Geography: Tears of the Wood Inn

The Tears of the Wood Inn

The Tears of the Wood Inn is on the eastern bank of the South Peaseblossom, across the river from the Blackbird Forest. Therefore, it is officially and legally in lawless Izen, not in highly regulated Aisildur. It is a large, three-story building, with an enclosed courtyard inside and gardens in the back, toward the river.

Background and History

The inn is owned and run by a freewoman named Mavis Satman. Before the Year of Ascension, she was a merchant plying the southern routes from the Taur Isles to New Elenna with stops in Aisildur and Dirt City along the way. During the Year of Ascension she was at sea in her ship, which crashed in a huge storm just before the Wold was destroyed. She's not sure now what happened (most everyone's memory of that time is funky), but after the Year of Ascension she found herself shipwrecked miles from the ocean on the shores of the Peaseblossum, and she was pulled half-drowned from the river by a Slag (a Jack) calling himself Horsemueller. Her cargo was scattered on the riverbanks, and there was no sign of her crew. She picked herself up and sold what she could salvage.

Grateful to Horsemeuller, she asked him what she could do for him. He told her his dream was to find wild horses in Izen and tame them -- horses are his mania, and they understand his speech. His gift is a kind of animal affinity.

Mavis quickly figured out how the YoA had changed things. With the wealth she was able to salvage (and a few choice gems she had always kept sewn into her breeches), she built the Tears of the Wood Inn, halfway between Adorus and Aceleus on the Izen side of the river.

Part of the inn she made from salvaged wood from her ship. The main bar is made from the keel of the ship, and it still has barnacles attached.

Also used in construction was a huge tree Mavis found washed ashore at the site. In fact, it was a huge dryad tree felled and washed downstream by the same catastrophic storm that swamped her ship. No one knows that it was a dryad tree, but on stormy nights some people say that you can hear the weeping of a woman in the place.

That may be one reason why the tavern is called Tears of the Wood. The sign outside is of a weeping willow tree. A less romantic explanation is that it's named after the water that flows south via the river from Culverwood.

Horsemueller, true to his vision, captured several wild horses and began breeding them with domestic horses he helped Mavis purchase. So far his cross-breeds are still too young to race, but he is training them. He runs the stables with great care and skill. Several people who come to the tavern often from Aisildur board horses here rather than try to take them back and forth across the river every time. (By the way, it may be that Horsemeuller is a secret member of the Dragon Cult that opposes Ga'al but is loyal to the Emperor. Maybe he's a stop on an underground railroad that gets folks out of Aisildur who are in trouble with the authorities. Or maybe he's an agent of the throne.)

Politics and the Balance of Power

Before the YOA, the Aisildurians would never have tolerated the existence of such a place as this, but after the godwar and after the borders opened, authorities in Aisildur chose to let the Tears of the Wood thrive for several reasons. First, it keeps some of the rougher elements on the other side of the river, instead of in Aisildur (since the borders are now open, outsiders can now enter the empire freely). Second, it is a useful place for missionaries, destined to spread out across the Wold, to practice interacting with and preaching to the non-Heartseeded. Third, by allowing it to exist, the Aisildurians show that they are "committed" to peace with neighbors and do not seek to "dominate" everybody. Of course, the exact opposite is still true, but by letting the tavern exist, it gives the Aisildurians an edge in the propaganda war.

That means Mavis has to be balanced on a knife's edge. She has to maintain good relations with the Aisildur authorities so they don't cross the river and shut her down. That's why she is nice to missionaries. (On the other hand, she really frowns on forced heartseeding!)

But the denizens of Izen are dangerous too! The greatest danger is from nomadic orc tribes that roam Western Izen. Not only does Mavis have to keep the Aisildurians happy, but she also has had to earn and keep the respect of the closest local orc tribes! These orc tribes go mounted -- the might remind you of the medieval Huns and Mongols of the real world. The Tavern is the only neutral ground where local tribes can come to trade horses. There are popular orc fair days at the tavern, when the tavern is host to a couple hundred orcs from different clans, all enjoying the chance to wager on horse races, fight, drink, trade, and the rest. On those days, non-orcs who poke their heads out of their rooms should not be surprised to end up bloody -- but the local chiefs keep a somewhat strict prohibition on deaths!

One factor that may have helped Mavis is the presence of the Mailed Fist fortress of Ranashir in the hills of West Izen. Mailed Fist officers often visit the inn, sometimes on leave, sometimes to negotiate contracts with Aisildurian nobles who have taken advantage of the nation's new open border policy to hire some outside mercenaries. Known for its cavalry, Ranashir also sends buyers to Horsemueller's fairs.

Physical Description

There is a wide track that encircles the place. This is a horse track, and it is used for exercise, training, and races.

There is a small, pretty flower garden in back, between the river and the inn, lamp-lit in the evenings, where a small altar to Ga'al is located. There is a large garden surrounded by a thick hedge -- the Inn's produce garden. Irrigated with the magical waters flowing south from the Culverwood, the plants in this garden sometimes sway and move even when the wind is still.

There is no porch, but there is a wide awning that extends out from the front and two sides. These awnings are done in the local orcish style, and orcs who frequent the tavern tend to stay under the awnings and not enter the building itself.

The tavern itself is of new construction. It is sturdy, with stone walls for the first two stories and solid logs for the third. There are arrow slits on the ground floor and large round windows, like portholes, on the second floor. There are smaller portholes in the third. There is only one public entrance, big enough for horses (but not caravan wagons) -- although there is a staff entrance, always kept barred, in the back, and a secret tunnel to the river dock that only few know about.

