[Rethem Index
| Scarlet
Spear | Ernoll
Introduction]
The Scarlet Spear | The
Business | Description of the Inn
| Adventure Ideas
The Scarlet Spear
The Scarlet Spear is the first roadside inn after Sitarny, and often used as an excuse for the weary travellers to stop and have an ale. It is also the only house where the local Knights of the Cohorts of Gashangare welcomed. The Knights hold Ernoll with an iron fist, using what was once a legion fortification as a fortified manor.
The shingle displays a red spear on a black background. Locals have begun calling it Turncoat tavern, or the Bloody Spear; primarily in reference to the fact that the owner of the inn welcomes the conquerors so openly. The Cohorts prefer the second name to the first, but tend to ignore the situation completely whenever possible.
Cylaxius of Trynest keeps his politics to himself, and actually interacts very little with the conquering Agrikans. His wife, Agera of Glynar is more vocal about her dislike for the way the Agrikans treat the locals, but even she is careful how she discusses politics when a knight is present.
The inn has both a small ostlery and a stable, just big enough for 10 horses. The other outbuilding is a chicken coup with a surprisingly sturdy fence. The Meketawho holds Ernoll, Warian of Ajeshhas often loosed his dogs without concern for the havoc they cause in unfenced chicken coups.
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The Business
| Size: 5 | Quality: ** | Prices: Average |
The Scarlet Spear is a common meeting place for the knights and their men-at-arms serving with Meketa Warian of Ajesh. Most of the Cohorts visit only once or twice a ten-day, and then it's primarily for dinner. The men-at-arms and other soldiery come more often, but even them do not mix much with the townsfolk.
If a knight enters the spear, most of the townsfolk will leave. Even after 16 years, they consider the invasion to be a fresh insult and do not enjoy their invader's company. The Cohorts are proud men however and the memory of their earlier days when they slew any and all who stood against them, is as fresh in the peasant's mind as is the invasion. Because of this, the peasants have never stood as one and left, rather they finish quickly and trickle out in small groups of twos and threes.
Agera of Glynar often snorts her derision at the cautious peasantry when they leave their meals half-eaten. She claims they leave in fear, not insult. To date no one has stayed long enough to correct her.
The Scarlet Spear was built in 700TR, when Cylaxius's brother, Antonio, retired from the legion. When the Cohorts of Gashang slew Antonio, Cylaxius quietly took over. He married his brother's wife and continued to run the inn as if nothing had happened. Somehow he managed to convince the local Meketa that he was not a threat. The locals assume this was by conversion to the Agrikan religion.
Prior to the invasion, the inn had two bouncers. Now they have none and must rely on the men-at-arms under the Meketa's control. It is yet another reason that Cylaxius quietly welcomes the Meketa and those who serve him.
| The Inn's Staff | ||
|---|---|---|
| Cylaxius of Trynest | Master | Innkeeper |
| Agera of Glynar | Journeyman | Innkeeper/Cook |
| Angela | Slave | Maid/Server |
| Thomas | Slave | Stable-Boy |
| Susanna | Apprentice | Maid/Server |
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Rate of Charges
Agera makes fresh bread every three days. Her cooking is palatable, but her brews are far better. Locals claim Agera is out to poison the Cohorts of Gashang with her cooking. Indeed she's been charged with that in jest by several of the men-at-arms and squires.
