Special thanks to VinnytheSquid for providing the following write-ups, all of which are sourced from
Volo's Guide to the Sword Coast:
VinnytheSquid wrote:ELFSONG TAVERN
This tavern is the local watering hole, meeting place, and hiring fair for adventurers. A popular destination for pirates and outlaws on the loose in the Coast lands, it is a place the watch turns a blind eye toward, unless rowdiness and battle erupt. Those wishing to fence stolen goods, hire unusual folk for unrespectable tasks, and hear tall tales of daring adventure often come here and stay late.
The Place
Decorated by a stuffed baby beholder over the bar (the smallest eye tyrant I've ever seen, not that I've seen many I'll grant), this place is dimly lit by many wandering, blue-hued driftglobes, and is furnished with many stout, knife-scarred wooden chairs and tables, curtained off with tapestries that provide privacy. Gossips should beware, as this is visual privacy only. The ground floor is devoted to a taproom that serves melted cheese sandwiches (spiced or unspiced, as you prefer), pickles, and fist-sized twists of dried herring and drinks, of course. As you might guess, all the food is highly salted to make you drink more. Several dark, twisting stairs lead up to private meeting rooms that can be rented by the candle (the time it takes a short taper to burn down) or an evening. Those with enemies are warned that the dimness on the stairs has concealed many a seeking knife thrust or poisoned hand crossbow bolt.
The Prospect
This tavern is named for an unusual haunting a ghostly female elven voice, heard from time to time all over the establishment. It isn't loud, but can be heard clearly everywhere, and is both beautiful and achingly mournful. It often moves hardened soldiers, who can't understand a word of the archaic elven tongue used, to tears. Some, even though they have to drink away the melancholy it brings, come here solely in hopes of hearing it. The deaf and the insensitive are warned that anyone who talks, sings, or makes undue noise during the customary hush that falls over the tavern while the ghostly voice sings her sad lament is liable to be struck down with deadly speed by the nearest regular patron. Elves hearing the song for the first time are often stunned. By tradition, they are silently served a free tallglass of elverquisst by the bartender. has concealed many a seeking knife thrust or poisoned hand crossbow bolt. A first-timer of any race and either sex who breaks down into tears upon hearing the song is usually embraced and comforted by the nearest regular patron. After hearing the song, the current owner of the tavern, the halfelven maid "Lady" Alyth Elendara, bought the place for 50,000 gp from an aging warrior who placed only one condition on the sale: that he be allowed to sit in the tavern all the night hours so that he could hear the haunting song as often as he desired. The bargain was met - although the old man has since died. No one is sure just who the elven singer is, although it's clear she's singing a lament for a lover lost at sea - or how the haunting came to be. Some sporadic attempts by various clergy to banish the phenomenon have failed - and anyone foolish enough to try an exorcism today is likely to make the sudden sharp acquaintance of a bristling roomful of sailors. blades.
Patrons can - and are expected to - go armed when in the Elfsong, and the known rule is that all beings need to protect their own backs except when the sad lady's singing. By tradition, music of any sort is not sung or played in the tavern. The ghostly lady has the entertainment to herself.
The Provender
The fare, as aforementioned, is simple, open-faced malt bread and melted cheese sandwiches, sprinkled with dill, nutmeg, or powdered spices of your choice; whole pickles (heavy on thegarlic); and handful-sized chunks of pressed, dried salt herring. Lady Alyth also makes a thick stew that is beloved by many sick or chilled sailors. She keeps a cauldron on simmer all the time and throws all the food leavings into it, boils beef bones and assorted shellfish in it, and pours in all the wine dregs and soured ale. Some folk in Baldur's Gate swear by it, and visit the Elfsong just to drink a mug or bowl when they'd otherwise never enter a place where such rough and rowdy lowlifes drink.
Rollrum (dark, licorice-laced drink from the Tashalar, with a cool, minty aftertaste) is available, and is an acquired taste - one that most seafaring patrons seem to have acquired quite well, thank ye.
Travelers' Lore
Lady Alyth operates an unofficial bank for her patrons. Those who use this service are mainly sailors dabbling in shady business who've no safe place to hide their takings and no good reason for having made so much coin. Rumors abound of many wildly different places she hides the money and the ways she guards it, but inquiries on this topic are not welcome.
