Kingsport 1844: The Starry Busk

6) The Starry Busk
Corner of Abbot Street & Knight Street, The Cauldron, Harborside. Est. 1836

A) The House on Abbot Street
Located at the northwest corner of Abbot Street and Knight Street, the Starry Busk is not technically inside the Cauldron, but it’s not exactly an “Inner Harbor” establishment, either! The Miskatonic Valley’s cleanest and most reputable brothel, the Starry Busk a three-story “Academy” housed in a beautiful Georgian mansion known as Parthenos House. (As customary for many brothels, it’s listed as a “boarding house” in county records.) Constructed from red brick and hung with blue shutters, the building includes a columned portico, a second-story Palladian window, and a rooftop cupola with a bronze dome. There are no signs indicating its commercial nature, but a stained-glass window by the door is illuminated by a spermaceti candle during business hours. Dark blue and set with jeweled stars, the window depicts the constellation of Virgo as a Greek maiden holding a golden sickle, the inscription “PARTHENOS R” below her feet. Patrons pull the doorbell to alert Constance Callow, who ushers them into the foyer.

B) Personalities
The Starry Busk is owned and operated by a “Lady Abbess” known as Lady Jezebel. While her illicit connections to certain city fathers keep her from official harassment, she’s also served by Leonard “Fat Lenny” Wilkins, a beefy man who obeys her every command.

Judith Whateley Espírito Santo, “Lady Jezebel”
Age 38, Nationality: American, Birthplace: New Orleans 1806. Kingsport Cult: Former Second Degree Initiate.

Combat

Skills
Accounting 75%, Anthropology 25%, Appraise 75%, Art/Craft (Composition) 65%, Art/Craft (Flute) 80%, Art/Craft (Sing) 75%, Charm 90%, Climb 40%, Credit Rating 65%, Cthulhu Mythos 15%, Disguise 65%, Fast Talk 80%, First Aid 55%, History 40%, Intimidate 35%, Jump 40%, Kingsport Cult 35%, Law 50%, Leadership 50%, Library Use 30%, Listen 70%, Locksmith 55%, Lore (Astrology) 70%, Lore (Voodoo) 20%, Medicine 30%, Occult 75%, Persuade 65%, Psychology 40%, Read Lips 60%, Religion (Catholic) 40%, Renown 40%, Ride 65%, Sea Lore 45%, Sleight of Hand 65%, Spot Hidden 55%, Stealth 70%, Witchcraft 85%.

Languages: English native; Portuguese 50%, Spanish 40%, Italian 35%, French 30%, Latin 10%.

Spells: Brew Sabbath Unguent, Call Upon the Mandragora to Remain Unseen, Charm to Beguile a Man (Enthrall Victim), Encanto para hacer obedecer a los hombres (Mental Suggestion), Enchanting a Black-Handled Knife (Bless Blade/Enchant Knife), Flesh Ward*, Hex to Dumfound the Troublesome (Cloud Memory), Implant Fear*, Ritual for the Creation of a Mandragora, Scrying Gaze, The Voorish Sign*, Ward Against Harm (Deflect Harm), Witches’ Flight, Witches’ Hex (Evil Eye).

Notes: Spells marked by an asterisk were learned from the Covenant, and Jezebel only uses them in dire emergencies. Her black-handled knife gives her a 5% bonus when casting Witchcraft spells. (See “New Spells” for details.)

Possessions: Book of Days, black-handled knife, silver flute, pepperbox pistol. (These items are usually locked in Jezebel’s safe, along with $400 cash and several pieces of jewelry. See Encounter 6-G below for details)

Description
Born Judith Espírito Santo in New Orleans, Lady Jezebel’s mother was a Dunwich runaway named Laetitia Whateley and her father was a wealthy Portuguese merchant named Heitor Espírito Santo. Inheriting her coppery red hair and exquisite beauty from her mother and her aristocratic bearing from her father, Lady Jezebel is widely considered to be among the most striking women in Kingsport. She favors fashions that evoke the bygone century, her long hair done up in elaborate styles and her statuesque figure adorned with black gowns trimmed in velvet and lace. She travels to New York every year to order new clothing from an English dressmaker, an elderly gentleman who fled Britain to escape the “sartorial abominations of the Regency.”

That Old Black Magic
Judith Espírito Santo inherited more than her mother’s Whateley beauty; she was also raised a witch. Given the general New England temperament on such matters, Jezebel tends to keep this to herself. Every so often, if she finds a candidate with a natural aptitude for the Craft, she’ll take the girl under her wing for private instruction. Although some locals suspect Lady Jezebel is “witchy,” she manages to laugh it off flirtatiously—“Yes, of course Sherwood, and I have you under my spell, don’t I? I hear you Kingsport mayors like to bring out the…big guns for witches, hmmm…?” Having said that, Jezebel’s biggest fear is that Kingsport’s remaining Puritans will burn down the brothel and run her out of town—after all, mob justice is a Kingsport tradition.

Lady Jezebel and the Covenant
Lady Jezebel has a healthy fear of the Kingsport Cult. Raised in New Orleans by servants and slaves, at the age of nineteen she decided to escape the confines of her father’s plantation and visit her mother’s home town of Dunwich. Stowing away on one of her father’s ships, she made it to Richmond, and from there to Kingsport. After a disappointing month in Dunwich—where she finally understood why her mother ran away!—Judith returned to Kingsport, where she attracted the attention of Gideon Sleet. A rakish sea captain in his early forties, Gideon was handsome, charming, and wealthy. He was also married. The affair turned into something more substantial, and Judith became Gideon’s mistress, living as a kept woman in the Hollow, her every need attended by servants. She also advised Gideon on matters relating to the Craft, finding irony in the fact that Kingsport history condemned more men as “witches” than women. At first, she believed the Covenant was just another form of witchcraft, one typically subverted by males into something hierarchal like Freemasonry. Over time, she realized there was something else at work, a sinister force threatening to drastically realign her moral compass. Upon her initiation into the Second Degree in 1834, Judith was asked to transcribe a piece of “forbidden” Italian music, a “pizzicato oratorio” written by a madman and calling for human sacrifice. The process drove her to nervous exhaustion and gave her lasting nightmares. Clearly, she had become involved in something much darker than she had anticipated.

In the summer of 1835, Gideon’s wife discovered the affair. Elizabeth Macy Sleet confronted Judith in public, throwing her love letters into her face and screaming “Jezebel!” Upon returning home from business in Baltimore, Captain Sleet was forced to break off the relationship. His parting gift was a substantial deposit in Judith’s name at First Arkham Bank, with the expectation that his former mistress leave Kingsport. Taking her fate into her own hands, Judith used the money to purchase Parthenos House, which had been employed as a brothel since 1769. The year Gideon Sleet embarked on the fateful voyage that would disfigure his body and soul, “Lady Jezebel” opened the Starry Busk.

Today, Judith has an uneasy relationship with the Kingsport Cult. The Covenant is not an organization that allows its members to simply quit. It’s widely understood that Jezebel is the sole exception—providing she continues to keep her mouth shut. If Jezebel establishes a meaningful connection with a player character, she may share what she knows about the Craft or Kingsport politics, but she never discusses the Covenant or Mythos-related secrets.

