The Porphyry House Horror

[Aholibamah]

Introduction: Scuttlecove was placed in my homebrew world, and is on a large penninsula that is part of a region known as Goblinland. Goblinland is not really ruled by goblins, they simply are a large part of the local population. Scuttlecove is still as written up, a largely human city though with a number of strange visitors and a fiendish influence.

The party have been sent to gain a piece of an artifact called the Book of the Dragon from a mysterious renegade wizard called Kedward Bone. This introduction will lead to the start of the adventure which begins tonight as the party board a smugglers' ship and head to the rogue city.

Scuttlecove is known as Nala to the players, which is its ancient name on their map.

Making their way through territory that is the stomping ground of enemy tribesmen and humanoids, they approach a small fishing village where they are to meet with the smugglers.

Prologue

The party carefully made their way through sedge grasses and sand dunes towards the little fishing village that was on their map.

At the head of the group was Kallyn, a fair haired slim young woman whose green and brown clothing hid elvish made chain mail. She partly saw through the eyes of her pseudo dragon friend Zanith, fluttering in the pre-dawn sky above, giving her a view of the little collection of driftwood and rock huts and the rickety dock in the cove ahead. Flanking her a few dozen yards away was a dark skinned young man in similar ranger garb with a composite longbow at the ready. Kallyn Finnhald, Lieutenant and Ranger of the Republic, motioned Sarg the scout forward and indicated he should hold his position a bowshot ahead. The wirey scout nodded and headed forward. Zanith saw no lights but felt that there were people in the village. His curiousity could not be restrained and it was only in response to Kallyn persuading him that it would be better to wait that he remained gliding above it rather than going to have a better look. One thing he could make out for sure--beyond some rock islands near the outer edge of the cove there was a small sailing ship, at anchor.

Kallyn motioned the others forward.

The other two of her own unit made their way towards her. Corwin, the young barbarian, disdaining all but the concealing clothing for armor, a giant spiked gauntlet on one hand and a broadsword held at the ready, his fair hair limed into spikes. Ini with her composite bow ready to nock an arrow with gliding through the tall grasses flanking him.

Aevar Arnorsson at a glance should have been a battle axe wielding barbarian much like Corwin, but in fact the hulking blond youth, shadowed in dark cloak and garments was a Psion and an officer of the Republic's Council Police. He had the burden of the part of the Book of the Dragon they already carried and his young face had already begun to age with the sense of burden. Never far away from him was his good friend Shannow, dark plaids and fur lined cloak providing camouflage, a blue steeled bastard sword in one hand, the other stroking his raven companion Patch. A pale grey wolf stalked nearby, now and then glancing at either human with intelligent eyes, clearly flanking the group.

Dassah, Kallyn's lover, had recently graduated from the Bard College in Touchstone and was worried, fearful. A beautiful girl with brown hair and eyes, her rugged travelling gown and cloak not concealing her lovely curves, she felt out of place and wished she had not begged and insisted on coming on this journey. The dreadful feeling that she was not ready haunted her. The last time they had encountered undead horrors near the ruins of an old keep she had been frozen with terror. Her crossbow and short sword were little comfort, the sense of her spells felt feeble. Only her love and loyalty for Kallyn kept her going--she wished she could be in some nice warm house singing a ballad. Only ballads were made of such stuff as this...

At the rear came two women. One wore deceptively battered chain and plate that had carried her through many a battle, and wore a longsword and carried an ornate warhammer. Her face showed the clarity of one untroubled by conscience. For the purposes of her mission she had concealed the signs she normally wore everywhere of service to the goddess Ishtar. Mereka Fabian was a woman of great faith and optimism, at times to the irritation of the group she travelled with.

The other had a flash of electrical power in her eyes, a faint hint of blueness in her flowing dark hair, a resolution in her stride. She wore a long dark gown and was seemingly armed with little more than a dagger. This was Marlee. Though a very young blue dragon she had a ring enabling her to shift to a human form. Her reasons for travelling with the group were partly friendship with Aevar, partly something more private. She kept somewhat to herself, almost disdainful, as though her thoughts were elsewhere.

The group made their way cautiously down towards the village, wary of being trapped but eager to be on their way.

 

[Aholibamah]

The journey had been interesting for the group--most of them had never been to sea, even for a coastal journey, in their lives. There had been a mildly unpleasant moment when the captain had hit them up for more money but after haggling a bit they agreed to pay a slight extra fee. However now they were arriving in the rogue city. Purchasing clothing from among the stores of the smugglers they disguised themselves as best they were able till they resembled a motely group of mercenaries rather than a unit of New Edomite soldiers, officials and clergy. Among the gear Kallyn found a lovely diaphanous gown, probably meant only for night attire or perhaps the more decadent cities of Yasg...she discreetly asked the captain the price and paid for the silken filmy garment, imagining it slipping over Dassah's curvaceous body.

"You bought it, didn't you." Aevar said to her as she came up from the hold.

