The 'Walking In Shadows' Trilogy

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Sidae
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The 'Walking In Shadows' Trilogy

Post by Sidae »

I have begun a plan that I've been working up to for a long time now. A trilogy of stories based in the Forgotten Realms, regarding the story of my character, Sidae Sal'Shar and her journey from the Drow city of Velkyn'Zhaunil, a place renowned for it's ability to produced drow skilled in the ways of the arcane, through the Underdark and on to the surface world which she was intrigued by from her earliest days.

Unfortunately I've had trouble on getting my hands on reliable sources of drow lore, what with a lot of 3.5 books going out of print. So I've come here to ask for help; I need all the information possible on Underdark drow. I want my facts straight if nothing else. My primary concern right now is regarding family. I am aware that third-born males are usually sacrificed to Lolth - curse her name - but I wished to know if there is anything like this relating to females.

I really want this to be true to the setting, so I'm asking those whom I consider to know the most about drow and the Underdark - I apologise if the presumption is insulting to any - and I humbly request your aid in this task I ahve set myself to. Upon the completion of each chapter I will post it on these forums that others may read it and offer critiques and constructive criticism...as well as beta-read for me in case I'm not explaining things right of have screwed up something majorly.

Once again, I hopefully request your assistance in this matter.

[EDIT] After posting this I realised I never gave a place for everything to be posted. I'm so sorry for the trouble. I have started a thread in the Out of Character forum for this story. Anything related to it not of the story proper, please post it there:
http://www.eilistraee.com//forums/viewt ... 9526#19526

Praise be to the Dark Lady, may her moon light our way forever.
Last edited by Sidae on Wed Jul 30, 2008 5:37 pm, edited 1 time in total.
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Sidae
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Joined: Mon Jul 14, 2008 7:37 pm

The Prologue

Post by Sidae »

Here is most of the first books prologue, please bare in mind it is not finished. All comments should be sent via private messages or in the OOC thread.

*********


Walking In Shadows Trilogy

Book I: Life in Darkness

Prologue

Velkyn'Zhaunil; city of Hidden Knowledge, a city of incredible renown for the skill in the arcane of those who survive their studies and the machinations of their tutors and fellows. A city of splendor, or surreal beauty that few who dwell under the sun had ever seen, a city that few of those folk had ever even traveled to.

Why you may ask? Why is a city, a city of such obvious skill in producing some of the finest wizards, sorcerers and warlocks in the Realms so unseen by the eyes of those who dwell under the sun and moon? Why is it so unheard and so untraveled by those who walk amongst the trees and plants and bask in the day stars glorious, life-giving light?

Take heart, for the sun has never shone upon this city, nor in the lands surrounding it. The eyes of many of it's denizens have never glimpsed the light of day and the wretched few that have are likely to never do so again in their lifetimes, doomed to a darkness foreign to them and a life of suffering and misery that even the most vile of creature would wish on all but their most loathed enemy, a life of servitude to cruel and demanding masters.

The city is massive, it's buildings carved from the rock and carved in the most hauntingly beautiful manner, the carvings and statues highlighted by the flickering light of faerie fire, enchanted flames that do not burn and are a natural ability of the race that resides herein.

For this is the Underdark, home to the drow, the Dark Elves of legend; having been from the light from longer than living memory can recall, the drow have adapted, become one of the great powers of the Underdark, one of the few races who could claim mastery over the harsh and cruel land. With eyes of crimson red, that see the very heat of another's body, silvery white hair and above all else, their skin as black as obsidian, perhaps a reflection of themselves, for the hearts of the drow are well-known for being as dark as their skin.

Here in the city of Hidden Knowledge, with it's great magical academy Olath'Brorness, a tower crafted from a great pillar of stone that stretched from the floor of the city to the top of the cavern. The tower reaches to the roof of the cavern and even after so many long millennia of inhabitance, it has finally been fully converted, the interior filled with rooms of all kinds. At this moment, the Archmage of the city sits at his desk, behind him looming a great crystal ball, the petrified eye of a Shadow Dragon, a foe that had almost been the Archmage's doom some five centuries past. The beasts spirit was affixed to the softly glowing orb and even now dreamed of the day when it could be released and unleash a vengeance so terrible upon the apparently young male that it would be whispered of in fear for ages to come...but that time was not now.

