Pursuit of the Sun 1.2

The assumptions turned out to be wrong. 11 intellect is not a panacea. The alchemist's hand plunges into her bag in search of something that could serve as a scarf or a ribbon. One that sometimes makes you lose your head. 

The ribbon from her crazy outfit will do just fine.

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Oh right -- if you get knocked out of the saddle, there's a chance (endurance against 5) that you won't be able to continue the round. But Cassius isn't in any danger of that anyway.

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—And good health to you. For the next round. On these. —his hand rises toward Cassius and Gautier. —A silver each. —two mirror coins and one mud coin fall onto the table with a clink, — the clerk's cut.

-- Okay! On the first one the odds are currently 2 to 1, on the second 1.2 to 1. That means you'll net 1 silver and 2 coppers clean.

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Nodding at the collegial approval, she unholsters one of her "instruments":
- I'm ready. Hmm... I really want to perform something tragic, and I think there will be time for that. But one familiar face asked for something cheerful too. We'll figure it out as we go.

and will our music buff the participants? 🤓

Nope... Since there probably aren't any deaf people there, and I'm not going to recalculate all the stats just to keep the balance of power the same. But there's a catch.
-- Oh, you've already found your little knight? -- Amadeo was surprised. -- Don't forget to give him a ribbon, and play for him if he makes it through the qualifiers. Well, and who should I bet on? Because if I don't bet, I'll get bored and wither away. And freeze.
-- Bet on your scarlet centaur, -- Gunnlaug sneers. -- I was thinking of putting money on that grim bearded fellow from the feast, if he doesn't disappoint in the qualifiers.

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- What "den" are you talking about? The one you organized here with the witch, or some other one?
- What exactly were your "duties" with Stef and Tom? Just finding "suitable candidates" and handing them over to the witch? And what did she do with them afterwards? 
- And that house where we were "lucky" enough to meet today — whose is it? Yours? Stef's? Tom's?
- Where did you hunt for "material"? At the tavern? On the street? Somewhere else?

-- We didn't organize anything...
-- I know Tomasz. Not by face, of course. -- the burgomaster cuts in. -- He was always a decent man. When he started running the slums, which was a few years ago -- everything was hush-hush with him. And his den is the same tavern, but for the rabble: shitty booze, ugly women, drugs, and dice.
-- Hell if I know, but definitely nothing good. I saw one of them later -- body like a vegetable, as if on a harsh withdrawal. And then they found him in a ditch -- I swear, it wasn't me. Tom's place. Mostly at the tavern and on the streets in the slums, yeah.

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Tentacles are profitable, fashionable, and trendy.

– Thank you, Mr. Marshal, – Ottar smiled broadly. – I am always ready to work and will use the time before the expedition begins wisely. What assignments do you have for me? 

Defeat the monsters from the sewers, give massages to five elderly aristocrats... and other exciting quests. 

-- I've got two for you: one more delicate and one more combative. For the first one, come to me later, because I won't send you alone, and I can't spare my own men. The second one -- ride north and help our friend sort out a problem. Sort out -- literally, -- the marshal made a beheading gesture. -- Your part -- patch up his fighters if any of them get cut up or maimed.