Let's Play Secrets of Salamonis (#70) redux?

[deaddmwalking]

I know that we get to talk to Nanoc if we say we're looking for Adventure. We'll also have an opportunity to chase a skinny man that we missed before. It looks like we need 5 more Salacoins before we can afford a room in an inn, and I would like to avoid a night in the gutter if we can. Basically, if the Skinny Man doesn't lead us someplace good we're going to get stuck with some bad options. But I don't think we can get work in the Boondocks without a permit... So I'm in favor of leaving here with Nanoc and hoping that we get something better than we did last time....

[Beroli]

Say we're heading for the Adventurer's Guild.

[Dogopolis]

I’ll walk with you, then,’ says Nanoc, and the two of you set off together into town, heading in the direction of the Sunrise Gate and leaving the hustle and bustle of the Boondocks behind.

As you walk, you ask the Barbarian what life is like as a Strongarm. He tells you that it was his job to keep convoys safe from marauding Orcs and Goblins. The longboat you arrived on was carrying miscellaneous sacks of cargo, including fine cloth and exotic foodstuffs. The hired Strongarms were there to take on any pirates the boat might have encountered during the journey, using their bows, arrows and swords to repel any attack.

‘And that is what it means to be a Strongarm,’ Nanoc says. ‘Keep the cargo safe, whatever the danger. You should bear it in mind if you ever find yourself short of money.’

Luckily, you had no unwelcome encounters during your journey to Salamonis. There was nothing for the guards to do besides tell stories, drink and gamble. And it is the drinking and gambling that are often the ruination of the Strongarms, not marauding Orcs and Goblins; they will either have gambled away their entire wages before they get home, leaving nothing for their families, or they will drink it away on their first night back. Such is the life of a Strongarm.

‘Aha! There she is!’ Nanoc suddenly declares, pointing. ‘Tabatha! Over here!’

His wife waves to him through the crowds, as does a young boy holding her hand. In tears, she runs to Nanoc and hugs him. Nanoc embraces her in return, holding her in his powerful arms.

‘And who is this young soldier?’ he asks, fixing the youngster with a quizzical look. ‘Whose boy is this?’

‘Why, this is Benboy,’ replies Tabatha. ‘Your son!’

Nanoc kneels down to face the boy. ‘Hello, son,’ he says.

‘I’m a-pleaze to meet you, Da,’ says the child.

With one hand round his wife’s waist, and holding his son’s hand with the other, Nanoc bids you farewell and sets off for home.

As you go your separate ways, you hear Nanoc ask, ‘How old are you, Benboy?’

‘Four,’ comes the child’s innocent reply.

‘Do you hear that, Tabatha?’ the Barbarian laughs. ‘The boy can’t count! I’ve been away for five years but he thinks he’s four!’

Gain 1 AMONOUR point

--------------------------

Travelling eastwards along the Grand Parade, you pass a number of groups of locals engrossed in their own conversations. As you pass them, you offer a friendly smile, but most ignore you. Those who do acknowledge you give you an unwelcoming scowl in return.

The Grand Parade, which is also known as the Goldenway, is a magnificent avenue, as befits a wealthy kingdom. Goldenway is the main road through the centre of the city. It is cobbled and lined with statues of the grand elders of Salamonis, past and present. The shops you see lining the road there sell luxury items, such as exotic cooking spices and beautiful ladies’ gowns.

But the most wonderful feature is not even apparent. In fact, that is what makes it so special. Whilst lesser towns consider an open sewer, cleaned by rainwater, to be quite an advancement beyond the dig-and-bury home latrine, the sewer in Salamonis is totally hidden away underground. No splashing, no unpleasant smells, no unfortunate accidents resulting in someone falling into an active sewer. On top of that, the sewer is large enough for a man to stand up in, which could prove of military use in an emergency. A most ingenious idea by King Salamon LVII.

Out of the corner of your eye, you catch sight of a gaunt-looking figure hobbling away down a side street. But what has attracted your attention is the fact that he is carrying a backpack that looks very similar to yours! There must be many adventurers in a place like Salamonis, all carrying their own packs, but if there is a chance it could be yours, surely you have to investigate.

Do you want to set off down the side street after the skinny man or you would you rather keep heading along the Grand Parade?

We also have a pig icon but we don't manage to convince them to work for Snouter

[Beroli]

Follow the parade.

