The small town of Haven was nestled in the beautiful countryside of Alaria. It was surrounded by grassy hills as well as a forest not far from the tavern. It was a town well known for its agriculture and for accommodating adventurers from far and wide. The local tavern, The Dancing Dragon Inn, was surrounded by a few well placed cabins where those who had some coin could lay their heads. It was a warm spring morning and the flowers strewn about the fields were in full bloom, their colorful blossoms spreading a sense of serenity and joy amongst all who took in their sight. The hummingbirds and bees dipped between each bud, taking what nectar they could carry and blissfully unaware of the bloodshed that had taken place this morning. The adventurers of this town were settling back in after an encounter with a group of dark elves at the entrance to the Underdark.
An elven ranger walked along the forest paths to reconnect with nature while a dwarven barbarian cleaned his sword of blood and told stories of how he defeated drow after drow. A few clerics of all races had gathered in their respected temples to pray to their gods. The paladins were found in the bar, having drinks as they reveled in their triumph against the forces of evil and, if you looked close enough, you could spot a rogue or two keeping their distance in the shadows. With their companion saved and the Matron of the dark elves slain, everyone could rest easy once more. Well, everyone except for a certain dark elf who had recently taken residence in Haven. Her name was Maybryn McCreedy.
In Maybryn's cabin, the new dark elf Matron Mother gathered her belongings and prepared for the journey ahead of her. Maybryn had a tall and slender build and like all dark elves her skin was the color of obsidian. The dip of her dark red top revealed a decent amount of cleavage that was pushed up by the black fabric of her underbust corset. Her bottoms were jet black, minus the blood and dirt stains from the prior battle, and were skin tight which allowed for movement while showing off her curves. A few strands of her long, pearly white hair had escaped her high ponytail, falling around her face as she bent down to place one of her daggers in her dark brown, knee high boot. After making sure the weapon was secure, she tucked the strands behind one of her pointed ears and reached up to take off the crown resting on her head.
Her dark purple eyes shone with mixed emotions as she examined the object in her hands and took in every detail of the foreign object. She allowed her fingers to gently trace the etching of spider webs along the metal to the center of the crown. It had been done with a delicate hand and she had to admit, the craftsmanship was to be envied. She wouldn't expect anything less from her people when it came to anything related to spiders. A small smirk pulled at the corner of her lips at that thought and as her fingers skimmed the ruby that lay in the center of the crown, an image of her sister appeared in her mind.
Chessaer had been her elder by around 200 years and she was the Matron that had been slain this morning. Her raven black skin was flawless and beautiful against the dark blue of the top she wore and her long, silvery tresses of hair were swept into a messy braid. The deep crimson of her eyes seemed to glow with a mix of hatred and paranoia while her lips were fixed in a permanent smirk. Maybryn could see her sister clearly, even in the pitch black of the Underdark. While the other adventurers focused on saving their companion, Maybryn proceeded to face her sister alone. It was a long battle and as Maybryn dealt her final blow with her short sword, she knew she had won. As Chessaer lay dying, she beckoned Maybryn closer to share her final words with her. Luckily, Maybryn was quick enough to dodge Chessaer's rapier as she attempted to run her through one last time.
A few mere hours ago, this very crown had been sitting atop Chessaer's silvery mane of hair. Now, it was Maybryn's burden to bear. Since the moment Maybryn was born, Chessaer had wanted her dead. Feeling threatened by the presence of a sister, someone who could also lay claim to the title of Matron, she had tried to kill Maybryn relentlessly for over 300 years. Maybryn knew she would not stop hunting her until she was eliminated. With this in mind, she and a small group of other drow left to build a life on the surface.
For a couple of years, the group took assignments that gained them wealth and power. They would steal as they pleased and began corrupting the local government which gained the attention of the town guards. That was when naval captain Lance McCreedy was assigned to find her. Maybryn was sitting in the corner of The Dancing Dragon, scoping out the people and looking for her next victim when she saw an older drow sitting at the bar.
He seemed to stand a few inches taller than her and wore a dark brown naval jacket adorned with numerous medals on the breast. A black tricorn hat engraved with the outline of a kraken sat atop his head and underneath, his greying white hair was pulled back into a half ponytail to keep it out of his face. His dark red eyes glew in the light from the torches around the room and as his eyes landed on her, a smirk appeared on his lips. He raised the bottle of rum in his hand to his lips, drawing a mouthful from it before standing and making his way toward her. Watching him take the seat across from her, she raised an eyebrow at him and the two began talking.
For the next few months, they would have nightly visits with each other and before she knew it, he had turned her entire world upside down. She began to realize that everything she had been doing was going against her morals. As a Drow woman, she was taught from a young age to seek power no matter the cost. She has kept up the pretense over the years, but on the inside, she had always hated power and what it did to people. She knew what she and her crew were doing was immoral and hurting innocents. At that moment, she turned on the only life she had known and became Lance's informant.
Maybryn and Lance became a perfect team, working in unison and eventually forming a bond unlike any before. Lance had never had a companion that he could trust with every aspect of his life and until Lance, Maybryn had never known anything besides hate and betrayal. A few years later, one thing led to another and the two married in secret. The others in her group were eventually tipped off about her involvement the navy and the guards and tried to kill her. They even went so far as to put a bounty on her head.
However, she managed to escape unscathed, as she always seemed to do. She found her way back to Lance and since then, the two have been inseparable. They had occupied themselves over the years by sailing the seas on his ship, The Kraken's Nest, until about a year ago when they were called back to Haven and made it a temporary home. They became knights of a local lord and began fighting to protect this town as well as the people who inhabited it.
"Now is not the time to dwell on memories," she sighed to herself, "There is much to do."
Now, for the first time in her life, Maybryn felt at peace. However, that was quickly replaced with the realization of the responisibilies now thrust upon her. She was the Mother Matron; something she never expected or wanted, but she would gladly take the position if it meant keeping her people safe from Chessaer and others like her. Shaking her head, she finished carefully packing her belongings and made sure her short swords were in their sheaths at her hips. On her back rested her sister's rapier in a sheath of its own, a personal trophy for the dark elf. Once assured everything was packed and in order, she placed the crown atop her head.
Honestly, she was both curious and nervous about returning home. She knew not everyone would be pleased with her sudden appearance in Helviiryn and that there were many dangers that lay ahead. Thinking back on the dark elves the town had fought, she raised her hand to her lips and and began muttering a spell. The palm of her hand began to glow a light blue and she whispered a message to Razz't, her new personal bodyguard.
"Razz't, I am on my way. I wish for you to meet me at the entrance to the Underdark. I shall be there in an hour's time."
Once the light in her hand disappeared, she turned and opened the door to the cabin. The sun's rays that once blinded her now gave her a slight comfort and as she stepped out of the small building, the wind caressed her skin gently. She took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment to take everything in before starting to walk in the direction of the building the locals had deemed the Office of Haven Investigators. She knew this was the place where she would find her husband and and their wizard friend, Zylus.