The Bent Stake

Overview

History

The Bent Stake was originally a fortified farmhouse during the first shadow-wars. It earned its name after a legendary defense where the villagers fought off a pack of monstrous wolves using nothing but sharpened fence posts.

Quirks

Whenever the heavy front door creaks open, every single patron stops talking and looks toward the entrance with hands near their belts. The room is decorated with bundles of dried garlic and silvered mirrors facing every window.

Rooms and services4

Iron-Banded ShuttersSecurity
Thick oak window covers reinforced with heavy iron bars that are bolted shut every evening at sundown.
The Great HearthHeating
A massive stone fireplace that serves as the primary light source for the common room, burning aromatic pine and sage.
Holy Water BasinReligious
A small stone font located just inside the threshold for patrons to cross themselves upon entry.
Common Room LoftsLodging
Simple straw pallets arranged in a lofted area above the bar, kept away from ground-floor windows.

Iron-Root Ale4 copper
Drink
A dark, incredibly bitter ale brewed with local tubers and fortification herbs.
Wolfberry Cordial1 silver
Drink
A sweet, tart red liqueur said to steady the nerves before a night watch.
Black Rye Bread2 copper
Food
Dense, heavy bread served with a thick layer of salted lard.
Garlic-Heavy Mutton Stew5 copper
Main Course
A thick grey stew with enough garlic to be smelled from the street, intended to ward off more than just hunger.
Roasted Forest Leeks3 copper
Appetizer
Leeks gathered from the inner forest, charred over the great hearth.
Poached Pears in Red Wine2 silver
Dessert
A rare treat using imports from the southern valleys.
Boiled Tubers1 copper
Food
Simple starchy roots served with a pinch of grey salt.

People

The keeper and 3 patrons

KeeperSilas Vane
Human ranger, level 5
Nervous PriestFather Marek
Constant fidgeting with his wooden holy symbol and muttering prayers under his breath.
Village MidwifeOld Elara
Grim and observant, she knows the lineage of every family in Oakhaven and remembers the old wards.
StrongarmKaelen the Blacksmith
Quiet and stoic, he is currently preoccupied with silver-plating a set of pitchfork tines.

Keeper's Species

Human

Intrigue

Intrigue · GM only

What locals say

Villagers whisper that the graveyard is older than the church itself, and that the stones were placed flat to keep the hungry dead from pushing upward. They say that on misty nights, the trees of the forest move closer to the village walls.

Plot hooks

3

1Silas offers a reward for anyone willing to retrieve a lost shipment of silver-tipped bolts from a wagon overturned near the forest edge.

2A frantic local farmer claims his livestock are being drained of blood, but no wolf tracks were found near the carcasses.

3A stranger in a velvet cloak arrived two nights ago and paid for a room in gold, but the staff says the bed has not been slept in.

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