The Singing Mermaid Tavern

Written by Loremaster Aemon

As you open the door you are welcomed by the sound of music, singing, cheering, and laughter to your ears.
The smell of cooked meats, fish, stale beer, and lightly scented candles fill your nostrils.
You see all types of people, from commoners, dock workers, and fishermen, to sailors, sea captains, and traders of many races eating, drinking, singing, and dancing.

-A first time visitor to The Singing Mermaid Tavern

The Singing Mermaid

The Singing Mermaid Tavern can be found in the neighbourhood of Dockside, within the port city of Bear Harbour. The mermaid is one of the largest buildings (three buildings converted into one), the most popular tavern, and the easiest to find in Dockside, even during the day when the area is bustling with activity. If you have just arrived at the city by sea, then Dockside is the first district you will see.
The place smells of the sea and of fish, as one might expect of any seafaring community. The sound of horse pulled carts laden with goods, workers loading and unloading barrels and crates from boats, and ships, the foreman yelling orders to the dock workers, sailors singing and talking loudly above the noise of everything around them, this is just a typical day on the dockside.
Ask anyone if they know of a good place to eat, and they will tell you of the singing mermaid, where the food is good, the ale even better, the entertainment interesting, and the clientele rowdy but jovial.

On The Outside

On the outside the building looks much the same as any other with wooden beams painted with black tar and white wattle and daub, not so clean and in need of re-painting. What sets it apart from the other buildings close by is the ageing wooden sign depicting the mermaid.

The Singing Mermaid Tavern by kidadl

On The Inside

A Tavern Interior by unrealengine

The Ground Floor

Entering the tavern through one of the two sets of double-doors, you are greeted by a door warden or two who ask you to check all weapons larger than a dagger (you are allowed to carry one dagger for protection). At first glance the tavern is large with many wooden tables, benches, and chairs in the central area (can seat about 80 customers, including the private rooms). Private booths that can seat four-to-six people line the east, south, and west walls. Four large fireplaces are also centralised in the room with padded chairs and two-person sofas nearby for relaxing in comfort. Across the room is a long bar with stacked barrels of beer, ale, and cider, and shelves of spirits and wine. The room behind the bar is the kitchen with double-doors opening when servers pass through carrying trays of food out to the waiting patrons at the tables.
Wooden chandeliers hang from the ceiling beams with a mixture of scented and standard candles burning, shedding a muted light throughout the main hall. Tables have candle-lamps upon them and at least one fireplace is always lit, in the evenings two will be lit, and during the winter months all will be lit. The fires burn a mixture of logs including cedar which releases a nice fresh woody aroma that mingles with the candle scents of lavender, jasmine, and juniper. The smell of cooked meats, spicy fish, roasted chicken, and pork is everywhere as customers enjoy their meals and the cooks are preparing for the evening dinner service.
The tavern is never quiet, open from dawn to midnight. Breakfast time is busy with many eating before their day of work, or night workers coming in to eat, drink, and unwind before heading home to sleep. Lunch time can be steady, or become really busy if a ship has just docked as passengers want a decent meal, after days, weeks, or even months at sea. If you plan on eating your evening meal here, be warned the place can be exceptionally busy, and the wait for a table could be a while. Do not worry though, order a drink or two and enjoy the entertainment. The house band plays some great music or a bard could be telling a tale, reciting a poem, or playing a lively tune.

A Busy Tavern by wizardingworld

Welcome to The Singing Mermaid.

The First Floor

To reach the first floor, there are three staircases in the main hall (DM: and a fourth secret stairway for special clientele). To be upon the first floor, means you are here to gamble, if you like cards or knucklebones (A dice game) then this is the place for you. This is not a legal casino, the stakes can be high, it could cost you everything, even your life if caught cheating or not able to pay what you owe, but if your lucky you could leave smiling and your purse much heavier.
The guard (city watch) don't bother to attempt to close down this illegal establishment as they are paid very well to turn a blind eye, some even frequently gamble themselves before, after, and even sometimes during their shift. The guard will not get involved with 'house' justice, so be careful, lose with dignity, or win with grace, don't make a scene or It Will be your end.

