[center][h2]Chen’s Tavern[/h2][/center]

On the outskirts of Alexandria, on the great southern high-way, one may find a blocky two-story tavern with a distinct oriental style to its architecture. The roof slightly slanted and covered in tile you might be surprised to find the rest of the structure seemingly made of painted wood, bamboo particularly. The wood had been painted painstakingly gold and red, giving the building a regal and unique visage on the path. No doubt that accounted for its popularity, for seldom did a traveller coming to the city of Alexandria fail to stop at the place, many in fact choosing it over their original destination. To discover the name of the establishment you would only have to look underneath the strange symbols above the entrance to the simple English letters below, alerting one to the fact that they had happened upon ‘Chen’s Tavern.’ 

The large sliding doors rarely closed and upon entering the building one would find tasteful décor. High-backed oak chairs sat next to tables of all sizes and shapes and past it all was the bar itself, a magnificent thing with every manner of alcohol sat behind it on the shelves in glistening glass bottles and sturdy kegs. In front of it lay a number of stools for the hardy or the solitary but sociable to sit. To the right of the bar a door led into a kitchen area and a cellar where stores were kept, and to the left a staircase to the rooms on offer for weary travellers. Illuminating the place were carefully hung dish lanterns of different colours that gave the room an unearthly light complimented by the scented smoke of shisha and whatever herbs the proprietor placed inside the central brazier. All in all it was an ambient and wholesome sort of tavern, one where drinks and laughs were plenty and violence was kept to a minimum.

Which was just the way Liu liked to keep it. The thick-set panda-humanoid of the race of Pandaren was the barkeep and owner of Chen’s Tavern, paradoxically. It was not in the nature of his people to name an establishment after one’s self, and indeed Liu owned much of his success to the flask he kept upon his back which had belonged to Chen. So in a sense, it made perfect sense for him to name the tavern after him, though he did get a little tired of explaining the story after a while. None-the-less, dressed in traditional garb with his kasa behind his neck, coupled with the fact that he was a humanoid Panda, he always drew some stares at first. But Liu was a hearty soul, and as long as people kept their violence outside and their purses loose the alcohol flowed freely and business was good.

Liu was the sort to ensure business would always be good.