The Long Road - Game Thread

Pascal is bobbing his head up and down, “Now, allow me to warn you, gentlemen. I am a real card shark!”

Now I know what you’re thinking. JC, does Pascal mean Card Sharp? No. No he does not.

OOC: I didn't, because until I'm reminded that it isn't, I think the term is card shark.

(Drusk will sit out the card game. His time will be split between doing more cleaning in the kitchen before the next meal, and private prayer to Lliira.)

3

Hildigrim comes back from the kitchen with a bowl of nuts. "We can use these," he says.

Hori replies, "Let's start with Avandra's Favor," and opens as small paper box of cards.

Hori, Hildigrim, Forte, Pascal, Goldy and the halfling male who sat beside Goldy at second breakfast — who you're told is Goldy's husband, Gowin — sit down to play. Hori deals two cards to everyone face down. After mumbling something to Fortegren, the party's halfling divvies out 20 nuts to each player.

Hildigrim makes eye contact with Pascal and grins. "Don't eat your currency."

OOC: Pascal, roll 2d6.

"Take a look," Hori says to the lizard. "You want seven, but 12 is also good. If you want to add a card, let me know, and I'll deal you another."

DMs rolls:

After taking a look at his cards, Hildi cheers, and everyone looks at him. Rolling his eyes, Forte says to Pascal, "You always know when Hildi has a good hand."

Hori, Forte, amd Goldy immediately ask for another card. After a bit of hesitation, Gowin says, "I might as well," after giving Hildi a frustrated look. Hildigrim at least as the good graces to look sheepish.

DM rolls:

Goldy looks very satisfied with her hand now. Hori, Forte and Gowin take a third card.

DM:

"Ah, man," Forte says disappointed and slaps down his cards. Gowin asks for a fourth card.

DM:

"We forgot to ante," Goldy says. "Everyone put in one nut." Everyone throws a nut onto the table.

"Aren't you supposed to be putting in a nut each time you draw another card?" Hildigrim asks. The other halflings glare at him, and he grins.

"Well, I was going to ask for another card, but I guess I shouldn't now that we've been reminded of the rules," Gowin says.

OOC2: Pascal, draw as many cards (roll an additional d6) until you're satisfied with your hand. Having seven is best, 12 is second best. Nearest to them without going over wins. It's like blackjack, but with the middle number added. Starting with the next hand, it will cost a nut per additional card, which will make it a little more interesting.

Pascal was about to eat a nut when Hildi told him not to, “Course not, Hildi. Y’all think little of me.” He coughs.

2d6: 7

Pascal blinks.

After Gowin's proclamation about not taking another card, Hori said for everyone to show their cards. Hildi, Hori, Goldy and Pascal all had seven, and Forte and Gowin (who's not sure where his head was) went over. "Well, that was a good practice," Hori smiles. "Now that we've been reminded of the rules about betting, let's keep our one nut in the middle and take two more cards each." Hori deals two cards to everyone.

DM rolls:

With the new rule in place, everyone says they're going to not take another card this hand.

OOC: Pascal, roll 2d6. If you'd like another card, roll another d6. Each new card roll costs one more peanut.

In the kitchen, Drusk has decided to hang out with Hildigrim's mother and grandmother. The two females are delighted to have the half-orc. Gramgram hands Drusk a basket of potatoes. "Peel and slice," the old halfling directs with a smile.

"So, Drusk, where did you learn to be so domestic?" Milene asks as she measures out various spices into another bowl.

In the sitting room, Popsy sighs. "You like music?" he asks Quillary out of the blue.

Quillary's head comes up, realizing Popsy is there. She decides to give it a go. "I did. I remember some songs from my childhood, though I do not seek them out anymore. But in adulthood all I had was elven music, and I find it dreary. Too solemn and monumental. Too devoid of spark. Do you... um, like music?"

Jorin looks towards the sound of children playing and thinks that, perhaps, Luci had headed that way.  He'll take a walk towards the sound and see what's afoot.

2d6: 5. Pascal is going to take another d6: 2

Pascal blinks and laughs, “Hey, hey, would y’all look at that! I’m pretty good at this game, no?”

Hildigrim shows his two cards. He has seven as well. "Two peas in a pod, we are," the rogue grins.

As Hori starts collecting the cards to reshuffle, Goldy picks up three nuts and puts them in front of Hildi, then puts three nuts in front of Pascal. "Since you both won, we split up the bid evenly like this, and the extra will stay in the pot."

(Peanuts: Hori 19, Hildi 22, Forte 19, Goldy 19, Gowin 19, Pascal 22)

Hori shuffles. "Your luck can't last all day," he jokes with his son. After shuffling, he deals out two cards to everyone.

DM rollz:

Hori, Forte and Hildi all take a third card.

DM rollz:

Both Hori and Forte make noises of disappointment. "Out again," Forte grumbles good-naturedly.

OOC: Pascal, you're up again.

Popsy nods. "Love music. Even played a little in my youth." He grins. "The drums." He pantomimes playing a drum while making boom noises with his mouth. "It's one of the reasons Ula fell in love with me. Chicks dig musicians," he tells her confidentially. He laughs. "So, what are some of these songs you enjoyed from your childhood?"

