TURTLEDOME!: Battle Bone (DM: KenHood, Judge: Lord S.)

[KenHood]

OOC: Thanks, Lord Sessadore!​

What's that? Return on Investment? Look, I don't know about that, but where I come from nobody pays to fight, you see....

That's a rather shortsighted way to consider it. Even ignoring the monetary gain from a successful match, you'll reap many non-tangible benefits from your match. Consider the exposure! Why I've had participants in past matches inundated with job offers shortly after their bout.

And, as I'm sure your mages can attest, rituals by their very nature are expensive. Because of the discounted rate I'm offering, I'm experiencing a significant cut into my revenue stream each time I resurrect a member of your party.

OOC: Skill Challenge Progress -- Success: 0, Failure: 1​

[sblock=Insight DC 20]Mr. Pinch is lying about the costs associated with resurrecting people at TURTLEDOME![/sblock]

Vaunea no need to pay. I fight outside for free. 10 gold for fight? You pay Vaunea. Her axe big. Make smash. Vaunea want gold. Want fight. You give both. Vaunea give show! SMASH!

Vaunea looks at Mr. Pinch in her most showboat face attempting to woo him over with her want to fight and put on a good show.

[sblock='Diplomacy Check']1d20->16[/sblock]

Mr. Pinch laughs and raises his hands in mock defeat.

"I see your point, Ms. Vaunea. I'll eliminate the participation fee, but only for you and your companions. However, your non-disclosure agreement now covers the removal of the fee. I don't want you telling other adventurers and elminating one of my revenue streams."

OOC: Skill Challenge Progress -- Success: 1, Failure: 1​

Mr. Pinch marks through the fee on contract.

"So, are you willing to sign now?"

He offers the quill.

 

[Reklaw]

Drivan takes one of the offered seats, accepting a treat from the Marilith with a polite smile and a thank you. He does his best to keep his eyes from following her as she offers the other party members drinks and snacks. He can't help but grin after her outburst at Emral, wagging his finger at him in a joking manner.

He then turns his attention to the host... "Mr. Pinch, I am Drivan Aslemar and I'm looking forward to your event here and I'm intrigued by the possibility of a skeleton fight, I've never seen one explode when hit by a Force Orb before..."

Pausing to take another bite of the snack cake he continues to say.

"You are correct, as wizards our rituals are fairly expensive, sir, and as such I was thinking it might be prudent of me to request that our payout is 600 GP. I understand that you have many costs associated with this event but I'm sure that we'll be able to provide an appreciable ROI for you. Once people hear about our exploits here your arena will be overflowing with paying customers..."

Finishing the snack cake, he turns to look for the Marilith. He appears to be a little disappointed to see that she hasn't returned after her outburst.

[sblock=Diplomacy Check]Hope I did this right? Here is the link and my roll was 1d20+6=25 I also rolled insight... link here not such a good roll, 1d20+6=17, Drivan still believes that resurrection costs are prohibitive to revenue.[/sblock]

[sblock=ooc]Sorry for the delay, will work on checking this more often. Oh and Drivan understands the idea of ROI, his family is merchants so he grew up around that.[/sblock]

 

[KenHood]

He then turns his attention to the host... "Mr. Pinch, I am Drivan Aslemar and I'm looking forward to your event here and I'm intrigued by the possibility of a skeleton fight, I've never seen one explode when hit by a Force Orb before..."

"I have. I assure you: it's spectacular."

"You are correct, as wizards our rituals are fairly expensive, sir, and as such I was thinking it might be prudent of me to request that our payout is 600 GP. I understand that you have many costs associated with this event but I'm sure that we'll be able to provide an appreciable ROI for you. Once people hear about our exploits here your arena will be overflowing with paying customers..."

Mr. Pinch grins and shakes his head. "If my people are the ones performing the resurrections, which as you suggest are quite expensive, then why should you be the ones to receive increased revenues?"

"Also, your argument about customers flocking to TURTLEDOME! after they hear about your exploits is not a reasonable one, as I have no idea of the quality of your abilities or showmanship. Untested adventurers, such as yourself, could alienate the people. I've seen it happen before."

He steeples his fingers and furrows his brow.

"However, I do like your moxie in asking for such an unreasonable sum. To reward such audacity, I'm willing to increase your prize to 200 GP."

OOC: Skill Challenge Progress -- Success: 2, Failure: 1​

 

[weldon]

At the mention of a 40gp share for a win, Finnian involuntarily takes a step towards the paperwork.

Wait. We get nothing for a loss? If you stack the odds against us, I still want a small piece of the action for taking a beating in your arena.

