Completed A Game of Chance

[Davus]

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Timestamp : Evening, 61st of Fall, AV 513

Davus leant against the splintering wooden counter, resting one foot over the over as he sipped on a tankard of cool ale, "hideous quality" he thought but it was how he liked his ale, he wasn't keen on change. Behind him a sudden cheer filled the inn, Davus instinctively turned to examine it. A particularly dirty Akalak, probably a farmer judging by the clothes, was pulling a large stack of gold towards him with a big grin on his face "A round for the inn!" He shouted; a decision applauded by the patrons as he set about wasting his winnings.

"You heard the man" He said to Nystir as he pushed his empty metal tankard across the counter, he watched as it was filled up expertly by the barkeep "So what ar- not too much froth! So what are they playing?" He asked, his eye transfixed by the tankard
"By the looks of it..." He peered over Davus to get a better look at the table "Portraits, yes it looks like that"
"What are the rules" He asked peering back into tavern
"Well, you see the Drykas" Davus nodded, he was the only one standing around the table, he was short and pales with a pig nose and small pale blue eyes "Well he is the dealer, so each person places there bet beforehand then he deals two cards" He narrated the scenes that unfolded, he quickly flicked out two cards to the five people playing at the table "Now it seems actually they are playing Blind Man's Bet"
"What's the difference?" He asked, his tankard stood untouched as his attention had been brought by the game of chance
"All the players and even the dealer leave their first card untouched and they base their next move on the card facing upwards" He explained "The aim is to beat the dealer, you don't play the other players."
"How do you beat the dealer?"
"Well..." He rubbed his chin thoughtfully "It has been a while since I played it but I think you have to either reach twenty-one without the dealer reaching it, beat the dealers score, or if the dealer goes bust, and if that happens everyone wins."
"Sounds simple enough to win then"

Suddenly another eruption of noise came from the table but this time it wasn't one of celebration, a tall, lean man jumped up shouting curses in a foreign language at the dealer who pulled a rather substantial pile money towards himself "Look mate if you don't like the game then leave" He said plainly, counting the money he had just earned but the man wasn't budging "I am leavin' but with my money" he said threateningly but the dirty Akalak came to his rescue "I tell you what" He said towering above the man "You throw the first punch and we will see where it will get you"

For a moment the whole tavern bristled with the prospect of a brawl but suddenly the man shook his head and left the tavern, continuing to curse under his breath as he slammed the door behind him. "Well that was close" Nystir muttered
"Ain't this game illegal" He asked in an undertone as the tavern started warm up again, the low hum of conversation had yet to turn into the rabble it normally was
"Not at all, in fact two of the players are guards if my memory serves. Still, like you just saw only mugs gamble their money"
"Well it seems with a free space if anyone wants to fill it" The dealer announced
"I'll take it" Davus said as Nystir sighed deeply behind him.

[Davus]

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"Good man" The dealer proclaimed with a grin, he gestured to the now empty seat "Take a seat friend"
Davus did just that, he placed his full tankard down onto the round table and looked around at the other players. The farmer still sat at the other end, betting copious amounts of gold as he was drunk with success and possibilities. Next to him sat two other Akalaks, one a deep purple and the other a medium green, both were very muscular and adorned with heavy scowls as they lost their hard earned gold. Directly to his left sat a toothless old crone who didn't seemed to mind losing as she bet much smaller amount then the rest of them. He turned back to the dealer who explained the rules to him "Ok, I'll deal you two cards, you only flip one over and keep the other covered. Every additional card you request you must display to the rest of table. Minimum bet is two golden Mizas and the return winnings is one to one" He continued one, speaking quickly as possible, eager to resume the gambling as Davus slid two Mizas in front of him "Deck is made up of gems, trees, spears and shields. Father is the highest card followed by the Son, the Lakan and then the River. Got that? Good, now let's play"

He flicked the cards across the table expertly, wasting no time in between players. Davus slid his two cards over, flipping the one of the right over. Nine of Spears. He looked across the dealer as he turned his over. Three of Trees. He pondered his decision as the Drykas made his way around the table, the farmer went bust but he had plenty to lose, both the guards took one card and then stood, the toothless old woman hit twice and went bust then the dealer turned to him "Hit or stand?"

