Hard Mountain House Inn
The Hard Mountain House is a popular and busy inn in the City of Malamor in the Kingdom of Aria. The Inn is located along the King's Canal, and is a favorite haunt of visiting Dwarves from the Dwarven Realms of Gorgomoth.
The inn is a large, rambling series of buildings built at vastly different times in the city's history. It is owned and operated by Anyon of the Eburi, an immigrant from the island of Thallmar in the Thall Islands.
Purpose / Function
A large and busy (and very profitable) inn located on the west side of the city, on the King's Canal. The Inn caters to Dwarves from Gorgomoth Mountains, but can offer hospitality to anyone, of any race.
Architecture
A rambling series of buildings that have been joined together over the course of generations. Timber framed walls with stout stone foundations and a "ground floor" that is actually 3' above ground to protect it from the not-infrequent flooding of the canal. The roof is made of slate tiles, and many of the windows are glazed (denoting the profitabe nature of the establishment). There is a large kitchen with two huge hearths and a large bread oven, and the owner and staff have rooms above. At the other end of the building are the stables, where up to 22 horses or ponies can be kept. There are deep, clean wells at both ends of the building.
The main room of the Inn is very large and open, with the two upper floors supported by six large stone columns spaced through the room. The room is lit with lanterns and the walls are of white-washed pine boards. The floor is flagged and covered each day with fresh rush. There are large hearths at both ends of the long room to provide heat in the winter months.
Defenses
Stout doors, thick, sturdy walls and shuttered windows on all floors.
Tourism
The Inn has the tradition of hosting small but very, very popular "melees" periodically. These events are contests between two (or more) teams of combatants that number as many as 10 to a team, wherein the teams square off against each other with wooden staves wrapped in rags and leather (to prevent the worst of possible injuries) and brawl until one team is declared the winner. These contests are for an evening of drinking and eating at the cost of the losing team, and the honor of being the "Kings of the Hard Mountain". The melee takes place in the Inn's court immediately at the front of the building, with the battlefield defined by the Inn itself, the King's Canal and the stables and kitchens. The court is perhaps 50' by 80' and is paved with ancient flagstones. These melees are some of the most popular contests in the entire city, and bring in a mountain of silver for the owner with every event.
