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 Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2008 1:01 pm
Bone Lord Gregor, the same messenger who had visited Arachne now plus two heads, Walked up to the gates of Val'atar's fortress house. He knocked on the gate calmly and waited.
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Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2008 8:39 pm
*Two shadows disengaged from the wall and stepped forward to greet the messenger, moving to flank him. One of the armed shadows steps closer and speaks in a whispered voice* "What is your business with Qu'ellar Druu'giir?"
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Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2008 5:05 am
"I bear a letter from my Master, Reivan of Xukuth D'Roesor, to Lord Val'atar Druu'giir. I was instructed to personally deliver it into his hands." the three skulls spoke in unison.
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Posted: Fri Oct 17, 2008 7:31 pm
-in a burst of yellowish smoke that smells of sulfur, Val'atar appears just outside the gate. He wore a annoyed expression along side his bandoleer of wands and magical armor, moving quickly.. he steps up to the skelletal messenger-
"This had best be of great importance, our city is under imminent threat of invasion by no less than 3 houses and we've already had unknown demons appear within our very midst.
Do tell what emergency warrants your Master's need for my presence?
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vVDragonVofVDarknessVv Crew
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Posted: Sat Oct 18, 2008 3:58 am
"It is a personal request my lord, he asks no haste in this matter simply an answer." the bone lord held out a note, upon which read,
"can you blind a god?"
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Posted: Sat Oct 18, 2008 9:57 pm
-briefly his eyes drop to the note, then raise to the skeleton, annoyance flickering across his features for a mere moment before he sighs softly and releases a soft chuckle-
"Tell him that anyone could.. if they killed enough of that one's servants. Beyond that the only thing we mortals can do is confuse and mislead. Anything else is beyond even the power of an arch-fiend.. though perhaps not beyond a lesser deity."
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vVDragonVofVDarknessVv Crew
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vVDragonVofVDarknessVv Crew
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Posted: Sat Oct 18, 2008 10:10 pm
-moments after the appearance of Val'atar.. a shadow guard steps forward and murmurs something in an infernal tongue. Val'atar's eyes grow large for a fraction of a moment before snapping into narrowed slits. Hissing in seething anger, he twists about to face towards the arcane academy and screams an incantation as he gestures in the air. A whirling vortex of shadow forms and he leaps into it.. already drawing two of his wands as he vanishes-
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Posted: Thu Oct 23, 2008 6:23 pm
(Mwahahaha)
The creature had been watching these spectacles occur for some time. This residence was apparently quite busy. Water slid from her face as she surfaced, passively rolling onto her back. The uncharted rapids that cut through the depths of the earth were as swift as any surface filth, but around this bend was a rather stagnant area, home to a myriad of unpleasant organisms that scholars above ground would have no worldly name for.
Vierdah was one of them.
Barely topping five feet, the very bizarre female still held her own amongst the more reprehensible beings of the underworld. Syryl were a rare species of aquiferous humanoid, closely related to mermaids, but far more nefarious and nothing like the lovely fishtailed maidens the harebrained sailors of lands above described in fireside tales to their children. Due to their taciturn behavior, only a handful of drow and other ilk had the remotest inkling of their existence, and upon describing their encounters were usually thought mad. Syryl had an especially unpleasant reputation for luring unsuspecting victims into their darkened whirpools, and consequently devouring them. Their menu was not exceedingly particular. Fish were a staple, but unfortunate beings foolish enough to heed the call of the wicked cave sirens were led to an untimely and gruesome death.
Unless, that was, they had something to offer.
Syryl were an inquisitive race. They lusted after knowledge to attain virility, and knowledge was something the forsaken Illythiiri had cultivated down to an artform, here in their darkened abyss(and what else could they do in the midst of all this anarchy?). Despite her outwardly barbaric visage, the creature had passively watched the comings and goings of uncounted decades, and was therefore quite sapient. One could only gain so much from quiet observation, however, and naturally, Vierdah was somewhat dissatisfied; though, to simply waltz into the streets of wretched Au Shindaugo unannounced would be most unwise. The Drow, with their silly hunger for all that was chaotic, had earned themselves quite the network of unseemly misfortunes. Trust was something of a paradox in this world, as it could always be bought off by power and fear or exchanged for something else. It had only to depend on who was the higher bidder. As such, a creature they'd never seen or even heard of would immediately warrant suspicion, or even violence.
Thus, Vierdah watched. Her primary subject at the moment was currently absorbed in a rather vehement display, screaming blasphemies in some infernal tongue. She'd seen his visitors come and go for many days now, obviously preparing for some sort of conflict. Vierdah was disinterested in the trivial feuds of Illythiiri, having only passing thoughts on the matter. Still, the race had amused her this long. Her opportunity would reveal itself in time, which was something Vierdah possessed nearly exponential amounts of.
She laughed; a harsh, guttural sound in her dualtoned voice, and sank once more beneath the glassy liquid, black eyes on the gate.
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Posted: Tue Oct 28, 2008 2:27 pm
Gweneth sat and waited for her new master/employer to end these foolish games and longs for her home with Arachnae or better yet, the surface. Focusing on these thoughts, the nightmares fade.
