Sitting there eating with the others, Tarrian threw a look of aversion in the direction of the con game.  When she first came to so called 'civilization' places.  She had been taken advantage of by such a trickster.  She soon grew wise and learned better to waste her gold on such as that.
She saw the late arriving Mannath was approaching the over confident gamester, like he'd never seen someone run a shell game before.  As far as she knew the wiley Rogue, may of been the one who first came up with it.

The female barbarian figured Elstarir would not be foolish enough to take his sibling up on that bet.  He assuredly knew better then that.  As the others were being distracted by the shell game.  Tarrian stayed alert to all else that was taking place within the Inn.  Keeping track of comings and goings.  Assessing the lethality that all there, could possible cause her and her companions.

"Two to one, fair odds I suppose." He reached into his pouch and pulled out five pieces of gold and placed them on the table. "I feel lucky, so let's play."

He smiled warmly as the young man named Khalid began to move the shells. He made a pretence of watching the shells intently, but allowed himself to get distracted for a split second, enough for Khalid to palm the pea, for surely that was his trick.

When Khalid challenged him to pick a shell he pointed to the shell on his left, but as the man went to flip it to reveal no pea he quickly placed his left hand over Khalid's hand, preventing him from picking it up. He looked deep into the man's eyes. "No, let's leave that one be, shall we? How about we turn this one first, and then this one." He pointed to the right hand shell, then the middle one.

If, as he suspected, the two shells revealed no pea, he would continue talking. "Well look at that! Lucky me, for surely the pea must be under this final shell. What say I take my winnings and go and buy myself a beer, and leave you to your game, hey?" He fixed the young man a look, as if to say 'never trick a trickster', allowing his other hand to hover by the dagger on his belt. Hopefully he would lose with good grace and allow Mannath to walk away with his winnings.

The right hand shell indeed has nothing beneath it. Underneath the middle shell on the other hand the pea sits innocently.

Mannath finds that the pea he had palmed was gone.

That was amazing. No, that was impossible.  No one was that good, no matter how skilled. Which meant one logical conclusion: magic was in play somehow.

"Nice try friend." The youth says, smirking as he adds Mannath's bet to his pile of coins.

Meanwhile Tarria eyes the rest of the taverns occupants.  Most are clearly sailors, a reminder that this is a major seaport and the focus is very much on the shell game - in fact a heavily tattooed seaman is waiting behind Mannath, clearly impatient to take his chance.  A rough looking bunch and several or drunk but none seem immediately dangerous or aggressive. The thin, shady looking man at the bar continues playing with his beaded necklace and seemingly ignoring everyone else. On the other side of the bar the stout, balding barman hefts a keg of ale onto the bar top much to the racous delight of a few of the sailors. The Half-Orc barmaid moves past with a tray full of mugs, attracting a few admiring glances from the clientele the she only has eyes for the youth running the shell game.

Seeing the unsuccessful Mannath coming toward their table, with look of chagrin on his face.  Tarrian said to Elstarir.

"I guess we should of taken your brother up on his bet after all!"

As the Rogue neared, the smell of scented oils and perfumes that he had on him became quite apparent.  Thinking to lighten his mood, Tarrian sent a kidding sarcastic remark his way.  It was the way the two friends had come to show their bond, by busting each others chops in a good natured way.  Trying to hold back a mischievous grin, she said.

"Pee-eww Nath!  What did you do?  Slip and fall in a flower garden, a good half dozen times or so?  You won't be sneaking up on anybody anytime soon.  With that smell following you around!"
This message was last edited by the player at 16:52, Sun 20 Oct 2013.

Elstarir appears not to notice his brothers wager attempt, and Vithrain mused that his brother's sometimes seeming 'distance' to his gambling ploys can be down right annoying at times. Maybe next time he should bet with Tarrian instead, she seemed more open to wagers like this!

