Corsairs

[Ridai]

Another evening, the sun flaming red and reflecting on Bordansa Bay. Another evening on land, confined to the prison without bars that is called the city of Bordansa. Tiana's gaze drifts to the boats of the fishermen, all too familiar, as well as the more majestic ships of all kinds of sizes further down the bay where the royal navy had their local headquarters and also ran the prison. Things are winding down for the day, the last ships coming in with the evening tide, the many men of the crews looking forward to coming ashore and heading home or into the nearest tavern. Once again, Tiana is reminded that in the kingdom of Tallos, ruled by the young king Vardran XIII, encompassing the known world, no woman will ever be part of a ship's crew, join the military or have a say in politics. Admiral Breighton, a living legend that was equally feared by some, ensures that the age-old decrees are upheld.

The wind sweeps through Tiana's hair, like strands of flame drifting on the breeze, the sea whispering in her ear, calling for her, like it does every day. But every day, she is denied the means to answer the call.

Turning away, the streets of Bordansa greet fair Tiana instead, much too familiar at this point, confining almost. It is a lively port, one of the most important ones of the kingdom and gateway to the wild seas, harboring lands to be discovered and taken. It is a fair city, for the most part, but the vision of one who would rather visit it after a long time at sea rather than living in it does tend to differ from that of others. People are finishing their business throughout the streets, many walking home or seeking some entertainment. It does not take long to leave Fisherman's Haven, the district she grew up in, adjacent to the Alleyheart (as it is commonly referred to), the core of the city filled with winding streets and countless little paths between them like a big, confusing maze. Many sights are to be seen and found here, both for the casual observer, but more so for the open-eyed explorer. But those drifting from the main paths at times also learn that there is no shortage of people willing to take what they want and in turn provide the Alleyheart with blood on the stone walls of its veins.

Drifting through the streets with sure steps, a particular establishment draws near. Lights shine through the windows and the opening and closing door of the Wishing Star, the tavern bustling with life without being overly full, the sounds of a good evening to be had, of chatter and laughter and gambling, of music and song reaching Tiana's ears as the shadows grow longer, the scent of beer and rum, of fresh bread and sizzling pork sneaking their way into her nostrils.

[MikelaC1]

Tiana pushes open the door to the Wishing Star, smiling a greeting to old Rad, the innkeeper. She finds an unoccupied table, her gaze taking in all the patrons in a cursory fashion; although any that present a potential threat are noted. She orders a rum to start, and her normal helping of bread and pork from the waitress, and then watches the activity; gambling or song hold a bit of interest to her, but nowhere near enough to fill the void that exists within her.

[Ridai]

Old Rad nods back and soon after laughs his rumbling laugh as if it has been rolling around in his wide girth before erupting through the rows of teeth missing a few of their little ones. He isn't exactly a lovely sight, but he has a way of making people feel welcome and his habit of laughing the loudest about almost any joke under the sun is just one of those idiosyncracies that make him who he is. "Hey Lucky" Lilly, the young waitress, greets Tiana with a recognizing smile and soon brings her order. Tiana can smell that telltale little detail she only found here so far and Lilly confirms it. "A little extra on the house," the lovely lass adds with a smile and a wink. A little pot of herb butter rests on her tablet, both for the bread and the pork. She isn't sure what they add to it to make it taste and smell so good, but it hardly matters. This stuff isn't even on the menu, only given to friends of the house.

As she eats and drinks, she finds the usual crowd of regulars and complete strangers. Her gaze drifts across the familiar gamblers at their usual table together with a few trying their luck at "liar's dice", an older man at the bar with a steaming tea cup in front of him of all things, next to him a younger man Tiana can't really see much off, though she does see a distinctive light scarf. Both clearly aren't from Bordansa or anywhere nearby. The older man says something and Old Rad gives a particularly loud belly laugh. Her gaze continues, seeing Lilly gracefully balance her tablet as she maneuvers between the guests and tables, a quick answer always on her lips. Three rough-hewn fellows at a distant table register as your average cutthroats, trouble always to be had, but they don't seem to do much more than glower at nothing in particular, so it seems they'll behave in here. The band is playing their wide range of songs, and this one in particular makes several people join in at the short chorus. But it also only makes her even more aware of what she is being denied.

