Labyrinth

[Shadow of Twilight]

"Then you should be aware, that several guests of our wedding will be human, some under special circumstance. Aurahkah, some three thousand or so years old on her plane, a gift from a bracelet that I will stress is not to be touched in a manner that coudl be taken as trying to remove it. Another is Nailah, an empath..also gifted with a form of immortality from teh same era as Aurahkah...a cruel joke I would call it. supposedly she struck ill, and the cure they gave her made her immortal."

A pause there.

"Rand the Raven. a hydrid creation through magical ritual..human Conduit..a living portal to demonic realms..though she can control herself and has some vah characteristics, such as a tail. Perhaps a kitsune type human, and her elven husband. powerful sorceror. I am unaware of her mortality. One named Saradin. human, probably in his fifties, Aurahkah's lover."

Another pause for that.

"Last, but not least in anyway..is Cymarron. Rand's mate, the protector of all the Manor residents. probably some three or four hundred by now. his natural gift I explained a bit earlier. he has about...roughly...some several thousand voices in his head. You may notice strange behavior, ear movements, pauses like he's listening to people that aren't there. and he is. speaks about himself most times in third person from my recollection. winged, like his sons. You met Onyx and Moonstone correct?"


Broog looked over his cases.

"Broogs makes shinies for Andal masters and mistrezes. And da manors peoples. Master says hoomans don't member like elfies do, needs stuffs to reminds dem. Elfie masters und mistrezs get perty shinies cause da master tinks it helps wit fyrst impreshoons."  

[Shadow of Twilight]

"I mention the bracelet becuase if someone does try to remove it, or appears to be trying to remove it, there will be. Cymarron will protect anyone he promises to do so with hsi life, agasint any and all forces. and I mean any. he can and will take on the whole crest brigade for an insult like that to him. especially if he Ascends. that's just...well..it's not somethign you want to see if it gets loose."

A small frown.

"Cymarrons speaks thirteen languages...has experienced life as both man and woman from thirteen races. he can see in teh dark as easily as a drow, and in the light as good as any surface bred elf. he's as cunning in poison as a drow, as skilled in teh woods as a Fier'dal, quick and agile as teh lizardmen. powerful as the ogres and heals like a troll. a very deadly opponent. Add to that his wings, and his venomous fangs, serrated one and a half inch claws..and execllent dagger and hand to hand combat skills. While an adept killer...he is, from Piper's words, a very lovable peaceful creature. just don't rub him the wrong way to hard."


Broog looked over, tilted his head, picking up the little arrowhead in his huge hand, and looking at it.

"Broog has lightle glas beeds. dey hollow, was gunna fill with pretty colored liquid, and hang dem on chains like da hooladay ormanents fer da trees. Dat work mebbe?"  

[Shadow of Twilight]

"I expect so. I really am not so worried about you, it's the Brigade I'm concerned about, and his mate. but hopefully that can get straightened out, before someone gets hurt. and I will say if they do somethign stupid, don't let him eat any part of anyone."

A small smile though.

"So, unpleasent prospects out of the way. Anything on your mind you want to know about?"


Broog was watching, while his hands were working on just more intricate jewelry, almost out of habit. most of his trunk was jewelry and collars, truth be told, and Broog could almost jewelcraft in his sleep by now.  

[Shadow of Twilight]

"I lived on the surface for several years in the plane I met Piper on. I was hunting the Hunter, and unfortunatly had to go to the surface, as there was nothing that would lure him to the dark. I actually met Piper in a forest, firing arrows in that strange game of fetch with her horse. Though I confess I was a homebody, prefer nighttime or the darkness of my home, built like this place, to the daylight. but twenty years down here, has readjusted me to the realm of my birth."

A lean back.

"So this trip to the surface will have it's health hazards for me. Like Piper down here, there are things on the surface that are toxic to me, but not to her. and daylight will prove to be an issue for some time until my eyes readjust. My primary concern is of course other drow, As I hear some prowl the surface, and other elves that may not find my presence welcome. I'll probably have to wear a cloth or face mask over my nose and mouth in case of pollens and the like I may have reactions to, at least for a few days."

A lean forward again.

"I look forward to this for my own reasons. Did Kieran or Piper tell you about my past, what happened to my family? I've alluded to it already..but since then, family ties, ties to a House, have become very important to me. Andal is Piper's place of birth, it is the home of her family, a family that has so far taken me into it's folds. and you have no idea what that means to me. How important it is to me. And Piper deserves a wedding with friends nad family, without worriesof the constant battles and intrigues and webs of deception of this place. and I will give that to her. On top of that, I'll get to see her home, the places she grew up."

A bit of a distant look.

"I'll get to hear her laughter in the walls of stone, her footsteps on the wooden forest floors, I'll get to experience her joys, and her frustrations, at learning to fletch, or to swim, or to climb her trees. Everything that made Piper from a baby girl to a woman is on that plane. And I will get to savor a childhood that I never had to opportunity to have."


Broog titled his head lightly.

"Da leashie thing won't werk on woohd. Only da finger wagglered metal stuffs. But Broog will put da symbols in likes you wants. yous wants dem in metals, or just inscrupted in der?"  

[Shadow of Twilight]

"The memory only haunts me during reverie. speaking of it doesn't hurt."

though a small smile at her talk about memory lane, and a smirk at Lucana. Boy wouldn't that b*****d love to hear of a country inadvertently named like him.

"You really think I'll spend all my time in Kieran's home, and not visit yours? tsk tsk, Fianna."

But gesturing to a seat.

