IC: Dichotomy's Age of Worms Redux, Part VI
- Thread starter Dichotomy
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Nethezar mumbles incoherently, with apparent anger or distaste, into his mug after Kushnak keeping a low profile. Ekaym informs the trio that, unfortunately, the matches for tomorrow won't be posted until tomorrow morning, so there is little chance to specifically scout out your first competition at the dinner tonight. "Of course, Auric's Warband will be the group to beat, I'm sure, since Auric is the reigning champion."
Just after all of the gladiators and guests have found their tables and received a drink, a man who can only be Loris Raknian enters the area with a retinue. The man is tall, and well-muscled for a man in his fifties. Raknian gives only a short few pleasantries, largely empty words, but the assembled crowd greets him with thunderous applause.
Before Raknian takes his table, placed prominently between the central bonfire and the stage, he presents Auric, the current holder of the Champion's Belt, and Khellek, Auric's teammate. Auric is met with even greater applause than Raknian.
Raknian then turns the show over to a man he introduces as Talabir Welik, the tournament's referee. The trio recognizes Welik as the robed man who stood behind the clerk that checked Ekaym's manager's license. Welik goes through the entire tournament's rules in detail.
When the referee sits back down, Raknian leaps upon the stage with a full glass. Raising his glass, he declares that all the gladiators are "Champions of the Free City." To great applause, Raknian downs his glass with the toast, and the crowd joins him. As Raknian leaps back down from the stage, he signals for the Free Dinner to begin.
In short order, bards and performers take over the stage while servants begin bringing out the full meal.
"Let us first eat, at least some, and then we can begin sizing up the competition," Ekaym offers.
[sblock=OOC]I added the pictures. In the second one, Auric is the guy that doesn't look like a wizard. The gal... well, maybe you'll meet her later.[/sblock]
Just after all of the gladiators and guests have found their tables and received a drink, a man who can only be Loris Raknian enters the area with a retinue. The man is tall, and well-muscled for a man in his fifties. Raknian gives only a short few pleasantries, largely empty words, but the assembled crowd greets him with thunderous applause.
Before Raknian takes his table, placed prominently between the central bonfire and the stage, he presents Auric, the current holder of the Champion's Belt, and Khellek, Auric's teammate. Auric is met with even greater applause than Raknian.
Raknian then turns the show over to a man he introduces as Talabir Welik, the tournament's referee. The trio recognizes Welik as the robed man who stood behind the clerk that checked Ekaym's manager's license. Welik goes through the entire tournament's rules in detail.
When the referee sits back down, Raknian leaps upon the stage with a full glass. Raising his glass, he declares that all the gladiators are "Champions of the Free City." To great applause, Raknian downs his glass with the toast, and the crowd joins him. As Raknian leaps back down from the stage, he signals for the Free Dinner to begin.
In short order, bards and performers take over the stage while servants begin bringing out the full meal.
"Let us first eat, at least some, and then we can begin sizing up the competition," Ekaym offers.
[sblock=OOC]I added the pictures. In the second one, Auric is the guy that doesn't look like a wizard. The gal... well, maybe you'll meet her later.[/sblock]
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As Erdolliel begins to eat, she looks the warband over. "It looks like we have even odds as far as numbers go for Auric's group. I must say that we would win in a beauty contest even" she says with a twinkle in her eye. "Kushnak and I are probably a fair match for Auric and the lady, but Nethezar you are MUCH better looking than their robed fellow."
The group eats some, but Ekaym quickly leaves to begin some "public relations" work with the nobles. He mentions that, when the nobles place their wagers, they want to know some information about the combatants, so he will be fielding questions about your skills.
Soon, most all the attendants have left their food (or simply picked up a plate to carry with them) as everyone, noble and gladiator alike, mix together.
The trio soon enough learns that there are a total of 24 teams, and it is practically impossible to get a decent feel for the abilities covered by all the teams. Some of them are almost obviously out of their league, but a least a couple of the groups seem to be formidable. Some of magic-users, some brute warriors, some archers, and most groups have some healer. Aside from Auric's Warband, the trio learns that the favored groups (based upon reputation, at least) are a pair of dwarven warriors called Pitch Blade and group of four seasoned sorcerers called Draconic Blood.