"Well..yes..." said Kallyn, fighting a blush.

"And you aren't even blushing...oh there we go..."

The cove that protected Nala was dotted with rocks and wrecks...masts stuck out of the water here and there like rotting trees, and in some cases just visible below the surface of the water were the collapsing bulks of ships. Now and then they saw an anchored hulk, with laundry for instance hung where the rigging would normally be. They heard the crew muttering and shouting, a leadsman swinging his rope down to shout after, "By the mark four!" The Captain would in reply call, "Steady as she goes!" or "Tack sou'by sou'west!" till they had finally reached the rotting docks of the city. People were already beginning to gather.

What a strange city it was though! There were signs that in some other time it had been a place of magnificence--here and there among the ramshackle buildings they could see crumbling remains of ancient monuments, blocks of vast marble supporting half ruined warehouses and in the distance the dome of a palace. Some strange structure of metal rose above the regular buildings towards the center of the city. An arena could be seen as well as a tower here and there.

Mereka had removed anything that indicated her as a worshipper of Ishtar. This bothered her--as much as the calm and good hearted priestess could be bothered--but the ur-priests who ruled the city permitted no religion. Though they apparently practiced some obscene private form of it. It was said no corpse lay long in the streets of Scuttlecove. She shuddered as the group prepared to leave the ship.

Shannow murmured an order to his beasts to stay close to him. He did not like cities--not much more than Kallyn or Corwin did. They were vile places at best and this seemed worse.

The group nodded farewells to the captain and went down into the city.

Beggars and vendors swarmed around them. Wary of pickpockets they shook their heads, waving them away. Aevar attempted to intimidate them away but found that it was not so easy as back home where his official position made him a daunting figure. Here they back away warily but seemed ready like jackals to move in when he was distracted. Shannow finally half drew his bastard sword with a threatening and menacing look so awful that the beggars and peddlers scampered away.

"Now...how will we find Kedward Bone's place?" Kallyn wondered. The city had no rhyme or reason...it seemed to grow like a bunch of cancers. The filthy streets were like warrens.

"According to the information I have," said Aevar, "he lives in a tower to the northwest of the city. That way..." he said, pointing.

They had heard from the captain of the ship that the metal structure--which seemed to concentric metal squares--was a place of execution and displaying of bodies called the Plaza of Hanging Ruin. There victims for a fee could be hung up like the prey of shrikes for all to see the vengeance--or whatever motivation had led to their being there--of those who had paid a fee to the weird order of monks who served the ur-priests.

Corwin was a little unhappy. Aevar had foisted the book piece on him--explaining that no one person should carry it all. "Why me?" he had asked.
"You're dependable." said Aevar, as though it were some kind of favour. Officers, thought Corwin glumly. He glared warningly at a little goblin in rags who seemed bent on approaching him.

The goblin skipped away at the menace in his look but had soon moved to Kallyn, yammering offers to be a guide, to receive charity and so on. Aevar gave him a copper to everyone's surprise, whereupon the goblin dared to ask for another one. Aevar sighed and began to draw his longsword. The goblin stammered thanks and left.

They had arrived at what they believed to be the tower of Kedward Bone. Inquiring within they found a little doorflap opening and a cutely malevolant face peering out at them, a small face of a person perhaps no more than a foot or two in height. This was the imp Matylda, familiar to the infamous wizard.
"Who are you and what do you want?" she demanded in a surprisingly loud voice.

"I am Kallyn Finnhald, these are my companions. We are here to see Kedward Bone on a matter of importance."

"Of course it is," muttered the imp. "I'll check."

The little door slammed.

Beggars began to approach them again but several members of the group snarled at them till they left.

The little door opened again. "What business are you here for, he wants to know?" the imp asked.

"We're here on behalf of the Great Council of New Edom." snapped Aevar with a Council Policeman's bark.

Matylda giggled and then burst into shrill laughter. "Oh ho ho, hee hee! I'll...hee hee! tell him!"

They waited, Aevar fuming with impatience. Dassah wrinkled her nose. "Kallyn, this place's smell doesn't improve with time." she observed.

The imp reappeared a third time. "Kedward Bone will see you now." she informed them loftily.

A statue of a guardsman opened the door for them, and they entered the home of the wizard.

 

[Aholibamah]

The Tower of Bone

The luxury of their surroundings was no preparation for Kedward Bone himself. Though draped in elegant silks he was a deformed man, with odd knobs and bonespurs ruining his features. His imp familiar sat on his shoulder, lazily draping herself against him, stroking his thinning brown hair. Sardonic eyes of great intelligence looked out from his strange skull at those sitting on padded cushions and benches in his sitting room. He enjoyed their squirming discomfort as two naked slaves, one male and one female, both slender with rouged bodies and golden collars around their necks served refreshments.

"So...you were sent by Lord Aholibamah?" Bone inquired.

"That's correct, Master Bone. We understand that you have a piece of the Book of the Dragon." Aevar said.

