Desert's Refuge

Drinks

RP items for RP gil, but tips are appreciated.$ = dirt cheap and easily affordable to everyone; $$ = cheap, especially for Ul'dah; $$$ = average Ul'dahn cost.
$$$ items are NOT expensive, just not as notably cheap.While there's no pictures on the carrd, there are in-character, so the menu's accessible to the illiterate.

Non-Alcoholic Drinks

$ - Tea - Bonfire black tea, Doman black tea, spiced chai. All are loose leaf and perfect for divining with, if that's your thing.
$ - Coffee - Bazaar-style coffee. It's a little muddy on the bottom, and perfect for divining with, if that's your thing.
$ - Orange Juice - It's orange juice. Tangy, sweet, simple.
$ - Lemonade - More sour than sweet unless you ask for extra sugar.

Alcoholic Drinks

On Tap

$ - Menphina's Hound - A crisp beer with subtle notes of sweet citrus, but there's often a little skunkiness to it too. Popular in Thanalan.
$ - Bubblypots’ SootStout - Dark and hearty, a unique Mutamix creation born of melding toasted malts and lightly smoked Kukuru bean nibs. Aged in Blackbrush Bourbon casks.
$$ - Megacleft - A crisp, hoppy lager from the Aquamarine Brewery of The Desert Jewel.

Cocktails

$ - Sabotender Shooter - Shot of moonshine with lemon juice and salt.
$ - Gigatender - Tea, lemonade, and enough moonshine to get a lightweight good 'n' buzzed.
$ - Quicksand Nightstand - Also known as a 'spicy' Bloody Momodi. Menphina's Hound, tomato juice, lime, hot sauce. Rimmed with a salt and chili-powder mix.
$$ - Crystal 'Key - Uisge rye whiskey sweetened with candy crystals and orange wedges.
$$ - Old Fashioned - Whiskey, bitters, simple syrup, and an orange twist.
$ - Whiskey & Cola - Bourbon, cola, and some lime.
$$ - Megapiranha - Cachaça, lime, and sugar.
$$ - Thanalan Iced Tea - Moonshine, gin, rum, vodka, triple sec, whiskey, sour mix, and topped with cola. Very boozy, so be careful.
$$ - Garlean Mule - Vodka, lime juice, ginger beer.
$ - Screwdriver - Vodka, orange juice.

Spirits

$$ - Uisge - Rye whiskey, but the mash contained corn and barley too. High-proof, peppery, and more hearty than aggressive.
$$$ - Black Brush Bourbon - Bourbon. It's sweet and a little spicy. Despite the name, it's manufactured in Eastern Thanalan.
$$ - Lichyard Libations Moonshine - The superior version of 'cactus piss'. Nopales moonshine originating in Eastern Thanalan. Distilled at the Cactuar Cantina.
$$$ - Tundra - Vodka. It's smooth, soft, and authentic to the traditionally Garlean spirit.
$$ - Lookout - Cachaça, a liquor distilled in Vylbrand and similar to rum. Sweet, tropical, and grassy.

Off-Menu

These are items which are available, but are unlisted on the menu - you need to make a special request. They must be specially requested or found by circumstance.Milkroot - An illicit substance commonly used by Sylphs to get drunk. There's rumors this place has it anyway - you need only ask for "Solace".
Scorpion Tea - Given to Dunesfolk parents to young children, this is a "tea" made of diluted scorpion poison. It's diluted enough so as not to be lethal to anyone, but it will make the uninitiated rashy and uncomfortable.
Cactus Tea - An Ala Mhigan remedy used to break fevers. Made of sabotender fruit dried and ground into a fine powder.

Food

RP items for RP gil, but tips are appreciated.$ = dirt cheap and easily affordable to everyone; $$ = cheap, especially for Ul'dah; $$$ = average Ul'dahn cost.
$$$ items are NOT expensive, just not as notably cheap.While there's no pictures on the carrd, there are in-character, so the menu's accessible to the illiterate.

Bar Snacks

All bar snacks are free of charge. They're on the counter - help yourselves.Almonds - Salty, crunchy, simple.
Caramel corn - Caramel-covered popcorn, for those who like salty-sweet.
Spicy Crickets - Crunchy, nutty, spicy.
Chapulines - Crunchy, dressed with lime, garlic, and a bit of spice. (Not as hot as the crickets.)

Appetizers & Soup

$ - Twilight Pretzel - A family recipe; traditional Dunesfolk fare. A soft pretzel made of a mix of rye and wheat flours. Served warm.
$$ - Pide - An authentic Ala Mhigan appetizer some compare to pizza. Flatbread, cheese, Ala Mhigan sausage (or not, if you're vegetarian).
$$ - Bacon Bread - Salty bacon bread with Shroud-sourced pork.
$ - Whatever Soup - Better than it sounds, and never the same. Common Thanalanian home-cooking, meant to use old scraps of food before they spoil.
$$ - Borscht - Beet soup. Good to kick a hangover. It's as Ilsabardian as it can be with ingredients readily available in Eorzea.

