Frostwander

Among the 'tourists' from Caipe Ushere are two noteworthy visitors. Ekatrin Raikier, Chief Navarch, is not acting in her official capacity on this excursion. While she is not bedecked in her military uniform, it is impossible for anyone with experience to mistake her bearing. Her suit jacket and trousers are as neatly and precisely pressed as any dress uniform, and her posture is rigid and alert. Well into her sixties, her tight gray bun betrays only a few hints of red. A sturdy thick metal cane supports her limp, when she finds the need to move from her spot at the window. The other is Princet Geal Talouse Ebonne, the new queen's younger sibling. Geal has not often been in the spotlight of Caipe Ushere; publications and gossip mills have rarely scrounged up much of interest on Chalise's second child, with their sister and mother taking greater attention, with the exception of the fashion sector. High-end designers often vie for the license to design royal outfits, and Geal's variety of tastes as they have matured has yielded a much broader opportunity in the industry than Chalise's monocolor wardrobe or Monite's traditional dress. The slender princet today wears a taupe brown safari skirt and vinegreen blouse under a wysteria-purple crop jacket. The princet carries a digitablet with an enhanced camera, eager to capture memorable scenery, in particular the fearsome fauna and flora of the region. When the tour serpent's movement allows, shots of its winding body framing the background are also obtained. Though softspoken Geal is not shy about asking questions of Brann regarding the sights. "What is that type called? Do people really try to hunt these alone? Are they fighting for territory, or food? How much do they have to eat each day to survive at that size?" When the snake vehicle has to divert around another beast in the tunnels, "Would that have been a threat to our serpent?" Raikier stands nearby, her sharp eyes taking in the scenes of the wild, and particularly scrutinizing the movements of the massive beasts on display.

TacDoc submission for General Ekatrin Raikier: Surgical Precision: +3 to Battle Roll, -10% to opponent's casualties "War, even when necessary, is often a bloodthirsty spectacle and a detestable waste of life. Precision is the difference between a butcher and a surgeon." With Surgical Precision, an efficient general strikes exactly as hard as needed, targeting key points of an enemy's defense. Enemy troops need not be killed if they can be subdued. Battles need not be won by attrition when they can be won by superior positioning and control. --- Artifact submission: Book of Geometries: +1 to one Exploration per round 'Books of Geometry' are a tool developed in the last half-century to assist in teaching Geomancy to students of Practica Arcanai, and to assist in urban projects. By tuning to the shapes of the surrounding world, the books condense insights into the spatial relations of objects in a small vicinity to an intuitive interface. The culmination of years of study in advancing this field has produced a more comprehensive volume with a significantly boosted range. This book allows the user to read the exact geometric relations, positions, and relative motions of objects within a significant radius - thousands of klicks - to more effectively chart regions.

