Lomith
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Moridin
- Retired Staff
- Posts: 585
- Joined: Thu Oct 18, 2012 10:14 pm
- Location: SK, Canada
Re: Lomith
Cycle One
The hardest part had been finding a smuggler who would not ask questions. I had been here before, but only once or twice. I knew about the trolls in advance, and so had brought the only weapon I had for dealing with them. Maybe it is a bit poetic, or it had been meant to mock me. Either way, the sword could prove useful despite the fact that I normally use wilder weapons, such as the flail. I had only been out there for a little over a turning when a wizard came. She had come to kill the local trolls and beetles. As such, I had heard her coming, disturbing the local inhabitants through pitched battle. At first I had hid from her behind the rocks, but then she was ambushed by more beetles and trolls. I had rushed out from behind the rocks and defended the woman. At first she had assumed I was either with the Zhentarim or was a bandit. I had dispelled that notion, without revealing my face. We spoke for some time, and I had made many mistakes that by appearances had fallen under her notice. The odd surfacer had kept me until the fireball was rising into the sky.
I had hid behind the cliff, as the fireball rose. The light blinded and burned, but I had been looking anywhere for shelter. The surfacer had offered to let me into her fortress, but I had refused. She would have required me to drop my mask. I am fully aware of the danger that surfacers pose, and going into a den of surfacers would likely mean a premature death. Instead, this wizard showed me to ruins that I could occupy. She took me there as I had stumbled behind her, completely blinded by the light. The fireball even had burned through my eyelids.
It wasn't much, but it did offer some protection from the light.
Cycle Two
I spent much time securing food and water. There are many badgers in the region, and they are better to eat than the beetles. The ruins I inhabit have a well for water as well, and beyond hunting I spent time exploring my local surroundings. Eventually I returned to that truly infested but secluded beach. After I had cleared the beach, I had began to meditate. That had been interrupted by a surfacer before long. I had defended myself against a new onslaught of trolls caused by the surfacer, but he had somehow not seen me. He turned back at the bottom of the path without a word, when I had been nearby and out in the open though with my hood up.
The sound of the waves crashing against the shore is nearly a foreign sound, but comforting all the same. I had never simply listened to the noise prior. The closest I had come to hearing that sound prior had been on a raid in Eastern Calimshan, as we had descended upon a small but unsuspecting fishing village. My focus back then had been on obtaining the favour of the Queen of Spiders, at any cost. Being a priestess involved in surface excursions had gone a long way towards that goal. As I had thought. The ultimate end of that quick battle was the deaths of many of the surfacers, with the rest forced into chains as we had dragged them with us back to Guallidurth. Guallidurth was well known for its slaves, and Qu'ellar Despval was no exception. They traded slaves all over Shanatar as it was called, and even as far North as Sshamath and Sschindylryn. Back then, all I was was a deluded priestess, trying to survive in another's house. As I had sat in the sand, contemplating my past... That was when she came. The sickly sweet and terrifying voice of Lolth.
It had sent a bolt of fear through me, as it had felt like Lolth was there, beside me. I almost relapsed into cowering before her. I however, had stood my ground. I responded to the voice and called worship of her pointless. She promises no future, she promises that one misstep can lead to your death. She holds the Ilythiiri hostage to her whim, yet tosses them aside whenever she so desires. The last words she said was that I would never escape, as a terrible feeling had clutched my heart. It had spread up into my mind and had nearly taken hold before dissipating, and eventually being as if it had never happened. Was she trying to turn me into a drider? Did something or someone stop her?
After Lolth left, I sat there marveling at the beauty of the moon reflecting off of the waves. Before it set however, I finished my mediations for the night and nearly stumbled into druids near the circle. I avoided them, as likely having a dark and hooded figure walking into their circle would raise suspicions that I could likely not afford. I do not need the fists coming here to hunt me, I know I already have more than them to worry about. Before the fireball rose I was in the ruins again, once more curled up in the darkest corner.
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Moridin
- Retired Staff
- Posts: 585
- Joined: Thu Oct 18, 2012 10:14 pm
- Location: SK, Canada
Re: Lomith
Cycle 3
I'll start from the beginning. I had been meditating once again on that infested beach when the same Eilistraeean had come to me. I told her of when the dark mother had come to me, and she had shown concern until I told her that I had denied the queen of spiders again. She had nodded as if I had passed some sort of test. She then had asked me what I know of the descent, and the destiny of the Drow. She turned it upside down. If what she says is true, then much of what I know about the place of the illythiiri becomes a lie. I know not if her version of the descent is accurate, but at the same time I know that Lolth lies. I know Matron Xullra'raema did not venerate Eilistraee, and as of yet I have not had any urges to feed myself to the elder brain.
I spoke with this Eilistraeean throughout the night, until the moon had set into the sea beyond. She kept me out until the sun as she called it was high in the sky, when I had no protection against its penetrating light, despite my best attempts. I had seen little point in it, and I feel like I should hate her, but she had had a good purpose, to spite Lolth. Despite that, my eyes still sting as I write this.
Cycle 4
My healing supplies were running low, and I had gotten into trouble with the local gnolls as I had been trying to dodge surfacers. I had decided to limp my way back to the smuggler that brought me to this region, back up to Roaringshore to resupply. When I avoided the road and travelled the back route along behind another fortress, I ran into a human. He nearly shot me on sight, but instead offered to heal me. I was weary at first, but had leaned up against the rocks and asked him not to kill me. He had soon discovered that I am a Drow, and had at first seemed concerned. He had continued to dress my wounds after I had told him that I no longer worship the dark mother, and that my disfigurement was caused by a yochlol. The human then took me to a druids grove, and we sat there staring up at the stars as I had detailed my past to him. He called it turbulent. I think that was an understatement. Both of us are foreigners in a strange land, only he had claimed to be from a place called Zakhara.
Cycle 5
I had been meditating on the beach when I had heard the cackling of the local gnolls. It had been obvious that they had obtained food for the night. Instead of doing nothing I had decided to act. I had fought the gnolls until I had found the body of a dead tiefling. It had made me think of the spy Eluriand, about when Vierdra had tried to bring him back from the dead. How I had been fearful of Lolth and enraged at Vierdra's mother, how I had been more concerned about myself than the difficulties Vierdra had faced. I took the tiefling out and onto the cliffside beside the grove. At that point I had pulled out a scroll that still thrummed with Lolth's power. Perhaps it would be a slight against her to raise a tiefling with it? That little pocket of Lolth's terrible power thrummed through me and into the tiefling for a moment. It felt wrong. It felt hostile. The tiefling however came back from the dead as the scroll had dissipated into the wind.
At first she had behaved like a caged animal and no matter what I said, she snarled and snapped at me. It did not change until another tiefling found us. The two had had a short talk in abyssal in front of me. Then the male tiefling had talked to me, while the female had run off. He offered to pay me, but that thought of sending my niece to the abyss had clung on in the back of my head. I refused it. I told him that he owes me nothing. That I have a long journey in front of me, and that this was a good way to take the first step. That by appearances had connected with him.
