Maskan Quarlani Posted December 26, 2002 Share Posted December 26, 2002 Howling, shrieking, dark foul laughter. All these sounds fill the air, the deep caves.. of the Drow nursery. Children taught from birth to compete, to survive, to hate. They ways of their dark goddess demand it. Kin and stranger alike, killing as children. If one child was stronger, perhaps he would come out alive, he would kill those other young ones who dared be weaker... or perhaps not.. The silent ones, the weaker looking children, waited... they had played for days in the darker parts of the nursery.. watching that foul brat, who dare think he was the best. Strength of body was nothign to these babies. Yes, babies, but 10 elven years old.... nothing to drow and elves. They had a surprise for this strong one and those like him, they had learned early the ways of poison.. they would poison the foul brat, and laugh at him. He was not alone... he had a brother.. if that word is to be used by Drow. He had Maskan.. not as strong, not as openly known by the others. But Maskan watched his brother. Not like the others watched their siblings, waiting for them to die. No, a rare traight bred through into Maskan. Loyalty. That was Maskan's weapon against the children in the shadows. That was how he would crush them. They would not expect loyalty... especially not to ones own blood kin. The day came when they struck at the strongest... Their poisons flyign with dart, and hidden dagger.. They cried out with glee.. and then... They screamed in anger.. Their poisons useless.. The strongest had the antidote.. BUT HOW!? HOW!? They howled.. and the shadows... Maskan watched.. not pleased by the horrors to come, but pleased that those who dared harm his kin.. would fall. --- One Hundred and Thiry years. That is the age of maturity for elven kind. Maskan's day of entrance into aduklt hood came. Now he would begin the tests. Those horrid tests that would mak him a servant of his people.. a servant of the Spider Goddess, Lloth. He pass each one of the begging tests.. not failing, not even stumbling. The priestess watched with glee.. a new and quick toy was being formed before their eyes. The males wathced with jealousy. Their position as "toy" to their women was threatened. Maskan cared not for any of them. He knew only to survive. His older brother had failed the tests. The dark wrath of Lloth took hold of his brother and transformed him into a vile being.. a Drider. Half spider, half drow, but neither. Cast out and accursed by all drow and all spiders. This would not be Maskan's fate. He would survive. And in the depths of dreams... he knew.. he would get out of this place..... --- In his early days.. he had passed each test.. up to the very last treacherous, vile test. Tested by betrayal, and hate, and death, and poison. Tested with the ways of commanding forces, and cheating your enemies and allies alike... He cared not. He held his blade close, his bag of antidotes and poisons closer. His current Mistress, who watched and ruled him closely... but not close enough, sought him to be a love toy. This would lower him in rank, and degarde him.. most of all.. it would kill him. He refused.... --- His next Master, this time a Master not a MIstress, treated him aswell if not slightly better than most Drow would. Trained him... taught him. But then felt threatened by him... Again.. Maskan refused to die.. -- His third.. and last Mistress.. a Priestess... apprentice to the High Priestess herself. A foul woman... dark, hateful.. devious. Even with her... Maskan could not be content. He had finally had enough, and atlast... Refused to die. -- The cold winds blew at the exit to the Under Dark... realm of the Drow. The bright light know to him as white death... the sun.. shoen into the exit. He stepped forth quickly, pulling his coif tight of him to keep light out. He fled into the forest.. the cursed place.. but.. notso cursed.. foriegn... threatening.. He took to the sea.. using what gold he had to purchase small craft of his own.. he knew his people would not come to sea to find him.. he stayed out at sea.. for ages it seemed. Learning the ways of his new mistress.. harsh yet strong.. without hate or love, simply being. The sea had him.. and he had the sea.. atlast something good. He returned to land.. often.. to get supplies. But this time was different, he fled from a horde.. a horde of elementals and serpents. His people indeed would not come to him at sea.. but they would send others.. He fled to land, and fled as he did long ago, into the forest... He had been lied to it seemed.. told the trees them selves would kill him for just being Drow.That fair skinned elves would fall upon him an... And then it happened... He saw an elf.. what he thoguht to be an elf.. This strange man came at him with great speed.. and .. tackedl him to the ground. Before Maskan could react they were kidden, hidden in the under brush, the elf's gloved hand covering Maskan's mouth. A rustling came from in the forest, and then out with screams and howls... the Drow hunting party. Giant Spiders and enslaved Drider.. sought him out, coming closer and closer.. and then.. he and the stranged glowed bright blue... and vanished from that spot. --- Years had past since he had met Strider. Only half-elven he claimed.. though what the other half was, Maskan wasnt sure.. a faery perhaps.. something strange and powerful. Strider was old, and wise. He guided Maskan, gave him a refuge in the Mountains of Wind. Taught him well. Years passed. Maskan now one hundred and forty five. Strider told him the time had come for a new.. stronger, and permenant home. Strider spoke to him of an Empire.. dedicated to the concept of Honor. A place that would shelter him, train him, give him life. Maskan looked forward to it. Prepared himself, gathered his few things aboard his ship, and set sail from a port near Yew. Atlast he landed... upon the shores of the Empire... atlast he had come... To his home... To real family.. a strange yet almost comforting concept... Maskan has much to learn... but shall indeed do it... And do it with... Honor. For even as a child of the blood that burns... he now sets out on the path of freedom... perhaps to one day be free from the ways of horror... The of.. The Blood that Burns. And well on his way on the path of Honor. