The Defeat of The Maw

PDF downloads are the same stories as below, split into two documents.

According to legend...

A long time ago, a monster haunted the beaches of Salchester Lake. Every so often, the monster would rear its scaly head and long neck out of the water, spraying fat water droplets over the beach before letting out a random screech and attacking the beachgoers. The attacks were random; no one was able to predict when the monster would strike, but the citizens of Salchester couldn’t seem to give up their beloved beach trips. They started bringing swords and bows and arrows to the beach, but nothing could penetrate the scaly skin of the monster. After the first few attacks, the monster’s terrifying screech and deadly attacks earned it a name: The Maw.

One breezy summer day, The Maw lunged out of the lake toward the shore, where the local produce cart was passing by. The sun shone extra bright that day, glinting in The Maw’s eye, causing it to miss the merchant and instead topple over the produce cart. Apples, cabbages, and peaches bounced across the shore as the cart clattered into a heap of sticks. To the surprise of all of the beachgoers, The Maw started chasing after the tumbling fruits and vegetables. After gulping down several large cabbages and a few apples, it slithered back into the depths of the lake, the first time it had breached the surface of the lake without harming a single person. The people of Salchester began bringing all sorts of fruits and vegetables and other round objects to throw at The Maw if it ever attacked while they suntanned on the shores.

It wasn’t long before a set of gangly teenage twins grew tired of the worry they carried with them to the beach, never knowing if The Maw would strike, never knowing if the balls would be enough to distract and satiate it. They began devising a new weapon to use against the terrible monster. After several attempts and redesigns, the twins had fashioned a shallow net attached to a long stick that could toss balls farther and faster than any person could. They started visiting the local apothecary and working with them to create a poisonous elixir they could coat on the balls to hurl at The Maw. Together, they made several different concoctions, deciding to use each one to increase their chance of success.

Every beach trip, the twins packed their new weapons and poison-coated ammunition. Several sun-soaked trips went by without The Maw surfacing. Then, one crisp day early in the spring, the twins were meandering toward the beach when they heard the tell-tale screech of The Maw. They dropped everything except their weapons and sprinted to the shore. The scene was chaotic when they arrived, people running every direction, towels and picnic baskets abandoned, parasols tossed and trampled in the sand. The produce merchant, however, did not run, but stood with his toes in the water, juggling five small peaches in an attempt to distract The Maw so the other beachgoers could escape. It worked a little too well, as The Maw lunged for the peaches and snatched up not only the peaches, but the man as well.

The twins pushed through the chaos, but stopped before they reached the edge of the shore. They loaded up their weapons and started chucking the poison-coated balls high into the air. The round flying objects caught The Maw’s attention, and it dropped the juggling man into the lake and pounced toward the balls. It caught three of the poison balls before letting out an ear-splitting shriek even more shrill than usual. The monster’s head swayed back and forth in the air before it flopped back into the lake with a large splash. The beachgoers froze in disbelief before erupting into cheers, lifting the teens in the air in celebration. The juggling man crawled ashore and hugged the twins.

It is unknown which poisonous concoction did the trick, what kind of damage it caused, or if it killed The Maw. No one knows if The Maw is still sulking around the depths of Salchester Lake, but it has never since been seen terrorizing the shores of Salchester. The twins were regarded as town heroes, earning a parade and festival in their honor. Kids all across town admired their bravery and ingenuity, fashioning their own shallow-netted sticks and tossing balls back and forth (without any poison, of course). It did not take long until this turned into a game, with rules that were added and tweaked over time. Eventually, the sport was named lacrosse and quickly became a new favorite pastime in Salchester. Every year, a lacrosse tournament is held in celebration of the incredible and momentous defeat of The Maw.

Festival Traditions

The festival celebrating the defeat of the Maw includes a wide variety of traditions over the course of the holiday, in addition to the lacrosse tournament. At the beginning of the festival, a series of boat races are held down the Salchester River, using canoes carved in the shape of the legendary Maw and decorated with lustrous scales.

Following the races, a highly-anticipated juggling marathon is held on the shores of the lake. Contestants are given five peaches and attempt to juggle them as long as possible, with prizes awarded for juggling style in addition to the longest-lasting juggler. The contest is highly competitive, with the juggling starting around dawn and sometimes lasting until after the sun has set.

At the halfway point of the festival, there is a balloon battle, where people gather in the central town square of Salchester with (fully-biodegradable) balloons filled with colorful powders, representing the various poisons that the legendary twins threw at The Maw. The “battle” lasts 1 hour, with people throwing the balloons at each other, exploding the colorful powders all over each other. At the end of the hour, participants clean the town square together and partake in a large public feast.

For the final week of the festival, a vibrant fairground comes alive in Salchester. Activities include using miniature lacrosse sticks to toss small balls at targets decorated like The Maw, a cake baking competition where contestants attempt to make the largest and most impressive cakes in the shape of The Maw, and plays reenacting the legendary defeat of The Maw. The final day of the festival is met with revelry, featuring daylong dancing, singing, and feasting. Many produce merchants and stalls with various “elixirs” line the streets.