Finally, I can breathe again

My Fool finally managed to fix things so that I can now talk to people again, and breathe freely. What a relief. I celebrated by going up north into Angmar to help out some of those giant thingies. The ones with horns, that look like a cross between a troll, a giant and an auroch.

Which raises the interesting question of how exactly a troll, a giant and an auroch would mate. Let's just not go there.

I also managed to become an ally of the Tailor's Guild. Not so difficult to do, really, just a bit time-consuming. I have no idea what is next. Super-ally? Relation? Blood-brother? I suppose I shall find out in due course.

Actually, while we're on the subject of ignorance, my Fool is rather enjoying this aspect of not knowing stuff. You'd think he'd get used to this feeling, wouldn't you, as he spends practically his entire life not knowing stuff, but apparently this is special. This world is a rather complicated place, with all sorts of reputations, and gear, and festivals, and legendary things, and dungeons, and quests, and special epic quests, and recipes and weird looking short people things, and he doesn't know anything about any of it.

And because of this, our travels together are almost entirely a voyage of discovery, for both of us. We have no idea what is around the bend, what comes next, where to go, to whom to talk. We don't know whether we are doing the right thing (we don't care, rather), we don't know where to go to do our menial jobs, we don't know whether this particular monster will deal to us in 2 seconds flat, or whether we'll kick its behind. We're not quite sure why some monsters look a bit different from others, and why they are harder to kill. We really have no idea how to visit dungeons, or what they look like, or even how to get to them.

I've healed a few groups of servants, but not many, and not often. How best to do this? I have no idea, and neither does my Fool. How do I even meet groups of servants to kill stuff for me? This isn't clear.

And there is so much to learn. You think you are making headway, only to discover that, actually, you still don't know anything, and that you just did something very stupid. What on earth should be done with all the recipes I collect? I have no idea, so I just vendor them. What on earth should I do with tallow candles? With rock salt? With brimstone, or whatever it is? I have no idea. What is all this tailoring mastery stuff? What is that flax used for? I have no idea.

Take dancing, for example. I had no idea there were all different kinds of dancing, not until the wondrous Lennidhren showed me (which is why she got a Pavane written for her). And then I had to figure out how to learn them, which wasn't so trivial. Well, I mean it is trivial. For other people and for me of course. But not for my Fool, who is of considerably below-average intelligence.

And what's with the fishing? What's it for? Yes, I know. Catching fish. What else, though? I have no idea, but that will have to wait for another day, as there are so many other things to learn right now.

Right now, my goal is to get a proper black outfit for performances. I think I have found a possible robe and boots, but I have to save up to get them. Soon, I hope. But are there better choices? I have no idea.

I'm far too embarrassed to ask continual questions of the Lonely Mountain Band. They are so helpful when I do ask, and so willing to spend time, that one feels duty-bound not to ask too much, or too often. It is easy to wear out a welcome.

The price of this is an opaque haze of ignorance. It's not a great price, though, as the haze is an enjoyable one. There is an awful lot of pleasure to be gained from discovering things for yourself, in this vast and complex world that is Middle Earth.