Thieves Guild Presence

Surely you've heard of mysterious cases of something suddenly disappearing, even items which are thought to be impossible to take have disappeared overnight. Museums, theaters, banks, all the important places have often been finding missing items. Rumors say it's the Thieves Guild's doing, since the heists are so well planned and the target items are of high value. That, and a large sum of gold too.

It's not easy to spot a member of this guild, since they know how to blend so well with the shadows. No one knows where they come from or where they go, as they seemingly disappear into thin air, confusing pursuers.

Little is known about the Thieves Guild, one fact being that its members range from petty pickpockets to complex heist masterminds. The Guild doesn't accept new members easily, they are always watching the streets for potential recruits, and meet them personally. A lot of pets excitedly try to join the guild by committing various types of robbery, though less than 3% get chosen by the guild; the rest either get caught or can't continue.

"I woke up one day to find my museum cleaned out!" says a Skeith officer, "We had just received a silver statuette of King Altador too, so I believe the Thieves Guild is involved in this."

Another case happened a few days ago at none other than the National Neopian Bank, where more than 1.2 million Neopoints were stolen while the manager was out for lunch. "When I came back, three vaults were completely wiped clean!"

At this time where the Thieves Guild's presence is becoming more apparent, everyone's getting worried about their expensive items. A Faerie Shoyru cries over the fact that the hard-earned Faerie Paint Brush he had bought as a birthday gift to his friend was stolen on the day before they were to meet.

Not everyone in the Guild is aiming for self-indulgence, though; there are many who steal from the rich to give to the poor, of course still maintaining secrecy as much as possible. "I'm a single mother with three kids and no money, so I tend to visit the Money Tree often. Recently though, food and toys have been appearing in front of our humble home. I haven't had the need to see the Tree as often now," says Jugg the Pink Acara with a satisfied smile.

Of course, by being thieves, they draw a lot of negative commentary. Many innocent pets started being blamed for the incidents just by being in the wrong place at the wrong hour, and this just helps adding to the confusion so the real guild member manages to escape.

Opposite to that, the Defenders of Neopia have been having a lot of work with self-claimed Guild members, who in fact, are not; most do it because it's 'cool' to be a thief, lacking the skills to effectively be one.

Residents hope these events don't affect the final rounds of the Altador Cup, since it's a perfect time where everyone is out of their homes or not working, for the Guild to act without too much worrying over being discovered. Extra security all around Neopia is already being addressed, though the heists continue even if less than before.

Here are some tips to prevent getting your items stolen, and if it ever happens, to try and get the stolen item back:

• They have light fingers, so do not try to think you'll be prepared when it happens. What can help though is having heavy items in your bag, to make it difficult for them to run. Remember, quick escape is a thief's priority after acquiring the desired item.
• Smart pets can track their scents, though this is a 30% chance of working. Most lose the tracks after some pursuing, and on rainy days this doesn't work at all.
• You can always carry a similar, not-so-expensive item, so when they get something from your bag, it's the decoy you had. You can do this by using inexpensive materials like cardboard or bamboo.
• If you know how to fight, or has decent speed, you could always try to fight it back, though this only works if you can see your opponent.

Neopians advise each other to stay alert and never let precious items out of their sight, as it could be the last.

Kanrik, the leader of the Thieves Guild, was the only one being seen while stealing a gold Yooyu pendant. Or a least witnesses say it was him, because of the cloaked figure's height matching that of the Gelert, as confirmed by Hannah. The figure disappeared mysteriously under the moonlight before witnesses could see anything else, so it still remains a mystery whether it truly was Kanrik or not.

A few Neopians volunteered to help with the issues, some even hiring personal detectives to help the Defenders, hoping this assault on Neopia doesn't grow out of hand. The Defenders limit these volunteers only to those with expertise in battling and to those with great agility, to keep up with the thieves, though the results have been too small to brag about. The closest one of the volunteers could get to a Guild member until now was spotting a clear silhouette of a Meerca on a rainy day, but it soon disappeared after lighting struck, leaving the volunteer to follow footsteps ending in an alley.

Supporters of the Thieves Guild tend to leave secret exits and tunnels to help the Guild walk around the place, and being normal pets, no one suspects them. The Guild thanks these supporters by not robbing them, so many pets, even not agreeing with what the Guild does, becomes a supporter to be safe.

That sudden chill you feel down your spine on a dark night, it could be one of the Thieves passing by, so hold on to your belongings if you don't want to be a victim. Call Defenders of Neopia as soon as possible and help us lessen the number of heists.