Originally posted on the main Urbanverse site, December 19th, 2020.
Welcome back to the campaign design series! The last entry was fairly basic as to what is discussed, but this time, we’ll be delving into something much more interesting (at least to a good portion of my readers, if I had to guess): The whorehouse!
THE Whorehouse of Whorehouses
So, what’ the big idea here? What makes this place renowned around the world as THE whorehouse?
Well, that’s exactly what we’re here to figure out!
The basic idea here is that the PCs are going to find their way to a whorehouse eventually, just as soon as they have some spare gold in their pouches, so why not make it something a bit more grand? It should be a hub of adventure and intrigue, certainly, filled with unique personalities and a variety of entertainment to enjoy. Further, it should be a place they’ll want to return to, will want to protect. Given the larger campaign I’m developing based on the Mind Flayer trilogy, it seems very much like a place that would be a wonderful spot to bed down for a very prolonged winter, with no shortage of potential paranoia to build and develop during the height of the first adventure book.
To further develop the whorehouse, I’ve been thinking of the enchanter’s arcane school that’s also in the city, as well as the unique dual temple to Erisaya and Yurisaya (The Goddesses of Love and Carnal Desire respectively). Both would seem to be very likely to be associated closely with the whorehouse, with some certain amount of crossover between personalities and functions. For example, maybe the arcane school students are allowed to practice their enchantment magic in the confines of the whorehouse, and the Eri/Yuri temple keeps the working boys and girls healthy.
Then there’s the very high probability of there being some gambling aspect to the place, if not a dedicated casino located nearby, so there would definitely be some crossover potential there.
And there’s likely going to be a theatre of sorts for the “high artsy” types, but with a kinky twist in that they host BDSM-themed shows with some audience participation aspects. (In fact, this location and the casino were part of the same complex in a previous campaign!)
So, is the meat of the whorehouse simply a factor of location? Is it central to everything else in Arcavarlon, perhaps? Most of what I’ve mentioned so far seems fairly standard for a developed location in a campaign setting…and that’s not bad. If it’s one thing I’ve learned over the years, you can’t plan your campaign around the actions of the players. If you try that, you’re putting them on a railroad, and they’re not going to like you for it. And I’ve got a particular player who excels in out of the box thinking and random acts of chaos, so I’ve developed my improvisation skills quite a bit over the years. (I’m currently running a Call of Cthulhu campaign that takes place in the late 1990s that has been very much improvised game to game, so it’s taken on a less horror feeling, and more a 90s action movie feel, which is fine, cause the players are having a lot of fun with it).
Anyway, back on track (see what I did there?) to the whorehouse! I’m not gonna lie; I’m struggling with developing this idea a bit (in fact, I’ve been working on this piece for about two months, and just haven’t made progress). Part of it is the more improv nature of my DM style (getting used to following an adventure path again after so many years is going to be interesting), but the other part is simply the hype. I mean, with a moniker like “The whorehouse of whorehouses”, you’re expecting quite a bit, right? I know I am, and I’m just not certain I’m able to make it live up to my own hype. A lot of it is going to be up to your own interpretation, and as I’m developing this for a larger campaign setting, there’s plenty of space for development down the line. But, there needs to be some meat here, and not just the meat on display. So, let’s go a bit deeper and focus on a few aspects of this place that we’ll continue to build off of down the line.
The Whorehouse (what’s in a name?)
So, what’s this place even called? It needs a name…and I’ve already discussed how much I struggle with naming things in the last article. I suppose with a reputation like I’m going for, it could just get by being called ‘the Whorehouse’, but that just doesn’t sit well with me. So, what to call such a renowned house of ill repute and intrigue within the walls of the City of a Thousand Delights? It’s kinda integral to the economy of the city, may have been one of the earliest businesses to form up in the city. Perhaps it’s more than just a business…perhaps it has some amount of pull within the government in the city? Is it part of the ruling council (or whatever type of government Arcavarlon has).
The House of a Thousand Delights would seem to be an obvious choice, but that seems a bit redundant given the nickname of the city itself. Perfectly viable, perhaps it’s a nickname for the whorehouse, but I don’t want it to be the actual name. Could go with a name relating to the Goddesses Erisaya and Yurisaya, but again, that’s going to be redundant with their shared temple somewhere within Arcavarlon.
In the interest of saving a bit of time, I’ll just say I’ve explored several keywords through the thesaurus to come up with a name I like with words that interest me. With that in mind, I’m calling the whorehouse “The Palace of Boundless Felicity“. Sounds grand enough, eh?
The Ladies of the Night (or any time, really)
Now that I’ve got a name, let’s get a few personalities into the Palace.
