Adventures in Dementlieu

citizens, adopting disguises as kindly grandmothers and using their magic to help impoverished people pass as well-to-do aristocrats or attend the Grand Masquerade. Their price seems perfectly reasonable, until their clients discover a hidden catch. C HATEAUFAUX

The people of Port-a-Lucine speak as if Dementlieu included a large swath of countryside called Chateaufaux, where nobles summer at their estates and prosperous farms and villages send goods for sale into the city. But no one has been outside the city, no goods arrive from beyond the city, and Chateaufaux does not exist. The Mists creep close to the walls of Port-a-Lucine, occasionally exposing shifting patches of forests and meadows, but nothing more. SAIDRA n ' H oNAI R E

Saidra d'Honaire grew up o n a tiny farm, living alone with her father after the death of her beloved mother. Her father called her "Duchess," claiming that he was a duke exiled from his rightful home by a vicious younger brother. The young girl took pleasure in lording that fact over other peasant children, proclaiming herself superior by birth despite her present circumstances. Saidra had no friends but many playmates, as she bullied other children into entertaining her.

When Saidra was a teenager, her father married a prosperous merchant with two daughters a few years older than Saidra. Though her father urged the three girls to love each other as sisters, his new wife and her daughters scorned Saidra, mocking her claims to nobility and treating her as a servant. Despite the family's new wealth, Saidra continued to dress in rags and labor from dawn to dusk, acting as a housemaid to her stepmother and stepsisters. A harder blow descended when Saidra's stepmother casually mentioned the death of a duke who ruled nearby. Saidra asked if this duke was her father's wicked brother, and if his demise meant her father could reclaim his title. Her stepmother and stepsisters laughed at her, and her father admitted the truth. He had been only a servant in the duke's household and fled when he was caught trying to steal silver from the kitchen.

Saidra refused to accept this bitter truth. Fleeing the house, she went to her mother's grave and begged the departed spirit to aid her. A kind, grandmotherly figure appeared and granted Saidra's wish, bestowing on her a magnificent gown and fine jewels to attend the masquerade ball that celebrated the coronation of the new duke. Saidra rode to the ball i n a stately conjured carriage, determined to kill the duke and claim his title. At the ball, the glamour around Saidra made her irresistible to the duke, and they danced together for hours. Saidra began to contemplate an alternative to murdering the duke: she could marry the poor fool and become the duchess she'd always believed herself to be.

But as the clock struck midnight, terror stalked the ball as guests started rapidly sickening and dying. The plague afflicted the duke and Saidra as well. As they lay dying in each other's arms, the duke gasped a fateful confession: he was not the son of the late duke, but of a servant in the duke's household. The duke, unable to have children of his own, claimed the servant's infant son and raised him. Later, that servant was caught stealing from the kitchen and fled the house with his young daughter.

Enraged to discover this "duke" was no more a real duke than her father-and worse, that he was her brother, Saidra drew her blade and drove it into the pretender's heart. She stumbled out of the palace, but the plague claimed her on the stairs. Saidra awoke on the foggy grounds of her new estate in Port-a-Lucine, a true duchess, as she had always imagined, but also an undead wraith. When she's dressed in elegant gowns and an elaborate mask, those around her accept the obvious lie that she's a living woman. When she isn't hosting her masquerade balls, she sheds her garb and stalks the city as a murderous spirit known as the Red Death. I n either form, her goal is the same: to unmask and destroy pompous fools who pretend to be what they are not, aspire to higher station than they deserve, and fail to maintain the appearance of normalcy. SAIDRAS POWERS A N D D OM I N ION

Saidra's form is a vaporous as her claims to nobility. She's a crimson spirit with statistics similar to a wraith. She can cast the disintegrate spell (save D C 1 8 ) on any creature that reveals themself t o be lying about who they are. In her guise as duchess, Saidra dons a bird-like mask and fashionable scarlet gowns. As the Red Death, she is nothing more than a crimson-tinged shadow.

Closing the Borders. When Duchess Saidra wants to close the borders of her domain, the Mists don't rise. Rather, those who try to leave find themselves roaming the lands of Chateaufaux. Stately houses stand atop gently rolling hills amid lush farmlands and vineyards, but the houses never get any closer, no matter how long one travels. And sooner or later, travelers always find themselves back on the outskirts of Port-a-Lucine. SAIDRA'S TORMENT

Duchess Saidra is finally t h e noble she always wanted to be, but a number of circumstances prevent her from enjoying her reign: • Saidra is plagued by the fear of being unmasked and having the truth of her origins revealed. She

projects her insecurity outward, accusing others of her own sin as she delights in unmasking frauds and social climbers. • While hunting the streets as the Red Death, Saidra seeks her lost family. She resents but longs for her father, but she still fears her stepmother and stepsisters. She occasionally receives vague • letters in their handwriting Chateaufaux. As a wraith, Saidra is incapable of enjoying the pleasures her station affords her. No matter how lavish her parties, the fact of her true form taints every moment of the charade.

