day 2- Underdark
drow, deep crow, lolth
Krella Th'Thriv tensed as thousands of disgusting, eight-legged, spindly vermin swarmed
over her body.
She tensed not for herself, but for her best friend, whom she sat astride, Le'Kla, her Deep
Crow companion.
The two were in the midst of a "cleansing" ritual, required of all servants of the city to ensure
their continued loyalty & blessing of the Goddess Lolth.
Krella shifted her fingers deeper into the feathers around Le'Kla's neck, re-assuring her only
friend in this temple dedicated to a thing she did not . . .
No, best not to think it here.
Simply stay calm, and pass that calm to Le'kla as they'd done so many times. In battle, and
here, under this widow & recluse shower.
The two sat, silently, eyes closed, mouths closed, feeling the small tickles of the countless
legs scurry over them, waiting for the priestess to summon them off once more.
An eternity of repulsive caress and potentially deadly exploration passed, when finally a
hissing sound came from their left. The countless legs all tensed & moved as one,
scuttling down & away from mount and rider.
Krella did not breath easy until she say the last abominable beast skitter off of Le'Kla's
massive talon. Deep Crow & mounted Drow, both craned their heads to face the head
Priestess.
Lo'Dotha, half Drow woman, half Spider, Head Priestess of Lolth in the city of Molrua, clicked
the mandibles that jutted from her jaw. The similarity to a "cluck" of disappointment was
apparent to all. "You are still blessed by Our Mistress, child of Th'Thriv. And so is your servant.
Very good," Lo'Dotha drolly intoned, dropping her crossed arms, resting the palms on her
front-most legs. "Complete the blessing. So they may return to the outer caverns and
continue their," there was a pregnant pause, "vigilant guard of our beloved home."
A small chorus of voices all replied, "Yes, Mother."
"Thank you, Mother" Krella replied with rehearsed reverence as she nudged Le'Kla to also
bow & lift her feathers in what most would interpret as a show of subservience.
Krella stifled a smile as one of the newest acolytes had to duck or be clocked by Le'Kla's
massive primary feather.
Lo'Dotha's legs clacked against the black marble of the temple as she slowly turned in
place. Her only acknowledgment of the deference paid her, one hand held up as she clicked
her way towards the back of the main hall of the chapel and the doors that lead out.
A whimpering noise as well as the sound of flesh being slid against smooth marble followed
as Lo'Datha's clicking faded in the distance.
The whimpering was that of a gnome, but not the typical svirfneblin found in farther caverns,
no. This was from the higher places. It was pinkish, pale & purple. A rare and great
sacrifice to their Goddess. To have it serve as a host for Lolth's children was obvious, but to
grant Krella the honor of releasing the children from this offering was no small gesture.
This was a public show of approval, but was it genuine? More likely Lo'Dotha assumed,
correctly, Krella and Le'Kla would be repulsed by having to bathe in the blood of a foreign
creature whilst the Lolth-childer scurried about in the dim light for the first time. Making a
bane from a boon, oh how the clergy love to play little games such as this.
Krella swallowed down the revulsion of so much deceit and politicking. The sooner it was
done, the sooner her & Le'kla could return to the outer caverns, where the laws of the
wild reigned. Oh yes, out there was brutality, pain and filth. But it was for survival and
prosperity, not this gross civility.
Krella hopped down from Le'Kla, hand still resting on her midnight feathers. She pulled the
dagger from her boot, sliding her hand along Le'kla's neck, indicating the giant bird should
stoop down closer to the gnome writhing on the alter before them.
Krella had to look at the gnome for a few moments to see where the parasites were
currently incubating, as to not cut into those most prized hatchlings.
She placed one hand on the gnomes head, where there did not appear to be anything
crawling under it's skin. There Le'Kla could bite with her massive four-hinged beak, ending
the gnome's life swiftly and less likely to damage any of the worshiped vermin.