Bone almost choked on his tea. "Right to the point, huh? Very well, supposing I do have it."

Aevar smiled. "Then it is in your interest to give it to us."

"Oh...is it now? In my interest to GIVE it to you eh? And why should I do such a thing?" Bone demanded, his grin growing bigger.

"Well, the artifact is much sought after by more unpleasant parties than us." the young psion pointed out.

"Fair enough, but wouldn't that mean that I would profit more from selling it to them?" Bone asked.

"Maybe. But that might be foolish. The intentions of the Dark Elves towards this artifact might be more than you'd want to see carried out..." Aevar's voice took on a darker tone and he looked grimly into the eyes of Bone. Almost alone among the group he was more interested than disturbed by the wizard--perhaps being a psionic--or witch as the case might be--meant he was more likely to find the strange and unusual fascinating.

Kallyn stirred restlessly. Being served by naked slaves bothered her, and she didn't trust most wizards anyway. Zanith seemed to be asleep on her shoulder but was in fact watching the imp warily. Zanith regarded Kallyn as HIS companion and would use all his boldness and cunning to protect her and guide her from harm as they went on his merry adventures.

Mereka said pleasantly, "I wonder, Master Bone, if you HAVE the book...."

Bone chortled. "Good question, my dear. In fact I do, and I'll show you the piece in a bit."

Aevar said, "there must be something you actually want in exchange for it. Money? Magic?"

Bone waved a hand at him airily. "Hardly. No, I need an important service performed. You see, I have something of a monopoly here, selling such commodities as enable the weary landlocked sailor to forget his woes..."

"Drugs." Aevar said flatly, distaste briefly going over his features.

Bone grinned. "Indeed. However someone is moving in on my trade and in a most strange manner at that. Selling something called 'dragon's breath' on the streets. It makes people act very strangely, uncharacteristically in fact. Perfectly normal...well insofar as anyone around here is normal...folk rape, kill, even try to EAT people. And I've pinpointed a sense of the source of it.

One of the other main monopolies around here is brothels. The person who commands that monopoly is a woman called Wulvera, who runs the queen whorehouse of them all--Porphyry House. She's something of a mystery, that one. I want her activities such as they interfere with mine stopped."

Mereka broke in, pleasant as always but intent. She was wary of letting the group get involved in anything genuinely immoral or unlawful. "What precisely is it you want us to do?"

Bone nodded to her. "I want the following: a sample of the drug, precise intelligence on how they're getting it into the city, and for you to help me stop Porphyry House from edging me out. This drug is being sought like you wouldn't believe...even though it causes madness. Maybe because it causes madness, who knows? For some of the lousy bastards around here maybe that's the ultimate escape. And if Wulvera and her intimates should...disappear...I won't be disappointed. In exchange you get the piece of the Book."

The group of adventurers looked at one another. Aevar was now impatient to get it over with as was Kallyn. Mereka was more wary. Shannow was holding his wolf by the ruff and was willing to go with Aevar's lead, as Corwin, Ini and Dassah were willing to go with Kallyn's. Marlee held her own council, looking around the room and wondering if it was worth just attacking the wizard, taking his stuff and then moving on. She had her own priorities and was willing to be patient in moving towards them. For now.

"Agreed?" Kallyn said. The others nodded.

Aevar said, "Let's see the piece."

Bone in a short while presented them with a box exactly like the one that held the other piece. Inside it was a strange contraption of wheels and hinges that roughly matched the size of the collection of folded together metal plates they already had. As they examined it they could see that it was meant to be fitted around the piece they already had.

Taking a deep breath Aevar straightened from his examination. "Very well. We take care of your problem with Porphyry House, and in exchange we get the piece of the Book. Agreed?"

Bone said, "Agreed."

They obtained directions to the brothel and made their farewells. As they went out into the street they could see that the light was grey and dusk was colouring the clouds. The twisted streets looked particularly decrepit and gloomy. They'd have to walk across the city to get to Porphyry House.

"Let's get this over with." said Kallyn, looking with distaste at the filthy street and the beggars and lurking wretches creeping away from them warily.

 

[pogre]

hey, I'm reading this and enjoying it. So forgive this interruption of your narrative to let you know I look forward to your next update.

 

[Aholibamah]

Thank you, this is the first time I've done anything quite like this so I hope I'm doing it and my players justice.

 

[Aholibamah]

The Violated Ogre

There was a faint rattling sound from dust raised by a strong evening breeze that swirled around a building which had a sign on chains creaking. The picture on the sign was that of an ogre mage in chains with spikes sticking out of him and an insane grin on his face. A few languages had been branded into the sign around this picture which all read one way or another "The Violated Ogre". The gnomish letters were translated as "The Ogre is Happy".