The Madame of the Palace
As of the current time within my campaign world, the head of the Palace is Madame Suzuka. This character is actually one I’ve had brewing for a while and never fleshed out, so what better time than now?
Madame Suzuka appears as a shapely human woman with dark brown hair, wearing expensive, revealing silken kimonos with elegant designs woven throughout. Though not a recluse, she is rather elusive, only making public appearances sporadically, though the workers of the palace seem to be quite familiar with her. This has led her to have something of an unobtainable air about her, and her sporadic appearances tend to stir up a lot of talk amongst the patrons. No small number of visitors have tried and failed to buy her for a night, though rumors abound that a lucky few have experienced her legendary prowess.
In truth, Suzuka is a kitsune bearing a curse. She is a talented enchanter, amongst the most talented to have ever graduated from the local school in fact. However, many years ago she ran afoul of a particularly powerful succubus who took particular pleasure in tormenting her victims, and her torments continue to linger in Suzuka’s case. The nature of the curse was an overwhelming lust, a hunger for pleasure that could only be sated by nigh endless sex. For a time, Suzuka was at a loss as to how to manage her affliction; no magic could relieve her desire for long enough to matter, and no spell could break the hold curse had upon her. It was only through a series of novel magical devices that she could manage to function at all, though, over time, she has managed to mitigate the curse further to some extent, though she still searches for a way to break it completely.
And what are these magical devices? Special chastity gear, tied to a series of magical crystals that absorb her lustful desires and diminish their effects to a bearable level. One particular use for these crystals is to enhance the sense of desire throughout the Palace, which has had a very substantial effect of increasing profits to perhaps the highest they have ever been. In some cases, additional sets of enchanted chastity gear with empty crystals are distributed amongst the younger members of the Palace, especially those who are adventuring or who are studying at the magic school, to act not only as a form of armor but as siphons that will draw off Suzuka’s lustful desires. In practice, this serves as a method of teaching those wearing the devices to focus themselves in order to overcome the distracting nature of their (magically enhanced) lust.
The Wind from the Desert
Coming and going often without warning, never staying in one place for too long (usually only long enough to stir up passions, trouble, and usually both), the half-elven priestess of Erisaya known as Haluune Sirocco isn’t an uncommon sight in the Palace. This dark-skinned, flame-haired elven woman hails from the southern deserts and travels frequently across the land, stopping at any Erisaya temples along the way, and frequenting most brothels as well. Though more than willing to sell her services to customers in the brothels, Haluune’s preferred clients are actually the working boys and girls themselves. Using her holy magic granted by her goddess along with various homemade concoctions, she helps to encourage a safe working environment by curing any illnesses the workers may have picked up. She is also known to trade in jewelry and exotic perfumes she has picked up on her travels.
No stranger to adventure, Haluune is also an excellent traveling companion, well-versed in how to deal with various creatures that roam the roads and wilderness, especially undead and other supernatural threats. She is frequently welcomed into caravans making long journeys, though she tends to avoid water-based travel if she can, feeling very uncomfortable if she’s away from solid ground (or mostly so, if she’s in the deserts she hails from). Though well-traveled and knowledgeable of various cultures and customs, Haluune can be a bit dense at times. For example, for the longest time, she thought that when orcs spit on her, it was a sign of respect, since they were sharing their precious water with her; she didn’t learn until later that it was actually the opposite and that many quite disliked her (mostly for her elven heritage).
Alisha (of the) Keys
Though not born in Arcavarlon, Alisha, also known as the Keeper of the Keys, has made the city, and the Palace, her home. Though apparently human, she possesses a most unusual shade of light purple hair and brilliant purple eyes, indicating an unusual heritage, or some magical influence upon her blood in the past. She’s not telling, though, and nobody around the Palace seems interested (or perhaps they already know?). Alisha’s duties are rather unique, as she is responsible for holding the keys for the various sets of enchanted chastity gear distributed by Madame Suzuka. Not one to lord this fact over those who may be feeling rather desperate for release, she is never seen without a set of chastity gear of her own, though her set is much shinier and inlaid with gold and jewels. She even has her own game that she likes to play, attaching dozens of keys to her chastity gear and various pieces of jewelry and offering patrons a chance to enjoy her pleasures for only a single silver piece…assuming they can pick the right key (and they only get one shot a day).
