he Matchlocks and The Panther’s Wrath however were intractable, and only abandoned the hostage to cover their escape across the river on concealed rafts where they then dispersed into the gloom of Duskwood with the stolen goods (including the rifle) still in their possession.

While the owner of the caravan remains unknown and thus unable to comment on the loss of the substantial haul, the mysterious Matchlocks and Panthers were all too happy to gloat over their crime by delivering their own version of events (detailed here only after corroboration with law officers) to the offices of The Alliance Herald, along with letters mocking the incapability of the Guard to capture them and several cutting comments about Liskan Naske’s character and private life. Investigations through official channels are underway, and Master Saon, leader of The League of the Sword, is thought to have declared the Matchlocks and Panthers as sworn enemies and the group is now seeking repayment for the loss in blood.

The League managed to push the raiders back, capturing one of the Panther’s Wrath bandits in the process. They could not however stop the villains from escaping with sacks and saddlebags stuffed with booty and an unconscious night elf slung over a horse’s back. The Matchlocks then doubled back to liberate their incarcerated comrade.

Unwilling to leave the hostage in the hands of the bandits, Azoran, a member of The League of the Sword, accompanied by well-known “businessman” and Republican sympathiser Liskan Naske (whose part in this affair is unknown but considered suspicious at best by authorities), tracked the members of the two criminal groups to a camp on the riverbank to broker release of the prisoner and the return of an ornate rifle that had belonged to Azoran and is thought to have been worth a large sum.

How this tale will finally end remains to be seen, but the Matchlocks and The Panther’s Wrath have obviously announced their intentions with this audacious raid, and no doubt are planning more crimes. The City Guard request calm and vigilance from the people of the region, and any information on the whereabouts of these criminal fraternities should be delivered to the authorities forthwith.