Post by Fayerin on Nov 17, 2013 19:15:06 GMT -5
The little tavern was every bit as drab as one could expect in Indesius. A plank or two was missing from the wooden flooring, having since rotted away as they caught the drunk and the unwary alike. The walls were stained with pouch weed and the fireplace seemed like it hadn't been properly clean since the establishment first opened. The scent of smoke, unwashed bodies and ale permeated through the air, adding to the atmosphere of the dingy little bar. The squat and portly owner stood behind his bar, cleaning a tankard with a ragged and filthy cloth as his mousy eyes surveyed the scene. The normally rowdy bar now hung in a baited hush, its customers crowded elbow to elbow around a table.
That particular table was often held in reserve for the gamblers, and what had started as an eight man game of Liar's Dice was now down to two players and the stakes were high, not just for the winner but for those who had bet on who would take the pot. It was the sort of scene that could turn nasty right quick, and so at the behest of the establishment owner an Orcish bouncer sat sharpening his blade in anticipation of a brawl.
The young half-elf studied her opponent as she shook her cup, the dice rattling like old bones within it. She'd figured out a while ago that the sleazy little gnat before her was using loaded dice, but she had one thing he didn't. Skill.
She slammed her cup, rim down, on the table, letting the dice come to their stop. Her opponent did the same before each took a peek at their dice hands. Her eyes flickered up to his during the check and she fought to keep a straight face. The image of his hand formed a hazy picture within her mind. He had four sixes under his cup, and his mind was certainly of the weaker sort. She knew his next move even before the words left his lips, "I raise."
10 silver joined the pile in the middle of the table.
"Call," came her reply and onto the pile went her own silvers.
"Raise," he upped the ante by throwing in a gold coin, studying her intently.
She chewed on her bottom lip, peering under her cup and making a great show of hesitation as she tapped one of her own gold coins upon the table. After a moment, she reached over to the pile, letting her coin touch the others but not letting go yet. She breathed in deep and let the air out slowly before dropping the coin, feigning a resigned all or nothing. He smirked and lifted the cup to reveal his dice.
She studied it a moment with a blank expression, letting the tension build and letting him assume he had won. As his hand moved toward the coin pile, a slow, wicked grin creeped across her face. She waggled her fingers, making him pause to study her in confusion, before lifting her cup to reveal her own hand. Five sixes.
The roar from the crowd was like thunder and she could barely her him as she slammed his fists down on the table, red faced, "Cheat!"
The roar faded to silence at his proclamation, all eyes on her though her's were fixated on him, "Excuse me?"
"Cheat!" He snarled again, "Five times in a row you've called only to win by one mark."
"I happen to have luck and skill," she said quietly, "And no need of loaded dice, unlike you."
Eyes shifted to him as he paled slightly, "How dare you-"
"Check 'em! Check 'em both!" A call from the crowd interrupted, several others joining their agreement. And older man shuffled through, coming to a stand before their table. He hefted up both sets of dice, eyeing them over, weighing them and even taking a nibble before making a decision, "Yerp, his be loaded all right. Here ye're lassie."
She took her dice as they were handed back, pouching them before starting to shovel the coins into her coin purse, "well, you win some, you lose some."
The cheat was already attempting to make his escape, though it was a difficult feat while surrounded by angry betters. She hummed to herself, turning to make her own leave only to come face to face with the orc, his hand outstretched, "Nu-uh, ye knows how it goes. Bertrand getses his share ov youse winnings if ye gambles under his roof."
"Yeah, yeah," she grumbled, handing the orc her purse and having 3 silver counted back as her share.
"Ye knows I likes ye, but rules is rules," the orc said, pocketing the pouch to hand over to Bertrand later.
"I know Gord. Doesn't mean I have to like those rules," she sighed and shook her head before patting the big brute on the shoulder, or rather his chest as that was the highest she could reach on him, "Best take care of that fight before something gets broken. Don't want Bertrand getting upset."
