[Talineis]

The spirits of the Ostian tavern echoed joyously with the cheers of brave Adventurers and guards, punctuated by the sharp clinks and dull thuds of tankards filled half to their brims with all manner of drink, save for those reserved by the few adventurers whose spirits were disparaged by the friendly losses of casual bar games - those unfortunate souls whose cards were low and darts missed their marks were instead cursed with drinks they would call half emptied, the intoxicating or otherwise soothing beverages serving as their only source of comfort alongside the hopes - foolish or otherwise - of winning back their losses in further rounds. While some might be so fortunate, many of them would leave this night with pockets left empty, filled instead with the regrets of a poorly played-out gamble. Thankfully, however, Talineis would not be one of those poor unfortunate souls - not this night. While the thrill of a gamble among adventurers excited the man, he had learned his lesson the first time he found himself conned out of a quest's earnings by his party's Assassin; that man was the epitome of the adventure game rogue, with his entire character build supporting his persona as a stealthy thief who earned his meager wealth off the misfortune of others. Something about this description was not entirely accurate, actually - not the description of the man who robbed Talineis of his reward for killing a small handful of goblins, no, he truly was a scoundrel - rather the description of Talineis himself and that one particular word: Man. Despite his now handsome and aged appearance, Talineis' outer shell was nothing but a facade, a persona put forth by a young adolescent thirsting for adventure and glory in a world he could only aptly describe as a fantasy, both in the literal definition as a fantastical world of heroics and sorcery, as well as in his own personal description as a world he had long dreamt to inhabit since he was just a child. This mature husk Talineis inhabited was little more than a veil molded from sliders and options chosen in drop-down menus, yet on the inside he was still the same young Tarlach he had been before his sudden and unexpected transformation and transportation into Talineis, the soon-to-be hero of Gaia Reborn - or so he strove to be. It was not quite appropriate just yet to call Talineis a man, but one day, he would earn that title.

While he had harshly learned better than to partake in gambles he had no skill in, he still enjoyed watching them as a sort of accompanying entertainment whenever he relaxed in the taverns and bars of the towns dotting the lands of Italia. It was entertaining to see the variety of players that inhabit the land, and while Talineis' passion was for adventure, he still found an interest in gambling as a passing fascination. For some time now, he had been bearing witness to a young man playing some sort of card-matching game; this man held himself with an air of elegance and mystique, his deliberate movements indicating some sort of noble background, and he certainly looked the part with his silver hair reaching down to his back in a silky ponytail, his expression always remaining soft and gentle, and his fingers moving with the deft gentility indicative of great skill and dexterity. In just the two hours Talineis had been here, the man had appropriated the riches of a good deal of players with only a bit of struggle here and there - surely a facade meant to keep others from suspecting him of cheating, an act that must have worked well enough to prevent an observer like Talineis from noticing whether or not the man was indeed playing with a stacked deck and sticky fingers. At the man's sides rest two scabbards carrying shortswords on each hip, indicating himself as an adventurer - a designation not in the least surprising given where the man was spending his time. With a smile on his face, the man revealed his hand of cards to the players surrounding the table. "I do not wish to boast, but I believe this is another win for me, gentlemen."

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[SidO]

SidO knew that the next few moments would decide the outcome of a very important game... And his fate. 

His heart pounded as a chill ran through his body. His body almost limp as it sat in a chair next to a table. He knew that he didn't have many ways to influence the outcome of the next move that will be made; his move. He would have to rely on luck to either provide him salvation or despair. This fact wore down on his being even more, as he struggled to find the will to act. He stayed still for a few moments. He saw the people around him, barley comprehending the surroundings. To him, they felt like a blur, weird abstractions that just existed for no reason, whether they were the ones playing gambits with him or observing. Only one thing mattered to him at that moment, and it was the answer that the dice in his hands would give him.

He inhaled and took a wide breath. He clasped his hands and drew his right arm back with the dice in his palm. With clenched teeth he pushed his arm with all his remaining strength. 

The dice flew forward and tumbled across the game table until it landed on the number 6.

"Yes!"
Exhiliration ran through SidO's mind as he realized that he had rolled the highest possible number, and increased his chances of succeeding at this game. A gust of life ran through him as his anxieties were quickly replaced by anticipation and excitement. He reached for his game piece with his dice throwing hand. He held the piece and moved it across the game board, 6 steps corresponding to the dice roll to determine the future.

