In Cyrene, it started with a call for help over the city channel from
Shadya, the exotic dancer. Eirefal, Barl, and Czanthria rushing to her
aid, found a thug standing over her, however, Shadya wished no action
taken. Eirefal remained to stand guard over her for a time, and also the
next month, when the thug returned to collect another payment.

Investigations by many citizens over the next few days allowed the city
to piece together that a protection ring had been running in Cyrene for
as long as any denizen could remember, although this incident was the
first time that any city official had noticed it in action.

The thug's controller contacted Beneficia, to apologize for the incident
and assure her it would not happen again. Kusanagi and Sabel
subsequently found a body floating in Lake Muurn, which Shadya was able
to identify as the thug who had formerly collected from her. A new thug
was apparently assigned to the collection route; Relos and Zarhan staked
out the Ram's Horn, and were able to tail the thug, until attacks on him
by overzealous citizens caused him to abort his route, and return to his
home in the shanty town.

The following month, the stakeout continued. This time, they cornered
the thug, and forcibly extracted from him the place and time at which he
would normally meet his controller. A careful stakeout of the meeting
place resulted in the apprehension of a man, but when two citizens tied
him up and threatened to torture him, he called for a guard, who, at
Aeryi's order, took him into protective custody. The man (now identified
as 'Daniel') was closely questioned by Aeryi and Beneficia while in
jail, but gave away little useful information. Magistrate Gaulth
contacted Aeryi about the man in custody.

News of his threatened torture had created many ripples in the city, and
no-one was willing to come forward to testify against him. Whatever else
the syndicate may have done, it had never tortured any citizen. The man
finally had to be released for lack of evidence.

Some time later, Fredericia, the owner of Cyrene's new giftshop,
contacted Aeryi to tell her thugs had contacted her. The city placed a
constant guard on her shop, and Fredericia was troubled no further by
them. Elora, a bard novice, was recruited by a thug to collect payments
from several shop owners; she reported the matter to her guild elders,
who reported it to the city, who took steps to shut down any further
recruitment of newbies. Subsequent reports that Elora had been attacked
by a thug inside the bard's guild hall, sent shockwaves through the
city. Prominent citizens came forward, offering to mediate between the
Senate and the gang.

The swift and organized response of the city to every contact with the
gang, effectively suppressed its visible operations, and with Felisse's
declaration of victory, they seem to have faded back into the shadows.
For now, it is back to business as usual in Cyrene.


Penned by my hand on the 6th of Chronos, in the year 363 AF.