Juniper's Damned Alehouse

Where everyone is Welcome

In the middle of the Lonely Marshes, on one of the larger patches of dry land, stands an abandoned ruin. Looking at the surroundings, this building used to be a central point in these swamps. Many of little deserted roads and neglected bridges lead to this building of old.

Welcome to Juniper's Damned Alehouse! Home to the Dead, Dearly Departed, and Doom-Adjacent

No matter which life you have led, what atrocities you have committed, or what good you've brought to the world, here in Juniper's Damned Alehouse everyone gets treated equally. Our large stable can house any animal you ride, ranging from mice to mighty dragons. Our stable boys will take good care of them, as long as they don't get burned to a crisp or trampled to death. Fear not, they will return within a day if your animal decided it doesn't like them.

Watch out, contains sikrits!

Building

Upon approaching the forgotten building surrounded by morass, it is clear that it resembles what would have been a tavern with a large stable. The ruin itself is large, likely capable of housing many travellers. It is hard to determine the height of the building, but it seems at least two stories high. The influence of old magic still lingers in the area, indicating that multiple spells had been cast either upon the building or around it. On the ground, near what certainly would have been the door, lays a wooden slab still and untouched for many years. It reads an old and faded away Gnomish script.
The stable alongside the tavern has an enormous footprint on the ground. The plants and moss of the marsh have consumed the still standing small cobblestone walls. Two wooden support beams float in the air suggesting that the height of the roof was adjustable back in its hayday. The charred ends of the beams hint at a huge fire that could have led to the demise of the tavern.

In the bustling center of the Enormous Endless Expanse stands Juniper's Damned Alehouse. On the outside, it looks like a crooked two story building made out of cobblestone. The windows come in all shapes, sizes and positions with no real consistency to them. The roof is made off deep red mahabri wood which is on fire. The bright flames engulfing the wood, without damaging it, function as a beacon for wandering travellers. Above the doorway is a slab of wood onto which the name of the tavern is engraved.

Inside the Tavern

Inside, however, a whole different picture comes to life. An area, at least twice the surface than visible on the outside, is littered with tables and chairs, filling it to the brim with customers. It greets weary travellers with a pleasant atmosphere to wind down and relax.

Beware of seducing chairs!

In the center stands a large circular bar which top spirals up from the height of the smallest gnome to that of the tallest oaf. The enchanted sloped surface ensures that no drink or food slides off. On one end of the tavern is a small stage where entertainers frequently amuse the crowd with tricks and song.
Going up the stairs at the other end, reveals an endless set of stories to accommodate all travellers with a room and a bed. Each story resembles a part of the world to ensure that everyone can feel at home. It has also resulted in adventurers staying for longer than intended as these stories provide a safe way to explore new places.

Stables

Next to the tavern stands a large stable. Many stable boys run the place, taking care of all the riding animals that travellers bring along with them. They have magically altered the place so it scales to the beasts that they house. The stable has seen many animals in its life and has managed to adjust itself to the everlasting changes along with its stable boys.
Accidents happen frequently. One of the boys has been burned to a crisp multiple times by dragons, another one got trampled by a Tartoise. It is not unheard of that they "die" and return to their home. However, they will always travel back to the tavern to continue their duties once more.

Watch out, contains sikrits!

Beacon of Hope

Standing in the middle of the swamp with many roads and bridges leading to it, the tavern clearly served as a meeting ground of some sort. A few families still have documents with quests that either originated from this place or instructed people to go there. These are examples of two quests that involve the tavern.

My husband, Lucio, went out into the marsh in search for my lost pendant but he has been gone for three days now. I'm so worried. Will you go out to find him? Here's a picture of what he looks like. I hope he's near Juniper's Alehouse, that would be the first place you should look. Thank you!

— A worried Wife

Want to grab a quick buck? It's been a while since our meat supplier has delivered their wares. I suspect he is having some trouble with some of the predators that tend to roam his land. Could you go out and have a look and report back what's going on?