Caipe Ushere Sansar - Regions 29, 28 Sansar Orbit - Region 111 Queen Monite Akari Ebonne d’Laforét, Lady of Fire Diplomacy 4 Military 5 Economy 5 Faith 5 Intrigue 1 Turn 8 News and Rumors Following the ascension to the throne of Monite Ebonne, the dowager steps clear of the spotlight to let her daughter reign. This does not, however, prevent sensationalists, rumor mills, and paparazzi from attempting to chase down any remnants of relevance they can before moving on. While the general public shifts their attention, there is still a large enough subsection of the populace who thrive on any royal gossip. It is noted that Chalise - tabloids are swift enough to drop respectful titles except where needed to boost headlines - spends a great deal of time in privacy at the d'Laforét estates, as well as visiting Bīt Ereshkigal. She is on occasion seen in company with High Lord Nasir at private functions. A few articles posit that she is having an affair with the Imperial representative, to receive so much of his attention; though these gain little traction compared to those of her dalliances with the pirate Captain Jié Měifēng. Especially when, late in 2057, the royal cruiser makes an extended trip to the North Way Cluster of Badal. Actions: 1) [Military] Special 5 - Recruit General: Chief Navarch Ekatrin Raikier Tactical Doctrine: Pending Approval Ekatrin Raiker has served as Chief Navarch of Caipe Ushere for almost three decades, following a rapid rise through the ranks based on dedicated service and tactical excellence. While she has been instrumental in organizing both ground and space forces of her nation, she specializes in precision coordination of surface units. 2) [Military] Paid in Sap - Attack Region 33 Queen Monite Ebonne, Lady of Fire leads a coalition of forces from Caipe Ushere, New Kildora, and the Counts of Mirage to enforce the Declaration of the Imperial Senate on the island of Coedd. Attack Details Target: Region 33 - Coedd Ground units: 11 - 2 (1st Mobile Dragoon Infantry, 1st Ranger Brigade), plus 7 allied units from New Kildora and 2 from the Counts of Mirage Ground commander: Monite Ebonne (Mil 5) - TacDoc: Measured Advance Space units: 7 - 2 (1st and 2nd Light Destroyer Wings), plus 4 allied units from New Kildora and 1 from the Counts of Mirage Space commander: Valus Vile (Mil 7) - TacDoc: Blissful Ignorance Military Technologies: N/A Other bonuses: N/A No Hostile Territory or Distance Penalties 3) [Economy] Special 5 - Industrial Investment: Region 80 Usheret industry leaders funnel funding and employment assistance into an investment for the future: Superconductors. 4) [Economy] Buyout Trading Post - Uranium, Region 76 TP3 with support from the House of Fire (Roll: Pending) 5) [Intrigue] Secret Action Non-actions: Pending Spend Treasure... Support conversion by House of Brimstone in Caipe Ushere (Region 29). Gain 1 Renown for Blood, Ash, and Plasma Residue if victorious in battle on Coedd. Sign the E.A.T. charter. While Queen Monite is unable at present to travel to al-Miraiya in person, Eminent Ambassador Puala Lomchat and Magister Sage Ange Jénou journey to meet there with the leadership of the Exploration Alliance of Tekhum, and officially sign on behald of Caipe Ushere with her blessing. The presence of The Light of Benevolence near the conflict on Dewlad is recognized as a humanitarian effort to minimize damages to the people of Coedd, and permitted to operate as intended. Military forces are instructed to treat its personnel as foreign civilian non-combatants, and not to interfere with their efforts. A communications unit is assigned to monitor the operations of the massive vessel and its shuttles to coordinate them around active hotspots, though without the expected defense forces it becomes primarily a channel for confirming movements of retreating civilian groups. Efforts are already being made to minimize displacement, though it is understood there are many who fear far more destruction that is brought, and these are likely more relieved fleeing into the arms of a third party than trusting those taking control. Coronal Catalogue of Duelists - Submitted to the Imperial Embassy and the Arkhive Lady Charyti d'Partout answers the