Pinecone Restaurant and Spa
The Pinecone Restaurant and Spa is an establishment in Rex Tree operated by Dunko Guzman. In Session 2 of the campaign, the location served as the primary site of investigation when the party discovered evidence of the smuggling operation and encountered a flock of geese that had invaded Dunko Guzman's private quarters on the second floor.
According to intelligence provided by Mayor, the restaurant functions as a front for a smuggling operation where individuals drop off bags of items they want concealed, which Dunko Guzman later distributes to other recipients.
Description
The establishment features pine cones decorating the walls throughout, giving the business its name. The ground floor houses both restaurant and spa services, including fish oil rubs administered in the back. A back alley or courtyard contains recycling bins and stairs that lead up to the second floor, where Dunko Guzman's private apartment is located. Katniss and Sucks previously rooted through the recycling in this alley, and Katniss expressed concern about the establishment's improper recycling practices.
The apartment itself is small but nicely decorated with sticks, leaves, and feathers. It contains at least two doors, as the party entered through one while geese had come in through an open door on the opposite side. Regular household items fill the space, including fiction books, clothing, and water jugs. A hidden compartment concealed behind a false wall panel—described as a cubby about the size of a middle school locker—contains approximately 250 coins and a knife in a sheath.
History
Session 2
The party traveled to the Pinecone Restaurant and Spa to investigate Dunko Guzman's involvement in the smuggling operation. They accessed Dunko Guzman's apartment via the back stairs while Dunko Guzman was receiving a massage elsewhere in the facility.
Upon entering the apartment, the party found it had been ransacked and was filled with geese that had entered through an open door. The party investigated the premises, discovering regular household items but also locating the hidden wall compartment behind a false wall panel. Inside this compartment, they found approximately 250 coins and a knife in a sheath—evidence supporting Mayor's intelligence about the smuggling operation.
Mayor explained the smuggling operation's mechanics to the party: people arrive with bags full of items they want to hide, Dunko Guzman takes possession of these bags, and later other individuals arrive to collect them.
Notable Features
- Pine cone décor — Pine cones line the walls throughout the establishment, giving the business its distinctive name
- Fish oil spa services — The back area offers fish oil rubs and massage services
- Second-floor apartment — Dunko Guzman's private quarters, accessed via back stairs in a courtyard/alley
- Improper recycling — The establishment's recycling practices concern Katniss, who notes they do not properly separate recyclables
- The hidden wall compartment — A concealed cubby behind a false wall panel, approximately the size of a middle school locker, used to store smuggled items and valuables
- Multiple entry points — The apartment has at least two doors on opposite sides of the space
- Stick and feather decoration — The apartment features natural materials including sticks, leaves, and feathers as décor