Dragon's Gateway Inn & Tavern

Location: The Outer Southern Plains (The "Bark" of Astra).

Proprietors: Hiron & Kim Alesman.

Patron: Duke Aedan Illykur.

The Atmosphere:

The Inn is a fortress of hospitality. It is not built for the soft nobles of the Solar District; it is built for the mud-caked caravans, the exhausted patrols, and the adventurers who smell like ozone and dried blood. It smells of roasting meat, polished pine, and the faint, acrid scent of preserved trophy scales.

The Trophies (The Namesake)

The Inn is famous for the taxidermied remains of the Green Dragons slain by Aedan Illykur in Year 122.

• The Lobby (The Child): Upon entering, guests are greeted by the mounted head of the younger dragon. It is large enough to swallow a halfling whole, its glass eyes staring down at the registration desk.

• The Dining Hall (The Mother): Dominating the main common room is the massive head of the Matriarch. Mounted above the great hearth, its jaws are frozen in a roar, casting long shadows across the tables when the fire crackles. It is a constant reminder to every patron: The Lord of this land kills things like this.

Accommodations (Capacity: ~120)

The layout is designed for tactical rest.

• Ground Floor (The Bunk Halls): Designed for caravans and mercenary companies. These large "Squad Rooms" have direct access to the outside yards, allowing gear to be loaded quickly. Some rooms can sleep up to 12 individuals in sturdy, comfortable bunks.

• Second Floor: Semi-private rooms for merchants, officers, or smaller adventuring parties (2-4 beds).

• Third Floor: A warren of single and double rooms for those seeking privacy or quiet.

The Stables

Staffed by: Caleb Thatcher (Stable Hand) & Barley Alesman (Son).

Far superior to a typical roadside hitch, the stables are enclosed and reinforced.

• Specialized Care: They are equipped with high-ceilinged stalls for Griffons and Hippogriffs, reinforced stalls for heavy warhorses, and secure lockdown paddocks for more... exotic mounts.

• Services: Armor repair for mounts is available on-site.

Key NPCs: The Alesman Family & Staff

1. Hiron Alesman (Father / Proprietor)

• Role: The face of the tavern. A jovial but sharp-eyed man who knows every caravan master by name.

• Relation to the Duke: He treats Aedan Illykur not just as a Lord, but as a savior. The deed to the Inn was a wedding gift from Aedan, a gesture that Hiron repays by running an honest, safe house.

• Politics: Fiercely defensive of the "Outer Plains" identity. If anyone badmouths the "Illykur Folly" (The Wall), Hiron cuts them off.

2. Kim Alesman (Mother / Head of Kitchen)

• Role: The heart of the operation. She manages the books and the menu.

• Personality: No-nonsense. She has raised two teenagers in a tavern on the edge of the monster-infested Gap; nothing scares her.

3. The Children

• Kelly Alesman (Teenager, Daughter):

  • Role: Barmaid / Waitress.

  • Trait: Quick-witted and knows all the gossip. If a player wants to know what's happening in the city, they ask Kelly.

• Barley Alesman (Teenager, Son):

  • Role: Stable Hand.

  • Trait: Quiet, loves animals more than people. He is currently trying to learn how to groom a Griffon without getting bitten.

4. The Hired Help

• Beatrice Weber: A sturdy local woman who helps Kim in the kitchens and keeps the peace in the taproom. She wields a heavy iron skillet with proficiency.

• Caleb Thatcher: A older hand who assists in the stables. He has a bad leg (an old war injury from the Astra City Watch) and tells tall tales to the travelers.

The "New Business" Tax Shield

• The Decree: Duke Aedan declared the Dragon's Gateway a "Strategic Asset."

• The Terms: Hiron and Kim pay zero tax to the White Palace. Instead, their "tax" is a mandate: Never turn away a Ranger or a refugee for lack of coin.

• Effect: This infuriates Duke Darien Trax (who sees it as tax evasion), but it ensures that the Inn is always full of loyalists who would die for the Alesmans (and by extension, Illykur).