The Heroes of Travance have arranged to question the apprehended Kinkle Blackblade about “the Employer” and any plans they have.
Kinkle is currently held in the Baronial prison. If possible the guard asks that the heroes discuss any questions you wish to ask the assassin, and list them below so that we can make sure she will be capable of answering, and we know who to expect. It is likely that Kinkle may provide actionable information, so heroes are advised to be prepared in case they may need to act quickly on any leads provided.
The scheduled time for this interrogation will be posted publicly once arrangements are completed.
Further, a case file for this and related incidents has been made public for any who wish to read over any past interactions. Below is a summation of the collected information for those who simply wish to understand and not go in depth.
((OOG: This month players will have the chance to question the NPC Kinkle Blackblade. I’m asking that any players who want to ask questions post them on the mod so I have a general idea of what info to prep for you. You can still ask questions not listed, I may just not have answers ready.
In addition, linked below is the full compiled book of information for the stolen secrets plot. It includes a 1 page recap (transcribed below) for those who want to know what is going on, but don’t wanna read a whole book, and a table of contents if you want to jump around.) What is known so far:
In the deepest, darkest part of the sea lies an insular Kingdom of underwater beings. What they call themselves is unknown, but other ocean dwelling peoples refer to them as the Kingdom Below. They communicate via a symbol language carved in stone tablets, which the town has worked to translate. It also seems they travel by way of a “sea gate,” which can manifest in any sufficiently sized pool of water. In the summer of 1221, a group of thieves hiding in the proper orchestrated a heist from the Kingdom Below at the behest of an individual who provided the means to locate, and steal from the previously unheard of nation. They stole one of three identical sacred objects, known as the Pearl. The theft has outraged the Kingdom Below, who have left a message demanding the Pearls return within a specific time frame, along with threats if it is not delivered. Because the thieves hid in the town, the threats have been directed at the town, and so too will any actions taken when the timer runs out, which it is assumed will come from a sea gate they will open in the lake, believed to be some time in April.
In the meantime, the Employer of the thieves began leaving monthly rituals that correspond to the zodiac of Arawyn. These rituals were accompanied by notes to the town from “the Employer,” where they detailed the terrible things they had done to obtain their ritual components, calling themselves a monster and challenging the town to strange games, and contests. Thus far the town has determined that “The Employer” plans to steal the power of Triton, a “dead” primal spirit of the sea. With the pearl providing a direct link to Triton, and each monthly ritual being used to create a component for a larger, more powerful ritual. With only a few months left, the only way to stop this is to get the pearl, a difficult feat considering it is usually in the Employer's lair, which can only be traveled to via the use of a sea gate.
In December a rogue member of the Coast Haven navy, a self-styled “monster hunter,” named Lorenzo Alverez launched an attack on the town. Aleverez considers most immortal beings, and people with ties to them to be “monsters,” and acceptable targets, though he has no greater ambitions than to hunt them one at a time. The Captain set his sights on Count Sebastian Everest, who exists in a symbiotic relationship with a dragon soul that resides in his body. The Count was comatose at the time, kept alive by that dragon, and Alverez was armed with weapons made by the Morgazi, ancient dragon hunters. The attack ended in defeat, and Alverez was forced to flee back to Coast Haven. His ship was sunk, his crew captured, and his morgazi weapons seized and permanently destroyed. Upon his return to Coast Haven, for his unsanctioned attack against an ally, Alverez was stripped of his rank and thrown in prison for the rest of his days.
In the aftermath of Alverez’s attack, the Employer reappeared, taking actions against people and artifacts gathered from the former Captain. Further investigation suggested that the Employer is a type of immortal sea creature, the current leading hypothesis is a siren. It is believed that they were a captive of Lorenzo Alverez at one point, suffering an unknown amount of torment at the hands of the “monster hunter.” This is why the Employer refers to themselves as a monster, and acts in such an erratic and vicious manner. It is currently believed that they seek Tritons, or other primal spirits, powers in an effort to exact a currently unknown, and likely exceptionally potent revenge upon Alverez.
Expansion of these events can be found in the following pages…
( https://docs.google.com/document/d/1obDyIjie226IFrThPPf5bX41rvRl0t5OmODXBGF3ppI/edit?usp=sharing )