“Hearts Desire” is a game in which thirteen contestants take a turn in rolling the dice, on a natural “double six” they get to draw a slip of paper from a container, usually a large mug , with a stated prize on it. Most often the contestant will win some silver or copper coins, a free mug, or the like. The prize money comes from each contestant paying in 10 gold coins, or its equivallent into the pot.

However, one special rule of the game is that there are some slips stating challenges to be done, or punishments carried out, none of them real difficult or more than embarrasing. Yet, one command is that of the hearts desire, in which the dice are rolled one more time, then contestants are counted from left to right, with the lucky person chosen getting bedded by the drawer for the night.

The game has been played for centuries, both honor and tradition bind the two to carry out the mating regardless of any stigma, social or maritial problems. Sometimes it can
lead to interesting developments…

Fair-water had come to stay for a few days at the Dragons Hearth and Home, a fairly good inn on the trade roads. Just shy of her seventeenth birthday, and a moderately skilled sorceress, she took her winnings to play some of the other games. It was the height of summer, and of the trading season, with a game of “Hearts Desire” being started…and she managed to time it right to get in on it.

The game got interesting, and lasted fairly well into the evening, with much money changing hands on side wagers; especially as we all waited to see whom, if anyone, would win the “Hearts Desire” slip.