Ironworks Gaming Forum - Dragon Revived, Chapter 1- Surprises from the Past

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"I know. I was just questioning the wisdom of a vacuum mage. Planars... can be somewhat... odd at times. I just hope Alaerth doesn't lose his temper with him. There are several other issues at hand. Concerning the Underdark, specifically as one."

After Sylquis had discussed the necessary details, she cancled the spell, leaving Alliene thoughtful and frowning. What Sylquis had told her was not totally unsuspected, but could cause difficulties. What concerned her the least, was the fact that her one-time cousin had dissapeared with dire warnings...

Time resumed, and everything returned to normal. Arlyth rose, and walked over to Alaerth, and embraced her briefly, looking up at her, and asking if she was hurt.

(edit, wrong twin)

[ 09-14-2003, 04:04 PM: Message edited by: Calaethis Dragonsbane ]

Alaerth looked somewhat uncomfortable at being hugged by Arlyth. Afterall, the only people who ever hugged him were his sister and Sylquis, and Verloren, before she died. He patted the young elf awkwardly on the head,
"Ah, my arm was wounded, but your aunty healed it for me." He assured him, then looked from Alliene to Gus, "A mage would be nice to have when you leave us, aunty. If you summoned him, I think I can trust him."

Arlyth looked at the floor rather then at his cousin. He could tell he wasn't happy with his spur of the moment embrace, and he made a mental note not to do it again. He didn't speak, knowing that it would be rude to interupt his cousin, or his aunt. Sylquis's eyes held an amused light in them.

Alliene frowned, then gestured to Alaerth,
"Come, nephew, your sister would probably like our help." Alaerth nodded and crossed the room to her, wrapping an arm around her waist. Alliene looked at Gus, "Come with us, so you can meet the princess." The three exited the room.

Arlyth sighed, and walked over to his aunt, who sat back down on the bed, and pulled the child into her lap. Wrapping her arms around him, she gently stroked his hair, rocking him with soothing motions and sounds. "Go back to sleep, my child; with luck, no-one else will disturb you this night. Do not fear, I will stay here and watch over you as you sleep; no harm will come to you." Arlyth nodded, and let himself drift off in his aunt's arms. Sylquis put him back to bed, dimmed the lights and waited for Alae to return.

Until now gus had followed silentily, observing everyone's actions so that he could understand them better... The one called Arlyth was obviously excentric upon first impression... livin in his nightgown like some playboy... and that girl... Sylquis wasn't that her name? quite the looker she was... AH but wait... "Hopefully no one can read my mind..." Gus thought to himself. He saw the cooridors lead to no end.

"So you want someone to accompany some twins eh? Alaerth and his sister? For your information I can open many a portal, myself, Infact, should anyone come into a dangerouse situation... that needed protecting, if there was no spell powerfull enought to conjur... I probably could wisk them away at a moment's notice... err... so far as they got into the worm- err i mean the portal I created... Infact mrs... Alliene, isn't it? I see you're an elf... I met some Etherial elves once, they were really strange. I'm glad to see not all elves are just walking talking heads... hehe..."

Just then Gus noticed that it he was growing tired from all of the day's happenings.

"Would it be too much trouble for me to... say... rest somewhere? I won't need much... Just a nice hard floor... I haven't really walked on a floor in a while... Oh and another question... Alaerth... What's it smell like around here?"
http://mitglied.lycos.de/halcyon/OEKAKI66.gif

ooc-eh, its kewl, but it goes by too fast. Now u know the rules, get rid of that ooc.

Alliene merely growled at being called an elf. She was drow, not elven! Alaerth told him where he could sleep, one of the guest rooms on the second floor.
"Whats it smell like?" He asked incredulously, "Well...it doesn't really...fresh, I guess."

