Drizzt Do'Urden
The city of Menzoberranzan is ruled by the Spider Queen, Lolth. It functions on houses. The matrin mother rules each house. Women control the society, only few men are allowed to live. Every drow has magical abilities. Even the men, but women's are more amplified, more powerful even. The drow are the race of the dark elves. They are sleek and deadly. Not many drow has left Menzoberranzan, but that doesn't mean that aren't any who have.
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My name is Drizzt Do'Urden. The night I was born was the night the Do'Urden house attacked the DeVir house. I was to be sacrificed to the Spider Queen. That's just how it is, isn't it? Killed off for being born at the wrong time. I shouldn't be talking like this. Speaking of the name of Lolth in vain, but I just just can't help what I feel. Anyway, back to my point. I was supposed to be killed because I was the third male child to Matrin Malice. Her first, Nalfein Do'Urden, basically saved my life. He died in the battle, or had he? Matrin Malice knew of her second son's plans of assassination, but she couldn't be sure. Maybe he had died in battle. But he died, that's what matters. That left me as the second living son of the Do'Urden house and lifting Dinin, the original second son, as the now first living son.
I was an odd child to begin with. I had violet eyes instead of the average red ones everyone else had. Plus I didn't react to light. That was a shock for everyone! All the other drow repulsed light. It burned them all brutally.
Also at the age of five I acquired the ability to levitate. That wasn't the weird part. All drow have the magical ability to levitate, cast orbs of darkness, blah blah blah.
I remember the day I levitated. Vierna, the second daughter of Matrin Malice, knew I was too young but wanted to push me. I did the next day after a little 'inspiration' done with her whip. That was, the first child, Briza's idea. She's just as merciless as Matrin Malice. Only when Matrin Malice got mad nobody dared to cross her path, knowing they would pay for it.
I also remember when I did. It was the day I turned six-teen. The day I was officially unmarked as a page prince. Now I was the secondboy of House Do'Urden. Before that I was required to look at the ground. Always. If I was to look up at anybody, I was to be punished. Anyway, Matrin Malice had commanded me to look at her. I had grown accustomed to looking down so I did hesitate. She commanded once more, much firmer this time. I obeyed, only to have my gaze drop again. That was when she really got mad. She screamed at me to look at her. Of course my head snapped back up. I was terrified. Her eyes though. I will never forget her eyes. Those glowing red orbs that pierced your soul. Out of the corner of my eye I saw her hand rear back, about to come in contact with my face. I wasn't stupid enough to try to dodge it though. The blow bruised the side of my face and knocked me to the ground. All the while she threatened to stick needles into my purple eyes. No doubt in my mind did I think that if she did, she would enjoy it. Matrin Malice really did have the perfect name for her personality.
However, also on the day I turned six-teen Matrin Malice called in Zaknafein, the Do'Urden house weapons master. I was supposed to replace Nalfein as Do'Urden house wizard. After testing me by having me flick up different numbers of coins and catching the same amount in each hand, Zaknafein concluded that I was better off as a fighter. And I proved that to him.
I had been trianing under Zaknafein for nine-teen years. One day Matrin Malice came to see my progress. To prove that I my skill with my chosen weapon, the scimitars, Zak attacked me. Matrin Malice was pleased, thank Lolth she was. Oh course Zak beat me. Why wouldn't he? He's the greatest swords man in Menzoberranzan. But afterwards he explained how I was now a prince. Not allowed to have friends. Not public friends at least.
At the age of twenty I was sent to the Academy. I was in to be a fighter. That meant 10 years altogether. Most of the first nine years were physical training as well as tactics. The last year was different though. The first six months were basic wizard training. They were taught one on one with an almost fully trained wizard. The last six were in the school of Lolth. Really it just taught different rituals, sacrificing, history and so on. I think it took up too much time for how little interesting things they teach. Anyway, I personally thought wizard training was the best part of the Academy. The school of Lolth, without a doubt was the worst. Also, in wizard training with Masoj, my instructor, I met Guenhwyvar. Masoj's pet magical panther. He would always summon her with a small figurine. I have grown close to her.
Most drow students were surprised at my talent. In my ten years, I was top of my class in nine of them. They ranked us on how long we lasted in a maze fighting each other. I didn't come out first in my first year because an ally I made quickly realized my skill afer seeing me take out some students. He betrayed me. Striking at my back without honor.
Nobody died in the arena. Well with one exception. But by the end only twenty-two of the original twenty-five lived to the end. One had failed an assassination. He was dismissed and executed. Another died in his bunk of natural causes. You know, naturally drow, and other races, die when they have a dagger in their chest. Of course, the last on died in the arena.
Finally it was time to end all my time at the Academy. I had wanted to get out since I had first arrived. I wanted to live up to Zaknafein. The last time I saw him was the day before I left. He attacked me with intentions to kill me. He didn't want me to have to go to the Academy and become a heartless killer. Needless to say, he let me live and I didn't kill him. I remember his words clearly in my head.
