Rush Of Blood To The Head, part 5.19.

Rush Of Blood To The Head, part 5.19.

“Why didn’t you tell me, Vic? Why?” the hurt expression in Imoen’s eyes does not disappear as she addresses Viconia, “I… I told you about everything that stalks me in my nightmares and you… you couldn’t share your secret with me…”

“That was not for you to know, Imoen…” Viconia retorts, but her words lack the usual bite, “and I am not impressed about you, eavesdropping on us…”

“What Viconia means is that she didn’t want to load you with more worries than you already have, Immy… she didn’t want to make you more distraught,” I explain to her, trying to be helpful.

“Will you keep your mouth shut, male? I can speak for myself… and… and you clearly have interpreted my reasoning in an absolutely ridiculous and false manner, it had nothing to do with that… that odd feeling you call… compassion,” Viconia snarls.

“Oh, so you do know what it means?” Jaheira chuckles as Viconia makes an angry grimace.

“Aww, Vicky! Do you really care? Awww, that is so sweet!” Imoen giggles and Viconia looks like she is about to bite Imoen’s head off, “but next time be honest with me, okay?” the girl adds cheerfully.

“Will you… will you cease that unbearable prattling of yours?” Viconia pleads, looking rather desperate, “I came here to talk about some interesting contents of Solaufein’s diary, after all.”

“Good, then tell us what you have found out and please, this time omit any unpleasant details, will you?” I urge her to go ahead.

“Indeed, the diary contains some useful information about the dragon’s eggs,” Viconia explains, “there is a reference, suggesting that the eggs are stored at the treasury of the Drow Temple. Of course, they are extremely well protected, so there is no way we can just simply barge in and claim them.”

“Well, I suppose that was to be expected,” I reply with a shrug.

“The interesting point here is that Solaufein had devised to manufacture a false set of dragon’s eggs, duplicates… unfortunately, the whereabouts of the false set of eggs will remain a mystery to us, as they are not given here, in the diary. Apparently, he was planning to exchange the false eggs for the real ones, but exactly why… and what are the Drow planning to do with those eggs in the first place, I can only guess, but it is perfectly viable that they only needed them to blackmail the dragon...”

“Perhaps Solaufein intended to make a deal with Adalon, exchange of some sort of services? Hmm, if we could get our hands on those false eggs, perhaps we could present those to Adalon… mayhap the stupid wyrm won’t tell the difference,” I muse.

“That would be too risky as she might recognize that those are false… although it might depend on the quality of those duplicates,” Jaheira wisely suggests, “still, as we have no clue where to look for them, I would rather have us concentrate our efforts on obtaining the real eggs.”

“Oh, I quite agree, Jaheira,” Viconia nods before continuing, “There is one more thing… something that you might find interesting and what might explain Solaufein’s actions.”

“What is it, Viconia? I hope it isn’t…” I intervene, worried that she might be about to remind Jaheira of more painful details.

“Remember, I said that he seems somewhat… odd, for a drow?” Viconia asks and then continues, “From the references I read here, I can safely conclude that he was an odd drow – a Vhaeraun worshipping drow, no less!”

“Vhaeraun? Is that a deity of some sort? I thought all drow worshipped Lolth or that exile Eilistraee?” I ask, not knowing of what Viconia is talking about.

“Let me explain… while Lolth is indeed the only deity that a drow can and must worship openly, she is not the only deity that is being venerated by the dark elves… Vhaeraun is one such deity that is being worshipped secretly,” Viconia speaks patiently, “it appears that Solaufein was a worshipper of Vhaeraun… and to be honest, I am not surprised.”

“How so?” Jaheira clears her throat.

“He did not display necessary humility towards females… and only a Vhaeraunite would ever dream of abusing a woman in the way he did… no other drow male would even dare think of something as audacious,” Viconia looks at Jaheira, but the latter does not seem to be upset at the mention, this time, “and one of the goals of Vhaeraun states that the matriarchy of the Drow society must be destroyed and replaced with a system where all males and females would be equal… what blasphemy!”

“Err, yes… so you are saying that this is why he did it?” I shake my head in disbelief.

“Yes, Vhaeraunite would not hesitate to hurt and abuse a female… it is likely that his plan with the eggs is also intended to weaken the House Despana in some way – after all, Vhaeraun is the enemy of Lolth and his worshippers are asked to hinder and harm the actions of Lolth’s clerics,” Viconia explains, “And another thing… Vhaeraun is very popular amongst the surface drow, I know this due to my brief stay in some of the Drow enclaves on surface. Vhaeraun especially encourages his followers to become… intimate with members of other elf races in order to increase the numbers of the drow on the surface. That is probably why he found you to be his target, Jaheira… I hope you have taken all the precautions to avoid any… consequences… I doubt that Theodur would be pleased…”

“I am a druid, Viconia,” Jaheira snorts, “I know very well what to do in situations like these…”

“That… that bastard! I will… I will resurrect him and kill him again… and again… and again!” the burning rage climbs up to my head and even blurs my vision - in my mind I am already killing and torturing that despicable drowish degenerate.

“Whoa, easy there, bro!” Imoen grabs me by the hand and yells in my ear until I finally snap out of it.

