Upgrade your account to a Community Supporter account and remove most of the site ads.

Reply to thread

Message: <blockquote data-quote="pdzoch" data-source="post: 6880942" data-attributes="member: 80982">The Five PalmsName: The Five Palms (Tavern sign depicts Five Palm Trees near an oasis)Description Exterior: The small oasis surrounded by five prominent palm trees obviously lends is name to the nearby tavern.  Colorful tends collect near the oasis and under any shade that can be found.  The nearby river, lined with reeds and marsh grass, refreshes the oasis during flooding season. Amongst the city of tents stand several mud brick buildings.  The Five Palms is one of the larger mud brick buildings, and the only business is a permanent structure.  Like the other buildings, the Five Palms is the color of the desert sand and the dry climate has caused cracks to appear in the corners of the building.  Mud and reed patching suffice as repairs along the walls.  Unlike the other buildings, the Five Palms has the luxury of a real wood door instead of a curtain door. Only a single small window graces the front wall, and the window is filled with an iron scrollwork without glass.Description Interior: The interior attempt to appear lush but cannot hide the fact that it is still a mud brick building in a desert.  The floor is sweep clean of sand to reveal a stone foundation.  The floor is covered by a collection of very ornate rugs, creating a patchwork of red, gold, black, white, and purple rugs. Lining three of the walls are large overstuffed pillows that appear to be either silk or satin, equally ornate as the rugs, with tassels at their corners. The fourth wall is lined by a couple of simple tables covered in a tablecloth.  Several tin pitchers, cups and bowls await use on the table.  There are no other tables in this room and there are no chairs.  The far corner leads to a secondary room divided by a white curtain trimmed in red decorative swirl stitching. A server occasionally comes and goes through these curtains delivering orders to the patrons.Note: A couple of patrons dressed in desert robes may be present at the time, sitting on the rugs and leaning against the pillows, drinking tea, and conversing in low voices.  Patrons of this tavern are those who do not have connections with other people at the oasis.  Patrons of this tavern typically are viewed as outsiders to the community, otherwise they would be guests at a local residents’ home or tent instead of visiting the Five Palms.Proprietor: Jaad Bini is a thin, wiry man of the desert. His clan has lived in this settlement for many generations. His uncles are goat shepherds and camel breeders in the region.  Jaad is a wealthy man by comparison as he owns a mud brick building and a host of tents in the community.  He came by his wealthy status by catering to the thirsty caravans trekking across the desert along the trade route. Unafraid to serve strangers, Jaad was able to turn a pretty coins offering simple amenities to the tired and thirsty caravans.  Jaad is a bit over-accommodating and is willing to look past slights, insults, and other unsavory characteristics in order to make some money.  As a result, though Jaad is “wealthy”, he is not well respected in the community.  While they may admire his ability to overcharge foreigners (who should be taken advantage of in the community’s view), he should not lower himself to foreigner (who the community views to be lesser than the noble people of the desert). But Jaad does have his limits.  He is defiantly protective of his family, and he will not let any harm come to him or the community.  If he suspects a patron is dangerous, he will rally the community to drive out the potential threat.  Other details: The Five Palms is a simple tavern that little to offer on short notice. Water, red wine, goats milk and fruit juices are readily available.  Dates, baklava, figs, and flat bread are also readily available.  A goat or lamb can be prepared if given sufficient notice in the morning for an afternoon or evening meal. Lamb, rice and bread are usually available when caravans are due in.  During meals, several servants will bring in large platters of lamb to serve the patrons and ensure cups are filled. After meals, the servants offer a bowl of water and towels for patrons to wash their hands and face after eating.  The Five Palms does not offer rooms – there are few buildings in town with more than one room anyways.  Instead, The Five Palms has three large tents near the oasis which can be rented as a common room each.  Each tent can comfortably hold five people.  Ornate carpets cover the sand floors of the tents, and pillows and thin blankets are in each room, as well as a small tin tea set.Notable Patron: Shaheed Nazar is a silk merchant who stops into the Five Palms during the travels along the trade route. Shaheed does not think much of Jaad, but he does not feel it worth his time to befriend a local for an appropriate and respectable host.  Shaheed is a shrewd business who overestimate the quality of this silk goods and drives hard bargains for the highest price possible.  Shaheed simply wears his customers down until they accept his prices.  Shaheed is but one of many silk merchants on this route, but he thinks he is the most valuable and therefore the most targeted.  He is not paranoid; he has an inflated sense of self-importance. Shaheed complements his plain white desert robes with a bright yellow silk belt, made from the same silk he imports. Story Hook: 1) Silk worms are dying off by the thousands, putting the silk industry in serious jeopardy.  Several silk farms and merchants have already gone out of business.  The surviving silk farmers can not meet merchant demands, are suffering from intense pressure from the merchants who are fighting amongst themselves for the scarce resource, and worry if their farm will befall the same plight that ruined the other farmers.  The merchants and farmers are looking for someone who can figure out what is happening to the silk worms and protect their farms. (a pestilence cause by a mage or evil druid is causing the silk worm deaths). 2) Jackalweres roam the desert at night and pose a greater risk than bandits.  Bandits only want your treasure.  The jackalweres want your body.  Merchants are always hiring guards for the trek across the desert.  The silk merchant guild will pay handsomely for anyone who can eradiate the jackalwere threat. 3) A dragon is rumored to have taken up residence in the forgotten ruins of an ancient city in the desert. The desert is dangerous enough without a dragon.  The local tribes and trade merchants are hiring a party to investigate the ruins and drive out the dragon if he is there. (A dragon may or may not be there.  There are plenty of other dangerous creatures who can take up residence in an ancient ruin).</blockquote>

Verification