Vallyn Teken'ghym (Sshamath)

[Vallyn]

Vallyn Teken'ghym

House Teken'ghym was once a House of Menzoberranzan and may have been a House of consequence at some time, but was never one of the ruling Houses. Teken'ghym ceased to exist a year ago during a successful assault staged by some of the Lesser Houses of Menzoberranzen. Matron Teken'ghym, who perished in the assault, had many male offspring, but never bore a female to succeed her. When House Teken'Ghym fell, the males were enslaved by the other houses and the few non-noble females of House Teken'Ghym were absorbed into the victors' houses.

Vallyn escaped capture and fled to Ched Nasad, where he was pursued by his would-be captors. Fearing capture, Vallyn sought ways to escape Ched Nasad. While visiting a shabby tavern searching for information, Vallyn met a caravan guard attached to a merchant caravan bound for the city of Sshamath. Vallyn spent the last of his coin getting the guard drunk and then followed him back to the caravan. Vallyn stabbed the guard in the back just as they neared the caravan and dragged the body into a back alley, where he hoped it would escape notice long enough for him to make it out of town.

Vallyn approached the caravan's leader and offered his services as a guard. Initially, Vallyn was rebuffed by the caravan's leader, but eventually the leader hired Vallyn on as a guard when the other Drow guard failed to arrive for duty. The caravan ultimately arrived safely with its load of cargo in Sshamath.

Vallyn was fascinated with the idea of a male ruling Conclave and was also enthralled with the stories and rumors surrounding the wealthy and powerful merchant/mercenaries of Bregan D'aerthe, has decided to stay in Sshamath and make it his home.

He hopes to some day live up to his pretentious name (see below), despite his diminutive (even by Drow standards) stature.


(Name meanings are: Val - black/dark/darkness, lyn - agent/assassin/killer, Teken' - Delvers in, ghym - the forgotten ways)

[Vallyn]

/////////// All further entries in this thread are journal entries. ////////////

I'm not precisely sure why I started to write this journal. Perhaps I was inspired by the Bee? Perhaps I was afraid I'd forget what was most important to me if I didn't? Then again, that's Bee talking.

I've been to the surface before. The first time I went I captured a Moon Elf and took her back to Sshamath. I still have her there. The Grave-Cold wants her and so does his abbil, the brash drinker in the Inn. They can't have her; she's not for sale. I had considered letting the brash one rent her but have decided against it for he enjoys the company of Grave-Cold far too much.

All trust is foolish, or so the mantra of our people goes. I tend to agree, but perhaps with a slightly different phrasing. Complete trust is foolish, but surely some people can be trusted to do some things, no? I trust Grave-Cold to attempt to take my rothe-pet, if I ever take her out of Sshamath. I trust Bee to... What do I trust the Bee for at all? She's so strange but I feel drawn to her for some reason.

I trust the Cat who loves her Mouse to put Mouse first. I also trust the Mouse who loves Cat to put Cat first. Will I ever gain the trust of the Mouse? I don't know. I think I have at least some trust from Cat. I warned Cat about Grave-Cold and Cat listened. I think Cat takes me seriously and hopefully remains a good apprentice. Cat seems to desire my company, actually she flat-out admitted to it when she was drunk, but Mouse can't find out about that. Bee fears me. I think I've demonstrated trust to Bee. I sacrificed so much for the Bee and I don't think she even understands how much is at stake for me. When Bee's deity became directly involved, sending an avatar to grant me boons up there outside of Durlag's Tower I was shocked. What does this mean? The Masked Lord certainly didn't arrive. Why did Bee's god's avatar directly aid me? Bee's not what I want, but Bee makes me happy.

And then there's Fox. Fox is learning from Grave-Cold. Fox likes my company, calls me Abbil, hangs on my words and generally seems like an abbil. But then Fox did nothing when the Chernag Mauthra questioned the former Matron of Mori'hyanda and her annoying jaluk. Fox just watched, afraid, claiming that the Jaluk was some teacher at the academy. Vith the jaluk and vith Mori'hyanda. Worthless excuses for nobles. Bregan D'aerthe and the Conclave are not going to be happy at all after they hear my tale.

War is imminent, if I have my say. A minor disruption to business now will solve a major disruption to business later.

And that brings me back to Bee. Can she establish the contacts I need? Does she place enough trust or hope, either one will do, in me to deliver what I desire? What do I desire of Bee? Why am I writing more about Bee than Fox or Cat? Every one of them confuses me. At least Fox is available. Cat has Mouse in the way and won't let me kill Mouse to solve the problem. Annoying, but I can live with it. Bee has... everything in the way and I don't even want that from Bee, yet I write about her as if I do.

I need to collect payment from the Huntmaster. He put out contracts on those following the upstart Scythe. I eliminated the ones that were following Scythe and then later Scythe himself. I'll have to collect my gold. Scythe annoys me; he doesn't respect the Weave or the Shadow. So I fought him toe-to-toe my bow against his Scythe, without the aid of any of the Weave or the Shadow or even the first deadly strike I'd normally deal. Yet despite removing all advantage from myself, including range, I still beat Scythe. The upstart had better start showing some respect or I will haunt him until he fears that his own shadow will be hiding me.

I don't think Grave-Cold will be very thrilled about what Mori'hyanda did in front of S'liz the Shadow this night either. Perhaps Grave-Cold will help incite the Conclave to act on this. Disintegrating all of their Jalils would be a start; Razing the entire Que'llar to the cavern floor would be better. Can any of this somehow benefit Bee? Will more chaos with the spiders keep the spiders from spinning webs for Bee and her hive?

Why do I keep coming back to Bee? I'm going to have to step on her and she's going to sting. I'd rather avoid that. What is it I truly want with Bee? Why do I bother with Cat? Can Fox ever be shown even the slightest trust now? When danger rears its head Fox hides in corners and remains silent. Sure, that's quite pragmatic of Fox, but in this case it was a weakness I do not care to see in her. Then there's Dagger. It was fun humiliating Dagger in front of Cat, Mouse, and the Huntmaster. The Huntmaster thought it was so funny to see the Spider-Kissing Dagger calling me Master. I rather liked it too. I should have kept Dagger as my rothe longer than just one day, but you can't bring Illythiiri rothe into Sshamath, let alone Illythiiri rothe Jalils. Such things are just not tolerated, but it sure was fun. How many Jaluks can claim one of the Spider-Queen's Jalils called him Master and knelt before him? HAH! Dagger's going to try to kill me for that, I trust Dagger implicitly in that. You see, not all trust is foolish. I trust her with a certainty to attempt to kill me. Ah but she's still a pretty one, it might have been fun...

I almost forgot to mention Shady. Shady's probably the one I know the least about, but the one I feel like I can trust the most. Shady's got almost no ambition, I don't know why. I get along with Shady; she puts up with just about anything and she does what she's told. Shady would seem perfect, wouldn't she? You'd think so, but of all of them, even Mouse, I hate to admit, would be more interesting... I don't know why this is, perhaps because Shady's just too complacent.

I know more about Bee than anyone. I've dug deep, I've read her very soul, and the more I learned about Bee the more I found myself fearing Bee, wanting to kill Bee, wanting Bee to trust me, and trying to find ways to betray Bee, yet wanting to protect Bee and her Hive. What can I say, I like the painting Bee gave me too much to want to kill the artist.

Why is my journal so full of unanswered questions? Most of all, what in the abyss am I doing with Bee? Something is wrong with me. Something is very wrong with me.