North Gate Inn

North Gate Inn was a popular stop for traveling merchants, adventurers, and travelers passing through Shadow Gap along the North Ride.

"Labor troubles are quite common this far north. Every potscrubber dreams of becoming a petty lord, inspired by the few who, with luck and recklessness, have done so. The situation here in Shadow Gap is, of course, exacerbated by the minute population, making not just good help, but any help at all hard to find."

- Finder Wyvernspur

Location
The North Gate Inn laid at the top of Shadow Gap on the North Ride south of Shadowdale.

Interior
The building had thick timber walls with its joints sealed with dabbed mud. Wooden support beams stretched across the ceiling. The inn's roof was covered with pottery shingles. Chains ending in iron hooks hung from the main beams. Gourd-shaped lamps filled with oil had their wicks illuminating the room. The main hall was spacious to accommodate the constant flow of merchants and travelers especially busy in the summer months. Not much different from dozens of other inns, the hall was filled with tables of various sizes, a bar, and a blazing firepit. A low, stone platform was stationed opposite the fire pit.

Services
The only inn in Shadow Gap was a large warm and charming house that offered its guests welcoming cups of warm mulled wine, and a wide variety of ales.

History
In the, the North Gate Inn was found burnt down and Shadow Gap deserted. Alias of Westgate and her companions camped by the fire pit overnight only to be attacked by a horrific kalmari. The group managed to defeat the monster freeing the passage through Shadow Gap for themselves and traders and travelers once more. Alias was thanked and awarded for the deed by Mourngrym Amcathra, the lord of Shadowdale.

Alias witnessed the event that led to the inn's destruction in her dream, accompanied by her "father" Finder Wyvernspur. The Iron Throne pronounced an anathema upon the alleged warmongering merchants and attempted to close Shadow Gap for thirty days. In reality, they intended to close the pass to further their nefarious goals and fill their coffers. The Iron Throne used one of Cassana's kalmari to intimidate the clients of the inn. This led to a full-on scuffle in which the monster swallowed a barbarian and regurgitated his sword. The sword was coated in the kalmari's internal fiery magics and rapidly incinerated the building.

Several months after the kalmari's destruction, a new inn was erected where the North Gate Inn stood. The new establishment was named The Gulp & Swallow.

Staff
The staff of the North Gate Inn were worldly and used to brawls and trouble. The waitress Alias met was a small woman that was not afraid to stand up for herself and she had her trusty knife handy to dissuade troublemakers.

Rumors
It was unlikely that such a busy trade route would've stayed without a rest stop for long following the North Gate Inn's destruction.

Appearances

 * Adventures
 * Curse of the Azure Bonds
 * Novels
 * Azure Bonds
 * Azure Bonds