The Laughing Dog Inn
A Safe Haven at the Southern Crossroads of the Long Road
The Laughing Dog Inn is a fortified roadside hostel, tavern, and stables complex nestled at a vital crossroads deep in the southern Kron Hills. Located ten miles south of the gnomish village of Sheernobb and ten miles north of Ostverk, this sturdy, stonework inn serves as the last reliable shelter before the borderlands near the Fey Kingdom of Celene. Popular with merchant caravans, wandering pilgrims, and adventuring companies, the Laughing Dog offers safety, food, and strong drink—but recent rumors speak of darker dealings and dangerous strangers who linger too long under its roof.
A Shadow at the Crossroads
The forest parts like a wound, spilling forth a clearing touched by firelight and false cheer. The Laughing Dog stands at the edge of the woods, squat and defiant—a survivor. It was once a sanctuary. Now it watches the road like a spider, its warmth a trap spun in stone and timber. The placard still sways from its rusted chain: a hound with a mug, laughing into the dusk. But behind the shutters, something darker has taken root.
- Location: 10 miles south of Sheernobb, 10 miles north of Ostverk, in a forest-cleared valley along the Long Road.
- Role: Safehouse-turned-spy-post for bandits serving Temple-aligned forces.
- Strategic Significance: At a major crossroads linking Verbobonc, Hommlet, Sheernobb, Ostverk, and Hummings End.
- Current Status: Hostile occupation; bandits posing as staff.
Geographic Role: Southern Crossroads of the Kron Hills
The road winds down into a shallow saddle of land, choked with yellowing grass and the stink of smoke. Eastward lie the hidden trails to Dyvers, west to the Halfling vales. This inn was the last honest place before the shadow of Celene. Now it's just the last place.
- Crossroad Junctions:
- North to Sheernobb, Village of Hommlet, and Verbobonc, City.
- South to Ostverk and the closed Fey borders of Celene.
- West to Gallows Corner, a quiet halfling-human trading village.
- Daily Caravan Range: Positioned at a day’s march from Sheernobb and Ostverk—ideal overnight stop.
- Merchant Use:
- Dwarven smith-caravans from the Kron Hills.
- Gnomish spice and gem traders from Ostverk.
- Halfling wine and pipeleaf merchants from Hummings End.
Community Role and Merchant Traffic
Waystation of the Long Road
Merchants from Verbobonc, Hommlet, and Dyvers use the Laughing Dog as a natural stop between:
- The City of Verbobonc (north)
- Sheernobb and Hommlet (north)
- Ostverk (south)
- Celene’s border (south)
- Gallows Corner (west)
This stretch of the Long Road is known for hill bandits, broken patrols, and shadowed forest paths. The Inn’s firelight is often a welcome beacon for those who know to reach it before nightfall.
Trade Caravans Seen Here
- Gnome gem and spice carts from Sheernobb and Ostverk.
- Dwarven arms dealers traveling to the Verbobonc City.
- Halfling vintners from Gallows Corner.
- Suspicious wagons covered in tarpaulins—possibly Temple-bound.
Rumors, Conflicts, and Danger
Beneath the Laughter
The Inn, while warm and welcoming to many, hides tension behind its cozy facade:
- Tattooed strangers with inverted triangle symbols are said to use the inn as a rendezvous.
- Mercenaries posing as merchants have been observed unloading strange goods at night.
- Fulk watches the road too closely—almost like he expects trouble each dusk.
- A forged letter of passage from Celene was found burned in the hearth recently.
Adventure Hook
A Friendly Warning... or a Trap?
As the party passes the inn, a cloaked man on the porch eyes them coldly. He lifts a mug but says nothing. Then another figure—broad-shouldered, scarred, with an assassin’s poise—joins him. A woman in a hooded black cloak steps out and whispers with a smirk, “They're watching. He says not yet.”
If the adventurers choose not to stop, they are followed an hour later.
"Hello travelers! Why don’t you come in for a drink? It's rude not to stop in, friend!"