Watching Mannath hold the trickster's hand Vithrain feels sure he will win, and then his jaw drops open when the pea is revealed under the second cup. 'He used Magic' was Vithrain's main thought, his secondary one being that Mannath just got properly conned.

As Mannath returns to the table Vithrain gives him an apologetic look almost as if to apologize for all magic-users deceptions to "honest folk".

Elstarir sighed under his breath his brother was gambling again and that could sometimes get out of hand but this time he decided that if his older sibling wished to loose his hard earned gold it was up to him. Though he knew that if it went sour he would, as usual, have to rescue his brother yet again.

He laughed to himself about how unlike they were, he was practical and not academic where as his brother was academic but had very little sense of the real world, perhaps thats why they worked so well together.

At least he had a hot meal in front of him and his clothes and body had been scrubbed clean. Where as his brother smelt like a city brothel he just smelt fresh not wanting to have anything to do with scents and fragrances. As a woodsman smelling like a gilded lilly would tell the wild animals for miles around that he was there.

So he sat and eat and watched his brother and new friends laugh and joke with each other.

Incredulous, Mannath walked away from the game and sat down with his companions. In a low voice he whispered, "He's bloody cheating. And I don't mean proper cheating like I'd do, I reckon he's using magic."

Seeing that Mannath had totally ignored her playful question about his overwhelming smell.  She reached over and mussed his hair, saying.
"It's ok kid, you can't win them all!"

Vithrain smiles.

"You are right of course, Mannath. Do you have any gold left? Here's my two remaining gold. Elstarir, Tarrian, give him whatever you have please. I want you to have another go at the game Mannath, but get him to up the bet to 3 to 1 or better and make sure he puts his gold on the table before you start! Do your normal thing, but at the last moment change which of the cups you would look under.

Tarrian, I want you to go 'watch' Mannath have another go, but stand between the table and that ratty fellow by the bar - the one twiddling his necklace and mumbling, but do so casually. Elstarir, I think the rat guy is our wizard, but if you see anyone else watching the game too carefully and possibly muttering to themselves you go distract them somehow, okay?"

If the others agree then Vithrain will stay sitting with his brother for a moment, to finish his drink.

Mannath's sour look said he wasn't sure about this plan, but he nodded anyway. This trickster had irked him. Being beaten by a skill and sleight of hand was fine in his book, but using magic... that was just plain cheating. Dishonourable wretch!

"I have four pieces of gold left. After that I shall be reduced to selling my perfumed body to the highest bidder."

He gathered up Vithrain's two coins, and anything else the others gave him. He then looked at the wizard. "After I get the odds do you want me to bet it all? If we lose we'll have have nothing left."

Being somewhat sceptical of the plan herself. She said quietly, sounding all so serious.
"By Sindla's saggy left breast, you best be right about this Vithrain!"
Throwing two gold coins in to the kitty.
"Because if Nath is depending on what a bidder might pay for his perfumed body.  A poor man he will be indeed!"
She finishing with a laugh and a smirk on her face!
This message was last edited by the player at 08:12, Fri 01 Nov 2013.

"Keep one gold back, just in case then. I think our honourable benefactor will see us right if it comes to the worst. And I too hope I am right about this!" Vithrain replies sombrely.

The elf slid over 3 of his 6 gold with a sigh knowing he'd probably never see it again as usual with one of his brother's plans.

But on his brother's instruction he leaned back lazily and gave the crowd in the inn a casual looking glance which took in all details of all the people that seemed interested in what was going on.
This message was last edited by the player at 11:30, Fri 01 Nov 2013.

Mannath gathered up all of the coins. Keeping one of his own aside left him with ten pieces in total, a tidy sum to be wagering. With a showy swig of his ale he marched back over to the gambler. "Right, I reckons I got the hang of your system now." He counted out the coins, occasionally miscounting but eventually getting to ten. With then stacked on the table he continued. "But I wants better odds this time. Make it worth me while. Three-to-one sounds about right, seein' as there's three shells on the table. Agreed?"

