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Bellestorm: New Minister!

Author Topic: An Uncomfortable Place  (Read 94 times)

* Bedwyr Bedrydant

    (07/15/2024 at 06:02)
  • Owner of Hogwash and Rot and Core Magic Professor
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hogwash and rot



Exterior
Hogwash and Rot nestles in a filthy corner of Hogsmeade Village. The exterior, seemingly held together by a patchwork of magic, appears dilapidated and lopsided, with cracked windows. In the deep of the night, one might hear otherworldly chanting drifting from within. The weather-beaten sign swings creakily in the wind, its faded lettering barely legible but certainly not advertising the current business.




Interior
Stepping inside, visitors are immediately struck by the overwhelming scent of mildew, mingling with the pungent aroma of coppery blood, dried herbs and aged parchment. The air is thick and damp, clinging to the skin like a clammy handshake. The floorboards threaten to collapse with every step, and grim light occasionally oozes out from below.

Natural light from the single window is inexplicably barred by a hodge-podge of hides which cover the interior glass. Dim candlelight in an array of colours casts long shadows across the cluttered space, illuminating shelves crammed with peculiar divination tools: tarnished crystal balls, grimy scrying mirrors, and jars of strange, unidentifiable substances. Cobwebs drape lazily from the ceiling and surfaces are either coated with dust or slime.




The King's Throne
Against the head of the shop, a worn stone throne observes those who enter. A set of yellow robes and crown of indeterminate metal lay neatly upon the seat. Those who stare too long or too boldly will hear the buzzing of locusts in their mind's ear, rushing ever closer, and be cursed to dream of shrivelled monstrosities and peircing talons. A barrier protects patrons from sitting upon the throne.




Staff and services
Bedwyr Bedrydant, the bear-like proprietor with sausage-like fingers, wild, unkempt hair, and a tattered robe, presides over the shop and makes no efforts to hide his disdain. He offers a bewildering array of divination services, many of which involve unsettling practices such as bone casting, entrail reading, exorcism, the interpretation of dreams, or exchange of crippling recurring nightmares.

Shoppers can browse the cluttered stacks for a variety of divination supplies, from enchanted ink and rune stones to partially-translated tomes on forgotten lore. For those brave enough to seek his services, Bedwyr promises insights and revelations—though often at the cost of something more valuable than coinage.




Below
A stone passage behind the clerk's counter leads to the grotto below where distasteful divinations are brought to life. Air in the grotto is wet and chill and suffocating. Ancient reliefs, horrible murals, and bizarre instruments too valuable for sale collect mold within the belly of Hogwash and Rot. The stone chamber stretches deeper still, though no sane person would follow the whisper-like echoes which call listeners further below.
« Last Edit: 07/15/2024 at 06:27 by Bedwyr Bedrydant »

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