Silver Dragon Inn
Tucked near the bustling markets and embassies of the Foreign Quarter, the Silver Dragon Inn is a melting pot of culture, color, and camaraderie. Known for its open-hearted welcome and unspoken neutrality, the inn serves as a haven for merchants, adventurers, exiles, and emissaries from across the Flanaess and beyond.
Named for a famed (and possibly apocryphal) silver dragon that once defended the city’s founders, the inn embraces the legend in both style and spirit—offering warm hospitality, strong drink, and tolerance as its guiding tenets.
The inn draws a constantly rotating cast:
- Foreign merchants and caravans passing through the River Quarter’s docks and trade roads.
- Adventuring companies returning from expeditions to the Cairn Hills, Bright Desert, or beyond.
- Diplomatic entourages, minor nobles, and emissaries needing less formal lodging than the Garden Quarter offers.
- Performers, spies, and charlatans, using the crowded atmosphere to blend in or gather rumors.
It’s not uncommon to see a gnome illusionist chatting with a silent Baklunish warrior, or a tiefling bard trading jokes with a dwarven caravan guard.
Notable Staff
- Miroslav “Miro” Skalden, the broad-shouldered and boisterous proprietor, is a former adventurer of unknown origin who claims to have once ridden a real silver dragon. He speaks five languages fluently and is beloved by regulars for his fierce loyalty to patrons and staff alike.
- Sarella, a tiefling barmaid with striking silver eyes and an uncanny sense for trouble, often calms disputes before they escalate—sometimes with just a word or a well-placed tray.
- Old Hem, a retired dwarven warrior who serves as the night barkeep and unofficial bouncer. Rumor holds that the axe under the bar is enchanted and only he can lift it.
The Silver Dragon Inn is one of the liveliest, most colorful establishments in the Free City—a crossroads of nations, faiths, and ambitions. Whether you seek a bowl of steaming stew after weeks on the road, a place to lay low, or a conversation that could change your fortune, this inn offers it… for a price. But be warned: those who break the peace here may discover that a silver dragon’s wrath can still echo in Greyhawk’s stones.
Purpose / Function
The Silver Dragon Inn caters to all types of guests and offers:
- Multicultural fare, including spicy Ketite stews, Baklunish flatbreads, dwarven roast boar, and elven wines.
- Private booths and rooms, some magically soundproofed, for business or discreet conversation.
- Lodging tiers, from simple dormitory cots to richly appointed private suites with exotic décor.
- Language services, including interpreters and magical translation (for a fee).
- A neutral ground policy, enforced by both staff and enchanted wards—no fighting, dueling, or magical coercion is tolerated within the walls.
There is also a stable and kennel for travelers with unusual mounts or familiars, and a backroom tailor capable of resizing armor or robes overnight.
Architecture
The Silver Dragon Inn is an impressive two-story structure of heavy timber, river-stone foundations, and a slate roof adorned with weathered weathervanes shaped like dragons. A large silver dragon effigy, wings spread wide in welcome, hangs above the entrance.
The interior is a lively sprawl of voices, languages, and smells. The main hall is decorated with banners and shields from a dozen cultures, masks from distant jungles, dwarven rune-stones, and maps scrawled with obscure notations. Candles flicker in lanterns made from brass and stained glass. It’s loud, boisterous, and ever-changing.
Each table might host a different language or dialect; a wizard from the Great Kingdom might toast with a minotaur trader from the Dramidj Coast, while an elven harpist plays softly in a corner alcove.
History
- The original silver dragon the inn is named after may have left behind a magical scale or breathstone—possibly hidden within the inn or passed down through Miro’s bloodline.
- Some claim a secret passage in the cellar connects to ancient sewers or forgotten smugglers’ tunnels beneath Greyhawk.
- Whispers persist that the inn is secretly a meeting place for a neutral spy ring, where agents trade coded messages over drinks.
- Occasionally, mysterious guests vanish from their rooms without a trace—always those asking too many questions about the inn’s founder.
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