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elathiel Posted December 26, 2002 Share Posted December 26, 2002 Excellen tale ! Thank you brother Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maskan Quarlani Posted December 31, 2002 Author Share Posted December 31, 2002 Maskan sat upon the back of his new companion, Vlos, a kindly swamp dragon friend. The two of them, sat upon Maskan's ship, sailing out in the sea's, beyond the reach of any.. well most any.. At that.. the West Wind blew over them.. Strange thing was... it felt like the west wind... smelled like the west wind... but it came from the East... he looked, he saw Skara Brae.. he saw the tree's.. And then.. "Vendui' Strider!" "Danellosi Maskan, vys are getting better at catching amin arrival." The old man smiled, and patted his young student on the shoulder. "Usstan try Jabbuk, usstan try" he said, using the term for Master. "How uil Wind?" "Wind is wind dear child. Doing as it always has and will. But tell amin, how is the Empire?" Maskan smiled. The Empire. HIs new home. "Bwael Jabbuk, bwael. Dos were correst, usstan was waela to doubt dos. The way of Honor suits ussta. And nin, usstan have a chance to join a navy, and sail lil seas. Usstan shall test in the Codex soon." "A! Excellent child. Vys should be well prepared. Amin did teach vys much of it, vys shall succeed." "Usstan hope so Jabbuk, usstan hope so." And with that, a smile and a wink, and the words "HOME!" Strider was gone. And Maskan sailed on. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Ser Brightblade Posted December 31, 2002 Share Posted December 31, 2002 Very nice tales you spin! Loved every word of it. Only one problem here. Not enough of em to read!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elathiel Posted December 31, 2002 Share Posted December 31, 2002 Again, just a great read. Thank you Maskan. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maskan Quarlani Posted January 1, 2003 Author Share Posted January 1, 2003 *Dark, foul nightmares. Every night, plaguing his mind. Maskan awoke.... though.. more annoyed than afraid. He knew that he could deal with these memories. For they were indeed memories... Oh yes.. not real dreams.... but real memories.* "Ussa memories are very strong little abbil(friend), usstan do naut think they will go away so easily." Maskan spoke. "Meeb unastan meesta Maskan! Meeb nuu dat dem muds be scerii tots yoob hab. Bud memba, yoob hab noo hohm! Leesd yoob hab un. Meeb nod hab un since da resd ub da Ekirhs lefd da realm. Id berii sad Maskan." the little creature spoke to his friend Maskan. This little abbil, little friend, was Frumprod. An Ekirh. One of the few and last of his race left in this realm. A small lizard like people, the Ekirhs had come from the realm known as Pagan, a place the Avatar himself had once been banished too by the Evil Guardian. As their home land fell appart, the Ekirhs fled through vast dimensional portals, created by their Lord Pyros. God and Titan of Fire. The portals sent them to a vast number of realms. One such realm, Sosaria. The Ekirhs had spent some time growing and spreading in Sosaria, our home. Until recently they had done quite well, but with the vast changes it had come time for most of them to move on, leaving some behind. Frumprod was a Fliz'tak Ekirh. A Mountain Ekirh. He was deep in the mines and caves digging while his people departed, coming to the surface to find most of his race gone. His few friends left included Maskan.. one of the few kind Drow he had ever met. ---- Maskan pasued with thought. Here was his friend.. lost without a home other than the mines... in need of a new place. Maskan knew the EMpire could always use Miners and such... "Abbil.... Frumprod... why dont you come to the Empire? Dosta friend Gorion once served them and dos did like Gorion, Xas?" Frumprood blinked-- more than usual-- he hadnt thought of that! "Ya ya! Guud! Empire! Dat sowns guud tuu meeb! Will dem tahk meeb doh?" "Usstan certainly think so kind friend, usstan certainly think so. Go to lil Empire and seek out friends, tell them usstan sent dos." And so it was done, little Frumprod, one of the few Ekirhs left, would go to the EMpire and seek refuge.. and.. of course... A place... To mine! "Meeb gun deeg deeg deeg fer da Ehmpyr!! YA YA! DEEG DEEG! DEEG FER 'AWNER!!!.... YA YA!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Ser Brightblade Posted January 1, 2003 Share Posted January 1, 2003 I hate to repeat myself but nice story Keep em coming! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Devin Ashley Posted January 1, 2003 Share Posted January 1, 2003 Don't repeat it i will for you Very well written and nicely done and i agree with bb not enough of them Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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