We kept the secret to varying extents. Whenever we didn't, things tended to get messy.
This may or may not be a spoiler so I'll tag it as such. (Don't worry, Defendi, it's not a playtest spoiler.)
If "Adventure Seed 1a: A Knife in the Night" is what I think it is, I think we played it. And you're definitely on the right track, mocking bird. Look up the Society of Sinnius.