*sighs* Yes Jabbress. Ok, since no-ones saying anything, I think I'll do some DMing :D . If you don't like it, you can always talk to me over AIM, and I'll edit LB, but lets speed this up, somewhat, shall we? (I hope you don't mind me borrowing Alliene for a while - I would have asked you, but you weren't on AIM last night before I turned in.)

Gus easily found his way to the guest room, and didn't encounter a soul. With a few brief words, Alaerth left to find his sister, and Alliene went back to her chambers. Knowing that she would not react well if she was disturbed, Alaerth informed one of the servants to warn the others to stay away from her until morning.

Sylquis continued her vigil over Arlyth, until she was sure he sound asleep, and then left him alone in his room, walking into the next and renewed the alerts. If someone tried to enter, she'd know about it. Then she meditated...

~~~

Arlyth, as it happened, was not asleep, and had been waiting for his aunt to leave him in peace. There was something he wished to do... it had been nagging at him since he'd gotten to this place. Swiftly, he dressed, and cast Dimension Door...

~~~

Alliene was surprised, and somewhat irritated to find the "golden one"'s son within her quarters upon her return. She felt the trace of magic as she entered the room; before the wards had been reset. Snarling, she demanded what he wanted. His reply, startled her to say the least...

"Close the doors, Alliene." Arlyth told her softly, "I would speak with you alone... for a few moments. There is something you should know..." Although Alliene was loathe to do so; and would rather throw the brat out, something in his tone made her realise that what he had to say was important. She closed the doors, and told him to get on with it if he valued his hide. The young elf smiled at this, and walked over to his aunt. Softly, he began...

"Alliene... I would tell you many things, I would ask that you not interupt until I'm done;" then he threw his arms around her, catching her offguard. The young elf looked up into the drow's eyes, and Alliene found she couldn't move. "Matron, perhaps I should start at the begining... ever since I heard of you... I have wanted to meet you..." he snarled, "Father was a fool. He was a mistake. I am here to ratisfy that. Had the idiot done as he should he could have been great; he could have had power. Instead he threatened to kill you... there is no way he could have done..." Arlyth's tone held both contempt and disgust. "He should have served you, mistress. You are a living goddess..."

The elf's eyes had filled with a dark light; "His tainted blood... it sickens me. It flows through my viens... I would beg to serve you; accept me, mistress. Claim me as your own; let me call you Mother... to serve a living goddess..." he continued, his voice barely more then a whisper, "None can stand in your way; your path is one of greatness. That interferring meddler awoke my father's taint, and this altered me." He snarled, obviously referring to Calaethis's deity. "You could change that... you could make me who I was meant to be... Calaethis should have served you; as I wish to." placing his head on her shoulder, Arlyth looked at her gills, whispering in her ear, "Let me serve you, Dark One. Make me whole, please, I beg you. All you need do is take a knife, and spill a few drops of blood; merging it with mine..." the elf swallowed, "It would renew the blood bond between us; it would make us kin... claim me as your own, and I shall worship you with the respect you deserve. I shall be your servant; your hound... your arm. Whatever you desire, I shall obey." his irises had turned twilight, and were shifting in colour; they were almost crimson. "When you accend, you will need a vassle upon this prime; let me be it! I shall slay your enemies... were I to reclaim my father's old sword... it would accept me because of my blood; his blood within me... I would bend it to my will; and with your blood inside me, I would be whole; as I was meant to be; I would become a vessal of destruction; in your name, I would slay all who opposed you; with your aid, I could conquer the Underdark!"

