House Millithor in the City of the Spider Queen II

[Serpenteye]

Ki'Willis retells the information in Endur's above post. It is a minor holy site, created by me and matron Alisannara Morcane. Why do you ask? at the same time she says in sign-language We may be overheard, speak anything sensitive in sign.

 

[Pyrex]

Aloud;
"Little more than idle curiosity. Why such a grand temple for a small trading post?"

Drow Sign;
"Dorina wants to keep us out of the temple but seems unwilling or unable to destroy it.
I believe it's important we gain access to the temple and find out why."

 

[Endur]

Kilcif climbs down the chasm from the warehouse level. After some experimentation, he discovers the hidden entrance to the Noble Female's level of Szith Morcane.

As he enters, he does not see the male guards that were on duty when he was here the day before. Instead, the skinless drow female who was the former Matron of House Morcane is here. Actually, Kilcif' notices that her twin sister, also a skinless drow female is here as well. Kilcif has difficulty telling the two apart and knowing which one is really the former matron.

They glare at Kilcif.

Kilcif trembles and bows and apologizes. Kilcif almost thinks about leaving the way he entered, but remembering the long climb decides to head for the audience hall.

He passes a doorway on his right.

He goes through a guardpost which only has a single zombie.

Kilcif discovers the double-doors that lead to the audience hall. They are guarded by another of the skinless drow females. Kilcif begins to wonder if some of these drow women belonged to House Millithor before they were skinned.

He begins to wonder if he is the only survivor of an ambush. He grits his will, he doesn't flee from the skinless drow, instead he opens the double doors to the audience hall.

The doors slam shut behind him.

Stepping forward, he realizes that the audience hall is empty.

Two doors are ahead of him, one on the left behind the throne, one on the right.

 

[Serpenteye]

Ki'Willis leans back in her chair, letting her mouth and her hands speak their own separate messages.
Alisannara was always overly grandiose, she never understood the aestethic value of subtlety and simplicity. She wanted to make a powerful religious statement with the temple, and it suited me to oblige her.
simultaneously she signs, It should not be too difficult to pass the guards, with Quertus assistance. I really don't know if there's anything in the temple that could be of use to us, though. I didn't place any extraordinary protections on the site, and I doubt Morcane possessed the resources to do that either. Irae is obviously extremely powerful, I cannot begin to guess the reason why she has not destroyed the temple. Unless she kept it intact to draw out and expose any remaining worshipers of Lolth. It is extremely unlikely that Lolth would answer our prayers there and not in any of her other temples.

 

[Endur]

Somewhere else.

Night.

Torches line the elaborate formal hall. Draperies of Red and Black adorn the walls and cover the windows to block of the view from the outside.

There are at least one hundred male and female humans in the hall. All except two are masked. Most are wearing black robes and wearing a skull mask. The rest are wearing silver robes and a goat-horned headress. One very tall human is wearing a giant-sized skull as if it were a full face helm and an obsidian crown atop the skull.

One of the two that is not wearing a mask is not wearing any clothing at all. Naked. Drugged, but aware. She is a chained sacrifice. Younger than anyone else in the hall. Her beauty stands out. Somehow you know she was chosen because she was the most desirable and innocent of everyone in the hall.

The other that is not wearing a mask is not human. As tall as a Giant, it crouches near the sacrifice. Its reddish-brown doglike head is topped with horns and its violet eyes have a cold, dark penetrating quality that suggest cunning and intelligence.

Eglur the Glabrezu speaks to the tall human wearing the crown while his claws inflict unspeakable acts upon the sacrifice,
"Her soul is pleasing, but the best sacrifices are those who are willing. You know this, Skull King! I should not have to remind you of my preferences."

Quah-Nomag, the Skull King, responds to Eglur, "The White Witch nearly destroyed the cult. It will take time to rebuild, to educate, and to prepare willing sacrifices."

The Glabrezu responds, "The Prince of the Undead sends orders. A puppet of the White Witch has captured Maerimydra Castle. She is attempting one of the great rituals! Prepare your coven for war."

