The Arcade
“Come one, come all, test your skill and try your luck with the wonders of the Arcade!” A large, dark, and extremely furry tabaxi, dressed in bright colours and wearing a magnificent hat, calls out from the entrance to the Arcade. He waves his arm with a great flourish, gesturing to the cacophony of sound and motion sprawling behind him. “We have something for everyone, from physical challenges of strength and balance to tests of wit and wisdom! Young and old, any gender or race, we welcome you all to partake in the wonders of the Arcade! Whether your stay is for half an hour or half a year, your joy is guaranteed!” What begins as an open square draped with airy silks of various colours transitions to an enclosed hall, where all manner of music and mechanical noises ring out. You can see numerous games and puzzles of a combined magical and mechanical nature, created by Kipper, the gnome artificer who, along with the tabaxi Moxie Rockets, is one of the co-founders. Illusory frogs race across animated lily pads in one booth, while in another, youngsters attempt to toss balls through dancing, laughing hoops while their parents cheer them on.
Throughout, peals of laughter and groans of defeat can be heard amongst the patrons of the Arcade. Venturing further into the hall, a bizarre mechanical man attempts to guess the age and weight of the patrons. Kipper is often seen pondering this particular booth and making adjustments. Anyone that can ask a sufficiently insightful question might attract his attention and be able to strike up a good conversation, but Kipper is not easily distracted. The most challenging puzzles of the Arcade lie in the hall as well, with some modest rewards awaiting those who are clever enough to solve them.
What exactly Kipper is doing to create these contraptions is beyond the understanding of most of the residents of and visitors to Haven and Kipper is not revealing the tricks of his trade. While people seem relatively unfazed by magic, the mechanical nature of the attractions is what keeps them coming back. Surely something crafted by man with skill alone can be unraveled! In the meantime, Kipper and Moxie work hard to stay one step ahead of even the most persistent investigators and skeptics.
Proprietors
Kipper Raulnor
Gnome artificer and creator of the games and puzzles of the Arcade. Reserved and awkward, but brilliant. Origins are unknown, but it may be the case that he is from Mount Nevermind on Krynn, rather than from Faerun as is the case with most gnomes in Haven. In either case, he stands a little apart from most people, whether they’re gnomes or not. Can often be found muttering to himself while hunched over a project. Makes a very functional odd couple with Moxie and their Arcade is a great success. Pleasant to speak with if you can coax him into opening up, but he does tend to go on a bit. Always seems relieved that someone wants to take the time to speak with him, but won’t reveal the secrets of the wonders of the Arcade. Moxie tends to think of him as the son he never had, which Kipper finds to be strange, but there are a lot of things about Moxie that are strange.
Moxie Rockets
Tabaxi merchant and manager of the Arcade, quite the eccentric showman. Moxie had previously been a relatively successful promoter of a traveling band of performers that frequented the festival circuit throughout all the great cities of Amn. Always intrigued by the highly unusual and the occult, Moxie one day slipped into the tent of a mystic to peer into a mysterious mirror that purportedly would show one’s self in another world. Unfortunately, Moxie was then transported to that other world, which of course was Haven, and he remains stuck there. After getting to know the city, Moxie attached himself to the most interesting character he had come across, Kipper Raulnor, the gnome inventor. With Moxie’s business savvy, showmanship, and the growing population of impressionable youth, Moxie and Kipper created the Arcade. They’ve managed to survive the occasional gnomish mishap and their odd couple relationship and the business is now flourishing. You know what they say about curiosity and cats . . . fortunately this one does indeed seem to have nine lives!