The young elf paused, allowing his words to sink in. He began again, "Mistress, my father is a fool... what is in his heart reflects the form he takes when he takes the golden form; behold mine! Behold my true form!" Arlyth releashed his aunt, and jumped back, and before her eyes, he became a shadow; in elven form. His eyes were glowing crimson, and draconic, almost batlike, shadowy wings sprung from his back. His hands became clawed, and he grew to a height of 6'. "The taint reflects what is truly in our hearts, Alliene. This is what I am..." Arlyth's eyes burned with a lust for power, "Accept me, mistress, and I shall serve you... I shall do as my father should have done. Choose, Alliene. Choose to correct an error that never should have happened; accept me as your own, Dark Mother; you are a living goddess
!" Arlyth was on his knees, at her feet and his form shifted back to his elven one, his eyes still crimson, the colour of a drow's eyes. Dropped to one knee, in front of her; he kissed the floor and whispered, "You deserve to be worshiped; you deserve respect. The others are foolish not to see this... I will serve, if you but accept my allegiance. I will reject my father, as you have done; reject his pathetic goddess, and I shall reject the name he bestowed upon me; and assume the name 'Zaknirahc’d'... I only ask for the chance to serve you, nothing more..." still on the floor, Arlyth waited for Alliene's responce, knowing she would probably kill him. He finished, "Do to me what you will; whatever you desire, I live only to serve you..."

His head still bowed, Alliene couldn't see his face; but this was not Calaethis.

OOC: Yes, I know this is long, but I was at college, and well... I had an hour before a lecture; and I was itching to get this off my back. I'm looking forward to Alliene's reply.

Alliene stared down at the elf. While his desire for power was admirable, she wanted nothing to do with him or his draconic blood. As much as he claimed to hate his father's blood, there was no surpassing Alliene's own. She reached down and caught the front of his tunic, dragging him up until he was eye level with her.
"There are some things you should understand, little golden one." she said in a deadly tone, "Chosen I may be by Shar, but I am no goddess. My people worship me out of fear, and the fear and power of the First House, not because I follow a Goddess and will one day become her. No one of my house knows this. If they did, I wouldn't be Matron." She released his shirt and dropped him to the ground, "Furthermore, I despise your father and his blood." She leaned down, her eyes narrowed, "I would rather slit my throat then bind myself to it again. Despite what you say, you are his blood, and I don't want it in me, or near me." He crouched next to him, taking his chin roughly in her hand "And one more thing you should remember well. The underdark belongs to the drow, elf, and always will. We have destroyed every resistance and opposition against our rule. You are not worthy to try, much less take a drow name." She released him then stood and opened the door, "If you want to serve me, then help my sister's children. Now, get out, before I throw you out." As he stood and walked by her, she said in a whisper, "And if you assume that form in front of me again, I'll kill you." She took the hilt of her flail and shoved it roughly against his back, shoving him out. As the door closed he could feel magic settle over the room. She had warded it, and knowing her favorite spell, it probably wouldn't be a good idea to try and open it.

[ 09-15-2003, 02:51 PM: Message edited by: Lady Blue03 ]

OOC: ok LB. I'm at college too atm. Will post a quick reply.
Arlyth looked up at the drow, and whispered, "Perhaps not yet; but you will be one." he meant the part about becoming a deity. "You could remove my tainted blood... you could remove my curse..." he hissed, "Allow me to serve you, please, I beg of you." his eyes flared, and he whispered finally, "Give me the power to destroy my father... let me slay him." his eyes were burning crimson. "Let me prove myself worthy, mistress..." The elf whispered, as Alliene took him by the chin. His eyes held no fear in them, and as she threw him out, he hissed, "I will not forget this rejection, Drow; I shall seek power by myself then. Then in front of her eyes, he formed a dimension door, and dissappeared...

~~~

Arlyth did not arrive back at his chambers; nor at Alae's. Already fully armed and dressed, he arrived in a place of darkness. Blacker then the night sky; he was underground. He was in the Underdark. He smiled. Alliene was more foolish then she realised, and she would be very angry to discover that he had a drop of her blood. When he had hugged her, he had used his innate wild talents to make a miniscule cut in her, so slight, she would not have felt any pain, nor even detected it. Resealing the wound after, she would never know. She would kill him, if she ever found out, but unless she knew; she would not. Arlyth drew his wakazashi, and slit open his wrist. Placing the drop of Alliene's blood into his opened viens, he raised it to his lips and drank. The blood merged together, and the elf felt a change come over him...

