(IC) Quickleaf's Rime of the Frostmaiden

[Quickleaf]

GM POST @Aethmud @tglassy

The Northlook (card game)

Afte tossing his silvers into the pot, Rudolf takes a swig of ale and grins at Mak, thrusting his chin toward Mak's white dragon card, "I was wondering when one of the children of Icingdeath would show up."

Now comes the time of theft for the evil dragons – each player with an evil dragon steals silvers from the pot equal to half their current card's strength. Thus, after Mak steals his silver, Ottar steals 2, Rudolf steals 3, and Osvic steals 5.

Then the good dragons swoop in! Arnholt targets Sodt, who tosses 2 silvers into the pot. Sodt targets Johun, who casually flicks 1 silver into the pot before raising his brows across the table at Thidrik.

Not to be beat, Thidrik waves his Bahamut card at Johun. "There can only be one Dragon Queen, Johun!" With a sigh, Johun removes his Tiamat from his flight, discarding it. Likewise, Thidrik discards his Bahamut. Each draws a new card...

Thidrik plays a white dragon (3), while Johun turns over his new card slowly, dramatically, revealing... yet another Tiamat! A loud chorus of groans and chuckles come from the Mintarn mercenaries at the unlikely draw. Each man adds his due silver the pot for the new cards.

Leaning back with a smile across the table at Jack Everfrost, Thidrik strokes his beard, "Looks like we are tied for last with our wyrmlings..."

The pot is at 91 silver pieces, prior to Jack's bronze dragon attack.

Spoiler: Here's how the game works

A gambit (game) of Three-Dragon Ante consists of 3 rounds.

You begin with your "hoard" of 50 silver pieces.

On your turn each round you roll for a dragon card – roll a d12. Then roll the follow-up "Strength" die (if any) indicated on this chart to determine the card's Strength. There are other cards in the game (called Mortals), but they are abstracted away to focus on the powerful dragon cards.

d12	Type	Alignment	Strength
1	Tiamat [god]	Evil	1
2	Brass	Good	1d4
3	White	Evil	1d4
4	Copper	Good	1d6
5	Black	Evil	1d6
6	Bronze	Good	1d8
7	Green	Evil	1d8
8	Silver	Good	1d10
9	Blue	Evil	1d10
10	Gold	Good	1d12
11	Red	Evil	1d12
12	Bahamut [god]	Good	13

Take Silver Pieces equal to the card's Strength from your "hoard" and add them to the pot.

Optionally, you can instead withdraw in any round, forfeiting any Silver Pieces you've placed in the pot so far.

After the 3 rounds, whoever has the highest "flight" (sum of the Strength of your cards) wins and claims the pot.

Ties at the end of the game are broken in this order of precedence: largest "hoard" > most dragon gods played > most good dragons in dragon flight > whoever rolls the highest Gaming check (or DC 10 against these npc mercenaries).

In addition to whatever you might try with skill checks & magic (e.g. Gaming check to roll for 2 cards and pick one, Insight to anticipate opponent's hand, Sleight of Hand to cheat replacing your roll with a card of your choice, etc), there are 2 special rules: Card Powers & Dragon Flights (like poker hands).

Card Powers:

• Evil Dragons (steal): When you play a non-god evil dragon, steal Silver Pieces from the pot equal to 1/2 the Strength (rounded up) of the card. If the full amount of stealable Silver is not available in the pot the player steals as much as they can.
• Good Dragons: When you play a non-god good dragon, choose an opponent with an evil dragon in their flight. That opponent must place Silver Pieces in the pot equal to 1/2 the Strength (rounded up) of the card. If the opponent does not have the full amount of Silver, they pay as much as they can now and owe a debt to whoever wins.
• Tiamat: If Tiamat is still in play at the end of the game, the lowest dragon flight wins the pot (instead of the highest). Her apparent strength of 1 is magical treachery to make her more likely to win!
• Bahamut: When Bahamut is in play, the owner may choose to sacrifice him at any time to destroy a Tiamat of their choice that is in play. Each of those players immediately plays a replacement card, with a Red dragon card replacing any removed Tiamat card and a Gold dragon card replacing any removed Bahamut card. The owner rolls the new dragon’s Strength as it enters play.

Dragon Flights: At the end of the gambit (game), evaluate each player's flights with the following criteria in the following order:

1. God Flight: A player that rolled a dragon god at the start of EACH of their three turns may take 1/2 of the pot's Silver Pieces (rounded down) and add it to their "hoard." Those dragon god cards are not necessarily required to still be in the player's flight.
2. Triplet Flight: A player with 3 dragons of the same Strength in their flight gains a reward from ALL opponents. The player chooses one the player with Silver Pieces equal to 1 of those dragon‘s strength from all opponents. If an opponent does not have enough gold, they pay what they have until they are out of gold, and owe a debt to the player for the remaining gold amount.
3. Allied Flight: 3 dragons of the same Alignment in a flight rewards a player the strongest dragon's Strength worth of Silver Pieces from the pot. If the full amount of silver is not available, the player takes as much as they can.
4. Leader Flight: Add the strength of all dragons in each player’s dragon flight together. The player with the strongest dragon flight (or weakest if Tiamat is in play) is the leader and wins the remaining pot.