Zaeher Del'Shoban, a drow male who looked barely old enough to be an apprentice was bent over a massive book of lore. He was thin and while well-dressed in the black and red spider-silk robes of the cities Archmage he appeared a scrawny thing, not suited for the position. This was, of course, the result of numerous enchantments and magical items secreted about his person – rumor had it some were even stitched under his skin – in the robes or in his many pocketed piwafi – a specially crafted and enchanted cloak common among high-ranking drow – along with who knows how many spell components, scrolls, wands or other items of import. His hair was kept cut to barely shoulder height and his bangs hung down to either side of his head, his calm red eyes and soft face making him appear a gentle soul, however he was more than ruthless enough to have made it to this coveted position and would do anything to ensure he did not lose it. In battle he had the magical skill to back-up his reputation, though currently he was more interested in his reading. He slowly looked up from his grimmoire as the wards upon his door alerted him to a presence outside his door. With a flick of a finger the wards fell, knowing just who it was that would dare disturb him in his own study.

Before Zaeher could even utter a word the door was thrust open and in stepped a far-taller female dressed in the robes of a priestess of Lolth, Queen of Spiders, the dark, evil goddess of the drow who resided in the Underdark. Rumors spoke of others gods, but then such things were to be expected. There were many who, in recent years, had begun to speak against Lolth – those caught were quickly made a rather spectacularly gruesome example of – and more recently there had been reports of many leaving the other cities for some unknown destination, possibly another drow city, perhaps the realms above, more than usual since the recent silence of the Spider Queen. Her return had certainly caused a great decrease in these incidents and of course meant the Spider Queens faithful were even more relentless in their hunt for the few that still remained.

Currently the priestess; Queral by name, of Zaeher's own House and his younger sister, was glaring at the Archmage. Zaeher allowed himself a smirk, his back still to Queral. For all the power he had amassed in his long years and for all the few in comparison his sister had lived, he would always be deemed inferior by the ruling matriarchy, a mere male in the grand scheme of things. True, he had power, great power and as such was treated with a measure of begrudging respect, however that did not mean his sister felt that way of him.

The priestess gave a false. “Ah, dear brother. Mo-Matron.” She corrected herself. “Matron Mother wishes to speak with you regarding the...incident...with Kimur Sal'Shar.” Her voice practically oozing sarcasm and false modesty with every syllable, she gave a true smile as she heard the Archmage curse at the mention of the name, the name of a Wizard studying under his watch who had pushed his limits too quickly and had been at the center of an over-powered Fireball spell right as it exploded, taking an entire room with it.

Zaeher stood and turned to his sister, his hair flowing like water as he moved. “I recall him. He was meant to be their House Mage and proved unsuitable, I understand Matron Sal'Shar was displeased. Especially when she received the wagon load of remains.” Here he gave a sigh. “What little we could find of them at least....” He rubbed his eyelids, the dim light of the candles in his chambers were a necessary part of his craft but even after so many years they still made his eyes ache so. “I would presume this is about her desire to...what did you call it again sister, 'Publicly blaspheme the Goddess by going against a thousand, thousand years of tradition' I believe?” He smiled. The Matron Mother of House Sal'Shar was not as wise as her name might suggest. Stubborn however was evident. She wished her soon-to-be-born child, regardless of gender, to be trained and groomed as the House Mage, her reasoning being that every child of the House was already a priestess, her own first-born being High Priestess of the cities Great Temple to Lolth. Considering the last disaster they had suffered it would seem the lesser House's only chance to ever find an arcane master to call their own for a long time. Matron Sal'Shar was old, older than most drow ever reached and it was a shock to learn that she was again with child, more so that it was being carried to term.

