#36   [Rewritten by Penthesilea]

     “You know, my grandfather was no fool. He knew how my aunt was about alcohol. He likely had a stash of his best stuff hidden where she couldn’t find it and my uncle could if he was of a mind to enjoy a good brew.

#38  [Rewritten by Penthesilea]

     Bladeraven and the Dwarven Brewmaster begin their search for the wine, beer and spirit stocks in the first of the underground levels of the Castle. Nothing is heard for an hour or so.

#43   Penthesilea
     
     “Of course there is. The family was big on mixed drinks too. I am the only nondrinker on the Keyholder side of the family.”
     After leaving the Brewmaster and his staff to inventory the secret stash of  alcohol, Bladey heads out to explore further on the upper floors of the Main Hall.

#47   Penthesilea
     
     “Yeah, we start them young in this family. Should be one Grasshopper's size.”

#51    bladeraven
     
Quote:
Originally Posted by Penthesilea
     “Yeah, we start them young in this family. Should be one Grasshopper' size.”

He found it......chasing after the Smallkin, butt naked and swinging the sword......sigh...they grow up fast.....

#74  bladeraven
     
*screams from deep in the castle* HEY! There's a pub here!!

#79    [Rewritten by Penthesilea]

     Penthesilea consulted the new “memories” that were steadily creeping into her brain and used the information to locate the Pub where Bladeraven was delightedly rooting around behind the bar where untouched bottles and kegs of various libations had sat undisturbed in the decades since Penthesilea’s uncle had been the Keyholder.  Penth smiled fondly as Bladey pulled out a very dusty glass, blew into it to clear the dust and then sneezed.
     “Hold your horses, girl! I’ll have everything clean in a minute!” Bladey grinned at her with a smudge of dirt on her nose and watched as Penthesilea cast the cleaning spell.  For her part, Penth put an extra bit of power in the spell. She had a feeling that word would get around fast and the Pub would be filled to capacity as soon as the day’s work was done.  With everything clean, Bladey tapped a keg of ale and drew herself a generous glass. She sniffed it first and followed that with a cautious sip. Satisfied, she took a huge pull and emerged beaming.

#81     [Rewritten by Penthesilea]

     Penthesilea had returned to the front and was behind the bar filling steins with ale when the Brewmaster walked in with a large human male who was, in turn, followed by a woman who was obviously his lifemate and three young women who were likely their daughters. Penthesilea smiled, her instincts told her that she had very likely found her Pubkeeper.  The Brewmaster spoke to the woman, she nodded and made her way behind the bar where Penthesilea was handing steins to various thirsty patrons.
     “Let me do that, my Lady,” she said. “The Brewmaster and my man wish to speak with ye.” Penthesilea smiled and moved out of her way.
     “Thank you,” she said before she left. The other woman smiled and turned her attention to the next customer.
     “What will ye be havin’,  my lad?”
     Penthesilea threaded her way through the press to the corner table that the Brewmaster had claimed.  Even as Penthesilea approached, the young women answered their mother’s call to come and help serve. Both men stood as Penth approached and as soon as they were all seated, the Brewmaster began.
     “Milady, this is Tariq McGee, a man of good reputation who’s fallen on hard times.”
     Penthesilea turned her eyes toward McGee. “What sort of hard times would those be?’
    “War, my Lady,” he replied. “The Kiltrip War drove us from the land where we were born.  We had an inn on a caravan route, the Bandit Wars dried up the trade and then we were easy pickings. We abandoned everything and ran before they could surround us. Since then we’ve drifted from one place to another. We’ve been in Crowhaven for six months now.”
     “How did you two meet?”
     “I taught his father the brewing trade,” the Brewmaster replied. “I saw him born and his daughters too. It is the Gods own blessing that he’s found us.”
     Penthesilea nodded. “You have no objection to working for me rather than having your own establishment?”
     “No, my Lady, I don’t. I want my girls to be safe from war and rough men. Here, in your Castle, they will be protected. No man would be fool enough to violate any rules that you lay down.”  Unknown to the two men, Penthesilea had cast a spell for detecting the truth on herself as she had approached them. She had no doubts about their truthfulness or the man McGee’s honesty.

