With the unexpected aid, Aelden will go over to the gambling hall, in plain clothes and armed with a trusty dagger.
You are greeted by a the owner of the silverdisk gambling hall, pumping your hands and making a big show showing you around, offering free drinks and politly asking about your adventures so far. He introduces himself as Garmen Ulreth.
After showing you around he hands each of you a small rack of 10 silverdisks. He will even offer you a sit at his favorite table.
"Aright Master Ulreth! I'll be takin' ye up on yer offer!" And Aelden sits down.
As said you can make Sense motive or profession gambler checks. Each check stands for 15 minutes of play.
Not being much of a gambler, Gregory does not participate, but he is perfectly happy to congratulate/commiserate with those who do...
Once in the gambling hall Vanya also takes a seat at one of the poker tables. For the first game she bets 2 silverdiscs.
At the second round she bets again 2 silverdiscs and looses.
At the third game she bets again 2 silverdiscs and it's getting worse. She drops some of the cards so everybody can see what she holds.
The fourth game she bets 5 silverdiscs trying to win back what she lost.
Vanya spent one hour playing poker. She takes a timeout and has a drink at the bar and walks around to watch the others playing.
If you want you can do some checks. Maybe you learn something new!
Shaking himself from his ennui, Gregroy decides to play some poker...
= No loss (10 remaining)
= Gain 5 (15 remaining)
= No loss (15 remaining)
= Gain 10 (25 remaining)
= Gain 20 (45 remaining)
= Gain 40 (85 remaining)
= No loss (85 remaining)
= Gain 80 (165 remaining)
= Gain 160 (325 remaining)
= No loss (325 remaining)
= No loss (325 remaining)
= Gain 320 (645 remaining)
While sitting at the bar and walking between the other guests Vanya tries to learn something new.
Not being very good at such games, Uran will watch the others play.
Seeing Gregory's great success, Aelden does the same.
=No loss, 10sd
"Hmm..."
=No loss, 10sd
"I might be gettin' th' hang of it."
=Loss it all!, 0sd
"Bloody hell!" Aelden growls, and stalks off to the bar...
Shaking himself from his ennui, Gregroy decides to play some poker...
= No loss (10 remaining)
= Gain 5 (15 remaining)
= No loss (15 remaining)
= Gain 5 (20 remaining)
= Gain 5 (25 remaining)
= Gain 5 (30 remaining)
= No loss (35 remaining)
= Gain 5 (40 remaining)
= Gain 5 (45 remaining)
= No loss (45 remaining)
= No loss (45 remaining)
= Gain 5 (50 remaining)
As I said maximum wager is 5 silverdisc.
But nevertheless after 3 hours you are 400 gold pieces richer.
While sitting at the bar and walking between the other guests Vanya tries to learn something new.
[dice=Perception]1d20+11
[dice=Diplomacy (GI)]1d20+9
You hear this from someone after a streak of bad luck "You didn’t hear it from me, but Garmen Ulreth’s Ropefists have something to do with these problems. How do I know? Well... Ulreth’s got his fingers in pretty much everything bad in town already, so why not our latest troubles?"
Aurora simply watches the others play, drinking only water and keeping her senses clear, aware that in some places the winners are preyed upon when they leave.
Anything else anyone wants to do?
Gregory spends 4 hours of gambling
Uran watches people play,
as does Aurora and Aelden looses 5.
Aurora sees Aelden's luck turning, so with a smile she passes him the 10 disks she was given by the house with a friendly pat on the arm.
After three hours, Gregory has amassed a total of 35 further silver disks, and decides to continue trying his luck for another two hours.
Vanya returns to the poker table and trys again to win some discs.
After another two hours of playing Vanya returns to her companions. "Did you win something?" she asks.
Aelden smiles at Aurora's offer, but shakes his head.
"Mum didna raise a fool." He hands his 15 discs to Gregory. "Win us a chicken dinner, lad." he says.
Uran adds his discs to the pile with Aelden's.
"Ya seem to have the knack for this lass! Best of luck and maybe we can have ourselves a little feast once ye are done!"
With a frown the floor manager sees you hand over your money but after a quick shake of the head by the floor boss no ruckus is heard.
Next to the door is a lucky wheel. You can wager once there for up to 10 silverdiscs. Roll a d20. If you roll a 1 you get x10your wager . If you roll a 5 10 15 or 20 you get x5 your wager. If not you loose all.
"I can, but I think the endemic wildlife has cottoned-on to the fact that Vanya and I are good at cards, so I don't think it would be a good idea to be seen gambling with someone else's money..."
He then shrugs, before the table catches his eye.
"In fact, how about I try my hand at the lucky wheel with my current winnings, to show that it *is* all about luck!"
Watching Gregory work, Aelden moves over to watch the oracle's back as he spins the wheel. One hand on his dagger, another on a stein of hard ale...
Gregory. Look at the post. You can ONCE spin the wheel.
Shrugging, Gregory goes back to cards.
After another hour, he retires, feeling thoroughly exhausted.
After a quick incanation from the priest of Brigh you reach the tunnels below. It takes you no time to reach the corridors and after passing the mechanical creature you enter the desert. As far as the eye can see just sand. You have to remember that behind you is a cunningly painted wall and that the desert is just in front of you. You smell a disgusting odor from the slain thing before you. Footsteps lead onward.
Gregory cautiously moves forward, hugging the wall so as to not get lost in the apparently trackless desert.
"This makes no bloody sense. We're supposed to be in th' heart of the mountain!"
Just an information. If you want to hug so wall you cannot follow the tracks.
"Well, do we want to follow the tracks, or the wall? I am somewhat suspicous of an apparently trackless desert in the middle of a mountain..."
There is no doubt in my mind that we should follow the tracks. As to what a desert is doing here, only the makers of this place can tell us that, and they appear to be absent for the now.
Aurora glances around, scowling at the endless dunes
Let's press on and keep an eye out for more of those things, I presume many desert predators like hiding in the sand, we should be cautious
Aurora waits for Aelden to lead then falls in behind him.
Gregory shrugs.
"My only concern is that a sandstorm will obliterate the tracks, and we will then be left wandering aimlessly..."
Nonetheless, he proceeds to follow the tracks.
"Guys, wait a moment. I have the feeling, that this might be an artificial desert. Built to accommodate a pet or something." Vanya says while drawing her shortbow.
Uran looks over at Vanya and asks,
"So you think this is like an animal cage....like one you would see at a zoo?"
"I'm not sure about this. But it could be something like this. I think it is huge!"
"The bigger they are...and all that rot..." Aelden grumbles as he prepares to set out along the tracks.
Aurora follows Aelden
Map updated
"Cannae get no place without taking a step..." Aelden sets out, following the trail.
Vanya follows, always having one or two eyes at the surrounding desert.