Of Darkness Born Respa's Tale
"I was free of her at last, but not from the pain she caused me. For so long, I could not follow, I wandered the darkness of this new place, this underdark. Father was born here, in a city called Menzoberranzan, such a strange word, so strange it hurts my tongue just to speak it. He needs to be told about mother. And I need him.
But as I see this place I begin to wonder, are the dark elves as rough as the place they populate?"
---Ravnos
For the love of a tiefling there was always strife, a pain given when a forced goodbye turns cruel. If it would not have been such she could have seen her life with the big warrior, sure the worlds would look down upon them but they could have left to a place unknown. A place where they would never have been found. And they could have very left all behind and started anew, just the three of them. Oh how this thought brings a warmth to her erratic beating heart, a warmth she may never feel again.
He was cruel for what he did to her, scarring her with such malicious intent even as she refused to leave him, and take the child with her but he did not understand her need for him. Why? Why did he choose to ignore her?
And why did he push her and the child away so easily?
Small hands gripped a rocky wall surface as the small formed woman stumbled in the darkness of the tunnel, Respa was sure this way was the right way but she wasn't so glad to be back to this place in all it's hate and glory. Soon she stepped down a set of stairs that decended deep down into a cavernous opening, a grand space hidden well within the confines of the underdark, for the first time in so long Respa's sad eyes looked upon her place of birth. The Drow city of Menzoberranzan.
It was how she had remembered it, the streets busy with folks of all types though most bore the onyx skin and silver hair of her people. Buildings built of stone and encumbered into the rock of the cavern littered the sides of the streets and streetlamps of ethereal flame lit the darkened air around them. For Respa this homecoming was nothing short of bitter, carefully trudging her way down the street the young drow woman pushed by those in the bazzaar down another long winding road until her path came to an end at a rather large ornate gate of blackened pearl. Great effigies of spiders adorned the posts like gargoyles and she remembered looking upon these great monoliths as a child, but they seemed so much more ominous back then.
Slowly her hand tapped the gate, finally retrieving one of the guards from his lazyness to come to greet her. Always her mother took on the most lazy of males, and it seemed even after so long had passed she was one with the same.
The soldier, a rather wiry fellow with cropped silver hair and a rugged face glared as he stepped before her, a spear before him in a rather threatening manner as if he would use it on her should she anger him. Respa mocked him, if only he knew who it was he was challenging.
"Open the gate male, I have returned home to see how well my mother fares in her position."
"Your mother." the guard scoffed hefting the spear in his other outstretched hand, "do you presume to think me foolish enough to fall for that one? Matron Zriss'Vanra has only one daughter."
"Ahh yes, my sister still lives, tell me how fares the priestess on her studies?" Respa asked not quite certain how old her sister would be at the moment, or even if the girl had in a rather spiteful turn of events claimed the House for her own. But by the soldier's answer she knew her sister had not become so bold just yet.
"She has become head priestess of House Urzz'Ran, if that should matter to a stranger off the street. If you are a vagabond wishing a small shilling for charity then I assure you, we hold nothing of interest to you."
Respa sneered reaching into her cloak to pull away a small insignia from her satchel, holding it before him the drow hissed, "I am no mere vagabond male, nor am I here for charity. Matron Zriss is my mother and Genev'ra is my sister, you see this insignia? Do you not recognize what it means? My standing in this house was a powerful one until my capture, don't make me force you to serve the rothe in the sewers."
He said nothing more and the gate opened. When Respa was inside the guard ordered her an escort to prove his trust was thin but she didn't mind, now she was home where she belonged. The house remained as she had remembered it so, with walls of polished stone and large statues made in the face of Lolth lining the main entrance, two large doors were opened and without having to be led Respa stepped into the grand entrance hall, stopping to look at the familiar staircases and the large purple rug that rested upon the floor. No extravagant comforts were ever left behind in her mother's shadow, Matron Zriss always made sure to own the best.
