Heroes
25
The shadows of The Masked Lord must cast off the tyranny of The Spider Queen and forcibly reclaim their birthright and rightful place in The Night Above. The existing Drow matriarchies must be smashed, and the warring ways of twisted Lolth done away with so that the Drow are welded into a unified people, not a squabbling gaggle of houses, clans and aims. Vhaeraun will lead his followers into a society where the ilythiiri once again reign supreme over the other, lesser races, and there is equality between males and females. Clergy of Vhaeraun must encourage, aid or lead bands of Drow and allied creatures in acts of thievery and instigate plots, intrigues and events to continually advance Drow influence and power in the Night Above. They must manipulate trade, creatures and intrigues designed to lessen the power of and frustrate the plots of rival Drow clergy (especially clergy of Lolth), and continually foment rebellion or disobedience among Drow males. Drow thieves in need must be aided, (Even if female), healed, freed from jail or forcibly rescued. Drow men oppressed or under attack by Drow women must be physically aided in any circumstances. Cruelties against Drow men must be avenged.
The Creed of Vhaeraun.
Once again Uru Drowbiter's steps led him to The Promenade, even as he cursed his weakness. The priestess from the day before was there, in what appeared to be some sort of garden of brightly colored, phosphorescent fungi. She looked up at him as he approached,
"Hello, Uru Drowbiter." She said cheerfully, "That man you brought here, he's doing well, and he is very grateful to you and your Haszak friend."
Uru didn't even try to deny concern, he merely crouched wearily beside her, "I find that hard to believe. I imagine life as a Drider would drive any man mad."
The priestess looked down at a silvery mushroom, "Yes, that is understandable, but The Dark Lady was able to cure his mind. Still, he's having trouble adapting to life after such a long period of suffering. We learned his name, Orgoll'roos Barri'Mtor. At least, he thinks that's his name, he is understandably confused."
"Feared Child of The Abyss?" Uru grinned, "I like it..."
"What does Uru mean?"
Uru stroked the stiff hairs on his chin, "Swift. Our language is based on Drow, but it's been broken down and changed over the centuries, ual 'speed' became uru 'swift'."
The priestess gave a heavy sigh,"My people wronged yours greatly, when your ancestors escaped Ched Nasad they had been enslaved for so long that the only culture they knew was Drow, everything they had been before was gone."
Uru wondered how much she knew about the Chitine, if she knew about the difficulties in birthing and high infant mortality, the slavery to Lolth and superstitious and very real fears of the Drow. "What were we, before?"
The priestess shook her head sadly, "That was before my time, some say you were humans, others say you were dwarves or gnomes."
Uru shrugged, "I guess it doesn't matter anymore, does it?"
...
Being situated directly beneath the bustling trade city of Waterdeep, Skullport was a dark reflection of it's counterpart. Here peoples of many races came together to trade or to set out on 'adventures.' Rich human nobles sometimes came to Skullport seeking excitement, and, if they survived to tell about it, told tales of infamy to their wealthy friends, fueling the city's thriving Thieve's Guilds. Adventurers purchased supplies and armaments to aid them in their quests for glory, though one had to be careful, many were not above selling swords that would break on first strike against steel.
Ilix'Ith had never understood most adventurers, he could understand the scholars, the academics who braved the dangers of unknown realms for the sake of knowledge. He had fed off a number of such beings, and he held them in high regard. That was no contradiction in his mind, to an Illithid, (outside of the Abysmal Creed), a thrall was appreciated for his or her sacrifice. Like him, they were Apostles of Knowledge, and it was a pity that they had to die, but that was the way of the universe. Their deaths strengthened him and his people, gave them access to wisdom they would not otherwise have been able to attain outside of an Inquisition.
Many more came hoping to find treasure hoarded by various creatures of the Underdark. What would be robbery and murder among humans was heroism if committed against dragons or similar 'monsters'. Others lusted for adventure itself, the thrill of putting one's life in the hands of fate or whatever gods they favored. Fools who wanted to test their blades against those of the Drow, or other, similarly fearsome beings. They hoped to return home with tales of courage and carnage.
Most did not return at all.
Fools.
Illithids rarely formed an Inquisition, and they had little use for dragon's hoards except to purchase new thralls in cities such as Menzoberranzan. They were not fool enough to provoke the Drow or other powers without cause, (Or the certainty of success), and even then they would use thralls to fight. No sane Illithid craved danger or tempted fate or the gods, which was why Ilix'Ith was considered insane, one of the reasons, anyway. In just the past day he had stolen a Drider from the very temple of Lolth herself and slain a follower of Vhaeraun. While The Masked Lord was but a minor power, Lolth was one of the most powerful deities, not just in the Underdark, but in any pantheon he knew of. His heart beat faster when he thought of it.
