Notes for a New Campaign City, Parsantium

[RichGreen]

The Fat Grouper

The Fat Grouper is likely to be the home base (or touchstone as Monte Cook calls it) for the campaign, at least initially, so I thought I'd better write some stuff about it!

The ‘Grouper is the centre of Flotsam, physically but also almost spiritually, for it’s here that many of the boat-town’s residents (particularly its fishermen) come to sink a few jars at the end of a tough day’s work. The tavern was formerly a caravel; the bar is situated below decks, although on sunny days, the cooking is taken outside and excellent grilled fish is served from a barbeque on the sterncastle.

The landlord of the ‘Grouper is Glyn Merryfield, a miserable and greedy halfling who constantly complains about how life has dealt him a bad hand. Glyn is fat, balding and pale from spending most of his time indoors. As well as the tavern, he also owns several decrepit houseboats nearby which he rents out for 10 sp per week. Glyn’s wife, Sarla, is younger and much more attractive but she's also a nagging shrew who bemoans the fact that they live in Flotsam on a boat. She will tell anyone who will listen to her shrill complaints that Glyn will never amount to anything unless he earns enough money to move their tavern to the Makers Ward. Even the Poor Ward would be an improvement!

Because this is Flotsam, the taproom isn’t fancy. The furniture is basic and built from rough wood, making splinters in the backside an occupational hazard of drinking here. The only décor is a stuffed five-foot long purple grouper hanging over the bar and a few other fisherman’s trophies: a shark’s jaw, a narwhal horn and a couple of fishing spears. The beer is a watered-down but cheap pale ale called Marlin Brew. The only other drinks on offer are rotgut (a nasty potato-based spirit) and a vinegary red wine known as Sahasran Ruby. Apple-flavoured sheeshah is also available and is popular with the regulars but it’s the food on offer which is the tavern’s saving grace. Sarla is actually a great cook so the food, almost always locally-caught fish (grilled or served as fish stew, chowder or curry) is very good indeed.

Secret: Sarla’s disappointment in Glyn has driven him to try and improve their situation by gambling at Fahil’s Floating Palace, a gambling “hall” (actually a large ship moored off a pier in the Poor Ward’s red-light district). Predictably enough, Glyn has been losing heavily at dice and now owes a small fortune to the house and its owner Zeno Meverel. If he doesn’t pay back what he owes soon, Meverel will call in the loans and Glyn will lose anything. His increasingly desperate situation means he is on the lookout for any kind of “get rich quick” scheme, however ludicrous, that might come his way.

Any comments? I'd love to have some suggestions for "get rich quick" schemes!

Cheers


Richard

 

[RichGreen]

Fahil's Floating Palace

Another location. This one is adapted from Fahil's Flotilla of Fun in Thunderhead Games' excellent Bluffside supplement.

Fahil’s Floating Palace

This gaudily-furnished gambling “hall” is on board a huge two-storey barge moored at a pier in the Poor Ward’s red-light district. Gambling and drinking go on at all hours and music (usually accompanied by belly dancers) blares out across the strait. The Floating Palace is lit with colourful magical lights that pulse and dance to the beat of the Akhrani and Sahasran tunes from within. Various dice and card games are played here, with high stakes games taking place in a VIP area in what was the captain’s cabin.

The Floating Palace is owned by Zeno Meverel and run on his behalf by Fahil , a fat, jovial Sahasran with a well-groomed moustache. Fahil stands a little over five feet tall and is nearly as wide. He dresses in the most colourful silk clothes and enjoys wearing a bejewelled turban and pointed slippers. He says “if they don’t come to my place for the music, the dancing and the drinking, they come to see a fat man swim!”.

The typical clientele are sailors, merchants and other Old Quarter residents who consider themselves gamblers. The actor, Iancu Petronas, can also be found here with his pals, as can members of the Golden Scimitars. The Palace is seen as too brash and tacky for any sophisticates from the Imperial Quarter, even those who like to rough it occasionally.
From time to time, Fahil runs a contest to see who is the fastest swimmer in the Old Quarter. The winner claims the prize: a cup plated in gold bearing the inscription “Faster Than the Rest O’ The Fishes”.

