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TnT 250: Third Sister

Laska

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#1 Weyoun

Posted 11 December 2016 - 08:13 AM

Tankards and Tempers

Chapter 250: Third sister

 

After five days of travel to the Sulduskoon River, and three days of painstakingly combing the area along the riverbanks near confirmed drow sightings, fuses quickly ran short and tempers ran high. So far, the party had no luck actually tracking down the drow.

 

The most promising lead was a small village which had had contact with a drow raiding party. Khittix was putting his nose to work by walking ahead of the horses, scouring the side of the road for any scents. Though the spider's tracking skills were beyond reproach, even Khittix had his limits and had yet to pick up a scent. With the hot sun bearing down on the fully armored riders as they trotted over the road next to the river, Imoen had rolled out the map. “Okay, I think we're over here now. If we pass a village called 'Nine Ladies', we've gone too far.”

 

“Hey, Im,” said Laska as she wiped the sweat from her brow. “Got any more of those cone of cold spells?”

 

“Sure,” said Imoen. “Last one, though.”

 

“Give it to me,” Laska said as Imoen rode ahead, held her hand out and aimed towards Laska. Extreme cold lashed out and hit the elf's upper body. Her armor and little uncovered skin was soon covered with a thin layer of snow which quickly melted into cold water. “Ooooh, yeah... blisss...” Laska practically moaned.

 

Next to her, Sarevok grumbled. “Three days. Three days of nothing. These drow know how to hide.”

 

Korgan chuckled. “Or maybe drowsy’s fragrant armpits ‘ere be thowin’ off ‘is nose?”

 

Viconia narrowed her eyes in response. “I do not reek!” she hissed while holding the reigns of her horse. “Even so, my own pet can tell the difference between me and other drow.”

 

As if trying to prove a point, Khittix pressed his pincers closer to the road to try even harder. Meanwhile, Imoen rode next to Viconia while staring down Korgan. “You smell nice. You always smell nice.”

 

“Biased,” Sarevok replied.

 

Laska let out a labored groan. “Are we there yet?”

 

“You asked two minutes ago. Stop it!” Viconia demanded.

 

“This is boring! The landscape is boring, the river is boring, the trees are boring and you guys are boring! Jan, can’t you invent a drow detector or something?” Laska asked.

 

Jan, having chosen to ride a small yet tenacious donkey, rubbed his beard with one hand. “I could, but I’d need some ratchets, a large brass gear, a small silver sprocket, a miller's stone, a glass-blower's pipe, several pots and pans, a housing made from oaken wood, a couple of pinecones, a small dog named Barky, five buskers singing the Tethyrian anthem on a C-note, a drow hair, an earth elemental in jar, some whale blubber, the whisker of a manatee, a beer-bong, at least three croquet balls and a giant mechanical bird with a tragic backstory. When you get me all of those parts, I'll be able to make you a superb drow detector! But it’ll probably end up just pointing towards Viconia all the time, so we probably shouldn't bother.”

 

Viconia grumbled something about gnomes and potential punting distances. “And that is why we use Khittix instead. Still, the tales don't add up. Every 'raid' we've heard about had zero casualties. The village we passed had no populace harmed, and the drow only destroyed abandoned buildings. Usually, a drow raids finds your village? Your village is dead, your supplies are taken and once you've rebuilt, they do it all over again.”

 

“Nice people, those drow,” Imoen rolled her eyes.

 

“That's the whole point,” said Viconia. “We should be wary.”

 

Suddenly, for the first time in three days, Khittix let out a legitimately enthusiastic chirp, apparently having caught a scent. The spider jumped up, twisted in the air and landed on all eights. Khittix raised one leg, pointed to the forest and then shot off into the underbrush.

 

Sarevok grunted. “If that damn spider is off chasing a rabbit again, I’ll throw him in the river.”

 

“That was not a rabbit Khittix smelled,” said Viconia.

 

“Follow that spider!” Laska said as she dismounted. The horsed would not be able to follow them into the thick underbrush, so after tying them to a nearby tree, the party quickly followed Khittix into the forest. Much to the party's delight, the forest was dense and cool. Khittix led them to the forest for several minutes until they came to a clearing near the bottom of a cliffside. The terrain, being near the Starspire mountains, was rather hilly and strewn with a few smaller mountains. Near the cliffside and at the end of the clearing was what looked like a ranger's cabin.

 

“Yeah,” Imoen whispered. “Something is off here.”

 

“I get what you mean,” said Laska. “The state of the cabin suggests nobody is living here, just someone clearly is.”

 

Khittix stopped at the edge of the forest, and pointed one leg towards the hovel. The hovel itself looked like it had been abandoned for decades, but recently claimed and re-inhabited. That in itself certainly wasn't an impossibility, but the whole thing felt off.

 

“Fire's coming from the chimney,” said Jan. “But no firewood anywhere around the cabin.”

 

“Whoever lives here hasn't bothered to fix the holes in the roof either,” said Sarevok, while Viconia carefully placed her hood over her head.

 

“I guess we knock?” asked Laska.

 

“Let's not be rude or violent,” said Imoen. “It could just be a weird crazy hermit who lives here.”

 

“Ach, ye be no fun, Imoen,” Korgan grunted as he grabbed his axe.

 

Just as the party approached, the door to the cabin opened. Out stepped an odd looking elf wearing splint-mail armor and brandishing two swords. The elf was male and had his long hair tied back into a ponytail. He stepped forward and narrowed his eyes. “This is private property,” he spoke with an undefinable accent. “Please leave!”

