Musings of a priestess

[Zakharra]

Mayffyn Despana walked along. In a pensive mood. Having been woken up earlier by a lacky of Ghenni'salla Tlabber. The female had brought her to the Temple in Mantol Derith. There she was questioned by Ghenni'salla in depth and detail. After the questioning, Mayffyn prayed. Spending hours on her knees. Sending up prayers and praises to Lolth.

After the others had gone back to the camp, she left the temple with sore knes and back, but her heart fillied with the desire to do her goddess's Will. She was being ascorted back to the campsite, so she could not wander around, she was sure, when there was a loud rumbling in the distance. Then it got closer. Her first thought was earthquake. The fear that was always in the back of all drow minds. Being under uncounted tons of stone and earth, the possiblility of it suddenly coming crashing down was a fear the drow seldom mentioned or thought about.

The rumbling got louder and louder. The sound drowning out all else. The floor of the cavern heaved and buckled. Huge cracks appearing beneath her feet. May scrambled away from the cracks. Her escort also running away as well. As she ran, she looked back over her shoulder and saw the floor behind her collapse under tons of falling rock from the roof. The huge sections crashing down in a cloud of dust and flying stone shards. Her eyes caught the sight of the members of her groups falling thru the floor.

She stopped and turned back. A hand reaching for them. Her shouts unheard in the sound of crashing and collasping stone. Then the floor beneath her fell away. She fell. Forever she thought. Bouncing off pieces of stone. The last thing she saw was the side of the cavern she was falling thru. A small shelf stuck out of the wall. she screamed out a single word before she hit. "Lolth!" Bright pain and light flooded her mind before she was thrown into unconciousness.

Below her, the rock stopped falling except for gravel and dust. A new sound was being heard over the sound of falling rock. The sound of running water. Bodies lay all over the cavern. Some crushed by stone. Some not. The living woke and realizing their predicament quickly left the rapidly filling cavern.

Mayffyn lay there. Unconcious for hours or days. She never knew how long she lay in Lolth's embrace. When she awoke , her head pounded with a fierce headache. She groaned and rolled over. Taking stock of her wounds. Scrapes covered her arms and legs. Her head pounded and her eyes swam. All her vision blurry. Any movement brought on a wave of nausea. She fell back down on the ledge. Puking her stomach out.

After a time she slept. When she woke, she felt better. The sound of the water caught her ear. Looking over the ledge, she realized that she had to leave before the water rose over her. Carefuly, she climbed down. Head pounding and still feeling nauseous. The water came up to her shoulders. Soaking her armor and pack. Walking carefully in the dark wet, she came across several bodies. A quick examination with her fingers told her they were long dead and not her companions. Feeling the water rising higher, she paniced. Walking faster, even though it made her throw up several times.

Finally she found a way out of the water. Weak and muscles shaking, she crawled up to higher ground where she collapsed and slept. Waking, she took stock of her surroundings. Drying as much as she could, she prayed to Lolth. Thanking the dark goddess for her survival.

Then she noticed a small spider. It moved in front of her. Then away. stopping and lookign back at her. Mayffyn quickly gathered up her things and followed the spider. Her headache much lessened. The scrapes and bruises fading.

Up. Up and up some more she followed the spider. To the top of the cavern. It scuttled up a rock and thru a narrow crack in the ceiling. She follwed it carefully.
Following it took her thru another cave. This one filled with webbing and the rotting body of a drider. It looked like a pincushion from all the broken arrrows and bolts stuck in it. She searched it. Finding nothing more. not even any weapons. Seeing several cocoons on the floor and walls, she searched several. finding only some spider eggs. "Praise be to Lolth." Mayfyn muttered to herself as she took some of the eggs. placing them gently in a pocket. Still the spider guide moved and she follwed it. Out into another cave across a bridge over an apparantly bottomless chasm. Dizzyness washed over her as she crossed to the other side.

On the other side, she saw a familer figure. That of one of her companions. The female Vel'meth Tlabber. She greeted her gladly. The sight of another friendly face very welcome.

[Mikayla]

Woo-hoo, awesome! Our little campaign now has no less than three different points of view being recorded - we can put together our own little version of Rashomen* later. Very nice Zak.


*For those that do not know, Rashomen is an Akira Kurosawa film about a crime told from four seperate points of view - each varying quite a bit from the other. Which was true? All and none for what we perceive is truth to us, but different from what others perceive, and thus, lies to them.

