Sir Holton

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Organized Play Member. 1 post (3 including aliases). No reviews. No lists. No wishlists. 1 Organized Play character. 1 alias.


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So men, you’ve been listening to that dwarf tell you stories of adventure and treasure. Makes you want to go out there and get some for yourself. Well, I can tell you that it is not all hack and slash. You can’t always keep what you kill. Sometimes you have to sacrifice your soul just to stay alive.

Now if ol’ Rolfe can keep quiet long enough, I’d like to tell you my side of what he is about to tell you.

As you already heard, Evianna had task us with gathering information about the war between the dark and light elves. They also need to know more about this starfall thing. Now gathering information is not our thing, but the elves here were in dire straits. Evianna and this shady elf wizard came up with an idea that we dawn the skins and appearances of a few fallen drow and head off through the portal to their city in the underdark.

I may not be the best when it comes to fighting, but I do my part. Sneaking into a drow city and pretending to be them just to gather info, well we are just not that suited. This sounds like something Vors could do, but not the rest of us. Well you already know that we agreed to go, but there were some serious reservations about going.

Through the portal and into the hands of a merchant by the name of Gadak. He took us to his home, which happened to be the second most powerful family citadel in the underground city. Gadak was a servant of House Vonnarc and he suggested that we become servants, too, as House Azrinae was falling. Up till now, I had been nervous about our cover. Getting inside House Vonnarc’s gates gave me some confidence that this crazy plan might work. The first true test was about to come with the meeting of the Slave Mother.

After some words from our new sponsor Gadak and a few quick answers from our assumed leader Malika, we were granted a trial period into the house as low servants. We had to prove ourselves worthy of House Vonnarc in order to stay around. We were each given low quality house signet rings. We were assigned our own group room to sleep.

Now proving ourselves seemed easy enough, just do what they say when they say it and we are in. At least that is what I thought. My first assignment was to clean the stables. I thought, “I can ride a horse. Surely cleaning up after one should not be hard.” Well I was wrong on two fronts. First, they don’t ride horse underground, they ride lizards. Second, lizards and I don’t mess well. This caused the scaly things to not like me and one thing led to another…well let’s just say I missed lunch and dinner. My next task was going to introduce me to the darker side of life. I was hauled off to the torture chamber were a drow female was “re-educating” other drow screw-ups of how things were done proper. You see, the drow believe that everyone receives the same education and you should know everything. If you fail in your task, well it is explained to you again at the end of a whip. I have to say, it takes a special kind of lady to re-educate folks so efficiently.

So my turn came along, and they stripped me down to my nothings. I was chained up with my hands out above my head. When that first slap of learning hit me, all I could think about was that this enchantment may break and my true identity would be relieved. I looked down and noticed that I was still drow in appearance. Just as a sigh of relief came another slap of learning brought me back to the moment. By the time ten slaps had come, I was ready to go home…to the surface that is. I got dressed and out of habit was about to call on a few blessings from Cayden to take away the pain but realized right then and there how dire this whole situation is. You cannot ask for a blessing in front of these folks. Their God ain’t your God and that would be real bad.

I hobbled back to the room and explained to everyone what happened to me and told them how we had to be careful about our ways versus the drow. Tsadok understood immediately what I was saying. I rested the rest of the night, if you could call it that.

The next day I decided to try my hand at guard duty, this task seemed much easier as I had the skills for it. As a reward for not getting beaten, I was given permission for some free time within the citadel. I decided to try get in good with the First Son’s, Erdrinneir, personal guard. I was a little over ambitious and was turned away.

Day three of service rolled in and wanting a repeat of success, I tried my hand at guard duty again. This time however, the task masters wanted me to run some errands. Sounds easy enough, but again, the easy stuff wasn’t easy and before I knew it I was back in the torture chamber. Thinking quickly on my feet, I figured that I needed to make an impression on a member of the higher ranks, so I did the only thing I could do to warrant the pain taster’s individual attention. I turned my head around so I could see her behind me and said, “Do your worst.” I even offered up my backside for an easier target. Fellas, that sentence and act were the last two things I remember of the entire day. When I came to, it was the next day. There I lay on the chamber floor, with a few others who had not been able to keep their wits before the end. This time was a little different than the last. I actually had some open wounds along with the bruises of the beating. I drug myself off the floor and got dressed.

