Goal (if they find out):
Use the tome to discredit Eliander and the Loyalists, framing crown[s garrison as incapable of protecting Saltmarsh. If Primewater appears as the one who secured it, they’ll rally support for greater local control.

How they’ll act toward the party:

• Polite curiosity: Friendly questions meant to draw out what the party knows.

• Pressure and persuasion: Offers of coin, favors, or influence in exchange for secrets.

• Spin and propaganda: Twist any information into proof of Loyalist failure, spreading it in taverns and council debates.

If the party helps Primewater:
The Traditionalists publicly reward the adventurers with favors, prestige, and access to their networks. But this “support” comes at a cost entangling the party in Saltmarsh’s political struggle.

Goal (if they find out):
Keep the tome out of local hands and ensure it is secured for the crown. They will frame the incident as proof that Saltmarsh needs stronger imperial oversight and stricter control of arcane threats.

How they’ll act toward the party:

• Authoritative concern: Press the party for details, stressing duty to the crown.

• Orders and obligation: Expect cooperation, with implied consequences for secrecy or defiance.

• Containment: Push for silence, framing the matter as too dangerous for public knowledge.

If the party sides with them:
The Loyalists reward the adventurers with gold, official recognition, and favors from the guard or navy. But their loyalty binds the party more tightly to crown authority and may put them at odds with Saltmarsh’s people.

Goal (if they find out):
Seize the tome as part of their greater plan for domination. They see in the Book of Zenopus both a weapon and a means to bend powerful figures, like Keledek, into their service. Recruiting or corrupting the wizard could give them control over Saltmarsh’s most dangerous arcane force.

How they’ll act toward the party:

• Invisible hand: The adventurers will not realize they are aiding the Brotherhood; agents approach under false identities, offering “local support” or secret patrons.

• Promises of purpose: They may entice the party with coin, contraband, or mysterious benefactors, never revealing their true allegiance.

• Silent threats: If the party resists, they vanish from contact, only for assassins or spies to appear later in their path.

If the party aids them (unknowingly):
The Brotherhood uses the adventurers as pawns to retrieve the book, then disappears. The party gains short-term rewards but earns the Brotherhood’s quiet claim on them. In time, they may discover they have been serving a hidden enemy all along.

Goal (if they find out):
Claim the tome for themselves, either to harness its power or to deny it to Keoland. They see it as a weapon in the ongoing shadow war with the crown a prize that could shift the balance of power.

How they’ll act toward the party:

• Temptation and bribery: Offer riches, ships, or titles in exchange for the book.

• Threats and leverage: Remind the party that refusal could bring pirate retribution.

• Subterfuge: Employ spies or agents to shadow the adventurers, ready to strike if the book surfaces.

If the party aids them:
The Sea Princes shower the adventurers with gold, contraband, and safe harbor in their ports. Yet this alliance paints a target on the party’s back, making them enemies of Keoland and the Loyalists.