Respa stood and waited in silence until finally a woman entered the room, a woman adorned in a rather intricate dress that rested gently about her hips. Crimson in color the dress did well to bring out her voluptuos form, and did very little to cover her rather revealing chest but Respa knew that was to her mother's liking. Matron Zriss always held the best in mating partners, and never held back her urge to gather male playthings. The woman taller in stature then the other females taking a stand beside her at the moment sat down upon a gem encrusted stone throne, a few of her handmaidens whispered amongst themselves their eyes glancing rather rudely at Respa as they spoke and she in turn glanced back at them sharply.
The woman sitting upon the throne looked down upon the young elf who stood waiting for her to respond, Zriss eyed the woman suspiciously for a few moments. Noting immediately how the young drow was dressed, her clothes worn and her long silver hair was messed not at all presentable for a daughter of matron Zriss of House Urzz'Ran.
"You're looking worn." the matron noted sharply her finger tapping against the arm of the throne.'
"Yes, well I haven't been in the most regal of places Matron."
Respa's reply was rather snide but Zriss kept it all in stride striking a rather monotone composure as she looked her daughter over, "Your position was considered deceased Respa'vin, so you must understand that we are rather shocked to see you standing here before us again. So my daughter, where have you been hiding all this time?"
Respa turned a rather cross sneer although she wasn't afraid to take a step forward, "After my capture mother, I would not have been surprised to find my death at the hands of those demons who you were so intent to form an alliance with. It seems their master was not fond of the lady of the webs, and he used me and my enterage as tokens to show his spite." Respa bore the scars but did not reveal them instead she continued, "The demons they were overrun by a legion of Baatezu."
Zriss leaned forward rather intrigued about this, the matron had heard much of the Blood Wars but for one of their own to experience such a grand conflict first hand, the matron may have to talk to her daughter more about this. From another room came her other daughter, the high priestess of the house Genev'ra.
Respa stopped noting her older sister but with the Matron's urging the young woman continued her story.
"They killed my comrades as I watched, but just as the devil's axe was to rend my head from my shoulders their general stopped me."
"your in league with those fiends?" Genev'ra gasped rudely causing the Matron to cast the high priestess an angry glare. Rising to stand the matron motioned for Respa to come closer, for some time she took note that the young drow seemed to be carrying something in her arms. Curiosity got the better of the matron. Respa in turn was hesitent but with a nod walked to her mother until she was standing right before the tall matron, both looked at one another for a few moments before the matron lifted a finger pushing back the tattered cloak. A gasp filled the room as Genev'ra stepped forward and the Matron sneered, tiny fingers tipped with claws reached out to grab the elder drow's finger and Zriss looked to her daughter in shock.
A baby?
No drow could have sired this child for it had the scent of brimstone about it, there was a dark cunning behind those green eyes and it's small head was littered with fuzzy bits of red hair. "Respa, you will come with me to the temple!" Zriss hissed turning to whisper words to her other daughter before she motioned some guards to Respa's side, the young drow would have no choice.
From the darkness hiding behind one of the tall columns that lined the grand entrance hall he watched their confrontation with interest, a drow coming back alive from the pits of the lower planes intrigued him enough for he too had escaped such a fate. But this, no this was different. The daughter of the house had in fact escaped the lower planes with a child. A baby with green eyes and red hair sired by one of the lower planes.
It couldn't be could it?
The cloaked figure stepped back into the shadows, he would await them in the temple.
Her thoughts churned as the young drow followed the steps of her mother and her elder sister, within her arms the baby wriggled uncomfortably as if she too knew how much danger she was being placed in but her mother was there to protect her.
Sometimes life in the cycle of a drow holds no mercy.
As she stepped into the temple taking a place before a rather intricate table that rested in front of a large statue Respa felt her stomach turn as she looked down into the eyes of the tiefling child, her father the red haired tiefling he would have fought to the death to protect the life of this precious child.
"Bring her to the table Respa." the matron commanded harshly. Respa looked up, defiance in her eyes and was just about to speak out against the matron mother when suddenly at her side stood another, cloaked in the robes of house Urzz'ran he did not glance her a look but instead kept his head down.