VinnytheSquid wrote:THE BLADE AND STARS INN
This inn is named for its enchanted signboard, looted from a ruined village in Amn after a long-ago trade war. It's a large black sign displaying a curved saber held by a delicate, long-fingered female human hand. The sign is enspelled so that stars wink and slowly drift around the blade over the dark surface. The inn itself is less exciting, but still a good, safe, clean, pleasant place to stay
The Place
The Blade is a long, tall building with attached stables and kitchens on one side and balconies opening out of upper rooms on the other. It rises four floors above the street, and its furnishings are clean and fairly new. There's a small lounge off the front lobby for guests to meet citizens in, but it lacks a table.
The Prospect
Service in the Blade is curt but swift Vigilant stair-watchers on staff keep track of guests. comings and goings, discouraging street thieves and even dopplegangers, who are a growing though unreported problem in cities all over Faerûn. Your stay is apt to be quiet and unremarkable, unless your demeanor makes it otherwise. Rowdy or reckless guests are firmly warned, once - and if something else happens, firmly asked to leave.
The Provender
Meals are served in guests. rooms rather than in a dining room, so the fare is never better than lukewarm - but as it's simple ale, bread, and fish, this is little loss. Bread can be ordered spread with herbed cheese or melted eggs (both surprisingly good). On cold nights, the proprietor, Aundegul Shawn, serves ruby cordial on request - a sweet, syrupy concoction of cherries dissolved in sugared red wine. It's nice, once you're used to the rawness it leaves in the throat.
A guest can order three servings of food a day, but it's always the same repast. One tankard of ale is free with each meal, and a guest can purchase two extra a day - those requesting more will be told to find a tavern.
Travelers' Lore
Local legend says a female yuan-ti is walled up in the inn, frozen in midbattle by a desperate (and long-gone) wizards spell. When he dies, she'll be released.
VinnytheSquid wrote:THE HELM AND CLOAK INN & FEAST HOUSE
This grand inn, rooming house, and feasting house is favored by those who've lots of coins to spare.both citizens of the Gate, who enjoy the dining room, and travelers. There's even a floor of long-term rental rooms. Most of these are currently occupied by members of the Knights of the Unicorn, romantic adventurers described by a regular patron as elegant buffoons.
The Helm is the fashionable place to dine and chat, much favored by those of power. Many an important business deal or alliance has been negotiated in its luxurious alcoves. The Helm avoids the haughty and gaudy unerringly choosing the best of informal good taste, traditional furnishings, and thoughtful service, such as a warmed robe and slippers brought to your room when you.re heard to rise in the morn.
The Place
The Helm is actually two connected buildings. The smaller is an old house fronting on Windspell Street at the crossroads facing the Ducal Palace. The larger structure is an old rooming house that faces the High House of Wonders. A tattered cloak hangs displayed over the old rooming house.s raised porch, whereas a gigantic helm - once worn by a titan, senior staff tell guests who ask, albeit dryly - overhangs the Windspell Street doors.
The Provender
Food at the Helm means jellied eels, fresh fish in hot lemon sauce, glazed and stuffed fowl, and fried and candied meats. The fried onion-and spiced- tubers stuffing is especially delectable. It's all cooked in wine, served by the platter, and is uniformly fine.
The wine cellar is huge in both amount and variety. Those with a taste for Saerloonian glowfire are warned that the resident Knights are apt to order entire barrels of the stuff up to their rooms of evenings. Ask early to make sure there's enough for your glass.
There's also mead (very ordinary) and cinnamon-spiced milk available (hot or cold, as you prefer), but no beer of any sort to be had. "We're not running a tavern, m'lord," one of the senior servants said to me, when I inquired why.
Travelers' Lore
The house part of the Helm was once the home of a priestess of Sune, and its ceiling paintings of scenes of unbridled pleasure and passion have raised more than a few eyebrows. These paintings still cause lamps to be lifted today by those who'd like to get a better look - so as to elevate their brows farther. There are persistent rumors of elegantly
furnished garret chambers reached by secret passages, but the staff refuses to answer queries on this subject.
It is true that the staff has quickly hidden notorious guests on several occasions - guests that in some cases were never seen again. The rooming house part of the Helm has some treasure rumors, too (the hidden loot of retired pirates).
Source:
Volo's Guide to the Sword Coast (17-19, 23-24)
