H13 The Silver Lyre Inn
Location & Role in the Campaign
The Silver Lyre Inn stands just outside the North (River) Gate of Verbobonc, within easy sight of the walls and a short walk from the riverside road. It’s perfectly placed for travelers coming down from the Gnarley Forest or following the Low Road between Dyvers and Greyhawk City.
Where the Latecomers Inn is rough straw and barn-boards, the Silver Lyre is cozy and intentional: a rustic but well-kept inn with a touch of magic humming in the rafters. Small, clean rooms, good food, and a peaceful, music-filled common room make it a favorite of rangers, caravan guards, and those who want comfort without city crowds.
Approaching the Silver Lyre
Narration (DM Read-Aloud)
Outside, a few tables and benches sit beneath a jutting balcony, lanterns swaying above them. You catch the murmur of voices, the clink of crockery… and faintly, from somewhere within, the soft, steady music of a lyre playing a tune too smooth to be entirely human.
As you draw nearer, the door swings open on a wash of heat and laughter, and the music grows clearer—light, graceful notes that seem to float in the air of their own accord.
Notable Features
The Magical Silver Lyre
The inn is named for its signature wonder:
- A finely carved lyre that floats above the common room, playing soft, shifting melodies without visible hands.
- The music is sustained by a lasting ghost sound effect, a gift from a grateful wizard who once stayed at the inn.
The lyre never drowns out conversation; instead it provides a gentle background of comfort and mystery, making the common room feel almost enchanted.
The Common Room & Balcony
- The common room is the inn’s heart: big hearth, stout tables, and a clear view of the floating lyre overhead. Rumors and tales flow as freely as ale.
- A small interior balcony overlooks the room from above. Cascius sometimes seats important guests or quiet types up here, where they can listen, watch, and talk more privately while still enjoying the atmosphere.
Patrons & Atmosphere
The Silver Lyre’s clientele is mixed but steady:
- Merchants and caravan guards using the river and Low Road.
- Rangers and druids from the Gnarley Forest who prefer a quieter inn outside the walls.
- Adventurers and wanderers who are not entirely welcome in city inns, but have proved themselves well-behaved here.
Because of the ban on brawling, the inn has a reputation as a calm, safe place to stay—ideal when you want the PCs to overhear schemes and rumors without everything turning into a tavern brawl by default.
Common Room and Services
- Common Room: The heart of the inn, where guests can enjoy the warmth of the hearth, the inn's bustling atmosphere, and the chance to overhear tales and rumors from across the Flanaess.
- Service: The inn boasts an impressive breakfast buffet and fresh, farm-to-table meals, courtesy of Cascius' farming ventures.
Accommodations and Cost
- Rooms: Twelve private chambers and one communal sleeping area are available, accommodating the needs of various travelers.
- Pricing: With average prices for both lodging and meals, the inn offers affordability without compromising on quality or comfort.
The Silver Lyre Inn's Role in the Community
As a hub for news and information, the inn serves as a vital resource for anyone looking to understand the dynamics of Verbobonc and beyond.
The inn's balcony, overlooking the common room, provides a quieter space for more private discussions or simply to escape the lively chatter below.
Using The Silver Lyre Inn in Your Campaign
Drop the party here when you want:
- A quiet, magical-feeling inn as contrast to rougher road stops.
- A place to gather news from the Gnarley Forest, Dyvers, or the Low Road.
- A safe hub where NPCs can seek them out on the balcony for private conversations under the soothing music of the floating lyre.
Whether as a regular base or just a memorable stop on the road, the Silver Lyre Inn is where your players can warm their hands, rest their heads, and realize that the world beyond Verbobonc’s walls is larger, stranger, and more welcoming than they first thought.
Room in an Inn
Heavy oaken doors line the hallway, each emblazoned with a tarnished copper letter. Portraits hang between the doors, faded with age, depicting past owners of the inn or famous patrons. The door creaks open with a twist of the key, and inside you find spartan but comfortable accommodations: a feather bed with a creaky wooden frame, a small bedside table with a pair of beeswax candles, a small footlocker with a heavy iron padlock, and a wooden washing basin, above which hangs an oblong mirror. The room smells pleasantly of old wood and dried lavender.
Cascius, Innkeeper & Quiet Informant
Cascius is the owner and master of the Silver Lyre:
- Known for warm hospitality and a preternatural knack for remembering faces and names of returning guests, even after years.
- He is also a farmer/rancher, supplying much of the inn’s food from his own holdings—fresh eggs, sausage, vegetables, and dairy.
Cascius is a talkative, observant innkeeper who:
- Welcomes rangers, druids, caravan guards, merchants, and adventurers—especially those coming in from the Gnarley.
- Has an excellent grasp of local happenings, road conditions, rumors, and politics, which he shares freely with guests who mind their manners.
- Enforces a strict no-brawling policy: any guest who starts a fight earns a lifetime ban from the inn, no exceptions.
Rooms, Meals & Services
Lodging
- The inn has twelve private chambers plus one common sleeping room for budget travelers.
- Rooms are small but clean and well-maintained, with feather beds, simple furnishings, and a touch of country charm. Prices are average for Verbobonc—comfortable but not lavish.
You can use the existing boxed text from your “Room in an Inn” description for any of these chambers: heavy oaken doors with copper letters, faded portraits, creaky bed, lavender scent, and so on.
Food & Drink
Cascius prides himself on good food for fair prices:
- A generous breakfast buffet is a hallmark—fresh eggs, sausage, bread, garden vegetables, and fruit when in season.
- Common meals follow your standard tables (omelettes, ham and mixed greens, stews, fish, rabbit dishes, sausages, pies, etc.), all prepared farm-to-table style.
- Drinks include the usual ales, wines, ciders, and cordials from your lists, at average prices for the region.
Services
- Stable space for a modest number of horses and pack animals.
- A friendly “we keep an ear out” attitude: Cascius and his staff will quietly pass on warnings about bandits, cult activity, or political tension to trusted guests.
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