I'll start from the beginning. I had been meditating once again on that infested beach when the same Eilistraeean had come to me. I told her of when the dark mother had come to me, and she had shown concern until I told her that I had denied the queen of spiders again. She had nodded as if I had passed some sort of test. She then had asked me what I know of the descent, and the destiny of the Drow. She turned it upside down. If what she says is true, then much of what I know about the place of the illythiiri becomes a lie. I know not if her version of the descent is accurate, but at the same time I know that Lolth lies. I know Matron Xullra'raema did not venerate Eilistraee, and as of yet I have not had any urges to feed myself to the elder brain.
I spoke with this Eilistraeean throughout the night, until the moon had set into the sea beyond. She kept me out until the sun as she called it was high in the sky, when I had no protection against its penetrating light, despite my best attempts. I had seen little point in it, and I feel like I should hate her, but she had had a good purpose, to spite Lolth. Despite that, my eyes still sting as I write this.
Cycle 4
My healing supplies were running low, and I had gotten into trouble with the local gnolls as I had been trying to dodge surfacers. I had decided to limp my way back to the smuggler that brought me to this region, back up to Roaringshore to resupply. When I avoided the road and travelled the back route along behind another fortress, I ran into a human. He nearly shot me on sight, but instead offered to heal me. I was weary at first, but had leaned up against the rocks and asked him not to kill me. He had soon discovered that I am a Drow, and had at first seemed concerned. He had continued to dress my wounds after I had told him that I no longer worship the dark mother, and that my disfigurement was caused by a yochlol. The human then took me to a druids grove, and we sat there staring up at the stars as I had detailed my past to him. He called it turbulent. I think that was an understatement. Both of us are foreigners in a strange land, only he had claimed to be from a place called Zakhara.
Cycle 5
I had been meditating on the beach when I had heard the cackling of the local gnolls. It had been obvious that they had obtained food for the night. Instead of doing nothing I had decided to act. I had fought the gnolls until I had found the body of a dead tiefling. It had made me think of the spy Eluriand, about when Vierdra had tried to bring him back from the dead. How I had been fearful of Lolth and enraged at Vierdra's mother, how I had been more concerned about myself than the difficulties Vierdra had faced. I took the tiefling out and onto the cliffside beside the grove. At that point I had pulled out a scroll that still thrummed with Lolth's power. Perhaps it would be a slight against her to raise a tiefling with it? That little pocket of Lolth's terrible power thrummed through me and into the tiefling for a moment. It felt wrong. It felt hostile. The tiefling however came back from the dead as the scroll had dissipated into the wind.
At first she had behaved like a caged animal and no matter what I said, she snarled and snapped at me. It did not change until another tiefling found us. The two had had a short talk in abyssal in front of me. Then the male tiefling had talked to me, while the female had run off. He offered to pay me, but that thought of sending my niece to the abyss had clung on in the back of my head. I refused it. I told him that he owes me nothing. That I have a long journey in front of me, and that this was a good way to take the first step. That by appearances had connected with him.
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Moridin
- Retired Staff
- Posts: 585
- Joined: Thu Oct 18, 2012 10:14 pm
- Location: SK, Canada
Re: Lomith
Cycle 6
Soon after the sun set, I had been returning from a hunt. A human had been inside my shelter, and had been looking through my meager belongings. It had been obvious from the moment I had set foot in my abode, that she had read my memoirs. She had eyed her shortsword. I however, defused the situation. I simply told her that it was impolite to steal from another person, and asked her how much she knew. Then I had sheathed my sword. She had told me that she knew everything, but that she did not understand it all. Custom would dictate her death, but I had decided to humour her, especially due to what the Eilistraeean had told me to do.
I told her parts of my past, and she responded in kind, at least what she could. Her mind is fractured, many of her memories are simply gone. Apparently, this surfacer's earliest complete memories were of Sshamath. I took her down to the place where I meditate, and tried to make her remember. All we achieved was the name of a city in Tethyr, Zazz, that Memnon was a dignificant part of her past, and a creature that by her description could only be a drider. In return for my assistance, she offered to take the trollhides I had gathered into Candlekeep, and trade them for more vellum and ink. I agreed to the proposal, but I had remained at the ready. If she had betrayed me, I would have fled as soon as I spotted the guards. She had not however. She returned with the vellum and the ink. Eventually we went our separate ways. What I learned from her is that my impulse to call the... nights... cycles makes me highly suspicious to surfacers.
The Eilistraeean found me meditating on the beach once more, and I described my encounter with the tieflings to her. We spoke about it until the moon was touching the sea beyond. She was concerned, and she seemed to judge me, but ultimately she told me that I had did the right thing. She then took me to an unoccupied mine, near the den of the gnolls. There we detailed our pasts to one another, and I described in detail why I helped those tieflings. She told me that the further I stray from the dark mother, the closer I come to Eilistraee. I do not know what to think of that. I tread on ground I never have prior, and I feel like every step is one into the unknown. Eventually, she rose from where she sat. She conjured consecrated moonlight... At least I think that is what it was. Regardless, it felt comforting but it also felt as if it was judging me.
That was when she had asked me to vow to do everything in my power to not kill anyone. She had already told me to do that a few cycles past, but she said she did not want it to be an order. She wanted it to come from within myself. I almost rejected her right then and there. Only a fool would swear to never kill their opponents after all, but bathed in the moonlight, I swore not to kill anyone. Am I a fool? I have spent so long thinking otherwise, but I had knelt there and vowed to do everything I could not to kill. As if it had been squeezed out of me, without first consulting me. Was my vow born from my regrets? My guilt? My fear of angering yet another goddess? It was impulsive, foolish and careless. Regardless of the reason, I swore it while bathed in the divine light of Eilistraee. Breaking it, is not an option.
Night 7
After my normal chores, I had returned once more to the beach. I set my alarm, and began to meditate on the sands below the cliffs. Soon after I had began, my alarm had went off twice. The two tieflings had come down the cliff, they claimed to visit the beach. However, they began to interrogate me. The scroll I had used, inundated with the Dark Mother's power, had left the male troubled and the female even more so. I tried to defuse the tensions, but then the alarm had went off a third time. Eventually the human from the previous night came out of hiding, and much of the tension became between her and the tieflings. One of the tieflings did not know common so I was forced to speak to both sides in their native tongues. I introduced them to each other, in their native tongues. Much of the conversation was in abyssal, or as the tieflings called it, the wild tongue. I spent much time convincing the tieflings that the human was not hostile.