The piece landed on the final step. He looked at its location to comprehend the outcome. His eyes widened in shock. His arms fell to his sides. His mouth opened agape. 

"CHUTES!? I LANDED ON CHUTES! AGHHHHH! I HATE THIS GAME!... FU#@ CHUTES AND LADDERS!"

He sat back down and moved his piece through the proverbial "chutes" undoing his progress at the game and life, as the other gamblers and players at the table proceeded to laugh.


 

[Olivia]

Olivia was sitting next to sid0(she asked sid0 over the player interface to help her make coconut muffins before the game) Olivia kept looking at the muffins she made with sid0 under the table, she kept gleaming and making happy emotions at the muffins thinking "these are the best muffins in the world of worlds of worlds..I wonder what I'll give sid0 for helping me mmmmm..''.

She looked over at sid0, he was about to roll she look intently at his dice wondering what number he would get.

Sid0 got 6 and went down everyone laughed but Olvia patted sid0 on the head " it's OK I think your next roll will be awesome!!".

Olivia picked up the dice for her turn..she shook them as hard as she could launching the dice into the air she watched as it landed...it was a 3!.

Olivia moved her game peice 3 steps but was lucky enough to be safe, "Time for a cookie! , here sid0 cheer up! have one!" Olivia smiling in sid0s direction putting out her hand.

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[Talineis]

While his attention was fixated on the silver-haired man sweeping the riches from those at his table in a skillful display of gambling proficiency, Talineis would soon be suddenly reminded that there were others who could provide him with entertainment aside from this enigmatic character. While the man had an air about him that attracted the attention of those around him, it was not the only way to attain attention from those in the vicinity, as proven by a young man at another table shouting in apparent defeat at his own fumble in his own game. While the man of Talineis' prior curiosity was elegant, cool, and collected, Talineis' focus was now centered on one who could be seen as opposite in nature, with a slip of the game prompting such a loud and verbose explosion of emotion. Between this and the laughter that would follow, Talineis could not help but watch a bit, and it seemed he would not be the only one, as the silver noble at the other table glanced from his cards to the other table, seemingly pulled completely from the game at his own table.

"Hey, pretty boy, it's your turn to deal... Hey!" One of the tavern's patrons made a fuss of continuing the game, yet he could not wrestle back the wonder and curiosity in the man's eye, prompting him to once more beckon. "Oi! Azrael!"

With a sudden, gentle grin, the white-haired man turned his gaze back to the game at his own table. Once the cards were dealt to the players around the table, each player took their turns placing their respective bets until it finally got to the one known as Azrael. With a lackadaisical declaration, he made his wager. "I am all in." The others were stunned at such a bold move so early in the round, and one after the other, each player contemplated their best action at this sudden development. Though this was undoubtedly their best opportunity to pull ahead, all of the players folded, save for one who chose to call Azrael's bluff. Despite this challenge, Azrael seemed to pay him no mind, confident in his own victory. No, that wasn't quite it - rather Azrael seemed confident in how the round would play out, but to everyone's shock he did not win. His tone and voice held no dismay, however; rather he seemed relieved. "Oh well, it would appear Lady Luck is no longer by my side. Farewell, gentlemen." With that, Azrael stood from his table and walked away, leaving the remaining players to fight over the legitimacy of what was quite clearly an intentional loss with such a large payout, but it was evident the game had left Azrael's mind just as easily as the chips had left his pockets. Ridding himself of his attachment to the card game, he made his way over to spectate the children's game a few tables over, watching from a seat off to the side, seated near the young man who had been watching him previously.

Feeling a bit awkward as Azrael joined him, Talineis felt seemingly obligated to force conversation. "That was... quite the turnabout... You were doing pretty well before, it's a shame you lost."

Despite this, the man known as Azrael showed no sorrow or dismay in the wake of his apparent loss. "I would hardly call what occurred a loss; rather a forfeiture. I was interested to see what was playing out elsewhere, that is all. It is nothing I regret." Something about this man was rather... cool... He held an air about him that Talineis respected, something he could only describe as befitting that of an adventurer. It was a sort of persona he himself wished to one day attain. "I had no idea someone had recreated chutes and ladders in this world."

