Lion Sleeps Inn

The Lion Sleeps Inn is a traveller's stop 35 miles north-east of the Taldan settlement of Zimar.

History

The Lion Sleeps is three hundred years old; it is today somewhat past its heyday, when it openly served the local metal mining industry. Copper, iron and silver were found in the nearby hills until about thirty years ago. Covertly, the inn was also used to hide followers of Sarenrae during the Taldan Great Purge in 4528 AR and, more recently, it was a secret smugglers' hideout for taking wares both ways across the border between Taldor and its great enemy Qadira.

In 4707 AR an earthquake hit the area and set off a fire that destroyed the great lodge near the inn and the secret tunnels and hiding areas underground. This event finally ended the inn's role as a smugglers' base and the consequent drop in income from the inn's secondary role, as well as from the mining trade means that, today, the inn has to be subsidised to stay open.

Near the entrance, a bronze plaque bears witness to the visit of Micheaux the Magnificent , it states:

Micheaux the Magnificent, Future Grand Prince of Taldor, Father of Stavian, Slept on these Premises on 5 Lamashan in the Year 4497. May Divine Providence Reward Him as He Deserves. 19 Lamashan 4497

Current establishment

Vadim Fraterni is the owner and proprietor of the Lion Sleeps Inn; his family have owned the inn for many generations. His staff includes his son, Oleppo Fraterni, and his nieces, Mag and Corrine. In busy times, their mother and Vadim's sister-in-law, Bella arrives to help.

Due to the large drop in income from the demise of mining and smuggling, the inn is subsidised by Hanoris Dellum, a Zimar merchant, who hopes to resurrect the inn's smuggling capability.

Customers of the inn tend to be local shepherds who graze their sheep in the local hills; Vadim's most notorious regulars are Besco Drummon and Fernus Alanders, famous for their tall tales and attempts to bamboozle newcomers to the inn.

Facilities

The inn provides food and drink in a large and welcoming common room area with an en-suite bar; hunters' trophies adorn the wall including a manticore head. The kitchen has the benefit of a rather luxurious pantry: it contains a refrigerated compartment cooled with a wall of ice spell. Guests may rent a private meeting area for 4 gp an evening.

Upstairs there are five private rooms for guests to sleep: prices for these rooms range from 3 sp to 3 gp per night. If this is still too expensive, there is a bunk room where one of the eight beds can be rented for 1 sp per night. Overnight guests are provided with exclusive use of a Balcony Fireside area with entry onto the balcony overlooking the north side of the building.

Horses and other mounts are catered for in a large outlying barn and paddock area.

A cellar below the building holds spare items for the inn and contains a small wine cellar.