The Green Wyvern, Shiran


Standard information

Name of the Inn:The Green Wyvern
Location of the Inn:Near Mandain Bridge and Caer Shira
Settlement:Shiran, Thardic Republic
Propieter's name:Orsin of Nemirina
Size:6
Quality:****
Price:high+
Number of floors:2
Construction material:Stone at street level, Wood above
Roof material:Tile

On this page: Introduction | Description of building | History | Business | Rate of charges | Bar tariff | Menu | Layout | Ground floor | Upper floor | Cellar | Outbuildings | NPCs |


Introduction

"Freemaster ostler, Urdel of Sarth. This is Shiran's best tavern, the preferred stop for gentlefolk." Cities of Harn, p. Shiran 3

The Green Wyvern is the preferred stop for Shiran's gentlefolk, and there are a lot of them in Shiran. There are even more people who want to seem to be of that class, and appearances are expensive. Orsin does not make it any easier for them; his prices ensure that only the wealthy can afford to visit often.

Shiran is detailed in the Columbia Games publication Cities of Harn

Description of Building

The building is neat and well-constructed, with whitewashed stone walls at street level, and a half-timbered second floor. At night, the diamond-paned windows flicker with a warm light, and the sounds of merriment burst forth whenever the heavy wooden door is opened. Green shutters carved with silhouettes of the inn's namesake lie flat against the whitewashed walls. The entrance is through a heavy ornately-carved door that faces the Caer Shira. In a pinch, a slender human could fit through either of the two streetside or the two stableside windows if the lead strips separating the diamond panes were removed, but the windows down the alley side are little more than arrow slits, existing solely for ventilation.

The roof is pitched toward the alley and the river, and is covered with interlocking scalloped red terra cotta tiles. The damp climate has caused a mildew to grow on some of the tiles on the northern (alley-side) slope - for two days after a rain this portion of the roof is very slippery and treacherous to would-be roof-climbers. To make matters worse, the tile roof, while attractive, rattles terribly when the common local storks land upon it, with a high probability of waking a sleeper in a room below. Orsin claims this to be a security feature.

The stable and exercise area are small but well-used, and Orsin is very concerned about the work ethic of Gonzo "Stinky" of Carother, the nightsoil gatherer who takes away the manure for sale to farmers beyond the river. Alas, Stinky does not come by as regularly as he had promised, and on more than one occasion Orsin has had to send a local lad up to the Rafters' Inn to retrieve him.

A shingle with a green wyvern flying above the thistle of the Innkeepers' Guild juts out into Tharda Way, secured by chains to a stout iron bracket above the door.

History

Orsin has held this inn for as long as anyone can remember, and his father and grandfather on his mother's side held it before that. The Green Wyvern has a reputation for excellent food and drink that has not changed since the days of the Thardic League. As far as anyone knows, there has never been a serious crime committed on the premises that was not solved immediately and answered with swift and harsh justice. It helps that many of the movers and shakers of Shiran like to pass their time here, and many business agreements are made in the comfortable and secure confines of the common room. There are many people in town who want to ensure the Green Wyvern keeps its reputation as a safe place to do business. If there were a theft or other crime committed at the Green Wyvern, it is certain that Orsin could rely on the help of his powerful connections to get the best detective talent available.

Business

Many of the high-stakes business deals in Shiran are made in the opulent comfort of the Crimson Palace or the House of Seven Joys, but the Green Wyvern is popular among those who find those establishments uncomfortable or distracting. It is especially popular among the local Laranians and Save-Knorrans, and those tradesmen and mercantylers who cannot afford the high price of a visit to the courtesans.

The door is guarded at all times by an enormous, silent scar-faced ex-gladiator called only Scar. He is always there, and never tires. A careful observer will notice that sometimes the scar is over his left eye and cheek, and other times over the right. This is because Scar is actually twins who were bought by Orsin long ago as slaves for the arena. When they grew too old for the Pamesani games, they were given the easy and comfortable job of bouncer for the inn. Their skills are excellent, but their strength and agility are a little off their peak. It is their sheer bulk and menace that deters most would-be violent patrons.

Orsin keeps a fabulous wine cellar, and his taste is admired by many. Pinel of Dyr, a luxury mercantyler who specializes in pleasure slaves, is also Shiran's foremost importer of wines from the countries around the Venarian Sea. He has a long-standing arrangement with Orsin whereby the Green Wyvern gets the first pick of any wines and luxury foods that Pinel acquires, and Orsin discretely recruits daughters of patrons who find themselves in financial straits. (Selling one's children into slavery is perfectly legal in Shiran, although there are those who consider it unethical.) There are always a few regulars who spend far more than they can afford to, in the effort to look like they belong to a class higher than their own.