[Zakharra]

After meeting up with the others, Taj’mirrii , Vel’meth Tlabber and Trazk. Talking with them. Hearing how they had survived the collapse of the cavern, she prayed to herself. Thanking Lady Lolth for showing her the way to them. She hear that Taj had found some myconid herders in a cavern not far from there current location. And that they had rothe with them. She ordered them to go and get a rothe for food, as her stomach was growling fiercely.

At the myconid cave, they set up an ambush. Taj would draw out the guards one at a time into a killing zone. She prayed for victory. Lolth must have smiled on them, because the plan worked perfectly. The large fungal man was brought down with bolts and arrows. Trazk slicing large sections from it with his sword. She ordered the plan to continue and it was repeated several times. After all the guards were gone, they raided the cavern itself. Killing and seizing a rothe. The males drug it back to the camp, where it was butchered. Some of the meat set out to cook by a fire that Taj had built, to a pile of glowing coals. and the rest was draped close to the fire to dry out into jerky.

Seeing the meat cook, and being very hungry, she had failed to have a watch set. At that time. A female entered the camp. Picked up the bow Vel’meth had claimed as spoils from the drider and threw it over the cliff. She was surprised at the audacity if the female drow. But there was something about her that was different. She had a air of casual arrogance and power to her. The weapons she carried well cared for and well used. Angrily the female berated them all for the poor watch they had set. While she was doing that, Mayffyn noticed Trazk sneaking around the camp. Around the pillar the camp was set up by and take up a station behind a stalagmite. His crossbow ready. Vel’meth confronted the female. After words were exchanged, Mayffyn invited her to join them for a meal. Taj’mirri, being the odd male he was, took the eyeballs and a bowl of blood over to a dark spot and proceeded to consume it. Her and the Tlabber female spoke. Trading stories. Mayffyn felt there was something about this female…something special. She was told to call her ‘Chilly’ An odd name she thought as she munched the cooked meat.

Mayffyn finished her food and moved away to watch a section of the gloom. While listening to Chilly and Vel’meth talk, she muttered the words to the Litany of Hate. That lead to her saying them with Velmeth and Chilly. Who had not spoken them with another of her kind in over 10 years. She lead them in prayer. Noticing that tears appeared in Chilly’s eyes. The prayers were said and offering spoken… From the heart she could tell.

After the males had gone to sleep more was spoken of. Events that had happened. Mayffyn’s House. She noted that Chilly seemed to be very interested in House Tlabber. It was only after the males had gone into reverie that she revealed more. That she was Vel’meth’s mother. Returning home from exile. They spoke upon this for a time. All this now made sense to May. Vel’meth’s mother, a high priestess. Taj’mirri, a exiled warrior. Vel’meth, a Bae’queshel. Exlies all, yet they were returning to their home. Lolth was planning something very important for the House Faen Tlabber. She told then that she was to not be identified to the others. Since she did not know them…

The Despana priestess agreed and they settled down for sleep. She remaining on watch.

Several days later, she was with Taj, Vel’meth , Trazk and G’eldax. Searching the caverns better, when they found an odd thing. A being that looked like a beholder. The thing looked scared. Alone and frightened of them. She smiled and spoke to it. The males taking up positions around it. It bartered food and information for it’s life.

She smiled inside. Of course it would be killed as soon as it’s usefulness was over. It mentioned what was in the way it had came. Something about mycosis. The male, Taj, fed it some dried bat meat to keep it talking. He kept it talking while using the silent speech to communicate to Mayffyn. After the young priestess thought they had enough, she told G’eldax and Taj with her fingers, to kill it. The eyeball evidently could read the silent speech, as it cried out and fled.

Mayffyn, ready to strike, shot it as it sped past the startled males. Her bolt piercing its backplate and killing it instantly. They drug it back to the camp. Taj having a meal he could eat. Brains and eyes. At the camp, he set to butchering the thing up. Mayffyn, remembering the berating of Chalithra Tlabber before. Ordered the males out to watch. But not far enough. The eyeball had been butchered and its eyes were stewing, when many more of the flying eyes attacked. Shooting icy beams from their main eyes.
The eyes were defeated but left the drow, injured and low on spells. She thought rapidly for a moment before coming to decision. They would move. She had the gather up the dried rothe meat and pour the eyeball stew into several empty canteen for Taj to eat from.
Several markings were left on the stone. To show where they had gone to.

