The Murder of Hartham

Beloved Trainer of the Guards Killed by Assasins Poison
Hartham, trainer of the guards of Trinsic, was found dead with a small stab wound in his back. The wound was not deep enough for itself to be the cause of Hartham's death, and it was determined that the blade itself was poisoned with a very powerful poison of unknown origin.
Manhunt for the Murderer

After the discovery of Hartham's body, Noble Crawworth, captain of the Trinsic guards and adopted sone of Hartham, led a manhunt with those citizens of Trinsic he could gather on short notice.

Duryn, the murderer was tracked down and captured.

Following is text of conversation after manhunt:

CRAWWORTH
Duryn, Unfortunately you look to be in good health. Methinks I will have to change that.

DURYN
Thou hast very capable servants Crawworth, how long a leash dost thou keep them on?

CRAWWORTH
Citizens not servants, worm.
I thank thee for returning him, thine names will not be forgotten.

DURYN
Aye, not forgotten, but obliterated when the time arrives.

CRAWWORTH
Cease your chatter.

DURYN
<closes his eyes, throws his head back>
And a word was spoken, then a world consumed.

CRAWWORTH
I cannot yet cut out thine tongue till mine ears have heard the truth I will burn from thee, but I can gag thee if---

DURYN
And one man stood standing, as chaos took bloom

CRAWWORTH
Nonsense. A cold prison floor should knock that out of you.
<reaches into his backpack for some rope>

DURYN
Thou wilt understand mine words as clearly as mine actions. Soon, the truth shall be told. Soon the end of all held dear by thee shall come to pass. Much like Hartham, whose breath I stole with the help of allies as close to thine breast as the air that sustains thee. The truth shall be known.

CRAWWORTH
What truth? If this be more lunacy, I shall..

DURYN
Not lunacy. A warning. The first act of a new age.

I'm told that Duryn fell dead after this. Aparrently from a pill of poison he was concealing within his mouth.

Commentary and analysis

These events are obviously standard assasination work. The assasin kills without many witnesses, and then kills himself when he's captured, severing any direct link with his or his organizations motives for the murder. Its difficult to tell directly from the text whether or not Duryn is merely a madman, or an intelligent person performing his role in a masterminded plot. If the latter is the case, then it must be a true evil indeed [and not merely the average gang of murderers] if those serving the cause would be willing to die in protection of their leaders.

The mention of a "new age" by Duryn would imply that something indeed is going to happen by the hands of those he's associated with, whoever they are. That combined with the mention that Duryn used people "as close to thee as thine own breast" to "steal the life of Hartham" imply that there are still members of his group working within society's structure. Who can know, at this point, exactly how far up the ranks those people reach?