Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.
Rocket your D&D 5E and Level Up: Advanced 5E games into space! Alpha Star Magazine Is Launching... Right Now!

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="Whizbang Dustyboots" data-source="post: 3438632" data-attributes="member: 11760">Stotch slips into the Tulgey Wood just outside of Maidensbridge, following Tock's whispered directions. Sure enough, several changes of clothes hidden inside a leather satchel in the hollow of a dead tree. Looking through his choices, Stotch takes the nicest doublet, hat and gloves.He folds them up nicely, puts them in his own bag. On the way back to town, Stotch stops on the bank of the chilly Moss River. He washes himself and pulls his hair back and ties it with a ribbon. He folds up his old cloak and scarf, and puts them away in his satchel. With great delicacy, he then ties on the doublets and gloves, and puts the hat on at a jaunty angle. Finally, with a charcoal pencil, he softly darkens his eye sockets and lips.At the end of this, he looks like a very serious, respectable individual.Heading back to town, Stotch opens the letter he had written before, making sure to break the wax seal, so that it is unrecognizable.He proceeds to the stables, looking for the Farrin bookie. He spots a young boy, shoveling manure."Someone here is taking bets?" The boy nods in response and motions with his head to a stall at the back. Stotch winks and throws him a copper as he moves into the stable, avoiding manure as he walks to the back.In the last stall he sees a young dwarf, sitting on a milking stool and making notes in a small, handmade ledger and chewing on the end of a corncob pipe. He looks up as Stotch approaches and puts the small book away quickly."Easy, lad. I'm here about the contest. Are you still taking cash on the wagers?"The dwarf nods slowly.Pulling the forged letter from the quilted doublet he borrowed from Tock, Stotch begins his speech."My name is Goya Bowyer, and as you can see from my papers, I have been sent from the Baron's Council of Games-of-Chance, Sporting and Lottery. As this little contest is being sponsored in an official capacity, the council has seen fit that any wagering be done under an administrative watch."I understand that you've been book-making, which under normal circumstances we would turn a blind eye to. But in this case, I will need to review the odds, officiate the spread, and distribute the winnings."Now the truth is, I always trust the 'local book-maker,' especially if the happen to be a dwarf. This is your home, you know these folks, and dwarves, as a rule, are a trustworthy, stalwart folk. So as long as you let me inspect the numbers and do what I need to do, there's no need to involve the authorities, and you can continue running the book. In fact, I will pay you for your time, as you are making my job that much easier."He reaches out with his arm, extending a traditional dwarf handshake."I'm sure that we can work together, and then I can be on my way, and in the future the council can look to you for help. Your name?"The Farrin boy shakes Stotch's hand, getting it filthy and decidedly aromatic. Having finished cleaning up after Boots' pony, he walks outside of The Cat & The Fiddle's stable, an interested pool of Farrins around him, listening."Marbin Goldaxe. What does the baron have to do with a friendly little wager?"He looks up at Stotch suspiciously."Ah yes. You see, the baron is providing the prize for tonight's competition, which makes it, according to the Vast Codex, a baronal event. Thus it falls to the Council Of G, S, and L to regulate any wagers, to make sure that money is handled in the best interest of all parties involved. 'Friendly little wagers' have been the root of several devastating wars, truth be told. If you recall, several decades ago, hundreds of men and Litorians were slain in Istoma over the matter of six silvers in a friendly game of Dragonscales. So it is sometimes best to make sure the scales are tilting properly, as the bearded-folk say. This letter from my superior says it all."Stotch holds up the parchment, and continues."Also, and I say this in the trusted confidence of righteous, gods-fearing Farrins, there are some contestants entered who might not be altogether trustworthy. I don't want to name names, but let's be honest, some dwarves have been 'too long from the mountain,' and other folk need an extra eye on 'em, so the council feels. All in the interest of fairness."As I said, I'm not here to interfere, and I can pay you for your services. But I do need to regulate the odds and keep an eye on the proceedings. it seems silly to me as well, but it's how I feed my family."Let me also add how encouraged and grateful I am to find a Farrin running the books. I said to myself, 'Bowyer, there's a dwarf that knows his stones.' You can always trust a Farrin, we always say."</blockquote>

Verification