"Do you know the emotions of murder? Have you reconciled yourself to the act you committed?...Or have you ever heard the screams of dying children?...How loud, those screams, they eco over the centuries in your mind; they chase you down the paths of your entire life...You hesitate. This is your chance to make your name. A single thrust, and you will send a reputation into the Academy before you. Other students, even masters, will whisper you name as you pass. 'Drizzt Do'Urden' they will say. 'The boy who slew the most honored weapons master in all of Menzoberranzan!' Is this not what you desire?"...Drow worrior? Do not be so quick to claim a title you cannot begin to understand!" (Page 125 & 126)
His words have echoed in my mind since that day. I haven't seen him in ten years. I wish to show him how I clung to the Drizzt he knew. How I am not like my brother, Dinin.
Like how I was able to resist a high priestess. While everybody else was,...let's say indulging, I ran out. My sister, Vierna, followed me. She showed me to a small place. This was the place where they keep the drider, a race of half drow, half spider. This is what happens when you speak ill of the Spider Queen. Oh, wait! Didn't I mention? I had spoken ill of Lolth, when Vierna followed me. So, needless to say once more, she left me there, they attacked me, normal stuff. Matrin Malice came and got me out, saying that they needed me for when they got attacked.
Right, also House Do'Urden was expecting a immediate attack. We didn't know which house, at that time, but we knew it was coming. Anyway, we recruited The Faceless One, or Gelroos Hun'ett, as a spy. Dinin and Vierna weren't at the Academy anymore since Matrin Malice pulled them out for protection.
After that Dinin and I were chosen to go on patrol to the surface. The only let drow go every twenty years. Masoj was on the patrol but wasn't allowed to go to the surface. No wizard was after last time. Wizardly effects were unknown to the drow. That ment the Guenhwyvar wasn't coming. Guenhwyvar was Masoj's pet after all. Masoj had been getting angry at how Guenhwyvar took to me more that him. How could I help it? It's not my fault she likes me better and is better paired in combat with me.
We walked miles from Menzoberranzan still under underground. We finally made it to these cracks it the wall. The high priestess that came chose one of the cracks saying that it would work. How? It was about as wide as two fingers! But of course that had a way. She cast a spell on us, one by one. I went first. The spell basically made you paper thin. But, also, when we arrived it was light out, so we had to wait. Eventually the ball of fire left. That's when we left. The dim light still hurt but it wasn't bad enough to where we couldn't look.
On patrol, we found what we had been looking for, a group of surface elves, dancing around a fire. Ouch, like literally ouch, stupid fire light. The drow quickly spread into an ambush lining. This was more difficult that usual. In the familiar tunnels where drow had the upperhand in how most creatures can't detect us untill it was too late, this was definitely harder.
None the less, we won the fight. Dinin killed five, all woman too. I was congratulated with the kill of one female child. Also the high priestess made us strip and feel the wrath of the great inferno of the surface. Most of the men went back to the cave almost immediately. Some tried to stand the heat. I thought in hurt but it was tolerable. Eventually, Dinin pulled me back with him as he left.
When Matrin Malice heard of our raid, she was angry at how little I killed. Dinin made a point to how I murdered the child. Merciless and brutal. Zaknafein was present when Dinin reported back to Matrin Malice. This just proved that the Drizzt he knew was killed at the Academy. We hadn't spoken to each other since I had got back besides one small encounter where we made plans to train together once more after the patrol. Nobody except me,and probably Lolth,knew that I hadn't killed the child. I simply told her to stay down and covered her with her mother's blood.
I had all intentions of killing Zak, as I knew he had all on killing me as well. But that was later. We were still on patrol duty. Next, and finally, we to do a simple eradication. Nothing to hard, just some gnomes. When we arrived Masoj and I sank through the stone floor. This was to be expected with gnomes but when we fully emerged from the fall we were greeted with an earth elemental. Masoj preformed a spell to make him invisible and sat back as I fought. We still didn't know at this point but House Hun'ett was the house that wanted to exterminate House Do'Urden. Masoj was to be the one that did the deed of killing me before they attacked. They knew they couldn't win if I was alive. Alton Devir was enraged by this. Remember little old House Devir? The one that fell the night I was born? Alton was the only survivor. Only the council and House Hun'ett knew of him. Also, The Faceless One fell the night I was born, and Alton took his identity to live. So, at this point we didn't know it but Alton and House Hun'ett was working together to take down House Do'Urden. Humorous, isn't it? How we didn't know, but we recruited who we thought was Gelroos Hun'ett to spy and see who was planning on attacking us.
Back to the patrol and the elemental, Masoj, as I was fighting, shot a spell of lightning at me. All the same, I killed the elemental but went through one of the wall and was knocked out. Masoj said that he killed the elemental and that I had died in battle. The high priestess of the patrol deemed the kill mine though, knowing the marks of blade not magic.
