Rakish Feiwallen

[lonnarin]

Full Name: Rakish Feiwallen
Race: Elf
Subrace: Drow
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral (reforming from natural inclivity towards Chaotic evil, he's starting to realize his own sorrow is what fueled him, and begins to empathize with others who suffer... a flamboyant roguish type with a disdain for law and who does the right thing only half the time)
Classes: Rogue going into Duelist by around 12th lvl
God: Former Baraeon worshipper, now disdained by all drow deities as an outcast. Having been betrayed by his own gods' clergy, he has a deep distrust of gods and a condescendance towards godsmen.

Many decades I spent in the spider webbed politics of the Underdark. House Vel'ouen as it was called, the powerbase of my Matron Mother, Glead'rais Vel'ouen. Devout mistress of Vierdri'ra, the only places us, the children of Baraeon could hold were those of footpads and assassains. Like shadows we were, ruling the politics of the Underdark with not alliance, but daggers through throats. We were useful to the matron, but only a passing fancy. After the downfall of House Seld'rull, Glead'rais saw us to be more liability than boon.

Her fallen drider hunted us, cocooned in webs and dragged back into the depths of places best not spoken. We deserved none of this... we did everything she commanded and were smited. I witnessed for myself as my own brothers were poisoned and slaughtered for what we knew. We knew only what they made us do... None of this, I would not have it. Among rothe and deep lizards I crept, clinging the shadows for dear life. Their webs I spotted with ease, bypassing them through alternate caverns.

In my travels I stumbled across some pathetic Da'arthir... surfacer elves searching for a friend of theirs. They were waylaid by the very driders seeking my head for "dear Mother". I sat back and watched them for a few bouts, smirking as their numbers fell to the mandibles of spiderkin. So too did my hunters find arrows in their multifaceted eyes. Glory to this chaos and how it served me! So wrapped up was I in their embattled rapport that I did not notice the fallen one wrap me in her silken bonds.

Struggle as I may, I could not wrest myself free. Quite the opposite, it seemed the more strain and friction I exerted against the webs, the more they ensnared me. Behind me, I heard her gloating wheeze... I the component for her possible redemption before dear Matron Mother. "No pawn of Vierdri'ra am I!" I sneered, Baraeon raging in my heart with thoughts of vengeance and hatred. Stronger I grew, but so crept the drider, her lips across my neck. I fell to her poison, the last sounds in my head the shrieks of drider and the clashing of blades...

I awoke in chains. It would seem that the elves were successful in their hunt, having freed a paladin of Rofirein. Quenton by name, and but two Da'arthir, Vanis and Lluthendel. Apparantly they judged correctly in my inclinations for them. Baraeon bade us to slay those that betrayed us. Where we were cast down from the glory of elven people, where we were enslaved by the bonds of Matriarchy with no leverage beyond our damned gender, we rage... The whips across our backs that we felt as children may well have been Ilsare or Folian themselves. Quenton questioned me and my intentions, so as an experienced scout I lied with half-truths... Yes I was escaping my tyrant mistress... No I was not of a raiding party.. indeed I did not "help" the driders attack them (though maybe it was my trail that brought them... heheh) Confidant that I was no threat to them, the foolish surfacer elves voted to release me from my bondage. The paladin Quenton however, smelled my true intent, adamantly bading them to slay me there and then. Luckily he was outvoted and I was released from my bonds, under oath to the godsman not to cause them strife as they adventured... Oh yes, I agreed... and noting the weight of their beltpouches, it was a boldfaced lie...

I stalked them deeper into the Underdark. True, in hindsight, this was a foolish move to creep closer to my would be captors from Vierdri'ia. That did not matter. I knew only hate for the surfacers for betraying my kin. I knew only greed for what I saw in their goldpouches. And nothing did I know of the oaths of paladins. Occasionally they stopped and made note of a feeling of being watched, but not once was I spotted. This was my realm now, the underdark, deadliest of climes. Every one for themselves, and there's no law to obey but survival. So I followed, deep into the caverns, waiting for the perfect ambush point.

My hunter beat me to it. Alterted by fleeing survivors of the last raid, 3 driders webbed the floor and covered their trap with granite dust. As the human and the Da'arthir walked across the deep tendrils, they were ensnared and leapt upon by all 3 driders. Much to his credit, the godman and his allies were able to bring down two of them, but not before being poisoned. Silently I watched, as they became drousy and the lone surviving fallen one wrapped them up. Not content to save all his food for later, I grinned as he devoured Vanis, the male elf. So too did Baraeon laugh with me, for I felt his mirth in my heart in witnessing vengeance wrought between two foes of our own.

