The Blue Bell Inn, Geda, Chybisa
On this page:
Introduction |
Description of Buildings |
History |
Business |
Rate of Charges |
Bar Tariff |
Staff NPCs: |
The Innkeeper, Petry |
His Wife, Xedral |
The Three Children: Peri, Paulin and Pachic |
The Barman, Sardos |
The Ostler, Surich |
The Serving Girl, Felia |
The Serving Girl, Taliem |
The Laundress, Sarach |
Layout of the Inn |
Cellar |
Ground Floor |
First Floor |
Common Guests |
Story Hooks
Standard information
| Name: | The Blue Bell
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| Location: | A drunken stagger starboard of the Geda pier
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| Settlement: | Geda, Kingdom of Chybisa
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| Proprietor: | Petry of Losk
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| Size: | 6
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| Quality: | **
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| Prices: | Average
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| Number of floors: | 2
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| Material: | Fieldstone on ground floor, timber framed first floor
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| Roof material: | Thatch
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The Blue Bell is situated near the base of the Geda pier making it a popular stop for bargemen and other river traffic. The inn is also popular with many townsfolk and has a well deserved reputation for drunken brawls and the availability of prostitutes. The name of the inn originates from a river barge once captained by the original owner. A simple blue bell hangs from a peg above the main door of the inn and is sounded whenever a vessel docks at the pier.
The ground floor of the Blue Bell is constructed of common granite fieldstone and shows the scars of having several additions, windows and doorways cut and then refilled with stone and motor. The joints between the boulders were recently touched up by a mason in exchange for his lodging. The second story is "new" and framed in stout oak timber filled with plaster tinted a pale blue. Windows on the ground and upper floors are small and covered by unpainted shutters during cool or windy nights.
The main entry to the inn is through a pair of large double doors which face the Geda pier. The sturdy double doors are constructed of reinforced oak and appear newly constructed in contrast to the rest of the ground floor. The main floor of the inn is raised a foot above ground level and is accessible by climbing three wooden steps.
The small ostlery is located on the western end of the inn and has space for 6 horses. When the ostlery is full, the remaining horses spend the night in an tiny adjacent, rail fenced yard. The small gift of a jug of ale to the ostler can ensure your horse spends the evening inside the ostlery.
The original building the Blue Bell now occupies was constructed of fieldstone in 460TR and once served as a river traffic toll house. In 512TR, the toll house was converted to a tavern financed by Hethros of Amberos, the captain of a barge responsible for shipping supplies from Burzyn to Geda. His partner directed the daily business of the tavern until his death seven years later. The Amberos Clan turned to running the tavern full time, eventually converting it to a small inn and then passing it to successive family members until it was sold in 689TR to Petral of Losk.
The west and east wings of the inn were built of daub and wattle in 690TR and later rebuilt of stone in 707TR after spring flooding washed away much of the "new" walls. Petral's son, Petry of Losk, took over operation of the Blue Bell in 708 TR when his father died of fever. The second story was added in 709TR by the carpenter Eharis of Thay. Eharis died mysteriously while nearing the completion of the work and an inquiry revealed his death was due to a fall. Persistent rumors suggest Eharis was unpaid for much of the work completed on the upper floor at the time of his death.
Petry married Xedral of Parnam in 710TR and has three sons aged 10, 9 and 8 who assist their mother and father with inn related chores. Petry is currently trying to arrange to have his eldest son apprentice with Mordes of Starin, the owner of Geda's Drybridge Inn. Mordes is more than a little suspicious of Petry's motives.
Petry has ambitious plans for further expansion of the Blue Bell, possibly involving the purchase of other inns in Geda. Petry is not necessarily cruel to his staff and family as much as stern. He expects complete obedience from his staff and family and will not stand for flippancy. He loves his wife and children dearly and will do almost anything to protect them from harm. His wife does know that the operation of the inn is Petry's first concern, with his family running a distant second. Petry's staff are a motley collection of persons of questionable character who seem to respond well to his disciplined manner. His generous rewards to his staff for work well done, probably tempers most ill feelings they harbor towards him. More than one staff member has stormed out of the inn in a furious screaming match with Petry to return to work the following day.
The Blue Bell is regularly frequented by local craftsmen, bargemen and farmers. Mercenaries and guards from caravan and river traffic fill the inn to bursting during the spring and fall seasons. Petry makes a point of ensuring all the needs of his guests are met and his hospitality towards river traffic is well known. His serving girls are very friendly.
The Blue Bell offers a wide range of accommodations for the weary traveler. Petry's rates are charged by the room and guests can sleep as many to a bed as they prefer. Laundry services are available for a modest fee. Guests can require assistance while bathing from any serving girl after suitable negotiations with Sardos, Petry's barman. Sardos's rates of charge are reasonable and he loves to haggle.
