This detailed key for the Poisoned Poseidon, was created by Tominar. It’s designed to be used in conjunction with the maps and adversary roster from the Remix. “The area numbers are keyed to the drawn map of the Poisoned Poseidon, but it should be fairly easy to match them up.”
CULTISTS
NPCs from the adversary roster are expanded here, including names, loot, and some descriptions.
Iron Consul – Fahul: Wears a cloak that has the symbol of Bane on the reverse side.
Master of Souls – Remigio: Has the keys to his quarters (Area 3).
Necromites: Each carries a pouch containing 2d6 silver.
THE POISONED POSEIDON
As the PCs approach the location, read the following:
The port is busy with people, porters carrying goods, horses towing boats up the canals and many people. Most of them dressed poorly and looking dejected. You see a man whispering to a group of refugees, pocketing a few coins and them pointing them to the north side of the harbour. As you make your way towards the tannery district, the smell of excrement, lye and rotting flesh assaults your noses. You see a large ship, sunken into the muddy ground and supported by a number of wooden beams. On the side of the ship, painted in flaking red letters reads – the Poisoned Poseidon.
1. THE MAIN DECK
The main deck is generally kept clear, but there might be a stack of tanned hides ready for sale. A crane has been installed on the poop deck that is used to raise and lower heavy material from street level. The ship stinks of lye, excrement and rot. As you look around the deck you see some stacks of tanned hides ready for sale. To the front of the ship there is a set of double doors, and to the rear there are two single doors. There is also a staircase that descends into the lower levels of the ship.
Standing on the deck are a heavily built man sitting on a barrel under the centre mast, as well as two men and a woman playing dice on the fore deck. Every so often someone comes up the stairs to pick up or drop off a some materials.
2. WORKER’S SLEEPING QUARTERS
Six bedrolls are haphazardly placed around the room. The bedrolls are empty of valuables but hidden in a pot is a mother of pearl comb worth 25gp.
3. REMIGIO’S QUARTERS
The door to these quarters is locked at all times – DC 12 Thieves’ Tools check or DC 14 Strength check. Remigio keeps the keys to his cabin and his desk on him at all time.
There is a made bed, a large deerskin rug and a desk.
Desk: On the desk are a number of writing materials and an emblem depicting a white skull inset into a black triangle (DC 13 Intelligence (Religion) check to identify this as the symbol of Myrkul, the Lord of Bones and the God of Death). Similar depictions are roughly carved all over the desk. The desk also has two locked drawers.
Desk Drawers (DC 14 Thieves’ Tools check or DC 14 Strength Check): One drawer contains a number of letters (Handout: Poseidon’s Correspondence). The other drawer contains a coin pouch container 35gp, 40sp and an onyx worth 30gp. It also contains three red potions (potions of healing).
4. MEETING ROOM
The door to this room is unlocked. Opening this door reveals an unlit room, with a large table surrounded by chairs in the center. The area around the head of the table is covered in roughly carved symbols of a skull in a triangle. DC 20 Intelligence (Religion) check to identify as the symbol of Myrkul.
5. THE LOWER DECK
Most of the lower deck is used to store the untreated skins of slaughtered cattle that are delivered to the tannery, along with the blood, dirt, manure, hooves, and horns that come with them. The floor is dirty, the stench of excrement and rot is stronger in here. There are crates and barrels stacked around the room, and another set of stairs going down. At the aft of the ship you see four closed doors, in a U–shape, and to the fore, are two doors.
6. SHRINES
In this cabin there are three small shrines. A symbol showing a white skull set into a black triangle is decorated with black candles, one is lit with a green flame. Another shrine depicts a black hand, under which are three daggers driven into the wood of the counter. The third shrine depicts a skull surrounded by 9 red droplets in a circle. This shrine is clean but lacks any offerings.
7. ARMOURY
This cabin has three small racks against the walls that contain an assortment of weapons. There is an assortment of mundane weapons – 5 daggers, 3 shortswords, 3 maces, 1 war hammer and 1 whip.