In the days far earlier, travelling through the wetlands was considered a dangerous task since many of those roads and bridges were not build yet. However, with the conficts going on in the surrounding areas, it was often safer to cut through the swamp to cross to another part of the world. The tavern, located in the middle, provided a safe haven for those who ventured through in the hopes of reaching the other side. Hence, the people in that time dubbed the building 'The Beacon of Hope' or 'The Connector of Worlds'.

Everyone has heard of the tales surrounding Juniper's Damned Alehouse. It started as a place to help travellers pass through the swamp in the mortal realm and evolved into a tavern well-known for its entertainment and loving hosts in this realm. Its quirky regulars give a new level of charm to the place and are always up for drinks and stories, or just casually chatting works well.
Every now and then, Juniper and Mull come out to entertain the crowd with song and a firebreathing spectacle, or with tales of old. One tale they love to tell is how they met and fell in love. That one alone has melted the hearts of many customers.
When the hosts are too busy, the bard of the house, Peter Dornstrike, will strike up a bar-wide conversation or perform. He loves playing songs about his (mis)adventures or that of others to bring comedy to the table and make people laugh. The latter, he also achieves by getting dragged away by his ears at the hand of Juniper when he tries to hit on people.

Juniper greets me as I set foot in the tavern.
"Welcome, dear, to my damned alehouse. Have a seat! Can I bring you something?"
"An ale would be nice," I respond.
"Of course, coming right up!"
I stroll through the dining room in search of a nice table when I hear a sultry whisper.
"Heyyy... I noticed you walking by and we haven't met yet, but why don't you have a nice seat? I'm super comfy, y'know. My cushions have real goose down in them."
I look around but there is no person in sight paying any kind of attention to me.
"Oh dear, you look in shock, what's going on?" Juniper appears behind me and I let out a little squeak.
"I... I heard something whisper," I say with eyes as large as golfballs.
"Oh!" Juniper bursts out laughing. "That must've been one of the chairs. They like to seduce people into sitting on them."

Watch out, contains sikrits!

This building appears in two realms; the text in this box describes the building as it is in The Realm of Eternal Slumber. Don't read this if you don't want spoilers!

Tavern in ruins by Andrew Ridley

RUINED STRUCTURE
Frino 47 2198

Founding Date

Bratos 18 1342

Type

Inn

(G)Hosts

Some scrolls tell of this tavern amidst a march that served as a beacon for travellers all around the world. The tales tell of a gnome running the place and bringing joy to the faces of her customers. People living in or around the Lonely Marches still firmly believe that she roams the lands, trying to help lost adventurers by pointing them in the right direction for shelter, food, and water. A few of those adventurers have admitted that a small ghost has helped them in time of need.

Sikrits!

Juniper Whistlewisp

Standing behind the bar, barely capable of looking of it, is Juniper Whistlewisp. This little gnome is the owner of the alehouse and the mastermind behind the magic that keeps the place together. With a loving ironfist, she runs the tavern; from pouring drinks to assigning tasks to her personnel in all corners of her business except the kitchen.
However, do not be fooled by her statue or her name. On every Drati night, Juniper entertains the crowd with song. Her powerful voice allow her to belt out notes from her tiny body to everyone's surprise.

You look like you've had a long day, sweety. How about I pour you a nice drink and bring you a hot plate of food?

— Juniper Whistlewisp

Mull Berry

The kitchen is the only place that Juniper let her husband run. As king of the kitchen, Mull Berry ensures that everyone at the inn gets a plateful of delicious food. Using his firebreathing technique passed down from many generations of dragonborn, he keeps the fires of the ovens and the stoves lit.

"MULL! YOU'VE SET ME ON FIRE!" Derek screams, frantically waving his arms while hoping Mull would stop breathing fire.

Watch out, contains sikrits!

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