### 8

You take your seats and the croupier deals out five cards to each player. Gregor wins the first round, and the second, and the third. Very soon it becomes apparent that he is quite an expert at Lourdenian Draw. After little more than a dozen rounds of play he has collected over 50 Nobles. For your part, you make use of your Magnakai Disciplines to help you win a more modest sum.

Pick a number from the Random Number Table. If the number you have picked is odd (i.e. 1, 3, 5, 7, or 9), you win 4 Nobles. If the number you have picked is even (i.e. 2, 4, 6, 8, or 0) you win 6 Nobles (1 Noble = 1 Gold Crown).

The other players become disgruntled and one by one they leave the table. Soon there are not enough players to be able to continue, and when no new players come forward the croupier declares the game closed. Grinning like a well fed cat, Gregor pockets his winnings and together you leave the Lucky Horse Inn and continue your walk along the main street. Soon you arrive at the Lourdenian Consulate where a guard at the gate allows you both to enter and wait in its cool, tree-shaded courtyard. A few minutes later you are met by the consul’s assistant, a rotund little official called Cheary. He is shocked to hear of the pirate attack, and he urges Gregor to accompany him inside the consulate to make a full written report. He says that it could take several hours, possibly even a day or two, and so you decide that now is a good time to say farewell to your companion. Before you go, Gregor offers you his heartfelt thanks for all you have done for him, and he hopes that one day soon your paths will cross again.

‘If you should ever visit Pforodon,’ he says, ‘stop by the Singing Lamb Tavern on Spike Street. If I’m not there, the landlord will know where you can find me.’

You wish Gregor a safe journey home, and then you leave the consulate and make your way back along the main street to the harbour. The heat and dust of the afternoon are making you thirsty and so you stop to drink from a freshwater fountain set into the wall of a crumbling old temple. The hustle and noise of the street crowd is becoming oppressive and you yearn to find somewhere quiet where you can rest before you return to the ship. Looking around, you notice two places which promise some respite. The first is a public park which stands upon a cliff that looms above the city to the east of the harbour wall. The second is a narrow, deserted alley that wends its way into the city’s Old Quarter.

If you wish to visit the park, turn to 291.

If you choose to explore the city’s Old Quarter, turn to 126.