The Withered Rose Tavern of Eltabbar

Art by SnowSkadi

Not long ago in Eltabbar, the hidden temple of Samora was blessed with a great influx of gold.  Its high cleric, Azonia Valgon, decided to gift some of the surplus to her newly arrived cousin, Viktor, with the stipulation that he invest it in his new city of residence.  With somewhere around 1,000 gold pieces to spare, he sought a run-down tavern amidst the many in the district known as Wayfinder's End.  And when he found just the place, he bought it through proxies so no one would know that it was sponsored by a noble.

Why a seedy place, you ask?  Because Vik enjoys slumming, and besides, lower end real estate is still expensive in the capital city.  Why pick a business destined to be surrounded by the competition of other taverns and inns?  Because the hospitality district sees a great deal of movement, welcomes those within the city and from without - and Vik was planning on adding an additional feature to the menu.  Having taken over prostitution in facilities great and small with the help of his family in Tyraturos, he knew it could work in Eltabbar.

He had learned that a simple start would be best.  The basement is for storage and whatever hijinx the crew wants to get up to on their breaks.  The first floor, at street level, is the front of the poor tavern dubbed the Withered Rose.  It serves alcohol and not much more, but is staffed by the best drunken bar(d) tender, Reggia, formerly in the employ of House Gozal.  Anyone she hired on as help was fun but wily.  The premises are also guarded by a fit and handsome crew chosen by Kayzin Molvar, a prostitute's son raised among them and fiercely protective of them.

The second floor is outfitted with a collection of sparse rooms that would be servants' quarters elsewhere.  In this location, however, two of the rooms have single beds for pleasuring customers and the other two have bunk beds for the workers to sleep in, if they have nowhere else to stay.  The stable of prostitutes is not much more than a handful, but specially picked by Vik's concubine Yasheira, a diamond in the rough that he plucked from the rough and tumble whorehouses of Tyraturos.  They even receive some of the special training she has learned from her patron.

Eventually, Vik's fledgling business drew the interest of his cousin Ustarra, a former head of House Valgon in Tyraturos who fled with Vik's aid to Eltabbar.  Since he helped her to secure a place after she escaped a suicide mission her half-sister was sending her on, she offered to become a silent partner.  As in, she would sneak in and around, helping the venture thrive whenever she had time to spare, and no one would be the wiser.  Very fond of his drow-blooded "aunt," Vik accepted her offer.

The establishment is, in its own way, dedicated to Samora, the goddess of forbidden pleasures Vik serves.  It is named for one of her unholy symbols, a withered rose.  No one reports what is said there, even when drunkards rail against nobles or zulkirs.  No one judges the patrons who ask for whatever dirty little things their hearts desire.  Nobles have slummed as patrons (including its owner) and even as the entertainment (giving his cousin Azonia some real fun).  It is a pit of wicked fun in a city that is often too staid and suspicious for its own good - which may account for its success.

Behind the Screen

This location was pioneered by my partner in crime and supported by his fellow players.  It is one of several player-owned businesses in our Eltabbar campaign and can serve as an example of how such a thing can be run.  As a long-time fan of the Stronghold Builder's Guide, I was already using it for the other players' venues and upgrades.  I was also already using a customized version of the DMGII's rules for determining profits, so all I had to do was add personal touches for Viktor and his new acquisition.  Once everything was set up, it became automatic.  New month, new roll.  Add the modifiers that apply and go.  Pay the costs or reap the rewards, and invest in upgrades if desired.  So far, the Rose has remained as rough as it was on opening day.

Keep in mind that I run for adults who enjoy adult material and have a twisted sense of humor.  While nothing here is graphic, it is not exactly tame, but it is all fictional and meant in good fun.

Tavern Cost

adjusted from the Stronghold Builder's Guide  

Basement Level - Storage, basic: 250 gp
First Floor - Tavern, poor: 450 gp
Second Floor - Servant's quarters, basic 400 gp

Staffed via the Cult Leadership feat, it has few bells and whistles so monthly expenses are generally low.

Tavern Monthly Profit Check

adjusted from the Dungeon Master's Guide II

Primary skill: Bluff
Secondary skill: Diplomacy, Perform
Roll Bluff check DC 20

Modifiers (vary by month):
Owner has 5+ ranks in secondary skills +1
Owner spends 40+ hours a week at job +2
Owner gone from city -2
Located in a city +2 (will go to metropolis numbers after spending 16,000 gp)
Previous profit check failed (-1 per consecutive check failed)
A business partner successfully aids during the term (Ustarra) +2
A specialist is on staff (Reggia) +2

Difference in DC check *20 gp is profit or loss for month.

