[littlemanpoet]

Cailín's and Alcarillo's preferences in names were a mystery to the rest of the residents of Sealville. "Theph Antom?" Saucy had asked. "What is that, a variant on phlegm and spit?" "Now, Saucy," Celuien would say, "you shouldn't say such things. How do you ever expect his parents to give you business?" "At least they didn't mess up on that younger son," Saucy had been known to say, "Good solid name from the eastern parts. Where they ever heard of such a name I couldn't say, but 'Eomer' just has a better ring to it than 'Theph'." Saucy would shake his head.

Theph Antom, son of Alcar Illo, left town as soon as he could. He left a pimply, pale, self-conscious teen who always cringed when others would mock his name and compare it to spit, phlegm, and things yet worse. "He'll probably die in a rat hole somewhere," Lalaith had said once.

When he returned to Sealville, the residents at first did not realize it was the same person. Confident he was, swaggering he walked, and called himself "The phantom". Eyebrows rose. "Better way to cut the name up," Saucy had commented. "Has a ring to it," Lalaith admitted. "What that new twist has in it," growled Sleepy, 'is a darkness, something not altogether of the day, if you take my meaning." Diamond agreed with Sleepy, and liked the change even less when the phantom took a liking to her middle daughter.
"He's reckless, arrogant, and altogether too adventurous for Zali. No good will come of it, you'll see," she proffered, or prophesied, depending on who remembered her words and how they took them.

Naria, now, she didn't seem to cast more than a half a glance at the phantom, so busy she was with her own simple life. "Chamber pots," commented Lalaith, rolling her eyes. "Who on earth would choose such a job?" "Well don't you know," gossiped Roa, "Saucy and Celuey never paid her enough attention. Neglected the poor thing, made her think she was worth no more than what you find in chamber pots, so it was natural she'd take to them." "You're weaving yet another odd tale, Roa," said Diamond.

The long and the short of it was that the entire village was aghast, surprised, and benumbed the morning of the new day when they found Naria and the phantom arm in arm, body to body, tight as lovers, lying at the foot of the Watcher rock. They weren't moving. They were both dead. The phantom's hand was still on a knife in the throat of Naria. Naria's now human teeth were still on the torn throat of the phantom.

~ The Tally ~

One evil wizard
One good wizard
Two werewolves
One seer

~ The Dead ~

Elempi, father of Diamond of the Battledore, killed on Night One
Loki the leech collector, lynched on Day One: innocent
The Saucepan Man the barkeep, killed on Night Two: innocent
Nogrod the retired jester, lynched on Day Two: werewolf
the phantom the loud, unpredictable, adventurer: hunter
Naria the servant who empties and cleans chamber pots: werewolf

~ The Living ~

Diamond of the Battledore
Celuien the Healer and Cupper
Caranlondien the Sled-Team Driver
Roa Aoife the weaver
Dancing Spawn of Ungoliant the Baker
Kath the minstrel
Lommy the little girl who steals other children's candy
Lhunardawen the jeweler
Glirdan with the giant crush on Kath
Valier the gardener
Sleepy Ranger the former wanderer
Kitanna the beloved of Eomer
Firefoot the artist
Alcarillo the old retired sea captain
Cailín the match maker
Oddwen the filthy, insane street urchin who steals chickens
mormegil the retired mariner and current mayor
Feanor the shepherdess with a love of alliteration
Zali the seamstress and beloved of the phantom
Jenny Hallu the unmarried maiden & aunt
Lalaith the frivolous aunt and guardian of Oddwen
Eonwe the freeloading husband of Lhunardawen
Eomer the adventurer & lover of Kitanna
Nilpaurion the ne'er do well hubby of Dancing Spawn
Gurthang the stable-hand