Secrets:
- Fahil has instructions to make sure the house always comes out on top; loaded dice and marked cards are used where necessary.
- Fahil is actually a changeling <Eberron, MMIII> out for revenge. His sister worked for the Golden Scimitars as a spy and thief but was killed by one of their Thugee assassins after a mission went awry. Fahil is waiting until he is trusted enough to get close to the criminal organization’s shadowy leader so he can kill him.

 

[RichGreen]

First adventure outline

Hi,

Haven't posted for quite a while as I've been busy with other things but I have worked out an outline and some detail for the first adventure. Here's the adventure background & synopsis:

Adventure Background

Night, 3 Maius: Ashna, a nine-year old girl in the Water Boys, has a row with Girish and can’t sleep. She creeps out of bed, rows to the pier, and ends up witnessing something she shouldn’t while wandering around the docks late that night: the arrival of a pirate ship, The Howling Raider, at the Old Docks and the unloading of several human-sized sacks, one of which is wriggling.

The sacks are loaded into a cart by members of the Dockside Crew (a gang linked to the Golden Scimitars) and taken to a nearby safehouse as the ship sails away. Ashna, curious, follows the cart, and watches the men go into a building distinguished by a pelican painted over the doorway. She is spotted but she runs away and manages to escape the chasing rogues.

What Ashna witnesses is part of a larger plot: Captain Gnash of The Howling Raider is bringing in captives taken at sea and selling them to the Dockside Crew who are acting as intermediaries between the pirates and Orloch Scragmane, a gnoll gangster based in the Dock Ward’s slums. Orloch is obtaining slaves for kuo-toa based beneath the Old Quarter. Orloch Scragmane’s gnolls are also kidnapping drunk dock workers and selling them to the fishmen.

4 Maius:
Orloch Scragmane's gnolls enter the safehouse via a tunnel from the Hidden Quarter and take the slaves back to their tenement building. The Dockside Crew return to their base, the Old Fishery.
Elias Wang, leader of the Dockside Crew decides they need to get rid of Ashna or their slaving will be exposed, putting their other activities (protection rackets & debt collecting) at risk and bringing trouble down from their superiors in the Golden Scimitars. Elias sends Jagadish, a thuggee killer-for-hire after her.
Jagadish disguises himself as a dockworker and starts asking around about Ashna in Flotsam and the dockside taverns.

Night, 5 Maius: Jagadish tracks down Ashna, follows her and kills her with his strangle-cord. He throws her body in the river which turns up in a fisherman’s net the next day (6 Maius).


Adventure Synopsis

The PCs drive off a debt collector and his enforcers while hanging out on the deck of the Fat Grouper (first 4e fight encounter to get everyone going). Afterwards, they witness Ashna’s body being pulled out of the water by a fisherman and taken to the Water Boys houseboat. They are approached by Girish and hired to investigate what happened to her.

Various clues (nothing too tricky) lead them to Tew Pennyfeather (a friend of Ashna's), the “pelican safehouse”, Hidden Quarter tunnels beneath the city, the HQ of the Dockside Crew gang in the Old Fishery and Orloch Scragmane’s tenement building in the slums. During their investigation they are spied on by Jagadish and later attacked by him and a gang of thuggees including a warlock.

The PCs will have one or two encounters in the tunnels plus the Old Fishery (probably using the map in Pathfinder #7) and the slum tenement are full of gang members - Dockside Crew in the Old Fishery and gnolls in the tenement. There will be slaves to rescue in the tenement.

They can solve the murder and break up the slave ring but also find evidence connecting Orloch Scragmane to the water-logged caverns of the kuo-toa and their sinister underground temple to Blibdoolpoop.

