ScorpionGuild

The Marksmen that used the Scorpion Guild for their task are patiently awaiting word inside the Red Flagon -- a small bar down near the docks. Once the heist is complete, one of the Scorpion's people will contact them. From there, they'll proceed to the Mithril Shield to pick up a small chest of coins, and then move on to the Scorpion Manor. They should arrive at the manor approximately half a mark after Zavanth returns to the manor. If he or the others do not make it back to the manor after three marks from midnight, then the guild will send reinforcements, as well as notifying the four Marksmen.

4 Marksmen, male humans, Ftr5: Size M (5'6"-6'2", 160-220lbs); HD 5d10+15; hp 45; Init +6 (+4 feat, +2 Dex); Spd 20ft; AC 18 (+4 armor, +2 Dex, +2 shield); BAB +5; Attack +9 melee (longsword, 1d8+5, crit19-20x2) or +7 ranged (heavy crossbow, 1d10, crit19-20x2, RI 120ft); SV Fort +7, Ref +3, Will +2; AL LN; Str 16, Dex 14, Con 16, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 10. Languages Spoken: Common. Skills and Feats: Climb +1, Craft +1, Handle Animal +2, Intimidate +8, Jump +1, Ride +8, Alertness, Improved Initiative, Mounted Combat, Power Attack, Weapon Focus (longsword), Weapon Specialization (longsword). Items: scale mail, longsword, heavy crossbow, 10x quarrels, chest with 25,000gp.

The Scorpion's leader is a slate man by the name of Kelerin -- also known as 'the Scorpion', who keeps trademark monster scorpions in his basement. The guild's headquarters is located in what they call the Scorpion Manor -- a two-story home just outside the wall of the Southern Wall. Kelerin's day job is as a merchant in rare and unusual objects. By night, he operates and organizes the twenty or so thieves of the Scorpion's guild. All of the thieves that work for the guild are tattooed somewhere on their body with a small scorpion to show their allegiance to Kelerin. He was a thief that retired from Kur Maeth when the crusaders invaded. He took with him enough to start a small shoppe -- and catch and train thieves, thus forming one of the first and oldest thieves' guilds in Rakore.

Kelerin "the Scorpion", male human Rog6: [fast, sneaky, and snobbish; tattoo of a scorpion on his forearm] CR 6; Size M (5'9", 160lbs); HD 6d6+12; hp 39; Init +4 (+4 Dex); Spd 30 ft.; AC 17 (+4 Dex, +3 armor); Attack +6 melee (dagger +1 +poison), 1d4+3, crit19-20x2), or +8 ranged (dagger +1 +poison, 1d4+3, crit19-20x2, RI 10ft); Sneak Attack +3d6; SV Fort +4, Ref +9, Will +5; AL N; Str 14, Dex 18, Con 15, Int 13, Wis 16, Cha 11. Languages Spoken: Common, Elven. Skills and feats: Bluff +5, Climb +9, Decipher Script +2, Disguise +9, Escape Artist +13, Hide +11, Intimidate +9, Knowledge (Local) +9, Listen +5, Move Silently +12, Open Lock +12, Spot +14, Use Magic Device +6, Use Rope +15; Alertness, Deft Hands, [Evasion], Power Attack, Stealthy. Treasure: key to hidden safe, key to curiosity shoppe, ring of potion storage, potion of invisibility, (cerise-colored w/ spicy odor and taste, bubbly, luminous appearance, 300gp), potion of Expeditious Retreat ( lilac-colored, greasy odor/taste, fuming, clear appearance, 50 gp), potion of levitate (peach-colored, oniony odor/taste, effervescent, cloudy appearance, 300gp), potion of True Strike (golden-colored, salty odor/taste, watery, phosphorescent appearance, 50gp), dagger +1 (sheds dark blue light in a 20-foot radius [as a torch], 2,302 gp), glamoured suit of leather armor +1 (2,208gp), purse with 2 100gp ducats, 22gp, 48sp, vial of antitoxin, vial of large scorpion venom.

Gamar, male human Rog3: [young, astute, deadly] CR 3; Size M (5'6", 150lbs); HD 3d6; hp 16; Init +3 (+3 Dex); Spd 30 ft.; AC 13 (+3 Dex); Attack +2 melee (dagger + poison, 1d4, crit19-20x2), or +5 ranged (throwing daggers + poison, 1d4, crit19-20x2); SV Fort +1, Ref +6, Will +3; AL N; Str 10, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 13, Wis 14, Cha 11. Languages Spoken: Common, Ogran. Skills and feats: Balance +9, Bluff +2, Disable Device +9, Disguise +6, Escape Artist +8, Gather Information +6, Hide +8, Jump +6, Listen +2, Move Silently +8, Open Lock +11, Sleight of Hand +5, Spot +2, Swim +5; Dodge, Endurance, [Evasion], Nimble Fingers. Possessions: 8 throwing daggers, dagger, purse with 15gp, 32sp, vial of large scorpion venom, vial of antitoxin.

