The Gaming Den

Pay for room.

You wander upstairs to your room. The room is dark and you have been given no candle, so you grope around for the bed and sit on it. You could eat here, but you have no food and no desire to. You lie back on your mattress and fall asleep.

You have the strangest dream that you have been captured by a torturer with a sadistic imagination, who is plotting all sorts of horrific fates for you. You wake up with a fright, in a cold sweat.

It is just about sunrise and the early morning light coming through the window lights up your room. Above your head is a sight which makes you freeze.

Your movement is restricted by tough leather ties which strap you into your bed and above your neck is the sharp, heavy blade of a guillotine! A chuckle from the bedside catches your attention, and you look over into the squinting eyes of the innkeeper. he laughs loudly. He is after meat for the day's stew, which you may be providing. Perhaps he does not like to kill others himself, or perhaps he just delights in a prolonged suffering, but whatever the reason, he has given you a chance of escape, with a rope fixed round your left wrist. He undoes the tie and you can feel a weight in your hand. You may pull or release the rope. One choice will mean your certain death; the other will raise the blade and allow you to sit up and unfasten your ties. The laughing innkeeper is quite obviously mad, and will give you no help.

Pull the rope?
Release the rope?

Name: Jason Beckett Mordred
Sex: Male
Skill: 11/11
Stamina: 19/19
Luck: 10/11
Weapon: Sword
Inventory: Blimberry Juice (+3 Stamina), beeswax, silver key, Borrinskin boots, Ragnar's Armband of Swordmastery (+2 Attack Strength when using a sword), 2 backup swords, torch, tinderbox, green-haired wig, Lucky Talisman (+1 bonus to all Luck tests)
Gold Pieces: 28
Libra's Favor: Not yet used in this adventure
North Gate Spell:
So tumblers two sealed deep inside
I bid you, portals, open wide
_____________________________
_____________________________
Notes: You can call on Vik for help in Kharé; Flanker will be your friend in Kharé

Argh, this thing. From looking at the picture, pulling, I think, will raise the blade. Also, it says that we can feel it pulling on our hand, which it would if it's supporting the weight of the blade.

I vote to release the rope, as it looks like there is some weight on the bottom left that the rope connects to on the left edge. Releasing it would allow the weight to pull down on the right and lift the rope, while pulling it risks breaking the rope outright and activating the guillotine.

Need a tiebreaker.

I'll change my vote to a half vote, to avoid being stuck with votes down the middle (pun intended).

Releasing the rope wins 1 to 0.5.

The guillotine blade rises and you breathe a sigh of relief. The innkeeper curses and disappears downstairs, allowing you to release your bonds. You leave the inn smartly. Restore 1 LUCK point for your correct choice and 2 STAMINA for your night's sleep.

You ate the previous day (don't think about what), so no hunger damage.

You leave the inn. In the morning light you can see that it is set almost on the riverside and is a short distance from the Harbour Bridge, the only crossing of the Jabaji. You cross the great river. On the far bank, there is a fork in the road.

Turn left?
Turn right?

Name: Jason Beckett Mordred
Sex: Male
Skill: 11/11
Stamina: 19/19
Luck: 11/11
Weapon: Sword
Inventory: Blimberry Juice (+3 Stamina), beeswax, silver key, Borrinskin boots, Ragnar's Armband of Swordmastery (+2 Attack Strength when using a sword), 2 backup swords, torch, tinderbox, green-haired wig, Lucky Talisman (+1 bonus to all Luck tests)
Gold Pieces: 24
Libra's Favor: Not yet used in this adventure
North Gate Spell:
So tumblers two sealed deep inside
I bid you, portals, open wide
_____________________________
_____________________________
Notes: You can call on Vik for help in Kharé; Flanker will be your friend in Kharé

I vote to reject fascism and go left.

May as well.

(We don't get the option of killing the innkeeper, but we do get options for killing randoms who aren't hostile to us?)

You follow a narrow, winding street, which takes you past shops and stalls. It is still early and they will not be open for an hour or two yet, but there are stirrings from within the houses as the day's activities begin. A face appears at one window and seems to watch you pass, although its eyes are closed and you are not sure that you can actually be seen. Another similar creature stands at a doorway, washing in the street. It is thin and spindly, with a long face-–and again its eyes are closed. More of these creatures-–young males-–are hanging about in a group a little further up. They are talking and kicking stones in the gutter. One of them 'sees' you and speaks to the others. This could be trouble.

Continue as normal and bid them a pleasant day as you pass?
Continue, but be ready to defend yourself if they attack?
Take a side street to avoid them?

Name: Jason Beckett Mordred
Sex: Male
Skill: 11/11
Stamina: 19/19
Luck: 11/11
Weapon: Sword
Inventory: Blimberry Juice (+3 Stamina), beeswax, silver key, Borrinskin boots, Ragnar's Armband of Swordmastery (+2 Attack Strength when using a sword), 2 backup swords, torch, tinderbox, green-haired wig, Lucky Talisman (+1 bonus to all Luck tests)
Gold Pieces: 24
Libra's Favor: Not yet used in this adventure
North Gate Spell:
So tumblers two sealed deep inside
I bid you, portals, open wide
_____________________________
_____________________________
Notes: You can call on Vik for help in Kharé; Flanker will be your friend in Kharé

I vote to take a side street to avoid them, as they seem bad news.

