{"id":167,"date":"2019-09-13T11:59:00","date_gmt":"2019-09-13T11:59:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/141.148.246.190\/index.php\/single-post\/the-giants-gamble-pt-26\/"},"modified":"2022-05-22T13:20:17","modified_gmt":"2022-05-22T12:20:17","slug":"the-giants-gamble-pt-26","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blog.alexisveenendaal.com\/index.php\/2019\/09\/13\/the-giants-gamble-pt-26\/","title":{"rendered":"The Giant’s Gamble Pt. 26"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Chapter 26: A Golden Goose<\/h3>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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The Queen Regent, Sarissa, led the companions into a back chamber and spoke some words of enchantment. The same bubble-like structure appeared around them as it had when they blew the conch, and when it popped they were standing on the deck of their airship. Marteen greeted them, and they showed him the gold-painted wooden coin given to them by the Queen. The coin was etched with a goose. <\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cIt looks like a gambling chip,\u201d the captain said, scratching his goatee.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cDo you know where it\u2019s used?\u201d Kilian asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The man shrugged. \u201cYartar would be a good place to start. That city has one of the best underground thieves\u2019 guilds. If anyone will recognize the symbol on that chip, it\u2019ll be them.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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They changed course and travelled for three days back to Yartar. <\/span><\/p>\n

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On the way, they filled Flint in on their previous adventures in the town of Yartar. They told him of the son, Harthall, locked in prison despite his innocence, of their clue to the giantslayer sword, and of their flight from the city after a short battle with the corrupt city guard. \u201cThat\u2019s why we\u2019ll need to disguise ourselves,\u201d Thia explained to the dwarf. \u201cWe\u2019re not exactly \u2018welcomed guests\u2019 there.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cWe killed most of the guards,\u201d Evelyn said, \u201cbut one got away,\u201d she added bitterly. <\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cOf the corrupt<\/em> guards,\u201d Thia clarified. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Roon, having left Beatrice on the ship in their last adventures, let the tressym curl up on his lap as he read his books and finally took the time to examine the fire rune opal he\u2019d found in the oracle\u2019s chamber. After some study, he realized its ability to throw fire. He tucked it away for future use, and spent the rest of the trip reading, and in prayer. He had already known of the existence of gods, but to have one stand in front of you and hand you a weapon\u2014well, that was a whole new proof of faith that one did not get every day. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Their time in Yartar was spent efficiently. After resupplying and finding a room for a few nights in a seedy inn, they searched for a contact to the thieves\u2019 guild and showed the gambling token to a few select people. They left their name with the innkeeper and were told they would hear from a contact soon. In the meantime, they contacted the prison and were told Harthall was still imprisoned. They plotted how to free the innocent man. <\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cDidn\u2019t you say you tried this last time you were here?\u201d Flint asked uncertainly. <\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cWell, sort of. Our friend Bran disguised himself as Harthos, Harthall\u2019s father. He walked in and asked him for the giantslayer sword. That\u2019s where Harthall told him Captain Brenner had framed him for murder and kept the sword. Bran got out easily enough, but we had to flee the city before we could return and help Harthall escape. We asked the Lord Protector of Triboar to put in a good word for him and get him a fair trial, but it doesn\u2019t look like much came of that.\u201d <\/span><\/p>\n

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They decided to have Thia disguise herself this time, as Harthall\u2019s sister. Opal transformed into a spider and sat on the elf\u2019s shoulder, and Kilian accompanied them as Thia\u2019s pretend husband.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cWell,\u201d Kilian said breathlessly, holding a stitch in his side, sweat beading off his brow, \u201cthat could have gone better.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cWhat happened?\u201d Flint asked. He, Evelyn and Roon had stayed well away from the prison, keeping an eye on the building for any sign of trouble. Kilian had appeared in a flash near them with Harthall in tow, then disappeared and reappeared less than a minute later with Thia. Opal scurried outside easily, maintaining her spider form until they were out of public view. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Thia looked cross as Kilian explained. \u201cThia forgot to leave the giantslayer sword behind. The new captain of the guards recognized the sword. I lied and told her we found it in Mirabar. Luckily, she shrugged it off after some talk about forgery and she let us through to see Harthall. Harthall had the wits to pretend he recognized us. Our initial plan was to walk out of there with everyone disguised, but we couldn\u2019t get rid of our guard, so we had to improvise. Thia had to knock out the man while I transported myself and Harthall out. Then I went back and grabbed Thia. We\u2019ve got to get out of here, though. It won\u2019t take them long to wonder why we haven\u2019t left yet.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Thia planted the disguise hat on Harthall, and his appearance shimmered and changed. The man looked at them gratefully. \u201cThank you. Thank you for coming back. I never thought you would. I was sorry to hear about the one I met before, your friend\u2026\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cHe died fighting a white dragon,\u201d Roon said solemnly. <\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cWe couldn\u2019t leave an innocent man in jail,\u201d Kilian said, patting him on the shoulder. \u201cLet\u2019s go.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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They hurried off back to the inn, relief hitting them at the top of the stairs to their rooms. <\/span><\/p>\n

