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<blockquote data-quote="Jeremy E Grenemyer" data-source="post: 6877919" data-attributes="member: 12388"><p>NOTE: What follows is a watered down version of a tavern that will appear in my Cormyr sourcebook. I've removed all Realms references, but left enough flavor (I hope) to inspire DMs to use this entry in their games.</p><p></p><p>I have taken some inspiration from the stories "Up in the Old Hotel" and "McSorley's Wonderful Saloon", both by Joseph Mitchell. </p><p></p><p>*********</p><p></p><p><strong>The Screaming Crystal Tavern</strong></p><p>(Tavern sign is a red skull in quarter profile and tilted slightly up. It's about the size of a keg, with its jaw open as though in the act of a silent scream, and is painted on the warped wooden door that fronts the tavern. And don't worry, people spend the night here too.)</p><p></p><p>Exterior Description: </p><p>The Screaming Crystal is a squat two story structure that sits on one of several islands that are all that remains of a city that was flooded to near destruction over a millenium ago. The waters never receded, and the verdant hills that fed a once thriving community are now grown over with houses and buildings that stand shoulder to shoulder. The ground all around the Screaming Crystal is paved in cobblestones under a layer of moss; footpaths to and from the tavern are visible where the stones show through. Fungus in a variety of colors creeps up the stone walls of the tavern. One can easily climb through the trio of upper floor windows that linger over the entrance to the tavern by standing on a horse, or the shoulders of a willing helper, provided the heavy wooden shutters are opened first.</p><p> </p><p>Interior Description: </p><p>The interior of the Screaming Crystal (or simply "the Crystal" to tavern regulars) is damp, dark and cold. Guests wearing woolens sit huddled together at small tables, on chairs arranged around the half moon bar to the left of the entrance, or near a pair of iron stoves made to resemble dragons with stub legs, whose faces can be opened to admit wood and other fuel into the belly of the beast. The back of the tavern sports a trio of booths that can be curtained off for privacy, that are flanked by a pair of doors kept locked at all times. (DM: the left hand door opens onto a landing for a stairway that rides the back wall and leads upstairs, while the right hand door guards the landing for a stairway that gives access to the basement.)</p><p></p><p>By day the Screaming Crystal is filled with fishermen, dock laborers too old or too injured to haul goods from ship to shore, and fishmongers that have brought with them salmon cheeks and sturgeon livers to cook on the backs of iron dragons.</p><p></p><p>By night the Screaming Crystal is host to the ghostly dead, and anyone brave enough to share a drink with them. </p><p></p><p>Proprietor: </p><p>By day Yarjack runs the Screaming Crystal. Most of the old men Yarjack serves believe he was once a mercenary captain or the kind of servant that once undertook dark deeds for an even darker master. Yarjack's craggy face gives no hints to the truth of his past, and he replies to questions on the topic with stony silence. The only time patrons of the Crystal match his look is when anyone asks about <em>the</em> screaming crystal, that's rumored to be housed in the basement; new guests never fail to ask, and so quickly learn the topic is verboten in the daytime. Ale, beer, mulled cider and water are served at the bar. Prices are cheap.</p><p></p><p>By night Yarjack's daughter runs the Crystal. Yelada serves up the same drinks as her father, but prices are tripled. However, patrons are encouraged to bring with them whatever drinkables they wish. The price charged for uncorking/opening a patron's own bottle is that the first drink must be poured for the dead and served by the bearer of the bottle to a ghost lingering at one of the chairs, tables or booths, before any living guests may sample the bottle.</p><p></p><p>Yelada's brother Heljack mans the front entrance, and is responsible for advising patrons new to the Crystal of the rules of the house, as well as ejecting unruly patrons. He rarely does this, thanks to his sister's fearsome reputation. The last time she screamed in fear inside the Crystal, all the ghosts present swarmed to her side, their combined touch enough to slay on the spot the man who'd tried to run her through with a sword.</p><p></p><p>Sometimes the ghost of the attacker visits the Crystal. It is much better behaved in death than in life. </p><p></p><p>Notable Guests:</p><p>Gelliard “Gell” Salrikoat is a murderer for hire that takes a room at the Screaming Crystal on a regular basis. He poses as a sage--specialties include history of the city of islands before the great flood, and the ancestry of families who can trace their lineage to pre-flood times--and has built a reputation for handling delicate matters of ancestry when disputes of property ownership arise (the cramped nature of the islands has resulted in a complex legal code that allots space to build based on the number of relatives one has that go back as far as before the flood, and has since morphed into a number of laws that allow one to lay claim to property owned by others if one can positively prove a stronger ancestry; the closer you are to the water's edge, the lower you are in society). He is very careful to dispose of bodies beyond the borders of the islands, and keeps careful watch after a murder to see that one of his kills does not arrive at the Crystal, where it could reveal his involvement in its murder. </p><p></p><p>Other Details: </p><p>The upper level of the Crystal is divided into five rooms; two along the back wall that house Yarjack and his son, and three along the front wall that are reserved for patrons desiring a more intimate encounter with the ghosts that frequent the Crystal. Prices are determined by Yarjack—who has the final say on whether a patron may take a room—as he is more than capable of looking a person over and determining on the spot just how much to charge (and he charges as