The following chart is to see if any unusual activity has happened.  Roll d%.

• 1. Patient zero confirmed: Foul STD gets loose among patrons/employees. Pay 1D4*100 gold for healing, bribes.
• 2. Kay and the boys go overboard: Beat customers too bad. Pay 1D4*100 gold healing, damages, bribes.
• 3. Burning down the house: Major property damage (often fire-based). Lose 1D4*100 gold and/or items.
• 4-5: He's dead, Jim: The wrong person dies in flagrante delicto and is tied to the tavern. Lose 50% profit.
• 6-7: Only two sure things in this world: Unexpected taxes. Pay 1D4*25.
• 8-9: Rolled and raging: Whores accused of stealing from customers. Lose 2D6*10 in gold for lost profit.
• 10-11: Well, this sucks: Establishment robbed. Lose 2D4*10 in gold and/or items.
• 12-13: Everyone's staying home: Unusually slow. Lose 50% profit.
• 14-15: I drank what?!: That wasn't just a worm in that bottle. Fined 1D10*10 gold.
• 16-17: La cucaracha!: Infestation of vermin. Pay 1D8+2*10 to be rid of the vermin.
• 18-19: What did you call my mother?!: Tavern brawl gets out of hand. Pay 1D12*10 to fix damages.
• 20-21: Reggia really lets 'em have it: Insult a roomful of customers. Lose 3D4*10 in gold.
• 22-23: Bitches be trippin': Rumormongering and naysaying. Lose 1D12*10 gold.
• 24-77: Nothing to see here: Normal business.
• 78-79: Well-oiled machine: Served more brew, screwed more, too. Gain 50% profit.
• 80-81: The dirty Szass Tam: Patrons appreciate what the whores are willing to do. Gain 1D4*25 in items or gold.
• 82-83: The frat house special: Take on a private party. Earned additional 2D6*10 gold.
• 84-85: Donkey show: A spectacle boosts business. Gain 2D4*10 gold in additional business.
• 86-87: The bouncers are hot, too: Unusually busy. Gain 50% profit.
• 88-89: Have to buy wings to talk to the Raisins girls: Devoted regular. Gain 1D10*10 gold.
• 90-91: Bringing down the house: Solid performances bring in the customers.  Gain 1D8+2*10 gold.
• 92-93: Tits for tat: Temporary business relationship. Gain additional 1D12*10 gold.
• 94-95: Just passing through: Caravan is grateful. Gain additional 3D4*10 gold.
• 96-97: Must've dropped it on the way home: Forgetful patrons leave trinkets behind. Gain 1D12*10 in items.
• 98: Outdrink Reggia!: Well-advertised drinking competition. Gain 1D4*100 in gold and/or items.
• 99: Nobles be slummin': Generous donor. Gain 1D4*2000 gp to invest directly back into the business.
• 100: Samora's bounty: Anonymous donor leaves 3,000 gp of goods from the BoEF (or BoVD with permission)

The Temple District of Eltabbar - a.k.a. "The Zoo" - and its Major Houses of Worship

Art by SnowSkadi

The temple district is not at the heart of Thay's opulent capital city, Eltabbar, just as religion is not at the center of most Thayans' lives - but there is a religious district, and everything about it is arranged with purposes that have nothing to do with faith.  

All official public places of worship must be registered with city officials and confined to a private island of their own.  It is always set off to one side, even when the various islands of the interior are magically shifted around Lake Thaylambar to allow for the city's growth.  And as usual, this arrangement is codified in law.

Some of the oldest codes in Thay are about religion and establish a few central tenants.  First, no religious entities can control the country's highest offices; zulkirs can only be wizards and cannot even possess a touch of divine magic.  This keeps the country from reverting to a theocracy like the one Thay won its independence from.  

Secondly,  worship of the gods of Mulhorand, Mystra, and Velsharoon is forbidden.  All other deities are allowed until they prove detrimental to Thay, and Mystra might be forgiven if her next incarnation proves worthier of her power.  (In practice, evil and neutral deities have buildings dedicated to them in the interior of the country; very few temples to good powers exist, and those that do are roundly ridiculed.)

Third, places of worship cannot be raised in any city's center, which is reserved for places vital to the operations of the country.  In some cities, temples are pushed to the outskirts, or they are scattered throughout and kept far away from one another.  But in Eltabbar, the first tharchion decided to round them up, "the better to keep an eye on the zoo."  And that is the common nickname for the district, except amongst the most devout.