Any suggestions on cool stuff to add in to the adventure, encounters, descriptions of gang members, what the slum tenement is like etc greatly appreciated!


Then, there will be an opportunity to explore the kuo-toa caverns (probably using the temple map in the Shackled City AP) and put a stop to whatever they're doing with the captives (sacrifice? slave labour on some nefarious project?)

This adventure is to kick off the campaign, but in future adventures I'd like to tie in with some of the locations and other stuff we've talked about in this thread: the hippodrome, the theatre, the brothels, temples etc. I'm not sure whether to treat the campaign as a sandbox setting or not - the players I'm running for probably need quite a bit of prompting.

Again, it would be great to hear some suggestions from anyone reading this thread about what could come next, or any other ideas for locations , NPCs, plots etc.


Cheers


Richard

 

[RichGreen]

Symbol & City Watch

Two little snippets of info:

The symbol of the city is a leaping horse over a crescent moon. On shields and flags, the horse and moon are white against an imperial purple background. On the tabards of the City Watch, the colours are reversed.

Law and order is kept by the City Watch. There is one watchhouse in each ward run by a Watch Captain who reports directly to the Prefect.
- Bells are mounted throughout the city – concerned citizens can ring these bells to summon the Watch, with a typical response time of 1-10 minutes (although it can take up to half an hour). *
- The quality of the Watch varies by ward but typically the best guards are in the Imperial Quarter and the worst in the Dock Ward. Attalus, Watch Captain of the Poor Ward is said to be in the pocket of the Golden Scimitars criminal organization.
- Watchmen wear chain shirts and Parsantine helmets; they are armed with halberds, longswords and light crossbows.


Richard


*cool idea "borrowed" from Ptolus

 

[RichGreen]

City Symbol

Not marvellous but given my basic Photoshop skills, I'm reasonably happy with this represenation of Parsantium's emblem.

Will write up some more NPCs & locations around Flotsam next. I'm getting a bit worried it's beginning to read a bit like "just another fantasy dock district" so any suggestions for unique elements or interesting twists would be helpful.

Cheers


Richard

 

[RichGreen]

Jagadamba, Sahasran fortune-teller and wise woman

Jagadamba is renowned throughout Flotsam and beyond as an excellent fortune teller, reading palms (the art of samudrika sastra), an apothecary and, some say, a witch. It has become something of a fashion statement amongst the Batiaran elite to be associated with Jagadamba and many women travel in disguise across the Dolphin Strait in a boat and into Flotsam to consult with her on her houseboat.

Despite its decrepit appearance, Jagadamba’s boat somehow survives out in the exposed part of the Strait. Inside, it’s cosily furnished with many Sahasran hangings, some old but nicely patterned Akhrani rugs and carved wooden statues of the Vedic gods. Joss sticks burn, filling the room with a thick smell of incense. Shelves line one wall filled with bottles of potions for sale and jars of bizarre ingredients such as basilisk’s tears. As well as reading palms and selling magical potions and elixirs, Jagadamba identifies strange magical items for her clients.

Jagadamba is a very old Sahasran woman, tiny and stooped, with a very wrinkly face and with thinning, mad white hair. She wears plain black robes and a lot of gold jewellery, including some decorated with snake or skull motifs (both symbols of Kali, her patron goddess). She keeps her cobra familiar in a basket, out of sight of her customers.

Secret: Jagadamba is an important member of the Cult of the Black Mother and can call upon thuggee killers to defend her from would-be attackers or other enemies. Ciceria (mother of Thecia, the Basileus’ wife) was initiated into the Cult of the Black Mother by Jagadamba.


Until I get the 4e rules, I don't know what character class Jagadamba will be. In 3.x, she's a sorcerer (as I think this fits better than wizard) or maybe an OA shaman. She might even be a disguised hag rather than a human.

Any comments welcome!

Cheers


Richard

 

[RichGreen]

Two New Locations

One location is the Forest of the Dead, a cemetery outside the walls; the other is an arms & armour shop on the dockside near Flotsam.

