The Beached Leviathan
History
The Leviathan was an infamous pirate vessel that prowled up and down the Sword Coast, striking terror into those that crossed its path. The Leviathan's captain, Harrag, was a fearsome foe to any that met him at sea, and no sailors felt their treasure safe while Harrag was out hunting on the Sea of Swords.
Sometime after the eruption of Mount Hotenow, the Leviathan ran aground in northern Neverwinter and punctured its hull. Rather than abandon his ship, Harrag stayed with it as the city's docks were rebuilt around the ship (part of the general reconstruction efforts of the time). Harrag oversaw the ship's conversion from a wreck into a thriving inn and tavern.
Walking the Planks
The ship is divided into three levels for guests:
- The First Level ("the hold"): Entered from the docks, hosts the Beached Leviathan's kitchen and tavern. The tavern has a large number of tables fit for parties of all sizes.
- The Second Level ("the quarters"): Hosts an inn with 12 rooms of various sizes for rent.
- The Third Level ("the deck"): Features private parlor rooms and tables that can be rented for a heftier price.
- Upper Cabin: Atop "the deck" is an extra upper cabin that serves as Captain Harrag's private quarters.
The decks' various levels are accessible via a small spiral staircase at the center of the ship. In addition, a pulley-operated lift can transport goods between each of the levels via a small shaft that extends through each of the levels.
The entire ship is decorated with nautically-themed paraphernalia, many of which are trophies from Harrag's past conquests. The interior of the ship and its furnishing are well-crafted, featuring fancy oak and cherry woodwork. However, years of patrons coming, going, and brawling have left the finely-crafted interior well-worn.
Grog and Gangs
The clientele of the Beached Leviathan are generally a humble, mixed bunch. Any with coin to spend are welcome at the tavern. Frequent patrons include sailors as well as more land-bound residents of Neverwinter.
Both staff and patrons frequently use nautical slang in the tavern (e.g., referring to a drunkard as "ballast" or calling a newcomer a "privateer"). It's very common for landlubbing visitors to feel a bit lost when it comes to parsing the sailors' dialect. Gambling and brawling are both frequent occurrences, though the latter is likely to get you promptly tossed off the ship.
It's also extremely common to find any number of seedy factions represented at the Beached Leviathan. Commonly sighted at the tavern are smugglers, thieves, and press gangs. To these ilk, the Beached Leviathan serves as an important place of business. Deals are made, trades are performed, and the occasional drunken sailor is enslaved.
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