THE BACKLUND TIMES - VIOLENT EARTHQUAKE SHAKES THE KINGDOM

THE BACKLUND TIMES
Special Report — Evening Edition

VIOLENT EARTHQUAKE SHAKES THE KINGDOM
Church of Evernight Raises Alarm as Tremors Endure Ten Minutes

Backlund, Capital of Loen — This morning, as the city stirred to the usual rhythms of clattering carriages, soot-blackened chimneys, and the ever present smog, an event most unnatural and grave befell our Kingdom. Without warning, the ground itself heaved and shuddered in dreadful protest, an earthquake of a scale not seen in living memory coursing through every province of Loen.

The disturbance began just after the ninth hour, lasting near ten minutes in dreadful succession. Entire rows of cobblestone streets were split, timbers rattled loose from the eaves of factories, and the gaslights lining our avenues quivered as though some unseen hand sought to snuff them out. Residents of Backlund fled into the streets in alarm, many clad in little more than their morning dress, as great houses groaned upon their foundations.

The Church of the Evernight Goddess, immediately raised its bells in high alarm. Reports confirm that the cathedrals and parish halls throughout the Kingdom rang out in solemn warning, summoning clergy and faithful alike to prayer and preparation. For the entirety of those ten harrowing minutes, the Church stood at the highest state of vigilance, fearing calamities both temporal and spiritual might yet unfold.

While no official tally of damages has yet been issued, the earthquake was felt across the breadth of Loen, from the factories of North Borough to the dockyards of Pritz Harbor. Eyewitnesses claim that even the great clock tower above King’s Square did sway a fraction, its bell tolling prematurely as if struck by the tremor itself.

At present, authorities urge calm while engineers and surveyors inspect the city’s bridges, rail lines, and subterranean passages for signs of compromise. Citizens are entreated to remain wary of loose masonry and to give space to the constabulary and the Church as they attend to the afflicted.

Though the ground is once again still, whispers abound in Backlund’s coffeehouses and alleys alike, questioning whether this was but a natural upheaval or some dire omen of a greater darkness stirring beneath our feet.

—Filed by Jonathan Greaves, Senior Correspondent of The Backlund Times

Tingen Newsletter Issue #72 – July 7, 2025

Darkness in the Slums: Cult Activity Thwarted by Unknown Hero

By A. Madley, Field Reporter

Word on the street travels fast and this time, it’s tangled in whispers of pentagrams, kidnappings, and something foul brewing in the shadows of our fair city. Just days ago, in the outer slum district near the old industrial rows, a young boy from the South Orphanage reportedly went missing. The staff kept quiet, but neighbors noted a tense change in their usual demeanor, less kids playing outside, fewer adults lingering near the gates. Something was wrong.

Then, last night, something strange happened.

Locals reported hearing a violent crash, followed by shouting and a rush of feet near a derelict house that’s long been rumored to be “owned” by one of the city’s lesser-known gangs. But this was no turf scuffle. Sources say the building had a strange red glow inside, and multiple armed individuals were seen patrolling it over the past week. One homeless witness claimed, "They were chanting in some sick, twisted tongue. Not any language I know. And their knives... they moved like they had minds of their own."

Witnesses describe a mysterious figure, some kind of mailman? depending on who you ask, seen leaping from rooftops, disabling guards, and ultimately fleeing the scene with a child over their shoulder. Later that night, the child, identified by his caretakers only as “Elliot”, was returned safely to the orphanage.

City officials have declined to comment, and the orphanage has denied the child was ever missing. But we know better, don't we? Who was the mysterious figure that defied death and shadow to rescue a single child? Some say a vigilante seeking justice. Others whisper about a Courier with a heart too big for their own good.

Whoever they were, this city owes them.

Stay safe, readers. There’s more than poverty lurking in these streets.