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First Floor
Second Floor
The Cockatrice Club was originally called The Minotaur Club. It was founded 20 years ago by an actual minotaur named Kovak Rhone. Kovak was a gladiator in the main arena who won his freedom by being undefeatable. Soon after his freedom was aquired he created his own small arena.
The founding club was really no club at all, it was actually just a warehouse with a 30 ft. by 30 ft. area roped off where men fought for money and the outcome of the fight was used for gambling. The thing that Kovak insisted on was that all fighters be free men who choose to fight, not slaves or anyone else that is forced to battle against their will. Normally the fights weren’t to the death, just till either an opponent surrendered, or was knocked unconscious. Most of the interest in the club was for the gambling.
The establishment was very successful, and Kovak made enough money in the first two years to dig out a “Battle Pit”, add a bar, restaurant, and a few rooms for nightly rent. The addition of the bar, restaurant, and rooms was at the behest of Kovak’s financer, and partner, Dalehart Burfoot, a shrewd halfling with a very good business sense. Together they made an establishment that made them as rich as many of the nobility of the North Kingdom.
The establishment maintained the name “The Minotaur Club” until a year and a half ago when it was attacked by a Druid. One of the fights that the club promotes is animal combat. This is almost always to the death. They fight dogs, cocks, large cats, and many exotic animals from small to medium size. The winter that the attack took place there was a three day cockfight tournament. The Druid, Ocam Tallowood, entered his very special “cock” into the tournament. When it was his turn to battle he brought the animal out in a small crate and set it on the floor of the Battle Pit with a string tied to the door so that he could release the animal from the observation stands. Everyone just thought that he must have an abnormally ferocious cock. When the bell rang Ocam pulled the string and released the “cock”, then he proceeded to leave the club. Instantly the other cock froze as it ran to meet it’s opponent. Everyone was dumbfounded, until they saw what emerged from the crate. It was a cockatrice. That day many club members were turned to stone, and many more were trampled to death in the mass exodus from the club.
A 100 gold piece bounty was put on Ocam Tallowood’s head that day, and many real life statues were added to the club’s decore. The cockatrice was killed, stuffed, and mounted. Both the cockatrice, and the rooster that it fought are now displayed on each side of the booth where Kovak sits to view the battles that take place in the Battle Pit. Kovak had the cockatrice and rooster put there because, though he didn’t like what happened, he was impressed with the ingenuity of the idea.
Kovak and Dalehart still run the Cockatrice Club. Occasionally Kovak even goes into the Battle Pit, when someone is foolish enough to challenge him. He still remains undefeated. To get into the establishment the first time there is a 10 gold piece membership fee to join the club. Every time after that the cost is only 3 gold pieces. A bronze pendant, showing a chain wrapped around a short sword (the symbol of Nazarn the god-hero of formal and public combat that Kovak worships), is given to each member upon payment of dues.
The Battle Pit is a 30 ft. by 30 ft. sandy floor area sunk 10 ft. into the floor. There are 4 tiers of observation seats, but usually that is insufficient and most observers pier over the sides from the ground level. Contestants, if humanoid, use the ladders on each side to get into the pit. While contests are occurring, usually 5 to 10 times a day, the cheering is almost overwhelming. When the contestants are on the floor each boisterously parade around while their name and title are given by the announcer. Once this is done the overseer, usually Kovak but sometimes Dalehart, yells for the battle to commence from the judging booth.
Burned into a plaque on the judges booth is a quote of Nazarn the Gladiator:
a. Battle Mechanics:
Animals that are banned from the arena are anything with a ranged attack, magical beasts, flyers, anything greater than medium-size, and anything that can damage the crowd via gas or other types of attack. Since the Cockatrice incident all animals are thoroughly examined at the door by trained animal handlers.
a. Gambling Mechanics:
This smoky area has a live band at all times, and female dancers that perform for the crowd while drinks are served. The drinks are double standard price. A table dance will cost 5 gold pieces, and a private dance will cost anywhere from 10 gold pieces (dancing only) to 100 gold pieces (full treatment).
The restaurant serves some of the best steaks in all of Crowley. The decor is rustic with a lot of hardwood and brass. All of the waiters are dressed in white shirts, and leather pants, with black leather aprons displaying the club name. The prices of everything in the restaurant are double standard price.
