Logs:A Fool's Gambit
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| RL Date: 10 October, 2014 |
| Who: Cron |
| Involves: High Reaches Weyr |
| Type: Vignette |
| What: Cron takes a risk with Esvay's future. |
| Where: Seedy Tavern, Nabol Hold |
| When: Day 16, Month 3, Turn 35 (Interval 10) |
| Mentions: Edyis/Mentions |
| OOC Notes: Prior to Dresses and Dragons Backdated. |
| Cron felt that familiar itch in his palms, even as the rattle of the dice echos about in the baser parts of his brain. Dark eyes move to the table where a group of rougher men are casting dice, absently he listens to the bets placed even as he forces himself to move past them to the bar. I should leave; he thought. It was how he had managed the last five turns without any major slip ups. Still it wouldn't hurt if he ignored it, Faldstan was waiting at the bar. It would be awkward to have to explain the situation after the Journeyman had already seen him. He tried to focus as the Faldstan rambled on the particulars, but each rattle of the dice against the table, each cheer and jibe throbbed in his ears. Cron shook his head, managing to regain focus when his companion mentioned marks. "I am sorry, come again?" Faldstan repeated the sum, even held up fingers. "It is a better quality seed than what you've used with a higher yield rate. Naturally it comes at a higher cost than what you purchased last season. Then again you could go with a lower quality, but I can't vouch for the returns." Cron sighs, frowning. "Bleeding me dry." "There's an adage; you get what you pay for." Lifting his shoulders. "If you are going for higher quality seed, the Hall will expect payment prior to delivery." Faldstan states as he stands. "Otherwise, you can just go on with what you let go to seed last season, but honestly you may see diminished returns. Doesn't Esvay rely mostly on lumber production anyway?" The holder shakes his head as he considers it. "Yes but you have to rotate the cutting, and replant as you go. Hardwoods take even longer to mature, so it has to go by a very carefully maintained schedule. Otherwise, you run the risk of depleting the resource before it can recover. Give me time to think about it won't you Faldstan? I can have the order sent by runner soon." Faldstan nods, standing and dusting himself off. "I've got three other holders to meet with today so I will be taking my leave." He waves, which serves as his farewell leaving Cron to consider his options alone. The rattle of the dice once more echoed in his ears as his eyes drifted to the table where the men still played. The wagers were getting bigger. What's one little toss?" The lurid little voice in the back of his mind whispered. It was a slippery slope; he thought. He'd managed to avoid most major gambling incidents for some turns now. Faldstan's promises of a fuller harvest served to fuel that temptation even further. If he could increase the crop yield, they'd have more left over after Nabol claimed her tithes, and he could make the improvements that would allow Esvay to prosper further. It could potentially make up for the losses it had sustained due to the raids. Several hours later he felt blankly for the last mark in his possession. The men around the table are all grinning. "One more bet, give me a chance to win back what I've lost." Cron pleads. "One mark for the pot isn't enough to risk the gains we've made. You will have to do better than that." The potbellied one replies, his grin showing the missing teeth. "Esvay's profits for the season then." Palms sweating; he could win the whole pot. More marks than he'd seen in months could pay for the new seed plus have enough left over to replace some of the tapestries. One of the players seemed to study him more closely at that, but perhaps it was only Cron's imagination. It didn't matter; he went home with the pot. "It was only the once." He repeated to himself as he left. As for the player who had been studying him, that man considered many things on his way back to the Weyr. "Wonder if I should tell her?" He murmured to his lifemate as they blinked between. |
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