GM: @Aethmud With your Bronze Dragon (3), you can attack one player with evil dragons who must add 2 silver pieces to the pot. new cards for Thidrik and Johun: 1D12 = [3] = 3 1D12 = [1] = 1 Thidrik white dragon strength: 1D4 = [2] = 2

 

[Aethmud]

“Osvic, Good sir! That's a mighty powerful Blue Dragon you've got there. Nine, indeed! A dragon of lightning storms, barging in on this placid chilly night! My wee Bronze dragon friend here says your Blue beast has gotten a little too greedy." With a grin and a waggle of his finger, Jack tells Osvic, “In the spirit of fair play, my Bronze friend suggests you return two of your gold pieces to the pot. Who are we to argue with a dragon, after all?"

Spoiler: Third gambit draw

Jack succeeds on a DC12 gaming check, and is able to cheat successfully, having palmed a Fool card when he shuffled and dealt the first gambit. Now, in the third gambit, Jack successfully swaps his legitimate third gambit draw for the Fool card. He will use it to steal a Tiamat card from whoever has the lowest total strength count, probably either Thidrik or Johun.

For the third gambit, Jack turns over his card, revealing not another dragon but the Fool. A gasp sweeps through the table, followed by chuckles and groans of commiseration. Jack's hazel eyes sparkle with delight as he throws his head back in laughter, an air of genuine jubilation swirling around him.

"Ah, divine intervention at last!" he exclaims, his voice filled with joy and relief. "Oh, Bahamut, Tiamat, ye great dragons of legend, you've not forsaken this humble fairy! Your grace has given me the Fool, the very card that holds the power to turn the tide of this game! I thank you, oh divine Tiamat and Bahamut, for answering my prayers and blessing me with the Fool tonight. Johun, Thidrik, one of your fickle Tiamat queens is soon to be mine!"

Jack flutters a few inches above the cushion-top in excitment before settling back in his chair, his eyes taking in the gathered group, his hands theatrically holding up the Fool card for all to see. "You know, once upon a moonlit night, not unlike tonight, I played against a satyr so cunning and wily, he could steal the moon from the night sky and you'd still invite him for a round of drinks.. We'd wagered over a hundred gold pieces apiece, I'd lost every coin to him and, would you believe it, that satyr still insisted on double or nothing for one last round!


“Now, in my defense, my friends, that satyr and I, we'd been drinking something rather... special that night," he adds, his voice dropping to an enticingly low murmur, his eyes sparkling with mischief. "A wine, made from the nectar of starlight flowers in the heart of the Feywild. As sweet as summer honey, as light as the first snowflake of winter. A drink so pure and potent, it can make you forget your own name if you're not careful."

He shakes his head, his grin turning into a nostalgic smile. "After a few cups of that fey nectar, my better judgement, as you might imagine, was off in a merry pixie dance. So when the satyr proposed that one last wager, I, full of Feywild wine and the thrill of the game, readily agreed. And then I realized I’d nothing left to wager but a pair of magical boots. The stakes were high, the starlight nectar was flowing, and the crowd was eager for a grand spectacle. And, oh, did they get it!"

The fairy's face becomes wistful, even as his smile remains firmly in place. "That satyr, sly devil that he was, drew not one, not two, but three Fools in a row. And me? I was left dumbfounded and a few hundred gold pieces lighter. Well…" Jack grins sheepishly, "…penniless, even. He even took my boots!"

 

[Aethmud]

Spoiler: OOC

Jack would be perfectly content to have his stolen Tiamat card fall to Ottar's Bahamut, in the hopes that such a play would work to sway the count in favor of Mak. But he'll remain in good cheer regardless of who wins.

 

[Kobold Stew]

Corse knows Eve by sight. They've been in the same room many times, but for whatever reason they've not spoken, except when Corse has negotiated a kennel for the night for someone she was travelling with. She watches the conversation unfold, and the child appear from behind the door. The situation is de-fanging itself on its own, so she rises from where she had been rubbing the dog.

Corse is not an imposing figure, and her cheeks are red from the cold.

"Eve, it's Corse. Thank you for this information." Her voice is warm, and supportive. "It will be helpful, and I'm sorry we've come so late. Based on what you say, it may make sense to see if Torrga reached Targos. Are you expecting anyone in, tomorrow or the next day? Would your team be up for a quick run there and back?"

She's not yet talked to her companions about leaving town, of course, but she doesn't see the distance as one that is beyond what they've undertaken to find out.

 

[tglassy]

Mak holds his tongue as he plays. He doesn’t like talking during games. And besides, the fairy seems to be doing enough talking for the whole table.

He holds his breath as he pulls the next card.


_: 1D12 = [12] = 12


With a grin, he lays down Bahumet. His luck is holding!

(That means I can destroy a Tiamat, right?)

 

[Quickleaf]

GM POST

GM: @tglassy Yep! I'll post for the mercenaries later today. When you use your Bahamut to destroy a Tiamat, both cards are destroyed, and you and your target each get replacement Gold Dragon & Red Dragon respectively, each rolling 1d10 for the new card's strength.