 

Imoen scraped her throat. “Heya, I'm Imoen and we're lost travelers. Could you please tell us where we can find the road to Darromar?”

 

“No!” the elf narrowed his eyes. “Now leave! You are not welcome here! Especially you!”

 

The elf pointed at Laska and his face twisted in a mask of unadulterated rage.

 

“What?” Laska blinked. “What did I do?!”

 

“LEAVE!” the weird elf snarled and raised his swords.

 

By now, the party gathered to confer and stuck their heads together while the weird elf looked on from a distance. To make sure the elf's superior hearing wouldn't pick up on what they were saying, Imoen made sure to magically suppress their voices.

 

“What's up with that guy?” Laska said. “He acts like I ate his dog or something.”

 

“Why indeed?” said Viconia.

 

“I say we just kill 'im,” growled Korgan.

 

“What an odd accent,” Sarevok muttered. “It sounds familiar, but I can't place it.”

 

“Indeed,” said Viconia as she left the circle and started to approach the elf. “Time to end this farce.”

 

The elf raised a sword and pointed it towards her. “I told you to leave!”

 

Viconia said nothing. Instead, she brought her hands to her hood and slowly pulled it back, revealing herself to him as a drow. Instantly, the male elf gasped in horror, dropping one of his swords. Before the elf could recover, Viconia slammed her small shield against the side of his face. Blood and broken teeth flew from his face as the elf hurtled to the ground. “On your kneels, filth! Bow to your better!” Viconia snarled.

 

A flabbergasted Imoen rushed up to her lover. “Sune’s tits, Vic! What are you doing?!” Imoen exclaimed as the others rushed up. Khittix had joined them now too, hissing at the fallen elf.

 

Viconia performed the subtle hand movements of a spell which cancelled out any and all magic in the immediate area. This included the spell which disguised the drow as a hermit elven ranger.

 

“We’ve found the enclave. And our way into it,” Viconia grinned.

 

The male drow looked up at Viconia. “What kind of drow travels with our most hated enemy?!” he demanded. To which Viconia responded by treating him to a swift kick to the chin. She then turned to Laska when he was holding his chin and give her friend a wink. It took a second wink, more annoyed and overt, before the tattooed elf caught on to her meaning.

 

Laska grabbed the male drow by the neck and pushed him into the wall of the cabin. “Give him to me,” said Laska in her most menacing voice as she drew a dagger from her belt and pressed it against his belly. “I like the taste of drow liver best when it’s still raw and bloody!”

 

Viconia showed the male a slight grin. “Either you tell me what you know or I’ll give you to her. My friend Laska has ways of getting disobedient drow males to talk. And you won’t like it.”

 

Faced with potentially losing his liver to a hungry elf, the drow male sang a bird. After knocking him out and tying him up in the cabin, Laska and her friends made their way to the rock-face where the male said the entrance to the underground enclave was located. It was Jan who actually found the true entrance; his keen gnomish insight into engineering discovered that the entrance to the drow enclave was hidden by a mechanism rather than by magic. After pressing a sequence of buttons disguised a rocks, a door wide enough for a cart to drive through sank into the ground.

 

A small guard post was located right inside, occupied by three more drow watchmen. They were dispatched quickly; Korgan roared as he buried his axe into a drow's gullet while Sarevok severed another watchman's head right from his body with one cleave from his greatsword. Jan dispatched the last one with a crossbow bolt to the back of the head.

 

“Sure,” Laska huffed. “Don't leave any drow for your elven friend.”

 

“Be quicker then,” Korgan replied.

 

“At least the tunnel is nice and cool,” said Laska.

 

The tunnel had a slight inclination downward as it went down for only about fifty meters. Once they emerged from the tunnel, they were standing right in the drow enclave, to everyone's surprise. And it was a lovely place. The main cavern was tall, wide and irregularly shaped. Most of the dwellings had been built into the side of the cavern, with several rows of apartments more to the back. Larger buildings were located in the middle of the cavern, along with pastures where rothe and spiders dwelt, as well as patches of cultivated giant mushrooms. There was low bluish light in the cavern, from lichen spread evenly on the walls. The entire settlement had a series of paved road and several reservoirs of water gathered from the river as they were being magically filtered. The entrance they had come from led them near a marketplace where many drow were gathered. These drow were not armored or armed, but were wearing normal clothes. Men, women and children were mulling about while craftsmen were at work or selling wares. The whole enclave was a village bustling with activity.

 

“This place is... beautiful,” Imoen gasped.

 

“I was expecting a group of battle-hardened mercenaries armed to the teeth,” said Laska. “These are just... people.”

 

It was at that moment that one of the kids noticed the odd-looking newcomers. The boy had just pointed them out to his mother, when the young drow female let her basket drop and shrieked. More heads turns. The gathered drow commoners took one look at Laska and immediately started shouting and running, abandoning their wares and purchases to run into the village yelling warnings.

 

Word spread fast as the party pressed forward into the village, causing more of the drow to run off. Once they exited the marketplace, they passed a cute house, built right into the stone of the cavern. Around the house was a yard with stone enclosure, next to the house a small workshop with a potter's wheel. Two curious young drow girls rushed to the stone enclosure and leaned on it to see what all the fuss was about. Instantly, their father ran out to scoop the girls up and hurried inside the house. As the party passed, they were confronted by the mother of the family, clad in a grey dress as her long white hair hung loose. The woman was trembling, yet stood ready to defend her family with pitchfork in hand. It struck Laska how scared she looked, terrified even. Terrified of her.

