Fay's Pleasure Barge

At a Glance

The night air is cool and accompanied by a light, salty breeze. Street lights flicker orange in the faint light cast by the moons overhead. In the flowing waters of a river, an absolutely massive several-story barge is docked. A railed ramp wide enough for two people leads inside to a glowing interior. Beside the open entrance stands a rather large figure with its arms crossed. They seem to be talking to someone. Smells of freshly cooked meals fill the air with the scent of savory and sweet. The distant sounds of laughter, the clinking of glasses, and song lure the occasional passerby. This barge is here well past midnight and somehow not even the guards can recall it ever arriving but a vessel of such size could presumably be seen from several blocks away. Silhouettes line the upper balconies, talking, smoking, or simply taking in the night air. 

"Welcome to Fay's Pleasure Barge. Find yourself a table and the staff will be right with you. Tonight's special is roasted roc steak with tourneted Dohar melon and steamed Torchsprouts."

 —Krork, the Conductor

As one approaches, the figure in the door is an orcish man dressed in fine noble clothing. He wears a fine white suit with ash gray trousers and a violet puff tie. His dark hair is slicked back to contrast his pale green skin. Standing about seven feet in height, he is a sizable fellow with nearly perfect posture. With a slight welcoming grin, he gestures for guests to enter. 

First Impressions

Inside is a deceptively prodigious dining room filled with what seems to be over a few dozen tables. Staff rush around wearing fine suits that seem to match the orc man's as they take orders, bring food, and take empty plates from the tables. Some even stop to chat with several of the diners all of which wear fine clothing. The staff themselves are a variety of different races. Elves, dwarves, gnomes, and more. The floor is entirely carpeted in red with gold trim. The walls are decorated with wainscotting and marble pillars with statues of demons and celestial figures battling. The rest of the room is painted in a rich shade of grass green. The ceiling is vaulted with several massive chandeliers illuminating the room with a brilliant light. Tables are covered with tasteful white tablecloths, each with its own bottle of wine at the center. Round-topped doorways lead to the left and right of this rectangular room whilst a pair of doors against the back left and right walls respectively presumably lead into the kitchen. High above the floor was a platform for the musicians that played gentle music to accompany an exceptional meal. The band, five people, consisted of a violinist, a flautist, a cellist, a bassist, and a clarinetist.

"My dear, the very reason to be here is the food! The food is the main course, and yes, that was a pun. We shall visit the upstairs bakery after we finish our meal. Have you ever had a lemon and gooseberry tart? Simply marvelous"

—Nobleman of Ptolus

The outside decks are romantically lit with candelabras and small braziers. An elven poet spins tales atop a small wooden dais surrounded by benches and chairs. The crowd about her gently applauds whenever she finishes a story or a song. Two staircases lead up to the second floor of the barge where the scent of breads, pastries, and all manner of confections can be taken in. The bakery was rather open with the executive chef, a human woman, taking orders from people and offering samples of all manner of sweets and delectable breads.

"Welcome in! The smells are free, my friend—so too are the samples—the rest, however, will cost you! Could I perhaps interest you in some freshly baked coffee cakes? Perhaps you'd like something more exotic: would you fancy a Gnomish delight? They're absolutely wonderful and come in all manner of fruit flavors. We're only here for seven days hence, so I highly suggest trying something new each and every evening!"

—Merria Goadin, Pleasure Barge Executive Chef of Baked Goods & Confections

On the third floor are a series of shops selling all matter of goods. From storefronts, merchants of all races offer paintings, statues, jewelry, and exceedingly rare items not found anywhere around. Even a tattoo artist is found within, specializing in tattoos made with magical ink. Some boast about possessing pearls from the Coral Palace and Fire Opals from the City of Brass and steel from the mountains of the heavens. The final floor above is off limits with guards standing at the stairs that leads up to it. They tell passengers to stay away from the final floor as it is the home of the staff.

Services

The Pleasure Barge randomly arrives in the Ptolus (completely unannounced) for a week at a time. As people rush to fill their gullets with foods they have never even heard of, the staff do their absolute best to maintain order. The Pleasure Barge, to many, is an entire village with its own economy. One could spend an entire week at the barge eating food from different planes of existence.

Secrets & Rumors

Fay, the owner of the barge, is a rather unassuming woman of great means. Appearing like a kindly grandmother, she evidently rules over the entirety of the barge with a fair but firm agenda. Some people believe that she herself is the Lady of Fate, the goddess of luck, and that this barge is not a barge at all but an extraplanar realm where she brings the finest of everything to those that are lucky enough to stumble upon her.

Owner/Ruler

Fay

Characters in Location

• Fay