Perilous Gateways
Portals of the Moonstars
By Dale Donovan
The Lightsinger Theater Portal
Those belonging to the Moonstars who need to travel to any of the portals described in the earlier installments in this series are often sent to the Lightsinger Theater, which is a new small theater in an older building located just off the Market in Waterdeep. The theater itself is little more than a large room with room enough to seat thirty people, a stage with curtains, an entry foyer, and a backstage area with a couple of rooms. Most of the plays performed here are done either by seven actors, who are all Moonstars, or by itinerant acting troupes. The plays themselves are performed each morning and afternoon, though, for a price, special private performances can be requested for the evening and at other times of the day. Shows aren't limited to plays and can include dancing, puppet shows, musical acts, and more. Admission to the theater is only 1 sp per person.
In the prop room, a rack of costumes runs along one wall. Behind the costumes is a bricked-in 8-foot-high by 4-foot-wide doorway. The theory the actors will spout out is that it used to lead to the cellar. In fact, it did, but it now also serves as a portal entry. By pushing in two points on the older brick archway, the newer bricked portion as a whole moves back and to the side. The threshold area thus revealed holds one of the portals available to Moonstars in Waterdeep. As with the others, the portal is activated with a particular Elven phrase that includes the destination the traveler seeks.
Since this particular portal is within Waterdeep itself, the Moonstars do a few things to ensure that nobody discovers it. First of all, someone is always on the premises. To the general public the reason for this is to protect the costumes and props used by the actors in their performances. Second, one of the actors, Alendra Tomas (NG female elf Wiz 7) also has some knowledge of wizardry and usually sets her familiar to guard the door. (She put her familiar's sleeping spot in the prop room under the rack of costumes but away from the longer costumes so that fur wouldn't get all over the garb.) DMs can add more elements to the guardianship of this portal if they desire and if the foes the PCs face are powerful enough.
Trina: Female tressym familiar; CR --; Tiny magical beast; HD 1/2 d10 (effective 7d10); hp 18; Init +2; Spd 30 ft., fly 50 ft. (good); AC 18, touch 14, flat-footed 16; Base Atk +4; Grp -8; Atk +8 melee (1d2-4, claw); Full Atk +8 melee (1d2-4, 2 claws) and +3 melee (1d3-4, bite); Space/Reach 2-1/2 ft./0 ft.; SQ darkvision, low-light vision, poison immunity, scent; AL CG; SV Fort +2, Ref +7, Will +6; Str 3, Dex 15, Con 10, Int 12, Wis 12, Cha 13.
Skills and Feats: Balance +10, Climb +4, Hide +19, Listen +6, Move Silently +11, Spot +6; Weapon Finesse.
Improved Evasion (Ex): When subjected to an attack that normally allows a Reflex saving throw for half damage, Trina takes no damage if she makes a successful saving throw and half damage even if the saving throw fails.
How to Incorporate the Lightsinger Theater Portal Into Your Champaign
- As mentioned above, the Lightsinger Theater can serve as the entry into adventure that PCs need. However, it can also serve as the kernel of adventure. Perhaps the Moonstars have discovered that someone is watching the comings and goings of the theater entertainers and patrons very closely. The PCs may be asked to look into the matter and find out who the person is and why he is watching the place.
- Trina, the tressym, is not in the prop room after one performance. When the rest of troupe tries to find Alendra to ask about this curious circumstance, they discover her missing, as well. Where did she and her familiar go? She had been planning on going to a dinner party just that evening. Can the PCs help locate her?
- If any of the PCs have Perform, these PCs may be asked to cover for the Moonstars agents in the theater while they perform a more specialized operation. DMs are encouraged to have those who don't perform do other errands for the Blackstaff that tie in with the operation that the NPCs are dealing with.