Sextidi, Fructidor, décade 35, MMCCCV (3701 AM)
by
Marquise Jeanne de La Brouhaha
OFFICIAL CORRESPONDENCE OF THE REPUBLIC
CONSULAR DISPATCH TO THE EMBASSY IN ASHDRABAD
To Her Excellency Anaïs Chateaubriand, Ambassador to the Alliance,
A provisional investigation conducted by the High Office of the Consular Vicariate has uncovered the presence of a criminal organisation known as the 'Firelights' who operate in Ashdrabad's Nightstalls district. Whether or not the presence of these Firelights were known to local authorities and other vested interest groups is currently irrelevant, as the danger that this organisation poses far exceeds that which could reasonably be expected for a middling criminal enterprise in an urban metropolis, which the following paragraph should make clear.
Two days ago, a small number of Firelight agitators riled up approximately four dozen locals and had them attack a group that contained an authorised representative of the Golden Republic. The mob was notably supplied with several flasks of acid, which were thrown at the group, and it is by the fortune of circumstance that no-one suffered any permanent injuries or fell victim during the attack. As an organisation, the Firelights maintain a structured hierarchy of leadership and have a clear internal division of roles. The Great Serpent appears to be their leader; the 'Bluesnakes' act as their armed enforcers; and the 'Orange Scarves' are the organisation's fixers, spokespeople, and apparent middlemen. The full range of their activities is at this stage in time unknown. However, they are known to target the destitute and desperate, promising them food and shelter by relocating them to the southeast. This is a ruse: during this process, Bluesnakes periodically elect people for 'special tasks' which ends with the person being sacrificed to the Great Serpent. It is not known what happens to the people who remain. My qualified guess is that they are used as slave labour. The Firelights are locally known for being able to erase peoples' identities and make them disappear. Whilst it is possible that everyone who comes to them is eventually sacrificed, thus 'disappearing,' this seems the unlikeliest alternative. The Great Serpent rules the subterranean black market in the Nightstalls, and it is not inconceivable that the Firelights have agreements with its stall-holders to send them people in exchange for materiel support.
At half past midnight today, I assumed temporary command of a small detachment of Golden Legionnaires in order to extract a compromised asset from the Nightstalls. During the operation, we encountered the Great Serpent in person. I would like to present the exact details at your earliest convenience.
FIAT JUSTITIA RUAT CAELUM
IN THE NAME OF THE REPUBLIC,
Marquise Jeanne TENASSETTE de La Brouhaha
Consular Vicariate of the Chancellery of Frankonia
Written on sextidi, Fructidor, décade 35, MMCCCV.