With Taj and G’eldax in the lead, Mayffyn and Trazk behind, they set off. Thru the cavern with the myconids. The few guards were drawn out and slaughtered as the drow party moved thru the cave with a lethal purpose. They went out thru the tunnel into a long dark cavern. She turned. Listening carefully. To the side, she heard the burbling roar of a myconids. The others reacted like the drow they were. Peppering the fungal man with bolts and arrows. Hearing more sounds behind the fallen fungi, they retreated to the left of the tunnel entrance.

There, they found a bit of quite to rest and recover. After recovering. The rest of the group had arrived. Together again. Mayffyn prayed to Lolth for success as they set out. Yet it seemed that Lolth was not smiling on them. The group were attacked by more myconids. After they were slaughtered, Mayffyn turned and noticed a huge figure standing behind them. Automatically, she shot. Missing the figure. Trazk ran towards it. Slashing with his sword. The ogre, learned last it’s name, summoned a bear. The beast chased Trazk down and killed him. Rapidly slaughtering Vel’meth and Mayffyn as well.

She fell for what seemed like forever. Falling. Falling into a vast web. Strands as thick as her waist and as tiny as the smallest strand ever spun by a spider caught her. An ever present cloud of despair and evil overcame her. In the distance, she heard moans and the sounds of bubbles popping. Adding to the cacophony. Her body grew cold. The webbing shook as a spider crawled down towards her. Mandibles chattering eagerly.
The eyes gleaming with a dark malice. Behind the spider was a tall shape that resembled a half melted candle. Tendrils waving around the center. It laid a tendril on the spider. Halting it. The priestess, her name forgotten, recognized the yochlol. A Handmaiden to Lolth. She would have bowed, but her hair was caught in the webs. The yochlol shimmered and changed into a beautiful drow female. Wearing the regalia of a high priestess. She smiled slowly. The smile filled with malice and a desire to inflict pain.
Before she could do anything, Mayffyn felt a tugging. It pulled at her. Growing stronger rapidly. Seeing her prey moving in the webbing, the yochlol lunged for her. A eight headed snake whip lashing at her. She felt the icy bite of the fangs of the first head as she was torn from the webs and flung back thru a long dark tunnel. The last thing she saw before everything went black, was the face of the yochlol. Twisted in anger, yet she was laughing at the retreating priestess. A voice sounded in her mind. Cold and evil.
“We shall met again, Mayffyn Despanna…We shall meet again….”
Darkness washed over her eyes. Taking her consciousness with it

(like Trazk. This is a delusion brought on by her mind. During death and resurrection. Totally unreal. Not run by a DM)

Upon returning to the waking world, she felt stiff and very sore. Before her stood the ogre magi. He told her to sit and shut up. Feeling very weak and nauseous, she did as he said. Nursing thoughts of revenge. He brought Vel’meth back. Trazk having been retrieved earlier. Taj and Claddath, had fled the summoned beast and she was sure. Watched from a distance.
Turning to them, the ogre demanded that they sign a arcane contract in blood. The price for returning them to the living. They were to help the ogre kill a drow wizard.

Mayffyn felt her weakness vanish under a surge of anger. Anger at this ogre. To have brought her back against Lolth’s wishes, she was sure. Trembling, she took the contract. Sliced her thumb and signed her name. She would do this. If only to see the ogre die later. Screaming in pain and begging for death.

He lead them thru the cavern. Killing the few myconids left in the cave. Thru a tunnel, a blockade was found. Manned by warriors from the second House of Menzoberanzan. Mayffyn ordered the Tlabber female, Vel’meth, up to talk to the guards. After what seemed like a long time, she returned with bad news. A plague had been reported in the area outside of Menzoberanzan and they were there to turn all back. No one was to pass them. Taj, had been walking around. Seeking out the different caves and tunnels. He returned, saying that he had found a possible way around the blockade. Since she did not want to wait for the plague to die down, if there was indeed a plague, the priestess ordered them all to go the tunnel Taj had found.

Many hours were spent walking thru narrow tunnels and caves. Dripping water all around. Mixed in with the sounds of whispering air. She sent the Claddath out ahead to scout. Sometimes Taj took point. Sometimes G’eldax and Trazk.. The last tunnel took them up a long twisted path. Near the top, the ogre waited. Smiling at them. Mayffyn burned with anger at the iblith’s grin. His voice a grinding rumble, he spoke, but before much was said, the female strode up behind them. Chalithra Tlabber.

The two exchanged threats. It seemed to the young priestess, that they had tangled before and the ogre had come off badly. He snarled. Reminding Mayffyn, Vel’meth and Trazk of the contracts they had made then stalked off.