When I awoke a gnome named Belwar was standing over me. We made a deal that if I made no trouble he would let me live. I sat and waited untill the rest of the patrol came with Guenhwyvar leading. She protected me untill a drow could cut my bonds. In the end all gnomes except for Belwar were dead. Belwar was sent to be an example the the Svirfnebli. They cut his hands off.
At last! my meeting with Zak. I wante-no, needed to kill him. I didn't want to do it, not really. He killed drow, and enjoyed it! He was just as bad as Dinin. "'He who killed the earth elemental,' Zak snarled derisively. He launched a measured attack, a simple lunge with one blade...Sudden fires erupted in Zak's eyes, as if the first contact had sundered all emotional bonds that had tempered his thrust. 'He who killed the girl child of the surface elves!...Murderer! Did you enjoy the dying child's screams?...Child killer!" (Zak-page 280-280) We both had vile thoughts about each other. Neither of us died that day. I revealed that I hadn't killed the child that day. I didn't realize that Zak was different, like me. I should really say that I was like him. He is my father after all. Vierna and Nalfein were too. Maybe Nalfein was different but he died before anything happened. If Vierna was then that was all stomped out at the Academy, it was too late for her. Dinin and Briza were Rizzen's kids, all death and blood. Now I wouldn't be alone anymore. Zak and I had each other. Zak only did those things because if he didn't Matrin Malice would have killed him. How could I have not have seen this before?
I was wondering outside for a while before anything happened. I wasn't even supposed to be out. Matrin Malice's orders. Nobody out untill House Hun'ett was no more. Oh well. But Masoj did try to kill me. I was already losing a fight with a cave fisher untill I heard a familiar growl. Guenhwyvar saved my life, but after she dealt with the cave fisher she turned on me. As she was about to attack I noticed she hesitated. Everything clicked. Guenhwyvar was Masoj's pet. Stong magic bound her to him and master and pet. She had to obey his command. But she had already resisted. She protected me from the cave fisher. Now she hesitated to strike. Our friendship overpowered the magic.
Side by side we engaged with Masoj, now accompanied by Alton who then reviled himself as Alton Devir. After a long, hard battle both Masoj and Alton lay dead. Well Alton had a bit of him in different parts of the cave. His wand exploded so now there was a bit there, some here. Guenhwyvar was caught in the blast. Now I don't know of her fate. She was very magical. Maybe she still lived, and knew how to check. I grabbed the small figurine out of Masoj's pocket. I had offered then a deal. Give me Guenhwyvar and I would let them live. Also I said that I would take Zak and leave. Not precipitate in the battle between houses. They were just to stupid to not take it. The small figure of Guenhwyvar pulsed slightly with the magic it contained. If she was dead I wouldn't be able to feel it at all so this was a good sign. I made my way back to House Do'Urden with out any more trouble.
The battle was imminent.
When I got back there was no sign of Zak, of anybody for that matter. I raced to the training room expecting Zak, but he wasn't there. When I checked his privet room he wasn't there either. I thought Matrin Malice might of just sent him off to watch our borders with the rest of the men. Then I noticed, his belt and sword was still in his room. Zak told me to never leave, to do anything, without my weapon. So why wasn't he with it now?
I strode to the main hall only to have the doors open at my presence. Everybody was there, Malice, Briza, Vierna, Maya, Dinin, and Rizzen. Well everybody but Zak.
They didn't care! Once they started talking it was clear.
THEY KILLED ZAK!
They sacrificed him to their stupid spider queen. They redirected my questions all to the battle. They didn't say anything untill I explained how Masoj and Alton were dead. They congratulated me on defeating two wizards. She, Malice, tried to offer me a deal, the same deal she gave Zak. Do everything she says correctly and she'll let me live.
Now I am alone, truly. I don't even know if I'll ever see Guenhwyvar once more. I know what I have to do. I have to leave. Like, how Zak never could, but where would I go? I would have to go to the Underdark, that's the only place to go.
I had Zak's pack strapped over my shoulder. I remembered the little ceramic balls that Zak had once used on me. They light up the room. An effective weapon to use on the drow that burn under the sun. I pulled one out and, before they knew what I planned on doing, smashed it on the ground, letting the magic it contained spill out. I ran out as they screamed in agony. On my way I called to Guenhwyvar, hoping she was alive. Thankfully she showed up as I made my way to the Underdark.
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This is my life now. Guenhwyvar comes once every other day for a half-day. I believe she saved me. Without her I would have probably killed myself. I spend my days fighting with whatever creature comes along. I often ask myself, 'Is this enough?'. I think I finally have an answer.
I think not, this life is not enough.
I realize that Briza is not Rizzen's daughter. This was just a school project for the first book. It's based on what you know then.