There is a combination of dismayed outcries and joyous cheers and one not-quite-sober sailor gets up from the gamblers' table, snake-lining his way to the exit, grumbling and burping all the way. Tiana becomes aware of someone attracting her attention. Trusty Gallan is waving to her, the aging man that is at at the Wishing Star almost every night, gambling away, breaking even most nights, sometimes losing a bit more, sometimes winning a bit more. All in all, it is remarkable that he has been able to continue for this long and have a good time doing it all the while. "Come on over, Tiana, the dice are calling your name," he says, gesturing to the emptied seat, in a good mood as always. One of the regulars "ooh!", looking forward to this as playing Tiana is always fun, one of those at the table is becoming a little shifty-eyed, one laughing nervously and probably considering to stop, but his growing pile of coins keeps him at the table.

[MikelaC1]

Tiana isnt called Lucky for nothing, there arent too many people that can beat her at gambling, the dice just seem to love her. She doesnt get too many chances to play, most people in Bordansa (or at least in the areas she frequents) know all about her luck and usually find somwhere else to be when she sits in. That, and not wanting to lose a ton of money when she is between assignments (as she is now) tend to limit her number of games. But the player with the large pile of coins doesnt seem to know her, and lightening the load on his side of the table only seems fair to her. While a smile, Tiana brings what is left of her meal and sits in the open spot, calling for another rum as she gets ready to join in.

[Ridai]

Tiana settles in, Lilly bringing her rum and declaring "Two drakes on Lucky", a few people taking her up on her bet. The buy-in is one gold drake (the gold drake being the equivalent of 1 gp and the kingdom's highest currency), which is still a lot of money for most people. Trusty Gallan pushes a cup towards Tiana to roll and cover her dice. "Be so kind and kick this one off for us, me lass," he adds with his familiar smile. Whether he wins or loses, it does not matter much to him, he loves the game and the act of playing. Looking around the table, there are three more players beside herself and Gallan. One seems competitive, eager to make his comeback this evening. One seems on his guard, trying to determine what his chances are with Lucky now involved, definitely more careful. The last one is a stranger, having won a few times, who seems to be made a bit nervous by the prospect of an apparently famous player joining the game (and this player being a gorgeous redhead to boot), but his pile of coin fills him with perhaps misplaced confidence.

Now then, it is time to roll the dice.

Spoiler: OOC

Show

So this is how this will be done. Playing the game (see the rules in the OOC) of course would be much too time-consuming, so we are going to handle this as a single roll per session. Given that Tiana's best applicable skill modifier is Bluff (the other being Sense Motive to get a bead on bluffs and what dice the others could have), make a Bluff check and add your maximum number of luck rerolls per day (in this case, 6) as a bonus to your check. Given that this is inherently partly luck-based, you can reroll this check with any of your luck rerolls as per your Lucky class ability from Daring Outlaw.

The odds are heavily in her favor, but it isn't an absolute auto-win. But she does have an edge, even against skilled players. In this case, though, there isn't any serious competition.

[MikelaC1]

Tiana flashes her winning smile at Gallan, spinning his and her cups at the same time and slamming them with authority on to the table. Given that luck is usually with her, she starts with aggressive bids, seeking to knock a few players out early.

[Ridai]

"That's what I like to see!" Gallan calls out as Tiana rolls both his and her dice, the others following suit. Gambling against Tiana is playing with fire and in this round, her competitors get to feel it. Her bids are aggressive, quickly leading to people entangling themselves in ludicrous bids or calling valid bids, and she manages to nail two spot-ons when it is her turn once more, making the competitive one at one time state that is is like Jupiter is whispering into her one ear as Venus is kissing her other cheek. A game of liar's dice goes by quickly with experienced players, but this one feels like it is over before it started, Tiana the definitive winner, with all five dice still in her possession and four drakes the richer. Lilly watched and cheered as she passed and when Tiana delivers the final blow, she cries out delightedly and hugs her from behind, collecting her spoils from the bet as Gallan laughs happily despite losing, the losers of the bet grumbling and the cautious player getting up from the table with the few coins he has left ("I ain't betting 'gainst luck"). The stranger with the now less big pile still feels this can only be a minor setback, right? He does have difficulties taking his eyes off of Tiana, frequently distracted (once even calling a bid that wasn't possible due to too few dice left on the table).

"Good evening, lady and gentlemen. Mind if I join in?" A calm, soothing voice asks, belonging to the younger stranger that sat at the bar, wearing the scarf. Tiana sees that he is a handsome young man, looking a little tired, but having warm amber eyes, a rather handsome face, short dark-brown hair and a wiry but appreciable shape, dressed like a traveller at home on the sea, his arms beneath his rugged jacket wrapped in various bands, his boots looking well-worn. He looks to the table with a genuine likeable smile, looking forward to a fun round or two.

