Journeys through the mist

[Servin]

Dark room somewhere in the temple of Sshamath, filled with the scent of lavender and gooseberry perfumes. The furniture consists mostly of items for scrying and conjuration. In the corridors outside, one frail looking female made her way to the chamber for her daily, or rather cycly, scrying. Scrying on enemies, crafty plots amongst the citizens or... unknown to the Yath, personal affairs.

As all drow, Xercia reached for power and perfection, but unlike all, she saw power where others failed to see it at all. Such power could be earning the Yathrin's trust to leave her alone for scrying, where she spent time observing master fighters outsmarting brutish orcs or instructors teaching perfect legwork. All that for her own personal gain and nothing to do with temple's business at all.

She was a schemer and she knew her submissive stance would shrug any threat or even suspicion of personal gain. She is the pawn, but it is her information that moves the figures. As much as it was not in her interest to bring any harm to the temple and she was not engaged in rivalry for positions and titles (she is not a Yath), she slowly wiggled herself higher and higher with everyone around her remaining happy.

And that can be really boring for a drow! Safe yes, but boring as well.

She chanted for adventure and own benefit, perhaps a victim to hunt other than mindless blobs north of the river or beastlike umberhulks. She was sick and tired of training hopeful yathrins in arts of combat as most of them relied on armor and she could easily penetrate those. Recently she nearly killed one of them using a wooden weapon, kicks and punches.

Her scrying that cycle was bearing little fruit as she was unsure what could be a good place to seek an adventure. She chanted 'Sshamath', so the city appeared but there was much to see. She pondered and chanted more 'Faern' and still many images appeared of the local wizards. 'Danger' - still not close enough. Then she pondered more and thought of what boiled her blood not connected with the previous. She chanted 'Eilistrae' thinking of the dancer rogue who attempted to kill her not long ago but escaped.

The image was becoming clear. Out of thousands of faces, only a few remained, one of which was a Sun Elf wizard. Then there was another surface elf, perhaps his apprentice, a female drow with green eyes and a male one with blue bearing the symbol of Lolth. The other three seemed to be worshipers of the dark maiden. The last two were talking somewhere in the caverns and the Lolthite male seemed to become converted to a new religion. The jalil did use her charms. Xercia has never seen those individuals before. She frowned at the sight and repeated her chant angrily 'DANGER!'. Suddenly the scrying ball lit with fire and exploded throwing the warlock against the wall, knocking her out cold. Temple guards ran to investigate the explosion and saw Xercia's clothes on fire with herself taking no injuries from the flames. They started extinguishing the flames and took the seeress away to a safe place for her to regain conscience.

Her visions continued. She saw the female and the elven wizard meeting on the surface, hugging and landing a kiss. Then her vision moved to the wizards apprentice looking into endless warehouse holding countless firebombs and acid flasks. The apprentice seemed to be a shady one, perhaps a necromancer or an illusionist. The master wizard looked like a noble spoilt by wealth. It was impossible to tell his specialisation. He was wearing an Eilistrae medallion. The male drow had a well crafted crossbow and the jalil seemed to be a rogue judging by her trappings. The vision than moved to the master wizard speaking to a grey bearded human. They were talking but it was not distinctive enough except for one phrase. The human said: 'In your haste to save the world, take care you don't destroy it'.

Her cuts and bruises healed rapidly and she awoke with her personal castrated jaluk looking after her. She repeated the phrase 'In your haste to save the world, take care you don't destroy it' leaving the servant most bemused.

Excuse me jabbress? - Said the castrate.

Pack dosst things. We're leaving. - Xercia said decisively.

Where to jabbress? - he replied even more bemused.

ELF... hunting. - she said.

The servant rushed ahead and Xercia walked out before the temple authorities could stop her and ask for explanation for the explosion. The guard that tried got the point it was not wise. Point of her rapier through the skull that is.

[Servin]

They left Sshamath with basic supplies looking for individuals they had no clue where to start looking for.

So... Dos wanted to raise in power and prove dosstself to be worthy of reputation, jaluk. Bwael. Here's a test for dos. Dos are looking for someone, dos know of their distinctive features. How to find them? - said the seeress to the assistant.

Track them jabbress... - he replied

She frowned at the answer - Nau. Wrong! Dos cannot track someone with that little information. Instead dos go to those who might know something more and offer them recognition. Yath training grounds will do. How disappointing an answer - she hissed.

