Esenor
Marindas Hundred, Balimshire
Households: 81
Held by Baron Kisan Tesla for Earl Hemisen Curo of Gardiren.
Clan Tesla is headed by Fennis Tesla, age 51 and older brother of Kisan. Fennis was offered the Barony but suggested Kisan because of his acquaintances at court.
Baron Kisan is a shrewd intriguer with many friends and enemies in Tashal. He is on excellent terms with Lady Erila Kaphin.
Kisan is married to Lady Orella, eldest daughter of Earl Curo, but separated in 718 after 6 years of marriage. Lady Orella is now the bailiff of the wealthy Tisbury Manor (Rethelsyne Hundred, Thelshire). Her two daughters dread the prospect of being selected for marriage and loath their father.
Esenor sides astride the river Nephen, and along the river trading system of Kaldor. Barges and river boats will dock and trade goods, or seek repairs as needed.
Esenor is also a small but wealthy barony with rich soils and lush meadowlands, makinh it almost the breadbasket of Kaldor.
Esenor is also famous for its distilled spirits which are exported as far as Thay and Coranan.
1. Caer Esenor
2. Dockside; open from dawn to dusk everyday.
3. Bonding Warehouse; usually has two guards posted there during the night.
4. Village of Southside; Niborus Circus is the circle in the center of the village. It is named for Niborus Creek. Tesla Manor main gate is located on the circus.
5. Temple of Larani; this temple, as with others in the region, serves as a base for the various fighting orders in Kaldor when their services are needed.
The Temple Cleric is Lizbeth of Lin.
6. Millwright (Tomm of Tinis Size 4 Prices*** Quality Average
This mill replaces the old mill.
7. Old Mill; this structure caught fire in 717 as result of grain dust buildup. The structure itself is sound but needs extensive work. The fire resulted in 6 deaths.
8. Westwood; the Westwood Grove is said to be haunted by several spectres and shades.
9. Court Inn (Reinus of Timbor Size 5 Prices **** Quality High
The Court Inn primary clientele are merchants and wealthy locals.
10. The Royal Inn (Selkirk of Hitt Size 6 Prices *** Quality High
Selkirk provides a comfortable inn to those who stop, mostly travelers and merchants. The free ostler is Twuk of Hitt.
11. Millwright (Gibbon of Gui Size 4 Prices *** Quality High
Gibbon mills in competition to Tomm. He also has reduced the flow of the creek by diverting it ti his mill.
12. Salter (Edith of Wee Size 3 Prices *** Quality High
Edith is known for her fine cheeses.
13. Mercantyler (Swif of Ayl Size 4 Prices *** Quality Average
14. Miller (Iona of Dis Size 3 Prices *** Quality High
Iona makes a well known sweet roll that is a favorite of the Baron.
15. Hideworker (Mel of Gist Size 3 Prices *** Quality Average
16. Metalworker (Bang of Dis Size 2 Prices **** Quality High
Bang is Iona's brother. Like his sister he is a devout follower of Peoni. His work is reknown for his quality.
17. Pilot's Guild/Hostel
18. Distillery (Havaone of Mee Size 6 Prices **** Quality High
Havaone is a master brewer. His ales and ciders are exported as far as Thay and Coranan.
The Drunken Drake (Ysce of Holar)
Size: 9 Quality: ✰✰ Prices: Average
Ysce of Holar
Ysce, 57, was once a common whore in Kiban. As a teen, she worked as a deck hand, cook, and prostitute on river boats along the Kald and Nephen Rivers until she decided to stay in Esenor one winter. She found a job serving tables in the Drunken Drake and eventual ran her own stable of prostitutes. She bought the franchise a little more than 20 years ago and always pays her dues to the Innkeepers’ Guild on time. Experience has made Ysce a hard, unrelenting task-mistress. She uses a leather belt or wooden spoon liberally to enforce her will but is careful to strike where bruises won’t deter customers. Whores who cross her more than once find their contracts sold at the first opportunity. Ysce detests Pellwyn of Ollyn, the reeve [23]. He only comes to the Drake when he is slumming with his sycophants and then delights his audience by berating the customers and ordering the staff around. Ysce is planning for her future and carefully hoards hard currency. She keeps at least a pound’s worth of silver pennies in the lockbox in her bedchamber and has several more in the vault of a friendly usurer in Tashal. If the reeve ever caused real trouble, her plan is to disappear into Tashal, collect her coin, then run as far as she can before starting over.