8. MURDER SQUAD QUARTERS
These cabins each contain a bed. During the day three of the cabins contain the remaining members of the murder squad resting. They wake up and investigate if any loud noises are heard on this deck or the deck above. Each cabin also contains a footlocker containing a set of commoner’s clothes, a set of cultist robes (necromites) and 1d6 gp and 3d8 sp.
9. HOLD
The hold of the ship is filled with barrels, crates and stacked pieces of leather. The area is lit with covered lanterns and appears to be empty. To the north and south you see sets of double doors. An incredibly strong scent of urine can be detected to the south. There is also another staircase going further down, into an unlit area.
10. TREATMENT ROOM
If the doors are listened at: You can hear the sound of metal rasping on leather, and occasionally two voices talking to each other.
Hanging on the walls are a collection of curved knives similar to the ones the workers are using.
There are two tanners working on removing hair from the soaked hides. If they notice the party, they ask what they’re doing here. They will accept most explanations, cower and shout out if attacked. If left without an explanation they will go and warn either Remigio below, or Fahul above.
11. VATS
If the doors are listened at: You can hear the sound of liquids splashing, and occasionally two voices talking to each other.
In this room are two tanners soaking hides in three large vats, wearing pegs on their noses. If they notice the party, they ask what they are doing here. They will accept most explanations, cower and shout out if attacked. If left without an explanation they will go and warn either Remigio below, or Fahul above.
12. LOWER HOLD
This level is dark, damp and unlit. The floor is made of packed earth that is turned to wet mud in places. Dotted around the place are a few rotted barrels, from which a blue liquid has leaked out and dried. To the south, you see a set of double doors.
If listened at doors: You see a faint, flickering green light through the gap in the doors. Daytime: You can hear a faint humming coming from beyond the doors.
13. SURGERY TABLE
In the center of the room sits a large table. On top of which lays the corpse of a naked middle-aged woman. A man in black robes stands hunched over the corpse with his back towards you. He seems to be moving his hands while humming. Beside him is a small table containing a disturbing variety of surgical instruments and three brands (each with a holy symbol of the Dead Three). On another table across from him sits a bundle of clothes and other personal effects. At the opposite end of the room, through the broken hull of the ship, there is another set of doors.
Among the surgical equipment can be found the Poseidon Papers, and among the belongings can be found Shohreh Netitia’s Refugee Papers.
Unless the players have been particularly loud, Remigio doesn’t notice them until they bring attention to themselves.
Refugee Papers: A DC 15 Wisdom (Perception) test reveals the papers to be forgeries. The forgery can also be detected if the PCs look to verify the origin of the papers (for example, by cross-referencing the refugee lists in the High Hall; or tracking down the official tabularius whose authorizing seal supposedly appears on the papers).
14. CATACOMBS
A tunnel has been carved out of the earth, supported by wooden struts embedded in the wall. Niches that are stacked with urine-soaked skins line the walls ahead.
15. PRISONS
Prison A – To the north is an alcove lit by a flickering lamp. A man and a woman in chainmail are sitting at a table playing five finger fillet. Two iron doors are set into the walls near them.
East Cell – Locked (DC 15 Thieves Tool, DC 20 Strength). Inside lies Reya Mantlemorn, unconscious. Reya is a Hellrider (DC 10 History/Insight for Harry to recognise and vice versa). She snuck into the city with some of the early refugees. One of the refugees in her group turned up dead a week ago (Wemba Oshrat). Reya started investigating – and was jumped.
North Cell – Unlocked. Reya’s gear is in here.
What Reya Knows: Most of the people who have gone missing were refugees. Remigio wanted to know about other Hellriders and Knights of the Companion in the city. Was out of Elturel on patrols when it happened – then escorted some refugees to Baldurs Gate. Knows that some refugees are entering the city with forged papers – doesn’t know where they get them from and will only bring this up if specifically asked. If the players seem honourable, then she will ask to join them.
Prison B – One cell is empty. The other has the body of a Flaming Fist spy (male, dark skin, shaved head) who was trying to infiltrate the Dead Three. The body is dressed in robes similar to the cultists upstairs and carved into his forehead is the emblem of the Flaming Fist. With him is a pack containing a red potion (healing), a vial containing an eyeball floating in a yellowish liquid (potion of clairvoyance). There is also a Flaming Fist badge and 15gp.
