[Note: Words in brackets are reactions and what's happening and being spoken in the middle of the retelling, not part of the story.]

A young woman in vestments enters the guild, the mysterious one we will all grow to love.
Looking across the room she decided the best place to be was right where the merriment was best, right at the table of the beautiful and talented high-elf bard singing like an angel of adventure and merriment.
The Bard stopped singing as she sat. An inquisitive look on her face. Her three companions followed suit when they realized this blue-haired interloper wasn’t playing around. How bold, how brash, how presumptuous! I liked her already. 
She sat at a nearly full table and did as Ashley did best, act like she belonged, friendly but brash and standoffish. The table consisted of a young lass of virtue true, high elf of taste and beauty, and three smelly human men, a Paladin, an Archer and an older Wizard with a dirty beard.
“Hidley ho,” she waved, ”Ashley’s the name,” she said, more interested in what was left on their plates than eye contact. 
“May we help you?” The paladin said, not offering his name like a constipated orc, what a meanie!
She looked up at him, “well yes you can, that’d be perfect actually. I’m waiting for some friends and I could sure use something to eat,” she said and eyed their plates, though they were mostly picked clean, she didn’t seem to mind as she hungrily stared.
“Do you take me for a bar maid?” The paladin said, his patience running thin. Oh how he looked cranky, it wasn’t Ashley’s fault!
“Calm yourself oh dear leader, can’t you tell she’s just a refugee?” The amazing, gentle and patient bard said and put her fair dainty hand on Ashley’s shoulder. She said somewhat softly in a soothing tone, “do you know where you are friend?”
 
[The bard places her hand on Yulya’s shoulder and leans in with a wide eyed smile.]

“Uh yeah, the adventurer’s guild, duh. So what’s up with this place, it’s huuuuge!” that darling Ashley says with awe in her voice.
The paladin scoffed, “why should we suffer such urchins daily?” What a curmudgeon, the cur, the mongrel!
The bard shot him a look but turned away from Ashley, hoping perhaps she’d move along for her own safety, this man was a demon not a saint! Her cud of a leader’s patience would surely fail. 
The wizard smiled at Ashley but otherwise showed little interest and busied himself with a scroll he was studying, always studying those dusty scrolls, dusting his beard with book worms and wood lice! 

[Faren’s otherwise jovial expression fell and he huffed as he shook his head.]

Thus the archer smirked and watched her with great interest. The lust in his eyes was not to go unnoticed! Not just because she was charismatic and carried an air of confidence that he found intriguing, but because she was brave enough to ignore his royal heinie, our poor dear meanie leader’s rude remarks.
Ashley leaned back with her hands behind her head and put her heals on the table, “it’s nice actually, I could get used to this.”

[Josephina sat and did the same as she said this.]

The paladin was nearing his limit but was in a staring contest with his beautiful elven companion, the fairest of all the land.  Knives exchanged cross the table between their eyes. 
She knew he wanted nothing more than to throw this Ashley out and though she was mostly in horrified shock, she had empathy for those less fortunate and wasn’t about to let it happen. Even beautiful bards can be heroes.
“From where do you hail friend?” said the archer from across the table, he put his hand on his chest, “I am Herald, at your service m’lady, Ashley.” Oh what a cad!

[She stood quickly, lifted her leg and stomped her heal on the table]

The paladin rolled his eyes and swigged the latter half of his ale in one gulp. The Bard shot him a look of frustration for being such a lout, but went back to her strumming, trying her best to ignore the situation he was leading. 
“Well, it’s nice to see a gentlemen!” she said and smiled to the archer, “I came here from well… I’m not sure. I know we took the Triboar Trail to The High Road north, but before that I was in an old cabin south of the Neverwinter woods with my friends, before that I kind of just popped into existence and I don’t remember much before that.”

[She took a long breath]

The boorish paladin remarked, “she doesn’t even know where she’s from! Obviously a criminal, watch your coin purses everyone,” and oh what a cranky boar he was!
Ashley looked at him a moment, thoughts turning in her mind, but she didn’t want to make any more scenes today so she went back to engaging with her newest fan. 
“Interesting! So you don’t remember a thing before that? Not where you grew up or even who your family is?”
She shrugged, “I’d like to know but It’s all a blank. Yeah.” She eyed a dinner roll on the most magnificent elf’s plate and tried to make eye contact with her. The beautiful and compassionate elf saw the hunger in her eyes and pushed her half-eaten platter towards her, “it’s the least I can do, my dear.” 
But the paladin took it before Ashley could even grab the roll, “it’s not yours to give, I paid for this meal!”
The elf put down her instrument and the staring contest continued.

