Galeão Carregado

um salão de jogos incomum

This gambling ship is one of the premiere destinations in the Ordic port city of Five Fingers. The establishment is briefly described in Five Fingers: Port of Deceit, but this expands on that information and includes playable games popular at its tables. While intended for Five Fingers, the book is not required to use this location, which could be adapted to fit other port cities. The games presented here can be found in gambling halls across western Immoren.

Five Fingers started as a smuggling town, evolved into a pirate’s haven, and grew to become a major Ordic port city, albeit one noted for a fiercely independent attitude, diverse entertainments, and crime captains. The city is still favored by pirates and privateers, but offers diversions to any travelers, merchants, sailors, or adventurers willing to brave its twisty streets and dark alleys. Gambling is the most widespread of Five Fingers’ entertainments, with dozens of gambling halls across the city’s connected islands. The Laden Galleon is the most famous, a casino set within a massive sailing ship permanently docked at its own pier in the Rivergrav District on Captain’s Isle.
The Galleon is the favored haunt of King Baird Cathor II, the “Bandit King” of Ord, and has earned the nickname, “Baird’s Court.” It isn’t uncommon for other influential figures such as landed castellans or even influential criminals to come here hoping to catch an audience with the king.

It is common for locals to describe the Laden Galleon as ‘dry-docked’ but this is not technically accurate. While the ship hasn’t sailed in a century, it rests in the water. However, It is permanently connected to the pier structure — its attachments flexible enough to accommodate the tide’s vagaries. It still conveys the illusion of being a ship that could take to sea at any time.

The Galleon is an impressive vessel, over two hundred feet in length. It can support hundreds of customers comfortably. In addition to steam-engine driven lifts and dumbwaiters traveling between the decks, the Galleon has extensive copper piping, including plumbing and access to fresh running water, piped to the ship at considerable expense from the nearest section of Five Fingers’ aqueduct. In Five Fingers, fresh water and reliable plumbing are unusual luxuries.

History

The Laden Galleon was once the HMS Brazen, an enormous first-rank ship of the line of the Ordic Royal Navy, launched from Berck in 435 AR. It is estimated that 6,000 trees were consumed in its original construction, including oak trees from the nearby Olgunholt Forest. The ship saw extensive service during the Second Expansion War between Khador and Ord starting in 464 AR. Boasting 110 cannons on three gun-decks, the vessel won several notable engagements and seemed destined for greatness. Unfortunately it was outnumbered by Khadoran vessels outside the Shearwater Narrows in 467 AR and nearly destroyed. The Brazen limped to Five Fingers and was deemed unsalvageable — its masts shattered, hull critically impacted, and its decks torn up beyond repair.

The ship would have been torn apart for salvage if not for Andro Santoro, a wealthy entrepreneur. He used the ship to expand his gambling operations to the Rivergrav, hoping to entice customers as soon as they disembarked from the Dragon’s Tongue River. The Navy agreed to sell the ship on the condition that it would never sail and must be renamed. Investing a fortune in the ship’s reconstruction, it was transformed into a tavern, inn, and gambling hall, now named the Laden Galleon. Santoro never recovered the money he sunk into the Galleon before his death, but it has proven highly profitable for his successors.

Ship Layout

Upper Decks

It’s impossible to miss the Laden Galleon, particularly at night, its riggings filled with dozens of gold, green, and red lanterns lighting up the entire pier. Ten toughened bruisers are stationed on the upper decks, including four watching the entry ramp to greet guests. Only employees and singular guests are allowed to bear arms inside. The bruisers, dressed in uniforms reminiscent of old Ordic Navy, require guests to disarm — weapons are kept in a secured area of the Lower Quarterdeck.

The largest deck is a gathering place for drinking and dining when weather is fair, featuring a glass-enclosed skylight over the main gambling hall below. Those gathered here can look down on the main gambling area, but there have been periodic accidents with drunken visitors making the deadly plunge through to the floor below. There is a smaller skylight on the Poop Deck above the captain’s dining area.

The Captain’s Cabin on the stern of the Upper Quarterdeck and a suite of rooms below this on the Lower Quarterdeck have been converted into luxury rooms and a private dining area for the Laden Galleon’s wealthiest customers. These rooms can be rented for special parties and have staff assigned to them, including a bartender, chef, and small wait-staff. A secured steam-powered lift takes these guests to lower levels without enduring the crowds on the main stairs.