The gnome made eye contact, and unlike most other hosts at this point, they were not
glazed over or vacant. They were not simply part of the shell that had been a living creature
with hopes, dreams fears. This gnome whispered, in broken, agonizingly clear Elvish as it
looked into Krella's soul, "please, quick."
Her survival instincts kicked in, and instead of faltering in any way, as she new any false
move would be seen as weakness or wavering loyalty to their disgusting deity, she spat
the verse she had been taught to say from birth, as was her "right" and "privilege" as a Drow
woman, plunging the knife into the gnome's neck.
The light in it's eyes blinked out so fast Krella almost wondered if it had been there at all. She
moved the warm fluids over her brow and across the space above Le'Kla's eyes, and it
wasn't until she heard the soft, low chuckling from the back of the chapel behind her, that she
was certain of the gnome's words. As, between chuckles, Lo'Dotha, in their own language,
not the mewling tongue the gnome used, she repeated to Krella, "please, quick."
A small chorus of nervous giggles followed from the others in the room, as Lo'Dotha came
forth once more. "We jest child. Be grateful. It's pain and spirit are that much more
delicious gifts to The Mother." Lo'Dotha paused once more. "Now go. The ritual is done. One
so blessed as you should be doing Her will once more. Let us not delay you further." She
then clacked backwards, her sickly grey abdomen bobbing as her bulk shifted away from the
two.
"Thank you, Mother" Krella repeated again. Yet another pause the only stirring were the
small creatures discovering their new world beyond the body on the alter, and the drip, drip
of it's water falling to the reflective floor.
"KYAAH!" Krella cried, jumping as Le'Kla dipped its head to meet her rider.
Le'Kla spread her wings wide in the vacuous space of the church, herself jumping to gain
height as she flapped, clearing the floor, escaping the skittering beasts all about.
Not even brushing the slick black stones of the threshold as she dipped to clear the massive
doorway. Using the air pressure of the dive to launch herself up and away from that place of
revolting excess.
Krella Th'Thriv tensed as thousands of disgusting, eight-legged, spindly vermin swarmed
over her body.
She tensed not for herself, but for her best friend, whom she sat astride, Le'Kla, her Deep
Crow companion.
The two were in the midst of a "cleansing" ritual, required of all servants of the city to ensure
their continued loyalty & blessing of the Goddess Lolth.
Krella shifted her fingers deeper into the feathers around Le'Kla's neck, re-assuring her only
friend in this temple dedicated to a thing she did not . . .
No, best not to think it here.
Simply stay calm, and pass that calm to Le'kla as they'd done so many times. In battle, and
here, under this widow & recluse shower.
The two sat, silently, eyes closed, mouths closed, feeling the small tickles of the countless
legs scurry over them, waiting for the priestess to summon them off once more.
An eternity of repulsive caress and potentially deadly exploration passed, when finally a
hissing sound came from their left. The countless legs all tensed & moved as one,
scuttling down & away from mount and rider.
Krella did not breath easy until she say the last abominable beast skitter off of Le'Kla's
massive talon. Deep Crow & mounted Drow, both craned their heads to face the head
Priestess.
Lo'Dotha, half Drow woman, half Spider, Head Priestess of Lolth in the city of Molrua, clicked
the mandibles that jutted from her jaw. The similarity to a "cluck" of disappointment was
apparent to all. "You are still blessed by Our Mistress, child of Th'Thriv. And so is your servant.
Very good," Lo'Dotha drolly intoned, dropping her crossed arms, resting the palms on her
front-most legs. "Complete the blessing. So they may return to the outer caverns and
continue their," there was a pregnant pause, "vigilant guard of our beloved home."
A small chorus of voices all replied, "Yes, Mother."
"Thank you, Mother" Krella replied with rehearsed reverence as she nudged Le'Kla to also
bow & lift her feathers in what most would interpret as a show of subservience.
