Wayward Arrow
The Wayward Arrow is a hunting lodge along the Crescent Road, leading from Crescent City to the town of Aleura. The Inn is one of four lodges along the Hunter's Path, the name given to the combination of the Crescent Road and Breakwater Trail - the two roads that lead from Crescent City up to Breakwater Falls, where many hunting parties set off for their hunt.
In its earliest iterations, the lodge was known as being a bit of an outlaw hangout, as it was built without permission within the Greenwood by humans coming north from Crescent City. However, as hunting tourism began to become entrenched within the Eastern Greenwood, the establishment was overlooked by the Greenwood Culture, leaving it to function fully without issue since it's construction in 435 of the Third Era. Over time, the Arrow has become less of a rugged rest stop for adventurers, and more of a home of revelry with a hunting lodge aesthetic.
In its earliest iterations, the lodge was known as being a bit of an outlaw hangout, as it was built without permission within the Greenwood by humans coming north from Crescent City. However, as hunting tourism began to become entrenched within the Eastern Greenwood, the establishment was overlooked by the Greenwood Culture, leaving it to function fully without issue since it's construction in 435 of the Third Era. Over time, the Arrow has become less of a rugged rest stop for adventurers, and more of a home of revelry with a hunting lodge aesthetic.
"Good times are easy to come by and difficult to leave at the Wayward Arrow. But don't expect those hunting trips to go anywhere once the Arrow has pierced ya."
-Anonymous Hunting Guide from Aleura
Architecture
The Arrow is of distinctly human architectural design, making it an outlier within the Greenwood. In fact, the inn is one-of-a-kind as the only wholly human building within the Greenwood, serving as a representation of the only location in which humans have made any headway at bringing their culture into the forest without assimilating into the Greenwood Culture.
History
The Wayward Arrow has had a long and varied history. Originally seen as a rest stop for outlaws and ne’er-do-wells, the tavern began to entertain hunting parties in the late 6th century, changing its reputation into something more suitable for common folks. This led to an influx of tourism from Crescent City citizens and visitors, for the inn itself, these customers being known as "Wayward Sparrows" - or just Sparrows for short. The staff, residents, and regular hunting guides gave these tourists their nickname for the amount of talking they did.
As the Wayward Arrow continued to develop a reputation as a popular spot to take a quick little bender, its reputation among hunting guides and their parties soured, resulting in most guides shifting their base to the town of Aleura. This meant hunting parties were left to complete the journey to Aleura themselves. Left to their own devices, it became common to venture past the inn on the first day and make the trip to Aleura in two days, rather than the customary three. The hunting parties that do tend to stop tend to be of two primary varieties - veteran groups who were more interested in retelling tales of old hunts than partaking in new ones, and novice groups who were all too easily plied by drink and revelry into staying the inn before finally setting off on their journeys, far too late and most likely hungover.
These hunting groups who often never left for the rest of their journey have given way to one of the inn's nicknames - 'the place where parties come to lie'. The old hunters were knowing for lying about their hunting tales, and the greenest hunters were known to lie their plans down to rest before even starting them. Over the last century, the Wayward Arrow has become far less of a serious hunting lodge, and much more a house of drink and revelry, with just enough of a hunting lodge aesthetic so as to maintain enough uniqueness and ruggedness to continue bringing in clientele that would otherwise remain in Crescent City.
As the Wayward Arrow continued to develop a reputation as a popular spot to take a quick little bender, its reputation among hunting guides and their parties soured, resulting in most guides shifting their base to the town of Aleura. This meant hunting parties were left to complete the journey to Aleura themselves. Left to their own devices, it became common to venture past the inn on the first day and make the trip to Aleura in two days, rather than the customary three. The hunting parties that do tend to stop tend to be of two primary varieties - veteran groups who were more interested in retelling tales of old hunts than partaking in new ones, and novice groups who were all too easily plied by drink and revelry into staying the inn before finally setting off on their journeys, far too late and most likely hungover.
These hunting groups who often never left for the rest of their journey have given way to one of the inn's nicknames - 'the place where parties come to lie'. The old hunters were knowing for lying about their hunting tales, and the greenest hunters were known to lie their plans down to rest before even starting them. Over the last century, the Wayward Arrow has become far less of a serious hunting lodge, and much more a house of drink and revelry, with just enough of a hunting lodge aesthetic so as to maintain enough uniqueness and ruggedness to continue bringing in clientele that would otherwise remain in Crescent City.
Founding Date
14 Harvestide 435, 3E
Alternative Names
The Arrow
Where Huntings Parties Lie
Where Huntings Parties Lie
Type
Inn
Parent Location
Comments