[She puts the lute down on the table and stars angrily at Freya, Freya responds as she puffs out her chest, pretends to dig a pinky in her ear and pretends to spit angrily to the side, giving a mean  expression back.]
[Jack facepalms and shakes his head as his party laughs heartily.]
[She picks up her lute again and plays]

“How are you liking Neverwinter so far, fair Ashley of the unknown realm?” The archer said in a overly valiant tone, his game needs serious work.
“I like it, not that I have anything to compare it to, but main street was nice, wide, good stones, this place is another level. I do have one beef though, on my way in this big ole dufus offered me a gold to sleep with him and kept calling me ‘little miss’ I'm all, 'I'm not that kind of ‘little miss’ bub.”

[Josephia turns to Freya, “A dufus!” ]
[“A dufus?” Freya says in mocking shock, her hand to her chest.]
[“A dufus!” Josephia nods.]
[“Whoever could this dufus be?” Freya asks.]

All but the paladin titter while the Archer erupts in laughter, “well you certainly held your honor,  and who was that, Reggie? It was Reggie wasn’t it. Was he a short-ish bookworm looking wizard?"
“Yes, Watch him, he's crafty, said the kindly elf, Reggie is a scrub!”  She says with a wry smile. “He once propositioned me on a cold night in winter and if he’d been taller and cuter I might have taken the offer. I’m Josephia by the way. The beautiful bard at your service."
“Oh stop,” said the scruffy Wizard, and in a gruffy voice he added, “Reginald is a well respected wizard for his age, and you can’t blame him for still having urges.”

[She made a stinky face as she talked as the wizard.]

“It’s all.the.time. Josephia countered.” 

[she banged the table with her foot at every word]

Herald laughed, slapping the table, “he’s incorrigible.” 
The  dirty bearded Wizard harrumphed!
The Paladin was now shooting daggers at Ashley but she totally ignored him, what a champ!
Ashley continued, "no no, he was like a walking giant with a huge mace and a dumb grin on his face," she stood and mimicked something akin to a large gorilla, “hur durr! Fee fi fo fum… I’ll give you gold if you give me some!” Ashley cracked herself up on that one but the whole room slowly ground to a halt. 
Herald’s expression fell, "uh, he didn't happen to have a magnificent beard and scars all over his face?"
"Does she mean Brutus," Josephina gasped.

[“The suspense is killing me!” Josephina remarked to herself.]
[Freya nodded but in earnest, she hadn’t heard this story.]

Ashley looks around in the near silence, everyone's now got their eyes on her, "yeah, that's the guy, Dufus, the hentai bastard had no manors"

[Freya gasps then giggles as Josephina eyes her knowingly.]

"I for one think he’s great." Said someone from the crowd at another table.
“Surely there was a misunderstanding, Ashley,” Josephina the beautiful said with concern.

[She made a very overly serious face to Ashley.]
[Ashley closed her eyes and sighed, “I call em as I see em.”]  

The Paladin had hit his limit, “Hey ‘little miss’, let me give you a piece of advice,” his red face betrayed his words, “I like you so that's why I'm telling you this, you see this placard?" He pointed to the glint of silver metal on his belt.
"Yeah, oh, so you're a silver rank, nice, I got a bunch of questions for yall regarding the ranking system, specifically the cost. Is that more like a suggested cost?"
He waved off her babble and hit the table hard, "It's an unspoken rule," he seethed, “you respect your superiors.”
Ashley looked at him sternly, “okay, show me one and I’ll respect them.”
Herald got a worried look on his face, he didn’t want to see bloodshed, but she was egging his leader past his breaking point.

[Which is as common as a cloudy day!]

The rest of the tavern began to slowly go back to normal. But Ashley had earned the attention of quite a few characters that moment and a few who would want to ask her a few questions later.
He continued, frothing, "don't disrespect anyone, for any reason, if they've got a placard that outranks yours, and from what I can see, you're blank, where's your affiliation? What's your rank little miss?"
It was a fair question but obviously Ashley didn't look to be able to trump orichalcum rank even as a bluff, “I call ‘em as I see ‘em, Bud.”

[A master orator of genius she used words like a cutting great sword of justice!]

“She’s not registered,” Josephia added, “she said so when she arrived.”
Ashley nodded, not making eye contact with the hot headed paladin, "I'll get around to it, I just wanted a bite to eat before I go wait in line or get waylaid in back for hours filling out paperwork or whatever."
"What's your level?" He pressed, leaning in uncomfortably close.
Ashley rolled her eyes, "It's one, I'm not that far into it yet, I literally just got here geez, and you can direct your garlic breath that-a-way?"
He laughed in derision, "well you got quite the mouth on you for a copper! I should teach you respect right here and now!"
Ashley looked him square in the eyes, "you want to make something out of it bub? You got something against newbies?"
“What I got is authority and rank over you and you'll show some respect to me and others, especially Brutus, if he asks for your pathetic frail body, you give it to him, it's a pleasure to have him in town, and I'll defend his honor to anyone especially scrubs like you.” 

