The Samovar at the Moonlit Hearth

What he is#

  • A waist-high brass kettle golem animated by a gentle water-spirit bound to a moonstone “heart.”
  • He moves on three trivet feet with a soft clink-clink, vents steam through star-shaped filigree, and communicates with three musical hums (low = “working,” middle = “ready,” high = “warning/please don’t.”)

Does he dispense hot water everywhere?#

Yes. In two ways:

  1. Retractable spouts: slim brass arms unfold from his sides to top up cups with precise temperatures (“spring” for greens, “summer” for blacks, “autumn” for herbals). Tiny enamel glyphs on his chest flicker to show the current heat.
  2. Moon Taps: during busy nights he pressurizes hidden copper vine-lines under the floorboards that feed small lily-shaped taps at wall posts. A soft chime = the line is hot; a second chime = pour.

Did Seraphina create him?#

She awakened him. The vessel is an antique dwarven samovar she bartered from a caravan. Using a Spring Court rite Faela once taught her—moonwater, a sliver of hearth-ember, and a spoken vow “never to boil in anger”—Seraphina bound the water-spirit and set the tavern’s warding sigils in his base. So: the brass body is old; the soul inside is Seraphina’s doing (with Faela’s blessing).

What he does (beyond pouring)#

  • Precision Brewmaster: keeps multiple infusions at different temps; hums a soft 3-note cadence to mark brew times (you’ll hear it shift when a pot is perfectly steeped).
  • Safety & Wards: senses rising tempers; lanterns dim and he releases a cooling jasmine mist (mechanically, think calm emotions flavor, no compulsion—just a morale nudge).
  • Tea-Sense: can “taste” a pot for poisons or spoilage; if something’s off, he clicks, then puffs a small skull-shaped wisp.
  • Hearth Aura: while he’s stationed by the crescent fire, guests within a table’s reach feel subtly steadier—advantage on one fear check or Concentration save per visit (Seraphina’s house rule).
  • Clean-handed: insists on wiping tables; extends a felted pad from a hidden hatch and polishes brass railings when bored.

Personality & quirks#

  • Fussy about water purity; will roll to the back garden to refill from the Moon Pool if the kitchen cistern tastes “tired.”
  • Loves owls (Thimble often rides his lid).
  • Dislikes being used to heat stew (“two hums of protest”).
  • Collects orphaned spoons in a little side drawer and returns them to regulars like a proud librarian.

Little emergencies (and how he handles them)#

  • Spill/grease fire: sharp whistle + a short cone of hissing steam to snuff it.
  • Brawl starting: floor-level fog veil around ankles; visibility drops, tempers with it.
  • Threat to Seraphina: he’ll plant himself between her and danger and vent scalding bursts (nonlethal unless she says otherwise).

Adventure bits you can use#

  • His moonstone heart thrums oddly when a Hollow Threshold opens nearby; he may “wander” toward it at night like he’s sleep-pouring.
  • A rival alchemist wants his temperature runes; a theft means the Moon Taps sputter cold until the part is reclaimed.
  • The dwarven maker’s stamp on his base matches a forgotten workshop—following that lead could earn the party a sister-construct (“the Samovar’s little kettle-cousin”).