The Shadowflame

Myths surrounding a skilled assassin in the Kingdom of Fir'arun.

Summary

Murders

"Once they have their eyes on you, you are dead. There is no way to escape."

Numerous deaths during the past decade are attributed to the Shadowflame. It seems like this person eliminated more than a dozen members of the upper class in Gab'enur, from wealthy business people to true nobility. Two dozen murders in Sav'enur are said to be their doing, and there are certain cases in Sil'heva that make people suspect them as the culprit.
What makes those deaths remarkable is the utter lack of traces besides the corpses themselves. There are no signs of breaking and entering the crime scenes, nor a single witness reporting unusual sights or sounds.

Abilities

"They can move through walls. How else would you explain that they get into heavily guarded mansions without witnesses?"

The bodies of alleged victims tend to show stab wounds, and occasional burn marks on their flesh and clothes hint at a Fire wielder. However, an attunement to this Element manifests as glowing pupils on an Elf, and those would make hiding very difficult for the Shadowflame. Consequently, many people are convinced that this assassin must be of a different species.

"They are clearly not an Elf. The Elements do not enable these powers, and only insanely powerful wielders are able to create portals. And those wielders need to work together."

One persistent belief is that the Shadowflame can pass through locked doors and windows, or even solid walls. Some claim that they even got to victims in well-guarded rooms, without the guards noticing anything out of the ordinary. Portals, like those that allow traveling to distant lands, have been proposed as the answer, but so far, nobody could provide a satisfying explanation how a single person could use them so precisely.
Naturally occurring portals are often unreliable, and while they can be influenced by controlling atmospheric conditions, the necessary procedures are only understood by few and require careful orchestration of different wielders. However, such coordinated effort would be almost impossible to happen in secret, because it would mean that even more than one person can go unnoticed like the Shadowflame does.

Personality

"If they have such powers - why do they bother with taking on assassination jobs?" - "For fun, clearly. What other reason could it be?"

Since the Shadowflame appears far more powerful than their profession requires, the general assumption is that they do not need to kill just to make a living. This, in turn, implies that they enjoy the act of murder itself.
The fact that this bloodthirsty monster goes after high-ranking members of society also indicates a deep-set hatred towards them. Many people speculate that the Shadowflame might be of noble blood themselves, but either fell from grace or was a bastard child who was denied by their parent.

Historical Basis

Most assassins can only be hired via intermediaries - and it's a suspicious coincidence that two such intermediaries were found dead when investigators believed they were closing in on the Shadowflame.

Gab'enur

After a series of murders among the town's upper class, investigations focused on those who would benefit from those deaths and have the financial means to hire an assassin of that skill level. Eventually, an employee of a suspected client tried to clear his conscience by revealing the intermediary. The town guards tried to apprehend that person as quickly as possible, but the Shadowflame (if it was indeed them) got there first and left the investigators guessing.

Sav'enur

Four years later, a Werewolf man was arrested for blackmail in Sav'enur. He claimed that he had seen somebody discuss plans for a murder in a tavern, and had followed the negotiator to the estate of their employer. Said employer was already under suspicion for hiring the Shadowflame, but firmly denied knowing the negotiator, who was later found dead in an alley.
The intermediary, on the other hand, was killed in a fight with two other criminals before he could be questioned. While most lawkeepers consider this a coincidence, some town guards started wondering if this fight might have been instigated by the Shadowflame to cover their trail.

Sil'heva

Currently, investigations focus on the port city of Sil'heva, since it is the next major settlement downstream of Sav'enur. Indeed, several murders in the past years appear to resemble those that were already attributed to the Shadowflame. There are no promising leads so far, but the mere idea that this assassin could be in the city makes a lot of people nervous.

Date of Setting

from 1387 until the present

Related Locations

Gab'enur
Sav'enur
Sil'heva

Variations

Among Lawkeepers

"You can't seriously believe that portal nonsense!"

"Alright then, tell me - how is your search for the bribed guard going?"

"... Oh, shut up."

— two town guard investigators arguing about their approaches

Most of the time, the authorities have little to no leads on the assassin, so they follow several theories in parallel. Some try to find rational explanations for their seemingly unnatural abilities, while others pursue the more bizarre ideas. The investigators' assumptions vary accordingly.

Among Criminals

"I heard the snoops found another victim of the Shadowflame."

"Me too. Great work as always, they say."

"Yeah. ... You know, I've been wondering... last time I saw Hamir, he w- OW!"

"Shhh, you numbskull! Do you have a death wish?"

— two regulars of the Grumpy Seagull discussing the latest news

Many people in the criminal underworld have their own suspicions, but know better than to reveal them.
There are several intermediaries who are known to arrange assassinations, and in theory, anyone who talks to them on a regular basis might turn out to be the Shadowflame. However, their reputation has been a great motivator to look the other way and avoid asking questions.

The Truth

...is simpler than people assume.

The Shadowflame is Sona'Ria, a Wolfbrood from a farmer's family who is attuned to both Air and Fire.
She spent years training her Air powers, such as silencing any sound she emits and carefully reading the currents to detect approaching enemies early. This gives her a great advantage for eluding witnesses, and also allows her to close her eyes while hiding in a shadowy corner.
Besides that, Ria manipulates guards and servants of the target, typically via third parties.
She takes satisfaction in a job well done, but rarely cares who the target is. Upper-class targets simply bring in more money.