Blackbeard's Ale and Sports Pub

[Firebird]

Dwarfs love games almost as much as they love their ale. So when Emmit Weatherstone decided to open his new pub, he decided to combine the two. In Blackbeard's Ale and Sports Pub the customers can indulge in their favorite ale, plus play games like bowling, darts, dice and other games of chance. Club champions are rewarded with free drinks and sometimes wagers, depending upon who is present at what time.

The back room of Blackbeard's is always the home of loud noises and bangs as the bowlers roll their stones toward six wooden pins seeing who can knock down the most. The dart tournaments are held in the main part of the pub in the alcove next to the long walnut bar where the dwarfs belly up to for most of the night. Scattered around the room are walnut chairs, benches and tables where you might see other games of chance being played like dice. The pub is primarily dwarven, however other sporting races are allowed if they dare go up against the dwarven gamers. Most of all it is a meeting place and drinking hole for conversation and fun. By the end of most any evening there will be at least one brawl, which brawlers are thrown out on the street. It is then wagers become the most active, betting on who is going to beat who. A lovely ending to a hard day of work, drinking and sport.

NPC's

Secrets : Emmit Weatherstone, Proprietor has a long black beard with touches of gray his son, Eli Weatherstone is a younger version of his father Cissy Weatherstone may wait on you. She is thin approximately 150 pound brown eyed dwarf, with a mop of black curly hair. She usually wears a green dress that is made of silk with bright gold flowers on her shoulder. Her height is 4'1"

[Orbril]

The first days of Spring, Era I of the Celestine Mandate, Era XV Post Fractum. Second day in Zerdagia, prior to the start of the Festival

Stout was the word that came to mind as Orbril explored the city getting a feel for what it was and more importantly the potential it might hold. He had looked over the Minith Field and the Arena even making a quick cursory check beneath the grandstand to see if he could perhaps borrow some space there as his own personal burrow.
That was a possibility but before he did so he need to get a good loaf and a few contacts.

It was the later that lead him to Blackbeard's Ale and Sports Pub.

Orbril didn't mind dwarfs even if they were technically Bignobs and somewhat stolid in his opinion. But they weren't too much bigger then a gnome and he had known enough dwarfs to be aware of the deep passions that could fire them given the right circumstances.

And most importantly he knew they liked to game and place bets and well maybe he could take what little gold he did have and by luck and the fall of the dice earn himself a a few more coins...

[Firebird]

It was fairly early in the evening when Orbril walked into the sports pub, but there were already a few drinkers and players in there. He was spotted by a genial dwarf who just happened to have a good friend in town who was a gnome who resembled Orbril. The dwarf called out, "Tubby, sure is good to see ye, come on over here for a sip of ale." Apparently in the dim light he thought Orbril was his friend.

[Orbril]

Orbril grimaced slightly at first taken aback at being called Tubby, but when he realised the dwarf was good humoured and perhaps a little blurry sighted he grinned and stepped forward

"Well I aint Tubby" he grinned as he came near the dwarf "but I'd be happy for a sip of good ale nonetheless. My name sir" - and he gave a slight bow - "is Orbril, newl't arrived in town and eager for good company"

[Firebird]

The dwarf had already risen to let the gnome climb up on the stool, so they were eye to eye. "Why yer right, Tubby has a big wart on the tip of his nose," looking real close at Orbril's nose he murrmrred, "yeah you ain't him. So yer name's Orbril. Let us get you a pint. Eli, my boy, get this um, get Orbril a pint. Now, Orbril, just why have you come to Zerdargia. Ye gonna enter the games."

[Orbril]

"I may be a bit old fer enterin' games now" Orbril grinned as he accepted the pint and settled next to the dwarf "them young fellas is most like' a wee bit stronger 'n faster then I, 'though I'd put up a keen showin' if I were to try it. No throwin' dice is 'bout as much sport as I'm keen on entering nowadays. But I will be at the games and lookin to take a few wagers if anyone 'ld be interested."

Orbril took a sip of his ale savoring the taste of it and took a glance around the other nearbu punters. "So me friend" he said to his dwarven host "what be yer name an' how d'ya know Tubby?"

[Firebird]

The small genial dwarf, only 4' tall, was well into his cups. Never had he seen such excitement in Zerdargia as what the games and festival was attracting. He knew there'd be lots of visitors there and since he was a loyal member of one of the chief clans, that of Weatherstone, he tried his best to make Orbril comfortable. Not so much though when he heard of the gnome's proposal. His ears perked up when he heard Orbril was a gamer. Ah ha, he thought, guest or not, he was never adverse to taking a few crowns off of those willing to let them go ... "so you like to gamble", he said.