The Forest of the Dead
Known as the Forest of the Dead, Parsantium's walled cemetery is situated to the south east of the city and is filled with cypress trees under whose branches stand thousands of tombstones and mausoleums. The oldest part of the cemetery is the Sahasran part, but there is an Akhrani section and a Batiaran section too, as well as a small Tiangaon area; each with its own style of tomb architecture. For example, white marble Akhrani tombstones are typically surmounted with a curved turban if the deceased is a man but ornamented with a palm branch for a woman. Some Batiaran graves (from a custom dating back to a period several hundred years ago) depict the manner of death of whoever is buried below. Visitors can come across tombstones with bas-reliefs depicting men being decapitated in battle or crucified or hanged from the gallows for a capital crime.

Because it was traditional to plant a cypress tree beside the grave, the Forest of the Dead lives up to its name: hundreds of turtle doves are on the wing or perching in the numerous trees by day; by night, bats and owls fill the skies undisturbed. In the day time, the Forest of the Dead is a favourite resort of Akhrani women of the Old Quarter; some of them can often be seen praying at the narrow opening to the tomb of a parent, husband or brother. The cemetery is patrolled by the City Watch during the daytime but at dusk, it becomes off-limits and the gates are locked. Nevertheless, many individuals hold clandestine meetings at night within its walls.

Beneath the cemetery are endless catacombs and tunnels, which have been expanded over the years to accomodate the bones of the dead, and also by monsters such as ghouls and umber hulks. The catacombs are a major part of the Hidden Quarter and are used as meeting places, bases and homes by criminal gangs (including the Golden Scimitars, assassins and thuggee), monsters, and necromancers <see The Dead Warrens, Pathfinder #7 p.49 and its derro necromancer>. The tunnels connect with those under the Old Quarter.


Bilal’s Blades
Bilal's Blades is an arms and armour shop on the north side of the Fish Market. Bilal is a somewhat weasley-looking Akhrani with thinning oiled hair and a scar running down from his cheek to his neck – a souvenir of a nearly fatal fight Bilal was involved in several years ago with a thuggee who tried to rob him as he was walking back to his home after a night gambling at Fahil’s. Bilal sells new and second-hand weapons and armour of various types, with scimitars and kukris a particular speciality. Local enforcers, rogues and thieves make up the majority of his customers. He sometimes has a few masterwork and magic items to sell.

Hook: one of the weapons Bilal has for sale is a strong-willed intelligent blade which has a special purpose to kill the enemies of its creator. This weapon might end up in the hands of a PC.


Any comments?


Richard

 

[RichGreen]

Customs

A few bits of cultural info below, adapted from Avalanche Press' Last Days of Constantinople:

Superstitions
Parsantines are terrified of what they call “the evil eye,” and many carry amulets to protect against it, worn under the clothes against the bare skin of their chest for maximum security. Arcane magic, as an earthly manifestation of evil, is often feared by superstitious citizens, particularly Batiarans from the Imperial Quarter. If Parsantines see someone casting a spell, they are likely to flee in terror, calling for the Watch.
A cat crossing your path while walking down the street is thought to bring bad luck; dreaming of a white cat signifies good fortune, as does seeing a one-eyed cat. If the latter occurs, a Parsantine will spit on his thumbs, press it into the palm of his hand and make a wish (which is bound to come true).

Food and Drink
Eating at home is an important ritual to the Parsantines. Meals are typically served in a separate dining room with everyone removing their boots or sandals before entering. Diners sit around a T-shaped table on benches or chairs; food is brought in on plates and in bowls. Forks and spoons - devices largely unknown in the barbarous lands to the west - are used to eat with, and afterwards the diners clean their faces and hands with cloth napkins. Spiced meat, especially pork, is a favourite dish, usually served with grilled tomatoes, aubergines, peppers and other vegetables.

