Dave's Castle: The Courtyard

"Thanks for coming in! This is the courtyard, the first place you enter after coming through the gates. Watch your step! You never know what you'll run into here. The courtyard is the center of day to day activity for most people in the castle. The ringing you can hear is blacksmith over there, you can probably smell the stables to your left, and lots of other places are found here as well.

"I'm sorry to say the place is in a bit of a shambles. Things have been pretty hectic around here lately. New rooms being put together, old ones renovated (or at least aired out a bit) -- just about everything has changed in the last two years, one way or another.

"Ah! Here's Humphrey, the Seneschal. Humphrey, take our guest wherever they'd like to go. Sorry I have to be off now -- the builders off in the new west wing need me now. See you around!"

"Good Day, travelers. Milord has asked me to extend all courtesies to you today. Where would you like to go?"

To investigate the blacksmith's shop? You'll find the latest works our of excellent smith here. He is currently working on some covert World in Flames project that he isn't talking too much about.
Or perhaps you're more interested in the affairs of the high and mighty? A short stroll over to the great hall and you'll find the learned men of the demense in close council. Great doings of international Diplomacy are in the works.
If you're of a more sporting nature, you might want to have a look around the back acreage beyond the walls in the back. It's a funny collection of wooden sticks and round white pieces of cowhide they're throwing about -- and the guys with those funny little devices with numbers and letters on them sitting on the sidelines are strangest of all. One minute they're rooting for the men with the wood, the next for the men with the cowhide -- and whenever you ask them what they're doing, they just ask for more Rotisserie food?!