~~~

OOC: Arlyth now has the abilty to change into a Drow, 1/day. His eyes turn crimson red, and his hair goes white; in effect, he is like a negative as opposed to his elven self. He retains his shadow-dragon humanoid, but each time he shifts to dragon, it causes him immense pain, -15 HP each time. He also has a 15% chance of going beserk. In addition, he now has access to his drow spell abilities, which he can access as both elf and drow. He has also gained the ability to cause "lesser gaes" by placing some of his blood into another humaniod's; this causes harm to him, and the target gains a saving throw, but if failed, they are placed under a lesser gaes and recieve a save vs domination. If they fail that, they are under Arlyth's control for the spell duration, as well as the gaes. Note that this won't work on PCs, Major NPCs, or any other important character.

~~~

Arlyth smiled grimly to himself. Now all he needed was his father's old sword. He had enough magic and power from Alliene's blood. More of it would have given him more power; but he could live with what he had for now... He smiled to himself, and used his ranger skills to hide in the darkness. Soon Alliene would know exactly how foolish her actions were. He would still serve her, in his own way, but... his musings were cut short. He heard a small scurrying sound some feet away from him. At least fifty. He went to investigate... a small band of deep gnomes, Svirfneblin. Only about seven of them. Arlyth hungered to test out his new abitilies, but was curious for information. The leader wore chainmail, and was surprised to see a 5'7 elf appear out of the shadows, his five companions armed in chain as well, bearing crossbows and axes; the sixth, bearing a hammer. It was a female. Arlyth glared at the leader, and hissed, "Little Svirfneblin; tell me, where is the nearest Drow city?" The gnome swallowed, and his female companion whispered, 'He is filled with darkness! He would slay us all! He is as bad as the Drow... I sense a tain..." she never finished. An icy knife slammed into her throat, slaying her; but not instantly. Choking, she fell to her knees, and suffocated. "Tell me, where is the nearest Drow emcampment!" snarled Arlyth. As predicted they attacked. Arlyth deflected three crossbow bolts, using his wild talent, and released his lance of disruption, slaying the remaining five companions of the leader. Slashing at the last gnome, Arlyth commanded "Tell me, and I'll make this quick." The gnome whimpered, "Dark One, show mercy, we did nothing to you... and you attack us... you are... as they are... I... shall not tell you..." Five minuets later, the gnome told Arlyth where the city was. The Svirfneblin died painfully shortly afterwards.

Arlyth left with a smile on his face. He had looted the corpses, and discovered little of value on them, save for a few minor gems, which he took. Bloodstone, they were. Quite rare in the Underdark, but they suited him. Arlyth was growing somewhat tired by now, and decided to rest. Finding a suitable spot did not take him long, and after four hours, he was well rested. A hook horror was foolish enough to cross his path when he awoke, and the creature died painfully. However, it marked the elf by catching a bite on his left forearm; nothing serious, though it drew blood. Angrily, Arlyth shifted to his draconic form, wincing as he did so, and cast another dimension door...

The Svirfneblin had been lying. There was no drow city; only an emcampment. Arlyth swore, but hidden in the shadows, he could see a drow priestess. Or a handmaiden; whatever she was, she was female. And quite beautiful, though she looked cruel. She had several guards fairly close by to her, for the emcampement was not that well defended, but had a few huts. The stench of goblin blood was near. So, that was the Svirfneblin's game. Send him to goblins to be slain. He should have made him suffer for longer. Arlyth snarled. There were only ten guards in all, and a head male. There were some slaves too. Gnomes. Petty fools. Arlyth attacked a guard. Ripping him to threads, the drow was unable to scream a warning. The shadowy-elven form moved onto the next guard, and then another before a warning was finally screamed. The drow reacted instantly, but were unable to find the shadow. The priestess/handmaiden cast a spell, but Arlyth's non-detection cloak kept him from sight. The drow rushed around their female, forming a shield wall with their bodies. Arlyth smiled. He appeared a few feet from them, still in draconic form. "I have slain many of your warriors, female. They were petty and weak."
The female snarled back, "You will suffer for that, demon! What is it that you want?! Tell me before I send you back to hell!" Arlyth shifted back to his newly aquired drow form. "I wish to strike a deal with you... let me join you, and I shall serve you, in exchange for power."
"You can strike from the shadows, demon, but can you face a warrior in combat? Slay my first male, and then we shall talk." the drow female was wary, now that she could see how much damage Arlyth could do. The head male charged forwards into burning hands, and then felt the cut of Arlyth's katana upon his flesh. After a furious exchange of blows, leaving Arlyth somewhat wounded, but not overly so, the first male was dead. "You fight well... with style and grace... who are you, male?" the female asked, her tone curious now. "And tell me why I shouldn't finish you off in your weakened state! You obviously have magic... and are not weak. Perhaps I could use you; but you are no match for the rest of my force."
Arlyth grinned, "Is that so?" he asked, his manner betraying his youthful overconfidence; as he lured them into thinking he'd let his guard down. "I am Zaknirahc’d, and you are to send a message to the First House underneath the human city of Neverwinter. You are to tell them what has happened here today. And you are to tell them to fear the darkness that comes for them." The female stared at him in disgust, and open revoluion, "You cocky, snide, overconfident little bratling; you shall taste my fury! GUARDS! FI!" she never finished the word fire, as a lance of disruption struck her, and the rest of the guards. It slew the males, and left her dying. Arlyth walked over to her, and knelt down beside her, taking out her own dagger, and impaling her wrist with it; first one, then the other. When he was satisified she couldn't move, he told her, "You are a fool. And now you shall pay the price." Ripping open her studded leather armour with a knife, the young elf exposed the centre of the drow's chest, and punched her, and seized her jaw. Looking into her eyes, he told her his message. Taking out her hidden boot dagger, Arlyth plunged it into the centre of the drow's chest, not enough to kill her, but to leave her in agony for days before she could remove it. "We shall meet again, and you shall serve me." he told her, and pressed his wounded arm to her lips, making her bruised lips (from the punch) draw blood, and his melded with hers. "Now you are mine." he hissed. "Obey me."
"Yes, my master..." came her reply. Arlyth pulled the daggers from her, and commanded, "Now heal me. I must return before I am missed." "Yes, my master." Came the drow's reply, and she healed him, and herself at his command. Arlyth cast dimension door again, leaving her to her task...

