That said, I'd like to point out that, like most of the writers here, I use the story of Hordes of the Underdark merely as a plot outline for my own tale. The great plus of fanfiction is that there is no limit to storytelling, except my own fantasy. Let us see where my borders are. If I leave the trails of the original plot, please follow me. That, and the characters we use in our tales are what makes every tale different from the other.
Finally, there is the matter of my character: Chathi Fezim. She was my first character I've played in the pen and paper version of Dungeons and Dragons and thus I ached for using her in this tale. Roughly characterized, she is a tiefling, like Valen. But unlike him she is of devilish heritage. She is also a ranger and an evil one as well. If you like her, I will be most grateful. If you hate her, that's a sign of a characterization not as bad. As long as you have any feelings toward her, I am glad.
Before I release you from my ramblings and let you read the fiction, I'd like to say that I like constructive criticism. It helps me improve my writings and is much appreciated. Thank you very much for reading.
Disclaimer: Hordes of the Underdark and all characters except Chathi Fezim and Fah are owned by Bioware Corp. Forgotten Realms is owned by Wizards of the Coast.
Servant of her Pain
Chapter 1: No Turning Back
Oh, she never became familiar with the teleportation spells. Not that she was part of them occasionally. But during the time she spent in Undermountain she certainly didn't grow fond on them. Every time she stepped through one of the bright shimmering, circular portals she despised the feeling of being turned up side down, making her feel sick and wishing to never leave firm ground beneath her feet again.
This time, however, proved much different. Still, she felt the gentle tug of the geas spell, tugging on her very soul, making her more uncomfortable than any teleportation spell would have ever been able to. She felt betrayed, used and utterly disappointed. And more than anything else, she felt her hatred against wizardry and its wielders grow beyond reason.
Then, as suddenly as it got a grip on her, the teleportation spell released her, throwing her into very unfamiliar surroundings, placing her gently in front of a slender, most beautiful drow female. Silvery white hair surrounded the delicate features of the dark figure, her red eyes glowing with a certain measure of gentleness. Left and right of the female several other, mostly male, drow stood, seeming alarmed. Behind the female drow loomed the menacing statue of an elven-spider hybrid.
"So that's how it is." Chathi remarked dryly after she found her bearings again, her hands searching for her weapons, still not really recovered from the effects of the spell.
The drow behind the female reached for the weapons, now obviously alarmed, but the female raised her right hand, bidding the others to stop. They didn't release their weapons, however.
"Leave your weapons where they are, I beg you. There is nothing you have to fear." Her voice was pleasant, though a bit deep. And, to Chathi's surprise, she spoke the common tongue perfectly. Unlike Chathi, who never got accustomed to this language.
"You speak Common." She replied with her own, very slow tongue, trying desperately not to stumble over the words so foreign to her. "And better than I ever could." She added after a moment of silence.
Her words were regarded with a slight smile and Chathi finally let go of her weapons. Somehow she felt that there would be no need to draw her blades. At least for the moment. The female drow in front of her nodded with approval, turning to someone standing on Chathi's left.
"Nathyrra, you have finally returned. I'm very pleased to see that you're well." The look on her face was one of obvious relief. Turning to her left, Chathi saw that Nathyrra, the dark elf she met in Undermountain, had indeed been teleported as well by Halaster. Just as he promised.
"Mother Seer, it is good to see you again." Nathyrra responded with a bow, signalling Chathi that this friendly drow was someone very important here. "The mad wizard Halaster has been freed and there is no way to the surface for the army of the Valsharess. At least, if they want to go through Undermountain."
The Seer nodded with a relieved smile. "This is good news, Nathyrra. You have done quite well and can be proud of it. Please, rest for a while, you most certainly earned it."
