Welcome to the Come On Inn!

Prologue

The Come On Inn was a fairly large location by local standards, even at such a sizable and busy port. The décor was largely comprised of naturally dark woods cut in planks and timbers, though there was a smattering of brass to a very limited degree. It was not exactly reminiscent of the ancient seagoing vessels, though it did have a similar “flair” and appeal. As bars go, it was nicer than most, but not as nice as some. The front room had very high ceilings, raising to almost a full ten meters, or roughly thirty feet up. There was an extended mezzanine level on the floor above, wide enough to include a limited number of (very) private rooms with security windows, all along the front of the mezzanine, facing out into the walkways in front. Small and medium sized tables, and strategically located and very tall booths scattered in between these tables lined the edges around the rest of the mezzanine level.

The food was always good though, and the wide and varied selection of ales and porters always cold, the liquor and the Stout … not so much, though in fairness, the Dark Stout was poured through a gold draft spigot as it should be, so as not to alter the flavor any at all. The selections of foods ranged from the fast, convenient “slop” well within the price range of the average spacer, all the way up to exquisite imports from distant and sometimes more challenging locales where trade was not always handled in the traditional fashion. Such fare could be relatively expensive, and thus, it came to pass that all manner of people … relatively speaking at least, would come to know this place with an intimate familiarity.

The two owners, a very large and intimidating looking man by the name of Marcus, and his very petite … though very feisty wife who went by the name of Tandaan, were both serious and at the same time, overly kind and understanding in most cases. The wait staff was large, but always personable. Weapons would be checked at the door, though if anyone were ever to make it to the back side of the bar or in to the kitchen area, they may have been quite shocked by the arsenal housed there … with more weapons even more well hidden in strategic locations throughout the place. Decades of life as a soldier had not prepared Marcus to be complacent or overly trusting in any capacity. It would always be better to be safe rather than sorry, and such behavior had kept him alive many times throughout the years. There was no way he was going to try to change that much now, even with his new “handicap” … though the very idea of being handicapped by the missing leg would have been completely lost on Marcus. He was far too busy focusing on what he could accomplish than to worry about what little he could not.

As you walk in, the bar is against the far wall and to the left side, with the left hand side of the bar stopping a mere two meters from the port-most wall … the left wall. This allowed for a nice quiet corner for those patrons who wished to enjoy a little more solitude, focusing as much on their liquid refreshments as they did on any of the patrons. The bar itself extended to the starboard or right side of the bar, stopping two meters shy of the overly large fireplace, tucked neatly against the back wall. There was always a roaring fire, or so it would seem, but the place was never exceptionally hot, even on the elevated platform situated just in front of the “roaring fire” in the fireplace. A convenient location for the speakers who wished to address the crowded locale and regale the patrons with their own personal tales and adventures.

The walls along the front and to the right, extending as far back as the elevated platform, were filled with what at first seemed to be an almost haphazard, if not eclectic mix of small tables, booths and smaller tables. Looking closer however, there was a pattern, with the smaller tables being somewhat “isolated” between the large booths that again, afforded the occupants a modicum of privacy. The booths themselves were large and offered slightly more privacy, though certainly not as much as the private rooms above. At first glance, it all looked casual enough, but a closer inspection would reveal that privacy appeared to be something of a concern to the owner, even if not an absolutely mandatory feature. For those few that did demand absolute privacy, this could be easily accomplished in one of the private rooms above. For the rest of the people, Marcus merely saw it as a common courtesy to allow the patrons of his establishment to enjoy private discussions without being overly interfered with by passing voices and other distractions.

Marcus took a moment to check his watch, looked to see what his wife was up to, and began a last minute check on the place before he opened the door for the very first time. His stride was long, his steps purposed but not rushed. He fought to contain the remnants of the limp that the loss of his leg had caused, and while it may have been barely noticeable to the casual observer, Marcus felt that allowing such a weakness to show was an invitation, not so much exposing any physical weakness, as inviting pity, sympathy or other condescending responses that he greatly detested.

Marcus ultimately headed back in to the kitchen to make sure that the final preparations were being made in accordance with his requests. He had been tempted to shut off the ventilation systems so that the smell of the many unique and succulent culinary works could be more fully appreciated by the original patrons, though thinking the place may heat up too quickly, he dismissed the idea as being nothing more than a personal vanity and ultimately, pointless anyhow. The fresh air inside would in itself be a refreshing change for the patrons coming in from the busy street running in front of the bar, with its many travelers heading from one ship to another, each in accordance with their own plans and schedules. At long last, feeling that everything was prepared for what would be a most eventful evening. Marcus, with a shout out to his wife, officially opened the front doors of the Come On Inn for business.