As the party went inside they could see there was an actual ogre mage spiked to the wall, wearing little more than rags about his hips. Bloodstains, ancient and dark as well as fresh and bright, were spattered around a crude iron drain in the floor. A gloomy looking lanky youth of uncertain ancestry sat on a stool nearby with a mop and bucket and a rag around his neck. The ogre mage grinned insanely at the group as they went towards the bar and said in a hoarse whisper, "I thrive on pain."

"Fantastic." muttered Aevar.

Dassah gasped and yanked her skirts out of the hand of a drunk who reeked of liquor and was covered in tattoos. Kallyn gave the man and his companions a cold stare. For a moment her sex and her youth made the rowdies at the rickety table leer until they saw how well armed she and all her companions were, then they backed off, muttering to themselves.

Normally Dassah would have considered perhaps a bit of playing and singing in a tavern, but here she didn't want to put herself on display.

A burly woman behind her bar asked what their pleasure would be, eyeing them warily. Ales all round was what she heard, and she got some reasonably clean clay mugs up and foaming on the counter in moments, helped by a tipsy scrawny gnome in motley sitting up on top of the tuns.

Corwin sniffed at his a little dubiously. Aevar stiffened. "Please tell me this is beer and not...from the gnome."

Corwin gaped. "I was just wondering if it was okay....it doesn't smell like piss."

"Could we possibly look more like tourists?" wondered Shannow quietly. He pulled some of his hair from the beak of the raven and kept his awareness on his wolf, which stared unsettlingly at anyone who came to close to him and was unknown.

"Let's find a table." suggested Mereka brightly. They managed to oust a drunk from a bench and settled down just before a group of well armed caravan drovers came bustling in out of the wind bawling for drink, sausage and bread.

"So what's the plan?" Kallyn asked. She smiled as Zanith crept down her arm and stuck his whiskery face into her mug, his lizardlike tongue lapping at the foam.

"Well...that woman we met referred to an orgy..." Aevar mused.

Earlier as they made their way through the shadowy streets they had come upon a strange sight. A group of armed men carrying spears, falchions and the light armor and baggy clothing of mariners had approached them cautiously. Moving through them came a woman, her beauty radiant as dawn and strange as the city itself. She seemed to wear little more than a sort of leather corset and feathery cloak. The healthy glow of her fair skin was mostly covered with strange and beautiful thornlike tattoos, and hair dark as Shannow's raven's wings flowed to her shoulders. However she was clearly not human--small horns stuck out of her forehead and a tail elegantly stroked the air behind her. Her eyes were a fiery green.

As she looked at the group most of them were momentarily struck dumb, not merely at the appearance of such a woman in such a place, but also at the provocative shameless loveliness of her. Kallyn for a moment felt in the woman's knowing gaze that all her most wild desires were known, as though she stood almost naked in the streets herself. Mereka felt wary, her smile of greeting freezing on her face--somehow she felt as though the woman had planned the encounter. How could they be sure of anyone here? Aevar was fascinated--exotic women always fascinated him. Shannow was embarassed by his arousal, Corwin thrilled by his own. The wolf bristled and stared yellow eyes at the woman, legs stiffened.

Marlee didn't like this meeting any more than Mereka, but her instinct was to listen carefully and then be ready to ambush the creature later and get draconic on her perfect rear end.

"Hello." the woman said.

"Hello." Aevar looked into her strange eyes with interest.

"You seem a little lost." she suggested. Her lips and her body made the most ordinary words disturbingly sensual. They could see a delicate ring piercing one of her nipples.

"Not exactly. We're heading for Porphyry House." Aevar said recklessly. (nearby Mereka, Marlee and Shannow collectively in their own minds smacked their foreheads)

"Oh, are you registering for the orgy?" she asked, her eyes widening.

"There's an orgy, hey?" Aevar responded.

"Oh yes, Wulvera's orgies are famous...or is it notorious? Perhaps a bit of both? Anyway you might still be able to register, it is reservation only. Finest brothel in the city, don't you know...you might give it serious consideration."

"Thank you, we'll bear that in mind." Aevar said, pleased. He held out his hand to her. "thanks, my name's Aevar."

"Tyralandi." the woman said. No delicate flower this one, swordswoman's callouses strengthened her slender fingers.

Aevar sensed her. He knew quickly that she was a half-fiend nymph, that she had lived in a forest, acting as unseelie as she could, getting bored, and becoming a Thrall to Malcanthet. Demonic, yes, but no particular enemy of theirs. He also had an uneasy feeling that she knew more of him now.

Her smile, radiant and somehow violating as though he'd woken up unexpectedly in bed with her and the wrong clothes on the stool beside them, suggested definitely yes. He liked her anyway.

Kallyn wanted to go as did the others, they were disturbed by this seemingly unplanned meeting. However more than one paused to watch the strange woman and her bodyguards move down the street, a glimpse of curvy bottom and swaying hips, delicately but fearlessly stepping bare feet somehow untouched by the filth of the paving stones...