In the years prior to Lolth's silence and eventual return this request would have been met with outrage from the Priestesses and the offending House would have been utterly annihilated by all others in the city. More recently though, Matron Del'Shoban had grown more patient. Of all the cities Noble Houses she had been the one to handle the Silence of Lolth with the greatest of patience, which had grown even greater afterwards. Now after many hours of prayer and requests made to the Goddess the answer had come; the Spider Queen had offered her silent approval of the affair. Certainly there had been no word of the child being made to enter the priesthood or of the destruction of House Sal'Shar – the latter of which Zaeher would have been informed of – though none could fathom why the Spider Queen would allow this and none voiced their displeasure more so than Queral, whose normally flawlessly beautiful face contorted in rage at the mention of the decision.

For the first time though she restrained her rage, though one could see the tightness in her lips and the trembling of her clenched hands. “Yes, that would be the one. Matron Mother has requested you to be with her and those of House Sal'Shar at the birthing to determine if there is any magical talent within the child, whatever gender it may be...” With that she turned to leave, slamming the door on the way out, furious that her brother had turned her words back upon her and made her the fool once again. Zaeher moved to the crystal ball and began uttering the liens to the spell which dominated the Darkness Dragons spirit, the once white crystal orb flickering, turning solid black, a miniature form of the once-mighty dragon Nenservael appearing in those dark depths, now bound to it's remains and forced into servitude.

The spirit leered at its 'master' and stood firm, it's shadowy, incorporeal and far smaller than normal spirit form appearing far smaller than even the petite male. “Why have I been summoned?” The creature hissed, it's bitter tone receiving a cold stare from the drow and a command word which flooded the spirit with pain. “You are well aware of why I have called you. I require answers which only you can find. Go forth and seek all information you can gleam from the planes. Why has Lolth allowed this to come to pass? If the priestesses know they are silent of it and knowing what they do will tip the scales back into balance.” Or if the spider-kissers know nothing, he thought, then the power would be in his hands this time.

The dragon hissed and it's spirit faded into he aether, leaving the Archmage alone to prepare for the birth of the child and for determining whether it would have any talent for the art. As he left the room he took the time to cast more wards upon the door, ever changing his set of wards and traps to defeat any would-be thieves or competitors. It also gave him more time to focus on how he would ever keep a straight face at the sight of Matron Sal'Shar stressed from child-birth.


******

House Sal'Shar was a minor House of the city, hewn into the rock wall on the far east of the city with spectacularly little in the way of decoration, meant more for defense than anything else, the House having survived numerous assaults from its lessers in the past and had over five priestesses already, including the High Priestess of the cities Great Temple to Lolth. Matron Mother Sal'Shar was venerable even by drow standards, her age clearly showing in her yellowing hair and wrinkled body. She still possessed a fearsome nature and the strength of youth as well as the Spider Queens blessing and despite being bent with age she had carried her final child to term. Already she gripped the obsidian stone throne upon which she sat, cursing under her breath with every twinge of burning pain, glad that she had sent her daughters away to prepare for the birth of the child. Despite the many hours of prayer and pleas to Lolth, the Spider Queen had only revealed that the child would become the House Wizard and the Matron Mother was determined to last long enough to see the child's gender, that she might go to serve Lolth knowing what had come from her womb. This was by no way a show of maternal affection, she only wished to know if the nay-sayers who had called for her death when she had approached Matron Del'Shoban and the rest of the cities ruling Houses would be put in their place if the child was female or whether their smirks of contempt would remain if the child was male.

Kimur had been the first and only male child given to her by her previous patron, a male who's name she had not bothered to remember – and who had been slain when Kimur had proven insufficient as House Mage with his death – and her newest patron had been chosen at random, a last, desperate attempt to populate all areas of the House with her children before her death, to leave a legacy that will not soon fade. In truth the House had prospered under the rule of Matron Tancea Sal'Shar, with ties to many of the cities merchant clans being strengthened to the House and the increased trade bringing in slaves, rare artifacts and of course gold and other valuable materials. The House had once been low of slaves, on resources and on soldiers. Now they were close to being able to launch an attack on one of the higher-up Houses and gain even greater power in the eternal struggle that was drow society.