Once she recognizes Corse, and realizes that you're talking business, the kennel master's posture eases up. With the subtlest of chin gesture to the boy near Russet (who eases the crossbow bolt out and transfers his grip to more casually holding it by the metal handle at the end), Eve nods. "Long as the weather holds, tomorrow I've got the three sleds available," she gestures to the back where you can spot one of the 4-person sleds. "Each can take 3 passengers, maybe more if they're his size," she gestures toward Logrim. "3 silver pieces per sled to Targos, another 3 for the return trip. I drive one sled, my boy the other, and I've a hired hand for the third."

 

[tglassy]

_: 1D10 = [7] = 7


(So I get a Gold Dragon with 7 power. I’ll be destroying a Tiamat. Looks like there’s two. I’ll destroy Thidrik’s.)

 

[Kobold Stew]

Corse nods. "Here's two gold. I'll pay for your time and return trips on all three right now. We're sorry to bother you so late."

(If they're done, Corse is willing to leave, though she will keep a watch on the door for an hour, at a distance and hopefully out of sight. In case (say) a small boy heads off with a message to anyone.

She'll also suggest to the others that someone can tell Alma that she'll make a trip in the morning; anyone is welcome to come, but they need not. Paying for all three is meant to stop anyone else using the sleds to escape/leave town/whatever, and small talk can find out if anyone had tried to hire them, but failed.)

 

[happylace]

GM POST @happylace @Necropolitan

House of the Triad (occupied by Cult of Auril)

With hinges speaking in protest at the frost, you push the heavy door open, revealing a long hall with three raised platforms separated by arches extending between support pillars. A few worshippers clad in white-fur lined cloaks circumambulate around a font emitting strange vapors (like dry ice), whispering words in a language neither of you recognize. Three elevated stages once served to honor the Triad. While the permanent relics of worship remain – bas reliefs, graven images, anchored holy symbols – the tapestries and unfixed holy symbols have been tossed to the corner. In their place, a large pale blue banner emblazoned with the Frostmaiden's emblem (a black snowflake inside a black diamond) hangs from the rafters.

A woman holding counsel with two troubled townsfolk places her hand on the man's shoulder as she notices you. Garbed in light blue, white, and lavender fineries, she cuts an unlikely figure in the rough towns of Icewind Dale. However, hints of frostbite on her cheeks, worn boots, and clear alert eyes suggest she's no stranger to these lands. "It is good you seek sanctuary here... You have come to offer homage to the Frostmaiden?" she inquires as she descends a step, offering a cool smile but squinting as she realizes she can't place your faces.

"Jelenneth Arnuanna, her messenger," placing a hand over her heart, she bows her head before looking up with sharp dangerous eyes full of too much fire for a follower of the winter goddess.

Alma takes in the grand surroundings as they enter. There is a sadness to the discarded imagery of the former gods. The temples former identity stripped away and replaced by something wholly new and wrong. It unsettles her. She rubs her arms as the chill follows vapors of dry ice through the room. There's no warmth to be found here.

She lifts her head in greeting as Jelenneth approaches. "Good evening. I'm Alma Ostergaard and this is my companion,'' she says. Her expression and tone are carefully neutral, as per Zeth's advice. ''We have come seeking the wisdom of Auril's followers. I am a diviner of the night skies. Recently I've observed some constellations and felt a strange draw to them. I believe there is some upcoming event of great importance connected to these stars. And my research leads me to believe that it is also connected to Auril. But I am no expert in religious matters. I hoped that someone here could offer some insight. Do the skies hold any significance to the Frostmaiden that you're aware of?"

 

[Quickleaf]

GM POST @happylace @Necropolitan

House of the Triad (occupied by Cult of Auril)

The priestess of Auril raises both of her brows with keen interest when Alma mentions being a diviner, "Ostergaard... Hmm. Your name seems familiar. The northern star of Mystra's Circle, some call it the brow star, has always been the goddess' favored light in the night sky. An unwavering, unchanging light pointing the way to the North." As she speaks, Jelenneth circles you both, nodding demurely to Zeth, her fingers tracing dangerously close to Alma's hair as if she wants to touch it. "The Frostmaiden has blessed you with snowy hair. Such lovely locks..."

Seeming to catch herself indulging in too much passion, the priestess resumes a cooler demeanor, glancing towards the handful of followers whispering around the dry ice. "Do you know the story of the Ice Snake, Alma Ostergaard? It is the southernmost constellation, stretching across the night sky like the Spine of World bound Icewind Dale from the south. A white wyrm who Auril rode across the skies, Auroth the Ice Snake, was struck down by gods jealous of Auril claiming the wyrm's beauty. Its body became the mountains," she gestures toward the south, "but its soul eternal rose to the heavens and became stars."

With a coy glance to the both of you, Jelenneth returns to standing in front of you, a lilt to her singsong voice, "But surely you came for more than a discussion of astronomy?"

GM: Jelennth Insight check: 1D20+4 = [11]+4 = 15 Jelennth is trying to discern if you have ulterior motives in seeking out the temple. Either choose your next words carefully, or beat her Insight roll >15 in your next post.