[Location] Front Desk

[Aesha]

The new front desk of the Crown Inn and Tavern was certainly more impressive than the old. Gone was the little desk tucked away in a corner, replaced with a sweeping, curved desk of mahogany that was both elegent and simple. The desk itself backed the right wall of the foyer, and was stradled by two stairwells, one large and prominent, one discreetly tucked away.

As usual, no expense had been spared on the refurbishment of the Crown, and, like the old foyer, the room had a rich, expensive and thick carpet underfoot that was the colour of red wine. Hanging on the walls of the room were a few simple pictures, some in paint, some in only charcoal, all of various aspects and landscapes of Alleria. Apart from them, no other decoration or furniture adorned the room.

Behind the curved desk, in a matching mahogany chair with dark red upholstery sat a tall, blonde woman who was obviously in charge of checking people into rooms and making other reservations, such as for the private dining rooms the inn housed. She looked generally friendly, but there seemed to be an almost constant wary look in her eyes, though she was always on the look out for something unpleasant. A small, engraved brass plaque sitting on the desk proclaimed her name to be Alissa Farahsdaughter.

Affixed to the back wall behind the desk were various things such as keyboxes, and also wooden board, into which had been burnt the price list for the Crown Inn.

Common Housing: 1 Crown per night.

Standard Rooms
Single Room: 5 crowns per night.
Double Room: 10 crowns per night.
Twin Room: 10 crowns per night.

Luxury Rooms
Single Room: 15 crowns per night.
Double Room: 20 crowns per night.
Twin Room: 20 crowns per night.

Suites
Charisma Suite: 30 crowns per night.
Jaedah Suite: 40 crowns per night.
Anna Suite: 50 crowns per night.
The Crown Suite: 75 crowns per night.

Other Amenities
Stabling: 3 crowns per night.
Laundry: Price judged on quantity of articles and type of material.
Baths in Rooms: An extra crown. Baths in suites are free.
Meals can be ordered in advance from the tavern and delivered to rooms on request.

~

Peer-Moderation Information

NPCs

• Alissa Farahsdaughter - Vagaran Human who runs the front desk. Alissa has long blonde hair and blue eyes. Alissa is a friendly person, who is generally not afraid to say what she thinks. She does however, have an overactive imagination, and tends to see omens in portents in everything. These often make her thoughtful for a time whilst she figures out whether they are good or bad. She has not lived in Alleria Prime long. Once the Allerians had left the city, she entered the capital looking for work, and gained her job at the Crown.

This Location May Be Self-Moderated If:

• You want to rent a room or any other amenity mentioned on the price list.

Posting Guidelines

• Please Timestamp your post. For information regarding timestamping, look here. For the current season, see the announcement at the top of this forum.

[Ariella Safri]

Timestamp: Dianara, 2nd of Optia, Summer of Era XII in the Age of Darkening

It had not taken Ariella too long to find the renowned inn of Alleria Prime. It was a popular place, after all, and the city’s citizens had not been so snooty as to not provide her with adequate directions towards it. And so it was that the half elven woman found herself stood within the tavern’s doorway now, near-black eyes silently appraising the sight that had subsequently come to greet her. A woman one could honestly say spoke her mind on most matters, Ariella found herself to be genuinely impressed with what she saw; as per usual, the main chamber here was awash with the sounds of merriment and laughter, and she felt her own spirits rising as a result.

No time for drinking and joining the other tavern-goers now, however. The woman’s sojourn was to span several brightenings, after all, and she had no wish to find herself without a suitable place to stay at any point along it. Approaching the newly furnished front desk of the tavern with an appreciative glance towards its elegant mahogany surface, the half elf greeted Alissa with a brusque nod, prior to surveying what rooms the Crown currently had available to offer.

A luxury room sounded good for now…as did a nice warm bath after the journey she had undertook in coming here. Drawing her gaze upwards now in order to study the blonde sat behind the front desk, the girl’s visage drew forth a slight frown as she noted the somewhat wary look imprinted there. Did she have the audacity to deem her suspect of something? Or was that simply the way she always looked? Either way, it was time to have a little talk with ‘Alissa’…and not only on the subject of making a reservation, either- there were other things that the nairu-nimalni wished to chat about here, and her stubborn mindset would prevent her from having things anything other than her own way, unless of course she underwent a sudden change of heart.