The first floor is an inner courtyard open to the sky, surrounded by the stables. It's quite an extensive stables too -- well beyond the requirements of a wayside Inn or Tavern. Horsemueller keeps it immaculate -- not a blade of grass or straw is out of place.

Also on the first floor are kitchens, pantries, barracks, and baths. The baths have round bath tubs in relatively private cubicles near the stables. One is actually big enough for a horse, and therefore is also Taur-sized. The water is hot, the towels are clean but a bit scratchy, and the place is clean enough.

Also on the ground level is, kitchens, pantries, and barracks. The second floor has the common room and guest rooms to let -- ten rooms holding up to six guests each. The third floor is staff housing and storage. There is a simple pulley and lift to help move things up and down.

The heart of the place, the common room, is famous for really cool brewed ales, unique to this particular tavern, where you can go in and ask for a pint of Horsemasters, a mug of Orcshead, or maybe a glass of Blackbird wine. The bar was built from the hull of a sailing ship -- a few barnacles and limpets are still stuck onto the wood. It smells of beer and salt water. A rather voluptuous woman-shaped ship's figurehead holds up the bar's section of the ceiling. The figurehead is an intelligent magic fate item that can communicate via telepathy and can move. A quote from her:

"My name is Livia, formerly of the late schooner, the Orracleze. Alas, a rather nasty shipwreck put paid to our seagoing ventures, so we were tossed up the Peaseblossom and now reside here. All thats left of the ship is what you see of the bar, here. And myself of course. I used to converse with whales and dolphins. Now I have to listen to drunks all night long. Sigh ... Oh, and the panelling and beams that make up the Inn, chattering away all night long about this and that. It's enough to drive a lady completely mad. Sigh ... Not a particulary auspicious end for a ship's guardian, but it does have its moments."

You might find all kinds of folk here. Wild-catters, explorers, and merchants of the more adventurous type. Outgoing people who are willing to risk a little in order to make their fortunes. There are a few demi-humans seeking respectability, a few elven rangers expanding their knowledge of terrain beyond Culverwood. Orcs, half-orcs, and the odd goblin. Heartseeded folk from Aisildur. It's very lively!

Horse Fairs and Staff

Twice a year, in spring and fall, there is an annual Horse Fair here -- a big event that gathers momentum year after year, bringing in dealers and buyers alike. The Horse Fairs lasts a week and two weekends -- the Orc Fair is the first weekend and the Human Fair is the second, since the two races don't always mix so well! But some humans come early for the orc half and some orcs stay late for the human half -- the real horse lovers.

There are eight full-time bouncers/guards working here -- four on, four off, in 12-hour shifts. The long shifts are not so bad since a shift mostly consists of sitting in the common room or roaming around glaring at troublemakers. At least one bouncer/guard is always on the roof keeping watch next to an alarm gong. The bouncers -- a mix of half-orcs and humans -- generally use greatswords and chain shirts.

Another 20-odd staffers work in the place -- cooks, maids, grooms, haulers, etc. There's a carpenter with masonry skills and a blacksmith with a small forge in the courtyard. His biggest job is shoeing horses. There's a half-orc brewer, too. A couple farmers grow vegetables and herbs in small fenced fields out back, and another couple fishers keep fresh river fish on the tables and in the stew-pots. The management pays for fresh game that locals bring in from time to time. Flour, sugar, and other staples are mostly imported. About a third of the staff are heartseeded.

Crossing the River

The easiest way is to be ferried by the tavern's fishing boat. This is the most obvious way, but it is widely known that the Aisildurian agent at the Inn taks note of those who enter and leave Aisildur.

The river is about a quarter of a mile wide -- that's about 1,200 feet. The fishing boat can cross in about 15 minutes.

Swimming is also an option -- you can take ten on swim checks. But remember the penalty for carrying gear!

Five miles north of the Inn the river narrows, and there is a way to cross on magic submerged stepping stones, that rise and fall so people can step across and boats can travel north and south. The existence of this ford is not commonly known, and the method to make the stones rise to the surface is secret.

Notable NPCs

Mavis Satman is a middle-aged lady with well-coiffed blonde hair and a sparkle in her eye. She is a fighter/ranger/expert with high ranks in diplomacy, appraise, and profession (merchant).

Horsemueller, a human Slag (Jack) whose heartseed did not take right. He is a ranger/obsessed. His favored enemies are animals and orcs.

Eric the Bouncer, a half-orc, is also head of security. To break up bar fights, he uses a crossbow and nonmagical bolts tipped with packets of flour and ground pepper -- these inflict nonlethal damage and tend to make the eyes water.

Nyle and Jon are half-orc barkeeps.

Livia is the intelligent ship's figurehead at the bar.

It is said that there is an official agent of the Aisildurian throne here, but the identity of this agent is a mystery.

Typical NPCs at the Inn

A trio of neutral female orcs looking for mercenary work.

A heartseeded missionary who tries to convert the party. There are other missionaries around too. A different one will talk with the party every night they are there. Note that the management insists that missionaries be treated with respect, so if anyone is rude or threatens a missionary, a bouncer will come by and tell the rude person to cut it out. All are male.

An male elf ranger down from the Culverwood.

A female human ranger/miner with a small stake of raw gold. She knows of a stream where you can pan for it, but she's not telling.

Assorted trappers and hunters. One might be a troll.

A lone male merchant secretly carrying light luxury goods.

A party of four third-fourth level adventurers. They could be fodder for a side adventure. Maybe they want help with a treasure map. Or maybe they want to jump the party in the woods and take their magic items.

The Tears of the Wood in the Wold

May 2004: A visit by the Dirt City crew.

August 2006: The Gold Dragons and the Emerald Talons meet.

February 2008: Starting the Blackbird Lake game

June 2010: Blackbird Lake heroes again