The old pilot’s station is on this deck just forward of the captain’s cabin, its binnacle and compasses and the great double wheel on display. The huge wheel required four men to turn it in calm weather, and could require up to eight to turn the rudder in a storm. Sometimes the crew will encourage wagers with strong guests, such as ogrun, to challenge them to turn it one entire rotation.

Gun Decks

The Brazen had three cramped gun decks, each with low ceilings deemed unsuitable to a gambling hall. When rebuilt, the aft half was converted into two levels, while the forward area was cleared out entirely to make for a spacious main casino gambling hall. A few hammocks from the old crew accommodations have been kept for ambiance, hung from battens affixed to overhead beams. Drunks who pass out are put in these, if they are paying regulars; otherwise they are dumped on the pier.

There are additional tables for games of chance on the upper and lower sections of these decks, offering a wide variety of ways for men and women to lose their money to the house. Games include cards, dice, chance wheels, painted tile gambling, and a few clockwork contraptions operated by inserting the proper weight coins. Dice games remain the most popular diversion, but card games have growing appeal.

There are private rooms to the stern, which can be rented for short term use by the hour, or for one or several evenings. Some rooms include beds, while others have tables for drinking, conversation, or private games. Considerable coin has been spent to insulate these rooms to make them both quiet and secure.

The Orlop

Just below the gun decks and the waterline is the Orlop deck. When it was a ship of the line, this included the surgery and purser’s cabin, and the purser’s cabin was restored as a hooaga and cigar shop.

At the stern is the Galley, an expanded kitchen which vents smoke through long chimneys out the back of the ship. These same chimneys are shared with steam engines that run the lifts, located below. The Laden Galleon has several top chefs, and offers a variety of high quality food to guests, priced accordingly. This includes specialty dishes, including Khadoran, Llaelese, Cygnaran and even Rhulic dishes like Spiced Armsdeep Trout. Several winched dumb-waiters allow food prepared here to be sent to the decks above.

Forward of the galley are offices and living areas for senior members of the Galleon’s crew, although most live elsewhere on Captain’s Isle. There are locked and secured offices for the three co-proprietors, as well as the Captain and his mates — the Galleon’s managers.

Under the main casino deck is a public area, including its own bar. Toward the aft an area has been cleared to allow for a small theater and seating for shows or music entertainment. The theatre’s backstage is crowded with props and a changing room. This area has curtained booths for a modicum of privacy. While this area is not part of the casino, private games are common, and there is no policy against this so long as a portion of money exchanging hands goes to the house. Several high-stakes professional gamblers enjoy regular games here.

The fore section of the Orlop is the King’s Suite, a half-dozen different rooms more spacious than the captain’s quarters on the upper decks. These rooms are never rented, even when King Baird is not in Five Fingers, nor is anyone allowed into the suite without permission. This area is well protected, including arcane measures hired from the local branch of the Fraternal Order of Wizardry.

Just below Baird’s suite is the old lead and copper-lined Powder Magazine from the warship. These divided chambers were used to store volatile blasting powders, one for red, the other for black, every surface covered in copper to prevent sparks. The magazine was rebuilt as extremely secure private meeting rooms, where King Baird meets with agents to conduct affairs of state. High Captain Banek Hurley, a friend of the king’s, comes here periodically to deliver the city’s ‘tribute’ to the throne.

The Hold

The stern of the hold is used for storage, including food stock and bottles of expensive spirits. The hold includes the steam-engines running the powered lifts above and the pumps for the complex pipes allowing fresh water and plumbing. All of these areas are off-limits from guests.

Known to only a few, there is a secret secondary entrance to the ship at the aft end. This locked door leads to a clever artificial tunnel attached like a waterproof umbilical cord to the stern, extending below the ship into a cave complex winding up under Captain’s Isle. Only the proprietors and King Baird’s retinue have access, able to enter and leave at will.

Guests are allowed in the forward section of the Hold, so long as they are escorted by crew. Certain individuals handle black market exchanges here, having arrangements with the proprietors.

