[Nexus] Delmah Phor

[Artemis97]

[Sornnolu's Office]

"If common steel will work, you needn't use your crystals." Sornnolu says. "And of course, I can get you the workers you need, and access to our smiths." He reaches for a clean piece of parchment and makes a few notes, before folding it and adding his seal. The note is then handed to Junior. "If you take that to personel, they will arrange everything."

[Public Gardens]

The boy blinks a bit, then drops his eyes, staring at his toes. "I am called Rhylaxle Auvryana, Mistress." He says quietly, respectfully. His entire demeanor has changed to one of submissive respect.

[Slii Arhem]

Sornnolu's Office

"S'not like they're in short supply. Got a whole room fer growin em on those molds." That's certainly true. Still, he'd be more than happy to design something and let some real smiths do the heavy lifting on the building half this time.

He takes the note, and then hesitates for a moment, "S'there anythin else while Ah'm ere? Yeh've got mah ear if yeh need a new toy er summin fer tha folks on patrol."

[Halae]

[Sornnolu's Office]

Sorn will hear a knock on his door, "You asked for me?" Rumbles a deep baritone, and if the door has any sort of window (something I find rather unlikely) then Sorn will be able to see the hulking form of Kelral.

[Artemis97]

[Sornnolu's Office]

"Anything that could make them less... noticeable, would be useful." Drow were stealthy, but would take any edge they could. And the locals didn't always like having drow around.

Sornnolu looks up when the knock comes at his door. "Kelral." He recognizes the voice of the Draeglolth. "Just a moment, please. I am concluding something here." As he speaks, he gestures for Junior to put his inventions away.

[Slii Arhem]

Sornnolu's Office

"Could see about bendin' light an muflin' sound, but it'd prolly make them blind'n-deaf. Well, 'less Ah just get summin ta bend visible light n'leave that thermal vision alone. Would'n make em any stealthier ta other drow though." Junior mumbles as he packs up the iron plate and jar of gel, but leaves the pill box on the desk for Sorn to play with. Then he walks out, still considering what he might do with stealth and barely managing a respectful nod to Kelral on his way by.

[Halae]

[Sornnolu's Office]

Kel gives a nod to Junior as well, before heading into Sorn's office. He closes and locks the door behind him, before saying, "It's about the Matron, yeah?"

[Artemis97]

[Sornnolu's Office]

"Very astute." Sornnolu confirms, as he reaches out to tap a strange crystaline object on his desk. A slight buzzing fills the air as he does so. "She has given me a request that I cannot refuse her, nor can I fulfill it, without jeopardizing everything we have built here." He sits back in his chair and sighs, shoulders sagging under the weight of this problem. "She has asked us to provide a living sacrifice to the Spider Queen, in order to honor her arrival here, and to cement Delmah Phor's position as a healthy and devoted Drow population. However, you and I both know that the local powers that be would frown upon such a display and, I am loathe to admit, they have enough strength to wipe us off the map and send us running back into the Underdark."

[Halae]

[Sornnolu's Office]

"Oh, this isn't going to go well," Kel says, "So either, in my capacity as a peacekeeper, I need to do a covert kidnapping, and then figure out how to keep outsider spies out of the temple when the ritual is performed. Does the matron want a particular breed of sacrifice, or are we going with whatever is convenient?"

He doesn't like this. He's never used his power as a law enforcer for something bad, even when he had every chance to. In fact, he'd punished one of his own men for trying to extort from a grocery store for protection money. Now he was being asked to kill someone. But... it was for Lolth's blessing. That wasn't something you could just leave-be.

[Rebonack]

[Public Gardens]

Sadei... sort of... leans off to one side a bit, trying to follow the boy's eyes as he becomes all the more submissive in his expression. Wow, his toes must be really interesting to be staring at them so hard!

"Why are you..." it takes a few moments for the reason to click in her head. "Oh! That must have been what father was talking about..."

A flashback to Sadei asking about Raril's side of the family. There were lots of words and uncomfortableness and the distinct feeling that she wasn't getting the whole picture. Something about Nobility? But there were birds singing outside so she sort of missed some of it.

"Umm... Mother says that respect should earned through action. Not something a person should except because of their power or their name," she offers a rather lame smile. "So... umm... you can just call me Sadei if you like? I don't think I've done anything worthy of being called 'Mistress' by anyone."

[Artemis97]

[Sornnolu's Office]

"Due to the 'abundance of resources' here on the surface, we should have no problem acquiring the perfect gift for the Spider Queen." Sornnolu echoes what he had been told earlier. "She wants a surface elf, the younger the better. Or my father." He adds. "But honestly, the first would likely be easier." The elder drow had already escaped Lolth's clutches once. It was a good bet he could do it again, and that would just make the Matron angry.

