Lords of Norwold at the Midnight Buffet
by Jeff DalySliv slavered over the array of food laid out at the midnight buffet. It was the highlight of the cruise, and all the master chefs were standing along the walls, at attention, as if ready for the food to fight back at any time.
Then again, looking at the magical waiters, the lupin supposed they had good reason to look so ready. Several huge golems, made entirely of cheese, carried trays of food to be placed on a central table. From there, items were removed from the trays by tiny demonic, tuxedo-ed, creatures who chittered and yelped as they scurried to place things in the appropriate areas. Some carried tiny golden cages, each containing a rodent, to a multi-tiered dish around which the rodents would march in single file, as a parade. Great cheese wedges were lifted, balanced precariously, and hauled to the cheese table. One of the most prominent cheeses began to sing wondrously of times long ago, and decisions taken. Closer to the gathered heroes, was a turreted castle, created out of some sort of biscuit. The imps carried tiny chocolate soldiers to be placed atop the battlements.
The whole thing had the look of some giant, infinite machine.
Sliv could hear, from general conversation, that the cheeses were from the Kingdom of Frisland, the biscuit-castle from Bettelyn, and the imps from the Kingdom of Shraek. The lupin scratched a spot on his arm that had been troubling him for the past few weeks. He wondered why everyone merely stood staring at the food, instead of partaking of it. In Norwold, one gave honour to the hunt, especially if it brought back a boar. The boar would be taken around and shown to all the high ranking people in the court...and this seemed to be a related event. But Sliv wondered if they would ever get to actually eating the food at all.
Suddenly a man leaped atop the central table, scattering food and imps. He shouted, "Death to the enemies of the Yellow Rose!" and clasped his hands over an object held over his head.
At the same time, lightning shot forth from areas in the room, cutting people down right and left. One of the cheese golems, with a mighty whud, silenced the singing cheese.
***We'll find out what happens
tonight! By the way, how do you let your players know they don't
have their weapons, without them grumbling? Or would you allow them
to have their weapons in an artsy fartsy banquet like this one?***