That is when the tensions had returned to me. The male tiefling brought up his concerns about the scroll I had used. Eventually I had been backed into a corner. Either an altercation would have begun, or I needed to reveal myself, to explain what she had felt. I spoke of the queen of spiders, and how I had become disfavoured. I explained what that meant and how she attempted to turn me into a drider. I explained what a drider was, and I explained that something had stopped her as I had looked up at Eilistraee, or Sune. Then I had dropped my hood. They were shocked despite my lead in, but did not attack. Eventually, we parted ways on amicable terms, and I returned to the ruins, with the human in tow.
We spoke for some time in the ruins, as I tried to dig into her memory. We did not succeed then, I now know that we had been looking at the wrong details. I had made her describe parts of her memory, to see if I could interpret them. I had focused on the cultists, the knife they wielded for sacrifice, and tried to see if she could remember any sort of symbols. We unfortunately had come up short.
Besides that, eventually two goblins burst in pushing a kobold named Rezah in front of them. At first I had hesitated, until the goblins noticed me. Then I had stepped out into the middle of the room with my sword fully drawn. An imposing figure no doubt. These goblins had burst into my temporary home after all, and were trying to claim it as theirs. I negotiated with them while slowly separating them from their loot and Rezah. The human had then decided to feed Rezah. I intimidated the goblins. They tried to then trade with me; the ruins for some old boots. I inquired about the boots. They were grave robbers. They had been going to local towns and digging up graves. Then we discovered the kobold was a slave. I once owned slaves myself, and saw it as an inescapable part of life. A part of the spider queen's holy dogma. Despite my power I had even been a slave. A slave to my fear, a slave to my rage, a slave to my obligations, a slave to power, a slave to the Dark Mother. I am told that Eilistraee preaches freedom for all elves, but why would I ever deserve this freedom from the dark mother if I left this one in chains? Regardless, what actually convinced me to do what I did at the time was seeing the human bonding with the kobold. I made the goblins leave, without spilling blood. They left Rezah and the treasures they had stolen behind. It had been my requirement for them to live. At least that is what we made them believe. Rezah now lives in a nearby cave. I sometimes go out to speak to the kobold, and supply him with food and water.
Soon after the sun set, I had been returning from a hunt. A human had been inside my shelter, and had been looking through my meager belongings. It had been obvious from the moment I had set foot in my abode, that she had read my memoirs. She had eyed her shortsword. I however, defused the situation. I simply told her that it was impolite to steal from another person, and asked her how much she knew. Then I had sheathed my sword. She had told me that she knew everything, but that she did not understand it all. Custom would dictate her death, but I had decided to humour her, especially due to what the Eilistraeean had told me to do.
I told her parts of my past, and she responded in kind, at least what she could. Her mind is fractured, many of her memories are simply gone. Apparently, this surfacer's earliest complete memories were of Sshamath. I took her down to the place where I meditate, and tried to make her remember. All we achieved was the name of a city in Tethyr, Zazz, that Memnon was a dignificant part of her past, and a creature that by her description could only be a drider. In return for my assistance, she offered to take the trollhides I had gathered into Candlekeep, and trade them for more vellum and ink. I agreed to the proposal, but I had remained at the ready. If she had betrayed me, I would have fled as soon as I spotted the guards. She had not however. She returned with the vellum and the ink. Eventually we went our separate ways. What I learned from her is that my impulse to call the... nights... cycles makes me highly suspicious to surfacers.
The Eilistraeean found me meditating on the beach once more, and I described my encounter with the tieflings to her. We spoke about it until the moon was touching the sea beyond. She was concerned, and she seemed to judge me, but ultimately she told me that I had did the right thing. She then took me to an unoccupied mine, near the den of the gnolls. There we detailed our pasts to one another, and I described in detail why I helped those tieflings. She told me that the further I stray from the dark mother, the closer I come to Eilistraee. I do not know what to think of that. I tread on ground I never have prior, and I feel like every step is one into the unknown. Eventually, she rose from where she sat. She conjured consecrated moonlight... At least I think that is what it was. Regardless, it felt comforting but it also felt as if it was judging me.
That was when she had asked me to vow to do everything in my power to not kill anyone. She had already told me to do that a few cycles past, but she said she did not want it to be an order. She wanted it to come from within myself. I almost rejected her right then and there. Only a fool would swear to never kill their opponents after all, but bathed in the moonlight, I swore not to kill anyone. Am I a fool? I have spent so long thinking otherwise, but I had knelt there and vowed to do everything I could not to kill. As if it had been squeezed out of me, without first consulting me. Was my vow born from my regrets? My guilt? My fear of angering yet another goddess? It was impulsive, foolish and careless. Regardless of the reason, I swore it while bathed in the divine light of Eilistraee. Breaking it, is not an option.
Night 7
After my normal chores, I had returned once more to the beach. I set my alarm, and began to meditate on the sands below the cliffs. Soon after I had began, my alarm had went off twice. The two tieflings had come down the cliff, they claimed to visit the beach. However, they began to interrogate me. The scroll I had used, inundated with the Dark Mother's power, had left the male troubled and the female even more so. I tried to defuse the tensions, but then the alarm had went off a third time. Eventually the human from the previous night came out of hiding, and much of the tension became between her and the tieflings. One of the tieflings did not know common so I was forced to speak to both sides in their native tongues. I introduced them to each other, in their native tongues. Much of the conversation was in abyssal, or as the tieflings called it, the wild tongue. I spent much time convincing the tieflings that the human was not hostile.
That is when the tensions had returned to me. The male tiefling brought up his concerns about the scroll I had used. Eventually I had been backed into a corner. Either an altercation would have begun, or I needed to reveal myself, to explain what she had felt. I spoke of the queen of spiders, and how I had become disfavoured. I explained what that meant and how she attempted to turn me into a drider. I explained what a drider was, and I explained that something had stopped her as I had looked up at Eilistraee, or Sune. Then I had dropped my hood. They were shocked despite my lead in, but did not attack. Eventually, we parted ways on amicable terms, and I returned to the ruins, with the human in tow.
We spoke for some time in the ruins, as I tried to dig into her memory. We did not succeed then, I now know that we had been looking at the wrong details. I had made her describe parts of her memory, to see if I could interpret them. I had focused on the cultists, the knife they wielded for sacrifice, and tried to see if she could remember any sort of symbols. We unfortunately had come up short.
Besides that, eventually two goblins burst in pushing a kobold named Rezah in front of them. At first I had hesitated, until the goblins noticed me. Then I had stepped out into the middle of the room with my sword fully drawn. An imposing figure no doubt. These goblins had burst into my temporary home after all, and were trying to claim it as theirs. I negotiated with them while slowly separating them from their loot and Rezah. The human had then decided to feed Rezah. I intimidated the goblins. They tried to then trade with me; the ruins for some old boots. I inquired about the boots. They were grave robbers. They had been going to local towns and digging up graves. Then we discovered the kobold was a slave. I once owned slaves myself, and saw it as an inescapable part of life. A part of the spider queen's holy dogma. Despite my power I had even been a slave. A slave to my fear, a slave to my rage, a slave to my obligations, a slave to power, a slave to the Dark Mother. I am told that Eilistraee preaches freedom for all elves, but why would I ever deserve this freedom from the dark mother if I left this one in chains? Regardless, what actually convinced me to do what I did at the time was seeing the human bonding with the kobold. I made the goblins leave, without spilling blood. They left Rezah and the treasures they had stolen behind. It had been my requirement for them to live. At least that is what we made them believe. Rezah now lives in a nearby cave. I sometimes go out to speak to the kobold, and supply him with food and water.