 

The mother pointed the pitchfork at them as they passed. Once the female decided they were not going to invade their home, she quickly withdrew inside the house. The door fell shut followed sound of a heavy bar falling into place. A few moments later, all lights were killed.

 

This wasn't the only house this was happening. All the drow withdrew into their houses, closed and barred the door, then killed the lights. The entire vibrant village had become dead and lifeless in less than a minute.

 

“Who are these people?” Sarevok asked.

 

“Commoners who were exiled or outcasts for some reason. Refugees from the war Ardulace started in Ust Natha, perhaps,” said Viconia. “These were people who came here to start a new life. Perhaps this enclave was their last chance.”

 

“And we're here to end this enclave,” Jan frowned. “Kinda depressing when you think about it.”

 

“Sune,” Imoen shook her head. “This... this isn't right.”

 

“I... I... really don’t feel like a hero today,” Laska muttered. “Shit, this is their home!”

 

“Och, ye be squeamish,” said Korgan. “'ow about we just be findin' that Sendai, chop 'er 'ead off an' leave. It's not like them drowsies 'ere can't keep this village goin' after we be gone.”

 

“Right,” Laska spoke grimly. “I didn't become an adventurer to kick people out of their homes! Zaranda can fire me if she likes, but she'll have to make do with just the mercenaries and Sendai dealt with.”

 

“Likely,” Viconia said, pointing to the larger building located on a raised platform at the edge of the village. “She's in there. It looks to be a palace-fortress. Usually in these smaller outposts, the governess' mansion, the temple of Lolth and the military barracks share one building.”

 

“Let's go!” Sarevok roared, sword at the ready.

 

The party started to move towards the building in a trot, passing a few more houses before they ran up the pathway leading towards it. When they arrived they were utterly surprised to find the portcullis and the doors to the gate still wide open. Not to look a gift horse in the mouth, the party ran right in. A few guards on the parapet noticed them and started to shout alarms inside, but before they could act, the six of them were already inside the compound.

 

The compound was a large training area, complete with a pen for military riding lizards. The beasts paid the newcomers no mind and kept munching on whatever cadaverous flesh they were eating. To the left was what seemed to be a barracks and to the left was the temple of Lolth. Straight ahead was the great hall and the governess' mansion. That had to be where they would find Sendai. Truth be told, they had no idea what to expect, as Sendai had to be the most enigmatic of the Five. But if the other four were any indication, she would be just as dangerous.

 

A few soldiers were in the courtyard, startled at the sudden arrival of the intruders. Instantly, they raised their weapons and were ready to confront them. Drow curses and yells resounded off the stones of the keep, while the doors of both the temple and the barracks were thrown open. Drow mercenaries and clerics came spewing forth.

 

Korgan roared and slammed his axe right into the gullet of an archer while he was fumbling with his crossbow, while Laska let out a cry and rushed towards a group of mercenaries. With both her swords, she easily parried attacks from all four at once, all the while deftly stepping out of their way when they attempted to counter-attack. Spells were starting to be flung back and forth, lighting up the darkened compound.

 

Yells of pain, terror and victory mixed with the sounds of battle. Laska slashed a sword across a drow's throat, twirled around her axis and kicked a priestess of Lolth right in the face with her steel boot. Blood spurted from her nose and mouth as she fell backwards. Laska dove forward, rolled to her feet and stabbed both swords outward, getting one drow in the neck and the other just above the groin. Yet more stood ready to face her. As an elf, she was the most popular target. She grinned; that suited her more than fine.

 

Jan and Imoen bombarded a group of mercenaries with magical death, setting them on fire. Sarevok let out a roar as she grabbed a screaming drow priestess by the hair and threw her right into one of her sisters, sending the both of them to the ground in a heap. By now, they started noticing that there were just as many drow combatants fleeing as there were fighting.

 

“Oy!” Korgan shouted after them. “Come back 'ere ta be slaughtered, ye bloody cowards!”

 

“Why the hell are they running? What are they saying?” Imoen yelled over the sounds of battle.

 

Viconia grunted as she slammed her shield into that of a priestess before hitting her in the face with the hilt of her flail. “We've caught them completely by surprise! They think we're the vanguard of a larger force.”

 

“Their disarray is a sign of poor leadership,” Sarevok yelled as he waved his greatsword through the courtyard like a scythe. Most of the mercenaries fled through the gate behind them, no doubt on the run to deeper into the Underdark. By now, a priestess wearing fancy looking armor and a headdress had emerged from the temple and was cursing and yelling at the fleeing soldiers.

 

“That's the high-priestess!” Viconia yelled. “Take her down before she rallies her forces!”

 

“On it!” Laska yelled as she jumped forward, pushed her way in between two clerics and sending them both to the ground. The high-priestess was startled and, before she could raise her whip, was treated to a vicious slash across her chest with one sword, before cutting her into the face with the other. The high-priestess' expression was one of utter surprise as her whip fell to her hand. She sank to her knees and then fell face-down onto the ground.

 

The high-priestess' fall sent the clerics and mercenaries still standing into further panic. Most of them dropped their weapons and ran as fast as their legs could carry them. A few moments later, the compound was deserted with the exception of those too wounded to flee. The party left them alone as they headed towards the door leading into the great hall.

 

“Well, this was easy,” said Jan. “Of course, after giants, an army of mercenaries and a boatload of dragons, I don't think a couple of drow could top that. Now, maybe if they were knife-wielding monkeys...”

 

“Quiet,” hissed Viconia. “Don't underestimate the drow. We have no idea what we'll find inside the... ”

 

Just as they were about to head towards the great hall, the double doors slowly started to open. Undoubtedly, it was by magical command as the doors had been secured by warding runes.

