There were a good dozen taverns and inns in the town of Vexdale, some of them inside and others outside the city’s modest stone walls. But since the guards that manned the Eastern and Southern gates were usually drunk even during the daylight hours, the distinction between who was an “in-towner” and who was an “out-of-towner” was rarely enforced. 

Those patrons who chose to frequent the establishments inside the walls usually did so for matters of status as well as comfort: the food was generally fresher, the plates and flagons cleaner, the beds softer and less prone to infestation, while the establishments beyond the walls were a little more affordable but a lot more boisterous. There were also those who chose an inside-the-wall location for matters of security: one was much less likely...

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