request by the Imperial Armada to share the experience of duelists among the Elect. She shows up unannounced in the PEREGRINE at the Imperial Embassy in Anso-Chor. In one of her typically flamboyant outfits and equipped with an Usheret-style rapier and main-gauche, she provides several hours of instruction in the basics of Usheret fencing and dueling etiquette. She has come prepared and provides practice blades and protective masks for any who volunteer to assist, or wish to experience a few bouts. "Anything is a target. Most people focus on defending their vitals, the torso and head, and expect an attacker to similarly focus their thrusts. Why 'waste' energy swinging a blow that will not win the fight? Because in a duel, especially a duel of close equals, the slightest edge widens a gap in your favor. A cut on a reaching hand or lunging foot weakens the opponent, wearing them down for a press, and is less exposure for yourself." Charyti demonstrates, showing several ways of drawing attacks to counter. Feint disengage attack. Attack parry riposte. Slow thrust into quick cut. And her favorite, of course, baiting until an opponent has become so used to watching for the change in your angle of attack that they fail to deflect a single decisive thrust. While her discussion is light on the historical evolution of the practice ("After all, anyone could find that in a library,") she does provide recordings of several notable duels and uses them to offer analysis. This includes one of her own, where Lady d'Partout was challenged by a gentleman of Verglass at the accusation that she had seduced his wife. The duel begins with both combatants testing their opponent's defenses before it turns into several rapid but bloodless exchanges. Those who have been paying attention in the instructional segment notice that Charyti is toying with her opponent, laughing as she gradually goads him out of a balanced stance into more aggressive attacks, before finally countering an over-extension to run him through the lower torso. "He did eventually recover; his health, if not his pride or marriage." Passive Effects: Leaders and Prominent Figures Leader: Queen Monite Akari Ebonne d’Laforét, Lady of Fire End-of-turn increase: Military +1, Economy +1 New Leader next turn: No Admirals: Generals: Councilors: High Arbiter Estle Gronaud Chief Navarch Ekatrin Raikier Head Advocate Lucél Thiércine Eminent Ambassador Puala Lomchat Magister Sage Ange Jénou Other: Princet Geal Talouse Ebonne d’Laforét; Chalise Merole Ebonne d'Laforét, Dowager; Princess Atalia Fiamette Ebonne d'Shalkhir; Princess Oroile Tashmahat-sharrat Ebonne d'Shalkhir; Princess Ceirose Iaba Ebonne d'Verglass Relations of State Embassies: Trade Routes: Claims: Marriage - strong (76), Integration (28, 29) Reputation: EMP (2); WTU (1); BRG (0); REN (2) Favours: Resources Units: 5 > Ground - 1st and 4th Dragoon Mobile Infantry Brigades, 1st Ranger Brigade > Space - 1st and 2nd Light Destroyer Wings Treasure: 2 Artifacts: Rod of the Speaker Cultural Identity: Pretty Words (2d8 Raise Reputation) Capital Region: Caipe Ushere (29) Arcologies: Ouvriead (ExS) - Exploration +1 Fortresses: Space Habitats: Ouvriead (111) Government Support: 29(C), 28, 111 Effective Trading Posts: 9 (1 income) > Bamboo - 28 Merchant Support (No TPs) > Fell Iron - 32 TP2 > Recon Corvettes - Arc, 111 Merchant Support > Solar Panels - 104 TP3 > Todd - 62 TP3 > Wine - 29 TP1, TP2, Merchant Support Primary Religion: Imperial Cult (Size: 9) - +1 Investigations > Media Support - 28, 29 Civilian Techs: Aclaustrophobic Psychiatry, Algorithmic Imagination, Arcane Amplification, Nuclear Fusion, In Vivo Modification, Xenolinguistics Cataloguing, Pseudogravity Engineering, Shrewd Business, Thaumonuclear Reactor Cores Military Techs: Badalian Megadirigibles, Vacuum Adaptation, Wet Navy Ships > Man-Portable Weapons - > Infantry Equipment - > Combat Drugs and Medicine - > Field Fortifications - > Engineered Combat Organisms - > Detection and Rangefinding - > Ship to Ship Weapons - > Orbit to Ground Weapons - > Crew and Maintenance - > Armor and Shields - > Spacecraft Propulsion - > Electronic Warfare and Countermeasures - > Special Forces - > Logistics and Morale -

