In the face of future turmoil, the magical world had to be placed under strict control. This was the conclusion The Venerable One and Salomon had reached after their discussions. Compared with ordinary people, spellcasters had closer ties to the Outer Dimensions and were more prone to corruption. Once a spellcaster fell, they could easily become a gateway through which Extra-dimensional Beings entered the Material Plane—more frightening still, such influence from the Outer Dimensions took shape subtly and imperceptibly. Some spellcasters might merely see a few words one day, then be brainwashed by terrifying nightmares that night. Upon waking, they would inexplicably become lackeys and believers of the Outer Dimensions, setting traps for those around them to spread their corruption and erosion, or simply offering them up as sacrifices to the gods of the Outer Dimensions.
This had happened more than once even after The Venerable One established her rule. That was why Kamar-Taj compared cultists to cockroaches: seeing one cultist meant there was an entire nest still undiscovered. After all, not everyone possessed Salomon's mental fortitude to face the Outer Dimensions directly, to laugh and converse with Dormammu of the Dark Dimension through the strength of their souls. Books in the Kamar-Taj Library dealing with such subjects were locked up in chains and warded with magic; they could only be read with permission.
Most of the illicit magical materials traded on the black market were human bones, human skin, fingernails, and all manner of internal organs. They were among the most common categories and the goods most frequently traded in secret. Such things were generally not displayed openly for sale, and Black Warlocks without connections found them difficult to obtain. Some of these body parts came from ordinary people, while others came from spellcasters. Whether used as spellcasting materials