"Right, the woman." said Kallyn, glad the dimness of the place covered her blush, particularly from Dassah. They were whispering but found they didn't really have to, the raucous bawdy songs and shouts around them mingled with suggestions being yelled to a couple of staggering oafs renting butcher's equipment to use on the ogre mage almost drowning out anything but yelling. The ogre mage now and then roared out such things as "Is that the best you can do?" and "Oh yes, had that before but damn! Good!"

"Nice place." said Shannow sarcastically. "You were saying?"

"I was going to suggest that perhaps I might slip into the place invisibly while Corwin and say...Ini...sample the wares."

Kallyn's soldiers had been known to spend all their gains in a single week on carousing.

"And the rest of us?" asked Marlee, flicking her attention to him.

"Maybe you could hang out here. I could take Zanith...with Zanith's permission," added Aevar, seeing the pseudo dragon glaring at him, "And then communicate to Kallyn through him."

"No." Marlee growled. Static electricity made some of her hair rise a little. 'I won't be left here while you scout out everything...interesting."

"What do you suggest, my Lady?" he asked, lowering his eyes respectfully to his dragon companion.

Marlee leaned back, settling a little, mollified. "I will entertain suggestions from the rest of the group." she announced.

Kallyn gritted her teeth but tried to hide it, she was starting to find Marlee exasperating.

"We should all go." offered Shannow. "We shouldn't separate. We are meant to be acting as mercenaries, let's perhaps go and check out the idea fo the orgy. You can still go invisibly and a couple of people who want to can um sample the wares."

"Oh, yes!" Mereka's face lit up. "Why it will be just like in a play! We can be the disreputable rogues out to have a rowdy night on the town! We shall have to actually behave as wiley lusty soldiers of fortune and derring do!"

Kallyn raised her eyebrows. Shannow managed to say, "yes, that's sort of what I meant."

Aevar shrugged. "Very well. Let's all go to the orgy."

It would have sounded more dramatic if it had not been almost drowned out by the ogre bellowing in agony and delight to the cheers of some of the patrons.

 

[Aholibamah]

Cast Update

Kallyn Finnhald: A ranger, born a patrician but became an admirer and follower of Loegaire, a hero of the borderlands. She is also a devotee of the goddess Ishtar. Kallyn is called Kallyn Giantkiller in her own country for her heroism in defending a town from among other things hill giants, one of which she killed with a single blow from her magic bastard sword, Jotunhammer. Kallyn is a lieutenant in the New Edomite Army. Kallyn is known to be forthright, honorable and brave. She has recently been disinherited for marrying another woman and has lost her personal estate to barbarian raiders. Adventuring is her only real source of income now.
Kallyn has short fair hair and is wirey in build. She wears a chainmail shirt of elvish make and leather armor to protect her arms and legs.

Aevar Arnorsson: A Psion and Dragon-Companion, Aevar is learning dragon magic and psionics from his friend Marlee, a very young Blue Dragon. Aevar is a lieutenant in the Council Police, a political and paramilitary organization devoted to investigation of the state's enemies. Aevar comes from a sturdy merchant family but is more fascinated by magic and psionics, which is called witchcraft in his own country. There are few Psionics in New Edom, and most are either secret wild talents or else are in the service of the state, one way or another. Aevar is very interested in forming relationships with nonhuman creatures to learn more about the world. He is pleased that he has learned how to use all the weapons on his Rod of Lordly Might recently.

Aevar is a tall young man with blond hair and a muscular build, usually wearing black leather armor. His real armor protection comes from magic rings and his psionics.


Mereka Fabian: a cleric in the service of the goddess Ishtar and a warrior by aristocratic birth. Mereka is almost annoyingly optimistic and friendly at times, but is also fairly pragmatic and is good at sensing what needs to be done. Mereka specializes in war magics and in healing, identifying mostly with the goddess' warrior aspect. Mereka comes from a family of merchant-princes and hereditary clerics. Mereka has dark hair and wears platemail, carrying a warhammer and a longsword for her main weapons.

Shannow: is a ranger who is a cohort of Aevar. He is mostly a beastmaster type, with animals in his service. Shannow is a little lost in cities and sophisticated places though he is quite smart. Shannow has dark shaggy hair and wears leather armor mostly. He carries a bastard sword, short sword and longbow.

Marlee: is Aevar's dragon companion--though she would describe him as her companion. Aevar is deferential to her but suspects her of having other goals than that of the party. She has a ring that enables her to shift to human form, preferring to be a human female with long dark hair. Marlee intends to use the group to regain her hoard from her treacherous brother and the elves who helped him. She loathes elves and likes to lightning them and eat them. She has the gullet feat and is currently carrying most of her small hoard in her belly.

Zanith: is a very proud pseudo dragon who adores Kallyn and likes to explore the world. He is a very feisty clever creature and is a braggart. While brave he is not stupid and will not risk himself physically unless he absolutely has to.

Dassah: is Kallyn's lover, brought along against everyone's better judgement. She is only an apprentice bard, a village girl that was saved from an undead worshipping cult. Recently the two were married in the temple of the love goddess to the scandal of the Finnhald family and proper society. Dassah is a rather voluptuous girl with dark brown hair and soft eyes who carries a short sword, dagger and a lute.