After some initial mingling, Nethezar pulls Kushnak and Erdolliel aside. "I don't know whether he knows what we know, or if he knows whether we know, but..." The scholar shakes his head. "Yes, I know that didn't make any sense. In any case, you might not have noticed, but Raknian clearly knows who we are. He's been keeping an eye on us, while trying to not look like he's keeping an eye on us."
[sblock=OOC]There are some things you all could do, if you are interested. You could try to find people to make some wagers, on yourselves or others. You could also speak to the nobles to attempt to change their opinions of your likelihood of success, which would change the odds placed on wagers involving your group. (If they think you guys suck, payouts would be larger if you win.)[/sblock]
Soon, most all the attendants have left their food (or simply picked up a plate to carry with them) as everyone, noble and gladiator alike, mix together.
The trio soon enough learns that there are a total of 24 teams, and it is practically impossible to get a decent feel for the abilities covered by all the teams. Some of them are almost obviously out of their league, but a least a couple of the groups seem to be formidable. Some of magic-users, some brute warriors, some archers, and most groups have some healer. Aside from Auric's Warband, the trio learns that the favored groups (based upon reputation, at least) are a pair of dwarven warriors called Pitch Blade and group of four seasoned sorcerers called Draconic Blood.
After some initial mingling, Nethezar pulls Kushnak and Erdolliel aside. "I don't know whether he knows what we know, or if he knows whether we know, but..." The scholar shakes his head. "Yes, I know that didn't make any sense. In any case, you might not have noticed, but Raknian clearly knows who we are. He's been keeping an eye on us, while trying to not look like he's keeping an eye on us."
[sblock=OOC]There are some things you all could do, if you are interested. You could try to find people to make some wagers, on yourselves or others. You could also speak to the nobles to attempt to change their opinions of your likelihood of success, which would change the odds placed on wagers involving your group. (If they think you guys suck, payouts would be larger if you win.)[/sblock]
After eating her fill, Erdolliel wanders the crowds trying to glean some more information. She takes particular care to talk to some of the bookies first.[sblock=oc]For some reason I remember wanting to wait for o3 to post, but I can't recall why anymore. Anyway(s) now that our traveling is done, let's get this ball rollin' again eh?
Erdolliel tries to gather information (+0), and also makes a point to talk to the bookies indiscreetly asking them what the odds are against the Iron Salamanders as well as a few other groups (including the warband). Aka she without being really obvious about it, she'll talk quite openly about not knowing how to wager, she doesn't care at all if anyone overhears her. If we could get a rundown on how wagering works, that'd be keen.
Oh, and Spot check on Raknain 1 minute after Nethezar tells us, and from time to time throughout the night (+14).
That should be enough for now, maybe peruse nobles later depending on results.[/sblock]
Erdolliel tries to gather information (+0), and also makes a point to talk to the bookies indiscreetly asking them what the odds are against the Iron Salamanders as well as a few other groups (including the warband). Aka she without being really obvious about it, she'll talk quite openly about not knowing how to wager, she doesn't care at all if anyone overhears her. If we could get a rundown on how wagering works, that'd be keen.
Oh, and Spot check on Raknain 1 minute after Nethezar tells us, and from time to time throughout the night (+14).
That should be enough for now, maybe peruse nobles later depending on results.[/sblock]
Kushnak shakes his head and looks to the floor, careful to keep his back to to Raknain. "There's little we can do here to help ourselves with regards to him."
"Lets see about bolstering our odds of making some money and getting as much info as we can. Ask questions about tactics of other groups, and feel free to lie about ours."
[sblock=oc]
Lying about how we'll behave is fun and will almost certainly help our cause.
Lets bet, or plan to bet, all our money if we can find good odds.
[/sblock]
"Lets see about bolstering our odds of making some money and getting as much info as we can. Ask questions about tactics of other groups, and feel free to lie about ours."
[sblock=oc]
Lying about how we'll behave is fun and will almost certainly help our cause.