With the topic turned now to the board game both men were watching, Talineis nodded in passive concurrence with the man's observation. "It would appear so... You seem pretty skilled with games and gambling; are you going to join them in the next game?"

Azrael simply shook his head and smiled, adjusting himself comfortably in the wooden chair, one leg brought up to rest comfortably on the other. "No, chutes and ladders is much too fatalistic for my taste. I enjoy a gamble that tests not only one's luck but also one's skill. However, that is not to say I cannot find some way to turn it into a gamble more suited to my tastes..."

The prospect had intrigued Talineis. He seemed to linger on every word to escape this man's lips; it was as if his voice was honeyed in some special aroma to demand the attention of those around him. Was it mere charisma? Nonetheless, the Spellblade was intrigued. "How would you personally gamble on it then?"

While Talineis had unwittingly turned his gaze upon Azrael, the mysterious gambler continued to watch as the young man at the base of one of the eponymous chutes was now being consoled by another at the table. "For instance... The young man who has just made an outburst in response to his poor luck: I believe he will not lose."

With a glance of the board, Talineis felt confident in making this wager, seeing the piece in question firmly in last place. With a bit of a cocky smirk, Talineis nodded. "Alright, you're on then! You really think he'll win?"

However, this question only prompted another silent grin from Azrael. As time passed and the game continued on, the gap between victory and the young man's piece only grew wider and wider, and while Talineis watched eagerly to see himself win this bet, the fun activities were then disrupted by a loud thud as the door leading into the tavern was slammed open, all eyes turning to witness a captain of the local Ostian militia entering with a proud presence that informed those around that he came with a duty to fulfill. With a loud voice echoing through the hall, he made his announcement. "Adventurers! The city of Ostia seeks aid in quelling the growing numbers of coastal monsters as of late! Any brave enough to partake in a hunting party seeking to defend our beautiful city, present yourself and be rewarded well for your service!"

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Tags: SidO Olivia

[SidO]

SidO took a bite out of Olivia's cookie and wondered to himself. Man, It'd be great if I could hide magic dice that always roll the right number in these cookies... 
He then proceeded to observe and half heartedly take part in the game for what felt like eons, limp in his posture and stride as he weakly threw his dice for the sake of playing the game. Having lost lost his passion for it along with the prospects for victory.

He proceeded to follow these motions, barley paying attention to what was going on around him... Until a loud voice came booming from the tavern entrance, signaling the arrival of some peculiar entities demanding attention. His eyes jolted awake and he turned his head to see what looked like an Ositian Guard walking into the tavern with some sort of announcement along with his similarly dressed colleagues.   

He took a moment to ponder his request.. Defeating sea creatures huh?.. Sounds more rewarding than this dice game... He put his dice down on the game table and stood up from his chair after a few seconds. "Alright. I've gotta do something else. So I'm forfeiting this match. Thanks for the game." The other players at the table waved at him and got back to the game without him. He then turned to Olivia, confident that she'll join him on the next task that'll occupy his time. He turned back and proceeded to walk toward the company of guards, trying to shift his demeanor to one that is more composed in comparison to the weak stature he had at the game table.

He stood in front of their leader and spoke so the occupants of the tavern could hear him. "I accept your request." 

He turned back to face them. "Although since I'm an Enchanter and my friend is a Druid. I would appreciate if we were able to get those who have other classes to join us."

He then waited to see if anyone would accept this new request.

[Olivia]

Olivia watched SidO eat her cookie.. Olivia smiled , Olivia then got a brush out of her pouch and began to brush her hair while she waited for SidO to throw his dice. A loud noise from the front of the Taven...it was The Ositian Guard! , Olivia looked round to see them...she lent forward a bit to hear what they were saying.....she listened and heard them say  ''Defeating sea creatures'' and she lit up .

SidO threw his dice at random...before he got up to leave SidO looked at Olivia and she nodded and got up to leave the game with him, Olivia turned round to thank the other players of the dice game ''THANK YOU FOR THE GAME!!!!'' Olivia walked over with SidO keeping up with him slowly as SidO got closer to the Ositian Guard Olivia  stood behind SidO like a scared cat, as they got closer Olivia grabbed onto sleveee and waited to see what SidO was gonna say to Th- ''HELLLOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!'' Olivia jumped out from behind sidO and screamed hello in their faces.....


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