Krella stifled a smile as one of the newest acolytes had to duck or be clocked by Le'Kla's
massive primary feather.
Lo'Dotha's legs clacked against the black marble of the temple as she slowly turned in
place. Her only acknowledgment of the deference paid her, one hand held up as she clicked
her way towards the back of the main hall of the chapel and the doors that lead out.
A whimpering noise as well as the sound of flesh being slid against smooth marble followed
as Lo'Datha's clicking faded in the distance.
The whimpering was that of a gnome, but not the typical svirfneblin found in farther caverns,
no. This was from the higher places. It was pinkish, pale & purple. A rare and great
sacrifice to their Goddess. To have it serve as a host for Lolth's children was obvious, but to
grant Krella the honor of releasing the children from this offering was no small gesture.
This was a public show of approval, but was it genuine? More likely Lo'Dotha assumed,
correctly, Krella and Le'Kla would be repulsed by having to bathe in the blood of a foreign
creature whilst the Lolth-childer scurried about in the dim light for the first time. Making a
bane from a boon, oh how the clergy love to play little games such as this.
Krella swallowed down the revulsion of so much deceit and politicking. The sooner it was
done, the sooner her & Le'kla could return to the outer caverns, where the laws of the
wild reigned. Oh yes, out there was brutality, pain and filth. But it was for survival and
prosperity, not this gross civility.
Krella hopped down from Le'Kla, hand still resting on her midnight feathers. She pulled the
dagger from her boot, sliding her hand along Le'kla's neck, indicating the giant bird should
stoop down closer to the gnome writhing on the alter before them.
Krella had to look at the gnome for a few moments to see where the parasites were
currently incubating, as to not cut into those most prized hatchlings.
She placed one hand on the gnomes head, where there did not appear to be anything
crawling under it's skin. There Le'Kla could bite with her massive four-hinged beak, ending
the gnome's life swiftly and less likely to damage any of the worshiped vermin.
The gnome made eye contact, and unlike most other hosts at this point, they were not
glazed over or vacant. They were not simply part of the shell that had been a living creature
with hopes, dreams fears. This gnome whispered, in broken, agonizingly clear Elvish as it
looked into Krella's soul, "please, quick."
Her survival instincts kicked in, and instead of faltering in any way, as she new any false
move would be seen as weakness or wavering loyalty to their disgusting deity, she spat
the verse she had been taught to say from birth, as was her "right" and "privilege" as a Drow
woman, plunging the knife into the gnome's neck.
The light in it's eyes blinked out so fast Krella almost wondered if it had been there at all. She
moved the warm fluids over her brow and across the space above Le'Kla's eyes, and it
wasn't until she heard the soft, low chuckling from the back of the chapel behind her, that she
was certain of the gnome's words. As, between chuckles, Lo'Dotha, in their own language,
not the mewling tongue the gnome used, she repeated to Krella, "please, quick."
A small chorus of nervous giggles followed from the others in the room, as Lo'Dotha came
forth once more. "We jest child. Be grateful. It's pain and spirit are that much more
delicious gifts to The Mother." Lo'Dotha paused once more. "Now go. The ritual is done. One
so blessed as you should be doing Her will once more. Let us not delay you further." She
then clacked backwards, her sickly grey abdomen bobbing as her bulk shifted away from the
two.
"Thank you, Mother" Krella repeated again. Yet another pause the only stirring were the
small creatures discovering their new world beyond the body on the alter, and the drip, drip
of it's water falling to the reflective floor.
"KYAAH!" Krella cried, jumping as Le'Kla dipped its head to meet her rider.
Le'Kla spread her wings wide in the vacuous space of the church, herself jumping to gain
height as she flapped, clearing the floor, escaping the skittering beasts all about.
Not even brushing the slick black stones of the threshold as she dipped to clear the massive
doorway. Using the air pressure of the dive to launch herself up and away from that place of
revolting excess.
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