By Chester Seaton, News

11/8- The colonial frontier runs red with blood as the Colonial Marshals report that a small frontier town was attacked by a Duv-Ayid raiding party late last week. The Marshals report over sixty fatalities on both sides.

“The initial conclusion reached by many is that the Duv-Ayid attacked a town unprovoked,” said Lieutenant Stanley Field, an officer with the Marshals sent to investigate the incident. “The remainder of the town and several of my men have their blood up and are looking for a fight, but I believe this would be folly.”

The reason for Fielder’s conclusion?

“For one, Duv-Ayid scouts have been spotted along the plains of the frontier for more than a month now. Thus far they have made no acts of aggression beyond their mere presence, and we have standing orders not to engage unless they act first.

“Secondly, and this is the most curious aspect, several of those killed during the attack have clockwork prostheses similar to those worn by Doctor Argyle Von Grimm’s gang. This wouldn’t be too surprising, were these dead on one side of the fight or the other. But these prostheses were found amongst the dead of both the Duv-Ayid and the townspeople.”

This strange development has led Fielder to develop a disturbing theory.

“It is my belief that Von Grimm has manipulated both sides into conflict. Not only that, but I believe that Von Grimm is the man responsible for supplying the Duv-Ayid with the advanced rifles they used during the attack.

“Furthermore, it is my belief that Von Grimm has not only supplied the Duv-Ayid with these weapons, but the separatists who tried to assassinate governor Ancroft as well. It’s also entirely possible that he is supplying these weapons to the Dougherty rebellion in Monteddor, as well as the recent military coups in Thankaen and Ganborrah.”

These conclusions lead one to wonder how a bandit in the colonies could have such a far reaching influence, however. After all, early conjecture about the possibility of Von Grimm supplying these weapons were shot down as being ludicrous.

“People forget that Von Grimm’s career didn’t begin in the colonies…he was a menace for decades in Nor Easter,” Fielder said. “He also has had dealings with the Royals in Monteddor. The man is connected, and he’s a technical mastermind. Some say he’s on par with Rinkenbach, if Rinkenbach were actively malevolent rather than carelessly aloof.

“If anyone has the the mind, the motivation, and the resources to enact such a far reaching conspiracy of unrest, I’d say it’s Von Grimm. It’s always been Von Grimm, and people seem to have forgotten that fact.”