Copper Rat Tavern

At A Glance

A peculiar sight catches your eye: a building constructed of brown brick - strangely square - refuses to blend in with the surrounding edifices made of wood and stucco with angular, gable rooftops. Perhaps in the Market Ward, the building would not be such a bizarre sight, and yet here in Rivergate, it looks rather off. A slew of windows seems to lack reason from the outside as some seem to be on different elevations than others, lacking symmetry. Stairs ride up the hill to the second floor whilst down on the street, an ivory-white door is wide open. To contrast the filthiness of the brick, a large banner with the words "COPPER RAT TAVERN" hangs above the door. Within, the little amount of light creates a broody atmosphere. To the east is a group of tables and chairs that are filled with colorful characters that toss dice, laugh, and spill beer about the place. To the west is a large bar illuminated by a few lanterns hung by chains in the ceiling. A gruff and unkept man cleans a wooden mug and looks over at you. "You buyin' somethin' or ya just gonna stand around like a git?"

First Impressions

The Copper Rat is far from a classy establishment. The place smells like smoke and alcohol and the owner looks as though he imbibes far too much of each. Raymod Quinn is a mean and portly fellow nearing his fifties. He has a prominent widow's peak and a patchy gray mustache on his sour face. People know not to chat with Quinn lest they want him to speak in obscenities to them. A young woman that has similar features to Quinn keeps her distance from him as she serves people drinks. The two hardly speak and the tension in the air is incredibly obvious. Paisley Quinn is the only daughter of Raymod and, with a sense of obligation, she helps the old codger by working as a server, for the last five Quinn hired walked out on him and never came back.

The drinks taste of urine and the place is so dark it allows for plenty of rats to scurry by unnoticed, hence the name.

- Ainsley Marshman, Rivergate Watch

Some of the seediest people in the Ward frequent this place with the intention of bartering illegal goods, plotting schemes, and selling information. Most decent folk tend to avoid the Rat and advise newcomers to do the same. The chances of getting mugged or threatened within the area of the Copper Rat are so incredibly high, that even the guard advises people not to enter the neighborhood that it is in, as many watchmen have been attacked for just responding to calls for help. Violence and barfights are incredibly common as Raymod oftentimes encourages them and sometimes even gets himself involved. Raymod detests the idea of having to clean up broken chairs, blood, or ale, so he insists that Paisley does "her job" by doing it for him.

Clients

People that frequent the Copper Rat know that the only appeal of the tavern is the fact that other people like them also come here often. The ale is watered down to the point where it tastes like flavored rainwater and no food is served inside. Any sort of higher-end liquor is priced so incredibly high that only the thugs that have coin burning holes in their pockets would even consider having a shot of it. Some of the patrons remember when this tavern was brand new. Raymod took ownership of the pub after his father passed away six or so years ago. Since then, he has seemingly done his best to ruin its reputation for being a tavern popular with the Rivergate watch. Now, only thieves and ne'er-do-wells frequent the place.

Yes, the drinks here are dreadful and so are the patrons. The only reason I come by is to collect what I'm owed from Quinn.

- Ismael Aldonado, Debt Collecter

It is no surprise to anyone to find that Quinn is in an extremely poor financial situation. His tavern hardly brings in enough money to keep oil in his lanterns and it certainly does not earn enough to pay off the compounding debt that he keeps growing with his gambling addiction. Ismael Aldonado comes by each week to see if he has scrounged up enough money to cover what is owed. The vexingly tall man is always incredibly out of place when he comes to collect. The patrons go silent and stop their conversations to look at the nicely dressed fellow that is well over six feet tall with a firm, yet young look about his face. He pushes his spectacles up the bridge of his nose and speaks the same words each time, "your payment, sir."

Services

Despite the atmosphere, Paisley does her best to treat customers that are kind well. She serves cheap, horrible ale and apologizes for its quality to newcomers. There are no rooms and no food being cooked and served. Paisley is kind enough to encourage people that do not know about the reputation of this place to leave. While it is not exactly provided by Quinn himself, many of the patrons play games of chance about the pub and encourage new people to play with them so that they may cheat and steal from the unsuspecting.

Who's Who & History

Raymod Quinn
Raymod is a bitter and resentful man who clings on tightly to his younger years. In his youth, he brags about being a master thief. A thief so great, in fact, that all of the stealing that he did helped him purchase this shoddy pub. Much to his chagrin, his daughter constantly reminds him that he was never a thief. At best, he was a pickpocket as a boy. This does not stop him from insisting that he was the legendary thief "The Black Heron". He spins tales about stealing from the richest people in the city before deciding to retire and open a tavern. To many, Raymod is just a fabulist who pretends that his youth was filled with exciting adventure when, in reality, he was nothing more than a spoiled child who inherited the Copper Rat from his father. This, however, hasn't stopped him from displaying his collection of "thieves' tools" and supposed "Black Heron" paraphernalia about the pub and behind the bar.

Rumors & Secrets

Contents

Type

Pub / Tavern / Restaurant

Parent Location

Rivergate Ward

Owner

Raymod Quinn