Parsantines drink wine heartily, usually watered and drunk from bowls. Those who are so drunk they can’t lift the bowl simply rest their heads on the table and lap from the bowl until they become totally insensible. It is not unknown, though generally a form of urban legend, for especially heavy drinkers to drown themselves in their wine.

Clothing
The women of Parsantium prefer a hip-length robe draped over a long, flared skirt. Social class varies the quality of the clothing, but not the standard pattern. All Parsantine women wear hair adornments, usually a metal circlet, but sometimes a cloth headband is worn in its place. Heavy makeup is the order of the day, with bright red lips and dark black eyebrows.

Men wear far more elaborate clothing, with heavy influence from Batiaran and Akhrani customs. Long, ankle-length tunics are common, often ornately decorated with gold thread. Parsantine men see long hair and beards as signs of devotion to the gods, and also like to be distinguished from eunuchs and criminals (who have their heads and beards shaved). Citizens of both genders also like jewelry, and usually wear pendants with religious symbols (the sun symbol of Pelor being the most popular of these) as well as rings. Sandals, the standard footwear of earlier centuries, are now uncommon, as both men and women wear Akhrani shoes (often with pointy tips) or soft, knee-high boots.

Any comments?

 

[RichGreen]

The Varangian Guard

Here's an organization in Parsantium, based on a historical (Byzantine) one. I've kept the name the same but am open to suggestions:

The Varangian Guard are Corandias the Lion-Blooded’s elite bodyguard (or Hetaireia). Originally northern mercenaries from Urskovia, the Guards have served the Basileus of Parsantium for a century, going back to the time of Corandias the Stubborn and the Great Crusade.

The name Varangian comes from a old northern word relating to sharers in an oath - it is thought it originally referred to traders on the Urskovian rivers, bound together by an oath to co-operate and share profits.

Urskovians had served in the Parsantine army in previous centuries, but in the year of the Great Crusade, Corandias XVI was sent 2,000 warriors by Tsar Vladin of Urskovia to help him take Parsantium from the humanoid hordes. After the city was in his hands, the Basileus made these troops his Imperial bodyguard. Also called the Axe-bearing Guard, from the enormous two-handed axes they carried, the Varangian Guard took part in many great battles with hobgoblin and orc raiders in the years following.

The Varangian Guard is the best-paid military forces in the lands of the former Batiaran Empire - so well paid that membership had to be purchased. After the Crusade, mercenaries came from Urskovia and other lands to the north and west of Parsantium to spend time in the Varangian Guard with the aim of returning home wealthy.

Now, the Guard are renowned for their loyalty to the Basileus, an unusual thing in a society as riddled with intrigue as Parsantium, but they regard their duty to protect the Imperial Person as a pledge and ancestral tradition which they keep inviolate. It is said they will not listen to the slightest word about treachery.

They are barracked in the Great Palace and their uniform consists of red silk tunics, blue cloaks, and gilded axes. Their normal armament features large, single-bitted axes, man-high and terrifying in battle.

The duties of the Varangians, in addition to safeguarding the person of the Basileus and his family, include accompanying the Basileus to festivals and celebrations, accompanying the Imperial family to temple services at the Holy Basilica of Pelor, serving as door guards in the palace, and acting to provide crowd control when the Basileus was present. The Varangian Guard have important ceremonial duties during the crowning of a new Basileus, during religious festivals, as well as serving roles during Imperial weddings, the coronation of Empresses, and at the funerals of deceased rulers.

Any comments?


Richard

 

[RichGreen]

Messenger Snakes

Hi,

I read an old issue (2e) of Dungeon recently and it had an adventure featuring a messenger snake in it - a magical winged snake that can seek out a particular person and deliver them a message. I think this is cool so messenger snakes will be the principle means of communication amongst the wealthy citizens of Parsantium.

More details on these creatures here. Thanks to Shade, freyar and demiurge1138 for converting them to 3.5!

Cheers


Richard