#90  [Rewritten by Penthesilea]

     The pressure of having so many people and so much livestock around the Castle began to cause problems so Penthesilea authorized taking some of the cattle, sheep and pigs out to pastures which were already lush with high grass. She also authorized restoration and resettlement of some small villages that were still in reasonable shape despite being abandoned for so long. That eased the population pressure considerably.  They still had to survey and allocate land to everyone that wanted to farm and plan the various settlements that they needed to build but for the moment, Penthesilea could catch her breath.

#101  [Rewritten by Penthesilea]

     “Darklord!”  Kodiak turned and saw one of his more entertaining acquaintances coming toward him.
     “Evening, Darius,” Kodiak said when the man was close enough to hear him.  “What has you so excited?”
     “It’s confirmed! Someone has found the Keyholder’s Castle!”
     Kodiak smiled. The man’s enthusiasm for gossip and rumor was entertaining as well as useful.  “The Keyholder’s Castle is a myth.”
    His friend got him by the arm and pulled, intending to drag Kodiak off somewhere. It wasn’t likely to happen. Kodiak normally didn’t move unless he wanted to but, amused, he let his enthusiastic friend pull him away, leaving two disappointed women behind. Kodiak didn’t care. There would be others. There always were. Kodiak followed Darius to one of the club’s private rooms which was furnished with tables, comfortable chairs, feeding couches and... a very large bed. Kodiak knew which way Darius’s inclinations ran and wasn’t worried. If he knew Darius, once he had shared whatever it was that he was so anxious to tell him, three or four women would appear and the two men would spend the rest of the evening indulging themselves. Once the door was locked behind them, Darius pulled a packet out of his jacket and began to spread photographs on the nearest table. “Myth, is it?” He said triumphantly. “Look at these!”
     Kodiak picked up one of the photos and looked at it. It was a long shot and showed a building that could only be called a castle but was unlike any he had ever seen.  He stared at the picture and suddenly, he was no longer bored.

#141  [Rewritten by Penthesilea]

     After two weeks of diligent work, the entire Castle was declared secure. Penthesilea and her girls were fairly sure that there was likely some nasty surprises still in the deeper levels of the Catacombs under the Castle but every exit from them had been sealed so they were confident that nothing was likely to escape and eat the Castle’s inhabitants while they slept.  It took a full day to get everyone moved into quarters in the Castle and reasonably settled. The livestock was another story. Some had already been taken out to pasture but others were in makeshift corrals and barns since it was coming up fast on the birthing season for most of them.  No one wanted pregnant animals or vulnerable newborns out in unknown pastures. Those with the skills to assist in those births needed to stay near the pregnant animals, making herders in very short supply. Everyone that knew anything about herding was pressed into service. It had been a very, very long time since Penthesilea had been a herder but she remembered quickly once she was back in the saddle doing her turn on herd watch.

#180     [Rewritten by Penthesilea]

     Penthesilea was on herd duty when MoonCat contacted her.
     Mom, we need you at the Castle. A group of armed riders has come through the Western Gate in the Mile Wall and are headed this way.
     How many? Even as she waited for MoonCat’s response, Penthesilea was galloping toward the foreman to tell him that she was needed back at the Castle and to warn him that there might be a problem.
     There are three men in armor in the lead, we can’t identify their standards yet, and about two dozen men at arms with them. They’re all mounted.
     Oh lovely! I’m assuming that everyone is inside and the Gates are closed.  MoonCat’s nonverbal snort assured her mother that was indeed the case. I’ll be right there. With the foreman briefed and the rest of the herders on alert, Penthesilea prepared to return to the Castle. Her mount wasn’t a war horse but the gelding had been through a transport Gate more than once. Penthesilea didn’t think it wise to try to out race the mystery riders to the Castle. She built a Gate and rode from the pasture straight into the Main Courtyard.