Last edited by Moridin on Fri Oct 15, 2021 12:22 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Moridin
- Retired Staff
- Posts: 585
- Joined: Thu Oct 18, 2012 10:14 pm
- Location: SK, Canada
Re: Lomith
Night 8
The night had started off quiet. I had hunted the local badgers, and took food and water to Rezah in his cave. I had went to the beach once more to mediate after, and it had not been until the moon was setting into the waves that he found me. A ghost from my past, alive and well.
He had asked me if the fire I had used to cook my food was mine. It was. There is no way that I would eat the strange meats I have access to on the surface raw. I think he began to suspect me when I had told him that it was rare for me to get troll skins into keep. That is when I remembered him and he introduced himself. I remember hesitating. He was one that I had seen as property in the past. He was just a surface elf, but he was one that could determine whether I live or end up captured by the fist. I ultimately decided to give him my real name, because I know he had dealt with Rilae'ar'an and Draya in the past.
As the sun crested the ridge, blinding me, the elf froze in fear. I understand why. Until this point, to his knowledge at least, I was a fanatical worshipper of the dark mother. According to him, I had even placed a bounty on his head. That had been true. I had placed a bounty on his head, in part of the shadow war between Zau'afin and Bregan Daerthe. He was a harper, that had unwittingly supplied me the bolts I had used against Bregan Daerthe. I had not succeeded in my plans, but I still had caused an effect that benefits me now. Bregan stopped information from leaking from within their ranks. I ultimately decided I needed this elf to survive.
He began to ask his questions. Why are you here? I told the truth. I was on the surface to avoid the spider queen and her agents, as well as to discover myself. What drove me to do what I did next was a poorly timed and cruel joke he had thrown my way. I had pulled off my hood, and my mask, and unbuckled my armour over my scars. Let the elf see what she has wrought I had thought. What I hadn't prepared for was the pain of the sun, for I had stripped myself of my only protection from it. The light already had burned and blinded before, but it became worse. Sort of like a fire, burning my past away. Before I knew it, I was on my knees. He asked about who I failed to sacrifice. What I had failed to desecrate? At first I had not fully answered. I instead had shown him that his questioning was incomplete. What mattered was who I came to depend too much on, what I felt due to my actions. That I ultimately chose to not be her piece any longer. I told him of the yochlol, and when it had sunk its fangs into me. That all I had been doing at the time was trying to save my dread guard Xeyn.
He told me to put on my mask, at first I had refused. He told me that he didn't have time for this, and prepared to teleport as he left an ultimatum. "If any who belong to the keep up there come to harm because of you, you will regret it." That was when my vow came to the forefront of my mind, and before his teleport finished, I had promised him that they would not, that I had sworn not to do that in front of a priestess. I am not certain of if he heard what I had said, but I still felt as if I had failed. The wizard was doubtless going to go up to the keep above and inform them of me.
Night 9
I have barely had time to write this cycle. I hunted, fed Rezah and then went to the beach. Soon after I began my meditations, a half elf wizard found me. She was a highly inquisitive creature, poking through the gaps in my story. Even if they were not gaps in my opinion. She refused to leave me alone, and I got annoyed with her, but I did not lash out. She questioned me until the moon was setting, and I had went to leave, with her still throwing questions at me. I had still been trying to answer her questions when the previous human, Dae, showed up on the path in front of me. My alarm had not gone off. Then the elven wizard from before also appeared in my path. Both Dae and the half elf jumped to my defense because he had had a dagger drawn. I never requested them to do that. Besides, the wizard teleported out, as we had been led to believe, and I took Dae and the half elf to my shelter.
We spoke long into the day while indoors, but the topic we eventually had settled on was Dae's mind. I had her recount the memory of the cultists, and a specific detail of it stuck out to me. The arrow that had hit the cultist at the end. I had asked her to focus on that arrow and describe it. It was a wooden arrow, with green fletching. At first I had thought nothing of it, but then a memory had come up from a book I had browsed one time in the school of mages. There was a god who had green fletching on a silver arrow as their holy symbol. I had asked her is the Seldarine god Solonor Thelandira had meant anything to her. That caused her much progress, for she remembered who she was. Dae... was not even her name. Virin was. Dae was her old friend as she called him, a devotee of Solonor Thelandira. He had tried to rescue her from the cultists, but she had run through a portal and ended up near Sshamath.
I began to be phased out of the conversation however, as the half elf and her discussed her memories. I had went to my desk, and started writing a journal. Sometimes I mumble while writing, and a voice from under the table eventually interrupted me. He told me that it was strange for me to care for the two surfacers on the other side of the room. I disagreed. I had always had this side of me, but I always had rationalized it as taking care of my assets, so that I could use them for later.
Then he had asked me if I reveled in what I did rising up to be matron of the Zau'afins. I was not fully honest to him. Most of it had been a means to an end, building power to use against my sister, but not all of it was. Sometimes I would lash out in fear, or anger, the futility of the world, and it would make me feel better, even if I harmed others. Vierdra had ended up in the hands of Mechrolavloss because of one of those moments. Regardless, he believed me.
He warned me that he had after all informed the keep of my identity. I nearly panicked. Thoughts of being imprisoned and hung until dead did surface. That was when the half elf spoke the name, Lolth. I remember yelling across the room, likely scaring her. I had yelled "Names have power!" That was when the voice beneath the table had advised me that they would not imprison or kill me, but then I thought of Rilae'ar'an. While me and the voice under the table spoke, Virin let slip that I am a Drow, and the half elf shrugged it off.
Even as a priestess of the dark mother, I had grown to respect her to an extent, even though it was due to Irrtana. I knew that she placed faith in this elf. I told him that I had been there when she died, fighting shoulder to shoulder with her. He found the very idea of that unbelievable, but it was the case. Irrtana had taken us to the surface, and into Dragonspear Castle. We had found a portal at the bottom, and Irrtana had jumped in. Rilae'ar'an fell on the plane of Dis. We both had tried to raise her, but we ultimately failed. That was when the voice under the table had added in that he had heard something of her being inside a gem in Candlekeep, and we together came to the conclusion that Irrtana had gotten the tiefling Hinzel to take her lifeless body to Candlekeep.
