Stout Barrel was a Hellsguard with a dream.
Fathered by one of his tribe's greatest warriors, this broad-chested man was expected to take up a similar mantle. However, Nymeia spins bizarre threads of fate indeed, and Stout's was wrapped around a bar stool rather than the shaft of an axe. From a young age, it was quickly made clear that he didn't revel in the battle so much as the retelling of it afterward - oft done over a frosty mug of some alcoholic beverage. He desired to run and maintain such a boisterous and friendly space, letting the war-torn unwind and regale over food and drink.
And so, when he left his tribe to find a place for himself - as Hellguard often did - his wanderings took him from one tavern to the next. First as a mere bus boy or muscle, then as a server, and finally earning his position behind the bar crafting the delectables that would nourish his clientele. But even that wasn't enough for Stout, for his aspirations lay still higher than that - he sought to own a place of his own. Not just that, but one that anyone could visit at anytime to partake in stories and spirits.
And therein lied the problem: location. Where could Stout set his tavern that would ensure that the most people could come enjoy the atmosphere he sought to create, where the most stories could be spun amongst friend and food? The busy and bustling Ul'dah? The raucous and rowdy Limsa Lominsa? Perhaps somewhere out on the frontier where storied men and women oft traveled?
Each had their draws, yet each also had their drawbacks. And not a one seemed to wholly encapsulate the dream that burned deep within him. And so he continued his travels, visiting each tavern and bar across Eorzea. Gaining more skill and knowledge as he searched for that one spark that would inspire him and set his burning desire ablaze.
And then he found it, while part-timing at the Airship Lounge in Ul'dah. He overheard a pair of merchants talking about retiring their old airship and picking up a newer model, now that airship travel was becoming far more prevalent and - with it - a decrease in ship prices. And the final piece fell into place for old Stout, bringing the image of his vision into sharp clarity. His tavern - his magnum opus - was to be Hydaelyn's first airborne tavern.
He had to scrape and save and work many different shifts at different dives to save up the gil, oftentimes running on a couple bells of sleep between them. All the while, he spoke wistfully of his dream to all who would ask why he worked himself so hard. Some were sympathetic, some intrigued, and a few others were dismissive and abrasive. One such patron even went so far as to state that he'd believe such a thing would work "when pigs fly."
But at the end of it all - after all the long days and sleepless nights - Stout finally acquired his ship. An old cargo vessel that had been set for decommissioning - slow, clunky, but with space enough for his tavern and all that would go with it. Its outdated ceruleum tanks and engine meant it couldn't travel vast distances very efficiently either, but Stout planned to make stops enough that it was a non-issue. In his eyes, this old bird was perfect - ready to be born again into its new form. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes.
And, as word spread that the Hellsguard was to finally launch his flying establishment, a few eager folk stepped forward to help man it. Some were those he had worked with before, others merely those who had heard of his dream as he poured them a drink. Yet others were those who had only now heard of the Hellsguard and his outlandish dream, but came nonetheless. Stout's ambitions - and his passion - had touched their souls, igniting a similar spark deep within them as well.
And so, in front of an intrigued crowd at the very airship lounge where his dream finally came into focus, the Winged Boar Tavern launched for the very first time. Its maiden voyage marked by the breaking of a fine bottle of wine that Stout had held onto ever since that fateful day he overheard those two merchants, with a second uncorked to celebrate with all who would join them aboard. And as the swine-shaped figurehead pierced through the clouds and heralded their coming, the Hellsguard could only smile.
When pigs fly indeed.
~*~
OOC Stuff:
It's been a long while since we've had a good ol' tavern RP thread here on the RPC... and the idea of a flying tavern has been stuck in my mind ever since I had the goofy idea to try and "flesh out" the sadly underutilized IC Tavern RPC chat room. So here it is, a place where anyone - regardless of where they are in Eorzea (and what server their characters might actually be on) can interact!
The only staff member I really figured out was Stout himself, so the rest of the crew is basically free for you guys to shape and play with as you will. Maybe if this catches on and gets enough use, some staff my coalesce into consistent NPCs that can get added into the crew "roster." We'll just have to see how it goes.
