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Online: 1 member, 14 guests
submitted 03 November 2008 @ 22:28
edited 03 November 2008 @ 22:29
The Cerulean Sign (THREE)
Written by Parthenos[ composition listing | post comment | view/offer feedback (0) | rate this compositions ]
Ashe lead the way through Sigil, followed by Tristan and Vasiara, then Jael and Tess, with the rear brought up by Antinua and Mindshard. The two had returned just after morning broke, almost painfully cheerful. The half-elf cleric forced himself to relax around the drowess as they made their way through the city, often getting sidetracked as they passed through the crowded city streets and bazaars.
"So what's Celedriel like?" he asked as she handed him an apple she had just purchased from one of the vendors. Tess and Jael stood a short distance away, gazing with mild interest at alien animals in cages. Antinua and Mindshard were strolling about nearby, hand in hand, as Ashe spoke in hushed tones with some shifty looking man.
"It's very beautiful. The center is built in elvish fashion out of mithril. The Silver City is very sacred to drow from Dinarda," she said calmly.
"Dinarda?"
"Oh, you're from Toril, aren't you? We come from a different world. I look different than most of the drow in your world. I've traveled to it once or twice. I can't say I particularly enjoyed the trip."
"Why not?" Tristan asked, feeling a faint need to defend his homeland.
"Half of the people I met along the way tried to kill me. That tends to put people off. They just don't appreciate my talents," she said wistfully, slicing into her apple with a small knife.
"Antinua says you're the best bard she's ever met," the half elf said offhandedly, watching her out of the corner of his eye.
"I suppose I'm pretty good. Not just a bard, though," she said with a grin. "I studied arcane magic too, but I specialized in enchantments. I can help in a fight, but I seem to do best by convincing people to be our friends. I've got a talent for magic in music too."
"Most bards don't have quite the arsenal," Tristan said, impressed despite himself.
The female drow grinned and pushed silver hair behind her ear, gazing at him with golden eyes. "And most aren't in my line of work. One has to have some unusual skills to survive dealing with aberrations and drow."
"I suppose so."
Vasiara's look turned curious. "So what about you? Where in Toril are you from?"
"Aesir. I studied as a cleric of Pelor," he said with a shrug. "Not as interesting or pretty as Celedriel, I imagine."
"Oh yes, the Silver City is a lovely place if you enjoy that sort of thing," she said absentmindedly. "Tell me, have you heard of the drow before?"
"My mother was killed in a surface raid," he said shortly.
Vasiara fell silent for a moment, carefully considering what to say before opening her mouth. "I'm sorry. I know well the evils of my kind."
He glanced over, obviously startled. The drowess had her eyes focused in the past, humming contemplatively. That sounded so...genuine, he thought. Out loud, he said, "Antinua called you 'Lady'. Why?"
"I was once a house noble, daughter of a powerful Matron Mother," she said.
"Was?" he probed. A faint shadow crossed her face, brow knitting into a frown.
"In another life."
"What happened?" the half elf asked, curiosity growing.
"No one in our group is exactly as they appear, Master Tristan, most especially me. We all have our secrets, and some are best left to lie sleeping beneath the surface," Vasiara said. "Do not disturb mine."
She sped up her walking pace to join Ashe, leaving him standing in the street alone.
"Don't mind Vasiara too much," Jael said quietly, coming up behind him. "But I wouldn't delve to deeply into her affairs either, especially the past."
"Apparently," he said dryly. In truth, the rebuke stung. He had been trying to move past his original hostility, and she seemed to reject it.
"I have news," Ashe said, coming over with Vasiara trailing behind her. Antinua and Mindshard seemed to appear beside them like magic.
"Good or bad?" Tess asked nervously.
"That depends. We're heading to your home world."
"What part?" Antinua asked curiously.
"Maerimydra," her sister said, drumming her fingers on her sword hilt. "Vasiara, did you travel there at all?"
"Into the Vault of the Drow? Of course. The one place where I wasn't chased with pitchforks and torches. Honestly, those people are uptight. I had an audience with the Matron of House Lylyl there. She was impressed."
"No offense, but I absolutely hate traveling through drow cities," Antinua said. She pouted slightly at Mindshard. "Do I really have to be a pet?"
"If you want to go in, yes," Ashe said firmly, seeming a touch irritated. "I have Quavae."
"She doesn't have the same connections. It could be problematic," her twin said pointedly. Vasiara grinned and shook her head.
"Not entirely true, Antinua. What do you think my little performance to the Matron was of? By now, exaggerated stories and legends of Quavae have sprung up all over the Vault in Toril. It was a lovely composition," the female drow said with a distinct hint of pride.
Ashe threw an arm around her friend's shoulders, progressively tightening it into a choke-hold. "Didn't we have a talk about you using that tale? Hmm? I did say no more ballads or anything of the sort."
"I didn't use a new one," the bard protested with difficulty. "It was impressive."
"She also did terrible things for those three years!" Ashe hissed. "Things I'm not exactly proud of!"
