OPINION: It is Entirely Unsafe to Wield Knives in Poorly Lit Conditions

by Sol Athanoch, a Nightmarket dog breeder

Duskwall faces a scourge from within. In the past seven years we have seen a noted increase in crimes and gang activity. But as dangerous as these criminal elements can be to society, they are an even larger danger to themselves. Their reckless use of knives and other sharp objects in poorly lit alleys have left countless victims of self-inflicted wounds. And while some may see this as one problem handling another, I believe that proper use of weapons and sharp implements can lead to a safer, more lawful society as well.

We’ve all heard the old adage from our mothers. “You’ll stab your eye out if you swing that blade about in the dark!” And while those of us with finer breeding have successfully matured into adults who recognize the wisdom of those words, the scoundrels and vagabonds of Duskwall have not tempered themselves so. They skulk in the camps of Dunslough and walk The Docks when the luminescence is low, and they swing their blades in the same manner they drive their stolen carriages: recklessly. That is of course, until the long arm of the law brings a truncheon down upon their heads. Not since the days of the cataclysm has such self-destructive hubris been flaunted. I fear if such flagrant suicidal knife practices shall keep the Spirit Wardens busy for many years to come if we cannot turn the tide.

But what if we can spread awareness of the proper handling of a blade? Studies among the medical community suggest that soberly handing a knife handle first rather than tossing it in a lazy arc through the air to your mate could cut blade-related injuries in half. The savings on the crime-ridden populace in hospital costs alone could very well be enough to give them a leg up in the world and begin to make something useful of themselves. If the Ministry of Preservation can expand the electroplasmic network, and the City Watch can crack down on bladed weapons, I believe that Duskwall can be saved in body, if not soul.