Instead of creating a whole world, this is a thread about an Inn

[wolfpunk]

Okay, I realize most of these threads about about a whole campaign world. I think that is perhaps why this forum suffers from a lack of traffic and reply posts. It is somewhat difficult to envision what someone else has created when it is on such a grand scale.

So this is my attempt to just create an environment based on one building with a little bit of interesting history to start with.

The Cleaved Boar Inn

This two story non-descript building is one of the more well respected inns in the city. It is highly spoken of by travellers for it's clean accommodations, good food, and lack of seedy patrons. The building itself is composed of stone, ancient stones carved several hundred years ago. The inn is believed to be one of the oldest buildings in the city. It is rumored that it was originally the home of a wealthy noble, but that it fell into the hands of commoners when the entire noble family was mysteriously killed.

The inn was originally called the Red Boar Inn, but a rather famous battle between a wandering rogue, and the town guards led to the change of the name. Rumor has it that the rogue managed to dispatch four of five city guards as he battled his way out of the inn. The story goes to say that the guard had him pinned against the outer wall of the building, but when he went to strike the rogue down, his sword got stuck as it cleaved almost all the way through the Red Boar Inn sign hanging out from the wall. The rogue escaped and the guard was laughed at for many months afterwards. The sign was never repaired and soon it simply became known as the Cleaved Boar Inn.

Interesting hooks for the Inn...The noble family that originally owned the building was rumored to have a secret vault on the premises. It is presumed that whatever treasures were in the vault are still there. If someone could only find the vault and get in without attracting any attention.

 

[Crothian]

Good start. How about some background that effects the Cleaved Boar Inn. How big is the city? What type of city? What is the ruler like? Is the city on a waterway? Is the city prosporing or dieing? What religions are prominant in the city? What are hidden? Notible Thieves Giuld?

Many of these will help to define notible NPCs and get the basic attitude of the city. I like what you have so far.

 

[wolfpunk]

I wasnt sure whether to create the city or to leave it open so that it could fit in any situation. However, I will describe it as it is in my camapaign setting.

The Cleaved Boar is a prominent inn in a Metropolis, the population of the city is over 100,000 (116,000 roughly). The metropolis is actual the capital city of the human realm. The realm itself is recovering from an armageddon like war that destroyed most of the human population, most of the realm, and virutally all previously existing cities. This current age has had about 1400 year to develop.

The city is indeed on a waterway. One edge of the city touches the ocean, the other edge touches the largest river in the realm. It is the staging point for all goods travelling up river to supporting towns, and also the beginning point of most trade missions.

The social structure is a bit convoluted at the moment. You have six social statuses, noble, commoner, clergy, military, nomad, and outcast. The nobles have a caste system that is somewhat parallel to an oriental structure. The commoners are more like medival europe serfs. The outcasts have no respect for the social structures of things, and try to thwart it. Military and Clergy are both respected and feared by all other status groups. Nomads are outside of the social structure in terms of being aware or caring about it.

The prominent religion in the city is that of the Father, one of the faces of a God with seven personalities. The clergy of the Father are set up something like the Catholic faith in the medieval times. They border on a government like structure. The structure of the organization has become somewhat corrupt with the clergy believing that forgiveness etc can be bought. This has caused the Father to turn his back upon the prayers of his clergy. The clergy of the Father can only cast 0-2nd levels spells. The rest of their work is mere rituals and speeches. However most clergy of the Father are no more then 2nd-3rd level so for the most part most of the clergy are now aware of the disdain the Father has for them. The higher levels leaders of the clergy make sure to not reveal this truth since they are acquiring great wealth and power in their position.

Notable thieves guilds, havent really touched that one yet, since it hasn't come up in game play.

Hope this helps a bit.

 

[Crothian]

Kalai, Halfling, Rog 3

Kalai is an oppurtunist. He has spent the past month searching every place in the Inn for the vault. He is constantly underfioot of the owners and breaking into people's rooms to check and double check things. He has been kicked out more then once, beat up by some sailors, and threaten with imprisonment. However, he still fines his way back to the Inn to continue his search.

 

[wolfpunk]

Hmm ok.