The Whateley Cousins
Judith’s mother Laetitia was the older sister of Lucretia Whateley, whose son Hadrian Quire owns Kingsport’s Calypso Pharmacy. This makes them first cousins, but they are oblivious of this fact, and have yet to meet in person—Quire has no use for brothels, and Jezebel has only disdain for the “usurping Jovian dominion” of modern apothecaries. If the player characters have met Quire, a Hard Spot Hidden roll detects the resemblance. In truth, Jezebel doesn’t like to talk about Dunwich, any more than she likes to discuss the source of her father’s wealth. (She was thoroughly repulsed by the Whateleys; and while her father has other less reprehensible dealings, Heitor Espírito Santo is employed by the Spanish and Brazilians as a slave trader.)

Leonard “Fat Lenny” Wilkins
Age 28, Nationality: American, Birthplace: Gloucester 1816.

Combat

Skills
Art/Craft (Whittling) 25%, Climb 60%, Credit Rating 10%, Cthulhu Mythos 1%, Intimidate 85%, Jump 40%, Listen 80%, Locksmith 65%, Spot Hidden 75%, Stealth 40%, Survival 40%, Unquestioningly Obey Lady Jezebel 95%.

Description
Leonard “Fat Lenny” Wilkins is a beefy man with mosaic Down Syndrome. A generally friendly person, Lenny takes his emotional cues from Lady Jezebel. If the madam is happy, Lenny’s happy. If the madam is upset, Lenny’s upset—and that’s bad news for the person who caused that distress! Like many people with Down Syndrome, Lenny has broad facial features and significant developmental issues, but he’s smarter than most people expect. He speaks with an over-articulated clarity, but tends to stutter when distraught.

Lenny’s History
Lenny was abandoned by his mother in Gloucester, left at the doorstep of the Independent Christian Church with the name “Leonard” pinned to his basket. The Wilkins family adopted the child, then moved to Arkham just in time to perish in Worsted Mill Fire of 1817. Lenny was raised in the Arkham Orphanage, a somewhat abusive situation which forced him to toughen up. Upon reaching the age of maturity, the boy was walked to the edge of town and unceremoniously pushed in the direction of Kingsport. Captain Gideon Sleet found him hiding on the Corinthian. The young man began following Sleet around and performing various menial chores, and Gideon let him live above the ropewalk at the Tuttle Shipyard. Lenny became quite attached to Sleet’s “lady friend” Judith, and after she parted from Sleet, Lady Jezebel “inherited” Lenny. 

The Staff
Aside from Fat Lenny, Lady Jezebel relies on numerous associates to keep the Starry Busk running smoothly. The most important is Nellie Reeves, her housekeeper. A “mulatto” in contemporary terminology (only the Spanish used “mulatta” for women), Reeves has a solid head for business, and manages the part-time cooks, laundresses, and charwomen who maintain the brothel during the day. A former prostitute from Boston, Reeves expects to be the madam of her own establishment in the near future. She’s considering a move out West, where more opportunities exist for colored houses. Reeves is assisted by Constance Callow, a retired dancing girl from New York. Buxom and friendly, Callow is in charge of screening new patrons at the door. Jezebel employs a French hairdresser named Maurice Bonello who does the girls’ hair and cosmetics each evening, and a physician named Sabin Ouless who performs routine inspections and distributes “medicines” such as lunar pills, aphrodisiacs, and laudanum. Dr. Ouless is also summoned when a “female solution” is required. (Meaning an abortion. Lunar pills, also called regulating pills, are abortifacients used to “restore the menses.” Lady Jezebel allows limited laudanum use, but discourages overuse and addiction—a surefire way to be discharged from the Busk.) The parlor piano is the domain of Professor Miquel, a roguish Catalan who provides entertainment most evenings and is often paid in “commerce.” The Starry Busk is also home to four cats: Daphne, Baily, Stevie, and Mrs. Whiskerson.

Jezebel’s Girls
Housed in clean rooms and mostly free from debt, Jezebel’s girls possess the best living conditions that contemporary prostitutes might expect. The girls surrender their entire earnings to Jezebel, who merges them into a common pool. Jezebel takes her madam’s cut, then deducts room and board, medical expenses, and the cost of hairdressing, cosmetics, and toiletries. She also deducts a “pension,” a small share she reserves in each girl’s name, savings for the day she decides to leave the brothel. The remainder is divided equally among the girls, a somewhat controversial system Jezebel claims prevents “jealous cattery.” The girls at the Busk generally serve between one to four clients each night, and earn between $35-45 each week after deductions. (For sake of comparison, domestic servants and seamstresses earn between $1-2 per week, sometimes less.) Money earned from liquor sales is used to pay the staff, but during slow weeks Jezebel deducts the balance from the common pool.

Jezebel’s working girls must be unmarried, and they are not permitted to have children. Like many upscale madams, Jezebel supports her girls’ eventual departure from the trade, and attempts to marry them off if the opportunity presents itself. Nevertheless, Jezebel is a businesswoman first. She invests significant time and money into her girls, and she expects at least two years of hard work—the Busk is not some cheap bordello with a high turnover. (Although sometimes she “tours” girls in various East Coast brothel exchanges.) And if a working girl crosses her? Although Jezebel claims such girls are “briskly escorted from town,” rumor contends that Fat Lenny pays them a visit and they’re never seen again.

Jezebel’s girls are young and pretty, and possess a je ne sais quoi clients refer to as “the Jezzie look”—a blend of exotic beauty, sex appeal, and intelligence. As much valued for their conversational charms as their talents in the bedroom, Jezebel’s girls are far removed from the streetwalkers of Cock Lane. They’re also considerably more expensive, and common sailors are turned away unless they’re clean, can speak without vulgarity, and have at least $5 to spend. This open-door policy prevents the Starry Busk from being a truly first class brothel, which often require new clients to produce letters of recommendation. But then again, Kingsport is not New York or Boston. Unusual for a brothel of this time, the Starry Busk employs women of all races. Despite this enlightened stance with respect to her employees, Jezebel’s progressivism does not extend to her clientele, and only white patrons are permitted—anything else would be bad for business. While Kingsport might tolerate “mixing” in the forecastle and whaleboat, how sailors socialize on land is another matter.

Like any brothel, clients have their favorites, and the girls are frequently presented with gifts. From moneyed patrons, this includes jewelry, silk stockings, Parisian lingerie, and perfumes and oils from the Orient. More modest sailors present their “Judies” with trinkets from the Pacific Islands, self-penned poetry, or scrimshaw carved with romantic or erotic scenes. Many girls have “toy” collections as well: Japanese dildoes carved from jade, Chinese pleasure balls in small lacquered boxes, riding crops of German leather, Spanish abanicos sprouting peacock feathers. Certain girls are known for their boudoir specialties, and many regulars expect their favorite girl to wear a particular outfit, perfume, or hairstyle. There’s also the “difficult” clients who have more outré tastes, such as the Illsley captain who insists that Ariel wear a mermaid costume and bathe in milk, the Boston artist who uses Fandango as a living canvas, or the Innsmouth goldsmith who covered Bathsheba in gold leaf, then had her perform poses plastiques while reciting the Song of Solomon!

Depending on how much gameplay transpires at the Starry Busk, the Keeper may wish to highlight some of its more colorful residents. The Starry Busk currently boards eleven working girls. Each room is named after a sign of the Zodiac and is assigned a specific color, with its corresponding girl expected to favor her color in dress and cosmetics.