 

“Stop!” commanded a female voice coming from the inside of the great hall. The female spoke in heavily accented common, and was obscured by the darkness.

 

Viconia nodded grimly. “Be ready for anything. Remember, though her minions are bunglers, she is one of the Five.”

 

Laska stepped forward, ready to confront the evil ruler of this enclave.

 

What emerged from the darkness was a small female drow, a head shorter than Viconia. The woman bore a wizard's robe and brandished an adorned battle-staff. Though the robes were made to fit her, they still seemed to be too large to bear the person wearing them. She trembled as she held her staff and attempted to look menacing. This was Sendai.

 

Sendai didn’t look much like an evil drow matron with the blood of Bhaal running through her veins; in fact, she rather looked like a scared teenager ready to piss herself.

 

“I am Laska Leafwalker,” the tattooed elf spoke, swords in hand.

 

“I know of you,” replied Sendai. “I know of the wickedness of elves. I won't... I won't let you harm my people! I won't!”

 

The terror in her voice was obvious, as was her determination. Laska instantly felt that something was off here. She turned to look at her companions and saw them equally confused.

 

“You are a servant of Amellysan Wiseau, the Black-hearted?” Laska asked. “Like the others?”

 

Sendai seemed confused. “I don't know that person. But I know you. You kill Bhaalspawn and everyone else who gets in your path.”

 

Laska raised an eyebrow. “Who told you that?”

 

“The others,” said Sendai. Then, she pointed to several dead and dying mercenaries moaning on the ground. “And my own eyes. I won't allow you to kill me. There are people who need me! Yazfryn needs me! I will fight!”

 

Imoen raised her hand. “Uh, guys?” Imoen started. “I think we might need to confer again.”

 

“Curious,” Viconia raised an eyebrow. “A matron ruler who... cares about her people. How... novel.”

 

“Och, just be killin' the bint and be done with!”

 

Just then, something big jumped off the room and landed on all eights right next to Sendai. The giant spider whom had just arrived hissed and spat at the party.

 

“Giant Spider!” Sarevok announced.

 

“Sure, Sarevok Obvious,” Jan said as he aimed his crossbow. “I got it!”

 

A bolt streaked through the air and hit the giant spider in the thorax as the creature reared. The spider let out a shrill cry and fell backwards, ending up laying on its back as her legs started to fold inward.

 

Instantly, Sendai let her weapon fall to the ground. Her bravado forgotten, she rushed to the fallen spider and wrapped her arms around it. “LARRIAZ!” the small drow cried out her denial as she burst into tears. “NO! No, no, no, no, NO!”

 

Laska and the others looked on in stunned silence as the evil drow matron they had expected was crying like a little girl as she was cradling the dying spider.

 

“Uhm,” Jan muttered. “Does anyone else feel like a heel right about now?”

 

“Yeah,” Imoen muttered.

 

Laska sheathed both her swords. “Guys. Stand down. There's no threat here.”

 

Korgan and Sarevok reluctantly did so. Laska turned to Viconia, whom was looking at the spectacle as if her brain couldn't process what she was seeing. “Vico?” Laska asked. “Could you...”

 

“It's a spider, Laska,” the drow protested.

 

“Even so,” Laska replied. “What if it was Khittix?”

 

The drow let out a heavy sigh as she understood Laska's meaning and put away her flail. She strode over to where Sendai sat sobbing and knelt down next her.

 

“No!” Sendai spoke through a torrent of tears as she tried to protect the spider by shielding it with her body. “Leave us alone!”

 

“Be quiet and let me help!” Viconia demanded and roughly shoved the younger drow away. Sendai was about to jump her when a blue light emanated from Viconia's hand. Healing magic flowed from her body into the spider and the bolt was quickly pushed out of the carapace by the curative powers. A few moments later, the spider was standing on eight legs again, looking rather confused by her whole ordeal.

 

“Larriaz!” Sendai cried, tears of joy this time as she hugged the spider whom had been her only friend for such a long time.

 

“I think we're done here,” Laska said.

 

Just then, the high-priestess from before suddenly rose up. Bloodied and staggering, the snarling cleric had partially healed herself and positioned herself between Sendai and Laska, pushing Viconia away. “Away!” the high-priestess yelled as blood ran down the side of her head. “Mistress, flee! I shall hold them off!”

 

“Diaytha,” Sendai smiled and threw her arms around her. “I'm so glad you're still alive.”

 

“Mistress!” Diaytha snarled. “Flee! The elf will slaughter you! It's what elves do!”

 

Sendai turned to Laska. “No,” said Sendai. “I don't think she will. Stand down. Tell everyone to stand down and see to the wounded.”

 

Much to Diaytha's distress, Sendai walked over to Laska while Lariaz stood next to her, hissing slightly at the tattooed elf. “It's me you're here for,” said Sendai. “We are both Bhaalspawn... sisters, right? If I... surrender myself to you, will you spare my people?”

 

“Awww,” Imoen smiled. “Laska, can we keep her? She's so cute!”

 

Laska crossed her arms. “I... I wasn't really expecting things to go down this way when we infiltrated this enclave. I was expecting an army of enemies to defeat with you at the end of it. I wasn't expecting... innocent civilians and you being... nice,” Laska sighed. “Sometimes adventuring is incredibly complicated.”

 

“May I suggest,” Sarevok said. “Questioning her? I'm sure she'll have plenty of things to tell about Melissan.”

 

“Melissan!” Sendai nodded. “I have no love for her. I will tell you all you want to know.”

