The Swayback Camel
The Swayback Camel is a tavern of ill repute, favoured by camel herders and labourers for its cheap prices and unquestioning acceptance of customers so long as they have coin. The beer is stale and watery, and the food is more gristle than anything else. It is wisest not to attempt to identify the type or age of the animal which supplied the meat, nor ask how old the bread is. Beer is served by dipping it out of whichever cask is currently open.
The barkeep, Saleh Hamdan, wears a grimy robe covered with an assortment of unidentifiable stains, which he rarely seems to change. His nails are black with dirt, and several of his teeth are rotting. His skin is deeply pockmarked and his eyes are bulbous. When he smiles, it is guaranteed to inspire distrust, and his mannerisms are loathsome. The cuffs of his robe are perpetually damp and reek of spilled beer, from dipping into the open casks, which is also the only form of handwashing he practices.
The thick walls are pierced by only a few narrow window slits, and the low ceiling has only a handful of smoky oil lamps to disperse the dimness, making it an excellent meeting place for those who desire anonymity. It is not unknown for well-dressed individuals to sidle in, order a beer, then casually sit down next to another well-dressed individual. After murmuring for a few minutes, they will casually leave, their untouched beers sitting on the tables. When this happens. Hamdan does not hesitate to pour the beer back into the open cask, ready to sell again.
The adobe walls of the tavern known as the Swayback Camel are pockmarked and crumbling, with the worst holes being patched with mud slapped on and left to dry. It draws attention to itself even without the sign, thanks to the miasma of stale beer and unwashed bodies which surrounds it.
The room within is low-ceilinged and dark, with only a few smoky and guttering oil lamps providing illumination where the sunlight cannot reach through the narrow window slits. It is so dark that most other occupants are mere shadows, dim shapes in the gloom.
Type
Bar
Parent Location
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