Greatrock Tavern

Greatrock Tavern, Whyndon

A visitor from another universe may describe this little tavern as unassuming and completely ordinary, aside from, perhaps, the constant flow of visitors to the establishment. However, Greatrock Tavern is considered sacred to patrons, owners, and regular citizens of Aracanus all alike, both for the fact that it is owned by two demigods, and for the fact that it is where their great journey to resurrect Gaia began.

Before the Resurrection of Gaia

Situated in the once-small town of Whyndon, the Greatrock Tavern was originally built and owned by Elthark Greatrock, known to others as "Poppop" for his fatherly nature. It is the first, and current, known residence of Jimmy NoShoes, Elemental Hero of Air, as she was adopted by Elthark Greatrock early in her orphan life.
The tavern was built by a small team to Elthark's specifications, with Elthark himself chipping in on a large majority of the work. He chose strong wood for his building, the rock that he used for the walls was purchased from his own family business, under the name "Rhoda Steelrunner" as a close friend of Elthark's. The Greatrock mining family were unaware that their disowned family member was using their work to create his own dream.
After its construction, the Greatrock Tavern and Inn became something of a local hotspot to the small town, and a haunt for journeying travelers making their way through on their journeys, often between Silverkeep and Pyreglass. It is this appeal that drew in the travelers, Rula, Elvanlice, and Abel. Elthark Greatrock's connection to the will of the Original God through the Circle of Fortune allowed the Greatrock Tavern to bear witness to the original joining of four of the five Elemental Heroes, and for this, the tavern is hailed today as a historic, protected site, the core of the city of Whyndon.

After the Resurrection of Gaia

Following the completion of their quest, and the restoration of magic to the world of Aracanus, Elemental Heroes Rula and Jimmy NoShoes returned to the Greatrock Tavern to live with Elthark. After the two got married, a service conducted in the tavern by Rhoda Steelrunner, Elthark signed them in as the future owners of the tavern, and they worked beside him until his death, when they became the joint owners of the Greatrock Tavern.
The Tavern became a central point to the town, and as it is owned by Elemental Heroes, it began to attract visitors. The town slowly grew into a bustling city, with the Greatrock Tavern being a favourite location especially to celebrate The Day of the Water. The tradition of the day in Greatrock Tavern stretches the hospitality of its owners, as Rula and Jimmy hand out a free drink to anyone that comes through their doors.
Respects are paid to the demigods here through the offering of humanitarian services, including the services of healers and shelters for free around both the city and the country, a noticeboard kept by Rula to the right of the door. Travelling musicians also come to this tavern to play, believing firstly that providing the musical entertainment to the Patron of all Bards is a privilege, and that playing here will imbue them with her divine skills. Often, this is the case- musical acts that Jimmy deems worthy are frequently gifted with fragments of her power, benefiting them in whichever way she sees them struggling, from luck to dexterity to curing their insomnia.

Religious Celebration

"You wanna go to Greatrock Tavern? I heard the service there is divine."

Whilst not sacred in a traditional sense, the Greatrock Tavern is considered such by the people of Aracanus, as one of the only remaining original buildings from thousands of years prior, preserved partially by magic, and partially by the community work of the Elemental Heroes and the city folk, repairing faults, utilising the magics gifted to them by the Heroes to fix the preservation of their memory.
On the Day of the Water, the Greatrock Tavern becomes a consistent flow of patrons, drinking to the celebration of Rula, and despite the fact that the drinks of the day are free, money pools in the tavern anyway. This money is collected for charities, another core belief of the Patron of Protectors, Rula, and distributed to various supported campaigns across the country.
On the Day of the Air, the Tavern becomes the central stage of a city-wide music festival, with Rula and Jimmy providing significant prizes for the victors of a musical talent contest, and a skateboard contest, both hosted by Jimmy herself, and judged by the five Elemental Heroes. This is one of the few days that all five demigods can be found together, in the tavern where everything began.

Type

Pub / Tavern / Restaurant