Dante's Anima Engine Bar & Grill

The Great Downward have been looking for the Anima Engine for almost a year, without any real idea of what it was. Whether it was one of the iron and copper devices the Orcusites used, or rather just a philisophical concept. Several times they were warned that the Anima Engine was a place, and that place was a pub.
In the depths of Rappan Athuk, the Great Downward found an entrance to the Anima Engine, inside a small marketplace selling exotic and epically dubious goods. The entrance was via a teleportal, and Laniss knew enough to realise that the teleportal was going to move them a great distance accross space and the planes (and probably time itself).
Inside, the bar is an odd shape, about 200ft. wide but perhaps infinitely long. One long wall is the bar itself, staffed by an impressive number of mercanes. Mercanes are large, blue-skinned humanoids who work in the bar both as waiters and merchants. Mercanes are also trusted as bankers, as they're able to store goods safely on the ethereal plane.
On the other wall of the bar are row after row of teleportals, presumably leading all over the multiverse. The portals are keyed to the user however, and no amount of trickery can allow a creature to exit by any portal except by the one by which the came in.
The middle of the room is filled with row after row of tables and booths (as well as chairs along the bar). Mercanes take one's order, and reappear quickly with your food. No gold is charged for food or drinks, as the Anima Engine spontaneously generates food (in the same way the plane of ooze constantly generates slimes, oozes and ectoplasm). The real purpose of the bar (and the Mercanes) is to facilitate the trade of goods of all nature. Among the tables dragons bargain with shaitans over precious gems while nearby a cloaked figure inspects the quality of a bolt of fabric before tossing a handful of tetrahedral coins at a pair of well-dressed driders. The mercanes help facilitate the transactions by translating between languages (or currencies) and offering a neutral appraisement of any goods. The mercanes take a cut of all proceedings (and are tipped well), and the money is passed behind the bar and out of sight.
There are some limits, however. Faceless Valkyr fly overhead. Unlike the chaotic-neutral valkyries, these creatures do not look for worthy warriors to carry to the outer planes. Instead these creatures keep an eye out for trouble, and any creature even threatening violence or theft is only moments away from being pinned in place and quickly destroyed. Even powerful creatures do not press their luck; the valkyrs control aspects of this plane, including their target's access to gravity, magic and air.
In addition, some goods cannot be traded at all. There is a blanket ban on "seditious" goods; that is things whose only purpose is to do great harm to somethin gon the outer planes. This is as much to prevent moral problems for the outsiders present; it is difficult to trade when at the very next table an angel is buying leftwise scrolls from a keketar.
The bar is filled with noise, but apart from the odd laugh or shout, people tend to keep their voices down. The Mercane ply everyone with food and beer, to keep the gold flowing. The food is rich and varied, as the Engine caters to varied needs of its manifold patrons. Ribs are the house special, as there exist few creatures in the multiverse who cannot metabolise smoked meat. "Meat" here may be a little midleading, as some of the ribs are coated in rock or greenery rather than flesh. Breadsticks and a small tureen of butter accompany everything, because there are some things that are truly universal.
The smell of food also helps mask the odor of the guests; acid mephits, trogolodytes and worse are places near large stacks of fried garlic, blue cheese and other pungent foods in order to protect nearby patrons. Booths are also provided for those who like the dark or otherwise do not wish to be seen, the Great Downward currently occupy a large booth because there chairs are much comfier than those at the tables, and it offers them a good view of the room.
For now, you snack on ribs and watch Shades fill up on breadsticks, while you await a guest, someone that Mort has suggested you should meet.