Father Tiberius Prat (Noble 6/Cleric 3)

The youngest of three sons of the prominent Prat family. He too has heard the rumors of the vault, and seeks it for himself. His position as a member of the clergy of the Church of the Father has allowed him to acquire a vast amount of "religious tithings". He intends to use this money to purchase the Inn. The owners however have been resolute in turning down his offers. Their constant refusal is starting to eat at his composure in regards to the situation.

His motive for purchasing the Inn to find the vault is not so much as to acquire the riches, but to promote his own station in life to one above his older brothers who he has a jealous envy of.

 

[Crothian]

Kalai wasn't that good. I was trying for a comical character that serves a purpose, harmless but there.

The upstairs room that is all the way in the back, right corner has been paid for up front for the next year. The gentleman who has done this seems typical enough. He walked into town along one of the more common roads. He carries a simple pack and his clothes are nondescript. The Innkeeper was at first not willing to rent out a room for such an extended stay, but after he saw that pile of gold in front of him he was unable to say no. The money is only for the room, even though the innkeeper was willing to have it include food and ale. The stranger pays for his food and ale each time he eats.

There are times when people think the stranger has gone up to his room, but instead comes through the front door. Many times he is even wearing different cloths. Some nights he eats three or four dinners. All the time eating and leaving, then coming back a little later famished. He has been seen all over town and no one knows his business. Not all the tales are true as he's been seen partying with the local lords the same night he's been seen playing cards with the sailors. It's obvious he can't be in more then one place at a time. Some days he never comes from his room, other days he never goes in there. There is much speculation about what he is and who is.

 

[wolfpunk]

Alesandra Farowin (commoner 1/rogue 1)

Alesandra is the beauty at the Cleaved Boar Inn. A serving girl who has been working there nearly a year. Her appearance is that of what you would expect of a serving girl, she dresses according to expectation, and then reveals as much as possible to make that almighty tip. She seems to be quite successful at her endeavour. Certainly, she would joke at the suggestion taht she does anything out of the ordinary.

However the truth is a bit more startling. The local thieves guild is hoping to find the vault as well. However, they have no intention of trying to scout the place out, or come up with some poor idea on how to break in, find it and get out, instead, they sent Alesandra. Her mission is simple, find the location of vault. She has as much time as she needs, because the most important detail to her mission is not to be discovered. Her position as a bar maid allows her to hear all the interesting gossip, while sowing her own rumors and falsehoods.

Alesandra is at heart a good person, she fell into thieving because it was her last option. She is hoping to find the vault, and prays that her share of the loot will be enough to buy her way out of the city and off to some place where she won't have to remember the touches of lewdy greedy men, where she can call out for food to be brought to her, where the leader of the thieves guild will never find her.

 

[Bob Aberton]

Sir Mortimer Cernon
(Pal 1/commoner 3)

An old (65 yrs.) man who is a regular at the inn. He can always be found in the same corner of the bar, which he has frequented for 45 years every night. He is always bragging of the foul beasts he has slain, from dragons ("slew 'im barehanded, I did, and he were nigh on th' size o' this inn, I tell ye, well, I got me hands around 'is throat, an' I strangled 'im, an'....") to ogres ("Great big ugly feller, wi' a club nigh on this big, and I took me sword, an' nearly cleaved 'im in two, so I did, 'pon me life..."), and the occasional giant or two. The truth is really much more mundane, he went adventuring for one year, wet his armor in his first fight against a goblin, turned, and ran home. However, by the dint of his exaggerated heroics, he became quite the local personality. He wears his armor and sword to the inn every night when he goes for his evening pint, in his retellings, he sometimes begins giving dangerous displays of swordmanship which very often put the other patrons of the inn at great danger to life and limb.
He is old, grey, and balding, and he has a big beer belly which his armor can no longer fully accomodate. He wears an enormously exaggerated pair of mustachios which are apt to become soaked with ale from hanging in the tankard.

 

[wolfpunk]

Timothy "the Ox" Belan (commoner 1/gladiator 13)

The Ox is the bouncer at the Cleaved Boar Inn. It should be said that the inn does not normally or even infrequently need a bouncer, but the Ox, and the owners of the inn have a bit of history together.