Ysce of Holar runs this tavern just off the market square. The building is weather tight but worn and could use fresh whitewashing. The bar is busiest on market days but there are always people visiting for the cheap, sour beer and warm, filling pottage. Her customers are rivermen, soldiers, and wayfarers who can’t afford the finer and quieter Slippery Eel [8]. The common room is dimly lit with rush lights and the glow of the fires from its two hearths. The lack of windows keeps the place warm in winter but makes it stuffy in warmer weather. The room is smoky and smells of sweat and old beer all year long. Adding to the cacophony, gamblers gather at the tables for games of chance that are open to anyone who has something to wager. Games of hazard and merrils are played every day in the common room, and cockfights and duck races are held during market days in the summer.
Ysce occasionally arranges for minstrels to entertain her customers, although her only attempt to have traveling thespians stage a play in the common room ended with a group of drunk rivermen fighting over the lead actress. Despite this incident, she is open to hosting any sort of entertainment that will bring her profit.
Most local customers pay in barter, exchanging various items for square copper tokens. Each token is about an inch on each side and represents a farthing of value. These are redeemable for anything inside the Drake. Visitors are expected to pay in coin.
Ysce’s “little sister,” Illferie, oversees the barmaids, who also serve as prostitutes. Seryel, a mercenary who washed up in Esenor several years ago, sits at the top of the stairs and makes sure the clients behave themselves. He learned his trade along the Salt Route and enjoys his job.
Ysce and her “family” take full advantage of the fact that there is no Lia-Kavair chapter in Esenor. In addition to the prostitution and some smallscale moneylending, Ysce has an arrangement with one of Iryll of Bosc’s [22] crewmen to transport small shipments to and from central Kaldor. People and counterfeit foodstuffs are the usual cargo, but herbs and other small packages flow through the manor as well.
[1] Common Room: Most evenings see the Drake’s tables filled with Esenor’s common folk. On market days, the room is packed with people shoulder to shoulder; getting the attention of a barmaid or anyone behind the bar is a challenge. A minstrel or at least someone with a bit of musical talent is usually by the large fireplace trying to be heard over the din. The conversations are loud and the language colorful, but the regulars are eager to hear news from far-off places and make visitors welcome at the tables. Parsefil, a local orphan girl, acts as alewife and makes pottage for customers. Grilled mole on a stick is available when Dorry of Ollyn [24] is losing at the tables and barters his catch. Furo of Haran, a redheaded mountain of a man, dominates the common room. Standing almost six and half feet tall and weighing over 300 pounds, he is the largest and strongest man in the village. He is friendly, jocular, and always willing to lend a hand to anyone who asks. He lightheartedly keeps order, making sure that he doesn’t cause any lasting damage when he escorts drunks out the door. He also makes sure that no one skips out on their bar bill, even if he has to collect the next day.
[2] The Cribs: The Drake’s barmaids use these three curtained alcoves to entertain customers. A narrow cot and small washstand fill most of the space inside each alcove. The customer gives Seryel 1d or its equivalent in tokens for up to an hour of the girl’s time. Customers know to be mindful of the time, as Seryel is known to use his club to eject those who overstay their welcome.
[3] Men’s Room: Furo and Seryel have cots here but Seryel sleeps most nights in the common room to avoid Furo’s symphony of bodily emanations. Dogmar, the Drake’s 13-year-old household servant and bar back, sleeps in front of the fireplace. The boy knows his mother was a prostitute at the house but Ysce hasn’t told him more than that.
[4] Ladies’ Room: Ysce and the other ladies sleep in this large, wellheated space. Dogmar is the only male allowed in this room, and then only when he has Ysce’s permission. Ysce’s bed is curtained off from the others. A locked strongbox is bolted to the floor beside the bed.
New Thug in Town
Flisk of Caygo is a low-level thug from Kiban who is looking to set himself up in business in Esenor. Hearing of the lack of competition, he recruited a couple of leg breakers to join him to form a new Lia- Kavair chapter. They plan on coercing Ysce into either working for them or leaving town. Ysce knows that they mean business and asks a few customers (the PCs) to “take care of ” the threat. In return, she will express her gratitude in hard cash. The PCs will need to act decisively. How they approach Flisk is up to them, but the longer they wait, the more chance Flisk has of spreading bribes and intimidation to clear the way for him to take over the Drunken Drake. If anyone attempts to interfere with his plans, Flisk will try to dispose of them himself. Failing that, he will send for allies to help him eliminate any opposition.
