the Whispering Salamander
Scarterra does not have a lot of establishments akin to modern restaurants, typically called "eateries" in Scarterra.
In towns, locals and visitors usually eat at inns (where the meals consist of whatever the inn keeper's family is eating, no substitutions) or they build meals ala carte with individual food shops assembling meals item by item, but there are some eateries akin to modern restaurants that serve complete and varied meals with menus of options and meals prepared specifically to order.
Most eateries cater primarily to fairly wealthy customers and the Whispering Salamander in Blue River City is not an exception. It is only a few blocks away from the main noble enclave and is surrounded by fairly high end shops and businesses, but it's also a few blocks away from "the bad part of town."
Strategically located in the thin intermediate area because the "good" and "bad" parts of town, it is an open secret that the Whispering Salamander is a front for the Blood Dragons criminal cartel.
Purpose / Function
Despite the dark reputation of the Whispering Salamander, most of the customers inside just want a good meal. The head chef hear is one of the best chef's in Scarterra, a protégé of Roodnat, so the food here is very good (and very expensive). The wine and spiced ale selection is top notch too. The quality of food provides shady people with plausible deniability for visiting, not that I've ever visited for any reason other than the food.""The Blood Dragons consider themselves more sophisticated than common criminals and claim to live by a code and have decorum. The Blood Dragons don't actually murder or kidnap people in the Whispering Salamander...usually. It's also relatively rare for clandestine goods to actually change hands here. The area is mostly used to broker deals, especially with various Dragonbloods.
Contents & Furnishings
A lot of the rooms are lit and temperature regulated with magic and more candles than you normally see. This is both a posh luxury and a subtle show of force on part of the Blood Dragons.
The furniture is also of a posh quality and everything is kept very clean.
Hazards & Traps
We've been trying to shut this place down for years, but their combination of bribery and threats makes them untouchable. We might be able to sit back and let them destroy themselves, and I'm not talking about a metaphor. Lots of spells are repeatedly being cast in a relatively space, this means feral elemental spawnings are likely. Most of the spell-casters are paranoid and violent so the feral elementals they spawn are likely to be paranoid and violent. And the building has lots of hearths and candles, so feral elementals they spawn are likely to be spawning elementals. The building is made of wood. The interior rooms make the building hard to navigate quickly. If there is a loose fire elemental during their busy time, people will die. I don't know why this hasn't happened yet. Unfortunately, it'll probably be mostly innocent diners not criminals who die." -Alun, sorcerer of the Arcane Registry
Architecture
Most shops and taverns in Scarterra tend to have wide open spaces because it's cheaper and easier to constructbuildings in this manner. It's also cheaper to heat and light wide open spaces than to individually prepare every room.
But the Whispering Salamander breaks the mold with a a relatively large number of relatively small rooms. All the better for the privacy of the employees and patrons.
Defenses
In the main entry is an ironically cute looking sculpture of a salamdander on a rock. The statue is an arcane locus for a permanent poison detection spell and the statue will change color if poison is brought into any section of the building. The spell is only calibrated to detect obvious poisons, strong alchoholic drinks do not trigger the effect, and some other mild poisons can also slip through. Of course, a lot of paranoid Swynfaredian Dragonbloods carry their own poison detection magic.
by me with Midjourney
Type
Pub / Tavern / Restaurant
Parent Location
Who are the Blood Dragons and what do they do?
by me with Midjourney
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