His shoppe is located half-way between the Southern Wall and the docks, in a two-story building that used to serve as a stone apartment building. The top floor is storage, and the bottom floor is the display section. The building contains antiques, curios, and rare items such as old coins and furniture. The majority of the store actually is furniture of various styles, from beds to desks to chests, most inlaid with ornate designs. Total shoppe value is 150,000 silver. The most expensive thing in the shoppe is a brass spyglass with silver inlay, depicting several yachts racing one another in a spiral around the tube (2,000gp). One bag has several magical items inside of it.

Kelerin's Shoppe: brass spyglass (2,000gp), bag of Quaal's feather tokens (1 anchor, 2 trees, 2 fans, 1 bird, 2 swan boats, and 1 whip), miscellaneous antique furniture, antique masterwork bugle (450gp), water clock (1,000gp), masterwork 6' mirror with gold inlay (1,400gp), 2 tapestries depicting War of the Undead (500gp each), and 1 imported rug from Al Fahim (420gp). Four old maps -- 1) ancient Kur Maeth, 2) Stomalin Keep era map, 3) old ruins north of the Griktale escarpment*, and 4) Kashin pre-Rakore. Items not on display, but located up in storage, include: a set of antique, masterwork thieves' tools (150gp), an entire alchemist's lab minus the chemicals (500gp), an exquisite riding saddle in paladin blue leathers (50gp), an empty chest with a false bottom (45gp) (Search DC 24), and a portable ram dating back to the Third Crusades, complete with images of Yatindar and Mikindim (250gp).

The store's caretaker is an older man by the name of Roderick, a retired smith who lives in the back of the bottom floor in a small room with the building's only fireplace feeding heat through both sides -- to the room, and the first floor of the shoppe. The former smith retired when he lost one hand in an accident in his smithy. Kelerin trusts Roderick completely -- because he's threatened to kill Roderick's daughter if he does anything wrong.

Roderick, male slate human, Exp4: HD 4d6; hp 28; Init +0; BAB +3; Attack +5 melee (fists, 1d3+2, crit20x2); SV Fort +4, Ref +1, Will +6; AL LN; Str 15, Dex 10, Con 16, Int 14, Wis 15, Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Craft (blacksmithing) +12, Skill Focus (blacksmithing). Item: key to the shoppe.

Kelerin's manor -- known as the Scorpion Manor among the members of the underworld -- is found just outside the Southern Wall in a moderately wealth neighborhood. The manor has a small, waist-high wall of stone around it, and has tiny grounds with one young elm tree on the west side. The manor itself is shaped liked a 'Y', with a small hay barn off to the right side on the grounds. A small gardening shed is found mirroring the hay barn, on the left side of the grounds, with the elm tree.

The two arms are two-stories tall, and the bottom of the 'Y' is a single, large reception room with a 15' ceiling. The stairs are located on the left arm of the 'Y', and give access to both arms; a small balcony overlooks the reception room. The lower portion of the left arm is a kitchen and dining room. The lower portion of the right arm gives access to a small set of stables (room for 10 horses plus grain and hay) and a changing room. The upper portion of both arms has two bedrooms each; the two on the left arm are slightly larger, as the two on the right arm also share space with a small study and library. The reception room and the small study have privies.

The building's nearest neighbors have no privacy fences, and their second stories overhang the street a bit, plunging the alleys between the houses into darkness, even in daylight. The neighbors tend to be a combination of richer shops (like glassworkers and silversmiths), and higher income merchants that cannot quite afford to move to real manors.

Defeld, male slate human, Rog5: HD 5d6+12; hp 32; AC 18 (+3 Dex, +5 Armor); Init +7 (+3 Dex, +4 Feat); BAB +3; Attack +6 melee (rapier + poison, 1d6+1, crit19-20x2) or +6 ranged (dagger + poison, 1d4+1, crit19-20x2); SV Fort +3, Ref +7, Will +2; AL TN; Str 12, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 12, Wis 13, Cha 12. Skills and Feats: Appraise +9, Balance +9, Climb +7, Disable Device +9, Gather Information 8, Knowledge (architecture and engineering) +5, Listen +9, Open Lock +11, Search +9, Spot +9, Improved Initiative, Quick Draw, Weapon Finesse. SA: Sneak Attack +3d6, Evasion (Ex), Trap Sense (Ex) +1, Trapfinding, Uncanny Dodge (Dex bonus to AC). Possessions: elven chain, rapier, 10 throwing daggers; masterwork faceted diamond ring set in white gold (1,200gp value), 4 potions of mage armor, vial of large scorpion venom, vial of antitoxin.