Corwin: is one of Kallyn's soldiers, a barbarian from a hill tribe who only has a veneer of civilization over him. Corwin has strawberry blond hair and is armed with a composite longbow, broadsword and dagger. He is very powerfully built, the strongest human in the group. Tribal tattoos mark his biceps and his belly.

Ini: Is another such soldier, a former gladiatrix from the far off land of Yasg. She has a terror of being enslaved again. Ini is an expert archer. Ini has cream coloured hair, is slim and fast, and is armed with a short sword and a composite masterwork longbow.

 

[Aholibamah]

The Best Brothel in Town

NOTE: The Scenes in this scenario are rated "R" and are not appropriate for younger viewers as they may contain scenes of drug use, prostitution and so on.

Porphyry House like Bone's Tower had a lot of space around it. It was not as though the area was shunned--a sort of market teeming with peddlers selling everything from shoes to herbs to fish to grilled rats swarmed a respectful distance away from the softly gleaming purple-brown building that stood like a queen among beggars. Beggars there were too, infested, ragged, reeking, some hobbling on one leg, some on none, some crusted with sores, some with weeping sores, all foul and unsettlingly alive in spite of the odds against them. Near naked children, some of mixed race, scuttled among the crowd, looking to pick pockets, carry messages or on errands. More than one drunk passed out or staggering was seen, a small line formed near a little shed that was well stuff out of a couple of tar patched barrels. Mugs, cupped hands, hats were placed up as coppers clinked into a bowl guarded by a burly hairy thug with the telltale signs of ogrish blood in his overhanging hairy forehead. The nearby buildings were rickety, made from old remnants of the ruins, driftwood and debris from sunken ships. Now and then a well armed looking mariner type and his cronies would eye the adventurers warily but for the most part people gave them a wide berth.

"Hm...there is some respect for this brothel." observed Aevar.

"Yes...and look at the guards!" pointed out Mereka.

The guards were male and female, in ceremonial but effective looking plate mail of silvered plate and gilded chain, which looked excellently designed to show off the magnificent physiques as well as look impressive. Each had a halberd and a falchion. Unsettlingly their helms' faceplates looked like expressionless white masks.

"Shall we?" Kallyn suggested. "Listen, let's try to be alert and be ready to fight our way out if need be."
The others nodded but they were soon to forget this plan...

The group made their way up the steps towards the entrance, whose double doors were carved with entwined naked bodies clearly meant to be writhing in ecstasy. As they went through the crowd Aevar ducked into an alley and used his invisibility ring, then tailed along after the group. He tapped Kallyn's shoulder and whispered to her what he had done. She nodded and passed the word along. Aevar smiled as Marlee looked directly at him.

"Is the...er...house open?" asked Mereka.

"Yes." a muffled voice came from the male guard. "There is a fee. Ten gold pieces each."

The group muttered some choice things among themselves about highway robbery but each paid. There was a satchel over the shoulder of the female guard and into this bag went the carefully counted out money. In exchange the doors were swung open and an extraordinary vision greeted them.

The huge chamber was lit with numerous candles which were lit by magical light. The walls were covered with purple and red curtains and here and there erotic paintings. These were subtle and inviting--one that caught Kallyn's eye showed a woman descending naked into a bath, the painting showing mostly the curve of back and neck and the elegance of her arms rising up to unpin her hair. The soft pattering sound of water came from fountains that lay at the edges of the room, with gardens of flowers and small trees around them. A domed archway lay to the south and in the center was a great banqueting table. As they watched they could see a number of folk enjoying themselves on the padded benches that lay about the room.

Here were clearly successful mercenaries or corsairs, their clothing somewhat grubby and worn but their weapons and armor of excellent quality. A shaven haired man in red robes with designs tattooed on his head was drinking from a goblet and smiling as a serving woman in diaphanous gown, her dark hair pinned up and her supple arms bare, made her way past him, smiling flirtatiously.

A similar young woman with dark hair pinned up in an elaborate braid approached. Her gown was of a silky material that suggested the shape of her body but revealed little in actual fact. She smiled warmly and said, "Welcome to Porphyry House. Would you care to come in and relax for a bit?"

"Thank you," said Mereka, smiling back. "Very kind."

The group made their way in and in fact it was not difficult to act natural. They had been travelling for over a week, with little better food than the chowder they'd had days ago. There had been no real opportunity to relax, bathe, change into anything other than their spare clothes. While magic helped with such things it wasn't the same as actually being in civilization. The food was good and fresh--delicious peaches and plums, berries in cream, hot fresh biscuits baked with spicey cheese, roasted chicken with lemon and pepper, fish broiled in wine, strips of lamb crusted with spices, warm bread gleaming with saffron oil. There were wines of rare make such as they had never tasted. Good water they had always (they had an Everfull Jug) but the water that could be brought by soft eyed serving maids here tasted as though it came from a mountain spring.

