This week has so far seen a bit of the usual. Starting out with a blast (pun intended) as a bomb went off in Old Town, followed up by the attempted murder of Ruskov Thoradan, who narrowly escaped the grasps of death as one of his loyal employees took a bullet for him.
Wednesday night a woman approached me outside our new office (Did I mention we have a moving day tonight, Friday at 20:30? pizza and beer if you come help!), she introduced herself as Marianne Specter and continued to tell me how she had not just been attacked, but actually run through with a sword by Ruskov Thoradan, nearly killed. This has been confirmed by Sergeant Larony of Golf Unit also known as The King's Footmen, a division of the Stormwind City Guards. The Sergeant however explained to me that it was a case of self-defence. As the victim of a recent murder-attempt, minutes before Marianna Spencer approached him and his people, he acted out of fear for his life. He has been fined for this.
Sgt. Larony: Oh. Marianne Specter. She -was- at the scene. Ruskov did stab her, but it was self-defence. She ran toward them, after two of his people have been shot. What would you have done?
Hardhy: I honestly don't know
Of course, the question - as always - remains whether a fine is a suitable punishment for almost killing a person, especially considering Ruskov Thoradan is not exactly a man without means. A fine as it where would have had little consequences for him. But I digress, this is not what this article is about.
Same woman - Marianne Spencer - later introduced me to a woman of the name Alana Cleery who had an unfortunate experience with Lady Thoradan, Ruskov Thoradan's wife. Apparently she was accosted and followed and accused of various things, allegedly they also paid someone to follow her.
Whether any of this is true is hard to say, but what remains a fact is that the guards are connecting the attempted murder of Ruskov Thoradan and the recent bombing in Old Town with a series of other crimes happening in Stormwind lately with a woman from Westfall.
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Sgt. Larony: Well, there's maybe... two we know she did. Four she's linked to. Sorry, three. There was a fire bombing on Reid's shop in Old Town. Then there was a grenade attack. Two dead, we believe. More injured. Aida Moore was among the casualties. And then Ruskov's attempted assassination.
Hardhy: Any idea why she is doing this?
Sgt. Larony: We believe she's a Westfallian gangster, trying to muscle in to Stormwind. She's got an outfit, but they're fast, agile. Not like your typical Old Town gang. Why attack the Thoradan's? Well, there's one school of thought that they caught her and her gang during a meeting.
Hardhy: She works alone?
Sgt. Larony: She's got men. We know there were two involved in the bombing, and three in the attempted assassination of Ruskov.
Sergeant Larony said the woman's name is Shana, but has a known alias of Marigold Yurie, but as is the case with most people who use an alias, then if they have one, they have many. He also gave a description but mentioned she might have bleached her skin. I didn't even know that was a thing.
Sgt. Larony: The woman we're after for it - Shana. Young, average height. Black hair, dreadlocks. Scar on her nose. Speaks in a Westfallian accent. Apparently she bleached her skin to avoid capture.
Hardhy: Bleached her skin? you can do that?
Sgt. Larony: Aye. It's amazing what the barbers can do nowadays.
Sketch of
"Shana"
The Sergeant could not tell me if there is a reward for information leading to the woman's arrest, but I am sure our readers are law-abiding citizens who will happily help the guard make the city safer - even if there is no reward.