Servant of the Hand

While the name itself may give others the impression that a "Servant" is of low rank it is far from it. Within the 
guiding hand,  a secretive organization that uses its influence, for it's own purpose, "Servants" are holders of high office. They are known directly by very few outside of the direct leadership of cities, armies or powerful companies. The Servant will, provided it serves their own purposes, provide information to Rulers to warn them of oncoming attacks, and conspiracies against them. 
Usually, servants of the hand will use proxies, messengers that are sent bearing their distinctive marks in order to keep their own identities a secret. This also removes the likelihood that, should they provide false or misleading information, they will end up the subject of a ruler's wrath. 
While The guiding hand has a very poorly defined rank structure, Servants of the Hand are typically more senior agents who have been in place long enough to develop contacts, gain the trust of those they council and do it all while remaining alive. It is not uncommon for a Servant of the hand to actually be more than one person working in tandem through the proxies, however, such a working cell always attempts to retain the mystique that they are lone agents with the hopes that should one of their numbers become captured and killed the assassin will assume the servant dead.

Qualifications

Servants of the Hand are agents, soldiers or other members of the group who have qualified strictly by two measures of success.  Firstly they have maintained discretion and secrecy about who they are and secondly they have managed to do this whilst surviving.

Appointment

Servants often find themselves in the position by default. They will be tasked more and more by the council of five to carry out missions that lend themselves to becoming a reliable confidant of a ruler, a spymaster or other courtier. There is no official ceremony and Servants will often realize they have been raised to the rank after the choice has been made by the Council of Five

Duties

Servants' main duties are providing the information to the consumers as provided to them, monitoring their location for noteworthy information and acting as a nexus point for agents under their purview. 
They whisper in the ears of lords, inform merchants of lucrative trade deals, send adventurers to distant locations and assassins to deal with problematic individuals.

Benefits

While it is unclear what people gain while in the employ of the hand full time such as the servants are, it is well known they pay well both a job well done and it done with discretion being upheld. it is highly likely that servants of the hand are well paid, well looked after and have a network of contacts able to support and work with them as needed.

Grounds for Removal/Dismissal

Typically servants are rarely removed from office other than through their deaths. Few servants of the hand ever truly stop serving.

Type

Civic, Diplomatic

Status

Active, but obscure

Alternative Naming

Guider,

Equates to

The Rank of "Servant of the Hand" Equates in broad terms to a spymaster. Oftentimes, spymasters will also, almost always unbeknownst to their employers, be members of the Guiding hand.

Reports directly to

The Council of Five

Related Organizations

• The Guiding Hand