Dionysus Does he go anywhere special?

Avery_C Nah. he's just wandering, seeing what there is to see, etc. Relaxing, kinda.

Dionysus The Bazaar is closing down in most places, but other places are still open.

Avery_C What kinds of places?

Dionysus As you wander, you realize it's getting colder, & some of the places open at night are... strange, different, & not always pleasant. Though some are. It's all very exotic & fascinating.

• Avery_C will head back to the inn as the chill catches on. he's got the day tomorrow to look around too ^^;

Dionysus "Wait just a moment, kind sir!"

• Avery_C blinks and looks around.

Dionysus A Windkin man with a blue & green robe waves you over to his stall.

• Avery_C wanders over, curiously.

Dionysus "I have a game for you, good sir!"

Avery_C "A game?"

Dionysus "A game of chance, good sir! Do you know of the game 'Find the Lady'?"

Avery_C do I?

Dionysus Do you OOC?

Avery_C The name strikes me as something like the shell game or three-card monte, but it's not a name I'm familiar with.

Dionysus We'll say no, then.

• Avery_C shakes his head. "Afraid not..."

Dionysus "Well, then, it is not so hard. I put down the 'Lady,'" he shows you a card, "And you figure out where it is when I shift these gentlemen with it."

Dionysus He shifts a few more cards.

Dionysus "if you guess correctly, you get the prize. If you do not, I get some coin. Simple, yes?"

• Avery_C nods slowly. "Yeah...what's the prize? and how much the penalty?"

Dionysus "The prize is either coin of a decent value, or another chance for free. The penalty is what you can afford, I assure you."

• Avery_C nods. "Alright."

Dionysus Roll awareness as he shifts the cards.

Dionysus You're unsure of where the lady is

• Avery_C watches the cards shift, looking thoughtful. how many cards are there total?

Dionysus Five

• Avery_C does the idiotic but only thing he can do...he shuts his eyes and lets luck guide his choice. he picks the third card. the one in the middle, if they're in a line.

Dionysus It's a gentleman.

• Avery_C grins wryly. "Not my night, I guess."

Dionysus "I am sorry, sir. Place your soveriengs here. Would you like another chance?"

• Avery_C digs in a pocket and sets a few coins in the indicated spot. "...yeah, sure."

Dionysus He shifts the cards again. Roll awareness.

Avery_C Ah, barely!

Dionysus You can't figure out which is it

• Avery_C tries the fourth card this time. counting from the right.

Dionysus Another gentleman

• Avery_C shakes his head with a chuckle. "I think she's scared of me, as well as she's hiding."

Dionysus "It's possible. Your sovereigns here, please. Another go?"

Avery_C "Well...they say third time's the charm." as he places the money.

Dionysus Roll

Dionysus You know it's not one of the five in front of you, but you're not sure where it went.

• Avery_C frowns slightly, studying the cards carefully and thinking. he doesn't take long to figure that this guy hid it somewhere. the question is where.

Dionysus The man watches you carefully.

• Avery_C looks up at him with an easygoing, wry smile. "Well, to be honest, I can't say for sure where she is, but I don't think she's hiding with her gentlemen friends here."

Avery_C [I need to resist that read roll?]

Dionysus No, that was Arlie

Avery_C making sure.

Dionysus He grins, "Perceptive. But the object is to find her. If you cannot, you owe me another sovereign."

• Avery_C chuckles. "Fair enough." he places another down.

Dionysus "Another try?"

Avery_C "One more, and then I need to head back."

Dionysus He nods, shows you the Lady, appearing as if from nowhere, then shifts cardsa gain. Roll.

Dionysus Again, you know it's not before you, but not whrere he really put it.

Avery_C Which hand was holding the Lady when he showed it to me?

Dionysus Left.

Avery_C how did his hands move while mixing the cards?

Dionysus First to shuffle, then to lay them down, then to mix them up.

Avery_C Hm...

• Avery_C takes another random guess and indicates the man's right sleeve with a shrug and a wry grin.

Avery_C it's obvious he doesn't know.

Dionysus He grins, "Now /that/ is a lucky guess." He produces the card.

Dionysus "Do you wish the prize of coins, another try, or a special try?"

• Avery_C laughs, then cocks his head. "A special try? What's special about it?"

Dionysus "The prize is better."

Avery_C "What is it?"

Dionysus "Here in the Desert of the Winds, many deities are respected, but the highest is the Wind. After that is the Seer, Father Time, & of course, the Waterbringer. If you win the special prize, I can give you the opportunity to hear one of their voices."

• Avery_C looks slightly awed, eyes widening a little. after some thought he nods. "...I'll try for it, sure."

Dionysus He smiles, then says, "Excellent. But it will be harder this time. You are allowed to prepare yourself..."

• Avery_C nods. "I think I'll need to." even though he's not sure how. but he'll try.

Dionysus "If you need help preparing & you trust an old swindler, by all means, ask."

• Avery_C chuckles. "What do I need to do, then?"

Dionysus "Anything that will help you find the Lady this time."

Avery_C is she visible right now?

Dionysus He shows her

• Avery_C studies her - not that he thinks it'll help much, but a little is better than nothing. is there anything that marks her as different from the other cards, aside from the picture? Something he could focus on?

Dionysus Not really no.

Dionysus Roll awareness.

Dionysus She's no different with these eyes, but she's worth more than the others, isn't she?

Avery_C My next idea was to try and shift his eyes to violet somehow. He'll try thinking the command first.

Dionysus Holla when ya got something

Avery_C you didn't get my last, or it didn't work?

Dionysus Oh, I misrread

Dionysus I thought you were trying to think /of/ the command.

Dionysus No, thinking it does not work

Avery_C He's probably tried to shift it via willpower in the past and it didn't work, but he tries again, just in case.

Dionysus Nothing happens.

Avery_C he tries muttering the command to himself.

Dionysus Nothing happens.

Avery_C damn. okay, fine. is there someone around aside from the card guy he can talk to?

Dionysus I'm afraid not.

Avery_C Meh. he'll sigh softly. "...well, could you say something for me?"

Dionysus "What is it?"

• Avery_C hesitates for a moment. "Just...'Christos, turn your eyes violet'. that's all."

Dionysus "Christos, turn your eyes violet?"

Dionysus Your eyes change.

Dionysus "Oh, my."

• Avery_C blinks as they shift, and takes a breath, then looks at the cards again.

Dionysus He begins to shift them.

Dionysus Roll awareness +6 for the eyes.

Avery_C yay!

Dionysus It's in his belt, on his side.

• Avery_C grins and points to it. "Right there."

Dionysus He grimaces, then flips it out. "Well done, sir. Well done. Which of the deities' voices would you hear?"

• Avery_C turns serious, considering. "I think...the Seer."

Dionysus "Very well. Close your eyes."

• Avery_C does.

Dionysus ...The pattern is closing. The Cursebreakers have aligned. The Summer Country is opened. The Chosen Ones are moving forward. Either the world will end, the world will be set free, or the world will remain on course. Those are our paths...

Avery_C "The Chosen Ones...?"

Dionysus When you open your eyes, you're in the middle of the street.

• Avery_C blinks.

Dionysus No vendor is there.

Avery_C "..." he heads back to the inn, mulling over the words he heard.