Outside, Jorin walks across the street from the Goodbody house and walks between two houses. The very tiny alley then becomes the alley between the two buildings behind the two houses, and he quickly finds himself in a residential cul-de-sac. Seven children are playing some kind of game with a ball. Jorin thinks two of the children were the two identified as Hildigrim's siblings who ran out of the house as they were arriving. The barbarian watches the adolescents play a while. They seem to be separated into two teams and are trying to get the ball into hoops lying in the street some distant apart on either side of the play area. One of the teams gets their ball into the hoop and cheer while the other three look defeated. "It's only because you have four, and we only have three," one of the three pouters complains.

2d6: 3, 5, 3

Wait. Why’d i do that... I had an 8... thats better than a 12, right?

Pascal gets quiet and furrows his brow.

Quote from DirtyDogP >>

 

"So, Drusk, where did you learn to be so domestic?" Milene asks as she measures out various spices into another bowl.

"Someone had to help clean up at the temple. The other elf acolytes may be smart, but they aren't the most responsible...The sooner the cleaning up is done, the quicker all of you can return to your merriment."

Drusk breaks into song. (Not great, but not karaoke-bad either.)

Lliira, I had no idea how much I would need her
In peaceful times I hold her holy symbol to see her
My heart starts palpitating when I think my prayer was wrong
But I think I will get along
She's not just a girl – she's a god!
Lliira, all I ever want to do is please her
My life has been so settled and she is the reason
Just one word from her and my troubles are long gone
But I think I'll get along
She's not just a girl – she's a god!

(Any resemblance to "Athena" by The Who is coincidental.)

OOC: Order of highest to lowest: 7, 12, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 11, 10, 9, 8. But Pascal wouldn't know that, because all of that was explained.

Everyone shows their cards. Gowin cheers, and Goldy gives him a congratulatory smooch. When Pascal asks about and eight versus an 11, Goldy explains the order of who wins (the above list). Gowin uses both hands to pulls the pile of peanuts over in front of him as Hori shuffles and deals again.

Peanut count: Hori 17, Hildi 20, Forte 17, Goldy 18, Gowin 30, Pascal 18

DM rollz:

Hildi, Forte and Goldy ask for another card.

DM rollz:

Hildi and Forte both say they're out. Goldy asks for a fourth card.

DM rollz:

Goldy sighs and asks for a fifth card.

DM rollz:

Goldy's out.

As Drusk finishes his song, he looks around and sees both Gramgram and Milene have stopped working and are looking at him, smiling.

Editing

"Hello, little Goodbodys," Jorin says and walks closer to the game, "I came out to look for Luci, have you seen her?"

I ain’t losing!

5. more! 5! more! 4!

I’ll hold. 

Once more, Gowin shows he has seven with his first two cards. Everyone groans, including Goldy, who does not give her husband a congratulatory kiss this time. "I don't remember you being so lucky," she comments instead.

Peanut count: Hori 16, Hildi 18, Forte 15, Goldy 14, Gowin 42, Pascal 15

DM rollz:

Hori, Hildi and Forte take a third card.

Forte slams his cards down, and Hori and Hildi decide to keep the cards they have.

In the kitchen, Mileen comments, "That's quite a song," to Drusk, but not in an unkind way.

"I've never heard of ... Liira, did you say?" Gramgram asks.

"Oh, sure," Mileen says. "There's a shrine up on ..." she pauses to think. "Book Street, maybe? Near the Honorable Knight, anyway." She looks at Drusk. "Isn't that right?"

As Jorin speaks, the children stop squabbling. "Who are you?" one of them — not one of the ones Jorin thinks recognizes as the two Goodbody children — asks. Looking at the children more closely, he's pretty sure five are halflings and the other two are human.

"Why would Luci be out here?" the one Jorin thinks is Hildi's sister asks, her tone a little condescending.

"Didn't we see you going in the house with Hildi?" the brother asks congenially. "Is second breakfast over?"

Pascal is pulling a sad lizard face, chin on the table, cards in hand in front of his nose.

7

However, he sits completely upright at that.

Jorin purses his lips and says, "Ah, I thought...she went out of the house and it seemed like...well, nevermind.  Second breakfast is over, what game are you playing?  You seem short a man on one side."

As Pascal shows his cards, Gowin exclaims a noise of disappointment, showing his two cards equaling 12. Goldy seems to have more pity on her husband with this hand, giving him a consolatory kiss on the cheek.

As Hori shuffles, he suggests, "Let's up the stakes. How about two nuts per card?"

"Meaning four initially and two for each additional?" Goldy clarifies.

Hori begins dealing. "Yeah. We'll do a few hands this way and then switch to something else."

DM rollz:

Hori, Hildi, Forte and Gowin all ask for a third card.

Hori, Hildi and Forte take a fourth card. Forte comments as he throws two of his last three nuts into the middle, "It's only nuts, right?"

Hildi slaps down his fourth card, indicating that he went too high.

Outside, in response to Jorin's observation, one of the human children immediately claims, "He's on our side!" initiating a lighthearted argument among the seven about who should gain the adult upper hand. It's finally decided that the three smallest halflings should team up with Jorin. They ask Jorin if he's ever played freeze ball, and he says no. They explain each team tries to get their ball into the opposing team's hoop. The ball is carried, but can be tossed to another player. The player has to still be touching the ball when it is placed in the hoop on the ground; it cannot be thrown or dropped. If, at any time, a player on the defending team touches the player with the ball with both hands, the player with the ball has to stop where they are and count to five. Any player can take the ball from a frozen player's hands.

Jorin, if you are game to play, roll 6d20.

Time for Pascal to strut his stuff! 5

Pascal looks somewhat pleased?