Also on the menu at the Green Wyvern are a few recreational drugs, primarily opiates from far-off lands. The drugs are processed by apothecary Lashta of Frisel, (who also provides the drugs used by Horbeth of Emylis, silversmith, mastermind of the Iracu silver conspiracy, regular patron of the Green Wyvern, and good friend of Orsin). Occasional mishaps are often corrected by Chrinsa of Aquil, a local physician who specializes in the ailments of the wealthy. This is not a free service; an emergency call will be answered within 30 minutes (even if he is tending another patient, if the other patient has a lower credit rating), but the charge is at least 100d. The fact that the same types of conflicts always arise makes it easy for him to have the correct cure ready, so if he succeeds in his diagnosis (89% for overdoses and bad reactions to drug/alcohol mixtures), his treatment skill is 99%.

Rate of Charges

Sleeping in the common room 4d / night
Sleeping in a private upstairs room 12d / night
Use of a private upstairs room during the day 4d / hour
A meal and wine provided to a private room 12d / couple
Provision of water jug and bowl of scented water free
Provision of a blanket or a pillow free
Provision of a lantern and oil free

Bar Tariff

(All drinks are served in beautiful glass tankards and specialty wine glasses.)
Green Wyvern Pale Ale, bitter and strong1f
Halea's Golden Heart Brown Ale, mild, easy-drinking2f
Checkmate Kandayan Cider, sparkling and dry3f
Habe's Pride Authentic Khuzan Stout, robust flavor, potent1d
Mekonem Red Wine (Meloda/Emelrene), sweet, acidic, vibrant1d
Velenby Pyment Red Honey-Wine (Liguno/Palithane), warming and quaffable2d
Verelim White Wine (Montivel/Shorkyne), sweet, crisp, refreshing2d
Quemela Red Wine (Korun/Trierzon), young, light, fruity3d
Dragon Rampant Mead (Densey Valley/Hurisea), sweet, spicy, strong4d
Kolabae Red Wine (Luindar/Palithane), dry and velvety4d
Lamun Red Wine (Beronium/Trierzon), rich, robust, big6d
Meluva White Wine (Hedames/Trierzon), crisp, flinty8d
Duccithaulero Red Wine (Hebos/Azeryan), robust, spicy, warm12d
Stolen Sunfire Hepekerian Brandy60d

Menu

Pork and Prune Pie1d
Roast Capon basted in 7-Herb Butter with Spinach Sauce2d
Lake Benath White Fish and Cracked Wheat Pie3d
Smoked Cod Baked in Custard4d
Duck Eggs Poached in Venison Broth with White Bread5d
Twin Hares in Mulberry Jelly6d
Saddle of Veal with White Truffles and Honeyed Pears7d
Roast Goose stuffed with Roast Pheasant Stuffed with Roast Quail8d
Smoked Ham of Hefiosa Boar in Vinegar-Mustard Sauce9d
Roast Peacock with Wild Berry Dressing and Spicy Almond Pepper Sauce10d

Description of Layout

Plan of Inn (by Jarold Holland-Hibbert)

Ground Floor

The inside of the Green Wyvern is comfortably dark and filled with the smells of good food, fine wines, and expensive perfumes. A low murmur of voices comes from different corners of the room, where small groups of two to four men sit talking, eating, drinking, and gambling. A flight of stairs runs from the middle of the common area upward to the left, with a kitchen space beneath it and facing the wall to the stable-yard. This leaves the common room in a backward "C" shape around the kitchen/stairs, creating many corners for quiet conversation. Against the short southern wall on either side of the stone fireplace rest many wine casks, their tops facing the room and branded with labels in strange scripts. The walls are bare but for occasional hooks for cloaks and hats.

Upper Floor

The upstairs area includes six private rooms of varying sizes, some with beds and others with tables and comfortable chairs and a station for a scribe. The rooms are uniformly tasteful and comfortable, and the walls are hung with heavy tapestries on rickety poles (5/6 of falling if tapestry is moved). It is hard to hear anything through the walls.

Cellar

The cellar is filled with hundreds of shillings worth of wines, drugs, spices, and preserved foods from all across western Lythia. Movement is difficult, but Orsin manages with surprising agility. The cellar is accessed through a trapdoor beneath the cutting board in the kitchen, via a stout ladder. Getting anything out of the cellar is a two-man job. Orsin also keeps his records in a small desk down here, with a small oil lamp. His journal in particular, lists names and dates of many things he has heard, some of which could cause serious trouble to important people in Shiran.

