1. Situation:

A) At least one faction in the Imperial court of Kren'atan is seeking to start a war with Maraddon by insisting the head of Albert Renkarr.

B) The Sword of Wealth, prize for the winner of the Grand Tournament, has been stolen. The winner, a large goblin wrapped in heavy robes who goes by the name Stalker, awaits patiently, but the Emperor is outraged. The return of the Gift will result in the Emperor bestowing the returner with anything in the Emperor's power to give.

2. The Crime Scene:

The hoard of the Emperor is a massive cavern beneath the Kren'atanic capital. There are three entrances, all so big only something the size of a large dragon can open them. The theft occurred sometime shortly before the presentation ceremony. The Emperor was out, but the doors had not been opened--they are enchanted to set off an alarm, & no void had been used because the charms were still present. Whoever got in probably used magic or faith to bypass the doors.

The theft was specific. More than one Gift sits in that cavern & mountains of wealth besides. They only stole the Sword of Wealth. Magical sensing is useless due to the high amount of magical items & Gifts in the area. Evidence suggests nothing else in the vault was even touched, so the thief knew what they were looking for & where to find it--they had been in the vault before. This means they either had some way to case it, or they are one of the few individuals with access to the vault.

3. Suspects:

A) Those with access to the vault:

• The Emperor & Emperess: Unlikely to have caused this kind of problem for themselves, especially with the offered reward. Not a suspect.
• The Seneschal: A ruby dragon named Darzenkane, he is charged with keeping the vaults catalogued. Had little opportunity at the time to steal it, due to his work with the government.
• The Guards: Twin orange dragons named Uliuines & Uliuinoth. Both were fired after the theft, replaced with a pair of topaz dragons named Fhurbaahn & Thongraal. They had opportunity & ability, & everyone has motive, but their actions afterward make them unlikely suspects--they've entered the Tournament, seeking redemption in the eyes of their Emperor.

B) World renown thieves:

• Leilah binte Ali al-Ienova, Master of the Maraddonian Thieves' Guild: Was in Ienova at the time rebuilding her own power. Has not shown any indication that she has the Gift. Unlikely.
• Thavren Dade, Master of the Kren'atanic Thieves' Guild: Whereabouts unknown, though he normally works out of Malhuin. He has a strange respect for the Emperor, & his honor would likely keep him from pulling off such a job.
• Christopher Laird: Was known to be in Merukis at the time, but certainly has the resources to hire someone for this kind of job. However, he is not the sort to sit on such a treasure. If he stole it, the world would know.
• Lerus Mysoner: Former Maraddonian baron, he was in Aldergast when the big breakout occurred. He has since returned to his life of wild crimes. His whereabouts are unknown, but his ability to undertake this theft are in question. He is an older gentleman & last anyone heard, not into heavy magic or faith. Flashy thefts are more his style.
• The Akazadian Thiefmaster: Identity unknown, the master of the thieves' guild of Akazad could possibly have access to the tunnels that might have led to the vault. Due to our lack of information on this subject, no speculation can be really made.
• Sather: The Order of Sather is a very secretive international order of thieves. They have a leader known as Sather that is either immortal or bearer of the title (the latter seems more likely, as this was also the known title of the now definitely dead Champion of Wealth). Current theories suggest that there isn't even really an individual with the title of Sather, that they just use that as a ruse to keep authorities hunting snipe.
• Blake Guidry: Our own Imperial Gift Finder. If you find out he did it, tell him he is under orders to surrender the Gift to you & send him back here.
• Teloven the Great: World renowned thief from about 300 years ago, he has never been caught & never been seen. His escapades are legendary & span all three hundred years. This is very much in the vein of the kind of theft he would perpetrate. However, he is likely an old man now, unless he is of an exceptionally longlived race. Most notable theft: The Silver Sceptre of Ailanea, a powerful royal artifact of the elves.

C) Agencies & organizations who might want the Sword:

• Any Empire: Though I assure you we did not do this, & I have assurances Berellia, Myrmexia, & Akazad were not involved. This is not exactly in Tamarnthek's style, & the shemir have less reason to do this than anyone else. If the reevers did it, they would boast. All unlikely suspects.
• The Order of the Chrysanthemum: We only became aware of them in the course of the war, but they seem to have their hands in everything. Our intel on them is sparse.
• The Wealth Church: Certain sects of the wealth church seek out any Gift, especially wealth Gifts, they can get. It seems unlikely they'd stop at just one from the vault, unless they were a sect that only valued wealth Gifts.
• The Dragonslayers Guild: Though this is not their style, the anti-dragon guild would benefit from embarrassing the Empire of Dragons.
• Various political factions:
  • The various reactionary groups in Akazad (the "Dwarven movement"), Myrmexia (the "Atanaxans"), & Maraddon (the "Truthspeakers") all could use the Sword to destabilize the governments they oppose. The Truthspeakers so far have kept to purely political opposition, so this is out of character for them. The Atanaxans are generally too self-involved to pull this off. The dwarven movement's access to tunnels gives them the ability, & they are the one group most likely to try something like this of these three.
  • Factions in Kren'atan: The royal family is politically opposed by certain factions in their own empire, mostly split by races. Almost none would have had direct access, though all have the magical capabilities to possibly attempt the theft. The most likely is the diamond dragon faction, who are wealth based dragons with a strong current of jealousy.
  • The Green Party: Very little is known about this group in Tamarnthek, but it is slowly gaining power. They are ruthless & powerful, so a theft like this is not out of the question. They have been known to use subtler means than other groups in Tamarnthek.