I included a sidequest involving Bargetown's seedy underbelly before the final tomb - I was running Mummy's Mask for my fiancee solo at the time, so the encounters were balanced for a single character ~level 3.
Adventure Summary:
Farhaan Jaberah is a Garundi native who wears the scars of his past adventuring life proudly, though he is now the proprietor of the Tooth and Hookah, one of the most popular inns for the adventurers who have flocked to Wati since the Necropolis was opened. Unfortunately, his daughter Alayna, a free-spirited artist, has taken up a vicious pesh addiction and now owes quite a bit of coin to the violent thugs and smugglers of Bargetown, led by the ruthless pirate called Eswab, the Queen of Scows. Unable to pay her debts and too proud to ask her father for a loan, she has been kidnapped from her small apartment in Asp and is soon to be sold into slavery in a distant port, unless the PCs can intervene...
Plot Hook: If the PCs are staying at or have chanced to visit the Tooth and Hookah, Farhaan approaches them - he is concerned that his daughter Alayna has fallen in with a bad crowd, and even more concerned that she has not stopped by the inn in several days. He will offer that she lives with a fellow artist named Shadera in a small apartment in Asp and ask that the PCs check in on her. He would do it himself, but their relationship has been strained lately and he worries that his interference might drive her even further away. He is willingly to offer free room and board and his old masterwork armor as reward; he can't shake his instincts that something more serious is afoot.
Event 1: Apartment in Asp
The small apartment in Asp resides at the end of a narrow alleyway amidst the twisting streets of this residential district, tucked away at the top of a flight of narrow stairs. Unbeknownst to the PCs, Eswab has sent several of her thugs to take by force "what is owed to her" - these goons have recently broken into the apartment, incapacitated Shadera, and are busy ransacking the house when the PCs arrive.
A DC 10 Perception check will reveal that splinters around the doorway indicate forced entry, though the door is now closed. Should they knock, a burly man will gruffly answer the door, telling any visitors that they have the wrong address. His short sword is clearly visible beneath the folds of his cloak, and if PCs persist he will give them a clear, threatening warning. Any further actions besides leaving will provoke him and his companions to violence.
Bargetown Thug(3): NE M Warrior 1
Init +1 hp:6
Spd 30
AC 12 t11 ff11
Attk: Short sword +3 (1d6+1/19-20)
BAB/CMB/CMD: +1/+2/13
Fort +2 Ref +1 Will-1
Str 12 Dex 13 Con 11 Int 12 Wis 8 Cha 9
Feats: Weapon Focus, Sea Legs
Skills: Acrobatics +3 Climb +7 Intimidate +3 Perception +0 Swim +7
Gear: 1d8 gp, Short sword
Morale: The thugs fight until half their number are slain, then flee. If Eswab is present, their fear of their leader drives them to fight to the death. They are more bark than bite, however, and any Intimidate checks when interrogating them receive a +2 bonus.
Inside, Shadera is bound and unconscious (-2 hp, stable) with an ugly-looking head wound. If she is revived, she can tell the PCs of her nd Alayna's descent into addiction. She will tell them that their supplier was a dealer in Bargetown who was rumored to work for the Queen of Scows. She was meeting with a potential client when Alayna was taken 2 nights ago, and she is unsure of where the Queen of Scows has her lair.
Event 2: Bargetown
As described in the Half-dead City, Bargetown is a mishmash of watercraft and barges linked together by makeshift planks and walkways, all floating atop the placid River Sphinx. The PCs must find the location of Eswab's pleasure barge. Nearly all of the locals know of its location at the far northwest corner of Bargetown, but few are willingly to talk for fear of reprisal. A DC 17 Diplomacy check or a bribe of 25 gp and assurances of secrecy are enough to loosen lips. There is a 25% chance that any interactions with the locals are spotted by one of Eswab's patrols (4 thugs + 1 thug captain - same as above but with a masterwork short sword and a chain shirt). Alternatively, the PCs may try to scout the area, in which case a DC 20 Perception check spots a well-appointed barge separated from the rest of Bargetown by a 30ft. long plank bridge under heavy guard (6+1d6 thugs and two captains).
Event 3: Eswab's Pleasure Barge
Should the PCs discover Eswab's hideout, they can either try to diplomatically meet with the Queen of Scows or assault her barge. In the latter case, the entire area is extremely flammable, and any fire spells used have a 90% chance of setting one of the nearby houseboats on fire. The fire quickly spreads, in which case the thugs will detach the bridge and set sail into the River to escape the fiery fate of the rest of Bargetown. Should they try to talk their way in, the guards will insist they relinquish their weapons and will pat them down for any hidden weapons (Sleight of Hand vs. DC 12 to pocket any light weapons). Once inside they will meet with Eswab, who has Alayna chained to her driftwood "throne", next to her favored pet, a prodigiously large crocodile named Maw. She will hear out the PCs but will not tolerate being threatened - if they are willingly to pay to secure Alayna's debt she will relinquish her prize for no less than 300gp.
Eswab: NE Female Bard 4
Init +3 hp: 32
Spd 30
AC 18 t14 ff14
Attk: rapier +7 (1d6+1/18-20), light crossbow +6 (1d8/19-20) rng 80ft.
BAB/CMB/CMD: +3/+4/17
Fort +3 Ref +7 Will +3
Str 12 Dex 17 Con 14 Int 10 Wis 8 Cha 14
Feats: Dodge, Weapon Focus (rapier), Weapon Finesse
Skills: Acrobatics +8 Appraise +4 Bluff +7 Climb +5 Diplomacy +6 Disguise +6 Escape Artist +8 Intimidate +7 Know (Wati) +9 Know(religion) +7 Linguistics +4 Perception +4 Sense Motive +5 Sleight of Hand +8 Stealth +7 Swim +5
SQ: Bardic Performance (6 rounds/day), Countersong, Fascinate, Bardic Knowledge, Inspire Courage, Versatile Performance, Well-Versed
Spells: DC 12+level
0-Daze, Ghost Sound, Light, Detect Magic
1-Grease, Charm Person, Sleep, Memory Lapse
2-Silence, Mirror Image
Gear: potion CLW x2, +1 studded leather armor, mwk rapier, light crossbow;
Bargetown Thugs (8)
Advanced crocodile
A small chest beneath her throne has 285 gp, 306 sp, and 57 cp, as well as her personal stash of high-grade pesh and mummia for special clients. The galley also has a hatch leading to the barge's hold, where her hoard and slaves bound for auction can be found.
Eswab's Hoard: The barge's hold reeks of saltwater and decay. A large wooden chest near the ladder down holds: 1 lb. Grave salt, Mwk Heavy flail, gems worth 30gp, an oil of purify food/drink, potion of guidance, potion of CLW x2, and 3 scrolls (remove fear, detect evil, and entangle, all CL5). In addition, the hold contains 5 pitiful-looking slaves who have been locked down here in animal cages for the last week. In a corner, stacked like cordwood are 15 bodies, bound for gruesome vivisection in Geb once the next smuggling ship arrives.
Hopefully this helps...