The reception room itself has comfortable furniture with several chairs and couches, and a beautiful wooden floor. Illumination is provided by two large, crystal chandeliers with no-drip candles set in them. The back of the reception room opens into a hidden room approximately 25' wide and 25' deep, wedge-shaped to fit between the two arms of the 'Y'. (Search DC 25 for the room; Search DC 28 for the lock; Open Locks DC 28 to open it; Search DC 25 to find the trap; spring-loaded needle with large scorpion venom -- injury DC 14, 1d4 Con, 1d4 Con.) The wooden stairs can flip up to reveal another access way to the scorpion pit (Spot check 22). Up above the hidden room is a lush garden, keeping its eight foot roof hidden from casual observation.

The hidden room has another entrance, letting out of the garden into some thick foliage that easily conceals the comings and goings of others. The arms of the Y-shaped manor nearly abut the Southern Wall, on the southwestern side, facing the docks; each arm has a creaky gate that bars access to the garden (Open Lock DC 22).

Hidden Room: A large breast plate decorates the hidden chamber, and there are 7 flasks of acid, 4 flasks of holy water, and 4 flasks of alchemists fire in the room -- for use, if need be. There is also a short sword in its scabbard sitting on a side table. Next to it, a masterwork longsword lies; it's theme is that of tasteful, nude women -- one curled into a ball for the pommel, one each for the crossguards, and several imprinted along its length (value is 180gp). The scabbard lies beside it. Several bags of caltrops, tanglefoot, and pepper powder are stored in a corner chest.

A number of guild members would try to defend the Scorpion's manor, using hit-and-run tactics, sneak attacks, traps, and more if prepared. They can just as effectively harass the party all through the city, until they are eliminated one by one. Their vengeance, if the house is violated, would be considerable.

15 lackies, humans, Rog2: HD 2d6; hp 10; AC 15 (+3 Dex, +2 armor); Init +3 (Dex); BAB +1, Attack +1 melee (dagger + poison, 1d4, crit19-20x2) or +4 ranged (dagger + poison, 1d4, crit19-20x2, RI10ft) or +4 ranged (short bow + poison, 1d6, crit20x3, RI30ft); AL TN; SV Fort +0, Ref +6, Will +1; Str 10, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 13, Wis 13, Cha 10. Skills and Feats: Appraise +6, Climb +5, Disable Device +8, Hide +10, Jump +7, Listen +6, Move Silently +10, Search +6, Sleight of Hand +8, Spot +6, Nimble Fingers, Stealthy. SA Evasion (Ex), Sneak Attack +1d6, Trapfinding. Possessions: leather armor, 2 daggers, short bow, 10x arrows, thieves tools, 10gp, vial of large scorpion poison.

The guild has bought off one of Count Grimshire's guard, a dwarf by the name of Drak Stonebeard. The mountain dwarf is a formidable fighter with a penchant for rott-gutt, and is fanatically loyal to the Scorpion. Drak has been under suspicion by his sergeants for some time, but his performance on the job has been impeccable. Drak will help defend the Scorpion's guild -- and Kelerin himself -- if need be.

Drak Stonebeard, male mountain dwarf (Rakanus Clan), Ftr3: [afraid of being exposed, uncaring of everything else except lead-gutt and gold] Size M (4'3", 170lbs); HD 3d10+12; hp 39; Spd 20ft; AC 21 (+7 armor, +4 shield); Init +1 (+1 Dex); BAB +3; Attack +7 melee (battle axe, 1d8+3, crit20x2); AL TN; SV Fort +7, Ref +2, Will +2; Str 16, Dex 12, Con 18, Int 10, Wis 12, Cha 8. Skills and Feats: Craft (blacksmithing) +8, Intimidate +5, Swim -31, Hide -16, Balance -16, Climb -14, Improved Sunder, Power Attack, Tower Shield Proficiency, Weapon Focue (battle axe). SA racial abilities, including +4 Dodge bonus against Giants (such as 10' Minotaurs). Possessions: half-plate, tower shield, battle ax, 2 potions of cure light wounds, purse with 15gp, 7sp, 8cp.

The Scorpions employ one assassin, a beautiful woman by the name of Eneliar Mos'fontagne. Eneliar's weapon of choice is her enchanted short sword, but is equally deadly with thrown daggers -- all poisoned with large scorpion venom (injury DC 14, 1d4 Cpn, 1d4 Con). She serves as the Scorpion's right hand 'man', and will defend him from the shadows. She is so familiar to the large scorpions she works with, that they will not attack her -- she is their handler.

