Nezznar,
You let them escape again, and now they know. They know that the kindly Delphine was never their ally. I warned you not to underestimate them, but you allowed your arrogance to cloud your judgment—twice now. Were it not for your connection to Vuthul, I would begin to question your use to me entirely.
You are right to suspect that they are more than mere pawns. I have long feared that they may have been chosen by our enemies—champions of the gods who would oppose Vuthul’s rise. But if that is the case, then they will not stop until they are broken or dead. That, dear brother, is your purpose. You are Vuthul’s herald, not his shield. You exist to test them, to tear at them, to distract them from the truth and weaken them before the end.
Do not concern yourself with my alternatives. The key remains our priority. Should you fail again—should we fail—there are other paths to Vuthul’s release, though the cost will be steep, even for me. The tome of darkness has revealed… possibilities. The ritual it whispers will bring ruin to the world above, allowing the forces below to spill forth like a flood, if the key cannot be claimed. But I would prefer not to use it—not yet. It would be a crude tool compared to what we could achieve with the completed key.
You must stand firm, Nezznar. Stop wallowing in grief for dust and shadows—your daughter is long dead. Use your pain, as Vuthul would demand, and prove your worth. I have no patience for weakness, nor does our father. Should you fail him again, he may choose a worthier herald.
Do not disappoint me.
—M