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Inn, seedy; hopsice for criminals
The Old-Man and Scythe is one of the headquarters of cult activity in the village. The owner, Cendron, was one of the earliest converts and has modified the inn over the last year to serve the needs of the cult. All of the customers present will be cult members, usually from outlying farms.
This room seems like a pleasant place, but the people are subdued, generally sitting alone. Those sitting together are not talking and no fire is lit in the fireplace. Several barrels of light and dark beer are tapped behind the bar.
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Cult members! Here, 9 customers sit quietly about the large common room, sipping from mugs. There is an 80% chance that the assassin, Jaufre (room 6), will be present. Cendron, the hefty proprietor, will greet strangers cheerfully and offer a drink of beer, wine, or brandy, since his instructions from the cult direct him to behave thus. Food and rooms are also available. Cendron will attempt to learn why the party is in Orlain, and if his suspicions are aroused, he will try to persuade them to stay in his inn for the night. If Cendron feels that they are a threat to the cult, he may even offer a reduced rate in order to arrange an ambush (see Cult Activities). He may also offer free drinks that have been drugged by his cook (see room 2).
Food and drink are available here, but the quality is poor and the prices nothing short of outrageous.
This room is obviously a kitchen. Jars of pickled vegetables, loaves of bread, sacks of flour and flets of dried meat can be seen stored in several open cupboards. A short, rat-faced man is busily wiping off a none-too-clean table.
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The cook and scullion is Martori (assassin). He will be rude and short-tempered toward any strangers in his kitchen. There is nothing of special value or interest here.
Martori is a master of drugged drinks. These have a delay of 2-12 turns, after which the victim must make a save vs. Poison. If the save is made, the person will feel groggy and know something is wrong (-2 on all "to hit" rolls). If the save is failed the character is rendered unconscious for 5-10 (1d6+4) hours. If some player characters are captured, see the notes on captured characters in the Cult Activities section.
TThis is a small, battered-looking shack with a sagging door and the regulation hole in the seat.
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A huge, soft bed is the major feature of this room. A desk strewn with papers and a hard wooden chair sit next to the bed. Several plain woollen rugs lie on the floor. A large brass-bound wooden chest rests against the north wall.
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An examination of the documents will show them to be the very poorly kept bookkeeping records of the inn. The chest contains fresh aprons, a longsword, and routine items of clothing. There is a secret panel in the bottom of the chest, below which is stored Bertram's latest offering to the cult. He intends to deliver it to the temple as soon as the sum is rounded off: 136 s, 496 d, and 889 q. One rug conceals the trapdoor to the secret room in the cellar (room 18).
This room contains a bed, a storage chest, a table, and four chairs. A rough rug covers the centre of the floor.
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This is the chamber of Diego. There is only a 20% chance he will be here during the inn's normal hours, otherwise he will be in the common room (room 1). A long scar runs down the right side of his face, making his appearance bizarre and frightening. Diego is certainly the meanest person in Orlain: he considers a murder rushed if less than three hours elapse between the first wound and the coup de grace. He uses a slim dagger for this work.
Diego is the only person to somehow mask the fact that he was not charmed in his meeting with the reptile god. He is masquerading as a cult member, but his first priority always concerns himself. He follows the orders of the innkeeper in abducting persons from rooms 7-10, but he has been syphoning off many of the funds gathered by the cult. If his cover becomes shaky, he will leave town.
This room has two large beds and a desk. The one-way secret door can only be opened from the far side, by releasing a catch and pushing it into the room. It is used for kidnapping guests (see Cult Activities).
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This room looks like common sleeping quarters. There are five armed men in this room, who rise when you open the door.
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Cult members! The five men stay here, rarely venturing out of this or the neighbouring room. These cult members aid Diego in abducting inn guests and villagers (see Cult Activities). They take their meals in room 8, and don't enter the common room (1) when customers are present. They have donated their worldly goods to the cult, and consequently are penniless. They will come out of their room to investigate a disturbance if called.
Two tables and eight chairs occupy this otherwise bare room. A tray with six dirty plates and mugs on it sits on one of the tables.
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The stairway from the kitchen ends in this dark and musty room with no windows. Many tables and chairs, some broken, are stacked against the south wall. Cobwebs cover much of the ceiling, filling in the spaces between the rafters. Two unlocked wooden doors flank the stairway, and the walls have many torch sockets arranged along them at neat intervals. One opens the secret door to room 12.
A dozen kegs and casks of various sizes are kept here. The room has a dirt floor and the air here is damp and chilled...
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Two small casks contain red and white wine, while the rest contain different types of beer. The outside cellar door is locked and barred from the inside. There is nothing else of interest here.
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