*N.B: .The following folk tales, song and rhymes encountered come from varying sources, some of which originate specifically from local and in the lesser known dialects of the region they were recorded in. To the best of my ability and to attempt to preserve their lyrical and cultural integrity, I have transcribed phonetically as to do them justice... no matter how strange or bizarre they might sometimes sound for the part.
Let the Reader be advised.*
The first lyrics in this book were brought to my attention by a travelling adventurer at the Dented Shield Inn in Willowshire.
They have previously passed through a rather particular town that had dealt occasion with an even more particular tog...
If there is any truth to be had in the tale of the song.
Wee Wily Toggy
Wee Wily Toggy
Rins through the toun,
Sideways and backways
Barkin at the moun,
Wakin all the touns folks,
Beat'n all the clocks,
Com'on Wily Toggy
Now you've got to stop!
Hey Wily Toggy
Won't ye let us sleep?
The Mog juice's stash'd in the barrel
And the un'dead been put back to sleep,
Though we mighten kno 'bout the turducken
And in the morin' there might be an army!
My word Wily Toggy
'Til then can't we have some peace?
Hey Willy Toggy
Enough is enough!
The paint fairy's losin her hex codes,
The Guardians ar wearin mops,
If ye keep barkin mad like that
We'll be mad 'thin the week!
We'll grow a hundred tentacles
And be Kathool's groupies.
Onythin but the Avatars' rest!
Bark and bark all week!
We avent had a wink of it,
We starten to see monkey geeks,
We tried to move the toun on Monday,
The Wind Cyclops blew us back Tuesday night,
Avatars Wily Toggy
Couldn't ya rather bite?
Wee Wily Toggy
Rins through the toun,
Sideways and backways
Barkin at the moun,
Wakin al the touns folks,
Beat'n al the clocks,
Com'on Wily Toggyyy
Now you've got to stop!
The next song was told to me by a bunch of Verterochian natives who had settled in and around the Capital.
They mentioned something about remarkable cheese seller or something of the kind and apparently once a man from Verteroche that had been involved...
Either that or they were having fun at my expense.
It's a long way to Swordhaven
Up to mighty Swordhaven came a Verteroche man one day
And as the street were paved with knights, sure the puns were neigh!
Singing songs from Dragon Alley, Thrand and Alteon Square,
Till Remy got all excited and shouted to them there:
Itz a long way to Sword'aven,
Itz a long way to go.
Itz a long way to Sword'aven,
It ze sweetest cheese I know!
Aurevoir to Dragon Alley,
So long Alteon Square!
Itz a long way to Sword'aven,
But my cheese is right zere.
Remy wrote a letter to his Verterochian Jacqueline O.
Saying: "Should vous recieve zis letter by gryphon
Send anozer back for ze cheese to go!
I will send it all back promptly,
And come back 'ome wis' some more!
Itz a long way to Sword'aven,
Itz a long way to go.
Itz a long way to Sword'aven,
It ze sweetest cheese I know!
Aurevoir to Dragon Alley,
So long Alteon Square!
Itz a long way to Sword'aven,
But my cheese is right zere.
Jacqueline wrote a curt reply to Verterochian Remy O.
Saying: 'I've 'ad assez wis' your cheesy nonsense! Itz time to let it go!
Return 'ome at once wit's ze stuff for ze kids
Or my boot will 'ave vous know!
Poor Remy breathed a sigh, packed his bags and went
But not before singing one last time, again and again:
Itz a long way to Sword'aven,
Itz a long way to go.
Itz a long way to Sword'aven,
It ze sweetest cheese I know!
Aurevoir to Dragon Alley,
So long Alteon Square!
Itz a long way to Sword'aven,
But my cheese is right zere.
This one was rather odd I have to say.
I was in a small country town seeking out new stories and hymns to collect when, seemingly out of the blue, a dragon-yes, you heard right-of all things came up to me. Mind you, it was a baby, or toddler, my expertise in dragonology is sadly lacking here ; it seemed to beckon me into taking a piece of parchment paper it held in its mouth.
I, bafflingly, snatched it from its jaws (damaging part of the scroll, sadly) and, as oddly as it had wandered in, it wandered right off. I must have sat there for what must have been a good few minutes a bit bemused by how equally rare, and silly, event that had just occured was.
Sometime later and one near brush with a dangerous pack of Dravir, I happened upon a strange room in ruins of which I will not reveal the location. I was exhausted from fleeing when a cold hand placed itself upon my shoulder and almost scared the living Elements out of me.
