Mission Statement:
To endeavor to bring to all residents of the Five States the most current and important news from across the entire Five States region. Never yellow, the Five States Herald vows to serve only the people of the Five States, from New Austin to Lemoyne, free of charge now and forever.
Mysterious Creature Blamed for Ghost Ship!
By Sofia Kathleen Fairfax – Lead Correspondent
As time marches on, the mystery of that washed-up ship with no crew continues to grow and grow. Government officials and law enforcement have said remarkably little since the discovery; rumors abound that they themselves are as stumped as us citizens. This has, of course, not stopped seafaring strangers from believing wild theories.
A common theory spread from the docks of Saint-Denis, concerns a supposed mythical sea serpent. Described as an ancient creature from a primordial Earth, that stalks the waters south of Saint-Denis, out into the ocean depths. It is not to be confused with the legendary Flat Iron Lake creature, for this monster, many say, has a body count.
Many ships have gone missing in this region; typically heavy currents are blamed, but the number is quite staggering. Sailors at the docks have occasionally reported seeing a large creature with flippers and an alligator-like head, or a giant shark, from time to time.
Sailors of course, spin yarn for about any occasion, and the potent combination of tragedy and mystery can do much to create nightmares. But who’s to say? The waters are dark, murky, and do contain many things we do not know, or may wish never to know.
Hunter dies a slow and painful death
By Jose Chavez
A ram hunt went horribly wrong for one hunter this week and resulted in their death. The hunter was approaching a herd of rams when they were ambushed by one of the very creatures they were stalking. “Heard it too late and it rammed its horns into my chest hard,” the hunter explained while on his deathbed. Though the hunter was in pain, he explained that he managed to grab onto the rams horns and when he fell off the cliff, he took the ram with him. When the hunter was found, the ram was nearby dead and the hunter was barely breathing. “I put them in my cart, brought them to Tumbleweed,” said the man who found the hunter, “but, I knew there wasn’t much that could be done.” The hunter’s breathing was already shallow. The wagon became his deathbed and to ease his suffering, he was provided plenty of free alcohol.
Federal agents have arrived in Ambarino
By Jane Duran
With the controversy about the Executioner and the alleged copycat killers, the federal government has decided to ramp up the investigation. The case against Miss Emmaline Haven, the accused Executioner serial murderer, is still being put together. However, an internal announcement within the agency suggested that the case is nearly finished and will be brought to court soon. Special Agent Rice Philips, who is leading the investigation, has dismissed the finding of new bodies that follow the Executioner’s methods as copycats. To ensure justice is properly served in this case, more investigators have been brought to Ambarino.
“This new investigators are still under my authority,” said Agent Philips, “and are not hear to collect evidence but increase patrols to find the copycat killers and arrest them.” Though Agent Philips seems to be confident, my source told me that all is not well behind scenes. With several premature arrests already related to this investigation, the possibility that Miss Haven could be held falsely imprisoned is a major concern. The next few weeks will have a major impact on Agent Philips time in the Five States as well as his career beyond this investigation.
Wanted man found tied up on the side of the road
By Odell Clifton
A pair of lawmen were riding the trails of West Elizabeth when they saw a man struggling on the side of the road. “This poor fella had been tied up tight, wrists and ankles both bound,” one of the lawmen said. While for some, the first instinct may have been to help the man, these lawmen first thought about why this man was bound in the first place. “I turned him over a bit to see better and recognized him as a man on a wanted poster,” the lawman said, “so we picked him up and took him in.” The outlaw explained that a bounty hunter had captured them and was taking them in when they came to a stop. “He said the bounty hunter just walked away, then he heard a gunshot,” the lawman explained, “next thing he knew he was tossed to the ground.” A skinned moose carcass was found nearby, indicating the outlaw was likely replaced with a moose pelt.
The outlaw in question did not have a high bounty on him while moose pelts are in high demand. Authorities expressed frustration with a bounty hunter that would shirk their duty for extra cash, but also said they were relieved the outlaw was still brought in. “Rare case of everyone wins, you know?” the lawman said.
Valentine residents stunned by the “man with the blurry face”
By Donna Deshner
With the hot summer upon us, one would think supernatural thoughts would be far from out minds. And yet, odd things keep occurring in the Five States. You have probably already read about a ghost ship spotted near Lemoyne. This week, a traveler brought attention to a Valentine resident with a peculiar feature: he had a blurry face. “I was just riding through town when I noticed this fella who was just not quite distinct enough,” said a traveler, “so I took a closer look and saw that he had, well, no face at all.” No face at all seems to be an exaggeration as the man could speak, indicating he had a mouth and seemed to be able to see, so he had eyes. His features were just blurry, or as another witness described him, “like a drawing that had the face erased but the rest of him left alone.”
The Five States is often home to unexplainable and bizarre things, typically around October. So such strange sightings appear to be coming earlier this year. Could that be an indicator of a wilder October? Or is this just a fluke? The future is unknowable, but once would got out about the man with the blurry face, folks came from all over to see him. In fact, the man made enough money charging for handshakes, photographs, and other services that he promptly retired. He plans to stay in Valentine, however.
Merchant loses wagon in the bayou
By Aloysius Levron
Loretta Osten is a merchant who recently set up shop in Saint Denis. Miss Osten makes a living traveling the Five States and then selling the various goods she collects across the region. “The fancy folk of Saint Denis love getting their hands on rustic items,” Miss Osten explained, “but they ain’t terribly willing to go find said items.” Miss Osten has been happy to exploit this to make a fair amount of money, much of which she will need to use for a new wagon. This week she was riding back into Saint Denis when two cowpokes rode their horses up to her wagon, one on each side before jumping onto her wagon.
“I thought I was being robbed, which never happened before!” Miss Osten said, “so I turned the wagon a bit too hard right into thick bayou mud.” The two cowpokes who jumped on her wagon were quick to jump off and flee on their horses, taking nothing with them at all. “It was quite odd, once the wagon was stuck I thought I was doomed for sure, but they just left,” Miss Osten said. She found a traveler driving a mostly empty wagon that she paid to bring most of her stuff into town. She returned for the rest later. All and all, nothing was missing and the only thing lost was the wagon the bayou decided to swallow and keep.
Crime shoots up as masked cowpokes amass all over the Five States
By Adam Parvey
For unknown reasons, violent masked gangs rode across the Five States one day this week, spreading fear across the region. “The first report we got was a merchant who had managed to unhook his horse from his wagon and escape an attack,” said a Valentine deputy, “they left behind their goods and their partner, saying masked men attacked them.” When the deputies rode out to investigate, they found the merchant’s partner dead but the wagon was gone. Soon, Valentine deputies received additional reports of attacks my masked men and women. Sometimes the masked attackers stole goods, other times they just destroyed property and on some cases, killed their victims.
Valentine was not the only town to get such reports. Saint Denis, the most modern city in the Five States, reported multiple robberies by masked individuals. “Our damn cells will filled up with masked robbers,” said Chief Benjamin Lambert, “and Sisika won’t take transfers for petty crimes, so we had to just keep filling them up!” Across Flat Iron Lake, Blackwater also dealt with its own share of masked robbers. “A fella walked into the general store in a mask, threatening and such,” said a Blackwater lawman, “but we still got plenty of armed folks in town and a resident put a gun to the masked man’s back and ended that robbery attempt real quick.”
It is unknown why so many masked gangs and robbers popped up this week. Violence is common but outlaws rarely feel the need to cover up their identity. Just as quickly as the masked attacks started to occur, they ended the next day.
The Five States Herald 