THE WHITE STOAT INN 1

he White Stoat is the best inn in Tormau and its innkeeper,

Jamys of Abrant, makes sure it stays that way by fair means
or foul. His Lia-Kavair connections ensure that few of the
locals would dare to cross Jamys which suits this short bear
of a man perfectly. It might take a stranger to disturb the
peace of this apparently tranquil inn.

HISTORY
The White Stoat was built as a substantial townhouse for a prosperous
mercantyler over 40 years ago. When his business crashed during the
financial panic precipitated by Ezars War it was turned into an inn by his
creditors. He and his family remained tied to the business: cleaning, cooking
and serving at table until the debt was paid. Driven mad by the degradation
he had heaped upon his family the poor man hung himself in the attic
shortly before his debt was to have been wiped clean. His wife, glad to be
rid of the old fool, set up Tormaus first house of ill repute nearer the castle
garrison. Jamys is not a superstitious man and discounts any claims that the
attic is haunted.
Jamys says he won the inn from the former owner in a game of chance
when he first came to Tormau 6 years ago. The less charitable say that he
arrived from Golotha with some leg-breakers and made the owner an offer
he couldnt refuse.

THE BUSINESS
The Poachers Reward, at the north end of Tormaus only street, has
become the natural watering hole of the Earl of Tormaus Ivinian
mercenaries. Most local labouring men find the Poachers a little too
boisterous these days, while mercenary silver has inflated its prices. They
have taken to walking over to the Dorymans Rest where they drink with the
local fishermen. This leaves the White Stoat for the more well-to-do
members of the Tormau community. The Snug Bar is the informal meeting
place of the local guildsmen and Jamys ensures they are well supplied with
free drinks when they hold their monthly meetings there.

Location: Tormau,
Rethem
Owner: Jamys of
Abrant
Size: 6
Quality:




Prices: High

Hugin of Brandas, a journeyman innkeeper, is employed to undertake

the day-to-day management of the inn but Jamys makes much more money
from the semi-covert chapter of the Lia-Kavair he runs from the Stoat. He
has interests across the neighbouring hundreds and the Earl allows him to
operate them because he finds Jamys useful.

SERVICES AND ACCOMODATION

Jamys prefers not to have strangers stay on the premises after dark as he
likes to keep the regular nocturnal comings and goings at the inn private.
Commoner guests are confined, literally, to the Common Room with the
door to the kitchen bolted against them during the night. Much is made of
the security this offers them and explains the charge of a penny per night
per person.
Jamys has been eager to please on the rare occasions that a member of
the nobility has demanded overnight hospitality at the inn rather than at the
Caer. He happily vacates his own room taking his personal and valuable
possessions with him and displaces Hugin and the cook, Merla up into the
attic. He also puts off any nefarious business until after the gentle visitor has
left.
HrnWorld

WRITER
Alun Rees
MAPS
Alun Rees
EDITOR
Neil Thompson
CONTRIBUTORS
Dan Bell
Playtesters at HarnCon 8 &
IviniaCon 2

A Rees, N. Robin Crossby & Columbia Games Inc., 2009

THE WHITE STOAT INN 2

STAFF

FOOD AND DRINK

Jamys employs Merla the Lamb as cook at the Stoat. A slave who was
freed when her master died she specialises in excellent stews and breads.
Her sobriquet the Lamb is an example of Jamys humour as she has a foul
temper and almost as foul a mouth when in her kitchen.
Merla can turn her hand to almost any meal be it animal, fish or fowl and
has rarely let the reputation of the Stoat slip though at 1d for a meal few can
afford her skill. She is also known for the magic she weaves with dough; her
bread cakes sweetened with local wild honey (1f) are a prized part of any
meal served at the inn.
Soon after arriving at the Stoat Merla realised that the innkeepers
associates often returned late and in need of a solid meal. She took to
keeping a pottage simmering through the night and noticed that this
softened cheaper cuts of meat to the delicate and moist succulence of the
best. Turning necessity into advantage she is now known across the Shire
for her rich and filling pottage (2f). She rules Absel the pot-boy with a rod of
iron and it is he who is tasked to stop the pottage burning during the night
by stirring it at regular intervals. Absel doesnt realise it but Merlas harsh
tuition is turning him into an even better cook than she is.
Jamys is no brewer but has identified the local apothecary, Gweyn of
Kesham, as having the talent he lacks. Though not a member of the
Innkeepers Guild Gweyn brews every second day for her own use.
Surprisingly she always seems to brew far more than she needs and is
happy to donate the excess to the White Stoat. In return Jamys finds it
necessary to buy enormous volumes of linctus and decongestants for his
weak chest! The arrangement is, of course, a fiction, but none of the local
innkeepers feels it would be in their interest to bring the matter to the
attention of the Mangai. Even if they did the local guildsmen know better
than the cross the man who offers them such generously hospitality. As well
as a tasty small beer (1f) and a stronger dark ale (2f) Gweyn also produces a
fine mead (3f) from the same local honey Merla uses in the kitchen.

