"Tales of the Village Idiot"

by Flutterbee Wyld-fyre

Once a month the old-fashioned country inn in the hafling village of Arthe Dale, comes alive with laughter, song, and dance. The Arthe Dale Concert Series is managed by Daerlynn Soulmyste and sponsored by the Lorethew Mentor Society. This concert series strives to present talented performers to the local community. The success of these concerts has been overwhelming. Folks from all over Elanthia have been visiting the Arthe Hollow Inn now famous for its fresh tarts and uncommon entertainment. The latest performer in this series is Jeremy Galen Isembard, Esquire. Gale, as he prefers to be called, is a young farm boy turned bard. His gold brown hair and ale brown eyes accent his rugged features. Raised on his father’s farm west of Crossings, he learned to ranch herd leucros at a young age. Isembard was only thirteen when ogres attacked the family farm and killed his father, and shortly there after, he moved with his mother to Crossing.

I shared a glass of Sand Spit Rum as we spoke about the life and tales of the village idiot. Appropriate, since we met for this interview at the Sand Pit Tavern. Gale invited me to a secluded table where I met his fiancé, Ridelle. I was not sure what to make of the sturdy pine casket labeled “Dear Ol Mum” that rested in the center of the table. Gale quickly explained that it contained the mummified remains of his mother, who died of consumption. Once she was gone, he was an orphan. Luckily, Silvryfrost has a soft spot for orphans, and gave him irregular jobs writing jingles and busking for various events.

Galen is a member of the Tavern Troupe performance order, and is indebted to them for curing him of his stage fright. Bubbinster Bladebender and Gweneyth Merjauth were among the first bards to take an interest in him, teaching him the ways of being a successful minstrel.

I sipped my rum and flipped through the various questions I like to ask performers. Finally, I decided to learn more about how he met his fiance, Ridelle. They met in Shard at the local Bard Guild. After some chit chat, they made a trip to the survival shop where Gale surprised her with a long stemmed white rose. Being himself, he was rather straightforward when he asked, “Have ye ever been on a date?” When Ridelle
responded no, they made plans to have a lovely dinner at the Phoenix Inn. And the rest? Well, they plan on a huge wedding aboard the riverboat in a couple of months. Tavern Troupe will be performing, naturally.

When I asked Galen why he joined the bard guild, he responded, “I needed the tips.” This, it seems, was to pay for his mother’s illness. It is a wonderful thing to be paid for what one does best. I finished my rum and grinned when I asked Gale to tell me about the craziest thing he has ever done. He felt perhaps this was not the place to detail such things as he grinned at his fiancé.

His favorite saying is, “Crikey” which makes sense if you consider he spent much of his youth in the less favorable parts of Crossing. His favorite food is ale, because he can no longer digest solids (which explains the ale-brown eyes). He claims his favorite drink is Granny’s #3 Whiskey, because "she always made it best". Gale’s favorite instrument is “Bill” the Mandolin. No special story there, as “Bill” says it all when he speaks. And this bard’s favorite colors are gold and purple, because Gale has “delusions a’ grandeur.” He has no real words of wisdom, except to encourage folks to do what they love. The quote he would like to be remembered by is “Did it hurt?” because it fits almost any situation.

He is inspired to write his works mostly through farce and satire. The two pieces he has chosen to share with Waerd Aev readers are, “My Therengian Fancy” and “The Tragic Tale of the Maid and the Janitor.” The first song is an ode to the road. It is a reflection of Gale’s early travels with his mentors, Mister Oogelbie Pickterschlogon and Gweneyth Merjauth. The second piece is a tragic tale, truly. It is a duet that explores what happens when a janitor sweeps the floor. The piece was well received at the concert, and provides a real change of pace for the fun loving satire representative of Gale’s standard fare.

By my hand, Flutterbee