The Alder Stump
The inn was built where a dense stand of alder trees once crowded the road. Workers cleared the trees and burned their roots, but one blackened stump proved too large to remove. The builders raised the hearth over it. Years later, a cellar digger struck a hollow beneath the stump and quit the job without explaining why. The cellar remains sealed.
The Alder Stump
Overview
History
The inn was built where a dense stand of alder trees once crowded the road. Workers cleared the trees and burned their roots, but one blackened stump proved too large to remove. The builders raised the hearth over it. Years later, a cellar digger struck a hollow beneath the stump and quit the job without explaining why. The cellar remains sealed.
Quirks
The common room is cozy but dim, lit by the hearth and a few hooded lamps. The fire sometimes burns low and blue around the black stump beneath it. The keeper insists this is a trick of damp wood, though the logs are always dry. Guests leave a cup of water outside their rooms because the inn's old house custom says it keeps bad dreams from following them indoors.
Rooms and services5
- Eaveside RoomsLodgingFour small rooms beneath the eaves, each with a straw mattress, a shutter that latches from inside, and a candle stub. One room has a narrow crawlspace behind its wardrobe.
- Covered StableStableA brick-lined stable with space for six mounts. The stablehand keeps a lantern burning all night, though its flame sometimes leans toward the sealed rear stall.
- The Quiet NookPrivate roomA curtained alcove with a writing desk, two chairs, and a little bell for summoning the keeper. The bell's cord has been cut, but it occasionally rings anyway.
- Hearth CornerRecreationA low hearth and a shelf of old board games provide a comfortable place to pass a rainy evening. The innkeeper allows harmless card games, but forbids wagering more than a few copper pieces.
- WashroomBathA stone washroom with a copper tub, warmed water, and hooks for damp clothes. The water is carried up from the kitchen, not drawn from the old well beneath the building.
People
The keeper and 5 patronsKeeperDayo Kest Human rogue, level 3
Carter resting overnightBram A blunt, good-natured carter who talks freely about roads and weather but goes quiet whenever the hearth pops.
Traveling herbalistAbeni A warm, observant herbalist who listens more than she speaks and quietly notices which guests avoid the cellar door.
Mapmaker and occasional guideQorim A soft-spoken half-orc mapmaker with an exact memory for landmarks. He is mildly irritated that the inn's lower floor does not match the building's exterior.
Courier carrying a private messageTazri of the Reed Flats A quick-witted halfling courier who jokes constantly, but keeps one hand near the sealed leather tube at her belt.
Retired caravan guardMerek A tired, patient human guard who has seen enough road trouble to avoid boasting. He sleeps lightly and wakes at the smallest sound.
Keeper's Species
Human
Intrigue
What locals say
The Alder Stump is a custom roadside inn in a quiet corner of the Realms, with no established connection to a major faction or famous site. Its oddities are small enough to be rumor rather than proof of a haunting. The cellar and the source of the footsteps are left unresolved for the Dungeon Master to develop.
Plot hooks
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