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After that, they advised Harthall to stay in their rooms and keep to himself. In the evening, they visited a few gambling establishments and made some bets, looking around for the symbol of the golden goose. On their third night in Yartar, they got word from a member of the thieves\u2019 guild, and she said she would contact them the next day with her findings.<\/span><\/p>\n

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That evening, they gambled again, and this time Kilian took a seat at the table. When the dealer asked him what he bet, he reached into his pocket and slammed the coin onto the table. \u201cI\u2019m not gambling with money, tonight,\u201d he said, revealing the symbol of the golden goose. \u201cI\u2019m gambling with this.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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The dealer looked at him and nodded firmly. \u201cCome back at midnight to join the big table,\u201d he said. \u201cFor now, we deal in coin.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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They waited around until midnight, then were ushered into a back room. To their surprise, there were no golden goose tokens. Instead, the players dealt in something else.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cDrugs?\u201d Opal squeaked in surprise.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cThis isn\u2019t the seedy gambling den we were looking for,\u201d Flint muttered. <\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cLet\u2019s play it out\u2014cautiously,\u201d Kilian advised. \u201cWe may still learn something. Besides, we won\u2019t hear back from the thieves\u2019 guild until tomorrow.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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They awkwardly took their places at various tables. All they had to bet with was Roon\u2019s large bag of powdered \u2018unicorn horn\u2019. Roon was cautious. As the players became more intoxicated, he pretended along with them while keeping an eye on his friends. After an hour of betting, he went through the room and watched people, asking a few of the patrons about a golden goose. No one seemed to recognize it, and he felt more and more anxious as the night went on. Whomever aided in the kidnapping of King Hekaton would have been cleverer than a group of rowdy, ill-dressed ne’er-do-well\u2019s. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Eventually, they stumbled out of the raucous room and made their way back to the inn to a sleeping Harthall. <\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201c\u2014told you it wouldn\u2019t come to anything,\u201d Flint murmured as they pushed into their room.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cWell, it was worth a shot,\u201d Kilian snapped back.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Roon lit the oil lantern in the corner of the room and jumped back with a start.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cIt\u2019s just me,\u201d the woman from the thieves\u2019 guild whispered, holding up a hand.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cYou scared the living pegasus out of me<\/em>,\u201d Roon hissed.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cI thought you weren\u2019t coming back until tomorrow,\u201d Kilian said, frowning. <\/span><\/p>\n

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She raised an olive-toned chin. \u201cI found something.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cAlready?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cI\u2019m that good,\u201d she smirked, then took a seat on the wooden chair in the corner of the room. She leaned back casually and crossed her legs. \u201cThere\u2019s a hidden den of gambling held on a boat on the river.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cA boat?\u201d Kilian asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cYes, a boat.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cHow big?\u201d Roon asked curiously.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cQuite large,\u201d she said.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cSo, you mean a ship,\u201d Kilian corrected.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The woman rolled her eyes, and the sailor let it go. \u201cIt\u2019s known as \u2018The Grand Dame\u2019. The ship<\/em> is owned by Castier Drylum. He also owns half the city. He caters to rich folk, and his games are quite exclusive. One must appear the part if they\u2019re going to enter.\u201d She eyed their travel-worn clothing with disdain.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cWhen is it?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cThe time changes on a whim, but my informants tell me it is most nights, an hour to sunset. Only someone with an invitation or one of those golden goose coins can enter, and they confiscate all weapons at the door.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Kilian nodded thoughtfully. \u201cThis is very useful.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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She got to her feet and strode toward him smoothly until her body was a few inches from him. She put out a hand expectantly. <\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cAh, erm, yes, right,\u201d Kilian muttered, reaching into his coin purse and dropping several gold pieces into her waiting hand. <\/span><\/p>\n

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She closed her fist around the payment, smiled, then tiptoed to the window and climbed out into the darkness. <\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cWell, that was unnerving,\u201d Flint said, rubbing his eyes. \u201cI suppose we ought to tell the women in the morning.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Roon nodded. \u201cThis is good news.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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The next day, they told Evelyn, Thia and Opal about the ship. <\/span><\/p>\n