Common Room Brawling
The PCs are enjoying an evening in the Drunken Drake’s common room when a brawl erupts. The two dim-witted sons of metalsmith Rodryk of Avarn [12] tried to play a prank on Furo. Furo, who was not quite as drunk as the boys thought he was, fought back. The fight swirls around the room. The bystanders are unable to contain Furo and others get sucked into the melee as crockery and furniture fly. Seryel will descend the stairs with his club. If the PCs are seen helping him stop the fight, Parsefil will mention their actions to Ysce and they will be rewarded with a handful of tokens and the goodwill of the house for a night or two. If they try to slip out, they find that leaving the common room means dodging and perhaps striking others to get through either of the doors. Once outside, the fight will soon spill out into the open behind them and they will be swept up once again if they do not run. Parsefil will report their actions and they will be taken to the baron’s court to answer for the damage caused by the fight. Whether they are fined, flogged, or worse is up to the baron.
THE ROADSHOW
Illferie spends winters in Esenor as Ysce’s deputy. As the days warm, she and a few girls pack a canvas tent into their rickety wagon, hitch up Emmeline the mule, and travel from town to town plying their trade. They are on the road for the spring and summer, including a month or more camped in Tashal’s East Common, serving locals, traders, and caravan workers during the Great Summer Fair. They return to Esenor when the autumn chill makes customers think twice about getting intimate inside an old canvas tent.
Illferie and the whore wagon rarely travel more than five or six leagues in a day. This leisurely pace ensures that the girls, who walk behind the wagon, are not too tired at the end of the day to work. Besides, both wagon and mule are old and Illferie dreads any delays caused by breakdowns. Visits to larger towns merit a longer stay, as Illferie tries to give the girls one day in ten for bathing and resting.
The usual territory is within a triangle roughly drawn between Heru, Ternua, and Kiban. The closely spaced manors of Kaldor’s heartland provide easy travel and plenty of customers. Even off the main roads, the manors are connected by fairly well-maintained trails. Experience has shown Illferie that there is no profit in venturing into the dark forests north of Uldien and little to gain traveling even beyond Ternua or Heru. Illferie and her wagon loop back to Esenor every few tendays to deposit the take with Ysce. Illferie will sometimes swap girls or repair the wagon, but she gets the little troupe back on the road as quickly as possible. Once at a market site, Illferie prefers to set up the wagon and tent near an ale seller’s tent or kiosk, where customers can wait for their turns on stools. She instructs one of the girls to dance in front of the wagon to keep the customers entertained and draw attention. If business is slow, she will wander the market, directing prospective clients to the wagon.
The girls, however, are only allowed away from the tent if they are escorted by Illferie. Since most of the whores are indentured to pay off debts, she wants to make sure that they do not run away. Illferie also wants to make sure that none of the girls are freelancing. She will generally try to talk the customer into coming back to the wagon. If the customer prefers another location, Illferie will almost always allow it, but stand close by while business is transacted to ensure she collects her fee.
At the wagon, Seryel acts as a guard and bouncer. He never lets the cash box out of his sight. He is happy to work a job where no one is trying to kill, much less eat, him like the Pagaelin and gargun on the Salt Road. He wears a quilted gambeson and leather half-helm to impress passersby while traveling between manors. He uses a steel-shod club to quiet down rowdier clients, or, if necessary, exact payment.
[1] The Tent: The tent is a 12’ by 8’ canvas A-frame. Patches cover patches and it leaks in anything heavier than a drizzle, but it gives some cover to the girls’ activities. Three narrow straw mattresses fill most of the space inside. Rushes cover the floor to keep down the dust or mud, depending on the weather. Drunken clients will often “lose” spare change or loose valuables in the rushes, which then become “bonuses” for the ladies.
[2] Stools: Customers waiting their turn are entertained by one of the girls dancing. Illferie will sometimes hire a musician to play accompaniment but if a suitable one cannot be found, one of the girls can at least play the tambourine.
