Greetings! My name is Corrin Aledrinker. What? No... No. That would be Corrin Alemaster, my uncle. Yes, I'm his nephew. Yes... No. Well, then, back to MY story!
Not so long ago, I admitted to myself that no matter how long I apprenticed with my uncle, I'd never be chosen over his eldest son to take over the brewery. Noting my increasing moodiness, my uncle pulled me aside one day.
"Boy?!"
"Yes, Uncle?"
"I know you've been irritable, lately, and I think I may know why. I want to tell you a little story about myself."
"Yes, sir?"
"When I was about your age, I found myself in the same position you're in today... I'd learned all I could about brewing during my apprenticeship, but was never going to become head brewmaster there. I wasted three years moping about the brewery feeling sorry for myself, and was starting to get into trouble, when I was suddenly, to my surprise, dismissed. Stunned, I walked out of the brewery, and eleven hours later, found myself two towns away, farther than I'd been in since starting my apprenticeship! I was standing in front of a tavern, so I went inside for a meal and a bed. I quickly devoured a plate of pumpkin and duck, and sated, ordered an ale. I tasted the ale... and was Astonished! The flavor was unlike any ale I'd had before... They had three different barrels, and I sampled from each. Early the next day, I hiked as quickly as possible back home to the brewery. I confronted my master, only to have him smile kindly at me and say, 'I taught you the importance of the water, the barley and the hops; surely you realized that different towns would have difference sources for these ingredients... and thus would produce different ales?! I should have released you three years ago, so you could learn this for yourself! Now go, take what you learned from me and tour the lands of our people... find YOUR ale, and set up a brewery of your own!'"
My uncle stopped talking, and looked at me... "Corrin?"
"Yes, Sir?"
"What are you thinking?"
"Well, Uncle, I think I've got to pack! It sounds like there's a whole world of Ale for me to discover!"
And that is exactly what I've tried to do! I spent a year visiting all the taverns in Torukk, then another year touring the towns of the coast, sampling ales in every place. When I reached Vantres, I thought my journey was over, for I'd reached the northernmost point of the lands. I soon realized, however, that I'd caught the travel bug and acquired a taste for strange brew. I had heard that merchant clippers carried ale both as ballast and as daily ration, and so I signed on as a crewman on a vessel that was attempting the Great Race. I became a rigger and a lookout, and thoroughly enjoyed my life at sea, entering strange ports and sampling their ales... but I digress.
My name is Corrin Aledrinker, and I have no ale! It's been seven days since the shipwreck, and we've explored half of the island. I'm working with a Dragon-born named Gorgath... a big strong fellow. Some of the others are trying to build rafts to try to sail to some other islands, but we've decided to take our chances here. There are some signs of civilization, and I'm hoping to find something new to drink soon!
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