Red Light Spells Danger, Music and Laughter…
The Red Lantern District is a seedy and notorious area filled with bawdy-houses, taverns, and other establishments of ill repute.
The main street of the Red Lantern District is lined with colorful lanterns, giving it a festive and lively atmosphere. The taverns and establishments along this street are always bustling with customers, and the sound of raucous laughter and music can be heard from afar.
The most famous establishment in the Red Lantern District is the Scarlet Harlot, a bawdy-house that caters to the wealthy and powerful. Its lavish interiors and beautiful courtesans make it a popular destination for adventurers looking to indulge in a little luxury after a hard-fought battle.
Other popular spots in the Red Lantern District include the Rusty Dagger, a rough and tumble tavern favored by mercenaries and bounty hunters, and the Golden Lotus, a more discreet and upscale club that caters to the refined tastes of aristocrats and nobles.
Despite its reputation as a den of vice and crime, the Red Lantern District is also home to a tight-knit community of working-class people who live and work in the area.
They are proud of their district and fiercely protective of their way of life, and are always quick to defend it against outsiders who seek to disrupt their peace.
Encounters
Day and night, The Red Lantern District thrums with music, laughter, and shadows. Beneath the bright lanterns and velvet curtains, trouble is never far. Roll d10 for possible encounters…
- A group of 1d4+2 mercenaries spill out of the Rusty Dagger in a drunken brawl, swinging fists at anyone nearby.
Mercenaries: AC 13, HP 14, clubs (1d6), chain shirts. - A cloaked noble and their guard hurry toward the Golden Lotus, hoping to avoid recognition. They panic if approached.
Noble: AC 12, HP 12, rapier (1d8); Guard: AC 14, HP 20, longsword (1d8+2), chain mail. - A pair of street performers draw a crowd with fire tricks and bawdy songs, while cutpurses work the distracted audience.
Thieves (2): AC 11, HP 8, daggers (1d4), rags. - A gang of 1d6 local toughs demands a “district tax” from outsiders, insisting on payment to walk the streets safely.
Toughs: AC 12, HP 10, short swords (1d6), leather armor. - A courtesan from the Scarlet Harlot slips out to deliver a sealed message to a mysterious hooded figure.
Courtesan: AC 11, HP 7, hidden dagger (1d4), silks. - A pickpocket makes a grab for a coin purse; if caught, they beg for mercy, claiming to be feeding a sick parent.
Pickpocket: AC 11, HP 6, dagger (1d4), rags. - A pair of bounty hunters drink heavily in the Rusty Dagger, boasting about their latest quarry — one the adventurers may know.
Hunters: AC 13, HP 16, crossbows (1d8), studded leather armor. - A merchant loudly complains of being cheated by the district’s moneylenders, attracting the wrong kind of attention.
Merchant: AC 11, HP 12, dagger (1d4), cloak; Loan Collector: AC 13, HP 15, mace (1d6+1), leather armor. - A lantern-bearer stumbles and drops their pole, scattering glass and fire into the street, causing chaos among the crowd.
Hazard: DC 13 Dexterity save or take 1d6 fire damage. - District locals gather to defend one of their taverns from drunken outsiders, forming a protective wall of solidarity.
Locals (1d6+2): AC 11, HP 9, clubs (1d4), work clothes.