The Stag & Scepter

Fancy Tavern & Inn

Location: Just inside the shadow of the fort’s high stone walls
Clientele: Visiting dignitaries, Lord Vexmoor’s entourage, Neverwinter merchants (the discreet sort)

Overview:
Once a rundown alehouse, the Stag & Scepter has been reborn into Leilon’s most refined lodging—by local standards. Soft beds, well-dressed staff, and the illusion of class make it the preferred stay for those who consider The Salted Knot beneath them.

Behind the lacquered bar and polished brass fixtures, however, lies a firm connection to the Vexmoor family—one that guests would be wise not to question.

Ownership & Staff:

• Innkeeper: Mila Darnel, a poised and unassuming woman who once served as handmaiden to Serenna Vexmoor
• She runs the inn with graceful efficiency, and her word is law inside its walls
• The staff—charming, clean, and well-trained—are fiercely loyal to House Vexmoor , and discreetly report everything

Vibe:
Understated elegance with a shadow of tension. Linen napkins and herbal sachets in the pillows, but also the kind of place where a wrong word might make your room… mysteriously unavailable.

Notable Features:

• Quiet dining hall with harp music on busy nights
• Private upstairs rooms for “extended stays” (used by Vexmoor agents)
• Wine cellar locked behind a wrought iron gate—rumored to contain more secrets than vintages

Menu Highlights:

• Roasted duck with blackberry glaze
• Candied walnuts & soft cheese board
• Wine selection is extensive but middling in quality—looks better than it tastes

Table Talk & Rumors:

• “Careful what you say to the maid. She’s not just polishing goblets.”
• “I heard Lord Vexmoor has a tunnel from the fort to the back room here.”
• “The harpist knows who’s sleeping in every bed—and who isn’t supposed to be.”

Willem Harrow’s Favorite Table

Elder Willem Harrow , the eccentric member of the city council and local grain advisor, can be found most evenings seated near the hearth at the Stag & Scepter—ostensibly for the ambiance, but in truth? It’s the bread.

Ever since Mila Darnel lured a top Neverwinter baker to Leilon (with both coin and courtship), Harrow has made it his mission to taste-test every experimental roll, bun, and glazed thing that comes out of the oven. He now carries small parcels of fresh-baked rolls “just in case” he needs to encourage cooperation.

There’s no problem so stubborn it can’t be softened by a warm honey roll. I should know—I’ve bribed myself out of two duels and one zoning dispute with these.

— Willem Harrow

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