Selected girls are profiled below. Because Lulu has a significant role to play in the scenario, she is the only one provided with individual statistics. The Keeper is free to use Lulu as a template for the other girls. (Of course Rachel Ward is a player character; if she’s not being used in White Leviathan, she should be removed from the game altogether, her room currently unoccupied.)

Charlotte “Lulu” Vogel
Age 24, Nationality: German, Birthplace: Berlin 1820.

Combat

Skills
Appraise 45%, Art/Craft (Tarot Cards) 70%, Charm 80%, Climb 60%, Credit Rating 20%, Cthulhu Mythos 5%, Disguise 60%, Dreaming 15%, Fast Talk 75%, First Aid 30%, Listen 40%, Locksmith 75%, Occult 30%, Persuade 50%, Psychology 65%, Read Lips 50%, Religion (Lutheran) 20%, Renown 5%, Ride 55%, Sea Lore 5%, Sleight of Hand 60%, Spot Hidden 25%, Stealth 75%.

Languages: German native; French 50%, English 45%.

Possessions: Opium kit, Tarot cards, Prussian lockpicking tools (see below).

Description
Born Charlotte Vogel in Berlin, Lulu is a rebellious young woman with short black hair and a wicked disposition. A prostitute from an early age, she worked in the infamous Haunted Brothel of Tegel, but fled to the States after “accidentally” stabbing a client with connections to the House of Mecklenburg. In Philadelphia she “ruined” the reputation of a promising young artist, and eventually wound up in Kingsport, where she approached Lady Jezebel directly. Despite her unruly behavior and fondness for laudanum, Lulu is one of the Busk’s most intelligent—and popular—girls. She is the only girl who goes by her professional name among her friends and coworkers.

Search fearlessly for every sin, for out of sin comes joy…
A dabbler in the occult, Lulu has no formal arcane training, but she’s subject to uncanny flashes of intuition and occasional precognitive dreams. She’s a skilled fortune-teller, using a deck of erotic Tarot cards painted by her “ruined” lover in Philadelphia. (Many of the cards are modeled after herself.) Lulu finds her powers are enhanced by laudanum, a drug she regards with great fondness. Indeed, she’s recently embraced the “Chinese habit,” and has begun smoking opium in the basement of the Diving Bell, an establishment Lady Jezebel has declared strictly off-limits to her employees. Last month Lulu purchased a fancy opium kit from a Kingsport Turk, and she sometimes retreats to the roof to smoke in peace—but only when the madam is out of the house. Worse than such misdemeanors are Lulu’s recent felonies: she’s begun stealing from clients, and recently broke into Jezebel’s safe, learning that the madam was “a rich bitch and a witchy witch!” So far Lulu’s transgressions have gone undiscovered, but she knows it’s only a matter of time before she feels the cretin’s meaty hand on her shoulder, propelling her to Jezebel’s office. Then it’s off to another city—maybe this time she’ll try New York?

Lockpicking Tools
Lulu owns a small set of Prussian lockpicking tools. Using the tools adds a +1D10 bonus die to any Locksmith roll. However, each attempt exposes the tools to damage. A failed Locksmith roll results in a flat 25% chance a pick breaks, rendering the set useless. Failing a pushed roll automatically breaks a pick. Lulu is willing to part with the set for a “big ball of dope,” meaning $10 worth of opium.

Ariel
Born Margaret Anne Stark in Canada, Ariel is a waifish young woman covered with freckles and sporting wild auburn hair. She has a dreamy demeanor and an oblique sense of humor, which attracts a certain type of “sensitive” client. She also has a tragic history. When Peggy was seven years old, her father’s business forced the family to relocate to Boston. Traveling to Portsmouth, they booked passage onboard the Doxie. One of only three survivors of that terrible shipwreck, Peggy was sent to the Arkham Orphanage. Returning to Kingsport when she was sixteen, she married a young sailor, but he was lost at sea soon after their wedding. After some time working on the brothel ship Judy Blue, Peggy fell deeper into debt, and was “sold” to Lady Jezebel, who paid her debts and put her to work.

Fandango
Born Octavia Flores Moral in Cádiz, Fandango is a dark beauty with soulful Andalusian eyes. Although she has no Romani blood and comes from a middle-class family, she styles herself as a gypsy, an affectation encouraged by Lady Jezebel. Fandango is one of the kindest and most compassionate girls at the Busk, and is naturally drawn to eccentrics and outcasts­—indeed, Elijah Watts was one of her favorites, and she took delight in his strange tales of Atlantis. Unfortunately, Octavia is prone to falling for her clients, and is currently convinced her Boston painter will propose marriage—a naïve belief indulged by the other girls, but mercilessly mocked by Lulu.

Sin-Sin
Born Chang Bao in Canton, Sin-Sin learned the trade in a “flower boat” before a foolish sailor smuggled her onto an Illsley trader. Avoiding the horrors of Opium Row, Bao made her way to the Starry Busk. Playing up the bashful subservience her clients expect, Sin-Sin is skilled at massage, and specializes in being “second girl” in a ménage-a-trois. Jezebel happily exploits this as often as possible­: when a client is relaxing in a bathtub with his chosen girl, the madam dispatches Sin-Sin with scented oils and soaps; it doesn’t take long for the barely-resisting client to find himself spending more tokens than expected. Bao is fluent in English, but only speaks Cantonese in front of the customers, which makes her one of Jezebel’s most valuable informants.

La Gatita
Born Faustine Viterbo on the outskirts of Buenos Aires, La Gatita is a tawny orillera with unruly hair the color of honey. A committed nudist, Faustine wears as little clothing as possible, and Jezebel refers to her as the Starry Busk’s “fifth cat.”Outgoing and boisterous, La Gatita is quite the storyteller, and loves to weave fanciful tales of an almost magical existence back in Argentina. Of all Jezebel’s girls, Faustine is the one most likely to be married off, as she’s captured the heart of a widowed sea captain named Edwin Arnett.

Fanny
Born Francine Turner in Kingsport, 30-year old Fanny is a favorite among the sailors, as her voluptuous figure is matched by an unpretentious air, a bawdy sense of humor, and an endearingly coarse tongue. A graduate of Cock Lane, Fanny has seen it all from an early age, and takes pleasure in shocking her more genteel clients. Nevertheless, Francine knows the clock is ticking, and no amount of Egyptian cream can hide her crow’s feet. Lady Jezebel is a generous madam, but the Starry Busk is not a charity. If Francine can’t open her own establishment soon, it’ll be back to Cauldron fleabags by the time she’s 35.

Bathsheba
Jezebel’s newest girl, Bonnie May Fletcher is a Jamaican who fled the island when her brothel burned down in 1843. She wound up in Kingsport, employed at Lizzie Hall’s mulatto house on Doubloon Street. Hearing about her bewitching beauty and sharp wit, Jezebel acquired Bonnie for the Starry Busk, where she’s billed as a “Nubian princess.” Possessing a prodigious memory and a talent for numbers, Bonnie is being groomed to take over Nellie Reeves’ position when the housekeeper departs. This makes Bonnie the target of some jealousy, particularly from Francine Turner, who believes the position should be hers—despite Fanny’s inability to comprehend basic arithmetic.

