Few forms of gambling are as universal as Fiend's Bargain. It, or some adapted form of it, exists in almost every country. It is often known by other names, such as "Spriggan's gamble" in Sidhe-Ouro, or "Ifrit's Claim" among the Sultanates. Regardless of variation, its core concepts remain the same: a game of cards played using a seer's deck, with some form of counters for betting.
Each round, the deck is shuffled, and a row of five cards placed in front of each player face down, with three in their hands. Cards are revealed one at a time, with betting taking place after each reveal. Major cards have only their own nature, but no numerical value; the numerical value is decided by the Minor cards that appear both in each player's prophecy, as well as what they hold. This can be altered, however, by the placement of counters, increasing the value of any card. It is the risky choice from which the game takes its name: counters often insure the winning of a round, but a player is eliminated the instant they run out of counters.
Due to its usage of seer's cards, plenty of superstition exists around the game. Many a cautionary tale exists of players who inadvertently summoned a devil or some other horror into their midst, through the inadvertent casting of a spell via the cards. Coincidentally, most of these stories come from staunch anti-gambling advocates.
It is highly unlikely that Fiend's Bargain has its origin in any one place, as it is largely an amalgam of various games and concepts from across the plane. More likely it was originally played between travelers and nomadic peoples, who picked up and added their own influence as they saw fit. This would explain both the disparate versions of the game, as well as its universal status.
Fiend's Bargain utilized a deck of seer's cards and any item usable for betting. Marbles and chips are among the most common, and it is customarily played with 15 for each player, though plenty of players raise or reduce the number based on setting and timing.
Fiend's Bargain is always played between two people, with the exception of one variant, which utilizes a dealer of sorts to lay out and interpret each player's "prophecy."
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