"Thank you, Seer." With another bow and a brief nod to Chathi Nathyrra left the room, leaving Chathi alone in this uncomfortable setting. And uncomfortable she felt, indeed. But then she felt something furry and warm touching her right hand, trying to get her attention. Looking for the source of it, Chathi almost cried out in surprise and delight. Next to her stood her faithful animal companion Fah, a strong leopard with well defined muscles. She had feared that the leopard had not been sent along with the spell, but dared to hope when she saw Nathyrra. This was all she could hope for and it made her a bit more certain for the things to come. And so she braced herself and turned back to the Seer.
"So Nathyrra decided to contact you, as it seems. And it also seems that she made the right decision, considering where you are right now. Please, let me introduce myself. I am called the Seer, priestess of Our Lady Eilistraee and leader of this small, but faithful band of rebels. You are amongst friends, I assure you." The Seer smiled her gentle smile again and Chathi felt that she relaxed. Maybe things were going up now, after all.
"I am very pleased to meet you and I sincerely apologize for threatening you with my weapons. Have I known that you are a priestess, it wouldn't have come to this." Chathi bowed deep and when she straightened again she avoided looking directly at the Seer. "My name is Chathi Fezim, I am a ranger who hails from Mulhorand. And this," she pointed at the leopard at her side, "is my companion Fah. If you need our service, please don't hesitate asking. My weapons are yours." Bowing again she lowered her gaze to the floor.
On her chin she felt a cool hand and when she looked back up, she saw the Seer, still smiling, lifting her head with a gentle push on her chin. "Don't be so formal. Whatever you were taught concerning priests doesn't matter in this situation. I am quite grateful that Halaster sent you down here, though his reasons are yet unknown to me. However, I intend to take your offer for granted, because there really is something we need your help with." The black elf pulled away her hand brushed a strand of her white hair from her face. "I guess Nathyrra told you about the Valsharess and her threat."
Chathi nodded, forcing herself to look at the Seer's face. "It seems this isn't just another surface raid. She aspires to something bigger and I imagine Waterdeep is just the beginning. But Halaster took care of this problem. The way through Waterdeep is blocked, though there are many other ways to get to the surface."
The Seer sighed heavily. "So you are familiar with the intentions of the drow and the occasional raids."
Again, Chathi nodded. "I've seen them a lot. Coming to the surface, slaying elves and retreating back to the Underdark. Although there aren't many elves where I live."
"You must understand that the followers of Eilistraee are different from them. All we want is peace and an escape from the teachings of Lolth. We left the surface and returned to the Underdark in order to stop the Valsharess. Once she expands to the surface of Toril there will be no peace for us, either. Our Lady Eilistraee bade us to stop her and thus we fight our battles. But we are small and we need help. Your help." The smile returned, but it was weak this time.
Burying her hands in the thick fur of Fah's neck, Chathi pondered a moment, before responding. "Whatever will be the cost, I am bound to the task of stopping the Valsharess. Halaster placed a geas on me and thus forcing me to defeat the Valsharess, once and for all. Until that is done, I cannot return to where I belong."
The dark elven priestess looked stricken at these words. The relief formerly shining from her red eyes was replaced by some kind of pity, or sadness. "I knew Halaster was mad but I've never imagined that he was capable of doing something like this." She shook her head slightly as to try to shake some unpleasant thoughts off of her. "But now your cause and ours are entwined and there is no turning back now. For neither of us. I am sad that that's the way it is and I would gladly take the geas away from you, but I fear I cannot, and I am quite sorry for that. It seems that the only way to break the geas is in defeating the Valsharess."
Again, Chathi nodded.
"It won't be an easy task." the Seer continued. "Though I do not know how she did it, the Valsharess has a powerful ally. An arch devil of the Nine Hells, you have to understand."
At these words, Chathi visible stiffened.
"Considering your heritage, this wouldn't be easy for you." The Seer mustered Chathi a long time, carefully pondering her next words.
As did Chathi. Her heritage. Unconsciously, she reached up with her right hand and traced her black, forked horn, marking her as what she was: a tiefling, a planetouched and a descendant from the Hells. Her mind whirled, thinking back to her childhood, to her human father telling her of her mother. An Erinyes, a striking beautiful, female devil, to whom her father fell in love with, oblivious of her true nature. And now, over twenty years later, Chathi might stumble over some difficulties because of that heritage.