[Public Gardens]

"Um... okay... uh... Sadei." Rhylaxle lifts his head a little, peeking up at her, checking to make sure this was really alright and he wasn't really in trouble for being so familiar with her.

[Rebonack]

[Public Gardens]

Well.

She isn't pulling out a whip and beating him for disrespecting her. Or summoning swarms of spiders. Or anything else suitably malicious. Mostly she looks worried that she might have upset him.

...

To be fair Sadei isn't even terribly fond of spiders. They have their own form of beauty, sure. In a weird, hairy, crawly, souless-eyed sort of way. But there are plenty of other animals that she likes more. Mostly the flying ones. Flying animals have always intrigued her.

The chimeras fly mostly through a combination of ignoring gravity and bending inertia. Animals that can fly without mucking about with physical law are neat!

"So... umm... where did your friends go, Rhylaxle? The ones you were sparring with?"

[Halae]

[Sornnolu's Office]

Kel scratches his chin with one of his smaller hands, "It shouldn't be too hard to do this. We know a few Remnant troop movements, and it's not like our own guards will rat us out for this," He sighs, "Citizenry will be a problem if they see it happening, but that's what spells are for, at least. Is there anything else I should know?"

[Artemis97]

[Public Gardens]

The boy looks back over his shoulder. Looks like his friends were gone. "They probably went home. I have to stay here and wait for mother, though." He explains.

[Sornnolu's Office]

"I do not need to tell you not to get caught. If you are, I'll deny everything and tell Remnant and the Council you acted on your own." The drow shrugs. Kelral should know it's nothing personal, simply a fact of business. Delmah Phor was Sornnolu's pet project, and he wouldn't risk it, even if it meant sacrificing someone. "So I think it would be best if you stayed out of sight as much as possible. There are tunnels beneath the temple the priestesses use to enter the sacred space. They connect to Underside. As far as I am aware, Remnant has no authority there. It should be safter for you to travel."

[Rebonack]

[Public Gardens]

Ah.

That would explain why he didn't run off with everyone else.

Probably would have gotten in trouble if he had. Just like everyone else was apparently worried about there being trouble because of the girl's singing.

What a weird place.

But the weirdness doesn't stop Sadei from being curious!

Not even a little.

"Oh... umm... I was born up here on the surface instead of in the Underdark," Sadei explains. "So... I'm not really sure about all the rules and things here. Is... it a bad idea to let people know who my family is?"

[Halae]

[Sornnolu's Office]

Kel nods, "Either Riverside or Underside. I think the former might be easier for me to get a surface elf, but it's also more open. We'll see."

After a moment, he frowns, "Why did it take me this long to realize there's a naming scheme going on?"

[Reinholdt]

[Streets]

Din's pretty quick for a strong guy and adjusts his swing. The impact won't have quite the punch it may have had, but it'll still hit Ilpholin hard, and in mid air it'll be awful hard to dodge. Another drow just behind him makes a grab for her as well, trying to roughly pull her down to the street.

Tut succeeds in grabbing an unsuspecting thug. A brief question escapes his lips as he's pulled under, shortly followed by terrified screams. Two drow that had been running beside him glance back, wondering what had happened. They looked ready to bolt.

[Streets]

Her left shoulder gets hit with a sickening crunch then. This is followed up with a sickening crack as her right hand flicks midair after springing off Din and the thug reaching out to grab her might find his hand sliced off by a razor sharp whip.

If the thug loses his hand before accomplishing his goal then Ilpholin will finish her leap-spring, tucking and rolling on the ground with a grunt as her shoulder takes the brunt. She'll end up in a crouch, but her balance is clearly off for the moment based on that not particularly spectacular landing.

Tut just goes for the next nearest thug, trying the same thing. Guess he's hungry tonight.

[Artemis97]

[Sornnolu's Office]

"Amusing, isn't it?" Sornnolu asks, his smile suggesting he found it somewhat charming.

[Streets]

The strike from the whip gets the thug to pull his hand back, and it's clearly bleeding. Ilpholin makes her landing. The drow near her would try to attack, but they've been distracted by the screams as another of their number is dragged into the ground. More concerned with saving their own skins than some petty grudge, the thugs near Tut, and subsequently Ilpholin, turn and run.

Din whirls, roaring in anger. "Where do you filthy rats think you're going?! Get her!" He charges at Ilpholin again, oblivious to the danger of Tut. The drow that are now behind him still follow, but not as enthusiastically as before. They'd seen the others get dragged under and were not eager to join them.

