Four, "the Listener"¶

Four, "the Listener"

Four, a quiet grey-haired man in grey robes, sitting by a lattice window with a sealed letter


Number	Ghost-4
Archetype	Intelligence, listening
Office	Governor of the western regions of former Aldoria, until 909 AP
Successor	The Gull
Rival	Eight, "the Hound"
Location	Confined to his rooms in the The Citadel
Status	Alive, fate unknown

Locked Grey, quiet and cautious. He knew Nine as a boy, governed the western regions of conquered Aldoria, protected the royal couple for two years by not looking very hard, and was exposed by his own confession.

Governor of the west¶

Locked After the conquest, Four governed the western regions of former Aldoria. Malakor deliberately set Four and Eight to compete against each other, and Four knew that a man in that position needs leverage to survive.

His leverage was a secret. He believed the King-Consort was Nine, and he kept that to himself. He wasn't necessarily against the Emperor. He was cautious, and a secret no one else holds is worth more than loyalty.

Alyssa¶

Locked In spring 909 AP, when the Far Lantern came back from the Farrow expedition to Westhaven, it was Four's men who captured the ship. Four saw potential in Alyssa Kruger and offered to make her his voice. He took her under his protection and told her he believed the King-Consort was Nine.

He never imagined she would go as far as she did. He did not know she would kill Malakor.

A real-world comparison

Think of a courtier under a paranoid king, like Thomas Cromwell or Fouché. You keep a file on everyone, you share it with no one, and you recruit useful people before your rivals do. Four's mistake was recruiting someone who couldn't be kept in a file.

History¶

For two years Four searched for Lyra and the King-Consort "exactly as hard as I wished to", which was not very hard. When Alyssa was dying in the Hall of Lanterns, his bound hands were pressed to her side.

The confession¶

His sealed confession was read aloud to the The Imperial Council against his will. It named the Ninth as Aldoria's King-Consort.

Now¶

Confined to his rooms. His governorship has passed to the Gull. He could be an ally if freed, or a tragedy.

Through the years¶

Four as governor of the west, in a grey official kaftan at a desk in a harbour palace — Governor of the west of former Aldoria (908–909 AP)

Sources¶

Campaign Three handoff, §7
The Aldorian Codex: Lands Beyond
Owner's notes of 6 November 2026