"Back when my father ruled with an iron fist and had his Harem, he came to own Cymarron, from kit to adult, kidnapped, his parents butchered trying to save him, the rest of his kin caring not for him. Throwbacks..and that's another term I would never say to Cymarron's face...were considered like..birth defects of the untmost horrible state."

"Cymarron became ever stronger. Father's personal assassin, and prize gladiator. But when Cymarron showed defiance, my Father, in arrogant pride, directly challenged Cymarron to combat. and he lost. all they found of him was the leash bearing hand. blood and meat everywhere, nothing identifiable."

"Then began the Curse of House D'vinn. All thriteen of the harem scattered, going to thier own homelands. and each, down to the last child, were slaughtered, family and all. husbands, children, any cousin living with them, or family. Cymarron's way of ensuring my father's bloodline was ended."

"I was orphaned, for all I knew. and spent several weeks as a street rat in Neriak, begging and asking if anyone knew of family I might have. eventually I found them. they were more..loving than normal, hte Curse brought them closer to eachother out fo fear and self preservation."

"I had a mother, two older brothers, and shadowknight, and an assassin, and a wizard sister. I knew them for one month. long enough to establish family ties...and then Cymarron found us. Butchered them all, and left me a patchwork quilt. I was very near dead, and was left to that. A cleric saw the bloodshed, and rescued me. I lost everything as swiftly as I gained it."

A moment then, looking into the past.

"After that, I was given Mavolence. and after meny more years, and having to master that blade, I became a shadowknight, and a soldier, then a commander. then I died at the hands of a Koada'dal at the battle of bloody kithcor. since then I have died many times, resurrected bearing the scars of my last death. A gift I gave up to help face Dimitri, exchanging it for a blessed blade. So this is my last life, so to speak. and I bear only the scar of last time I tried and failed as my father before me to control Cymarron."

He opened his shirt, showed the huge scarred tissue that woudl have been about where his heart was, and a good bit about it.

"Cymarron during an Ascention state, literrally punched through me from behind."

closing his shirt again.

"I learned my lesson, and since we have had a begrudging truce. he doesn't try to finish what he started, and I don't try to hunt him down or keep him in a cage as a pet. Shortly after I met Piper and she turned my world upside down, then right side up again."


Broog nodded and took the peices, and in not ten or fifteen minutes, all had that image engraved where they were needed, and even put in there artistically to work with the natural edges and parts of the pieces.

"All dun."

Big grin, handing the parts back to her.

"Wut you guna make dem do?"  

[Shadow of Twilight]

"The Prince of Hate found my hatred of Cymarron somethign worth preserving. my Hatred fueled me, and Innoruuk guided my path then, though I still offer prayer to him. Now..it's a joke that he's waiting till I do something to really piss him off to smite me and Piper. Indeed..walk through the desert to find the oasis."

Then a nod.

"Oh yes, I remember Kieran telling me about that. instant translocating security system to your treetop home. and you're probably right, best to avoid the forest in the begining out of self preservation. Cymarron and I will never be friends, but yes, he is friends with Piper. the golden feathered arrows, and the bone arrowheads are his work. from his hunts and own feathers. they are...incredible crafters, his people. bone, stone..nothing from a hunt isn't used. if it's not eaten, it's building material."

A small smile.

"But now you know more of me. probably more than anyone other than Piper, since Kieran has never thought to ask."


Broog looked at the arrow. something to feed thought the tip on impact..and got up, opening his trunk and digging through it showing just how much work he idly did...you coudl probably live off of selling the rings, necklaces, earrings, braclets, anklets, armbands in there..and of course collars. till he pulled out a very intricate set of fingers rings, attached by chain to a back piece, and started to dismantle the finger pieces, and handed a tiny tube over to Piper.

"Des work?"

the glove hand hollowtip fingers, tubes with sharp points, the idea to be able to scratch of claw someone and poison them. and even it look damn nice as hand jewelry.  

[Shadow of Twilight]

"Kieran likes to flirt with danger over the nigh obsessive desire to learn a bout the Drow. he allows Sevilin to hunt him in exchange for meetings, and possibly information exchanges. He's a moon elf, by skin coloring, and has the ability to hold light into his eyes to give him noonday vision at anytime. Well traveled, enjoys those little stones he showed me who's name eludes me. has several journals on nearly every subject he can find, and commonly lets the running of his kingdom be done by Rainsong's father. An expert swordsman, capable of dual wielding blades, bonded both to you and to Piper. Loyal to a fault, and does not leave promises unkept or deeds undone."

Then a small smile.

"And Fianna. ruler to teh fier'dal kingdom, built aroudn and in the treetops. you are the more level headed of the duo, ruling with gentle but firm command, generous and insightful. A wonderful mother, and gentle lover, and a worthy confidant. the safety of your people are a great concern to you, and you strive for harmony in the world around you, even in teh most dire circustances. A master Rune mage, who is still humble, not proud or filled with arrogance for her status among the rune mages. You woudl give anything for those you care about, you woudl travel to anyplace to see them if you had to. Bonded to Kieran and to Piper, and though not married in ceremony to Kieran, you are as devoted and doting and loving as any wife is to her husband."

A grin.

"Is there anything you'd like to add on to that?"


Brogg gave his big toothy smile and nodded. and the reason why most of that wasn't sold or used? Malik didn't know about it Broog's case of shinies was only opened aroudn Malik for teh use of collaring, and Broog took great pains to hide his jewelry underneath mats and collars, lest malik be angry at his tooling.

"Broog make you more ah does den. You gunna try da schemings outs?"