Dice
"Soldier's Fortune"
"You can always sell them, they take up next to no space and weigh almost nothing. It's always worth it to bet on dice, as opposed to with dice."For as long as humanity has needed something to fill time with, there has been games of chance. Many in Erisdaire consider dice to be the oldest form of these games, citing history back to soldiers using carved knucklebones for it. As centuries wore on, the tradition caught on with other cultures with varied games of chance being created. Dwarves would play games with dice carved from stone and polished to a smooth feel, while elves used either hardwood or shed antlers. Dice with a higher number of sides became popular in the southern lands, where rules for the games became more complex. A number of popular games exist, though the most common one is "Dragon's Hoard".
Because of how easy dice are to make, simple sets can be acquired almost anywhere. Large bones or horn is a common material, as it requires no specialized tools to create dice from these materials. Traders will have dice made from stone, sometimes a softer stone which can be worked similar to horn. Semi-precious stones are also a popular choice for those who wish to flaunt their relative wealth, while being significantly more durable than wood or softer stone.
Common Games
See also: "Dragon's Hoard"With the vast span of history, both recorded and forgotten, there are a number of games which are popular among the people of Erisdaire. "Dragon's Hoard" is one such game, but there are others which are played depending on where one travels. These games are largely kept simple, and while some are played for stakes they are not always treated seriously. Among the most common games is one where the goal is to throw a set of dice and attempt to get a result of pairs or sequences of numbers. This is commonly taught to children as a means to teach numbers and patterns, and so the stakes are usually pieces of candy or other sweets. When played among adults, the stakes are similarly low and is most commonly played as a drinking game where the losers take a drink after each round.
The dwarves have a particular game called "The Forge" where an additional component is added in the form of tokens representing particular objects which are made from metal. Each object has a particular pattern of dice results needed to claim it, and a point value assigned to it. The more restrictive the requirement, the more points the item is worth. This game is often played for bragging rights, and is one of the few dice games known to be able to be played solo. All that is required is a goal to claim, such as "forging a full suit of armor in the fewest number of rolls" and a witness who can attest for the score. Each dwarven clan tends to develop their own variant "goals" based on things common to the clan, while also keeping records of impressive scores for clan members to measure up against.
Elves are known to have a musical game where the numbers translate to notes on a pentatonic scale, with either the highest or lowest numbering face requiring a re-roll. The goal is to arrange the dice results in a pleasing melody, and their peers will judge the result based on performance and difficulty of the melody's construction. The game can be played with instruments or merely vocal tones, but it is treated in a serious matter. Deliberately arranging a melody to be discordant or otherwise unpleasing to the ears is frowned upon, but being able to turn arrangements of notes thought to be impossible into a passable melody is very welcome. The game can have any number of dice used, though variants exist where the number increases as the rounds proceed. Thus the difficulty increases, requiring considerable talent to keep in the game.
Sets of Note
The most unusual set of dice is kept at the university Northrun, made from orichalcum and retrieved from an ancient ruin. Due to the unique properties of the metal, they remain as finely-balanced as the day they were finished. However, rumors have spread the "orichalcum dice" are actually balanced improperly and will always lose. The curators of the university spend a good deal of time keeping students (and faculty) from testing this theory, as the set is literally irreplaceable.According to tales told by the elves in western Erisdaire, the practice of dice as a game of chance has spread to the Faeweald and faerie-kin have taken a great interest. Their sets are usually made from silver, and have a tendency to change arrangements when not actively being used in a game. These "quicksilver dice" slowly lose this property once removed from the Faeweald, and eventually crumble into worthless soft metal pieces.
Lastly, there is said to be a set made from carefully cut quartz crystals and the faces have small chips of colored quartz used to serve as numbering. This set of "crystal dice" was commissioned by Lord Goraman from artisans working from the Sebile Mining Company. They were never truly intended to be played with, instead being kept in a transparent part of a meeting table where they could be seen but never used. Sometime in recent years, the Emperor assigned a new governor and the set of dice were noticed to have been replaced by a replica made from cheap glass. There have been no official leads on where they may have gone, or who is suspected of stealing it.
Item type
Toy
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