Conaill's Cocktails (or "Conaill's Cock & Tails", depending on what our mighty ruler lets me get away with...)
Conaill's is a tavern located in a sturdy dwarven built two-story house between the posh and dwarven districts of Mor's End, specializing in... mixed drinks.
Conaill is a retired adventuring Fighter (his greatsword hangs on the wall behind the bar). During his many travels he has had the opportunity to sample a wide variety of peculiar local drinks,- often to great risk to his own health
. He started to experiment with mixing them in order to preserve the "kick" of the original but make them somewhat safer for human consumption.
After retiring from adventuring life, Conaill decided to settle down in Mor's End and open up a bar. He hired Flibbert, a gnome with some knowledge of alchemy to run the place. Flibbert has expanded significantly on Conaill's experimentation, adding in the occasional alchemical or potion booster as well.
Conaill's Cocktails is one of those bars that has a hundred and one different colored botles on the wall behind the bar. It may not have some of the high-quality brands the Downpour carries, but it has an even larger variety. In particular, it carries a number of beverages which are not normally advisable for human consumption, such as Thundering Brew, Elven Feywine and Dragon's Piss. The latter is an exceptionally strong liquor which acts as Acid on any race that doesn't have the Dwarves' strong stomach lining. It is served in small ceramic cups,handled with metal tongs. Conaill and Flibbert have also concocted human-potable versions of almost all of these drinks, including "Dragon's Ale", which is often used for Human vs Dwarf drinking contests.
The main tavern area is approximately 40x40, with the bar along part of one of the long sides. The other walls are lined with benches. The place is lit by lanterns, with a single Everburning Torch over the bar. The area behind the bar is raised, so Flibbert can stand eye-to-eye with his patrons. Two young human barmaids help out during the busier times. For security, Flibbert keeps a Tanglefoot Bag and a crossbow with blunted bolts behind the counter. Just in case, he also has a first-aid kit with 2 Antitoxins, 2 potions of CLW, one Delay Poison and even one Neutralize Poison. You never know what race might happen to have a bad reaction to some of the more "experimental" drinks!
Behind the common area are the restrooms and a small kitchen for Conaill and Flibbert's personal use. The full-size basement underneath the bar holds storage rooms, as well as Flibbert's personal room and his Alchemist's Lab. The second floor holds Conaill's private rooms.
Conaill gets along great with the dwarven population of Mor's End, and up to one in three of his patrons tend to be dwarven. Although his bar is located in a somewhat better part of town, Conaill's adventuring friends occasionally come by to rile up the place, and Conaill himself has been known to dip a little too deeply into his own merchandise on occasion...
Conaill U'Ciaran, male human Ftr5: CR 5; ECL 5; Medium-size Humanoid (human); HD 5d10+15; hp 50; Init +2; Spd 20 ft; AC 15 (+2 leather armor, +1 ring of protection, +2 Dex) or AC 23 (+8 full plate, +1 ring of protection, +3 large shield, +1 Dex); Melee greatsword +9 (2d6+4/crit 19-20), or +1 longsword +9 (1d8+5/crit 19-20), or shortsword +8 (1d6+3/crit 19-20), or heavy lance +8 (1d8+4/crit x3); Ranged longbow +7 (1d8/crit x3); AL NG; SV Fort +7, Ref +3, Will +3; Str 16, Dex 15, Con 16, Int 13, Wis 15, Cha 10.
Skills and Feats: Balance +4*, Climb +7*, Handle Animal +1, Intimidate +6 (str), Jump +5*, Ride +8, Use Rope +3, Craft (armorsmithing) +5, Profession (brewer) +2 (*:subtract 6 from Balance, Climb, Jump when in full plate); Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Expertise, Weapon Focus (Greatsword), Improved Disarm, Mounted Combat, Power Attack.
Equipment: leather armor, full plate, +1 large shield spell resistance (15), +1 ring of protection, +1 longsword (+3 vs Evil), MW Greatsword, MW Shortsword, Heavy Lance, Mighty Composite Longbow (+3 Str), heavy warhorse, leather barding, military saddle
Conaill has a strong sense of Right and Wrong, but cares little for authority, politics, or for that matter, religion (he feels the world would be a much better place if the gods would mind their own business). His pragmatic, no-nonsense manner makes him get along well with his dwarven patrons. He is retired from adventuring, but has a strong sense of honor and responsibility and can be talked into fighting for a just cause.
Conaill sees himself as a champion for the common people of Mor's End. He acts as an advisor to the Worker's Senate, and often spends large portions of the profits from his tavern to help alleviate social problems.
Conaill is on a friendly basis with Dalvar Hammersmith, co-owner of the Downpour Alehouse. Although they are competitors, and Conaill keeps rejecting Dalvar's urgings to join the Militia, the two have developed a strong personal bond since Conaill settled in Mor's End, and they have been known to participate in friendly sparring matches.
Flibbert, male gnome Adp1/Exp2: CR 2; ECL 3; Medium-size Humanoid (gnome); HD 3d6+3; hp 16; Init +0; Spd 30 ft; AC 10; Melee unarmed strike -2 (1d3-2); Ranged light crossbow +1 (1d8-2/crit 19-20); SA spells; SQ gnome traits; AL NG; SV Fort +3, Ref +0, Will +5; Str 7, Dex 11, Con 12, Int 12, Wis 11, Cha 10.
Skills and Feats: Alchemy +9, Craft (brewing) +5, Profession (tavernkeeper) +5, Profession (herbalist) +5, Sense Motive +5, Bluff +5, Diplomacy +5, Heal +5, Knowledge (exotic Drinks) +3, Read Lips +3, Spot +2, Listen +4; Great Fortitude, Alertness.
SA–Spells: Cast dancing lights, ghost sound, and prestidigitation each 1/day.
SQ–Gnome Traits (Ex): Low-light vision, +2 save vs. illusions, +1 attack vs. kobolds and goblinoids, +4 dodge vs. giants.
Adept Spells Prepared (3/2): Cure Minor Wounds, Purify Food & Drink x2; Cure Light Wounds, Detect Evil
Equipment: Light Crossbow, Tanglefoot Bag, Alchemy Lab, Healing Kit, Holy Water, 2 Antitoxin; Potions: 2 Cure Light Wood, Delay Poison, Neutralize Poison.
Flibbert will also have several other alchemical items up to Craft DC 21 and Market Value 50 gp. He focuses on alchemical preparations incapacitate or immobilize without causing too much property damage, plus a small number of gnomish prank items.
Plot Hooks:
- Flibbert and Conaill have accidentally concocted the first "designer drug": a complex mixture of alchemy, potions and exotic liquors that produces a veritable ambrosia, but is also highly addictive. As soon as he realized its addictive effect, Conaill immediately stopped production, but somehow the word has gotten out and now someone's after the recipe.
- Someone broke into Conaill's and stole among others a bottle of rare Yuan-Ti liquor. Not only is this an expensive wine with a light, delicate flavor, it is also highly poisonous to most humanoids. The poison's effects take a week to develop, after which death is nearly inevitable. Conaill hires the PCs to retrieve the bottle or find out who drank it before that deadline. He would prefer not to let the authorities know about this, because the posesion of such a bottle might jeopardize his tavern license. (If the PCs haven't found the bottle on the moring of day 7, Conaill will alert the authorities himself, and spread the word about the wine's posionous nature, so anyone who drank it might still be able to get medical help.
- The Worker's Senate rebels against the richer guilds, threatening to overthrow the City Council. There is rioting in the streets. Is someone riling them up? Lady Kelvin hires the PCs to find out. Conaill acts as a trusted go-between with the Worker's Senate.
