Recent Events in Britain and Rumors of Crazed Townspeople
Author Unknown
“…Oh heavens! The voice coming from that young bard is just enchanting. Almost started to tear I, I did. Have you ever heard such beautiful sounds coming from someone so young?”, the elderly woman Adelaide commented to her friend Margaret. Her eyes closed, and lost in the reverie of what they heard earlier that evening, Margaret responded, “Most indeed Adelaide, most indeed indeed.”
The two women had recently spent the early evening hours visiting the Conservatory of Music in Britain, always willing to lend their ears and their applause to the young practicing musicians and bards that worked at improving their musical skills hours on end. For the two aged retired women, it was a peaceful way to pass the time away from the usual boredom of home. After the Conservatory of Music closed its doors for the evening, the two women decided to share a sip of tea atop the peaceful rooftop of West Britain Bank.
Adelaide covered her mouth as she had a coughing fit and then soothed her sore throat with a smooth drink of tea. Drawing in a deep relaxing breath, she found herself crinkling her nose. Her nostrils suddenly overcome with a foul odor in the air. “You smell it too, hmm?” Margaret spoke, “I noticed that awful stench too as soon as we sat down a short while ago. Makes me wonder if perhaps Britain’s sewers are backing up?”
The corner of Adelaide’s mouth twitched and then formed a smile as she retorted, “Sewers? Not this time. Were you not paying attention earlier to what the young minstrels were giggling and talking about while they had a break between songs? You really ought to pay more attention to the children Margaret. They say the most astonishing things sometimes! I overheard one say of the boys say that he spotted a gargoyle in Britain this last weekend who surrounded the entire West Britain Bank with fish, fish, and more fish! Some foolish nonsense about the fish circle acting as a protective ward against Virtuebane. I guess children will say anything for attention these days.”
Margaret looked on with little concern, finding the stories children tell sometimes to be exaggerated or even made up. “Speaking of strange things, a stranger said something to me the other day that made my skin crawl, and it weren’t of no child neither!”, Margaret’s eyes widened and her voice lowered as she continued. “ I was sitting in the East Side Park two mornings ago here in Britain, feeding the birds as I usually do when someone strolled by and said to me, “Not sure I would be sitting out here all alone if I were you, ma’am. Not trying to give you cause for worry, but… queer rumors going round about crazed townsfolk wandering Britain of late. Running around like madmen and madwomen, clawing at themselves and pulling out their own hair. Even heard that two crazed townsfolk attacked a stray dog, killing it by driving a knife into the poor dog’s belly. When someone approached so see what happened, the crazed lunatics started chasing the innocent passerby, snarling as they went as if having lost all their wits and sense! I advise you, be careful out here all alone. Strange things brewing.” A look of anxiety crossed over Adelaide’s face as she set down her cup of tea, “Rumors, is all they are woman! Rumors. The man probably just had too many drinks that morning at the Salty Dog and was more drunk than a sailor at port.”
Adelaide offered up a rumor of her own she recently heard, “Speaking of taverns, Marg. Robert told me he was having a drink at the Cat’s Lair yesterday when he overheard one of the bar wenches talking about a giant sized demon that was growling and causing all kinds of ruckus until the barkeep, Tirion Mograine, and one of the town guards wrestled it back outside the tavern. This demon weren’t one of those little frisky goblins or Yattering often found around Britain neither, but something large and ferocious!”
The two old women finished the rest of their tea in silence as they quietly watched people come and go around West Britain Bank. When they were finished, both women got up slowly and headed home. Before parting ways, Adelaide spoke again, “Margaret my dear. You almost had me with that frightening tale about crazed townsfolk attacking animals and chasing after people for no good reason. Almost, but not quite.” The two friends hugged warmly and went off their separate ways. Margaret thought to herself as she walked home, “I hope the stranger that told me that chilled tale was as drunk as Adelaide thinks. Perhaps it best that I will skip visiting the East Side Park tomorrow morning, just in case. Just in case.”
