The Gaming Den

Trade both.

While you have the Lucky Talisman, you do not lose a Luck point when you Test your Luck.

The Large Backpack can replace your current backpack. If you are ever instructed, 'If you wish to take this new item, you must leave one of yours behind,' you can ignore that requirement.

You cautiously leave the hut, looking first into the street. No one is around. You may now find your way to the main street and continue.

Further along the road you come to a fork where you may continue either to the right or the left. The left fork heads out of the city, while the right one leads down a short street towards a large building upon which a signpost reads: THE GAMBLING HALLS OF VLADA. A great Bronze Statue stands in the fork and at its feet is a pot which contains many Gold Pieces. From what you can make out, this must be one of the gods of Kharé and this pot contains offerings from worshippers.

Continue out of the city along the left fork?
Take the right fork to visit the Gambling Halls of Vlada?
Grab a handful of coins from the pot at the foot of the statue?

Name: Jason Beckett Mordred
Sex: Male
Skill: 11/11
Stamina: 19/19
Luck: 11/11
Weapon: Sword
Inventory: Large Backpack (need not leave behind an item to take another item), Blimberry Juice (+3 Stamina), silver key, Borrinskin boots, Ragnar's Armband of Swordmastery (+2 Attack Strength when using a sword), backup sword, torch, tinderbox, green-haired wig, Lucky Talisman (+1 bonus to all Luck tests), Lucky Talisman (do not deduct a Luck point after Testing Luck)
Gold Pieces: 24
Libra's Favor: Not yet used in this adventure
North Gate Spell:
So tumblers two sealed deep inside
I bid you, portals, open wide
_____________________________
_____________________________
Notes: You can call on Vik for help in Kharé; Flanker will be your friend in Kharé

I vote to embrace fascism by turning right for the chance of winning gold and thus have a greater chance of having good items. Grabbing a handful of coins seems an option that will only lead to trouble.

Oh, you know how in the first LP of this series I said we should name out hero Jason, because the second book (this one) has references to the classic film, Jason and the Argonauts?

No taking treasure from giant bronze statues, may as well go right.

They do have trigger conditions.


You enter the hall. In spite of the time of day, a noisy crowd is inside. No one notices your entry as everyone is preoccupied with their games. The click of dice and the clatter of the Wheel of Fortune are the only sounds that can be heard above the hubbub.

Try your luck at the Wheel of Fortune?
Try your luck at the dice table?
Turn right around and leave?

Name: Jason Beckett Mordred
Sex: Male
Skill: 11/11
Stamina: 19/19
Luck: 11/11
Weapon: Sword
Inventory: Large Backpack (need not leave behind an item to take another item), Blimberry Juice (+3 Stamina), silver key, Borrinskin boots, Ragnar's Armband of Swordmastery (+2 Attack Strength when using a sword), backup sword, torch, tinderbox, green-haired wig, Lucky Talisman (+1 bonus to all Luck tests), Lucky Talisman (do not deduct a Luck point after Testing Luck)
Gold Pieces: 24
Libra's Favor: Not yet used in this adventure
North Gate Spell:
So tumblers two sealed deep inside
I bid you, portals, open wide
_____________________________
_____________________________
Notes: You can call on Vik for help in Kharé; Flanker will be your friend in Kharé

Hmmm, I vote for the dice table.

You wander over to one of the dice tables to see what is being played. A dozen gamblers are playing 'Prediction.' You pick up the rules as you watch. The stakes are 1 Gold Piece per throw. You choose a number from one to six. The dealer rolls a die and if your number comes up, you win 10 Gold Pieces. You may play up to five times if you wish. You may also use your luck to help you; if you choose to, Test your Luck before each throw and choose a second number. If the second number is the one rolled, reroll the die and take the new result.

Choose the number of times you wish to play (can be anywhere from 0 to 5), which number you bet each time, and whether you wish to use Luck any or all of those times. Then you leave the Gambling Halls.

Name: Jason Beckett Mordred
Sex: Male
Skill: 11/11
Stamina: 19/19
Luck: 11/11
Weapon: Sword
Inventory: Large Backpack (need not leave behind an item to take another item), Blimberry Juice (+3 Stamina), silver key, Borrinskin boots, Ragnar's Armband of Swordmastery (+2 Attack Strength when using a sword), backup sword, torch, tinderbox, green-haired wig, Lucky Talisman (+1 bonus to all Luck tests), Lucky Talisman (do not deduct a Luck point after Testing Luck)
Gold Pieces: 24
Libra's Favor: Not yet used in this adventure
North Gate Spell:
So tumblers two sealed deep inside
I bid you, portals, open wide
_____________________________
_____________________________
Notes: You can call on Vik for help in Kharé; Flanker will be your friend in Kharé

I vote to play 5 times with 4 as the number. Since the talisman prevents luck loss when testing Luck, I vote to do so all 5 times, and choose 6 as the second number.

I'll second that.

(Wait, we have 11 luck, +1 for a lucky talisman, and we don't use luck up when we test. So we can test for luck every time, and always succeed? Getting hit will only do 1 damage to us, and we'll hit people for 4 every time (normally)?)

Rolls: 4, 6 rerolled to 3, 6 rerolled to 3, 6 rerolled to 5, 6 rerolled to 2.

Net result: you win 5 gold and now you must leave and continue your quest.