Chalithra turned on the three drow. Eyes sparking in the darkness. The cloaked female demanded to know what the ogre had meant. She listened to the three speak. First Vel’meth, then Mayffyn and Trazk, last. Of course. The two females spoke. Saying what had happened to them. Chalithra grew angry. With a snarl, she punched the bard in the stomach with the head of her mace. Sending the female to her hands and knees. Gasping for breath. She demanded to know why she had given birth to such a weakling. A torrent of vitriol poured from the furious high priestess. Vel’meth started to cry. Tears leaking for her eyes as she held her stomach.

Mayffyn couldn’t keep her mouth shut, she spoke up. Saying some words to Vel’meth. “Don’t try, do” This sent the priestess’s attention to the young priestess. Gripping the mace tightly, she demanded to know if she was disciplining her daughter. With a calm voice, she said no, but the Tlabber priestess was not dissuaded. She told her that if Mayffyn ever said I’m sorry again that she would cut out her tongue. Vel’meth got a similar threat of, that if she cried again, she would have her eyes torn out.
The male, Trazk was questioned at this point. His story nearly the same as the two females. The high priestess told them that there would be a atonement for their weakness in being pulled back to the realm of the living by a Malar priest. The punishment to be determined later.

Chalithra told the entire group that they were on the edge of a settlement, and that she was to be incognito. Mayffn as in overt charge of the group. The Yathtallar decided to rest first, before entering the settlement.

While she was in reverie, the others went into the settlement. Which was named Daemon’s Landing. A most apt name.

When she woke, Vel’meth and Chailthra were speaking quietly together. She sat up and listened as she stretched. Loosening her muscles. After a time, she was acknowledged by the Yathtallar. She learned that they had been invited to a feast. The rulers of the outpost wanted to learn more about the drow. The goals of the feast were to have the Eoloeth, the rulers, sing a song or say some poetry. It seemed that Vel’meth had sung for them and Chalithra thought that they might think of the Tlabber House as nothing more than entertainers, So this was to even the field.

They went into the settlement. Chalithra staying behind. A demon bred, Knight Siolad Eoloeth, met them at the gates to the Eoloeth manor and informed them that they could wait for an hour to be ready. The young bard, Vel’meth, agreed. A local drow merchant female. Daunyall, lent them the use of her rooms to change into their fine clothes. The males wore their armor, as they were ordered to guard the females.

After a time, the Knight returned and lead them to the manor. Inside was a sumptuous decadent home. The decorations and color, one that suited the Fey’ri. The demon bred. Their hosts seated them. The male was handsome, if a bit stolid looking. The female, was more beautiful, but the beauty of a snake or a deadly weapon. Sharp and dangerous to handle without caution.

The dinner was food from the surface. Delicious to the tastes of the drow guests. The talk of the feast seemed to revolve around nobility and religion. Mainly lord Tel’mikel Eoloeth spoke to Mayffyn. Being apparently fascinated by the fact that he had a Lolth priestess to talk to. Mayffyn delicately ate and drank her wine. The liquor, a weak surface wine that was apparently a favorite of surface elves and the Fey’ri. While they ate, the Vicount Tel’mikel drank several glasses. His attitude growing incredulous that the noble Houses of Ched Nasad and Menzoberranzan were not ruling the cities. The young priestess worded her answers to him. Trying to explain to this lord how her people functioned in a chaotic society. For every glass of wine he drank, the more offending he got. Vel’meth and Shaharazad tried to turn the conversation to other topics, but the Vicount would have none of that. He kept asking why the nobles put up with this.

Mayffyn felt anger growing inside her as this thick headed male kept missing the point. She had been told to be polite and to not anger the rulers of this outpost. Finaly she could take no more. She set down her glass after the last word spoken by the Fey’ri lord and started to rise to her feet, when his sister/lover told him to behave and apologize.

The Vicount did so. Leaving with the air of distain for his guests. Saying that he could not deal with them because of their actions and that unless one of them defeated him in combat or put their House above the demands of Lolth, that he would consider them all commoners and beneath his notice.

After he left, the dinner broke up. The female Fey’ri being much more polite and pleasant. The drow went back to the shop/home of Daunyall. Changed and then back to their camp outside the settlement. The males spread out for guard duty or went into reverie. Chalithra was told what had happened and in a decisive decision. Went into the settlement with Mayffyn and Vel’meth behind her and strode up to the gate. Determination in her stride. Also a sense of purpose.