To Orbril's comments about Tubby, he laughed out loud, "Tubby is me co-worker at the stoneworks. We polish stone, we got the finest stone in all of Aelyria. As you look around the city you'll see some of our work. Why the Malachite Inn is the most beautiful building in town, but its not for the likes of us, no sir, only the richest guests in town can afford to stay there, its 100 crowns a night. Anyway, we did a lot of the polishing of stone, malachite, turquoise, moonstone, you name it, we polished it. Belong to the stonemason's guild. What about you, you been gainfully employed somewhere?"

"Oh, forgot," he put out his hand, "Rupert, Rupert McDougal, affiliated in fealty to Clan Weatherstone."

[Orbril]

"Rupert McDougal, clan Weatherstone" the gnome replied, mentally filing the name as he took the dwarfs hand "aye I've seen t' Malachite Inn, a true beauty and t'was you what polished the stone to that grade, a true craftsman."

His eyes narrowed for a moment as the dwarf inquired about his recent activities "of late I've been with my sisters Gnoba." He offered "the Bignob war in Sherian forced her daughters to move and find new burrows. Before that I was away travelin'. I use to be Ringmaster for a Circus Troupe, calling the show for the crowds. Now I'm here fer the games 'n' maybe to find a new direction

and aye I like t' game 'n spice it with a wager or two..."

[Firebird]

"Ringmaster for the Circus," Rupert was impressed, "me great great grandpappy was a juggler, did some juggling at the gypsy camps, uh, come to think of it, he is kindof a bla'guard of our family, but he used to take me to their dancin' shows, gosh, that was maybe 160, 170 years ago. You probably don't know them, been gone nigh on 100 years or so. How long does yer race live? Yeah but my grandpap's still around, ended up owning all the caravans, after they all died off."

[Orbril]

"Aye the Grand Circus Maximus, greatest show in Aelyria" Orbril beamed with pride "those were great days and we had plenty a gypsy in our acts, even had a griffin rider at one point, though I can't say I remember a juggling dwarf, I'd be interested in meetin' yer gran'pappy.

I never been too good at reckoning age, an' well with gnomes its kinda tricky since we don't quite age in a straight line as it were, but Alyssa Chrysinaria was Queen when I came of age iffin that helps any. Now how long ago was that?"

[Firebird]

Well, let's see, Rupert took a swig of his tankard, "doesn't matter much to us who was queen, emperor, or dog diddle. The empire never done anything for us and now the new kingdom is just another bit of nonsense methinks. Long as I got my clan and we got good jobs and plenty of good Zer ale, makes no difference to me.

The dwarf finished his drink and ordered another, "yer ready for one too, Eli, get my friend here another drink. Now what is it about wagers, you want to roll a few?

[Orbril]

"yer ready for one too, Eli, get my friend here another drink. Now what is it about wagers, you want to roll a few?

"sounds invitin' enough" Orbril nodded as he accepted the second drink "rolling dice or any other game will do it, I've a little coin spare and lets hope luck is with me"

[Firebird]

"Well, there's the rules of the game, I guess, maybe I should tell you how we roll the dice here. Just so ye don't think I'm a cheatin' you. Dwarf dice is a little different from some games."

Rupert pulled forth from the bar a small wooden cup. Inside were two well worn wooden dice, with numbers and symbols on them. The numbers were as worn as the die, but you could still see their carvings clearly enough. Rupert took one of die and showed it to Orbril.

"Let's see here," he said, rolling the die so Orbril could see the sides, "this is a 2, 4, 6, and a crown, then a sword, and 8. The crown's wild and the sword's bust. The others are face value. So you can roll one die or two. If ye get a crown on the first roll, you have to roll the other die. Whatever that number is its doubled. If you get a sword, yer already bust. If you get a 2, 4, 6, 8 you can stay. Then the other guy's got to beat you, or you can roll the second die to try to get a higher number. Got it."

"I'll demonstrate it for you." Rupert took one of the die and threw it. The crown came up. Then he rolled the second die, which was a 2. "so ye see I got 2+2 = 4. So ye got to beat 4. Now if ye tie, then ye got to roll another die and take yer chances to try to beat me. Then the winner goes first next time."

[Orbril]

"So Crowns a wild and swords a bust" Orbril eyed the proceedings as Rupert demonstrated the playing of dwarf dice "and I'm aiming to get me a higher then a 4. I think I ken the way of it" he said his voice jovial as he sipped his ale

he stepped forward to takes his turn holding the dice in his hand to get a feel for them, willing them to be on his side, trusting that luck would grace his hand

"Do it fer me Gram and fer the rock" he whispered as he put the bones in the cup and rolled...

(ooc so how does the actual rolling of dice go ooc wise - will you call the results narratively or is there some other method?)

[Tash Il'nishin]

Sorry, butts out.