Lets bet, or plan to bet, all our money if we can find good odds.
[/sblock]
[sblock=oc]Has anyone else been having chronic issues with quick reply? It has been saying that I have to reload my window whenever I post for months now, all 4 posts worth... Wait... does anyone else even USE quick reply???[/sblock]Erdolliel chuckles "Stabbing I can do, lying... well I'll still try. At least if anyone sees through my lies they still won't know what our tactics are.[sblock=oc]Add lying (bluff +0) into my previously stated plan.
Agreed on betting. Maybe though we should spread some of our money out across the different levels in the tourney. That way if something happens that prevents the games from finishing, we don't lose everything. AKA put most of our money on winning, but put a little on reaching round 2 then round 3 etc etc.[/sblock]
Agreed on betting. Maybe though we should spread some of our money out across the different levels in the tourney. That way if something happens that prevents the games from finishing, we don't lose everything. AKA put most of our money on winning, but put a little on reaching round 2 then round 3 etc etc.[/sblock]
[sblock=OOC]If you guys want to wait, I plan to post more. I just realized that I've already been gone for over an hour, and I should get back to work.
I never use quick reply. I know there was something I didn't like about it, but I don't remember what it was.[/sblock]
Nethezar grins. "I'll leave the stabbing to you, if you leave the lying to me." In short order, the scholar begins spreading tales of your most awesome adventures fighting kobolds ("They're dragonkin, you know!") and a fearsome battle against a pack of wererats ("They MUST have been wererats, because... because normal rats aren't THAT big, are they?"). It seems almost too easy to convince the nobles that you are literally the very worst group in the lot.
With that done, Erdolliel manages to find a few bookies willing to, in their minds, steal your money on a hopeless wager.
[sblock=OOC]Your bluffing is enough to make the odds (for the first round) 10 to 1 against you winning. (For comparison, you learn that the odds for Auric's Warband are 1 to 10.) Your odds will then change as you progress through the competition (i.e. assuming that you win, your payouts will go down, and there's really nothing you can do about it anymore).
You find 4 bookies who are each able to handle a wager of up to 250 gold. Assuming that you win your first fight, you can either (a) ask Ekaym to cash you out, or (b) continue to let a wager of up to 250 ride. (None of the bookies can finance wagers of more than 250, so they can't let your whole amount ride. Mostly, this is because I realized that you guys would have the potential of winning WAY too much gold... like several hundred thousand gold.) Bottom line, you could toss a total of 1,000 gold out there; if you win, you'll get 10,000 back (this time), of which you could re-bet 1,000 on the next fight.[/sblock]
I never use quick reply. I know there was something I didn't like about it, but I don't remember what it was.[/sblock]
Nethezar grins. "I'll leave the stabbing to you, if you leave the lying to me." In short order, the scholar begins spreading tales of your most awesome adventures fighting kobolds ("They're dragonkin, you know!") and a fearsome battle against a pack of wererats ("They MUST have been wererats, because... because normal rats aren't THAT big, are they?"). It seems almost too easy to convince the nobles that you are literally the very worst group in the lot.
With that done, Erdolliel manages to find a few bookies willing to, in their minds, steal your money on a hopeless wager.
[sblock=OOC]Your bluffing is enough to make the odds (for the first round) 10 to 1 against you winning. (For comparison, you learn that the odds for Auric's Warband are 1 to 10.) Your odds will then change as you progress through the competition (i.e. assuming that you win, your payouts will go down, and there's really nothing you can do about it anymore).
You find 4 bookies who are each able to handle a wager of up to 250 gold. Assuming that you win your first fight, you can either (a) ask Ekaym to cash you out, or (b) continue to let a wager of up to 250 ride. (None of the bookies can finance wagers of more than 250, so they can't let your whole amount ride. Mostly, this is because I realized that you guys would have the potential of winning WAY too much gold... like several hundred thousand gold.) Bottom line, you could toss a total of 1,000 gold out there; if you win, you'll get 10,000 back (this time), of which you could re-bet 1,000 on the next fight.[/sblock]
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