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View Full Version : [Tavern] Vignirsson's Tavern



LeifVignirsson
2006-02-15, 05:52 PM
As you open the door to this long house, you can see the smoke escape like a ghost before you can smell it. When you poke your head in, you notice a fire roaring in the center of the longhouse, keeping the heat at a nice and comfortable temperature for such a cold area. You walk in and are yelled at almost immediately to shut the door behind you by someone from behind the bar. The patrons all turn around to look at you, all looking battle warn and weather weary before they turn back around to eat their meals and drink their drinks.

You quickly spot a small table opened up far away from the fire and take a seat, your attention drawn to the worn condition of the table and the chairs, which show through even with the poor lighting. You take your bags off of you when a beautiful looking lady strolls up and flirts with you.

“What can I get ya, honey?”

Before you can answer, a voice bellows from behind the bar.

“Damn it, Sefa! Stop flirting and take their order!”

The woman known as Sefa rolls her eyes for a moment and then looks at you, batting her blue eyes.

• Physical description

Made from unremarkable wood and thatched with straw, this longhouse does nothing to stick out to the eye that there is something special about it. The pathway to the door is usually kept clean, even in the most raging of snow storms. Inside the Vignirsson Tavern is a large circular firepit that is used to heat the longhouse properly, usually kept under control by observant people or even Leif himself when he is not out at sea. Over in the furthest left corner is a bar with six stools, though more often than not they are usually taken.

Over on the right side of the longhouse are the tables, sitting anywhere from two to four people at a time, though four would be considered crowded. Each table is worn and used, some have carvings of runes or words on them, while the chairs are solid though showing good signs of wear and tear. Every person has a small amount of space but in the busiest times of the day, it is usually standing room only.

The center piece of the room, the thing that draws everyone and everything to it is the “Shipsplitter”, the greataxe that belongs to Leif. It has become a relic in its own right, though it has no magical powers to it. It is the symbol of Leif and the symbol of the town, a symbol of their sturdiness and ability to thrive in a dead envirnoment.

• Additional background & history

Vignirsson’s Tavern is a traditional viking long house tucked away from the hustle and bustle of the harbor town of Leifskeric, the town named in honor of the owner of Vignirsson’s Tavern, Leif Vignirsson. The tavern was originally Leif’s home but as the population grew, Leif upgraded to a home inside the burgeoning town limits. Leif still kep thte home for his shipmates and important visitors, hosting gatherings inside the cozy building that shaped the outcome of the town all together.

After those gatherings were shifted, Leif decided to take his old home and turn it into something profitable. The town was lacking something to keep seamen and farmers alike in solidarity, much less free from boredom. Leif broke down and made his old home into a tavern.

Of course, it was a large undertaking that no one was ready for. Though the longhouse could accommodate a few people, there was no real way to actually make it a tavern without almost ripping it apart. It was then that an architect recently “acquired” by Vignirsson’s crew came up with plans to make the tavern work within specifications, if he were released from his “involuntary contract”.

Leif agreed and used his ship and crew to gather whatever the architect needed, from the wood to make the tables, bar, stools and casks to the stone to enlarge the firepit. After nearly two years of labor and sweat, the tavern was ready for business. Everyone looks forward to the time that they can spend in the tavern, as it is a place for them to cut loose and unwind after a long day on the field or a long month on the high seas.


• A brief description of the proprietor

Aristid Palaiologos (Expert 7th level) is the proprietor of the tavern, even while Leif is in town. Though Leif is the heart of the tavern and its namesake, Aristid put his soul into it after talking Leif out of being a member of his crew. Though Aristid has not acclimated to his surroundings, he has acclimated to the way of life, taking a wife and having a daugther, Sefa. Now in his mid forties, his whole family works in and around the tavern to make it function properly.

• At least one plot hook related to the tavern in some way.

During a long winter’s storm that kept most of the customers inside for days, someone noticed as the storm broke that the “Shipsplitter” has been stolen! Though Leif is not in harbor, he is expected to come back soon and Aristid cannot spare his family or the business to try and track down the culprit. Can the PC’s find the axe before Leif arrives?

• A signature item.

Galanos Carbuncle Stew, a fine soup that was brought over by Aristid from his homeland and taught to his wife Ranka, who is the cook of the tavern. It consists of spices and vegetables served in a meat broth, something completely different than the racks of meat that are usually served to the populace. Even though the patrons call it “The woman’s stew”, let hell come to those outsiders who would make fun of Aristid’s fine stew!

*-*-* Still need to add maps, but please comment away! *-*-*

Quincunx
2006-03-06, 07:05 AM
I love the realism of this entry--I can almost hear the drinking songs thundering away in the background. (Hope those tables can withstand everyone pounding on them during the refrain!) It's a well-rounded setting but does leave almost all of the pesky computations in the hands of the DM. That's what you intended, but the most complete entries here also have skill checks and whatnot.

LeifVignirsson
2006-03-10, 04:30 PM
Thank you very much for the compliment, I appreciate that.

As far as the checks and rumors go, I usually intend to leave it up to the DM because as it is a port town that believes in slavery, you could literally have the ENTIRE WORLD in this tavern. If you were going to pop this into a campaign, I wouldn't want to limit anyone on what they SHOULD do in this tavern, I want them to enjoy the tavern for what it is and make a few surprises happen...

The Vorpal Tribble
2006-03-10, 05:12 PM
Good solid entry here, and as Quin put it, nicely realistic and rustic.

Firepit... THATS what I was needing in my entry, but couldn't recall what it was called... oh well, already submitted mine.