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Sharess' Caress
| Wyrm's Crossing | ||||
| Wyrm's Rock Fortress | ||||
| ↑ | ||||
| Fraygo's Flophouse | ← | Sharess' Caress | ||
| ↓ | ||||
| South Span Checkpoint | ||||
“Even in the best of times, it's an oasis of pleasure and calm in the city's chaos. With Baldur's Gate preparing for war, the Caress feels like the final flicker of a beautiful flame before darkness falls.„
Overview[edit | edit source]
Sharess' Caress occupies a three-storied building on the stone bridge that contains the Wyrm's Crossing itself. It has several lodgings atop the archway connecting the two sides of the street. It is named for 
Sharess, the Faerûnian goddess of festhalls, hedonism, and sensual fulfillment.[1]
Outside area[edit | edit source]
The main entrance is located on the eastern side of the bridge. Near the main entrance, a 
South Span of Wyrm's Crossing Waypoint gleams on the wall. Most rooms of the upper stories are engirdled with wooden balconies, which makes approaching them even easier from the street, instead of running twisting stairs and corridors inside.
The western pillar of the archway is actually a cellar for the western part of the pleasure house. It has two doors, locked and red-outlined, but is not connected with the upper levels by ladders or any similar means. However, there is a Wooden Chest inside, and another one on a lopsided scaffold behind it, above the river.
Around the building, the player character can witness several minor vignettes, all contributing to the Crossing's image as a place to find anything and any time. Near the entrance two citizens, Laila and Embry attempt to persuade their friend Hakeem to celebrate his birthday at the pleasure house, while at its far corner a Dragonborn Surixana tries to pawn off an "enhancement substance" to Cillian. To the west, Neno Quilltop, seemingly in a flap, is discussing with Kali Hammerhand whether they have bought everything necessary to flee from the city, while the latter tries to calm her down.
Under the archway the party can trade with several vendors, offering various goods: Roberon Silt - paintings and dyes, and Velson Oakes - various plant-based Camp Supplies.
Ground floor[edit | edit source]
The proprietors of the pleasure house are Mamzell Amira and Kira the Cat. Amira greets the visitors at the counter desk near the entrance, while Kira wanders nearby, ready to receive compliments. If the player character treats the cat with due deference, she may give them a hint on some of the patrons and residents. Amira proposes them to spend time with one of their entertainers. If the party have not investigated the Fraygo's Flophouse yet, the 
quest is started. Otherwise, the player character may tell her about Ffion Goldgrind's fate and get the quest reward without actually engaging in it.
The ground floor includes a bar tended by Hoots Hooligan, a kitchen kept by Sauceman Chorizo, with adjacent cellar, and a small music hall with dancer dais, separated by curtains.
At the bar the player character can meet Irenya who is attempting to get Fist Ghainemeir to drink more (and thus pay more), and Korrilla, spying here for anything her master might be interested in. She also calls the player character out, prompting them to meet him. The bartender Hoots Hooligan sells various drinks, but insistently offers the player character to try her 
"special". Agreeing to try it on the spot brings approval/disapproval from some of companions. However, if the player character keeps the mug in their inventory and tries to drink it later, they risk to blacken out and find themselves in a prison cell afterwards.
Also, several points of approval / disapproval might be earned while speaking with Sauceman Chorizo, as well as Irenya and her client. Chorizo may act as a trader, selling some Camp Supplies. He is very annoyed with customers who regularly take his kitchen for yet another theme playroom. In the cellar nearby (locked and red-outlined) the party can meet a revolutionary-minded rat, keen on foraging for her siblings.
Nearby, Earspoon (a member of the Rivington Rats gang) and Borgus Elamin (a Zhentarim agent) can be found drinking and discussing Nine-Fingers Keene and The Guild business. Interacting with them can start or progress the quest; a party member makes a passive 
DC 15 History check roll, and then a DC 15 Perception check roll must be passed.
In the music hall behind a curtain, the party can find the Queen Rhol the Despoiler dancing on the scene to the music from Monsieur Chapeau, and the drow twins, Sorn and Nym Orlith.
Interactions with the drow twins depend heavily on whether the player character has been romancing with any of their companions, and whether their current partner is present in the party, as well as on whether they have already resolved the quest (of simply found Ffion Goldgrind's body in Fraygo's Flophouse). For the full list of possible options refer to the pages describing any of the twins.
Also, here the party might find Arfur Gregorio, if the party settled his conflict with the refugee squatters in favour of the latters. If they also explored the cellar of Arfur's mansion and managed to , they can wrest an 
Admission Pass from him.
On the balcony above the bar Investigator Valeria can be found celebrating "successful case solving" - in case of being previously encountered in the Open Hand Temple in Rivington. If the party gathered evidence on the at Fraygo's Flophouse and at the temple proper, Valeria tries to deflate their arguments one by one, until the player character shows her the 
Bloodstained Parchment from the killer's hideout. After that, she finally relents and gives them a 
pass that can be used to convince the guards to let the party enter the Lower City.
