Tabra's was a combined festhall and rooming house in the settlement of Bargewright Inn in the Savage Frontier in the mid-to-late 14th century DR. It was owned by and named for Tabra and had a reputation for being a "must visit" place in the North, even being known in Waterdeep.[1][2][3] [4]
Location[]
It stood in the upper part of Bargewright Inn, on the central northern side on the street known as the Rise between Belvyn's House of Good Cheer and Belvyn's actual house.[5][6]
Structure[]
The building was tall and sported many balconies.[1][2]
Interior[]
Inside, the decorations and furniture were elegant and genteel, but rather shabby. On the uppermost floor was a conference room, which was shielded by magic for privacy. Meanwhile, in the cellars was a room for training with weaponry.[1][2]
The building housed Tabra's extensive library of books, chapbooks, and scrolls. These covered every subject except, oddly, magic. There were also cozy and quiet window-seats, which were often used for reading these texts.[1][2]
Atmosphere[]
With a relaxed, home-like atmosphere, Tabra's was popular with men and women alike, and they could simply ignore the escorts seducing their clients nearby. Guests could always find someone to talk to or join in on one of the several gambling games that were constantly going on.[1][2]
Services[]
One could hire a room for 2 gp a night, with all meals included and escorts not.[1]
The meals on offer were basic yet tasty, including oysters and mushrooms on toast; spiced scrambled eggs; and leek-and-leftovers soup that was chunky with vegetables, meat, and cheese. As a result, one could usually find patrons lingering in or outside the kitchens.[1]
An escort could be hired for 25 gp for a full day of their time, lasting from highsun to highsun. There were at least a dozen ladies in residence at any one time in the mid-1360s DR, and they were known for their casual and friendly manner.[1][2] Regularly, many of them were hired by wealthy merchants, guilds, and adventuring companies for revels at the House of Good Cheer next door.[1][7]
History[]
Some time in the mid-1350s DR, a black dragon descended on Bargewright Inn with the intent of assaulting the settlement. According to local legend, Tabra jumped off her bedroom balcony, transformed midair into a dragon herself (those who tell the story disagree on the type), and chased it off. True or not, Tabra hated the tale and angrily evicted anyone who dared repeat the story in her earshot.[1]
In the Year of Lightning Storms, 1374 DR, Tabra disappeared from her house and Bargewright Inn,[8] and was not seen again.[9]
Rumors & Legends[]
Some folk, such as Volo, thought Tabra to be a mage, but she denied all knowledge of magic. More amazingly, other people rumored that she was in fact a gold dragon in human guise and protecting a treasure hoard beneath the building. Supposedly she was hiding from a mightier dragon that would wipe out her and the whole community if the truth was ever revealed.[1][4] However, she did indeed have treasure stashed in various parts of the building and beyond, including in the roof and in her canopied bed.[3]
Appendix[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 Ed Greenwood (1993). Volo's Guide to the North. (TSR, Inc), pp. 35, 238. ISBN 1-5607-6678-6.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 slade, et al. (April 1996). “Cities & Civilization”. In James Butler ed. The North: Guide to the Savage Frontier (TSR, Inc.), p. 36. ISBN 0-7869-0391-0.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Ed Greenwood (1993). Volo's Guide to the North. (TSR, Inc), p. 222. ISBN 1-5607-6678-6.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 slade, et al. (April 1996). “The Wilderness”. In James Butler ed. The North: Guide to the Savage Frontier (TSR, Inc.), p. 72. ISBN 0-7869-0391-0.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (1993). Volo's Guide to the North. (TSR, Inc), p. 29. ISBN 1-5607-6678-6.
- ↑ Inside cover included in slade, et al. (April 1996). “Cities & Civilization”. In James Butler ed. The North: Guide to the Savage Frontier (TSR, Inc.). ISBN 0-7869-0391-0.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (1993). Volo's Guide to the North. (TSR, Inc), p. 34. ISBN 1-5607-6678-6.
- ↑ Richard Baker, Ed Bonny, Travis Stout (February 2005). Lost Empires of Faerûn. Edited by Penny Williams. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 101. ISBN 0-7869-3654-1.
- ↑ Ed Greenwood (June 2015). Spellstorm. (Wizards of the Coast), p. ?. ISBN 978-0-7869-6571-7.