Baldur's Gate : The Sword Coast Chronicles : NWN2 Persistent World

Artim responds:

"Good woman, this "ol' man" might I be, in your eyes...but I know hands of trickery, though they may be disguised. I know nothing of you, so without regret, I refuse to play a fool...so I will only play along, if this good merchant will shuffle the deck himself, and present the cards."

she places the cards back at her breast and says, "aye. den we be avin an agreement den."

Finn would look between the two bidders a bit dumbfounded before nodding his head and smiling as he says.

"I will agree to this only in the condition that the winner pay the high bid of 45 bags. After all it would not behoove a humble merchant such as I to agree to a game of chance between bidders where I've a chance to lose 10 bags on the outcome. That is a game of chance where I can only hope to break even or lose, yes? Are we agreed? "

With her head still directed toward the competor, her dark eyes move to the side to the auctioneer. "Acquiesce" she says stomping the heal of her boot on the ground.

"good and done!" the merchant, Finn exclaims as he moves to reach for the deck of cards.

///I can be in game tomorrow between 13.00-19.00 GMT if Steve and Aaron would like to roll for who wins the right to buy the item.

The merchant, Finn is seen finalizing the exchange of the Tower Shield of Grace as well as the Briarspike Spear. Afterwards he adds a ring to the Jewelry case as well as a new set of armor. He seems to be negotiating the terms of a game of chance with the Procurer of Tales and the Tiefling woman since there has been few bids on his other items available.

Merchants, consumers and passerby in The Wide might have seen a rather interesting spectacle on this day when a somewhat high stakes game of 'high card' was played. The Gem Merchant, Finn expertly shuffled a deck of cards while the crass talking Tiefling woman, Gale and the golden tongued Procurer of Tales, Artim looked on.

First, he drew a card for Artim, upon his own insistence and the agreement of Gale. Those nearby would see the card:
Upon drawing the card, Gale would insist for fairness that the card must be placed back in to the deck and the deck reshuffled before her own card is drawn. Finn would do so and then draw a card for Gale, any paying attention would see the next card drawn:
Upon the drawing of the second card, Finn would look to Artim with sadness in his eyes.

"I am quite sorry my friend, it saddens me that you have lost this game of chance, seeing as you did make the high bid"

He would then turn to Gale, his look miraculously turning in to one of utter joy.

"It appears you have won the game of chance, my daring lady. The exquisite ring is yours for the agreed price of 45 bags of gold!"

Artim responds:

"Oh yes...how fortune is sometimes fickle!"

Artim bows to the woman, then to the merchant, and heads off in the direction of another trader's table.

With a grin and a wink of a dark eye. Gale looks every bit the victor of this game of chance. "FIckle in deed" she whispers behind her sharp toothed grin.

The merchant is seen adding several new items to his inventory, grumbling about doing business with adventurers instead of proper folk...

A woodsman approaches the merchant, and after a short while perusing the wares, makes an offer.

"Will you take 5000 coin for those Priestly Bracers?"

He nods, "Aye, that'll do as there's been little interest in them thus far, sold, my friend!"

Finn smiles as he hands over the armbands to the woodsman.

///I am in game now for maybe another hour, let me know... Otherwise I might be in game again Friday or possibly later this evening.

*A large figure in sodded, spiked armor walks up to the stall. Through the visor, he looks upon the "Shield of leadership", points at, and rumbles with a thick, phlem-plagued voice*

"...Thirty...bags"

*He then looks at Finn, tilting his head inquisitively*