Gambling with Cards by lordofthecraft

You have been warned..

The Cellar

The cellar can be reached by staff using one of three sets of stairs, located in the kitchen, a private dining room, or the office. Customers who wish to visit the cellar can use the stairway in the private dining room (used by staff too, area 6). (DM: There are two private dining rooms that have access to a secret entrance that leads to the cellar, area 3).
The cellar is lit by torches and oil lanterns, it can be rather smoky from pipe smoking and the torches as the ventilation is poor. The reason for customers to be in the cellar are the illegal fights held here most nights, the money to be made from wagers on the winners or losers, or even as a contender if your a good enough fighter, or down on your luck and need to earn yourself some coin.

A Pit Fighter by spartacus.fandom

Don't be misled thinking you can earn easy money, some of the fighters are professional brawlers, you could be killed trying, so the choice is yours unless you are a slave with no choice at all, only winning keeps you alive and maybe one day sets you free.

Fist Fighting by the-martial-way

You have been warned..

The Owner

Gregor Tideborn purchased the tavern fifteen years ago from the ageing previous owner Halem with the ill-gotten proceeds from piracy. He thought of retirement, running the bar and earning an honest living, this lasted three months. The honest life wasn't for him, so the tavern became the headquarters of an organisation, with an illegal gambling den upstairs, illegal pit fighting in the cellar, and Gregor becoming a fence for stolen goods.
Five years passed and Gregor's wealth grew substantially, so he invested in the building next door, and the one beyond that, trebling the size of the tavern which made the mermaid become the most popular tavern on dockside.
Gregor has an affiliation with an organisation called The Ironhand Collective. The Ironhand are a pirate organisation from The Iron Isles, consisting of mostly humans known as the Ironborn.

Menu

Breakfast (6-11am). Lunch (12-2pm). Dinner (4-10pm).
Bread, eggs, bacon, and sausages, are the usual breakfast favourites. Cheese, fruit, soups, and pies are served for lunch. Stews, roast chicken, roasted pig, or mutton, alongside rice or vegetables are daily dinners. Seafood is the tavern speciality with fresh fish, crab, and eels on the menu every day, enjoy an ale, cider, brandy or rum with your meal.

House Specials

Fish Stew

Fish Stew by portsmouth

Mackerel, haddock, and cod, potatoes, onion, and herbs. Served with a hunk of bread with butter. A spicy stew is also available.

Cooked Crab

Cooked Crab by louisianacookin

Boiled Crab, white wine, onion, peas, salted beans, and herbs, with either potatoes or rice. Served with a hunk of bread with butter. A spicy crab dish is also available.

Cooked Fish

Cooked fish with herbs by seriouseats

Fried Cod, mackerel or haddock with white wine, peas, salted beans, and herbs, with either potatoes or rice. Served with a hunk of bread and butter. A spicy dish is also available.

Cooked Eel

Cooked Eel and Rice by recipemarker

Seared Eel, onions, mushrooms, and herbs, on a bed of rice. Served with a hunk of bread and butter. A spicy dish is also available.

See the article The Singing Mermaid Menu for the full list.

Architecture

Old Amorian.

The Singing Mermaid Sign by Loremaster Aemon

Dockside Buildings by canstockphoto

Type

Pub / Tavern / Restaurant

Parent Location

Dockside

Owner

Gregor Tideborn

Characters in Location

• Andrik
• Arken Flamesworn
• Barvaksha
• Barzausk
• Boron Ironbleeder
• Brendon Seagazer
• Buhnum
• Bukrod
• Gambol
• Gambor
• Geth
• Gheldun
• Gregor Tideborn
• Hedar Bonechewer
• Hervam
• Igraine
• Imror Halfblood
• Jeko
• Jenet
• Jhora
• Jil
• Juna
• Kaska
• Khelim
• Kurgan Battleborn
• Loli
• Lutha
• Mirna
• Naru
• Nima
• Nona
• Nulda
• Onvum Butterbrand
• Rhosta
• Rhuld
• Rogroth
• Rurdur
• Shana
• Shetsk
• Shona
• Sif
• Sildas
• Sulma
• Suri
• Tam
• Tarak
• Torhir
• Ulvida
• Vhegnar
• Vorla
• Yila
• Yona
• Zaorhdrim Flamesnarl
• Zehli
• Zurri

A Tavern Kitchen by pxleyes

The Owner And Staff of The Singing Mermaid

The Owner

• Gregor Tideborn, Human (Ironborn), Male.

