Lock and Key
Lock and Key is a four story building, run by Eris Arabella , a female Wood Elf who boasts both skills as an innkeeper and as a master craftswoman of brewing or distilling Elven alcohols.
The entire ground floor is a dedicated tavern with a modest bar and kitchen, seating area and fireplaces.
The first floor provides additional seating which is more private and often hosts business meetings or... Shady conversations between those who prefer to remain discreet.
The second and third floors are a wide tower with a central spiral staircase which leads to two layers of rentable rooms. The second floor houses all the single rooms, the third floor has fewer rooms but they are all twin or double rooms.
There is a basement and cellar to the tavern, the basement is supposedly used by Eris as the location where she does all her brewing and distilling.
Purpose / Function
Lock and Key provides a variety of Elven alcohols, varying in cost and rarity.
Their cheapest drink is by no means low in quality, it is an incredibly special blend of mead called Larethian's Song. It is a pale golden colour with a glimmering iridescent sheen of silver. Its flavour starts as a warm musky undertone with an almost metallic hint at the back of the throat before it shifts to a sweetened soft flavour with hints of honey; strawberry and something which tastes distinctly like liquid arcana.
They also offer a very small selection of Feywine which is their most expensive drink on the menu, as it is hard to come by and even harder to distil. All that is known about this drink is that it tastes like sweet honey and crushed flowers. It is recommended that it be drunk in moderation, as it is known to cause frivolous behaviour in Elves. Apparently, Non-Elven races suffer these effects and many more if they are reckless in how they consume it.
Lock and Key's main beverage is one of the most prized alcohols among Elven people: Evermead. A sweet drink, flavoured with cherry juice; vanilla beans and rose petals. It is aged for centuries before being consumed or sold.
The majority of the residents of Meridian are highly devout to the Elven Pantheon, especially Sehanine Moonbow , but their beliefs include the entirety of the Twelve. As such, Lock and Key always make sure to maintain a good supply of the highly ceremonial wine: Elverquist. This ceremonial wine is said to be distilled from sunshine and rare summer fruits, while being flecked with gold, and is consumed only during celebrations of the Twelve Elven Gods.
The most unusual beverage on their menus is the presence of Blüd Mead , an alcohol made, sold and occassionally traded in the The Dragonlands. Blüd Mead tastes like regular mead but it has a pleasant spicy kick to it. It is widely reported that Eris has a decent relationship with merchants of A Trip Away Inn, allowing for trade of Evermead for Blüd Mead.
Alterations
Approximately fifteen years after construction of Lock and Key was completed, the original owner had the two story tower added so that temporary accommodation could be installed to provide rooms for travellers.
Upon taking over from the previous owner, Eris had an extra deep basement built into the foundations so she could do her own brewing and distilling without having to do business out of town unless she wanted to, meaning she could reduce costs and lower prices for customers.
Architecture
From the outside, the tavern looks humble; cheerful and delightful. Pale sandstone and oak beams make up most of the building's outer structure. It is easy to see through the large bay windows of the ground floor, and the frequently joyful sounds from within can be heard from the streets.
The entrance to the building is a simple, varnished oak door and there is an immediate sense of homely comfort and warmth. There are numerous round tables with ample seating around the expansive ground floor, and a modest bar which can have two workers serving at the same time.
Behind the bar is a large shelving unit displaying the multiple bottled beverages sold, as well as an extensive price list for the drinks, food and accommodation provided at the location.
Opposite the bar is a simple but wide based fireplace, seemingly of the traditional wood burning style. In the centre of the ground floor is a large staircase leading to the first floor which is a mezzanine held up by sturdy oak beams.
The mezzanine floor have additional seating, each of which are more modest and have greater distance between them to provide the perfect setting for business meetings, or private conversations. It's windows are smaller and allow a little less light in to give a more ambiance theme from the scattered candlelight.
To the back of the first floor is the entrance to the spiral staircase which leads up to the second and third floors which are housed within the buildings impressive tower.
The second floor has twelve rooms in total, each a single bed chamber with one bed; one small chest of draws and adjacent wash closet. The windows are a smaller cottage theme and can be opened wide to appreciate the high view from within.
The third flood has only six rooms in total, three of which are doubles for couples who might be staying while the other three are twin rooms, each with two single beds, two chest of draws and an adjacent wash closet.
Defenses
The basement and cellar are protected with various wards and are large enough to conceal around fifty people at a push, meaning if the town ever came under threat it could aptly hide a decent number of citizens. The stock pile of food and drink down there would allow them to last for around three weeks before needing to consider venturing outside again.
Additionally, Eris was the previous Captain of the Meridian Guard, having retired after sustaining a life changing injury and instead took to her previous hobby of brewing and distilling alcohol, and took over the tavern when the previous owner passed away. Despite her injury, she is still fully capable of ending any drunken brawl or argument which takes place within the walls of her establishment, and can still wield a sword with ferocious skill should it come to it.
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