"You're of devilish heritage, aren't you?" The Seer asked softly and Chathi nodded. "Maybe," the Seer continued, "we find a way that you don't have to deal with the arch devil himself. We must discover how he is bound to the Valsharess and whether we can use this knowledge for our cause. But," she took a step back from Chathi, rising to her full height, "there are even other beings allied to the Valsharess. Beings you might be able to deal with. Nathyrra will help you with this, I am sure. And I think I can send you another one to be of aid. Nathyrra's taking a rest, I assume, and I need to talk to someone. Maybe this is a good time for you to rest as well. You must be tired and in need for a bit of peace." The gentle smile returned and Chathi nodded.
"It will be much needed, I think." The tiefling looked at the Seer, locked the gaze of the Seer with hers. "Be that I will do everything I could. Your fight became mine as well."
The drow priestess nodded, obviously relieved. She waved for another drow, asking him to show Chathi a room she might rest in.
Chathi followed him gladly.
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The room she was assigned to was small and dark, but the mattress proved more comfortable than anything she had known in the past months. Or in all her life, Chathi thought. Besides the bed the only piece of furniture in the room was a dresser, crafted from bluish black stone, with beautiful patterns carved into its surface. A similar chest stood next to it on the floor. Light blue fairie fires danced on the walls, providing the only source of light in this chamber. It was a soft hue, nothing compared to the bright light of torches. However, it might be all the sensible eyes of the drow could bear. It didn't bother Chathi, who could see in the dark, just like the drow if only half as well. But it was enough.
She stretched on the mattress, thinking about the arch devil the Seer mentioned. There were nine Lords, she knew, one for each hell. But she didn't know all of them. Names came to her mind. Dispater, Lord of the Second, Belial and Fierna, the Lords of the Fourth, Baalezebul, Lord of the Seventh. And, of course, Asmodeus, the Lord of the Ninth, the archfiend and overlord of all of them.
Chathi shuddered. If the Valsharess was allied with Asmodeus, there was nothing she could do. He was the master of all the devils, even of half-breeds like Chathi. When it would come to her facing Asmodeus, all she could do would be obeying him. That wouldn't be much of a help for the Seer and the rebels. Not that she cared for the rebels, but there were certain things why she fought on their side.
First, of course, the geas. They had a common foe. She had to defeat the Valsharess and she might as well do it with the help of some rebels. Or she might help the rebels with the defeating. It didn't matter.
Another matter was her loyalty. The Seer was a priestess and most important thing Chathi ever learned in her life as a citizen of Mulhorand was to be loyal to the clergy. She respected priests and clerics, no matter which deity they serve. The only beings she respected more were dragons. But this was another thing. All that mattered right now was ending the threat the Valsharess posed. Then she could go back to her former life. And her former tasks.
A loud knock at the door tore her from her thoughts, emitting a low growl from Fah, who was curled up on the floor next to the bed. Chathi jumped to the door, crossing the small distance with two long strides, and opened it without a second thought.
On the other side of the door stood a huge man, his skin of a colour as pale as Chathi's, his hair a fierce red and his eyes of the clearest blue Chathi had ever seen. Not even the water of the Sea of Swords was this blue. She only looked briefly at his face, locking her stare at the two goat-like horns on his head. They weren't black like hers. His were of a range of brown town, ranging from lighter to very deep ones. This man was a tiefling, just like her. And it was the first tiefling she'd ever seen, besides herself.
"The Seer was right, I see now. There is another tiefling in our ranks. Not the best choice of powerful allies, I fear." His voice was deep and hostile, with a slight growl underneath.
"Excuse me?" Chathi replied after a second, searching frantically for the right words and the right language.
"Baatezu!" he spat, obviously disgusted.
For Chathi, it was all she needed to understand. This, too, was a tiefling, but it was another kind than her.
"You're part demon," she reasoned, though she still didn't understand the hostility towards her. "and you have a problem with my own heritage. Which I don't understand, mind you."
