Elient 29 1372 DR, Year of Wild Magic

Prologue

Sitting in her lair, surrounded by green bushes and plants, Beryllinthranox's red eyes dimmed as she looked over her new skeleton body. Her massive bony frame had a red tint to it. Her huge claws were razor sharp, and her leathery wings were transparent and tattered. The body had once belonged to Naravala the Red, the Devil Dragon of Cormyr. Shortly after Naravala was slain by King Azoun IV, agents from the Cult of the Dragon searched for the Devil Dragon's corpse. Two months after Naravala's demise, the wizards finally recovered the body.

Though the body was a little bit smaller than the one she had when she was the Green Dragon Overlord of Qualinesti, but it would have to do for now.

Wearing her black scale armor, the drow cleric Malice walked quietly into the cave where Beryl had made her lair. The dark elf noticed the changes the dracolich's home. The cave was once dark and damp place, but now the walls and ceiling were covered by flush green plant life. "I see you've made yourself at home," Malice said quietly as she approached Beryl.

The dracolich turned her head to Malice. "It reminds me of the forests of Qualinesti," Beryl responded in a low growl. "Since I have arrived in this cave, vines, bushes, and other plants have been growing along the walls."

Malice grinned. She had summoned Beryl only three days ago, using a Summoning Circle, a King Tear's gem, and the instructions written in the Tome of the Dragon. I've been blessed by Kiaransalee, the drow cleric said to herself, as she looked over Beryl.

The dracolich stared at Malice for a moment. Though she had been brought back from the dead, a part of Beryl resented being summoned to life by the drow. She knew that she was now bound to Malice like a dog leashed to its master.

Yet Beryl had no desire to destroy the priestess of the Vengeful Banshee. The drow was ambitious, and knew much about the power of undeath. Malice had also promised Beryl that once they destroyed Menzoberranzen, they would go to the surface, and destroy the powers of the Silver Marshes. Together they would rule the lands from the High Forest to the Silver Marshes, and possibly the Sword Coast as well.

"So when do we attack Menzoberranzen?" Beryl asked curiously, trying to get Malice's attention. "Do we have to keep an eye out for that hunter you speaking of earlier?"

"Shadimir," Malice hissed as she crossed her arms. The dracolich noticed the drow's red eyes flare for a moment. "He will seek us out soon," Malice added in a calm voice. The silver rings on the dark elf's left hand began to glow faintly.

Confused, the dracolich tilted her head. "He will come to us?" she asked in a low voice.

Malice nodded. "He will. As we are speaking, a small force of undead are going to attack the cathedral where Shadimir's first born child is studying. Then there is also my renegade son Drizzt, who is going to have an unexpected visitor. You remember Graibec? The orc werewolf?"

Beryl let out a shudder that rattled her bones. She remembered Graibec as a burly orc (a type of humanoid creature she had never encountered before) who dressed in dirty, and torn clothes. He led a band of werewolves who prayed on the animals and people of the North.

"How did you manage Graibec and his werewolves want to go after your son?" the dracolich questioned Malice.

Malice played with one of the rings on her fingers. "Graibec is a son of King Obould Many-Arrows, one of the most powerful orcs of Fauern (which isn't saying much, Malice added in her own mind), and Drizzt has done battle with him. Graibec believes by killing Drizzt, and eating his heart, he can gain respect from his father."

"I hope I'm not interrupting anything," a sultry voice said from behind Malice. The dark elf turned and saw the vampire Bella Foust standing there, wearing a long black dress with miniature skulls embroidered in the seams. She had black hair and pale skin.

"Not at all Bella," Malice answered. "We were just discussing Graibec fighting my son Drizzt."

Bella let out a snort. "If Drizzt is as good as a fighter as you say he is Malice, I don't think the werewolf has a chance to beat your son. You should have me fight him."

The drow cleric shook her head. "You know that we've already discussed your next mission. Besides, I don't need Graibec to kill Drizzt. I have heard from a couple of my spies that Shadimir has already sent his sister in law and her friends to aid Drizzt. Once he hears about the attack on the Soaring Spirit, he will send help for his daughter. He will be too distracted to stop us while we begin our attack on Menzoberranzen."

The dracolich let out a soft purr. Bella sighed. "I don't know why you didn't let me turn Shadimir into a vampire Malice."

"He is mine to kill Bella," Malice declared in a cold voice. "I get his body, and Kiaransalee gets his soul, but I'll be sure to save you some of his blood."

Bella bit her lip and looked at the green vines that hung from the ceiling. "Well on a different subject, the Cult agents and the other clerics have summoned up a legion of corpses for you for your fight against the drow city."

"Good," Malice said in a pleased voice. "The wizards and clerics have proved useful to me. Have them get the corpses ready to march soon, and then Bella, you and the other clerics and wizards must go into hiding."

"But why Malice?" the vampire asked with a note of concern in her voice.

The drow priestess stared into Bella's eyes. "Because my friend, if by some miracle Shadimir does foil my plot, and destroys both me and Beryl, someone must finish what I started."