Lonely devotions...

[Souvarine]

As she finished the last chants of her daily routine, Vali’rae felt exhausted. She threw away her armor, her body no longer able to tolerate the weight. She gasped when she looked at her body. Strong muscles now rippled under her skin where only weak limbs used to be…while she should have withered and fallen sick, the spider’s poison and her diet of toxic mushrooms combined with the terrible exercises of faith she forced herself into had transformed her. She should have been dead, yet she was now stronger. As she felt her hands discovering both new and familiar shapes of her body, Vali'rae let her thoughts to wander…

- - -
Alone. The events of her short life had never prepared her for that possibility. During the long years of her training and even after being accepted in the Academy, she had never expected to find herself alone. Noble from birth and cousin to the Matron d’Faen Tlabbar, Vali’rae had always enjoyed a life at the top of Menzoberranzan’s society with resources aplenty.

House Tlabbar’s priestesses are known for their fanatism, and she was surely not an exception. So her life had been planned since the beginning of her days on this plane of existence. She always knew what she would do next, what she would become if she prevailed, and what happened to those who failed. It had never occurred to her that she could fail, and she would not allow herself to. Lolth was a fickle and demanding goddess, but Vali’rae was focused and driven enough to accept the sacrifices.

All those opportunities, all those possibilities of elation and power at the hand of her goddess had been taken from her. It had all started with that doomed expedition to the Port of Skulls. She had been taken out of the Academy for urging matters…or so she was told. Another part of her mind knew better; the matron was testing her loyalty with that mission. Vali’rae would not disappoint her cousin, and she intended to work with zeal unmatched. The travel to the wretched city had been harsh, and so painful. She felt so cold, away from the academy, so lost. At 53 years old, she was still young, and only a novice. She was afraid of never becoming a full priestess, should that mission turn wrong.

And so wrong it went…Upon her arrival, things started to crumble under her feet. She had lost her escort, and her sister had not even recognised her until she showed her house insignia. There were so many enemies, so few allies, that the odds of succeeding in establishing the affair seemed null. Her “sister” was the one to blame, of course, for she had been the one to pick the wrong allies or enemies. Vali’rae knew nothing of Skullport, and it seemed as her sister did all she could to keep her in the mist. Elvaeyael should have used her more appropriately, and her title of second-in-command seemed only a façade. In truth, her sister visibly trusted her servants more than her, a priestess of lolth!…and that struck Vali’rae as suspicious. Then had come more and more warnings from the “allies” of the patrol; confirmed by the discovery of an Oath placed upon Elvaelaeyl’s slave wizard in order to protect information of high importance pertaining her sister’s secret; was more, or less, than she appeared. Feeling herself cornered, Vali’rae had not acted in the open. She knew that both the yathrin’s bodyguard and slave wizard were going to take Elvaeyael’s side.

All clues put into place, including physical disparities, meant that among all possible theories, one of them had enraged Vali’rae: usurpation. That had been confirmed later with a sending from the House wizard explaining that magical contact with Elvaeyael was not possible. Her sister was either blocking all magical contacts by some extremely powerful mean, or more likely, dead. For a few days she was left panting at the ambitious plan the female had played on House Tlabbar; success could bring her to high position in Menzoberranzan, failure was death. Vali’rae respected that and besides, she was herself just as driven to ascend the society’s rank and become a high priestess. How could it be otherwise…prevail or die, wasn’t that one of the fundamental basis of Drow society? The novice had wondered for long hours what could push a female to assume the identity of another…dread, hatred or simply opportunity? All of those, most likely.

After more and more botched diplomatic affairs, things had become critical for the survival of the patrol. Vali’rae remembered the night of betrayal perfectly, as if carved out of adamantine with a dagger of pain. Her sister, or whoever she was, had chosen to abandon a priestess of lolth to the enemies of the patrol! Even more damning was the fact that “Elvaeyael” had chosen to leave a noble member of her own house…while keeping those boot-licking whores that acted as servants.

Forced to live in the sewers in the middle of a city full of enemies, Vali’rae sought the only one whom she hoped was still an ally, a powerful wizard from House Dru’girr. It was the wizard who had warned her…so he had to be an ally. In the end…he was not. While agreeing to teleport Vali’rae back to Menzoberranzan to report of her findings, he hid his own motives: getting rid of the Tlabbar from Skullport. He did so, sending Vali’rae to a world even worse than that wretched city: the surface. He had been wise, it spelled doom for the novice, while not invoking the wrath of Lolth on himself.

Alone…the word rang again. She didn’t know where she was, but at least she had found a place to claim as lair. Her only encounter had been a dangerous one: an heretic from House Jaelre. The house had been cast out from Menzoberranzan long ago, but apparently had survived as rats on the world above. The priest, Zilraeth, had tried to show compassion, but had slipped. Blasphemy was in his every word, and when he told vali’rae that her lair was not known by many of his house, he had doomed himself. A long fight it had been, almost too long. How ironic that the potions Elvaeyael had given her before fleeing Skullport had saved the novice from this heretic. It enraged Vali’rae even more. Yet her efforts were not unrewarded. The heart of that powerful priest had been sacrificed to Lolth, and she had even been blessed with the appearance of arachnids. How her goddess, so far from the cornerstone of her worship, Arach-Tinilith, had looked upon a lowly novice and granted her favour had shown Vali’rae how powerful Lolth was.

Since then she had prayed and performed all the rituals she knew, every hour, every day…she only stopped her prayers to rest and feed. It helped her to push aside the rage that was burning her, the desire from vengeance from Bitch One-eye, the traitor who had used her House’s name to steal resources and left her to die. Surely, doing so, the female had lost the goddess’s favour! Vali’rae vowed vengeance…but she would become high priestess first, it was her destiny to attempt it. Patience, after all, was a spider’s best weapon.

- - - -
…The thoughts were forced away by an uneasy pain in her stomach, and then quickly followed by a wave of warmth that tickled her skin down to her toes and fingertips, sweat making her skin shine. She knew, at least she hoped, that for the next few moments, she would forget about it all…

[Zakharra]

A very good story Souvarine. Nicely done. It is good to see another view of what we did in Skullport.

[Virvaldin]

Very nice Souvarine.

Hope you get some company soon, I'll be watching you

[Souvarine]

Thanks for the thumbs up,


-corrected typos and useless repetitions of words.

As for company, well...stop sending bats and other vhaerunian filth !

[Mikayla]

As I said in private, very nice Souvarine. Sheyreiza now has her very own, bitter nemesis. Who would of thought I would end up playing a 'Liriel' clone to your 'Shakti.' If I was ever to play a 'clone' I wanted it to be Danifae, but c'est la vie. Stay alive dear, we mustn't let the story stop before it really gets started.

[Souvarine]

yes...definitely looking good. Hopefully Shey has not seen the last of Vali'rae and vice versa (and lets hope the story begins before one of us leaves alfa!). As you said for being the Liriel: C'est la vie, mais elle n'est pas finie...