~~~

The boy returned to his Aunt's chambers, knowing Alliene would be most displeased to hear the news of his infiltration of the Underdark upon her return. It would take the girl at least two weeks to get there...

Smiling, he cast a spell upon the lock, and the door exploded. Walking into Alliene's chambers, he stalked up to her, and eyes crimson, he whispered, "And now, we are one..." and turned into a drow before her very eyes. With a scream of rage, Alliene drew her swords, and slashed at the elf's neck, severing his head from his shoulders...

~~~

Arlyth awoke screaming. A voice sounded within his head, "You have a choice, child. That is one path you could chose... and repeat the errors of your father... or, you can learn from his mistakes; and ignore revenge. The choice is yours... The voice in his head ended, and he saw Sylquis looking over him. He was covered in sweat, and was trembling uncontrolably. Sitting down, his aunt put her arms around him, and pulled the young elf into her lap, and asked softly, "Nightmares, my child?" Arlyth only nodded.

Edit, tsk, couldn't you have waited for Arlyth to say the above and THEN posted the rest? Now it looks like Arlyth's taking to a bloody door!!! And just for that, you get this lovely long (almost pointless) post.
Edit 2: Black doesn't show up; red does.

[ 09-16-2003, 05:30 PM: Message edited by: Calaethis Dragonsbane ]