Gratuitous river monster!
The clump of Red Bankers nearest him all headed to the nearest river-facing wall, taking care to keep a few feet away from the edge overlooking the Navesink. As they took position, a few ran to boxes set at regular intervals and opened them, revealing broad-bladed chopping axes. Those without an ax of their own quickly reached for one, although enough townsmen kept their swords to make Morgan decide it was safe to keep his.
There they waited. The scene was tense, and as quiet as it could be when every bell on the wall was seemingly now ringing. It struck Morgan: whatever was going on here, it would hardly be a surprise to the Red Bankers.
And he would rather it not be a surprise to him, too. Carefully, as to not startle anyone now nervously carrying an ax, he said, “So, hey: this wasn’t in the tourist brochure?”
That actually got a laugh! So the situation isn’t grim, just not great and maybe a little horrible, thought Morgan. One woman (vampire, based on the full-body covering) even replied. “Somebody suggested that as a slogan! ‘Visit Red Bank! The neversinkers await you!’ But the Council said no.”
“That’s a shame,” said Morgan. He paused. “What’s a neversinker?”
Ahead of them, two long arms boiled out of the water to grab the top of the wall. The arms bunched and thickened as they dragged up a vaguely potato-shaped body, with flipper-like legs — and a nightmare of teeth and whiskers, attached to a serpentine neck.
“That,” said the vampire.