An annual pit-fighting tournament in Isonhound.
History[edit | edit source]
As any city grows, so too do the more questionable forms of back-alley entertainment. After a string of pit fighting related deaths in bars and alleys, the desperate mayor of Seglock worked with several local governing bodies and guilds across Isonhound to establish the Tournament of Fist and Fury, alongside a system to officially license establishments across the region. Only fighters registered at licensed establishments—who properly enforced the rules—could put forward a fighter for the annual tournament. The tournament names The Victor of Isonhound, who takes home a sizable prize purse.
Although pit fighting still occurs at non-licensed establishments, many such bars and taverns choose to adopt the official rules, which helps curb fatalities and serious injury. The tournament was also successful in redirecting efforts of the deadliest fighters away from bars—where unfortunate drunks and students might quickly meet their end—and into the licensed rings.
There are a couple licensed establishments in Seglock, including The Fighter’s Forge and Murder Hobo Pit of Fighting. Seglock University even has a pit-fighting club.
Although the main tournament is 1v1, in some years an exhibition 6v6 Cash Grab Tournament is held to supplement the festivities around the final around. Teams in the cash grab tournament include 3 members in the ring, a Coach, a Promoter and a cutman (who offers healing and other support to the team). Dedicated healers are on hand to revive and aid any participants who might need healing.
Both tournaments are of course accompanied by a considerable amount of betting. During the highly anticipated festivities, many local craftsmen and retailers set up stalls around the edges of the facility.
Tournament of the year 826PR[edit | edit source]
In the quarterfinals of 826PR, a dragonborne fighter bested Spinel the Firefang and Cobalt beat a tiefling warlock. After the quarterfinals, however, shadows overtook Isonhound and the tournament was delayed. Once the shadows abated, the tournament was rescheduled as a way to restore unity and hope to the region. In the finale, Cobalt took down the dragonborne fighter in a dazzling display of claws and fangs.
In the exhibition cash grab tournament, a team of Greedy Green adventures entered under the team name Cecil’s Mercenaries. The team included Ulka, Spinel, and Cecil in the ring, Stan as Coach, Herneldo as Cutman, and Thucher as Promotor.
Other entrants in the cash grab tournament include the Cat’s Meow, a team of tabaxi; Plunder and Poke, a team of pirates; Thunder and Smoke, a team of dwarven artificers; the Hybrids, a team of minotaur-mermaid pirates that ultimately just looked like humans; the Lead Pigeons, a team of green-looking adventurers who originally entered as the Iron Hawks but changed their name when they were called out for not being members; the Influemancers, a team of wizards interested in elevating their standing; and Chef’s Surprise, a team of culinary-minded individuals.
In the first round, Cecil’s Mercenaries beat the Cat’s Meow, the Hybrids beat Plunder and Poke, Thunder and Smoke beat the Lead Pigeons, and Chef’s Surprise beat the Influmancers. A rumor then surfaced (encouraged by Thuchor) that one of the hybrids was, in fact, just a human. It turned out that this was true (parents were a farmer and fisherperson), but it was deemed that misrepresented who you are is not grounds for qualification for the tournament, and in fact may be a viable strategy. In the quarterfinals, Cecil’s Mercs beat the Hybrids and Chef’s Surprise beat Thunder and Smoke. A member of Chef’s Surprise—a warlock named Paula Doom—went down hard in the quarterfinals and should have been out for a few days, but strangely enough she appeared ready to go in the finals.
In the epic finale, Cecil’s Mercs took on Chef’s Surprise. In addition to Paula Doom, in the ring for Chef’s Surprise were Bobby Slay and Guy Fury. In the center of the ring was a giant pile of coins, which could be added to the victor’s purse. When touched, however, the coins turned into a loot golem. Damage to the golem reduced its gold-coin hit-point counter and added the coins to the participant’s totals. In a shocking turn of events, however, Paula Doom turned into Gozen Devakilla, a dastardly Oni mercenary from Ulka’s past. Ulka made quick work of Gozen, smashing in his skull, and this became the first and only full-on permakill without resurrection in the tournament to this day. Meanwhile Bobby Slay also dropped an illusion and revealed himself as the shifter Cobalt, a person of interest from Spinel’s past. There was some hesitancy to both Cobalt’s blows, and Spinel and Ulka quickly brought his health to critical levels. Ultimately, a spell from Cecil—aided by Spinel’s Oroboros ring to become a critical hit—took down Cobalt. Cecil’s Mercs made off with a tidy sum of money.