[3] Coin Taker: Illferie sits with her cash box in the back of the wagon while the girls are working. The box is chained to two bulky iron staples in the wagon bed and is secured with a large, impressivelooking padlock. She typically sits in the shade of the wagon cover, to “protect her skin” she says. Since she looks like she was hewn from an old apple tree, the girls often joke about “keeping her bark dry.” At night, Illferie sleeps in the wagon bed on a cot. Seryel is relegated to his bedroll under the wagon, as the girls are adamant about there not being room for him in their tent and he knows better than to ask Illferie to share her shelter.
The Whore Wagon
Size: 5 Quality: ✰✰ Prices: Low
This traveling brothel firmly anchors the low end of the commercial spectrum. The standard rate is 1d, higher at the Tashal fair but lower when business is slow. Customers satisfy their needs in dubious privacy. The transactions are as fast as they are without fanfare. A trip to Illferie’s tent lacks any amount of personal intimacy.
Paying for the Pleasure
Illferie usually brings three girls on each trip. At any time, one will be working, one dancing to draw customers, and the other running errands or resting. Illferie’s girls work hard and get to keep one farthing in six for themselves, compared to one farthing in eight when at the Drake. Seryel the guard is paid 2d per day. Even so, Illferie and Ysce make a tidy profit. Because Illferie’s operation is small and rural, it manages to escape the attentions of the Lia-Kavair most of the time. Like other merchants, however, she is “taxed” by the local thieves’ guild when at the larger fairs. In these cases, she adjusts her rates accordingly to protect her profit margin.
Found in the Rushes
One of the women finds a strange amulet in the rushes of the tent. She thinks it’s a pretty bauble that will fetch a fine price at the end of the season. Its former owner is determined, perhaps driven, to recover his or her property, however.
Need an Escort
At a recent market, some locals were in a celebratory mood and started a drunken brawl. Seryel emerged with a broken arm and a twisted knee. Afraid the drunks might follow them and cause trouble, Illferie is looking for an escort to protect her group until Seryel heals. She’ll offer to barter services at first but can pay cash if needed. Applicants must bring their own weapons.
Held by Baron Kisan Tesla for Earl Hemisen Curo of Gardiren.
Clan Tesla is headed by Fennis Tesla, age 51 and older brother of Kisan. Fennis was offered the Barony but suggested Kisan because of his acquaintances at court.
Baron Kisan is a shrewd intriguer with many friends and enemies in Tashal. He is on excellent terms with Lady Erila Kaphin.
Kisan is married to Lady Orella, eldest daughter of Earl Curo, but separated in 718 after 6 years of marriage. Lady Orella is now the bailiff of the wealthy Tisbury Manor (Rethelsyne Hundred, Thelshire). Her two daughters dread the prospect of being selected for marriage and loath their father.
Esenor sides astride the river Nephen, and along the river trading system of Kaldor. Barges and river boats will dock and trade goods, or seek repairs as needed.
Esenor is also a small but wealthy barony with rich soils and lush meadowlands, makinh it almost the breadbasket of Kaldor.
Esenor is also famous for its distilled spirits which are exported as far as Thay and Coranan.
LOCATIONS
1. Caer Esenor
2. Dockside; open from dawn to dusk everyday.
3. Bonding Warehouse; usually has two guards posted there during the night.
4. Village of Southside; Niborus Circus is the circle in the center of the village. It is named for Niborus Creek. Tesla Manor main gate is located on the circus.
5. Temple of Larani; this temple, as with others in the region, serves as a base for the various fighting orders in Kaldor when their services are needed.
The Temple Cleric is Lizbeth of Lin.
6. Millwright (Tomm of Tinis Size 4 Prices*** Quality Average
This mill replaces the old mill.
7. Old Mill; this structure caught fire in 717 as result of grain dust buildup. The structure itself is sound but needs extensive work. The fire resulted in 6 deaths.
8. Westwood; the Westwood Grove is said to be haunted by several spectres and shades.
9. Court Inn (Reinus of Timbor Size 5 Prices **** Quality High
The Court Inn primary clientele are merchants and wealthy locals.
10. The Royal Inn (Selkirk of Hitt Size 6 Prices *** Quality High
Selkirk provides a comfortable inn to those who stop, mostly travelers and merchants. The free ostler is Twuk of Hitt.