C) The Foyer—Gaining Entrance to the Brothel
The candle in the stained glass window is lit at 6:00 pm and extinguished at 2:00 am. Upon answering the door, Constance Callow escorts visitors through a pair of brocade curtains into a mirrored foyer. Regulars offer up their coats and hats and continue directly to the parlor, but newcomers are subject to a quick inspection, usually concealed as a flirtatious welcome—“Oh let’s see what we have here, such a strong looking fellow! You’re new to Parthenos House, right? I haven’t seen yourhandsome face before…” Anyone showing signs of sickness or disease is politely turned away, as are visitors clearly without means. Patrons must be clean, tidy, and dressed appropriately—“I’m sorry love, but this isn’t the Blue Lantern. There’s a bathhouse on Tyler Street. Maybe if you dress like a gentleman and scrub under your nails, we can try this again?” If anyone resists, Fat Lenny materializes to briskly escort them out—“Listen to the lady. Cock Lane for you, mate!”

Love for Sale
The Starry Busk is the most expensive brothel in the Miskatonic Valley, and prices are on the steep side. Clients pay Jezebel discreetly in her office, receiving brass tokens stamped with the Virgo sign. These “checks” are purchased in $5 and $10 amounts. Taking a girl to her room costs $5, which provides an hour of time. Special requests cost more; an entire night costs $20. Patrons who expect “breakfast in bed” customarily add another $5, and are expected to leave by noon the next day. The appropriate tokens are handed directly to the girl, who returns them to Lady Jezebel the next day. Clients are permitted to tip the girls in cash, which doesn’t need to be reported to the madam. Drinks are quietly tabulated by Nellie Reeves as the night progresses, and Lady Jezebel presents the client with a liquor bill before he departs the brothel. Trusted regulars have the option of paying a fixed monthly amount for unlimited drinks and commerce, with adjustments made as necessary.

D) Ground Floor—The Parlor
The largest room in the house, the parlor is lavishly furnished with comfortable chairs, divans, and sofas. Mirrors adorn the walls, reflecting numerous candelabras and stained glass lanterns etched with astrological symbols. The air is scented with cologne and incense, and two fireplaces provide warmth, carefully tended by Nellie Reeves and Constance Callow. The décor is subtle, but pleasingly refined—sensual statuary, frosted lamps, and freshly-cut flowers in crystal vases. The walls are hung with velvet wallpaper and boast tasteful, erotic paintings drawn from zodiacal themes. A pianoforte is located in the center of the parlor, directly beneath the chandelier. Amusements and games are spaced throughout the room, including a bagatelle table and a roulette wheel. The most curious items in the parlor have been donated by adventurous sea captains, including a set of samurai swords, a Dogon ceremonial mask, and an ivory statue of three Chinese women engaged in mutual pleasure. There’s also something that looks like a parti-colored lantern fixed atop a wooden cabinet: the Levantine Dream Wheel, described in detail at Encounter 6-I below. The parlor is equipped with a generous bar of mahogany and polished nickel, bracketed by a pair of sensuous caryatids. A painting of Pisces hangs behind the bar, depicting two mermaids in a suggestive souaixante-neuf. Mounted below this painting are several exceptionally beautiful busks, including one with an enameled constellation of Virgo. Presented to Judith by Gideon Sleet many years ago, this decoration provides the brothel with its unusual name.

The overpriced drinks flow freely, and include champagne, wine, and sangaree made from high-quality Madeira. Occasionally Lady Jezebel provides a selection of desserts or gourmet dishes. The girls are discouraged from drinking to extreme intoxication, and know how to signal Reeves to substitute grape juice or colored water. Of course, feigning giddy drunkenness is a time-honored occupational skill!

Total nudity is rare in the parlor, but perfumed lingerie is de rigueur, each girl adorned with stockings, ribbons, and bows the color of her room. These colors are reproduced above the bar, where a glass shelf sports twelve crystal birds of corresponding hue. If a girl is occupied for the night, her bird is turned to face the wall; if she’s occupied temporarily, it’s given a quarter turn; and if she’s free, her bird faces forward.

Like most upscale brothels, the Starry Busk functions as a gentleman’s club. As long as patrons continue to socialize, they are not pressured for “commerce.” Once a patron decides on a girl, she nods to Reeves, who positions her crystal bird appropriately. If a patron becomes bored, intoxicated, or obnoxious, Jezebel may also signal an appropriate girl to lead him upstairs by the hand. New patrons may request the traditional “lineup.” The madam has the available girls stand against the wall and smile coquettishly as she extols their individual virtues. Occasionally the Starry Busk hosts a masquerade ball or a “Turkish slave auction,” where the girls dress in outrageous costumes and are auctioned off to the highest bidders.

Ground Floor—The Library and the Night Room
Two smaller rooms are accessible through the parlor, but are only open on busy nights: the library and the Night Room.

The library holds a collection of steamy literature: the Marquis de Sade, Edmund Curll, John Cleland, John Baptiste de Boyer, Roger Pheuquewell, Fanny Quimper, and so forth. The current two favorites are Maria Monk’s Awful Disclosures of the Hotel Dieu Convent of Montreal; or, The Secrets of the Black Nunnery Revealed, which title says it all; and Denis Diderot’s Les bijoux indiscrets, usually translated as “The Talking Jewels.” In this comedic novella, the Sultan of Congo is given a magical ring by a genie. When the Sultan rubs the ring and points his finger at a woman, her vagina begins to speak, cheerfully narrating her sexual exploits! The book is the source of much amusement and practical jokes among the girls. (Lulu in particular enjoys pointing her finger at her friend’s “jewels” and ventriloquizing all manner of feisty horrors; although sometimes her jokes are edged with cruelty, as when she teased the aging Constance Callow.)

The library is a popular location for parlor games such as charades, the Minister’s Cat, Ball of Yarn, Forfeits, and Reverend Crawley’s Game. Those that don’t begin with naughty themes invariably become scandalous, and indecent wagering is a common practice. A recent favorite is “Blowing Ships,” in which toy sailboats are floated in a large pan of water. Players blow on their tiny sails in an attempt to get their ship to the opposite side first. Needless to say, there’s much confusion and laughter in the middle, along with spontaneous kissing and saucy nautical puns.

The Night Room is wallpapered in black velvet and kept dimly illuminated. The walls are lined with dark couches, and a cabinet near the door boasts a magic lantern. Patrons are free to unfurl the cotton screen opposite the lantern and make use of Jezebel’s glass slides, most of which are unsurprisingly pornographic in nature. La Gatita’s favorite room, on some nights she accompanies the slides with improvised narration. The Night Room is a popular place for theatrical performances and poses plastiques. It’s also seen a few “Midnight Balls.” During these yearly events, the Night Room is kept in complete darkness, and patrons who enter are not permitted to complain “who touches what.” These discreet orgies give men a chance to “play the molly,” and a no-questions-asked policy is strictly observed.

Ground Floor—Additional Rooms
The ground floor features a gentleman’s water closet and Jezebel’s office, but the remaining rooms are closed to patrons. These include a kitchen and dining room, a sewing room, and a communal dressing room with mirrors, running water, and a ladies’ water closet. Fat Lenny occupies a small bedroom near the back of the house. The basement contains ample storage, laundry facilities, a pantry, and a sizeable wine cellar. There are rumors of an underground passage that once connected Parthenos House to a network of smuggler’s tunnels, but Lady Jezebel had the entrance bricked over when she abandoned the Covenant.