Jamys of Abrant Innkeeper (& Lia-Kavair Master)

STR

14

EYE

11

INT

18

END

10

STA

10

HRG

14

AUR

09

MOV

10

DEX

09

SML

14

WIL

14

Ini

55

AGL

09

VOI

13

MOR

07

Dge

52

Skills
Acting
Climbing
Jewelcraft
Lovecraft
Rhetoric
Speak (Harnic)
Swimming
Combat
Unarmed 79/2b
Strike Locations
Standard

62
52
34
63
92
74
14

Awareness
Cookery
Jumping
Oratory
Script (Lakise)
Stealth
Throwing
Club 85/4b

72
36
44
56
79
53
54

Brewing
Intrigue
Legerdemain
Physician
Singing
Survival

52
99
41
28
39
30

Dagger 70/4p

Armour
Leather Long Sleeved Shirt and Calf Boots
(+2 quality); Cloth Trousers (+2 quality)

A. Rees, N. Robin Crossby & Columbia Games Inc., 2009

Merla the Lamb

There have been several spats between
Merla and Gweyn over Gweyns use of
the bread oven for drying herbs and
Merlas harsh comments about Gweyns
brews. Only Hugin can calm things down
when the two set their tongues at one
another. While Gweyn cannot compete
with the sheer colour of Merlas vocabulary she holds her own through the
careful use of biting sarcasm. Observers
have compared it to man with a maul
fighting another with a longknife.

Hugin of Brandas
Hugin, a very able journeyman, would be
master of his own inn if he wasnt so well
paid by Jamys. Customers passing
through will assume it is this jolly and
approachable man who is the landlord;
assuming Jamys is a well-to-do guildsman.
The temperaments and skills of Hugin
and Merla perfectly complement one
another. Merla realises this but Hugin is
blind to the possibility of a shared future.
She plans to propose a business deal to
Hugin he wont be able to turn down
when she has saved enough but prefers
not to think about Jamys reaction.
Hugin, meanwhile, admires Gweyn and
her skill in brewing. She is blind to his
interest and hides her attraction to Merla
behind a brisk manner and harsh words.

Justi and Donara

These two sisters are orphans of an old
business acquaintance jamys had killed
when he began to speak too freely of
their dealings. It seemed only right to
offer them a roof over their heads and the
chance to earn a living as barmaids.
Jamys is very fond of both of them and
regularly accepts offers of their favours.
Currently Justi shares his bed, but last
month it was Donara. He keeps both girls
well clothed as befits a respectable
establishment with pretensions to class.

Daftar
The second pot-boy has very light
fingers. He picks the pockets of any
customers Jamys tells him to and can
usually replace an item before a guest
realises it has gone missing. Jamys has
the same feeling for Daftar that Merla has
for Absel. They both recognise the
potential the boys have in their chosen
field of expertise. Daftar is now beginning
to learn the art of cat burglary.

HrnWorld

THE WHITE STOAT INN 3

DESCRIPTION OF THE INN
Ground Floor
[1] The White Stoats Common Room is a large and well lit room with
space for 10 customers to sit comfortably. Visitors will rarely, if ever,
see it that busy and will probably wonder how the Stoat stays in
business. During the night Jamys business associates sleep here near
the fire or, if they wish to be more discrete, in the bunks in the attic.
The door to the small Snug Bar that occupies one corner of the
Common Room is always open unless Jamys is in conference.
However it may as well be a locked castle gate as it is Jamyss
professional domain and none enter here without his express invitation.
Whenever he is here there are two well-built young men present. They
spend their time playing dice but are always seated so they can see
what anyone talking to Jamys is doing. Both minders have stout clubs
and knives beneath their jerkins and will intervene if Jamys appears to
be in any physical danger. If necessary the entire inn staff will descend
on anyone threatening Jamys. They all value their places here and
have much to lose if anything happened to him.
[2] The kitchen is Merlas domain and during business hours both Absel
and Daftar, the pot boys, will be coming and going here. At night they
bed down in the cots at the end of the kitchen, though in winter Merla
allows them to drag their bedding in front of the fire. Absel wakes at
intervals through the night to stir the pottage. Daftar will not be here if
he has been sent out to employ his light-fingered talents.
[3] The Brewhouse shed is surprisingly solidly constructed and here, under
a well set flag-stone in the floor, Jamys keeps his ill-gotten gains.
There is also a smaller bag of portable wealth upstairs under his
mattress.

