Lamentation of Lolth - Chapter X

[Ayden]

When Broddy appeared into the room, Ayden's hands dropped to his side searching for either the hilt of a sword or the haft of a hammer, but those who released him had not deemed it wise to give him a weapon with his new freedom. The gnome looked around the room and smiled broadly to everyone, save Calenthang and himself, before settling down to listen to the welcomes of the others.

~Must not think of it...not now..not here...~

As the talk shifted to the focus of the spiritual beliefs of the drow, Ayden closed his eyes a moment as he gathered his thoughts. Time was the one thing he had in surplus these past two years and while he had not been given access to the world during that time, the lore of the past had been readily available to him.

"Lord Morn, when your officers reported the attacks to you did they notice if the drows had females among their ranks. As Calenthang said, Lolth's grasp upon her race is a tight one, but she only allows females to call upon her dark name. If her priestesses were involved then what Priestess Teleri said is true, they do take take slaves for sacrifices, but we must also remember that Lolth's powers are those of chaos and darkness. Perhaps this is nothing more than a dark whim of hers that has came to your lands by nothing more than chance."

 

[Velmont]

Sielwoodan see Ayden reaction to Broddy entrence. He also note that Ayden doesn't have any weapon. Two years have pass, and humans change a lot more than elves... and who really knows how much time have pass for him.

Even if people change over time, some doens't change much. Laurent, Broddy and Teleri's habits to talk too much have always annoyed the ranger, and not only they speak too much, but they speak of things that doesn't matter to the actual case. Sielwodan continue to listen without a word.

 

[hippocrachus]

Calenthang bowed his head at the elven maiden, accepting her thanks. He didn't claim to be an expert, but he was certain the dark elves were only doing what they do best.
He grudgingly allowed the abomination to elaborate on his words.

 

[Majin]

Randall Morn furrowed his brow at Ayden's question, thinking back to the reports as they were given to him. "No females were explicitly mentioned in them, no. At least none that appeared as priestesses," he answered, taking in the fully formed party as a whole.

"Unless you have any further questions, I urge you to quickly make all the preparations needed and set off to investigate the area around those crypts. The threat of another raid occuring at any time is high I'm afraid..."

[sblock]Fully formed party for the moment excludes Dhes/Dan/Dunstand, but I imagine he will get something up before the end of the week. Right now he is currently in Florida visiting a cousin of ours. He'll be back up here on Wednesday, so if he's still interested in rejoining us, expect something from him shortly after that. [/sblock]

 

[kirinke]

Teleri nodded grimly. "Aye, to that." she agreed.

 

[Majin]

~Daggerdale~

"The Dordrien Crypts are not too terribly far from here. About ten miles south. The journey should not take you long. Good luck to all of you."

~The Underdark~

Irae watched as her daughter Dorina completed turning the man laid out on the steps of the dais her throne sat upon. Attendants came to take charge of him as Dorina spoke, "Take him to a cell and give him something to feed on. I will be along shortly to see to him, and do it quickly if you do not wish to be his first meal!" As they hurried off with her newly created fledgling she rose to stand on the bottom step of her mother's dais and turned to notice a curious look on her face.

"What is it mother? Are you reconsidering my offer to turn you? It really is a simple process. If so you know I c-,"

Dorina's words died in her throat as she found her mother's needle-like fingers close around her neck. How had she moved off her throne so fast? Dorina's heightened senses were useless to catch anything.

"That will be the last time I hear you bring up that insipid question, eldest, is that understood?"

Dorina nodded, painfully, in her mother's grasp. "Yes, Matron Mother," she croaked.

"Good," Irae said, simply, and released her daughter from her deadly grasp. "And what of your insolent brother, Zedarr?" she began, changing the subject, as she continued to stand imposingly over Dorina.

Dorina drew herself up, sneering at the thought of him, but inwardly pleased at the prospect of joining in her mother's irritance at Zedarr, especially if it took Irae's bad temperance off of her. "As usual he does not appreciate the seriousness of our situation, or the glorious times ahead of us upon completion of your ritual, Mother."

Irae ignored her daughter's pathetic attempt at adulation and got right to the point. "Well he is your first lieutenant and your responsibility if he slips up," she hissed. "See that he does not bring dishonor to our house, daughter."

"Of course Matron Mother," Dorina swallowed, silently enraged that she had to continue bearing her mother's displeasure. "I will make certain that dishonor is not brought to House Chumavh."

"See that it is not. Also see that you do not do anything foolish as well. I would be displeased if I was forced to use resources to resurrect your foul carcass. Now get out of my sight. You're long overdue to be back at Szith Morcane."

Dorina nodded curtly and spun to leave. As she left the room she tried to keep her composure at the thought of her mother's last words. She knew the real threat behind them. If the case ever came that she'd be killed and her mother did bring her back with the potent divine magics granted her by Kiaransalee, she would no longer be a vampire. She would have to suffer the existence of a mortal life. The thought of it abhorred her and she knew that her mother understood that all too well... With that, a new determination overtook her. She would not fail. Her un-life depended on it.

 

[kirinke]

Teleri looked inward, she was not an elf who enjoyed war, nor dealing out death, but she knew that the alternatives were far worse.

Fight when you must, kill when you must, but do not take too much joy in it, least you become your enemies friend. She thought, remembering an old proverb. She looked at the others with a small, wry grin.

"Well my friends. The Underdark awaits us. Shall we go and irritate those who dwell within it?" she asked of them.

 

[Wilphe]

"Before we head into the darkness below t'would be wise to ponder whether those we seek are to be found there. Not all Drow live underground, not all are matriarchal and not all worship the Spider Queen; there are exiles and outcasts deep in the woods. Some worship the Masked Lord Vhaeraun, others are still loyal to Lloth. None of them have any love for their kin below and would no doubt be happy to cause them trouble by commting some atrocity and inciting a band of surface dwellers to head underground on a path of vengence."

"A party of males with no priestesses? May be followers of Vhaeraun."

 

[kirinke]

"Tis wise not to trust any of them. Even the ones who are not evil will doubtlessly have spies within their ranks, loyal to the houses they come from." Teleri warned. "And it is not easy to tell which ones are good and which are not. They come from a trecherous people and even the redeemed are used to hiding their true natures."

 

[hippocrachus]

The wood elf tried hard not to narrow his eyes at his friend Laurent for mentioning the surface-dwelling drow.
"Dark elves are beyond redemption, friend Teleri," Calenthang stated as fact. Let any that thought different see their friends and family murdered at the hands of drow; only then will they understand their foolishness. "Who they worship does not matter in any case. They will be routed out of the crypts and brought to justice."
By the will of Shevarash! he told himself. It was convenient that his desires were the same as his god's.