 

Laska nodded. “Alright,” said the elf. “I'll hand you over to our employer, queen-monarch Zaranda Star of Tethyr. She'll decide what to do with you.”

 

“Don't worry,” said Imoen. “She's pretty nice, actually.”

 

“Imoen,” Sarevok hissed. “Don't tell our prisoner that! We want to pressure her into telling us all she knows!”

 

“Ach,” Korgan shrugged. “I be killin' a few drowsies. I be satisfied.”

 

“Well, this is a fine turn of events,” said Jan. “Those evil drow we sought turned out to be nice. Interestingly enough, my uncle Arne Jansen had a bit of the opposite as of late. He has travelling through the forests of Tethyr when he came across a gathering of saucy wood-nymphs giggling and bathing in the forest. So, being a hot-blooded gnome, he quickly took off his clothes and joined them in the stream. The nymphs themselves weren't all that happy to be suddenly sharing a stream with a slightly overweight balding gnome and just as he was giving one particular nymph a complement because her breasts resembled a pair of turnips, they grabbed him by the limbs and started dragging him to a nearby swamp. After throwing him in the murky water and stomping off, he was beset by a slathering swamp hag! Now, this hag had the single most beautiful nose he had even seen and instantly asked for her hand in marriage. My cousins are rather nice, but their skin's a bit greenish, you see?”

 

Sendai blinked. “Is he... always like this?”

 

Laska shrugged. “Pretty much continuously.”

 


TnT Enhanced Edition: http://www.fanfictio...rds-and-Tempers

---
Sith Warrior - Master, I can sense your anger.

Darth Baras - A blind, comotose lobotomy-patient could sense my anger!

---

"The New Age? It's just the old age stuck in a microwave oven for fifteen seconds" - James Randi

#2 Theodur

Posted 15 December 2016 - 01:05 PM


The most promising lead was a small village which had had contact with a drow raiding party. Khittix was putting his nose to work by walking ahead of the horses, scouring the side of the road for any scents. Though the spider's tracking skills were beyond reproach, even Khittix had his limits and had yet to pick up a scent. With the hot sun bearing down on the fully armored riders as they trotted over the road next to the river, Imoen had rolled out the map. “Okay, I think we're over here now. If we pass a village called 'Nine Ladies', we've gone too far.”

 

 

I don't think Khittix could really track anything with his nose. As far as I can recall, spider sense of smell is based on an array of chemical sensors.

 

“Give it to me,” Laska said as Imoen rode ahead, held her hand out and aimed towards Laska. Extreme cold lashed out and hit the elf's upper body. Her armor and little uncovered skin was soon covered with a thin layer of snow which quickly melted into cold water. “Ooooh, yeah... blisss...” Laska practically moaned.

 

 

What about that 6d4 cold damage, is that bliss too, or you can just switch that on and off? :)

 

Korgan chuckled. “Or maybe drowsy’s fragrant armpits ‘ere be thowin’ off ‘is nose?”

 

 

I very much doubt Korgan is able to smell anything outside the cloud of reeking stench that is constantly accompanying him!

 

Jan, having chosen to ride a small yet tenacious donkey, rubbed his beard with one hand. “I could, but I’d need some ratchets, a large brass gear, a small silver sprocket, a miller's stone, a glass-blower's pipe, several pots and pans, a housing made from oaken wood, a couple of pinecones, a small dog named Barky, five buskers singing the Tethyrian anthem on a C-note, a drow hair, an earth elemental in jar, some whale blubber, the whisker of a manatee, a beer-bong, at least three croquet balls and a giant mechanical bird with a tragic backstory. When you get me all of those parts, I'll be able to make you a superb drow detector! But it’ll probably end up just pointing towards Viconia all the time, so we probably shouldn't bother.”

 

 

I approve of the inclusion of the giant mechanical bird. I seem to recall you really liked that card.

 

“Follow that spider!” Laska said as she dismounted. The horsed would not be able to follow them into the thick underbrush, so after tying them to a nearby tree, the party quickly followed Khittix into the forest. Much to the party's delight, the forest was dense and cool. Khittix led them to the forest for several minutes until they came to a clearing near the bottom of a cliffside. The terrain, being near the Starspire mountains, was rather hilly and strewn with a few smaller mountains. Near the cliffside and at the end of the clearing was what looked like a ranger's cabin.

 

“Yeah,” Imoen whispered. “Something is off here.”

 

“I get what you mean,” said Laska. “The state of the cabin suggests nobody is living here, just someone clearly is.”

 

 

Minor quibble. Perhaps some simple description of the cabin showing that something visually looked off would have been helpful before the characters actually try to hammer that point home without us readers 'seeing' what they mean. :)

 

Khittix stopped at the edge of the forest, and pointed one leg towards the hovel. The hovel itself looked like it had been abandoned for decades, but recently claimed and re-inhabited. That in itself certainly wasn't an impossibility, but the whole thing felt off.

 

“Fire's coming from the chimney,” said Jan. “But no firewood anywhere around the cabin.”

 

“Whoever lives here hasn't bothered to fix the holes in the roof either,” said Sarevok, while Viconia carefully placed her hood over her head.

 

 

Yes, but what does it all point to?

 

Laska grabbed the male drow by the neck and pushed him into the wall of the cabin. “Give him to me,” said Laska in her most menacing voice as she drew a dagger from her belt and pressed it against his belly. “I like the taste of drow liver best when it’s still raw and bloody!”

 

 

Do  the drow actually bother with the 'no, no, we're not the barbaric evil ones, they are' spin? I always thought they would just go 'so they call us evil, huh? Whatever. We just kill them because they are weak and suck.'


