The Eel's Second Sinking
The pub takes its name from a night when a giant eel, hauled aboard in a storm, slipped free and dragged a small fishing boat under before vanishing. The boat later washed ashore intact, though nobody agrees how. Outsiders tell the story as if the eel sank twice, and the name stuck. The building began as a chandlery storehouse before its owner converted the ground floor into a drinking room for crews waiting on the tide.
The Eel's Second Sinking
Overview
History
The pub takes its name from a night when a giant eel, hauled aboard in a storm, slipped free and dragged a small fishing boat under before vanishing. The boat later washed ashore intact, though nobody agrees how. Outsiders tell the story as if the eel sank twice, and the name stuck. The building began as a chandlery storehouse before its owner converted the ground floor into a drinking room for crews waiting on the tide.
Quirks
The keeper rings a little brass bell whenever the tide turns, even in the middle of a conversation. Patrons pause to listen, then resume speaking as if nothing happened. Anyone who spills a drink is expected to name a shipwreck they have heard of while the staff mop it up.
Rooms and services5
- Quayside Common RoomGathering spaceA low-ceilinged common room with tarred beams, broad windows facing the piers, and benches bolted down against rough seas.
- Upper BerthsLodgingFour narrow rooms with sea chests, clean straw mattresses, and shutters that keep out most of the spray. One room has a reinforced door for storing valuables.
- Tide SlipBoat mooringA covered slip and a pair of stout mooring rings serve small boats. The keeper can arrange a watchman for a few silver pieces.
- Song BenchEntertainmentA smoke-stained corner stage hosts sailors' songs, dice games, and the occasional paid storyteller. Performers must finish before the night watch bell.
- Dry LockerSecure storageA locked cage beneath the stairs holds parcels too damp, dangerous, or valuable to leave in a guest's room. The keeper records who deposits each item.
People
The keeper and 5 patronsKeeperHalla Human fighter, level 5
Net-mender and local informant, a commoner with no formal combat trainingAulikki A patient, sharp-eyed human net-mender who remembers every vessel that has come through the harbor this month. She dislikes boasting and quietly rewards useful information.
Cargo broker, a veteran with the skills of a 2nd-level expertBeren Oatley A cheerful dwarf factor who counts every coin twice and tells jokes that improve considerably after his second drink.
Ship's lookout, a 3rd-level rogueSythra A soft-spoken tiefling sailor who watches reflections in the windows instead of looking directly at strangers. She is brave in a crisis but cagey about her last voyage.
Retired harbor guard, a 4th-level fighterOsmund Pell A broad-shouldered human ex-soldier with a gentle manner and a habit of standing between arguments before they become fights.
Wandering priest of a sea-associated faith, a 5th-level clericEira A half-elf cleric traveling with a small sea shrine. She is kind but will sharply challenge anyone who treats the dead as cargo or a bargaining chip.
Keeper's Species
Human
Intrigue
What locals say
The pub is a working dockside stop, not a grand inn. Its regulars know tide tables, harbor gossip, and which captains pay their crews on time. Sailors leave a little of their first drink beneath the quay-facing window for those lost at sea. This is a local custom, not a recognized religious rite. The eel story is a piece of local folklore, and its supernatural details are deliberately uncertain.
Plot hooks
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