The other tiefling raised one of his fierce red eyebrows, his muscular arms crossing in front of his broad chest. He seemed surprised by her words. "Doesn't it bother you that I am demon? Because it surely bothers me what you are."
Chathi pondered for a moment. Was she bothered? Yes, she felt angry because he was being hostile without even knowing her. But his own heritage didn't matter to her. "No, I don't care," she finally replied, staring up at him with her angry red eyes, forcing herself not to budge because of his height and strength, "but it enrages me that you dare to judge me because I am baatezu and you are tanar'ri. We're all on the same side here!" Her voice rose at the last words, making the other tiefling retreat a step, looking even more surprised. Groping for the handle of the door she took a step backwards as well. With the words "Come back if you are ready to talk properly," she slammed the door shut, leaving her male and demonic counterpart standing on the other side.
With a loud sigh she let herself fall back on her mattress, burying her face into the soft pillow.
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Sleep came fast but dreams troubled her in her slumber. Small excerpts of the last day, the rescue of Halaster, the placing of the geas, the meeting with the Seer and the male tiefling. Nothing bad, but the worst dream came last, awakening her with a stifled scream. For long moments she stared into the darkness, lightened by the blue fairie fires. The pictures of her last dream haunted her for minutes, the huge figure of Asmodeus who visited her, demanding of her that she freed him. In a large, dark chamber he stood before her, twice as tall as she was, his dark red skin reflecting the soft lights dancing around him, his red eyes looking at her, drawing her to him. In her dream, she was quite intrigued, wishing she could join him in the Ninth Hell, being one of his loyal servants.
She shook her head violently. It was just a dream, nothing to worry about. Well, not until she discovered which arch devil the Valsharess sided with. If it wasn't Asmodeus, she might have a small chance. A very small chance, but a chance, at least.
Slowly, her eyes got accustomed to the darkness. Fah was still asleep and made no sound except the deep breaths she took. Her peace spread out to Chathi, letting her feel comfortable again.
Patting Fah's back she wondered what time it was. She didn't feel tired. So instead of getting back to sleep she decided to stay awake, spending the time with praying to her god Set. Something she neglected during the past days.
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"You've already met Valen, I presume."
Chathi nodded, throwing a grim look at the male tiefling who harassed her the previous day. At least she knew his name now. Valen Shadowbreath. A most fitting name, considering his behaviour at their first meeting.
The demonic tiefling stood at the Seer's side, his look as grim as Chathi's. He had donned heavy armour the colour of emerald, in a slope at the side of his belt a heavy flail had found it's place. His fierce red hair was tied to a pony tail at the back of his head, making his goat-like horns quite visible.
"I asked him that he accompanies you on your quest. There are few places he has knowledge of, but these few you must pay a visit. He will tell you of these places and helps you in every way he can, I assure you."
"But what of Nathyrra? Will she come, too?" Chathi asked.
The Seer shook her head. "She has her own duties to attend. There is much to do and less time. We need to prepare for the battle against the Valsharess and though I really need Valen here, I feel that you might need him even more."
To the Seer's side, Valen looked quite disappointed. Chathi shuddered. Dragging this angry tiefling with her was one thing, but she feared that the fact that he'll have to leave fuelled his anger only the more. Travelling in his company would be a hard time, indeed.
"I will do what you want me to, that I promise you. We will return safe and sound and with good news. Prepare for the battle and leave the rest to us. We will take care of it." Chathi bowed low and without another look at the Seer or Valen, she turned and left the temple of Lolth, where the Seer found refuge.
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"This is Lith My'athar, the home of House Mae'virr. It is the safest place we could find for the moment being. I guess here you will find everything you need. Merchants, a smith and two public houses. Don't expect to be treated nicely, however. With the followers of Eilistraee and the members of House Mae'virr suspense is building. The appearance of another tiefling won't be taken lightly, I think."
