Don't think this thread will quite live up to its name, but I wanted to post an interesting tidbit and subsequent theory that I came up with today.
While working on my Ylari NPCs for the Gazetteer NPCs thread, I came across this entry for Mustapha-ibn-Ibrahim, Provincial Secretary of Kirkuk (p. 41 in Gaz2):
"... [He] unwisely became involved with the wife of a baron of the Duke [of Karameikos'] Court. The duel resulted in the baron's death and Mustapha's return home in disgrace."
Hmm... there aren't that many Barons in Karameikos, and of those (Ludwig von Hendriks, Sherlane Halaran, Desmond Kelvin II, Philip Vorloi), all are currently alive. The only one that wasn't an original appointee by Duke Stefan is Desmond Kelvin II, who inherited the title from his father, Desmond Kelvin I.
Now, though I doubt there was ever intended any direct connection, I postulate that Mustapha had an affair with Desmond Kelvin's wife, resulting in a duel in which Desmond Kelvin was killed, Mustapha was extradited to Ylaruam, and the baron's son, Desmond Kelvin II came into power. It had to have happened prior to 998 AC (Mustapha, in 1000 AC, has been the Provincial Secretary for Kirkuk for two years), and probably sometime before that (in the interim following his return to Ylaruam, he worked in several different fields, presumably over a couple of years). I don't know precisely when/if it has been stated that Desmond Kelvin II took over, but if there isn't any hard information, this should fit.
It also fits with the idea that Mustapha worked as a diplomat at the Imperial Court in Thyatis, where he may very well have encountered Kelvin and his wife (prior to or subsequent to their emigration to Karameikos) and/or acquaintances of theirs.
Another option would be to consider the "baron" line to refer simply to a Karameikan noble, in which case perhaps it was Lord Penhaligon (another noble whose circumstances of death are not directly revealed). I kind of prefer the idea that Desmond Kelvin II would a) have a scandal of a family affair coloring his background, especially given his membership to the Church of Karameikos and the Order of the Griffon, and b) possibly have a grudge against Stefan Karameikos for allowing his father's murderer to be extradited for political reasons, rather than allowing Kelvin to have vengeance.
Hey! Wouldn't it be an intriguing adventure to have the PCs approached to bring "justice/vengence" to Mustapha-ibn-Ibrahim. They would have to travel and find him and it could result in some moral dilemma for the PCs. And then there could be political complications, both in Karamiekos and between it and Ylaruam. Intriguing indeed...
I've always tried to portray the more sympathetic sides of Kelvin, but he ended up as an opponent of the Pcs in my last campaign anyway, after one of the PCs, a Knight of Penhaligon pulled his charms on Princess Adriana after a masterful display of dancing talents at a Royal Ball. The whole Ball ended up being run almost like a combat sequence and the players got into it like the very lives of their PCs were on stake. Even Lady Magda Marilenev had a dance or two! :D
As for Lord Arturos, I'm still working on explaining his death. The theory I am currently working on for him involves a nasty seduction, broken promises, bastard twins and a foul hag. Oh, and it all needs to be linked with the death of Lord Keworqian Penhaligon, the Estate Wizard, aswell....
Håvard