When I got back to the room where the others were, I laid down for a little bit and explained what had happened. I was scolded as a fool, but I just smiled. I had a plan.

I reported for duty on the fourth day with the others as usual. The task masters remembered who I was and assigned me look out duty, I think out of pity. Though, these folks are not the pitying type. All went well for my shift, and I returned to the room to rest. While I rested I decided that the first son might be too well guard, I needed someone lesser. The obvious choice was the second son and his guard. I tried to impress upon them my usefulness. I was successful this time and was invited to play, a new game to me, a drow favorite. Being a gambling man, I sat down and enjoyed the game trying to gather as much fringe information as possible. I left with a little coin in my pocket and some new acquaintances as well. I was even invited back.

By the fifth day, we all had our turn in the torture chamber save the dwarf. He had been proving well as a guard. As a shock to me, these folk preferring women, Malika had not been as much a shining star as I would have thought. Though I suspect she was working an angle that she wasn’t letting on about. Saru, our quick hand fighter was excelling at cooking. He was even being asked for by request. Tsadok, my friend, was getting frustrated. He was doing ok at the guard duties, but with no fighting and no open praying, he steaming with anger. Vors had his ups and downs with his tasks but he had other goals in mind. We had been noticing that our “sponsor” was spying on us while we worked, so Vors set out on a campaign to sort him out. After our day’s tasks were completed, we started putting together ideas of what to look for and where to look. I decided to try a different tactic with the pain taster. During my free time, I went to her tried to romance her. Though she was interested in seeing me, she was in no way liking the romance. I was lucky to only be turned away. Rolfe had been making an impromptu map of the citadel as best he could and in doing so found a shrine chamber and a library.

Next day’s task came and went as usual with some of us going to the torture chamber. That day’s free time was spent with Tiryin’s, the second son, guards gambling. I made the acquaintance of higher up guard named Immanis. He was an older drow, season with more than a few fights. He sat down and joined us gambling and by nights end, he was a bit lighter in the pocket. As I left, he asked if I would come back and give him a second chance at my new money. I agreed and parted ways.

Now fellas, after six days straight of impersonating the enemy and making the wrong kind of friends wears on you. It starts to eat at your conscience. It starts to question who you are and what you mean to yourself. That’s right. It is heavy and deep. But what would come next would make your stomachs turn.

The seventh day, came as normal. And as normal so did our performances. All day long, I had been contemplating my next move to get in good with the middle echelons of the citadel. I knew that if I had discussed my idea with the group, they would not approve. So with only a statement of where I was going, I left in pursuit of the pain taster’s affection. Now, I had already been shot down by using romances. I figured that she was looking for someone who likes pain. So gathering all of my inner will, I submitted to her and beg for a beating. To sweeten the ruse, I mixed in a few phrases of pleasure with the request of whips and chains. She bit off on the whole thing, literally and figuratively. At some point that night I knew I was in deeper than I wanted to be. Somewhere along the way to ecstasy, I once again lost consciousness and awoke naked and scarred. Wrapped in some silk bedding I began looking at the scars and noticed that they were more than just wounds, they were engravings. Rolfe will tell you, I did not look very good. There were two other females in the room giggling at the fact that I was there. Drovoani, the pain taster, who had given me courtesy of her name sometime in the night, was gone. I dressed myself and left the chamber. In the hall, I noticed my friend Saru outside on the floor, passed out. The guards just stood there, indicating they had something to do with his condition. I woke him up and helped him back to our room.

The others were not happy when we returned. They were even frighten a little by my new appearance. Who could blame them. First we were wearing drow flesh and now mine has been etched up like a shaman’s totem pole. I tried to argue that I was merely making an impression on a noble of the house. Trying to leverage our position here. While we were discussing the happenings and dealings of the night, albeit one sided it seemed, a knock came at the door. We all straightened up real quick as Rolfe answered the door. A messenger entered and announced that I have been sent a gift from Drovoani, a new set of fine work clothes in house colors and a much finer quality signet ring. This new ring effectively sealed my promotion to full servant. The messenger left and the looks I received from my friends could have killed thousands. Saru commented snidely, “Some impression.” This day’s task would prove a slight set back. I was summoned personally to attend a noble’s torturing pleasure. I thought along the way that I was to torture someone. However, when I got there I realized that I was the subject. Apparently, Drovoani had been talking my actions up to some of the other nobles and wanted to demonstrate my toughness. However, I had not fully recovered from the previous night and fell far short of her expectations. I was shunned to guard duty for the next few days.