[SGamerz]

Grand Parade

[Dogopolis]

The Grand Parade leads all the way to the Royal Palace, but before it gets there it opens out into a square packed with stalls which are shutting up for the day. This is Salamonis’s famous Bazaar. Surrounding the square are inns and shops, and a rather dilapidated building that looks like a cross between a temple and a tavern. Above the door hangs a sign in the shape of a shield bisected by a sword. This must be the Adventurers’ Guild.

The sun is sinking behind the rooftops to the west, casting long shadows across the Market Square. There is a board outside the Guild House displaying the jobs that are currently available. However, in large red letters at the bottom of the board are the words ‘Only open to Guild members. Adventurers’ Permits 2 Gold Pieces.’ Clearly, if you want to become an adventurer in Salamonis, it’s going to cost you.

The heavy, iron-bound door to the Guild House is closed, and by the orange glow of the setting sun, you see that a sign has been hung on the door that reads: ‘Closed. Come back tomorrow.’ You try the door, but it is clearly locked and bolted from inside. Banging on the door doesn’t do any good either.

‘Can’t you read?’ You turn to see it is one of the stallholders who is packing up for the day that is addressing you.

You tell him that you have travelled from your home to Salamonis with the intention of making your way in the world as an adventurer.

‘Ah, that explains it,’ mutters the man, although you’re not sure quite what it explains, exactly. ‘Look, you can’t just rock up here and call yourself an adventurer. You have to join the Guild first, but that’ll cost ya. If it’s a job you’re after, Pigboy Snouter’s always hiring at the Slime and Swine Guttery. You’ll find his place outside the West Gate.’

You thank the man for his advice and decide what to do. Choose an option from the list below that you haven’t tried already. Will you:

Make your way to the Slime and Swine Guttery?
Explore the docks?
Ask the stallholder if he’s hiring at present?

-------------------------------------------------
We can only ask the stallholder

‘You need a permit from the Tradesmen’s Guild to work in the Bazaar,’ the man tells you. ‘You got one of those?’ You shake your head. ‘Didn’t think so.’

You walk away disconsolately. It feels like you need a permit to do anything in Salamonis, but permits cost money and your life savings were in your backpack, along with all your worldly possessions!

‘What’s the matter, friend?’ The voice belongs to a lean man, dressed in fine clothes that have nonetheless seen better days. He has a curling moustache on his top lip, a goatee on his chin, and a twinkle in his eye. 

------------------------------------------------

‘You look like an honourable chap,’ he says, putting his arm around your shoulders. ‘I mean you’ve got an honest face. I’m surprised to see someone like you in an impecunious state.’ You didn’t realize you were in an impecunious state; you thought Salamonis was a kingdom. ‘You need to earn some Salacoins? Then Rodriguez is your man. But why work for a living when you can grift. Grifting is far easier. You don’t have to take insults or deal with angry men.’

‘What’s grifting?’ you ask. ‘Sounds a bit dodgy.’

‘It’s only dodgy if you get caught,’ Rodriguez replies, lowering his voice. ‘And I never get caught.’

The two of you sit down on a bench nearby and Rodriguez tells you what he has in mind.

‘We start at the nearest inn, right? Inns mean ale, and ale means marks. Marks are what we are looking for. People who’ve had a skinful already, who are not as alert as they were earlier in the day. And we’re going to use them to entertain the whole inn.’

Do you want to go along with Rodriguez and try your hand at grifting or does it sound like a little too dubious an activity and that you should leave Rodriguez to work his con tricks alone?

[Beroli]

Leave him to work his con tricks alone.

[Dogopolis]

The sun is setting. A room at a cheap local hostelry will cost 1 Gold Piece, or 10 Salacoins, for one night. Do you have enough money to pay for a room and want to spend it in this way? If not, you have no choice but to sleep rough in the street.

------------------------
We don’t have enough

You wake the following morning to find yourself in the gutter, with a couple of rats curled up next to you, sharing your body’s warmth. You shoo them away in disgust. You have a crick in your neck and do not feel ready for the day at all. (Lose 1 STAMINA point.) But it could have been worse – at least it’s not winter!

---------------------------------------

You might not have been in Salamonis long, but what you have learned is that anybody who wants to become an adventurer and take on any officially listed quests has to become a member of the Adventurers’ Guild first.

It’s a new day, and the bright morning sunlight fills you with a renewed sense of optimism. You soon find your way to the Adventurers’ Guild on Market Square, next to the Bazaar. The building might be in need of a few repairs – there are tiles missing from the roof and a couple of broken windowpanes – but its pillared entrance and sturdy, iron-bound oak door still speak of a faded grandeur. In some ways it reminds you of a grizzled veteran adventurer.

