Disclaimer: I claim the Qed'Vursys family, espeically Minalylrisse, as my own characters, though I do not own Wizards of the Coast, the drow race, the forgotten realms, etc. etc. etc.
My thanks to RA Salvatore for making this chapter possible.
Oh - 'jalil' is the drow word for female.
And thank you to all who are reading!
Chapter Three.
Accession
Valvyll Qed'Vursys followed his younger sister, Vrae'Jysala, through the winding halls of House Qed'Vursys, heading for the chapel. Today was an important day for House Qed'Vursys, the day one of the younger females - Valvyll forgot her name - became an adult.
Valvyll cared little for this, only wanting to be done with it. The Master of Sorcere despised the female clerics, hating the fact that he, a wizard of great power who might one day rival Gromph Baenre, must bow and scrape before this new girl-child who could not master the simplist of clerical spells, simply because he was a male. He hated the fact that he must remain two steps behind Vrae'Jysala, whom he had seen born from the pedestel of power and adulthood. Most of all, he despised his sister, Shricice, damn her bones.
Shricice was in fact Valvyll's twin, though Valvyll had been the later born. Valvyll had witnessed his sister's rise to power, greater power than he, a mere male, could ever know, while he himself halted upon the spiderweb of accession and stared hungrily upward.
Oh so hungrily.
The male came out of his thoughts just in time to halt his foot from squashing a spider who had seen fit to scurry into his path. Arrogant little midget. Valvyll wanted nothing more than to slam his foot down, annihilating the thing. Only the thought of what the heartless Vrae'Jysala would do to him if she happened to witness that act of sacrilage halted his foot. Grinding his teeth, he halted in his steps and let the creature pass.
Vrae'Jysala, now a few steps in front of him, had witnessed the whole thing through the corner of her eye, and smirked to herself as she saw an oppertunity present itself in the male's lack of ability to keep up with her, an oppertunity too good to pass up.
Half-turning, she called in condescending tones, "Do keep up with me, you slow male, and if you can't complete that simple act, you can at least try, instead of standing there idle. Do hurry up! We will be late, and I doubt Matron Phyrbreena will be please when she learns that it was your fault that stayed us."
Valvyll clenched his teeth together, entertaining himself with the satisfying vision of a collision between theproud female and one of his fireballs as he resumed walking.
Vrae'Jysala smirked again, knowing that the irate and frusterated male could not see her. She so enjoyed putting too-arrogant males in their place, and Valvyll deserved it so!
The pair reached the double doors of the chapel's entrence without further incidence, and Vrae'Jysala shoved open the doors before the two female guards could open them, nearly slamming into Valvyll in the meanwhile. Deftly sliding past, the male joined the female.
The chapel was made entirely of black marble, obsidian, and jet. With a high, high ceiling, many collums - all hiding idols and icons of the Spider Queen - the ntire place seemed lost in shadow. Purple and red light, issuing from the lamps that Valvyll's sisters and cousin held, cast the whole place into deeper shadow, playing across the dark elves' features and obscurring movements. Valvyll could not help but feel uneasy.
Seated on a throne of jet on the central dais, in front of a beautiful, jeweled idol of the Mother of Lusts, was Matron Phyrbreena Qed'Vursys. Tall for a dark elf - more close to six feet than five - the Matron was stunningly beautiful. Long, lustrous white hair fell to her wrists, her skin was therich color of blackest satin, her eyes, showing clearly in the light of the Spider Queen's lamps, were a stark red the color and texture of rubies, her entire figure slender and lithe and regal. Dressed in simple but elegent black robes, with silver spiders gleaming on her ears, the Matron was undeniably beautiful and youthful, her belly swollen in the last months of pregnancy. The current patron stood behind her throne, all but his eyes invisible.
At her right was Shricice, at her left, Arduldriira, each bearing a Lamp: Shricice's glowing gentle purple that tinted her cold red eyes, Arduldriira's a vivid red that warmed her own amber ones. Both looked like minature copies of Phyrbreena, shorted of hairand dressed more elaborately, prehaps.
Next to Shricice, grey eyes showing clearly in her red lamp, Greyayne stood, her expression slightly sulky but undeniablyalluring. Next to Arduldriira stood LiNeerithra, red eyes shiningin her purple lamp.A servant handed Vrae'Jysala apurple lamp, and she took her place next to Greyayne, maroon eyes gleaming wickedly. Jhaelriina, shoulders slightly hunched, held a red lamp as she stood beside LiNeerithra, her own red eyes darting wariy from face to dark face.
"Matron Mother Phyrbreena," Vrae'Jysala began in her most revent voice, speaking from her place in line. "I present to you Valvyll, as requested."
Valvyll, bowing,took his place beside his younger brother, Nalrysin, facing the back of the idol. Farther up, between the face of the idol and the face of the Matron, stood a young girl, wearing nothing but a black cloth dress that wrapped around her top and fell in two wide ribbons to her ankles. In the red-and-purple light spectrem, the girl hair - no less lustrous or thick than that of her sisters' - should clearly as a vivid, fiery red as it cascaded halfway down her back. Large amber eyes darted beneath long, crimson lashes as the child looked from face to face.