 

[Seonaid]

Narcelia affects boredom. "I see no reason to think of the temple." Her fingers flash, "How would we do it without anyone noticing? And what if the Matron truly did trap the place, with Kiransalee's blessing? Without Lolth's help, we would not succeed." Her eyes are cold and hard, but a glimmer of fear rises, fear that the Spider Queen will never return.

 

[Endur]

Mithril Hall

Thirteen dwarves are sitting around a table eating a meal with a gnome.

An older dwarf with a ruddy face and wearing a green shirt speaks, "Ahh, Kassawar, the Festival of the Moon is tomorrow. We will remember the deeds of our ancestors tomorrow."

A younger dwarf adds, "Great deeds! Worthy of legend and song!"

The old dwarf continues"After the festival, we'll leave for Silverymoon. Your relatives that escaped the fall of Blindenstone have resettled there. They are waiting for you to rejoin them."

Kassawar cries into his beer, "But so many of my family and friends were killed by the horrible drow."

The old dwarf continues, "You'll be safe in Silverymoon. The drow won't dare to attack."

All of a sudden there is a loud noise, and two large double doors that were in the background are thrown open.

A female dwarf with blond hair and wearing White DragonHide Plate Armor is scowling and stomping away from another dwarf. The other dwarf is older, wears a crown, and is beseeching her,

King Battlehammer says, "Diesa, please be reasonable.

"The plan worked. I agree that Django took some risks and liberties he should not have, but Kassawar was rescued and the drow were defeated."

Diesa responds, "Its not Django I'm upset at. I understand his failures and don't expect any better from him.

"Its you. You are the King. You are supposed to be honorable and just. Even if you have over one thousand years worth of hate stored up against the Drow of Menzoberanzan, that does not justify what you ordered.

"You should have known that sending Endur to negotiate with Horlgar was never going to have a happy ending. My hearthmate told me he could smell the kinslayer blood on Horlgar's hands the moment he entered the same room.

"Why the ruse? Why risk treachery and poison in the arena? The drow could not harm those protected by the power of the Earthmother. Their forces fled from battle or were destroyed.

"We could have walked in and freed Kassawar by force at any time."

The King responds, "I judged it the lesser of two evils. I might have been wrong."

Diesa scowls, turns around, and stomps away.

 

[Endur]

Solom continues his recruitment speech to Quertus, "I tell you, Quertus, the Inverted Tower has many advantages over Menzoberanzan that you have not begun to consider.

"For instance, you may be thinking that we are far from the epic center of magical research.

"Nothing could be further than the truth. There is more magical knowledge within fifty miles of here than in all of Menzoberanzan.

"We are but a few hours ride on the surface from the residence of the most powerful mortal wizard of them all. The Sage of Shadowdale.

"Not only that, but the Dread Lair of the lich king Alokkair, Wizard King of lost Hlontar is nearby as well.

"You could spend a lifetime engaging in magical research here!"

 

[Endur]

Kilcif is still pondering which of the doors to try to find the Matron when Torellan opens one of the doors to the audience hall. Torellan soon realizes that the Kilcif is lost and decides to escort Kilcif to the Matron's Quarters while pondering what to do to take advantage of the twins.

As they approach the Matron's Quarters, they see Marckarius is ahead of them, already knocking on the Matron's door. Behind them, Dariel has also found his way to the Matron's Quarters.

In the Inverted Tower, Quertus takes his leave of Solom to return to the Matron Mother. Icho polymorphs himself into a toad and burrows into a pouch on Quertus' belt. "Nobody is surprised to see a wizard with a toad."

The quiet, bored Eilos speaks, "I will accompany you. It has been some time since I've had a conversation with the Matron."

The wizards are the last to arrive at the Matron's Quarters.

Everyone associated with House Millithor in Szith Morcane (except for the mounts and the Cavvekan that are on the commoner level) are now together after resting.

Marckarius informs the Matron that Dorina will receive her for their private meeting in four hours.

 

[Pyrex]

Carcelon Millithor, Second Daughter, Clr 11

"How would we do it without anyone noticing?"

(Before everyone arrives)
Carcelon continues in sign;
"Who said anything about them not noticing? I was planning on convincing Dorina into letting us in."