Though I would hesitate to call her my friend, I once chatted with Nymbal Gobkin when she was attempting to distract me enough that my pocket could be picked. Knowing that, even at her tender age, she had wormed her way into many a situation only to rob it blind, I asked about an interesting and lucrative find, one for the history books.

Nym replied that she had once delved into what appeared to be an ancient crypt, set back off a road that was isolated but used often enough. It appeared to be a tomb from the Third Dynasty, of the sort often filled with burial goods due to that ancient civilization’s mistaken belief that such items could be carried into the afterlife. Powerful curses of course attended such places, but that did not deter my frenemy.

The tomb seemed to be empty but unlooted, and a companion of Nym’s, who she referred to only as “a fool,” charged ahead with the intent to claim it for himself, using a stickyfoot ball to secure Nym in place. It was then that the true nature of the place revealed itself: the tomb as an elaborate ruse for a group of bandits, who leapt out to capture and rob whomever sought to loot the tomb. They secured Nym’s compatriot, after which she left.

I protested that this was hardly lucrative, as failing to be robbed Is not so much a gain as it is avoiding a loss. For her part, Nym responded that she looted the compatriot’s now-unguarded possessions, claiming them for herself while simultaneously depriving him of the means to affect a ransom. When I turned away, disgusted, Nymbal added that, as far as she knew, he was still imprisoned.

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