Holystone - Lucky Lara's

Lucky Lara’s

Lucky Lara’s is a gambling hall and tavern on the border of The Triangle and South Harbor. It is run by a retired adventurer named Lara Deepburrow (Halfling T7). The building interior is extravagant, and is decorated like a very gaudy temple to Luna. The serving girls are dressed scantily, and have bits of Lunar regalia included in their costumes. Lunar clerics view the establishment with amusement.

There is a large open area with tables and a floor-length bar. There are also smaller rooms for nobles or wealthy merchants to play against each other. 

Lara’s is busy every night of the week. It contains a mix of young nobles, commoners hoping to get lucky and desperate souls out of the Triangle. 

Lara keeps a large staff of waitresses, bartenders, and guards. There are no prostitutes working in the hall. Lara does not approve of them. Rumor is she had been forced into prostitution in her youth.

Lara’s old adventuring partner, Arthos (Dwarf F6) is in charge of security, and wanders the hall dressed in chainmail and carrying an axe. He is friendly with the regulars, but makes no bones about keeping an eye on any newcomers who look like trouble. Both Lara and Arthos are Knights of the Rose, and visiting nobles treat them with respect.

Nobles bring their own guards, who keep the riff-raff away from the private rooms. Arthos talks with them, and makes sure they don’t cause any unnecessary issues with the commoners.

The city watch also checks in every night, in an effort to keep the peace and maybe make a little coin on the side. Lara makes sure they get a free drink before they go. 

Adventure Hooks

1. Lara’s old pimp is a powerful man in the Triangle. She will happily hire adventurers to find him and kill him. The man is well protected by guards and traps. She doesn’t want it leading back to her, though, as then the Triangle gangs would cause trouble.

2. One of the dealers was using magic to cheat the tables and has pocketed a valuable item used as collateral by a noble. The noble has returned with money to buy his item back, but the dealer and the item have vanished. Lara wants the crook and the item recovered. She is worried that her reputation could be damaged, and that she might lose customers.

3. An old enemy of Lara and Arthos is in town. Nevin the Black (C9 of Orcus) attacks the hall on a night when the PCs are there. He has a cadre that includes wights, zombies, and skeletons. 

4. A group of adventurers show up, looking for Lara. Apparently she is wanted in a neighboring city for stealing some valuable items from its ruler. She may or may not be guilty.

5. Gang members from the Triangle start a brawl with the PCs in the hall. The guards jump in, not discriminating about who started the fight.

6. Ratmen have infiltrated the basement. They plan on using poison to kill as many people as possible. The PCs find out about it not long before the attack happens, and must race to save everyone.