The Merchant's Debt

The Merchant's Debt
Reset	Once — Story Chapter 1
Given by	The Constable, beside the Traveling Merchant's grave on the Mainland road
Task	8 steps; steps 6 and 7 need Total Level 20 and 25
Reward	20,750 XP in total · 10 Health Potion+ · 5 Strength Potion · Case Closed badge · Constable's Cap (first 100)

The Merchant's Debt is a story quest — Chapter 1 of Kintara's story. The Traveling Merchant was found dead on the mainland road, and the Watch closed his file in a day as a roadside robbery. The Constable isn't so sure. Follow the trail across the Wilderness, the Mine, the Pond, the Glade Cave and the Emberstone, then tell him who really did it.

Every player is handed the chapter as soon as the tutorial is finished — including players who finished the tutorial long ago. Your progress is shown on the quest card.

No spoilers here: this page explains what each step asks of you, not who the killer is. Read the clues as you go — the Constable wants what you find, not what you think.

How it works

• The steps run in a fixed order, and each one unlocks the next.
• Fresh progress only: a step's counters start at zero when the step begins. Coal, fish or kills from before that moment don't count — and nothing in your bag or bank counts either. Only things you gather, cook or kill after the step starts move the counter.
• Hunt steps can be claimed from anywhere once every counter is full. Hand-in steps need you to go back and talk to the NPC once your counters are full.
• Steps 6 and 7 need Total Level 20 and 25 respectively (the same level gates as the Glade Cave and the Emberstone).

Steps

#	Step	What you need to do	Reward
1	A Grave Without Answers	Speak with The Constable at the merchant's grave on the mainland road.	500 Combat XP
2	Tracks to the North	Set foot in the Wilderness (any part of it).	750 Combat XP
3	Soot on the Page	Mine 300 fresh Coal, then see the Old Miner in The Mine.	1,500 Mining XP
4	A Witness by the Water	Catch 50 fish and cook 50 fish (any species), then see the Old Fisher at The Pond.	1,500 Cooking XP
5	The Restless Porters	Kill 50 zombies and 5 dragons in the Wilderness.	2,500 Combat XP
6	Hidden in Silk	Reach Total Level 20 and defeat the Venomweaver — you must land your own hits on her before she falls.	4,000 Combat XP
7	Where the Stone Burns	Reach Total Level 25 and fight through 25 of the creatures guarding the Emberstone gate.	4,000 XP split across all skills
8	Name the Killer	Return to The Constable and name the killer.	6,000 XP split across all skills · 10 Health Potion+ · 5 Strength Potion · the Case Closed badge · the Constable's Cap (first 100 only)

Step notes

• Step 3: the Old Miner only burns a comparison with coal cut fresh from the seam, so the 300 Coal has to be mined after the step starts.
• Step 4: any fish counts for both halves. Only fish that come out cooked count toward the cooking half — a burnt fish doesn't.
• Step 6: watching isn't enough. Only players whose own blows landed on the Venomweaver get the kill credit. The Glade Cave opens at Total Level 20.
• Step 7: the Emberstone opens from The Shores at Total Level 25.
• Step 8: pick a suspect from the list. A wrong name costs you nothing — the Constable just tells you why it doesn't add up, and you can try again after 60 seconds.

Rewards

Reward	Amount
Combat XP	7,750 (steps 1, 2, 5 and 6)
Mining XP	1,500 (step 3)
Cooking XP	1,500 (step 4)
XP split across all skills	10,000 (steps 7 and 8)
Total	20,750 XP
Health Potion+	10 (final step)
Strength Potion	5 (final step)
Case Closed badge	Final step
Constable's Cap	Final step — first 100 eligible players only

The story pays XP and items only — there is no gold reward.

• Story XP and the reward tracks: story XP levels your skills, but it does not count toward the Season Pass or Kintara Club reward tracks.
• Free-play accounts still get the XP (up to the free-play level ceiling — see Free to play) and the badge, but not the tradeable rewards: the potions and the Constable's Cap are withheld. The same goes for trade-locked accounts. The step still completes; the withheld potions are not handed out later.
• Full bag? If the final reward can't fit, the step is refused and nothing is lost — make room and try again.

Related pages

Page	Why it matters
The Constable	Hands you the case and hears your verdict.
Traveling Merchant	The victim.
Old Miner	Reads the soot (step 3).
Old Fisher	The witness at the Pond (step 4).
Venomweaver	Step 6's fight, in the Glade Cave.
Emberstone	Step 7.
Constable's Cap	Limited reward for the first 100.