The Crew (Staff)

There is fierce competition for staff positions among noted gambling halls and the Galleon has hired the best of the best. Their dealers are consummate professionals who know all the underhanded tricks, their bartenders know every exotic beverage from Uldenfrost to Mercir, and their bouncers are capable of brutal enforcement but are also polite and know when to handle an influential customer carefully.

Over a hundred employees work at the Galleon, spread across three shifts, keeping the hall open twenty-four hours a day, although peak business is from sundown to three hours after midnight.
The Laden Galleon has a tradition of using naval titles for the staff.

Working under the proprietors as manager is the Captain, a perfectionist named Harwin Marguile (male Thurian Exp8). He is trusted with running the business, overseeing the busiest shift. His assistant manager is First Mate Tornelo Colofi (male Tordoran Rog2/Exp5), hired away from the Corsair’s Coin in the Emerald District. They are aided by a junior manager, Second Mate Jasmile Wesival (female Sinari Exp6), who supervises the day shift. For each shift there are a dozen experienced wait-staff, called simply ‘crew’, who see to the needs of the patrons.

A few have unusual talents and can cover as bartenders, chefs, croupiers, or dealers; some moonlighting as spies for the king, High Captain Hurley, or third parties.

Every gambling hall has a staff dedicated to defending against rogues and thieves. There are two dozen professional dealers, called Gunners, supervised by the shift Bosun, who acts as director of gambling. Keeping an eye on the games are a eight croupiers, called Quartermasters, who watch for cheating and handle money at the tables.

These mates report to the shift Pilot, the pit-boss in charge of security. The night shift Pilot is Flynn Scully (male Thurian Rog8), a keen-eyed ex-card shark who ended that career when an enforcer of the Wake Isles Syndicate broke all his fingers. Also notable is Arms-Master Kryle MacFargin (male Ftr6/Enf2), who heads up the bruisers called the “Ship’s Watch,” of which the bar has as many as twenty-five on hand at any given time, scattered among the decks and posted to the Hold’s vault and storage areas.

Several nondescript individuals are on the payroll sprinkled among the guests. This includes informants looking for cheating or drunkards starting trouble, and also coolers. Coolers distract gamblers on a hot streak — there is superstition around notable coolers, who are reputed to suck luck from their surroundings. Several corrupt Five Fingers Watch sergeants and lieutenants frequent the Galleon, some in the pocket of High Captain Hurley, who intercede when trouble threatens to bring the law. There is a semi-retired barrister named Hogg Matterly (male Midlunder Exp6) kept on the payroll for similar reasons, loaned to favored guests who get in trouble.

Gaining an Edge

Devising loaded dice or marked cards are common tricks to gain an edge. Spotting an opponents cards or counting cards are employed to help even the odds, fairly or not. All gambling halls take steps to limit cheating but some of these techniques are employed by gamblers regularly. If caught, the repercussions can be severe.

Card and Dice Games

Card Games

Black Argus: A game of chance originating from Khador, it is popular with mercenaries across western Immoren and is popular in Five Fingers taverns and gambling houses as well.

In gambling houses the dealer does not play, but otherwise up to eight players may play with each taking a turn as dealer. From a deck of 52-cards, the dealer deals out two cards face up in front of each player. The dealer then deals a third card and if it ranks between the other two cards the player wins. Before the third card is dealt the player may double his bet. If the first two cards are consecutive it results in a push, if they are a pair the player may push or continue. If the third card makes three of a kind the player is paid at 10 to 1. If all three cards are a consecutive run (for example a 5–6–7) the pay off is 2 to 1. Maximum players: 8 Accept Bluff: No.

Brag: Originating in Llael, this game of bluffing is now popular along the entire Dragons Tongue River after being spread by the various riverboat gambling houses the service the route. The game is simple and far more complex versions have become popular in Five Fingers and Corvis. Despite the equally complex play etiquette surrounding the original game it remains popular with workers, rogues, and adventures who have added a sense of superstition to the handling of the cards. Brag is the most common reason for gamblers to enlist the services of money lenders, and one is never far from a given table.