much as he can get away with). </p><p></p><p>The basement level smells of mold, and houses stores of ale, firewood, and extra tables and chairs. In the center stands a stone rectangle over which a blood red skull floats. It is made of a strange, crystalline substance. From inside the basement, one can know the exact moment when the sun sets by watching the floating skull: when it opens its mouth and issues its silent scream, darkness rules in the world above. </p><p></p><p>The crystal skull’s call draws ghosts from all over the city of islands, and from the drowned depths beneath the water that never receded. Whatever power the crystal holds over the ghostly dead causes them to remain well behaved inside the tavern, and deadens their various powers to harm the living. However, its hold over any one ghost is unpredictable, so some ghosts may leave before the night is done, while others may not arrive until well after sunset.</p><p></p><p>Yelada shares a relationship with the crystal that her father and brother do not. At the end of her shift she pours all the drinks given over to the dead into a bucket and then takes it to the basement, where she pours the contents over the crystal. It drinks every drop. Ever since she started doing this, the ghostly dead have heeded her requests, and worked to protect her when she is in danger.</p><p></p><p>Adventure Hooks:</p><p>1. The brief respite from hauntings afforded to residents of the city of islands by the crystal skull has allowed for the exploration of parts of buildings otherwise avoided. Unfortunately for some, the urge to explore has superseded any sense of personal safety, and rendered them victim to mundane hazards of no concern to the undead. As well to the hauntings upon their return, as the crystal skull releases its hold unpredictably. Prudent island residents are obtaining the services of experienced adventurers to conduct explorations on their behalf.</p><p></p><p>2. For the last week, ghostly helms in styles not seen in the region in a hundred years have appeared at the Screaming Crystal tavern. These particular ghosts have never been seen at the tavern before, and they seem to want to prod the patrons of the tavern into action of some kind (they are incapable of speaking, as so many of the other ghosts at the Crystal do). If the rumors or true, those who’ve successfully followed the helms when they depart the tavern (they move very fast) wind up discovering small caches of treasure just beyond the water’s edge, where the ghosts submerge themselves before disappearing into nothingness.</p><p></p><p>3. Certain powerful residents of the islands have begun to suspect the ghosts that linger in their homes and places of business are doing more than haunting, and have come to suspect the owner of the Crystal is controlling the ghosts by making them spy on his behalf. These residents have decided, both individually and in groups, to hire spies and adventurers to watch the goings on at the Crystal, there to determine Yarjack’s nightly whereabouts and to see if the ghosts are relaying information to him about things they should not know. For her part, Yelada plays a dangerous game with the ghosts, and she is enjoying every moment of it.</p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Jeremy E Grenemyer, post: 6877919, member: 12388"] NOTE: What follows is a watered down version of a tavern that will appear in my Cormyr sourcebook. I've removed all Realms references, but left enough flavor (I hope) to inspire DMs to use this entry in their games. I have taken some inspiration from the stories "Up in the Old Hotel" and "McSorley's Wonderful Saloon", both by Joseph Mitchell. ********* [b]The Screaming Crystal Tavern[/b] (Tavern sign is a red skull in quarter profile and tilted slightly up. It's about the size of a keg, with its jaw open as though in the act of a silent scream, and is painted on the warped wooden door that fronts the tavern. And don't worry, people spend the night here too.) Exterior Description: The Screaming Crystal is a squat two story structure that sits on one of several islands that are all that remains of a city that was flooded to near destruction over a millenium ago. The waters never receded, and the verdant hills that fed a once thriving community are now grown over with houses and buildings that stand shoulder to shoulder. The ground all around the Screaming Crystal is paved in cobblestones under a layer of moss; footpaths to and from the tavern are visible where the stones show through. Fungus in a variety of colors creeps up the stone walls of the tavern. One can easily climb through the trio of upper floor windows that linger over the entrance to the tavern by standing on a horse, or the shoulders of a willing helper, provided the heavy wooden shutters are opened first. Interior Description: The interior of the Screaming Crystal (or simply "the Crystal" to tavern regulars) is damp, dark and cold. Guests wearing woolens sit huddled together at small tables, on chairs arranged around the half moon bar to the left of the entrance, or near a pair of iron stoves made to resemble dragons with stub legs, whose faces can be opened to admit wood and other fuel into the belly of the beast. The back of the tavern sports a trio of booths that can be curtained off for privacy, that are flanked by a pair of doors kept locked at all times. (DM: the left hand door opens onto a landing for a stairway that rides the back wall and leads upstairs, while the right hand door guards the landing for a stairway that gives access to the basement.) By day the Screaming Crystal is filled with fishermen, dock laborers too old or too injured to haul goods from ship to shore, and fishmongers that have brought with them salmon cheeks and sturgeon livers to cook on the backs of iron dragons. By night the Screaming Crystal is host to the ghostly dead, and anyone brave enough to share a drink with them. Proprietor: By day Yarjack runs the Screaming Crystal. Most of the old men Yarjack serves believe he was once a mercenary captain or the kind of servant that once undertook dark deeds for an even darker master. Yarjack's