The servant laid his head down in shame.

They approached the place and saw a few of the females bashing indifferent to their blows skeletons and zombies.

Xercia frowned as hitting immobile opponents was pointless. She chanted and invocation and approached the students.

A jaluk with a distinctive crossbow with blue eyes. He tends to hang around a green eyed jalil worshiping Eilistrae... She is a sneaky looking sort. Anyone seen the two and know anything more abo... - she was interrupted by one of the students...

Vendui Malla Jabress... - she hisses to Xercia. - Say it! Now!

Excuse ussa...? - replied the surprised warlock

Vendui... Malla... Jabress...Do ussta need to spell it out to dos, or is the only language dos speak the darthiri version of elven? - she replied waving the mace in front of her face.

Malla Jabress... Dos should look more on dosst undead. There is one behind ussa about to attack dos... - Said Xercia amused by the turn of events

This trash is not allowed to attack udos! - Said the young yath'rin watching the approaching zombie towards her - Our wards protect udos from...

That moment the zombie clawed deep into the females face crushing the eyeballs and slitting her throat with it's fingernail. The other jalils rushed to attack the zombie, but Xercia blasted the closest one with a ray of magic. The others then stopped suddenly...

So... Let's turn tables. Say: Vendui Jabress Xercia and dos servant jabuk AND jabuk zombie! - she pauses - lest dos wish to share that ilbith's fate. - she pointed at the dead hopeful.

The females replied with their teeth gritting and undisciplined choir, but still...

How humiliating. Now... Usstan asked a question... Do naut keep ussa waiting... Unless dos wish to be reported for concealing information about the enemies of the temple...


tbc.

[Servin]

They left. It turns out the two people of interest have made the kobold village their regular spot for meetings. Xercia left the hopefuls to a test. The test was to fend off a zombie which actually fought back. Meanwhile she picked up any markings of Sshamath and other symbols that can be attached to pieces of clothing.

The path lead upwards therefore the journey lengthened.

Forgive me jabress, but usstan does naut understand our task. It would be better if dos shared the information between udos so we could plan ahead better. - said the castrate.

Xercia stopped and sighed - Bwael. This is the vision. - She began chanting to repeat the vision in his mind. Same images flew, same sounds were made. But the conclusions were all but the same.

So dos wish to kill those four... five withe the rivvil? - He asked puzzled.
Nau. That is naut ussta intention. Usstan do naut kill for the fun of it. - She replied. - Use your brain that you got left. What chaos and destruction would killing a few elves bring?! None... Plot, scheme, plan... What would bring that?

Well you could kill the darthiri faern and the surfacers would get really iffy about their security. - Said the male.

He is a faern of rising power nau doubt. A machine of destruction that can be controlled and unleashed. He would be a too prized an individual despite being darthiri. His death would bring little. Unless...? - eyes the servant hopefully to finish her sentence.

Unless? - he replied

Unless he dies causing havoc and destruction in the underdark, grieving for his beloved. The jalil will make a perfect bait, given she serves the dark maiden, her death will be prized anyway. Nau sense biting on a cake bigger than dosst cakehole. His torment will fuel a far better sacrifice than any stab from the dark.

So... how will dos explain the deaths of the hopefuls? - the male persisted

Simple. They were weak. Unable to destroy anything else than a static target. That is naut the way of the illythiri. We compete for power. That lot competed for what? Power over training dummies? - she paused briefly - Take a look at the Baleful Maw. They are mercenaries and their system of power is based of a single individual. Their band consist mostly of Ilbith, each having their own goals and priorities in their lives. That is naut the way of the Illythiri. Illythiri compete for power and positions in one way or the other. The Maw power circulates around a very few irreplaceable individuals. The Yath of the temple can be replaced and change swiftly. And before dos ask - Usstan am naut Yath, their positions are of nau interest to ussa. - said Xercia approaching the entrance to the kobold compound

... so in the end dos have done the temple a favor by eliminating the weak ... said the male with the spark of red light in his eyes.

Exactly. In fact those hopefuls reminded me much of the ilbith kobolds... - she said before she was interrupted by the sentry outside the entrance.

Halt! State you intentions. - said one of the sentries while others began to arm themselves sounding an alarm.

We seek information. Take us to your king - said the calm and collected seeress

No, no! He no king! He his Majesty! Say his majesty... - replied the guard

Xercia grinned back at his servant having just mentioned the Yath in training...