[Alvadas Location] The Withering Rose

[Cadence]

Prices Dinner Chicken 1 gm Beef 1 gm Pork 1 gm Salad 1 sm Wine 1 glass of Wine 1 gm 1 bottle of Wine 12 gm Like most cities Alvadas has a dark side and it can be found at the Withering Rose. The restaurant has a somber, almost ominous air that turns many patrons away at the door. Those brave enough to enter, however, are greeted with flavors and sensations unlike any they have ever felt. Velvet curtains are draped over the windows, obscuring most of the light. Round wooden tables are scattered across the small space – a rose sitting on the surface of each one. Some roses are red, some are black, and some are white. It is a common understanding among the locals that the roses signify the kind of discussion that will be had at the table. If for example, a man leads a woman to a table with a red rose, the evening is meant to take a romantic turn. If the rose is white, the dinner is a simple affair between friends or indifferent strangers. If, however, the rose is black, the discussion held at the table is usually heated and hushed, filled with angry looks and bared teeth. Some say, it is the roses themselves that set the tone; while others maintain that the patrons are the ones who choose the rose, not the other way around. Regardless, the custom is observed by most of the locals and shared with the visitors, so that they don’t make a social faux-pas by inviting a prospective business partner to a table adorned by a red or black rose. Candles are attached to the walls, shedding some light on the going-ons of the tavern. A bar stretches along the left-hand wall, complete with a well-stocked wine-rack and a dark-eyed barista. The voices of the tavern’s patrons never rise above a quite din, as if mindful of some unseen force keeping watch over them. The employees are courteous and solemn, all dressed in black velvet. Most of the employees happen to be sultry women with a talent for keeping a firm hold on the patrons’ behavior – particularly the men’s. The Rose – as it is known among the locals – does not serve breakfast or lunch, focusing on late evening and nightly meals. They have the best wine in the city and according to many travelers, the best in the Kalea region. All of the food and drink is laced with a rich, luscious flavor that pleasantly warms the throat. While the prices are somewhat high, the food and service are well worth it.   Raenah Raenah Duval Raenah Duval is the owner of the Withering Rose, playing the role of hostess on most days. She oversees the cooks and waiters with an iron hand, though it’s hard to believe that someone as delicate as her could ever be so authoritative. A dangerous, romantic air seems to envelop her wherever she goes. Whenever a dispute between customers begins to escalate to a dangerous level, she will drift over to the table and drape a calming hand over the instigator’s arm. A quiet word and an arched eyebrow on her part are usually enough to calm even the loudest brutes. Skills Hypnotism 65 Seduction 60 Rhetoric 30 Cooking 25 Languages Fluent in: Common Passable in: Nari History: Many have wondered why Raenah is so good at manipulating customers into staying calm or ordering that extra drink. However, few know that besides being a seductive, attractive woman, she is a master of hypnotism. An orphan whose parents were murdered when she was five, Raenah was raised by a distant uncle. Her uncle was a practicing hypnotist of the highest caliber and he taught his niece everything he knew. Raenah has lived her whole life in Alvadas and when her uncle died, she stayed there and opened up the Withering Rose. She is careful not to use any powerful hypnotic skills so as not to turn away cowardly customers. However, she often uses subtle hypnotic suggestions and emotional responses to bend the restaurant’s staff and visitors to her will. Only a select few of her staff know of Raenah’s powers and only because they are somewhat proficient in the skill themselves. Raenah has accomplished much in her 28 years and is respected by many of Alvadas’s locals. She is usually calm and compelling, but when provoked, she can become frighteningly dangerous.   Aramia Name: Aramia Race: Human, Mixed DoB: 30th Summer 497 AV PoB: Alvadas Title: Chef Skills: Cooking: 54, Teaching: 50, Socialisation: 30, Painting: 25, Negotiation: 30, Leadership: 45 Gnosis: N/A Additional Info: Born to a Benshiran father and a Svefra mother, this young woman had a fine education in the two distinct cultures of her family. As the middle child, she had a fair amount of rivalry but it was never aggressive. As she got older, the young woman began to develop her life's passion- cooking. While her elder brother became a leatherworker and her younger sister became a fisherman's wife, Aramia became an apprentice cook at the Withered Rose. She quickly cast off her apprenticeship and took a valued role as a chef. While being focused and determined, Aramia also believes that to maintain the peaceful demeanour of the restaurant, the kitchen should remain calm too. As such, she treats her staff with respect and rarely shouts. However, if you have done something to catch her ire, she will let you know it, through quiet but deadly words. **PC employees of the Withering Rose are given a uniform of a black velvet dress and white apron if you are female, or a white waistcoat and black shirt if you are male. These uniforms are given on the understanding that the items will be returned upon leaving Alvadas/the Withering Rose's employment. (Items can be added to equipment list).