In the casino, there are sharks and there are bait fish. It always pays off for the shark to get close with the bait, but the reverse is a more complex story. As long as the shark doesn’t need to eat, the fish can do alright too. Do the sharks mind this? That depends on the shark. In James’ case, so long as he’s looking out for himself, he doesn’t mind at all if others swim with him for a time. Is it curiosity? A need to feel something that passes for friendship? He’ll never tell.
“I vastly prefer the term ‘lifestyle gambler’ to card shark. For one, there is a certain expectation one’s life should have a sense of style in it,
especially if your wits and luck are key features in your profession.”
James “Jimmy Legs” Kopecky is a smooth operator on the casino floor and just as unreadable as the sharks he sizes up in the gambling circuit. He knows luck is fickle and never something to count on, but lean on it very heavily, that he can do. For James has a bit of a magic to him when it comes to luck – he can borrow it from some bait fish and extend it to some other fish. Whom he’ll bet on heavily, right up until the hot streak inevitably crashes.
“There’s many situations in life where one should part without long goodbyes.
And some where you do wise to part without any goodbye.
Sometimes its best not to dwell on things like ‘Where did all my money go?’”
As is typical for adventurers in these sorts of stories, the casino and its minigames act as a garish beacon of promised riches and vital gear prizes. The Lapis Doily was no exception to this, and so it happened that the gambler met The Hero. There was a plan to enter the tournament for the grand prize, some freakishly long sword with slots for crystals, but the fates did not seem to favor The Hero getting it, despite James’ efforts.
“While I did stand to profit from my share of the take, but seeing as how we done lost out, I should have been given some consideration for sharing my slot and expertise. Shows what one gets when overly invested in fools and the errands they prefer.”
There’s no such thing as playing fair in a fight to James. His passive ability of luck drain weakens enemies subtly over time, until a break of luck kicks in – or turns the tables with a lucky break for them. While he can try to control when these occur, he can’t alter fate permanently. Knowing that the deck is stacked against him, he and his allies had best finish the fight before that unfortunate strike, or at least plan to brace for it. His skill with a revolver and cutlass are decent, but for him, its all about flair.
The Also-Rans 