Moonstone Mask

The Moonstone Mask was one of the most renowned festhalls in Neverwinter and across all Faerûn. The Mask was known for its discretion as well as its rarified delights.

Staff
The staff was composed only by females wearing glowing, moonstone-trimmed masks (hence the name of the establishment) and sheer black gowns. They were known as friendly and wise, as well as renowned players of many games. They never revealed their true identities and always wore their mask while working. This sense of anonymity made them renowned confidants across the Sword Coast and beyond. All staff members also wore magical amulets that protected them against mind-reading and mind-controlling magic as well as allowed them to send mental messages among the wearers of other amulets.

The cooks, on the other hand, were all males.

As of 1374 DR, the Mask was owned and operated by Ophala Cheldarstorn. In 1479 DR, the owner was Ophala's presumed descendant, Liset Cheldar.

Description
The Moonstone Mask was a five-stored building. The first floor was the dining room, lit by a huge hearth and by lanterns hanging from the sides of the grand staircase. The next three floors had the particularity of being soundproof, thanks to magic cast during the construction of the inn. Those floors were dedicated to rent their luxurious rooms to travelers and regular patrons. The fifth floor served as the festhall. The roof had a landing platform for winged steeds and flying ships.

After the Spellplague of 1385 DR, the land around the inn broke free and started floating in the air, becoming an earthmote. To keep the earthmote in a fixed position, the owners of the Mask commissioned a set of heavy chains big enough to hold still a giant, and a floating, unstable bridge allowed patrons to access from the ground. Around 1479 DR, Liset Cheldar commissioned a magic portal to allow easy and more comfortable access to the Mask.

Defenses
As of 1366 DR, Ophala had twelve battle horrors at her disposal to protect the Mask. She was also a skilled and powerful wizard.

Around 1479 DR, the Mask was protected by its patrons, most of them Mintarn mercenaries hired by Lord Dagult Neverember.

Services
The Mask served many kinds of meat dishes done to order, including singular hot pies made of boar and veal, bacon and kidney, seafood, or chicken liver. Its Daintyfish skewers dish was made using twenty little fishes called silverflashes. The Daintyfish was dipped in herbed butter and sizzled over a flame until they're crunchy. Likewise, the Mask offered an assorted menu of mussel-and-basil soup, chowders, turtle soup, octopus broth, mushrooms doused in an herb-and-garlic sauce, and scallions and fennel soaked in a parsley-and-mint chicken broth. For sweets, the Mask offered blackberry-and-apple pies, topped with cream and sliced almonds; palm-sized gooseberries, almond tarts, and when chocolate was available, strawberries in a chilled chocolate coating.

As of 1479 DR, a sellboard allowed people to offer jobs to mercenaries and adventurers.

Prices
A room for a night had a price of 16 gp, including stabling services and as much food and drink as desired, while a single dinner had a price of 10 gp. If a client desired the company of one of the ladies from the staff, an additional 45 gp were added to the bill.

Wine of good quality cost 6 gp, firewine 9 gp, and elverquisst 20 gp. A mug of ale or cider had a cost of 4 cp.

As of 1479 DR, Liset had added fine feywine and strong dwarf liquor to her menu. A glass had a cost 10 gp, while a bottle cost 50 gp.

History
Around 1363 DR, Ophala Cheldarstorn built the Mask seeking to run a friendly place she would like to stay in. The Mask became widely popular in the North and around the Sword Coast in the following years.

During the Spellplague of 1385 DR, the land around the inn was affected and became an earthmote. Quick thinking guests secured it with tethers, and dozens of thick ropes as if were an anchored ship. The inn floating in the sky quickly became popular across all Faerûn that same year.

However, when Mount Hotenow erupted in 1451 DR, the ropes holding the earthmote in place were destroyed and the earthmote wandered off aimlessly over the Sea of Swords for months. When the owners were able to alter its course and return it to Neverwinter, the city was devastated and almost deserted. Even after its owners re-opened the Mask and bound it to the harbor of Neverwinter using giant chains, the Mask quickly fell to bankruptcy and eventually was abandoned.

Some time before 1479 DR, Liset Cheldar, a presumed descendant of Ophala, approached Lord Neverember and convinced him to not only allow her to reclaim the Mask, but also to sponsor its reopening. In the years following its reopening, the Mask recovered its status as one of the most popular festhalls across Faerûn.

Rumors and Legends
According to Volo, it was rumored around 1366 DR that the Mask was connected to dwarven chambers in the Underdark, that stored smokepowder.

It was also believed that the inn had a few secret rooms with their own secret entrances. Another rumor had it that magical panels were around all corners of the Mask, equipped with fire wands that staffers used to attack troublemakers.

It was believed that the masks used by the staffers were magical masks patterned from a Netherese artifact—owned by Ophala herself—that had many magical properties, such as to allow its owner to fly, teleport without error, know alignment, and comprehend languages.

It was also said that Elminster was once found with his head stuck in a chimney (although Elminster said that it was a laundry chute, actually).

Another rumor had that a friendly ghost of a former staff member who died of fever haunted the Mask. The ghost was said to help her companions with the chores, close unused doors, kiss upset or lonely patrons, and even alert other staffers of events that would damage the Mask or its clients.

There was also believed that inside the Mask there was a gate, but its exact location and destination were a mystery.

Notable Inhabitants

 * Ophala Cheldarstorn, owner of the Mask around 1374 DR.
 * Zundaerazylym, a laundress and seamstress around 1374.
 * Liset Cheldar, owner of the Mask around 1491 DR.
 * General Sabine, a Mintarn mercenary and general of Neverwinter military forces around 1491 DR.

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * Storm over Neverwinter
 * Games:
 * Neverwinter Nights &bull; Neverwinter Nights 2 &bull; Neverwinter