First Floor
[1] Jamys bedroom is much better appointed than might be expected of
an innkeeper. There are several books on the table beside the window
in which glass has recently been fitted. This is a relatively new
innovation in Tormau and something the local guildsmen now aspire
to. As in so many things they take their lead from Jamys. The well
made locked chests beside his bed contain the less valuable or more
bulky items of Jamys wealth. At the end of the corridor beside Jamys
room is the chamber shared by Merla and Hugin. Her half is furthest
from the door and is neat and functional; his half is a chaos of clothes in
need of mending and a clutter of parchment scraps on which he is
collecting brewing recipes for his master piece a book of Rethemi
ale and cider recipes. For a man who keeps a pristine inn the room is a
surprise. It is almost as if he invests such care in his professional life
that he has none left for the private.

The Attic
[1] This attic room is shared by Justi and Donara, though one of them is
usually to be found with Jamys. The bunks at the far end of the attic
serve as discrete quarters for his guildsmen when it is best they arent
seen in the common room.

HrnWorld

REGULAR CLIENTELE
Setarn the Kuboran
The Stoats most exotic customer was
cause of a debate among the local
guildsmen a year or two ago when he
first entered the Stoats common room.
They felt it inappropriate that they should
share their local with a savage. Jamys,
however, was adamant. Setarns money
was as good as theirs and he could drink
there any time he liked. Jamys is an
unlikely student of history and realises
that a Kuboran friend might be very
useful if the tribes ever decided to come
south again.
All the Stoats staff follow their masters
lead and are invariably polite to the
Kuboran. They will eject any commoner
who is not equally civil.
Setarn values the respect he is offered at
the Stoat and does not embarrass Jamys
if a customer of noble birth makes a fuss
about his presence; he merely finishes his
drink and leaves quietly.
Rumours say that the Jamys and Setarn
share business interests. The Kuborans
income is sufficient for him to keep a
house and servants in the style of a
Rethemi gentleman.

Lia Kavair Journeymen

The 4 usually present at the inn are no
more than efficient muscle to protect
Jamys local interests. Across Hohanmshire, though, are all manner of
guildsmen from pick-pockets and
burglars to horse thieves and cheating
gamblers. Markets in all the towns owing
Jamys fealty are alive with apprentices
taking a coin here, a basket of fruit there,
and the product of any guildsman not
sharp eyed enough to spot them coming.
They all owe Jamys allegiance and at
different times they all pass through the
bunks in the White Stoats attic when
they are too hot to stay in their homes.
Hugin, Merla and the other staff know
exactly what goes on at the inn and know
many of the guildsmen as friends.
Equally many a journeyman has
benefited from Merlas food and Hugins
hospitality. Thats not to say these
disreputable characters would go too far
out on a limb for the staff of the Stoat but
enlightened self interest means they
would usually intervene if help was
needed.

