Once again Nidraitza turned towards the temple, she took a deep breath to
steady herself, and entered. The great temple was dimly lit, with dark
purple flames, which seemed to hang in the air. She confidently continued
on, passing a large donation pit, in where a couple of goblin slaves where
slowly starving to death, as spiders fed of their decaying bodies, as they
lied on the ground shaking out of famine and pain.
She continued, passing the donation pit, and several other rooms, until she reached the temple's inner sanctum, a large, dark room. The room was completely dark, unlike the rest of the temple. It took Nidraitza a couple of seconds to adjust her vision towards the infrared spectrum. In the middle of the room was a hole, perhaps 4 feet in diameter. At the northern wall stood a large, altar made out of pure adamantite. A lone silhouette was kneeling in front of the altar, quietly praying.
As Nidratitza entered the room the silhouette rose, and slowly turned around. Judging by the female drow's robes the drow was a high priestess, but not the highest ranking. She nodded slightly towards Nidraitza and took a step away from the altar.
"We have been waiting for you" she spoke. "Are you ready for what is to come?"
"Yes, I am." Nidraitza answered with a voice filled with confidence.
"The let it begin!" The high priestess stated.
Several other high priestesses entered the room behind Nidraitza and they all took their place in front of the altar. All the matron mothers from the highest-ranking houses had entered, all except the matron mother from the first house.
Suddenly everything exploded, from the hole in the ground shot a dark red pillar of fire. The intensity of the light shocked Nidraitza who fell to the floor, clutching her face as her eyes still burned with agony. Slowly the pain faded and Nidraitza slowly opened her eyes, the pillar still burned strong, but now she had time to adjust her eyes. Slowly she got to her feet, still trembling from the initial shock of lightning.
The matron mother of the first house had arrived during the time when Nidraitza had been stunned. She was dressed in a thin, black robe, emblazoned "spider silk." She calmly regarded Nidraitza while she was sharpening a black, slightly curved dagger, with a spider shaped handle. Her eyes locked with Nidraitza's and she spoke "Come child, it is time."
Like a snake shedding skin, Nidraitza rolled her shoulders and her thick robe slid of her torso and fell to the stone floor with a soft thud. Naked she walked up to the altar, where she was instructed to lay down. Two drow priestesses shackled her wrists and legs while the matron mother walked up besides her.
She slowly lifted the dagger, raised it high above her head, both her hands firmly clasped around the handle. Then she swung it downwards in a wide arc.
Nidraitza's eyes blackened and then came pain.
Excruciating pain beyond comprehension.
She continued, passing the donation pit, and several other rooms, until she reached the temple's inner sanctum, a large, dark room. The room was completely dark, unlike the rest of the temple. It took Nidraitza a couple of seconds to adjust her vision towards the infrared spectrum. In the middle of the room was a hole, perhaps 4 feet in diameter. At the northern wall stood a large, altar made out of pure adamantite. A lone silhouette was kneeling in front of the altar, quietly praying.
As Nidratitza entered the room the silhouette rose, and slowly turned around. Judging by the female drow's robes the drow was a high priestess, but not the highest ranking. She nodded slightly towards Nidraitza and took a step away from the altar.
"We have been waiting for you" she spoke. "Are you ready for what is to come?"
"Yes, I am." Nidraitza answered with a voice filled with confidence.
"The let it begin!" The high priestess stated.
Several other high priestesses entered the room behind Nidraitza and they all took their place in front of the altar. All the matron mothers from the highest-ranking houses had entered, all except the matron mother from the first house.
Suddenly everything exploded, from the hole in the ground shot a dark red pillar of fire. The intensity of the light shocked Nidraitza who fell to the floor, clutching her face as her eyes still burned with agony. Slowly the pain faded and Nidraitza slowly opened her eyes, the pillar still burned strong, but now she had time to adjust her eyes. Slowly she got to her feet, still trembling from the initial shock of lightning.
The matron mother of the first house had arrived during the time when Nidraitza had been stunned. She was dressed in a thin, black robe, emblazoned "spider silk." She calmly regarded Nidraitza while she was sharpening a black, slightly curved dagger, with a spider shaped handle. Her eyes locked with Nidraitza's and she spoke "Come child, it is time."
Like a snake shedding skin, Nidraitza rolled her shoulders and her thick robe slid of her torso and fell to the stone floor with a soft thud. Naked she walked up to the altar, where she was instructed to lay down. Two drow priestesses shackled her wrists and legs while the matron mother walked up besides her.
She slowly lifted the dagger, raised it high above her head, both her hands firmly clasped around the handle. Then she swung it downwards in a wide arc.
Nidraitza's eyes blackened and then came pain.
Excruciating pain beyond comprehension.