Watchers' House

The Watchers' House is a very real place that does not quite follow the laws of the mortal plane, nor the Fae Lands. It is rarely in the same place, but nobody would ever see it moving. Just trying to remember how long the Watchers' House has been at its location is too difficult for mortals to concentrate. It is clear that some sort of fae magic was involved in the construction of the place, but nobody seems to know anything more than that. All guests are safe inside the house.

A paying guest is given a key that will allow them to open the door to the Watchers' House. Anyone trying to force open the door and barge their way inside usually ends up gone. They never leave the doorway. A guest with a key always knows roughly where to find the house. No matter where the house is found it always appears natural to any observer on the outside and anyone nearby remembers the house has always stood there - for at least as much as they can remember.

There are three very special keys to the house. These keys can use any door to summon the house to them. Typically the house does not move from its current location but a portal opens between that door and the Watchers' house allowing access. The innkeeper is the sole personal able to move the house from its current location. It is not a trivial task to prepare a new location so the innkeeper prefers to have a few areas already prepared.

As created by Ollonni.

The inn has two cellars reachable from a floor hatch in the kitchen on the ground floor. The cellar is just about five foot (5') in height and typically cramped. The first room contains a good selection of wine bottles as well as kegs of beer. The second room is slightly shorter in height, but larger in length. This cold locker is where the foodstuffs are stored. By whatever strangeness of the inn the walls of this room are usually covered with runnels of ice.

The main door opens into a large foyer with a short bar for the innkeeper. The foyer is usually richly appointed and maintained even better than the other rooms. A wide staircase bordered by carved wooden gargoyles leads upstairs.

To the left of the foyer is a small parlor. A few books and game boards are kept here along with a least a dozen chairs. A fireplace in the room keeps the temperature comfortable. Regardless of the number of guests the room always seem cozy, but with enough room to move about.

To the right of the foyer is a breakfast nook among with the formal dining room. The formal dining room is dominated by a large table richly inlaid with silver and gold. The seats are not designed for comfort, but instead to highly the opulence of the meal. The breakfast tables are more for casual dining with a few stools around each table along with two benches against the wall.

A doorway from the dining room connects to the kitchen. Two stoves and a single hearth serve the needs of the guests. A hatch leads from the kitchen to the cellar. In addition a small hidden hallway goes from the kitchen to a concealed door in the parlor. This allows the staff to slip in and out of the parlor to refill their guests drinks.

Regardless of the number of guest all of the rooms are on the second floor. In fact every room is specifically at the top of the steps immediately across the hallway. Each guest's key will only unlock a single door on the second floor - the one across the hall. Their key will not work in any other door. Any attempt to force another door open will immediately revoke their guests privileges which can have disastrous (typically deadly) consequences.

The current innkeeper is Ollonni, a human with some elven or far blood in him. Nobody remembers any other innkeeper, but he always speaks of getting the inn from the previous innkeeper. He is a very friendly man and fascinated by meeting new and strange people. The cost for a room at the inn is always personal and it comes with access to the seemingly bottomless larder and cellar.

The staff has always been a very unique race of goblins. Smaller but physically stronger than any other goblinoid race - including a raging hobgoblin. They appear exactly identical and extremely loyal to the current innkeep. If necessary they can produce weapons, or other useful items, from seemingly nowhere to defend the house or its guests.