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Abaddon looked out over the little room. The Main room had three main tables. One large card table where passing travellers played with black and white stones called chits. They played a card game called 3 dragon ante. Resources, items, drinks, food or potions were traded for chits for gambling. The current prices of goods was up on the wall written in chalk.

There were a few people crowded into the room, making it luxuriously warm. There was another table where a steel wheel spin, and a metal ball bounced along a track. Guessing where the ball landed is what would get a return.

Lastly there was a set of Liars dice. This was a fun and complex game where bluffing could win you everything.

There were a few travelers playing cards but it was early yet. Abaddon smiled and set out a few bottles of weak quick aged wine. They hadn't been here long enough to make a lot.

Abaddon looked over from his perch behind the counter. The large black door stood behind him. A pile of treasure liad out on the counter to prove the house could back the bets.

Abaddon watched as a farmer beat a mercenary at 3 dragon ante. He watched the farmer sweep a pile of the stones into his purse. The mercenary looked angery, but one look from Abaddon and he changed his tune. He got up and came over to the Painted man.

"I'm in to the house for 3 chits." The mercenary said with his arms crossed.

"is that so? That's a nice sword." Abaddon says with a smile.

"No. That's how I earn my keep." The merc responded.

"Is that so? Well, then, how about a deal. I need a strong arm for this evening, and you owe me 3 chits. Sound like a deal?" Abaddon said, his painted face hard against the lamplight.

"Sure."

*walks into the house of chance and awes at all the games*

Wow...those look like fun...

*wonders around peaking at others playing and seeing if any game spikes his intrest*

"This game is fun. And it's easy. You put your chits down on a number and then they spin the wheel. If the ball falls into the slot with the same number, you win!" Abaddon says, walking over to Anon. The painted man smiles as the steel wheel is spun in a blur of motion. Abaddon drops a tiny metal ball into the spinning wheel and it bounces along, rolling against the incline of the wheel. eventually, the wheel slows enough to force the ball to drop.

"see. It's very exciting to play"

“That is it. You can’t win six hands in a row with out cheating.” The Big Orc screamed over the top of his lungs. The man at the table, a small Guthrie man simply smiled up at him.

“Maybe if you weren’t such a terrible player, and drunk to boot, I wouldn’t have taken your chits.” The Guthrie said, staring up at the Green Skinned orc.

“Yo’r cheating, I’ll prove it when I search your corpse.” The Orc said. He pushed away from the table with his feet, the large oak chair creaking under the power of the Orc’s tree trunk sized legs.

He stood to his full height, nearly seven feet tall, the silver chandelier nearly rapping against the top of his head. His green skin was hot and stick with rage, plums of red coloring around his blood shot eyes.

“I wouldn’t do that if I was you.” Came a calm voice from the other side of the room. The Orc, however was long gone. The tendrils of instinct and fury and a thousand years of combat wrapped themselves around the lizard portion of his brain. His pupils dilated and he jerked the knife out his belt, and tossed aside the table in a single swift motion. Black and white chits fell to the ground in a cascade.

The Gutherie just watched as his doom unfolded. His weapon was too far away, and the grasp of the Orc would be too far. Getting up would put him in weak spot. He could defend better remaining sitting, than either fighting or running would allow.

The Orc reached back with the dagger, and then stopped. His eyes rolled up into his head and he fell to the floor in a heap of sweat and bile. Abaddon, the Valkyn’vi mystic stood behind him.

Abaddon cupped each of his hands together and smiled through his painted face as static built between them. Sparks shot from his fingers, arcing to the floor and wall as twin, white balls of lightning formed in his fists.

Abaddon turned to look at the orc’s comrades, warriors who were reaching for their blades.

“I have done nothing to your friend. I can not say the same for you. Take him, and be gone from here. Tell your troupe, there is to be no violence in the House of Chance.” Abaddon said, his Valkyn’vi accent strangely foreign.

The men looked into Abaddon’s eyes, one black and one white before deciding that it wasn’t worth it. They collected their friend, and drug him from the Keep.

“Sorry about that.” Abaddon said, allowing the balls of energy fade with an audible pop.

“No problem.” The Guthrie said with a smile.

“Here’s all of his chits. Can I show you to roulette table?”

Anon watched the game with the ball for a while then turns when he hears the Orc yelling and moves to hid behind the spinning table. After watching Abaddon take care of the Orc he comes out with a look of almost awe at Abaddon's 'magic,' "What was that?"

"There is magic flowing through us all. Magic and energy flow from the world , into us. I reached out to the threshhold and slowed the flow of magic into his body. JUst enough to cause his body to fall into an intense, but short lived slumber. It's much better than having to kill him don't you think? I try to never shed blood unless I must. Is there anything else you wish to see?" Abaddon says.

"I don't think I got your name. I am called Abaddon. "

Oh...I'm Anon....

*looks around looking distracted by the games slightly*

I know how to make people sleep, but I have to hit them and I don't know much about magic expect for my healing powers I am learning, but I wonder....

*Looks quite focused as he mimics the motions of Abaddon and similar but much smaller energy forms in his hands*

Hey! I didn't know I could do that!

"Interesting. That force you can pull is the energy that makes up magic. Some can manipulate it directly. By force of will. Others must use ritual to manipulate it. You are healer? I have known some healers to use magic for their art, and others to use needle and thread."

I do use magic for my healing but it's this,

*a different white light comes from his hands that gives off a very good and calm feeling*

but I don't know where that other magic came from....is it bad that I can do that?

*asking with a worried tone of confusion*

"No. It is not bad. It just is. Magic is a tool, it can be used to help or hinder. So to is true of the art of healing." Abaddon says. "Some times one must do drastic things to gain the powers of magic. others are born that way. "

*looks at his hands*

I don't want to hinder or hurt anyone, I only want to heal and make others feel good. Can this other magic be used for good too or is only destructive or bad?

*Ingram enters the room and stands next to Abaddon*

It is noble to desire to use your talents to heal and create, but there is something important you must remember. All life moves inexorably toward death, no matter how much we try to slow it. Conversely all life comes from death, and the living -animal, vegetable, or otherwise- needs death to continue to live.

Destruction is not bad, nor is it good, so long as it remains in balance. So it is with the healing arts. To heal every dying thing denies the living, while to not protect the wheat until it is ready to be harvested is foolish.

*Ingram chuckles lowly to himself*

I apologize if I'm being a bit obtuse. My mouth sometimes has a habit of running on of its' own accord. I'm Ingram *extends his hand to shake*, are you here to enjoy the games, or just get out of the cold?

"Anon, yes, there are things you may do with will not harm. Some are gifted enough to take the life energy of one being, and put it in another. This donation of life, can be important. " Abaddon says with a somber face.

*listens to the words of both and replies in a calm tone*

I don't like to think about death....I...I know what happens to everyone eventually but I like to focus on the life part and making sure people are not in any pain even up to...even up to the end.

*shakes Ingram's hand with a smile*

I came for the games! They look like fun.

*looks around at the games tables around him then looks at Abaddon*

I don't know how to do that kind of magic yet....but that sounds really powerful...

"Power is nothing with out control. Perhaps when you have more control you will be able to do that. Some skills are difficult to master." Abaddon said. "The again, the powers of a healer too are great."