“I do not think that anyone can resurrect him after what you did to him, Theodur,” Jaheira adds, “now please calm down, and-”

“Indeed, while I hate to intrude in this conference of simians, I am afraid that I must remind you of our obligations elsewhere,” Edwin pokes his head through the door and inserts his customary, acidic comment, “Hear me! I value my life too much for it to be risked only because of the ineptitude and forgetfulness of my lackeys. Edwin Oddesseiron has spoken – obey or face his wrath…”

 

Phaere is already waiting for us at the temple, looking impatient and worried, the latter perhaps being the result of her current company – the elder drow looks even more haughty, disdainful and cruel than the Handmaiden Imrae. I gather that this vicious looking harpy is none other than Mother Ardulace herself.

“Ah, there you are!” Phaere explains with an audible relief, “Matron, this is the male that I spoke to you of, Rindvel.”

“I can see him well enough, foolish girl,” Matron retorts in a screechy voice, her cold eyes fixing and no doubt evaluating me, as she speaks, “I am not blind… eh, but what is so special about this male, I don’t see nothing fascinating about him.”

“Matron, he is an excellent warrior – and he is the one that rid House Despana of its… well, other problem,” Phaere finishes tentatively.

“Is this the one? Illithids, eye tyrants, gnomes and the mighty and powerful Solaufein?” the mention of gnomes on that list of powerful enemies does sound extremely stupid, but I would not point it out to the Matron Mother, of course, “Girl, are you sure? He does look rather scrawny, and there is something… odd about him…”

“I am positive, matron, that he will prove of great use to you,” Phaere’s words bring a relief to me and I’m sure to my friends as well – for a second there I thought that Ardulace had seen past our disguises.

“Perhaps… let him prove it, then, if he is to become so favored in the eyes of Despana. You, there!” Ardulace addresses me, “Rindvel, yes? Listen carefully – the eye tyrant you killed recently. The wrong type it was. The girl here will suffer for her mistakes - she will have to deal with the drider soon. Yes, shake in fear Phaere, for you shall be punished since your previous meeting with the drider had obviously not taught you a thing.”

“But… but, matron…” Phaere looks visibly shaken and for a second I feel a bit sorry for her, but that does not last long as I remember the details of our meeting yesterday.

“Silence! It has been decided, you will be sent into the pits of Lolth,” Ardulace shrieks, “Rindvel! You have proven yourself as competent until now – that is good. House Despana is about to embark on the path to greatness, Rindvel, and you can tie yourself tightly to us. But I require something rather rare to begin this path and you will acquire it for me.”

“Your task will be this – do it and you have earned Despana’s favor. I need the blood of one of the neighbor races, Rindvel,” Ardulace says, and silently I hope that she means gnomes or duergar, “Only the noble races will do and the blood has to come from one of their most powerful members. That is a dangerous task, Rindvel. The first option is to acquire the blood of an Elder Orb, most powerful of the eye tyrants – its eye will do adequately.”

Phaere is still quite shaken about her forthcoming punishment and another reminder of her failure makes her wince. Meanwhile, Ardulace ignores her and continues to explain the task to us.

“Should you go after the Elder Orb, you will no doubt find one in their tunnels in the southeastern portion of the main caverns. Your other options are to gather blood from the Elder Brain of the Illithid or from a Prince of the Kuo-Toa,” even without knowing what is a Kuo-Toa, I have already decided to go after them, “The Elder Brain is guarded in the Illithid city, through the southeast caverns. An old ruin of the Kuo-Toa lies in the western caverns, ruled by a mad Prince. Go, Rindvel, and bring me the blood of one of these creatures. House Despana awaits your return and you had better not tarry – so I command.”

These words signal our dismissal and we leave Phaere and Ardulace as we exit the dark temple. Once outside, it is time to hold a war council and decide on our course of action.

“Vic, what or who are these Kua-Toa?” I ask, “I am not looking forward towards fighting beholders or illithid…”

“Kua-toa is a very ancient race that has been dwelling under ground for many a millennia… they harbor a deep hatred towards all surface dwellers, but they do not hold any love for the drow, either,” Viconia explains, “and since the Matron mentioned this prince being mad… I gather with that she meant to expect open hostility from them.”

“Well, I expected nothing less… how do they look, Vic and most importantly – how do they fight?” I continue to question her.

“They are also called ‘fishmen’,” she replies, “a strange hybrid of a human and a fish… they are about as tall as we are – you’ll recognize them quickly enough. They are skilled fighters, quick and ferocious – they like to use a version of spears in close combat, they resemble short harpoons, but they don’t use them for throwing. They also have no shortage of priestly magic to support them in combat.”

“Are these pathetic fishfaces resistant to magic, do you know anything about it, Drow?” Edwin asks with interest.

“I doubt that they are,” Viconia says, “they seem to be the best choice from the three possible, so I suggest we go after them…”

“Do we stand any chance at all against them?” Imoen pipes in, concerned.

“We are far more skilled than any incompetent fish,” Viconia proudly exclaims, “Onwards then, let us rip those Kua-Toa’s apart and hope that it brings us closer to the secrets of House Despana,” she speaks with a vicious smile.