The Blind Rat

Overview

History

Originally a cold storage cellar for a royal textile guild, the space was abandoned after a flood. Gromm claimed the space years ago after being cast out by a noble house for a crime he did not commit.

Quirks

The tavern is entirely windowless and stays humid regardless of the season. Gromm uses a series of rhythmic knocks on the counter to communicate costs or warnings to his regulars.

Rooms and services4

The Shadow BoothsPrivate Rooms
Deep alcoves carved into the stone foundation covered by heavy, light-blocking curtains for private dealings.
The Dead Drop CrackInformation Exchange
A specific loose stone in the back wall used by guild runners to exchange small notes or coins without speaking.
The Sewer PassageEmergency Exit
A hidden grate behind the bar that leads directly into the city's under-tunnels for a quick escape from the City Watch.
Coin-Operated LockersStorage
Small iron-reinforced wall slots where patrons can secure weapons or sensitive items while they conduct business.

Swill Ale2 copper
Drink
Thin, watery, and slightly sour ale served in a cracked clay mug.
The Silent Special8 copper
Drink
A potent, clear grain spirit that burns the throat and numbs the tongue.
Basement Stew4 copper
Main Course
A thick, brown slurry of root vegetables and questionable meat scraps.
Pickled Rat Tail3 copper
Appetizer
Actually spicy pork strips, though the locals play along with the name to scare newcomers.
Hardtack and Rind3 copper
Main Course
Rock-hard bread served with a sliver of pungent, salty cheese rind.
Mold-Crust Pie5 copper
Dessert
A small hand pie filled with dried apples; the name is a joke about the tavern's damp walls.
Tankard of Goat Milk4 copper
Drink
Fresh from the surface markets, often used to cut the strength of the Silent Special.

People

The keeper and 3 patrons

KeeperGromm Tongueless
Half-Orc fighter, level 5
Information BrokerKaelen the Twitch
Constant eye contact and frantic whispering; he smells of old parchment and cheap tobacco.
Dwarven SmugglerThrum Ironfoot
Stoic and immobile as a mountain; he only speaks in one-word answers and drinks exclusively from his own flask.
Tiefling DebtorSorrow
Melancholy and desperate; she is looking for any work, no matter how dangerous, to avoid the debtor prisons.

Keeper's Species

Half-Orc

Intrigue

Intrigue · GM only

What locals say

Legend says that the Blind Rat is built directly over the vault of a forgotten king. Smugglers frequent the spot not just for the privacy, but in hopes that the shifting foundations might one day crack the vault open.

Plot hooks

3

1A nervous merchant offers the party three silver to escort him out of the basement and past a group of debt collectors waiting in the alley above.

2The party finds a copper coin with a tiny map etched onto its surface, pointing toward a specific tunnel in the sewers.

3A local noble's signet ring is found at the bottom of a tankard of cheap ale, suggesting a high-born visitor was recently kidnapped or mugged here.

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