[Public Gardens]

Rhylaxle frowns confused. "No? I don't think so, anyways. Your family runs everything here. Why wouldn't you want people to know?" If he had a powerful name like that, he'd probably be sure to tell everyone.

[Reinholdt]

[Streets]

Omnomnom. Tut's getting pretty full now, but those guys are moving a lot. Guess it'll go after one more sort of on the side and not wholly bunched up, if possible.

Ilpholin meanwhile, decides to stay crouched and lash out with her whip in a wide arc at the incoming group. It's not razor sharp this time, but rather blunt and full of taser level electricity.

[Rebonack]

[Public Gardens]

"They do?" Sadei sounds honestly surprised by that. "Really?"

Wow.

Does she know anything?

Obviously nothing relevant.

Silly girl.

"Father warned me to be careful around his side of the family. Though I guess Mother's side of the family really isn't very safe either..."

Stuck between eldritch terrorhorrors and back-stabbing drow. What a predicament!

[Mr. Moon]

Shelob's Den

Tucked away to the north of the city, tucked behind the theatre and next to the slums, looking over the temple grounds, is a long, narrow building. From the outside, it's rather unassuming. Brick walls make up its length, reaching two stories tall. There are no windows, save a picture window at the top story's front entrance. The front door is painted a rich, vibrant purple, and has an armed, female, half-orc, half-drow bouncer in fine silver armour set with amethysts. Above the door, a sign painted with paint luminescent only to Darkvision proclaims this establishment to be Shelob's Den in lettering heavily stylized to resemble a spider web.

Those let through the door by the bouncer will enter a small antechamber. There are two doors on the opposite wall. One is a pair of heavy double doors, all gold and lavender. The other is narrow, tucked against the corner and painted the same dark purple as the wall. A discrete plaque just below eye-level warns that only staff were allowed past this door. A well-groomed, young male drow sits behind a desk, exchanging hand-stamps for a modest entry fee. Another stands with his hands tucked together behind his back, waiting to open the doors for paying customers.

The main room is much more elaborate, taking two floors at ground level and another below. In the centre of the room is a circular dias, raised up off the ground several metres. Standing on the platform is a male drow, barely an adult, with long white hair and wearing a well-fitted tuxedo. He stands with his hands clasped together at his chest with his eyes closed, swaying slightly as he sings to the company of a hidden piano.

"I'm feeling mighty lonesome
Haven't slept a wink
I walk the floor and watch the door
And in between I drink

Black coffee
Love's a hand me down brew
I'll never know a Sunday
In this weekday room"

The door opens onto a platform, carpeted in a rich, amethyst shag. At the centre, it has a set of stairs that lead to a dining floor. To the left is a sloping walk-way that runs down to the far wall, with stairs letting a patron get to empty tables that might be awkward to reach from the front of the building. The right leads to a balcony with leather chairs and small round tables along the a silver rail decorated with gilded spider-webs. Pressed against the wall is a bar stocked with only the best local and imported wines and spirits.

"I'm talking to the shadows
One o'clock to Four
And Lolth, how slow the moments go
When all I do is pour

Black coffee
Since the blues caught my eye
I'm hanging out on Monday
My Sunday dream's too dry"

The dining floor, set a floor down, runs most of the length of the building. Each circular table has four chairs around it, but obtaining an unused chair from another table is not unheard of. Male drow in outfits that tempt the imagination move from table to table, delivering drinks, taking orders and making sure in hushed voices that the patrons are enjoying themselves. The floor below them is black marble, glittering with amethyst dust.

"Now a lady is born to go a lovin'
A man is born to weep and fret
To stay at home and tend his oven
And drown his past misdeeds
In coffee and fireweed

I'm moody all the morning
Mourning all the night
And in between it's nicotine
And not much hard to fight"

The main feature of the room, however, is the stage set along the far wall. For now, the rich velvet curtain covers the stage from the sight of the patrons. Behind it, dancers, singers and stage-hands hurry to set up for the next performance.

"Black coffee
Feelin' low as the ground
It's driving me crazy, just waiting for my lady
To maybe come around

My nerves have gone to pieces
My hair is turning gray
All I do is drink black coffee
Since my lady's gone away"

The young drow opens his eyes and smiles shyly as he reaches the end of his song. A moment passes, and the patrons set down their drinks to regal him in polite applause.

Shelob's Den is more than the crass lady's clubs that can be so easily found in the near-by slums. It used to be, once, but under the direction of the enigmatic Alorhna Tam'Rinos it has become a classy establishment. Patrons are expected to keep their hands off the staff, and the private rooms have been repurposed. Now it is a watering hole for the well-to-do and better-off. Not necessarily nobility, but none of the hooting under-class.