Trusty Gallan looks up to him and gestures to the free seat with his usual smile. "Not at all, lad, sit right down. Buy-in's a drake. Or do you want to up the ante? I'm feeling fair Tiana's luck rubbing off on me."
Sitting down and grabbing the free cup, the young man smiles in return, reaching into his pocket. "Sure, why not?" With a swift motion, he slams down three drakes, followed by the cup, having an air of sureness to him, the serenity of someone not too concerned about his chances, the others following suit. Casually peeking below his cup, he announces the round's first bid without delay. "Seven fives." Trusty Gallan raises his eyebrows in wonder at the opening bid as most others look a bit taken aback. Lilly still bets three drakes on Tiana.

Mister Big Pile gives a slightly nervous laugh. "That be a shaky bluff if I've ever seen one, my friend."
The young man just smiles in return, the joy of playing visible despite his apparent tiredness. "Let us see, then." He raises his cup, revealing only two fives. Mister Big Pile feels confident, soon after lifting his cup as the others including Tiana follow suit, but the confidence does evaporate soon after as there are a total of 8 fives on the table, leaving Mister Big Pile one die closer becoming Mister Smaller Pile.
"Your bid, please, sir," the young man overplays the slight embarassment he sees on the face of the loser, creating a more comfortable atmosphere and making the game continue without a hitch, Gallan already rubbing his hands and laughing at how the round started.

This could get interesting.

(Another dice check, please.)

[MikelaC1]

Since she is playing with house other peoples money, Tiana has no problem in going on. In contrast to her early rolls of authority, she now rolls daintily. Her bets are still aggressive, without even looking at what her cup has hidden, she announces her first one 8 sixes

[Ridai]

And the round begins. Five players are in the game, but it quickly becomes apparent that this is a game between Tiana and the young stranger, the others long eliminated when they are actually starting to lose dice. He is genuinely hard to read in terms of his dice, but he looks like even with the stiff competition and him losing dice, he can take his mind off of things with the game, perhaps supported by that faint tiredness. He is good at this, recognizing subtle plays few would catch and complimenting on them with the appreciation of someone who knows his stuff, reacting to losing dice with enthusiasm to win back some ground and enjoying the successes he earns. Tiana manages to win the round, but remarkably, she only barely manages to do so by calling his bid spot-on (and even by her standards, that could have gone very wrong very easily). "Almost. Ah well, good game."

Bolstered by the won money, Lilly once again raking in the money as well (though more have been betting on Tiana this time), going for another round isn't too much of a wager. This one goes much like the last one, Tiana and the young man being the ones left, her opponent having a die less than her. But suddenly things change and just as Tiana barely won the second round, the young man takes the third for himself, in itself a remarkable feat. Lilly is stunned, not even registering the three drakes she lost. "Phew, talk about luck. Good game, ma'am." he says.

By now, their fellow victims players leave the game, Trusty Gallan knowing when to pack up, but visibly entertained by the display, the competitive player stomping off and Mister No Pile dazed and confused, leaving slowly. The young man thanks them for the games and looks over to Tiana. "Haven't had this much fun with dice in a good while. How about a tie breaker, individual hand, since it's just the two of us now?" He reaches down, pulling up a slender, slightly curved sheathed blade and placing it on the table. It is hard to judge at a glance, but it definitely seems to be a quite fine blade, even at casual examination. "Wagering this against your pile." It sounds almost absurd and he clearly is not a foolish man, but he seems quite alright with the most likely large difference in value. He sits opposite to her, still quite at peace, awaiting her response. Unusual, that one. Tiana has the feeling that his senses are sharp, observant, his mind not lacking either. But perhaps more remarkably, he treats Tiana as an equal, right from the beginning, not even showing signs of feigning anything. Unusual for the seafaring kind.

[MikelaC1]

Why not? Its not like I have to be anywhere, tonight or tomorrow. Lets do this

Someone who knows Tiana really well might hear the slight regret in her voice, about not having any responsibilities.

[Ridai]

He looks her in the eye for a moment, perhaps seeing more than others, perhaps not, but he soon shows his warm smile again. He takes his dice, shakes them in the cup and slams it onto the table, more with swiftness than with force. "Alright, then let's start this off with a pair of threes."

