So AJ wrote a short story for a competition that was due yesterday apparently and didn’t get any reminders about it and now can’t submit it :( oh well. We’ll pot for you guys anyway. It’s not me. It’s inspired by Baldur’s Gate 3 and AJ’s favorite spec a Paladin/Warlock. This is the moment when the Paladin becomes a Warlock too.
The Soul Pot
Aelar trudged through the muddy streets of Thornwood. His shoulders slumped as he stared down at the orange flickering lights of the oil lamps reflecting in the puddles. He wandered the town lost in the dark memories of the failed slaver raid he wished to forget seeking the comforts of another body and a drink.
A yellow light washed out the shadows, the loud sounds of men carousing and laughing pierced the air. The clatter of dice on the wooden table perked Aelar’s ears. “I shouldn’t,” he muttered to himself. But his feet had another idea and carried him straight into the open door of The Rusty Blade Inn.
Aelar’s eyes went straight to the gaming tables through the raucous crowd. Even the half-elven bard with bright blue eyes and intricate tattoos didn’t catch his eye.
The melodic voice carried over the sounds of the noisy room. “So heed this warning, all you who dare, Beware the devil’s offer, and the price you’ll bear. For once you make that deal, there’s no turning back, You’ll be damned for all eternity, in the devil’s fiery track!”
Aelar didn’t hear the words as he watched each die bounce on the table. His heart raced and pounded in his chest. “I should go,” he said again to himself.
A burly man scattered his pile of tokens across the table and stomped past Aelar in a huff. The vacated seat remained empty long enough for Aelar’s breath to catch and soon he was setting the black pouch from his waist on the table and the others were welcoming him to their game of chance.
Only one round, he told himself.
Aelar dumped the contents of the pouch on the table. Coin and dice tumbled to the wooden table. Aelar’s heart raced with the sound.
A man across the table smiled with lush lips and pristine teeth. His hair was a deep shade of midnight blue and had storm clouds for eyes. His voice was sweet and melodic, “Ready?”
Aelar nodded with a smile. A serpent entwined around the mans wrist as he dumped the cup to the table and Aelar watched as the dice settled to a halt.
The fair skinned stranger scooped up two die and rerolled them. He rolled again and the smile grew across Aelar’s lips.
The next player who’s skin was as dark as the setting night with glowing purple eyes took his turn pulling out two pairs, fours over twos.
There was still room left to make a lot of coin here. And now, it was Aelar’s turn.
Aelar scooped up his dice and shook them in the wooden cup they passed around. The sound of clattering dice made his heart sing. The vibration of the cup and dice in his hand made him weak. Aelar dumped the contents and rolled two sixes. He smiled to himself.
Three dice rattled in the wooden cup. Come on my lucky lady. Aelar pressed his hand to the wooden amulet around his neck.
As if his goddess had answered, two threes and a six bounced to their final resting place on the second roll. “Full house, sixes over threes.”
Aelar watched, his knee bouncing as the half-orc next to him rolled two fives, and then on the last roll only another five.
He breathed a sigh of relief and with one more player to go Aelar felt his odds were in his favor. He was going to win. His knee bounced faster. The man across from him, his smile remained steady as he watched Aelar.
The best the fifth player could muster was two fives. Their eyes flared red when they saw their failing roll.
Aelar shouted, “I win!” as he pulled the winnings into his pile.
The next few rounds didn’t go as well as Aelar liked — one ended in a tie between two players, another round a player lost all their coin and left before the next one started, another round the stranger eyeing Aelar with a wicked smile won a small pot.
The next round Aelar won and broke a player. The night had grown late and another left with their take of the winnings. It left only Aelar and the stranger.
The stranger had enough for one more set of dice throws. Aelar smiled. It would be the last game of the night as the Inn was winding down. The stranger sat forward and put the remainder of their tokens into the pot. “All or nothing? I’m feeling lucky.”
The man hadn’t won much through out the night, the last three coins were testament to that. Aelar nodded. “Me too.” He pushed his coin into the middle and the man nodded to him. “You first.”
Aelar picked up his dice and blew on them before dropping them into the wooden cup and giving them a strong shake before dumping them on the table in a fantastic display of bouncing dice. Two fours rolled up.
The second roll with less flourish bounced to a stop with two fives. Not bad. The final roll failed. There was still hope.
The stranger smiled and dropped his dice from his hand to the table. Three fives! Three fucking fives.
Aelar shouted, “Two out of three!”
The stranger’s smile grew larger more wicked. “We play for larger stakes.”
“Fine anything.” Aelar said and rattled the bones. A strange feeling rolled over Aelar’s skin as he rolled three more times, ending with triple sixes. Uh oh.
The stranger rolled a 3, 4 and 5 and on the second rolled a 1 and 2 — a small straight.
The stranger’s eyes light with fire, a red glow underneath his skin filled his body and he reached out to grab Aelar’s hand. Mist swirled around them. Sparks skittered across his skin. Shadows slithered through his veins, power coursed through his nerves. A darkness awakened inside him. The stranger laughed. “My master is now yours.”
The Mind of Nox 