Gregor's Bodyguards

• Tarak, Half-Orc, Male, and
• Kurgan Battleborn, Human (Ironborn), Male.

Kitchen Staff

Cooks

• Hedar Bonechewer, Human (Ironborn), Female, and
• Onvum Butterbrand, Halfling, Male.

Kitchen Workers

• Buhnum, Human (Amorian), Male,
• Rurdur, Human (Amorian), Male,
• Nima, Human (Amorian), Female,
• Suri, Human (Amorian), Female,
• Geth, Dwarven, Male,
• Shetsk, Half-Orc, Male,
• Tam, Halfling, Male, and
• Yila, Halfling, Female.

Tavern Staff

Barkeepers

• Rhuld, Human (Ironborn), Male,
• Bukrod, Dwarven, Male, and
• Rogroth, Half-Orc, Male.

Barstaff

• Nulda, Human (Ironborn), Female,
• Shana, Human (Amorian), Female,
• Rhosta, Human (Zamorian), Female,
• Juna, Human (Amorian), Female,
• Nona, Human (Ironborn), Female, and
• Kaska Human (Emidian), Female.

Servers

• Yona, Human (Ironborn), Female,
• Sif, Human (Amorian), Female,
• Shona, Human (Ironborn), Female,
• Loli, Human (Amorian), Female,
• Mirna, Human (Amorian), Female,
• Sulma, Human (Zamorian), Female,
• Jhora, Human (Ironborn), Female,
• Jil, Halfling, Female,
• Ulvida, Dwarven, Female,
• Igraine, Dwarven, Female,
• Lutha, Halfling, Female, and
• Zehli, Human (Emidian), Female.

Doorstaff

• Sildas, Human (Zamorian), Male,
• Torhir, Human (Ironborn), Male,
• Barzausk, Dragonborn (Black), Male,
• Arken Flamesworn, Dragonborn (Red), Male,
• Boron Ironbleeder Half-Orc, Male, and
• Vorla, Half-Orc, Female.

House Bard

• Brendon Seagazer, Human (Amorian), Male.

Fighting Cell Master/Boss

• Imror Halfblood, Half-Orc, Male.

Imror's Bodyguards

• Vhegnar, Human (Amorian), Male, and
• Zaorhdrim Flamesnarl, Dragonborn (Red), Male.

Gambling Den Boss

• Andrik, Human (Ironborn), Male.

Andrik's Bodyguards

• Gambol, Human (Amorian), Male, and
• Barvaksha, Dragonborn (Black), Male.

Gambling Den Staff

• Jeko, Halfling, Male,
• Hervam, Human (Amorian), Male,
• Gambor, Human (Amorian), Male,
• Khelim, Human (Emidian), Male,
• Gheldun, Human (Amorian), Male,
• Jenet, Human (Amorian), Female,
• Zurri, Human (Emidian), Female, and
• Naru, Human (Amorian), Female.

A Tavern Food Store by stock.adobe

House Band

The Harps of The Mermaid

• Huvil, Human (Amorian), Male Harp player,
• Narela, Human (Emidian), Female Harp player,
• Fudan, Gnome, Male Lute player,
• Barom, Human (Amorian), Male Lute player,
• Rao, Halfling, Male Panpipe player,
• Riva, Human (Ironborn), Female Flute player,
• Mim, Halfling, Female Drummer,
• Thep, Human (Amorian), Male Singer, and
• Rashi, Human (Zamorian), Female Singer