Baldur's Gate : The Sword Coast Chronicles : NWN2 Persistent World

Lannia smiles happily at the letters and praise received, reading them to the staff and congratulating them on the hard work up to and during the party. Most of the staff are seen returning home with baskets of food and drink for a job well done.

Only minimal staff remain on duty after the party, just enough to keep the inn running. Somehow the inn still generates a noise complaint, as empty as it is afterwards.

Over the last few days the Last Anchor has been fairly busy.

While one of the proprietors, Derik Ranloss, went out to meet the advancing troll armies in battle, the other proprietor, Lannia Ranloss, was seen busying herself around the Anchor itself.

The business opened up its doors to those that came into Ulgoth's Beard for the refugees coming to town due to the Troll advance towards the farmlands and Baldur's Gate.

Most of these refugees were folk who fled before the battles took, wanting to make sure they were out of harm's way. Fortunately, because the Flaming Fist positions successfully held back the portion of the Troll army that marched on Baldur's Gate and its territories, the number of refugees and wounded that arrived after the battles had begun were few and mostly folk from lands on the outskirts of the battle.

The Ranlosses hired some extra help from the townfolk of Ulgoth's Beard to help out as staff during those days, though now most everyone has started to trickle homeward again.



((DM Theo approved statement regarding the refugees and the battle. Thanks DMT.))

A sign is posted outside the Last Anchor.

[parchment]Let it be known that the Last Anchor's famed sauna has had its repairs completed and is now once again available along with the Upper Parlor for renting, parties, or to be used by staying guests!

We thank everyone for your patience while the repairs were completed.

If you wish to enquire about using the Anchor's facilities for events or for staying, please feel free to contact the proprietors.[/parchment]

A petite but sturdy looking woman stood on the beach of Ulgoths Beard from afternoon til past evening time, filling her basket up to the brim with squiggly fish fighting for their lives. Fishing looked to be second nature to her, as she pulled one after the other in with no quarrels.
After some bartering back and forth with Barnacle Bob, she decided to take her basket of fish elsewhere, and having caught wind of an inn named the Anchor, she pushed her glasses up on her nose bridge before walking herself toward and inside the inn with confident stride.

Having introduced herself as an Amalda Gardner, she flips the lid of the basket open for Mara the cook to have a look. "I have an Emerald Grunt, Red Snapper, Marlin, Flounder, Red Grouper, Stingray, Rock Sea Bass, Mottled Grouper. Look at this marlin, a prime specimen! Think of the dishes you could make with it...." She says to Mara, in attempt of selling them for a better price than Barnacle Bob could offer.

Luck would have it that Lannia came in on her heels. Mara was a good cook, but a bit miserly in negotiation. Mara, seeing her mistress only pointed the young woman to Lannia. Lannia's warm, sapphire eyes fell on the young woman and Lannia gave a friendly, welcoming smile, "Fine fish indeed and I have had no time to fish for the Anchor in the past days. I am Lannia Ranloss by the way. Might I have your name, miss?"

She would have waited for the girl's name before turning her attention to business. She considered the fish carefully, "mmm, mhm, Bob has been a bit stingy these days too. I can give you 10% better than his prices. Fair?"

"Amalda Gardner." She offered up with a firm but polite nod. "Pleasure meeting you ma'am." .. and leaned back contemplating the offer for but a few seconds. "Hmm, 12% if i toss this fine lucky fishermans hat in and a tin full of bait. All of which have proven effective for reeling fish in this day, as my catchings prove." As Amalda tried to bargain with Lannia she handed a tin over toward her, and if she opened it she would see at least 30 squiggly pieces of bait.

Lannia smiled graciously, "I'm afraid not miss, but I will throw in a meal. Our kitchen is among the best on the coast. Perhaps some seared Marlin with baby roasted tubers and wild greens tossed in a raspberry dressing? A fresh baked roll and a drink of choice are served with every meal as well."

The smells rising from the kitchen would already be speaking to the quality of food served at the anchor.

Amalda's eyes squint behind her glasses a moment in consideration before a wide smile formed. "You have a deal miss Lannia." She walks one inch taller into the mainr oom, seemingly proud of her increased profit, and finds a place to await the glorious meal she was promised.

True to her word, Lannia moved to the kitchen. Mara was used to making room for this hands on owner. The sizzle of searing marlin could be heard on a hot cast iron pan.



A perfect sear with a pinch of salt and herbs to accent but not overwhelm was achieved and the marlin was placed in the oven with the roasted tubers to finish cooking through.



The salad was a beautiful mix of fresh greens, sliced pears, wild berries, nuts, and was lightly tossed in a tart raspberry dressing and sprinkled with cheese crumbles.