The Silent Cry: Maela Mershan, The Innkeeper’s Daughter
Behind her, half-shrouded in firelight, stands a man with a face like old leather and a hand resting casually on a curved blade at his belt. He doesn’t speak. He doesn’t need to.
- Maela Mershan is the daughter of Fulk Mershan, the innkeeper held hostage in the root cellar.
- She has been forced to serve the bandits and keeps silent out of fear. Any resistance brings swift punishment.
- Observant adventurers (DC 14 Insight) may detect the tension in her posture, the wince when the brigands shout, the hollow way she smiles.
- She will not speak openly, but may intentionally spill something, glance at the cellar door, or pause too long at a table where she feels safe.
- The brigands watch her closely, especially the cruel man near the door—one of Varek’s lieutenants.
- Despite her terror, Maela has not broken. She holds out hope that someone—anyone—might notice and help.
The Occupation: Bandits Behind the Bar
The bandits didn’t sack the inn. They moved in like mold. Took the barkeep, his wife, his grooms, locked them in the cellar. Now they run the place like they've always been there. Friendly, chatty, helpful—until you leave and find an ambush waiting half a mile down the road.
- Hostile Forces Present:
- 12 disguised bandits (mix of humans and half-orcs) pretending to be staff or guests.
- Leader: Varek the Smiler, a former Temple mercenary with the charm of a viper.
- Second: Jessa Blackhood, master of whispers and ambushes.
- Scout: Thom "Grease", rangy bowman who watches travelers from the porch.
- Tactics:
- Surveillance: Guests subtly questioned about wealth, route, and companions.
- Marking: One bandit places a chalk mark on merchant wagons they intend to hit.
- Ambush: Hostile parties are followed by scouts and attacked on the road at dusk.
- The Hostages:
- Fulk Mershan, the one-eyed innkeeper.
- Maela Mershan is the daughter of Fulk Mershan, the innkeeper held hostage in the root cellar.
- Ina Mossvale, gnome cook (badly injured, may aid if rescued).
- Tober and Fennick, stablemaster and blacksmith, kept gagged in the root cellar.
Tavern Scene – Orders from the Brigand
She flinches, almost drops the tray. Her voice is barely above a whisper. Maela (trembling): "Y-Yes, sir. I-I’m sorry. I’ll bring them right out…"
She moves quickly, clutching the tankards with both hands, careful not to let them rattle. Her eyes don’t lift. She doesn’t speak again. But as she passes your table, one of the mugs trembles slightly—more than fear alone would explain—and her foot lingers, just for a heartbeat too long.
Suspicion and Danger
The beer is too warm. The laughter too sharp. The big man at the hearth has four knives on his belt, and not one is a cook’s blade. The server’s smile freezes when you ask too many questions. You are being measured.
- Red Flags for Players:
- No names given by staff. They refer to each other by nicknames.
- Despite “busy tavern,” food is old, ale flat.
- Horses in stables have unfamiliar brands—none match local merchants.
- A tattooed wrist with an inverted triangle (Temple mark) glimpsed beneath a sleeve.
- The “cook” can’t cook. Doesn’t know what’s in the stew.
- Divine/Arcane Senses:
- Detect Evil reveals a steady thrum of malicious intent.
- Divinations about the inn show a twisted fate—or a masked one.
Ambush Opportunity
They’ll wait until you leave, head south or west, then strike. But they underestimate seasoned travelers. Maybe your party’s got teeth of its own. Maybe this time, the prey fights back.
- Suggested Encounter:
- One bandit scout follows party an hour out.
- Reinforcements ambush from forest flanks.
- If taken alive, a bandit may reveal the truth: the inn’s being used as a Temple outpost.
Narrative Hook: The Smiler's Invitation
(He smiles wide, but the eyes don’t smile at all.) “Come now... I’ll buy the first round.”