“So…you’re the person I have to talk to if I want to go about renting a room, right? Or do they just pay you to sit there looking pretty?” The words weren’t meant to be insulting…or maybe they were, just a little. In fact they were spoken rather colloquially, perhaps even curiously. Not that she really noticed, mind- this was simply her usual way of engaging in idle banter, with only a slight dash of added politeness in order to respect Alissa’s authority as a…well, whatever she was.

[Aesha]

Alissa had noted Ariella as soon as she had entered the room. The woman usually studied all newcomers carefully in any case, but Ariella's uncommon mixing of Nairu and Nimalni blood was somewhat intriguing. She pondered over whether it was a good or bad omen to have such a mix enter the tavern, and hadn't quite made up her mind about it when Ariella approached her desk, presumably looking for a room.

Since Alissa had been musing on her own thoughts she appeared a little flustered when Ariella approached, then blinked at the comment she issued, not sure whether to take it as an insult, a compliment, or a jest. After a split-second pondering over it she decided it must be the last, and even if it wasn't she had been told to be polite to customers so many times it was now more or less part of her nature. She gave Ariella a smile.

"Well, it would be nice but unfortunately they expect me to do some work too! So you need a room? We have a variety of them ranging in size and price. They are listed on the board behind me but I can give you more details on the various things on the list if you like."

Alissa smiled again, this time one that obviously looked rote and routine, as if she had been told to always accompany her words with a smile. She, in fact, mostly likely had been. Even when she had been speaking the Vagaran woman had been musing over the omen issue and she had finally decided that it probably marked good fortune to have the half-elf under the roof of the Crown.

[Ariella Safri]

The half elf found herself chuckling in response to Alissa's words- a gesture that had come unexpected, and subsequently left her lips as something of a strangled guffaw. Not much help for upholding an air of dignity and grace, but then Ariella had never really cared for such lofty things anyway. She came 'as is,' and if people did not like it then that was entirely their problem, not hers. As it was, however, the girl found herself taking an almost instant liking to the vagaran here- at the very least she had not yet taken any offence to her words.

"Heh...that right? I guess you get to meet a lot of interesting people here though, don't you?" A lot of people, at the very least, but then out of a throng of individuals this size there had to be a hefty number who could rightfully be given the title of 'interesting.'

"What goes into a luxury room then? Is it worth the price?" She had already looked over the price list before, but she did not recall it giving any detailed descriptions as to what went into each room. For fifteen crowns she wanted to know that she was getting her money's worth...a bed, a wardrobe, a washbasin, a pretty view of the city proper...that sort of thing.

As an added afterthought to what had already been said, Ariella then made to ask another, additional question. Curious sorts were common enough in the entirety of the great Allerian Empire, but what separated this half elf from the majority of others was her lack of restraint when it came to following up on such mysterious things. She was not afraid to speak what was on her mind, to pry and poke her nose in on where it surely did not belong. "How much do you get paid for doing this, anyway?" was therefore a question spoken in an incredibly casual nature, accompanied by an intrerested smile and a somewhat wistful look as she then made to expect her answer.

[Aesha]

"Interesting yes, definitely. Sometimes I don't know whether that's good or bad! There's certainly some... characters around."

A smile touched her lips, Alissa was obviously remembering some quirky person she had dealt with in the past. But it only lasted for an instant and she went back to her conversation with Ariella.

"Oh, well, the luxury rooms are much nicer. The standard rooms only have the basic things you need... bed, very washstand, hooks for clothes. A luxury room has a wider, softer bed, and a wardrobe or chest for clothes. We usually make a point of having more homely things in there too, like some fresh flowers or ornaments... they're also slightly bigger. They mostly have the better views too, though of course the most superior are saved for the four suites."

Alissa didn't look particularly taken aback by Ariella's question, and she was a friendly, open sort of person so she didn't shy away from such questions. It was a good way to make small talk, and continues the conversation. The Vagaran woman had always been told to converse with the customers and make them feel at home, in any case. She gave a small shrug.

"Well, you've probably seen that times of changed in Prime lately. I never used to live here, of course. I've only been here myself a few cycles, since the barrier was lifted. So I think everyone's still trying to sort their lifes back out. Since the city had been inaccessible for so long no trade was happening so wages are down a bit lately. But its still better than some other places in the Empire."

True, Alissa hadn't actually answered the question directly, but had used it to open up more topics to talk about. She gave Ariella another smile and wondered if the half-elf would choose a luxury room or not.

