From dar@thekeep.org Sat May 6 14:58:43 2000 Date: Fri, 28 Apr 2000 00:31:39 -0400 From: Dan Root To: mike@thekeep.org Subject: The Hound Beside the shining marble of the harbor, at the base of one of the myriad of stairs leading to the Citadel proper, lies The Hound, the single finest tavern, dining club, and dance hall in all of Avalon or it's infinite reflections. A major pillar of the social scene in the True City, nearly everyone has been a regular at one time or another. It's not uncommon to find Finn, The Hound's proprietor, behind the bar or out on the floor with a beautiful lass on his arm. A slim man with flashing blue eyes, a quick smile, and a shock of red hair, he's the very archtype of the Irish Bartender, always ready with a tall mug of ale and tall tale to lighten the load. The rules are simple: don't kill the other patrons, the first drink is always on the house, and have fun. The rules are firmly but evenly enforced, particularly the first. It's not uncommon to see two lords or ladies eating merely paces apart, knowing the other would cut them down in a moment if they were outside. Finn tolerates no serious fighting in the place, and frowns highly those who attempt to prevent access to The Hound. If you've got a dispute to resolve, there are a dozen places to duel within staggering distance. But there's no quicker way to take a tumble on the Avalon Social Scene than to have Finn tell you not to come back for a month or two. Despite the fact that few feuds are resolved within the walls of The Hound, it's a veritable hotbed of scheming. The tavern is the perfect sort of place to find men in dark cloaks sitting in the shadows, bruisers looking for their next contract, and the sorts of people who will do anything for the right price. The dining hall sees no less intrigue, though on a more grand scale. Financial and business empires have started, merged, and crumbled in the course of a single evening. Skilled players compete for status over the finest desserts in the True City. In general, if you want to know the latest news and going ons in Avalon, grab your cloak and head for The Hound, there's no faster way to find it. The Hound runs all night and all day, every day. No one can remember a time when it wasn't open, in fact. Nor a time when they walked in to an empty bar. The building is quite large, though certainly not on the scale of the Citadel itself. The exterior architecture is moderately plain, belying The Hound's origin as simple tavern. The first floor and basement comprise the majority of the original tavern, a sprawling and cosy environment, filled with walled booths, nooks, and semi-closed off tables. Fine wooden paneling and hand carved furniture dominates, with an amazing amount of knick-knacks of all sorts hanging from the walls, the ceilings, the rafters, and occasionally the patrons. A wide variety of beer, ale and mead is on tap at all times, and a grill serves a range of snacks and light meals. It's not uncommon to find a band, hired, imprompteau, or otherwise, playing something lively, though serious dancing is reserved for above. Over the tavern lies the dance hall, a series of wide open spaces seperated by thick walls to keep the noise in. At any given time three or four different styles of dancing are going on, from traditional folk and line dances, to ornate and stately waltzing, to the sorts of mosh pits and slam dancing that the Princess Darako seems to so love. The third floor is a dinner club, specializing in finest dining from all the Realms. Nearly any dish imaginable can be ordered, executed to perfection by the finest chefs found anywhere. Bottles of the finest and most exclusive wines and spirits are available at request. The waiters are fast and efficient, all but invisible while anticipating every need. Music is often heard here, as well, though more subdued than the other areas, light jazz, violins, or the occasional ballad singer. Don't bother booking a reservation, and bring your Visa card. The staff at the Hound can always fit you in, but they can't take American Express. Visa, it's every... Check that, reverse it, cancel.