By Chester Seaton, News

17/2/282- A series of recent pirate attacks off the coast of the Newland colonies have left the Colonial Navy scratching their heads recently. However, evidence found at aboard a recent vessel attacked two weeks ago suggests the return of an old threat.

“In most of these recent incidents, most of the crew have been murdered,” said Captain Benjamin Nestle, the colonial liaison to the Triumvirate Authority. “With this most recent pirate raid, however, we have an eye witness.”

Details surrounding the eyewitness’s identity are be kept secret, for obvious reasons, though Captain Nestle did say that the individual was a stowaway.

“The witness told us that the attack happened quickly in the early morning hours, during a thick fog,” the captain said. “From this individual’s hiding place, they were able to watch as the pirates moved through the ship, killing the crew, robbing their bodies and breaking open cargo.”

All of this seems fairly standard for a pirate raid, but one detail in the witness’s report caught the Captain’s attention.

“The pirates all had missing limbs replaced with mechanical facsimiles. This is a well-known trait of the Von Grimm gang.”

Doctor Argyle Von Grimm, aka the Mad Mechanist of Mosaille, is believed to require members of his gang to sacrifice a limb that he then replaces with highly intricate prostheses that contain a number of deadly devices. Last year, Von Grimm led the colonial authorities on a wild goose chase across the frontier, nearly causing a war with the indigenous territories. By the time the authorities sorted out the mess, Von Grimm had escaped.

“Von Grimm had gone quiet in recent months,” Captain Nestle said. “A selfish part of me had hoped that he’d quit himself of the colonies and was harrying some other poor lot. It seems he’s returned, however, such is our luck. Rest assured, the Colonial Navy is making the apprehension of Von Grimm’s new pirate endeavour a priority.”

The eye witness found aboard the ship was taken into custody, Nestle also told us, and will face charges for stowing away aboard the vessel.