[Artemis97]

[Streets]

Tut finds his next meal, though this drow struggles, screaming a string of curses as he's pulled under. The drow behind Ilpholin turn and flee. A few ahead of her hesitate, backing away. The rest are caught in the arc of her whip, spasming and collapsing to the ground. All except for Din. The orc-blooded drow was more resilient than the rest. He lets out a mighty shout and rounds on Ilpholin, his length of pipe raised.

[Public Gardens]

"My grandmother says family are the only people you can rely on. No one else." Young Rhylaxle explains.

From within the forest comes the sound of someone moving through the underbrush. Their movements are careful, but they aren't concerned with being heard, either. Soon, a drowess in a short blue dress and high golden sandals emerges from the forest. She pauses at the edge, looking around. Upon spotting Sadei and Rhylaxle, she makes her way over. Rhylaxle bows to her respectfully. "Greetings, Mother."

"Hello, my son." She says, a hint of a smile on her face. "Who is your companion?" She asks, nodding to Sadei.

"This is... I mean... May I introduce Lady Sadei Xar'Cha." Rhylaxle stumbles a bit over the formal introduction. "Lady Sadei, may I present my mother, Felyn'wae Auvryana."

[Reinholdt]

[Streets]

If any drow besides Din decides to stick around by this point, Tut will go after one of them as well. Otherwise, he'll content himself on gnawing on the bones of the bodies he's got.

Ilpholin for her part, stands up at the last moment from her crouch so that the iron pipe hits her hard in the arm rather than the head. Crunch. There goes her other arm. Not using the whip now.
"Mmm... I like you. I think I'm going to keep you." Ilpholin says before shooting out a quick web from her mouth at Din's face.

[Inigo Montoya]

[House Aleth warehouse]

The warehouse was quiet at this time of the day. The last of the morning deliveries had been sent out and the afternoon exports had yet to arrive. This meant that the workers could relax, gamble, and talk the things that all blue collar laborers talk about; their families, hopes for the future, and the most recent games at the amphitheater. One of them told an off color joke about the priestesses that sent the rest of the workers into peels of terrified laughter.

They were laughing so hard in fact, that they did not notice when the door to the office overlooking the main warehouse floor opened. They did not notice the lithe, leonine elf walking down the stairs towards them. In fact, they did not notice him at until he was standing in their midst.

“I’ve heard that one before.” The newcomer said. His voice was a stark contrast to his physical appearance. It was reedy, and somewhat whiny; it reminded one of the insects that buzzed around in swamps. “Only, in the one I heard, she finds the matron poisoned after the main course.”

Any remaining laughter was immediately hushed as the elf spoke. The workers who had been sitting on the floor and playing dice games quickly stood and tried to hide the evidence of their game. The newcomer shook his head. “I’m not trying to break up any of your little games. I just need to see Nal in the office.”

There was a deathly silence amongst the workers now. One of them, the one called Nal apparently, stepped forward. “You…wanted to see me Lord Asim'hrae?”

“Yes, nothing major. It just seems like there’s a minor discrepancy in the cargo manifests you’ve handed in. I’d like to confirm it with you before I send the invoice back to our customers.” Asim sighed. “You know how they can be, if it’s not one thing it’s the other.”

Nal did not look like he knew how ‘they’ could be. In fact it looked like he was judging his odds of making it outside before he was caught. He apparently didn’t like his odds, as he simply swallowed and nodded. “Yes my lord.”

Asim smiled at the elf, patting his back and gestured for the worker ahead to of him. Nal looked back one last time, terror etched on his face before walking forward. None of the other workers caught his eye. Asim did not seem to see this and asked Nal a question. “Do you have a family?”

“No my lord.”

“No relatives at all?”

“None living my lord…”

“That’s quite a shame.” Asim said. “I have always believed that family is the most important thing in this world.” They reached the top of the stairs and Nal stared at the door to the office as if it were a portal to hell. The worker swallowed in a dry throat and opened the door.

The office was a basic one; a simple wooden desk and chair. Whatever monster Nal had been expecting to see wasn’t there. He relaxed slightly and took a deep breath as he stepped over the threshold. It would be the last breath he ever took in this building. Before his eyes, the room warped, becoming fuzzy and filling with fog. Before Nal could make a move to save himself Asim shoved him in, slamming the door shut. The door shook once as if someone was pounding on it from the other side. After a second, all sounds from the door stopped. Asim sighed and turned his attention back down to the remaining workers. They had been watching the scene unfold with ever growing horror.