[Ariella Safri]

Ariella noted the smile which apparently came with the remembrance of some random fool or vagrant to happen upon her in the past, but made no attempt to pursue it. There were other things that she was much more interested in for now, one of which was claiming a decent room before the brightening wore out.

“I’ll take the luxury room in that case, then. Can’t say I’m much for ornaments and the like, but a pretty view would be quite pleasant.” The other things that Alissa had mentioned sounded good as well. The extra space, for one, would be appreciated, as would the softer bed and more numerous containers. Not that she had many belongings to fill them with for the time being, but then that was all likely to change once she had worked her way over to finding the city’s mercantile district.

As for the response to her question concerning pay…the fact that Alissa did not happen to answer it directly at all was enough cause for Ariella to become somewhat aggrieved. It had been a simple query, after all, and she had been expecting a simple answer in exchange, not this lengthy plethora of words that left nought in their wake but more questions and more causes to continue their conversation further. Not that she really minded the latter so much, mind- it was nice to have a pleasant discussion such as this with a person who was obviously calm enough to receive her in a cordial sort of light. Her retort, therefore, could easily be surmised as a convivial one in turn, the smile adorning her face wry in nature, lifted more at one corner than it was at the other.

“Oh, really? Don’t suppose you know of any good job openings about the city then? Easy ones?” She chuckled at that- what job was ever easy, after all? Out of the well-paid ones, anyway, and she would not be able to stand for a job which was not at least relatively well-paid. “Must be quite a lot of interesting things happening then since that magicky barrier thing got lifted, anyway…anything you can recommend to someone new to the city herself? I’ve never been in these parts before, you see.” That much was painfully true, and Alleria Prime was a far cry from her home city of distant Arakmat. Much less sand, for one, and wasn’t that a blessing.

[Aesha]

Alissa nodded when Ariella confirmed her liking for a luxury room and opened a ledger to see which rooms were available. She scanned down the list, her eyes on the book but her ears on the customer.

"Jobs... oh, I'm sure they need plenty of people in the Mercantile District. People always seem to come and go so fast. Every time I need to go into a shop I swear there's a different face on the counter. It depends what you are interested in. There's a forge, stables, leatherworks, all kinds of things. I'm sure that at least someone needs a worker at the moment." She nodded at the reference to the barrier. "Yes, in fact to celebrate the lifting of the barrier and the crowning of the new Empress a Faire is being held in the Imperial Arena though the first two cycles of Ioannes. I heard there's going to be traders from all over the Empire there. If I can get some time off I'll definitely be attending. You should take a look, I bet there will be all kinds of oppertunities and things to do."

Finished with the ledger, and aware that she was probably rambling a bit, Alissa looked back up at Ariella with a smile.

"So, how long did you plan on staying with us?"

[Ariella Safri]

“Mercantile district? Alright then, I’ll make a point of popping down there later on.” The half elf had intended to do so anyway, but the prospect of landing a job in addition to some selected ‘groceries’ was simply further cause to do it. The Faire also sounded like something worth seeing…perhaps if the fates were kind enough to keep her here until the next month she would make a note to check it out herself. If anything it would provide her with an adequate distraction from…well…from something being worth distracted from- not that she knew precisely what that was just yet, but then that did not really matter, either.

Aware that her thoughts were becoming entangled in such a way that could spell out trouble later on, the girl then shook her dark head with a frown, before proceeding to answer Alissa’s query concerning the duration of her stay.

“You can put me down for a cycle, missus. For the time being, at least. I can always have my stay extended if I want it anyway, right?” After having received an answer, the girl would then make to speak again, her tone musing and contemplative as though an errant thought had just struck her mind, pleading to be heard. “Oh, and I want a bath poured, too. You can arrange that, can’t you?”

That said, and the nairu-nimalni was reaching into her purse, withdrawing what she thought to be the right amount of coin before waiting for Alissa to speak once again. She did not wish to end up paying any more or any less than was needed without knowing it, after all. Or on second thoughts, perhaps that was not so true…paying less than was necessary would not have been an unwelcome thing, after all, but then she doubted the vagaran woman would make any kind of slip up there.

[biffo]

I need help from a person such as yourself i don't know this game, this system. so if you could enlighten me, with a few pointers to start me off in the directions. i guess i dont have a lot to offer being a rocky, But i do have a firm business and a passion for the abnormal. i could be powerful asset in times to come. tihnk on my words and send a reply as soon as possable

[Aesha]

Ariella

Alissa nodded at the mention of Ariella staying a cycle, and noted something down in the ledger.

