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    Postfest X(Needfest 2009): Zelizar‘s House of Ill Repute
    Posted on Thu, April 09, 2009 by LordCeb
    Galliskinmaufrius writes ""Rauxes’ most (in)famous inn is without any doubt Zelizar’s House. However its bad repute does not come from its food or lodging, but from the (im)moral qualities of its patrons. Zelizar is certainly the best “chef” in the Great Kingdom and his cooking is the most delicious in the Flanaess. What then if Zelizar is also an adept of Pyremius, God of Murder? You have a week to spend in Rauxes, just don’t omit to visit Zelizar’s House!"

    Zelizar’s House of Ill Repute
    By Galliskinmaufrius

    Before becoming Zelizar’s House, the inn was owned by a Halfling and was named “The Greedy Potling”. It was an average quality hostelry. Somehow, the proprietor had to move away and sold it to his successor: Zelizar, who made it flourish (see map of Rauxes in Fate of Istus, Adventure 7, Zelizar’s House is n° 66).

    ZELIZAR’S STORY

    Zelizar is a Suel and a former member of the Scarlet Brotherhood. He was born in the Scarlet Brotherhood breeding program. He followed the trainings to become an assassin, and devoted his faith to Pyremius, God of Murder. He adhered to the Brass Daggers religious faction. At that time, he decided to specialize in poisoning.

    Therefore, he became the apprentice of the masters poisoners of the Scarlet Brotherhood, who were all adepts of Pyremius. As a matter of fact, those masters were running restaurants in each important city of the Tilvanot Peninsula (see Pyremius’ entry in The Scarlet Brotherhood Accessory).

    Zelizar made his apprenticeship by visiting each master in their dwelling which was near to the kitchen of their restaurant. This was a revelation to Zelizar: not only ingredients could be brewed to make potent poisons, but others ingredients could be cooked to make delicious meals and drinks. Zelizar’s second passion to poisons was from now on the art of cooking.

    For his first mission in the outer world, Zelizar was sent north with others brothers and sisters from the breeding program. His group had to gather political information and magic lore in the Great Kingdom. All did not happen well, the majority of the group was killed, but Zelizar tasted the freedom of his new life outside the rigid rules of the Brotherhood. Zelizar became a renegade. His only purpose was to reach the pinnacles of the arts of poisoning and cooking altogether.

    ZELIZAR’S HOUSE


    In Rauxes, an opportunity showed up: Zelizar bought “The Greedy Potling” with the gold and gems he had earned/stolen, and started his own business. As stated, he wanted to master the arts of toxicology and gastronomy. He succeeded in both, with the “blessing” of Pyremius, to whom he stood faithfully submitted. He severed his bonds with the Brotherhood, again with Pyremius own protection, but kept loose contacts with the Brass Daggers. Zelizar took membership in the assassin guild of Rauxes just to be left alone in his researches. The protection gained was appreciated still. But Zelizar won other protectors... of the sponsor sort.

    His establishment soon got a rocketing reputation because of the quality of the food and the originality of the home-distilled liquors served. This attracted the powerful and wealthy people of Rauxes, but these stayed and came back because Zelizar had so much more to offer. Every substances could be obtained if the price is paid: alcohol, drugs, even all the lotus based one, some chosen magical potions and, of course, poisons and their antidotes. Zelizar is a rich man indeed.

    One of his influential protectors is his now semi-permanent guest, Prince Ishainken of Naelax (see Rauxes chapter in Ivid the Undying). This debauched noble is nihilistic, hateful and unprincipled: he enthusiastically became Zelizar’s sponsor. His personal bodyguards (six fighters level 3-8 and two thieves level 5 and 8) will defend Zelizar’s life too, in case of need.

    As in other restaurants owned by Pyremius’s adepts, it is actually perfectly safe to dine in Zelizar’s House. Zelizar is no such a mad poisoner devoted to mass murder. He distinguishes radically his kitchen from his alchemist laboratory. In fact, his wonderful recipes are today realized by his junior cooks and kitchen boys, so that he can dedicate himself fully to the total mastery of poisons. One of his masterpiece is described below.

    ZELIZAR’S SPECIAL

    Zelizar is an artist in his field. His talents now culminate in refinement and expertise. He has conceived an aesthetic way of poisoning he named “the hepticide melting pot”. Instead of brewing and simmering the ingredients of the poison in a jar or pot, he managed to create a poison whose ingredients he mixes directly in the victim’s body. The victim is literally a living melting pot. The process takes seven days, one ingredient being incorporated in the victim each day: hepticide meaning “killing in seven days”.

    The method is known as a multi-stage poison (see poison use in “The Anti-Paladin NPC” in Dragon Magazine # 39). A multi-stage poison is any toxic chemical compound whose individual components are, of themselves, harmless and non-toxic. However, when combined (in a victim’s stomach, for example), they produce a potent – if not lethal! – poison. Such poisons are completely undetectable, since they are harmless until mixed.

