¶ 🏚️ Overview
Nestled at the edge of Ravengro’s misty outskirts, The Crooked Kin is a lopsided stone-and-timber tavern known for its warm hearth, colder wine, and even colder reception from the locals. The building leans as though bowing under the weight of the region’s grief, with floorboards that creak like whispered regrets and a crooked chimney that always seems to smoke, no matter the weather.
It serves as the home and business of Siska Marrow, a former ranger-turned-tavernkeeper known more for her sharp eyes than her warm welcome. A relic of darker days, The Crooked Kin offers food, drink, and—most importantly—protection. Travelers who stumble in are rarely turned away, though they may have to share space with road-weary performers, monster hunters, or vagrants fleeing things they refuse to name.
¶ 🍲 Notable Features
- The Hearth Hall: The main room is ringed with charms against spirits, including bones wrapped in iron thread, old warding runes, and a bell that rings unbidden when something unnatural crosses the threshold.
- Siska’s Stew: A hearty marrowbone and barley mix that earned the tavern its name. Rumor has it she once used ghoul bone during a famine—but only the bold ask.
- Ghostlight Cellar: A sealed basement room where light bends strangely and time feels sluggish. Said to be haunted. Or cursed. Or both. Siska never uses it. Neither should you.
- Kin Cot: A free cot in the back corner—always available for those with nowhere else to go. Used by Clutch Varn in his youth, and occasionally others in need of shelter.
¶ 📜 Local Reputation
The town of Ravengro regards The Crooked Kin with a mix of fear and necessity. It’s where the desperate turn when all else fails. Rumors swirl constantly: that it's a safehouse for heretics, that it survived a werewolf siege, that the ghost of Siska’s husband haunts the bar—but drinks only cherry wine.
Despite this, the place remains oddly respected. “The Kin stands crooked,” the saying goes, “but it never falls.”
¶ Tables
¶ Patrons
| Name | Status | Faction | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Siska Marrow | alive | Owner of The Crooked Kin |