Fireside Keep
Located on a small and partially-hollow Sky Island, the Fireside Keep is a famous layby point on the trading route to the Star Market. Well-known for its spicy food, many a Skyfarer has been hazed at the Keep with a meal that made their mouth and insides burn.
The island is riddled with caves, with sturdy metal nets covering the openings on the surface, near-impossible to break through. As a result of its hollow form, the Sky Island lies relatively high, with nearly its entire rim lying around 12 SA. Only a small part of its rim lies significantly lower, at -8 SA.
The Keep is located at the lower part of the island. It is a hexagonal domed building with six broad towers, each tower equipped with docking space for exactly one Sky Ship. The towers have large sleeping quarters in them, allowing visiting crews to relax in comfortable bedrooms during the night.
Outside curfew hours, people are allowed to visit the domed main floor. The tavern there sells its own ale and other liquors and goods, as well as spicy dried jerky. Almost all dishes are heavily seasoned with peppers grown in the caves, from mild ones that just make your mouth burn for a while, to hot ones that burn even the most-experienced insides. These peppers can be bought individually, but require both coin and fertilizer as payment.
In the evening, the owner lets people gather around a large campfire. There, she tells all kinds of dramatic tales while playing her lute, an event she calls 'Fireside Lore'. Some Captains make sure their crew arrives in the afternoon, so they can fill their bellies in time before these stories are told. The next morning they'll sail on, satisfied both physically and mentally.
The caves and private sleeping quarters are gated off. In case of Sky Pirate attacks, the staff will seal off all entrances and hide inside the caves. Furthermore, the caves also can be gated off into separate areas, and the staff is equipped with crossbows. Combined with warning signal fires, an attack will easily be stalled until reinforcements arrive.
Entry for WorldEmber 2020
In response to the prompt Write about a pub, hotel, inn or tavern... Who stays there? What's the food like?
I like the sound of this place - and the peppers are a fun detail! :D