An old tavern is closing ....

[Silverbird]

Well ... it feels somehow strange:
In the neighbourhood of my own home stands an old tavern. I 'ver never been able to find the right time to visit it, while it was opened. I always thought: maybe next week. Oldest records on its bulletin board date back to 2005. (It must have been the time, when those were brought into the game.) I am shure, the tavern itself is older.
Today might be the last chance to visit it during its official opening times on tuesday evenings. The tavern is condemmned and already in 'somewhat worn' condition.
There is not too much left of old Valoria, so I thought, waving a goodbye to the 'Sword & Shovel Tavern' (Northern Minoc Plains Trammel, 129.43'N, 79,22'E) would be fair.

 

[Nimuaq]

I think Tyranissa Wraith takes care of the establishment now. It seems to be an old and very important part of not just the Valoria community but also the Europa community.

A book inside the tavern has its history:

HISTORY of the Sword & Shovel
===========================

This Tavern was build in the 302nd year after the demise of Mondain (2001) by Cypher Baralis and Ryan Lightblade. It soon became the Center of the just founded Township of Valoria.

## 2002 ##

After many years of serving and entertaining Citizens, Friends and Visitors, the two Founders retired and gave the Tavern to Bran Gradnak.

As the popularity of the tavern grew, he hired several Citizens to serve in the Tavern.

When Bran retired, he gave the management of the Tavern to Miss Fiona Windwit, his best barmaid.

She made the Tavern even more succesful. It had opened on almost every day of the week, and at many days, two or more barkeeps were needed to serve the many quests.

Finna Windwit died while been kidnapped out of her Tavern.

## 2003 ##
In her testament, she handed the Tavern over to the Elf VanQa, who has been a loyal Barmaid for many years.

With the Lady VanQa running the tavern, more Elves settled in Valoria and also the Tavern gained a very good reputation due to Lady VanQas kindness and excellent service. She managed to attract folk from all over Sosaria and made the old Sword & Shovel Tavern a famous place.

## 2005 ##
Soon after the 4th Anniversary, Lady VanQa decided to move on to another place, where she would reach even more people and where she could run a modern Tavern by herself without the restirictons that were written in Fiona Windwits testament.

Without a new management and advertiesement it became quite in the Sword & Shovel, until Zachariah Creed decided to take care of it.

Alas, only a few weeks later he mysteriously disappeared and havent been seen again.

The old Sword and Shovel Tavern became abandoned and its name was forgotten outside of Valorias borders.

Back to the Roots
=============

But the citizen of Valoria renovated the old house as good as they could. With a lot of effort and sponsored gold coins, the Sword & Shovel Tavern finally re-opened and became the place again as that it was once build:

A hub of social life in Valoria, for its citizens, its friends and every traveller.

 

[cheerful]

A few of us boardies popped our heads in last night, bit of a shock for Tyr when the proverbial 'coach' turned up out side the tavern.
Service was first class as one would suspect though.

Sorry to hear of it's closing.

 

[Escaflowne]

Yeah sad to hear its falling. The Sword and Shovel is a legendary Tavern. Valoria was once a very large and grand player town which was a big Hub of roleplay in the past. Many roleplayers and RP guilds used to reside up there. I myself spent some time Roleplaying up there in one of the guilds. It was pretty great.

 

[Silverbird]

Its gone now. I hope that most of the stuff, that was important got saved and went into the right hands.
(And I hope that Leatherwylde is a worthy keeper of the stuff that he was allowed to pick from my gatherings. IF there was any worthy among. )