Oaken Trunk
You arrive to a two-stories stone building. The building is closed up and you see the man open up the main door with a key and prompts you to follow him inside. The interior is a bit cold right now, at least compared from outside where, even if it's windy, the rays of the sun warm you up with little kisses on your skin. Inside, you see a bunch of tables, with chairs on top of them, a bar, and a staircase to the second floor, all made of wood.
He takes his jacket off your shoulder and puts it in a chair that he brings down from a table. "Come to the kitchen, I'll open the fire so you can warm up and I can make you some food." he closes the door behind you and walks towards the door behind the bar. You enter in the room he said, right behind him, and see a small kitchen and many different shelves filled with different drinks, foods, and condiments. It smells nice and it makes your stomach growl, but he doesn't seem to realize.
The man lights up a fire from underneath a big cauldron but takes the cauldron from the fire and then approaches a stool to the fire. "A soup might take too long, so I'll just cook you a bit of grilled food. Would you like meat or fish? Or maybe a salad?." he murmurs walking around the room, grabbing different things. You sit on the stool meanwhile, feeling the warm of the fire caress your face.
Meat, pleaseFish, please"Let's see, what do we have around here?" he mumbled, throwing a thick slab of meat from a cupboard and putting it on the cutting board. He poked it gently. "Boar from the local farm, bought just yesterday's evening, all perfectly conserved!" he declared as he started trimming away some excess fat. "Looks perfect, don't you think?," he asked while grabbing a heavy, well-worn knife from the counter. Thwack. The sound of slicing filled the room as he began to cut.
He seasoned the meat with a generous sprinkle of salt, crushed garlic, and crushed black pepper. He stopped to think for a bit and also added a sprinkle of parsley. He rubbed it in, put the meat on an iron pan, flipping the meat over, and adorned it with the same condiments. The sound of sizzling and the smell of roasted meat started filling the air, while he cooked both sides for a few minutes, checking the temperature with a quick poke.
"That should do it" he says with a smile, sliding the cooked meat onto a plate and leaving it in front of you with a fork and knife. "There you go, enjoy your meal. I would offer some bread but the baker hasn't stop by to leave the daily order, I'll give you a piece of bread once they arrive."
Salad, please"Let's see, what we have around here?" he mumbled, grabbing a fish from a cupboard and putting it on the cutting board. He poked at it gently with a hand while grabbing a knife with another one. "Local fish! Bought it from the fishermen just yesterday's evening, all perfectly conserved." he declared as he started removing the scales. After doing so, he grabbed a mortar and pestle and peeled a few cloves of garlic with the knife, throwing them into the mortar. "Could you pass me that bottle over there?" he asks you while pointing at a bottle near you.
You do so and he asks you help with pouring it in the mortar as he smashes the cloves with the pestle. After it is done, he uses a brush to evenly cover the fish in the sauce, finishing it with a sprinkle of salt and some parsley. You see him putting the fish on a grill and preparing the other side of it with the same condiments as before. He cooks both sides for a few minutes, making the room fill with the smell of cooked fish and checking the temperature with a quick poke.
"That should do it" he says with a smile, sliding the cooked fish onto a plate and leaving it in front of you with a fork and knife. "There you go, enjoy your meal. I would offer some bread but the baker hasn't stop by to leave the daily order, I'll give you a piece of bread once they arrive."
"Let's see, what do we have around here?" he mumbled, grabbing a few vegetables from around the kitchen and putting them on the counter, next to the cutting board. "Fresh greens from the local farms, a bit of lettuce, tomato, cucumber, olives, and a few others. Bought just yesterday's evening, all fresh and perfectly conserved!" he declared as he started cutting the vegetables. "Looks perfect, don't you think?" he asked while putting all the cuttings into a small bowl.
As he finished cutting the vegetabes and adding them to the bowl, he grabbed a couple bottles and spices. "Could you pass me that bottle over there" he asks you while pointing at a bottle near you. As you pass it over, he starts dressing the salad. A bit of oil, some vinegar, and a sprinkle of salt and pepper, which is then mixed into the salad with some tongs.
"That should do it" he says with a smile, sliding the salad bowl it in front of you with a fork. "There you go, enjoy your meal. I would offer some bread but the baker hasn't stop by to leave the daily order, I'll give you a piece of bread once they arrive."
The tavern
A hub for meeting
The Oaken Trunk is one of the taverns from Vadiases and the only one outsiders are welcome. It is located in the middle of the city's outskirts area, making it the most concurred tavern in the outskirts because of it's situation. Its owner is a human named Renaxer who runs it with help of two bartenders: Derien and Feshal'la.