11. Millwright (Gibbon of Gui Size 4 Prices *** Quality High
Gibbon mills in competition to Tomm. He also has reduced the flow of the creek by diverting it ti his mill.
Show spoiler
Gibbon is suspected of causing the fire at the old mill.
12. Salter (Edith of Wee Size 3 Prices *** Quality High
Edith is known for her fine cheeses.
13. Mercantyler (Swif of Ayl Size 4 Prices *** Quality Average
14. Miller (Iona of Dis Size 3 Prices *** Quality High
Iona makes a well known sweet roll that is a favorite of the Baron.
15. Hideworker (Mel of Gist Size 3 Prices *** Quality Average
16. Metalworker (Bang of Dis Size 2 Prices **** Quality High
Bang is Iona's brother. Like his sister he is a devout follower of Peoni. His work is reknown for his quality.
17. Pilot's Guild/Hostel
18. Distillery (Havaone of Mee Size 6 Prices **** Quality High
Havaone is a master brewer. His ales and ciders are exported as far as Thay and Coranan.
THE DRUNKEN DRAKE INN
The Drunken Drake (Ysce of Holar)
Size: 9 Quality: ✰✰ Prices: Average
Ysce of Holar
Ysce, 57, was once a common whore in Kiban. As a teen, she worked as a deck hand, cook, and prostitute on river boats along the Kald and Nephen Rivers until she decided to stay in Esenor one winter. She found a job serving tables in the Drunken Drake and eventual ran her own stable of prostitutes. She bought the franchise a little more than 20 years ago and always pays her dues to the Innkeepers’ Guild on time. Experience has made Ysce a hard, unrelenting task-mistress. She uses a leather belt or wooden spoon liberally to enforce her will but is careful to strike where bruises won’t deter customers. Whores who cross her more than once find their contracts sold at the first opportunity. Ysce detests Pellwyn of Ollyn, the reeve [23]. He only comes to the Drake when he is slumming with his sycophants and then delights his audience by berating the customers and ordering the staff around. Ysce is planning for her future and carefully hoards hard currency. She keeps at least a pound’s worth of silver pennies in the lockbox in her bedchamber and has several more in the vault of a friendly usurer in Tashal. If the reeve ever caused real trouble, her plan is to disappear into Tashal, collect her coin, then run as far as she can before starting over.
Ysce of Holar runs this tavern just off the market square. The building is weather tight but worn and could use fresh whitewashing. The bar is busiest on market days but there are always people visiting for the cheap, sour beer and warm, filling pottage. Her customers are rivermen, soldiers, and wayfarers who can’t afford the finer and quieter Slippery Eel [8]. The common room is dimly lit with rush lights and the glow of the fires from its two hearths. The lack of windows keeps the place warm in winter but makes it stuffy in warmer weather. The room is smoky and smells of sweat and old beer all year long. Adding to the cacophony, gamblers gather at the tables for games of chance that are open to anyone who has something to wager. Games of hazard and merrils are played every day in the common room, and cockfights and duck races are held during market days in the summer.
Ysce occasionally arranges for minstrels to entertain her customers, although her only attempt to have traveling thespians stage a play in the common room ended with a group of drunk rivermen fighting over the lead actress. Despite this incident, she is open to hosting any sort of entertainment that will bring her profit.
Most local customers pay in barter, exchanging various items for square copper tokens. Each token is about an inch on each side and represents a farthing of value. These are redeemable for anything inside the Drake. Visitors are expected to pay in coin.
Ysce’s “little sister,” Illferie, oversees the barmaids, who also serve as prostitutes. Seryel, a mercenary who washed up in Esenor several years ago, sits at the top of the stairs and makes sure the clients behave themselves. He learned his trade along the Salt Route and enjoys his job.
Ysce and her “family” take full advantage of the fact that there is no Lia-Kavair chapter in Esenor. In addition to the prostitution and some smallscale moneylending, Ysce has an arrangement with one of Iryll of Bosc’s [22] crewmen to transport small shipments to and from central Kaldor. People and counterfeit foodstuffs are the usual cargo, but herbs and other small packages flow through the manor as well.