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Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 6:44 pm
As the void dissipated, the house's patron appeared in its stead. Vierdah could feel the subtleties of footsteps from her dark sanctuary, even if the Illythiiri's dweomers masked the sound. For a creature of the water, sound was not a necessity. Her wicked maw curled into a grin as the movements overhead prickled her acute senses. With the wards dispelled, it would be impossible for even the lowliest goblin not to sense her now, but whether or not her presence was heeded mattered little.
Vierdah's dwelling was a pocket cave that branched off from the main river, one of many such grottoes that dotted the region. Over eons the springs that bled from the walls had shaped the room into a miniature cathedral of stalactites and curving channels, all of which fed a deep pool in the center that served as the only entrance. The only means to gain access would be to swim upstream through a narrow chasm, a feat few here could muster. Water was a precious resource in Undergaia, one that Au Shindaugo enjoyed in excess. Vierdah could easily travel from one end of the city to another using the vast matrix of natural aqueducts hidden beneath the main structures. That made hunting favourable.
A white litter of bones from various creatures, humanoid and fish alike-- dotted the floor of glowing moss, morbidly arranged to face the lagoon. Their murderer was perched serenely in the heart of the display, idly polishing her weapon. She rarely used it, but was rarely seen without it. The thing was truly a work of art, spanning nearly twice her length and formed of a curious black material that tapered off to a deadly barbed point. The shaft was etched with thousands of symbols in a tongue long lost to the ravages of time, all faintly aglow in blue light. The creature purred when her work was finished, emitting something like a sigh. The noise carried, leaping off the walls and repeating itself tenfold before silence finally overwhelmed it.
"Serethiel," she hissed, always aware of her prey's name. An answering shuffle. A dark shape stirred in the corner, and she called upon the thing again. A bedraggled drow female soon took form beside her, and Vierdah rose. The entranced halfling had been caught on her route homeward, and had fallen directly into the path of the rather hungry, bored Syryl.
"Ol zhah draeval whol dos ulu morfeth kl'ae de' dosst llanath..." The creature muttered in the elf's native tongue, her mental voice doubled over as though two spoke at once. The grin dispersed into an evil sneer.
[Gaaaah where's draevir when you need him? I hate drow word generators. Dx Also, uhm, to explain the mind-speaking, Vier is kinda like a mindflayer. Kinda. I just don't want anyone to think she's overpowered or anything, 'cause yeah.]
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vVDragonVofVDarknessVv Crew
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Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 7:14 pm
-Val'atar strode into his fortress from the Plane of Shadow.. only to pause as something disturbed his senses. Narrowing his eyes, he slowly turns around in a circle.. searching with all his senses for the source of this disturbance. Nothing immediately stood out however and After several seconds, Val'atar returns to his march into his home.
Inside, he heads for his arcane chambers, rifling through scrolls that sat in various pigeon holes above a large desk. Finding the one he was looking for, he unrolls it and begins to chant softly, casting a scrying spell to find whatever had peeked his notice-
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Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2008 10:41 pm
Vierdah looked up from her vicious endeavor, sensing the disturbance. The grin returned.
She was being watched.
She wound her way about the spell, reaching out with her mind like tendrils to locate the caster. The defenses of Qu'ellar Druu'giir were great, however, and she saw only blackness, but her search was not without fruition; a soft rustling of paper was heard, and a familiar voice whispered incantations in the dark. The same magic hung about the likes of her victim. Laughing, the Syryl spoke.
"Ah, Illythiiri, you have found me once again. A pity, your ward would have made a most delightful meal..." Vierdah's claws raked the spellbound female's cheek.
"But I relent, now that I know this one's origins, I cannot take from your resources.... Doing so could prove most detrimental to my health." She chuckled at the last, bidding the halfblood sit.
"Curious... I would have thought it against the nature of your kind to sport such fodder amoung your ranks, but then again, you are a paradox amoung your own. Many years I have watched your kind, and many years I will hence. You've garnered quite the notoriety..." Her layered hiss quieted. The connection had not been severed yet, so the Syryl presumed the half-fiend was listening.
"But as always in your world, a threat looms in the darkness, as many daggers poise to find gaps in your defenses..." She drew her finger over the halfling's bared throat.
"As such you are no doubt seeking fortification. You are not a stupid creature, therefore I suspect you are aware of my implications. Consider my offer... I leave with you a fragment of my power. It is up to you to discover its uses. Receive it with care."
The obsidian spear flew from her hand with practiced force, breaching the void and burying itself into the wall beside him in spite of the myriad of glyphs that were meant to hinder such intrusions. It crackled with blue electricity. With that, the scrying link ended, and Serethiel was soon left at the gate, dazed and confused in a huddling wet mass.
Vierdah purred, pleased with her encounter, albeit still without a meal. She snickered, then left in search of lesser prey.
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vVDragonVofVDarknessVv Crew
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Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2008 12:36 pm
-from no where, a sibilant voice whispered around him as Val'atar focused his magic, but for reasons unknown, he could not find its exact source. It was like trying to pin point a spot in total darkness, without the benefit of darkvision.
