The Chyrsanthemum Garden. Llazan club where all is for sale. Of all the dingy bars and places of lost hope that can be found amongst the cramped alleys of Llaza's Wester Isle, The Chrysanthemum Garden is perhaps the worst. Unlike Serene Lil's, where the inside is an escape into hedonistic revelry, The Garden is just as bleak inside as it is on its frontage onto Embalmer's Way. It is a place where those who have embraced the essential meaninglessness of their hollow lives go to blunt the pain, or to stare into the darkness of their souls. The Garden is run by one Kalog, 'The Knife', who claims that his moniker is a result of his quick wit rather than his skill with a blade. Those who cross him learn that it is the opposite. Kalog is a sallow-faced Nekuuese man who nevertheless dresses well given his surroundings. It is an open secret that Kalog has Black River Society connections but a combination of bribes and threats keeps the authorities from acting against him. The front of the Garden is a dark, smoke-stained wood-panelled series of small rooms and snugs. Here the patrons drink potent jinka rum and inhale the fumes of golden yaama. These are dangerous but legal intoxicants. In the rear of the Garden, accessible only to those in the know, it is possible to buy the stronger and more dangerous black yaama, and here also deals are made whereby illegal goods change hands - slaves, red jade, goods that have avoided the League excise-men. There is a third part to the Garden, reached through a series of underground tunnels. No-one is entirely sure where this complex lines up with above ground and it seems to have no entrance other than via the Garden. It is known as The Pit, and it is the site of gladiatorial fights. These are not always to the death, but often death is unavoidable. Kalog runs a considerable betting racket around the fights in the Pit. All are welcome to try their luck in a fight, unarmed, unarmoured and without the benefit of magic. The undefeated champion is Kalog's own fighter, a furred, fanged, hulking creature known as The Beast. No-one knows if The Beast is a man altered by magic, a half-spirit or some feral throwback. Rumours say that Kalog keeps him in a cage and feeds him raw meat between bouts. Rumours also say that Kalog has a tenured magician who uses his magic to modify creatures like The Beast, for sale to others who wish to raise prime Pit-fighting warriors. Kalog's greatest strength is in his associates. As a prominent member of the Black River Society and a heavy-hitter on Wester Isle, he has a wide range of back-up he can call upon and a wide range of people who owe him favours. His most feared associate is known only by the nickname 'The Pokan', after a race of small goblin-like spirit creatures from the Underwater Darkness World. The Pokan is known by name and reputation only as one of the most dangerous assassins in Llaza (a city where paid killers are in plentiful supply). A known modus operandi of The Pokan is to strike using weapons treated with black yaama. The intent is not to kill, and wounding is incidental. The intent is to addict the victim to the drug so that Kalog can then control his life through controlling his supply. Kalog The Knife, male human Ftr7 (thug): CR 7; Medium Humanoid; AL NE Abilities Str 11 (+0), Dex 15 (+2), Con 11 (+0), Int 13 (+1), Wis 10 (+0), Cha 18 (+4). HD 7d10; hp 38 Init +2; Spd 30ft; AC 14 (+1 padded armour +2, Dex +2) touch 12, flat-footed 12 BAB/Grp +7/+7; Atk Silent sword +8 melee (1d8) or +1 dagger +8 melee (1d4+1) or masterwork throwing knife +10 missile (1d4); Full atk Silent Sword +8/+3 melee (1d8) or +1 dagger +8/+3 melee (1d4+1) or masterwork throwing daggers +10/+5 missile (1d4) SA Sneak Attack +4d6; SQ None SV Fort +6, Ref +5, Will +3 Skills and Feats: Bluff +14, Climb +5, Gather Information +16, Knowledge (local) +13, Profession (gambler) +5, Sleight of Hand +12, Swim +5; Combat Exptertise, Improved Trip, Quick Draw, Streetwise* Languages: High Imperial, Low Imperial, Oksan, Orrian. Possessions: Silent Sword (masterwork longsword made in Fnoi Province), +1 dagger, +1 pentesh (padded armour), 2 masterwork throwing knives, +1 cloak of resistance, 3 potions of neutralise poison, 3 potions of cure light wounds, resources of Black River Society. *Streetwise. This feat grants a +2 bonus to the skills Gather Information and Knowledge (local). Using Kalog Kalog is a deeply unpleasant individual who may be the mastermind behind any number of plots that the PCs try to foil. Alternatively he can act as a patron to a party with few scruples, perhaps acting as a dark mirror to their actions. PCs may hear of The Pit and decide to chance their hand in fighting The Beast. Kalog tends to try to bluff his way out of trouble and prefers an unfair fight and a knife in the dark (preferably by someone else's hand) than out of acting himself. Kalog was created using a combination of the 'Thug' and simple alternative fighter rules in the SRD. He gets 4 skill points per level and a wider range of skills, plus a sneak attack progression at the the expense of bonus fighter feats. The Beast, male creature: CR 5; Medium Monstrous Humanoid (Augmented Human); AL N Abilities Str 24 (+7), Dex 16 (+3), Con 20 (+5), Int 3 (-4), Wis 10 (+0), Cha 5 (-3). HD 8d8+40; hp76 Init +3; Spd 40ft; AC 17 (+5 natural, Dex +3) touch 13, flat-footed 15 BAB/Grp +8/+15; Atk Claw +15 melee (1d6+7); Full atk Claw +15/+10 melee (1d6+7) or 2 claws +15 melee (1d6+7) and bite +10 melee (1d6+3) SA None; SQ Low-light vision, scent SV Fort +7, Ref +9, Will +6 Skills and Feats: Climb +10, Jump +13; Improved GrappleB, Improved Initiative, Improved Natural Attack (claw), Power Attack Languages: None Possessions: None. B Bonus feat. Using The Beast The Beast is a killing machine, plain and simple. It may have been human once, but twisted magic has converted it to a monster. The Beast likes to grapple opponents because this makes the fight last longer than simply slashing with claws and bite, and the crowd enjoy it. Somewhere in the Beast's mind is the desire to please Kalog and the audience. Golden Yaama Golden yaama comes from the yaama flowers found in the 'Empire' of Fon, a group of small islands in the Southern Sea. It is a golden powder derived from the pollen of the flowers and is taken by gently warming it so that it gives off delicate fumes. Using the drug rules in the SRD, golden yaama has a low addiction rating, is inhaled (DC 13) and costs 5 sp (50 yen) per dose. It causes a sense of mild euphoria and self-worth at the exclusion of worldly matters. Its initial effect is 1 point of Wisdom damage. The secondary effect is to grant a +1 alchemical bonus to Charisma. There are no side effects or overdose effects. Black Yaama Black Yaama is derived from golden yaama, and is a much more concentrated dark paste, with a stronger effect. Because of this it is more addictive and illegal in Llaza. Black yaama is commonly taken through ingestion (since its fumes are deeply unpleasant unlike golden yaama), although it can also be applied through wounds. Some black yaama users apply it through acupuncture needles since the effect is faster. The assassin known as The Pokan is believed to use it as a coating on his weaponry. Addiction rating: high. Ingested DC 15 or Injury DC 16. Initial effect: 1d6 Wisdom damage. Secondary effect: Alchemical bonus to Charisma equal to Wisdom loss due to intial effect. Side effect: black yaama dulls the reactions, causing a -2 penalty to initiative. Overdose: More than 2 doses in a 24 hour period causes 1d3 Constitution damage. It costs 1 gp (100 yen) per dose. Both drugs require a Craft (alchemy) DC 25 check to synthesise. (c) 2007 The Creative Conclave. Contact us.

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