Dart game pictures!

[Piper]

Among the patrons of Galehaven last night were a few pirates. For reasons unbeknown to us, they didn't even attempt to relieve us of our alcohol. Perhaps it was because they made enough revenue from their black market to be complacent for the evening, but they were actually rather civil! We even decided to have an impromptu darts competition with the conditions for winning set by Emissary Rotep.

The participants were Piper, Aneirin, and Pike. Sharkeye Pike, that is. (Not the pretty one. That's his brother Hawkeye.) While Kaylor, Trinsac, and James looked on, the three lined up as they were told in a marvelous display of colorful tricorne hats. Pike was up first, but he wasn't without trepidation as he approached the dartboard... completely sober. His sobriety meant the odds were against him, as he apparently has better aim while drunk! He missed the board entirely the first time, and it was clear that the pirate needed a drink as he sat down to collect himself.

It was Rotep who came to the rescue with a bottle of ale. Now with a new wind under his sails, a slightly-inebriated Pike took his final two shots with great success.

Next up was Cupcake's would-be suitor, Aneirin. His round was not all that impressive (except for his techniques, which involved throwing over the shoulder and in all kinds of entertaining poses). Pike still had the lead so far, though. Aneirin's last dart clearly hit for a five, but the salty archer insisted that it was a ten. Rotep remained unconvinced, and this further agitated the pirate, who argued that his total score should be a twenty.

There was only one way to solve this dispute before it got ugly -- according to Rotep, at least -- and this was through fire mathematics. There aren't many practitioners of this fringe discipline, but fortunately, one such mathematician was present last night. Piper, however, was oblivious to the conversation as she readied herself for her own try at the darts by pulling her hat down over her eyes so that she couldn't see the target.

Blinded under the hat, she stumbled around and asked if that was fire she heard crackling. James replied that the results of his combustible calculations indicated that Aneirin's score was actually nineteen and three quarters, and none could really argue with solid math. Piper then took her turn, which didn't end so well, for whatever reason. Some would say it probably had something to do with the fact that she couldn't see what she was throwing at, but that's an amateur assumption. This meant Sharkeye Pike had won the game, taking a small purse of gold coins as his prize. The group sat down as they prepared for a second round of darts, and Pike ordered himself another drink for good measure. Something was funny about that particular bottle of wine, though, since it kind of exploded in a fiery blast onto him and Piper when he went to drink it!

After everyone recovered from the shock of the exploding wine, they decided to begin the next game. Pike was up again! This time, perhaps inspired by James' fire math, he decided to get all fancy schmancy with his technique. Chugging his drink in one mighty gulp, he proclaimed loudly, "Lemme do dis! I will now throw thru fire!" And, sure enough, he cast the field and did just that.

He still did very well, and James knew this could only mean one thing...

Even amid the cries of witchery, the self-proclaimed drunkard again outperformed both of the other contestants. Piper tried a second time to play while blindfolded by her hat, but Aneirin really has no excuse for losing. He's just that lousy at darts, I suppose.

Apparently content now that he'd taken everyone's money in the winnings, Pike decided it was time to turn in for the night, but not before offering a suggestion on the volatile state of the tavern's refreshments...

It wasn't long before the rest of the gang took their leave as well. Even though the notorious Sharkeye Pike had managed to lighten the pockets of the other contestants, everyone still had a good time, and no one even got stabbed! Just remember to keep an eye out for landlubber bartenders serving exploding wine.

Edited September 6, 2009 by Piper