Eminent Ambassador Puala Lomchat, head of the Caipe Ushere Diplomatic Corp, is extremely busy assisting in bureaucratic details of the upcoming royal transition. He has very little time for social activity, but does make a brief visit to the Arkhive for political appearances and to consider the amendments. Caipe Ushere votes in favor of the GCC Amendment. Caipe Ushere votes in favor of the ARK Amendment.

Caipe Ushere Sansar - Regions 29, 28 Sansar Orbit - Region 111 Queen Chalise Merole Ebonne d'Laforét Diplomacy 10 Military 4 Economy 6 Faith 3 Intrigue 3 Turn 7 News and Rumors Despite her abdication of Caipe Ushere's senate seat, it is not lost in the news and gossip that the queen still boards an Imperial shuttle bound off-world for a time that makes it's way to the Imperial Embassy on Veehra. Actions: 1) [Diplomacy] Diplomatic Mission - Explore Region 123 (TN 12; Roll: 11 - Failure) Initial work to integrate Thaumonuclear Reactor Core technology into existing exploration vessels is promising, but some last minute tests show some minor flaws before final departure, and the project is delayed. 2) [Diplomacy] Sway Mercantile Faction - Utattou, Region 28 using Todd for Desired Import (62 TP3) (Contested WTU; Roll: 19) 3) [Economy] Special 5 - Construct Arcology: Ouvriead (Region 111) - Bonus: +1 Exploration Actions Already the size of a city, living quarters and support districts continue to be expanded in Ouvriead. Additionally, an upscaled version of the extensive sensor suites being installed in the Recon Corvettes is mounted to the station itself to assist with long-range telemetry coordination. 4) [Faith] Convert Utattou (Region 28) to Imperial Cult - Introduce Minority (TN 12; Roll: 10 - Failure) 5) [Faith] Convert Caipe Ushere (Region 29) to Imperial Cult - Introduce Minority replacing Coedd (TN 12; Roll: 12 - Success) Following the attack on the Imperial Embassy, favourability to Coedd loses popularity. Proponents of the Imperial Cult beliefs, having gained traction among the leadership, launch a campaign in Caipe Ushere and Utattou in coordination with various local media channels. Non-actions: Assist conversions in Utattou and Caipe Ushere via media support. Ruler Turn-over: Queen Chalise Ebonne announces her imminent retirement, making preparations to pass the throne to her daughter, Monite. Passive Effects: Leaders and Prominent Figures Leader: Queen Chalise Merole Ebonne d'Laforét End-of-turn increase: Diplomacy +1 (max 10), Faith +1 New Leader next turn: Yes Admirals: Generals: Councilors: High Arbiter Estle Gronaud Chief Navarch Ekatrin Raikier Head Advocate Lucél Thiércine Eminent Ambassador Puala Lomchat Magister Sage Ange Jénou Other: Princess Monite Akari Ebonne d’Laforét, Lady of Fire (heir - D1, M4, E4, F4, I1), Princet Geal Talouse Ebonne d’Laforét Relations of State Embassies: Trade Routes: Claims: Marriage - weak (76), Confederacy (28), Integration (29) Reputation: EMP (2); WTU (1); BRG (0); REN (3) Favours: Resources Units: 5 > Ground - 1st and 4th Dragoon Mobile Infantry Brigades, Utattou Rangers > Space - 1st and 2nd Light Destroyer Wings Treasure: 1 Artifacts: Cultural Identity: Pretty Words (2d8 Raise Reputation) Capital Region: Caipe Ushere (29) Arcologies: Fortresses: Space Habitats: Ouvriead (111) Government Support: 29(C), 28 Effective Trading Posts: 7 (1 income) > Recon Corvettes - 111 Merchant Support (no TPs) > Fell Iron - 32 TP2 > Solar Panels - 104 TP3 > Todd - 62 TP3 > Wine - 29 TP1, TP2, Merchant Support Primary Religion: Imperial Cult (Size: 9) - +1 Investigations > Media Support - 28, 29 Civilian Techs: Aclaustrophobic Psychiatry, Algorithmic Imagination, Arcane Amplification, Nuclear Fusion, In Vivo Modification, Xenolinguistics Cataloguing, Pseudogravity Engineering, Shrewd Business, Thaumonuclear Reactor Cores Military Techs: Badalian Megadirigibles, Vacuum Adaptation, Wet Navy Ships > Man-Portable Weapons - > Infantry Equipment - > Combat Drugs and Medicine - > Field Fortifications - > Engineered Combat Organisms - > Detection and Rangefinding - > Ship to Ship Weapons - > Orbit to Ground Weapons - > Crew and Maintenance - > Armor and Shields - > Spacecraft Propulsion - > Electronic Warfare and Countermeasures - > Special Forces - > Logistics and Morale -