"I hate to interrupt you two, but Quavae was the shining example of what a priestess of Lolth should be. And she'll be amazingly useful once we reach the city," Jael put in. The abolisher released Vasiara with a frown.
"Reaching the city won't be a problem. I'm worried about her having one of the fits," Ashe said. She winced slightly and put a hand over her heart. "Speak of the devil..."
"Ashe, you okay?" Antinua asked, alarmed.
"It's nothing," her sister said brusquely. "I'll go arrange for Elizarea to open a portal for us. We'll meet at the Ebon Libram tomorrow morning. In the meantime, you're free to go where you wish. I would suggest we stay in the same groupings. That way each prime has a seasoned campaigner with them, just in case anyone makes trouble. And Jael, the whole list goes for you."
"Sorry, what all's on the list? I keep forgetting."
"No drunken brawls, singing songs considered lewd, noble-baiting, behaving poorly in public, pickpocketing because you're bored, challenging annoying or rude merchants to duels, harassing mind flayers, anything with explosives or fire, joining a gnomish alchemist in practical jokes, or anything that will cost bail over 50 gold pieces, result in permanent banning, or lead to wanted posters. Got it?"
"Right," Jael said with a playful salute before vanishing into the crowd with Tess.
"I know I forgot something," Ashe muttered.
"Ice spells and illusory monsters," Vasiara said.
"Damn."
"That's okay, it'll make them easy to find," Antinua said. She waved to them before taking off, Mindshard's arm around her waist.
"See you soon, Ashe. Try not to overexert yourself," Vasiara said.
"The only thing that's going to be overexerted in the next twenty-four hours is our funds. I can already see the collateral damage now," she said with a sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger.
Tristan felt a hand on his arm as the female drow guided him off into the narrow streets again. "Come on," she said, a touch warmer than before. "Let's see what all there is here. You never know what you'll dredge up in Sigil. We even had Vecna once."
"So what's Celedriel like?" he asked as she handed him an apple she had just purchased from one of the vendors. Tess and Jael stood a short distance away, gazing with mild interest at alien animals in cages. Antinua and Mindshard were strolling about nearby, hand in hand, as Ashe spoke in hushed tones with some shifty looking man.
"It's very beautiful. The center is built in elvish fashion out of mithril. The Silver City is very sacred to drow from Dinarda," she said calmly.
"Dinarda?"
"Oh, you're from Toril, aren't you? We come from a different world. I look different than most of the drow in your world. I've traveled to it once or twice. I can't say I particularly enjoyed the trip."
"Why not?" Tristan asked, feeling a faint need to defend his homeland.
"Half of the people I met along the way tried to kill me. That tends to put people off. They just don't appreciate my talents," she said wistfully, slicing into her apple with a small knife.
"Antinua says you're the best bard she's ever met," the half elf said offhandedly, watching her out of the corner of his eye.
"I suppose I'm pretty good. Not just a bard, though," she said with a grin. "I studied arcane magic too, but I specialized in enchantments. I can help in a fight, but I seem to do best by convincing people to be our friends. I've got a talent for magic in music too."
"Most bards don't have quite the arsenal," Tristan said, impressed despite himself.
The female drow grinned and pushed silver hair behind her ear, gazing at him with golden eyes. "And most aren't in my line of work. One has to have some unusual skills to survive dealing with aberrations and drow."
"I suppose so."
Vasiara's look turned curious. "So what about you? Where in Toril are you from?"
"Aesir. I studied as a cleric of Pelor," he said with a shrug. "Not as interesting or pretty as Celedriel, I imagine."
"Oh yes, the Silver City is a lovely place if you enjoy that sort of thing," she said absentmindedly. "Tell me, have you heard of the drow before?"
"My mother was killed in a surface raid," he said shortly.
Vasiara fell silent for a moment, carefully considering what to say before opening her mouth. "I'm sorry. I know well the evils of my kind."
He glanced over, obviously startled. The drowess had her eyes focused in the past, humming contemplatively. That sounded so...genuine, he thought. Out loud, he said, "Antinua called you 'Lady'. Why?"
"I was once a house noble, daughter of a powerful Matron Mother," she said.
"Was?" he probed. A faint shadow crossed her face, brow knitting into a frown.
"In another life."
"What happened?" the half elf asked, curiosity growing.
"No one in our group is exactly as they appear, Master Tristan, most especially me. We all have our secrets, and some are best left to lie sleeping beneath the surface," Vasiara said. "Do not disturb mine."
She sped up her walking pace to join Ashe, leaving him standing in the street alone.
"Don't mind Vasiara too much," Jael said quietly, coming up behind him. "But I wouldn't delve to deeply into her affairs either, especially the past."
"Apparently," he said dryly. In truth, the rebuke stung. He had been trying to move past his original hostility, and she seemed to reject it.
"I have news," Ashe said, coming over with Vasiara trailing behind her. Antinua and Mindshard seemed to appear beside them like magic.