A Rees, N. Robin Crossby & Columbia Games Inc., 2009

THE WHITE STOAT INN 4

LIA-KAVAIR BUSINESS
Jamys is the most senior Lia-Kavair guild master in Hohnamshire. He
receives tribute from masters at Zaza and Ithius and directly controls guild
activities in Winen, Dasen and Quiso. Jamys doesnt begrudge this
independence of Ithiko as the town is known to offer poor pickings.
Relations with the other Rethemi masters is cordial and Jamys sends tribute
to the guild in Golotha as do the masters at Ithiko, Techen and Shostim.
The Warriors of Mameka have a very high minded view of the law and
apply it rigorously. When they arrived at Alesen a generation ago they
quickly identified anyone across Emesa Hundred they thought might have
Lia-Kavair connections and publicly executed them. A salted head was then
sent for display in every town across the shire. The gruesome gift arrived
with a note addressed to the local representative of the Lia-Kavair know
your fate if you come to Emesa Hundred.
This dramatic demonstration has kept Jamys and, as far as he is aware,
any other Lia-Kavair master, well away from the fiefs of the Warriors until
recently. However, last Summer, Vavryse Lynnaeus, Constable of Caer
Tormau suggested that Jamys send some associates north. Fortunately a
year or two before Jamys had had to send some employees north when
they killed a visitor from clan Zarainsen of Golotha. He never expected to
see them again having told the Zarainsens hed had them killed. Now he
has re-established communication with the Wonnist brothers and suggested
they let hik know the lie of the land. In this way Earl Denyl has begun to
receive increasingly well-informed news of the Warriors of Mameka and just
how badly they suffered during their ill-fated expedition to Kustan in 718.
Jamys is not entirely convinced that the Earl would be able to protect him if
the Warriors discovered his agents.
This is not the first time that Vavryse Lynnaeus has used Jamys as an
effective cut-out when undertaking less than legal work on behalf of his
brother the Earl. In return Jamys enjoys a deal of latitude in his actions. He
regulates crime in the Earls holdings better then the castle garrison could,
ensures his taxes are always on time; and includes a gift towards the
defence of the town each season. Of course no member of the Earls
household is ever allowed to pay for anything at the Stoat.

PLOT HOOKS
Visitors from the South
The Golothan Lia-Kavair have decided to
send a representative to audit the
innkeepers business and ensure they are
getting an appropriate cut.
Unfortunately Jamys has been a little
economical with the truth in his
description of his activities and his guild
fees have been lower than they should
have been. He needs to make his
business, both above and below board,
look less profitable than it is and asks a
group of neer do wells to cause trouble
during the auditors visit. That will justify
the higher overheads Jamys has claimed
and save him an embarrassing, and
potentially dangerous, admission.
Alternatively the Lia-Kavair are seeking
bodyguards able to protect their auditor
in his journey across the Hohnam Blight
to Tormau.

Visitors from the North

The Warriors of Mameka have begun to
sense that the Earl of Tormau is better
informed of their activities than they
thought. They have sought the aid of
their sponsoring order, the Masters of
Steel who have dispatched one of their
feared inquisitors to Bedenes. There, in
the disguise of a wandering minstrel, the
inquisitor has found a trail that leads him
back to Tormau. He appears at the White
Stoat seeking employment and uses this
as an opportunity to find proof of Jamys
spying in Emesa Hundred. Jamys knows
the Mamekans are on to him but doesnt
know which of the current visitors to
Tormau he should fear.

As criminals go Jamys is an honest crook and abides by the mutually

beneficial arrangement he has established with the castle. He understands
that if he were to take undue advantage of the Earls favour then he could be
swatted out of existence like an unwelcome bluebottle at a feast. This is
why the demands he makes of local tradesmen for protection are seen by all
parties as fair. Equally his squeezing of the beggar population is not so
harsh as to discourage them from talking to him when he needs to hear
what they know.

A Mission for a Friend

Jamys knows that being master of the Lia-Kavair in Tormau is as good a

life as he could have dreamed of when he was growing up in the slums of
Golotha. He would do almost anything to make sure his peace and
prosperity remains undisturbed. His only current worry is that the
impending civil war will disrupt his rural idyll. If things get difficult he has a
fortune biried in the brew house and sufficient portable wealth closer ta
hand for emergencies. With that he would make a dash for the anonymity of
Golotha and seek to live out his life in comfortable retirement.

They may be seeking Kuboran allies for

the Earl; testing the loyalty of those he
already has; or searching for a lost
servant of the Earl.

A. Rees, N. Robin Crossby & Columbia Games Inc., 2009

Alternatively the Warriors recruit

independent investigators to travel to
Tormau and find out who is supplying
the Earl with information but this is
simply a ruse to distract attention from
their own spy.
Vavryse Lynnaeus asks Jamys to recruit
a small group of enterprising individuals
for a trip into the Peran wilderness. The
pay will be attractive and the job is
assuredly straightforward.

HrnWorld

WHITE STOAT INN

GM MAP

Ground Floor

First Floor

(all surfaces stone)

(all surfaces wood)

10

SCALE IN FEET
0

Roof

10

15

20

Attic

(all surfaces wood)

1
8

WHITE STOAT INN

COMMON MAP

Ground Floor

First Floor

(all surfaces stone)

(all surfaces wood)

10

SCALE IN FEET
0

Roof

10

15

20

Attic

(all surfaces wood)