The tunnel had a slight inclination downward as it went down for only about fifty meters. Once they emerged from the tunnel, they were standing right in the drow enclave, to everyone's surprise. And it was a lovely place. The main cavern was tall, wide and irregularly shaped. Most of the dwellings had been built into the side of the cavern, with several rows of apartments more to the back. Larger buildings were located in the middle of the cavern, along with pastures where rothe and spiders dwelt, as well as patches of cultivated giant mushrooms. There was low bluish light in the cavern, from lichen spread evenly on the walls. The entire settlement had a series of paved road and several reservoirs of water gathered from the river as they were being magically filtered. The entrance they had come from led them near a marketplace where many drow were gathered. These drow were not armored or armed, but were wearing normal clothes. Men, women and children were mulling about while craftsmen were at work or selling wares. The whole enclave was a village bustling with activity.

 

 

Time to knuckle down and start killing!

 

“This place is... beautiful,” Imoen gasped.

 

“I was expecting a group of battle-hardened mercenaries armed to the teeth,” said Laska. “These are just... people.”

 

 

Time's a wastin', Laska... you could have killed at least five people by now!

 

Word spread fast as the party pressed forward into the village, causing more of the drow to run off. Once they exited the marketplace, they passed a cute house, built right into the stone of the cavern. Around the house was a yard with stone enclosure, next to the house a small workshop with a potter's wheel. Two curious young drow girls rushed to the stone enclosure and leaned on it to see what all the fuss was about. Instantly, their father ran out to scoop the girls up and hurried inside the house. As the party passed, they were confronted by the mother of the family, clad in a grey dress as her long white hair hung loose. The woman was trembling, yet stood ready to defend her family with pitchfork in hand. It struck Laska how scared she looked, terrified even. Terrified of her.

 

 

Oh, I get it now. It's a clever spin on how Laska and her party are the violent and evil intruders upon a peaceful society of pacifistic drow. That is so confusing, man. You mean to say that our heroes can sometimes be the aggressors? :) Seriously, though, I like that this perspective is here. The closest I've come to feeling like it in the game is when raiding the xvart village and killing everyone to the last. Sendai's enclave in the game is pretty much 100% military outpost.

 

“Commoners who were exiled or outcasts for some reason. Refugees from the war Ardulace started in Ust Natha, perhaps,” said Viconia. “These were people who came here to start a new life. Perhaps this enclave was their last chance.”

 

“And we're here to end this enclave,” Jan frowned. “Kinda depressing when you think about it.”

 

 

Just don't think about it and treat these people like EXP points. :)

 

The compound was a large training area, complete with a pen for military riding lizards. The beasts paid the newcomers no mind and kept munching on whatever cadaverous flesh they were eating. To the left was what seemed to be a barracks and to the left was the temple of Lolth. Straight ahead was the great hall and the governess' mansion. That had to be where they would find Sendai. Truth be told, they had no idea what to expect, as Sendai had to be the most enigmatic of the Five. But if the other four were any indication, she would be just as dangerous.

 

 

Turns out, not really.

 

Jan and Imoen bombarded a group of mercenaries with magical death, setting them on fire. Sarevok let out a roar as she grabbed a screaming drow priestess by the hair and threw her right into one of her sisters, sending the both of them to the ground in a heap. By now, they started noticing that there were just as many drow combatants fleeing as there were fighting.

 

 

I wish I could bombard the drow with magical death. Their in game resistances were ridiculous.

 

Viconia grunted as she slammed her shield into that of a priestess before hitting her in the face with the hilt of her flail. “We've caught them completely by surprise! They think we're the vanguard of a larger force.”

 

“Their disarray is a sign of poor leadership,” Sarevok yelled as he waved his greatsword through the courtyard like a scythe. Most of the mercenaries fled through the gate behind them, no doubt on the run to deeper into the Underdark.

 

 

It doesn't look good on Sendai, I guess. Very low energy. ;)

 

“On it!” Laska yelled as she jumped forward, pushed her way in between two clerics and sending them both to the ground. The high-priestess was startled and, before she could raise her whip, was treated to a vicious slash across her chest with one sword, before cutting her into the face with the other. The high-priestess' expression was one of utter surprise as her whip fell to her hand. She sank to her knees and then fell face-down onto the ground.

 

 

Ooops. Poor Diyatha, she sure diad quickly.

 

What emerged from the darkness was a small female drow, a head shorter than Viconia. The woman bore a wizard's robe and brandished an adorned battle-staff. Though the robes were made to fit her, they still seemed to be too large to bear the person wearing them. She trembled as she held her staff and attempted to look menacing. This was Sendai.

 

Sendai didn’t look much like an evil drow matron with the blood of Bhaal running through her veins; in fact, she rather looked like a scared teenager ready to piss herself.

 

 

Sad. Weak. Low energy...


“The others,” said Sendai. Then, she pointed to several dead and dying mercenaries moaning on the ground. “And my own eyes. I won't allow you to kill me. There are people who need me! Yazfryn needs me! I will fight!”

 

 

Alright, so Laska's group invaded your enclave and killed a lot of your people. That doesn't prove anything! Oh... wait, maybe it does.

 

Just then, something big jumped off the room and landed on all eights right next to Sendai. The giant spider whom had just arrived hissed and spat at the party.

 

“Giant Spider!” Sarevok announced.

 

 

That was such a WTF thing to say I actually burst out laughing. Who the hell this guy thinks he is? A wrestling commentator? :D

 

A bolt streaked through the air and hit the giant spider in the thorax as the creature reared. The spider let out a shrill cry and fell backwards, ending up laying on its back as her legs started to fold inward.

