The Adventure: Chapter 3

You guide your barge to through the canals of the city. Along the way, you get the sense the city is on high alert. The Hundred Swords are out in force, dressed in black studded leather. You see multiple occasions of people being detained and strong armed.

Eventually you find the Barge Wright Inn. After securing your humble vessel, you hoist yourselves onto the walkway and feel immediately relieved to be standing on solid ground again.

From the outside you the inn you hear none of the laughter and boastful cheer you expect to hear from an inn's common room. As you walk inside, your nostrils are filled with the familiar scent of stale alcohol and pipe smoke, but the dozen patrons in the establishment seem quiet and despondent. There are tables, mostly in decent condition. Some are half-broken and repaired, likely the result of some previous violence in the tavern. In the center of the room there is a brawling circle 25 feet in diameter, not currently in use.

A tall, white-haired Dwarven woman named Brunwin with an old face and young eyes tends the bar, and by the way she speaks to the other servers it is clear she is in charge. Guildleader Prust makes arrangements arrangements for rooms for the night.

What would you like to do?

Scanning over the patrons, you see:

A table for four halflings playing a game of cards with serious looks on their faces.

A table of three young female humans with long flowing ornate robes who are reading books together and taking notes in journal.

A goliath in armor is boasting to a group of four human men, who look like they've heard the story many times before but are happy to hear it again.

Aldrik catches the end of the Goliath's story, his voice deep and loud:

"... but I calmed myself. I was the eye of the storm. He was punching and kicking me as if he thought I was a helpless dog, hoping to roll me out of the ring. I reached through the darkness and caught his arm. I didn't need my eyes after that. Five blows to his snake head and his mind powers faltered. My vision returned and I added a sixth blow finished him. His Yuan Ti friends didn't like that much, but I've never had patience for cheaters and I've never had patience for snake men. And that was the closest I came to losing my title here."

"Yer big friend took care of the rooms already, but we'll get you a meal and get a bath going for you," Brunwin explains to Thorin.

In a few minutes a young dwarven lass brings a big wooden bowl of stew of oats and root vegetables and beef to your table, along with a full tankard of ale.

"Bath will be ready in 10 minutes, just out back." She gestures to past the bar where a door leads to a courtyard of some kind.

The halflings look up from their game, just finishing a round of Three Dragon Ante. They are well-dressed and carry rapiers at their hips, clearly young nobles or successful merchants with intentions of climbing the social ladder.

One of them puts down their pipe and addresses you in a high-pitched voice. "Yes, interesting. Yes. Do sit, stranger. Do." He smiles a jolly grin. "Three Dragon Ante, I assume you know the rules. We got a special rule for newcomers though ... have to tell us a secret before you draw your first card, you do. Yes, a secret."

The four halflings look up at you expectantly.

"Hey your welcome big fella. Haven't seen you around here, where ya from?"

"Oh you don't say! Word on the street says those Thousand Sword fellers are all in a bunch about some troublemakers from Kaled Del. Turning the whole city over ... "

She trails off and suddenly looks at you in a different light. Then, she seems to think better of it.

"Oh haha!" She turns red in the face. "Fer a second I thought it might be you and your friends! But they're looking for six Dwarves not five. But best be careful, those mercenaries are without honor or mercy. You wouldn't want to end up in an interrogation cell for a case of mistaken identity"

"No, not too late, friend Thorin! No, no, not too late. I was just explaining to Mofig here our rules for new players. Before you join, you have to tell us a secret. Your secret mind you, your secret. Pardon if I didn't make myself clear."

My name is Mofig, I have a child who doesn't know me, I am know for swindling fools,My name is Finn, this bag only has 2 coins in it. I could go on would you like me to continue?

As you speak your secrets, the Halfling reveals a ring on his hairy fingers. It begins to glow, going through various shades of reds and oranges and finally purples. He considers the patterns.

"Well, friends Finn and Thorin, thank you for trusting us with these secrets of yours. Now we will return this trust and invite you to play a fair and honest game, yes? "

The Halflings ante up.

Benoit: 3 cards (3d6)
Karl: 2 cards (2d6)
Gustav: 5 cards (5d6)
Sigmund: 4 cards (4d6)