[“What an ass of an ass!” Josephia says and kicks Jack’s chair.]

Ashley didn’t break eye contact, she was fearless and stouthearted!
Herald broke in, “Hey hey hey, Jack, she was just playing around, you know, like bards, she’s probably a bard."
“We do like to mix things up.” Josephia tittered, “so apologize to her or I’ll show you some respect as well,” 
“Oh, so little miss is a bard is she? Well entertain us then, perhaps a striptease will change my opinion of you, though I doubt it.”
Ashley gritted her teeth, “I'm not a bard, dude, I'll have you know I'm a necromancer so watch it.” 

[Freya was now eyeing Jack, hells fire in her eyes.]

Jack slams his fist down, "Oh I’m so scared! But I’m also a reasonable and honorable man, so take back what you said about Brutus and apologize to me and maybe I'll overlook this grievance, little miss the necromancer."
“That’s enough Jack!” Josephia said sternly. He’s angered this beautiful bard for the last time.
“You let others get to you unnecessarily,” the smelly wizard added, barely lifting his eyes from his scroll. His beard dripping with crumbs.
“She can piss off if she’s not wary enough to know where she’s mistaken! APOLOGIZE NOW!”

[She turned again to Freya, “he was serious.”]
[“How serious?” Freya said as she pretended to be fearful]
[“The highest kind!”]

Ashley looked back at him and with a smirk and a twinkle in her eye, she said, "Don't bet on it."
He didn't see it, he didn't understand it, all he knew was suddenly he felt very alone and unmotivated. He stopped resisting the glares of his companions and sat back in his chair.

[Ashley busts up laughing. A maniacal sort of laugh even.]

They all knew a spell was cast on him and felt the result but couldn't fathom exactly what a necromancer could do to make what just happened happen. 
He felt awful, blamed himself, stood and walked away.

[“Good riddance hot headed Jack the fiend!” Josephia added.]
[“I apologized!” Jack defended.]
[“You’ll do more than that, you’re cut off from any alcohol containing beverages for a week!” Freya barked, “and you’re on my watch list! Not only for treating refugees as you did, but especially for someone who wanted nothing more than answered questions and a little scraps, starving and alone, you treated her like trash. I couldn’t be more disappointed in you.” Her tongue was sharp and her words biting, Jack knew his place.]
[“Now you’ve done it Jack!” Josephia added.]
[Jack covered his head in his hands and lowered his forehead to the table.]
 
“Come back when you’ve regained your senses.” Josephia said to him as he left. “Sorry for him Ashley, he’s a good man but his temper isn’t his best attribute.”
Ashley didn’t acknowledge her words.
Herald’s jaw dropped, he knew Jack was an awfully rowdy drunk and he also knew it was about to get violent, so for him to be shut down like that was unbelievable, "Hey Ashley?"
She looked to him with a wry look on her face, "you want some too?” Ashley didn’t show it but she was close to tears from the words that jerk said, it wasn’t right for anyone to say that and she wanted more than anything to be strong enough to shut him down permanently. She’d forgive him when he was her undead pack mule. She was frustrated how hard it was to simply get scraps and she was hungry as it was, tired, and now frankly a little disheartened.
He put up his fingerless gloved hands, "I don't want any of what you just gave Jack, I just want to know what it was, and eventually how to get him back to his old self,” He leaned in and whispered, “preferably when he's sobered up.”
Ashley nodded and managed a smile, recovering just enough to get out, “buy me a meal and a drink and you can ask me whatever you want until I'm done eating.”
Well, Ashley had nothing more to worry about with this group, even the Paladin ‘learned some respect’ as it seemed.
Herald responded, "you got it Ashley! I think this is the beginning of a fine friendship," he then called for Liz.
A surprise to everyone, a dark woman, a drow elf wearing all black leather with an electrum plate came up behind Ashley, putting her hands on her shoulders she leaned in whispering near silently, “don’t let that fool get to you. I’m impressed by your bravery so if you need him… ‘taken care of’ I’ll help you free of charge, this is the last time I’ll allow that fool to run his mouth.”
She raised up and announced, with her hands still on Ashley’s shoulders, “As most of you know, the name’s Theilia Frostheart, and this is Ashley of the Unknown Realm,” she cleared her throat and raised her voice, “Attention everyone, I’ve grown a liking to this one. If anyone has a problem with her, you can come talk to me.” 
More than a few eyes averted after that. 
Ashley looked back to her and gave a thumbs up, but she had no intention of causing more of a ruckus, it seemed to be following her whether she wanted it to or not. 
Herald took her hand and tried to kiss the back but she pulled it free before he did, "lewd! What's wrong with you sex starved adventurers anyway!”

[“Thus we grew to love this vixen of the necronomicon, Ashley oh Ashley, our dearest friend, most entertaining, never change!”]
[Freya began clapping and smiled at Ashley, “she’s one of a kind.”]