"Yes, extending your stay won't be a problem should you need to. I'll get someone to bring up a tub and water to your room when you require it. If you want it as soon as your retire I'll get someone to take it up now. Oh, I need your name for the booking list, please." The price will be... 151 crowns."

While the receptionist waited for Ariella's name and money she busied herself buy rummaging under the counter and producing a small linen money bag. She placed it on the desk, and then, momentarily turning her back on the customer, observed the key boxes on the back wall. She opened one, counted along a row for a moment, then plucked it from its cage.

She turned back around and placed it on the counter. It consisted of a simple iron key, with a piece of wood attached to it by a small length of thin rope. The number 102 had been experting burnt into the thin slice of wood.

"That's your room key. To get to Room 112, just go up the main stairs, continue down the corridor and slightly around the bend that you'll get to. It's just on the left past there."

Biffo

OOC: Please see my PM

[Ariella Safri]

The half elf rose to stand on her tippy-toes in order to try and glean a glance at what it was that the lady was writing down in her intriguing little book. The action was but short-lived, however, as the girl rapidly decided that it really was not anything of interest after all, and that there were much more exciting things to be had, such as…well, anything. Especially if that ‘anything’ had everything to do with those fine alcoholic beverages that this tavern doubtless served. Time for that later, though, and time enough for engaging in further bouts of conversation and socialising with those other individuals present here. It would be an interesting cycle, she was sure, what with all these drunkards and their tales to tell…an incredibly interesting one indeed.

“Oh? Righty…I’m Ariella, Ariella Safri.” It was not a very elven name, certainly, but then she had acquired it from her Arakmatan heritage, her nairu blood. Blood that even now boiled with the excitement of seeing the remainder of this city, getting better acquainted with its citizens, and most importantly of all getting acquainted with that nice warm bath. If anything it would help to remove that infuriating spot of dirt from beneath her neck.

Removing the required amount of coin from her purse and placing the assorted pieces firmly upon the surface of the desk in front, the girl then became distracted by the sight of the small linen money bag. Just what was she supposed to do with this? Put the cost for her room and board inside…?

Curious, the half elf picked the thing up, poked around inside it with one finger, inspected it quite thoroughly until the receptionist returned, handing her her key. Nodding with a smile as she heeded Alissa’s words, the woman then placed the money bag back down onto the counter, still unsure of quite what to do with it.

“Thanks for all your help, miss Alissa. I’d like to have my bath as soon as possible, if you please- I really need one right now.” She grinned, tossing the key in the air before catching it, and then making to depart if there was nothing else, off in search of her new luxury room…

[Aesha]

Alissa nodded, opened the book again, and proceeded to write Ariella's name down next to a particular entry. The half-elf was quite right about it not being anything of particular interest; it was merely a list of names and room numbers and who was staying for how many nights. Once finished, Alissa placed the leather-bound book where it belonged and counted the money that Ariella had placed in front of her in order to determine that it was the right amount. She smiled when Ariella picked up the small linen money bag.

"Oh, don't worry about that, I just need that to store your money in."

Once Ariella had finished examining it, she scooped up the coins and deposited them in the pouch, then locked the pouch away in a safety deposity box that she had hidden somewhere under the counter.

"Well, that's everything. I'll have someone send up the bath things as soon as you're settled in. Have a good stay!

She gave Ariella another smile, thinking she was one of the more interesting customers she had dealt with lately. She then turned and began dealing with a middle-aged man who had been patiently waiting his turn, and was now glad to finally get it.

OOC: If you want to post up a room thread feel free to do so, just post [Room] in the title so everyone knows what it is!

[Kas Brightdelve]

Timestamp - 1st Optia, Summer, Era III of the Celestial Mandate, Era XII (pf)

It had been a long time since the traveller visited the city that he started out in. To be honest, it had been a long time since anyone had seen him at all. His grasp of his arcane art was not as complete as it could be, but it was enough to allow him to travel the empire with virtually no time at all. Kas stepped into the Crown Inn and Tavern, glancing around the room with his emerald green eyes. Rumours had reached his ears that the place had been rebuilt, and they were right. He was more than slightly impressed with the work that had taken place within the building, giving a soft nod of satisfaction and a smile coming to his Human face. The crown seemed like the best place to stay while he considered securing himself a more permenant home. The Sorcerer wanted somewhere to call his home, and Alleria Prime seemed to be the best place in his mind.