The tavern has a small stable on it side for outsider's animals in case no one else have accepted them, but it's often unused or used to store things for the tavern. The main building has two floors: the bottom one, having the tavern part and a small kitchen and storage area behind the bar; and the upper floor, holding bedrooms and bathrooms, as well as a bit of space with tables, next to a (fenced) opening that shows the bottom floor, and a small balcony that, while originally was to be used for people to drink outside, barely sees any use except in the middle of summer.
Services
What is it offering?
| Service | Pricing |
|---|---|
| One bed (shared room) | 1s (x6 beds) |
| Basic room | 1s (x4 rooms) |
| Simple double room | 1s 5c (x5 rooms) |
| Nice double room | 2s (x1 rooms) |
| Double bed room | 2s (x1 rooms) |
| Jar of water | 1c |
| Jar of beer | 3c |
| Glass of beer | 1c |
| Wine bottle | 5c |
| Glass of wine | 2c |
| Liquor | Depends on bottle |
| Boar meat | 3c |
| Fish | 3c |
| Soup (boar) | 4c |
| Soup (fish) | 4c |
Currency
The currency in Vaelis Arin is called Varisca. It has 4 different shaped coins, each of them having a value 10 bigger than the previous.. Most people won't ever see a Hers but should be able to get a few Rers if they gather all their money.
To ease understanding, think of a Cers costing 1€, but remember this is more medieval-esque and thus people don't have as much money as we do nowadays.
"Oh, right! How rude of me, I forgot to present myself! Hi, I'm Renaxer and I'm the owner of this tavern. And who might you be?" he says with a smile as he offers you the meal. While eating, and trying to not be rude by speaking when you are not biting the food, you explain how you have no memories and just woke up not much before he found you. He looked at you with interest during all the explanation.
"Mm..." he scratches his three-day-old beard, "I've never heard something like this, but it sounds you've been given a second chance in life. Do you know what to do with it?" he asks. For a second, you don't know what to answer so, you just keep eating the meal while searching an answer. You... you want to relearn about your world —or as much as possible—, and you want to be remembered, leave a mark in this world so, if you ever forget again, the world won't.
"Sounds like you want to be an adventurer..." he leaned back to the wall and rested his face on his hand. "Saying you want to be an adventurer won't make friends in this town, so, if you don't mind, I'll call you...
Wayfarer
It still means you search for adventures, but it is different than the bad adventurers we've had in town. At least, I'm hope you are with how nice you've been so far." he said with a warm smile.
Staff
Running the tavern
Derien
The cook
Weird, crazy man who's food is delicious.
Read moreFeshal'la
The bartender
Nice until you cause problems. Stronger than you.
Read moreTavern board
People need help!
Under the staircase, there's a board. Adventurers often call it the "Quest board" or "Mission board", the townsfolk use it to send message to the regulars of the tavern or ask some help with "mundane" tasks around Vadiases. Adventurers often consider the tasks boring or not worth because low pays or the lack of it, and often don't even consider taking them.
Everyone is welcome to add things to the board, but Renaxer often checks the board and takes out inappropriate papers. To take jobs, everyone needs to check it out with Renaxer, just to check the person has the appropriated skills or if it fits your person.
Looking at the few posts, you can clearly see that what this town mostly needs is extra hands with fairly simple jobs. Most of them are physical jobs that seem easy to do and that they'll either teach you a skill or two or, at least, you'd learn a bit more about the town and its inhabitants. Sounds like a great way of meeting people...
You lean back in your stool while eating to watch Renaxer start opening the tavern. He starts by opening the shutters, letting sun enter the place, and with them the windows, allowing fresh air in. As he is getting the chairs and stools down the tables, someone knocks on the door and gives him a basket covered with a blanket, which he brings to the kitchen.
Putting down the basket on a counter, he takes out a piece of whatever is inside and brings it to you. "Here you go, a warm piece of bread, right out of the oven." you nod and look how he goes back to work. At one point, a couple of people enter the place and after sharing a few words with Renaxer, they start working around the building. They must be Derien and Feshal'la, Renaxer mentioned them earlier.
You end up your meal and leave the dishes on what seems to be the sink of the kitchen before going to talk with Renaxer. He mentioned a place for sleep, and you can't but feel tired after such filling meal. When you ask Renaxer about it, he just smiles and asks you to follow him. Leading you up the stairs, he opens one of the doors near the staircase and shows you a small room, with a bed, a desk, a cupboard and a small chest. He leaves you, saying he has some work to do downstairs, and you are left alone, looking at that...
warm, comfortable bed
Man, a good rest sure was needed :D I'm already loving this inn and its owner ^^
Good rest is always needed and the best! I'm glad you like the article <3
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