As Sinak walks through the door he feels disoriented, he has certainly travelled a great distance. He is an odd looking formal building, with many doors and the walls are drab colours. He sees a queue that stretches off into the distance. An elderly Tiefling gives him a look and says "Please attend the mandatory Unethical Code training session. Once you have completed your training you may join the queue to submit your case. You may not submit your case unless your mandatory training is up to date. You must attend regular refresher training at least once per year. If you leave the queue for any reason you must rejoin at the back. Please remember your case is important to you, not to us". 

Sinak can see two signs:

Next training session in 30 minutes 

Current queue length 3 years

Before Falkas receives a response from the participants he hears a voice in his head "Falkas! Why am I being told that your Drow is in Acheron? And not just anywhere in Acheron but in Resounding Thunder. No, no, no. This is too early for this. You aren't meant to be dealing with Him yet. You need years of training. What are we going to do? What does the Drow know? Does he know about the prophecy?"  

"I'm just too good at being invisible, sorry," Sorith replies when Falkas jerks in surprise. When Falkas heads towards one of the tables, the barbarian followed him, since that's what she was told to do, and all. Though a little bored, she sweeps her gaze over the table to see if anyone else looks like they're having a poor time or not even though these kinds of games aren't really her thing.

Perception: 19 (Rolled on character sheet.)

Sinak feels like he is really in over his head at this point.  He presses things as far as he can, and then one or two steps further, but he feels like his in a completely different type of trouble at this point.  “Boy I really messed this one up.”  he thinks.   “That Quentin didn’t have one thing out of place!  All I wanted was an access key card…..”.  

He gets into line for training and he reaches into his pocket, hand closing around his raven totem, carved from ebony in his pocket, a raven with an open mouth.  He clutches his hand around it, closes his eyes, and begins to pray as he stands waiting.  He focuses in his mind, sending a picture as he sends up a prayer, the casino and its occupants, the portal, and his current plane with the three year long queue and all of the things in his current field of vision.  

“My Queen, I need your help.  I am sent for secrets, for information from far and wide.  I have been sent to another plane of existence my Queen, I have been sent to Hell.  I was merely trying to gain access with a keycard to learn secrets from the casino and steal their statue, it was required for my release from prison.  I swear my lady, one scheme seems to fold into another … how may I serve you, tell me the route to freedom and the route to the information that you desire!  If you can save me my Lady, please do, send me back to my plane to do your bidding and I will be your humble and faithful servant.  I swear it!  My life is in your hands, my Queen.”   

He prays this in a silent manner with his hand on his Raven amulet / totem in his pocket, as he has many times before to her.  He waits,  … and hopes a path becomes clear.

Sinak has the sense that the Queen will release some memories, but demands one of high value in return.

Sorith tries to see who has the most chips or might be trying to cheat and listen to what the players are saying. She notices who reacts to the speech by Falkas. Generally Jetta Moore is the most chatty and outgoing and Wumpus Thistledown looks like they have the least chips. She doesn’t see any obvious cheating at the moment.

(Note that this really isn't a good use of perception, which is used to spot things. Ideally this should be insight or investigation)

Most of the players don't obviously react to the speech from Falkas. They are all professionals. About half dismisses him as a liar, they are used to spotting bluffs, and most of the rest see him as a new threat. Jetta Moore gets up and approaches Falkas "Oh another player. How wonderful, I'm Jetta."

Sinak answers silently “Your will be done.”  And he stands, waiting in line, awaiting the training and any further signals from his Queen.  

Quote from Snievan >>

Quote from KudosWyvernspur >>

Are Sorith and Falkas joining up with anyone else or going straight to the tournament?

 Falkas will see if anyone else is heading that way and if he sees Elovar and Chrys he'll meet up with them to let them know that he's gonna try and join if he can. "We've got time, plus if I win big I might get invited to the back or can keep them distracted with how good I am at the game so others can finish what they need to."

Elovar flicks a glance at Falkas, but he continues to avoid interacting openly with party members (other than Chrys) in view of the security mirrors.  He's hoping that this policy will help them run multiple gambits simultaneously without security connecting the dots.  Elovar nods once Falkas explains his plan, and turning to Chrys, he says loud enough for Falkas to hear,  "Many of my former friends used to gamble in private games, but I rarely played.  I'm not sure that I even remember how to play this game," he indicates the card tables.  

He glances around, wondering where Sinak and 12 have gone. 

Quote from KudosWyvernspur >>

Steps lead to the sunken floor of a gambling haven ringed with pillars of black basalt. Seven three-dragon ante tables take up the floorspace. A three-foot-high shelf carved into the far wall bears a glass case, displayed in which is a gold statuette. Standing next to the display case is a tiefling security guard

Elovar walks (with Chris?) over to the display case.  He looks with interest at the statue, saying, "A statue of Tyche.  How appropriate!"  He recites a few verses of an old poem where an unlikely suitor beseeches Tyche to bless his pursuit.

He asks the security guard, "Is it true that the winner of the tournament wins this statue?"

If the guard engages with them at all, Elovar says, "We'd like to go play the slots and other games, but I promised my companion that we'd be back in time to watch the final round of the tournament.  Do you expect the tournament to finish today?  Or is today just the preliminary rounds with the finals scheduled for later?"