"We are all present, then." Matron Phyrbreena's silvern voice rang out, tempered by mystery. With a nod, shemotioned to Shricice, who produced a piwafwi embrodiered with the insignia of House Qed'Vursys and walked up to the child. "For sixteen years, Minalylrisse Qed'Vursys, of Qalharen'd'lil Varval'sharess, you have breathed the air of Menzoberranzan.In the eyes of Lolth, you have passed out of your childhood. Thus,before the eyes of Lolth, I do name you an adult, and afull noble of House Qed'Vursys, Qalharen'd'lil Varval'sharess. Wun lil sol d'Lolth, Usstan xun kaas dos nau verve natha dalhar jhal aln waelin jalil. Kla'ath Lolth al." Chanting, the drow female draped the piwafwi around the child's-the adult's-small shoulders, clasping it at her neck.
"Now for the female's future." Arduldriira announced.
"She is a female, and a noble. By the Ilstar d'Lolth, the Laws of Lolth, she will be sent to Arach-Tinilith on the onset of her fortieth birthday. Until then, the female's place will be first to learn the basics of Lolth from her elder sisters-" here the Matron nodded to her daughters,"-for ten years, and to learn the basics of swordmanship from Nalrysin for five years, and the basics of wizardry from Valvyll for five years, so that she may be no stranger to the goddess or blade or amber rod upon her steps into Tier-Breche. After that, she is to spend the remaining four years again with her sisters, learning her place within the ranks of Lolth, what is expected of her in Tier-Breche, and her place in Menzoberranzan."
Arduldriira, LiNeerithra, and Vrae'Jysala nodded. Greyayne remained her usual sulking silence, Jhaelriina awkwardly looked at the child, but Shricice scrutinized her with a keen eye. Valvyll and Nalrysin both studied the young female who was to be their student, Valvyll in the disgust that he would have to devote five years of his time to teaching the girl his sacred Art, Nalrysin in study of her balance and poise.
Minalylrisse, allowed for the first time to look upon the drow that were her kin, thought about it. A drow noble! Inwardly she smiled. But she did not like what she new the coming years held for her. A student of Valvyll, the frightning cold-eyed wizard? Secretly she feared him. And she too feared Shricice, the cold-eyed female, and even shifted her weight from one foot to another beneath her stern gaze.
"This gathering draws to its finish." Matron Phyrbreena clapped her hands together sharply, making all jump. "Jhaelriina, take the young female away." the Matron Mother's stern eyes fell to Minalylrisse. "You do not yet know what is expected of you, little flame-haired child of mine. But you will learn. And I expect you to learn quickly. And when you do learn what is expected of you, I expect you to exceed those expectations." with a wave, the Matron Mother gestured to the doors.
The two females entered the room - one of Vrae'Jysala's quateres - and stood.
"This is where I stay?" Minalylrisse asked, taking in account the dark room, though to both of the drow's eyes it appeared a mirad of colors. Minalylrisse stared around, taking in the sights.
"Your home, yes, for the next ten years." Vrae'Jysala remarked, eyeing the child.
"What am I to learn?" Minalylrisse asked curiously, staring around the room.
"In your first year of Arach-Tinilith, you will learn dogma, ritual, divine magic, the arts of torture, sacrifice, among others. Some topics - such as dogma, ritual, divine magic, et cetera, you will be expected to know a little of. Others will be solely new to you as a novice. These next ten years will be spent learning these. Any questions? I see not. Then take your seat, jalil, and rest up for tomarrow's lessons. I do not want a tired student, and neither do my sisters. And you do not want a frusterated teacher. Besides, there are other, subtler arts you must learn. So rest up, jalil. Tomarrow we begin, five hours after Narbondel's rise of light."
Vrae'Jysala swept herself out of the room, closing the door behind her.
Left alone, Minalylrisse wandered about the room, seeing to it. All the female found were a few coins tucked away into the drawer - she tucked these into her neckpurse - and a change of clothes: black cloth wrap dresses, black robes, belts, all minature replicas of the clothing worn by the elder females. Nothing else. The room was sparsely furnished, with a small bed, a chair, a dresser, and a small statuette of Lolth placed in the corner of the room.
Minalylrisse walked over to the statuette and studied it. The skin of the statuette was carved out of shining obsidian, polished and well-cared for. The statuette's hair was carved out of ivory, with delicate twists and turns, and it shone like pearl, gleaming down to the statuette's delicate ankles. The statuette's eyes were hard, gleaming rubies set in ivory set in obsidian, and seemed to glow with a sinister inner fire. The statuette's lips were dark red, and curled in an amused smirk. One delicate, shapely hand held a carved spider in it, the other held a carved whip, a replica of teh Priestess's own wicked snakewips. But this one, instead of having four or five heads, had eight, and every one of them had gleaming golden eyes, as each snake curled around the legs, arms, and slender hips of the statuette. The statuette was nearlynaked, save for a simple, jeweled colthdress wrapped around it, and not a detail had been missed. Minalylrisse admired the statuette withtrue admiration, thinking, this is my goddess.
Minalylrisse though her quite beautiful.
Satisfied withher search of the room, thered-haired female approached thebed and lay down, placing her hands over her heart and slipping into the sleep of reverie.
She had no idea that that moment marked her accession, though to what she might never truly understand.
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