Saru was soon promoted to a full servant thanks to his cooking skills. Who would have thought that the deft hands of a monk would translate into a great cook? The duties of the others in our group seemed routine at this point. Rolfe and Tsadok had taken to dueling with nobles, though it was more for show than really doing much sword play. Malika started to notice that my path with Drovoani was not a bad choice and tried to make a call or two to the mistress. Malika may be better suited for this path than I, but if it gets us in well…here’s to pain. Vors had switched to guard duty as the re-education process was starting to wear thin on his patience. Even he found a groove eventually.

I began to alternate evenings with Immanis and the guard and submitting to Drovoani. I was trying to solidify a firm ground of support to legitimize my stay here in the citadel. I figured if you only work one angle and it gets taken from you, then you have nothing to stand on. I wanted to secure my place there. During this time, I discovered that I had been given some new powers. Not permissions like going outside mind you, but new innate abilities. I could feel the cursed powers running through me. Now each day we had been there, Tsadok and I had to be sneaky with our morning rituals and prayers to our respective gods, hoping that they were still listening. Nothing like being the beacon for your god and having to hide it for fear of getting killed. Try explaining that one to Gorum. Malika would prepare as well but wasn’t in need of staying totally hidden from view and earshot. Anyways, I became concerned that the longer good and evil occupied my body at the same time, what would happen to my soul? Would it be shredded to pieces? Would the two sides eventually betray the other and reveal me as I truly am? Cayden Cailean taught his disciples to better themselves through strength and liberty, yet there I was submitting to her pleasures and staying bound to her by servitude. Would Cayden cut me off for that? But you see fellas, logic has a way to bring it all back in perspective. If any more of House Azrinae’s drow come back from the surface war telling the tales of what happened up there, it will be very hard indeed to suspect me of being involved.

One day shy of being there two weeks and we were summoned to the Slave Mother’s Chamber. There Drovoani and Undamesta, the Slave Mother, wait for us. Drovoani began explaining that there were three driders that needed to be brought to justice. Drovoani looked at me and stated that the driders’ head needed to be brought back as proof of our obedience. I knew she meant my obedience. So not to let my ruse be discovered I responded, “It shall be done my Mistress.” And bowed. Undamesta assigned two royal guards to accompany us to the driders.

On the way to the caves where the driders were supposed to be hiding out, there was a slight discussion about whether the two royal guards were going to make it back alive. By the time we got there a real decision had not been made yet. The driders were not that hard to engage. Tsadok was relieved for some real fighting. But he and I both realized with the two royal guards present, we would not be able to call any blessings or favors from our gods. Malika said some words and flung a fire ball at two of the driders. The royal guards saw, but did not react to it. They did not engage the driders until ordered to by Saru. We all made quick work of the driders. With their heads removed, we decided not to kill the royal guards as we suspected they might be an asset when we returned.

Back at the citadel, we presented the heads to Undamesta. The two royal guards gave favorable reports on the mission. Drovoani and Undamesta were pleased and rewarded us with a day off. That evening we plotted to do some recon in the city the next day. Rolfe and Malika were going to the library to research more and Saru, Tsadok, Vors, and I were going to go into town and find House Azrinae’s holdings and see what remains. Another messenger came and changed my mind for me. Seemed as though Drovoani was impressed with the deed and wanted to reward me personally. There was angry looks from my friends. But we did not discuss it.

The next day, came and we all went about our ways. I met up with Drovoani in her chambers and she led me down to the courtyard were we boarded one of those wagons without wheels. You know the ones that are carried by slaves in the front and back. They took us on a ride through town and stopped at a house of pleasure. Now mind you I did not know it was a pleasure house until we went inside. Drow have a different spin on pleasure. Not everything is pain. This was all the fun pleasures of the surface world rapped up under one roof. I started with, and had only the intentions to partake in the alcohol. Drovoani was determined to try it all. I remember feeling sick and wonderful all at the same time. I cannot remember much more than that. And I probably don’t want too either. I will say that when I came to, I hoped to Cayden that I did not do something to offend him.

Well fellas, I’ll let Rolfe tell you his side of the story. I’ll get the barkeep to get everyone a round.