The Beached Leviathan

The Beached Leviathan was a three-decked inn and tavern located in the Bluelake District dock area of Neverwinter that catered to sailors, smugglers, slavers, merchants, and others arriving by sea. It was built in and around the refurbished wreckage of the pirate ship Leviathan.

Description

Because of the nature of his establishment and his past career as a pirate, Harrag used nautical terms to differentiate the various areas in his tavern. So, the first floor was named "the Hold", the second "the Quarters", and the third "the Deck". An open-sided spiral stair connected the three levels, winding around the central mast. In addition, a 5-foot-by-5-foot shaft connected all three levels, allowing a hoist platform to move supplies from one level to the other. The platform was operated from the deck by using a boom on the central mast. A series of bells affixed near each platform allowed for coded communication between the levels.
"The Hold" contained the kitchen and the bar area, decorated with nautical equipment and some of the trophies Harrag accumulated during his pirate career. The trophies included sahuagin skulls and weapons, preserved shark fins, and a giant crab's carapace. A secret door in the bar area allowed entrance to the bilge, which housed Harrag's personal treasures.
"The Quarters" served as the inn area, with nine small rooms, two larger suites, and a mid-sized room. The larger rooms contained stoves for tenants who wished to prepare their own meals. On the starboard side of the ship, a platform called "the Stardeck" provided an exterior seating area.
"The Deck" had a seating zone in its central area. For a hefty price, patrons could rent one of the pair of private parlors located here. The aft had storage rooms, atop of which were located Harrag's personal quarters.

Staff

Beached Leviathan's slang:

• Albatross- someone bringing bad luck to the tavern
• Ballast- a drunkard
• Batten the Hatches- "shut your mouth"
• Bowsprit- a sword, especially a large one
• Capstan- a cask of ale or wine
• Deadlights- eyes, especially those of a drunk person
• Doldrums- boredom
• Drink the Coin- an invitation to become a new member of the "crew"
• Feeding the Fishes- referring to a "crew" member not present
• Flash Packet- a weakling
• Furole- magic
• Heavy Packet- a strong person
• Heel to- fall over
• Kiss the Lady- "be kind to Andrella"
• Lash Up- "finish your drink"
• Place the Black Spot- agree to dislike someone
• Press-Gang- a rowdy group of patrons
• Privateer- a client to the tavern
• Scrimshaw- writings or etchings (after scrimshaw)
• Scupper- one's mouth
• Short-Handed- when the barmaids cannot take orders at the moment
• Slipped His/Her Rope- someone who has passed out or is otherwise incapacitated
• Wag- a patron who is not a "crew" member

Though the Leviathan no longer was a pirate ship, the staff members considered themselves her "crew". Harrag, the owner, acted as the "Captain" and bartender. The four human barmaids—Jyseria, Sandrine, Willow, and Andrella, who was considered "the Mate"—also acted as housekeepers for the quarters. Grennel, an aging dwarf female, acted as the second bartender. Feng, an enormous half-orc male, was the bouncer, and an eccentric human male only known by his nickname, "Tabnab", was the cook. Puk, a human boy, was the messenger for staff members. Harrag also considered his regulars as informal members of the "crew". Those regulars used nautical terms to refer to themselves, as well. Among the known regulars of the Beached Leviathan were:

• Len-jes, the "harbormaster" (she was actually the harbormaster of Neverwinter).
• Umi, the "helmswoman".
• Bobrik Highmantle, the "bosun".
• Markul, the "lookout".
• Ettain, the "caulker".
• Korin the bard, the "chanteyman".
• Various other patrons of the Beached Leviathan who amused Harrag or expended a lot of coin, or adventurers who had helped Harrag or any members of the "crew" in a meaningful way, earned the title of "Hands".

Services

After its opening, the Beached Leviathan became the most popular place in Neverwinter for drinking and gambling. The tavern often hosted troupes of entertainers who performed in "the Hold" and on "the Deck". When these entertainers performed on "the Deck", those within the tavern could hear the music from any point within the ship.
In addition to providing a good time for her patrons, the Beached Leviathan was also home to many seedy goings-on, both legal and illegal. At any given time, people of Neverwinter converged here to arrange trade deals, broker in stolen goods, exchange information of all kinds, or to plot. The dealings that took place in the tavern rarely went unnoticed by Dagult Neverember's agents, who frequented the bar at all hours.

History

The Beached Leviathan was once the ship Leviathan, owned by a pirate named Harrag, that was pretty infamous around the Sword Coast in the late years of the 15th century DR.
At some point before 1479 DR, the Leviathan ran aground during a storm before the Docks of Neverwinter had been rebuilt, and hopelessly punctured its keel. Unable to use his ship to sail ever again, Harrag refurbished the Leviathan, transforming it into a tavern that soon became popular because of its shape. Harrag was able to open the Beached Leviathan thanks to the patronage of Dagult Neverember, making the tavern a popular spot among his sympathizers.
In 1479 DR, when a "Lost Heir" of the Alagondar bloodline made public his claim to the throne of Neverwinter, a crowd of furious citizens attacked the Beached Leviathan because Harrag was a loyalist of Neverember. Luckily for him, General Sabine was in the tavern hiring adventurers to investigate the "Lost Heir", and her men and the adventurers were able to placate the crowd before they could damage the tavern.
A few months later, while investigating a series of kidnappings that had been taking place in Neverwinter, the city guard escorted a group of adventurers to the Beached Leviathan in an attempt to dissuade them from meddling too much in current events. The guards were ambushed and killed by a group of Ashmadai cultists and their summoned devils, which attacked the Beached Leviathan and mind-controlled some of the patrons present at the time. Luckily, the adventurers were able to deal with the situation, kill the cultists and devils, and free the patrons of the cultists' magic, earning the gratitude of Harrag and his "crew". The Beached Leviathan became even more popular after this event.

Type

Pub / Tavern / Restaurant

Parent Location

Neverwinter

Owner

Harrag