Regain 2 Luck points for leaving with more gold than you went in.

On the way out of the Gambling Halls, you pass a door marked 'Portal Room.'

Investigate?
Leave?

Name: Jason Beckett Mordred
Sex: Male
Skill: 11/11
Stamina: 19/19
Luck: 11/11
Weapon: Sword
Inventory: Large Backpack (need not leave behind an item to take another item), Blimberry Juice (+3 Stamina), silver key, Borrinskin boots, Ragnar's Armband of Swordmastery (+2 Attack Strength when using a sword), backup sword, torch, tinderbox, green-haired wig, Lucky Talisman (+1 bonus to all Luck tests), Lucky Talisman (do not deduct a Luck point after Testing Luck)
Gold Pieces: 29
Libra's Favor: Not yet used in this adventure
North Gate Spell:
So tumblers two sealed deep inside
I bid you, portals, open wide
_____________________________
_____________________________
Notes: You can call on Vik for help in Kharé; Flanker will be your friend in Kharé

I vote to leave, as our hero already won gold and shouldn’t be tempting fate that way.

Both.

Thirded.

Outside, a street market is setting up.

Browse through the stalls?
Follow the road on out from Kharé?

Also, vote on whether you want to Test your Luck constantly in battle as long as you have the Lucky Talismans, as Thaluikhain suggested.

Name: Jason Beckett Mordred
Sex: Male
Skill: 11/11
Stamina: 19/19
Luck: 11/11
Weapon: Sword
Inventory: Large Backpack (need not leave behind an item to take another item), Blimberry Juice (+3 Stamina), silver key, Borrinskin boots, Ragnar's Armband of Swordmastery (+2 Attack Strength when using a sword), backup sword, torch, tinderbox, green-haired wig, Lucky Talisman (+1 bonus to all Luck tests), Lucky Talisman (do not deduct a Luck point after Testing Luck)
Gold Pieces: 29
Libra's Favor: Not yet used in this adventure
North Gate Spell:
So tumblers two sealed deep inside
I bid you, portals, open wide
_____________________________
_____________________________
Notes: You can call on Vik for help in Kharé; Flanker will be your friend in Kharé

I vote to check out the stalls, and to Test Jason’s Luck constantly in battle as long as he has the Lucky Talismans.

Check out the stalls

Food, weapons, and trinkets are for sale in the market.

PROVISIONS: 3 Gold per Meal, as many as you wish to buy
BOW AND QUIVER OF SILVER ARROWS: 5 Gold
FINE DOUBLE-EDGED BROADSWORD: 4 Gold
TINDERBOX: 2 Gold
BOTTLE OF SNAKEBITE ANTIDOTE: 3 Gold

What will you buy, if anything?

Name: Jason Beckett Mordred
Sex: Male
Skill: 11/11
Stamina: 19/19
Luck: 11/11
Weapon: Sword
Inventory: Large Backpack (need not leave behind an item to take another item), Blimberry Juice (+3 Stamina), silver key, Borrinskin boots, Ragnar's Armband of Swordmastery (+2 Attack Strength when using a sword), backup sword, torch, tinderbox, green-haired wig, Lucky Talisman (+1 bonus to all Luck tests), Lucky Talisman (do not deduct a Luck point after Testing Luck)
Gold Pieces: 29
Libra's Favor: Not yet used in this adventure
North Gate Spell:
So tumblers two sealed deep inside
I bid you, portals, open wide
_____________________________
_____________________________
Notes: You can call on Vik for help in Kharé; Flanker will be your friend in Kharé

Bow and quiver, tinderbox and five provisions.

I vote to take the bow and quiver, but only buy 3 Provisions, as 5 Provisions seems excessive for meals that cost 3 gold each. I want to leave our hero with some more gold in case he needs it later.

Going to need a tiebreaker on whether to buy 3 or 5 Meals and whether to buy the tinderbox.

I vote to buy 5 meals and tinderbox. And the bow.

Buying 5 meals wins 2-1. Buying the tinderbox wins 2-1. Buying the bow wins 3-0.

Further up the road, you pass a small graveyard overhung with leafy branches. Gravestones are scattered in no particular order around an old crypt which stands in the centre. A sign above the doorway to the crypt reads: HERE RESTS LORD SHINVA-–FIFTH NOBLE OF KHARÉ.

Enter the crypt?
Continue out of the cityport?

Name: Jason Beckett Mordred
Sex: Male
Skill: 11/11
Stamina: 19/19
Luck: 11/11
Weapon: Sword
Inventory: Large Backpack (need not leave behind an item to take another item), Blimberry Juice (+3 Stamina), silver key, Borrinskin boots, Ragnar's Armband of Swordmastery (+2 Attack Strength when using a sword), backup sword, torch, tinderbox, green-haired wig, Lucky Talisman (+1 bonus to all Luck tests), Lucky Talisman (do not deduct a Luck point after Testing Luck), bow and quiver of silver arrows, tinderbox, 5 Meals
Gold Pieces: 7
Libra's Favor: Not yet used in this adventure
North Gate Spell:
So tumblers two sealed deep inside
I bid you, portals, open wide
_____________________________
_____________________________
Notes: You can call on Vik for help in Kharé; Flanker will be your friend in Kharé

I vote to enter the crypt, as I feel that one of the clues to the spell are there.

Enter the crypt.

Thirded.