The Peg
The tavern began as a public house near the old city weighhouse. Its first sign showed a wooden tally peg used to mark unpaid grain debts. Locals shortened the name from the Peg-and-Tally to simply the Peg, and the sign itself vanished decades ago. When the weighhouse closed, couriers and petty smugglers took over the cellar. The current keeper inherited the lease and kept the old traffic, while adding rules that make the place safer for people who can keep a confidence.
The Peg
Overview
History
The tavern began as a public house near the old city weighhouse. Its first sign showed a wooden tally peg used to mark unpaid grain debts. Locals shortened the name from the Peg-and-Tally to simply the Peg, and the sign itself vanished decades ago. When the weighhouse closed, couriers and petty smugglers took over the cellar. The current keeper inherited the lease and kept the old traffic, while adding rules that make the place safer for people who can keep a confidence.
Quirks
The staff never call customers by name unless they are alone together. Anyone who asks for the menu's midnight bowl is asked whether they want it mild or honest, a house joke that regulars use to test newcomers. The gaming table has one leg shorter than the others, and the keeper refuses to let anyone fix it.
Rooms and services5
- Back RoomsLodgingA narrow room behind the kitchen rents by the hour or night. The keeper asks no questions, but the door has a peephole and a second way out through a flour cupboard.
- Gaming TableGamblingA scarred oak table serves for cards, dice, and discreet exchanges. A brass bell beneath it signals the staff if a game turns into a robbery.
- Coal LockerStorageA false-bottomed coal bin holds small parcels for customers with the right token. The staff will not store weapons, stolen relics, or anything that twitches.
- Drain PassageSecret ExitA trapdoor beneath the pantry opens onto a brick passage leading to a disused drain. It is cramped, foul-smelling, and useful for leaving unseen.
- Wash BenchBathingThe kitchen's back bench is available to guests who need a hot wash and privacy. The water is hauled by hand, and the curtain does little to muffle conversation.
People
The keeper and 6 patronsKeeperTess Human rogue, level 5
Pickpocket and occasional lookoutBram A blunt, watchful human cutpurse who keeps his back to the wall. He is level 2 and insists he is only here for the stew.
Fence for stolen trade goodsKrzta Voj A terse dwarf fence with a precise memory for weights and prices. She is level 4, dislikes haggling in public, and notices every new face.
Message runnerOluwena A warm-voiced halfling courier who remembers everyone's favorite drink. She is level 3 and is far more observant than her cheerful manner suggests.
Gambler and confidence tricksterDemos Argyros A smooth-talking human cardsharp, level 5, who enjoys winning slowly and losing just enough to look harmless.
Experienced safe-breakerGrsk A taciturn half-orc burglar, level 6, who answers questions with a shrug unless someone mentions the watch.
Information brokerYara of Silt Row A poised tiefling information broker, level 7, who speaks gently and never gives a fact without measuring what it is worth.
Keeper's Species
Human
Intrigue
What locals say
The Peg is a thieves' den, not a guildhall. Its regulars include pickpockets, fences, smugglers, and informants, but the keeper refuses to let the tavern become a place for murder or the sale of people. No single criminal organization controls it. The staff use ordinary signs, such as a mug turned on its side or a coin left beneath a candle, to communicate simple warnings. These customs are local inventions, not established guild codes.
Plot hooks
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