Walter Keene

**Walter Keene** is the Darkhand Steward of the Brotherhood of Masks and an infamous robber, known by the public for his impeccable fashion. He was the leader of a burglary team with four henchmen — Billy Cracker, Hardy Abe, Little Billy and Jack Nails — before being captured by Edmund Cloudsley.

## Biography

### The Intoxicating Dinner Party

Walter Keene, having learned that Edmund Cloudsley killed fellow Brotherhood member Willard Wright and stole his Golden Idol, orders Ada Baker to poison Edmund at his dinner party. Ada injects poison into a sealed bottle of peptic tonic, but Rose Cubert drinks from the bottle first and dies instead.

### The Explosive Events in the Forest Cabin

Walter Keene guises himself as a deliveryman to learn the new secret residence of Edmund Cloudsley, who needed a corpse delivered to his cabin to test the capabilities of the Idol. Two of his henchmen, Hardy Abe and Jack Nails, attempt to steal the Idol from Edmund, but he uses the Idol to kill them both, and Walter Keene is captured.

### The Grand Vision of a Better World

Walter Keene, moved by Edmund Cloudsley's vision of a better world under the Order Party, swears his loyaly to Edmund during his plan to overtake Albion under the alias of Lazarus Herst.

### The Strange Practices of a Secretive Society

Jeffrey Sinclair accuses Walter Keene of treason for not returning the Idol to the Brotherhood of Masks after the robbing of Edmund Cloudsley, which Jeffrey believes to be a success; thus, he challenges Walter to a ritual of dispute. In this ritual, both parties drink from one of two wine cups, one of which is poisoned. David Gorran and Walter ambush Darkhand Initiate Chester Davy, stealing his uniform and leaving him in a bush. David uses the uniform to infiltrate the Brotherhood during the ritual of dispute. He signals to Walter with a tankard which wine cup is poisoned, allowing Walter to choose correctly and resulting in the death of Jeffrey.

### The Crowning Celebration by the Lighthouse

Walter Keene is blackmailed by Angus MacBain into explaining how Edmund Cloudsley could perform the miracle of flying. Walter sends Angus a letter explaining that Edmund's staff contains an Idol that can create air, simulating the miracle. However, he omits the fact that air must first be absorbed into the Idol. Angus attempts to repeat Edmund's miracle off the top of a lighthouse, but there is no air remaining in the Idol, and Angus falls to his death. Walter takes the letter and the staff from Angus' corpse and returns the staff to Edmund, who has been crowned Gryphon Reborn due to his demonstration of an irreplicable miracle.

### The Triumph of Order

Walter Keene is interrogated by the Order Party and receives -32 merit for the following transgressions:

* Flirted 3 times with different married women during the Party convention. (-21 merit)
* Wore ridiculous headgear at 5 public events. (-10 merit)
* Claimed he had not betrayed High Arbiter Lazarus during his ritual of ascendence. (-1 merit)

A merit exaction is performed on Walter, resulting in him losing 32 years of his life. He is also expelled from his position in the Order Party.

### The Slight Delay in the Peaceful March to the King's Castle

Walter Keene blackmails Edmund Cloudsley into returning his lost years, threatening to reveal his true identity to the Order Party. He orders Ada Baker to wait for someone in the Little Mermaid Inn and provide directions to his residence, the cabin, if they present something owned by Edmund. David meets with Ada and gives her Edmund's embroidered handkerchief. He goes to the cabin and shoots who he believes to be Walter through the window. However, he had merely shot a scarecrow, and the real Walter shoots and kills him from behind in a pond.

## Possessions

### The Explosive Events in the Forest Cabin

* A sword
* A ring with a ruby
* A wrapped piece of confectionery
* A loaded pistol

### The Crowning Celebration by the Lighthouse

* A ruby ring
* A paper drawing of various hats
* A letter detailing to Angus MacBain how the miracle of flying was performed
* A staff containing the Golden Idol
* A golden snuffbox filled with opium powder

### The Grand Vision of a Better World

* A card detailing each member of the Brotherhood of Masks, with their house and rank

## Quotes

* "Ahhh!" (The Explosive Events in the Forest Cabin)
* "The Gryphon has spoken." (The Strange Practices of a Secretive Society)
* "Here, I brought back your staff, oh Gryphon Reborn!" (The Crowning Celebration by the Lighthouse)
* "Oh, I recognize that voice! It is you! Isn't it poetic that you have fallen for the same trap as you did all those years ago. Straw men are your bane." (The Slight Delay in the Peaceful March to the King's Castle)
* "I swear it! Yes, with these powers I will do whatever is necessary to build a better world!" (The Grand Vision of a Better World)