Thirty years ago Westcrown at night was a typical city with fairly safe commercial areas
and peril for the drunk or careless in the less salubrious parts of the city. Gradually stories began to surface of moving
shadows and homeless people disappearing at night. But then residents began disappearing from darkened streets and wild rumours began
circulating of the return
of the Council of Thieves. Others thought that the haunted and abandoned
former Adventurer's Guild lodge at Delvehaven might be the source of the problem but a group of mercenaries sent to investigate did not return
and the lodge was resealed with stronger magic.
The mayor set a 'temporary' curfew while groups of
Dottari and members of
The Order investigated every other building with a dubious reputation
and even the sewers. The hunters, however, either found nothing or did not return. As the casualties mounted both organisations baulked
at continuing the search and the Mayor agreed to extend the curfew. Each year politicians promise to do more to end the nightly threat and
various groups and minorities have been accused of being behind the shadow monsters with little proof, frequently provoking civil
disorder.
The curfew is of course not uniformly kept with the well lit and well guarded areas inhabited by the nobles almost totally extempt in
practice. Long handled lanterns are carried by any Dottari patrols at night and they carry spares in case they come across their idea of 'law abiding citizens' accidentally caught out by the curfew. The citizenry of Westcrown are, however, deeply unhappy with the authorities'
seeming indifference to this problem and the rumblings of discontent are growing louder.