E) A Typical Night at the Starry Busk; or, Is This Your First Time?
The first time the player characters enter the Starry Busk, Professor Miquel is playing Charles-Valentin Alkan’s “Premier Nocturne in B major” on the piano while Lady Jezebel reclines on a plush divan, smoking thin cigarettes and practicing her French with the indulgent Catalan. A silver flute rests against her divan. As visitors enter, she orders Nellie Reeves to fix a round of drinks—“Bienvenue, messieurs! Il est bon de voir de nouveaux visages. Take in the ambiance and refresh your weary souls. No one is in a hurry at the Starry Busk.” The available girls float about the parlor like exotic fish in a stained-glass aquarium, some smiling with a seductive dreaminess that suggests a touch of laudanum. Lulu is playfully straddling the lap of banker Franklin Crane and reading aloud from Fanny Quimper’s The Naughty Grenadier, while Ariel and La Gatita are engaged in witty repartée with Professor Cornelius Alwyn of the Ebenezer Hall Academy. A mysterious gentleman in a dark suit sits by the piano, enrapt by the music while Sin-Sin refills his champagne flute. A Hard Religion roll recognizes him as Reverend Robert Carter Pryce, recently appointed to the Harker Chair of Divinity at the Byram Theological Seminary. In the library, a railroad surveyor and a Naval lieutenant are playing “Blowing Ships” with Fandango and Fanny. Stripped to her unmentionables, Fandango is wearing the officer’s dress coat and plumed hat. Whether or not “Scarlet” is present is up to the player character herself.

F) The Upper Rooms—“Going Upstairs”
The upper two floors contain the rooms necessary for carrying out the trade of a brothel. Each floor has a communal water closet and bathing room, complete with a bidet (known as a “biddy”) and an enormous claw-footed tub. Hot water may be drawn for a modest fee, and “bathing with the girls” is a popular pastime at the Busk. Indoor plumbing is still a novelty in 1844, and the Starry Busk is actually cheaper than the Hotel Poseidon!

Each girl is responsible for keeping her own room, but the part-time staff takes care of cleaning and laundry. Every room contains a fireplace, a bed, a vanity, a wardrobe, and a washstand. Chamber pots are not allowed, and patrons are expected to make use of the floor’s water closet. The rooms are decorated with fresh flowers and erotic art, including a few Romantic paintings done by a devotée of Henry Fuseli. The girls are encouraged to personalize their rooms, and gifts are prominently displayed—at least on nights when the relevant patron is present! Customers are expected to be well-behaved. Each room is equipped with a “trouble cord” attached to a bell in the front parlor. If a girl pulls the cord, Fat Lenny and Lady Jezebel arrive immediately to investigate. All the rooms lock from within, but Lady Jezebel keeps a master key in her office.

The White Room
The largest bedroom in the house, the lunar-themed White Room is used for private parties. Located on the second floor near the Palladian window, the chamber is furnished entirely in shades of white—the wallpaper, drapery, and upholstery are white, the windows are frosted and hung with crystal icicles, and the statuary is sculpted from alabaster and ivory. When the season allows, vases of milk-glass and porcelain are adorned with white roses and lilies. The center of the room is dominated by a round bed with satin sheets and lunar canopy, capable of “sleeping” several people. Only one painting decorates the White Room, a Romantic vision of a moonlit knight kneeling in a snowdrift. Three naked nymphs gently detach his sword and armor, coaxing the pale chevalier into a fatal slumber. Among the finest paintings in Kingsport, it was a gift from the artist himself, a New York painter named Cornelius Wyatt who was recently lost at sea near Cape Hatteras. Lady Jezebel rarely sleeps with clients, but on the rare occasions when she entertains a “guest”—generally a politician or an aristocratic widower—she brings him here, and never to her personal bedroom.

G) Lady Jezebel’s Room
Lady Jezebel’s bedroom is on the third floor at the back of the brothel, and is kept locked at all times. Jezebel tends to sleep from 4:00 am to 10:00 am, and takes “beauty naps” most days around 3:00 pm. The room contains a luxurious wardrobe, an ornate standing mirror, a canopy bed dating from the previous century, and an impressionistic painting of New Orleans opposite the window. A sumptuous portrait of Lady Jezebel painted by Rembrandt Peale hangs above the bed, her flaming locks unbound and her fair skin glowing with youth. A bookcase by the window is stocked with classic works of literature and philosophy, along with numerous books about witchcraft and the occult. Next to the bookcase is a plush chair and a silver flute, Frédéric Chopin’s “Nocturne in Eb major for Piano and Flute” resting on a French music stand. Jezebel keeps her valuables in a small iron safe hidden behind the painting of New Orleans. 

Breaking Into Jezebel’s Room
Picking the lock on Jezebel’s door requires a Locksmith roll; alternatively, her master key may be stolen with a Hard Sleight of Hand roll, providing it’s replaced within thirty minutes. Intruders may also enter through the window. A successful Climbroll allows a character to scale the wall and open the unlocked sash. A Stealth roll is required to avoid being seen; an Extreme success during the day, a Hard success during business hours, and a Regular success between the hours of 2:00 am and morning. If any character is caught breaking into Jezebel’s room, she’ll order Fat Lenny to administer a beating and dump the burglar into Blake’s Creek. If the intruder fights back or threatens further violence, she’ll use her Cloud Memory spell or summon the constabulary—they owe her enough favors! Rachel Ward is a different story. If Jezebel catches her protégé breaking into her room, she’ll be gravely disappointed, and demand to know the reason. This scenario is best acted out in character and resolved through roleplaying.

Jezebel’s Safe

Lulu has already broken into Jezebel’s safe and is familiar with its contents. She may be induced to pass that knowledge along to a player character—for the right price, of course. She refuses to pick the lock a second time, but warns that it’s a “bit tricky.” The safe can be opened by a tiny blue key that Jezebel wears around her neck. Without the key, the safe can only be cracked by a Hard success on a Locksmith roll. (The Keeper may wish to reduce this to a Regular success for Rachel Ward.) Inside are Jezebel’s Book of Days, a custom case containing a pepperbox pistol, a leather satchel filled with business documents, and a teak jewelry box. On top of the jewelry box is an envelope addressed to “Judith” which contains a letter from Gideon Sleet. All of these items are detailed below.

Jezebel’s Book of Days
English, by Judith Whateley Espírito Santo, 1821–1844.

A work-in-progress dating from 1821, Lady Jezebel’s Book of Days is part magical diary and part grimoire. Written in Jezebel’s precise script, the book details the lessons she learned from her mother Laetitia Whateley, records numerous recipes and enchantments, and offers personal notes on Judith’s understanding of the Craft, particularly how it can be used for the purpose of seduction. There’s also some notes on navigating the masculine world of business and finance, with some very frank entries about her fear of Kingsport’s “Puritans.” 

Sanity Loss: None
Cthulhu Mythos: None
Witchcraft: +1D6 percentile points
Study: 1 week, plus 4 weeks/spell

Spells: Brew Sabbath Unguent, Call Upon the Mandragora to Remain Unseen, Charm to Beguile a Man (Enthrall Victim), Encanto para hacer obedecer a los hombres (Mental Suggestion), Enchanting a Black-Handled Knife (Bless Blade/Enchant Knife), Hex to Dumfound the Troublesome (Cloud Memory), Rite of Aquelarre, Ritual for the Creation of a Mandragora, Scrying Gaze, Ward Against Harm (Deflect Harm), Witches’ Hex (Evil Eye).

