The Dagger's Tail

The sun had set and most guests had already gone off to bed, which meant only one thing at the Dagger's Tail: Storytime. Semi-drunk residents and guests were loud, toasting, cheering for stories from an embarassed Dagen. Karog the Chef shouted "Tell us about the Raider and the ballista!" and some folks groaned in response.
Dagen rolled his eyes when he heard the request. "Really, we got a few rookie Wayfarers here and you want me to tell a gruesome tale?"
"Oh come on, tell them, they oughta know!" Some nodded, others shook their heads, and a few curious folks were sending inquisitive glances.
Dagen sighed. "Okay, fine. I'll tell a succinct version. Let me have a bite first though. Voureg can entertain you until then."

The Dagger's Tail is a fortified Caravanserai, built by retired Ogre Wayfarers. Originally a fortified farm built next to the road, popular demand made it grow into a large fortified construction. Nowadays it's not only a popular resting point for merchants, but also a base of sorts for several Wayfarers and Wanderers.
The Wayfarers made sure to construct the Dagger's Tail as a defensible fort. The sight of its tall walls and mounted ballistae bring a feeling of comfort to all its visitors. Raiders dare not come here, and any aggressive Beasts are easily taken out. On top of that, while each resident has their own main skill, they also can easily assist each other. Thanks to this, even in a pinch they always keep things running like a well-oiled machine.

Location Information

Type: Caravanserai
Age: 27 years
Total Residents: 44
Primary Race: Ogre
General Attitude: Distrustful and Confident

Residents Breakdown

• Children: 11
• Adults: 29
• Elderly: 4
• Ill/Infirm: 5

Professions Breakdown

(Primary focus, even though all residents jump in wherever they're needed.)

• Farmers: 6
• Fishers: 5
• Animal Handlers: 8
• Craftsfolk: 4
• Tavern Staff: 4
• Guild Staff: 3
• Apprentices: 3

---

History

Origin

27 years ago, Dagen the Ogre was a successful Wayfarer who decided to retire at the age of 31. He'd found a nice plot of land, located near both Beast Lands and a caravan road. The presence of nearby Beasts meant there were no local authorities to harass him over taxes, while the caravans could supply him with whatever he needed.
Dagen asked for help from fellow Wayfarers and other contacts, so he could build a fortified farmhouse as soon as possible. Joined by over a dozen friends, the construction quickly took on a life of its own and multiple participants decided to retire there as well. Then a visiting caravan saw the overly large buildings and noted it would be a great place to stay the night. And thus the Dagger's Tail was born.

Further Development

In the years since then, the residents expanded the place from an initial four buildings to the current seven. They also continuously reinforced its defenses, a typical Ogre habit which surfaces whenever they have spare time. Meanwhile, more Wayfarers and Wanderers moved in over time, sometimes with entire families.
The Wayfarer Guild, recognising the potential of a safe haven near Beast Lands, negotiated permission to house some of their own at the Dagger's Tail. They started to use the local workshop to process slain Beasts, which in turn attracted more Wayfarers as lodgers.

Surrounding Lands

The Dagger's Tail was built adjacent to a perennial stream, which separates the area from the adjacent Beast Lands. While the stream is only six meters wide, almost all nearby Beast species care little for swimming. There are several woods nearby, though the caravan road is kept clear of visual obstruction as to prevent ambushes. The local livestock contributes by grazing on the land next to the road.
The lands are fertile, though the residents mostly farm next to the stream, away from the road. This originates from their distrustful nature, where they prefer to only depend on land they have control over. As a result, a Raider attack would have a hard time going after their crops. The downside is that each year they must wait until after the spring floods before they can plant their crops.

Within the walls

The Dagger's Tail consists of seven buildings built around a central plaza. These buildings tower over the walls surrounding them. The caravan road passes through the walls, which means that travellers must either pass through the gates or take an off-road detour.
While technically the Dagger's Tail consists of seven buildings, upper floor walkways connect all but the animal hall with each other. Large nets span between the rooftops and even cover the entire plaza. The nets support vines that provide shade in summer.

---

The Dagger's Tail (w/ clickable map icons)

Open full size

Legend

Drinking Hall

For those in need of food or drink, this is the place to go.

Sleeping Hall x2

Only at the busiest times is there a shortage of bedrooms.

Animal Hall

For both local and visiting cattle and beasts of burden.