The Room rates are:
| Overnight stay on the common room floor | 1f / night
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| Guest room | 5f / night
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| Suite | 10f / night
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| Candle and wash basin | 2f / night
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| Laundry services | 2f / person
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| Hot bath | 3f / person
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| Hot bath with a back scrub | 6f / person
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| Prostitute | variable (2-4d / night)
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| Stabling | 2f / night
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The saloon offers locally brewed ale and cider often served with a meal or on its own. A small selection of imported wines are available but these are rarely consumed by the regulars and more often sold to travelers for consumption on the road. Petry's special Pier Ale is slightly salty and smells strangely fishy. All drinks are sold by the pint.
Food is served as long as the kitchen is open, usually from dawn to midnight. Petry's wife specializes in the preparation of local freshwater fish (eels, salmon and trout) and waterfowl (duck and goose). Meals can be prepared for the traveling at a small additional charge.
The drink list includes:
| Pier Ale | 1f / pint
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| Blue Bell Cider | 3f / pint
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| Masthead Mead | 2f / pint
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| Red Torrent Wine (Imported) | 7f / pint
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| Iced White Wine (Imported) | 9f / pint
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| Apple(?) Brandy | 12d / pint
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| Drinks for the road | add 1f / pint
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The set meal of assorted pottages, bread, cheese and pasties is agreeable to most folk. For those with more discriminating palettes the kitchen will do its best to create requested meals at a premium price with enough advanced notice.
Petry purchases supplies of fresh fish and fowl from anyone willing to provide it. Fish and eels are often bought from bargemen in exchange for a drink or two instead of silver. The origins of the occasional piece of venison which crosses the menu is a secret most frequenters of the inn wish to keep well hidden. The remainder of the inn's dried goods and supplies are purchased in bulk from the local Chandler Wylim of Pique or grown in the vegetable garden to the south of the inn.
Xedral is a cook of some skill making a single fish stretch over several meals if needed. Her cooking is hampered by a lack of quality ingredients. A large ox is cooked on the 1st of each month followed by a large pig and ewe on the 15th. These meats are served as long as supplies last after which, only fish is available. Fish is always served in at least one meal of the day and most meals include a small bit of cheese and bread. Meal portions are large, hot and usually served on a edible trencher of day old bread rather than a plate. Regular patrons will order "The Fishes" or "The Birds" in reference to the set meal. Pottage and soup are served in blue glazed earthen bowls with spoons; dinner knives are available upon request.
The meals generally available include some of:
| Set Fishes Trencher Meal: Cook's Pottage, Cook's pastie and cheese | 5f
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| Set Birds Trencher Meal: Cook's Roast, Cook's pastie and cheese | 6f
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| River Pottage: Eel, Salmon or mixed fish | 3f
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| Land Pottage: Beef, Pork or mixed meats | 4f
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| Pasties: Trout, Salmon or Venison | 1f/each
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| Soup: Vegetable or Barley | 1f
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| Mash: Bean or Pea | 2f
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| Roast: Goose or Duck | 4f
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| Green cheese and bread | 2f
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| Fruit | 1f
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| Food for the road | add 1f/meal
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There are 5 employees who live and work here along with the Losk family.
Petry's origins are unknown at best. He was adopted at the age of three by a childless Petral of Losk in the port city of Thay, Melderyn. After acquiring his journeyman status as an innkeeper in Thay, he moved to Geda in 711TR to rejoin his new father and mother. Petry assisted his father running the Blue Bell until his parents died of fever and he inherited The Blue Bell. Petry does not often speak of his parents except to say they were kinder by far to him then ever his birth parents were.
Petry is a short, stocky man in his mid thirties, barely 5' tall and 140 lbs who speaks with a slight accent, possibly Orbaalese. His diminutive stature is the opposite of his courage and fierce determination to succeed. He is strong and agile for his size and has personally tossed trouble makers out on their ear if they start a brawl that actually damages a piece of his property. "Brawls are best fought in the muddy streets" is Petry's personal motto and he has demonstrated his skill at wrestling in the mud on more than one occasion. Petry does not drink alcohol. He prefers to snack on Xedral's pasties instead.
It is well known to the locals that weapons are not permitted in the saloon and Petry encourages such items to be left at home or with the barkeep. He does not carry a weapon on his person, though a stout oak staff rests menacingly behind the bar. Petry loves a good story during the dinner hour and pays those with skill anywhere from 1-10d (plus guest tips) if his guests are suitably entertained. Singers, musicians and dancers are less loved by folks at the inn and Petry lets the general lack of tips speak for themselves for such entertainment.
