Dolores

Tucked deep in Crescent City's Marketplace is a waypoint for adventurers, merchants, and travelers alike, where hearty meals, strong drinks, and tales to last a lifetime fill their stomachs and souls. That place is the Crescent City Inn, and at its heart is Dolores, the grizzled orc matron who runs the kitchen and rules the roost. With a face that could terrify a wyvern and a kindness that could melt the iciest hearts, Dolores is an enigma wrapped in a cooking apron. Despite her fearsome appearance, her meals are the stuff of legend, and her life story is one that inspires hushed laughter and admiration around the tavern’s hearth.

Early Life

Born into a rugged orc stronghold deep in the Western Highlands, Dolores never fit the mold of an orc warrior. Where her peers were focused on dreams of great hunt and vanquishing Wood Elves, Dolores had dreamt romatincally of the lands beyond their wooded walls. And the men that inhabited those lands. At the tender age of sixteen, she left her stronghold behind and embarked on a journey eastward across Dendralis, leaving a trail of broken hearts, satisfied smiles, and scandalized matrons in her wake. Dolores' journey wasn't one of rugged survivalism, but rather one of intimate conquest after conquest as she sauntered, seduced, and occasionally stumbled, her exploits becoming the stuff of bawdy songs sung in less reputable taverns. Her travels throughout the Greenwood and Emerald Shores displayed her true adventurous nature, completely unwilling to be tied down—except to a bed. It was the birth of her daughter that changed Dolores' path. Telena's arrival grounded Dolores, but it didn’t extinguish her fire. Instead, she traded wandering for stability, deciding that raising her daughter required the kind of foundation she’d never had.

Crescent City Inn

With her days of wandering behind her, Dolores settled in Crescent City, opting for the stability provided in opportunity. Immediately settling into the Marketplace district, and Dolores soon purchased the Crescent City Inn. A fixture in the city, the transition of ownership from a long-established Dendralin family to Dolores was met with raised eyebrows and concerned whispers. By retaining the barkeeps from the previous ownership, the Inn maintained their regular customers coming back, and in short order became famous for its hearty meals and comfortable atmosphere, with Dolores' sharp wit coming out once her customers had warmed to her grizzly visage. Today, Dolores can still be found in the kitchen, stirring massive pots of stew or bellowing at someone who dared to suggest adding salt to her signature recipes, while her daughter, Telena, runs the front of the house with charm and grace, keeping the fires burning and the drinks flowing. Though her orcish features and weathered appearance might scare off the faint of heart, regulars know better. Beneath the gruff exterior is a woman who’s seen and done it all—and has no problem telling you about it, especially after a few ales. Her cooking is renowned across Crescent City, with locals swearing her meals can cure hangovers, heartbreaks, and even the occasional magical curse.