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[Drayden Calamyr]

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Drayden was finishing his evening meditation at the Temple when he heard voices coming from the cave to the south. His eyes caught no immediate source of the voices, but instinct took over and he moved quietly down the stairs, slipping into the shadows to keep himself hidden. The conversation took place was most interesting and he recognized one of the voices quite well...

"Have you anything to report to me Scout?"
The voice was male, older and tinged with a heavy Drowish accent.
A female voice responded, one Drayden had never heard before. Accented as well, but sounding Tokunan in nature.
"No sir."
"I brought you some supplies, make sure you ration them accordingly, you understand your assignment. Remain unseen and notify me of any activities here in this city. It is likely that you will be safe here in the Drow Quarter. So if something goes wrong, come here. Above all, do not get caught."
The voice was coming from within the cave, Drayden was zeroing in on the location making his way slowly to the entrance...
"As you command Shadowmancer."
The female voice spoke again and the conversation ended. Drayden waited a few moments and slipped into the cave. Near the farthest wall stood an old drow, dressed in black leather armor. Across the drow's chest was a regal blue sash, the color of Stonegate.
"You place alot of faith in a Drow Matron. Especially the one that you deserted, father."
Alaundril turned to look at the younger version of himself, a tall stronger build drow. His son cradled a loaded and brutal looking crossbow casually in his arm, and right now he was watching the Shadowmancer carefully, as a hunter might watch it's prey.
"Deserted?" He laughed at Drayden. "Believe in those bedtime stories your mother told you as a babe too? I was keeping Matron and her flock safe."
"You would know more about deserting than me father, you've done nothing but desert everyone in your life. You deserted me, Feyln....mother. I had to clean up the mess. It was I that had to find mother....murdered. Had you been there, she would possibly still be alive."
The old assassin was quiet for a minute and then he walked slowly towards Drayden, looking him dead in the eyes.
"You know nothing, weakling half Drow. I was protecting you and your sister. Do you know what the....organization would do to me if they found out I had a snow white daughter, a half drow son and Elven Noble wife?" Alaundril scoffed an shook his head. "I did what I did to protect you both..."
"You protect nothing...you only serve yourself. Which is why mother paid the price for your actions and not you. She was the one killed by your enemies. It should have been you to die. You are coward, you are always willing to sacrifice everyone for YOUR goals. That time is over for me, I will not be a pawn in your little chess game. I know what it means to serve a cause, to protect. I had to learn that myself." Drayden scowled at his father with disdain, his hatred for the drow was simmering for centuries. The resentment caused by a father who left his family to die, and Drayden was the one to take care of the bloody mess that was left.
Alaundril cackled again, his eyes full of mirth as Drayden spoke. "A cause? You serve what our house sought to fight for centuries. I know you Drayden, you follow what's convenient, sewing your wake of chaos behind you. You're more like me than you care to admit. Though I would never find myself serving a Drow Matron again. Not in this life or the next. Damn Lloth. Damn her to the Abyss with every last matron that she has following her. I will take my chances with the Lycans in the north, less chance of finding myself on a sacrificial altar with a spider knife inside chest..."
Drayden could feel that familiar tingle in his veins, blood started to get hot.
"You're angry aren't you? You feel the chaos in your blood every day. You've spent centuries of your life fighting that feeling. The feeling that drives you to set fires in Moonglow...the feeling that drove you to do it before I took you away to re-educate you. You remember Minoc, Cove and the acres of land you incinerated in a fit of anger..."
Drayden growled and raised the crossbow, pointing it his father's face.
"Leave. Now. Before you become part of that list of things I've burned to the ground."
The old drow grinned at his son, "Blood of the Drow Drayden. Blood of the Drow."
With that, Alaundril melted away into the shadows of the cave, leaving his son alone and fuming with anger.

[Drayden Calamyr]

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He left the cave cursing quietly under his breath. This temper of his seemed to be getting worse. The fires of chaos in his blood were causing that familiar tingle under his skin, his vision was narrowed like a hunter on the hunt. He could feel the burning in his chest, the "seed of chaos" as his father had put it. Perhaps it was partially responsible for his change in behavior over the past few months. He found himself growing more and more like the darker side of his mind that he had fought at bay for a lifetime. His hand went there, he could feel the heat, the lump of the small scorpion buried within his flesh. It was no matter, he tried doing things the way his Mother wanted. How many times had she pleaded with him to never become what his father had. House Do'rhett wasn't dead, and if there was a living Drow from those long lost centuries that knew there would be quite a different tune right now. Drayden knew that he, his beloved sister and his hated father would be hunted down like orcs. A new feast for the vultures of the surface.
I am not houseless....I am Calamyr. Servant of Lloth and House Qu'ellar D' Alean'und.
Life has a sense of humor it seems. I become more and more like him every day. Our only parting is that I serve The Queen and a Matron. He has done nothing but betray those who had empowered him, sacrificed them for his own goals. I will not let my House be endangered by his silly little games.

Drayden stopped before the altar as he made his way out of the cave and looked at the likeness of his new found Queen. The one who truly seemed to understand his ways, she even praised him for it through her blessings and gifts. Now was not the time for such things. The Drow of the Quarter needed their Mother. They needed their Matron to return home. How could a lowly male like himself rise and lead when the Goddess forbid it? Where was Kal'iksix?

The Drow sighed softly and shouldered his crossbow pondering the possibilities. Something occurred to him then, and he slowly walked up the long stairs to the shrine to the Spider Queen seeking her counsel and guidance, though he knew the pain and sickness that would follow. Drayden kneeled and closed his eyes, letting the mists of the astral plane wrap around his mind...

My Queen. I continue to serve your cause and honor you. House Qu'ellar D' Alean'und needs it's Matron. I fear there will not be much of a house left if she is kept away much longer.

She will return to you soon. You have done well in following my directives, for a male.

Thank you my Queen, I live only to serve you. What would you have me do in preparation for our Matron's glorious return?

House Qu'ellar D' Alean'und needs a proper show of it's loyalty to me. Fetch a fitting sacrifice that may be done in my honor. Then your wish to serve me will be closer to being the truth. Of course, I cannot accept a male sacrifice. It must be a female, it must be a being of the surface. Fetch this sacrifice for your Matron's pleasure and mine.

As you command my Queen...


Drayden lost consciousness and awoke at the foot of the stairs to the temple. The all too familiar trickle of blood running down his right nostril. The pounding headache, the nausea.
So she had commended and he must comply. The hunt would begin this evening.