Xedral is a beautiful tall woman (5'10") in her early thirties equipped with a quick wit and sharp tongue. She has long black hair (often bundled into a tight bun) and cream colored skin, often covered in a thin layer of flour from the tremendous amount of baking she does. She is in total command of the cooking and even Petry knows his place when he enters the organized chaos of the tiny kitchen.
Like her husband, she does not drink and loves a good story, listening carefully while at the entrance to the kitchen. She will often reward a good story with a pastie of venison (without Petry's knowledge). Xedral knows most of the gossip of Geda though she herself is reluctant to contribute to such nonsense.
The three boys aged 10, 9 and 8 are dark haired, fair skinned and fast on their way to growing taller than their father. Peri, the eldest, assists his father with brewing and his mother with carving meats. Pachle, the youngest, is the delegated pot stirrer and vegetable cutter. Paulin constantly splits wood from the pile feeding a steady supply to the cooking fires while assisting his mother with baking. All three boys take turns wandering through the saloon looking for patrons concealing weapons which they then report to their father.
Sardos is a tall, barrel chested man some six feet in height with flame red hair. A former bargeman, Petry hired Sardos after he lost his left foot in an accident. Sardos has a wooden foot (purchased by Petry) but also uses a crutch to hobble around the inn. Only new visitors to the inn are fooled by his scam since he has a demonstrated ability to run across the floor while swinging his crutch overhead as a staff to settle arguments involving knives.
Sardos is responsible for preparing drinks. He handles money matters related to assisted baths and prostitutes (one and the same) and monitors who goes upstairs. He will not drink the Pier Ale that he serves and is very loyal to Petry receiving a share of the prostitutes profits.
Surich of Yarlith, claims to be a former ferryman when sober and ostler to Ulaed Tesael (the former Baron of Geda) when intoxicated. He is an alcoholic, and when drunk becomes arrogant and violent. He treats the animals under his care well enough, but only because of the threat of his dismissal by Petry. The locals know that Surich is one man to avoid getting intoxicated. Surich smells strongly of horse dung except on the first of the month when he bathes or when he happens to be caught in the rain. He relies on Petry to hold his earnings and he sleeps where ever he happens to fall in the night.
Felia is an "experienced" woman in her late twenties with short red hair and green eyes. Claiming to hail from Burzyn, she arrived on Petry's doorstep looking for work as a serving lass. Sardos knew the woman from his days as a bargeman and she was soon hired. Felia is a hard worker who can maintain a smile while an icy hand is placed on her leg. She politely redirects most guests to Sardos who generally arranges for Taliem or Sarach to entertain them for an hour or so. Felia will, on occasion, entertain guests who appear to be able to pay handsomely for her skills.
Taliem is a gossip at heart and enjoys sitting on a guests lap for extended periods of time, all the while shaking with laughter at what ever is said. Taliem is in her early twenties with long brown hair loosely tied with a yellow ribbon and hazel eyes. She appears much younger (by design) making her a very popular girl with the guests. She spends little time actually serving tables and is an important source of information regarding customers for Petry and a supplier of gossip for Xedral.
Sarach spends most of her time as a laundress washing the inns bedding and guests clothing. Her secondary duties as a chambermaid has her replacing bedding every third day and occasionally sweeping the inn. She is a bright, cheery woman in her mid twenties with blond hair and brown eyes. She often dresses in a long pale blue wool skirt and a white linen blouse. Sarach often performs bath scrubbing services for guests once arrangements are made with Sardos.
The inn is the second largest in Geda and easily seen from the Geda pier northeast of the inn. The windmill immediately to the north of the inn attracts a fair number of onlookers from the Burzyn Road who find themselves greeted by charming serving girls from the nearby Blue Bell Inn.
Floor Plan (Gif - 1024x621 B&W - 17kb)
The cellar (1) ceiling was raised a foot in 701TR but is still little more than a crawl space 4' high beneath the kitchen. The walls are of stone but the floor is packed earth. High groundwater levels next to the river prevent Petry from digging the floor deeper. Every spring, flooding in the basement forces Petry to shift his stored goods to the two guest rooms on the main floor. The cellar is where Petry brews his ales, meads, ciders and waters his wine "imported" from Thay. The room is cool year round and most goods are stored on blocks of wood to prevent damage from minor flooding during heavy rains. Only Petry and his family members are permitted access to the cellar.
