Nearly all the residents of Otter Lake belong to one of the other of the social clubs that pervade the neighborhood. While most of the activities of those social clubs are relatively harmless, there is frequent (mostly) friendly rivalry and competition both within and between clubs, which may involve various bets or contests... and the participants may rope in outsiders, like the PCs, to give them an edge.
Example: Two members of the Captains' Club, Eurace Terridon and Lythia Crell, have both boasted to each other for years about their prize collections of ancient ghoststones... and they've finally decided to put their money where their mouths are and show off their collections to an impartial judge, with the owner of the better collection getting a substantial prize paid for by the other. The problem is, Terridon's been exaggerating in his claims about his collection, and so he's hired the PCs to fetch some more ghoststones for him before the big event. The other problem is that Crell has also been exaggerating about her collection, and she's hired a particularly ruthless mercenary who will do almost anything to make sure his employer comes out on top...
The lake that gives the neighborhood its name is a place for fun, recreation, and relaxation... mostly. But it is connected to the river [which I still have to name], and sometimes dangerous creatures make their way in from outside. Other times perils arise in the lake through magical runoff or even deliberate sabotage from enemies of the residents.
Example:Aletra Siaan, an heiress who lives on the shore of Otter Lake, summoned three golden clapjaws as pets for her children, only to dump them into the lake when they grew too big to handle. By now, of course, they've grown even bigger, and are starting to cause serious issues. Two complications: First, the clapjaws had been enchanted at the children's request and have powers beyond the usual for their kind. And second, if Siaan's children found out that someone was trying to hurt the clapjaws, they would be very upset.
The social networks that permeate the neighborhood of Otter Lake do much to keep the residents entertained and grounded, but they also provide a rich medium for the propagation of scams and falsehoods. Normally, the PCs may not care if some rich folk get swindled out of a fraction of their fortune, but they may get involved if one of the victims hires them to get their money back... or if the con ends up having side effects beyond just siphoning money from the patsies.
Example: Word has spread through Otter Lake of an investment opportunity in a new type of summonable that can revolutionize power generation. Those who invest in the fledgling company are given crystaltrophies to commemorate the part they're playing in bringing this innovation about; some have decided to display these objects in their homes, others in their offices or other locations they own. What they don't realize is that their investment is paying mostly for the trophies themselves and the enchantment placed on them—an enchantment that thins the barriers between planes, creating crepatures in their vicinity that allows otherplanar beings allied with the perpetrators to possess those nearby... and that become more powerful the more there are. Some people have already started to act a bit oddly due to the possession, which may be enough to trigger a PC investigation... can the PCs pinpoint the trophies as the cause and uncover the depths of the plot?
Most of the clubs and gatherings in Otter Lake are relatively harmless, just ways for the residents to interact socially and blow off some steam. Some do have more serious purposes, but even those are usually geared toward exercising political and economic power in more or less legitimate ways. But all these benign clubs may provide cover for the occasional darker conspiracy that poses as a mere social club but has more something sinister going on beneath. This may be something as mundane (though still societally harmful) as plotting some form of fraud or collusion, but it could extend to practicing dangerous magics, dealing with demons, or outright high treason against the government of Djarvin.
Example: A relatively new, small, and exclusive social club in Otter Lake is the Ethereal Quill, which supposedly works mostly toward improving education in Lüm. Secretly, however, the Ethereal Quill is a cult that worships some powerful being the club's founder encountered deep in Lüm's underfold, the true purpose of which is to spread beliefs and rituals that further their master's end. What is the true nature of their semidivine master, what are its end goals, and what will happen to Lüm if they are met? The PCs had better find out what's going on and put a stop to it before they find out the hard way...