To start, I'll give a rough summary of Stout himself - a sort of NPC blurb like you'd find in a PnP campaign book:
Fathered by one of his tribe's greatest warriors, this broad-chested man was expected to take up a similar mantle. However, Nymeia spins bizarre threads of fate indeed, and Stout's was wrapped around a bar stool rather than the shaft of an axe. From a young age, it was quickly made clear that he didn't revel in the battle so much as the retelling of it afterward - oft done over a frosty mug of some alcoholic beverage. He desired to run and maintain such a boisterous and friendly space, letting the war-torn unwind and regale over food and drink.
And so, when he left his tribe to find a place for himself - as Hellguard often did - his wanderings took him from one tavern to the next. First as a mere bus boy or muscle, then as a server, and finally earning his position behind the bar crafting the delectables that would nourish his clientele. But even that wasn't enough for Stout, for his aspirations lay still higher than that - he sought to own a place of his own. Not just that, but one that anyone could visit at anytime to partake in stories and spirits.
And therein lied the problem: location. Where could Stout set his tavern that would ensure that the most people could come enjoy the atmosphere he sought to create, where the most stories could be spun amongst friend and food? The busy and bustling Ul'dah? The raucous and rowdy Limsa Lominsa? Perhaps somewhere out on the frontier where storied men and women oft traveled?
Each had their draws, yet each also had their drawbacks. And not a one seemed to wholly encapsulate the dream that burned deep within him. And so he continued his travels, visiting each tavern and bar across Eorzea. Gaining more skill and knowledge as he searched for that one spark that would inspire him and set his burning desire ablaze.
And then he found it, while part-timing at the Airship Lounge in Ul'dah. He overheard a pair of merchants talking about retiring their old airship and picking up a newer model, now that airship travel was becoming far more prevalent and - with it - a decrease in ship prices. And the final piece fell into place for old Stout, bringing the image of his vision into sharp clarity. His tavern - his magnum opus - was to be Hydaelyn's first airborne tavern.
He had to scrape and save and work many different shifts at different dives to save up the gil, oftentimes running on a couple bells of sleep between them. All the while, he spoke wistfully of his dream to all who would ask why he worked himself so hard. Some were sympathetic, some intrigued, and a few others were dismissive and abrasive. One such patron even went so far as to state that he'd believe such a thing would work "when pigs fly."
But at the end of it all - after all the long days and sleepless nights - Stout finally acquired his ship. An old cargo vessel that had been set for decommissioning - slow, clunky, but with space enough for his tavern and all that would go with it. Its outdated ceruleum tanks and engine meant it couldn't travel vast distances very efficiently either, but Stout planned to make stops enough that it was a non-issue. In his eyes, this old bird was perfect - ready to be born again into its new form. Like a phoenix rising from the ashes.
And, as word spread that the Hellsguard was to finally launch his flying establishment, a few eager folk stepped forward to help man it. Some were those he had worked with before, others merely those who had heard of his dream as he poured them a drink. Yet others were those who had only now heard of the Hellsguard and his outlandish dream, but came nonetheless. Stout's ambitions - and his passion - had touched their souls, igniting a similar spark deep within them as well.
And so, in front of an intrigued crowd at the very airship lounge where his dream finally came into focus, the Winged Boar Tavern launched for the very first time. Its maiden voyage marked by the breaking of a fine bottle of wine that Stout had held onto ever since that fateful day he overheard those two merchants, with a second uncorked to celebrate with all who would join them aboard. And as the swine-shaped figurehead pierced through the clouds and heralded their coming, the Hellsguard could only smile.
When pigs fly indeed.
~*~
OOC Stuff:
It's been a long while since we've had a good ol' tavern RP thread here on the RPC... and the idea of a flying tavern has been stuck in my mind ever since I had the goofy idea to try and "flesh out" the sadly underutilized IC Tavern RPC chat room. So here it is, a place where anyone - regardless of where they are in Eorzea (and what server their characters might actually be on) can interact!
The only staff member I really figured out was Stout himself, so the rest of the crew is basically free for you guys to shape and play with as you will. Maybe if this catches on and gets enough use, some staff my coalesce into consistent NPCs that can get added into the crew "roster." We'll just have to see how it goes.
To start, I'll give a rough summary of Stout himself - a sort of NPC blurb like you'd find in a PnP campaign book:
~
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![[Image: ZUdu55Q.jpg]](https://i.imgur.com/ZUdu55Q.jpg)