The Golden Ivy
The Golden Ivy Tavern[]
The Golden Ivy Tavern is a carefully created classic 28 room Inn and Conference Center across the road from the Talanador Tower in the Old Temple/Southgate District famous for entertaining Duelists for many, many years. It was especially popular during the heyday of the Arena. The second incarnation of this property is majestically situated on the well landscaped area, the original having been destroyed by the Evil Ganderfald Family! The stately Main House offers the spacious guest bedrooms/baths(most with fire places), and a spectacular master suite with private deck and a view of the River that splits the city of Rhydin, usually reserved for special guests or G'nort himself. The antique styled building boasts a large dining room, spacious guest parlor, kitchen, and wrap-around porch. Behind the counter where you would request a room would be the two girls who constantly man the desk, Lina: The no nonsense business type and Tara: The cheerful and happy girl who can make anyone smile.
The Building[]
The building provides for greater privacy with individually accessed rooms plus a two room suite, all with private baths, refrigeration (Provided by Fyrentennimar, the White Dragon who lives in the extremely large freezer in the kitchen) and entertainment, and with balconies to view the beautifully landscaped grounds and river. A sizable game/reading room rounds out the facility. The main lobby is more than just an area for people to meet or get a room. There is a spacious bar stocked with all manners of drinks as well as several tables for those who are looking to dine. Behind that bar is an old fashioned pair of diner doors that lead to the kitchen, which is manned by the Dwarf Gourmet Chef, Gilgrim. Ready to stable your horses or park your vehicles are the two "Valets," Which are fancy ways of saying "Stable Boys." Mick, who is quick with a smile and might offer to arm wrestle you before parking your horse, and Beni, who is useful if a bit of a suck-up. He will tell you what you want to hear in hopes of getting a better tip.
Getting Ready for Dueling []
It had been some since there'd been dueling in the old Golden Ivy, but the tables had been moved in advance for an event in order to reopen the three rings in the main area. Three steps take you to the lowered floor where there is plenty of room to get your duel on. The judges have an easy, full view of all the action from their vantage point of either at the bar, or one of the tables outside the lower area. One thing you have to be careful of is the housekeeper, Old Miss Maude, who will smack anyone in the face with her dirty, wet mop, no matter who it is if you make a mess anywhere on her carefully tended floors. Though she might be a little more forgiving if the mess is some spilled blood from the fights. Alternate fighting locations would be on the Bartop, but you will need to take your shoes off if you're fighting there, and the Balcony that overlooks the main area. We thought about fighting on a chandelier, but that would just be silly.
Directions[]
Travel to the Golden Ivy is relatively easy. If you're coming from the Red Dragon Inn, you turn left and head south over the old paved with stones main road. You stay on that path and cross the bridge over the Rhydin river and turn left, or East, at the first intersection, and travel down the road until you come across the well lit Talanador Tower. Across from that is the Golden Ivy Tavern. It's just a short walk up the garden stone path to the Arch Maple Double Doors with Antique Bronze Rosettes and Door Knockers.