craggy face gives no hints to the truth of his past, and he replies to questions on the topic with stony silence. The only time patrons of the Crystal match his look is when anyone asks about [i]the[/i] screaming crystal, that's rumored to be housed in the basement; new guests never fail to ask, and so quickly learn the topic is verboten in the daytime. Ale, beer, mulled cider and water are served at the bar. Prices are cheap. By night Yarjack's daughter runs the Crystal. Yelada serves up the same drinks as her father, but prices are tripled. However, patrons are encouraged to bring with them whatever drinkables they wish. The price charged for uncorking/opening a patron's own bottle is that the first drink must be poured for the dead and served by the bearer of the bottle to a ghost lingering at one of the chairs, tables or booths, before any living guests may sample the bottle. Yelada's brother Heljack mans the front entrance, and is responsible for advising patrons new to the Crystal of the rules of the house, as well as ejecting unruly patrons. He rarely does this, thanks to his sister's fearsome reputation. The last time she screamed in fear inside the Crystal, all the ghosts present swarmed to her side, their combined touch enough to slay on the spot the man who'd tried to run her through with a sword. Sometimes the ghost of the attacker visits the Crystal. It is much better behaved in death than in life. Notable Guests: Gelliard “Gell” Salrikoat is a murderer for hire that takes a room at the Screaming Crystal on a regular basis. He poses as a sage--specialties include history of the city of islands before the great flood, and the ancestry of families who can trace their lineage to pre-flood times--and has built a reputation for handling delicate matters of ancestry when disputes of property ownership arise (the cramped nature of the islands has resulted in a complex legal code that allots space to build based on the number of relatives one has that go back as far as before the flood, and has since morphed into a number of laws that allow one to lay claim to property owned by others if one can positively prove a stronger ancestry; the closer you are to the water's edge, the lower you are in society). He is very careful to dispose of bodies beyond the borders of the islands, and keeps careful watch after a murder to see that one of his kills does not arrive at the Crystal, where it could reveal his involvement in its murder. Other Details: The upper level of the Crystal is divided into five rooms; two along the back wall that house Yarjack and his son, and three along the front wall that are reserved for patrons desiring a more intimate encounter with the ghosts that frequent the Crystal. Prices are determined by Yarjack—who has the final say on whether a patron may take a room—as he is more than capable of looking a person over and determining on the spot just how much to charge (and he charges as much as he can get away with). The basement level smells of mold, and houses stores of ale, firewood, and extra tables and chairs. In the center stands a stone rectangle over which a blood red skull floats. It is made of a strange, crystalline substance. From inside the basement, one can know the exact moment when the sun sets by watching the floating skull: when it opens its mouth and issues its silent scream, darkness rules in the world above. The crystal skull’s call draws ghosts from all over the city of islands, and from the drowned depths beneath the water that never receded. Whatever power the crystal holds over the ghostly dead causes them to remain well behaved inside the tavern, and deadens their various powers to harm the living. However, its hold over any one ghost is unpredictable, so some ghosts may leave before the night is done, while others may not arrive until well after sunset. Yelada shares a relationship with the crystal that her father and brother do not. At the end of her shift she pours all the drinks given over to the dead into a bucket and then takes it to the basement, where she pours the contents over the crystal. It drinks every drop. Ever since she started doing this, the ghostly dead have heeded her requests, and worked to protect her when she is in danger. Adventure Hooks: 1. The brief respite from hauntings afforded to residents of the city of islands by the crystal skull has allowed for the exploration of parts of buildings otherwise avoided. Unfortunately for some, the urge to explore has superseded any sense of personal safety, and rendered them victim to mundane hazards of no concern to the undead. As well to the hauntings upon their return, as the crystal skull releases its hold unpredictably. Prudent island residents are obtaining the services of experienced adventurers to conduct explorations on their behalf. 2. For the last week, ghostly helms in styles not seen in the region in a hundred years have appeared at the Screaming Crystal tavern. These particular ghosts have never been seen at the tavern before, and they seem to want to prod the patrons of the tavern into action of some kind (they are incapable of speaking, as so many of the other ghosts at the Crystal do). If the rumors or true, those who’ve successfully followed the helms when they depart the tavern (they move very fast) wind up discovering small caches of treasure just beyond the water’s edge, where the ghosts submerge themselves before disappearing into nothingness. 3. Certain powerful residents of the islands have begun to suspect the ghosts that linger in their homes and places of business are doing more than haunting, and have come to suspect the owner of the Crystal is controlling the ghosts by making them spy on his behalf. These residents have decided, both individually and in groups, to hire spies and adventurers to watch the goings on at the Crystal, there to determine Yarjack’s nightly whereabouts and to see if the ghosts are relaying information to him about things they should not know. For her part, Yelada plays a dangerous game with the ghosts, and she is enjoying every moment of it. [/QUOTE]
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