Author Topic: Journal of a drow (Zanirth's) (Read 993 times)

Niles09 · « **on:** August 19, 2005, 11:47:00 am »

The journal of Zanirth Nûr Drichtsarr, drowish servant of the woods.

A lot of things have been happening since I left Sielwood. The mind of the drow have a hard time remembering feelings, and its hard to keep track of things, so I will write this down.
Not much have happened lately. I've had a few days in Sielwood, so I can concentrate my thoughts, and practice my skills as a being of the forest. Im still far from reaching the point where Im one with the nature, where I cant be regonized from a leaf, where Im invisible.
I was in Hlint the other day though, just too take a look around and keep track of newcomers. A strange thing happened. As I sat on a bench, relaxing, a elf came by. Her clothes were quite strange, they was made of bright, flashy colours, (if I did wear that every goblin in the high wood would have spotted me, if I sneaked by) not the look of an adventurer, but she had a sword on her back. Most strangly was when she turned to me and said, "hello!" I would rather have exspected her to say something like "drow scum." But she just kept smiling like life was a fairy tale, and it isnt. I asked her what she wanted, she just wanted to take a closer look a a drow and thought I was interesting. Well had a little talk, after some confusion I found out she was a "bard," (better write this down so I wont forget" she made songs and luips! Or it was lyrics, dont know, dont remember hearing such a word before. Then a dark thought crossed my mind, my mother used to wear coloured clothers and wislze melodic words, when she.. *text ends in ink* ...bard talked about inspirieng people, and I thought at Ayla, her singing used to hae this strange lifting effect in combat, could this bard be as the same great sord as Ayla? Then I figured her out, and asked if her songs was about knights in shinning armor and great deeds, and she got excited and answered "yes, yes!" So I told her she couldnt excpect much of me, since I wasnt the type who" bashes down the door, kills the evil minions, and challange the bad guy, no I sneak throught the back door and stabs the evil one in the back." But that couldnt end her smile, I wonder if she have a secret competition with the (damned) sun, about who can be most flashy... Anyway Dorena came by too, its pretty strange we have talked alot but never fought together, and I feel like I really know her, mayby its because we both are of the forest. In the end the three of us departed ways.

Niles09 · « **Reply #1 on:** September 02, 2005, 05:36:00 am »

I went back to Hlint again the other day, and a happy meeting it was. First i met Ayla, I hadnt seen her for quite some time, so its was indeed good to see the woman who had saved my life again and again. We discussed a few things, then we departed since she couldnt risk to get in truble, since she soon should be acting at a performance. After that I met Unthuz and Mith, again some nice people I hadnt seen for a while, then Spugle came by. It was great to see the old "me smash good" half-giant again, I cant count the battles we have fought side by side. He was going to Lelion for the new inn, so I helped him finding the way, and he helped me staying alive!
Anyway the inn was closed, so we went on for the performance at Blackcastle, where i also met many old known people. Ayla made a great poem, but then i had to depart.
Truly I had some happy moments that night, before I thought that it was only the creatures of the forest I could trust, but people like Ayla and Spugle is the good side of the surfacers.

Niles09 · « **Reply #2 on:** September 16, 2005, 05:47:00 am »

I had a rather unpleasant meeting the other day. I was walking around Hlint doing nothing, when a drow talked to me. I hadn't seen him before, and he also looked a bit as I did some months ago. Anyway had I been like I was some months ago, I would fastly have asked him, if he was here for good or evil, but since the inly surface drows I've met so far have been good and nice, I supposed he was as well. It was when he began to speak about showing the rats in the sewers the wrath of the drow, I became worried. Wrath of the drow? I would maybe have said wrath of Zanirth or wrath of the rebels, but I would never refer to the bloodlust of the drows in the underdark.
Still I went on talking normal to him, then Ayla passed by, and I said "hello" to her. The drow thought that was weird. I said she was a friend, and then he said it was strange I had a friend among the "lesser" races. Then I got really worried, and put a hand to the sword. I said thinking lesser of other races would be and evil act. But the way he seemed so offende, I thought that I had misunderstanded something, but then as he began speaking of our proud heritage, and the mighty drow I realized, that he didn't have much sense of evil and good, and that he wasnt a refugee either. It was very unpleasent, it's years since I had such a talk, so in anger I drawes my sword. But then I remembered the words I had said to him, that I would show the drows in the underdark the light. Show them that there is a better world than hate. So I thought that killing the first evil drow I met would be a bad start. I ended up saying something like: "I will leave you for now, but should I ever see you hurting and innocent, I will not hesitate in stopping you!"