Also, Voss (if survived to this moment) stays across Valeria's table after futile attempts to bargain with Raphael (see below), until the player character speaks to him about their own dealings with the devil.
[edit | edit source]
On the upper floor there are several unique rooms - "theme playhouses" used by the brothel residents: Nymph's Grotto, Elminster's Library, Devil's Den and Underdark Pleasures.
Nymph's Grotto[edit | edit source]
This room is the first on the left when ascending to the Upper Floor. Its entrance is overgrown with foliage, and the interior is designed to resemble a forest thicket.
Inside there are Naoise Nallinto and her client Fist Jara. If the party enters the room and interrupts them, the Fist undergoes ceremorphosis and has to be fought. Afterwards, any party member may speak with Naoise and roll a passive DC 10 Insight check. If successful, she might give them a 
Superior Elixir of Arcane Cultivation or the condition 
(on their choice).
Also, near the pool ledge the party can take a copy of Admission Pass, supposedly left by ill-fated Jara along with her armour and sword.
Elminster's Library[edit | edit source]
This is a pleasure den themed around schooling, knowledge, and subjugation. It is normally locked, but the player character can unimpededly lockpick it (requires DC 10 Sleight of Hand check). If the quest is taken from Mamzell Amira, the latter also gives the key from the room to find any clues on Ffion's disappearance. Inside, 
Ffion's Journal can be found on a desk, providing such a clue.
Also, in bookcases around the room a number of "thematic" books can be found, as well as a scroll of 
in one of the scroll stacks and several suitable-to-occasion sets of Camp Clothing in the wardrobe. The wooden ladder from the balcony of this suite leads to the roof, allowing the party to move around the area unhampered.
Devil's Den[edit | edit source]
Unlike all other thematic playrooms, the Devil's Den is not locked, par for the course. It is decorated in blood-red colors, with flower petals strewn on the floor. The room is a personal parlour of Raphael, who has obviously made Sharess' Caress his base of operations in Baldur's Gate.
If Kith'rak Voss is still alive, he can be found inside the room trying to bargain with the devil, but to no avail - in Raphael's opinion, the gith knight has no chance to deliver him his long-craved prize. When the party enters the room, Raphael sends Voss away and continues the conversation with the player character. His proposal initiates or progresses the quest .
On the desk in the parlour lie three letters, adressed to three different people in Baldur's Gate, presumably Raphael's debtors. All of them contain certain orders aimed at strengthen Blaze Portyr's reputation within the city, which possibly could subserve her promotion to the position of Marshal, and promises to the addressees to cancel their debt upon carrying out said orders.
Underdark Pleasures[edit | edit source]
This room is the farmost of all thematic parlours of the pleasure house residents. To reach it, the player character has to come up to the upper floor and walk along all the archway above the Crossing. "Underdark Pleasures" actually occupy the second floor of the western part of Sharess' Caress, but is still considered a part of the Upper Floor.
The parlour is normally locked, because its residents - the drow twins Sorn and Nym Orlith - usually await for another client in the music hall on the ground floor. Should the player character arrange an encounter with either of them, or both at the same time, (one of) the drow lead(s) the way to the room and open(s) it themselves.
The interior has been stylized to the Underdark realm, with various giant mushrooms, glowing bulbs as lanterns, and a young sussur tree in a corner (without any 
, though).
Inspiration[edit | edit source]
Receiving the service from either the drow twins, Hoots Hooligan or Naiose grants the following inspiration:
(
background)- (
backgrounds)
Exposing Arfur for his booby-trapped toys grants the following inspiration:
- (
background)
Introducing Arfur to the subtleties of capitalism grants the following inspiration:
- (
background)
Accepting Naoise's proposition grants the following additional inspiration:
- (
backgrounds)
Receiving the service from the drow twins, grants the following additional inspiration:
- (
background)
Related quests[edit | edit source]
- - start / resolve
- - resolve
- - progress
- - progress
- - start
- - start
- - progress
Characters[edit | edit source]
Staff[edit | edit source]
Patrons[edit | edit source]
Outside the building[edit | edit source]
- Cillian
- Embry
- Hakeem
- Kali Hammerhand
- Laila
- Neno Quilltop
- Roberon Silt (trader)
- Surixana
- Velson Oakes (trader)
Related literature[edit | edit source]
Related quests[edit | edit source]
Loot[edit | edit source]
Notable items obtained in this location, whether looted, purchased, or obtained as a quest reward:
Amulet of the Drunkard - sold by Hoots Hooligan
Archducal Coronation - Admission Pass
Hoots' Hooch - sold by Hoots Hooligan
Voss' Silver Sword - looted or pickpocketed from Kith'rak Voss
Notes[edit | edit source]
- ↑ Sharess's caress is also the name of an enchantment spell which overwhelms an evil creature by filling them with feelings of compassion and love.