 

 

1200XP to Jan!

 

Laska and the others looked on in stunned silence as the evil drow matron they had expected was crying like a little girl as she was cradling the dying spider.

 

“Uhm,” Jan muttered. “Does anyone else feel like a heel right about now?”

 

 

Because YOU shot the spider?

 

Just then, the high-priestess from before suddenly rose up. Bloodied and staggering, the snarling cleric had partially healed herself and positioned herself between Sendai and Laska, pushing Viconia away. “Away!” the high-priestess yelled as blood ran down the side of her head. “Mistress, flee! I shall hold them off!”

 

 

Wow, does she want to be killed for real? Mind you, it's good to see her up and alive. 


Much to Diaytha's distress, Sendai walked over to Laska while Lariaz stood next to her, hissing slightly at the tattooed elf. “It's me you're here for,” said Sendai. “We are both Bhaalspawn... sisters, right? If I... surrender myself to you, will you spare my people?”

 

“Awww,” Imoen smiled. “Laska, can we keep her? She's so cute!”

 

 

No, we already have one drow, and remember how hard it was to potty train her? Think of how much of a mess two drow would make!

 

Laska crossed her arms. “I... I wasn't really expecting things to go down this way when we infiltrated this enclave. I was expecting an army of enemies to defeat with you at the end of it. I wasn't expecting... innocent civilians and you being... nice,” Laska sighed. “Sometimes adventuring is incredibly complicated.”

 

 

Only if you stop to think about it.

 

“Well, this is a fine turn of events,” said Jan. “Those evil drow we sought turned out to be nice. Interestingly enough, my uncle Arne Jansen had a bit of the opposite as of late. He has travelling through the forests of Tethyr when he came across a gathering of saucy wood-nymphs giggling and bathing in the forest. So, being a hot-blooded gnome, he quickly took off his clothes and joined them in the stream. The nymphs themselves weren't all that happy to be suddenly sharing a stream with a slightly overweight balding gnome and just as he was giving one particular nymph a complement because her breasts resembled a pair of turnips, they grabbed him by the limbs and started dragging him to a nearby swamp. After throwing him in the murky water and stomping off, he was beset by a slathering swamp hag! Now, this hag had the single most beautiful nose he had even seen and instantly asked for her hand in marriage. My cousins are rather nice, but their skin's a bit greenish, you see?”

 

Sendai blinked. “Is he... always like this?”

 

Laska shrugged. “Pretty much continuously.”

 

 

When he's not shooting your spider to death.

 


The future teaches you to be alone
The present to be afraid and cold


#3 Weyoun

Posted 07 January 2017 - 04:41 PM

---I don't think Khittix could really track anything with his nose. As far as I can recall, spider sense of smell is based on an array of chemical sensors.

 
I've always joked that Khittix was more of a dog than a spider, so this image of Khittix being a pointer was kinda part of that.
---What about that 6d4 cold damage, is that bliss too, or you can just switch that on and off? :)
Pffft, it's only 6d4. :)

 
---I approve of the inclusion of the giant mechanical bird. I seem to recall you really liked that card.

 
Hell, yeah, it's great!

 
---Minor quibble. Perhaps some simple description of the cabin showing that something visually looked off would have been helpful before the characters actually try to hammer that point home without us readers 'seeing' what they mean. :)

 
Yeah, come to think of it, that was a bit of a fail wasn't it? I think I should try to amend that at some point, improve the flow.

 
---Do the drow actually bother with the 'no, no, we're not the barbaric evil ones, they are' spin? I always thought they would just go 'so they call us evil, huh? Whatever. We just kill them because they are weak and suck.'

 
---Time's a wastin', Laska... you could have killed at least five people by now!

 
Good thing that she didn;t/ :)

 

 
---Oh, I get it now. It's a clever spin on how Laska and her party are the violent and evil intruders upon a peaceful society of pacifistic drow. That is so confusing, man. You mean to say that our heroes can sometimes be the aggressors? :) Seriously, though, I like that this perspective is here. The closest I've come to feeling like it in the game is when raiding the xvart village and killing everyone to the last. Sendai's enclave in the game is pretty much 100% military outpost.

 
That's exactly it. In TnT, the enclave is sort of 80% civilian, 20% military. And not all the military is on board with the mercenaries. By now, Laska is so powerful that even if the civilians decided to put up a fight, she would carve through the lot of them with ease. As it stands, Laska's sensibilities are a hero are sort of thrown into question as she's generally not someone who pillages a town.

 
---don't think about it and treat these people like EXP points. :)

 
Run, run, my delicious little chunks of EXP!

 
---I wish I could bombard the drow with magical death. Their in game resistances were ridiculous.

 
Still better than the original game. Viconia had 50% magic resistance, and in BG1 original, that included friendly spells. I've lost her a couple of times because healing spells fizzeled out.

 
---It doesn't look good on Sendai, I guess. Very low energy. ;)

 
Low energy. Loser. Sad. #Buildthewall

 
---Ooops. Poor Diyatha, she sure diad quickly.

 
Not quite, but she's no match for Laska.

 
---Sad. Weak. Low energy...

 
#MakeDrowGreatAgain

 
---Alright, so Laska's group invaded your enclave and killed a lot of your people. That doesn't prove anything! Oh... wait, maybe it does.

 
Yep, right now, Sendai has no reasons to doubt her people's lore about elves.

 
---That was such a WTF thing to say I actually burst out laughing. Who the hell this guy thinks he is? A wrestling commentator? :D

 
Heheh, that made me chuckle. Imagine Sarevok announcing JOHN CENA! Ta-tara-taaaa! Ta-tara-taaaa!