"Hit me" He said. Two of Shields. He was at ten but his other card could be anything, he couldn't see any Fathers or Sons on the table, then again he always liked taking risks "Hit me." Five of Spears. He was at fifteen now, time to stand "Stand".

The dealer turned over his own cards, he had twenty-one. Davus turned over his final card. Seven of Gems. He let out a short sigh as the Drykas collected his gold "Better luck next time friends", everyone had lost some gold that turn, some more than others, but Davus wasn't willing to walk away with lighter pockets than when he had arrived, he pushed forwards five Mizas "Again"

[Davus]

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Never chase your money, it was a simple lesson that every gambler learned at one stage or another but Davus had yet to learn it. He was fifteen Mizas down and losing them still as he desperately tried to recover his loses. The dealer of the other hand was grinning with every hand played, the farmer had managed to win again and even the old crone won a few Mizas but the guards had lost even more money than Davus and like him continued to bet to try and earn some back. Still smiling the Dyrkas had started talking to his players "So my lucky friend what brings you to Riverfall?"

The only one who could be called lucky really was the dirty Akalak at the end so he answered "Well, I'm a farmer you see and I have a just been here to sell my crop, then I thought I would stay the night and have a few tankards"
"You made a good choice, that is probably more than you will earn all year" He paused for a second, turning over his own cards "Dealer, twenty-one" A collective groan echoed around the table as the dealer collect money of everyone "Bad luck, how about you gentlemen?" He said, nodding to the other Akalaks who merely grunted in reply, perhaps they were just bitter about their loses or maybe they didn't want the dealer to know that they were guards, either way they weren't talking much "Okay, what about you Svefra?" He asked, skipping over the old woman.

"I am just here for the drinks" He muttered, he was twenty Mizas down now at that wasn't something he couldn't afford to walk away from, it was a vicious spiral his was now in "Nothing else" he said ending the conversation.
"Very good, now hit or stand?" He asked
"Hit" He sighed, he flipped over the card. Father of Shields,
"Bust, better luck next time" He said whilst taking his money away.
Nystir came up behind him and muttered in a undertone so the Drykas couldn't hear him "Pull out now, he is bleeding you dry for gods' sake" but Davus simply waved him away.
"I know what I am doing; you don't need to tell me what to do"
"I know what you are doing as well, you are losing! Badly at that" He hissed into his ear "You can't afford to lose anymore"
"Wrong, I couldn't afford to lose anymore about two hands ago; right now I am just trying to get it all back. I can't walk away from this much bleedin' money so unless you are going to cover my loses I'll suggest that you get me a refill and then leave me alone" He raised the tankard for Nystir to take but he had already gone, muttering threats under his breath. Davus turned back to the table and stared down at the dealer "Your bet sir?" he asked.
"I'm all in" He announced, chucking his money pouch onto the table
"I am going to need a number, it may surprise you to know that I don't know how much is in there"
"Twenty-five Mizas"

[Davus]

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When he announced he was going all in everyone stopped what they were doing to focus on the table. Drinks hung in mid-air, the dealer looked up from his shuffling, Nystir rolled his eyebrows and even the farmer who had been focused on his winnings stopped counting them to look up. But when he said how much was in there the anticipation went down like a lead balloon. To most people, even the poorest of workers that wasn't a fortune to brag about, but nonetheless it still was quite a large single bet.