As they looked round they would see a statue of a girl in the garden by one of the fountains, crouching as though to protect her nakedness, half shy and half curious as she unexpectedly saw a youth turned profile as he had been stepping into the fountain, his arousal at the point of rising. The subtlty of the eroticism of the room startled and enticed them.

Aevar meanwhile slipped away up and through the archway. Beyond this was another big room which had at the far end twin arching stairways moving up to doorways. However what froze him in place for a moment was the sight of ten porphyry statues of beautiful men and women by fountain gardens similar to the ones in the room he had just left. These statues however were moving...gliding motions as they stood in place, hands enticing, hips swaying. Their expressions ranged from calm to ecstatic. Aevar felt a chill in his blood. Who would go to such trouble over a brothel in a place like this? This was more like a palace than a whorehouse. Who was this Wulvera? Greatly disturbed he went through the room. He noticed that those guests who had been led in here had to register and leave their weapons in trunks placed in a sideroom. The guests apparently were given a key to the strongboxes their gear was placed in. He noted that for later and after some hesitation picked the left hand stairway.

Down in the other room Kallyn had thought to warn the others not to eat too much--rich food such as this might slow them up a bit if they did have to fight, but at that moment Dassah ran her hands through her hair and sighed, looking at the fountains. "I wish I'd had a bath before we came...if there was such a thing available in this city...I feel like a street urchin." The movement lifted her bosom and Kallyn felt desire make her flush warmly. She loved Dassah's contrasting gentleness and softness. "Maybe we can have one here." The sight of Shannow, Corwin and Ini gorging themselves seemed to fade from her mind.

"Did I hear someway say 'bath'?" a passing serving maid asked pleasantly. "We do have a bathing chamber here if you'd care to. And may I ask how Porphyry House can serve you?" she looked between the two as if calculating something.

"Well...we wanted to register for the orgy but we'd also love to try your bath." Kallyn said with enthusiasm.

"Oh yes? Excellent then...I see your companions are still enjoying the refreshments so perhaps you'd like to come with me?"

The two followed the swaying body of the maid up the stairs. Both gasped at the sight of the moving statues. "That's amazing...where did such things come from?" Dassah exclaimed.

"A magician donated them to the house...I'm afraid it is something of a mystery." laughed the maid. "But there will be time for such tales...come..."

* * *

Down in the foyer Marlee sat restlessly on a padded bench, picking at her food. She was getting moodier now that they were here. The whole place seemed to her to be like a big cage. She was not really interested in human mating practices which she found boring and slightly disgusting.

Zanith had entirely forgotten his promise to reconnoiter the building--Kallyn didn't seem interested anyway and he had had a nice goblet of wine all to himself. He decided to hide among the plants and rest.

Mereka strolled around the gallery, looking at the artwork. While she didn't approve of secular brothels she wondered if some of it could be purchased for the temple back home--Ishtar was goddess of love after all as well as war...

"I notice you like our paintings..." observed a dark haired maid, approaching.
"Oh yes," Mereka said, "I quite admire them--I hesitate to offend but are any of them for sale? Or could I possibly meet the artist who painted them?"
"Well we actually have our own artist and sculptor...I'm sure that a special commission could be done..." the maid began.

Shannow was uncomfortable. He kept a tight rein on his wolf and raven. He was still sort of stunned...a serving woman had asked him if he intended to bring his animals with him. He had replied "I never go anywhere without them." The woman smiled knowingly and said, "here there's an extra fee for that."

What in the world had she meant? She couldn't have...could she?

Ini and Corwin had disappeared...well, gone up the stairs anyway. Shannow glanced at Marlee, but she seemed lost in her own thoughts and he didn't want to bother her. Somewhat miserably he sipped his goblet of water. There were no women of virtue in the cities, not even his friends, it seemed. Nor men either, when it came right down to it. He found himself dreaming of the mountain forests of his youth...

 

[Aholibamah]

Kallyn and Dassah had met with the most exotic person they had ever seen to register for the orgy. She wore a hoodlike veil that was beautifully embroidered with gold and scarlet thread woven over the dark purplish material, framing lovely light brown features and full lips, very dark almost black eyes that seemed to rarely blink. They sat on a cushioned bench, holding hands, feeling barbaric and almost grubby as the beautiful lady asked them discreet but probing questions about their sexual preferences. The two girls blushing admitted they might prefer to be voyeurs at first.

"Ahhhhh, I see," murmured the lady, who was called Livia. "Well young love sometimes does not care to be much interrupted..."

Having paid the fees and made the arrangements Kallyn inquired about the house's baths---were they available?

"But of course..." Livia pulled a bell cord and summoned one of the servants. "I'm sure you will feel the better for it--and perhaps might wish to take advantage of one of our rooms afterwards in order to relax?"

