The Sun was well past its zenith by the time the Pirate Fortune Hunter realized that well over a fortnight had passed since he'd seen the Sea of Swords, let alone sailed it. The hills and valleys topped with trees and shrubs along the horizon made him long for the damp salt air and brilliant endless skyline of the sea. He shrugged as he removed the bung from the wine cask to refill his skin and took a hearty pull. I can still taste the mead! Isis pissed on Keffer's trencher that night! Qidanos smiled as he rubbed the small stamp on the wine skin bearing the mark of Xantam, Keffer's alleged distant kin. Keffer boasted of his ties with the Zentarim every time the pirate was in his company at the Blushing Mermaid, an establishment in Baldur's Gate known for its illicit business. Qidanos was known to employ a few of their whores on occasion to help him gather crowds as he would sing and tell tales of the The Bitch Queen. They would eagerly help him to earn some coin and establish credibility with the landlubbers, and Keffer's boasting in particular decided the pirate's game that fateful eve.
"Q.. Q... Quidance, is it? Did the street urchins and commoners enjoy your stories and songs? Do you care to join me in a game of bones?"
Immediately Qidanos heard the dice reeling in his head, Keffer's pride mistook this bard for a lesser street corner minstrel and the pirate knew he had his mark. He turned to face Keffer as his eyes glimmered and gave an exaggerated bow, "Qidanos Galantel'alu, me hearty. Veteran jack o' the Black on The Bitch Queen's Sea of Swords and entertainer of your lovely neighbors. Even me foreign boots know t' address them as such." The pirate addressed the Blushing Mermaid's paltry audience gallantly. "Those same boots have never turned down a fair game of bones either." He winked at his opponent and smiled about as wide as he had since the nightmares brought him inland, away from the sea. Qidanos sized up Keffer, and noticed elegant brown suede boots inlaid with silverwork and an intricately decorated silver rapier hanging at his side, amongst a seemingly fat belt pouch. "Please, me hearty, lets roll!"
As the time passed Qidanos, Keffer, and a couple few other gamblers shot dice. No matter the shooter, Qidanos seemed to know if the shooter would point or die and often lead the point. After a short time, maybe twenty minutes, a rather large crowd had gathered for their game, and many side bettors were present as well. It was uncanny how the bard managed to keep shooting and betting accordingly. He didn't win every roll, but he was clearly pulling in more coin than he was losing, and his eyes seemed to be aflame whenever his roll was true. Alis, one of the Mermaid's faithful whores, seemed to be the first to notice Qidanos' fateful run on the bones.
"Oi, this copper 'aired minstrel's pouch keeps growing! It's as if fate 'as already thrown the bones and decided its winner!"
"Fate is such a droll term, kismet sounds much more appropriate," Qidanos replied. The onlookers all seemed to be taken with that response, and those who didn't know of the pirate mistook it for his name as the gossip grew.
"Quiet!" Keffer's coin was beginning to dwindle and he'd seemed to have had enough of dice, losing a majority of his coin to the flamboyant pirate. "Let's play another game half-elf, double or nothing!"
Qidanos called out to the Mistress of the Mermaid for a round of mead, Keffer's drink of choice, for the entire establishment, leaving 10 gold as pay. "Unfortunately, me hearty, it seems you don't have t' double." Qidanos turned to leave and Keffers pride was at stake.
"My sword! And these boots are of the newest fashion, silver worked all up to the knee. I must have a hand to defend my honor. This skin I carry belonged to Xantam as well! Here! This is his seal! Look! I'll bet it all if I must one last hand of Archers!"
Qidanos turned back around, appealing to the crowd. "What honor would I have, if I didn't at least accept! As you wish." Qidanos replied, "A final hand for an honorable gambler, may the best man win."
The Mistress of the Mermaid was no stranger to pride, and almost attempted to stop the game before it started, until Alis calmed her down. "Oi, I'll deal for the game. There is much weight on this wager and I don't want to lose two 'andsome patrons to game of chance."
"Let's be on with it then," Keffer was near his wits end.
"You challenged me to a game of archers, honor says you go first, but I'll leave it to this dragon." Qidanos pulled out a Waterdeep dragon piece from his doublet. Call it in the air." The pirate flipped the coin high into the air as Keffer called heads, and Qidanos' eyes flashed as the dragon piece showed heads. "Your play, me hearty."
Qidanos bowed graciously and accepted, taking a seat and awaiting his hand. Alis shuffled and dealt two cards to each player before the betting round. Qidanos watched Keffer intently as he shifted his gaze between his two cards.
Keffer licked his lips as his eyes shifted between his two whole cards, and he'd seemed to have set mind to playing. "I wager this round, my coin purse" he replied as a curt smile crossed his lips.
Finally Qidanos looked at his cards, two archers, and he couldn't have asked the gods for a better hand. He winked at Alis, "I'll match. Deal me beauty." The three upcards came Archer Tower Tower, and Keffers eyes widened and he licked his lips in anticipation. "It's your turn to fight, half elf. Will you bet?"
"I yield to you."
Keffer was excited, and was showing at least one archer in anticipation of his wager. "Yes, my sword as well. As collateral for your purse."
"Raise," called out the pirate, the dice were tumbling. "All of your value on the table, else I take what has been laid out."
After a short pause, Keff calls out meekly, "I match," and turns over An archer and a knight.
"Two pairs, archers and towers, with knight 'igh!" Exclaims Alis, as she turns her attention to Qidanos, whom the onlookers are still referring to as Kismet.
"Archers full," as he reveals none other than the remaining two archers from his hand."