If Lady Jezebel’s Book of Days is stolen by a player character, the Keeper may provide her with copies of the relevant spells from the “New Spells” section.

Black-Handled Knife
Jezebel’s “witches’ knife” sports a curved iron blade and an ebony handle inscribed with spidery symbols. A Science (Astronomy) or Science (Geology) roll identifies the blade as meteoric iron, while a Hard success on an Anthropology roll recognizes the knife as African in design. An Occult roll identifies the symbols as voodoo vèvè, with a Hard success associating them with Erzulie Fréda, the powerful female loa of love and beauty. (The knife was purchased by Jezebel’s mother Laetitia Whateley from none other than Marie Catherine Laveaux Paris, and was enchanted using a black swine.) It has been invested with 5 Power points. The knife is worth $20 to the right buyer; but its arcane powers are available only to Jezebel. See the spell “Enchanting a Black-Handled Knife” for details.

Pepperbox Pistol
Purchased in 1840 for $11.50 at Valentine & Howell outside of Arkham (Encounter 38), Jezebel’s pepperbox pistol sports five .32 caliber barrels fired by an underhammer, a frame and ring-trigger made from German silver, and a polished walnut grip. At the request of Lady Jezebel, the frame and barrels are etched with floral engravings, and the grip features the constellation of Virgo inset with stars of colored glass. The name “Jezebel” is inscribed on the backstrap. The pistol case is made from rosewood carved with orchids, hollyhocks, and morning glories. The hinges, corners, and clasp are made from German silver, and the escutcheon keyhole is engraved with the zodiacal sign of Virgo. Along with the pistol, the box features an ornate powder flask, a ramrod, twenty-four .32 caliber balls, percussion caps, cleaning equipment, and a bullet mold and casting ladle. Jezebel keeps two barrels loaded at all times. Every week Fat Lenny discharges the rounds, cleans the pistol, and reloads two new barrels. If the pistol is acquired by a player character, she receives the Handout: Lady Jezebel’s Pepperbox. This explains the weapon in greater detail.

Sleet’s Letter
The envelope addressed to “Judith” contains two separate letters written in the same hand. The first is a short letter from Gideon Sleet asking for Jezebel’s assistance in understanding the second letter, which was recently sent to Sleet by a German physician named Hans Kleiter. (Handout: Letter from Sleet to Jezebel and Handout: Letter from Kleiter to Sleet.) Jezebel has not yet replied to her former lover, and she’s equally afraid of both options­—responding and not responding! The letters may be stolen or copied. Copying requires 20 minutes, with an Education roll cutting the time to 10 minutes. All of the “public facts” and translations detailed below may also be obtained through Library Use rolls at appropriate venues.

Interpreting Sleet’s Cover Letter
The cover letter is signed “G.S.” and Kleiter’s letter addresses a “Kapitän” named Gideon. If the player characters are familiar with Captain Gideon Sleet, the identity of G.S. should be obvious; otherwise they may figure it out later. Any Arts/Craft (Music) roll identifies Charlotte Cushman as an American actress and singer. She recently fled the States after breaking off a scandalous lesbian affair with the daughter of painter Thomas Sully. A Language (Italian) roll translates costellazioni nere as “black constellations,” while any Hard Arts/Craft (Music) roll recalls Benvenuto da Chieti as a deranged Italian composer supposedly executed by Pope Clement XIII in 1770. An Extreme success recognizes him as the composer of Messa di Requiem per Shuggay, a piece that caused a riot at its Roman première. A Language (French) roll translates les Bons pêcheurs as “the Good fishermen,” with a Hard success recognizing that pécheurs means sinners—a possible pun? A History roll recalls that the Kingsport witches hanged in 1692 are buried near a “Fishermen’s Chapel” by the Old Gibbet (Encounter 39). A Kingsport Cult roll or a Hard History roll suggests that Rowena might refer to Rowena Tuttle, the legendary crone and eccentric matriarch of Tuttle Manor. The word “Quéraudes” is mysterious even to a Francophone; but a Kingsport Cult roll or an Extreme Occult Roll identifies it as the Channel Island word for “witches.”

Interpreting Kleiter’s Letter
A Language (German) roll translates Kriegsengel as “Angel of War,” and Wenn man den Wolf nennt, kommt er gerennt­ as “When you speak of the wolf, he comes running,” a German idiom akin to “Speak of the devil and he appears.” Another Language (German) roll or a Hard Library Use roll recognizes the stanza of poetry from Goethe’s Faust, Part 1, Scene 1, “Night.” It may be roughly translated as: “The world of spirits is not closed: Your senses are! Your heart is dead! Rise up, disciple, undaunted; and bathe your earthly breast in dawn’s crimson glow!”

An Occult roll regarding the bordello calls to mind the Goethe story mentioned, with its tale of a supernatural brothel in Berlin’s Tegel district. If asked, Lulu admits that she used to work there, and the brothel was indeed haunted­—some customers actually paid for sexual congress with spirits! (However, Lulu is unfamiliar with Hans Kleiter or Amon Stockhausen, and has no useful information regarding Stockhausen’s vision.) An Occult roll suggests the description of Kithoanessel resembles a basilisk or cockatrice, while a Cthulhu Mythos roll draws a blank. If the characters have seen Watts’ Stolen Page, they may compare the name to “KTH-OÂN-ESH-EL,” but neither transliteration appears in any library. No skill or preexisting knowledge can (or should) connect Kithoanessel to Dagon; however a Biblical check of Revelations 13 happily throws characters off the scent. A History roll identifies Kleiter as a conservative, and relates his political complaints to the spread of Republicanism throughout Germany. (This unrest will lead to the Dresden Revolution of 1849.) A music-related Art and Craft roll identifies the revolutionary Kapellmeister, or “conductor,” as the composer Richard Wagner.

Business Documents
A few minutes sorting through the leather satchel discovers the typical tax records, property titles, contracts, receipts, cheques, and banking records one might expect an upscale madam to possess. An Accounting roll determines that Jezebel is quite wealthy, and has over $2500 saved at Arkham First Bank under the name Judith Espírito Santo. A Library Use roll discovers Jezebel’s “Little Black Book” among these files. This notebook records the names of dozens of powerful men who patronize the Starry Busk. Each entry is annotated with the client’s sexual predilections and methods of payment, along with notes on sensitive information such as business and political connections, the existence of mistresses, and any secrets worthy of potential exploitation. Most of this intelligence was gathered during reckless moments of pillow-talk or drunken braggadocio, but some was obtained through good old-fashion spying. There are no entries about anyone in the Kingsport Cult, but Mayor Sherwood Cabot is even more corrupt than Graham Blaine suspects! Other notable names include Cornelius Alwyn, Franklin Crane, Oliver Moneypenny, William Warren, Jonah Pickering, Kirby Spencer, and—surprise!—Dr. Isaac Coffin. Reverend Carter Robert Pryce is also mentioned: but he apparently only talks to the girls and listens to Professor Miquel’s piano. If the Little Black Blook is presented to Graham Blaine, the editor awards the thief with $10 and a lifetime subscription to the Kingsport Chronicle.

The Jewelry Box
This teak case is unlocked, and contains 2D4+2 pieces of expensive jewelry worth 2D6x10 dollars each. An Appraise roll determines their exact values, but transforming them into cash requires a trip to the Cauldron. Blinky Cooper offers 50% of their value, while anonymous fences and pawn shops offer only 40%. An envelope at the bottom of the box contains $400 in banknotes from various Miskatonic Valley banks.