Niles09 · « **Reply #3 on:** September 30, 2005, 05:50:00 am »

What a fine day the other day...
Finally I found some people who would adventure, Zerpa and Teefal and some new people. I always enjoy traveling with this couple, and this was not an exception. Later back in Hlint we meet a hafling named Tiafal I think. I've never seen such a hyperactive guy! The two of us had a good talk with Kaizar. The hafling me and Kaizar departed later, since Kaizar was doing some other stuff, me and Taislin hooked up with Zerpa and Teefal again. There were also a paladin or something like that named Qin, I was surprise of her nice behaivor, I didn't expect a paladin to act like that for a drow. Anyway as Zerpa and Teefal discussed with Quin at Krandor, I learned the hafling better to know. I spent most of the time convinsing him that worms wasn't good fodd though.
The all of us planned to go to the dragon isles, but fírst we needed money, I wasn't much for killing in such a simple reason, and it turned out that non of the satyrs didn't got any money anyway. But what a fight! I got a lot of combat experience, I think we all did, and not of us did fall! It didn't get worser of fighting among friends! Fine people they were.

Niles09 · « **Reply #4 on:** October 11, 2005, 03:58:00 am »

I wonder… What did I expect of the surface, of the human lands, before I escaped the underdark? I remember the few human stories I found among the books in my mothers library. Stories which only were in the library for fun, to remind us of the weak surfaces I suppose. Heh, I just remember that I thought the underdark was wrong, and liked the thinking in those books. It was stories about love, trust and helping each other. About dignity.
Bah! They made me a dream which doesn’t exist. The only place dignity exists is in the forest among the animals trees and other creatures of the wood.
The other day I finally found out what “drinking” meant. Kaizar and some others took me to Lelion after we had been through the crypts at grey peaks. They bought me a “drink.” How can they swallow it? It tasted like something from a gobo and clouded my mind. I never had such a horrible feeling, not able to fully control my own body, my senses clouded. Dignity, love? Kaizar was down the floor, crawling around. How can they do that? Some girl they called Rane was running from man to man, showing her (body) off. Reminds me of my mo... Of Singrathe and the orher priest they used to find a new “male” every night.
Hmmm maybe I’m too much in a rush, Zerpa and Teefal looks to be the only one for each other, but I think they too have relations to the wood.
Whatever the surfaces can be as disgustful as my own race, I’ll remember that.
I will.

Niles09 · « **Reply #5 on:** October 16, 2005, 10:33:00 am »

Paladins? What is their point? Do they actually think they make the world better? I met one the other day, I just passed by her as she said, “shouldn’t you be another place, darkling?” I asked her the same, shouldn’t she be at her holy pala-castle? And so it started, she kept saying I should see the light and bla bla bla, that I should prove myself, what? What had she proved? So far she had only mocked on me, is that a good deed? She said if she had the power to judge like her god, she would kill me! Heh heh she would have been welcome to try, still a greenie she was. I answered that if I should judge her, I would let her go, but if I were like her, I would cut out her throat!
I tried to explain my past, and what did she end up saying? Something like, once or followers of the evil gods, will never be good or something lik – HOW DARE SHE?!! I have NOT suffered a hundred years in a hundred of sacrifices to be called a follower of the thing, who got my blood? Who enjoyed my scre – damn her. That feeling I had, in a second I felt this strange way, a way I haven’t felt in a very very long time. My I felt my blood pumping through me, it was nearly as if the blasted signs on me got warm, all but the paladin went blur, I pulled out my sword, but then came to my senses. But in my thoughts I killed her a thousand of times.. It would have been easy truly, a little use of my racial ability to make darkness, and then an arrow in her ba – what am I thinking?! Damn her, I spit on her so called good god, they only make the world a darker place, but perfect for their own little self-centred universe. Morgain or something.. I’ll remember her.

