[!info] Moonlit Hearth Tavern of the Spring Court Owned by: Seraphina Moonglow a half-elf mystic

The Moonlit Hearth#

Moonlit Hearth — 30-second read-aloud

The door hushes shut behind you. Frosted-petal lanterns spill indigo light over a bar of living wood, and in the crescent hearth a pale-blue flame curls like a sleeping moon. Steam rises from clay cups as drifting constellations you almost recognize. A brass samovar hums three gentle notes; a barn owl blinks from the rafters.

Behind the counter stands a half-elf in an indigo shawl, round spectacles catching starlight—one eye silver, one spring-green. She turns her cup once, smiles.

“Welcome to the Moonlit Hearth. We keep our voices soft and our hands kinder. First cups are for what you need, not what you want.” She sets out saucers, the samovar swivels a spout with a soft chime. “Tell me what the road has taken, and I’ll steep what it owes you back.”

A hush falls the moment you cross the threshold. Lanterns with frosted glass petals cast soft halos, and a pale-blue fire curls in the crescent-shaped hearth, as if the moon itself decided to sit and warm its hands. The counter is a single ribbon of living wood, polished smooth; constellations drift lazily in the steam above clay cups, then fade when you try to count them twice. Somewhere in the rafters a barn owl blinks, unbothered and watchful.

Seraphina Moonglow—half-elf mystic, proprietor, and reader of star-tea—moves like a quiet tide. One silver, one spring-green eye catch the light behind round spectacles. Indigo shawl, thin bracelets etched with lunar phases, vine-tattoos at her wrists that glimmer when she pours. She asks what you need, not what you want, and the kettle answers first.

Look & Feel#

  • Palette: indigo, lavender, dew-white, warm honeywood.
  • Sound: soft chimes; low strings; the small creak of living timber.
  • Scent: night-blooming jasmine, fresh mint, rain on stone.
  • Details: shelves of glazed jars labeled in star-script; a skylight of leaded glass shaped like a waxing moon; tiny bioluminescent blossoms tucked into cracks of the beamwork. The hearth’s flame bends into a crescent when Seraphina wards the room.

House Customs#

  • Whisper Rule: voices fall to tavern-quiet; arguments cool at the door.
  • Moon Tokens: your first cup comes with a stamped clay token—trade it back for a small blessing before you leave.
  • Reading the Cup: Seraphina will read the constellations that settle on the tea’s surface (insight, omens, or a single honest question answered in metaphor).

Tea Menu (beneficial brews)#

Only one potent tea per guest between long rests. Effects last 1 hour unless noted. Teas don’t stack with themselves.

  • Moon’s Rest – velvety lavender & oat.
    You feel safely held. (Gain 5 temp HP and advantage on one Save vs. fear taken during the duration.)
  • Spring’s Breath – mint, willow-bark, dew gathered at dawn.
    Your lungs feel like open windows. (End the poisoned condition or gain advantage on Con saves vs. disease/poison for the duration.)
  • Dewlight Focus – rosemary, star-anise, lemon peel.
    Thoughts align like beads on a string. (You have advantage on your next Concentration save; if unused within 1 hour, the boon fades.)
  • Greenwood Step – nettle, young birch, a whisper of wild honey.
    Your feet remember deer paths. (+5 ft. speed and advantage on Stealth checks in natural terrain.)
  • Petal Pact – rosehip, apple blossom.
    Your words soften edges. (Advantage on one Charisma (Persuasion) check made during a single conversation.)
  • Ward of the Hearth – smoked chamomile, white sage.
    The room seems to lean in your favor. (Before the duration ends, you may add +1d4 to one saving throw or ability check.)
  • Starfall Memory – blue cornflower, elderflower.
    Old knowledge falls into place. (Advantage on one Arcana, History, or Religion check; if reading text, gain Comprehend Languages (written only) for 10 minutes.)
  • Silver Augury (ceremonial, 10 minutes) – moonwater, verbena, silent stir.
    The surface shows a pattern like spilled stars. (Once, within the next hour, ask Seraphina a yes/no about a course of action within 30 minutes; she performs a gentle Augury-style reading.)

Pricing guide: Common brews 3–5 gp; stronger effects 15–50 gp; Silver Augury 75 gp (or a favor sealed with a Moon Token).

Staff & Oddities#

  • Seraphina Moonglow, innkeep and seer; her barn owl Thimble patrols the rafters.
  • Liraehl Dewstride, server and herb-runner who swears the back garden changes its paths at night.
  • The Samovar, a waist-high brass kettle golem that hums in three notes and insists on wiping tables.
      • 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.”)
    • 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.

Back Garden (for those invited)#

A pocket of midnight in perpetual spring. Narrow paths fold between trellises of star-flowers; a shallow Moon Pool reflects constellations that don’t quite match the sky. Guests who drink their tea beside the pool sometimes see a memory they needed—but not the one they expected.

Adventure Hooks#

  • Sundered Blend: A rare bloom Seraphina needs for Spring’s Breath grows only along the rim of a nearby Hollow Threshold—safe enough at dawn, perilous by dusk.
  • Broken Vow Brambles: The vines around the Spring Leyline crystal thicken whenever someone breaks a promise made over Petal Pact. Seraphina asks the party to help untangle a web of oaths gone wrong.
  • Moon Token Debt: A patron vanished after exchanging three tokens at once—an impossible breach of custom. The owl keeps staring at the empty chair.

If they ask, “What refreshment do you have?”#

Seraphina (warm, unhurried):
“Clarity in cups. Comfort in steam. Tell me what the road has left aching, and I’ll steep what mends.”

(She sets out saucers, letting them choose by need rather than name.)

  • “For tired bones: Moon’s Rest—lavender and oat, soft as a lullaby.”
  • “For fouled air and fouler moods: Spring’s Breath—mint, willow-bark, and dawn.”
  • “For tangled thoughts: Dewlight Focus—rosemary and star-anise.”
  • “For light feet and quiet steps: Greenwood Step—birch and wild honey.”
  • “For gentler words: Petal Pact—rosehip to smooth the edge.”

Button: “First cups are for what you need, not what you want.”

If they press for alcohol#

Soft redirect (default):
“I don’t pour forgetfulness; I pour constellations. Strong spirits blur the stars in the cup. Let me warm you another way.”

Limited, house-approved options (if they’re insistent but respectful):
“I keep elderflower mead, dew-wine, and a spring cider — light, for toasts and shy celebrations. One glass, sipped with tea, or the omens sulk.”

Hard boundary (if they push):
“Not here. The Hearth keeps a clear head. If your night needs thunder, the market square will oblige; I keep moonlight.”