Running to the tavern, Suzette noticed how busy the town had become.

New players seemed to be coming to the area every day.

She knew that part of this had to do with the plentiful newbie areas around Rowan Keep and the Keep's lack of a tavern or inn.

Sedgewick had one of each and seemed to be the meeting place for a lot of the adventuring parties.

Business was booming for the locals.

Aliester was selling healing potions as fast as he made them.

Which was good for Suzette as he was happy to supply her with lots of ingredients for practice.

Ranks on a character sheet didn't really translate into skill, the sheet just reflected the skill you had earned.

The potency of potions was much greater when made by a practiced alchemist instead of a new player with the alchemy skill.

She'd take all the practice she could get.As she entered the tavern, Derek was just coming up from the basement with a barrel of ale.

He paused for a moment without setting it down.

"Ah, and here's the culprit.

Follow me out back so we can open this up and see what you've done.""Is that the barrel of ale I made? Why are we taking it out back? I thought it wouldn't be done until tomorrow?"Derrek set the ale down on a wooden stand made for holding a keg.

Suzette saw a grating in the ground.

"Well, we have a bit of a problem.

You're right, should have been done tomorrow.

But the magic is used up and the keg is ready.

So, we need to see what you made.

Maybe it's all fine, and you just put a bit too much mana into it which sped the process.

On the other hand, I've had batches just go bad and stink to high heaven.

Which is why we are opening it out here where we can pour it into the sewer if it's bad.

Take the tap, and push it into the bunghole.

Tap it with the wooden mallet to seat it tightly.

Then pour a mug and we'll see."The tap went in fine.

When she poured the ale into a mug, it came out very dark and quite foamy.

But it didn't smell bad.

She took a sip and started choking.

"That's a bit strong for my taste." She handed the mug to Derek.

He took a sip and then another.Derek took a small sip, and then a longer one.

He closed his eyes as the beverage ran down his throat and hit his stomach.

"Strong isn't the word for it.

This has the taste of a dark stout, but the alcohol content far past that.

Closer to brandy at around 40 proof.

Weak for a whiskey, but strong as hell for an ale.

I don't want to pry, but I've got to wonder how much mana you put into this.

The cantrip drains about 50 mana per batch from me.""Oh, well, a bit more than that; probably 200 to 250 mana.

Is that bad?"Derrek took another sip.

"Well, in this case I think it works fine.

I'll tell a few of the regulars we have a special brew for them to try.

Something with a kick like this will have more than a few folks who will like it.

But we price it at 2x normal cost.

It's not easy to make.

That's a lot of mana to dump into one batch." He paused to smell the ale again, and touched his nose.

"Already getting a bit numb from just half a mug.

Let’s make that 4x normal.

But warn people before they drink a second mug.""We'll have to work on your control.

You have a lot of mana.

Hell of a lot.

Mana is just another ingredient in the brew, like hops or water.

Need to measure it better.

" He took another sip.

"Not that a barrel like this every now and then is a bad thing.

Not at all."

"Alright Beatrice, Let's Ride." The cart moved maybe a foot, Beatrice cocked an ear back and brayed her annoyance.

"Ok, sorry, but saying 'let’s drive a cart' just doesn't sound right.

If you don't like it, come up with your own phrase.

The donkey looked at Ben for a moment before snorting once and then let out a loud "Heehaw!" and started pulling the cart down the road.

They'd gone about 3 miles when four men stepped into the road from some conveniently close bushes.

And looking behind him Ben noted two more.

These had crossbows cocked.

"We need to have some words with you Mr.

Courier.

You done us wrong and there will now come a reckonin' for your shaming actions."A second bandit turned to the first.

"Is it 'shaming actions' Jed? I'd think you'd wants to be saying 'shameless actions' wouldn't you?"A third shook his head.

"Nope, it's ‘shameful.’ He should be ashamed of what he done, he really should.

Shameless is a bit different."Jed looked at both of them: "Can I intergitate the prisoner please? I don't interrupt when it's your turns."Ben was confused, and Beatrice didn't have an opinion on which word should be used.

"Excuse me, gentlemen, and yes I am an official courier.

Can I please be told in what way I have wronged you? I'm sure there is some misunderstanding."Jed looked at Ben.

"Well, I don't think so, the facts of the matter have been explored.

You made a trip up to the keep the other day.

We'd heard that a new chapter came in the mail from...well, it doesn't matter from who.

We knew it was on its way.

We were waiting here for you, sort of taking naps in the afternoon sun.

Then instead of stopping you just kept going up the road like you weren't stopping at all.

We figured we'd been told wrong.

But we checked, and sure enough, there was a new chapter of The Perils of Penelope going to Granya in that mail shipment.

But you weaseled right on by and didn't stop." "That's just downright unneighborly," came a voice from one of the two behind Ben.Jed continued, "An if we ain't neighbors, then I guess we go back to sticking pointy things in you whenever you go by.

The boys were itchin' to do it just now but I said that we had to talk at you first, declare your shameful actions, and then we'd stick things in you."Ben really hated having pointy things stuck into him.

The two loaded cross-bows behind him were making him very nervous.

"I have to agree fellows, it was shameful.

But perhaps mitigated by a lack of information on my part.

Still, I'll take full responsibility.

How about I run back to the village and see if I can't borrow that chapter from Granya, and get right back here with it." Jed considered.

"Well, it's not according to the rules, but we do want to know what happens.

But be quick about it.

We'll keep Beatrice here with us.

The boys brought some carrots for her."Ben just nodded, still confused by the circumstances.

He took off running back to Sedgewick.

The run went quickly, aided as he was by the huge boost in stamina that all Contract Workers gained and his own ability to move quickly.

He got to the tavern, waved to Suzette and Derek in the back yard and went in to see Granya.

Trying to explain the situation to Granya, she interupted him.

"Oh, Lordy! You didn't stop and get the boys caught up on what's going on? Not good.

This little agreement is all that keeps them from skewering official couriers on every trip.

Here, take this chapter and go read it to them and hope they forgive you.""Read it to them?""Well, of course.

They're bandits.

Not one of them can read but their Chief.

"Ben nodded his head, getting the gist of the story but still having a lot of questions.

He took the pamphlet and quickly ran back to the wagon where several bandits were sitting on the ground.

"Gentlemen.

I was successful and have the latest exploits of Miss Pauline in my hands.

Please gather round and let us see what she is up to today!" A half hour later he and Beatrice were on their way again, and the treaty was considered intact.

Ben considered the situation.

It seems that this route used to be quite dangerous because of bandits and goblins.

Probably still was for most people.

But Matthias had obviously found a way to be beneficial to each group.

And in both cases, he'd done it by an interesting interpretation of a courier's duties.

Bringing news to the bandits...delivering items ordered by the goblins.

With these thoughts in mind, he made sure to wave at the goblin scouts and turn into the little path up to the camp.

Just like last time the chief handed him a bag of money and requested some bottles of Red Wizard Whiskey.Back on the road again, Ben took his time, as per Mr.

Billy’s request, and rolled into Rowan Keep in the midafternoon.

The Keep was quite busy with several dozen new adventurers buying items from the merchants and pestering the Legion for various quests.

There were also a good number of newly revived players sitting morosely around the statue in the courtyard.

Several had bottles of Red Wizard in their hands.

Ben sought out Captain Falcar.

"I believe I have something for you, Captain." He handed over the severed head of the necromancer-wolf they had killed.

Success! You have completed the quest: Destroy the wolfpack in the Hollywood

By bringing in the head of the alpha wolf you have completed the quest started by others.

Your group receives 2 silver pieces each.