"Is anyone else placing a bet?" The dealer asked, both the farmer and the guards shook their heads, the latter having just run out of money on the last bet "Very well let us begin"
"Wait a second young man" The old woman croaked "Two Mizas please" She slid them across the table slowly as the dealer sighed softly "Very well, let us begin" He carefully pulled out two pairs of cards, sliding both along the table. The old crone flipped over her left cards. King of Spears. "Hit or Stand?"
"Stand please young man" She croaked
The dealer turned to him "Hit or Stand?" Davus turned over his card slowly, anxious to what was under there. Six of Shields. "Hit or Stand?" He repeated.
"Hit" He said, the card was thrown over to him face down. He turned it over slowly, the dealer likewise turned his over but Davus didn't care what he had. Three of Trees. He was at nine, but the odds of him busting were low at this moment, he didn't even wait for the question "Hit me again" he ordered, the card slid over again, he turned it. Four of Gems. Thirteen, to high to hit again, it wasn't worth the risk.
"Hit or Stand?" He asked
"Stand" He muttered, simultaneously the flipped over their hidden card, Davus let out an audible sigh "Bust..."
"Twenty" The Dyrkas announced, triumphantly displaying his cards "Better luck next time friend, could you please make some room for people who actually have money" He said snatching the money pouch up.
"Twenty-one" The crone announced displaying her cards
"Whatever" The dealer sneered, pushing her winnings her way, there wasn't enough there to bother him "Now why don't both off you leave, small bets and no money don't interest me." He pointed to the guards "You guys as well"
"Well..." The crone said smiling, though the tone sounded far from friendly "I'll take that as a cue to leave" She pushed herself slowly to her feet before adding "Oh and by the way, the man who took your money" She pointed to the Drykas with a crooked finger "He has been cutting the deck and giving the best cards to the farmer, they are working together to scam you all out of your money. Evening young man" She said with a gummy smile before shuffling out of the inn, leaving the Dealer spluttering and the Farmer trying to slip away with his "winnings"
Both Davus and the guards looked at each other and nodded, they all thought the same thing.
"Let's beat the shit out of them"

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[Davus]

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His long, brown hair was ruffled up, his nose had a steady trickle of blood running into his open mouth. He grunted as the fist smashed once more into his gut, his body tried to double over to protect the exposed flabby gut but his body was secured back by two muscular arms. He tried pleading with them "I'm sorry, I only meant to take a lit-" the voice was cut off mid-flow as a leather bound boot found its tip flying towards the Drykas's crotch. He grunted once more, tears formed in the corners of his eyes as he clenched his eyelids together.

"Shut up" A deep voice ordered, it belonged to one of the two Akalak guards that pinned him back as Davus took out their anger and justice on the con-man "Scum like you don't get to speak, we said that too your friend" He gestured to the dirty Akalak slumped against the floor with blood dripping from his mouth.

"Please, I am telling you the truth I wasn't conning you" He begged but it didn't matter, he had pocketed their money gleefully and there was an opportunity to claim it back. Davus downed the last of the ale from a glass bottle he had specifically requested as they left the tavern with their new friends to the alleyway before he smashed it against his skull, the glass shattered into a thousand pieces, bloodstained pieces. The man started to scream out in pain but the other guard wrapped a rough hand around his mouth to muffle to cries of pain.

"Listen, none of us want to admit the crimes we have done, but just confess it will make everything better" He pulled out his wooden pipe "Have you got a splint?" He asked to the guards, one nodded and passed it to him. He lit it from a hanging lantern, before he put the lantern out and stuck the splint into his pipe. It smoked slightly as he puffed on it, holding the still burning splint in his hand "So are you going to confess?" The gagged man shook his head "Shame, you know this is really good weed." He took another puff from it, letting the streams of smoke flow through his mouth as he sighed in pleasure "You know why? You always light it from wood, keeps the flavour in" He held up the match, and all of a sudden yanked out the Drykas's hand and stamped the splint out on it.

While the screams failed to escape his covered mouth, his eyes still watered in pain as the pale skin blistered from the heat. Even the guards looked nervously at each other "Are you going to confess now?" The man nodded "Good, here is what is going to happen - I am going to take my money back and leave the rest along with you in the hands of these fine men who work so hard to keep us safe, and I am never going to see you again" He took his money from the bulging pouch and nodded to the guards, they knew what the money was plain and simple. A bribe. He had just tortured a guy after all."Have fun" He said as he stepped out of the dark alleyway, his pipe still smoking and his money pouch back to its normal weight. "Card games really are fun" He thought to himself as he walked off into the dark city.

[Taylani]

XP Award!

Davus:

XP Award:

• +2 gambling
• +4 socialization
• +2 observation
• +1 interrogation
  

Lore:

• Card games aren’t illegal in Riverfall
• Gambling: Recouping the losses
  

Notes:I Feel free to PM me with any concerns about your grade. Don’t forget to edit/delete your grade request. Thanks!

TAYLANI