Stealing from the Safe
Jezebel opens her safe within 4D6x2 hours of any burglary. If her jewelry and/or pistol are missing, she sends Fat Lenny to track them down. If the thief turns out to be Rachel Ward, the situation must be roleplayed—Jezebel’s response depends on their relationship. If Sleet’s letter has been stolen, she feels a sense of relief, figuring that fate itself has intervened. When Sleet presses her for a response next month, she’ll remark that she destroyed the letter as requested, and does not wish to become involved. However, if anyone steals her Book of Days, black-handled knife, or Little Black Book, Jezebel summons the full extent of her powers to reclaim the missing items. She’ll dispatch Fat Lenny, cast Scrying Gaze, and may even summon Donovan Wreck for assistance. If the thief happens to be Rachel Ward, Lady Jezebel considers it an unpardonable offense, and won’t rest until she’s brought her errant student back for a considerable thrashing. She places a hex on her protégé that permanently reduces Rachel’s Luck by –10 points, and discharges her from the brothel. Of course Jezebel is not omniscient; the Keeper must determine whether she can identify and track down the thieves. Once the Quiddity sails, her window of opportunity closes forever. 

H) The Cupola
Accessible from the third floor hallway, the rooftop cupola offers a scenic perch overlooking Harborside and the Hollow. Hexagonal in shape, the structure is capped by a bronze dome, and sports an astrology-themed weathervane. The glass windows are hung with opaque blue curtains stitched with golden constellations, and a few cobalt-blue lamps provide subdued lighting. The windows can be opened, allowing residents to step onto the roof, and an expensive German telescope is stored in a box beneath the south window. Lady Jezebel allows girls and clients to visit the cupola, but nudity and sexual acts may only transpire when the curtains are drawn—Jezebel does not tolerate “Cock Lane exhibitionism.” During the day, off-duty girls come here to read, “make wishes on the seagulls,” or spy on the harbor using the brass telescope. It’s also popular during rainy days, and when the wind is blowing, the creaking of the weathervane conjures a pleasantly rustic ambiance. Lately, the cupola has become a favorite location to spin the Levantine Dream Wheel. 

I) The Levantine Dream Wheel
As described above, one of the more unusual objects in the parlor is the Levantine Dream Wheel. Purchased in Waghdas by Captain Brion Sommerville Seward, a stalwart member of the Kingsport East Indies Marine Society, Captain Seward was intending to donate the device to Turkey Hall (Encounter 13). After showing it to Lady Jezebel, however, the good captain was persuaded to make it a gift, a decision he has certainly not come to regret over several memorable nights!

The Dream Wheel takes the form of a cylindrical lantern affixed to a small teak cabinet. The lantern shade is made from an assemblage of glass panes of various colors and shapes, and has an Arabic inscription etched into its base. A Language (Arabic) roll recognizes the inscription as Sûrah 6:103 from the Qur’an: “Vision perceives Him not, but He perceives all vision; He is the Subtle, the Acquainted.” The machine is prepared by turning a brass crank protruding from the cabinet. It takes two minutes of cranking, but once wound up, an internal mechanism rapidly rotates the cylindrical shade for fifteen minutes.

Anyone who stares into the spinning lantern without interruption is subject to the effects of the Dream Wheel. Bathed in the flickering strobe of its colored lenses, the viewer enters a trance-like state, a hypnogogic realm between waking and sleep. Unless a character deliberately resists, a vision is granted by spending 5 magic points and making a Hard success on a Power roll. The chance of receiving a vision may be increased by taking opiates such as laudanum, undergoing hypnosis, or engaging in meditation, prayer, or ritual chanting. If a player character is willing undertake such mental preparations, the chance of receiving a vision increases to a Regular success. The use of Calypso’s Golden Shuttle from Quire’s apothecary (Encounter 17) adds a +1D10 bonus die to the roll. The Dream Wheel may be tried as many times as the character wishes, but magic points must be spent whether or not a vision occurs.

All Jezebel’s girls have tried the Dream Wheel, but only four have received visions: Lulu, Fandango, Ariel, and Rachel Ward, who used it to ascertain that Joab was the father of her unborn child. If a player character demonstrates an interest in the Dream Wheel, Lady Jezebel nods approvingly—“Of course you’ll need a private room and a girl to assist! Mr. Wilkins will carry the contraption upstairs for your pleasure. The girls say the cupola is the most conducive to sensitive vibrations. Would you like a bottle of champagne, perhaps? Sin-Sin can bring that up later…” Unless the character is dumb as a box of hammers, he should understand that using the Dream Wheel is about to cost at least five dollars in brass checks. If more than one character is interested, the party is directed to the White Room; but every patron must be escorted by an individual girl.

The Three Visions

All visions are publicly narrated by the Keeper; however it should be remembered the visions themselves are perceived only by individual characters. Up to four people may be entranced by the Dream Wheel at the same time, but any noise or distractions brings a –1D10 penalty die.

The first vision involves the personal history of each individual who stares into the whirling kaleidoscope. This vision is an excellent way of defining a key moment in the player character’s backstory, generating some mystery and intrigue about these new characters. The episode may be a touch unnerving, but shouldn’t offer clues or future portents. Perhaps Dixon revisits his mysterious Black Island, Beckett gazes upon mutilated children, or Redburn relives the time he was flogged before the mast. (Wait, that’s not in his character profile? Must have blocked that incident from his memory…) The Keeper may consult “Character Vignettes” for ideas.

The second vision is shared by all player characters who gaze into the colors for a second time; but once the vision has been narrated, it will not be seen again. They witness the Quiddity being tossed by a storm. Strange greenish lights sport about the rigging, similar to St. Elmo’s fire, but more sinister, more alive. Suddenly an officer bursts from the cabin, an expression of terror on his face. His eyes are burning with a green light, and his mouth opens wide, forming a single word. A Regular Read Lips or a Hard Intelligence roll identifies the word as “Dagon.” If the onlooker has met Elijah Watts, he recognizes the mate as that troubled soul, but appearing more healthy and with unbroken teeth. The vision ends as suddenly as it began, triggering a Sanity roll for a 0/1 loss. For player characters not present during this vision, their second vision is rather peaceful, bringing images of comfort and serenity and increasing their Sanity by +1 point!

The final vision is the same for any player character who makes a third attempt; however, the first time this vision is seen, it breaks the Dream Wheel. The vision begins peacefully, with the Quiddity afloat on a calm, dark sea. Then, deep within the black waters of the bottomless abyss, something stirs, something huge, something white, something howling its way to the surface! Just as it’s about to break through, the Dream Wheel produces a horrible clacking sound and stutters to a halt. The vision brings a pounding headache, and triggers a Sanity roll for a 0/1 loss.

You Broke It…You Bought It!
Repairing the Levantine Dream Wheel requires a Mechanical Repair roll. If it cannot be fixed, a peeved Lady Jezebel charges the responsible party the exorbitant sum of $15. Failure to produce compensation results in being barred from the Starry Busk.

What the Girls Know
If she’s consulted about the visions, Jezebel casually downplays the character’s experience—the Dream Wheel is “just a parlor trick, like a phantasmagoria, or the mesmerism craze.” If the word “Dagon” is mentioned, a Psychology roll reveals her to be genuinely disturbed. If pressed about the name, Jezebel refuses to talk, hinting that some things are best left unspoken.

