The Bird and Baby Inn

Bird and Baby Inn
Region:	The Shire
Area:	The Delving Fields
Settlement:	Michel Delving
Location:	[33.4S, 75.3W]

The Bird and Baby Inn is a lively tavern in Michel Delving, in the Shire. ^{[33.4S, 75.3W]}

The Bird and Baby is Michel Delving's major hub of social activity, and the largest tavern in the Shire. Weary travellers can indulge in food and drink, and share stories of adventures by the fire. It also offers the services of a barber and healer.

This is also the home of the Inn League and Friends of the league have access to a room where they may barter for faction items.

In a back-room are some members of "The Inklings literary discussion group". See Lore below.

Deeds

Shire Brew-master

NPCs

Name	Function
Services
Carlo Blagrove	Tavern-keep
Estmar Bolger	Hobby Master
Gardenia Bracegirdle	Healer
Tulip Chubb	Barber
Alric Banks	Inn League Taxidermist - Festivals
Frago Sandheaver	Inn League Trader - Festivals
Ivy Tunnelly	Inn League Barmaid - Festivals
Forge-master	Forge-master - Outside
Others
Lorgo Boffin	Bar hand
Carlo Williams	Author
Jack Lewisdown	Author
Owen Farfield	Author
Rabbit	Rodent
Esmerelda Burrows	Quest
Ioco Underhill	Inn League Member - Festivals
Townsperson

Quests

Starting:

[5] One Fish, Two Fish - Hobby - Fishing
[7] The Bird and Baby
[5] Inn League -- Bird and Baby Trial - Festival
[10] Gifts -- A New Hammer - Anniversary

Involving:

[9] Training for the Journey
[31] Missing the Meeting

Festival quests:

[5] Inn League Initiation -- Bird and Baby
[20] A Bit of Brown
[40] A Convoluted Wine
[50] The Draught Drought
[...] Gifts -- Wooden Carving -- Anniversary
[...] Year 2 Travels: Tavern Crawl, Eriador - Anniversary

Lore

Real Life Inspiration

The Bird and Baby Inn did not appear in the trilogy of Tolkien. The inclusion of a tavern named "Bird and Baby" is a reference to the real-world tavern "Eagle and Child" in Oxford, England, which was frequented by the members of The Inklings literary discussion group which included J.R.R. Tolkien, Christopher Tolkien, and other well-known professors and authors.

Students of Oxford University who frequent the "Eagle and Child" often refer to the tavern as the "Bird and Baby" (among other colourful names).

From 1939 to 1962, the Inklings members regularly met in a back room of the pub which is now known as the Rabbit Room. Several members of the Inklings are represented in the game: C.S. "Jack" Lewis (NPC Jack Lewisdown), Owen Barfield (NPC Owen Farfield), Charles Williams (NPC Carlo Williams), and a Rabbit. These NPCs refer to a fellow member of the Writing Club named Ronald Dwale, which is a reference to J.R.R. Tolkien.

Gallery

Outdoor eatery
Fireplace & barber
The Inklings
Keg storage in the basement

External References

Taverns of Middle-earth

Eriador: The Bird and Baby Inn • The Boat and Basket • The Brimful Quiver • The Comb and Wattle Inn • Crossway House • The Elbow's Bend • The Floating Log Inn • The Forsaken Inn • The Fox and Fiddle • The Golden Perch • The Green Dragon • The Ivy Bush • The Mad Badger Inn • The Plough and Stars • The Prancing Pony • The Roaring Bull • The Stony Leap • Thorin's Hall Inn

Gondor: The Brick and Mortar • The Cresting Wave • The Eagle and Sickle • Ethring Tavern • Forlong's Hall • The Hammer and Tongs • The Haven • The Laughing Halfling • The Lone Beacon • Lothgobel Tavern • The Merry Swan • The Mûmak and Keep • Scholar's Tavern • The Splintered Shield • The Thirsty Seer • The Wainrider's Head • The Wheel and Cask

Haradwaith: The Black Anchor Tavern • The Bloody Eagle Tavern • The Bower Inn • The Broken Pillar Tavern • The Cat's Grin Tavern • The Crab and Cutlass Tavern • The Dampstone Inn • The Din of Arms • The Drowned Prince • The Dusty Cloak Tavern • The Fleet-watch Tavern • The Full Belly • The House of Twisted Vines Inn • The Hungry Deep Tavern • The Leeward House Tavern • The Old Bastion Inn • The Pot and Quill • The Raven and Albatross • The Teeming Net Tavern • The Vagabond's Rest Inn • The Whelk and Cockle Tavern

Mordor: The Eagle and Star • The Haven

Rhovanion: Burnwater House • The Dragonbone Inn • The Haunted Inn • The Jolly Bell • The Quenching Trough

Rohan: Aldburg Tavern • Beaconwatch Tavern • Edoras Tavern • Elthengels Inn • The Great Tavern • Harwick Tavern • The Mud • Snowbourn Tavern • Stangard Tavern • Stoke Inn • Tavern of Floodwend • Woodhurst Tavern

Settlements, Areas and Landmarks of The Shire
Areas:	Bindbole Wood • Bridgefields • The Delving Fields • Green Hill Country • Greenfields • The Hill • Hobbiton-Bywater • The Marish • North Bridgefields • Rushock Bog • Shire Homesteads • Tookland • The Yondershire* * Requires Quest Pack: Yondershire	Areas:
Settlements:	Brockenborings • Budgeford • Bywater • Frogmorton • Hobbiton • Little Delving • Michel Delving • Needlehole • Overhill • Scary • Stock • Tuckborough • Waymeet • Woodhall	Settlements:
Landmarks:	Abandoned Elf-camp • Appledores • Bag End • Bamfurlong • Bear Dens • Bolestones • Brandywine Bridge • Bridgefields Wall • Bucklebury Ferry • Bullroarer • Bywater Bridge • Bywater Pool • Dora Brownlock's Farm • Downs Gate • The Frogmoors • Golfimbul's Hole • The Grange • The Great Willow • Lob's Grove • Longo Burrow's Farm • The Mathom House • Methel-stage • Michel Delving's Craft-fair • Narrowcleeve • Old Odo's Leaf-farm • Overhill Yards • The Party Tree • Pinglade • Puddifoot's Fields • The Quarry • The Rushock Gate • Sandson's Farm • Sandyman's Mill • The Scrag-dells • The Shire Race-track • Skirmish Camp • South Fields • Southfarthing Gate • Stocktower • Three Farthing Stone • Tom Cotton's Farm • Troll's Knoll • The Water • Wellbridge • Wolf Den • The Yale-height Baranduin • Norbourn • Shirebourn	Landmarks:
Interiors:	Bag End • The Bird and Baby Inn • Boffin Manor • Brockenborings Watch Office • Cook's Guild Hall • Esilia's House • The Floating Log Inn • The Golden Perch • Great Smials • The Green Dragon • The Ivy Bush • The Mathom House • The Michel Delving Training Hall • The Michel Delving Vendor Hall • The Plough and Stars • The Quick Post • The Shire Auction Hall	Interiors:
Dungeons:	Gerebert Took's Home • Greenfields Warren • The Haunted Burrow • Scary Quarry	Dungeons:
Instances:	Skirmish: The Perfect Picnic • Trouble in Tuckborough	Instances: