The cocoons not a secret, it was a cocoon where the caterpillar had been eaten by a parasite which had then left, but when Vami saw that it was filled with darkness and the omen of death in place of life, it awakened something latent in him.

The Acolytes are a bunch of weirdos, theres only a handful of mages among them. They're all deathmongers and more or less not acknowledged by anyone but the tales told to children, where the Acolytes will kill you and turn you into a zombie if you dont wash behind your ears.

Alrighty, I edited the things you mentioned.