Meals

$$ - Buckler Stew - Meat and vegetables simmered in a shallow pot, brought to Thanalan by Ala Mhigan refugees.
$$ - Shakshouka - A vegetarian option. Eggs poached in a spicy tomato sauce.
$$$ - Aldgoat Steak - An aldgoat steak salted, seasoned, and cooked how you want it.
$$$ - Roasted Chicken Quarters - The thigh and drumstick of a chicken rubbed in salt, spice, and roasted. Ul'dahn-level spicy unless you request otherwise.
$$$ - Kebabs - Chicken or aldgoat. A set of three kebabs with Ul'dahn-spiced meat, onions, and peppers.

Dessert

$ - Halvah - An Ul'dahn dessert similar to fudge, but more sandy in texture.
$ - Acorn Cookie - A crisp cookie made with iron acorn paste. A favorite of Qiqirn.
$ - Baklava - Nuts and honey sandwiched between thin layers of dough.

Rules & General Info

Information about the setting & rules.

This is a venue for...

- 18+ SFW, casual RP. We're a bar! Heavy or raunchy topics might come up that would be unsuited for kids.
- Immersive RP. Desert's Refuge is in a lower-income area of the Dunes, Ul'dah's residential district. We exist as characters within the world of FFXIV. Please don't queue for duties or teleport here. Minions and weapons will be treated as IC, and you may be asked to dismiss them.
- Common people, more than anyone else. Amidst all of Ul'dah's glitz and glamour, this place is more rough, but also more genuine. The common are welcome, the poor are welcome, beastmen are welcome.
- Progressive/radical Ul'dahns. Any anti-Monetarism is welcome, but Desert's Refuge is also a place for those who want even more change to Ul'dah - abolishing Monetarism and Royalism and establishing democracy, socialism, anarchy, so on. Some crimes to these ends - stealing from the rich, property damage against corrupt businesses, etc, are welcome for this reason.

This is NOT a venue for...

- Those who are racist, sexist, transphobic, homophobic, ableist, etc. This is a safe place. That shit will not be tolerated.
- ERP. We're not a brothel, if you're getting that steamy, take it elsewheres. (Have fun, be safe.)
- Imperial characters. I don't want to engage with fantasy fascism here - if your character's an imperial, find another venue.
- Law enforcement. If you're a Brass Blade, Sultansworn, or Immortal Flame, Pakeke will kick you out or bribe you to leave. Law enforcement of other nations aren't explicitly banned, but are on thin ice. (This is an IC rule and can be broken - but send me a /tell first.)
- Player Character Violence. Bar fights should be taken outside. Talk about killing or inflicting serious injury on other Spoken is taboo here, even if context might make them acceptable elsewhere. The violence of nations (law enforcement, military, etc) is especially frowned upon; the violence of rebellion (Ala Mhigans fighting to win back their home, riots against those in power, etc) is viewed more favorably.
- OOC Conflict. If you have an issue with another player, that should be handled privately. IC conflict is fine, but if the tension is getting to spicy levels, I recommend checking in with each other.

Ask first to...

- Post MSQ spoilers. MSQ spoilers generally don't come up that often, but to accommodate those who aren't yet up-to-date in the story, please ask the bar OOC if everyone's caught up before going into detail - just a quick "((are __ spoilers okay?))".
If you're a sprout and want to be sure, feel free to send me (Pakeke Pake/Mimita Mita) a /tell before coming! I'll let you know if any spoilers are actively being talked about and request the bar move any spoiler-talk to private channels.
- Use /yell or /shout. Those are typically reserved for the host, but in special circumstances like performances would be preferred, so they don't mix with the flow of conversation. Just ask first!
- Cause a disturbance. You want to bring a Brass Blade even though they're not allowed? Rob the place? Mayhap you can but it's gotta be consensual or there is a 97% chance I will write you off as a troll and ignore any shenanigans.

Newbies

Help! I'm new to RP!

