Old Bargewright

The Old Bargewright, formerly known as the Bargewright Inn, was an inn in the settlement of the same name, Bargewright Inn, in the Savage Frontier in the 14 and 15 centuries DR. It was originally owned and run by Feston Bargewright and his descendants, before becoming a base of the Zhentarim in the 1490s DR.
==Location==
It stood in the eastern upper part of the settlement, on the eastern end of the road known as the Rise, neighboring Ruldarr's Pipes, Locks, Tobacco, and Fine Furniture and Rintharr's house. Prior to the growth of the settlement around it, it had stood alone atop a natural hill on the west bank of the River Dessarin at the crossroads of trails leading to Red Larch in the north (the Cairn Road), Amphail in the west, and over the river at the Ironford Bridge in the east to the nearby village of Womford that it overlooked and the beginning of the Iron Road.
==Structure==
Circa 1365 DR, the building was sturdy and unremarkable and constructed largely of wood. It was rather like a fortification with its two lookout towers: the North Tower was taller and slender, while the South Tower was wider but leaning, and both gave grand views over the grasslands of the Dessarin Valley. Each winter through the 1360s DR, Feston rebuilt the wooden parts in stonework, so it appeared ever more like a small castle. Between the two towers in front of the inn was a courtyard, wherein stood a well that ran deep.
By the 1490s DR, the inn and towers had been wholly rebuilt in stone, becoming a much larger structure with thick walls. 
==Interior==
Inside, the inn was adorned with fine wood paneling. Rooms were ordinary, furnished with bed, table, chair, window, and small fireplace.
By the 1490s DR, it was riddled with secret passages and private chambers, entered via sealed-off passages from nearby rooms. The two towers were not just used for defense: the southern tower held meeting rooms, while the northern had a strongroom at its base, used to store the Zhentarim's pay, riches, loot, and other items of importance.
At that time, there was a taproom that served as a tavern. Near the taproom, the innkeeper had an office, which housed keys to the inn's important rooms and the settlement's gates.
The Harpers made the Bargewright Inn a secret base at some point, placing a portal in a cave beneath the inn by the late 1400s DR. Appearing as a shimmering green pool, it linked to portals in Everlund, a root cellar in Noanar's Hold, and elsewhere. The later Feston Bargewright aided those Harper agents who made use of it; he could be contacted through an exchange of passphrases relating coded information and flashing a Harper symbol, and would grant the key to the room with a secret passage in its fireplace, wherein a ladder led down to the portal. In the cave, a portalkeeper operated and guarded it. In the 1480s DR, this was an old witch woman (secretly a tiefling of night hag descent with potential Abyssal connections).
===Atmosphere===
Naturally, the Bargewright Inn was the heart of the community for the people of the namesake settlement.
==Defenses==
In addition to the two lookout towers, peace in the inn in the 1360s DR was maintained by four guards, all strong warriors. Furthermore, Aldon Bargewright, the stablemaster and Feston's brother, also led the local militia.
==Services==
Service here was fast, efficient, and straightforward, lacking embellishments but not without its charms in Volo's eyes.
For rooms, one could have a private room (bath included) at 1 gp per person, a double room at 5 sp per person, or a wardroom with six to eighteen bunks at 2 sp person, all per night. For 1 gp more, one could hire a chambermaid to assist with the bath, provide a back rub or foot rub on request, and even relate a short bedtime story or legend of the area.
As for food and drink, a talltankard of weak ale and a platter of biscuits and very salty pickles were included in the room price. The huge pewter talltankards were twice the volume of a regular tankard. For main meals, there was only roasted beef or pork with lots of parsnips, potatoes, radishes, and turnips; a tray with a fine selection of cheeses; and a vegetable and root sauce soup available in winter; these were plain yet hearty dishes. This meal was served any time from highsun to midnight for 5 cp per person, not including drinks.
Such drinks included a variety of beers for 1 cp per tankard and a dry clear wine for 4 cp per tallglass, as well as sherry and Mintarn green wine both for 7 cp per tallglass or 1 sp per bottle (Volo presumed Feston stocked green wine because he had acquired a taste for it). In the late 1400s DR, the inn sold its own wine, also known as "Old Bargewright", in black bottles.
==History==
Once, this was but a simple wayside inn standing alone atop a hill beside the ford. However, after numerous attacks from bandits and brigands, Feston Bargewright, the innkeeper, elected to fortify the hill. This feat was accomplished with the help of several Waterdhavian merchants whom Feston had encouraged to join him to share the costs. Being weary of the politics and fees of the city's guilds, they came and established other businesses servicing the travelers and caravans passing through, giving rising to the community of the same name, which was well-established by 1358 DR.
Brin and Havilar visited the inn on Ches 21, the . They went to the inn and negotiated with the later Feston Bargewright to use the Harper portal to reach Noanar's Hold.
A few years later, the inn, the settlement, and many of its businesspeople fell under Zhentarim influence, but the Black Network kept their presence covert so as to escape attention.This is "a few years ago" from 1491 DR in Princes of the Apocalypse, presumed to be 1489 DR or earlier. Since The Adversary has it acting as a Harper base, the Zhentarim takeover is likely between 1486 and 1489 DR, but it is not impossible, and indeed likely, for the Harpers to operate under the Zhents' noses.
In the , the ranger Melisande Calador visited the settlement and stayed at the Old Bargewright, as did the famed minstrel Harrowind of the Windwyrds. That year, the supply barge from Yartar was delayed and Nalaskur went to Waterdeep to acquire more supplies and speak with his superiors in the Zhentarim, leaving control of the Old Bargewright in the hands of trusted others. This triggered a struggle for power amongst the Zhent leadership, instigated by the Zhent spy Inglor Brathren, involving thefts of Senior Sword Chalaska Muruin's keys and gold from the Zhents' strongroom and false accusations. A tavern server, Grendo, and a guest, Kendrin Feldarr, were caught up in this, and an accidental release of exotic spiders. Nalaskur returned to find the settlement in conflict.
==Inhabitants==
In the mid-to-late 1300s DR, the Bargewright Inn was owned and run by Feston Bargewright, founder of the community.
The following century, in the 1480s DR, a descendent and namesake, Feston Bargewright, remained as innkeeper. However, with the majority of local business owners having financial dealings with the Zhents, by 1491 DR, the Zhentarim had effectively taken over the settlement. and the Old Bargewright's innkeeper was now one Nalaskur Thaelond. The Zhentarim used its many private chambers to meet with their agents, spies, and mercenaries, usually to arrange illicit deals in contraband, poisons, and some kinds of magic in nearby Waterdeep. A permanent resident of the inn at the time was Arik Stillmarsh, who lived as a recluse in a corner room of the top floor and the attic above, reached via a secret door in the ceiling of a closet.
==Appendix==
===Notes===
===Appearances===
===References===
Category:Inns
Category:Buildings
Category:Locations in Bargewright Inn
Category:Locations on the Iron Road
Category:Locations on Dessarin Road
Category:Locations in the Dessarin Valley
Category:Locations in the Savage Frontier
Category:Locations in Northwest Faerûn
Category:Locations in Faerûn
Category:Locations on Toril
Category:Locations
Category:Year of Metropolises