Five-Tavern Center

five unaffiliated taverns
Five taverns stand in a semicircle around a central yard in the heart of Bremen. As the story goes, five brothers originally intended to build a tavern together, but each had assumed he would be the one to run the business. Since none of the brothers would work for the others, each built his own tavern, and they all compete for customers. Fights occur almost every night in or around these taverns.
The five taverns are called Stones, Even Keel, the River’s Mouth, the Grumpy Moose, and the Black-Bearded Brother. The taverns are old and poorly maintained.

Stones

The tavern is furnished in the simplest manner possible. Cracked mugs cover broken and hastily repaired tables. The owner gave up replacing damaged furniture because of the never-ending barfights. Whatever decorations the common room once held are long destroyed and thrown out. The tavern gets its name from the polished river rocks the barkeep Duff Kilm puts at the bottom of every tankard of ale. If a drinker drains the cup at a single go, the stone rolls gently down to the lip of the tankard, but patrons who delicately sip at their beer will get a crack in the teeth when they throw back the last of their drink.

The Grumpy Moose & The Bearded Brother

Two different-looking adjacent houses with separate tavern signs and entrances lead into a joint common room. The connecting wall collapsed during a violent bar fight, which only escalated the brawl further. After calming down, the arguing brothers who owned the houses saw the merit of two doors leading into a single tavern. One sells ale, while the other tries to win over guests with strong liquor. The original brothers are long gone, but the tradition is kept alive by the current owners Jalurn Bhiln and Vormul Marftid. They often argue and shout profanities at one another to the amusement of the patrons, but they always put the interest of the combined tavern over their frequent quarrels.

Even Keel

Proprietor Kalxom Pack Twistnipper has a sour demeanor and frequently tells cynical jokes likely a result of being exiled from his original home. His attitude has made it difficult to win over customers. He tries to combat this by creating a pleasant atmosphere, using small clockwork constructs to play soothing music, and adding herbs to give his ale a unique spicy flavor. Hard-pressed by nearby competition, Kalxom tried to copy the combined tavern idea by buying the abandoned tavern next to his.

The River’s Mouth

The tavern‘s windows are tinted, making it impossible to see inside, but a welcoming, warm light and soft music emanate from within. In truth, the tavern is empty, having recently been purchased by Kalxom from the Even Keel next door. Behind every window sits an oil lamp while a small clockwork construct plays the same tune all night, though the rest of the building is empty and neglected. Customers entering the tavern are directed through a narrow hallway of makeshift walls. This passage turns sharply right, ending at a door opening into the Even Keel tavern.

Type

Pub / Tavern / Restaurant

Parent Location

Bremen