House Meeting

Ryo’fein looked at Emerald with awe as the Matron Mother finished her tale, his breath catching when the dagger slipped into his hand as if it had always been there.

The image of Emerald striking down the demon princess played on loop in his mind’s eye, the story now alive with the weight of the weapon he held.

"Is this—was it—" Ryo’fein’s fingers were still too awestruck. "Is this the blade that delivered the mortal blow?"

He shook his head, lowering his head in shame. "Forgive me. It is not my place to ask."

Straightening, he tightened his grip on the dagger. "I will put this to use should we face the abyss, and strike true, as you once did. I will not fail you, Lady Emerald. I live only to bring glory to House Platin."

He bowed deeply.

To Silver: "Maybe commune or augury or something to mark out the demon locations on our route so we can avoid them. Hiding and deception only help a lot if you can hide all of us."

She stands carefully and walks over to Silver. She puts the leather pouch in the priestess' hands. "It will return to me if it is lost. Do not remove it from the pouch until you are in the Castle of Quiet Mourning. The castle is in the mountains outside the City of the Spider Queen. I have no roadmap, no directions beyond that."

As a priestess Silver knows the names of those two places. The Castle of Quiet Mourning is where any who repent and beg Eilistraee to save them go when they die in order to work off their burden of sin. The City of the Spider Queen is the City in the Demon Web pit that Lolth rules over, where far too many drow suffer after they die. Getting through that city will require even more cunning than moving through Menzoberanzan.

She steps to each of you taking a moment to place a gentle kiss on your forehead and leaves the room. The other ladies of the house each, in turn, show affection in their own way. Emerald and Diamond hug each of you and kiss your cheek, Amethyst is like the Matron Mother and kisses your forehead, Ruby passes each of you and simply puts her fingers to your cheek before moving ever the soldier even in private. With them gone the room is yours to plan before you make your way to the Baenre compound.

The priestesses and elders fingers and lips were light and dry, like spider legs crawling on Burny's skin. She tried to keep from pulling away or shuddering as they each gripped her and pressed their desiccated kisses into her forehead.

She knew these were good people and she owed the House for her life and her livelihood but the drow, and for that matter elves in general, still gave her the jitters.

Fortunately they would be out of the House and on the road soon enough. That had its own dangers and they were great but they were things she could run from or burn; simple and uncomplicated.

Shishi hadn't contacted her since Mother Platin set this up and Yao Pu was worse than useless as usual with social interactions. She would be on her own with this journey.

Once the Matron Mother and her retinue leave, Kalafein thinks for a few heartbeats before speaking up. "I can be ready within the hour. Shall we meet at the gates then?"

Ryo’fein accepted each parting gesture as the highest of honor. It took a few moments for the awe to subside, and then his shoulders slumped a little, and a smile appeared.

He examined the dagger in detail for moment before carefully stowing it away at his belt. The others were congregating, so he walked over to Bor and patted the duergar, then nodded at Narcaere and some of the others he knew. Even with T’rissae, his demeanor was relaxed, the formality gone with the Matron Mother and her wives.

"How’ve you been?" He flashed the drow sign at Bor. Even the mannerism with which he signed was different, rougher, a hand dialect spoken with shortcuts in the vernacular. "It’s good to see you, been a while. It’ll be just like old time, eh?"

As always, the sting of seeing Bor and his missing tongue evoked a pang of regret and anger in Ryo’fein, but today he tamped it down. There was too much to be joyous about.

"I can ready within the hour too," he answered Kalafein. He’d get word to Shinrae, but otherwise it was a simple matter of packing for a mission, which he was familiar with.

He patted Bor again, and then walked over to the others to introduce himself.

"Ryo’fein," he said aloud, offering his hand to the yuan-ti in the room, but spoke loud enough for all the others to hear. "I’ll likely be the one doing the scouting, and shooting from the shadows, it comes to that. Can also mix it up with a blade if needed. Scouting, shooting, stabbing, whatever keeps us breathing, that’s what I do. Unless things go poorly, then I’ll be the one running very fast while insisting it’s all part of the plan."

Bor smiles kindly at Ryo'fein beneath ale-stained white beard. Well, my friend, I am well. And you? Yes, like old times indeed! I’ve not forgotten all the trouble House Baenre laid on us!

Due to his organized nature, Kalafein quickly gathered his things and arrived at the House gates. Knowing he would soon be in view of others not of his House, he began to mentally switch his demeanor to better hide his family's secret.
He eagerly awaited his companion's arrival.

It's a bit more than an hour by the time Burny has herself together and everything packed for travel. She hurries to the gate. I mean, they will probably wait for her and if she goes, she will probably die, but if she doesn't, she will lose what little respect for herself she has.

The vision is overwhelming.

She knew the stories, of course. Some of them anyway; the lies and half-truths that the priestesses of Arach-Tillith had taught as truth. The ones they themselves believed to be true, as much from ignorance as their own conviction.

But to see it from Arushnee's eyes as it happened...

Words failed her, even until her grandmother approached and kissed her on the forehead. "Grandmother..."

She needed to say something, anything. But her tongue was swollen with awe, and the moment slipped her by

"I am ready now," she added to the conversation. Indeed, she had already been wearing her armor when she came to the full assembly of the house. All she needed was to grab a bag. And maybe pass through the library to pick up anything they had on the Demonweb Pits.