Troll's Head Inn

The Troll's Head Inn is a high-quality hostelry and fortified outpost located on the drover's way between Riggin Dale and the city of Dacidade within the Kingdom of Cottalem. It is owned and operated by Eskil and Arinhildr, two retired Heroes from the Silent Service faction. Beyond its function as a transit hub for discerning travellers, the inn serves as a clandestine operations centre for those opposed to the Godbloods and the ambitions of the renegade Rojden.

The inn is easily distinguished by its namesake: the severed head of a troll mounted upon a pole as long as a spear and thicker than a man’s wrist, situated on the near side of the bridge leading to the hamlet. The main building is a large, three-storey structure with a steep roof, constructed in a style reminiscent of the northern halls of Skyss but featuring multiple stone chimney breasts. The interior is a complex maze of dark wood-panelled corridors and linked rooms.

The wider complex includes:

• A well-equipped forge and stone-flagged anvil area.
• Four terraced cottages for staff and long-term guests.
• Two open-sided wood stores and extensive stabling, which is significantly larger than the inn itself.
• A perimeter defined by a wire fence with waist-high posts and four strands of wire. This forms a contiguous boundary, with the wire running under the bridges over the stream at the entrances, which enables Eskil's wards to work effectively.
• A row of privies located at the downstream end of the encircling stream.

A notable luxury of the establishment is its advanced bath house, situated adjacent to the forge. Using a system of water wheels and pipes wrapped around the forge’s chimney, the facility provides a constant flow of hot water into an azure-tiled pool set into the floor. The hot pool is stepped for comfort and features roof shutters that can be opened to view the sky. A second, cooler pool is fed directly from the stream through wire filters to exclude flotsam.

The inn is one of the most secure locations in the southern continent. Eskil, an adept in the mysteries of Jorunn, maintains a permanent ritual ward that makes the site impossible to scry for all but the most powerful practitioners.

Furthermore, the establishment is equipped with specialised arcane detectors crafted by Eskil. These “geas detectors” are mounted above all doors and along the perimeter; they are attuned to rattle or vibrate in the presence of anyone under a magical compulsion, bearing enchanted items, or possessing significant divine blood. This ensures that the proprietors are immediately aware of any potential agents or hostile Heroes entering the area. These also act as a deterrent for the wrong sort of people, making them feel uneasy about the Inn.

The Troll's Head operates as a safe haven for members of the Covenanters and the Silent Service. Entry is not predicated upon wealth but upon the guest's political alignment regarding the Great Schism. The owners maintain an active vendetta against the Godbloods and provide intelligence to the Board of Trade when it aligns with their mission to neutralise Rojden’s influence.

In late 774 AM, the inn provided critical sanctuary to Yngvild the Fierce and Noren during their flight to the coast. It was here they ditched their overland cart to make a final dash for the sea fort at Ocaso.

• Eskil: Co-owner, master of enchantments and Jorunnist ritualist.
• Arinhildr: Co-owner, a formidable warrior and descendant of Meniaxter and Aeolf.
• Alfinna: A daughter of Alfarinn and former apprentice to Eskil.
• Yngvild the Fierce: Hero who sought sanctuary at the inn.

• Riggin Dale: The agricultural region to the north-east.
• Dacidade: The capital and terminus of the Great West Road.
• Ocaso: The coastal extraction point for which the inn is a staging post.
• Campedra: The nearest major settlement.

• Silent Service: The faction to which the owners belong.
• Godbloods: The faction hunted by the inn’s staff.
• Geas: Compulsions that the inn is specifically designed to detect.
• Great Schism: The historical conflict that defines the inn's patronage policy.
• Great West Road: The continental trade artery serviced by the drover's way.