Steampunk: Sixth Era Epic

The meeting of strangers at the Prophet's Society was quite friendly due to the presence of Roder Cards. While shuffling the cards, Shard leisurely introduced himself. The sky above was azure, with large white clouds floating, and the bustling winter square was bustling below. Even if not for waiting for Luviya, Shard was more than willing to spend time here:

"I just got off the train yesterday, visited an acquaintance. I was planning to see the valley wetlands outside the city today, but after all, I wanted to first see what the local Prophet's Society looked like. I intended to just take a quick look and leave, but I didn't expect to find this terrace. I must admit, if it were a warm summer afternoon, enjoying afternoon tea under a parasol with friends while playing cards—it would be truly delightful."

"Actually, the winter scenery is also nice."

The gentleman with the local accent said, clearly resonating with Shard:

"I like playing cards here all year round. Although the indoor temperature and environment are better, I still prefer it here."

Shard took the opportunity to ask:

"So, since we have nothing else to do, how about a few games?"

He placed the deck on the table to his left front, pulled it to the right, and the deck spread out in an arc on the table.

The gentleman across from Shard nodded with a smile:

"What an enjoyable morning, playing cards with a stranger who unexpectedly arrived here, that's truly amusing. I forgot to introduce myself, Donald Antonio. If you're interested, while we play, I could introduce you to the locale. I'm quite knowledgeable about the local landscapes and folklore."

"That would be great, I'm John Watson, a traveling writer on the Old Continent. Although I'm a Draleon, I've spent more time in Carsonrick in recent years... Mr. Antonio, you're not a folklore scholar, are you?"

Shard asked a bit worriedly; the middle-aged man shook his head slightly:

"Of course not, I'm actually a writer too, but not a novelist. I'm a playwright, writing scripts for opera troupes; occasionally, I also write musicals and long poems. Have you heard of the Golden Dawn Opera Group? I've written scripts for them, though they haven't been performed yet, they were selected."

"That's really impressive."

Shard admired sincerely, seeing Mr. Antonio as one of those rare individuals who could support themselves through writing, a respectable trait in any era.

Mr. Antonio modestly shook his head, pausing as he shuffled the cards:

"To encounter a stranger with whom I can converse well on an unexpected morning, it truly feels like a fateful meeting. So, Mr. Watson, would you like to wager on a special card with me?"

Shard admitted it was quite a tempting proposition, but unfortunately, he could not reveal his deck in an unfamiliar city:

"Sorry, the deck I have with me today doesn't contain any special rule cards... I initially planned to have a quick look here and then head out of the city to enjoy the scenery."

He said, somewhat embarrassed.

Mr. Antonio understood:

"No problem, we can play cards first, and if you do lose, you can bring your cards later when you have time."

"That would be to my advantage... How about this, if I lose, I can wager 5 Krone here first."

Shard said with a smile, and the two agreed on the stakes, each checking their decks and shuffling the cards. Mr. Antonio's deck contained two special rule cards. He didn't specify which one to wager, usually implying that if Shard won, he could choose one at will.

Since it was a private game, they weren't planning to set complicated rules. After all, it was meant to pass the time, so the first to win three out of five games, with two round victories per game, would win the game, with a reshuffle before the next. So if luck led to several ties, this game might last a while.

"Randall Valley City is quite a nice place, though not as prosperous as Velindale, at least here you can see the blue sky in every season."

The two chatted as they drew cards; Shard looked at his bottom card, a Stars 3, and drew a second one:

"I've heard the forests, valleys, and mountain sceneries here are quite lovely."

"Yes, the wood from Innas Forest outside the city is famous throughout the United Kingdom; the Randall Valley Wetland and Eldron Creek are the origins of this city; as for the mountains further east, they are great mining areas, especially the stone mines. This place is known as the City of Stonemasons because of those mines."

Mr. Antonio complimented with a smile, while Shard compared these locations on the memorized map in his head.

The west of Randall Valley City is Impact Plains, with relatively flat terrain to the south and north, while the east is surrounded by mountains, almost turning the plain into a peninsula. The Randall Valley refers to the current location of the city, while Eldron Creek is the area where rivers connect the city with the mountains. Surrounding the valley and creek is the Innas Forest.

