So I've had an idea for a location called the Lethe's Kiss, an independent(?) riverboat casino running up and down the Styx. It serves as a neutral ground for fiends bargaining over ceasefires in the Blood War, tempting ground for Clueless mortals touring the Lower Planes, and de-facto hiring hall for freesword captains looking to find a not-too-scrupulous bidder for their services. And because I'm such a kind, generous and caring soul, I'm inviting others to submit ideas for games, amenities, personalities, and secrets to be found here. Partial seeds will be fleshed out when I have the time; completed articles should be picked up more-or-less wholesale.
Here's what I've already thought up and will be fleshing out as time permits:
Nyxxjan 'the Runt' - Ultroloth owner of the Lethe's Kiss. A canny spy and intriguer, expert gambler and player of both sides against the middle - has he gone stag on his people, or simply playing a deeper game?
Landriel Foehammer - Astral Deva, and chief bouncer within the casino area. Most scorn him as fallen, but there's some question as to how black his soul's become. He's known to keep an astral skiff that can transport up to six passengers of good or neutral alignment to the Oceanus; if launched, it'll inevitably return to the Lethe's Kiss within 72 hours, bearing an equal number of neutral or evil bubbers enticed aboard from Elysium.
- A mock gladiatorial combat played with cards pulled from a Deck of Illusions. Players and spectators alike are encouraged to place bets; the house takes a cut of all winnings, and donates unused cards from the deck to the winner. Of course, things may not always be as they seem...
- A game played with runic tops, which each have a collection of multicolored runes. When spun, the runes change position, shape and appearance. A disk can be scored in any of several possible ways, and each disk has different possible outcomes, making this a game with unpredictable results and drastically branching strategies. (Sleight of hand to switch around disks is also possible, of course...)
- Tiefling's Dice, a game played with six-siders inscribed not with numbers, but the visages of different types of outsiders. The goals of play depend on the dice-thrower's race and ancestry - a devilish player may not mind throwing Modrons, but wants to avoid Tanar'ri! The name, naturally, comes from the too-clever tiefling who waited until after the first few throws to 'explain' the nature of his fiendish parent, and got gutted for his troubles...
I like this idea. Please develop it further. Here's my modest contribution; I hope I'll be able to come up with some plot hooks later, but I'm really not in the mood right now.
- Lethe's Kiss: Colossal vehicle; Profession (sailor) -4; Spd oars 10 ft. (nautical clumsy) or [unknown] 60 ft. (nautical poor); Overall AC -3; Section hp 60 (hardness 10); Section AC 7; Ram - ; Face 400 ft. by 90 ft.; Height 60 ft. (draft 20 ft.); Crew 90 (40 rowers); Cargo 300 tons; Cost unknown.
Augmentations: Eldritch Exhaust (see below), Fancy Passenger Spaces.
Eldritch Exhaust: Six times per day at the command of the captain, Lethe's Kiss can expel a billowing mass of vapors from its rear. The vapors function as a fog cloud spell, except it also harms those caught in its area as a cloudkill spell; effective caster level 15th.
Lethe's Kiss is an immense floating platform, more of a mobile complex of buildings than a true ship. Her type of propulsion is unknown, but it's almost certainly a combination of mundane and magical principles; it has been known to fail when the Styx takes her onto the Prime Material, at which point huge tiefling rowers (all interestingly similar in appearance, and apparently mute) are put to work.
The captain of Lethe's Kiss is currently one Xymandarriol the Fat, a particularly grim marraenoloth (do not ask him about the "Fat" part); as the chant would have it, the fiend's somehow bound into service againt its will.
- Evan Coriolis (CN m tief Rog 6), an Anarchist acting on behalf of a Ribcage-based cell, is a red-haired, shifty-eyed tiefling. A new addition to the crew of the Lethe's Kiss, his mission is to locate the ship's engines and place an explosive charge that'll be detonated remotely once certain fiendish high-ups are onboard. Evan has been given a ring of mind shielding to ward him against all the thought-scans he's probably to face, but he's not too confident in the bauble's effectiveness.
- Hama (CG f hum Rgr 9/Shadowdancer 6), is the thralled bodyguard of the floating casino's ultroloth owner, Nyxxjan. Chant is she was a hired blade sent to assasinate the 'loth some time ago, but apparently something went wrong. Now Nyxxjan mostly uses her as a remote, letting her wander all over the Lethe's Kiss while observing through a permanent telepathic link they have established. The fiend is also aware of Hama's uncanny combat prowess with a pair of short blades, and puts it to use occasionally. The crew and most regulars know the human thrall and are mindful of their behavior when she's around.
- Murdock Coal-eyes (NE m half-fiend hum Clr 6) is a guvner scientist and a priest of Loki Liesmith, the Norse Power. His chosen field of study currently involves games of chance, both the mathematical and social aspects thereof. He's observing and occasionally trying to interview (hiding his mimir recorder carefully) the patrons of the Lethe's Kiss casino, but he never ever gambles. For a hefty price, he just might give a useful piece of advice regarding the particulars of a game or a player.