A spectral blue Guardian bobbed before my shaken self and asked as simply as the living what I was doing here. I hadn't formed much of a thought when he turned his attention to the scroll that sticking out of one of my own satchels, grabbed ahold of it somehow and read it aloud. As it so happened, it was the scroll the dragon had given me.
It was the strangest thing as he seemed less to be speaking and sounding much more like grinding of two mountains against each other ; and his words were deafening or seemed to reduce other sounds around.
The Ghost Guardian later explained to me that the scroll I had come into possession was written in Draconic, the ancient language of Dragons. He also seemed to think it derived from a noticeably ancient pattern although he said this more to himself and as a pondering murmur.
When I pushed him about it, he wouldn't say any more however he was kind enough to translate it for me so that I could produce what it is found below:
Two dragons went out to play
Under the sun and far, far away
Avatars said, "It's time for your snack."
But only one dragon came back
One dragon went out to play
Under the moon and far, far away
Avatars said, "It's time for your snack."
But none of the dragons came back
The last finding still makes me wonder sometimes... I had reviewed most of the evening's merrymakers at the Running Sneevil Inn without discernible luck. I sat down with my own tankard of juice resigned to drink and be done for the evening with my collections work when a man came up to my table and asked if he could share a drink with me. I was tired by this point and could have turned him away, not being someone for merry company of crowds unless demanded by work, but for some reason I decided to indulge the man and invited him to sit down.
As the tankards were brought and emptied, our trivial gossip and talk warmed until we were on quite friendly and lively terms.
We weren't even discussing of deep or provoking matters, but it seemed this man had traveled or at least seen many other places in the kingdom as I for to every remark I could supply about one place, he would know another in knd to go right along. Finally, as the evening drew to a close, I thanked him very much for his most enjoyable company and said I would retire to my quarters for the night before leaving the town the next morn. The man smiled and seemed ready to reply the same when he suddenly interrupted himself, turned all quiet and simply sat there.
I asked him if something was the matter and he replied, after a moment, asking if I wanted to add a children's rhyme for my collections.
I was surprised: he must have caught sight of me earlier trying to coax something out of the other patrons, but I happily replied that I most certainly would if it came from him.
The man smiled, if nervously, and took out a piece of parchment paper from the satchel he carried with him and handed it to me. I took the piece read through it, frowned to myself and asked what this rhyme was about. For a while, the man said nothing and seemed like he'd give no answer. But then he said plainly:
"...a friend."
And then he simply got up, walked out of the Inn into the night and I never saw the man again.
He used to play with ald the children
Ill and sad and lo
And when the young and old were hurtin
He'd get them up from low
He'd come to town with'ou a whisper
Sneaky and quiet and masterfol
But then he'd turned just like a Fair
Colorfol, loud and wonderfol
He had a big heart right on his chest
Beat, beat and go
When he spoke to us in pain
We laughed ald a plentifol
He'd play around, he'd fool around
Hearts and Diamonds and Clubs
He'd listen down, give cheers so sound
Spades and hearts and Clubs
He used to play with ald the chidlren
Some long time ago
When he'd go off and leave the town
We'd wait for him ano
The Dragon's Ire, The Bandit's threatenin
He'd make them ald just go
He used to play with ald the children
Turning away all the noes
Upon one day 'fter all the cheers
And two grownups were in a ro
While he'd work to spread the smiles
These ones couldn't kno
He tried and tried to turn the fight
To make these friends from foes
But then a strike came with a fright
Shattered his heart with ald its might
Into the broken heart we kno
Gan is his heart, gan is his head.
Gan is the one we kno
He used to play with ald the children
But now gan is the one we kno
Withou' a heart, a righteous heart
Withou' the kindness to go
You'll lose your head right from the start
And gan will be the one you kno
The heart was broke in thousand pieces
Bits and pieces and morsols
We tried to piece it back together
But it wasn't the heart we kno
The heart was warped, the heart was jagged,
The broken heart of woe
We couldn't put it right back together
Warped and sorry and woefol
He used to play with ald the children
To be the funniest one we kno
But now he's frightfol one to see
He's not the same as befo.
Gan is his heart, gan is his head.
Gan is the one we kno
He used to play with ald the children
But now gan is the one we kno
Withou' a heart, a righteous heart
Withou' the kindness to go
You'll lose your head right from the start
And gan will be the one you kno
~Talisin the Bard