This round of individual hand liar's dice is remarkably long for such a quick game. The bids steadily climb, Tiana at times feeling there might be a bluff, but her intuition still goes for a higher bid, trusting in her luck. She has four sixes and a five, an absolutely marvelous hand, but her opponent is formidable, especially so in this variant. Never has she had to bring this much skill to the table and trust in her luck so much, at times feeling she only barely was able to convince him she wasn't bluffing. Lilly (having bet 5 drakes on Lucky) and several others are watching with baited breath, even the band is mostly playing tense, quiet music as they themselves watch the display, each turn raising the tension. It might be frustrating to some, but this round, more than anything else, is just a lot of fun. Gambling has been without much in the way of a challenge in the past, which is nice to line her pockets, but isn't all that fulfilling while doing it. Nothing really wagered, nothing really earned, no real risk taken. With this one, things are different. She has come so close to losing big time in this round, each turn a small victory earned with cunning, effort and fortune.

"Five sixes," he announces, taking people aback. The best hand in the game. It can only be a bluff, right? The odds of getting that are so low. But his confidence is apparent, almost terrifyingly so. Lilly looks wide-eyed, her body so tense as she has been semi-embracing Tiana for almost half the game, rubbing her shoulders as encouragement. Tiana has no difficulties seeing that the girl loves to see her win (and not because of the money she wins by betting on her, that's just extra), she looks up to Lucky (or Lady Luck, as she sometimes calls her) in many ways. She doesn't want Tiana to lose, not even caring about the drakes she would lose if she did.

It has never come to this. If Tiana doesn't call the bluff, she will have to go with his bid and then there is no way to be safe anymore. He would call her bluff and she'd lose the round she has fought so hard for. But what if he really has five sixes?

This is it. If he has five sixes, the game is already over. All that is left is to trust in her own luck. Go big or go home, the victor takes the spoils. Nothing wagered, nothing gained, as is the way of the sea, as is the way of a pirate.

[MikelaC1]

Question. Are we going one against one, or are we going on the combo game form? And is this on the hand where Tiana is already having the 4 sixes? Making him only need one more in his call?

[Ridai]

First off, this question belongs in the OOC thread, not the IC thread. Posting here as editing my last OOC post could get missed.

Second, he did say individual hand rules, as in the one-on-one variant. I'm assuming you mean the common hand variant by "combo game form", usually played in groups, and you can't bid pairs or other hands in that variant. Saying "five-of-a-kind with sixes" sounded way too awkward and I don't know how such a hand is "properly" announced in actual poker or liar's dice. But he bid the highest possible hand. Tiana's only possible moves are calling the bluff or also bidding "five-of-a-kind with sixes" for her own hand, as she can't go any higher.

[MikelaC1]

Tiana has no choice. She cant over bid him, as she doesnt have 5 6s herself. Besides, would the dice gods give both her and him a total of 9 6s. He has to be bluffing.

Im going to call that bluff

[Ridai]

A sly smile spreads across his face, Lilly noticably on edge, interpreting this as a bad sign. "That's too bad, ma'am." He lifts one edge of the cup just enough to reveal his dice one by one.

Six.

Six.

Six.

Six.

He pushes the edge of the cup between the four revealed dice and the last remaining one, concealing it. His confidence and sly smile are unbroken. "Care to up the stakes a bit more? I'll add my 15 drakes I have on the table to this fine edge, if you can match them, with coin or otherwise." One hand is firmly placed on the cup, the other under his chin, his face incredibly hard to read while looking into her eyes.

[MikelaC1]

It will have to be otherwise, I dont have that kind of coin. But I'll put it down, you dont have the last one

[Ridai]

Another pause. Then he starts laughing cheerfully, lifting the cup, revealing a five. He puts the cup aside, clapping as he laughs. People are going loud around them as bet results are given and taken alogn with lots of chatter, Lilly crying out and kissing Tiana on the cheek before going beet-red, quickly handling collecting her spoils.

"Good show, good game. You've got a lot of moxxy, ma'am, and I hope you'll never lose it. Well then, let's make this official." He gets up, taking the sword, pushing his pile of gold towards Tiana. Then he walks to her and, with an elegant flourish, offers her the slender sword with the grip pointed to her. "A risk-taker's sword for a fearless lady." It is a truly elegant weapon, balanced impeccably, with golden patterns adding to the impression of both usability and style. Even in defeat, he does not seem at all bothered by losing the gold he won last round as well as the sword.

