CHAPTER 6 - The proving of kings

[Eclecticon]

Wow, Tate's coming in with a wet sail!  I'll hold off until everyone else who wants to has rolled, but feel free to give a bit of narration (and take 2 AP). 

[Posterboy]

  Can you give a small description of how thimblerig is played here? Are there a whole bunch of tables with lots of sleight of hand artists moving peas under thimbles?

[Eclecticon]

That's precisely what I had in mind.  The boards start pretty low to the ground, but as the rounds progress they're lifted up on to trestles so that the growing audience can get a good view.  The final round will be played up on the porch, in easy view of Grimbeorn and the assembled thegns.  There's no history of cheating (at least, at this festival), but you can't be too careful. 

[tomcat]

Esgalwen's other rolls

TN 16 awareness 2d

1d12 : 4, total 4
Rolled 2d6 : 3, 6, total 9

1d12 : 2, total 2
Rolled 2d6 : 6, 3, total 9

[tomcat]

Esgalwen laughs as she discovers the cup hiding the acorn, but then marvels at the game-man's sleight of hand. With each consecutive tipping of a cup, and seeing nothing underneath, the ranger applauds her adversary but steps away with her elimination from the contest.

She looks at Tate, "They are good. Choose carefully."

Something in the rogue's eyes told her that he would not be settling with the same results.

[Posterboy]

  I'm hoping to have some narrative up later tonight... I had something written but got logged out prior to posting and then lost the post. 

[Telcontar]

  yes, Paul had me use the generational rules which netted me only 10 extra XP to
Make a guy. I forgot how far we had come!

Awareness tn 14

Rolled 1d12 : 7, total 7

Rolled 3d6 : 2, 3, 6, total 11

TN16

Rolled 1d12 : 9, total 9

Rolled 3d6 : 5, 6, 3, total 14

TN18

Rolled 1d12 : 2, total 2

Rolled 3d6 : 5, 3, 4, total 12

[Eclecticon]

That's a fine showing from young Hathcyn. 

I thought that using the generational rules would help with the power escalation problem that you've mentioned, Doug.  It does introduce the problem of how to balance challenges for experienced and new characters, but I think that'll be alright as long as everyone gets equal time in the spotlight. 

[Posterboy]

Esgalwen laughs as she discovers the cup hiding the acorn...

Tate had listened carefully as Esgalwen played the first round. Even over the din of the crowd, the minstrel's ears could distinguish the sound of each of the individual cups as they slide across the wood table. He watched as the game-man finished his moves and the ranger from the south guessed correctly.

"Nicely done, m'Lady," Tate clapped her on the back. "Move over, move over, now... my turn." He looked the game-man briefly in the eye and nodded, "I'm ready," as the man dropped the center cup over the acorn.

As the game-man began to shift the cups around, Tate locked eyes with his friend – oi! A man could lose himself in your eyes! He thought. With a broad smile, he quipped, "Did I ever tell you that this is my favourite game?"

The game-man stopped shifting the cups, and Tate without looking away from Esgalwen, put his finger on the cup hiding the acorn. Tate gave the ranger a shrug as if to answer her unspoken how'd you do that? question.

With a wink, Tate got up. "Let's try the next table."

The next table was slightly higher. An odd height, Tate noted. Too tall to sit at, but to stand gave the contestant an odd angle to examine the action.

Again, Tate's companion went first. Tate carefully watched the game-man slide the cups around and, at one moment, was pretty sure the man palmed the nut before deftly placing it under a different cup. Whether Esgalwen saw the move or not, Tate couldn't say as she chose the third cup and found it empty.

The woman looked at Tate, "They are good. Choose carefully." Tate stood before the table, looking at the game-man intently as he answered Esgalwen, "I seen that." To the man, he simply said, "I'm ready."

The game-man returned Tate's look and started to mix the cups around. Sure enough, Tate caught the man shifting the nut around between cups, even as he was moving the cups. Not bad, Tate noted as the action slowed down. Hovering over the middle one, the minstrel commented, "This is where you want me to think it is." Moving his hand over the right-side one, Tate locked eyes with the game-man and grinned, "And this is where the nut should be." Finally, Tate moved his hand to tap the left-hand one, narrowing his eyes as he chided the man, "And here's where you misplaced it."

Moving to the final round, Tate stood next to a table the height of a tavern's counter. Once more, he locked eyes with his opponent, an elder Beorning with a glint in his eye. Tate grinned back, "A worthy opponent, I see. Well, then, play on. I'm ready."

The elder man placed the middle cup over the acorn and then quickly, with a speed and deftness that seemed to blur the cups, seemed not possible for a man his age, he slid the cups expertly and smoothly around. Still, Tate was able to follow the pattern and, when the game-man stopped, the minstrel smiled broadly, "That was beautiful to behold, good sir. Such excellent handling of cups. However..." Tate's eyes moved to the cups before him. "I believe the nut is back where it started." He placed his finger on the middle acorn and was rewarded with the nut.

Tate moved up to join the final competitors. "Wish me luck!" He called out to Esgalwen.

[Posterboy]

  Here's the roll for the final round... I'll be booked for most of today..

[/Awareness Roll = TN ??b]

Rolled 1d12 : 6, total 6

Rolled 4d6 : 3, 5, 3, 6, total 17

[Posterboy]

  If needed, I'll invoke Tate's Burglary specialty. Tate's practice at sleight of hand helps him to spot the tells of others.

[Eclecticon]

Tate is clearly the favourite of the crowd as he moves to the porch where, before the son of Beorn and the assembled thegns, he competes with Ethal the Unkind to be the first to correctly identify the cup hiding the pea.  The young man watches the cups move with bewildering speed and deceptive motions, conscious of the Beorning standing, hawk-ready, to pounce upon the cups as soon as they lie still... 


Ethal's roll:

Awareness 3

1d12 : 1, total 1
Rolled 3d6+3 : 6, 2, 4 + 3, total 15

[Eclecticon]

... which he does, lunging forwards as if trying to block the path of the man of Esgaroth to the table.  But Tate, watching his competitor as closely as he does the cups, is the quicker by the space of a breath, and extends a lightning-fast finger to identify the correct cup.  The crowd, unable to easily see the contest, seem to hold their collective breath - Ethal is clearly not a popular man - and look as one to Grimbeorn for his pronouncement.


Nice rolling!  Everyone who competed gets AP as per usual.  Tate gets his third Perception AP for a great success coupled with a Trait. 

[Posterboy]

  Sweet!

Tate looks around the crowd as the pronouncement is made, his face merry and bright, fist pumping the air as he let out a cheer. Looking back to Ethal, Tate extended his hand to Beorning, "You, good sir, were an excellent opponent. Were we to compete again next year, I have no confidence I would be victorious."

  Courtesy Roll if needed to make things go smooth...

Courtesy Roll

Rolled 1d12 : 7, total 7

Rolled 3d6 : 4, 1, 5, total 10

[Posterboy]

  I'll invoke Tate's Merry distinctive feature if needed. Tate's jovial smile and infectious laugh puts Ethal at ease and helps the Beorning put the contest into perspective.