Taiev,

As per your request I have been investigating the presence of the Twilight Hammer Cultists in the general area of Darkshore. I followed several rumours that indicated that a place called The Master’s Glaive was their local refuge. Indeed, there is a strong force of cultists there; more than 50 members of the cult and several other potential members that receive training.

The members of the cult use the general area of Auberdine to find and approach potential new members. I decided to take the risk and present myself as a renegade shadow priest that seeks something different in her life. Indeed, they were interested and I was granted access to the Master’s Glaive for the pre-initiation period as they called it. I was given trivial tasks to finish, but instead of giving me the basic training in the shadow arts, like the rest of the initiates, my skills were assessed for almost 2 days. Finally, they declared that I was ready to be initiated to the cult. However, having witnessed another initiation, I knew that powerful magic was involved and I should not risk being exposed to it. I escaped the area, something that did not make them very happy. I suspect that now I am in their most wanted lists.

These are my main conclusions:

1. Master’s Glaive is their basic training area.

2. They find potential member’s mainly from the area of Auberdine. The ideal candidates are people who are sick of the war and the constant fighting with the Horde. They are usually lured with promises that they will help change the world and make it a better place for everyone. The members of the cult come from many different races, both from the Alliance and the Horde and the cultists use this fact to impress upon the candidates that this is the image of the new world they are building.

3. Most of the potential members do not know what they are getting themselves into. When they realise it is already too late for them to escape.

4. The pre-initiation period simply teaches the shadow arts to the most promising initiates. The rest get a basic military training. All of the initiates are asked to worship the Old Gods all the time.

5. The initiation ceremony changes the initiates by exposing them to extremely powerful magic. The change is both physical and psychological. When I inquired about the place they chose as their training area, I was told that at that exact site one of the Old Gods had perished during the fight with the Titans and thus the area had become a conduit for their powerful magic.

I also managed to learn about two more of the cult’s hideouts. The first is the Thunder Axe Fortress in Desolace and the second is a cave called Blackfathom Deeps. I decided to investigate the Thunder Axe Fortress. Indeed the place is full of cultists many of whom conduct strange experiments. In one of the buildings there is a big red crystal and several of the cult’s members are permanently around channelling shadow energy in it. I am unsure of what they are trying to achieve by such an act as there is no visible change in the crystal. I would have liked to get closer and investigate further, but unfortunately, they are constantly patrolling the area and since there were not many places I could hide, it was impossible for me to stay longer and discover more about the nature of their experiments, without risking exposure.

I plan to investigate the Blackfathom Deeps cave next and I will send you another report.

L.

For'are Lorenya,

Thank you for this extensive report on the operations and methodologies of the Twilight's Hammer - specifically your insights into their recruitment and indoctrination techniques - this makes it clear to me that we need to redouble our efforts to protect our kin from the lure of the Hammer.

Fortunately, the Vanguard strike in the deserts of the south and the killing of two of the Hammer's blasphemous "Royalty" will no-doubt prove a setback to the cult. However, I am convinced that they will not succumb to defeat so easily.

We must, as always, be wary.

-T-



+2 Runes