Eneliar Mos'fontagne, female slate human, Rog5: [silent, deadly, merciless] HD 5d6; hp 22; Size M (5'5", 120lbs); Spd 30ft; AC 17 (+4 armor, +3 stat); Init +7 (+3 stat, +4 feat); BAB +3; Attack +7 melee (sword of subtlety, 1d6+1+poison, crit19-20x2) or +11 backstab (sword of subtlety, 1d6+5+poison, crit19-20x2), attack +6 ranged (daggers, 1d4+poison, crit19-20x2, RI10ft); AL NE; SV Fort +1, Ref +7, Will +3; Str 10, Dex 16, Con 10, Int 16, Wis 14, Cha 12. Skills and Feats: Climb +8, Disguise +9, Gather Information +3, Hide +18, Listen +1, Move Silently +18, Open Lock +10, Search +11, Sense Motive +10, Sleight of Hand +11, Spot +10, Tumble +11. Possessions: sword of subtlety, mithral armor, potion of cure light wounds, vial of large scorpion venom, belt with 50gp, emerald and gold ring (worth 1,100gp), 1 vial of antitoxin, four throwing daggers.

The large scorpions are kept in a pit that used to be Kelerin's basement. A trap door from the reception room drops people into the pit, which is about twenty feet deep with sheer, marbled walls (Climb DC 26). The trap door appears as a piece of ornately tiled floor, to separate it from the rest of the floor. The floor of the pit is littered with crushed bones from humans and a few dwarves. The 5'x10' trap is difficult to spot (Spot DC 25, Disable Device DC 25), and triggered by a button cleverly concealed on Kelerin's well-cushioned seat (Search DC 18). An engineer could possibly discern the presence of the basement by analyzing the main reception room's architecture (Knowledge - Engineering DC 18).

3 Monsterous Scorpions, Large: Size L (8' long, 350lbs); Spd 50ft; HD 5d8+10; hp 32; Init +0; AC 16 (-1 size, +7 natural); BA/G +3/+11; Attack +6 melee (claw 1d6+4, crit20x2); Full Attack 2 claws +6 melee (1d6+4) and sting +1 melee (1d6+2+poison); S/R 10ft/5ft; SA Constrict 1d6+4, improved grab, poison; SQ Darkvision 60ft, tremorsense 60ft, vermin trains; SV Fort +6, Ref +1, Will +1; Str 19, Dex 10, Con 14, Int --, Wis 10, Cha 2. Skills and Feats: Climb +8, Hide +0, Spot +4. Constrict (Ex): A monstrous scorpion deals automatic claw damage on a successful grapple check. Improved Grab (Ex): To use this ability, a monstrous scorpion must hit with a claw attack. A monsterous scorpion can use either its Strength modifier or Dexterity modifier for grapple checks, whichever is better. Poison (Ex): Initial damage is 1d4 Con against a DC of 14; secondary damage is 1d4 Con. Skills: A monsterous scorpion has a +4 racial bonus on Climb, Hide, and Spot checks.

Kelerin's Safe: deed to shop, bill of debt for 175,000sp to Master Evelin Battachirus* for the purchase of the manor (payment of 280 silver per month towards the debt), 80 octagonal platinum pieces from the old Karatikan Alliance, black pearl inset in a silver ring (700gp), black star sapphire in a silver ring (1,000gp), rope of climbing.

A chest in the hidden room keeps the separated but collective treasures of a number of the guild's members. The chest is heavily secured (Open DC 29) and trapped (Search DC 28, Disable Device DC 26; large scorpion poison, injury DC 18, 1d6 Str, 1d6 Str). Inside the chest are black velvet pouches with separate treasures of the guild's members. Each of the (mainly black) twenty pouches is secured with a small leather thong, and contains close to 100gp. Several pouches contain other than gold.

Treasure Chest: scarlet pouch with jade-inlaid brass mug (140gp), purple pouch with a silver comb inset with moon stones (800gp), dark gray pouch with several arcane spells (blur at CL3, flaming sphere at CL3, clairaudience/clairvoyance CL5), deep citrine with a fire-opal pendant on a fine gold chain (1,300gp), 16 black pouches with 50gp each.

Exposing or destroying the Scorpion thieves' guild will result in a bounty bonus of 1,000 silver from Count Grimshire and the Lord Reeve Thadeus Malone -- and clear title to the deeds, if found. The large scorpions are not worth much, alive, but their poison is quite valuable -- 200gp per dose (and they contain up to 5 doses each).