Baths are available in the kitchen, and only one person can path at a time. Angela is in charge of the tub and the water. Laundry is done by Susanna. Thomas will take care of guests horses, but he has to send to the manor-house to fetch the ostler if a horse needs shoeing.
| Rate of Charges | |
|---|---|
| Room/Night | 1d/head |
| Bath (includes soap and towel) | 1d |
| Use of a Lantern/Night | 1d |
| Laundry Services | 1d/lb. |
| Renting a strongbox/Night | 2d |
| Sleeping in the Commons/Night | 1f |
The inn has four lanterns and a box of candles. It will sell the candles to the desperate at 1d each. Since there are no tables in the rooms however, few patrons rent lanterns or even buy candles - preferring to undress in the dark.
| Menu | |
|---|---|
| Braised hen soup with egg | 1d |
| Spicy carrots (terrible) | 1f |
| Pudding (OK) | 1d |
| Roasted goat or chicken (terrible) | 2d |
| Spicy onions (OK) | 1f |
| Spicy potatoes (pretty good) | 1d |
| Pear pie (OK) | 1d |
| Apple surprise (pretty good) | 1d |
| Berry or Apple preserves served with bread (OK) | 1d |
| Berry Pastry or Custard (in season) (OK) | 1d |
Occasionally they may have chicken or goat stew, and the following day they will have chicken or goat soup. These delectable and rare dishes cost 1d per plate of stew and 1f per bowl of soup. All meals are served either in a trencher, or with a thick slice of bread.
Susanna is expected to take orders and serve, calling on Angela when the crowd grows too large.
| Bar Tariffs | |
|---|---|
| Beer (differs slightly from day to day) | 1f |
| Hard Cider (1 year old, nicely aged) | 1d |
| Wyverns Blood (similar to the beer) | 1d 1f |
Cylaxius works the bar, even though his wife is the brewer. He helps her in her brewing, but doesn't have her knack. The inn barely produces enough for local consumption, and often buys from Sitarny and other nearby villages to make up the difference.
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Drinks
The Scarlet Beer is a red-tinged brew that is thick and hearty if not as rich as its name. It it a sweet brew with a rough texture.
Hard Cider is almost clear, with only the faintest tinge of gold to the liquid. It is smooth going down but burns once it hits bottom.
Wyvern's Blood is another red-tinged brew, but this is the further distilled beer that is aged slightly longer than the Scarlet Beer. It burns all the way down, exploding loudly in your belly. It is also the local's favorite drink.
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Description of the Inn
The inn lies east of the manor grounds, at the crossroads of the local village and the Themeson road. The shingle hangs off the porch, close to the entry. A second shingle stands on a stake at the crossroads.
The inn has seen better days. On the outside its walls are prematurely gray, and spots of soot can still be seen from the fire during the invasion. Inside however, the walls are all carefully whitewashed and scrubbed. The floor is a smooth-grained oak that appears to be spotless. The shutters inside are painted a jaunty yellow, while outside they are a sun-burnt red. The door is of stout oak planking with metal studs. It locks with a 10lb cross beam that sits in iron claws on either side of the door. Locals often joke it would be easier to get through the wall than the door when it is locked.
The inn has neither a cellar nor an attic.
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Ground Floor
- The front porch of the Scarlet Spear offers shelter from the weather and
sun. In the summer benches are brought out so that visitors can watch passing
traffic. In winter the inner porch is used and the shutters are left open
so long as the weather is clemant.The main entrance is on the south side,
and the door is noticeably warped. Upon locking up for the night Cylaxius
often asks assistance of any who remain to close and bar the door.
- The tavern has a comfortable lobby where visitors often wait for friends
or for dinner to be served. Stairs in the lobby lead up to the second floor
where there are 5 rooms to rent. The lobby has cushioned benches along its
walls and under its shuttered windows.
- The tap room is to the left of the entrance. It has 6 tables where patrons
eat and drink and warm themselves by the fireplace. The long bar promises
quick delivery of a very limited stock.
- The taverns's kitchen has only 1 oven, the second was destroyed in the fire and has yet to be replaced. The menu is limited and food is only served at noon and sundown. There is another entrance through the kitchen in the back.
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Second Floor
The second floor exists only above the tavern and the tap room. It holds five rooms, each with a large bed big enough to sleep four men. Each room has a night soil pot and a wash stand as well as a locatable chest. The keys can be rented for 2d a night. Patrons are asked to please place candles on the floor and extinguish them before getting into bed.