[1] Common Room: Most evenings see the Drake’s tables filled with Esenor’s common folk. On market days, the room is packed with people shoulder to shoulder; getting the attention of a barmaid or anyone behind the bar is a challenge. A minstrel or at least someone with a bit of musical talent is usually by the large fireplace trying to be heard over the din. The conversations are loud and the language colorful, but the regulars are eager to hear news from far-off places and make visitors welcome at the tables. Parsefil, a local orphan girl, acts as alewife and makes pottage for customers. Grilled mole on a stick is available when Dorry of Ollyn [24] is losing at the tables and barters his catch. Furo of Haran, a redheaded mountain of a man, dominates the common room. Standing almost six and half feet tall and weighing over 300 pounds, he is the largest and strongest man in the village. He is friendly, jocular, and always willing to lend a hand to anyone who asks. He lightheartedly keeps order, making sure that he doesn’t cause any lasting damage when he escorts drunks out the door. He also makes sure that no one skips out on their bar bill, even if he has to collect the next day.
[2] The Cribs: The Drake’s barmaids use these three curtained alcoves to entertain customers. A narrow cot and small washstand fill most of the space inside each alcove. The customer gives Seryel 1d or its equivalent in tokens for up to an hour of the girl’s time. Customers know to be mindful of the time, as Seryel is known to use his club to eject those who overstay their welcome.
[3] Men’s Room: Furo and Seryel have cots here but Seryel sleeps most nights in the common room to avoid Furo’s symphony of bodily emanations. Dogmar, the Drake’s 13-year-old household servant and bar back, sleeps in front of the fireplace. The boy knows his mother was a prostitute at the house but Ysce hasn’t told him more than that.
[4] Ladies’ Room: Ysce and the other ladies sleep in this large, wellheated space. Dogmar is the only male allowed in this room, and then only when he has Ysce’s permission. Ysce’s bed is curtained off from the others. A locked strongbox is bolted to the floor beside the bed.
ADVENTURE HOOKS
New Thug in Town
Flisk of Caygo is a low-level thug from Kiban who is looking to set himself up in business in Esenor. Hearing of the lack of competition, he recruited a couple of leg breakers to join him to form a new Lia- Kavair chapter. They plan on coercing Ysce into either working for them or leaving town. Ysce knows that they mean business and asks a few customers (the PCs) to “take care of ” the threat. In return, she will express her gratitude in hard cash. The PCs will need to act decisively. How they approach Flisk is up to them, but the longer they wait, the more chance Flisk has of spreading bribes and intimidation to clear the way for him to take over the Drunken Drake. If anyone attempts to interfere with his plans, Flisk will try to dispose of them himself. Failing that, he will send for allies to help him eliminate any opposition.
Common Room Brawling
The PCs are enjoying an evening in the Drunken Drake’s common room when a brawl erupts. The two dim-witted sons of metalsmith Rodryk of Avarn [12] tried to play a prank on Furo. Furo, who was not quite as drunk as the boys thought he was, fought back. The fight swirls around the room. The bystanders are unable to contain Furo and others get sucked into the melee as crockery and furniture fly. Seryel will descend the stairs with his club. If the PCs are seen helping him stop the fight, Parsefil will mention their actions to Ysce and they will be rewarded with a handful of tokens and the goodwill of the house for a night or two. If they try to slip out, they find that leaving the common room means dodging and perhaps striking others to get through either of the doors. Once outside, the fight will soon spill out into the open behind them and they will be swept up once again if they do not run. Parsefil will report their actions and they will be taken to the baron’s court to answer for the damage caused by the fight. Whether they are fined, flogged, or worse is up to the baron.
THE ROADSHOW
Illferie spends winters in Esenor as Ysce’s deputy. As the days warm, she and a few girls pack a canvas tent into their rickety wagon, hitch up Emmeline the mule, and travel from town to town plying their trade. They are on the road for the spring and summer, including a month or more camped in Tashal’s East Common, serving locals, traders, and caravan workers during the Great Summer Fair. They return to Esenor when the autumn chill makes customers think twice about getting intimate inside an old canvas tent.
Illferie and the whore wagon rarely travel more than five or six leagues in a day. This leisurely pace ensures that the girls, who walk behind the wagon, are not too tired at the end of the day to work. Besides, both wagon and mule are old and Illferie dreads any delays caused by breakdowns. Visits to larger towns merit a longer stay, as Illferie tries to give the girls one day in ten for bathing and resting.