An attack that she would never see, she mused to herself. Matron Tancea knew she was dieing, knew that she was risking the child and herself by giving birth now and not waiting it out. She had informed the ruling Houses that the child had been carried to term, in fact it had been but a scant few months since she had felt the child stir within her body and that both the child would survive the early birth and that it would live long enough in the power struggle of her daughters was a chance she was ready to take. She knew she would not last long enough to give birth naturally, not with her daughters already planning to take her place at the point of a knife. All but Zilera, her eldest and the High Priestess who would be too busy with her work to bother with ruling the House. She chuckled, which degenerated into a fit of coughs. Though she would die, she would rob her children of both the satisfaction of killing her and leave with with a child who may one day grow to bring an end to her successor.

Her second and third born daughters; Laerasi for the former and Danirea for the latter, entered her throne room unannounced, another showing of how overconfident and disrespectful they had become to her in her old age. For now though she still had their fear and the twenty heavily-armed Half-Giants slaves who were specially trained and armed as her personal guard, along with the magical defenses she still possessed as a deterrent to her daughters machinations. She did not allow them to speak, simply standing and motioning to her guards to form up around her and follow her lead as the group headed through the halls of House Sal'Shar, headed for the House chapel to Lolth for the birth.

******

Zaeher sat in the chapel of House Sal'Shar alone, waiting on the return of the females and the arrival of Matron Tancea and High Priestess Zilera. He cursed silently as he felt Nenservael's telepathic connection to him. 'What have you found?' The Archmage's demanded of the spirit, wanting to keep the conversation brief in a place such as this, where the Spider Queen's eyes and ears were most concentrated. Zaeher sensed the damned dragon grin but he forced it to speak with his hold over it via it's True Name, the name of it's soul which he could use to utterly destroy the spirit if need be, reducing it to nothingness. 'The spirits of the fallen drow who serve Lolth are intrigued by these events. They say child is being watched by the Queen of The Demonweb Pits. I have heard she seems intrigued by the chaos that such a child may bring to the city. Also assumed is that she is grooming the child to be a new High Priestess of the city. However most oft-repeated is that the Spider Queen seeks to test the city by unleashing the child to alter the established order, to test the faith of the city and of House Sal'Shar. These are but rumors spoken of by the souls of its denizens. Nothing could be confirmed, even I do not dare presume to question the acts of a goddess to her face, for she would have struck me down and you would have no answers.' Zaeher dismissed him with a thought and mulled the possibilities over.

All were possible knowing the chaotic nature of Lolth. He personally doubted that she would guide the child into the clergy since she had allowed it to be schooled in the arcane ways, the same could explain away that of a new High Priestess. The most plausible were that of sheer chaos or a test of faith. Of course, none could fathom the logic behind the Spider Queens chaotic actions, perhaps because most of the time there was none or none that a mere mortal could understand. One thing for sure was that Lolth was defiantly keeping an eye on this child or at the very least had some interest in it's life.

His thoughts were interrupted by the noise of the chapels doors opening and the arrival of Zilera Sal'Shar, the cities High Priestess of Lolth, dressed in her dark robes, covered in images of arachnids and webs, the symbols of the Spider Queen. The multi-headed snake-whip writhed and hissed at her side, the three vipers glaring at the male who matched them but dropped his glare and instead inclined his head in a gesture of respect to the fierce female. She towered over the small male, the deadly looking mace strapped to her side glowed with a blue light to the Archmage's eyes, the enchantments placed upon it rendering it able to slice through flesh and bone as well as smash and shatter them as normal. Once she could have been considered beautiful and flawless even by drow standards. However in the slave uprisings from the time of the Spider Queens silence she had been struck with the alchemical liquid from one of the stone-fire bombs supplied to the slaves by an unknown third party and suffered burns on the left of her face, which had only been partially healed at the time, forming the shape of a spiders web upon her damaged skin. She had refused to have it fully healed when the Lolth had returned and she regained her healing powers, likely she thought that the pattern of the burns was a sign from Lolth.
Xal Eilistraee's isilme zuch mrigg uns'aa.
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