With these thoughts, the first round of the first game had already concluded. Shard stopped at 18 points, while Mr. Antonio stopped at 17.

"Perhaps I should have taken more risks just now."

The playwright said somewhat annoyedly, then continued to draw cards with Shard:

"Because of the unique environment of the river valleys, creeklands, and mountain forests, local legends and stories are more abundant than those in other cities. For example, it's said that long, long ago, elves used to live here and left behind many beautiful stories. In the Innas Forest, one can even occasionally find ruins and remnants of their treehouses."

"Elves, huh? That's indeed a beautiful story."

Shard glanced at the Flower 13 and Sun 4 in his hand, hesitated for a moment, then tapped the table, indicating he would hold.

Mr. Antonio continued drawing cards:

"Yes, even today, some claim to see elves deep in the forest. However, it might also be that someone ingested the poisonous mushrooms in the forest by mistake. Oh!"

He showed Shard his hand, Sun 7, Flower 9, Moon 8, a total of 22 points, a blowout:

"How unfortunate, it seems taking too much risk doesn't pay off."

Thus, Shard won the first round.

"I once ate a poisonous mushroom too."

The two continued drawing cards, and Mr. Antonio spoke slightly ominously:

"Of course, it was by mistake. But the experience was... peculiar."

"Did you also see elves?"

Shard asked with a smile, and the playwright shook his head:

"A more fantastical scene, the earth and sky turned into peculiar patches of color, chaotic colors painted everyone colorful. The ground was shaking, the sky spinning, yet I remained still... I was unconscious for five hours, but after waking up, I crafted some very interesting stories."

Shard gave a dry laugh without commenting, as mushroom poisoning isn't exactly surprising in this era, and Mr. Antonio was apparently one of the lucky people.

In the first round of the second game, both stopped at 18 points, thus continued drawing cards.

"Of course, aside from elves, there's also a legend about stone statues in the forests here. It's said that the earth of Randall Valley is alive, and the wet soil can form human-like shapes with the ability to move freely. If you see hideous clay statues in local souvenir shops, don't be surprised. They are famous local souvenirs, Mr. Watson, you might want to take one or two back as gifts for friends when you leave."

That sounded like the alchemical golem of the Circle Sorcerers.

In the second round of the second game, Shard's Star 7, Flower 12, and Sun 9 caused a blowout, but Mr. Antonio had a blowout as well. He remarked that his luck didn't seem very good today.

"Are there any more interesting local legends? Yesterday I chatted with the innkeeper who mentioned something about a legend concerning keys."

Shard inquired while squinting to peek at the new base cards, though he hadn't actually heard anyone mention it.

"I'm not sure about that, but due to the mining in the eastern mountain region, people discovered countless natural underground caves. Thus, some have speculated whether there might be subterranean people living beneath us."

"A kingdom of subterranean people? That's interesting. Oh, I'm holding, 20 points."

"I'm at 18 points, so I'll try my luck again... Well, Flower 10, really unlucky."

Mr. Antonio tossed the drawn card aside and continued with the next round of the second game:

"There aren't very complicated beliefs here; the development of the True God Church is doing well. However, there are many interesting local festivals, related to old customs and legends. Almost every season has activities; for example, for winter, the winter ice sculpture event is held on the second Monday after the Year-End Festival, celebrating that half of the snowy winter has passed, though it's already over now. And once the first Randall Flower blooms and spring officially begins, the City Hall along with local nobility and business guilds jointly fund a grand city banquet, making that day bustling every year."

Shard nodded, showing his 20 points, having drawn four cards. Mr. Antonio stopped after two, with 19 points.

Shard won the second game, but Mr. Antonio wasn't discouraged; instead, he seemed a little excited.

"And what about summer and autumn?"

"In summer, after the first heavy rain of the season, there's the summer boat race. As you know, this city has no shortage of rowing waterways. Downstream from the mountain opening, passing through the city to the west end of Randall Valley. However, in recent years, because the race affects the normal entry and exit of merchant ships, City Hall... but let's not talk about such disappointing topics."

Mr. Antonio laughed and shook his head:

"In autumn, there's the Harvest Festival, traditionally involving neighbors exchanging food. Last year I received tea leaf rock cakes from an elderly neighbor, but I really couldn't chew them... Later, after soaking them in water, I found they made a nice soup."