In the original five cards are dealt to each player face down from a four suite deck (in the Galleon the common suites are Blades, Wheels, Anchors, and Skulls.) Players choose to keep three and discard the other two. Players bet or fold in rounds of betting, with each player betting at least as much as the previous bet. Betting rounds continue until only two players are left. A player may challenge their opponent by doubling the other player’s bet. The final round of betting is over when a player refuses to double the bet. If losing a challenge the player must show his cards first. If the challenger’s hand would win, he shows his cards and wins the pot. If his hand loses he folds and the other player wins the pot. The challenger loses in the case of equal hands.
Maximum players: 6; Accep tBluff: Yes.

Dice Games

Pirates’ Dice: A bluffing game played for drink or coin by both Ordic sailors and buccaneers of the Broken Coast, many a game of Pirates’ Dice has ended with drawn blades and bloodshed. Traditionally games of Pirates’ Dice were common after crew had been paid off and crewmen tested their luck in winning their peers’ shares. The usual result was many a pirate going broke and the winner robbed and dead in the alley of a port town. Its reputation has seen it outlawed in timid towns, but it remains a mainstay in Five Fingers and the Laden Galleon’s private rooms.

To play, up to six players split 30 dice between them evenly between them. Each player rolls a die to determine the order of bidding, then each player rolls their die in a wooden, metal, or skull cup and keep the result hidden from the other players. Each player then makes a bid on the number of all the players dice showing a certain value, for example declaring that there are at least “three twos.” The following bid may either increase the number of dice of that value (“six twos”) or increase the dice value (“three threes”) or do both (“six threes”.) If a player is unwilling to increase the bid, he challenges the last bidder by showing his dice.

All players’ dice are then exposed. If the challenged bid stands, the challenger loses a die. If the bid was wrong the bidder loses a die. Another round begins with players rolling their remaining dice. Once a player has lost all their dice, they leave the game and lose their stake. A player can win back a die by making a challenge that the last player’s bid is exactly correct. If the number is higher or lower they lose a die, otherwise they gain one back.

There are many regional variations of Pirates’ Dice, including use of a ‘black die’ or “dead die” made of human knuckle bone rolled to determine a value which is considered wild for that round.

The most common gambling method is for each game to be winner take all. As a drinking game, when a die is lost you must drink a number of drinks equal to the value of the die in the bid. Maximum players: 6. Accept Bluff: Yes.

Rum Tide: This simple game of chance also known as “rum luck” is played throughout the Iron Kingdoms, from the most posh of gaming halls to the back alleys and wharfs. The origins of the game are rumored to date back to Caspia besieged by the Orgoth, when a powerful lightening storm and the chaotic influence of the three moons drove the enemy fleet away long enough for provisions to resupply the city. Popularity of the game resurged in Five Fingers where it received its current name, reflecting the influence of the tide on smugglers and the popularity of rum.

Players place bets against a dealer who matches their stake. The dealer rolls three dice. On a three of a kind, any pair and a 1 (known as “throwing a Laris”, or “a Baleful”), or a “low tide” result of 1–2–3 the dealer wins. The dealer loses on any pair and a 6 known as ”throwing an Artis”, or a “high tide” of 4–5–6. If the dealer rolls a pair and no 6 or 1, the other players may roll three dice each. The dealer re-rolls any other result.

Players win if they roll a high tide or throw an Artis, and lose if they roll three of a kind, throw an Laris, or a low tide. If they roll a pair and not a 1 or 6, the can still win if their pair is higher than the dealer’s, known as a “rum tide”. Any other results are rerolled.

On the street, the dealer is determined by a toss of die. In gambling halls dealers always offer a player his choice out of five dice to use. Maximum players: 4; Accept Bluff: No.

Three Fingers: A widely popular game of chance played only in established gambling halls. The game is largely luck and involves very little skill, so it draws a large crowd but very few professional gamblers.

Players place bets on the outcome of three dice (traditionally knuckle bone, and thus the name) that are rolled by the house. All players may bet on an odd or even outcome, or low (4–10) or high (11–17) all of which pays even, or 1 to 1. A bet placed that a single value show on one of the dice pays even, while a pair pays 2 to 1, and three of a kind pays 3 to 1. A specific number can also be bet with a pay off ranging from 60 to 1 for rare results like a 17 or 4, to 6 in 1 for common results like 10 or 11. Maximum players: 10; Accept Bluff: No.

Fonte: No Quarter 7

Para mais informações, veja Aventuras Urbanas, pág. 48 — A Ilha do Capitão