Daransa's Moontouch was a highcoin pleasure-house in the city of Suzail in 1348 DR.[1]
Location[]
Located on a street off the side of the Promenade, the Moontouch was situated above several bawdy clothing women's clothing shops that sold expensive hats, gloves, gowns, and lace adornments. Two public staircases lead up to the business.[3]
Structure[]
The building has protective magics cast over it, protecting it from scrying by even Cormyr's powerful War Wizards.[4]
Interior[]
The rooms of the Moontouch were luxuriously furnished,[1] with a richly paneled parlor lined with silk draperies and tapestries depicting vivid scenes of lovemaking.[5] The parlor also sported a couch[2] and a tea table.[6]
Services[]
Being a high-end pleasure-house, the Moontouch offered patrons the service of highcoin girls.[1] It also offered warm broth and tea to clients.[2]
Reputation[]
Around 1348 DR, the Moontouch was considered to be one of Suzail's finer pleasure-houses.[1]
Inhabitants[]
Beyond the namesake proprietor Daransa and her highcoin girls, the Moontouch employed a large and imposing male door guard.[1]
History[]
Sometime around the Year of the Spur, 1348 DR, Princess Alusair Obarskyr snuck out of Castle Obarskyr late at night,[3] seeking to pass on to Lady Daransa a coded message from the Harper Dalonder Ree.[2] She was shadowed by a pair of War Wizards, Baerent Orninspur and Mrask Tallowthond,[3] who had been tasked by Royal Magician Vangerdahast with watching over her.[4] When they rounded a corner and found Alusair heading into the Moontouch, the pair stopped and gawked in disbelief.[1]
Mrask considered if they should follow her in, but Baerent quashed the notion, arguing that Alusair would recognize his face and wouldn't be convinced that the War Wizards had come to the pleasure-house to slake their lusts.[1] This would result not only in their cover being blown, but the two likely receiving some bruises and door guard sicked upon them. The two came to the agreement that they should try to eavesdrop from afar using scrying magic, but were shocked to find the Moontouch had warded against them.[4]
Daransa warmly greeted Alusair, not recognizing her as the princess, offering her hospitality.[5][2] Flustered at first by the graces of Daransa, Alusair passed on the coded message, "Three pearls have been lost, but one is now found." With this Daransa finally recognized her for who she was and kissed her fingertips, promising her she would always be welcomed at the Moontouch.[2] As she exited from the pleasure-house, focused more on being fast than stealthy, she caught a glimpse of Baerent before he could turn his back on her and recognized him. As she fled into the night, Alusair cheerfully cried out to them with a smile, "Fair evening, you filthy spies".[7]
Baerent ordered Mrask to tail her while he stayed behind to confront the Moontouch. When the guard refused to stand aside, holding a sword at the ready, Baerent cast a spell to temporarily paralyzed him and then swung wide the door into the parlor. Inside he was confronted by none other than the legendary Dove Falconhand. Baerent attempted to bluster out an excuse that he was intending no harm, but Dove berated the War Wizard.[6] To her it was obvious that he was intending not only to interrogate Daransa as to what Alusair was doing at the Moontouch, but to learn how the pleasure-house could block a War Wizard's magics and intimidate them into never doing so again. Fearful of challenging one of the fabled Chosen of Mystra, the War Wizard left Daransa's Moontouch after Dove threatened his life, promising to never bother the women of the establishment and to refrain from telling Vangerdahast anything about what transpired.[8]
Appendix[]
Appearances[]
Novels & Short Stories
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Ed Greenwood (May 2009). The Sword Never Sleeps. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 154. ISBN 978-0-7869-5015-7.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 Ed Greenwood (May 2009). The Sword Never Sleeps. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 157. ISBN 978-0-7869-5015-7.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Ed Greenwood (May 2009). The Sword Never Sleeps. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 153–154. ISBN 978-0-7869-5015-7.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 Ed Greenwood (May 2009). The Sword Never Sleeps. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 155. ISBN 978-0-7869-5015-7.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 Ed Greenwood (May 2009). The Sword Never Sleeps. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 156. ISBN 978-0-7869-5015-7.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 Ed Greenwood (May 2009). The Sword Never Sleeps. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 159. ISBN 978-0-7869-5015-7.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (May 2009). The Sword Never Sleeps. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 158. ISBN 978-0-7869-5015-7.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (May 2009). The Sword Never Sleeps. (Wizards of the Coast), pp. 159–161. ISBN 978-0-7869-5015-7.