion that the quarrel between these two men will only end if Bodybagger manages to curtail his relentless assault, or if both men are destroyed in a maelstrom of monstrous violence. As Torn is so evenly split by this turn of events, such a conflict could easily escalate towards civil war if we aren't careful.
Especially, if it is as rumoured, that one, or both, is in possession of a Dirty Bomb.
Editor's Note: It must be stated for the record that this reporter has in no way been unduly influenced by Mr Shirley Prima Dante Calabrese. Those images which purport to show this article being written with automatic weaponry pressed against our journalist's temple are clearly doctored, and the events depicted therein bear no resemblance to those which actually took place.
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