While Elovar looks at the statue and chats with the security guard, he looks carefully to see how the statue is protected.  If the case is locked, does the security guard have a key?  Perception 11

Quote from Snievan>>

Falkas looks at Sorith, Elovar and Chrys, "Anyone got any ideas? I might." He says as he starts walking through the room having no idea at all. He stops at the first person who seems to be having a rough time at the tournament or at least has poor bluffing skills and when there's a break in playing he nods at the poor soul, motioning them over, "I'm a professional player that frequents these kinds of tournaments and my specialty is to help out someone who is on the cusp of winning, but just isn't quite there. I can help you win, not by teaching you, but by taking your place and all I ask is a mere portion of your winnings." He grins.

Deception: 18

Elovar looks surprised at this display.  He chuckles at Falkas's clumsy offer.  Elovar wonders how young Falkas is, but he likes how bold the half-drow is.

When no one offers up their seat, Elovar scans the players to see whether he sees any hint of interest under the practiced indifference of a professional gambler.

Insight 7

Quote from Ben_Evolent >>

Insight 5

(OOC: Ha!  I guess not.)

If Elovar catches Falkas's eye, he just raises his eyebrows and shrugs.

El can see a lock on the case, but is unable to tell if the guard has a key or not or if any magic is being used. El is unable to read the professional gamblers.

The guard responds "I would guess another day with the tournament, depends on how quickly they lose really. We are down to two tables now. Still it's nice to guard something different for change."

Sinak feels a flood of memories assault his brain (Make a Wis Saving Throw with DC 16 or take 7 points of Physic damage)

He sees himself manipulating the rules to his own ends and feels his Queen approval

He sees the people in the queue, their wills broken as they blinding following the rules until the end of time and feels her disdain

He sees himself holding the  weapon of another god and feels her rebuke, he knows he must do something to make amends

He sees an element of the Unethical Training, in particular the part on The Bribery and Corruption policy that states processes and training should be in place to promote Bribery and Corruption

The Queen then pulls the memory from Sinak  (Make a Wis Saving Throw with DC 16 or take 3 points of Physic damage). Sinak, please describe the memory as you lose it forever.

Sinak is standing in line, keeping his thoughts as clear as he can, trying to communicate through prayer with the Raven Queen.  As she establishes a link to his brain he holds his head, the flood of emotions, visions, thoughts is too much for him initially, he holds his head and a small cry escapes his lips.

1st wis save : (Nat 1 + 4) = 5

As he is recovering from that, he holds on and begins to sift through the memories and images he is receiving, he begins to gather himself, maintaining outward appearances.  

When she searches his mind again, removing the memory he is more prepared this time, again focusing on the mantra in his brain, “Thy will be done.  Raven Queen I, belong to you.  Raven Queen I, belong to you.”  He says this over and over in rhythm with his breathing, an old pattern in his prayer where he prays with every breath he takes, and this protects his mind from any damage this time.  

2nd wisdom save : (Nat 20 + 4) = 24

Falkas' eyes stare far off as Jetta approaches and he breathes out deeply through his nose. What the Hells. Oh my Ellistraee. Uh. Shit. Shit. Shit. "Hi, I'm Falkas, pleased to meet you." He's a bit awkward as all he can think about is that someone is in the Hells right now and he tries to motion with his head for Elovar to come here.

As he understands what the Raven Queen wants, Sinak sees simultaneously the memory ripped out of his brain, but with his concentration he’s able to keep it together.  Reliving it, however, is not pleasant.  He’s in the underdark, hearing a screaming match, uncharacteristically loud and violent between his mother and father, as he cowered in his room.  As usual, his mother was “winning”.  “The boy is useless!  Can’t hold a sword properly, I have a mind to beat some sense into him!  Always lurking about, listening… probably listening to us right now!  He’s weak and useless, should have filled out and been of some use to the family by now!  Why does he persist in…. “. The words fade out from there.  Sinak sits in the dark in his room, holding the piece of dark ebony wood that he found, and with a small knife hidden under his bed, he brings it out and begins to carve, the wood almost speaking, whispering to him.  He carves the dark wood into the early shape of a raven…. 

Sinak gasps as the memory is extracted from his brain, gripping the carving in his pocket.  “Raven Queen I (in), belong to you (out).  Raven Queen I (in), belong to you (out).”

Sorith raises a hand as if she's in a classroom waiting to be called on by a teacher, only speaking when attention is put on her. "What's 'Three Dragon Ante' about anyway? It doesn't look like it has anything to do with dragons. Hells, I doubt dragons would even want to play cards."

Jetta Moore replies to Sorith "Well I don't know about dragons, but Three Dragon Ante is really quite fun. Do you want to describe it Falkas, you being the professional and all."

Sinak senses that his queen is pleased with his offering and wants him to make more in the future. He is her instrument in the prophecy and the end of the world is of interest to her.

"I'd love to, but honestly she wouldn't understand it and will stay focused on the dragon thing the entire time." Falkas replies, looking off to the side staring directly at Elovar unblinkingly with a mild panicked look on his face.