Ghost Story

[Varric]

"That Joey Farmer?" At his nod, Varric hums. "Where does Joey live? If he really does have some good stories, maybe I could--" shite, is there even a tavern (is Joey of age? What's of age for drinking here?) in this little scrud town? "Buy him an ale? How old is Joey?"

[GamesMaster]

He blinks. "Twelve." 

[Varric]

"Definitely not an ale then. Is there, uh, like a sweets shop or... cafe in town?"

[GamesMaster]

The kid shakes his head. "Just the grocer."

[Varric]

Just the grocery. Bright and Shiniest Gods preserve me. "Right. Does the grocery sell candy or, uh, baked goods?"

[GamesMaster]

"Sometimes. When there's sugar in."

[Varric]

This is one of the Hells. Layer One-Half, where the sarcastic and overly clever are sent to suffer rustification. 

"Right, of course. Well. You know what, how about this? What would you and Joey want from the general store for a small thank you for sharing some really good stories?"

[GamesMaster]

His eyes light up. "A penny stick!"

[Varric]

"Rock candy, huh? Or is it maple candy out here?" Probably more trees than sugar cane. 

[GamesMaster]

"Maple."

[Varric]

"Maple's pretty good. Tell you what; if you can find Joey and bring him over to the store, I'll get you both two candies a piece for your stories about my new house. Sound like a deal?"

[GamesMaster]

His eyes light up. "Yeah! I'll go get him right now!" He drops the bucket, sploshing some of the water onto the ground, and turns toward the kids playing in the grassless schoolyard. 

[Varric]

Varric shakes his head slowly. Kids. I can't fathom how Joyous do it. Glancing down, he grabs the bucket to take back to the well on his way to the general store. Shouldn't be hard to find (main street is only two hundred, two hundred fifty yards long). Wonder if they.even bothered to name it?

[GamesMaster]

They did not. 


Joey turns out to be nearly twice the size of the original boy, whose name turns out to be Roger. And he knows more stories -- several of which he's clearly made up himself, but a few of which don't match the pattern. 

One of them focuses on the ghost being Lord Verbury's estranged son, who he murdered and chopped up in the garden. It sounds like something out of a dime novel, too sophisticated for his tastes. But there's a kernel of truth involved -- Verbury died without heirs, clearly, or his estate wouldn't have been sold to Varric. He didn't like any of the people in town enough to leave the estate to them? Or maybe he had, along with nothing but crippling debt, so they'd had to sell? 

Another focuses on a stepson that had lived in the house for a few years, named Carver. Carver was murdered by the ghost after a long, predictable sequence of hauntings straight out of another dime novel. It's odd that this kid gets a name but the previous kid didn't, not until Varric pried and Joey clearly made something up. 

Finally, a series of stories that are smaller, less focused. These have a totally different feel than his dime novel renditions, each a small, realistic story about kids playing in the house and strange occurrences. Headless dogs and ancient sea captains are probably from dime novels, but moving things, odd sounds, and violent attacks are more likely to be real.

[Varric]

"Local Bright or whatever never checked the place out?" Varric asks as he hands over the last two of the candies the store had been able to sell him. Entire stock of maple candies for professional sale in the entire town-- hamlet-- eaten by two kids (Joey might be a teenager, come to think of it). Even if the local couldn't handle it, should have sent word (too proud?) either to Myra or at least their church (or ashamed? Guilty?).