Outbuilding

The large outbuilding houses the stable and the ostler's quarters. The stable area is often quite fragrant, especially if Stinky has been derelict in his duties.

NPCs

Name: Orsin of Nemirina

Sex: Male

Age: 46

Occupation: Innkeeper, cook, wine connoisseur

Guild Status: Freemaster

Class: Free

Appearance: Portly, efficient, respectful

Clothing: Green Emelrene linen tunic, with white embroidery, covered with nondescript apron

Equipment: A dirty rag

Weapons: Powerful friends

Personality: Industrious, self-assured, discrete

Home: Right here

History: Apprenticed here, works here, will die here.

Skills: Cooking 115%, Epicureanism 90%

Combat: Call Scar

Remarks: A wine snob in the right town. Secretly hopes to one day leave the inn to Bruessi, who will be freed upon Orsin's death (Bruessi doesn't know this).


Name: Florinda

Sex: Female

Age: 47

Occupation: Orsin's lazy second wife

Guild Status: None

Class: Free

Appearance: A fading beauty, still competing hard with every courtesan in town. She should give up.

Clothing: Fine red silk blouse and unnecessarily tight white hose show off her increasingly ample figure, to Orsin's embarrassment.

Equipment: Feminine guile

Weapons: A razor-sharp tongue

Personality: Bitter and vindictive, terrible gossip, social climber, tries to be a charmer

Home: Right here

History: Once a stunning beauty, age has not treated her well. Never had children, but secretly wishes she had,and still tries. Accustomed to being the center of attention, she's not above flirting with an innocent traveller to incite Orsin's jealousy.

Skills: Those she learned in the Halean church. Gossip 74%

Combat: Only verbal

Remarks: Orsin is truly in love with her, far more than she deserves.


Name: Bruessi of Pitown

Sex: Male

Age: 24

Occupation: Server

Guild Status: None

Class: Slave

Appearance: Neat and muscular

Clothing: Fine white linen tunic, black hose, a white towel over one arm

Equipment: A charming smile

Weapons: He's a mean hand with a corkscrew

Personality: Flaming homosexual, but he really knows his wines and foods, and is especially attentive to any attractive male PC. He's always up for romance with a bottle of wine by the fireplace. He loves to hear tales of adventure and derring-do, and is especially attracted to Laranian knights.

Home: Upstairs from the (covert) temple of Naveh. He doesn't like his neighbors. They're creepy.

History: A local all his life. Worked for awhile as a guard/pleasure slave at the Halean temple, but was bought by Orsin for his knowledge of luxury goods.

Skills: Excellent taste: 90%, Anticipating customer's needs: 85%

Combat: Unarmed 77%, Knife (or corkscrew) 77%

Remarks: He is saving his money to buy his freedom, at which point he hopes to work for mercantyler Pinel of Dyr.


Name: Scar 1 & 2

Sex: Male

Age: 37

Occupation: Guard

Guild Status: None

Class: Slave

Appearance: Big, bald, scar-faced, ugly

Clothing: Tight black vest over tight black shirt, tight black hose, heavy shoes

Weapons: Blackjack

Personality: None

Home: With Bruessi in a little flat in town owned by Orsin.

History: Ex-gladiator slaves, now retired from the arena.

Skills: Dispose of Body in Thard Unnoticed: 78%

Combat: Unarmed combat 95% Blackjack 88%

Remarks: Both are mute. Sometimes patrons are careless in their speech around the brothers, thinking they must also be deaf. They aren't. They are very loyal to Orsin.


Name: Urdel of Sarth

Sex: Male

Age: 27

Occupation: Ostler

Guild Status: Freemaster

Class: Free

Appearance: Urdel's long face and big teeth give him an odd resemblance to one of his charges

Clothing: Brown linen tunic/black trim, black cap that he always wears to cover his balding head

Equipment: Typical ostler tools

Weapons: Hammer

Personality: Smarter than the horses he tends. Well, most of them. Very shy. Loves apples.

Home: A small room against the south wall of the stable.

History: Tried to get into the legion, but couldn't get along in a crowd.

Skills: Anything to do with horses: 85%. Most other skills: about half that.

Combat: Will valiantly defend the horses in his charge or anyone he knows from the inn, fighting with hammer, red-hot poker, or lasso, or throwing horseshoes with deadly accuracy.

Remarks: Bonds slowly to those who are kind to him.