The Rainbow Crew, a band of mercenaries that operate out of Chirin, have been accused of launching an unprovoked attack against the camp of another group of mercenaries, The Copper Beaks. The Beaks had travelled to the area near Chirin in the hopes of gaining a contract from the council and had set up camp in a forest which is now considered to be part of Chirin. The council has confirmed that they have been talking to various groups about supplementing the guard until new members can be trained.
The Rainbow Crew is a small group with only four active members. The group is named for it's leader the self-styled Rainbow Bard, John Fennan. The other members are:
- Lindon Silversmith, an alchemist who tried to use his similar appearance to the long dead scion of the Silversmiths of North Gate to infiltrate that family.
- Payle Vinlor, a healer at the Mallory centre.
- Varren Locke, a former member of the guard who now uses his sword in service of a religious cult.
John Fennan deceived the Beaks into allowing him into their camp, and accepted payment from them for his services as a singer and entertainer. The Beaks claim that John's true purpose was to assess their defences and that after having done so attempted sneak out of the camp. When John was noticed he assaulted a member of the Beaks with magic before leaving the camp. When one of the Beaks, Sydney Clete, gave chase the Rainbow Crew are said to have attacked and killed him before launching further attacks on the camp.
The Beaks then claim that they tried to defend their camp but that the magic unleashed by the Rainbow Crew was too much and that their captain, Ned Beakly, was forced to agree to discuss terms. When the Beaks' captain learned that the Rainbow Crew had apparently attacked because some tiny forest creatures called pixies (a known pest) claimed the site of the camp was theirs, he offered to relocate the camp if the Rainbow Crew would pay for the costs and pay the death coins for the people they had killed. The Rainbow Crew are said to have responded by renewing their attack on the camp, forcing their way inside and killing half a score of the Beaks, including their captain. Overwhelmed by the magical powers of the Rainbow Crew, the survivors of this assault were forced to surrender. The Beaks claim that the Rainbow Crew then looted the camp, seizing the Beaks' pay chest. Though the Beaks acknowledge in their statements that the Rainbow Crew paid them a token (from the paychest seized from the Beaks) they feel that the unprovoked attack, and rejection of reasonable terms by the Rainbow Crew, was so akin to the behaviour of bandits and raiders that it had to be brought to the attention of the authorities.
In an usual turn of events, the survivors and witnesses of the claimed assault will not travel to Chirin to provide testimony. In exchange for being allowed to live the survivors swore an oath that they feel prevents them from travelling to Chirin. The charges have therefore been filed by a another member of the Beaks who was not present at the time of the attack. The survivors of the attack have provided written statements and given the seriousness of the charges the judges have agreed to an usual method of establishing the facts of the case. Certain clerics have the ability to tell if someone is lying so a request has been sent for clerics in the Beaks' home of Lorin to verify the truth of these statements. Given the close ties between several of the members of the Rainbow Crew and the clerics in Chirin the judges have deemed that only by going further afield can such testimony be trusted. If the statements are verified then it is likely the members of the Rainbow Crew will be found guilty of multiple counts of assault, theft, and murder.
Regardless of whether the Rainbow Crew are guilty or not, this incident highlights concerns voiced by several Councillors about the lack of regulation of such groups. Councillor Terence Carter, who has had to endure the spread of vicious rumours spread by John Fennan, is believed to be putting together some proposals that will help to limit the power of so-called adventuring groups and make them fully accountable for any crimes they commit.
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