RO L EPLAY I N G SA IDRA Duchess Saidra behaves how she believes wealthy people behave. She hides her lack of worldliness behind decadence, which those around her quickly turn into fashion and fads. Her fantastic temper reveals itself whenever she's made to look foolish or finds someone out of their place in the social order.

Personality Trait. "I am imperious with my lessers and any who step out of place."

Ideal. "To everyone a place in society, and everyone in their place. Anyone who aspires to a position they're not entitled to or qualified for must be punished."

Bond. "I have achieved the status I deserve, and no one will take it away from me."

Flaw. "I fear that one day my father, my stepmother or stepsisters, or the mysterious spirit who clothed me for the duke's masquerade will appear and reveal the shame of my true history." ADVENTU R E S I N D E M E NTLIEU

Duchess Saidra's story presents a warped fairytale rooted in the common anxieties of modern life : fear of missing out and of being "unmasked" as a fraud. As the characters navigate the anxious social scene of Port-a-Lucine, they play out echoes of familiar tales. The green hags who live in the Three Odd Gables serve as "fairy godmothers" to any character who wants to dress up for the duchess's ball, but the hags don't bestow their favors freely. Their gifts comes with strict conditions, such as a requirement to leave the ball by midnight or a demand to humiliate another attendee. The hags scheme to ruin mortal lives for their own pleasure, so their every act of apparent kindness is calculated toward that end. See "The Grand Masquerade" for suggestions of how to run Dementlieu's premier social event. As adventurers interact with people in Port-aLucine, they find everyone obsessed with status. Outsiders new to the city are an unknown quantity, and people try to quickly identify their relative social status. Characters can easily pass as aristocrats, particularly if they flaunt their wealth and claim ancestral lands in Chateaufaux. But if they admit to a lower social status, or if their poor manners reveal their inferior quality, they become targets of derision and the city's social scene closes to them. For more adventure ideas, consider the plots on the Dementlieu Adventures table.

D E M E N T L I E U A DV E N T U R E S d 6 Adventure

A s h ri e ky s o p r a n o is starrin g in the new product i o n at t h e Port- a - L u c i n e O p e ra H ou s e . J e a l o u s d ivas h i re t h e p a r t y t o fi g u re out what m a g i c s h e u s e d t o bewitch h e r w a y i nto a rol e . 2 A P hleget h a n H o s p i t a l patient contacts the p arty, c l a i m i n g to be t h e rightful D u ke d ' H o n a i re . He h a s a preternatural a b i l ity t o b e n d others to h i s w i l l . 3 T h e party r u n s a fo u l of t h e city watch a n d l e a r n s t h at t h e ir c a ptai n h a s been replaced b y a d e v i l who's transformi n g t h e m i nto a brutal force. 4 People are b e i n g rep laced by l i fe l i ke constructs, w h i l e t h e o r i gi n a l s a re h e l d c a ptive i n the c e l l a r b e neath A l exan d re d u Ci r e ' s H o u s e of W a x . A party m e m be r i s t h e next target. 5 A c r u s a d e r h u nt i n g the Red Death is m u rd e red.

T h e c u lprit isn't the Red Death, b u t t h e fam i ly of a recent victim , w h o d o n ' t want the victim's poverty a n d l i e s to come to l ight. 6 A w o m a n c l a i m i n g to be D uc h e s s S a i dra's steps i ster a rrives i n town and m akes d i screet i n q u i ries a bout how to best reveal t h e horrible truth about the d u c h ess: t h at s h e i s a lowborn frau d .

THE GRA N D M A S QU ERADE

The horror of t h e Grand Masquerade focuses on the fear of discovery-being forced to interact with people in a setting where you don't belong, and where the consequence of exposure can be catastrophic. For the people of Port-a-Lucine, attending the Grand Masquerade signals a victory in their ceaseless quest for status. Visiting Duchess Saidra's estate, tasting her refreshments, moving in her social circle, and dancing to the music of her first-class orchestra are delights to be savored-and entirely worth the risk of discovery. To adventurers, though, these delights might not be sufficient motivation to take that risk. The Grand Masquerade is a fantastic adventure backdrop, but not a complete adventure. Adventurers need a good reason to attend; you can give them one by rolling on the Grand Masquerade Objectives table that follows. Link these objectives to larger adventures in Dementlieu, such as those growing from the seeds on the Dementlieu Adventures table.