Then the other two called me one of the kindest drow or elves they had ever met. It only made me feel more guilty. Even the voice under the table had probed that point. "How nice it seems you are..." He had said. I had simply responded to him, "They are too kind. I am a monster. I have done things that if they knew the whole of it they would look at me differently. I am not keeping it from them though." Then the conversation slid back to me and the other two, as I had gotten up to retrieve my trollhides that I had gathered. While I was preparing the hides for transport, the elven wizard crawled out from underneath the table, looked at everyone, and said his farewells.
Night 10
I had did my normal routine. Hunting badgers, feeding Rezah and going to meditate on the beach. Not long after I had started to meditate, the priestess found me once again. I told her of my compromised situation, and she took me to the gnoll encampment. She claimed that they needed to be dealt with. I had told her of Rezah at that point, which had surprised her, but she remained steadfast in her objectives, so I followed her. I do not remember much of what happened in the caves of the gnolls, but my next clear memory I have is being disarmed and on the neck that divides Candlekeep from the mainland in the middle of the day. A tiefling ranger had captured the both of us and taken our swords. The priestess was extremely belligerent, yet I understood why. This tiefling questioned us both, yet the priestess had told me not to speak to her, so I did as she asked.
It grew into a complete mess. The both of us however, were eventually released and allowed to keep our swords. I had went down to my shelter, packed my things, and said farewell to Rezah, leaving him much food and water for the coming days. I also left a letter for Virin in her native language. The priestess and I came out at the end of the day, and found a smuggler to take us back to the North.
The night had started off quiet. I had hunted the local badgers, and took food and water to Rezah in his cave. I had went to the beach once more to mediate after, and it had not been until the moon was setting into the waves that he found me. A ghost from my past, alive and well.
He had asked me if the fire I had used to cook my food was mine. It was. There is no way that I would eat the strange meats I have access to on the surface raw. I think he began to suspect me when I had told him that it was rare for me to get troll skins into keep. That is when I remembered him and he introduced himself. I remember hesitating. He was one that I had seen as property in the past. He was just a surface elf, but he was one that could determine whether I live or end up captured by the fist. I ultimately decided to give him my real name, because I know he had dealt with Rilae'ar'an and Draya in the past.
As the sun crested the ridge, blinding me, the elf froze in fear. I understand why. Until this point, to his knowledge at least, I was a fanatical worshipper of the dark mother. According to him, I had even placed a bounty on his head. That had been true. I had placed a bounty on his head, in part of the shadow war between Zau'afin and Bregan Daerthe. He was a harper, that had unwittingly supplied me the bolts I had used against Bregan Daerthe. I had not succeeded in my plans, but I still had caused an effect that benefits me now. Bregan stopped information from leaking from within their ranks. I ultimately decided I needed this elf to survive.
He began to ask his questions. Why are you here? I told the truth. I was on the surface to avoid the spider queen and her agents, as well as to discover myself. What drove me to do what I did next was a poorly timed and cruel joke he had thrown my way. I had pulled off my hood, and my mask, and unbuckled my armour over my scars. Let the elf see what she has wrought I had thought. What I hadn't prepared for was the pain of the sun, for I had stripped myself of my only protection from it. The light already had burned and blinded before, but it became worse. Sort of like a fire, burning my past away. Before I knew it, I was on my knees. He asked about who I failed to sacrifice. What I had failed to desecrate? At first I had not fully answered. I instead had shown him that his questioning was incomplete. What mattered was who I came to depend too much on, what I felt due to my actions. That I ultimately chose to not be her piece any longer. I told him of the yochlol, and when it had sunk its fangs into me. That all I had been doing at the time was trying to save my dread guard Xeyn.
He told me to put on my mask, at first I had refused. He told me that he didn't have time for this, and prepared to teleport as he left an ultimatum. "If any who belong to the keep up there come to harm because of you, you will regret it." That was when my vow came to the forefront of my mind, and before his teleport finished, I had promised him that they would not, that I had sworn not to do that in front of a priestess. I am not certain of if he heard what I had said, but I still felt as if I had failed. The wizard was doubtless going to go up to the keep above and inform them of me.
Night 9
I have barely had time to write this cycle. I hunted, fed Rezah and then went to the beach. Soon after I began my meditations, a half elf wizard found me. She was a highly inquisitive creature, poking through the gaps in my story. Even if they were not gaps in my opinion. She refused to leave me alone, and I got annoyed with her, but I did not lash out. She questioned me until the moon was setting, and I had went to leave, with her still throwing questions at me. I had still been trying to answer her questions when the previous human, Dae, showed up on the path in front of me. My alarm had not gone off. Then the elven wizard from before also appeared in my path. Both Dae and the half elf jumped to my defense because he had had a dagger drawn. I never requested them to do that. Besides, the wizard teleported out, as we had been led to believe, and I took Dae and the half elf to my shelter.
We spoke long into the day while indoors, but the topic we eventually had settled on was Dae's mind. I had her recount the memory of the cultists, and a specific detail of it stuck out to me. The arrow that had hit the cultist at the end. I had asked her to focus on that arrow and describe it. It was a wooden arrow, with green fletching. At first I had thought nothing of it, but then a memory had come up from a book I had browsed one time in the school of mages. There was a god who had green fletching on a silver arrow as their holy symbol. I had asked her is the Seldarine god Solonor Thelandira had meant anything to her. That caused her much progress, for she remembered who she was. Dae... was not even her name. Virin was. Dae was her old friend as she called him, a devotee of Solonor Thelandira. He had tried to rescue her from the cultists, but she had run through a portal and ended up near Sshamath.
I began to be phased out of the conversation however, as the half elf and her discussed her memories. I had went to my desk, and started writing a journal. Sometimes I mumble while writing, and a voice from under the table eventually interrupted me. He told me that it was strange for me to care for the two surfacers on the other side of the room. I disagreed. I had always had this side of me, but I always had rationalized it as taking care of my assets, so that I could use them for later.
Then he had asked me if I reveled in what I did rising up to be matron of the Zau'afins. I was not fully honest to him. Most of it had been a means to an end, building power to use against my sister, but not all of it was. Sometimes I would lash out in fear, or anger, the futility of the world, and it would make me feel better, even if I harmed others. Vierdra had ended up in the hands of Mechrolavloss because of one of those moments. Regardless, he believed me.
He warned me that he had after all informed the keep of my identity. I nearly panicked. Thoughts of being imprisoned and hung until dead did surface. That was when the half elf spoke the name, Lolth. I remember yelling across the room, likely scaring her. I had yelled "Names have power!" That was when the voice beneath the table had advised me that they would not imprison or kill me, but then I thought of Rilae'ar'an. While me and the voice under the table spoke, Virin let slip that I am a Drow, and the half elf shrugged it off.
