| Staff | Location |
|---|---|
| 1d2 Hostesses + Bartender | Area 1 |
| Vladaam Mage | Area 1 (25%) or Area 3 (50%) 1 |
| 2 Vladaam Advanced Guards | Area 3 2 |
| 2 Vladaam Guards | Area 4 |
| Hostess | Area 5 |
| Customers | Locations |
| 4d6 Customers | Area 1 |
| Dilar 3 | Area 1 (25% chance) |
| 2d8-1 Customers + Hostess | Area 2 (10%) |
| 3d8 Customers | Area 5 |
1 Carries key for the safe in Area 2, Letter from Marcus Corellius, and Imperium from Archmage Ustallo.
2 Carries dreadwood quiver and 10 dreadwood arrows. A small note inside one of them reads “courtesy of Bloodfury on Vanguard Street.” (See Part 10: Guild – Dreadwood Grove.)
3 See Part 16: Slave Trade – Warehouse and also Night of Dissolution, p. 37.
Curse Den – Oldtown
Yarrow Street – D9
AREA 1 – DRAGONSCALES TABLES
This main chamber appears to be an upscales dragonscales parlor. The bar serves a selection of fine wines (ranging in price from 10 gp per bottle to 500 gp per bottle).
DC 22 INTELLIGENCE (INVESTIGATION): The secret door to Area 2 is part of the finely polished wood paneling lining the room. It’s operated by a hidden switch under the bar.
DRAGONSCALES: Most games are Green or Blue Dragonscales, although occasional large matches of Red, Silver, or even Gold Dragonscales are not unknown.
DRAGONSCALE SETS: This room contains ten Gold Dragonscales sets. Each is worth 250 gp.
AREA 2 – SLAVE SNUFF
The mahogany table in the center of the room is equipped with large manacles, designed to bind someone firmly to the surface. A large, bulging aumbry is set against the far wall.
AUMBRY: Contains 20 doses of agony, 100 doses of abyss dust, and 12 curse jewels.
- DC 20 Intelligence (Investigation): The aumbry has a secret compartment which contains a curse globe.
- DC 24 Intelligence (Investigation): On the wall behind the aumbry, there is safe containing 8d10 x 10 pp in mostly gold and silver coins. (DC 35 Thieves’ Tools)
TABLE – DC 25 Intelligence (Investigation): The table has a hidden compartment where a slave manacled to its surface can be quickly dropped out of sight. (The compartment has a permanent silence spell cast on it.)
DM Background: Groups (or, more rarely, individuals) will use this room to use curse jewels on a single slave bound to the surface of the table. This often results in the death of the slave and the groups pay extra for their murderous highs. The “ritual” is often accompanied by doses of agony.
AREA 3 – DRUG STORAGE
This room contains:
- 10,000 doses of abyss dust
- 50 doses of agony
- 6,000 gp worth of fine wines
DC 18 INTELLIGENCE (INVESTIGATION): There’s a secret compartment under a number of barrels leading to a small basement containing 2d4 slaves. (There’s also a 50% chance that it contains an additional 1d2 corpses of slaves killed in Area 2 that have not yet been disposed of.)
Slaves here can described where they came from: Shipped in on the Eye of the East (see Part 9: Fleet of the Iron Sails) out of the slave pits of Amsyr. They were taken to the Slave Trade Warehouse (see Part 16: Slave Trade) before being shipped here.
AREA 4 – REAR COURTYARD
There are usually a few horses tied up to a fencing post.
- Note: Oddly the horses are left there even in inclement weather despite the stable doors.
DM Background: If the password “Wyvern” is given here, one is sold abyss dust by the “stablehands” and led through the door to Area 4.
AREA 5 – ABYSS DUST COTS
The old stables have been retrofitted with a number of cots designed for blitzed abyss dust users.
HANDOUTS
LETTER FROM MARCUS CORELLIUS
Galos,
I want a full accounting of Dilar’s debts sent to me at the den on Outer Ring Row as soon as possible, but leave him unmolested. At least for the moment. He still enjoys the protection of our mutual friends, after all.
Thank you for bringing this matter to my attention.
Marcus Corellius
DM Note: The “den on Outer Ring Row” is the Rivergate curse den.
IMPERIUM FROM ARCHMAGE USTALLO
Brother Galos,
I have heard sterling reports of your performance from Marcus. You will have to regale me with the tale of petrifying the pickpocket. The Den Master was able to entertain me greatly with his telling of it, but I want to savor every delightful detail of what ensued.
When you do return to the guild house, also bring with you ten doses of abyss dust. I am sure it will enhance your tale. (Leaving him to rot in the stables! Superb!) What a wonderful message to send to Knapp and his lackeys.
Imperium of the Archmage Ustallo
Red Company of Magi
DM Note: “Marcus” is Den Master Marcus Corellius. “Knapp” refers to Haymann Knapp of the Longfingers Guild (Ptolus, p. 123). Archmage Ustallo and the guildhouse on End Street can be found in Part 13: Red Company of Magi.
Go to Part 8C: Curse Den – Rivergate