The usual territory is within a triangle roughly drawn between Heru, Ternua, and Kiban. The closely spaced manors of Kaldor’s heartland provide easy travel and plenty of customers. Even off the main roads, the manors are connected by fairly well-maintained trails. Experience has shown Illferie that there is no profit in venturing into the dark forests north of Uldien and little to gain traveling even beyond Ternua or Heru. Illferie and her wagon loop back to Esenor every few tendays to deposit the take with Ysce. Illferie will sometimes swap girls or repair the wagon, but she gets the little troupe back on the road as quickly as possible. Once at a market site, Illferie prefers to set up the wagon and tent near an ale seller’s tent or kiosk, where customers can wait for their turns on stools. She instructs one of the girls to dance in front of the wagon to keep the customers entertained and draw attention. If business is slow, she will wander the market, directing prospective clients to the wagon.
The girls, however, are only allowed away from the tent if they are escorted by Illferie. Since most of the whores are indentured to pay off debts, she wants to make sure that they do not run away. Illferie also wants to make sure that none of the girls are freelancing. She will generally try to talk the customer into coming back to the wagon. If the customer prefers another location, Illferie will almost always allow it, but stand close by while business is transacted to ensure she collects her fee.
At the wagon, Seryel acts as a guard and bouncer. He never lets the cash box out of his sight. He is happy to work a job where no one is trying to kill, much less eat, him like the Pagaelin and gargun on the Salt Road. He wears a quilted gambeson and leather half-helm to impress passersby while traveling between manors. He uses a steel-shod club to quiet down rowdier clients, or, if necessary, exact payment.
[1] The Tent: The tent is a 12’ by 8’ canvas A-frame. Patches cover patches and it leaks in anything heavier than a drizzle, but it gives some cover to the girls’ activities. Three narrow straw mattresses fill most of the space inside. Rushes cover the floor to keep down the dust or mud, depending on the weather. Drunken clients will often “lose” spare change or loose valuables in the rushes, which then become “bonuses” for the ladies.
[2] Stools: Customers waiting their turn are entertained by one of the girls dancing. Illferie will sometimes hire a musician to play accompaniment but if a suitable one cannot be found, one of the girls can at least play the tambourine.
[3] Coin Taker: Illferie sits with her cash box in the back of the wagon while the girls are working. The box is chained to two bulky iron staples in the wagon bed and is secured with a large, impressivelooking padlock. She typically sits in the shade of the wagon cover, to “protect her skin” she says. Since she looks like she was hewn from an old apple tree, the girls often joke about “keeping her bark dry.” At night, Illferie sleeps in the wagon bed on a cot. Seryel is relegated to his bedroll under the wagon, as the girls are adamant about there not being room for him in their tent and he knows better than to ask Illferie to share her shelter.
The Whore Wagon
Size: 5 Quality: ✰✰ Prices: Low
This traveling brothel firmly anchors the low end of the commercial spectrum. The standard rate is 1d, higher at the Tashal fair but lower when business is slow. Customers satisfy their needs in dubious privacy. The transactions are as fast as they are without fanfare. A trip to Illferie’s tent lacks any amount of personal intimacy.
Paying for the Pleasure
Illferie usually brings three girls on each trip. At any time, one will be working, one dancing to draw customers, and the other running errands or resting. Illferie’s girls work hard and get to keep one farthing in six for themselves, compared to one farthing in eight when at the Drake. Seryel the guard is paid 2d per day. Even so, Illferie and Ysce make a tidy profit. Because Illferie’s operation is small and rural, it manages to escape the attentions of the Lia-Kavair most of the time. Like other merchants, however, she is “taxed” by the local thieves’ guild when at the larger fairs. In these cases, she adjusts her rates accordingly to protect her profit margin.
Adventure Hooks
Found in the Rushes
One of the women finds a strange amulet in the rushes of the tent. She thinks it’s a pretty bauble that will fetch a fine price at the end of the season. Its former owner is determined, perhaps driven, to recover his or her property, however.
Need an Escort
At a recent market, some locals were in a celebratory mood and started a drunken brawl. Seryel emerged with a broken arm and a twisted knee. Afraid the drunks might follow them and cause trouble, Illferie is looking for an escort to protect her group until Seryel heals. She’ll offer to barter services at first but can pay cash if needed. Applicants must bring their own weapons.
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