 
---Because YOU shot the spider?

 
---Wow, does she want to be killed for real? Mind you, it's good to see her up and alive. 

 
Ultimately, Diaytha is a very loyal person.

 
---No, we already have one drow, and remember how hard it was to potty train her? Think of how much of a mess two drow would make!

 
Viconia just asked me for your address. I don't think I should give it to her. :)

 

 

 

 

TnT Enhanced Edition: http://www.fanfictio...rds-and-Tempers

---
Sith Warrior - Master, I can sense your anger.

Darth Baras - A blind, comotose lobotomy-patient could sense my anger!

---

"The New Age? It's just the old age stuck in a microwave oven for fifteen seconds" - James Randi

#4 Laufey

Posted 13 February 2017 - 10:28 PM

 

After five days of travel to the Sulduskoon River, and three days of painstakingly combing the area along the riverbanks near confirmed drow sightings, fuses quickly ran short and tempers ran high. So far, the party had no luck actually tracking down the drow.

 

The most promising lead was a small village which had had contact with a drow raiding party. Khittix was putting his nose to work by walking ahead of the horses, scouring the side of the road for any scents. Though the spider's tracking skills were beyond reproach, even Khittix had his limits and had yet to pick up a scent. With the hot sun bearing down on the fully armored riders as they trotted over the road next to the river, Imoen had rolled out the map. “Okay, I think we're over here now. If we pass a village called 'Nine Ladies', we've gone too far.”

​I'm trying to imagine a spider's nose now. I think I may have to ask our Mutual Druid Friend to give me a lecture.

 

Jan, having chosen to ride a small yet tenacious donkey, rubbed his beard with one hand. “I could, but I’d need some ratchets, a large brass gear, a small silver sprocket, a miller's stone, a glass-blower's pipe, several pots and pans, a housing made from oaken wood, a couple of pinecones, a small dog named Barky, five buskers singing the Tethyrian anthem on a C-note, a drow hair, an earth elemental in jar, some whale blubber, the whisker of a manatee, a beer-bong, at least three croquet balls and a giant mechanical bird with a tragic backstory. When you get me all of those parts, I'll be able to make you a superb drow detector! But it’ll probably end up just pointing towards Viconia all the time, so we probably shouldn't bother.”

​Yeah, leveling Engineering is always awful.

The elf pointed at Laska and his face twisted in a mask of unadulterated rage.

 

“What?” Laska blinked. “What did I do?!”

 

“LEAVE!” the weird elf snarled and raised his swords.

​You killed his father, prepare to die!

 

Word spread fast as the party pressed forward into the village, causing more of the drow to run off. Once they exited the marketplace, they passed a cute house, built right into the stone of the cavern. Around the house was a yard with stone enclosure, next to the house a small workshop with a potter's wheel. Two curious young drow girls rushed to the stone enclosure and leaned on it to see what all the fuss was about. Instantly, their father ran out to scoop the girls up and hurried inside the house. As the party passed, they were confronted by the mother of the family, clad in a grey dress as her long white hair hung loose. The woman was trembling, yet stood ready to defend her family with pitchfork in hand. It struck Laska how scared she looked, terrified even. Terrified of her.

 

The mother pointed the pitchfork at them as they passed. Once the female decided they were not going to invade their home, she quickly withdrew inside the house. The door fell shut followed sound of a heavy bar falling into place. A few moments later, all lights were killed.

 

This wasn't the only house this was happening. All the drow withdrew into their houses, closed and barred the door, then killed the lights. The entire vibrant village had become dead and lifeless in less than a minute.

​I guess you haven't got Hero status here yet!

 

“Well, this was easy,” said Jan. “Of course, after giants, an army of mercenaries and a boatload of dragons, I don't think a couple of drow could top that. Now, maybe if they were knife-wielding monkeys...”

 

“Quiet,” hissed Viconia. “Don't underestimate the drow. We have no idea what we'll find inside the... ”

​Yes, if you think about it, Sendai's Enclave isn't as impressive by comparison. After all, your party slaughtered hordes of drow way back in Ust Natha.

 

“The others,” said Sendai. Then, she pointed to several dead and dying mercenaries moaning on the ground. “And my own eyes. I won't allow you to kill me. There are people who need me! Yazfryn needs me! I will fight!”

​Mmm yes, first impression somewhat ruined...

 

 

A bolt streaked through the air and hit the giant spider in the thorax as the creature reared. The spider let out a shrill cry and fell backwards, ending up laying on its back as her legs started to fold inward.

 

Instantly, Sendai let her weapon fall to the ground. Her bravado forgotten, she rushed to the fallen spider and wrapped her arms around it. “LARRIAZ!” the small drow cried out her denial as she burst into tears. “NO! No, no, no, no, NO!”

​Awwwww. :(

Laska and the others looked on in stunned silence as the evil drow matron they had expected was crying like a little girl as she was cradling the dying spider.

 

“Uhm,” Jan muttered. “Does anyone else feel like a heel right about now?”

 

“Yeah,” Imoen muttered.

 

Much to Diaytha's distress, Sendai walked over to Laska while Lariaz stood next to her, hissing slightly at the tattooed elf. “It's me you're here for,” said Sendai. “We are both Bhaalspawn... sisters, right? If I... surrender myself to you, will you spare my people?”

 

“Awww,” Imoen smiled. “Laska, can we keep her? She's so cute!”

​Yes, she is, but I think she isn't combat ready!

 

 

 


Rogues do it from behind.





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