Sign of the Shield

The Sign of the Shield was an inn in Voonlar that catered to travelers looking for luxurious accommodations.

Location
The grand inn was on the south side of Shind Road, facing the Shield Trading Company across the street. A short way towards the southwest was the intersection of Shind Road with Daerndrean Street.

Structure
The Shield was the largest building in Voonlar, topping four stories with a hipped slate roof and an imposing stone facade that resembled a temple edifice. Four massive stone pillars framed the entrance and supported a large third-floor balcony that sheltered the entrance below and provided a venue with an impressive view. The rectangular building extended deeper than it was wide, except for the fourth floor which ended halfway back. The rest of the fourth floor was a rooftop herb garden and sunning area used by the staff.

To the west, a large stable building provided shelter for animals and lockable sheds for storage of wagons and carriages. To the east was a well-tended lawn that was framed by a tall cedar hedge and a row of apple trees. The columns were covered with ivy and flowering vines that hid signs of aging. Surmounting the entrance was a large shield without blazon; just a bare, ivory-colored escutcheon surrounded by flame-like garlands carved in wood.

Interior
The first floor had a lobby and three meeting rooms, two of which were free for guests to use on an as-available basis. The third room rented by the hour, was heavily soundproofed, and contained a large table that sat eight comfortably and bedchamber separated by a privacy curtain. On the other side of the lobby was a hallway leading to luxury guest rooms. Behind the lobby were the kitchens. Plentiful closet space was one feature of the ground-floor rooms that also helped muffle the noise coming from the lobby and kitchens.

The next two floors were guest rooms. At a minimum, all rooms and suites had a canopied bed that could comfortably accommodate three tall adults sleeping side by side; a writing desk with quills, ink, and parchment; a high-backed armchair and footstool; a bedside table; a wardrobe; a bathtub; a stepstool for guests of shorter stature; extra seating with plenty of cushions; and plants and flowers as seasonally available. Many rooms had extra amenities. The ground-floor rooms had baths set into the floor.

The top floor contained apartments for the servants. A dumbwaiter that was large enough to carry portable furniture items or food trays ran from the cellar to the fourth floor. It was large enough for one or two people to ride in if they stooped, but this required others to operate the ropes and was strictly forbidden. The cellar was used for cool storage and the cultivation of edible mushrooms for the kitchen.