The Empty Scabbard

Rorek "The Mountain" Cleave-Helm has saved the Elder Land three times. He has slain the Void Dragon, broken the Siege of High-Keep, and walked through the Fires of Doom without flinching. And he is absolutely, completely, one-hundred-percent done. Physically battered and spiritually burnt out, Rorek hangs up his axe and picks up a spatula. Using the gold from his final quest, he buys a derelict building in the quiet village he once saved and opens The Empty Scabbard. His goal? To brew the perfect Dwarven Stout and master the delicate art of puff pastry. But retirement is a quest of its own. Rorek soon finds that running a gastro-pub is harder than a dungeon raid. The yeast is temperamental, the local spice shipment has gone missing, and a judgmental retired High Elf mage named Eldrin occupies the best table every night, criticizing the wine list. When a storm brings a shivering, runt-of-the-litter dire wolf puppy to his doorstep, and a local brewer needs a hero to help her craft a legendary lager, Rorek realizes that saving the world was easy. Building a life? That's the real adventure. Pull up a stool by the fire. The stew is hot, the ale is cold, and the swords stay on the wall.