Return stretch Despite the time lost to the pickup complications, Charyti is in high spirits after Tina's assistance and enthusiasm. As soon as she is airborne the computers are already calculating escape trajectories favourable to the return to al-Miraiya. The PEREGRINE curves upward as she steers to follow, scanning over her other instruments. Several points on her radar show the other racers. Most are well on their way out of orbit already - the Archmage's ship is barely a flicker at the edge - but at a glance, at least she isn't in last place. Wait. Why isn't she in last place? A second look at the radar explains: one of the racers' signals is missing. The flip of a switch replaces the simple positional markers with indicators showing names, coordinates, and vectors. All vessels accounted for except for the unofficially named 'Crepuscular Cliffside'. Both hands leave the flight stick as she cycles through sensors and frequencies, pinging the radio channel most often used by the pilots, as well as common emergency channels. Nothing. She finally finds what she is looking for with a geographic surface mismatch. An impact crater lies to the east that does not match her terrain charts, just large enough for a crashed vessel. While the PEREGRINE may not be so fast as some of the competition in straight-line burn, it is definitely designed for fine maneuvering. Charyti hauls over hard on the stick and adjusts the lateral thrusters, rolling the craft out of its climb to speed toward the crash site. A light from the fuel system gives a warning: reserves approaching minimal limit to complete return journey. She ignores it. Charyti brings the ship in low, skimming a few hundred feet above the ground as she crosses Vesper in a blur, white smoke trail highlighting her path. A ventral camera allows her to scan visually, noting the ruins and tombs that dot the desert, until the sunlight reflecting off a half-buried hull catches her eye. Bounding out of the cockpit as soon as landing is completed with a toolbelt and emergency kit, Charyti climbs the sandy hill to find the aft section of the ship, crumpled and damaged but largely in one piece. The access hatch is warped, and it takes a cutting torch and crowbar to pry it out of the way. The interior is scattered, but the llort within the seat appears to be alive; badly bruised and bloodied, but saved from more serious injuries by her protective magic. Charyti cuts her free of any harness and drags her from the wreck. After applying what first aid she can and returning Guyineber to consciousness, the human looks to the Cliffside wreck. Maybe it's salvageable, but not with her limited equipment. "Why don't you come with me? I've got some wine that will blunt the pain. The cabin will be a little cozy, and meals a bit spare. But at least we can get you to the finish, and back to your crew?" She holds out a hand to the other pilot.