G R A N D M A SQ U E R A D E O B J E C T I V E S d 6 Goal

Find a specific a r i stocrat at the m a s qu e ra d e a n d get i nfo r m at i o n fr o m (or to) t h e m . 2 Prevent a v i l l a i n from com m ittin g a c r i m e at t h e m a s q u e ra d e . 3 Perform a trivia l t a s k i n exc h a n ge for a favor from t h e h ags of t h e T h ree O d d G a b l e s , s u c h as leavin g a t r i nket o n a m antle o r fi lc h i n g a fr u i t tart. 4 Protect a nother atte ndee, e n s u r i n g t h at person isn't a s s a s s i n ated ... o r u n ma s ke d . 5 U s e t h e crowd to expose p e o p l e to an a nt i d ote, a c urse, or i mportant i nfo r m a t i o n . 6 S e c u re a private a u di e n c e with D u c h es s S a i d r a . Once t h e characters have a reason t o be a t the Grand Masquerade, they face a series of dangerous trials as they navigate the social intricacies of the ball. Common challenges include securing an invitation, acquiring a costume, navigating social niceties, and dancing. Random complications can arise at any point during the ball, heightening the constant risk of unmasking. I NVI TATIONS A N D C O ST U M E S

An invitation t o the Grand Masquerade is a fiercely coveted item in Dementlieu. Tension builds throughout the week as members of the aristocracy wait to see whether they'll make the list. The duchess's servants deliver invitations two days before the event.

Invitations. If the characters have established themselves in Port-a-Lucine as important, wealthy, and interesting people, they receive genuine invitations. The duchess hears about them if they spend lavishly, or as your adventure demands. Forging an invitation requires a successful DC 10 Intelligence check.

Costumes. A basic costume with a simple mask costs 5 gp. But elaborate costumes are a status symbol, and shoddy costumes attract unwanted attention. Ultimately, the characters decide how much to spend (or the hags of the Three Odd Gables can provide elaborate costumes for "free").

Arriving at the Masquerade. When the characters arrive at the duchess's estate, the Darklord's ghoul servants check invitations and outfits at the doors. They refuse entry to anyone missing acceptable versions of either. Ask the characters to make Charisma ( Deception) checks if they present false invitations or have expressed worry that their costumes are subpar, but unless they roll especially poorly, the check simply reinforces the fear of being caught. Once inside the Grand Masquerade, the characters must observe a host of unwritten rules of etiquette and act like they know exactly what they're doing at all times. Other guests make idle conversation and assume that characters know people throughout the city. At the first hint that a character might not belong at the masquerade, guests start loudly asking pointed questions, attracting increasing notice. Allow the characters to employ the following tactics in their interactions at the Grand Masquerade: • Characters can keep a close eye on how other people behave and mimic that behavior. Use Wisdom (Perception) checks to measure how keenly they observe the partygoers' deportment, and Intelligence ( Investigation) checks to deduce the right • behavior for a particular situation. Characters can apply magic or intuition to discern the response or behavior that a questioner expects. Use Wisdom (Insight) checks unless characters have access to mind-reading spells such as • detect thoughts or similar magic. Characters can fake it 'ti! they make it. Use Charisma ( Deception) checks extensively as characters work their way through the ball. Failed checks draw increased attention; on successful • checks, the questioners lose interest. Characters can distract watchers to shift attention if things go badly. Use Charisma (Deception) or Dexterity (Sleight of Hand) checks (or any other reasonable skill checks the players suggest) to determine whether they turn the focus away from their errors. DAN C I N G

Port-a-Lucine's high society h a s an established canon of dances that everyone knows and performs competently. These include paired dances and group dances, and involve dancing with a bewildering number of people over the course of the evening. Dancing is an opportunity to seize a fleeting connection with an important contact-and a chance to make a fatal error that results in being unmasked. Characters might try to learn the basic dances as they prepare for the Grand Masquerade, but no outsider can hope to learn every step in as little as a week. Like navigating the social niceties of the gathering, fumbling through a dance involves careful observation and skilled fakery, plus the added ingredients of natural grace and agility. Allow characters to make Dexterity (Acrobatics) or Charisma (Performance) checks to see if they pull off the stepseither through natural agility (Dexterity) or though their ability to make their moves look good anyway (Charisma).