The Golden Eye

Situated on Spannock Street and Torrin's Landing, in the heart of the tanneries, The Golden Eye does double duty as a second rate alehouse and a centre for the distribution of stolen goods. The landlord and staff turn a blind eye to these dealings and, it is rumoured will rent cellar space to those they trust.
Although the quality of the ale has never been good, the Golden Eye has a good location in the Tanneries and a lot of custom from the workers in the nearby tan houses - as much for the basic food as for the ale. The current landlord has begun to trade in distilled spirits, some of which his wife produces in house, and others of which are a minor trade along the river (the smaller volume being a big advantage for the river boatmen).
This makes The Golden Eye a good place to hear the gossip of the towns along the Durran though it does create an opportunity for conflict between the locals and the "boaties" - violence is not uncommon but the staff rarely need much incentive to weigh in and rumours abound of unfortunate happenings to those who get on the wrong side of the landlord and his staff.

Purpose / Function

Built as part of the redevelopment of the tanneries following the major fire of 893, The Golden Eye was originally four houses, which have since been merged into the present building by building over the yard between them. This has created a large central space as well as the ring of more private rooms where conversation and trading can go on.

Architecture

The design of the building is very much of the plain, brown brick pattern used in the 9th and 10th centuries for buildings in industrial and working class areas of Morton. The main central bar in the old yard is more ornate in its design and, though now the gold leaf is badly worn and the brasswork far from the mirror finish of its heyday is it still an unusually impressive interior.

History

Built in the late 890s it was almost certainly converted from houses to alehouse almost as soon as it was built. There are records in the Scribehall of an alehouse called "The Eye" in 900 operating across several houses at this junction and it seems likely that the yard was roofed over between then and 920, when The, now, Golden Eye was remarked on for its opulence.
Until 973 it was owned by the descendents of its first landlord, Anric Horster (a bargemaster originally from Kingsholm. In 973 it was bought by the Tithar of Castron as a property investment and the landlords since then have been his tenants.
It was after this sale that the Golden Eye's reputation began to descend for the Castron estate has always driven hard bargains and anyone taking on the tenancy has needed to have at least a couple of sidelines to make a decent living from it.

Alternative Names

Uncle's, That Place

Type

Inn

Assorted Rumours

It is widely believed that a tunnel runs from the cellars down to the river, and that this is used n the movement of goods of dubious provenance or bodies needing disposal of. Like the rest of the areas redeveloped after the fire of '93 it will be connected to the foul sewer, but the most likely truth behind the story is that the cellars also have a connection to the storm sewers.

The Morton Mogfish

Behind the main bar, mounted in a glass case is the largest well documented specimen of mogfish. Caught in 978 MD in the pool (the broadest part of the Durran River at Morton) it is a full armspan in length (twice the length of most) and was reported to weigh in at 250 porro when caught. Visible in its case from both sides it has been mounted with one side reconstructed from a cast taken the day after it was caught and the other left as the skeleton.
The tavern aquired it to write off the accumulated accounts of the crew of the "Long Sally" and despite the size of their tab it is said that, after selling its meat as "moggy butties" (fried slices of the fish served between two slices of buttered bread) the tavern was already well ahead of the game - and it now had a significant attraction to boost trade.