Many years ago, perhaps close to 50 years ago, the Ox was a newly arrived gladiator. His skill was impressive, his charisma undeniable, and his smile won the hearts of women everywhere. His rise to fame was all but guaranteed, and endless string of fights he had won, the battles because ever more difficult, the odds ever incresing against him, until it was him versus 100 men. The fight was rigged, there was no way he could win. Everyone knew this, perhaps even Timothy knew as well, but the bets still kept coming, although this time, people were betting against him. However, one man, perhaps there were others, but this one man bet on the Ox, not a little, but every copper he had to his name. The odds were long, 100 to 1 comically enough, but he placed the bet anyway. So it came to be the day of the fight, the day the Ox would fall. It was a glorious battle, the carnage lasted nearly 7 hours, but in the end, the Ox stood victorious. His body was lacerated with numerous cuts, his left arm hung in a mangled mess, held on only by threads of tendon.

So it came to be, that one man and his wife became very rich overnight. It was also a night when a good many rich men became very poor, and more then a few slave owners breathed their last breath.

With his new found wealth, he bought himself one of the oldest buildings in the city. The once plush home of a prominent noble family, it had fallen into disrepair, neglect, and decay in the passing years. The price was steep, but the money he had, and so, the home became his, and two years later, the Red Boar Inn was open for business.

Now it would come to be that the Ox would continue to fight in the arena for another decade at least. His streak of wins would continue, and eventually, undefeated he was given his freedom. The Ox wandered the streets, penniless, without any real skills he could put to use in the world, he could fight, but the desire to shed more blood had long left his body. So he passed the days, travelling the streets, looking for something he could do. One day he passed near a rather nice inn, he had passed it before, but never been inside of it, for it was much too plush, and he was without the coppers to buy even a bit of bread. Fortune favored him though, for at that moment the owner of the bar opened the door, and with great difficulty forced another man out into the street. The Ox could tell it had been quite a struggle for the owner, for he was red in the face, winded, and hunched over. When the man looked up, his expression changed. His smile grew wide, his posture came as alert as it ever did, his hands came up and he clasped the hands of the Ox and then embraced him in a huge hug. The Ox was so stunned he simply stood there as the man embraced him.

The business owner ushered him into the inn, offered him a large meal, so large that the Ox had to finally turn the helpings away. The business owner, whose name was Tarl, recounted to him the stories of his life, how he had grown up watching the Ox, how he had made his fortune off of that incrediable fight, and how he owed everything he was to the Ox. The Ox was numb to the situation, so overwhelming it was to him.

Tarl could tell that the Ox had no home, no money, and no belongings, so he quickly offered him a room, a bath, and as much food as he could eat. The Ox graciously accepted, bewildered by his sudden luck.

That is how it came to be that the Ox became the "help" at the Cleaved Boar Inn. He is as much an attraction to the Inn as is the food and drink. While he has had very few oppurtunities to actually put on any display of his skill, his few skirmishes have been the talk of the inn, and several high tales have been told of his exploits.

 

[Death_Jester]

How about this . . .

Mort Wheeler (Exp1/Com2)

A regular at the cleaved boar is a heavy set man that seems more then a little fond of the brandy there. Many of the patrons know him by name and when he comes into the common room in the evenings the room practically rings with greetings and well wishes for the man.

He runs the mill near the river and as a hobby makes the best black berry brandy in the area. He believes that the inn is haunted because of a late night encounter he had a few years ago. The incident left him shaken but not so much that he wouldn't take the chance to come in a sell or partake in his favorite drink and see his many friends. However he is loath to stay later then a little after sundown in the little Inn.

If he is drinking more then a little bit and on a good night he may recount his tale of terror. It seems that one winter night the drink had gotten to the portly man and the songs had gone later then his wife Madga would have liked. Well when he woke up to make the long trek home he felt that he wasn't alone in the room. He looked around and there was a sight that would chill the blood. A cold wind swept the room (not to supprising it was winter after all) and the hair stood up on the back of his neck. There was a sharp featured man glaring at him from across the common room. He didn't move or say a word but his cold be blinking eyes seemed to bore a hole in to him. Since that time the old man has gone home early but still brings the best of his fall batch to sell to the inn. Old Tarl doen't like him to talk to about his little encounter but by now a local bard has taken up the story and it has become famous.

Mort of course made sure that the young story teller change the names and locations to protect Tarl's business but anyone that hears the story and knows Mort will immediatly recognise the source.

Well guys I hope this matches up with what you were after and is of the same caliber as the rest of the submissions for this little exercise.
Please feel free to drop me a line and tell me what you think.