"Prepare yourself." he said to her in a whisper only she could hear. When she passed him a glance she saw the dark skin of a drow but the eye that peeked to her from beneath the cover of the hood was not the crimson she was expecting, but an odd mixture of brown and green, and a glint of kindness.
A lock of wayward silver hair fell from his hood as the stranger winked looked down to the baby before his face turned ahead. The matron waited rather impatiently as Respa took a few steps forward but was reluctant to place the baby onto the table.
"Respa, the child is not of our kind, and if you wish to survive this, place the wretched creature upon the altar, Lolth would find pleasure in the death of this fiendish creation."
"The child has a name." Respa hissed pulling the baby away from the matron's grasp, "And she is born of regal blood, even if it is not entirely of our brethren."
Zriss would not take such insolence from any of her get, signaling her soldiers the matron sneered, "Then you will die as the child dies."
The two guards moved to hold Respa when another took hold of the baby. Chaos contained Zriss sighed glaring once more at her daughter just for spite before she looked over and uttered the guard that held the baby forward but he shook his head instead.
"What is wrong with this house?" the matron hissed when the guard pulled back his hood revealing a rather toned face. "Your house, honored matron is about to crumble around you." he informed and when one of her soldiers stepped up to him the green eyed drow took no time in making him fall to the floor in convulsions just by the slight twist of his wrist. Another came and the male shoved him back hard with a bolt of greenish energy before turning to Respa. He grabbed the shocked drow's arm and gave her a rather out of the blue grin, "Bear with me." he told her as black smoke swarmed about them and to the Matron's shock the three of them disappeared from the temple.
In a darkened alleyway right in the heart of the local bazzaar Respa opened her eyes and instantly went for the drow that held her child, "Who are you?" she demanded as he looked back to her.
They appeared in an alley not far from House Urzz'ran. He the stranger did not answer her at first, peeking around the corner the drow made sure that none of the house soldiers had gone in search of them just yet, when it was safe he held the child out for her to take before he spoke a word.
"I am called Heredon." he answered her question just so simply leaving Respa to give him a cross look. For some reason she had heard the name, and had seen his face before but now was certainly not the time for such questions. She leaned against the wall of a building as the baby whimpered, "So Heredon, why did you risk the wrath of a powerful house for the sake of a lost drow and her fiend child? It doesn't seem to fit."
"Who says house Urzz'ran is powerful." he retorted giving a devious look. Respa looked back curiously, "They hold a high position in this city, and they will not stop hunting us. You should know this as well as I?"
"A high position you say?" he spoke pointing a finger into the street, "Looks like that position is about to be taken."
Respa gasped and looked out, in the street there was a ruckous as an army marched forth, bearing banners of a lesser house the soldiers were adorned in mithril armor and carried weapons of all designs. Soon the line was full of well bred lizard mounts and creatures also bred to battle for their house only.
Their destination, House Urzz'ran.
"But mother was adored by the goddess?"
"She bore a daughter that bred with a devil, do you think Lolth would think highly of her after such an atrosity? Your child still lives, therefore the sacrifice was not given. And the goddess will not see mercy done this night."
Respa gave him a nod before she took the hungry child and pressed her against her breast. Heredon sighed as the sound of battle began, just a few feet from where they stood there was death. And yet here a life so innocent had a chance to begin. "What's her name?" he asked Respa.
"Zha'lith." the proud mother answered.
Heredon smiled quickly before turning his eyes away, "We must leave this place."
"We?"
"Yes?" Heredon muttered, "After all I have reason to believe that the child is part of my making."
Respa felt a sudden rise in her heart, "why would you say that?"
"Was it a tiefling that sired the child, a rather large male with long crimson hair and glowing eyes?"
She nodded.
Heredon felt relief, and some sorrow when he thought back to those he had to leave behind. Yet here there was proof that they still lived and were well and Respa could not believe that here she was standing before the father of her baby's sire.