Workshop

For all the needed blacksmithing, tanning, fletching, brewing.

Storage x2

Supplies, food, weapons, ammunition, even spare ballistae.

Central Plaza

For wagons, cooking your own food, and excess crowds.

Farmlands x4

A variety of crops, enough to feed the locals and visitors.

Beast Lands

Most hazardeous Beasts will come from across the stream.

---

Architecture

Buildings

The buildings make heavy use of stone for their foundation and ground floor walls. Their upper floors are mostly built from logs. Sloped roofs prevent snow from becoming a threat in winter. The sleeping and drinking halls have balconies that provide the lodgers and residents with a great view over the walls. The workshop and storage buildings only have narrow windows.

Walls

While the buildings are the highest, the freestanding walls are what visitors find most intimidating. They stand five metres high and 1.5 metres thick, consisting of countless chiseled rocks held together by mortar. The walls are flat, except for the 15 shielded ballista shooting platforms.

Ballistae

For each of the 15 ballistae mounted on the walls, a backup is kept in storage. Their ammunition includes rocks, straight bolts, and barbed bolts. The barbed bolts have cables attached to them, with automated winches. If an attacking Beast is hit, the barbs and cable prevent it from escaping.

The Raider & The Ballista

"Okay, so, the Raider and the Ballista. Well, you know how some Beasts run when injured, then come back later for revenge? Now to prevent that, our ballistae are equipped with barbed bolts and cables. Bolt hits Beast, bolt gets stuck, and then you pull them in so they can't escape."
Several people nodded, as most present were aware of that tactic. A few flashed grins and chuckled in anticipation.
"So like a year after we first installed those, we were attacked by Raiders. Now one of us had a bit too much to drink... So while the Raider captain was giving us an ultimatum, he fired the ballista at the captain, not realizing there was still a cable attached. Clean hit too."
A few people grimaced and one turned mildly green, picturing in their minds exactly what a ballista bolt would do to a normal person.
"Now the winch was cranked, and the thing automatically pulled the captain in. Now this is a system designed to pull in a struggling heavy Beast, not a mere human... So before the other Raiders had even realised what was going on, we already had a new wall decoration, so to speak."
While the rookies opened their eyes wide, as their minds painted that picture for them, Karog guffawed. "And THAT is why we never get any Raider attacks around here!"

---

Important Staffmembers

Dagen (Ogre)

Founder, head farmer, and arrowsmith. Some even say he's mainly the mascot. He spends most of his evenings assisting his friends and telling stories.
As a Wayfarer, Dagen wielded a shortsword and a barbed chain whip. A shortsword is practically a dagger in an Ogre's hands. As a result, people ended up calling his weapons The Dagger and The Dagger's Tail.

Karog (Ogre)

At night, Karog often serves as the main chef of the Dagger's Tail. Whenever a Beast is taken down nearby, he immediately starts prepping the kitchen.
Karog used to be a Wanderer that made a living ranching cattle, before sticking around 14 years ago. He's currently responsible for the animal handlers, running both the livestock and the stables.

Voureg (Ogre)

Voureg juggles knives, as well as unruly drunks. Behave at the drinking hall or else. She primarily works as carpenter, though she's also responsible for the armoury. She's married to Fiddes the physician.
Voureg was one of Dagen's comrades and helped build the Dagger's Tail. She was amongst those that chose to retire as well, too proud of what they'd built.

Radogund (Halfling)

Radogund Thornburrow is almost always the one that serves the drinks at the bar, and she always knows what people are in the mood for. She spends her daylight making bows and arrows, as well as tanning hides.
She initially came to the Dagger's Tail as an apprentice bowyer, until she became a master herself. Her teacher has moved on, but she intends to stick around.

Fiddes (Gnome)

At night he brings people their food and drinks. During the day he brews said drinks, or uses stronger alcohol as disinfectant when treating injuries.
A former comrade of Dagen, Fiddes's skills as physician allowed him to make a fortune as a Wayfarer. Eventually he couldn't stay away from Voureg's advances. Once he chose to move in, they married within weeks.

Jadescar (Human)

Nicknamed after the green scars a Beast gave her, Jadescar represents the Wayfarer Guild at the Dagger's Tail. She also takes the lead in dismembering Beasts into materials, and smiths her own gear.
Jadescar was assigned Guild Representative 8 years ago. The addition of her crafting skills helped decrease the dependency on travelling blacksmiths.