Alisha is known to be very evasive about her past, and rumors persist that there’s some great power hidden within the chastity gear she wears, though nobody has yet found the right key to unlock that particular secret. She acts as Suzuka’s eyes and ears around the Palace and often travels out into the city to discuss matters of a more boring (read: political) nature as a representative of the Palace itself. She is known to be quite skilled with her hands and feet when it comes to delicate tasks (like picking locks or performing sleight of hand tricks), though she has never been known to carry a weapon, or even get into a fight. She seems quite pleased to keep things peaceful and operating smoothly, though if you ask any of the girls and boys working at the Palace, her temper is to be feared, the stuff of legends.
Dungeon Mistress Zallista
As with the temple of Erisaya and Yurisaya, the Palace has a dark side, and its dungeons are regarded throughout the land as a place where one can experience the most intense of pleasures. Though many of the workers here are worshipers of Yurisaya, there are more than a few who are not affiliated with the church, and simply enjoy walking the darker side. Zallista Kaori is one such woman. She is a tiefling, her blood tainted with a devilish heritage. Though appearing somewhat elvish with her pointed ears and short auburn hair, Zallista bears a pair of curled horns upon her head and eyes that seem to dance with an inner fire, along with a long, slender tail. The multitude of piercings upon her face and body, some of them rather extreme, do little to improve first impressions. Despite her hellish appearance, Zallista comes off as cold, detached, and uncaring, speaking and interacting little even when she is inflicting pain upon a client.
Though her past is a mystery to most at the Palace, she is known to be an archer of unparalleled ability and has spent some amount of time upon the seas, having arrived in Arcavarlon some years ago during a running battle with an opposing group of pirates. It was during this heated battle throughout the city’s ports that she met Suzuka, and decided to stay at the Palace, though only they know the particulars of that arrangement. Though apparently, it involved Zallista becoming the mistress of the dungeons, and she has garnered a reputation for strict discipline (of workers as well as clients) and giving only the most intense experiences. It isn’t uncommon that a healer must be called to assist her clients in walking out of the Palace, though those brave enough to take her on are never left disappointed.
Adventure Hooks
Now that we have fleshed out some of the characters one may encounter at the Palace of Boundless Felicity, we’ll need some adventure hooks. No way the players are going into a place like this without leaving with something else on their plates to draw them back in! Or draw them in for the first time, even!
- The party is traveling on a stretch of road a few hours outside of Arcavarlon when they come upon a body lying dead on the road. The deceased traveler is covered in what looks like whiplashes and bruises, most noticeable around wrists and ankles as if they were bound. A journal gives clues that they are a local noble, and the last entry mentions visiting Dungeon Mistress Zallista at the Palace.
- The party has just arrived in Arcavarlon and are in need of food and drink after a long journey. Before they can even get their first pints of ale, the city guard comes in with a local woman, pointing at one of the PCs and swearing that they assaulted them the night before just outside the Palace.
- A local locksmith comes to the party, having heard of their capabilities from past exploits, asking for assistance with a problem. He had been working on a special order of locks and keys for one of the ladies at the Palace, but thieves broke in the night before and stole them. Due to some bad blood between himself and one of the guard captains due to a girl at the Palace, he can’t go to the guard for help.
- Love is in the air! Literally, it seems, because a strange pink mist appeared around the Palace this morning, and ever since the locals have been going at it like rabbits.
- Brothels come and go in Arcavarlon, but not quite like this. A smaller brothel that had been going through a recent surge in popularity suddenly vanishes, the building and everyone in it at the time. The owner swears that it has to be the Palace’s doing, trying to make sure nobody else has a chance in the city.
- As the PCs traverse the city taking care of some mundane tasks, a young man approaches them and thrusts a pair of expensive panties into their hands, muttering “I’m sorry” before running off and getting lost in the crowd. Moments later a group of shadowy thugs appears, one of them yelling “Grab those panties!”
- A group of orc warriors shows up in town one day, looking for a dark-skinned, red-haired elven woman who they’ve been tracking for some time. They intend to haul her back to their homeland for her crimes against the clan, having stolen several treasures when she passed through. It just so happens that one or more of the PCs are with such a woman at the time.
- After clearing out a dungeon, the party finds a particularly ornate box containing an even more exquisite sex toy, with a note from an unnamed lover addressed to the Madame of the Palace. While in their possession, any adversaries they encounter along the road seem to be more interested in making love than war.
- The party has been called upon by the Madame herself. It seems one of the younger apprentices is overdue to return from their first adventure in the mountains close to a nearby mining town. She’s worried that a particular gentleman caller who had been asking about them the previous week may be involved.
- One or more PCs awaken in one of the Palace’s beds one morning, feeling tired and sore, but they’re not sure why. The workers who greet them tell of a night of wild pleasures, but the PCs have no memory of such things, nor do they seem to be short of coin or other valuables.
