Rostron Plaza
| Rostron Plaza
Pitneybank [85, 49]
Basic Info:
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Description
This wide plaza is paved with grey cobblestones in an overlapping fan pattern. The remains of a marble and bronze fountain adorn the center, a mucky dribble of water still streams from the virtually destroyed and utterly unidentifiable bronze sculpture at the top. The marble basin has been defaced and smashed in several locations, spilling its contents into the plaza and creating a slippery puddle of green slime. An eight-foot-tall concrete monument is simply labeled Rostron Plaza in Gothic lettering.
History
In the early 1820s, Doctor Trevor Rostron was given a substantial grant by Sir Guy Alner. Sir Guy had an interest in finding a cure for an obscure family illness. Some historians have written that the disease was a form of Tourette's Syndrome mixed with Hemophilia, however, other researchers speculate that the disease might have been something far worse. Whatever the nature of the infliction, Sir Guy was extraordinarily generous with the monies he gave to Dr. Rostron. The Doctor built a large research facility on the grounds of what today is Muirhead Bank. With virtually unlimited funds, he began intense medical research. The results of the research were disappointing and inconclusive to say the least. By 1830 Sir Guy had lost faith in Dr. Rostron and withdrawn much of his funding.
Then, in 1831, a massive influenza epidemic swept through Malton. The population was terrified. In a last ditch effort to save his career, Dr Rostron attempted to adapt his research to battle the epidemic. Initial applications of his new vaccine, called Rostronium X were nothing short of miraculous! Patients receiving the drug were almost completely recovered within a few hours. Word of the new wonder drug spread throughout Malton like wildfire.
Lines of people awaiting their shot of Rostronium X wrapped down the street all the way to Fort Creedy. The Doctor was ill-equipped to handle the demand, and quickly ran out of serum. The frantic unfortunates still afflicted with the rampant disease stormed the research facility and in their desperation accidentally set it ablaze. In the ensuing inferno 23 people lost their lives, however, this was nothing compared to the loss of life two weeks later when Rostronium X proved to be anything but a cure. The recovery experienced by some 2,250 people reversed horrifically as the disease returned at a hyper-intensified rate, killing the victim within six hours.
The government reacted quickly and erected a quarantine palisade around the open field adjacent to the burned out research facility. There, they corralled the Rostronium X victims and waited for the inevitable. It took only two days. When the last victim expired, wagon loads of dirt and quicklime were hauled in and poured over the bodies. A priest gave final rights, and then the cobblestones were laid over the corpses. This is the true story of Rostron Plaza.
Dr. Rostron went into hiding. He managed to elude justice for close to a month when he was finally found hiding among the roof top tobacco gardens of the Lowther Building by a young lad tending the delicate shading structures. In a mad scramble to leap to a balcony below, the Doctor miscalculated his jump and plummeted to his demise on the sidewalk below.
If you found this article useful, and want to learn more, refer to the histories of the Lowther Building, Muirhead Bank, and the Dill Monument.
