The Demon's Head

After Tim Murgro left the ruins of Northcrest behind for a new life in Amaranthine, he used the savings that he had left as well as the insurance money from the The Slaughtered Ox to purchase a mid-sized dockside tavern. In the truest sense of Tim's character, he pulled up his shirt sleeves and got to work and a little less than a year later he has turned the Demon's Head into one of the finest Inn's in The Stem and the premiere location for dockside grub.

Purpose / Function

The inn was originally built in 1208 AP as a warehouse for fishmongers. As such, it has a very open floor plan so as to be able to fit in large amounts of supplies and storage without sacrificing maneuverability.

Sensory & Appearance

As you approach the Demon's Head your nose is assaulted with the stink of the river, the smell of freshwater, fish and feces getting strong as you approach the door to the Inn. The rushing water in the background plays a nice ambiance to the tune of the wooden sign above the door creaking on his hinges. That very sign reading "The Demon's Head" in fancy golden script beneath a picture of a dead, goat-headed fiend at the feet of six heroes that look remarkably like you.

Stepping inside the smell of the river is replaced with the welcome scents of freshly cooked bread and something dark, salty and liquid bubbling in a cauldron over the cook fire in the kitchen. Underlining these scents is the array of tavern scents you've grown used to in your travels: the bitter earty smell of spilled and dried alcohol, old smoke from the hearth and the smells of warm wood and sweat. A smile comes to your face, these are the smells of home for almost every adventurer on the road.

Soft music plays from the clavichord off the right, and this close to the hearth between you and the instrument you feel a wave of heat as you enter. The fire in the hearth crackling loudly over the general hubbub of conversation in the Inn's main floor and common area. Tim notices your entry and smiles at you whilst eternally cleaning a clay mug. The door closes shut behind you, and you determine to make your way to an empty table.

Denizens

Tim Murgro is the proprietor of the establishment, and has made a small home for himself in a little one room shack on the street behind the tavern.

As for patrons of the Demon's head, among dozens of people who come and go, stopping by occasionally, there are a handful of regulars:

• Xaphina Aluroe Isodira Triniana - A 178 (LE) female rock gnome gravedigger

• Bertha Truegust - A 38 year old (CG) female human fisherman

• Annaeleth Talthanryl - a 43 year old (CN) half-elf male juggler and musician.

• Falk de Mowbray - a 35 year old (CG) human male explorer

• Ariana de Mole - a 44 year old (CG) human female drunkard and beggar

Furthermore, any Amaranthian contacts The Thirteen make along their adventures tend to gravitate towards this establishment as it is well known as a place they frequent.

Special Properties

A sign on the wall to the left of the main entrance reads:

All are welcome, so bear no grudge. If you have a grievance, then Janice will judge.

On a shelf along the back wall is a heavy crossbow made of Fefieran steel and ironwood (+3 Heavy Crossbow), beneath the shelf is a placard that has the name: Janice engraved on it.

Alterations

The original proprietor of the tavern converted the warehouse into such thinking the theme of an old dockside warehouse would be an interesting history to the Inn that would draw a salty niche audience. He added a second floor to the building allowing for moderate sized rooms, keeping the open layout for the first floor. He also expanded the underground cellar to accommodate larger storage space for food and liquor.

Since his purchase of the ailing property, Tim has made small but significant renovations to the establishment. He altered the outside facade of the building to match the Tudor style that prevails in most of the Aldiran countryside, giving the building a more homey and less utilitarian feel than before at a reasonable cost. he has also updated the furniture of the interior, affording comfier beds fashioned from from some of the finer furnishing houses in Fefiera, as well as updated hardwood tables, benches and chairs in finished cherry wood from The Land Bridge. The decor has been updated to include shields bearing the crests of various townships and lordly houses throughout the kingdom, giving a very "All are welcome" ambiance to the Demon's Head. The tavern has since become a neutral ground for business transactions of all parties, and a no fighting rule is strictly enforced by Tim and his heavy crossbow Janice.

With the name change also came a new sign hanging above the door, showing a dead, goat-headed demon at the feet of a group of heroes that look remarkably like The Thirteen.

Architecture

The tavern is built on both land and water. Parts of it, (the first half of the main building and the cellar) are build on to the northern banks of the Summervine. The other half of the Inn is hanging over the river, built on thick wooden pylons embedded half a dozen feet into the riverbed.

History

The inn was originally built in 1208 AP as a warehouse for fishmongers. As such, it has a very open floorplan so as to be able to fit in large amounts of supplies and storage without sacrificing maneuverability. In 1222 AP it was purchased by a Gnomish philanthropist named Zilgren Yeben. While Zilgren was a wealthy inheritor of the Amaranthian aristocracy, he was not very savvy when it came to running a business. Initially he made some decent alterations to the building, adding a second floor serving as rooms for the inn and expanding the underground cellar to increase storage capacity for food and liquor. He went into considerable debt for these alterations, thinking that the profits from the tavern would compensate for the expenses. Several downturns in the Amaranthian economy and poor marketing decisions lead to the Inn's ultimate failure and as recompense for the debts, The Red Beryl Holding Company seized the property. They held on to it for many years until the early spring of 1234 AP. After the property had sat vacant for over a decade and all but fallen into ruin with no prospects, Red Beryl decided to offer the property for copper pennies on the silver coin. This was mere weeks before Tim Murgro arrived in Amaranthine.

Type

Inn

Parent Location

The Stem

Owner

Tim Murgro

Owning Organization

The Red Beryl Holding Company

Characters in Location

• Annaeleth Talthanryl
• Ariana de Mole
• Bertha Truegust
• Falk de Mowbray
• Tim Murgro
• Xaphina Aluroe Isodira Triniana