I found a narrow crevasse above the drider and his captives. I wasn't about to let their gold and weapons slip through my grasp. Soon, I planned, I would drop from above and land on the backsection of that cursed spider freak. The one vulnerable point, for the folly of drider is that long, stretching humanoid torso. So I bated my time and waited for the surfacers to awaken. I wanted them to witness my treachery in action, as I robbed all and left them to die in these cold dark caves, outcast like Baraeon from the surface world. Lluthendel awoke 1st, seeing the emptied husk of her lover and weeping hysterically. The drider sneered and taunted her in undercommon... "Fairy wretch, you look down upon us as vermin... so shall I enjoy your pathetic screams as I flay your flesh alive". He struck her across the face with a jointed arachnoid leg, drawing much blood and knocking out a few teeth.

This awoke the godsman Quenton, who fumed with brilliant energy. All just a lightshow; though it burned my eyes, it had little power to release them from the abberation. Above him it cackled, revelling in his hate. Lluthendel's eyes filled with terror, that moment I noticed her. I saw myself, decades earlier and moments ago. I saw one in fear, pain and sorrow. This is what I felt... I realized. Hate was only a cloak to hide it all.

I don't know why I did what happened next. Even Baraeon's shouts within my head to stop did not sway me. Tears in my eyes, I remember the pain my mother had caused me, the whips, the dominance. I saw others, and for some reason, instead of feeling jealous of their uncursed lives, I wanted to keep them from... becoming me. Victims of her. I leapt from my hole and straddled the back of the fallen one. His arachnoid limbs flailed and his arms tried reaching behind his torso to try and wrest me off. No use, for the matrons were not very thoughtful in the construction of their crused. In went my blade, rested at the base of the drider's skull and sliding red through the top of his skull. He lailed reflexively for several moments before keeling over on his side.

I stood and turned about to see the items wrested from the two by the fallen one. A hefty amount of gold, some rations, a holy symbol, swords a bow and armor... a good take. Then I looked back. I saw them there, helpless, and for some strange reason it hurt to think of taking these items... Instead I turned about and cut them free.

Not much thanks did I get. She too stricked for her loss and he too busy groveling happily to his prescious Rofireon. For my actions, I no longer felt my dark king's hand in my fate. I was lost to him. For some reason, I don't think I cared. Wasn't it these people, and not He who saved me before when I called for help... He betrayed me, lord of the betrayed. I allowed them to suit up and even went as far as to give them directions on how to escape the underdark. The Godsman, in some gesture of surfacer civility, shook my hand and smiled as we parted. I'm glad he did, for when his eyes and hand met mine, it left his gold pouch well exposed and unguarded. Sure... I didn't kill him. But I'll be a damned drider before I stand by my word...

Afterwards I headed up, out of the dark hole of those spawn that call me kin. My plans for now? I don't know. Vengeance and hate don't seem to have the same glamour about them I once loved. An adventurer's life of goodliness and charity? Hah! Yeah right, THAT'll happen... I'm pretty sure though that these surfacer lands hold some gold to be had through wheelings and dealing. There's a sucker born every minute! Of course, it's funnier, I think to let them live and learn. Vithos! I'm getting soft I think...

[EdTheKet]

Some pointers if I may.
- I sense from your bio that you still see the matrons as more powerful than the males as well as that Vierdri'ira is more powerful than Baraeon Ca'duz. This is not the case, as you can read in the Dark Elf race description and the descriptions on both of the gods on the forums. (feel free to correct me if I'm wrong) - Driders, on Layonara at least, are created by Vierdri'ira and Baraeon from Dark Elves who fail the Test (see Dark Elf and deity descriptions), so they're not made by the matrons.
Hope it's useful.

[lonnarin]

The goddess is more powerful than he. If a male enters one of her temples, it is instant death for him. If a female who does not worship her enters, she is allowed to be tested.

Rakish assassainated a house enemy Matron. This means in entering her holy house he had to break one of the most strict drow laws in history regarding blasphemy. For which he and his allies were hunted down by his Matron's driders (those who fail the test) In this conflict, it is between females who had a chance at being able to walk there freely, but failed and were transformed, and a drow male who's very gender and not his abilities or efforts dictate that he has failed before he even began. Such double standards leave a dark elf male highly opposed to his sisters who follow the Matron. In their mind, Baraeon murdered Ilsare's child in front of her to attain godhood... he earned it. Vierdri'ira was simply born a woman and ascended. Meanwhile they hold the whip, and us the blade... sounds like us males are doing all their fighting and dirty work for them to me.