Houses of worship in the capital are showcases for the wealth and victories of the upper crust more than anything else.  Noble houses vie with one another to donate more extravagant pieces that will also bear their names.  Minor temples might be smaller in size but can be just as rich in magical additions, artwork, trophies, and the like.  Major temples often perform functions for residents that require more space (and this is often the case elsewhere, since Thayans want their gods to prove useful in this life and not just the hereafter).

Any citizen or guest with permission to see the capital city can go to the zoo any time they should not be elsewhere.  Commoners tend to go before or after their work for the day since worship is not an acceptable excuse for being late or absent from one's duties.  Generally, the poorest citizens only dare to go late at night so their relative unsightliness can be hidden by the scheduled rain.  Nobles go when they want to be seen, if their house does not have its own private shrines, or if their god is not represented in their house.  

Slaves are not allowed to set foot on the island to worship, though they may be summoned as servants, sacrifices, and so on.  Their prayers must be in private or in tightly regulated groups within the slave quarter, which houses many makeshift shrines.  Slaves, like all within Thay, cannot be forced to serve a deity or kept from worshiping their gods at all.  But any who are found praying or making donations at the zoo are punished, their donations moved to the appropriate shrine in the slave's quarter, where such pitiful fare belongs.

Major Temples

At the center of the zoo is the temple of Kossuth, known as the Flaming Brazier*.  The giant basalt stepped pyramid is the flagship for the entire faith and a frequent stop for many when they visit the area.  Lit from within and without with fires both magical and mundane, its topmost layer erupts in fire, smoke, and even lava during high ceremonies.  Interior chambers glimmer with jeweled mosaics depicting Kossuth's salvation of Thay in the Salamander War and other victories, as well as his eternal rivalry with Istishia.  

Nearby, the looming, black marble edifice called the Black Hall stands tall as Bane's contemptuous fist in the sunshine of the city.  It is permanently limned in purple flames and encrusted with glowing purple runes imbued with various spells, both defensive and offensive in nature.  It not only runs a combat and torture training facility for the faithful but also receives prisoners for punishment from all levels of society.

If the jaded people of Thay believe in anything, they believe in bad luck, so it is no surprise that the Beshaba has a sprawling temple in Eltabbar called the House of Curses.  Many Thayans visit before important ventures and bring sacrifices to beg the Maid of Misfortune to look away from them for a while.  Others go to pray for curses on their enemies, and bribe the clerics to see that their will becomes Beshaba's.

The Shadowkeep is boasted to mimic Mask's own palace in the Plane of Shadow and is constantly obscured by a thick, dark mist except for its primary opening.  It is said that only the high cleric and the tharchioness know how many ways in and out of the structure there are, but which ones you are able to access depend on your powers and skills.  Entering by the main door is mocked, and entering without being noticed is always a goal, whether one is a rogue or not.  Many seek advice in the ways of trickery here.

Not only is Oghma's temple, the Abbey of Artifice, a favorite with bards, builders, and seafarers, but it is also popular with wizards dedicated to research and invention.  Visitors enter the central round lobby where high rituals are held.  To one side is a library wing for stories, schematics, and documented inventions deemed appropriate for other Thayans to know.  Such knowledge can be offered by anyone, including slaves.  The other wing is a workshop, training, and debating area strictly for the faithful.

The Hanging Garden of Siamorphe is a lush white palatial estate arranged in tiers.  It is beset with all manner of greenery from across Faerun (and, reputedly, the planes) and ringed with columns carved with images of zulkirs, other important nobles, and former versions of Siamorphe.  The exterior is decorated with the official symbols of all 90 recognized noble houses of Thay, arranged hierarchically according to their founding date.  It is open as a venue for all noble ceremonies, is the place to inquire about bloodlines, and houses the local records of House Delizan.

Waukeen's lavish Gilded Cathedral is a resplendent testament to Thay's adoration of wealth and has only grown in importance with the success of the enclaves.  Its sheer profusion of precious gems, metals, and fabrics is only saved from ugliness through expert designs.  The Hall of Bartering is open to the public for auctions of all kinds, including very special slaves and divorce rights (from which the church gets its cut).  Smaller rooms can be rented when seeking clergy to broker deals, which they will do regardless of who the parties are, so long as the fees are paid.  Although the church will also store items or currency, either before auction or for safekeeping, they are kept off-site in secret vaults hidden throughout the city.

* Given some detail in the novel Unclean by Richard Lee Byers.