Black Quill
Orronian Intelligence Bureau
The Black Quill is the Orronian Dynasty’s answer to the question: “How do we keep control of a vast empire without looking like we’re keeping control of a vast empire?” Officially, they’re the Orronian Intelligence Bureau, dealing with white collar and taxation crime. Unofficially, they’re the reason politicians suddenly retire, foreign dignitaries get that haunted look, and inconvenient people are found in the river “after a tragic boating mishap.”
Their name comes from the jet-black quills used to write missives in alchemical ink.
Answering only to the Imperial Court (and possibly to whoever’s got the Emperor’s ear at the moment), the Black Quill roams far and wide, “securing the realm”—a phrase that covers everything from discreet diplomacy to discreetly shoving someone off a balcony. Their work is rarely acknowledged, often denied, and always effective enough to make their funding untouchable. They believe their mandate goes beyond the Emperor, often going far and above "for the greater good of the realm".
Black Quill agents—“Seekers” in official jargon—smile while they ruin you. They make extensive use of prototype spycraft: scry-proof wards, self-immolating documents, and disguises that could fool your own mother (sometimes literally). The handlers operate from nameless offices in the capital, communicating through layers of dead drops and deniable intermediaries.
Seekers do the fieldwork, handlers pull the strings, and at the top is the mysterious Director. Nobody knows who they are, but the betting pools include a retired general, the Emperor himself, or an elderly librarian.
“Quill.” — whispered in Orronian courtrooms, taverns, and certain dark alleys, usually followed by a sudden change of subject.
The Black Quill is the Orronian Dynasty’s answer to the question: “How do we keep control of a vast empire without looking like we’re keeping control of a vast empire?” Officially, they’re the Orronian Intelligence Bureau, dealing with white collar and taxation crime. Unofficially, they’re the reason politicians suddenly retire, foreign dignitaries get that haunted look, and inconvenient people are found in the river “after a tragic boating mishap.”
Their name comes from the jet-black quills used to write missives in alchemical ink.
Answering only to the Imperial Court (and possibly to whoever’s got the Emperor’s ear at the moment), the Black Quill roams far and wide, “securing the realm”—a phrase that covers everything from discreet diplomacy to discreetly shoving someone off a balcony. Their work is rarely acknowledged, often denied, and always effective enough to make their funding untouchable. They believe their mandate goes beyond the Emperor, often going far and above "for the greater good of the realm".
Black Quill agents—“Seekers” in official jargon—smile while they ruin you. They make extensive use of prototype spycraft: scry-proof wards, self-immolating documents, and disguises that could fool your own mother (sometimes literally). The handlers operate from nameless offices in the capital, communicating through layers of dead drops and deniable intermediaries.
Seekers do the fieldwork, handlers pull the strings, and at the top is the mysterious Director. Nobody knows who they are, but the betting pools include a retired general, the Emperor himself, or an elderly librarian.
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