The Silent Hand

Quote from the Silent Hand

"The truth is not a gift—it is a burden. Are you strong enough to carry it?" — A Keeper of the Shroud

There is a saying in Aethria: “Trust the Silent Hand, but never turn your back on them.”
The Silent Hand is not a legend whispered in dark alleys or a secret cabal hiding in the shadows of forgotten temples. They are known, their existence acknowledged across the Five Kingdoms, their counsel sought by rulers and scholars alike. Yet for all their visibility, they remain enigmatic, an organization with clear purpose but uncertain intent. They are the watchers, the keepers of knowledge, and—when necessary—the wielders of unseen power.
To the untrained eye, they may seem like nothing more than a brotherhood of historians, librarians, and spies, a collection of scholars and tacticians who trade in secrets instead of gold. They offer advice to kings, manage intelligence networks that rival any empire’s, and hold archives of knowledge lost to time. Aethria’s greatest leaders have, at one point or another, turned to the Silent Hand for guidance.
But never for trust.
For no one truly knows what they want.

The Order of the Silent Hand

The Silent Hand does not rule. It does not command armies or wage wars. It does not seek crowns, thrones, or even religious reverence.
And yet, no kingdom dares ignore them.
Their members serve openly as advisors, spymasters, and record-keepers, offering their knowledge freely—to those willing to pay their price. In the courts of Verisara, the empire of Thaldrisar, and the druidic circles of Eldenmere, they hold positions of great influence. A ruler who dismisses the Silent Hand does so at their own peril, for history has shown that those who push them away often find themselves blindsided by the very knowledge they chose to ignore.
Aethria has no shortage of wars fought with steel and magic, but the Silent Hand fights on another front: information. They trade in it, guard it, shape it, and, when necessary, bury it.
They are known. They are sought after. But they are never truly understood.

The Great Paradox: Guardians or Puppeteers?

Their purpose, as they claim, is simple: “We guard knowledge, for knowledge must be guarded.”
To most, this explanation is infuriatingly vague. What knowledge, exactly? From whom? And for what purpose?
They insist that their goals are not political, yet their influence on rulers and decisions can shape entire nations. They swear no allegiance to any throne, yet their agents serve as advisors in royal courts. They claim to protect history, yet certain records vanish from existence the moment the Silent Hand takes interest in them.
Some claim the Silent Hand acts as a counterbalance, ensuring that no single ruler, kingdom, or faction ever becomes too powerful. Others believe they are hoarders, collecting information not to protect it, but to wield it when the time is right.
Which is the truth?
Perhaps both. Perhaps neither. Perhaps the Silent Hand allows the world to believe as it wishes—so long as the world continues to play its part.

The Structure of the Silent Hand

Though their presence in the world is known, the inner workings of the Silent Hand remain carefully hidden. What is clear, however, is that they operate in layers—those on the outside seeing only what they are meant to see, while those deeper within guard the true workings of the organization.

The Veiled Council

At the heart of the Silent Hand is the Veiled Council, a group of unseen leaders whose identities are known only to one another. Theories abound as to who they are—some believe they are former rulers who abandoned their crowns for greater power, others say they are merely figureheads and that the true power of the Hand lies elsewhere.

The Keepers of the Shroud

Beneath them are the Keepers of the Shroud, the elite few who hold the deepest secrets of the world. They are scholars, tacticians, and spies, capable of orchestrating events through subtle influence rather than brute force. A single whisper from a Keeper can set events in motion that will shape the course of history.

The Whisperers

Below them are the Whisperers, the Hand’s agents who move through society as advisors, historians, or spies. Some serve openly, while others remain unseen, hidden within royal courts, academic institutions, and merchant guilds, gathering information that may one day prove useful.

The Silent

At the lowest ranks are the Silent—new initiates who have proven their worth but have yet to earn true trust. They are given fragments of truth, tested for their ability to discern deception from reality. Only when they prove they can carry the weight of secrets do they rise in the order.

The Vault of Secrets

The greatest mystery surrounding the Silent Hand is the fabled Vault of Secrets.
It is said to contain the most dangerous truths in Aethria—hidden histories, lost magics, and knowledge that could unmake entire nations. If the vault exists, its location is one of the best-kept secrets of the world.
Some claim it is buried beneath one of Aethria’s greatest cities, hidden in plain sight. Others believe it moves, never staying in one place for too long, concealed by magic and deception. A few even whisper that it does not exist in the physical world at all, but rather within a realm of shadow, accessible only to those who truly understand the nature of secrets.
If the Silent Hand guards such a vault, then the question remains—do they protect the world from its knowledge, or do they protect that knowledge for themselves?
“All things are known to the Hand. The only question is whether they choose to reveal them.” In the end, the Silent Hand is not feared for its numbers or its weapons, but for the one thing it controls that no one else can:
The truth.
It is said that rulers go to war over land, gold, and power. But the true wars, the ones that shape the world in ways no army ever could, are fought over knowledge. And in these wars, the Silent Hand has always been victorious.
They do not ask for loyalty. They do not demand faith. They do not require belief.
They exist.
And that is enough.

Leader

Isolde Nightrune

Divines

• Fenralis, Deity of Secrets