If you're new to RP, it can be intimidating to join a venue! I understand completely and even still get nervous myself, sometimes. If it helps, I'd be more than happy to answer questions you might have to the best of my ability. Or, if you want to just watch and get a feel for what it's like here first, I am totally fine if you just want to people watch in the corner. If that's the case, please let me know, or I (or another patron) might think you're just shy and reach out to help you get involved.General Tips/Things to Expect
- Make sure you've got say chat and emote chat enabled in your current tab. Most of the dialogue and events will be in those two chats.
- Different people type at different speeds. Please be patient. If you need to type a long message that doesn't fit in just one line of text, you can add a few characters to the end like "**", ">>", or "-c" to let others know you aren't yet finished typing.
- Dialogue can move quickly, especially if there are multiple conversations happening at once. Sometimes you'll miss dialogue, or have other people miss your dialogue, and that's OK. If you miss dialogue, someone might gently nudge you to respond to make sure you saw. If someone misses your dialogue, you can gently nudge them to respond. (Something like, "Hey, Midlander, I'm talking to you.")
- Typically, the bar is going to be more lively than the rest of the tavern. If you're new and want to join in, you'll probably have an easier time sitting up front.
- In character (IC) and out of character (OOC) are two distinct things. Just because two characters don't get along doesn't necessarily mean their players don't get along. Some characters are going to be abrasive and/or hard to impress, and that's nothing personal.
- Generally speaking, it's considered rude to publicly play the Warrior of Light in RP spaces for a few reasons. (For one, a player might already have someone else in mind for the Warrior of Light, and for two, the WoL is extremely powerful and exceptional.) Being a warrior of light or having a character with the Echo is typically fine, but consider the difference between an NPC like Arenvald and the player character WoL. They're very different! (I also want to make it clear that you can still have your character be the WoL, of course. They're your character, that's fine! But it can complicate RP, so please don't play them like they are here.)
- If you need help or have questions, ask! You can ask me if I'm online; my character is Pakeke Pake @ Cactuar and my discord is merry#8581. Feel free to ask the other patrons if you need help, too! In my experience, most people don't mind so long as you're respectful.Mechanical Tips
- You can turn the RP tag on and off with /roleplaying.
- You can make custom emotes by typing "/em (text goes here)". If I did "/em chuckles softly, setting the plate on the counter." that would appear in the chat as "Pakeke Pake🌸Cactuar chuckles softly, setting the plate on the counter."
- You can turn the emote log for actions on or off with the /emotelog command. If you want to perform a single emote without the text displaying in chat, you can add "motion" to the end, such as "/broom motion".
- You can check a player's search comment by right clicking their HP bar and "Examining" them. If they have a search comment, there will be a little chat balloon in the upper left hand corner. Many RPers will have a carrd (a simple website, such as this one) for their character that gives information about their character if you want to learn more.

Bulletin Board

Partnerships, advertisements, etc!

Looking for... (OOC)

(Ways to help the vibes of the venue. Desert's Refuge is currently looking for...)- Partnerships with other venues and suppliers. Got a beer or spirit you'd like to pitch, produce from your farm you'd like to sell? Let's make a deal!
- Smallfolk gossip. We keep an ear to the cobbles here. Do you have news about bad businesses, corrupt powerful people, riots, or general annoyances in everyday life (which don't modify the canon of the game itself)? Let's hear it!
- Low-stakes plot discussions. Does your character have a plot they're working through, and need help finding someone to perform some task for them? Are they looking for information from outside sources? Maybe we could give some information - or point you to another player who could help.

Help Wanted! (IC Listings)

Postings are listed similarly to adventurer's aduyses - haphazardly. If you'd like to add a listing for your own purposes, send Pakeke or Mimita a /tell!1000 Needles
Venue: Cactuar Cantina - an energetic and vibrant immersive RP venue, set in Thanalan with a commonfolks' happy hour feel
Position: Tattoo Artist
Expectations: 18+ SFW. Immersive RP - talking to a client and playing out the process of tattooing. No art is required (though if you'd like, feel free!). Each shift is 2-3 hours; schedule is self-set - you don't need to come every week unless you want to.
Pay: 400k gil for 2 hours; 500k for 3 hours.
Other: There is only ONE tattoo artist per afternoon, but this listing is available to multiple players on rotation. (Once you've been hired, reserve or decline a shift ahead of time, or shoot either of us a message when we open asking if the 1000 Needles needs an artist.)
Contact: Pakeke Pake @ Cactuar (x_merry_x on Discord) or Ruckus Fiddlesticks @ Faerie (whippetpuli on Discord) for more information or if interested!

Advertisements

(All advertisements are for immersive RP.)- Cactuar Cantina - An energetic and vibrant Goblet venue with a commonfolks' happy hour feel. Run by Pakeke Pake and Ruckus Fiddlesticks.- Farmer's Attic - A friendly farmer's market and co-op based in Empyreum. Wholesome. Worker-friendly & community minded.- Literacy & Eorzean as a second language classes - "Do you know someone struggling to read or learn Eorzean common? Classes are available." (Contact Pakeke in-game or x_merry_x to learn more.)

Barkeeps

Desert's Refuge is run by two sisters (played by the same player).Pakeke Pake is the older sister. She runs the evening shift on the 4th Sunday of the month. She's more fiery than sweet and has a revolutionary spirit... but she's also in her 30s and tired. She trades with the tribes of Eorzea (mostly crystals), co-runs the Cactuar Cantina with her best friend, and volunteers as an adult literacy teacher.Mimita Mita is the younger sister. She runs the afternoon shift on the 2nd Sunday of the month. She's more sweet than fiery and extremely gentle. She performs death rites, grief counseling, and occasionally sells flowers at the Farmer's Attic.

Bounty

- Wanted Alive -

Kaite Erran'te
For the crimes of sedition against the sultana and Ul'dah
- Reward Offered-IDENTIFYING CHARACTERISTICS
NAME: Kaite Erran'te
RACE: Au Ra, Raen.
SEX: Female
HEIGHT: 4'9"
HAIR: Black with blue highlights, chin length.
EYES: Red, green.
OTHER CHARACTERISTICS: Thin backwards slanted horns, thick tail. Pale cream scales.(Report to the Brass Blades if found.)