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They all went out, leaving Harthall behind, and bought fine clothes for the event. Roon found a colourful silk cloak with golden thread. It needed shortening for his gnomish figure, and he requested several hidden pockets to be sewn into the lining. When they had all found the proper clothing, they returned to the inn and placed their weapons into the bag of holding, which they then tied around Opal\u2019s back. When she took her beast shape, the bag would transform with her and be undetectable. Soon enough, the day grew cooler as the sun drifted toward the horizon, and they made their way to the Dessarin River in their finery. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Soon, they came upon another group of finely dressed people walking along the river. Their voices carried, and Roon caught most of what they said. The group spoke of the Fiddler\u2019s Bluff, a well-known card game in which three players must convince the dealer that their hand is the highest. It involved a great amount of strategy and maths. Roon had played it a handful of times, but most gamblers didn\u2019t bother with the game. It was, as they said, a highborn game<\/em>. <\/span><\/p>\n

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They followed the group until they saw a long, two decker river boat with dozens of massive wooden oars along its side. The boat was painted white and red with silver finishes and the name painted in bold letters: The Grand Dame. It had many high windows that showed a brightly lit interior, and welcoming music drifted out. As they neared, they heard the clanking of glasses, laughter, and to Roon\u2019s great pleasure, the sound of cards being shuffled and chips being thrown. Opal stepped out of eyesight and transformed into a beetle, then flew into Thia\u2019s hair. Kilian and Thia took the lead as they walked across the dock after the group ahead of them and approached a man in a black waistcoat who was guarding the door. \u201cInvitations,\u201d the man said in an airy accent.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Kilian held up the golden goose coin with a meaningful look. The sailor had cleaned up nicely. His beard had been groomed and his silver-streaked hair brushed back into a dark ponytail. His iceberg collar brought out the ice-blue of his eyes. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Thia was hooked arm-in-arm with the sailor. The elf\u2019s shining black hair had three thick braids that met at the back of her head and tumbled down into loose curls. She wore an off-white ankle length dress that stood out in stark contrast to her bronze skin. It fitted to her form, and Roon saw the man at the door wasn\u2019t the only one to notice. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Next to Roon stood the straight-backed Evelyn wearing black trousers, a gray buttoned shirt with a black leather belt, and long sleeves covering the scars on her arms. The girl wore boots, giving her a few inches of height, though she was still quite short behind Thia. Evelyn\u2019s white hair had been pulled back into a tight ponytail at the top of her head, and she had shadowed the pale skin above her eyes with dark makeup. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Flint stood behind the rest of them wearing a long, patterned kilt and an emerald green coat. His red beard had been re-braided with silver beads that jangled musically as he walked. His bagpipes, which he had refused to leave behind, were folded up nicely on his back. <\/span><\/p>\n

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The man at the door nodded to Kilian and Thia and gestured for them to enter. The three of them followed, each with nods, and were checked for weapons inside the door. Then, they entered a large dining room with long tables covered by thick red tablecloths. Various games were already being played and they saw piles of the wooden, gold-painted goose chips being tossed in with bets. A group of musicians played in the corner, and a bartender was busy mixing complex drinks behind a counter. The main room had mahogany panelling and intricately patterned wallpaper in a mix of blues and oranges. A large clock stood on one end of the room, sparkling in the bright lantern light. On the other side of the room was a life-sized painting of a human man standing stiffly in a rich-styled robe. He had tousled brown hair and a scraggly beard, and on his shoulder sat a purplish-blue octopus, its many tentacles hooked around him. It was, presumably, the man who owned this boat, and half the city. <\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cThis place is a fire hazard,\u201d Roon murmured, and Flint nodded in awe. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Then, he noticed a woman standing in the corner of the room surveying the guests. She had magpie features and even wore a small hat with gleaming black feathers in it. She was plainly dressed and looked haughty. <\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cWell,\u201d Kilian said under his breath, glancing back at them, \u201ctry to blend in, and get as much information as you can. Remember, we\u2019re here to find out if this Castier Drylum was involved in kidnapping Hekaton.\u201d He looked around at the tables, then added, \u201cso don\u2019t get too distracted.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Roon pshawed <\/em>and trotted off to see what games were being played. <\/span><\/p>\n

