The Dapper Duck

Written by MyNameIsSpecter

The Dapper Duck is run by Samuel Heriad. He created it as a sanctuary, whether that is for travelers, or others wanting to escape their in-laws for a while. When asked about the name, he laughs, and says "My mother was trying to come up with a name for the original, and she happened to see a drawing I had made of a duck wearing a hat. From that point on, the inn was called the Dapper Duck!"

Purpose / Function

The Dapper Duck is a safe haven for all, and is made as a waystop for travellers. It allows people to rest and get a meal before they continue their journey.
The Dapper Duck also serves as a way for people to travel quickly between places in Cerul, and even to a few places off world. However, there are only a limited amount of people that know about other worlds, and even fewer are allowed to travel between them.

Design

The walls are the natural stone, with only the windows as decoration. The floor is oak wood. 
The room is roughly circular, and has a very high ceiling.

Entries

The thousands of doors are the entrances and exits. The windows do not actually lead anywhere, as they are illusions.

Sensory & Appearance

When you first enter The Dapper Duck, you feel small, but the air is nice and warm. You smell the wood smoke, and the food from the kitchen fills the room with an amazing aroma. When you get to the floor, you are greeted by a cheerful face of the Staff. Suddenly, the room doesn't feel that large anymore.

Denizens

Everyone, from all walks of life can be found in The Dapper Duck. There are no pests, or animals at all really, as Samuel thinks they are filthy. 
Four different people provide entertainment. There is Marideth, a magician from Drelav; Remi, a storyteller from Reith; Max, a troubadour from Faipari; and Melissa, a musician from Ranimeca.

Contents & Furnishings

The tables and chairs are simple wood, and each bedroom has a simple bed and nightstand. The bed frame is made out of stone.

Valuables

There is nothing really of value except for the food and drink.

Special Properties

You can access the same place from many different doors.

Alterations

The only thing that changes in The Dapper Duck is the larder size. As more people come to the inn, the more Sam has the Crystams increase its holding capacity.

Architecture

Originally a cave, The Dapper Duck manages to feel cozy even with the very high ceiling. The bedrooms are cut into stalactites and stalagmites, a spiral staircase allowing people to access their rooms. The floor is oak, shipped in from Faipari. The thousands of doors that line one of the massive walls are made from varying woods, and the style is dependant on where that door leads. The higher doors have lifts that go up to them. Those are little more than slabs of stone with crystal set in the bottom, connected to the panel that Samuel has at his counter.
There is one fire place, but the Crystams managed to have the heat reach every inch of the room.

Defenses

No one in their right mind would attack The Dapper Duck, but in a pinch, the Staff can protect the inn. The one time a group was foolish enough to attack the inn, the regulars got irritated and threw them out. Generally it is not a good idea to try and steal from the most beloved place in Cerul (and a few other worlds as well), especially when there are a lot of people with pointy things.

by Specter

The Staff are actually really creepy. I had to stop using magic to see them, because they were freaking me out.

History

The owner of The Dapper Duck, Samuel Heriad, has worked hard to make his Inn a place of comfort. He welcomes anyone, no matter where they are from. Everyone knows that if they are able to get to the local Dapper Duck, they will be safe from the world for a while. With the help of the Crystams, Samuel has managed to have The Dapper Duck be in every town in Cerul at once. When he first approached the Crystams about this idea, they thought he was joking. When they found out he was serious, it took them a week to come to the decision (Keep in mind that trade with the Crystams was very limited at this point). When they finally gave him the go-ahead, a crew of manipulators that specialized in making the Fabric of Space and Time brought Samuel to a cavern, deep under the Crystam's mountain.
A building crew soon arrived, and water proofed the entire area, as well as stabilized it so it would not be affected by seismic activity, as well as putting in a beautiful hardwood floor, and windows on the walls (these were illusions. If you look close, you can see the crystal set into the window sill), each one looking out on a different landscape. This was all looking great, but Samuel was confused when they started to put in doors. There were about a thousand in all, each one with a different name plate, listing the town, the country, and the planet (though Samuel didn't know what the last one was for). Within a few days, the builders had finished the main room, and many others, including the kitchen, a library, and an enormous amount of bedrooms.
When construction was finished, the Crystams tasked with setting up the Fabric went to each door, and inlaid a crystal in each corner of the doorframe. Then, Samuel was told that the Crystams had bought a building in every large town in Cerul, as well as a few smaller ones. He was also told that there were around a hundred doors that led offworld, and that he should be prepared for some people that looked a little different. They then gave him a crystal that would allow him to understand any language that was spoken, and that would allow him to control his Staff.
When he asked about the Staff, they showed him the crystals placed strategically around. When a new customer came into The Dapper Duck, they would be met by a member of their species, and would be shown to a table or to a room. They would also be able to cook, and clean so that Samuel could see to his customers. And with that, they left him, sealing off any way that led into the Crystam's mountain with stone.
The next few months were taken up by Samuel going through each door, and placing a sign announcing that The Dapper Duck was inside. He also purchased a large amount of local goods from each place, and learned about their way of life, as well as their cuisine. With that knowledge, he compiled a large Menu, with something to make everyone feel welcome.

During that time, he also compiled a list of rules that everyone had to follow, or they would be thrown out for good. They are as follows:
1. Do not start fights, unless you speak to Samuel first.
2. Do not get obsessively drunk.
3. Do not sell anything, unless you are a merchant and gained permission from Samuel.
4. You may create business deals, and Samuel will witness, but you must pay a small fee to do so.
5. Do not bring outside drama in.
6. When you enter, you will be treated the same, whether you are a king, or an indentured servant.
7. No one except Samuel has authority in here. Do not try to use any outside authority.
8. No gambling, unless it is to see who will pay for a meal.

With everything set, Samuel went out into several towns, put out that he was looking for people to entertain his customers. Within a few days, four different people came, and he hired all of them. They were amazed with this new inn, and soon, many, many people came to it, and it has become the place everyone knows to go to when they need a break.

by Specter

Even for me, this was new, but it looks really cool.

by Specter

This is a copy of the sign outside The Dapper Duck.

by Specter

Well, I tried to show how amazing The Dapper Duck looks, especially when you first walk in, but it doesn't look as good as I wanted it to.

Founding Date

20 BW

Type

Inn

Environmental Effects

Every few hours, a wind blows through the main room, clearing out the wood smoke.

Owner

Lord of the Duck

Characters in Location

• Lord of the Duck

by Specter

Floor plan of The Dapper Duck.