The baths were a splendid affair--marble walls and floors gave the impression of being in a glowing cave, the lamplight playing on the movement of the waters. The bath was not a simple matter.

Kallyn and Dassah undressed and requested that their clothing be cleaned--they had decided to stay for a few hours. Each of them was scrubbed in a small room where a fountain drained into a trough in the floor, scrubbed until they were rosey and flushed from it, every inch of their skin tingling. To be so clean after weeks of travel with only a quick wash on a ship or in a stream was ecstasy.

Following this they went to the larger bathing area to relax and soak. A couple of other female patrons were at the farther end, nodding to them but clearly not much interested in conversation. A fountain stood in the middle of the pool making a soft pattering sound. There seemed to be a current in the water--looking around Kallyn could see metal grates on the sides of the pool underwater. "How clever." she thought.

She delighted in seeing Dassah as she stepped down into the pool, her long hair damply clinging to her bare arms and shoulders, her lovely body swaying. Unable to resist taking her in her arms, Kallyn sighed with delight.

* * *

Mereka meanwhile had gone into the room with the moving statues and was watching them curiously. She was starting to feel a little uneasy--while a brothel this place clearly had strong magic to be able to use it merely to entertain. And she as yet still had no clear sense of the people in the place. Their very mystery worried her--while put such an elegant brothel in a cesspit of a city like this? It made little sense. However she was reluctant to do obvious magic and display that she was a priestess--who knew who might betray her to the mysterious ur-priests who ruled the city? Best to be discreet. She decided to hope her companions might be discreet enough to scope the place out and then leave.

* * *

Aevar had been wandering the place the whole time--he was forced to sneak around, discreetly as possible, slipping past the armored guards who patrolled the inner hallways, avoiding brushing against servants. The place was big, well appointed, elegant and very clean. It was floored mostly in the inner halls with soft beautiful carpets. It was lit almost everywhere with everburning candles. He had found a library of pornography which seemed to also have records of the activities of patrons--some of which made his flesh creep and others which made him blush furiously.

He had listened and peered in when possible in the assignation rooms. Oddly the madams who supervised the place treated the prostitutes, male and female, as though they were ignorant savages or animals--speaking ot them sharply, with snapped fingers and warning glances. He heard one or two of the girls speak--haltingly, with strange accents that puzzled and disturbed him. He had studied languages at the Academy and was familiar with at least the sound of many as a merchant's son but had never heard anything like these folk before. They all bore similar rings on their fingers--a sign of slavery or simply of bondage to the Porphyry House?

Aevar was too experienced to believe he would stay uncaught for long. The very sense of order and calm in such a place as this was profoundly wrong to him. He had wanted to enter one of the statelier looking rooms but a menacing looking statue of a tall stern woman was in front of it. He couldn't take a chance on it being a golem or guardian statue of some kind with his friends unaware and so he avoided the room, hoping perhaps someone might come out of it at some point.

What did happen to his great relief was that a door to a personal room opened as he prowled one of the hallways. Going inside he saw many luxurious personal items and found a funny smell--faintly unpleasant and swampy--in the room, though he had no explanation for it. Odd. He discreetly used his spirit sight but saw nothing unseen and so he removed one of his gloves to test his psychometric powers in the place. One of the first things he did was to touch the wall, which revealed to him that it could open up. Ahah! Aevar felt along it and heard a small catch open. He leaned and pushed gently until he felt it slide open.

A long stairway going down was revealed to him. He moved down it. There was a faint luminous light coming from the walls, a cool blue twilight that led him down. And down. And down.

It was an awful long way. It was making Aevar nervous. How long was this going to go for? The air was actually substantially cooler after a time. Furthermore the stairs were BIG--as though they were made for giants to walk down. Would there be giants? He wished his companions might be present if there were. He'd just go on a little more and then maybe head back...

Then he saw something in the shadows ahead. At first he couldn't believe his eyes. The stairs had opened up into a long hallway.

There looming before him, sleek, almost metallic, menacing and monstrous was a spiderlike creature the size of an elephant. It seemed to be all angles and razors, and eight black eyes stared directly at him. For a moment, just a split second, neither moved. Then its eyes were flashing--he heard a terrifying crack as blue white lighting arced at him. Aevar managed to absorb the energy and didn't hesitate--he turned and ran as fast as he could. However his heart sank--this was no ponderous monster, it was running as fast as any spider could but many times larger. He felt an unpleasant energy rake him and he managed to resist whatever horrible effect it might be but knew he had mere moments before the thing caught up to him. Gods! He KNEW it was right behind him.

Before he could turn, grab his magical rod, do anything, he felt something like a sword punch into his leg, almost pinning him to the floor. With a shriek of pain he fell. The blade slide out and he by sheer instinct rolled to avoid other slashing limbs as the horror loomed over him. He managed to send a thought to Marlee--warning her to get out!

Unfortunately another warning had gone out before his.

 

[carborundum]

Just discovered this Story Hour and I'll be DM-ing this soon.

- great! Loving it already