Also, the list on the God show that both Big B and lady V think that they are the true gods of drow. Under the God's description of clergy, it shows that his high priests are 2nd in power ONLY to the Goddess' High Priestessess. 2nd in power?! There are no laws of death on females in our temples, and the Lady V's holy weapon of the whip implies subjugation and dominance.

Rakish's former god was one of hate and vengeance. For a vendetta to work well, there must be wrong behind it to be avenged. With such hypocracy in her temple's laws and her treatment of us "disposable" males... we ARE but slaves. Baraeon's one creed dictates that we, the MALES of the underdark, and not that pathetic drider maker, are the SUPREME rulers of our race! All else is against the natural code, and an affront to our freedom and dominion.

For both Drow and Republicans, if one doesn't have COMPLETE Dominion over opposition, then the opposing faction is an enemy of freedom and must be conquered. I suppose in a drow's mind, not owning other drow as slaves makes them feel paranoid of being slaves themselves. "Wait, you want me to do what? don't we have slaves for that? Ow! What's with that whip?! Oh.... I see.... "

Quote of the Day- "Drow males are only paid 62 silvers on the goldpiece! It's time for a change!"-Baraeon clergyman dubbed "heretic"

[EdTheKet]

See below, text in italics are straight from the handbook.

The goddess is more powerful than he. If a male enters one of her temples, it is instant death for him. If a female who does not worship her enters, she is allowed to be tested.

Females are not allowed to enter temples of the Left Hand of Black, on pain of death. This was not the case until about 1500 years ago, when Az’atta betrayed Baraeon Ca’Duz. Until then, both males and females worshipped the Prince of Hate. However, after being betrayed by Az’atta, Baraeon had his male followers expel or kill all of his female clerics as an act of vengeance for Az’atta’s betrayal. Males who do not worship Baraeon Ca’Duz but enter the Inner Sanctum are to be sought out and killed unless they are converted to worship Baraeon within 7 days. Proof of conversion is given by undergoing the Test – the same set of trials all Dark Elves have to go through to prove their loyalty to their deities and their People – to demonstrate their loyalty to Vierdri’ira and Baraeon; those who fail either die or are transformed into the fearsome Driders.

Rakish assassainated a house enemy Matron. This means he had to break one of the most strict drow laws in history regarding blasphemy. For which he and his allies were hunted down by his Matron's driders (those who fail the test)

And which laws are these? If a Matriarch is foolish enough to let herself get killed (or a Patriarch follish enough to get himself killed), then obviously the gods were no longer pleased with this Matriarch/Patriarch. Dark Elf cities are ruled by a council of noble Houses, the Talthara. Every city has its First Patriarch and its First Matriarch, who preside over the Talthara (but not necessarily comply with its wishes). The Patriarch is always a cleric of Baraeon Ca’duz, and the Matriarch is always a cleric of Vierdri’ira. They need not be from the same House, although every House strives to occupy both positions for ultimate supremacy. Each House also has its Matriarch and Patriarch, who together rule a House. However, because of the gender struggles inherent in Drow society, it is unlikely that a House occupies both First positions on the Talthara, since a strong House Matriarch does not often condone a strong Patriarch in her own House. If you did kill the Matriarch of your House, the Patriarch of your House would be extremely pleased as this would strengthen his grasp on the power of your House, as the new Matriarch would be inexperience.

Also, the list on the God show that both Big B and lady V think that they are the true gods of drow. Under the God's description of clergy, it shows that his high priests are 2nd in power ONLY to the Goddess' High Priestessess. 2nd in power?! There are no laws of death on females in our temples, and the Lady V's holy weapon of the whip implies subjugation and dominance.

It does not say second in power. It says 'next to’: Priests of Baraeon Ca’Duz are the most powerful people in Dark Elf society, next to Priestesses of Vierdri’ira. Every Dark Elf city has one temple for the Prince of Hate. Temples are led by a High Priest, who only remains in that rank as long as no craftier or more powerful Priest removes him from that position. Priestesses of Vierdri’ira are the most powerful people in Dark Elf society, next to Priests of Baraeon Ca’Duz. Every Dark Elf city has one temple for the Mother of Darkness. Temples are led by a High Priestess, who only remains in that rank as long as no other, more powerful Priestess removes her from that position.

Rakish's former god was one of hate and vengeance. For a vendetta to work well, there must be wrong behind it to be avenged. With such hypocrasy in her temple's laws and her treatment of us "disposable" males... we ARE but slaves. Baraeon's one creed dictates that we, the MALES of the underdark, and not that pathetic drider maker, are the SUPREME rulers of our race! All else is against the natural code, and an affront to our freedom and dominion.

