The Bree-Land Bawler

War on Brigands takes a step forward

2009-07-15T14:09:00.000-07:00

One of the leaders of the local brigands, a certain Tonson Deadknife, has been turned in to Jon Brackenbrook, dead. Deadknife, whose men were stationed around the ruins known as the Brigand’s Watch, supposedly had a hand in the burning of Archet which cost Brackenbrook’s father's life. Brackenbrook approached the Archives on one of his rare days off to reveal this vital information, on the war on the brigands and bandits. "Deadknife was one of our most wanted brigands; his bounty lay at a heavy pouch of silver, which was growing by the week, as victims of Deadknife's men came to light.” Brackenbrook held out the sizeable pouch for us to see before continuing; "Which is why I have no idea why the one who brought him in didn't claim it. Regardless, it will go far in aiding the rebuilding of Archet." When asked about who would turn in such a wanted brigand without taking the bounty, Brackenbrook “had no idea” and noted that “if they’re not wanting the coin, they probably don’t want me spreading who done it”.

With that Brackenbrook thanked us for the tea and went back to his post. Further investigations into this pointed us in the direction of two contrasting accounts of what occurred, the first of which was from Dawn Stockard of Archet. "Well, there I was standing outside my front door, when suddenly a man on a great charger horse… well he charged in... the guards at the gates never had time to jump up and stop him, he swooshed in and threw the body of that Dudknive off his horse down to Mister Brackenbrook's feet and was off again."

The other was that of Ted Pickthorne, "It was that white garbed fella! Not one o' those rip offs runnin' about in their white linen, bu' the proper one! He had the mask an' everything! He went through Combe on his horse from Chetwood up to Archet with that brigand's corpse in tow, that Tonson 'Deadknife' fella. I knew him when he was Tonson Wainwright, before he went off to become a brigand. I never liked him that much then, and I think we're better off with him dead, especially with the fright that killed his old ma', rest her soul, when she found out he was a brigand".

In the wake of this incident, which is supposed to have happened some weeks ago, shady people have been spotted inside the poorer parts of Bree, not too far from the Archives, alongside rumours of a power struggle between the remaining brigand leaders. We hope to gain a deeper understanding behind the Man in White's motives, whether he is just a wayward cutthroat as some have come to view him, or if he actually does have an ulterior motive. In the light of recent knowledge, revealed through our neighbouring paper the Herald, we at the Archives have come to think the latter. Time will only tell what happens next.

Henry Hatchcliff, Bree Archives' Scholar on the Street
One of the writers and rewriters of The Bree-Land Bawler

If it's too good to be true...

2009-07-10T14:00:00.000-07:00

Greetings astute readers, today's story may bear grim tidings for many of you out there.

In the past few hours, we have become aware of the presence of false coin in our fair town. This became aware to us here at the Archives when one of these coins was brought to us for examination after an unknowing Halfling stumbled upon one on the road and was informed by the bank that they could not handle it.

The coins, by all account, look to be of foreign nature; they are a good quarter-inch broader in diameter, imprinted with the head of a mighty beast on one side which from careful study has been identified as that of an Oliphaunt. Many seem to be made from gold, or at least coated in it.

The finder of the coin said he had noticed it just after dodging a cart bound for the South Gate of our fair town, yet no account of the cart leaving the gate was heard from either of the guards on duty at the gate. We await any further news of any such coins, and pray that our readers bear the reminder in mind of the old saying.

If it's too good to be true, it probably is - Which this scholar thinks works fittingly.
Meanwhile, the vault-keepers have urged us to warn all shop-keepers and bar-staff to be on the look out for any such of these coins. .

Henry Hatchcliff, Bree Archives' Scholar on the Street
One of the writers and rewriters of The Bree-Land Bawler

An update on the assault in the Prancing Pony

2009-07-04T17:51:00.000-07:00

A note was slipped under the door to the Archives this evening, and it bore no identification as to who sent it. It did however provide additional helpful information for those who read about the attack in the Inn.

The note states that the woman who was attacked was indeed Argewyn. It goes on to mention how she was saved from the situation and the proper treatment of her wounds was given, her wounds amounting to two broken ribs and several cuts to her head. Under these conditions she's been given a brace for her ribs and is confined to bed rest for some time so that she may come to heal. Our thoughts and well-wishes go out to the wounded for a speedy recovery.

This note depicts, as this scholar glances over an issue of the Herald, a very different version of the events that occurred in the Inn. The Herald describes the woman, who was harshly and remorselessly beaten to within an inch of her life, as a menace and indeed boasts that it was Jenn's husband a large, brutish man by the name of Siward that was part of this vicious assault, though it notably fails to mention that he had another man of large stature aiding him in the beating of a woman into such a critical condition. Big men indeed.

The Herald brands the wounded woman with the title of ‘coward’, yet it took two ‘big men’ to beat her. So far the captain of the Watch has been unable to comment on the events, which this scholar finds most troubling.

Bree is a different land from the good town that I grew up in, and in the darkness of lies, I hope the Bawler stands as a bright candle of truth.

Henry Hatchcliff, Bree Archives' Scholar on the Street

One of the writers and rewriters of The Bree-Land Bawler

Shock attack shocks many!

2009-07-03T18:32:00.000-07:00

Today, unlike most usual days in the well respected Inn of the Prancing Pony, a grave and most brutal assault took place within its warm and homely halls.

The attackers, under the whip of a feisty red head who identified herself as Jenn, a woman reported to be the daughter of the infamous -attempted- murderer Ulfr, attacked a woman savagely in the back halls of the establishment, wishing to deal out some cruel and unjust punishment. Two strong men, one the alleged husband of the previously mentioned red head, delivered several rounds of harsh blows to the woman, continuing their vicious attack even while the woman was on the ground, barely conscious.

Their reason behind attacking the woman, thought to be Argewyn, was that she had allegedly threatened one of their friends. An issue of the Herald stated that a threat came to the Herald's author from this same woman. If this scholar's logic is sound, could it be that the Herald’s reasons for glossing up the actions of the notorious Ulfr and his daughter Jenn, and portraying all those against him and his kin in a nefarious light, is all due to the fact that Ulfr’s daughter holds the reporter within her circle of friends?

Is it right for this kind of behaviour amongst the civilised societies of Arda? Is this who we want fronting the currently sole news outlet in Bree? This scholar thinks not.

And so I welcome you friends, to The Bree-Land Brawler.

Henry Hatchcliff, Bree Archives' Scholar on the Street

One of the writers and rewriters of The Bree-Land Bawler