The Journal is relatively new, only detailing the priestesses journey from her home city of Nym'Qeldan with a retinue. She was apparently the third daughter of five, though there may have been an elder sister who disappeared early in the drow's life. Though there are no dates in the journal, reading through the pages you believe that all of the events have happened within the last year.
"I wake from my revelry and survey the vault of Nym’Qeldan. As the cycle starts, the glow of Faerzress fills the vault with warm reds, violets, and indigos. I contemplate my decision, should I leave all that I have known in pursuit of this power one of my eyes and ears reported. This Blackflame or Blackfire seems able to open rifts in the Veil, allowing the summoning of demons without Divine Lolth’s spells. As Third Daughter, now Second Daughter, this ability could be used to tip the scales in my favor when Mother finally passes. The fact that this mage was seen in the duergar city of Hagegraf, far above us in Nar Voth, likely means that the human Blackfire wielder lives on the surface, under the hated sun. Still, though the way will be long and arduous, this power intrigues me. I will have my envoys arrange a meeting with these “Blackfire Adepts”.
We are finally ready to depart the Vault, I take one more look around to savor the sights and sounds. The southern plantations, where the salves of Houses great and small toil in the fields. All roads in the vault lead the city of Nym’Qeldan, which rests under the great northern shelf, where our home, and the homes of the other great houses lie, and beyond the Great Houses, the tunnel to the Fane of Lolth, our True Queen.
We pass through the city, divided into ghettos, each placed under the control of a Great House and travel through the fungus farms and rothe pens of the Vault. Our path takes us out the western tunnel, and we pass the training grounds of our warriors. The sight and sound of boys being put through their paces, sweat dripping off their bodies, but I cannot tarry enough to make a visit worthwhile. This expedition is not looked upon kindly by Mother or my eldest sister, who see it as a mad scheme. If I give them time enough, they could recall my band before I gain the power I seek.
Now in the wilds of Sekmania, I must rely on the tunnel stalker to trace the path. The Tunnel Stalkers also have a unique sense of cycles, so that the prayers to Lolth may progress at their appropriate times. We travel one cycle west and another cycle south, avoiding the smaller side tunnels until we make it to the outer fortress, where we can stay in the House barracks safe from the wilds of Sekmania. While the southern passage from the Vault of Nym’Qeldan might save a day, I prefer not to interact with the creatures guarding that way.
From the Outer Fortress, two days south brings us close to the Shrine of the Alghollthu. While close observation have failed to detect even one of the masters, even over the course of several generations of the kuo-toans, our city has taken the precaution of creating a secret passage around the shrine itself. An encounter, with even a lesser aboleth, can be extremely deadly.
The Tunnel Stalker says that we make good time, traveling about five miles per cycle. After putting the Shrine of the Alghollthu behind us, we travel. Had we gone straight through, it would have taken us two cycles northwest, two cycles north, two more cycles northwest and another two north before coming to the warrens of the troglodytes, one of their major settlements in this area of Deepearth.
After a harrowing fight with the trogs, we finally made it through their region. We brought several trogs with us for the next encounter. After two more cycles northwest and two more cycles north, we came on the illithid outpost. Calling on Lolth for protections of the mind, we were able to negotiate passage with the illithid and its wererat servitors in exchange for the prisoners we brought and a substantial amount of gold.
Four cycles of northern travel brought us to a series of defensible caves. My tunnel stalkers claim we are far enough up for this to be considered Nar Voth. The feel of faerzress fades as we near the surface, signaling that we may soon have to deal with the light of the sun. I have left a sizable force here in order to secure it from nearby threats. This could be a base of operations as we locate and entreat with the Blackfire Adepts.
This is an interesting turn of events, seven cycles away (two northeast, two northwest and three north) my tunnel stalkers have breached the depths of a fire giant hold. While crafty and excellent smiths, the giant folk are pliable. By stroking his ego, (males, they’re all the same) I have installed a few advisors to the king. Their orders are to appear and act subservient, while making the giants dependent on us. A possible pawn to use later.
Luckily, one of the king’s advisors is a dwarf named Ombi, and he has shared with us the path to Hagegraf. I will leave Amalica, Orgoloth and Calimar here as I pursue the Blackfire."
She then writes of a meeting with the Leader of the Blackfire Adepts, a human woman named Mistress Areelu Vorlesh. The priestess was apparently impressed by Vorlesh, a powerful arcanist and demonologist.
"The Blackfire Adepts were interested in the ruins of a complex called Slaughtergarde, a demonic fortress brought forth from the Abyss onto the surface world. It seemed as if parts of the fortress survived the defeat of the demons. The drow would secure part of a temple complex in exchange for teaching the Priestess the secrets of Blackfire.
One of the barbarians in Vorlesh's retinue was captured by the drow and under careful manipulation was able to tell the drow of another part of Slaughtergarde, the Armory, that interested Vorlesh much more. She was apparently sending one of her "Blackfire Masters" and a few underlings to learn the secrets of the armory. The dimwit even overheard them speak of a possible active gate. Half his tribe was going to the Armory, along with "monsters" that the Adepts had brought to heel.
During these extensive conversations, Vorlesh spoke of the dungeons of Castle Perilous, possibly incorrectly assuming that the drow would have no knowledge of the Witch-King or his citadel. Is it possible that Vorlesh was an apprentice of the lich himself? And was it possible that she had a secret way into one of the deep levels of his lair?
Though outraged that she had been "duped" to take a lesser task, she understood Vorlesh's actions, she wouldn't assign anything too important to a possible rival, after all. With her "advisors" in the giant camps and her successful meeting with the Blackfire Adepts, she was in the position of acquiring great power for House Vonnarc, possibly ousting the First Daughter Alicavniss."
The note above is used as a bookmark on a page towards the end of the journal, so it's relatively new. On that page, the priestess writes:
"So my sister, now Matron, seeks my return before I have learned these secrets of Blackfire. It is unlikely that she has learned of my successes, however I should again carefully probe the minds of my camp for any of Alicavniss's sympathizers or spies. Though we all jockeyed for power under Mother Pravora, Alicavniss was Mother's favorite, and we had our other sisters to conspire against. I do not expect Alicavniss to slay me outright, I secure her power base by acquiescing to her control and bring my own followers into the fold while gaining some leverage over House affairs by supporting her, at least until I am ready to take the House myself.
"To disobey the order is treason to House Vonnarc and brings with it a death sentence, which would likely mean that I would be forced to exist in these sun-cursed lands for years. I must seek to delay my return until I have unlocked this new source of power.
"Perhaps if I give her my spies among the giants, and speak of other alliances that I am 'in the process of gaining', she would see the benefits to House Vonnarc and allow me to delay my return. The giants are relatively unimportant in the greater scheme and playing that hand may secure my own.
"I would need to send a tangible and overt message of support to Alicavniss for this to work. The support is what she needs to secure her own power, maybe sending my consort back, with a small entourage to ensure his safe arrival. Yes, Denriss shall take the message back for me. His only command to serve Alicavniss faithfully until my return. Of course, he will have been completely twisted by her before my return, but it's to be expected, he is only male. Besides, it will give her something to distract her, he is a pretty thing. Muscles that could only be sculpted by Lolth herself.
"I think it's time for a distraction for myself."
Comments