Each door can be locked, but Cylaxius is loath to give out the keys as he once did not get one back and had to send to Themeson for a locksmith. His patrons were willing to help him break down the door, but he and his wife were both willing to wait for the locksmith - even though it meant loosing a few days of paying customers.
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Stables
Just east of the Inn, the stable is large enough for 10 war horses, 15 palfreys, or 20 mules. There are no divisions between the stalls, instead posts hold up the hayloft and horses are hitched directly to the walls. A long troff is broken in 10 sections and kept filled with water by the stable boy. The inn has five feedbags and five buckets - both are used to feed the horses in residence. The stable boy sleeps in the loft, and locks the tack room at sundown. The key is kept by Cylaxius until dawn.
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Chicken Coup
The chicken coup is a simple square building that houses 12 scared birds. The fence around it is 6' tall and made from stout local timber. The door is only opened by Agera in the morning, and even then only when she sees no dogs around. The chickens seem content to wander and feed within the 5' square inclosure. They never venture out, even when the door is open.
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Adventure Ideas
The following are brief ideas that could generate adventures using this inn.
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Hail, Hail The Gang's All Here
Cylaxius is a spy. He secretly supports the legion and helps a small band of raiders/legionnaires smuggle information in and out of Themeson. As the last link in the chain that keeps those in Tharda aware of what is happening in Themeson, he is in the most precarious of positions. So when a Thardic spy bearing the plans of the fortifications of Themeson mysteriously falls in his inn from eating his wife's cooking - who can you trust?
Cylaxius knows the visitor is a spy, but is unaware of what he carries, or his destination. When the man falls deathly ill Cylaxius does only what any innkeeper would - send for the Peonian priest and pray. He also sends word with the next bunch of spies/bandits that pass his way. But Cylaxius is not trusted by the legion - for even they are uncertain what deals he's had to forge with the Cohorts of Gashang. Cylaxius claims he now pays lip service to Agrik and gives the Meketa an extra barrel of Wyvern's Blood a season; but could it be more than that? Could it be that Cylaxius is a double agent?
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Mighty Mead
Cylaxius calls for assistance from his "friends" in the legion. The Meketa has found out that his brother had a son, and is now threatening to torture the boy if Cylaxius doesn't tell him everything he knows about the travellers that come through Ernoll. Fortunately the boy's not been found yet; but Agera is in a panic and begging for Cylaxius to tell the Mekata everything. If his friends can't figure out a way to smuggle the boy out of the country, the spy chain for Tharda could shatter at its weakest link.
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More on Mighty Meed
Cylaxius will suggest the legionnaires come as ale buyers. He will prepare a "mighty mead" for them to purchase. Naturally money will have to exchange hands. The hard part will be in getting the boy from his hiding place nearby and into the cask without anyone seeing. Then, of course, the friends will only have to smuggle a cask of mead across the border. Here's to hoping the Meketa doesn't get suspicious, or worse still - a taste for mead!
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Die Agrikan Die!
Cylaxius's inn has a new visitor, one with murder on his mind. When the Agrikan Meketa goes missing - everyone assumes it was the stranger who did it, but he has an alibi: he was eating dinner with the Meketa's men-at-arms in the inn. Will the Agrikans just choose someone at random and blame him or her for the murder - or can they trust the PCs to find the real culprit. The Meketa had more enemies than friends in the village, and few miss him. Even his fellow Agrikans disliked the man. But with so many enemies - which one of the finally committed the deed?
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Others ...
When the war finally comes between Thardaand Rethem, the Inn and the surrounding fife will be the first place the war effects. Most locals assume they will be welcomed by Thardic soldiers with open arms, but there are a few families who are now totally loyal to the Agrikanchurch. Taking the village will be far easier than taking the manor house - and Cylaxius will be the legion's best friend and greatest threat because he should know about the invasion before it happens.
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June 8, 2002
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