Mekhala to Veehra (First Stretch) The weeks between Mekhala and Veehra provide a great deal of time to entertain oneself, or if you are Lady Charyti d'Partout, to have your fellow racers entertain you. She keeps a steady string of conversations over the radio frequencies with the other racers keeping near pace - while Archmage Zabir's ship seems to be handily outstripping the rest, the others are within a reasonable radio range. Charyti looks to get to know her peers. Where are they from? What drew them to racing, and what experiences or training prepared them? What do they like, dislike, dream about? She does not pry if anyone wishes to keep things to themself, but does her best to give everyone plenty of time to talk about themselves. She also intersperses and enjoys a fair amount of competitive banter, bragging about ships, chatting about plans for the pickup stage, and what each would do with the fame or winnings if they are the victor. At other times, the lady's voice can be heard for any who wish to tune in, singing to herself (and listeners) in a native Usheret tongue. Slow ballads, romance songs, and occasionally lullabies carry over the radio waves in alto tones, with the confidence of someone singing in the shower and unafraid of anyone hearing. The Pickup The travel stretch is mostly leisurely and relaxed, despite the extreme speeds of the racers. The Pickup is quite the opposite, and as the PEREGRINE descends into the atmosphere of Veehra, Charyti snaps into action. Dials and lights across her dashboard measure the strains of engines, weather, air resistance and more, while course adjusters update to show the optimal flight path to a preset landing zone. Charyti observes the stress meters, and decides that she can take a steeper descent to shave some time. The first real hitch in her plans arrives as she flattens out her trajectory over the desert. Having arranged a pickup in advance with some contacts in the Pan-Tekhum Worker's & Trader's Union, the horizon is obfuscated by a wall of blowing sand. An unpredicted sandstorm has sprung up in the last day, and the bits of signal she can access from Union channels indicate it is expected to last several more. Charyti frowns, an unusual expression. Normally she is all for throwing caution to the wind, and briefly considers doing just that. She is confident she can handles the currents of the storm, but knows the PEREGRINE's hull is not properly sealed for the abrasive elements of such a squall. The dust accumulation could wreak havoc with her sensors and thrust nozzles, and while she has the tools for simple repair, full recalibration would waste significant time. She pulls back on the stick and the thrusters realign to vector her above the storm - she'll simply have to find another option for a short-notice pickup. Easier said then done. The nearest territory in her path that has any reasonable chance is the Great Western Waste. Charyti plots a course, and lacking any particular connections there, begins broadcasting on any frequencies she can find her request for assistance. Many channels simply ignore her, and those she does reach are either unable to assist, or unwilling. No official of the Castaways is going to assist a competing racer with no prior arrangement when Gerald 48223 is representing them. Even offers of payment are turned down. Charyti watches as her fuel timers creep closer to the minimum point of return as she loops in a holding pattern for hours. She is rashly considering heading back east and just flying through the dust storm with her cockpit open to accumulate some sand, when her comm blips the incoming signal of a small high-band radio. Charyti takes a deep breath, plasters a smile on, and tunes in. "This is Peregrine, with whom am I speaking?" The voice of a young woman replies, words tumbling hastily over each other, "This is Tina 52404. I've, uh, we've been watching the Dash, and caught some broadcasts that you're in a jam. I think I - we - can help, you just need a soil sample pickup, right?" Spirits lifted in an instant, Charyti responds, "Yes! I would be most grateful, thank you!" Tina transmits a set of coordinates, and the pilot quickly plugs them into her navigation and banks sharply to follow them southeast. They lead to a small monitoring station, little more than a few pre-fab shelters and some sensors set to observe the nearby terraforming equipment. There is no landing pad, but the terrain is flat enough for the PEREGRINE to touch down with some care. Two figures wait in the shadow of the building as the heat of the landing thrusters dissipates. One of them approaches, and Charyti slides out of the cockpit down an extending ladder to meet her partway. The young woman holds a cylindrical cannister under one arm, and speaks as though out of breath, despite no physical exertion. "Hi! I'm Tina 52404. Wow! I've been following the Dash broadcasts, it's really great to get to meet you in person." "A pleazure! Thank you for reaching out, I'd be in a fine mess if you had not. Is there some way I can repay you?" Tina smiles, her free hand tucking a few loose hairs behind her ear. "I don't really need anything, but," she pauses, "could I get an autograph, please? And a selfie?" The pilot is glad to oblige, removing her helmet to shake loose her red hair and putting an arm around Tina's shoulders, smiling into the tablet camera the woman angles to get a shot of them together with the PEREGRINE in the background. She signs a book for the Loop-born, and then unzips a pocket of her flightsuit to produce an embroidered handkerchief to gift as well. A mark of brilliant red lipstick is left on the kerchief as a personal touch. As Charyti returns to the cockpit and stows the soil-cannister, Tina heads back to her coworker still waiting by the shelter door. Rasha 38721 puts out her shock-cigar, giving Tina the look of someone who has put up with entirely too much fangirling the last few weeks, but still smiles at seeing her happiness. They return inside, to watch the liftoff of the racing craft from the viewport.

