Faeryl

After endless nights of disjointed and fractured visions some semblance of what they meant eventually came to me. I have no doubt Lloth was probing my mind in my reverie, sending me messages, giving me clues. But as is her way, she did not make things easy. Why should she? This after all is just another test to weed out the weaklings so only the strongest survive. I will not fail her, I will not fail myself!

I sought out Xun’riia told her of my visions. I told her we would do this together, that we would rule. This was despite the fact that she has frozen me out from her own challenge. She is on a quest to capture and control a living soul. Through Les’tran she bargained for the ritual scroll of capture. When I read it I was filled with dread. I pointed out all the dangers, all the things that could go wrong, yet still she refused my help. Even when I pointed out that I, more powerful than her, would baulk at such a ritual she still refused. She is stubborn and determined to prove herself to me and to Lloth. She thinks I doubt her but when I look at the scar on my left palm, I know I have no doubts.

Now I know where to find a hidden scroll that will lead us to the Skull of the Arch Mage. Let Vierna pursue the first way through the Tomes of Sin. I have found another way, let the race begin! I described my visions to Xun’riia and we agreed that the cave we sought was the one known as Despise. This is why I need my Xun, as a surface born Drow her knowledge of locations is much better than mine. Hidden somewhere in that cave is the scroll we need.

The fetid stench of troll and ogre was already high as we approached the entrance to the cave. We would not linger in this place for longer than necessary. As we went deeper into the cave we were attacked by a bunch of two-headed monstrosities called ettins. They were no match against our Lloth given powers and we soon reached a troll camp. Again they were no match to our magic and the camp was soon littered with their stinking corpses. We searched long and hard and eventually found what we sought. A rotting box which contained a tattered scroll!

Xun’riia read through the scroll and told me what it said. I read it for myself and felt both elation and disappointment. I read it through again….

The Tomes are lost seeker? Or so you think? Perhaps it is well I also made other provisions. You want the Skull of the Ancient Arch Mage? The you shall have it. The fact that you read this scroll means you are worthy in essence because only a vision from one who is pure evil could send you here.

But seeker, hear this and hear this well, the path is not easy. Six scrolls you must find, six riddles you must answer, six tasks you must complete. Each scroll leads to the next until the final one leads you to what you seek.

Go seeker find the first scroll. It hidden in a cave that is not honour.

Nidmoan the wizard

Bah! Humans and their games and riddles! We headed home. Xun’riia would solve the riddle, I was confident of that.

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Faeryl

Things are getting black again and I feel cold, why is that? I am on the way to gaining the Skull and yet I am miserable. Is it because I need Xun’riia’s help and she’s not there? She has her own challenge, this I know. One she has shut me from, one she says will prove how worthy she is to Lloth and me. But does it go deeper than that? Is she going to betray me after all?

Why do I feel cold? No, not the cold of the atmosphere, an inner coldness that I have never experienced before. I need Xun’s help; she knows the surface better than me. She said she would, she knows I will share all with her, yet she grows distant. Is this why I am so cold? Is this a sign, a warning? Her quest to capture a living soul is so important to her, so engrosses her, so much so that she has kept even Les’tran from me. This return of blackness, this coldness that engulfs me, what is Lloth telling me? Xun’riia are you going to betray me?

So black, so cold. Lloth help me! You know it is my destiny to rule and I want my Xun’riia by my side when I do. But if she betrays me…so cold, so black. I look at the scar on my left palm, it tells me nothing. I look inside myself and see my heart is black, but it has always been. I am cold and not even the power Lloth grants me can warm me. Xun…. Xun… why are you going to betray me?

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Faeryl

I was wrong! My Xun’riia had no plans to betray me, she would never betray me I can see that now. She is gone for now but not as a means to betray me. No. Lloth is testing her, the Divine One has other plans for her and failure is not an option. I pray to Lloth for my Xun, for my soulmate. She will do all that Lloth requires of her and then she will come back to me and my life will be complete again.

So now I have thrown myself completely into my studies, my experiments and my search for the Skull. The search stalls again. I need someone who knows this world well. May be I will need to go outside my race. May be I need a human to help in this search. May be my experiments will help in this. I need a human that will not know or understand why and for what I search. For the moment my experiments take my mind off things but I must not lose sight of my final goal!

It is notoriously hard for a Drow female to become pregnant. There are three reasons for this. Firstly our natural lifespan of over 1000 human years lessons the need to breed constantly. The shorter the lifespan the greater the need to breed to ensure the continued existence of the species. Secondly, it is important that we females, especially those who like myself are of noble birth, select the right male to breed with. The blood of the nobility must never be tainted or diluted in anyway. Finally, the males themselves are extremely infertile. This has evolved through time as a self-preservation mechanism. The male knows he will die the moment the female conceives. That is the way of the Drow.

Rats breed by the million because their life is so short and humans are no different and yet the irony of it all is that they are inhibited by it. Why are the females ashamed of their bodies, embarrassed to be seen naked? They are ashamed and embarrassed if seen copulating or even talking about it. They think something that gives such great pleasure is wrong. They even think it wrong to touch themselves. So inhibited are they it is a wonder they can breed at all! And pain. Why can they not understand that pain can bring out even greater pleasure?

So I have acquired some slaves to experiment on. Find out why these inhibitions exist and take them away completely. Teach them to embrace pain and convert it into the most pleasurable of all sensations. The two younger ones I have hopes for and I will shape them the way I want them to be. The other, although not much older, is becoming a lost cause, she will be discarded and die. I will also introduce them to my pet demon. It shall breed with them and I shall see what spawns. It may well be that whatever spawns can only enhance my power and standing in the eyes of Lloth.

Ah Xun’riia, wish you were with me now. You so much enjoyed the giving and taking of pain. You would have enjoyed helping me in what I am doing. Come back soon and join me!

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