At the gate to the Eoleoth manor, she spoke to the Knight Soilad. Her imperious voice informed him that she was challenging Vicount Tel’mikel to battle. The white haired knight merely raised and eyebrow and went to inform him.

But the first one out of the manor was Shaharazad Eoloeth. Two glowing curved blades in her hands. The two females stood apart. Looking in the other’s eyes. Softly she spoke, and just as soft, Chalithra answered. Keeping her family name quiet. Only answering to the name Chilly. Their musical voices passed threats back and forth. At this time Mayffyn was surprised to learn that this deadly female was thousands of years old. Ancient, yet looking as young as a maid, newly grown.

She stepped back as her brother/lover strode from the manor. Armor gleaming in the red light. His sword shining and a look of determination on his handsome face. They exchanged few words. Chalithra raised her arms. A song of praise to Lolth falling from her lips. The summons was answered. A large spider appeared in a flash of infernal light. The Vicount, realizing that he was now outnumbered, lunged for the prieatess, but she was ready. Sword and dagger raised high, she beat off his attack. The clangor of steel. Both dark elven and daemonic, rang throughout the outpost.

Vel’meth and Mayffyn could see the denizens of the outpost watching the fight from their doors and walls. The tow females tho, watched. Eyes glowing with excitement. Mayffyn nearly bouncing with it. She was seeing a high priestess finally fight! Giddy with glee and a rising bloodlust, she watched. Unconsciously moving her hands in time with Chalithra’s moves.
The two combatants surged back and forth. The Eoloeth striking Chalithra several times. Her armor ran red with her blood, yet not a sound of pain escaped her lips. Her eyes glowing a malicious red. Cold with fury and a desire to strike this male down. Whispered prayers to her dark goddess healed her wounds rapidly. Allowing her to remain strong and swift, even as her blows pierced his armor time and time again. The large spider danced around striking at him. The distraction letting the Yathtaller to drive her blade deep into the Vicount.

With a cry, he fell. Chalithra’s dagger swept his blade away. Her sword at his throat. Eyes shining with victory, she smiled cruelly at him. “Victory is mine.”

He nodded. Breathing hard. Unable to defend, he lowered his head. Yielding to her. She stepped back and sheathed her blades. The spider dismissed with a wave of her hand and a whispered prayer of thanks to Lolth.

Standing, the Vicount bowed to her then strode over to the two young females and apologized to them. Graciously, Mayffyn accepted. Vel’meth’s was much more graciously spoken. With a last bow to them, the Vicount returned to his manor. His sister/lover meeting him at the door to tend to his wounds. Her eyes flashed at the three females that had humbled her lover. Lingering the longest on Chalithra before the door closed.

The victorious drow returned to the merchant shop. Smiling, Daunayll graciously allowed them to stay there as long as they were in Daemon’s Landing. Since they had provided the best entertainment they had seen in a long time. She offered a hot bath to each on them and their males provided a massage.

[Zakharra]

The priestess knelt in the middle of the floor. Praying to Lolth. Her voice softly toning the Litanies out The others resting around the room. Joining her. After a time, she finished and rose to her feet. Striding over to the side of the room. There she waited for something to happen. Little did she know what she would come to regret her wishes.

The Yathtallar came out of her room and a new person showed up. Male. Lost looking and alone. He was nonethe less taken in, since he filled a desperately needed spot. That of mage. While they were questioning him. the door opened and suuddenly the air was filled with the sounds of combat.

She turned to find 2 males in front of her. Snarling. with the gleam of battle in her eyes, she snatched the first weapon she touched. It was the crossbow. As she tried to bash the drow, she felt a coldness behind her. Running thru her chest.
She looked down at the bloody tip exiting her chest. Her lips parted to say something, but the only thing that left her lips was a bubble of blood. The young priestess collapsed as the battle raged around her. Her life fleeing thru the hole in her heart and chest..

This time the fall was alot longer. She ended up in the same place. Stuck to massive webbing. A beautiful drow stood in front of her. A whip in her hand. The heads hissing withr dark malice. "I told you I would be seeing you again." Her chuckle was cold and cruel. She raised her arm and brought it slashing down upon the helpless female. Screams of pain and terror sounded in the deep gloom of the Demon Webs, before being swallowed up in the distance.



((so ends the musings of Mayffyn Despana. she died in the service to her goddess))

[Magonushi]

To tell the truth Vel'meth almost cried at seeing her rival die, pitying herself for not being the one to bring her down. But such is the way in the underdark.

((You'll be missed Mayffyn Despana, proud Yathtallar of Lolth. May your ashes burn red.))