[MikelaC1]

Tiana picks up the sword, barely looking at the coin left on the table. She tests its balance and feel, finding out just how well it reacts in her hand.

This looks like a weapon that has seen plenty of battles in its day. Fighting off pirates and sea monsters?

[Ridai]

"Countless adventures, each as different as its owners, though it never stayed with one for long, few having the qualities it looks for. Fortuna favors the lucky and bold and I have been looking for where it belongs for a while now. Perhaps it has found its home in you, ma'am. The more you prove yourself to it, the more it will aid you and be a trusty companion at your side, come hell and high water." The blade feels like a natural extension of her arm as Tiana grasps it, moving with swiftness and precision, the blade softly singing as it cuts through the air. The is a sense of daring to it, very much in tune with her own nature. It is a blade made for adventure, perhaps only intensifying her longing for the sea. Can she prove herself to the blade, bound to land as she is?

[MikelaC1]

Fortuna? Ive heard tales of swords that feel they have a name. Well then, Fortuna it is...hopefully I can prove my worth to it, and it to me. Not that it will be doing any sea battles for a while

Tiana only takes about half of the coin piled on the table, leaving the rest as a tip for Lilly and Rad.

[Ridai]

Tiana is now 16 drakes richer. Lilly's and Old Rad's eyes go wide as they see the generous tip, smiling and nodding to her. The young man inclines his head as he looks at Tiana, curious. "Yet you look every bit like a woman made to sail the seas." He offers a firm handshake. "My name is Remenos, or Rem as most people call me, for admittedly good reason. I cannot help but wonder what would keep someone like you confined to land."

[MikelaC1]

You can thank Admiral Breighton for that, and the traditions of Bordansa. Bordansa sailors and fishermen believe that a woman aboard a ship is bad luck, especially one that draws all the good luck to herself. And Admiral Breighton is nothing but set in his ways. The tradition is now the rule, and any captain that dares to break it would find himself court-martialed if he was in the navy or ostracized if he was a fisherman

[Ridai]

"Oh the sad state of the kingdom." Rem answers with a sigh, gesturing to Tiana to follow him to a more quiet table where they can talk. "That does leave rather few options society deems respectable. Though I must say I find it hard to see you catching fish for a living, day in, day out. Or slaving away in the military. I believe there is too much fire in you for those kind of things, that rare deep shade of red of your hair only underlining this. Very few women can claim to have it and each one has it for a reason. I say good riddance, nothing truly lost. It does make me curious how you seek to solve this impasse of yours, though."

[MikelaC1]

Thats the part I havent worked out yet. Its not that I wanted to fish for a living mind you, but it would have been out on the sea. Sadly, even that is closed to me. I had hoped that a time in the navy, I could have proved myself and quickly advanced beyond ordinary seaman. When they wont even let you on board however, its hard to prove yourself

[Ridai]

"I see the signs of existing experience. Given that the laws and customs of your homeland do not allow you to do what you want, you could set out to change them. Even with the restrictions on the rights of women, a lovely and cunning lady like yourself could achieve a lot. Or" Rem starts, entwining his fingers in front of his chin. "you cast off what restricts you and join those who think like you."

[MikelaC1]

I wasn't aware that there were any that think like me.

[Ridai]

"There are those who do not live by the kingdom's rules, for one reason or another. Some are scum, some have fled, some simply do not care, some want to bring change, some just want freedom. You aren't the only woman who wants to sail the seas. Several have taken matters into their own hands and started doing just that. If a man told them they should not be on a ship, some of them would laugh in his face, some would not even hear his words, and some would gut him where he stands. A few of them command their own ship, answering to no one."

[MikelaC1]

So where can I find these trail-blazing women? And what sort of tests does one have to pass to be allowed to join them?

[Ridai]

"Not in the bosom of the kingdom, that's for sure, and even when they are here, they would not reveal themselves. They are out there, on the seas and in the parts of the kingdom that worship coin more than the king. But they are not all the same. Who you want to find depends on what you are looking for in your endeavors. There are plenty of outlaws, but also many different kinds of them. Look over there." Rem says, subtly gesturing to the three rough-hewn men cursing into their liquor, grumbling about lost money. "The common thugs that make up a lot of those preying on those in the harbors and those venturing across the seas. Is that what you are looking for?"

[MikelaC1]

I want the taste of adventure, the taste of salt on my lips, and the wind in my hair. I want to leave a mark in a positive way, to be an example for others and to prove that a woman can do all that a man can do. Im not a common thug, grubbing for every last copper he can get.