The meal was served with the drink of the young woman's choosing and a basket of freshy baked rolls.



"Please enjoy," Lannia offered with a smile, "You will be hard pressed to find finer."

Lannia placed the gold for the fish on the table with her meal. Then she published the meal on a menu board as a fresh catch special with choice of the fresh fish she had available.

Amalda tugs a few loose strings on her ragged and patched clothing up her sleeve while she waits, sipping the Highmoor Dark Beer she ordered. As she looks out into what is a very fine establishment in comparison to what she is accustomed, it dawns on her that she has not had a meal for days. Inhaling the scents coming from the kitchen makes her stomach rumble. "Thank you ma'am, this all looks incredible!" Once served, she dug into the rich food with ravenous hunger.

Lannia spends a few days in and around the anchor, speaking to locals and taking food to the gaurd. The gruff, over-zealous man's lunch was frequently stolen for the hag in the wood, and still he remained at his duties. Lannia was not overly fond of him, but duty was something she respected and so she fed him. Maybe some day he'd soften up with a bit of kindness.

Buzz around the town is that the Ranlosses seem highly interested in drawing more business to Ulgoth's Beard as a whole and not just to their inn. Who knows where this might go, but the pair were certainly active and kind to all the met. That never changed.

On a warm but somewhat rainy afternoon in Ulgoth's Beard, the Ferryman brings a small crate with him from Baldur's Gate harbor. It is then carried the few hundred feet away to the small inn known as the Last Anchor.

The crate itself seems to be made of sturdy materials one might transport heavy items in, but is deceptively lightweight. It might also be of note that the crate material is rather worn, as if it had traveled a great distance. Stamped on the side is a mark of a Waterdavian export merchant, and also one that is painted over seemingly from Marsember.

Once opened, a small treasure trove is neatly and securely packed inside the crate. Perhaps not a treasure of gold or other precious metals, but certainly the things that some dreams are made of. About a half-score of spice jars are secured in another wooden case, surrounded by a dark blue woolen blanket. Attached is a note that simply reads: "For delicious dreams, spices from Marsember."

Also there are four smaller parcels, three of which were wrapped in leather and tied with string, and one wrapped in similar fashion but with linen. Each of these four have name cards attached. The first two are of similar size and have a scent of roses. One is addressed to "Ro" and the other "Lannia". They appear to be rose scented soaps, also from Marsember.

The third and fourth parcels are of differing nature. One is linen-wrapped and rather small, labeled "Teris". Inside is a small wooden carving of a rabbit eating from a blueberry bush. The kind of carving that one might display on a table or a shelf, unlike ones that are made for toys.

The last of the four is labeled "Derik", and wrapped inside this leather-bound parcel is a framed small etching of what appears to be the Last Anchor inn, on silver. There is a handsome couple sharing a tender embrace just in front of the open doorway, in likeness to the proprietors. On the back is a note, "For the man that has everything, show him how Lucky he is."

Derik opens up the package labeled for himself, leaving the others for whom they are addressed.

He looks over the silver etching with a smile. "Don't I know it, Iris...."

He then goes to hang it up on the wall near his desk downstairs.

Lannia is clearly delighted with the imported spices. She immediately goes to work on new fresh catch specials using the lovely spices.
Lannia also hides a packet of each spice away in the cellar. A precious reserve to cook for her friend when the bardess returns.

Tiberis79 wrote:Lannia spends a few days in and around the anchor, speaking to locals and taking food to the gaurd. The gruff, over-zealous man's lunch was frequently stolen for the hag in the wood, and still he remained at his duties. Lannia was not overly fond of him, but duty was something she respected and so she fed him. Maybe some day he'd soften up with a bit of kindness.

Buzz around the town is that the Ranlosses seem highly interested in drawing more business to Ulgoth's Beard as a whole and not just to their inn. Who knows where this might go, but the pair were certainly active and kind to all the met. That never changed.

"The over-zealous gruff guard would snarl at her as she brought him food, snatching it and eating it while sneering. She could swear she saw a small bit of appreciation in his eyes as he gobbled up whatever morsels she brought to him, but he would never admit it of course."

The Ranlosses would hear the buzz around town... Rumors and tid bits of the Fishermen and Shepherds who put long hours in laboring at their duties grumbling at the thought of more unruly drunks and loud music playing scaring the fish or disrupting what little sleep they get at night. As if the Blushing Mermaid wasn't enough.

Other rumors swirl around about how one of the elders, Mergus stated that the entertainment might be a welcome reprieve from the everyday grind... and of course extra gold is never a bad thing."