Even as a priestess of the dark mother, I had grown to respect her to an extent, even though it was due to Irrtana. I knew that she placed faith in this elf. I told him that I had been there when she died, fighting shoulder to shoulder with her. He found the very idea of that unbelievable, but it was the case. Irrtana had taken us to the surface, and into Dragonspear Castle. We had found a portal at the bottom, and Irrtana had jumped in. Rilae'ar'an fell on the plane of Dis. We both had tried to raise her, but we ultimately failed. That was when the voice under the table had added in that he had heard something of her being inside a gem in Candlekeep, and we together came to the conclusion that Irrtana had gotten the tiefling Hinzel to take her lifeless body to Candlekeep.
Then the other two called me one of the kindest drow or elves they had ever met. It only made me feel more guilty. Even the voice under the table had probed that point. "How nice it seems you are..." He had said. I had simply responded to him, "They are too kind. I am a monster. I have done things that if they knew the whole of it they would look at me differently. I am not keeping it from them though." Then the conversation slid back to me and the other two, as I had gotten up to retrieve my trollhides that I had gathered. While I was preparing the hides for transport, the elven wizard crawled out from underneath the table, looked at everyone, and said his farewells.
Night 10
I had did my normal routine. Hunting badgers, feeding Rezah and going to meditate on the beach. Not long after I had started to meditate, the priestess found me once again. I told her of my compromised situation, and she took me to the gnoll encampment. She claimed that they needed to be dealt with. I had told her of Rezah at that point, which had surprised her, but she remained steadfast in her objectives, so I followed her. I do not remember much of what happened in the caves of the gnolls, but my next clear memory I have is being disarmed and on the neck that divides Candlekeep from the mainland in the middle of the day. A tiefling ranger had captured the both of us and taken our swords. The priestess was extremely belligerent, yet I understood why. This tiefling questioned us both, yet the priestess had told me not to speak to her, so I did as she asked.
It grew into a complete mess. The both of us however, were eventually released and allowed to keep our swords. I had went down to my shelter, packed my things, and said farewell to Rezah, leaving him much food and water for the coming days. I also left a letter for Virin in her native language. The priestess and I came out at the end of the day, and found a smuggler to take us back to the North.
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Moridin
- Retired Staff
- Posts: 585
- Joined: Thu Oct 18, 2012 10:14 pm
- Location: SK, Canada
Re: Lomith
OOC: I have to use names now. No way around it. I'm also still a bit behind.
I have neglected my journals. Regardless, much has happened. I'll try to describe what has happened. I returned to the underdark with Mitheera, to Rockrun. Outside of Rockrun I stumbled across a male named Vesz'yraen, who had been travelling with the tiefling Nephym. They had been directing some surfacers, Tormites, towards Rockrun and I assisted. Vesz'yraen came with me afterward to the mines outside of Undrek Vallanar, and he made me confess to my heresy, though I had seen through the walls he had put up. Vesz'yraen was a worshipper of Vhaerun, yet he was not overtly devout. He promised to protect me to spite the Queen of Spiders.
Mitheera soon after introduced me to Ilhara. I stayed in her house for several cycles, in which I was reunited with Dhaunshalee. She almost immediately attacked me, and had thought that I had killed Ilhara. Soon after was when events started to spiral out of control. The Zau'afins approached me outside of Rockrun, and gave me an ultimatum. To peacefully return so that my lack of faith could dealt with. I obviously refused.
It soon after came to the attention that my niece, Vierdra had returned to the estate, and was focusing on hunting me. Vesz'yraen and I spoke to her a few times, and even the darthiiri wizard Sirion witnessed it in part. Vierdra had been afflicted with what Ilhara called Solipsism, as she believed she was still trapped in the demonweb, and that everything around her was the yochlol toying with her. Nothing I had said to her was able to get through to her, and she saw me as nothing more than the spider queen's faithful servant, no matter how overt I displayed my heresy to her.
Vesz'yraen and I then retreated to the surface with the first Eilistraeean, Rauva, as well as Sirion and scouted the troll claws. We found a place to stay momentarily, and Sirion had left us, with tales of vampires and werewolves. Vesz'yraen and I had spent several nights exploring the region after that, as Rauva and I chipped away at his walls. Eventually, finding no werewolves or truly safe havens, Vesz'yraen and I went back down into the underdark. Once there...
I had discovered Vierdra's body at the feet of an ogre. It had still been warm. I had acted with pure emotion, as I had carried her lifeless body to just outside of Rockrun. Vesz'yraen watched me as I had prayed to Eilistraee for the first time. It had been a vain hope, and I had expended the diamonds. I almost had given up when suddenly, I was surrounded by moonlight. Moonlight such as Mitheera had surrounded me with when she had me swear my oath. I had felt a song, her song, swell into me and I had started dancing with my sword. Soon, Vierdra began to breathe once more, but then the spider queen's servants had reacted to the blasphemous display. A spider larger than both Vierdra and I had attacked. I managed to slay it, only for darkness to envelop Vierdra and her to be covered in spiders. I did my best to burn the spiders off with my sword and healed her to the best of my abilities. Vierdra had been confused, but then had collapsed. We had then taken Vierdra into Rockrun, and I kept watch over her for the next cycles.
One cycle as I was watching over my tortured niece, they found us. One of Qu'ellar Zau'afin's assassins, Bardax, had searched Rockrun until he he found us. Vesz'yraen and I did our best to defeat Bardax, but he defeated us, and bound our hands. He would have dragged us off back to the altar had Vierdra not commanded him to do otherwise. Bardax was not about to ignore the commands of his priestess. Vierdra had chosen me over the house. That is what brought Vierdra and I to here, to Soubar. Vesz'yraen does come here often, but Vierdra's decision gives me hope for her future, despite everything that I have done or caused. It is not much, but I doubt that the deep gnomes will let us continue staying in Rockrun, because Zau'afin decided to break the peace. Even if that was not the case, It would take Zau'afin assassins very little time to find us in Rockrun. Soubar however, is further away.
I have neglected my journals. Regardless, much has happened. I'll try to describe what has happened. I returned to the underdark with Mitheera, to Rockrun. Outside of Rockrun I stumbled across a male named Vesz'yraen, who had been travelling with the tiefling Nephym. They had been directing some surfacers, Tormites, towards Rockrun and I assisted. Vesz'yraen came with me afterward to the mines outside of Undrek Vallanar, and he made me confess to my heresy, though I had seen through the walls he had put up. Vesz'yraen was a worshipper of Vhaerun, yet he was not overtly devout. He promised to protect me to spite the Queen of Spiders.
Mitheera soon after introduced me to Ilhara. I stayed in her house for several cycles, in which I was reunited with Dhaunshalee. She almost immediately attacked me, and had thought that I had killed Ilhara. Soon after was when events started to spiral out of control. The Zau'afins approached me outside of Rockrun, and gave me an ultimatum. To peacefully return so that my lack of faith could dealt with. I obviously refused.