Author Unknown
“…Oh heavens! The voice coming from that young bard is just enchanting. Almost started to tear I, I did. Have you ever heard such beautiful sounds coming from someone so young?”, the elderly woman Adelaide commented to her friend Margaret. Her eyes closed, and lost in the reverie of what they heard earlier that evening, Margaret responded, “Most indeed Adelaide, most indeed indeed.”
The two women had recently spent the early evening hours visiting the Conservatory of Music in Britain, always willing to lend their ears and their applause to the young practicing musicians and bards that worked at improving their musical skills hours on end. For the two aged retired women, it was a peaceful way to pass the time away from the usual boredom of home. After the Conservatory of Music closed its doors for the evening, the two women decided to share a sip of tea atop the peaceful rooftop of West Britain Bank.
Adelaide covered her mouth as she had a coughing fit and then soothed her sore throat with a smooth drink of tea. Drawing in a deep relaxing breath, she found herself crinkling her nose. Her nostrils suddenly overcome with a foul odor in the air. “You smell it too, hmm?” Margaret spoke, “I noticed that awful stench too as soon as we sat down a short while ago. Makes me wonder if perhaps Britain’s sewers are backing up?”
The corner of Adelaide’s mouth twitched and then formed a smile as she retorted, “Sewers? Not this time. Were you not paying attention earlier to what the young minstrels were giggling and talking about while they had a break between songs? You really ought to pay more attention to the children Margaret. They say the most astonishing things sometimes! I overheard one say of the boys say that he spotted a gargoyle in Britain this last weekend who surrounded the entire West Britain Bank with fish, fish, and more fish! Some foolish nonsense about the fish circle acting as a protective ward against Virtuebane. I guess children will say anything for attention these days.”
Margaret looked on with little concern, finding the stories children tell sometimes to be exaggerated or even made up. “Speaking of strange things, a stranger said something to me the other day that made my skin crawl, and it weren’t of no child neither!”, Margaret’s eyes widened and her voice lowered as she continued. “ I was sitting in the East Side Park two mornings ago here in Britain, feeding the birds as I usually do when someone strolled by and said to me, “Not sure I would be sitting out here all alone if I were you, ma’am. Not trying to give you cause for worry, but… queer rumors going round about crazed townsfolk wandering Britain of late. Running around like madmen and madwomen, clawing at themselves and pulling out their own hair. Even heard that two crazed townsfolk attacked a stray dog, killing it by driving a knife into the poor dog’s belly. When someone approached so see what happened, the crazed lunatics started chasing the innocent passerby, snarling as they went as if having lost all their wits and sense! I advise you, be careful out here all alone. Strange things brewing.” A look of anxiety crossed over Adelaide’s face as she set down her cup of tea, “Rumors, is all they are woman! Rumors. The man probably just had too many drinks that morning at the Salty Dog and was more drunk than a sailor at port.”
Adelaide offered up a rumor of her own she recently heard, “Speaking of taverns, Marg. Robert told me he was having a drink at the Cat’s Lair yesterday when he overheard one of the bar wenches talking about a giant sized demon that was growling and causing all kinds of ruckus until the barkeep, Tirion Mograine, and one of the town guards wrestled it back outside the tavern. This demon weren’t one of those little frisky goblins or Yattering often found around Britain neither, but something large and ferocious!”
The two old women finished the rest of their tea in silence as they quietly watched people come and go around West Britain Bank. When they were finished, both women got up slowly and headed home. Before parting ways, Adelaide spoke again, “Margaret my dear. You almost had me with that frightening tale about crazed townsfolk attacking animals and chasing after people for no good reason. Almost, but not quite.” The two friends hugged warmly and went off their separate ways. Margaret thought to herself as she walked home, “I hope the stranger that told me that chilled tale was as drunk as Adelaide thinks. Perhaps it best that I will skip visiting the East Side Park tomorrow morning, just in case. Just in case.”
