Shop: Petr's Poisons

How this shop stays open is a mystery to all the locals. The shop openly sells poisons of all types, including those for killing people. Many assume the owner and alchemist, Petr Simmons, has made some sort of deal with the authorities in order to stay open. However, the shop sells to anyone, which is something others say that the local authorities would never allow. Other theories include blackmail, charm magics and other wild theories. In the end, the shop stays open and continues to sell poisons. Because the shop sells such poison so openly some people are hesitant to buy the ones that are designed to kill people. However, there is a fair market for poisons that kill rats and other vermin.

Petr Simmons has indeed made a deal with the local authorities in order to stay open. First he pays them a tidy sum each year. Second he laces each of his poisons with an additional herb that is detectable upon use. This allows the authorities to know if one of his poisons was used in a crime and they can then check his books to see who had purchased the poison with that defining herb. In effect, they allow Petr’s Poisons to exist to make it easier to catch criminals. What they do not know is that Petr has started selling his poisons on the side without the special herbs. Thus far he has tried to sell these poisons only to those who would use them outside of the town, but he is not all that discrete when it comes to money.

 

Petr Simmons

Petr Simmons is a sleazy man willing to make gold any way he can, no matter who it hurts. He is not originally from this town, but rather, was forced to flee a nearby city when he was caught selling poisons to the Thieves Guild. Upon reaching this town he decided to try a different tactic and ingratiate himself and his poisons with the town authorities. They took his deal and he hasn’t looked back.

Petr’s personal habits also are reprehensible. He rarely bathes and constantly smells of various herbs, not all of them pleasant. He likes to drink and take mind-altering drugs at which point he can get rather ornery.

Adventure Ideas

-When Petr was forced to flee his former city, he left in a hurry and with a large amount of gold that the Thieves Guild of that city, the Grey Lords, had prepaid him for poisons. They have managed to track him to this town and are looking to get their gold back or its weight in flesh. Petr managed to spot one of them, “Shoeless” Cabbott, so he knows he is in danger. He comes to the characters looking for protection.

-Someone has been poisoned and the poison does not have the telltale herbal addition. The authorities are starting to suspect Petr of a double-cross but need a discrete investigation. Thus they turn to the characters. As the investigation unfolds the characters find themselves set upon by several factions. First Petr hires some assassins to eliminate the characters once he finds out they are looking into his business. Second, a town official is looking to cover up his involvement with Petr’s Poisons and wants everyone involved eliminated. Third, the real killer, who is from out of town and used his own poison, is looking to cover his tracks by killing the characters.

List of Poison Side Effects and Symptoms

 

1)      Blackened finger/toenails.

2)      Bloodshot eyes.

3)      Blurred vision.

4)      Can not keep food down.

5)      Diarrhea.

6)      Drowsiness.

7)      Excessive bloody nose.

8)      Excessive itching.

9)      Loss of hearing.

10)   Puss sores.

11)   Swelling of joints.

12)   Weight Loss.