"I need some potions." She said without further ado, walking away from Valen and turning around the temple, heading for the merchants. It didn't take much time for her to find an alchemist and she bought some healing potions, placing them into the loops on her potion belt. "You need some as well?" she asked Valen without looking at him.
"I have my own, thank you." He replied dryly. Chathi paid and left, Valen close behind her. She led them straight to the end of the cavern Lith My'athar was built in, halting in front of a firm natural wall, where no one else besides them was to be seen. There she leant against the wall, looking at Valen without putting any emotions into her eyes.
"We need to
talk." She announced, shrugging of her backpack and placing it between
her feet. Her leopard companion gave a short growl and lay down on the
ground.
Valen crossed his arms in front of her, his look firm but questioning. "What's the matter, devil?"
Chathi sighed. This quest wouldn't be an easy one. "I have a name. It is Chathi and I would like you to call me that. I hate it when you call me devil all the time." Her speech was slow and deliberate. She rarely spoke to others on her travels outside Mulhorand and though she left her home almost three years ago she still haven't mastered the Common tongue. Valen was perfect at it and her slow way of speaking let her look rather unintelligent. "You do not speak Infernal, do you?" She asked without hope.
"Of course not."
Chathi nodded. Of course. At least he will be superior in this matter, for the moment. Fine. But maybe it gave her time to practise her Common some more. "The Seer mentioned you know of some places we might need to visit. Please, tell me everything you know."
Valen glared at her, but didn't comply. "There are many islands in this area. Two in particular might be of interest to us. The first because some mysterious city appeared there some time ago, almost over night. Nobody heard about this before and it might be worth further investigating it. The second island is the home of an ancient Duergar sorcerer called the Maker. He spent all his life creating golems and although no one heard of him in quite a time there is a small possibility that we will find aid over there. Either golems themselves or even the sorcerer willing to help us. However, I do not hope that the Valsharess's forces thought the same."
Chathi listened to his words, pondering them. A town appearing over night on an island? She certainly never heard of something like this. And an ancient Duergar sorcerer creating golems all his life? She sincerely hoped that this sorcerer wasn't alive anymore. "How will we reach these islands?"
Valen smiled vaguely at her. "There is a small harbour in Lith My'athar. Though there is only one boat and one boatman. And this one is quite… strange, to say the least. His name is Cavallas. Even I get the chills in his presence. But it seems he is the only one capable of travelling the river."
An eyebrow raised, Chathi looked at him. "Why is that so? What's wrong with that river?"
"It is poisonous. And the key to the defences of Lith My'athar. No one can cross the river, except Cavallas and his boat."
Chathi's mouth went open but Valen interrupted her. "Don't ask me why. I don't know and I'm fairly sure that nobody else might know, besides Cavallas herself."
At this, Chathi merely nodded and took her pack up. "Then let us go at once, I wouldn't waste any more time."
With an approving nod, Valen followed her to the harbour and the mysterious boatman.
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Valen was right. Cavallas was indeed very strange. A tall, black figure he was, nothing else. If he was even male. Chathi couldn't figure. His black hood was pulled into his face and one might try as hard as one could, there was no way to catch a glimpse of his face. Chathi felt quite unnerved in his presence.
"You're Cavallas, right?" She asked, her voice flat.
The figure nodded. "I knew you would come." His voice was croaky and a little bit metallic. Chathi and Valen both shuddered slightly.
Ignoring his statement, Chathi pressed further. She really wasn't interested in his intentions or why he knew of her arrival. Getting away from this unnerving creature was everything she wanted. "You can take me to these islands, I know."
He gave a nod and again spoke in his croaky voice. "Do you need more information on these islands?"
The woman firmly shook her head. "Just take me to these islands. As quick as you can."
Maybe she erred, but Chathi thought she heard Cavallas chuckle under his hood. Fah pressed her torso against her left leg, reassuring her. "I wish you to take us to the Island of the maker."
"As you wish." Cavallas croaked, motioning for them to get on board. Hesitating at first, Chathi followed Valen who made the first move, Fah close behind.
The Seer was right. There was no turning back now.