The Guild is open for business and, as you approach the entrance, your eye is drawn to the Quests Board outside. Pinned to the bottom board is a curl of parchment with three words written on it in neat calligraphic script: ‘Found – 1 Backpack.’ Could it be your missing pack?

You enter the Guild House at a run, your heart hammering in your chest. You find yourself in a large room that seems to be full of hard-bitten adventuring types – Flatlands Barbarians, salty sea dogs from the Skull Coast, Half-Elves from the Forest of Yore, Dwarfs from Stonebridge, and even black-clad warriors swathed in loose-fitting black robes from Chiang Mai – discussing everything from the price of throwing knives in Silverton to the whereabouts of a lost city in the Desert of Skulls, and rumours of a war brewing between two rival sorcerers. You approach the counter on the far side.

Standing behind it is an elderly gentleman with a warm smile and a twinkle in his eye. ‘And what can I do for you?’ he asks.

‘I saw you’ve had a backpack handed in and thought it might be mine,’ you say. You then proceed to tell him how you came to lose it in the first place.

When you have finished your story, the Guildmaster says, ‘How do I know what you say is true? You could be a scammer trying to claim something that doesn’t belong to you. Can you tell me what was in it?’

You rattle off the list of contents: a few personal mementos, a short sword, spare underwear – ‘Did your mum write your name in them?’ the Guildmaster laughs – your money bag and a copy of Longbeard’s Legends of the Windward Plains.

‘Sounds like it could be yours,’ says the man, ‘but are you prepared to put your money where your mouth is? You need to pay 1 Gold Piece if you want me to release it into your custody.’

This is outrageous – you’re having to pay to get your own pack back! – but it doesn’t seem like you have any choice.

Do you have at least 1 Gold Piece, or the equivalent?  

-----------------------------
We don’t

Your quest to become an adventurer would seem to have been doomed from the start. Test Your Luck.

--------------------------

9 is unlucky

Finding your lost backpack and then not being able to reclaim it is the final straw. You lose your temper and start shouting at the man, making all sorts of slanders about his heritage, and it is not long before a couple of guild members seize hold of you and drag you off to the local Guard House.

There you are thrown into a stinking stone cell for disturbing the peace. You vow that when they let you go — if they let you go — you will return home and become a bearsheep farmer. Your adventure is over.

We also pass by one pig icon, but it doesn't matter.

You haven't reached a guaranteed game over

For 2 points you can either go grifting with Rodriguez, chase after the guy with the backpack or choose not to change your last decision and hope you're lucky this time.
For 3 points you can go back anywhere else
For 4 points I'll take to back to what I think is an optimal decision

[Beroli]

4 points. Go back to an optimal decision.

[SGamerz]

2 points, try grifting

[Thaluikhain]

I think we should try grifting, even though we don't want to.

[Dogopolis]

Although there was a slightly better path around the docks, grifting is definitely the best major decision available, taking 2 points for it

‘The inn is just around the corner, says Rodriguez. As you make the turn into Half Darned Lane, you can hear raucous crowd chattering and laughing a short distance ahead. You squint to read the sign hanging outside the inn

What's this?’ you snort. “The Half Darned Sock? What kind of name is that for an inn? And why only half-darned?” Ah, yes,’ replies Rodriguez. “There's history behind this particular hostelry; it’s the oldest one in Salamonis. However, our present need is cash, and a drunken crowd like this is very easy to grift from.”

As you open the heavy wooden door and enter the inn, the noise from inside is deafening. The place is heaving. It's as though you have suddenly come across a Fighting Bear Pit mid-bout. You can hardly hear yourself think. It seems something special arrived with the longboats and now everyone is celebrating.

"it's always like this after the longboats arrive, Rodriguez yells over the noise. “The sailors take their wages and go straight off to the nearest inn. Often, they drink or gambie away the lot in only a few hours, to the despair of their wives and children.’

By the entrance, a heated argument has broken out between a staggering Half-Elf and a woozy sailor. The dispute has progressed from harsh words to pushing and shoving, and is all about who is entitled to sit on a wooden stool that has become vacant. But now the two of the have progressed to fisticuffs and their jostling is starting to annoy the customers. A shrill whistle pierces the air. Almost immediately a burly Strongarm appears to break up the fight. He picks up both the miscreants by their collars and throws them out o to the street. They look at each other quizzically. What right did this Strongarm have to manhandle them? And so roughly?

