Ah, you found the code. How diligent.

We admire a mind that notes what others overlook. It shows potential. It suggests you may survive being our ambassador.

Now then. The little object before you.

We call it a Bindling. A sort of poppet, if you prefer archaic terminology. It is a sympathetic construct shaped in your likeness and attuned to your particular nature. Our ritualists crafted it from a few of your odds and ends. Oh, nothing you missed, of course. Strands of hair, a nail clipping or two. Perhaps a drop of blood, if we were lucky.

You might think of it as a personal protective talisman. But it is more than that too.

Each of our Grimrunners carries one. They refine it in the field, feeding it tithes and small victories, customizing and upgrading it. As it gains power, so too does its owner. Quite a reciprocal union. Eventually, it becomes quite difficult to speak of one without the other.

Consider it a token of our appreciation for coming to see us. A symbol of our fruitful collaboration. It is the favored companion of those who step beyond light’s reach. Perhaps it will tilt the odds in your favor.

So do keep it close. The dark has begun to notice you