It soon after came to the attention that my niece, Vierdra had returned to the estate, and was focusing on hunting me. Vesz'yraen and I spoke to her a few times, and even the darthiiri wizard Sirion witnessed it in part. Vierdra had been afflicted with what Ilhara called Solipsism, as she believed she was still trapped in the demonweb, and that everything around her was the yochlol toying with her. Nothing I had said to her was able to get through to her, and she saw me as nothing more than the spider queen's faithful servant, no matter how overt I displayed my heresy to her.
Vesz'yraen and I then retreated to the surface with the first Eilistraeean, Rauva, as well as Sirion and scouted the troll claws. We found a place to stay momentarily, and Sirion had left us, with tales of vampires and werewolves. Vesz'yraen and I had spent several nights exploring the region after that, as Rauva and I chipped away at his walls. Eventually, finding no werewolves or truly safe havens, Vesz'yraen and I went back down into the underdark. Once there...
I had discovered Vierdra's body at the feet of an ogre. It had still been warm. I had acted with pure emotion, as I had carried her lifeless body to just outside of Rockrun. Vesz'yraen watched me as I had prayed to Eilistraee for the first time. It had been a vain hope, and I had expended the diamonds. I almost had given up when suddenly, I was surrounded by moonlight. Moonlight such as Mitheera had surrounded me with when she had me swear my oath. I had felt a song, her song, swell into me and I had started dancing with my sword. Soon, Vierdra began to breathe once more, but then the spider queen's servants had reacted to the blasphemous display. A spider larger than both Vierdra and I had attacked. I managed to slay it, only for darkness to envelop Vierdra and her to be covered in spiders. I did my best to burn the spiders off with my sword and healed her to the best of my abilities. Vierdra had been confused, but then had collapsed. We had then taken Vierdra into Rockrun, and I kept watch over her for the next cycles.
One cycle as I was watching over my tortured niece, they found us. One of Qu'ellar Zau'afin's assassins, Bardax, had searched Rockrun until he he found us. Vesz'yraen and I did our best to defeat Bardax, but he defeated us, and bound our hands. He would have dragged us off back to the altar had Vierdra not commanded him to do otherwise. Bardax was not about to ignore the commands of his priestess. Vierdra had chosen me over the house. That is what brought Vierdra and I to here, to Soubar. Vesz'yraen does come here often, but Vierdra's decision gives me hope for her future, despite everything that I have done or caused. It is not much, but I doubt that the deep gnomes will let us continue staying in Rockrun, because Zau'afin decided to break the peace. Even if that was not the case, It would take Zau'afin assassins very little time to find us in Rockrun. Soubar however, is further away.
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Moridin
- Retired Staff
- Posts: 585
- Joined: Thu Oct 18, 2012 10:14 pm
- Location: SK, Canada
Re: Lomith
We spent several nights in Soubar. I spent much of the time discussing our situation with Vierdra. Spending time with her outside of our room, and exploring the region. We met a mute tiefling, one of the Banites, and a few other surfacers. Vierdra at least is still pretending that she is something that she is not, which is a priestess of the spider queen. I've told her time and time again that that title has no value on the surface, that announcing herself as a worshipper of the dark mother only makes people react with hostility towards her. I've done what I could to lower tensions, but I'm afraid this will cause problems in the future.
Vierdra also named me her mother. I think it was to only hurt me more. I'm not her mother, my sister is. Regardless, she did have a point. I caused her to be who she is and I am responsible for her whether I like it or not.
~~~~~
Vesz'yraen and I managed to befriend the mute tiefling. That is better than I had expected. I also had previously asked Sirion to conduct research on hags, witches and the demon lord Zuggtmoy as well because of information I declined to put in my previous journals. He supplied the research that had been completed by the same scribe Sirion had revealed my identity to, Edelgarde, and I took it to the underdark when Vesz'yraen and one of Ilhara's other allies came to teleport us down to Undrek Vallanar. Essentially the Tormtars we had previously helped were looking for a hag named Constance. This Constance had an affinity for fungus, as my allies had learned from a Tormtar that had been rescued by both my allies and Bregan Daerthe named Rawbert I think.
Regardless, I met with the Captain Vanindel, in the presence of my allies, Bregan Daerthe and Qu'ellar Sshamath. Needless to say, little was achieved in such a public setting. Of particular note were Ssapshalee openly calling herself favoured by Eilistraee and the Triadic knight Syrfein pulling the murderous attention of the worshipper of the Dark Mother, who had sat among us.
OOC Note: There was more research done.
~~~~~
Vesz'yraen had tracked a hooded man who had come out of a mushroom to Sshamath, to the Spider's Kiss. He had had a bag with him. Ilhara had stayed behind watching over the Tormtar. I had thought Syrfein was supposed to be in the Underdark with Ssapshalee, approaching the myconids. However, the Drow had entered with his gleaming armour and face completely revealed into the tavern I am staying at with Vierdra. Eventually, we went to our quarters with Syrfein and Vesz'yraen. Vierdra's fleeing to comfort has started trouble again, though Syrfein's words and actions are inexcusable, at least in my eyes. I hope Vierdra has learned her lesson, but Syrfein is not my ally anymore. What he wants makes my blood boil.
As I stood there, he threatened to try Vierdra under Tyr for her crimes. He said that she would face swift retribution as he had drawn his sword. I had automatically thrown myself between him and her, drawing my own sword. Was this the weakness that caused the yochlol to stab its fangs into me? That caused the spider queen to throw me into disfavour? The surfacers call it love, but our kind typically see it as weakness... I disagree. I had stood there as the supposed Triadic knight monologued, contemplating. Then he proclaimed us all to be evil and wished for the Drow in their entirety to no longer exist. I called him a fiend as Vierdra... my daughter... had fallen to the floor in tears behind me. I had come so close to breaking my vow concerning Syrfein... He tried to get around me to get to Vierdra, yet I moved into his way. In return he relinquished his sword to me, a sword emblazoned with the symbol of Tyr. I had let him pass, thinking it was over.
As Vierdra was crying on the floor, Syrfein tried to get Vierdra to attack him. He claimed he was trying to help, but I knew otherwise. Vierdra attacking Syrfein would have been exactly to the dictates of the Spider Queen. Vierdra learned violence, was forged by it. Asking her to commit more would have only harmed her fragile state. When she refused to attack him at first, he denied her regrets. That set her off. It took both me and Vesz'yraen to hold her down, and to keep her from grabbing a knife. I fear what may have happened had we failed. Enraged, I opened the door and unceremoniously tossed the fiend's blade out onto the balcony. As far as I'm concerned he is a terrible excuse for his order, and his oaths are meaningless.
