Close Threat

Overview

Close Threat is the final stage of the Extinguishing the Last Flames questline, a faction quest belonging to the Goldleaf Merchant Guild in Crimson Desert. Shakatu assigns Kliff to compile evidence from five guild merchants and identify the traitor who has been leaking trade route information to bandits, resulting in a series of robberies against the guild. The quest has a puzzle-like evidence-matching segment followed by a capture sequence.

Before reaching the Close Threat stage, players must complete the earlier steps of the Extinguishing the Last Flames questline, which includes defeating Kailok the Hornsplitter and the initial Troubled Shakatu quest. During those prior stages, Kliff travels across the Hernand region interviewing each suspect and collecting evidence at their respective locations.

Quest Information

Rewards

The Five Suspects

During the investigation stages leading up to Close Threat, Kliff interviews five merchants of the Goldleaf Merchant Guild. Each suspect has a testimony to hear and three pieces of evidence to examine at their location. All five investigations become available simultaneously after your initial conversation with Shakatu, and you can tackle them in any order.

Nogle is the closest suspect since he is in the main Goldleaves camp alongside Shakatu. He mentions that he recently had drinks with Grimzle but does not suspect him. Grimzle, near the Coalvale Workshop, claims he stepped down as ledger manager after the ledger was stolen and suspects Skrav, whom he saw heading toward his house the day it disappeared. These competing accusations are central to unraveling the truth.

Walkthrough

Step 1: Speak with Shakatu

Travel to the Goldleaf Merchant Guild camp and speak with Shakatu. He asks you to present the evidence gathered from interrogating the five merchants: Nogle, Skrav, Kathan, Blique, and Grimzle. You must have collected all fifteen pieces of evidence (three from each suspect's location) before this stage can proceed.

Step 2: Match Evidence to Testimonies

Shakatu requires you to correctly match one key piece of evidence to each merchant's testimony. The evidence proves or disproves each suspect's alibi. Here are the correct pairings:

Each piece of evidence corresponds to exactly one merchant. The Horse Hire Ledger confirms Blique's story about horse rentals on the day of the incident. The Trade Schedule Log validates Skrav's claimed trading activities. The Tavern Ledger corroborates Nogle's whereabouts at the tavern. The Proof of Stay contradicts Grimzle's alibi about his location. The Guard's Report backs up Kathan's patrol account.

Step 3: Identify the Traitor

After matching all evidence correctly, Shakatu performs his deduction and concludes that Grimzle is the traitor who leaked the guild's trade route information to bandits. The Proof of Stay contradicts Grimzle's claimed whereabouts, and combined with the other evidence, it becomes clear that he orchestrated the information leak. Shakatu orders you to apprehend him.

Step 4: Hunt Grimzle

Travel to Coalvale Workshop where Grimzle has fled. Approaching him triggers a cutscene. Strike him once to force a confession. This is not a full combat encounter; a single hit is enough to prompt his surrender.

Step 5: Capture and Deliver Grimzle

Tackle Grimzle, punch him to subdue him, then tie him up. The capture process works the same as standard bounty targets like Blix or Bianca. Carry Grimzle to your horse and ride back to deliver him to Shakatu at the Goldleaf camp. Surrendering the captive to Shakatu completes the quest.

Shakatu will reward Kliff with a Hernandian Banquet Cloak and the Kinetic Art: Counterweight skill for resolving the investigation.

Tips

• You can make mistakes during the evidence-matching phase and redo your answers. All matches must be correct to proceed, but there is no penalty for incorrect attempts.

• The traitor is always Grimzle regardless of the order you submit evidence. Getting the matches right on the first try simply saves time.

• Multiple red herring evidence items exist at each suspect's location. Focus on the specific items listed above. Each location has three pieces of evidence, but only one is the correct match for that suspect's testimony.

• Pay attention to the suspects' statements during the earlier investigation stages. The evidence-matching becomes straightforward if you read each NPC's dialogue carefully.

• When capturing Grimzle at Coalvale Workshop, tackle, punch, and tie up. He does not fight back after the initial strike, so this step is quick.

• The Hernandian Banquet Cloak is a solid armor piece. The Kinetic Art: Counterweight is a useful skill for builds focused on counter-attacks.

Related Articles

• Extinguishing the Last Flames (parent questline)

• Troubled Shakatu (prerequisite quest)

• Shakatu (quest NPC)

• Goldleaf Merchant Guild (faction)

• Goldleaf Merchant Guild Quests

• Goldleaf Guildhouse (quest location)

• Goldleaf Trading Post

• Kathan, the Goldleaf Private Soldier

• Faction Quests