All right, so, in frustration, I re-read the first two issues of this series before reading the most recent two issues in an attempt to try to understand the plot better. The following recap attempts to put together all the plot points, mostly for my benefit. Anyone reading this series, feel free to correct me and/or suggest other possibilities, because I admit to being somewhat lost.
Plot #1: Talendra's uncle, Malric, wants her, her brother, and her father dead, so that he can become the head of House Roaringhorn. We still don't know what he's done to Talendra's brother, but we do know that he hired Maurit to kill Talendra. He has promised the use of the "Roaringhorn riches" to some merchant named Oljak, who's working with the shape-shifter that we've seen sever times throughout this series. The shape-shifter apparently plans to kill Malric and take his place at some point.
Plot #2: For reasons that are still unclear, Glasgerd wants House Roaringhorn to fall. He has also hired Maurit to kill Talendra, though I'm not sure if Malric knows that he has. His goal is to orchestrate the fall of House Roaringhorn in a way that leaves him beyond suspicion, so he's doing everything that he can to aid Malric's plan, since it entails House Roaringhorn destroying itself. When Glasgerd's ally, Imbrar, sees Maurit on the streets of Waterdeep (without having reported into them that he killed Talendra), the two of them go looking for him.
Unknown #1: We still don't know the details of the original kidnapping, the one to which Talendra agreed. I'm pretty sure that Talendra didn't agree to be kidnapped by Maurit, but I'm not entirely sure.
Unknown #2: I'm still not entirely sure why Glasgerd wanted Talendra killed in the Ghost Holds. I think, but don't know for sure, that Malric just wanted Maurit to kill Talendra, period. But, in issue #2, a robed figure makes it clear that Glasgerd wanted Maurit to lead Talendra into the Ghost Holds and kill her there. Moreover, I'm pretty sure that Glasgerd manipulated Randral and Torn into "helping" Talendra specifically so that she could get lead into the Ghost Holds (more on that part in the next question). At this point, you have to ask why he didn't just have someone kill her in Waterdeep. It implies that he has a more specific goal than Malric does (who just wants her dead) though I don't know what that is or why it involves the Ghost Holds.
Unknown #3: I'm not sure if the shape-shifter is working directly with Glasgerd or on his own. The aforementioned robed figured briefs Glasgerd on Malric's actions in issue #2, but I'm not sure if it's the same figure as the shape-shifter. It would make sense if they were working together, particularly since it was the shape-shifter that got Randral and Torn involved in the kidnapping by directing them to Talendra in issue #1. By doing so, he helped facilitate (in theory) her pursuit of Maurit through the sewers and into the Ghost Holds, as Glasgerd apparently wanted. Moreover, they both have the same goal, since the shape-shifter wants to kill Malric and take his place and Glasgerd wants House Roaringhorn to fall. But, if the robed figure from issue #2 isn't the shape-shifter, then we still haven't directly seen him and Glasgerd working together, making it difficult to prove that they are.
Unknown #4: I'm not entirely sure I understand why Malric dispatches the hirelings in issue #2 to go after Talendra. At first, it seems that their job was simply to delay the Watch and Lord Roaringhorn's men, allowing Talendra to flee through the sewers. But, they threaten her here, making it seem like they were sent to kill her. Did Malric not trust Maurit to do the job? Were they just redundancy?
New Plot: We learn that someone named Awngryth is hunting Randral and Torn because one of them is in possession of the "Moondar," a spell-gem that can apparently bond with the possessor without the possessor knowing it. One of them apparently has it due to their affiliation with their former master, Daroun.
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