the whispering wizard

7/30/2019 The Whispering Wizard

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Established twenty years ago by a retiredadventurer, this large, rowdy tavern and inn is located inthe South Quarter of Prominence. It extends east and

west along Dock Street, as far as Sailor’s Way, where analleyway offers access to the inn and its stables at theback of the tavern. A family run business, it is a popular watering hole and resting place for those who swingswords for a living.

TTTTTTTThhhhhhhheeeeeeee PPPPPPPPllllllllaaaaaaaacccccccceeeeeeee The Whispering Wizard is an ugly building with a

stone foundation and wooden upper levels. It isbeginning to show some wear and tear, having sufferedover the years from spotty maintenance and slipshodrepair, not to mention the occasional brawl. It fronts onDock Street, where a wooden hanging signboard is

engraved with the image of a cone-shaped magician’shat with a large red ‘XXXXXXXX’ over it. The tavern’s name is

taken from the following: Never trust a whispering wizard . This is a popular proverb among non-magicians,with an obvious unspoken message: The wizard may beusing magic surreptitiously.

The Whispering Wizard is three stories high. The first level is given to the taproom, kitchen andstorage, while the second floor comprises twenty small rooms for rent (half of which are available at anygiven time). The third floor is humble living space for the proprietor and his family. There is also asmall basement for additional storage.

TTTTTTTThhhhhhhheeeeeeee PPPPPPPPr rr r r rr r oooooooossssssssppppppppeeeeeeeecccccccctttttttt The Whispering Wizard does steady business and has a reliable clientele. Local folk come for

a quick bite to eat or drink, while travelers will rent a room for a night or two. The place can be rowdyand timid souls might be uneasy in such surroundings.

TTTTTTTThhhhhhhheeeeeeee PPPPPPPPr rr r r rr r oooooooovvvvvvvveeeeeeeennnnnnnnddddddddeeeeeeeer rr r r rr r The menu at the Whispering Wizard is decidedly average, a notch above the usual fare found

in south quarter. As a selling point, the drinks are unusually strong (1 copper penny/tankard for beer, 3cp/whisky). Also, check out this generator for ideas.

The rooms are small and sparsely furnished but are kept neat and clean; they show the samewear and tear as the rest of the establishment however. Beds and linen are provided but no sanitaryfacilities are available. Upon request, small lanterns are provided for light. There are no locks but the

doors can be barred from the inside. Rooms can be rented for 1 gold royal a night or any portionthereof.



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Grall Winterstone (LN Ftr8) is the proprietor,barkeep and as needed, bouncer. A middle-aged mul, he isas big and strong as a baby ogre. Grall was born inProminence but traveled widely during his youth. Twenty

years ago, he returned to Prominence, settled down, andestablished the Whispering Wizard. He relies on hisremarkable brawn to attract customers. A popular past timeis for both newcomers and regulars to test their strengthagainst Grall's own, in arm-wrestling matches. Anyone ableto best the mul earns free food or lodging for himself or herself for one night. Over the years, a few rare brutes havemanaged to consistently beat Grall, gaining considerablereputations of their own.

Grall is mostly even tempered although there isnothing he enjoys more than an old-fashioned fistfight. He is

notorious for his ability to hold a grudge. According to rumor, a belligerent magician once spat in

Grall’s face, calling it his version of ‘acid splash’. As the story goes, this is the source of the mul’sloathing of magic-users. Whatever the reason, Grall has a strict policy of ‘no magic’ in the WhisperingWizard. He is care to announce this up front; anyone caught (or even suspected) of using magic of anykind is forcefully ejected.

As harsh as this is, Grall gladly takes it upon himself to enforce the policy. There is continuingdebate as to whether the Whispering Wizard was established so that Grall could take out hisaggressions on irresponsible patrons, particularly magicians. Unlike many establishments that cater toadventurous types, the Whispering Wizard does not employ ‘slingers’ (bouncer who rely on magicrather than brawn).

Grall’s daughter, Iltel (NG Com5) is the youngest of three siblings. She is part owner andserves as barmaid. Iltel is in her early twenties, tall and densely muscled, with long brown hair, which

she keeps in a simple ponytail, and deep set brown eyes. As is typical for mul females, she ishandsome rather than pretty. She is loud and obnoxious, which serves her well, considering her habits.Having practically grew up in the rowdy taverns of South Quarter, Iltel enjoys hard partying anddrinking. In fact, she has an uncanny ability to hold her drinks. Similar to the arm-wrestling matches of her father, Iltel will sometimes challenge customers to drinking games. Anyone able to out-drink her earns free food or lodging for themselves for a night; unfortunately most who best her usually find itnecessary to recover for a night or three (the first night's lodging is of course free, but any followingnights are full price).

Design Note:Design Note:Design Note:Design Note: If the PCs are interested in playing out these activities, use the rules presented in“A Trip to the Tavern” on page 44 of Cityscape . Also check out ‘Bar Fight!’ an article from Dungeon Magazine #150.

TTTTTTTThhhhhhhheeeeeeee PPPPPPPPeeeeeeeeoooooooopppppppplllllllleeeeeeee Some of the regular patrons of the Whispering Wizard are noted here. They are most likely to

be encountered at the time of day indicated [morning, afternoon, evening, night, anytime].

Luthur the Spider Luthur the Spider Luthur the Spider Luthur the Spider [night]:::: People sometimes assume that Luthur is a drow, an elf who hasturned to evil and been outcast. This is the reason for his moniker, which Luthur simply overlooks. Ashe tells it, he chose exile, having lost faith in the gods. Other elves, he says, might simply call him‘faithless’. The Spider is middle-aged but looks much older (unlike most elves, who seem to age hardlyat all); he is for instance, actually balding. Some sages wonder if Luthur’s early aging is a result of his



being exiled from his own people.

Before exile, Luthur was a bladesinger, an elite elven warrior who blends art, swordplay andmagic into a harmonious whole. He’s reluctant to discuss this part of his past however (certainly notwith Grall; the mul has never asked, so . . .). Like his namesake, and despite his apparent age, the

Spider is fully capable of surprising bursts of speed and agility. Although separated from his ownpeople, Luthur is still an elf and the surest way to motivate him is to appeal to his elven pride anddignity. As an exile, he has learned the value of friendship and understands the occasional need to turnto others for support.

the whispering wizard

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