Dark Elves are turned into driders by the combined powers of Vierdri’ira and Baraeon Ca’Duz when the Dark Elf fails the Test. The Dark Elf deities, Vierdri’ira and Baraeon Ca’duz continuously strive to prove themselves better than the other. This is reflected in the personality of the Dark Elves as well. Females think they are better than males, and vice versa. Dark Elves on Layonara are not Dark Elves on Faerun. Both deities are equally powerful, although both believe they're stronger than the other. This is reflected in the Dark Elf genders, both genders are equally powerful, but both genders think the other one is the weaker one. That is the entire concept behind the Layonara Dark Elves.

[lonnarin]

I dunno. I wrote a bio. Not an APA term paper with a bibliography

Let's summarize.

1) drow kills matron mother in her temple (offense to lady V)
2) Followers of Lady V see males who break code of Lady V as guilty and to be slain
3) Rakish and allies are hunted by driders from Lady V. Who cares if Mr. B can make driders too? they're not his.
4) Rakish's allies are eaten by driders.
5) Rakish laughs as surfacers run into driders
6) rakish captured by driders
7) Rakish freed from driders by surfacers
Rakish follows surfacers to mug the in the dark
9) Surfacers captured by drider
10) Rakish kills drider for profit, but instead chooses to free them. Also Rakish sees his sadness and pain from his mother's abuse of him (yes, he was whipped by his mom, yes, he hates females, most drow gender relations are sad at best) He lets go of his hate, and his God leaves him for not staying enraged.
11) rakish swipes the paladin's goldpouch and skips off to the surface

Llolth and Menzoberranzan are not mentioned.

I dunno... debating anything anything at all regarding that is like listening to those people at sci-fi conventions who ask William Shatner why Spock didn't upload radon emmiter waves to the deftlector dish when the Vreem were clearly Alpha based entities. It's a story... fiction. The views of the characters are their own, whether held upon historical fact or fanatical propaganda.

I think the main misunderstanding comes from his own personalized viewpoint. It was written in 1st person, and there are but his eyes. The Matron Mother Hunting for him was his own mother, so having a domineering familial role and a high position of power within her clergy would lead him to feel as a slave in his society. His hatred of Mother would likely extend to that of females and the Goddesses' clergy from simple classical conditioning. As such, his being domineered, manipulated used and betrayed by her, he would attribute these qualities to all females of her church.

[EdTheKet]

Of course you're not here to write an APA term paper with bibliography However, as Dark Elf culture here is different from the usual (read Forgotten Realms) culture, the main purpose of the debate is/was to show that it is different. So that when you play your dark elf character hereÂthat it knows how dark elf society on Layonara works. As you say, it's writen in the first person, (and there is no confusion stemming from that) so the bio describes his viewpoint. So from his viewpoint, he is chased by driders from Vierdri'ira, which is not possible. As explained above, driders are not made by either V or B, but by both in their combined power during the Test. As your characterÂhas grown up in a Dark Elf city, he has therefore undergone the Test, and thus he knows that driders are created in this way, by the power of both deities.
If a House really wants a position of power in a city,Âitneeds to have male clerics of B as well as female clerics of V. Of course, the males will try to have more power in the House than the females (or the other way around), but there would be clerics of both deities in every House. Hating his Matron's guts is to be expected, but the whipping of little drow boys by the Matron would not be tolerated by the house's Patron and other male B clerics.
Does that help?

[lonnarin]

yup! Thanks for all the info.

Helped me make sense of his motivations a bit more, and opened the possibility of his god's betrayal of him with the joint accountability of B and V in creating the abberations that hunted them. Plus, from that line, I re read and noticed that I made the 1st drider that caught him female, and the 2nd one he killed himself male... hmmmm... Seems that not only the flunkies of the dark goddess were after him, but a failure male as well... The two genders are seperated into their respective temples for testing, right? Or is there some big temple of drider shame they all go to?

Also, after a drider is created, are they usually outcast and abandoned/killed like most FR ones, or are they more like fallen slaves who do as commanded under false pretense of redemption?

[EdTheKet]

Well, they're not tested in a temple (as the failures get transformed by combined powers). In the city of Oloth Chath testing is in done on a square between the two temples (for all to witness their shame if they fail).

And they're more like slaves/warriors/mages serving in theÂarmy (no point in first turning them into a drider and then killing them, might as well kill them immediately )

[NitaThompson]

Approved.. I am sure that many will be interested in watching your character rp and develop