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An hour passed and still there was no sign of the man in the portrait. Roon walked around the tables watching people, listening in to conversations, and noting where the staff went. There was a guarded wooden-paneled door that he had seen open a couple of times to a winding staircase. Being half the height of most of the guests there, Roon was able to sneak near the guard and wait for a server to come to it. Just as the man opened the door, Roon turned invisible and shot past him. He pressed himself against the wall and watched the server walk down a short hallway behind spiral stairs. It was quiet on this side of the door. He waited a few breaths before following the man. The server entered the first room containing several large casks of ale and boxes of bottled wines and meads. Roon moved past that door and peeked into one that was ajar. It was the helm, and he could hear the captain speaking to several others, but the conversation was mundane. He also passed the kitchens before turning around. He went to the stairs and tiptoed up them. There was another short hallway, and he could hear passionate sounds behind nearly every one of the small doorways, the signs of people coupling. He wondered vaguely how long the couples had been up there, or how they\u2019d escaped his notice at the door. <\/span><\/p>\n

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There were no doorways in this part that led to the rest of the upper part of the ship, and Roon suspected there was a hidden door elsewhere that reach it. With a sigh, he crept back down the stairs and waited, invisibly, to follow the server back out into the crowd. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Another hour passed before Castier Drylum made his appearance. The man sauntered into the room with two guards and gazed at his patrons with a wane smile before his eyes landed on Thia. The man undressed the tall elf woman with his eyes, gave her a slight smile, then turned and took a full glass of wine from the bartender. He began sipping it and moved around the room, greeting people. Just as in the portrait, the purplish octopus clung to the man\u2019s shoulder, not, it seemed, needing any source of water to sustain it. <\/span><\/p>\n

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Eventually, as though by accident, Castier sauntered over to Thia. She left Kilian at the table and stood to greet him with a flirtatious smile. She held out a delicate hand and the man took it, pressing his bristly lips to it. <\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cHow is your luck tonight, my lady?\u201d Castier asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Thia smiled seductively and said in a low voice, \u201cI think it just got a bit better.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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Flint, who was standing near Roon, made visible vomiting imitations behind their backs. Roon sniggered and looked away just before Castier caught his eye.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The group leaves the court of King Hekaton with the blessing of the kidnapped King’s daughter, Sarissa, and travel back to Yartar to free an old friend from prison and find the meaning behind the golden goose token. They are led to a gambling den run by a rich diplomat, and must find their way through political schemes<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":781,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"episode_type":"","audio_file":"","cover_image":"","cover_image_id":"","duration":"","filesize":"","date_recorded":"","explicit":"","block":"","filesize_raw":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[18,19,17,14,15,16,23,20],"series":[],"class_list":["post-167","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-the-giants-gamble-dungeons-and-dragons-series","tag-campaign","tag-cult-of-the-dragon","tag-dnd","tag-dungeons-and-dragons","tag-fantasy","tag-series","tag-the-giants-gamble","tag-wizards-of-the-coast"],"episode_featured_image":"https:\/\/blog.alexisveenendaal.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2022\/04\/Giants-Gamble-Blog-Photos10-copy-17.png","episode_player_image":"https:\/\/blog.alexisveenendaal.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/seriously-simple-podcasting\/assets\/images\/no-album-art.png","download_link":"","player_link":"","audio_player":false,"episode_data":{"playerMode":"dark","subscribeUrls":{"amazon":{"key":"amazon","url":"https:\/\/music.amazon.ca\/podcasts\/09c34bbc-b359-49af-a286-31830ed5634c\/short-stories","label":"Amazon","class":"amazon","icon":"amazon.png"},"apple_podcasts":{"key":"apple_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/short-stories\/id1621456328","label":"Apple Podcasts","class":"apple_podcasts","icon":"apple-podcasts.png"},"google_play":{"key":"google_play","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.google.com\/feed\/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbGV4aXN2ZWVuZW5kYWFsLmNvbS9mZWVkL3BvZGNhc3Qvc2hvcnQtc3Rvcmllcw","label":"Google Play","class":"google_play","icon":"google-play.png"},"google_podcasts":{"key":"google_podcasts","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.google.com\/feed\/aHR0cHM6Ly9hbGV4aXN2ZWVuZW5kYWFsLmNvbS9mZWVkL3BvZGNhc3Qvc2hvcnQtc3Rvcmllcw","label":"Google Podcasts","class":"google_podcasts","icon":"google-podcasts.png"},"spotify":{"key":"spotify","url":"https:\/\/open.spotify.com\/show\/0lcQCRs52MfYlKs35lVX4K","label":"Spotify","class":"spotify","icon":"spotify.png"},"itunes":{"key":"itunes","url":"https:\/\/podcasts.apple.com\/us\/podcast\/short-stories\/id1621456328","label":"iTunes","class":"itunes","icon":"itunes.png"}},"rssFeedUrl":"https:\/\/blog.alexisveenendaal.com\/feed\/podcast\/default-podcast","embedCode":"

The Giant’s Gamble Pt. 26<\/a><\/blockquote>