The ground floor of the Blue Bell is raised a foot above street level to keep rain water flowing out rather than in. Six rooms occupy this floor. A large common room (2) with seven foot ceilings, a bar, fireplace and stairs occupy the central area of the inn. Two small guest rooms are located in the east wing of the inn and the kitchen (3) and family quarters (4) are located in the west wing of the inn. The ostlery (5) is separated from the family quarters/kitchen by a solid stone wall and is only accessible from its own set of exterior double doors. A side door to the garden is located at the foot of the stairs.
The common room is where all alcohol and food is served. Two large benches fill one side of the room with round tables spaced to fill the remaining area. A small table by the side door (with a view of the kitchen, bar and common room) is normally occupied by Petry either doing his bookkeeping or teaching his sons to read and write. Meals can be taken to rooms if desired; but guests are required to come down to the kitchen and get them, unless a serving girl is paid to fetch their dinner. The guest rooms in the east wing are simple with single beds with a small table.
The bar is well stocked with ale, mead and cider. Wine and brandy are kept under lock and key in the kitchen. Drinks, other than ale, will generally not be served without a meal before noon.
The kitchen in the west wing of the inn has its walls lined with shelves of dried, pickled, smoked and salted meats and vegetables. A large table in the center of the kitchen is a hub of activity ranging from carving and chopping to pastry rolling. The table also covers the trapdoor leading to the cellar. The fireplace over which Xedral performs her culinary feats is covered with pots hanging from bars which criss cross the flames. A tiny oven on the side of the fireplace seems far too small to produce the immense number of baked goods required for the inns meals.
A door along the north wall of the kitchen leads to the families private living space. A single room with a double bed for the parents and a set of bunk beds for the children are separated by a small desk at which Petry works on private ledgers and accounting. The sounds of horses in the ostlery to the west are muffled by a stone wall.
The first floor is divided into five guest suites (6), a bathing area (7) and accommodations for staff (8). Most suites contain a double bed, chamber pot and either a table or writing desk with two chairs or stools. The suites in the east wing are slightly larger than those in the west wing, with the added feature of not being located over the ostlery. The bathing room contains extra bedding on shelves and facilities for one bather (in a large wine barrel). A large rectangular room in the north east corner of the second floor houses the three female staff members in beds separated with heavy curtains; Sardos can often be found sharing Feliea's bed located closest to the door. A fireplace just outside the bathing room is used to heat the water and warm the second floor. Guests who do not request heated bricks to be placed at the foot of their beds should leave their doors open to let in heat during cold evenings; this of course is the standard invitation used by guests who would like the company of a staff member for an hour or two.
Lorins of Kutnit, Woodcrafter from Geda. Lorins provided wood for the second floor of the inn when it was constructed and drinks here with his friend Barne of Aylum during evenings and rainy days.
Denyl of Utren, Miller from Geda. Denyl operates the windmill to the north of the Blue Bell and often conducts business at the table nearest the main door. While milling he will dash over for a quick ale or two before heading back to check on his work.
Barne of Aylum, Tent Maker from Geda. Barne drinks here with his friend Lorrins of Kutnit.
Wylim of Piques, Chandler from Geda. Wylim provides Petry with the bulk of his dried goods and other supplies and enjoys sitting in the Blue Bell watching the serving girls. He is fairly harmless unless a guest of the inn spends too much time fondling Sarach in public, at which point he begins a brawl. He is careful not to break furniture or damage the inn. The new oak doors of the inn were his gift to Petry to replace those he damaged while using the head of a guest to explain how not to treat Sarach.
Wymne of Youtrl, Yeoman from Geda. Wymne is a young, unwed, and handsome free farmer. He is new to Geda and he spends his time drinking mead at the inn as a source of entertainment. Wymne is looking for a wife and is hoping for a suitable woman to arrive through the Blue Bell's door. He is not interested in the services of the serving girls which makes him an irresistible target of Taliem.
The Blue Bell is the perfect place for a brawl between drunken bargemen and townsfolk sparked by the abuse of one of the nice serving girls.
The volume of river and caravan traffic entering Geda allows for a variety of visitors to arrive unexpectedly.
The rumors over the death of Eharis of Thay in 711TR persist and gossip hints that Xedral (Petry's wife) is actually Eharis's younger sister looking for proof of Petry's involvement in the death of her brother.
Is Surich of Yarlith, actually the former ostler to Ulaed Tesael (the previous Baron of Geda)? If he is, why is he here?
Petry was gone for some 8 years on his apprenticeship and journeyman training in Thay. Some folk question whether he is the adopted son of Petral or an imposter who killed the real Petry in Thay. Gossip even goes so far as to suggest Petry was a member of the Orbaalese force involved in the Rape of Thay.
Copyright June 20, 1998, J.W. Holland-Hibbert