~~~~~
Ssapshalee came to us with news that the "roots" of the myconid had been stolen. Ssapshalee turned out to be a Baenre, a member of the house who had slain Xeyn. I had become enraged, and she had not backed down. Vierdra had pushed me forward and Ssapshalee called us evil before she left. Once alone, Vierdra and I had cried on each other's shoulders. I do not think she had ever seen me so vulnerable, so out of control. Even when I had consigned her to the demonweb. Vesz'yraen eventually brought Ssapshalee back. Despite my hatred towards the Baenres, and Ssapshalee's pride in their accomplishments, her and I ended up finding common ground and decided to work together.
~~~~~
Mitheera came to the Winding Way. She was wearing her gleaming armour, and had her unicorn shield out. She had come to fulfill the promise we had made, soon after I had brought Vierdra back to life. Mitheera and I had soon after left Soubar and travelled to Thundar's Ride, with Vesz'yraen in tow. She took us to a lake there, and had me kneel in the water. Eilistraee's moonlight had been high above us when Mitheera had me vow to spread joy and song under it. To mete out justice and redemption for our deceived kin. To not convert by the blade, but to always have one's hand out, offered for another wayward soul to grab it. She then blessed a sword pendant of silver, and gave it to me. Then she named me a knight of the Darksong. We returned before the dawn.
Once back in Soubar, we found Vierdra in the Winding Way. Vierdra had many questions for Mitheera, many of such would have had one like Syrfein pulling out his sword to strike her down, yet Mitheera instead of choosing violence debated her. Eventually Vierdra began to lose the argument bad enough that she tried listing my sins out to Mitheera, but Mitheera knows most of what I did, for I have told her. She gave Vierdra a message of hope and pointed out the lies of the spider queen, much as she had with me. The one thing I take from that whole encounter is that Vierdra now knows that there is no return, because I had shown her my sword pendant.
Vierdra also named me her mother. I think it was to only hurt me more. I'm not her mother, my sister is. Regardless, she did have a point. I caused her to be who she is and I am responsible for her whether I like it or not.
~~~~~
Vesz'yraen and I managed to befriend the mute tiefling. That is better than I had expected. I also had previously asked Sirion to conduct research on hags, witches and the demon lord Zuggtmoy as well because of information I declined to put in my previous journals. He supplied the research that had been completed by the same scribe Sirion had revealed my identity to, Edelgarde, and I took it to the underdark when Vesz'yraen and one of Ilhara's other allies came to teleport us down to Undrek Vallanar. Essentially the Tormtars we had previously helped were looking for a hag named Constance. This Constance had an affinity for fungus, as my allies had learned from a Tormtar that had been rescued by both my allies and Bregan Daerthe named Rawbert I think.
Regardless, I met with the Captain Vanindel, in the presence of my allies, Bregan Daerthe and Qu'ellar Sshamath. Needless to say, little was achieved in such a public setting. Of particular note were Ssapshalee openly calling herself favoured by Eilistraee and the Triadic knight Syrfein pulling the murderous attention of the worshipper of the Dark Mother, who had sat among us.
Hidden: show
~~~~~
Vesz'yraen had tracked a hooded man who had come out of a mushroom to Sshamath, to the Spider's Kiss. He had had a bag with him. Ilhara had stayed behind watching over the Tormtar. I had thought Syrfein was supposed to be in the Underdark with Ssapshalee, approaching the myconids. However, the Drow had entered with his gleaming armour and face completely revealed into the tavern I am staying at with Vierdra. Eventually, we went to our quarters with Syrfein and Vesz'yraen. Vierdra's fleeing to comfort has started trouble again, though Syrfein's words and actions are inexcusable, at least in my eyes. I hope Vierdra has learned her lesson, but Syrfein is not my ally anymore. What he wants makes my blood boil.
As I stood there, he threatened to try Vierdra under Tyr for her crimes. He said that she would face swift retribution as he had drawn his sword. I had automatically thrown myself between him and her, drawing my own sword. Was this the weakness that caused the yochlol to stab its fangs into me? That caused the spider queen to throw me into disfavour? The surfacers call it love, but our kind typically see it as weakness... I disagree. I had stood there as the supposed Triadic knight monologued, contemplating. Then he proclaimed us all to be evil and wished for the Drow in their entirety to no longer exist. I called him a fiend as Vierdra... my daughter... had fallen to the floor in tears behind me. I had come so close to breaking my vow concerning Syrfein... He tried to get around me to get to Vierdra, yet I moved into his way. In return he relinquished his sword to me, a sword emblazoned with the symbol of Tyr. I had let him pass, thinking it was over.
As Vierdra was crying on the floor, Syrfein tried to get Vierdra to attack him. He claimed he was trying to help, but I knew otherwise. Vierdra attacking Syrfein would have been exactly to the dictates of the Spider Queen. Vierdra learned violence, was forged by it. Asking her to commit more would have only harmed her fragile state. When she refused to attack him at first, he denied her regrets. That set her off. It took both me and Vesz'yraen to hold her down, and to keep her from grabbing a knife. I fear what may have happened had we failed. Enraged, I opened the door and unceremoniously tossed the fiend's blade out onto the balcony. As far as I'm concerned he is a terrible excuse for his order, and his oaths are meaningless.
~~~~~
Ssapshalee came to us with news that the "roots" of the myconid had been stolen. Ssapshalee turned out to be a Baenre, a member of the house who had slain Xeyn. I had become enraged, and she had not backed down. Vierdra had pushed me forward and Ssapshalee called us evil before she left. Once alone, Vierdra and I had cried on each other's shoulders. I do not think she had ever seen me so vulnerable, so out of control. Even when I had consigned her to the demonweb. Vesz'yraen eventually brought Ssapshalee back. Despite my hatred towards the Baenres, and Ssapshalee's pride in their accomplishments, her and I ended up finding common ground and decided to work together.
~~~~~
Mitheera came to the Winding Way. She was wearing her gleaming armour, and had her unicorn shield out. She had come to fulfill the promise we had made, soon after I had brought Vierdra back to life. Mitheera and I had soon after left Soubar and travelled to Thundar's Ride, with Vesz'yraen in tow. She took us to a lake there, and had me kneel in the water. Eilistraee's moonlight had been high above us when Mitheera had me vow to spread joy and song under it. To mete out justice and redemption for our deceived kin. To not convert by the blade, but to always have one's hand out, offered for another wayward soul to grab it. She then blessed a sword pendant of silver, and gave it to me. Then she named me a knight of the Darksong. We returned before the dawn.
Once back in Soubar, we found Vierdra in the Winding Way. Vierdra had many questions for Mitheera, many of such would have had one like Syrfein pulling out his sword to strike her down, yet Mitheera instead of choosing violence debated her. Eventually Vierdra began to lose the argument bad enough that she tried listing my sins out to Mitheera, but Mitheera knows most of what I did, for I have told her. She gave Vierdra a message of hope and pointed out the lies of the spider queen, much as she had with me. The one thing I take from that whole encounter is that Vierdra now knows that there is no return, because I had shown her my sword pendant.