"Good or bad?" Tess asked nervously.
"That depends. We're heading to your home world."
"What part?" Antinua asked curiously.
"Maerimydra," her sister said, drumming her fingers on her sword hilt. "Vasiara, did you travel there at all?"
"Into the Vault of the Drow? Of course. The one place where I wasn't chased with pitchforks and torches. Honestly, those people are uptight. I had an audience with the Matron of House Lylyl there. She was impressed."
"No offense, but I absolutely hate traveling through drow cities," Antinua said. She pouted slightly at Mindshard. "Do I really have to be a pet?"
"If you want to go in, yes," Ashe said firmly, seeming a touch irritated. "I have Quavae."
"She doesn't have the same connections. It could be problematic," her twin said pointedly. Vasiara grinned and shook her head.
"Not entirely true, Antinua. What do you think my little performance to the Matron was of? By now, exaggerated stories and legends of Quavae have sprung up all over the Vault in Toril. It was a lovely composition," the female drow said with a distinct hint of pride.
Ashe threw an arm around her friend's shoulders, progressively tightening it into a choke-hold. "Didn't we have a talk about you using that tale? Hmm? I did say no more ballads or anything of the sort."
"I didn't use a new one," the bard protested with difficulty. "It was impressive."
"She also did terrible things for those three years!" Ashe hissed. "Things I'm not exactly proud of!"
"I hate to interrupt you two, but Quavae was the shining example of what a priestess of Lolth should be. And she'll be amazingly useful once we reach the city," Jael put in. The abolisher released Vasiara with a frown.
"Reaching the city won't be a problem. I'm worried about her having one of the fits," Ashe said. She winced slightly and put a hand over her heart. "Speak of the devil..."
"Ashe, you okay?" Antinua asked, alarmed.
"It's nothing," her sister said brusquely. "I'll go arrange for Elizarea to open a portal for us. We'll meet at the Ebon Libram tomorrow morning. In the meantime, you're free to go where you wish. I would suggest we stay in the same groupings. That way each prime has a seasoned campaigner with them, just in case anyone makes trouble. And Jael, the whole list goes for you."
"Sorry, what all's on the list? I keep forgetting."
"No drunken brawls, singing songs considered lewd, noble-baiting, behaving poorly in public, pickpocketing because you're bored, challenging annoying or rude merchants to duels, harassing mind flayers, anything with explosives or fire, joining a gnomish alchemist in practical jokes, or anything that will cost bail over 50 gold pieces, result in permanent banning, or lead to wanted posters. Got it?"
"Right," Jael said with a playful salute before vanishing into the crowd with Tess.
"I know I forgot something," Ashe muttered.
"Ice spells and illusory monsters," Vasiara said.
"Damn."
"That's okay, it'll make them easy to find," Antinua said. She waved to them before taking off, Mindshard's arm around her waist.
"See you soon, Ashe. Try not to overexert yourself," Vasiara said.
"The only thing that's going to be overexerted in the next twenty-four hours is our funds. I can already see the collateral damage now," she said with a sigh, pinching the bridge of her nose between her thumb and forefinger.
Tristan felt a hand on his arm as the female drow guided him off into the narrow streets again. "Come on," she said, a touch warmer than before. "Let's see what all there is here. You never know what you'll dredge up in Sigil. We even had Vecna once."
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Member Compositions Average Rating:
(5 rating)
• Family Matters
19 October 2010 @ 14:34
• Spider's Bane (SIX)
01 December 2008 @ 19:29
• Spider's Bane (FIVE)
30 November 2008 @ 15:31
• Requiem (The Black Archer ONE)
28 November 2008 @ 19:57
• Playing the Fool
23 November 2008 @ 13:09
• The Black Archer (PROLOGUE)
16 November 2008 @ 13:23
• Zincarla (Shadows and Smoke)
12 November 2008 @ 00:03
• Whisper (Shadows & Smoke)
11 November 2008 @ 23:55
• The Face of Evil (Shadows & Smoke)
11 November 2008 @ 23:44
• Through Her Eyes
09 November 2008 @ 23:28
• The Thirded Shard: The Prophecy
04 November 2008 @ 09:10
• The Cerulean Sign (TWO)
03 November 2008 @ 21:49
• Spider's Bane (FOUR)
01 November 2008 @ 12:38
• Spider's Bane (THREE)
29 October 2008 @ 08:31
• Spider's Bane (TWO)
28 October 2008 @ 22:48
• Spider's Bane (ONE)
28 October 2008 @ 21:26
• The War of Leaves (THREE)
22 October 2008 @ 22:59
• The War of Leaves (TWO)
22 October 2008 @ 10:09
• The War of Leaves (ONE)
21 October 2008 @ 23:55
• The Cerulean Sign (ONE)
21 October 2008 @ 21:10
Member Compositions Average Rating:
(5 rating)
[ composition listing | post comment | view/offer feedback (0) | rate this compositions ]