May as well.

They move toward you and you nip down a side street to the left. They chase after you. They are quick runners and you will have to try to lose them.

Turn:

First right, first left, first right?
First right, next right, first left?
First left, first right, next right?

Name: Jason Beckett Mordred
Sex: Male
Skill: 11/11
Stamina: 19/19
Luck: 11/11
Weapon: Sword
Inventory: Blimberry Juice (+3 Stamina), beeswax, silver key, Borrinskin boots, Ragnar's Armband of Swordmastery (+2 Attack Strength when using a sword), 2 backup swords, torch, tinderbox, green-haired wig, Lucky Talisman (+1 bonus to all Luck tests)
Gold Pieces: 24
Libra's Favor: Not yet used in this adventure
North Gate Spell:
So tumblers two sealed deep inside
I bid you, portals, open wide
_____________________________
_____________________________
Notes: You can call on Vik for help in Kharé; Flanker will be your friend in Kharé

I vote to go first right, next right, first left. My hope is that making the last move a communist one will be enough to wash down the fascism that our hero will have to embrace to escape his pursuers.

Right right left is as good as any.

May as well.

You come to a stop outside a hut. The footsteps behind you are getting louder. You decide to nip into the hut. You enter the hut and your eyes widen. The room inside is covered from floor to ceiling in trinkets, some piled up on shelves, some hanging from the ceiling, others leaning against the wall. The hut is lined with weapons, pottery, jewellery, domestic objects, magical items, and so on. Sitting cross-legged on the floor is a small bearded GNOME, who rubs his hands and greets you as you come in. In a squeaky voice he invites you to sit and barter with him.

Are there at least four items on your equipment list you are prepared to trade? (Specify which four items you choose to offer for barter, if you pick this one. You may not choose Gold, Provisions, or your primary weapon.)
Or will you leave?

Name: Jason Beckett Mordred
Sex: Male
Skill: 11/11
Stamina: 19/19
Luck: 11/11
Weapon: Sword
Inventory: Blimberry Juice (+3 Stamina), beeswax, silver key, Borrinskin boots, Ragnar's Armband of Swordmastery (+2 Attack Strength when using a sword), 2 backup swords, torch, tinderbox, green-haired wig, Lucky Talisman (+1 bonus to all Luck tests)
Gold Pieces: 24
Libra's Favor: Not yet used in this adventure
North Gate Spell:
So tumblers two sealed deep inside
I bid you, portals, open wide
_____________________________
_____________________________
Notes: You can call on Vik for help in Kharé; Flanker will be your friend in Kharé

Oh, the wig and backup swords are useful here. Does the beeswax do anything? That makes 4.

I also agree to trade in the wig, swords, and beeswax.

Sounds good, let's do that.

'Good, good!' squeaks the Gnome. 'Let's see what sort of a bargain we can give you today.'

He is offering the following for barter:
Bamboo Flute
Bag of Goblin Teeth
Lucky Talisman
Enchanted Compass
Large Backpack
Beeswax

You may choose two of them to express interest in, and he'll roll one die to determine what he wants in exchange. On a 2, he wants the wig for the item you named. On a 3 or 4, he wants one of your swords. On a 5 he wants the beeswax. On a 6, he thinks his item is worth two of your items and will roll again twice. On a 1, he wants something you haven't offered. If he rolls the same number both times (and that number isn't 6), he thinks the item he wants is worth both the items you've asked for.

Name: Jason Beckett Mordred
Sex: Male
Skill: 11/11
Stamina: 19/19
Luck: 11/11
Weapon: Sword
Inventory: Blimberry Juice (+3 Stamina), beeswax, silver key, Borrinskin boots, Ragnar's Armband of Swordmastery (+2 Attack Strength when using a sword), 2 backup swords, torch, tinderbox, green-haired wig, Lucky Talisman (+1 bonus to all Luck tests)
Gold Pieces: 24
Libra's Favor: Not yet used in this adventure
North Gate Spell:
So tumblers two sealed deep inside
I bid you, portals, open wide
_____________________________
_____________________________
Notes: You can call on Vik for help in Kharé; Flanker will be your friend in Kharé

I vote for the Lucky Talisman and the Large Backpack.

Agreed.

The gnome rolls 5 and 6. For the Lucky Talisman he wants the beeswax. For the Large Backpack he wants two items...

(3, 3) or rather, wants one of your swords quite a bit. Trade the beeswax, the sword, both, or neither?

Name: Jason Beckett Mordred
Sex: Male
Skill: 11/11
Stamina: 19/19
Luck: 11/11
Weapon: Sword
Inventory: Blimberry Juice (+3 Stamina), beeswax, silver key, Borrinskin boots, Ragnar's Armband of Swordmastery (+2 Attack Strength when using a sword), 2 backup swords, torch, tinderbox, green-haired wig, Lucky Talisman (+1 bonus to all Luck tests)
Gold Pieces: 24
Libra's Favor: Not yet used in this adventure
North Gate Spell:
So tumblers two sealed deep inside
I bid you, portals, open wide
_____________________________
_____________________________
Notes: You can call on Vik for help in Kharé; Flanker will be your friend in Kharé

I vote to trade out both items.