The Wensleydale Arms
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The Wensleydale Arms |
| the Wensleydale Arms
Crooketon [1, 64]
Basic Info:
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The Wensleydale Arms
Description
The Wensleydale Arms Public House is a formerly abandoned, red brick pub on the western side of Crooketon and is constructed out of solid stone and brick, like so many of Crooketon's older edifices. The remains of the inn's bell turret top the peak of the rooftop, the exterior is covered with lengths of ivy, and the grounds surrounding the public house are lush with untamed hedges and flowers.
Inside the Wensleydale Arms, the interior and fixtures consist mostly of aged wood, polished brass, and worn stone, giving the pub a rustic, yet cozy air. The first floor consists of a large taproom, an expansive kitchen, a securely-locked door leading to the cellar, and an excellent games room. A small gallery of assorted art is laid out on the second floor balcony that encircles and overlooks the taproom, accessed by an open staircase from the bar area.
The second floor consists of many private rooms of varying sizes and a common room. Most of the private rooms include their own bath - the clean water pumped in from a source beyond the quarantine walls. A spiral staircase in the common room climbs up to the bell turret, providing an excellent lookout point.
Various sources of entertainment are found both in the taproom and the games room, including a vintage 1950's jukebox, a dartboard, a scuffed billiards table missing a few balls, a foosball table, various decks of playing cards, and when powered, a working Space Invaders® cabinet arcade game...supposedly the last working one in Malton. A working upright piano, liberated from the backroom of Club Guyatt, rests against a wall near the bar. There is usually a powered radio in the building so patrons can listen in on their favorite sports team, whether it be in or out of Malton, in addition to news updates regarding zombie hordes.
History
Records found on the premises of The Wensleydale Arms indicate that the pub was established as early as 1674, but as a coaching inn under the name of The Hitching Post. At that time, The Hitching Post was the only tavern in the vicinity and thus, was extremely successful, especially to the farmers and merchants in the area. As centuries passed, The Hitching Post remained as a local favorite until one night in which the owner of the tavern was murdered in his sleep by his wife, for having committed adulterous acts with the tavern's youngest maid. Unfortunately, a year after that scandalous act, the neighboring village caught fire during a rather dry season and the fire spread, consuming the tavern's magnificent horse stables and windmill.
As centuries passed, The Hitching Post tavern traveled through various ownerships despite the changes in the surrounding area from expansive farms and majestic woods to tidy farms and villages. However, in 1912, The Hitching Post, under the new name of The Jaybird, was purchased by the Wensleydale family, a wealthy and honorable family. Over the course of the following years, the Wensleydale Arms, as it came to be named for the head the family's extreme fondness for hunting game, was refurbished and restored to its former glory. The old stables - once thought to be long-gone, were rebuilt with the help from old paintings found in the inn's expansive cellar; a fashionable clock was inlaid into the inn's gable; and a modest bell turret was constructed at the peak of the rooftop. This bell turret actually proved of use during World War II, when it was used as a siren for enemy air raids. After the war ended, the small amount of damage to the inn was repaired and life continued as usual.
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Short-wave Radio Info |
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Years flew by until the Spring of 2003, when a man claiming to be the long descendant of The Wensleydale Arms' previous owner fought for ownership of the building, claiming that the successful inn was his by birthright, using old documents and ledgers for evidence. The Wensleydale family, having run into some money trouble in the previous years, had no choice but to sell their pride and joy to the man. Over the course of the following year, the man changed the inn's name from The Wensleydale Arms to The Hind's Head, but unbeknownst to him, the Wensleydale family had, under the assumption that something was amiss, had hired a private investigator to dig into the past of the man. The investigator found that, not only was the man not the descendant of the original owner, that the man had forged the documents and ledgers used to prove the lineage, and that the man was actually a con artist, wanted for forgery and counterfeiting. The man was jailed and the Wensleydale family resumed ownership of The Wensleydale Arms, as far as the suburb of Crooketon was concerned.
Unfortunately for the Wensleydale family, the zombie virus outbreak prevented the family from making any physical changes to the pub, including the building's front name and hanging crest sign. However, the family did manage to escape the city in time, even though they were unable to ever collect insurance for the building as no assessment could be done. Over the years, the inn was abandoned in favor of more useful safehouses near tactical resource points like malls, forts, and Necrotech facilities. Eventually, "The Hind's Head" was discovered by a young Scottish man by the name of Derek Sutherland who decided to take ownership of the inn. Subsequently, he discovered papers detailing the inn as The Wensleydale, in addition to the proper papers and licenses required to officially become the owner and Licensee of the public house. Over time, friends to the owner, the mysterious Subject 19 and moody Jackie Foster have earned stakes in the 'Dale, as it has come to be known, having made their niche in tending to the Wensleydale and the nearby vicinity.
Barricade Policy
In keeping with the Crooketon Barricade Plan, the owner requests that all patrons assist in maintaining the barricades at Extremely Heavily Barricaded (EHB) at all times. Patrons can be rewarded for their efforts by free beer, a hot meal, and a clean bed.
Current Status
- Recent news of an approaching horde has resulted in patrons and management preparing for destruction and departure. -- TheBardofOld 00:16, 2 April 2012 (BST)
- The threat has subsided. The suburb is a ghost town. --NightsideEclipse 05:00, 17 April 2012 (BST)
- Zombie presence has increased as the preparations for the party are underway. Surrounding buildings connecting the block island to the mainland are periodically ruined and rebuilt, causing problems for free-runners. -- TheBardofOld 18:23, 5 May 2012 (BST)
- The pub has been overtaken. Wensleydale residents have either relocated to nearby dwellings or have fallen. Reconstruction will wait until the dead has moved on, which could be a while. -- TheBardofOld 01:09, 12 May 2012 (BST)
- Zombies have left the premises and the pub has been retaken and repaired. Its residents have returned and newcomers arrive frequently. The 'Dale is back in business. --NightsideEclipse 11:40, 14 May 2012 (BST)
- The zombie threat gone, patrons have returned in full force. -- TheBardofOld 21:07, 9 July 2012 (BST)
- The Wensleydale Arms is temporarily closed for business as the all-in-one staff and owner are on holiday. TheBardofOld 18:26, 23 February 2014 (UTC)
