Who hired Rook?

[Mooagain]

Out of the three stories we have right now, Rook's is the most mysterious. Someone hires Rook to steal a thing from the Boggers, and he manipulated the Rise and the Barons to get it. But who hired him? What person or faction would have hired an old spy to infiltrate a deadly bog to steal an old piece of vagrant tech from a cult? Well, I think I've figured out who it was. 

Here's all of our suspects. We're going to assume that the person that hired him was one of the existing factions, because it wouldn't make for a very fun theory post if I said it was someone not in the game. 

First, let's remove all the factions that wouldn't have any investment in stealing from the Boggers. Spree, Civilians, and Jakes wouldn't have any conceivable interest in this. Grifters are the player characters, so they're out. Also, I doubt the Cult of Hesh would be interested in the Boggers, what with the whole opposing ideologies thing. Let's see who's left. 

Alright, that's half of them down already. Off to a good start. Now let's remove all the factions that are already in Grout Bog and would have no reason to hire Rook. That's the Spark Barons and the Rise, as well as the Rentorians with that one boss on night one. Only three left!

The Admiralty is unlikely as a candidate, considering their rough past with Rook and Fellemo, plus they seem like the type to send in a full swat team instead of a spy. The same goes for the Deltreans, since the Admiralty is basically their muscle. 

And that leaves only one left. 

Here's my theory: The Bilebrokers hired Rook for the Bog Job. As we saw in Smith's campaign, the Boggers know a lot about the true nature of Hesh and the Roaloch, two things the Bilebrokers have shown an interest in studying. What if the thing Rook stole from the bog wasn't any kind of weapon, but an old record from the Vagrant Age with important information regarding the nature of the bog? What if the most scientific faction, the Bilebrokers, hired him to find it so they could learn some great truth about the Roaloch? 

[minespatch]

Would be great for a four story to explore Roaloch.

[RageLeague]

Counterargument: Rook was ex-admiralty, and was also a spy.

[TaschDraws]

I dig this idea lmao a group of scientists so invested in pursuit of knowledge that they'll hire a spy & throw an entire region into chaos just to get their hands on it...Like even if the people Rook's involved with were like a middle-man organization that wasn't affiliated with only one faction or something, they could at least have been hired by a group like the Bilebrokers you've described and I love it

...I need more of this bilebroker shadow organization...

[Newbiespud]

There's a to-my-knowledge unused entry in the game's codex reference database that sheds a tiny amount of light on who Rook is really working for, I think.

Spoiler

agency:
    title: The Agency
    trigger: The Agency|Agency
    body: |
        A shadowy organization that performs contract spycraft for anyone who can afford their exhorbitant fees.

 

[Mooagain]

1 hour ago, Newbiespud said:

There's a to-my-knowledge unused entry in the game's codex reference database that sheds a tiny amount of light on who Rook is really working for, I think.

That seems like more of an organizational thing than the people that wanted the bog stuff. I imagine The Agency to be more of a guild that Rook is with, helping him find work and taking a small cut of the profits. 

[Wumpus the 19th]

The theory you proposed about bilebrokers makes a lot of sense. I think if there was just a bit more evidence to the theory, like a bit more explicit information about the purpose of the job, that theory would work as some very well hidden post-foreshadowing.

If nothing else, it sounds better than just saying "The Agency hired Rook" and putting down the pen on that lore bit.