"Yuh, youse right. I sees ye later little hooman elf," the orc snorted, stomping toward the brawling mass.
She mused over the chaotic scene a moment before turning to leave the tavern, a grin on her face as she twirled her retrieved coin purse in her fingers. If there was one thing she actually liked about orcs, it was their slow brains and general lack of awareness.
That particular table was often held in reserve for the gamblers, and what had started as an eight man game of Liar's Dice was now down to two players and the stakes were high, not just for the winner but for those who had bet on who would take the pot. It was the sort of scene that could turn nasty right quick, and so at the behest of the establishment owner an Orcish bouncer sat sharpening his blade in anticipation of a brawl.
The young half-elf studied her opponent as she shook her cup, the dice rattling like old bones within it. She'd figured out a while ago that the sleazy little gnat before her was using loaded dice, but she had one thing he didn't. Skill.
She slammed her cup, rim down, on the table, letting the dice come to their stop. Her opponent did the same before each took a peek at their dice hands. Her eyes flickered up to his during the check and she fought to keep a straight face. The image of his hand formed a hazy picture within her mind. He had four sixes under his cup, and his mind was certainly of the weaker sort. She knew his next move even before the words left his lips, "I raise."
10 silver joined the pile in the middle of the table.
"Call," came her reply and onto the pile went her own silvers.
"Raise," he upped the ante by throwing in a gold coin, studying her intently.
She chewed on her bottom lip, peering under her cup and making a great show of hesitation as she tapped one of her own gold coins upon the table. After a moment, she reached over to the pile, letting her coin touch the others but not letting go yet. She breathed in deep and let the air out slowly before dropping the coin, feigning a resigned all or nothing. He smirked and lifted the cup to reveal his dice.
She studied it a moment with a blank expression, letting the tension build and letting him assume he had won. As his hand moved toward the coin pile, a slow, wicked grin creeped across her face. She waggled her fingers, making him pause to study her in confusion, before lifting her cup to reveal her own hand. Five sixes.
The roar from the crowd was like thunder and she could barely her him as she slammed his fists down on the table, red faced, "Cheat!"
The roar faded to silence at his proclamation, all eyes on her though her's were fixated on him, "Excuse me?"
"Cheat!" He snarled again, "Five times in a row you've called only to win by one mark."
"I happen to have luck and skill," she said quietly, "And no need of loaded dice, unlike you."
Eyes shifted to him as he paled slightly, "How dare you-"
"Check 'em! Check 'em both!" A call from the crowd interrupted, several others joining their agreement. And older man shuffled through, coming to a stand before their table. He hefted up both sets of dice, eyeing them over, weighing them and even taking a nibble before making a decision, "Yerp, his be loaded all right. Here ye're lassie."
She took her dice as they were handed back, pouching them before starting to shovel the coins into her coin purse, "well, you win some, you lose some."
The cheat was already attempting to make his escape, though it was a difficult feat while surrounded by angry betters. She hummed to herself, turning to make her own leave only to come face to face with the orc, his hand outstretched, "Nu-uh, ye knows how it goes. Bertrand getses his share ov youse winnings if ye gambles under his roof."
"Yeah, yeah," she grumbled, handing the orc her purse and having 3 silver counted back as her share.
"Ye knows I likes ye, but rules is rules," the orc said, pocketing the pouch to hand over to Bertrand later.
"I know Gord. Doesn't mean I have to like those rules," she sighed and shook her head before patting the big brute on the shoulder, or rather his chest as that was the highest she could reach on him, "Best take care of that fight before something gets broken. Don't want Bertrand getting upset."
"Yuh, youse right. I sees ye later little hooman elf," the orc snorted, stomping toward the brawling mass.
She mused over the chaotic scene a moment before turning to leave the tavern, a grin on her face as she twirled her retrieved coin purse in her fingers. If there was one thing she actually liked about orcs, it was their slow brains and general lack of awareness.