To Alexis,
Your message reached me in good order, and it is clear that you and your companions stand at the center of a web spun by dangerous and duplicitous forces. The Dark Hand’s schemes, their assassins, and their thirst for relics from ages long past have indeed become a menace to all who would serve the greater balance of life and death.
The mention of Lorianne of House Lascaris is intriguing. If she is tethered to the Dark Hand by mere sentiment, by loyalty to Thraan, then we may have an opportunity to use this connection to unravel some of their plans. Love, after all, is a weakness that can be exploited, a lever by which great powers can be unseated. I will see to it that my agents quietly gather more information on her movements. As for Thraan Lascaris, he is a skilled and dangerous figure. He seems to have a knack for survival, suggesting that he still carries some amount of Hood’s grace. Perhaps he can be turned to our cause and we can put his fearsome reputation of the blade to better use.
Your suspicions regarding Vortigern are most warranted. His relationship with the Dark Hand is complex, and though he acts as their tool now, I suspect he is not a willing participant in all of their designs. Leverage is a powerful weapon, and the Dark Hand wields it with expertise. Should Vortigern become a liability for them, I would not be surprised if they ensured him a quick journey to the Gate. His destruction of Marcellus Veronis’s family was brutal, but it was the act of a man driven by fear of the shadows chasing him. You may be able to turn this fear to your advantage or use the Dark Hand’s fickle nature to dispose of him quickly.
The Spider and the Dark Hand continue to work through intermediaries, relying on puppets like Vortigern and others to shield themselves from direct confrontation. The relic you carry from the temple is clearly of great importance to them and you should deliver it to the Temple of Hood in all haste so that we may properly protect and study it. You are right to be wary but understand that we of Hood have no love for the Dark Hand, nor for the vermin they employ. If their assassins continue to strike at us in their lust for power, they will face our retribution—a retribution that comes silently and without warning.
As for the Hammer and Crown you mentioned—treasures of the old world, now held in the hands of the Collegium—these objects will no doubt attract the Dark Hand like moths to flame. The Dark Hand will stop at nothing to claim them. If these relics fall into the wrong hands, those who guard the Gate feel the consequences will be dire, not just for Sutheron, but for the balance between life and death itself. The Collegium is weak and can not properly secure them. You should reclaim the items and bring them to me at once.
Regarding your encounter with the dwarves, Domdir and Draego, I know little of their kind, save that they are likely agents of something darker than mere greed. These creatures you describe possess powers unusual for their kin, and such power does not come without a price. Whether they are tied to the crypt of Drayak or they are a scouting force of evil non-humans trying to disrupt Sutheron, I would advise caution. Their ability to disappear and alter their form marks them as beings that may have connections to forces even more ancient than the Hand or the Collegium.
As for the scroll of Arcane Lock you seek for the crypt of Drayak, I have already seen to it that one has been applied to this strange location. The Order has no interest in leaving ancient doors unguarded, especially when such powerful entities have set their eyes upon them. It is disappointing you were not able to use your previous allies to do this yourself. Guarding the Gate is demanding and you must do better if you are to serve the god of Death.
We of Hood watch carefully, Alexis. Know that your struggles have not gone unseen, and we begin to see value in your continued pledge of service and servitude. The enemies you face are not just your own now, and in time, when the darkness closes in, you may find that you are not alone.
May Hood guide your steps and steady your hand in the trials to come. You and the Crimson Calling have chosen well to serve the Gate. May you find comfort in the shadow of the ever-yawning portal until you are blessed by Hood to pass through.
Morel Richter
Undersecretariat of the Librarian of Hood