Hey, that's pretty good. Let me tell you something, stranger, it's got nothin' on this next story.  It's a long one though, don't want my throat to go dry in the middle. Say, you look like you've had a good day at the tables, how about a drink? Whatever you're having's fine. Right then. So 3 seasons ago I was in Chiaruscoro, hiked over there to offload some ivory I won off a guy... that's another story altogether. Once I get there I decide to start taking a look at the action. I start with the little games and work up to the legit ones.  After building some decent bank in the first couple of days, I set my eye on The Jade Peacock. It's a manse run by a few members of Cynis and is the place to find a good hand of cards. I get myself set up with the proper attire and walk into a beautiful site; at the height of summer, you can smell the Jade being tossed around. I'm scoping the tables and there's the corner game. My nose tells me that this is where the major action is, three dynasts smothered in perfume and jewels and one rich noble.

    I find a good perch and a drink and watch to see how hot this table is, I don't have the bars to work it today anyway. The fourth kid is cleaning up, taking hand after hand and feeding his losses to a princess of the earth that he's flirting with. Everyone's laughing along as he takes their money and he's smooth, haphazard, and apparently drunk playing a perfect game. After a few hours one of the dynasts mumbles something about being too drunk to continue and slinks off. The whole rooms seems to hold its breath as Cynis Sevenserpents sits down.

    Sevenserpents, the son of the owner of this establishment, lives up to his name. He thinks he's the best card player ever, he believes the dragons chose him to do it, and if someone proves him wrong, they're never seen again. He sits right across from the kid, puts a talent on the tab, and the real game starts. Sevenserpents and the kids know what's going on, they've cleaned out the pigeons in less than an hour. Every time a new one tries to join the table, the staff distract them with a few more drinks and direct them to something a little lower stakes. The two face off, their eyes meet. Sevenserpents is stone-faced, no indication whatsoever, his chips do all the talking. The kid quiets down, smiling and playing easily, almost recklessly. A few hands go by uneventfully, a little giving a little taking, then comes the big one. They both open big, trying to cow the other into submission. The bars are flying, the stranger smiling a little wider with each draw. By the last round he's outright grinning "Well, I think it's time to throw caution to the wind and let the dragons provide, don't you?". His chips go to the center. Sevenserpents trembles for a moment, his mouth turning into the slightest of sneers. The mere mention of another being favored steels his resolve and he grunts audibly, sweeping his chips into the center. Everyone's stopped playing, even the dealers are watching. One by one Cynis fans his cards and peels them onto the table. Water Regent, Fire Regent, Wood Regent, 10's Wood, 10's Air. The kid's breathing trembles a bit, his fingers suddenly uncertain. 7's Fire, 7's Water, three Empresses. The place goes wild and three attendents start counting up winnings, the kid revels and Sevenserpents whispers something to one of his staff. The two stand and bow, the kid pockets his scrip and walks away. 

     I slip out the door, figuring I could get a little bank and have it paid back before he wakes up next morning, maybe we could work together. I look out after and right out front, rank and file, are 20 city guard baring their steel. He tries to talk them down but they just sneer as the captain strides foreward. He flinches and the captain grins "See that boys? That's an escape attempt." He brings his blade down in a casual attempt to halve the stranger, hits nothing but air. Three more swings, the kid flows right around them then falls to his knees, screaming. He tears at the straps to his hat and there, on his forehead, is a blazing purple sigil of one circle in another. The guards hesitate and somewhere someone screams "Anathema!". I got out of there as soon as I could, and the only reason I know he's still there is the wanted posters.

 (Okay, discussion with other players has pretty much lead to unanimous agreement about the lack of epicness, so we'll make this not an exaltation account, but just some stuff he did.)

Concept: Gambler, performer, master of perception and deception.

Caste: Eclipse

Motivation: To ransom his home city from the thrall of an avaricious Deathknight (2 liquidated 5 dot backgrounds)

Anima Power: Oath sanctifying.  Enemy botches a critical action if he breaks the contract (10 motes).

 (edit: Changed bureaucracy to presence for added combat monstery.)