The Muddy Puddle

Simply known as "The Puddle" to its regulars, this is a tough tavern that serves as the heart of Gosterwick’s working class.

Atmosphere: While still rough, it is less "criminal" than the Truncheon. It’s a place for laborers, excavators, and local Thorcin husbandmen to blow off steam. It is loud, boisterous, and physically violent, but usually in a "friendly" competitive way.

Activities: The main attractions here are drinking, dicing, and wrestling. It serves simple bar food (mostly stews and hard bread) that is a step above the Truncheon’s offerings but miles below the fine dining of The Stunned Acolyte.

Hirelings: If you need "honest" muscle—men and women who aren't afraid of hard work and know how to use a shovel or a mace—this is your spot. The hirelings here (like Ulf the Excavator) are often more reliable than the thugs at the Truncheon, but they generally refuse to enter areas rumored to be "unholy" or "haunted" unless paid a significant premium.