The blood drained slowly from Keffer's face as he came to terms with being bested by the pirate. The words he attempted to speak would not give to voice and the onlookers had given to celebrating.
"Kismet!"
"Ha! Fate it was then, this Kismet!"
"That Kismet sandbagged the poor sod!"
"That was unbe..."
"Hi! My name is Selbin, nice to meet ya! What are you doing?"
Kismet awoke from his reverie to see the sun still at midday, and a tiny gnome at his shoulder.
"Q.. Q... Quidance, is it? Did the street urchins and commoners enjoy your stories and songs? Do you care to join me in a game of bones?"
Immediately Qidanos heard the dice reeling in his head, Keffer's pride mistook this bard for a lesser street corner minstrel and the pirate knew he had his mark. He turned to face Keffer as his eyes glimmered and gave an exaggerated bow, "Qidanos Galantel'alu, me hearty. Veteran jack o' the Black on The Bitch Queen's Sea of Swords and entertainer of your lovely neighbors. Even me foreign boots know t' address them as such." The pirate addressed the Blushing Mermaid's paltry audience gallantly. "Those same boots have never turned down a fair game of bones either." He winked at his opponent and smiled about as wide as he had since the nightmares brought him inland, away from the sea. Qidanos sized up Keffer, and noticed elegant brown suede boots inlaid with silverwork and an intricately decorated silver rapier hanging at his side, amongst a seemingly fat belt pouch. "Please, me hearty, lets roll!"
As the time passed Qidanos, Keffer, and a couple few other gamblers shot dice. No matter the shooter, Qidanos seemed to know if the shooter would point or die and often lead the point. After a short time, maybe twenty minutes, a rather large crowd had gathered for their game, and many side bettors were present as well. It was uncanny how the bard managed to keep shooting and betting accordingly. He didn't win every roll, but he was clearly pulling in more coin than he was losing, and his eyes seemed to be aflame whenever his roll was true. Alis, one of the Mermaid's faithful whores, seemed to be the first to notice Qidanos' fateful run on the bones.
"Oi, this copper 'aired minstrel's pouch keeps growing! It's as if fate 'as already thrown the bones and decided its winner!"
"Fate is such a droll term, kismet sounds much more appropriate," Qidanos replied. The onlookers all seemed to be taken with that response, and those who didn't know of the pirate mistook it for his name as the gossip grew.
"Quiet!" Keffer's coin was beginning to dwindle and he'd seemed to have had enough of dice, losing a majority of his coin to the flamboyant pirate. "Let's play another game half-elf, double or nothing!"
Qidanos called out to the Mistress of the Mermaid for a round of mead, Keffer's drink of choice, for the entire establishment, leaving 10 gold as pay. "Unfortunately, me hearty, it seems you don't have t' double." Qidanos turned to leave and Keffers pride was at stake.
"My sword! And these boots are of the newest fashion, silver worked all up to the knee. I must have a hand to defend my honor. This skin I carry belonged to Xantam as well! Here! This is his seal! Look! I'll bet it all if I must one last hand of Archers!"
Qidanos turned back around, appealing to the crowd. "What honor would I have, if I didn't at least accept! As you wish." Qidanos replied, "A final hand for an honorable gambler, may the best man win."
The Mistress of the Mermaid was no stranger to pride, and almost attempted to stop the game before it started, until Alis calmed her down. "Oi, I'll deal for the game. There is much weight on this wager and I don't want to lose two 'andsome patrons to game of chance."
"Let's be on with it then," Keffer was near his wits end.
"You challenged me to a game of archers, honor says you go first, but I'll leave it to this dragon." Qidanos pulled out a Waterdeep dragon piece from his doublet. Call it in the air." The pirate flipped the coin high into the air as Keffer called heads, and Qidanos' eyes flashed as the dragon piece showed heads. "Your play, me hearty."
Qidanos bowed graciously and accepted, taking a seat and awaiting his hand. Alis shuffled and dealt two cards to each player before the betting round. Qidanos watched Keffer intently as he shifted his gaze between his two cards.
Keffer licked his lips as his eyes shifted between his two whole cards, and he'd seemed to have set mind to playing. "I wager this round, my coin purse" he replied as a curt smile crossed his lips.
Finally Qidanos looked at his cards, two archers, and he couldn't have asked the gods for a better hand. He winked at Alis, "I'll match. Deal me beauty." The three upcards came Archer Tower Tower, and Keffers eyes widened and he licked his lips in anticipation. "It's your turn to fight, half elf. Will you bet?"
"I yield to you."
Keffer was excited, and was showing at least one archer in anticipation of his wager. "Yes, my sword as well. As collateral for your purse."
"Raise," called out the pirate, the dice were tumbling. "All of your value on the table, else I take what has been laid out."
After a short pause, Keff calls out meekly, "I match," and turns over An archer and a knight.
"Two pairs, archers and towers, with knight 'igh!" Exclaims Alis, as she turns her attention to Qidanos, whom the onlookers are still referring to as Kismet.
"Archers full," as he reveals none other than the remaining two archers from his hand."
The blood drained slowly from Keffer's face as he came to terms with being bested by the pirate. The words he attempted to speak would not give to voice and the onlookers had given to celebrating.
"Kismet!"
"Ha! Fate it was then, this Kismet!"
"That Kismet sandbagged the poor sod!"
"That was unbe..."
"Hi! My name is Selbin, nice to meet ya! What are you doing?"
Kismet awoke from his reverie to see the sun still at midday, and a tiny gnome at his shoulder.
Last edited by lordskwid on Tue Feb 16, 2016 10:24 pm; edited 6 times in total