    The hepticide melting pot is a seven stages poison. When the seventh component is administered, instant death occurs. The seven days process is a matter of aesthetic choice and religious belief. These are the steps:
    1 – Waterday – liquid component
    2 – Earthday – solid component
    3 – Freeday – gaseous component
    4 – Starday – liquid component
    5 – Sunday – solid component
    6 – Moonday – gaseous component
    7 – Godsday (in Pyremius’ honor) – contact component

    Therefore, a victim can be poisoned without actually knowing it. In fact, during the six first days no harm nor incapacities occur. The poison takes effect on the seventh day when contact is made on the victim’s bare skin with the ultimate ingredient. No antidote, no save allowed. But Zelizar’s reputation and pride are such that he often chooses to inform the victim that he has begun the hepticide melting pot work. It is for Zelizar’s personal artistic acknowledgment sake, and, in a way, to tell the victim that it is a honor to be poisoned by a master such he is. It is also a public advertisement for him, and a performance that can be appreciated by depraved spectators as Prince Ishainken – for his morbid voyeur pleasure.

    ADVENTURE SUGGESTION


    Total Party Levels: 39 (average level 6-7)
    Terrain: Rauxes, capital city of the Great Kingdom
    Adventure Type: race against time, countdown before death is seven days

    If the PC in your campaign had to go to Rauxes, you can add Zelizar’s hepticide melting pot to add “spices” to their stay in the corrupted city. Make it impossible for the PC to leave Rauxes during the process. The PC do not have to lodge in Zelizar’s House, but it is possible. You have first to determine who is Zelizar’s client/silent partner.

    Option 1: it is a person who want something done by the PC and who knows that they won’t accept to be paid or rewarded by him/her. So the person hires Zelizar’s skill, and indirectly inform the PC they have less than seven days to have a certain job done. This task is to be done in Rauxes intra muros.

    Option 2: it is the long time villain of your campaign, the PC’s nemesis or someone rich and powerful who seek revenge against the PC. He/she remains anonymous, but the process can be interrupted if the PC discover his/her identity before the seventh day.

    Then, all begins one morning, when a kind of idle herald (think of the speaker of King Bruno the Questionable in Terry Gillian’s movie Jabberwocky) and a suit of followers (including some sort of fanfare if you wish) wearing Prince Ishainken’s heraldry, for example, and holding flags, enter the place where the PC are lodging – their inn – and says:

    “Hear ye, hear ye! In the name of Prince Ishainken of Naelax, I have the eminent honor to inform you, gentle people, that sir/lady/lord/master (name your PC here) have entered yesterday the first stage of Zelizar’s hepticide melting pot. They have therefore six days to live left, before their painless and sudden death.” (little applause, such is the decadence in Rauxes)

    You may inform the PC too by which way the first component was administered. No matter what precaution and care are taken by the PC, repeat this scene each new morning (just changing the number of days left). On the sixth following day, the PC will die when they enter in contact with the last component. The PC may begin their investigations, and gain some information if they go to Zelizar’s House. Information can be given by Zelizar himself, Prince Ishainken or whoever you want. Make clear that violence is useless, showing off all protection surrounding Zelizar (mundane and divine protection, if you need it).

    The PC learn that they can interrupt the process if:

    Option 1: they accept the job asked by Zelizar’s silent partner and achieve it in six days.
    Option 2: they discover the identity of Zelizar’s client; Zelizar stops the process if they manage to do it, because he is paid each day.

    It’s supposed to be an investigative kind of adventure, not an hack & slash one. Remember that detect poison and neutralize poison spells are useless because the components are not a poison in themselves.

    ZELIZAR’S STATS

    37 years old male human (Suel), 13 level Assassin, Neutral Evil, Adept of Pyremius. S 16, I 15, W 14, D 18, C 18, Ch15. 71 hp.

    Due to a life long exposure to poisons, Zelizar is mithridatized: he gets a +4 bonus to all saves versus poison (as the dwarf race resistance ability). Possessions: all the poisons and any addictive substances you need in your campaign.

    SOURCES

    *Fate of Istus, TSR # 9253, Robert J. Kuntz & alii
    *The Scarlet Brotherhood, TSR # 11374, Sean Reynolds
    *Ivid the Undying, TSR # 9399, Carl Sargent
    *Dragon Magazine # 39, “The Anti-Paladin NPC”, G. Laking & T. Mesford

    The hepticide melting pot original concept: Gathyl."
     
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    Re: Postfest X(Needfest 2009): Zelizar‘s House of Ill Repute (Score: 1)
    by mortellan on Thu, May 14, 2009
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