Post by Dungeon Master on Jan 8, 2007 23:26:10 GMT
This isolated stone inn has been a famous landmark for many years, starting from when it was the last inn along the way south from Waterdeep for many days of hard and dangerous riding (hence its name). In recent years, as evil grew in ruined Dragonspear Castle, the Way Inn became ever more important as a base for mercenary armies raised by the Lords. Alliance to keep the Trade Way clear and as a haven for merchants hurrying along that long and perilous overland road. Recently, an ancient black dragon destroyed the inn while the armies based there were battling legions of baatezu. The dangers of the High Moor never sleep for long. Trolls and yuan-ti from the Serpent Hills have been seen in growing numbers, but the other planar evil
centred in ruined Dragonspear seems to have been broken for now. Several Waterdhavian merchant families sponsored a rebuilding of the Way Inn on the same site (an elevated, defensible site with a deep well) as before its destruction, but larger and stronger than ever. On a
recent visit, I found it most impressive.
The rebuilt Way Inn stands on the western side of the Trade Way two days. hard ride (about a hundred miles) south of Daggerford. It is a walled compound atop a flat, grassy plateau about three acres in extent that overlooks a loop of road that leaves and rejoins the main trade road, giving caravans plenty of room to camp. From the loop of road, steep cart ways
lead up to three gates. All of these cross wooden bridges. The bridges slope on central pivots when support timbers are retracted from inside the compound to dump attackers into large spike-filled pits.
The gatehouses are small stone keeps. Each is topped with a catapult. All firewood for the inn is
under cover in these gatehouses, so fiery missiles can be hurled at attackers or an overrun gatehouse can be torched to prevent attackers from pouring in until the flames die down.
The inn itself is of stone, with a tile roof. Its windows look out over the road, and it is topped by a lookout tower equipped with several multiple crossbow guns called air hurlers. Each of these is equipped with firing cords and shields for a person firing the gun, so that the air hurlers can be
fired directly or aimed and fired from the room below.
The stables for the inn are in one corner of the plateau. Three fenced paddocks open out of them, and more air hurlers are located on the stable roof. The village that once straggled around the slopes of the inn’s height is gone. The inn staff and attendant businesses (a wagon repair shop, a smith, a trading post, an apothecary, and a trail wares shop selling rope, skillets, tarpaulins,
tents, sledges, harness, and the like) are housed in a row of stout stone cottages along the west wall of the plateau. A small orchard and hedged gardens are the only features that spoil the impression of being inside an army castle ready for war.
However, this elaborate fortress is still the same good, clean, friendly refuge it used to be, and it remains under the capable hands of Dauravyn Redbeard, once an adventurer of note. He’s seen evil rise in Dragonspear Castle and be shattered .only to rise again, several times over. He is taking no chances. He lives today only by the magic of a priest of Tempus who restored him to life after the last confrontation. He has a hired standing guard of 21 warriors at the inn, 10 of who are always on patrol along the edges of the High Moor, looking for trouble. As Dauravyn often says, looking east, .
If it isn’t orcs, it’s trolls, and if it isn’t trolls, it’s baatezu. If it isn’t baatezu, it’s dragons and if it isn’t
dragons, it’s something worse..
centred in ruined Dragonspear seems to have been broken for now. Several Waterdhavian merchant families sponsored a rebuilding of the Way Inn on the same site (an elevated, defensible site with a deep well) as before its destruction, but larger and stronger than ever. On a
recent visit, I found it most impressive.
The rebuilt Way Inn stands on the western side of the Trade Way two days. hard ride (about a hundred miles) south of Daggerford. It is a walled compound atop a flat, grassy plateau about three acres in extent that overlooks a loop of road that leaves and rejoins the main trade road, giving caravans plenty of room to camp. From the loop of road, steep cart ways
lead up to three gates. All of these cross wooden bridges. The bridges slope on central pivots when support timbers are retracted from inside the compound to dump attackers into large spike-filled pits.
The gatehouses are small stone keeps. Each is topped with a catapult. All firewood for the inn is
under cover in these gatehouses, so fiery missiles can be hurled at attackers or an overrun gatehouse can be torched to prevent attackers from pouring in until the flames die down.
The inn itself is of stone, with a tile roof. Its windows look out over the road, and it is topped by a lookout tower equipped with several multiple crossbow guns called air hurlers. Each of these is equipped with firing cords and shields for a person firing the gun, so that the air hurlers can be
fired directly or aimed and fired from the room below.
The stables for the inn are in one corner of the plateau. Three fenced paddocks open out of them, and more air hurlers are located on the stable roof. The village that once straggled around the slopes of the inn’s height is gone. The inn staff and attendant businesses (a wagon repair shop, a smith, a trading post, an apothecary, and a trail wares shop selling rope, skillets, tarpaulins,
tents, sledges, harness, and the like) are housed in a row of stout stone cottages along the west wall of the plateau. A small orchard and hedged gardens are the only features that spoil the impression of being inside an army castle ready for war.
However, this elaborate fortress is still the same good, clean, friendly refuge it used to be, and it remains under the capable hands of Dauravyn Redbeard, once an adventurer of note. He’s seen evil rise in Dragonspear Castle and be shattered .only to rise again, several times over. He is taking no chances. He lives today only by the magic of a priest of Tempus who restored him to life after the last confrontation. He has a hired standing guard of 21 warriors at the inn, 10 of who are always on patrol along the edges of the High Moor, looking for trouble. As Dauravyn often says, looking east, .
If it isn’t orcs, it’s trolls, and if it isn’t trolls, it’s baatezu. If it isn’t baatezu, it’s dragons and if it isn’t
dragons, it’s something worse..