Butterfly Murders

The Butterfly Murders were a string of murders that took place in the major cities of the Wartorn Cluster domain Conquista in 750 BC, 751 BC, 752 BC and 753 BC. In each case, Night Butterflies (sex workers) in the cities were targeted, isolated in back alleys and similar wretched locations, and brutally murdered with bladed weapons.

Investigations

Given the low social standing of the victims, the authorities initially made little effort to investigate. President Justin Crowblack actually tried to hush up the murders of 750 BC, when the newspaper la Presse Libre tried to connect the murders to political party los Ermanos del Cuchillo.

Crowblack's immediate successor Forton Builterman completely ignored the Butterfly Murders of 751 BC in favour of his own entertainments.

The next President, Erik Hughmann, took a different stance. Rather than hush the crime up, he gave la Presse Libre free reign to investigate the murders - uncharacteristically for him, as this angered los Ermanos del Cuchillo. In addition, he ordered additional night patrols by los Hombres Valientes. When la Presse Libre's determined investigations led to the fire-bombing of its offices in Alsem, President Hughmann dispatched Francisco Hareleg to take command of the city and investigate thoroughly in 752 BC. Tellingly, as governor Hareleg proved impossible to bribe, extort or blackmail, no Butterfly Murders took place in Alsem in 753 BC as los Hombres Valientes were alert and active, and the local sex industry had been under investigation for corruption like any other in the city. Sadly, the rest of the domain was not so blessed.

Explanations

In its articles on the Butterfly Murders, La Presse Libre has pointed out that los Ermanos del Cuchillo as a group had considerable 'business interests' in the sex industry and was in conflict with minor party Las Mariposas, which championed the cause of those actually working in it. It theorized that the murders were a bald-faced intimidation tactic, meant to frighten the Night Butterflies so they would disband or at least stop supporting las Mariposas. Sadly, President Crowblack chose to ignore this. It is possible that the President chose profits over justice in this case, as the sex industry was a cash cow in part because its workers were considered to be 'eminently disposable'.

A Butterfly's Reversal

The Butterfly Murders came to a climax in 754 BC, when the pattern was reversed. To the great distress and anger of several politicians - most of them connected to los Ermanos del Cuchillo or otherwise invested in the domain's sex industry - the victims located in back alleys were now 'men of standing and importance in the community' (read: pimps and minor party members of los Ermanos). In this case, the victims displayed chemical burns on their faces, and had been either battered or hacked to death with large weapons. In spite of the aforementioned outcry, there was surprisingly little interest in investigating this latest string of killings. Especially after la Presse Libre linked all the victims to despicable crimes involving the trafficking of underage children.

Current Sketch

The Butterfly Murders still occur, but not so boldly or frequently as before. They fade into the general criminal activity that takes place in most Conquistan cities, and are now more of a Butterfly War, with those championing the cause of los Ermanos del Cuchillo as likely to be targeted by whatever force first struck in 754 BC as they are to reach their own targets.