Overview
Alistair's Network is the covert intelligence, recruitment, and infiltration organization founded by Alistair after he consolidates power in Brighthaven. It begins as a hidden program inside the Brighthaven Triarch, where Alistair trains elite mages who serve publicly as bodyguards and privately gather intelligence on foreign powers, the gods, the Malverand Empire, and the source.
The network's operatives share the code name Alistair when acting abroad. They use variants such as Alistair Koss, Moss, Zoss, Doss, and Loss, and successors can inherit the same code names from dead or retired agents. Alistair favors powerful mages, especially temporal mages suited to illusion work. He also accepts capable non-temporal mages into the ranks.
Branches and Reach
The network relies on secrecy, inherited code names, regional branches, and apprentice training. Its first public cover is the triarch's office and advisors in Brighthaven. Its hidden headquarters oversees agents spread across Valrindor. Alistair later orders the network to expand and agrees with Voss that agents should rely less openly on the Alistair name as the pattern becomes risky.
After Alistair's failed early push toward the Plains of Eternity and Zarephon, the network rebuilds over centuries. Doss remains active in Rahmavir, Poss remains in contact, Voss holds Brighthaven through his own division and apprentice, Koss and Toss manage Ulzathir operations, and Hoss remains in Haverloch.
At Cyndarel, Alistair and Doss separate outside Aldar's veil. After Raphael and Aldar fall, Alistair plans to find Doss if she survived, then assumes Aldar's appearance and moves toward Kaldaryn and Thalassai.
Operations
The network advances Alistair's pursuit of the source and his opposition to the Order. Zoss, Doss, and Loss travel with him toward Rahmavir and the Plains of Eternity; Noss infiltrates Myrravel; Loss carries information between Rahmavir and Myrravel while they prepare to seize the source; and Joss later locates Isandriel and Helena near Morozkaya, giving the network intelligence on the Order's existence.
In Rahmavir and Zarephon, Alistair embeds agents among the chosen, recruits powerful mages for both his own organization and Rahmavir's chosen ranks, and develops compressed-air cylinders for source dives with Doss and Zoss. The network also searches for origin magic users, leading to Boss and the spell-disruption research behind Rahmavir weapons.
During the Battle for Cyndarel, Alistair's organization brings Severin, Doss, Boss, and Rahmavir chosen into Raphael's coalition. Doss impersonates Alice after Zarephon's destruction, carries objects for Alistair, shadows Myrelia, and protects Alistair's cover during his movement beyond Aldar's darkness veil.
Agents and Assets
- Alistair: Founder and planner of the network.
- Doss: Trusted Rahmavir-embedded operative, impersonator, pilot, and courier for Alistair.
- Boss: Origin mage used in spell-disruption and origin-bomb research.
- Severin: Lumerian noble and source-diving specialist recruited by Alistair after faking his death.
- Voss: Brighthaven administrator, division leader, and long-running public ruler who trains an apprentice and continues the network's Brighthaven succession line.
- Koss: Alistair operative in Ulzathir who steers Ozaith's side of the Thalassai Invasion and is killed by Zain.
- Toss: Alistair operating in Ulzathir who becomes Helena's temporal magic teacher in childhood.
- Zoss, Loss, Noss, Poss, Coss, Joss, Hoss, and Moss: Agent names or cover names used in Rahmavir, Myrravel, Brighthaven, Haverloch, Ereshval, and operations elsewhere in Valrindor.