“Anyone who steals from the warehouse again will be sent to the elemental plane of fire. Is that quite understood?” Asim asked.

The workers nodded their assent, quickly getting back to work. Break time was over for today. Asim smiled to himself and went back into his now completely normal office.
------------------------------------------------------------------------
[House Aleth]

Matron Inala of House Aleth was not ashamed to admit she was getting up there in years. She had just passed her 180th birthday in fine style, and knew she was not getting any younger. She used this as a subtle advantage when negotiating with other houses. They knew that she had survived at least three assassination attempts, maybe more, and had always come out on top. She smiled as she thought of how she had put down each of those attempts in turn. She stood up from her desk, stretching her arms and decided she would take a bit of a walk.

She was not unattractive by any stretch of the word. She was tall, even for a drow, and she carried the height well. And while gravity was slowly gaining ground, she had not lost that battle yet, and still held her head high when walking. The only thing about her that suggested age was her face. It was lined slightly, and her eyes told of a maturity and of an experience not often found in younger elves. This aspect in particular seemed to attract younger males she had noticed. Some nights she would go out and pick a specific one to string along. She would toy with him for a few hours, then either abandon him or take him home with her depending on how much of a show he put on. She nearly always abandoned them.

She rounded a corner, lost in these thoughts when she came to the memorial room. She stopped, staring at the door that led to the monuments honoring her three dearly departed husbands. What strange quirk of fate had brought her here of all places? She studied the door, memories coming to the forefront of her mind unbidden and unwelcome. She couldn’t afford such sentimentality now. In a few days maybe, after she had hammered out the latest contract, but not now. She walked briskly away, her mind firmly on more important matters and wiping away a tear that had formed in the corner of her eye. The servants didn’t often dust down here. She would have to remind them.

[Artemis97]

[Streets]

Din certainly wasn't expecting that! The orc-blooded drow stumbles back, trying to pull the webbing from his face with one, hand, swinging blindly in front of him with his pipe in the other.

[Reinholdt]

[Streets]

Ilpholin may not be able to use her arms right now, but her legs work fine and she walks backwards with each random swing. A step here. A step there. She's just so... calm while she dodges the attacks.

Sadly, she can provide no more witty retorts, her mouth matching that of a spider's as she fires off more strong, sticky webs every time he makes a swing. This time at the orc's feet to cut off his mobility and/or make him fall flat on his face.

[Artemis97]

[Streets]

As the big thug was moving backwards, he lands flat on his back. He abandons fighting and focuses completely on pulling the webbing away. The rest of his gang have fled, leaving him to his fate.

[Rebonack]

[Public Gardens]

Well!

What have we here!

Looks to be an adult of some kind!

Sadei immediately shifts toward shy and introverted, uncomfortable around people much bigger and older than herself. ...which is one thinks about it is a rather silly thing. All of the chimeras in their more natural state are rather large now that they've had a bit of time to mature.

Giant nightmare monster.

Still acts like a little girl.

Go figure.

"Hello," Sadei replies in a small voice.

[Reinholdt]

[Streets]

Ah yes. Backwards. My last post makes less sense now. Drats.

Anyways he can probably get it off with some effort, but I imagine it's a bit like tar. You're only going to have it stick to your hands instead.

Of course, Ilpholin leaping to straddle you and jam her knees into your arms to make them less useful/partially immobile probably doesn't help. She stops using spider face though so she can talk. "Stop struggling and I'll probably let you live." Ilpholin says as her arms start to visibly mend back together.

[Artemis97]

[Public Gardens]

"Greetings and well met, my lady Xar'Cha." Felyn'wae says with a respectful bow. Sadei might pick up that she is uncomfortable bowing to a child, but protocol was protocol. "May I presume that you are recently debuted? I thought I knew all of the children of House Xar'Cha in Delmah Phor. Perhaps you came with the Matron's caravan?"

[Streets]

Finally developing a sense of self preservation, Din stops struggling.

[South Gate]

The drowess guard from the Black Dragon's Den has led Akoraun back to Delmah Phor and through the South Gate which connected to the broad Market Street, a definite landmark within the Enclave. "I assume you know your way home from here?"

[Rebonack]

[Public Gardens]

Sadei shakes her head after a few moments hesitation. "No, I was born in the Nexus."

Which means she was probably here before the drow settlement was ever made! Which means she must be the child of one of the house's wayward sons. Hmm... but which one?

No doubt the one with the fancy hat.

Seems far more likely.

The girl ponders the older woman's comments for a few moments before asking, "What do you mean debut? If... umm... if it isn't too much trouble to explain..."