Wood River Inn

The Wood River Inn has been owned by Berchtwald since Y451 AH. Located along the main street of Ulrichstein near the eastern gate it is a favorite stop for caravan workers passing through - as it is the only inn in town; although the Blacks Tavern and Knights Hall Tavern both allow guests to sleep in the common room.

The inn purchases most of its food from various households in town. They supplement this with vegatables from the garden. The inn is not known for its fine fare, but it is generally filling and inexpensive. The one thing that the inn does well is Berchwald's Winter Cider. This overly strong cider is a mix of forest fruits and what he buys on the caravans. It can at best be described as “whatever fell off the cart”, but it has managed to gain a reputation by those regular caravans that pass through.

Although the inn is the only one in town it does not charge exhorbitant rates for sleeping. Instead Berchwald prefers to barter food, drink, and news for goods on the caravan. he typically only keeps enough coin to pay its taxes and provide a few beneifts for his family, but otherwise barters for the needs of the inn.

During the summer when the caravans have packed the commons the inn keeps a rotating cast of musicians hired from the caravans. A dry bed and dinner is typically enough to encourage several of them to play.

The inn consists of three buildings surrounded by a short gate. The main building is two stories tall with a heavily sloped roofline providing for attaic space. The next largest building is used as a bunkhouse for guests. The smallest building holds stores and used for brewing. The ground is too wet for a proper cellar.

The facia of the main building wraps a large porch around the front and right side of the building. Except during the winter tables and chairs are put outside during the day. The left side of the building is shielded by a wooden gate stopping guests from stomping through the garden. The rest of of the front is covered in large flat stones, some of them quite decorative. The main hall of the building takes up all of the ground level, except for a small kitchen in the northeast corner.

There are two rooms in the attic. Berchwald and his wife have the largest room, while the other houses his son and his family. These rooms are reached by internal stairs from the second floor.

There are covered stairs to reach the second level along the north wall outside of the building. There is one private room, two rooms with a pair of beds and a small bunk room of four beds. A locked chest is provided in the private room as well as the two twin rooms. For those staying in the bunk room the inn has a locked chest in the kitchen that can be used.

In the northeast corner of the lot a wainwright shed has been converted into a large bunkhouse. Eight beds are pushed against the wall leaving room for another dozen straw pallets in the center of the room. The arrival of a large caravan can see up to twenty people crammed under the roof.

In the northwest corner is a small eight by six foot (8×6) shed that is used as a second kitchen as well as dry stores. The inn originally had a small cellar under the main building, but the soil is so loose the walls kept collapsing.