The pair curse him and vow they will get their own back on the Barbarian. But they have completely forgotten what their argument was all about. The sailor offers to buy the Half-Elf a mug of ale. The two re-enter the inn, smiling now and with their arms around each ther's shoulders.

‘Quite a few sailors will be going home to their wives empty-handed,’ Rodriguez says, ‘and that’s where we come in. They're going to spend all their Salacoins on drinking |or gambling anyway. We just need to make sure some of it comes our way... Here, Let me buy you an ale and I’ll explain what we're going to be doing. You find.a table and I'll get the drinks in,’

As you squeeze through the crowd, looking for somewhere to sit, you notice a coin on the floor. Do you want to pick it up or would you rather ignore it?

SKILL: 6/6
STAMINA: 8/12
LUCK: 6/6
AMONOUR: 3
MONEY: 10 Salacoins = 1 Gold Piece
0 Gold Pieces
5 Salacoins
1 guttery employee found
Possessions: Trinket

Game overs:
No money for backpack (-2)
10 help points remaining

[Beroli]

Sounds like a trap. Ignore it.

[Thaluikhain]

Yeah, ignore.

[SGamerz]

Pick up the coin

[Dogopolis]

We ignore the coin.

You find a couple of seats in a quieter part of the inn and Rodriguez joins you there a few minutes later. He is carrying two mugs of spicy Hobgoblin mead. You don’t know whether he actually paid for them or whether he scammed the landlord. You take a sip of your drink and ask him what he has in mind, Well,’ he begins, ‘I have a cheeky little grift which should get us a few free drinks and maybe even a room for the night. It’s a card trick.’ He gets up from his seat again. Come on, follow me.’

Do you want to follow Rodriguez? Or would you rather leave him to his grifting and find someone else to
talk to?

[Thaluikhain]

Following him could get us in trouble, and we've not talked to anyone here, so half vote for talking to someone else.

[Beroli]

We've come this far. Follow him.

[pragma]

Follow him

[Dogopolis]

You follow Rodriguez to the bar, where he immediately starts to address the landlord; ‘I’m going to show you a trick which, quite honestly, astonishes me every time I do it. I kid you not. You are going to pick two cards, and, with alittle magic, I'll tell you what they are without ever seeing them. Hopefully, you'll find it entertaining enough to let me have a room for the night.’

The landlord is intrigued. ‘Come on, then," he says, ‘let’s see what you've got.” Rodriguez lays a pack of cards on top of the bar. “So, here we go. This is a pack of cards numbered | to 9, in four suits, I'm going to shuffle them’ - he riffles the deck like a professional card sharp - ‘and now... Pick a card — any card! — and then show it to everyone.’

The landlord picks a card from the shuffled deck, revealing it to the crowd of onlookers that is gathering by the bar, it’s a 6. He then places it face down on the counter. “So, how are you at sums? Rodriguez asks. ‘Considering your line of work, | expect you're pretty good, or you would have gone out of business by now!"

The onlookers — the regulars in particular ~ laugh at hearing this line. ‘Remember the number on your card,’ Redriguez tells the landlord. “Double it. Add 5. And multiply the number you now have by 5, You got it?" The landlord confirms that he has. “Now I want you to choose another card’ — he does so ‘and add this number to the total you've already got in your head and tell me the final total,’ ‘Eighty-nine!' announces the landlord. “Then your two cards were - are you ready for this? The crowd are on tenterhooks and a hush has descended. 'A 6 and a 4!" The landlord looks astonished. He turns aver the two cards. Gasps are heard from around the bar, He had indeed chosen a 6 and 4. True to his word, the landlord offers Rodriguez a room for the night.

‘Well, that's me sorted,’ the grifter says, a familiar sparkle in his eye. "Do you want to give it a try?You were watching carefully, weren't you?’

Do you want to find yourself a suitable mark and try the trick yourself in exchange for some money, which you can then use to pay for a room, or is the trick beyond you?

[deaddmwalking]

Let's try it.

[Beroli]

If anything like this happened in real life, my reply would be something like, "Wait, first explain the pattern of marking on the cards."

But since we have no such dialogue option, let's try it and hope either that it really is a math trick, or that we have a Skill or Luck test to decode said marks.

[deaddmwalking]

Here's the deal, the first step makes sure that each answer is more than 9 apart.

1 = 35
2 = 45
3 = 55 etc

So if someone says 59 it has to be 3 + 4; if someone says 44 it has to be 1 + 9.

[SGamerz]

Try the trick

[Thaluikhain]

Try the trick.