The words spoken caught his attention however, threatening and yet offering at the same time. Val'atar had no illusions that he could trust whatever this thing was, but he'd not gotten to where he was without making deals with demons so to speak.
When it paused, Val'atar briefly considered casting another spell to block the chance of a mental probe, but instead he continued to listen. It seemed the creature had one of his house and while he had used his own house to gain footholds before, even sacrificing its members when it would gain him.. for now he listened and plotted. It was true that his defenses were under assault, at all times not just now, but now greater beings stood poised at the door to his city and he needed all the allies he could get.
As the creature finished speaking, Val'atar sensed a breach in his wards. lifting a hand, he summons a personal shield with a muttered incantation, watching as the spear thuds into the wall nearby. His ruby eyes narrow slightly at the object, but at the same time he began casting again.. following the trail of magic to its source. As he feels the creature withdraw, a feral smile spreads across his lips-
"Now I know where you dwell.. "
-casually he turned to the spear and reached out for it, dropping his shield just as his hand encircled the shaft, pulling it free it the wall. The blue energy crackled and crawled over his skin, sending prickles of pain for a few moments before he returned to his room and lay it on a large table, securing it with metal bands. Satisfied that it was secure, he spins and stalks down the hall to the stairs, descending towards the room that contained the portal to the estate far below.
Val'atar enters the circle and feels himself drop in near free fall until the magic catches him and settles his feet in a similar circle within the guard house. His swift foot steps carry him to the gate, where the shadow guards were leading Serethiel inside as he had mentally commended them to do. His dark gaze fell on her and it was obvious that he was angry.. the very air around him seemed frigid as he silently stared at her. The two guards vanished into nothingness with a gesture from the patron, as he watched her-
"You allowed yourself to be caught.. and what is more, you became a tool for an enemy to use against me. Were you not my best assassin, I would warp your pathetic half blood body and portal you into the wilderness of the deep dark. As it is now I have yet another fiend to content with.. "
-His sanguine stare caught her and held her gaze as he paused, a twitch of muscle along his neck evident of the struggle within to not just slay her and move on-
"..you will have to convince me of your continued worth as my personal assassin. As such.. your next task is to kill Drizzt. Our good captain has begun to toy with the idea of betraying this house. You will silence him, none will know of this weakness to our defenses.
Now tell me what you recall of your abductor.."
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Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2008 3:59 pm
The halfling, caught between subconscious dreams and reality, regained coherence only to find the cold eyes of her patron glaring directly down at her. The woman immediately rose from an ungainly huddle to her knees, dropping her gaze to the earth. She could feel his ire like electricity on the warm air. Listening to his words, and trying to sort out the events that had transpired over the last hours, the first trickles of fear began to tinge her blood. Val'atar was not pleased. This had been her second upset in a short span of time, and the ancient male was not renowned for being merciful. The young assassin didn't doubt his threats for a second.
Though Vierdah's enchantment had few effective counter-spells and would have required will far beyond the likes of a wretched soldier, Serethiel thought better of arguing the point with Val'atar. In a disagreement between a lowly outcast and the half-fiend ruler of Au Shindaugo, one did not have to second-guess the resulting outcome. The female lowered her head apologetically.
"I understand."
Drizzt had never done a thing to slight Serethiel, but weakness in the face of adversity could not be tolerated. Traitors were no exception. If one link broke, the entire chain failed, and if Qu'ellar Druu'giir failed, so too did Serethiel. If Serethiel failed, her patron would see to her castigation personally, and that was a terror the half-drow was not yet willing or prepared to face.
The female recounted her tale as best she could up until the memories were lost. Her usually collected voice shook when she spoke, part in chill from the icy waters that soaked her clothing, but most of all an utter sense of trepidation that had quickly worked an iron lump into her pounding chest. His leering orbs bored into her skull, and the aura about them buzzed with malcontent so profound her very brain seemed to ache. He could have easily flicked her out of existence, and the set in his jaw expressed that he was fighting the urge to do so. Scrambling to assemble her recollection, she told him of the wailing, baleful song that took her mind and snared her will, of blue scales etched with wild runes not unlike his own, and the aquatic cavern littered with dead.
"I was going to be eaten," she stated bluntly, chancing a glance upward. The persistent fire in his expression told her that perhaps she would have been better off.
"I knew I was, and I knew why, but it was beyond my ability to avert."
Serethiel said the last with a measure of apprehension, knowing it was a bold maneuver, but after a moment of consideration, her master appeared to have some mind for agreement.
"Forgive my weakness, Ilharn Val'atar. I will slay Drizzt before he has a chance to lament his foolishness."
Her nose nearly touched the ground.
--
Meanwhile, the Syryl feasted beneath them. The imprint of Val'atar's magic stained her cave, but the humanoid merely grinned.
"Your strength is commendable, Illythiiri, Zephain is pleased. Perhaps losing my treasure shall be worth the trouble..."
Another cold laugh shook the walls.
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Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2008 4:55 pm
A tiny model of Valatar Druugiir clung to the outside wall of the fortress. His black velvet wings folded at his back. The doll hunted silently for an open window or crevice to sneak into. From a distance, he appeared to be nothing more than a bat.
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