Not about to be outdone, at least in risk if not reward, Charyti goes for one more pull at the machine as well.

Lady d'Partout's eyes catch the glow increases from the ambassador. "You are a pleazure, indeed. And thank you. I would be glad to ..." Whatever she was about to say is cut off by an announcement echoing from the monitors calling race pilots to final preparations. "Ah, you will forgive my sudden departure, but I must go prepare for an even more abrupt one. If all goes well, though, I will be back a day or two before the other racers, and perhaps we can meet again to celebrate!" Another flourishing bow and a wink, and she turns and exits the VIP dome. Llewellyn's glance at the staging area catches just in time to see Charyti blowing a kiss in Elias' direction. While she plays to the crowd, and keeps a flirtatious posture toward her fellow racers, Charyti ensures she still has time to confirm the pre-flight check with her launch crew, and by the time the countdown begins is harnessed comfortably into her pilot's seat, helmet sealed. Eyes scan continuously over the readings of dozens of micro displays, broadcast frequencies listening for the start signal in her earpiece and from the dashboard speaker. One hand rests on the main directional flightstick, the other above the primary ignition, tracing circles around the bright blue button, caution cover already removed. Then the countdown ends and four lights on the display synchronize to the start sequence. GREEN. Her palm slaps down onto the ignition and the explosion from the thrusters behind her presses her back into the cushion of the seat. Her right hand flicks through a series of switches to re-trigger computations of flight paths based on the exact moment of launch. Her left remains on the stick, applying microthrust corrections to alter course to match her optimal path now projected onto the interior of her canopy. A second display tracks the relative position of her fellow racers, and she tweaks the thrusters again to ensure she is clear of their trajectory. For the viewers, the rockets at the back of the PEREGRINE burn orange, and leave a long billowing plume of white smoke as the ship surges upward. Over the racer broadcast channels, her pilot's voice is heard laughing uproariously with delight.

Charyti nods, along with a brief empathetic wince at Guyineber's and her own poor luck. "Exacte! Make your own, especially, and enjoy the course, bumps included!" "Although ... sometimes a little strategy is also useful." Charyti eyes the slot machine, mentally counts her remaining chits. The shrugs and puts in some more. "Sometimes."

"If at first you succeed, keep going." Charyti was not expecting a win. She drops some of the winning chits back in and pulls the lever again.

"Hm, well. These are a fun and pleasurable diversion, but I don't know if it's something you can learn, from me." Charyti smiles at the dealer, standing, and steps over to a nearby 'Chosen Ones' machine, droping a chit in. "Here in games, luck is only what the creator puts into it. Every possibility is defined." She gestures vaguely outward. "Outside, though ... that is where making your luck is real. "But please, by all means I would be glad to continue playing."

Charyti continues to smile back at the other players while Sha Ren neatly deals the cards. "A pleasure to meet you both, Guyineber and Cagairmòr." Her pronunciation of their names may not be perfect, but it is close, and clear she is making an effort to get them correct. "This is already shaping up to be a pleazant pasttime in good company." Glancing at her two aces, she nods to Sha Ren. "One more, please." When the desired card is provided, her eyes and smile widen with delight. "Ah! Exacte, I will hold here." ((Rolls in above post, 1 + 11 + 9 = 21))

The redhead smiles, "I'm game if you are. It would be a shame to depart so quickly after meeting." One hand extends out toward Guyineber in greeting - even if they are seated too far to reach, the gesture is there. Her other hand dips once again into the loose front of her tunic to withdraw another stack of chits, placing them on the table to indicate the dealer her readiness for another hand. Her eyes and smile flick to the others at the table as well, Constance and Cagairmòr, to include them in the introduction whether they choose to play again or not. "Call me Charyti, please."

Charyti's Sansar-sky-blue eyes go up ... and up. Her smile broadens as she shrugs herself against her chair a bit more. "Oh, by all means."