Excitement?
Was this what the adventurers sought?
He turned to look at several approaching Drow. Masks. Servants of Vhaeraun, looking for vengeance. His heart beat faster. He called out in a friendly tone, "The Masked Lord calls for retribution against those who harm Drow males, does he not?" The Drow at the front of the group pulled a dagger and smiled, "Yes, he does, Haszak." This was unusually open behavior for such secretive zealots, but the mage had been an important member of their church, and the Illithid was an ally of Uru Drowbiter, who had slain so many of their number. He directed a Mind Blast at the group, he was full, and it was pointless to kill without need. The masked Drow smiled again, not a man even swooned. Another mage, then, and a powerful one.
This was becoming complicated.
He had a short dagger, but combat was not his strong suit, especially against treacherous Vhaeraunites. Though he wore snug leather armor rather than the heavy, ornate robes of most of his kin, it gave him greater freedom of movement. It did him little good, however, as he had no physical combat skills, compared to the smooth, elegant movements of the Drow. His heart beat faster, his white eyes narrowed in concentration. There was no time to prepare a spell... The Body Tamers had been right, mental power was not always enough. He pulled his dagger and assumed something like a combat stance. The Drow laughed almost in unison.
Uru laughed with them, a tired, humorless laugh, "Having a party without me, old friend?"
"Want me to crush 'em?" Gristle emerged from the shadows, cracking his massive knuckles, and Rizzen held a short sword. He had said that he was a poor swordsman, but the enemy didn't know that.
"No, there is no need for anyone else to die." Ilix'Ith said, it was so wasteful, all this killing.
The Vhaeraunites, still suffering from two battles with the legendary Drowbiter, decided not to push the issue. "Perhaps, another time. But remember, all of you, everyone has a shadow." He turned to leave.
"Not everyone, vampires and certain other undead cast no shadows..."
"That's not what he meant, Ilix'Ith."
The Drow snorted in a sort of bitter amusement, then they vanished into the darkness.
Ilix'Ith noticed that Uru seemed... Different. Tired, listless, unusually solemn.
They would have to talk about it, later.
As they stepped through the portal into the old temple, a delegation of Drow was waiting to meet them, weapons at the ready...
To be continued...
Notes:
No, Uru is not going to become one of The Chosen of Eilistraee, he simply has frequent dealings with them, because he knows he can trust them.
An Inquisition is a party of Illithid 'adventurers' sent out to perform some great duty, such as recovering powerful artifacts, seeking some new knowledge, or slaying a threat to their community, such as an alhoon. It's a very rare occurrence, giving their general desire to avoid danger.
The Abysmal Creed believes in rule by terror and that Illithids can best manage thralls through fear. It's easier to conquer a city that's petrified with fear and has given up hope than one that believes it's facing a 'soft' foe.
The Body Tamers Creed believe that Illithids must work on their fighting skills and build up their bodies, rather than rely on psionics. They are the warrior creed among Illithids.
The Dark Lady- Qilue Veladorn, a human-born Drow, Chosen of Mystra, goddess of Magic, and High Priestess of Eilistraee. I assume she was a Divine Proxy. In canon, Qilue was possessed by Eilistraee, and then decapitated by Halisstra Melarn, who thought she was Lolth in disguise, killing Eilistraee and whatever, if anything, was left of Qilue. Not to be confused with The Dark Maiden, Eilistraee herself.
Orgoll'roos Barri'Mtor- Feared Child of the Abyss
Ual is listed as meaning 'Speed' on the Drow Name Generator, 'Swift' is Sarnor, but, as Chitine is degraded Drow, it doesn't really matter, I suppose.
Why does Ilix'Ith act so emotional and behave so differently from other illithids? Because he's stark raving mad. Seriously, by Illithid standards, he's totally insane. Dealing with other races as equals, allowing himself to be controlled by his emotions... It is the polar opposite of the Mind Flayer's view the universe.
Why did the Mind Blast not affect the Vhaeraunites? Because that's how I wrote it. Vhaeraun is tricky and mysterious, and who knows what his followers are capable of.
Why did Ilix'Ith not use Clerical Magic to attack them? Because he knew reinforcements were close, and he was stalling for time. He doesn't like to kill if he doesn't have to. He's not a monster, he kills for food, he kills to protect himself and his friends, but violence of any kind is a last resort for him.