Elfsong Tavern

The Elfsong Tavern is a well-known low-end tavern in the city of Baldur’s Gate. It is located just inside the gate to Wyrm’s Crossing, on the eastern side of the lower city. The name derives from an unusual haunting: a ghostly female elven voice heard periodically throughout the establishment. The singing is quiet, but can be heard quite clearly. It is most often described as both beautiful and mournful. The identity of the singer is unknown, but it is clear that her song is a lament for a lover lost at sea. No other music is permitted inside the Elfsong.

History
The Elfsong Tavern was one of Baldur's Gate's most popular regions before the Spellplague and from 1368 DR to 1376 DR, it was visited by the Western Heartlands most famous adventurer's. During the Iron Crisis' it gave the hero Abdel Adrian many quests and adventures. In 1374 DR, when the Dark Alliance first began to threaten Baldur's Gate, the Elfsong Tavern was where the fight began. Vahn, Kromlech and Adrianna were attacked by thieves working for the Dark Alliance and were nurtured to safety in the Elfsong Tavern. Through the Elfsong Tavern they eventually came to the Onyx Tower where they learned the secrets of the Elfsong. The ghostly Elven Woman who sings in the Tavern sings for her husband who had worked for the Company of the Crescent Blade, her husband had left to defend Baldur's Gate and promised one day to return but never did. In the Onyx Tower the three adventurer's met a ghost who revealed himself to be the husband of the Elf Woman and the reason that she sings is because she is still waiting for him to come home. The destruction of the Onyx Tower freed the ghost and brought the Elf woman to peace.

In 1437 DR, Baldur's Gate suffered a major undead crisis. This brought all dead back to life. It did not bring the Elfsong Ghost back to life, but instead brought its song back, as the ghost had been brought peace. The song now once more replays on and one in Baldur's Gate under the administration of the aged bartender.

Patronage
The Elfsong caters to persons on the wrong side of the law. It is more popular with adventurers and independent operators than with the established organizations of the underworld, whom tend to frequent The Blushing Mermaid. The city watch has an arrangement with the management, and can be expected to maintain a comfortable distance unless a full-scale war erupts inside (which has been known to happen).

People come to the Elfsong to do business of all sorts, most of it illicit. Here can be found fences, smugglers, assassins-for-hire, and many an adventurer with hard-earned coin and tall tales to tell. Pirates and miscellaneous outlaws from up and down the Sword Coast are often found within as well. If you're looking for somebody willing and able to do something illegal, you can almost certainly find him or her in the Elfsong&mdash;if you but have the coin.

Patrons are expected to go armed and are completely responsible for their own safety. Murders are not unheard of, especially upon the dim and winding staircases.

Architecture and Decor
The building itself is two stories tall. It is large and elegantly built, albeit somewhat dilapidated. The ground floor is the taproom, featuring the bar and a large number of tables and dark, anonymous booths. One of the more notable decorations is a stuffed baby beholder mounted over the bar. The only lighting is provided by many blue driftglobes which float about near the ceiling. The furniture is stout wood, marked by any number of nicks and slashes from swords and knives. Individual tables are cordoned off with hanging tapestries, which provide visual (but not vocal) privacy.

The upper floor is filled with private meeting rooms, which can be rented either by the candle&mdash;the time it takes a short taper to burn down&mdash;or by the evening.

Provender
The establishment serves virtually every kind of alcohol known. It is also known for its melted cheese sandwiches (spicing optional), pickles, and fist-sized twists of dried herring. All food is heavily salted to make patrons drink more. The tavern is also famed for a thick stew, beloved by many sick or cold sailors. This stew consists of all leavings from the rest of the cooking, soured ale, wine dregs, etc. It is thrown into a huge cauldron that is constantly kept at a simmer. A number of folk in Baldur’s Gate are quite fond of the stew, and some very reputable folk will come to the Elfsong for the sole purpose of drinking it.

Management and Staff
The current owner of the Elfsong is a half-elven woman known as "Lady" Alyth Elendara. It is said that she purchased the tavern for 50,000 gp from its previous owner (since deceased). The previous owner was an elder warrior who placed a single condition on the sale: that he be allowed to sit in the tavern at all hours in order to hear the song as often as he desired. Elendara is also known to operate an unofficial bank, mostly used by those with large amounts of coin and no good reason to possess it. There is much speculation as to where she stores this money and how it is guarded, but only she knows for sure.

Prices

 * Ale is 2cp per (huge) tankard
 * Stout is 4cp per (huge) tankard
 * Wine is 5cp per tallglass
 * Rollrum (dark, licorice-laced drink from the Tashalar) is 1sp per flagon
 * The stew is 1sp per mug, and 2cp extra for a large bowl
 * All servings of other food are 1sp (one serving makes half a meal for most people)