The kitchen is very typical with a long wooden table, an open flame grill, and utensils everywhere. There is a door to the micro-brewery/ale room, and a passage to the area behind the dancer’s stage.
This room contains several kegs of ale, and all of the contraptions that it requires to brew ale. The label of the ale brewed at the Cockatrice Club is called Minotaur’s Foam Ale. It is the darkest of ales brewed by an Alemaster dwarf named Thorik Mugmaster, who takes great pride in his concoction. It is reputed that a small dribble of Kovak’s saliva goes into each of the kegs to give the ale that special “kick”, but this rumor is false. Thorik doesn’t argue the point though because it adds to the legend of his ale.
Rooms can be rented for a whopping 10 gold pieces per night for one of the four smaller rooms, 15 gold pieces for one of the two middle sized rooms, or an outlandish 20 gold pieces per night for the prime suite. Unbelievably, the rooms usually have to be reserved a week in advance. Often Kovak or Dalehart use the rooms if they are available, instead of going back to their homes.
This is where Kovak or sometimes Dalehart sits to watch the battles. It overlooks the Battle Pit, and all of the onlookers. On this deck are two “thrones”, the cockatrice and rooster, a small table, and usually at least two archers to make sure that all is fair in the Battle Pit. The will fire on Kovak’s or Dalehart’s command only. Since Dalehart is not often found judging the matches Kovak usually sits alone to watch the battles, but it is not uncommon for him to offer Dalehart’s chair to someone that he knows down on the gambling floor. To sit with Kovak through one of the battles is considered a great honor.
Note: The Battle Pit is only open for business between 3:00pm and 3:00am. The Tavern is open from 12:00pm to 3:00am. The Restaurant is open from 10:00am to 10:00pm. The rooms are available as often as they come available. The establishment is always open, and eight security personnel are always on duty.
Find a dangerous animal for combat:
Trail Jovorix and find out where he lives:
Brewer Gnomes:
Present
1. Battle Pit
“Answer a challenge with honor and bravery. Never fight at anything but your best. Know when you should please the crowd and when you should focus on your foe, for a flamboyant warrior often ends up dead if he underestimates his advesary. Avoid dirty fighting unless it is purely for sport. Offer mercy to a defeated foe if you can, but finish them off if they have fought without honor or broken the combat’s accepted rules of conduct. Be inspiring to those who fight on your side and those who would emulate you in the future, for your legacy will survive you.”
Unless otherwise stated all battles are fought only as subdual battles, where the looser either surrenders, or is knocked unconscious – 0 hit points or lower. All contestants must claim that they are free men fighting by their own will. This claim must be made before the crowd. Death matches must be agreed upon by both contestants and are usually only fought because of a mutual grudge between the two combatants. The contestent can place a bet upon himself, but he is not allowed to bet on the other contestant. The Cockatrice Club doesn’t pay any of the contestants. If they want payment then they must seek a sponsor. The club also doesn’t charge for battles. Any two or more that wish may reserve a time in the pit and fight. Anyone found throwing a battle will receive a bounty on his head equal to the amount he won in the contest or the payment he received. Ranged weapons and caltrops are banned from the arena, as is the use of magic. Anyone found using an illegal weapon, such as a ranged weapons, magical weapons, or poisoned weapons, will be shot down by Kovak’s security personel.
Needless to say, Kovak has not yet lost a battle, and is infrequently called out.
2. Tavern
3. Restaurant
4. Kitchen
5. Ale/Microbrewery
6. Rooms
7. Judging Booth
Adventure Suggestions
Dalehart is often looking for new and exotic entertainment for the club and frequently hires men to find him exotic and dangerous creatures to use in the Battle Pit. He could ask the players to journey to the local forest and capture some animal that he has heard is living in the forest, or he may have heard of an creature that lives in some distant area of the kingdom that he wants to use in his battle pit. He will never ask anyone to find magical creatures, or creatures that could be harmful to the crowd.
A member of the club could be curious to know where Jovorix goes when he isn’t fighting – maybe for an ambush, or maybe to sell to someone else.
Thorik has heard of the Brewer Gnomes who roam the local forest and want to try some of their brew and compare it to his own. He will pay a certain amount for the brew if it is brought in to his specifications, and he will pay a greater amount if the formula for the brew can be purchased, connived, or stolen from the brewer gnomes.NPC Listing
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