News of the Night 9/18/99
Saturday, September 3:
Renaissance Festival Deaths Continue
In a gory reenactment of last week's tragedy, the Forever Knights
Renaissance Faire closed its gates at another battle--again, to
the death. Nine people attacked each other in front of Lady Diamond's
Tapestry Booth, for the second time in as many weeks. None of
the nine people survived the battle. The coroner cannot be reached
for comments.
Merideth Yssandra, proprietress of Lady Diamond's, says the event was a terrifying repeat of the last week's battle--the attackers gathered together in front of her store. One of them threw a beer bottle. Yssandra left her stall to get the police that were on duty at the festival following the previous incidents of violence, but when she returned, all nine had died apparently from blood loss, knife and axe wounds and trauma.
Forever Knights manager Glen Cooper says this incident will probably destroy the faire. "The artists'll carry on," Cooper said, "But the blood on our soil is just too much for the fair itself to survive."
Yssandra disagreed. "I can't do this again. There was a girl's life spilled on my display. It's too much. I'm not going to the Texas Festival this year--no money's worth it."
Monday, September 12:
Renaissance Festival Killings No Normal Brawl, Witnesses Say
Though the Bastrop coroner and city officials still have not released
information on the rash of fatal fights at the Forever Knights
Renaissance Faire, two new witnesses say the brawls were much
stranger than the police claimed.
"Of course they're hiding something," Jackie Thompson, a long-time faire-goer says. "We've had a few injuries, sure, but death by tavern-brawl went out in the dark ages. This was just abnormal." Three of the combatants grew animal-like claws, Thompson said, and half of them had eyes that glowed green."
Tamelin Stratford, a "busker," or sidewalk performer, also saw the fight. "That one guy with the tanktop, he was warped. I mean, when he started the fight he was scary, but at the end, he had biceps on top of his biceps--like, quadraceps."
Merideth Yssandra, who owns Lady Diamond's Tapestries where both fights took place, has left the Renaissance Festival Circuit, and has not been located by our reporters.
Wednesday, September 15 (back page, "Metro" section):
AIN Potluck Planning Session Saturday
Saturday, September 18: Leaders of Austin's religious groups will
gather with casserole dishes and potato chips to discuss what
they have named "Austin at War," and lay final plans
for the October "Walkathon" event. Any member of Austin's
faith community are welcome to attend. Bring a covered dish meal
to feed at least five. The Austin Interfaith Network "potluck
picnic" will run from 2-4 pm at Waterloo Park.
Saturday, September 17 (Back Page, Entertainment Section):
Delta Omega Alpha, Zeta Rho Omega Sweep PartyZilla
Two of the University's newest Greek organizations dominated the
crowds at Friday's "PartyZilla" annual event, with a
1/10 scale model of the "PartyZilla" itself and a massive
tailgate party with a live band and over 400 attendants, leaving
the other Greek events emptier than a six-pack in the summer.