Some of her girls are more forthcoming, but only if asked in private. If Lulu is asked about Dagon, she claims that Innsmouth has recently converted to the worship of Dagon, “some old god from the Bible” that’s supposedly granted them a bountiful harvest. Fandango responds to any mention of Elijah Watts, as she was the officer’s favorite. She speaks of him fondly, indicating that he was obsessed with sea stories, and believed that he was a reincarnated priest from Atlantis. She confesses to having visited Watts at St. Erasmus, but in his madness, he failed to recognize her. Ariel admits that the Dream Wheel granted her visions of her parents’ death, frozen in the rigging of the Doxie. She’s never heard of Dagon, and has no desire to use the Wheel a second time. Eager to participate, La Gatita invents a wild story, claiming she saw visions of “everything at once, like the whole unimaginable universe from alpha to omega! I cannot remember it, and I cannot forget it!” If asked, she admits to having seen Dagon in this vision as well—“But his face was all faces, including your own!”

More About Dagon
Interested characters may research Dagon in the usual ways: through a well-appointed library, or by questioning the right people. Nothing much will be uncovered beyond Biblical quotations, references to Innsmouth, and historical accounts of the Philistines­—certainly nothing indicating the depth to which the Kingsport Cult is involved with this ancient deity! (See Encounter 15 and Encounter 33 for research notes.) Also, skipping around Kingsport and asking indiscriminate questions about Dagon raises some red flags. See “Cult Pushback” for details.

J) Programmed Events
There are three Programmed Events involving the Starry Busk

October 27-31: Ulysses Dixon’s Tradition
This scenario is entirely improvisational, and occurs if Ulysses Dixon follows his Adventure Hook to the Starry Busk. This provides the Keeper with the opportunity to introduce Lady Jezebel and the Levantine Dream Wheel. Dixon knows that Fandango was Elijah Watts’ favorite girl, but he’s never been to the brothel himself. However, Lulu is the most important NPC to encounter, and Dixon’s visit to the brothel provides an opportunity to put this mischievous character in play. Whether or not Rachel Ward is working the night of Dixon’s visit should be decided by her player, as should her response to Dixon and any other player character. In order to prevent awkwardness among the players, Rachel may declare herself “reserved” for a favorite client, who may or may not appear after midnight. She may also be on “holiday.”

October 28-31: Rachel Ward’s Last Lesson
This Programmed Event only occurs if Rachel Ward has established a good relationship with Lady Jezebel, and decides to inform her mentor that she is leaving the Starry Busk. If such is the case, Lady Jezebel reacts with less surprise than Rachel anticipated. She tells Rachel to fetch her lorebook and meet her in the madam’s bedroom. Sitting Rachel down on her bed, Jezebel offers her protégé a stern but loving lecture on the perils of her decision. Once the madam confirms that Rachel’s mind is made up, she’ll open her safe and give Rachel $50 in banknotes and present her with the pistol case—“I don’t have time to withdraw your savings, but this should cover it. And hide this pistol somewhere safe, and only use it if you must. I’ll ask Lenny to instruct you. You’ll be amused to know it’s called a pepperbox.”

New Spells
After a moment of hesitation, Jezebel also retrieves her Book of Days—“There’s a charm in here I’ve been meaning to teach you. Copy it into your lorebook right now. You’ll have plenty of time to learn it later.” That charm is Mental Suggestion, inscribed in Jezebel’s book as “Encanto para hacer obedecer a los hombres.” Copying it correctly requires Rachel to make a Witchcraft roll. A failure doubles the amount of time it takes her to learn the spell, from four weeks to eight. A critical failure botches the spell entirely, rendering it useless. If Rachel makes a successful Library Use roll while handling the Book of Days, she notices another unlearned spell, “Witch’s Hex.” If she asks to copy it, Lady Jezebel shakes her head—“It’s too dangerous, Rachel. Failure has consequences. I don’t think you’re ready.” Changing her mentor’s mind requires a Hard Persuade roll. After Rachel has finished copying the spell(s), Jezebel returns her Book of Days to the safe.

Acquiring the Herbs
Jezebel’s version of Mental Suggestion is not the same as the Covenant’s simplified version, and it requires some physical preparation. Unfortunately, High John the Conqueror root and bat’s head root are Mexican in origin, and are only fond in southern climes. As much as Jezebel hates to admit this, the only source in Kingsport is probably Calypso Apothecary.

Training with Fat Lenny
If Rachel accepts the pepperbox, Fat Lenny takes her to the Old Gibbet (Encounter 39) and shows her how to properly load and shoot the pistol using a pair of pumpkins as targets. The process takes two hours, and rewards Rachel with 1D8+2 percentiles in Firearms (Pistol). The Keeper should not subtract these practice rounds from the twenty-four .32 balls already in the case; but if Rachel wants additional ammunition, she must visit Valentine & Howell (Encounter 38), or cast the balls herself using the bullet mold. It requires a successful Art/Craft (Blacksmith), Firearms, or Mechanical Repair roll to cast twelve bullets, with a failed roll resulting in a burn injury worth 1D4 damage. Lead may be purchased at any general store.

October 31: The Halloween Tempest (Starry Busk Edition)
The Starry Busk opens on schedule the night of the tempest, but Jezebel closes the doors around 9:00 pm. The few clients who elect to remain help the girls secure the building, while Nellie Reeves opens up the kitchen and serves mulled wine. The atmosphere becomes quite intimate, the professional lines between working girls and clients blurring as everyone seeks shelter from the terrifying gale. Even Lady Jezebel lets her hair down. The magic lantern is activated, ghost stories are told, and a giggling excursion is made to fortify the cupola windows; just in time for the bronze weathervane to be torn from the roof. If the Levantine Dream Wheel is still in play, this would be an excellent time to use it.

Visions of Old Kingsport
If any player characters are “trapped” at the Starry Busk, the Keeper may grant them a modified version of “Visions of Old Kingsport” from Encounter 1. Unlike the other incidents, this may be a collective hallucination, shared by multiple characters. Shaking themselves from a pleasant reverie of wine and sex, they discover the brothel’s décor has changed—the furnishings have become antiquated, the wallpaper is gone, the paintings are different, and the lamps have been replaced by tallow candles. The parlor is now occupied by girls in eighteenth-century dress, and the madam is an older French woman. The clients are wearing colonial garb, wet wool steaming by the fireplace and three-cornered cocked hats resting on the mantle. Several Charleville muskets are arranged along the wall, and one of the soldiers is a Negro. (He is Joseph Brown; see Encounter 12) The raging storm seems little more than a light rainfall, and talk in the parlor turns to British ships occupying the harbor—“Thank God they stopped shelling at nightfall. That’s not like Mowat, but the damned fog can’t help, either. Very well, ladies, who wants to take a genuine Patriot upstairs before Argus arrives and spoils the fun?” This “waking dream” persists as long as the Keeper desires, but should end when the lightning strikes the steeple on Congregational Hill.

White Leviathan > Chapter 1—Kingsport 1844
[Back to Encounter 5, The Diving Bell | White Leviathan TOC | Forward to “The Yards”]

Author: A. Buell Ruch
Last Modified: 25 June 2023
Email: quail (at) shipwrecklibrary (dot) com
White Leviathan PDF: [TBD]