With the thought rattling through his head, booted footfalls took him to the desk where he could place a reservation. His metal-capped Quarterstaff tapped the ground as he walked, and the man noted that the "no weapons" rule had been lifted. He could recall when that was first enforced, and he remembered being slightly opposed to it. Of course, he did have his reasons. As a mage, he could've caused as much damage as anyone else with a weapon, so it seemed a little daft to him that weapons had to be left behind, while mage's were still a threat. Nowadays, he wasn't as powerful as he used to be, simply because he hadn't bothered to learn about the new ways of magic. But, his old techniques served him well enough for the moment. Reducation would come later, once he was more settled.

A friendly smile was given to the woman behind the counter, and Kas offered her a slight bow in greeting. "Serale to you. I would like to book a room in your establishment. Please give me a moment as i've just spotted your price list.". His emerald gaze moved to the wooden board behind the woman, and a free hand ran through his short-ish brown hair as he thought about what type of room to get. After a few moments, he gave a slight nod and turned back to the woman who's name plate identified her as Alissa. "I think I would like to take The Crown Suite if it is still available... for a period of one month. That should give me time to secure a home in the city. However, i'm afraid I only carry bank notes with me as coins will be far too heavy. Will that be a problem? Or can you accept those instead of coin?" The Human man smiled politely and waited for her to answer his query.

[Arrack Mayx]

The Third Day of the Month of Ioannes in the Season of Summer, of Era III of the Celestine Mandate (Current Pattern) Era XII Post Fractum, the First Era of the Reign of Empress Arabella the Just Paradigm Shift: The Kattarian Ambassadors are spotted sailing towards Prime

Arrack had followed his nose to find the Crown Inn and Tavern; some said he could detect the whiff of alcohol from a mile away. True or not, Arrack walked, stumbled, into the building still humming an old drinking song. He looked around and his sining trailed off. This feels like home. More crowded. But every bar feels the same in some small way. The dancing, the laughter, the smell of beer and food were all familiar to Arrack. He had spent more of his life inside a tavern than out; it was where he was most comfortable.

He rubbed his bloodshot eyes and blinked while they adjusted to the dimmer light. It was only mid-afternoon, but Arrack was already a little wasted and wanted to turn that "little" into "very." Once he finished focusing, as focused as he could be that is, the surly young man turned his attention to the woman behind the counter. She's pretty, I think. If I could see straight... He stepped up to the counter and bent down, resting his elbows on it. After shooting the girl an inebriated grin, he spoke, "Good mornin'..." Arrack stopped mid-sentence and corrected himself, "Ah' mean good afta'noon, Sweethart. Ah need ah' drink. If ya dinnae mind."

[Aesha]

Kas

Alissa looked up as Kas approached the desk, and smiled at him in a friendly, though rather dutiful way. Her ears quite obviously pricked up when she heard the newcomer wanted to rent the crown suite for an entire month. That, of course, would bring in a nice amount of money for the tavern, not that it was short on coins in the first place. She nodded at the request almost immediately, knowing that the suite was not currently occupied.

"Yes, of course..." She paused, took another look at Kas, and figured that anyone who could afford to hire the most expensive suite for an entire month was most likely nobility, ...my lord."

She took out the registrar of rooms, a slim, leather bound volume that sat on the desk, and paged through it, then picked up her quill and marked a couple of things in the ledger.

"That will be 3,750 crowns, please. And I'll need your name for the register. It there anything else you need? Stabling, perhaps? Bank notes are fine."

She noted that no entourouge accompanied the man, and added, "We can supply a servant if required. For an extra fee, of course."

Arrack

Alissa noted Arrack right from when he first entered the crown, mostly because of the stumbling. She regarded him with an amused air, though she could tell that the current guards on duty were regarding him with a wary readiness, in case he was going to make trouble. Alissa flicked a piece of blonde hair out of her eyes and followed his progress to the room. She was a little surprised when he approached the front desk, because everything about his person indicating he would be after a drink.

The situation was still amusing her however, and instead of reproving Arrack she spoke to him with a lighthearted air.

"Well, good afternoon to you, sir. A little tipsy are we, perhaps?" She pointed towards the entrance to the tavern, which, despite being fairly huge and obvious, could probably be missed by someone who was somewhat inebriated. "The tavern is over there. I can only help you if you need to rent a room. Of course, that's something I'm very disappointed about."

She said her last sentence in a mock grave tone, but suspected Arrack was too far gone to pick up on the subtleties of conversation.