Lowen's Inn & Tavern
What was once another barracks, Lowen Hob has transformed into a tavern much like those found throughout Calda. The first floor contains many places to sit and eat, as well as a few numenera used as games of chance or skill.
Thanks to the scrying portal that Lowen bought from a delver, the tavern doesn't require as many resources to run as a traditional tavern. The scrying portal (which is more of a scrying table) shows a stretch of savanah grassland somewhere else on the Ninth World. At first it appears to be some kind of miniature diorama, but closer inspection reveals that not only do the trees and grasses move and sway from the wind -- there are also what appear to be herds of tiny animals moving across the grasslands.
A harpoon-like device has been fitted to a rail that runs the circumference of the table. The rail allows the harpoon to be moved to any point around the edge of the table. A low dome of energy sits above the diorama, preventing anything except the harpoon from passing into the diorama. In actuality, anything moving fast enough can pass through the energy field, which is why only adults are allowed to use the table & the harpoon.
A simple set of controls allows the user to control the zoom on the sight and to fire the harpoon. If a creature within the diorama is hit, it's instantly killed. The harpoon will retract, bringing the creature through the surface of the table -- and returning it to proper size.
Nobody knows if portal is showing a miniaturized stretch of land that has been shrunken by an exotic energy field of some kind, or if it's actually a portal hovering in the air pointed down. Most of the patrons of the tavern think that it's a miniaturized savanah kept small by the energy field. Lowen says that can't be the case, as turning the device off and back on doesn't remove the grassland -- so it must be a portal. There's enough evidence for either argument though, and nobody has really cared quite enough to determine the true answer.
The northern side of the bottom floor has several other games for patrons to play, each requiring two shins to activate.
The portal has been set up as a game, with players paying 2 shins to fire a harpoon through the portal to try and hit one
Alterations
Much of the interior was rebuilt by Lowen, as it had either partially rotted or was configured in a manner not to his liking.
Architecture
The first floor is stone walls, with boards laid over a short crawlspace to create a floor. The second floor is all wood, and tends to be a bit drafty.
Maps
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Inn & Tavern - Ground Floor
A place of food, drinks, and games of chance ( or skill! ), Lowen Hob tries to ensure that his tavern is a place where townsfolk can come and relax. Adventurers have made his life tougher lately, but it's nothing he can't handle. -
Inn & Tavern - Upper Floor