Reference location Living Greyhawk
VER2-03 A Friend In Need - by Michael Maenza
Innkeeper and Staff
Fulk "Dog-Biter" Mershan
The burly innkeeper is a retired mercenary with a jagged facial scar and a missing eye. He runs the inn with a loud voice, a strict code, and his infamous mastiff “Beast.” Fulk claims the Laughing Dog is “neutral ground” and enforces a rough code of peace—though some say he bends the rules when it suits him.
- Background: Former Mounted Borderer turned private guard captain.
- Secret: Has ties to a smuggling ring out of Hummings End, but despises the Temple cultists.
Other Staff
- Ina Mossvale, gnome cook and herbalist (sells poultices and teas).
- Tober Flint, halfling stablemaster and self-declared “Horse Whisperer.”
- Fennick, an old war veteran who runs the forge and sharpens blades in exchange for cider and stories.
Notable Services and Specialties
Menu and Drink List
In addition to standard rations, the Laughing Dog boasts a few infamous dishes:
- Pig Grog (1 sp): A cloudy ale brewed with smoked pork fat.
- Herman M’s Special Blend (4 sp): Syrupy dark beer thickened with ipp sap.
- Wild Varmint Stew (5 sp): No one knows what’s in it, but it’s always tasty.
- Rabbit Punch From Nowhere (8 sp): A fiery spirit that numbs the lips and burns the soul.
Other Offerings
- Rooms and bunking (1 gp private, 3 sp bunk).
- Farrier and light smithing services.
- Safe overnight stabling (2 sp per animal).
- Small shrine to Fharlanghn in the cellar for traveler’s blessings.

Varek the Smiler
Human Bandit Leader (CR 3, PB +2)
HP 65 | AC 15 (studded leather) | Speed 30 ft.
STR 14 | DEX 16 | CON 13 | INT 10 | WIS 11 | CHA 14
- Multiattack. Shortsword +5 (1d6+3), 2 attacks
- Smile and Bleed (Recharge 5–6): One creature within 30 ft. must DC 13 Wis save or become charmed (1 min). On fail, Varek gains adv. on next attack vs. target.
- Sly Command: Allies within 10 ft. gain +1 to attack rolls.
- Bonus Action: Cunning Action (Dash, Disengage, Hide)
- Languages: Common, Cant
- Traits: Cruel, charismatic, enjoys psychological games
Jessa Blackhood
Human Ambusher (CR 2, PB +2)
HP 44 | AC 14 (leather) | Speed 30 ft.
STR 10 | DEX 17 | CON 12 | INT 13 | WIS 12 | CHA 11
- Sneak Attack. +2d6 dmg (once/turn)
- Ambush Expert. Advantage on attacks against surprised creatures
- Twin Daggers. +5 (1d4+3), Thrown (20/60 ft)
- Poison Blade (1/day): DC 12 CON or 2d6 poison
- Languages: Common, Thieves’ Cant
- Traits: Quiet, calculating, unnervingly perceptive
Thom "Grease"
Human Scout (CR 1, PB +2)
HP 32 | AC 13 (hide) | Speed 30 ft.
STR 11 | DEX 16 | CON 11 | INT 10 | WIS 14 | CHA 9
- Longbow. +5 (1d8+3), range 150/600 ft.
- Skirmisher. Can move 15 ft. as reaction when enemy ends turn nearby
- Bonus Action: Hide (if lightly obscured)
- Alert. +5 Initiative
- Languages: Common
- Traits: Nervous energy, sharp-eyed, flees when losing
Common Brigands (x8–12)
Human Bandits (CR 1/8, PB +2)
HP 11 | AC 12 (leather) | Speed 30 ft.
STR 11 | DEX 12 | CON 12 | INT 10 | WIS 10 | CHA 10
- Scimitar. +3 (1d6+1 slashing)
- Light Crossbow. +3 (1d8 piercing), range 80/320 ft.
- Pack Tactics. Advantage if ally is within 5 ft. of target
- Reckless Taunt (1/day): Distract a foe within 30 ft. (DC 10 CHA save or target has disadvantage on next attack roll)
- Languages: Common
- Traits: Rude, cruel, loyal only to gold or fear
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