Tarrian gets up from the table a handful of seconds after Mannath did and moved in to the position that the Elven Magic User suggested.  Blocking line of sight between the strange beads wielding fellow and the shell game.

As first Mannath and then Tarrian get up and go over to the table Vithrain casually looks around as if to watch, but actually keeps an eye on the bead-twirling guy at the bar.

As Tarrian takes up position does the guy get agitated at being unable to see? Does he crane his neck or body to try to see the table once more?

The youth at the gaming table grins in a way that makes your fists itch. "Well... it is your coin friend."

To add insult to injury he hums obnoxiously as he starts to move the shells around.

Meanwhile the ugly fellow with the beads is again playing with his beads. As Tarrian moves in front of him a flicker of uncertainy brushes across the mans face and he takes a step to the side... coliding directly with the half-orc barmaid, who drops her tray of drinks with a clatter of spilt ale and wooden tankards.

The youth looks up. Sees the commotion and flinches. He quickly turns back to Mannath, expression suddenly a lot less assured. "Uh... times up friend. Where is the pea?" 

Turning with her cat like reflexes at the sound of dropped tray of drinks.  Feinting concern for the half-orc barmaid.  She continued her slight manuevering, to block the sight of beaded man to the shell game.
"Oh look what that clumsy lout did.  Shame on him, for making a tough job, even tougher, Poor dear!"

As the bead guy looks concerned and moves so too does Vithrain. The tray and drinks hit the floor at the same time as Vithrain reaches the cause of the commotion.

"Well that was clumsy of you dear boy." he says putting on his best accent and voice.

"Might I suggest you help the lady pick the drinks up and then buy replacements for them all. And if you like I can impart some of my worldly knowledge with regards to 'looking before leaping'."

Vithrain steers the man by the elbow so that he is facing the barmaid and able to help her. He is purposefully acting like a 'high and mighty elf'!

While all this is going on Elstarir sidles over to position himself behind the lad at the table. If this was going down as his brother had thought he decided the boy might grab and run so he would be right there to stop him

Mannath smiled at the trickster, and slowly reached for the left hand shell. At the last moment he changed and placed it on the middle shell, dragging it towards himself. "This one."

He then reached out with his right and quickly flipped the other two shells, hoping that both were free of peas.

The barmaid doesn't seem like she needs much help picking herself up and there is a dangerous glint in her eyes as she clambers to her feet. Standing up she turns out to be not all that much shorter than Tarrian and while not quite as muscled as the barbarian still looks like she could snap Mannath or Vithrain in half. A green arm shot out and grabbed the scrawny bead wielder by the scruff of his neck.

"Watch where you are going pretty boy!" Grip still firmly on the possible wizard she turns to look at Vithrain, giving him an embarassed smile than (tusks aside) is surprisingly shy and girlish. "Um... thanks. We always get a few who can't handle their ale."

The ugly guy doesn't say anything, partly because the barmaid's grip looks very secure and partly because he has turned white with fear.

The youth at the shell game gulps quite audibly and gives a nod to Mannath. Picking up the middle shell the thief discovers the pea underneath it.

"Uh... congratulations on your winnings... I uh, better go now..." The youth babbles. He stands up and bumps straight into Elstarir.

OOC: I meant he should help her pick the tray and tankards up!


Vithrain smiles back at the lass then says to the guy whose toes are only just touching the ground (because the barmaid has actually lifted him up off the ground slightly without even knowing it!)

"You Will be paying for a new set of drinks, won't you? To replace the ones you just spilt. You will of course also be giving the lovely lady a rather good tip for causing her troubles and making her wet. Yes?
This message was last edited by the player at 17:45, Sun 03 Nov 2013.

Tarrian was beginning to like this 'commanding' side of Vithran.  But she wasn't quite sure if likeing it was a good thing or not!  She would have to think on it.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:52, Sun 03 Nov 2013.