[sblock=OOC]I already failed this challenge, but maybe someone else wants to try negotiating this piece before we sign[/sblock]

 

[Reklaw]

Drivan smiles slightly, “I can assure you Mr. Pinch, this group of untested adventurers won’t alienate the people… In fact I’m not sure if this arena will hold the crowd that we will most definitely draw. I can understand your hesitation on that front though and thank you for listening to my point, your counter offer is most agreeable. Finnian has made a valid point as well, though I don’t quite understand the need for a loser’s purse… I don’t see that happening.”

Drivan sits back in his chair, clasping his hands together in front of his chest, elbows resting on the arms of the chair.

[sblock=OOC]I’m guessing I can’t since I already made my attempt. I’m sure someone else will give it a try though.[/sblock]

 

[KenHood]

[sblock=DM Ruling]You may attempt other skill checks, if you wish.

Note: The quality and content of any comments--even if not attached to a skill check, may affect the outcome of another player's skill check. In other words, you can't say something and not expect consequences...

Waiting on a skill check before I post Mr. Pinch's replies.[/sblock]

 

[weldon]

Well, I certainly don't go into any fight planning to lose, but we haven't seen this bone crew yet either. If we're being setup to take the fall to set up some ringer you've brought in, this Migtooth character, for example, then I want some small guarantee that we'll still see a payout. The contracts and all that aside, I just want your assurance that you're looking for a real fight and not some stage show for your boys to show off. I've been thown in the ring a few times, and I think I know how these things work - even if the fights I've been in haven't been on the back of some enormous turtle looking thing. I think that there's room for you in all this to take care of the losers too, am I right?

[sblock=Insight Check]
Roll Lookup
1d20+4 → [5,4] = (9)
OOC - ouch!
[/sblock]

[sblock=OOC]Thanks to Lord Sessadore for stepping in as the judge![/sblock]

 

[KenHood]

Mr. Pinch's eyes narrow and his lip raises in a nasty snarl. All the teeth you can see come to blade-like points, like those of a shark.

"We. Don't. Fix. Games. At. TURTLEDOME!"

With a measurable effort, he manages to calm himself.

"If you want some sort of guaranteed pay, why don't you go shovel some **** at the local stables."

"Perhaps this is all some sort of elaborate joke or whim on your part, Mr. Finnian. I don't enjoy having my time wasted, nor do I appreciate insults to my fighters whilst conducting negotiations. We're professionals here. We save our insults for the ring. And we expect the same professionalism from 'adventurers', however amateurish they may be."

"So, I will warn you once, Mr. Finnian. Do not accuse or insinuate that I or my people of fix matches again. Also, do not speak ill of my people in my presence. If you do so, there shall be consequences."

"If you had gone to the trouble to study your history or even ask about the island, you would have known that TURTLEDOME! is an honest gaming establishment. We take pride in that. Our matches may be difficult--even impossible--but we do not falsify results. A victory is a victory no matter who achieves it."

"And I would like to remind you: You came to me.

OOC: Skill Challenge Progress -- Success 2, Failure 1.

The failed Insight roll does not apply towards the progress of the challenge. However, the content of the message has upset Mr. Pinch, and the next skill check will suffer a -2 penalty. Also, the difficulty of attempting to acquire remuneration without winning a match has increased.​

 

[weldon]

Well hey now. I clearly don't have any insight into what you're sayin, cause that's not what I meant at all, and I think you know it. I wasn't saying anything about fixing the match.

I'm just saying I'm walkin' into this fight blind and I think it's the GENTLEMENLY thing to do to offer a consolation to the loser. Heck, I would beat boys up and down like a tavern rug out for a spring cleaning at the fair back home. I'd be happy to take the purse, and their own money if they bet against me. But I always made sure they had enough left to buy a drink and something to eat.

If I thought the fight wasn't fair, I would get out now. I'm just sayin' I like to win and I've seen enough crazy stuff here today that I'm beginning to wonder if we know what we've signed up for.

But if it please you any, I'll go out there and take a lickin from your boys and come back for more until I do win. You can count on that.

Finishing off his retort with the jab of a finger, Finnian's eases off his stare a little and he pauses to look around the room at his companions. Taking his eyes off Mr. Pinch and taking in the room again reminds him of the impressive surroundings and how out of place he must look in here. He takes a step back behind the others and folds his arms across his chest to wait out the negotiations. The bravado from a moment ago has ebbed away and Finnian looks just like a young man from a village that doesn't quite know what he's doing, but doesn't want to give too much away. To anyone in the room, despite the efforts to mask it, his discomfort is completely transparent.

 

[KenHood]

Mr. Pinch sits his fingers laced before his face. He stares over them, appraising Finnian. It is not a pleasant look.