Niles09 · « **Reply #6 on:** October 16, 2005, 03:06:00 pm »

What a shock I got! I saw an orc in the craft house. The last orc I saw in Hlint was a spy from Highwood, but this one didn’t do anything so I went talking to him. It was Ael! He said something like it was a cover, even his thought were covered as orcish, so he could get past demons… He asked me if I would help him. Of course I listened, he is my friend, but I got a bit uncomfortable when he asked, if I was up for killing some drows. I tried to explain him my view of things now that I have seen more of the world, but someone he really cared about needed help. He asked if I would help him slaughter some dark clerics. Ahh I don’t like that word, so I ended up saying that I should think it through, so I returned here, to the forest.

Keeping my hands clean, by staying away from whatever slaughter Ael wants wouldn’t be right. I better be there, as a friend, it would be wrong to leave him alone.

Niles09 · « **Reply #7 on:** October 20, 2005, 03:53:00 pm »

I've met both Ayla and Alantha, both transformed into orcs like Ael, slaugther or not, I'll help them, too many who have helped me need help. I also met Ael's fiancee Sahala.. She is really a kind person, drowish I think, its not often I see so light skin. She was respectful and seemed very interested in whatever we talked about, its annoy me I wasn't with the others helping Ael when all the orcs thing happened, hopefully I worn't miss the end.

Niles09 · « **Reply #8 on:** October 20, 2005, 04:11:00 pm »

- somewhere in The High Moors
Here I am sitting in tight in a little rock cleft in the mud, covered in a filthy pulp of blood, mud and death flies, hiding from some weak worgs and some lizardmen, Im nearly to damaged and exhausted to lift my sword. But I'm alive!
The start of it all: I suddenly found out the effort of my training in tailoring had born fruit! I began to experiment with worg leathers. But in one of my travels to the High Moor I got reckless and attacked one of the big lizardmen, deep in the moors, alone. As I, lying in the mud, thought my life was at end, I felt my very soul leaving my damaged body, and recovered again at Hlint! Blessed be the mighty forces of nature, once again my debt gets bigger! Though I was alive, I felt that much of my inner power still was at the High Moors, so I went back there. There was no problem in sneaking past the first Lizardman, even as my body was exhausted and weak. The first Worg saw me though, but I got past it using my inborn ability to make darkness. I could see the place I had fallen, when the two other worgs attacked, I couldn't defeat them so I went for my essence to get stronger. I felt just as I reached it. Slowly my life flowed out of me with the blood, but at the very egde of death I slowly began to get better. The worgs didn't notice, luckely they wasn't much for drow meat! I used my cover, as being death, to crawl to the rest of my soul and recover fully, though one of the worgs noticed me and attacked. By the help of my darkness power I trapped it and ran to this cliff Im sitting at right now. I was alive, but I had spret the worgs all over, and I'm close to faint! The cliff blocks my back, a worg the righter back and a lizardman my left. With the last worg in front of me, it's way too risky to sleep.. My only hope is if someone find me....

Niles09 · « **Reply #9 on:** October 20, 2005, 04:19:00 pm »

Hlint
I made it! In the end I realized that nobody was going to show up, so I made a last desperate try to escape. I sneaked the best I ever have done past two worgs and a lizardman. When I was out in the swamp I could find a little place to sleep and focus on creating a bind between my and the powers of nature. I woked up a big stronger but still low on health, all the mud had infested my wounds, but now I had the aid of nature. I returned to the worgs and with the help of one of the natures servants I killed them and took their skin. When I came to the egde of the moor I felt even strong enought to take out a few of the lesser lizardmen. I got my wounds cleaned and the pulp of blood (mostly mine), mud, flies and other thigs washed out in a little stream outside Hlint. The last day had been hard, but I felt a little proud of my escape, and it gave me a lot of experience about survival.

Niles09 · « **Reply #10 on:** October 23, 2005, 08:55:00 am »

- Karchy
I remember myself saying something like, "when I get strong enough I want to explore all the world, to see the wonders of nature!" So, two days ago a goblin named Grubber asked if I would come exploring together with a fat dwarf! So we took of from Hlint towards Port Hampshire, me, Grubber a dwarf named Victor, Ropthor (I think) and the fat dwarf. On the way we maked sure to see as much as posible. Then we sailed to Point Harbor. The next two days were wonderful. We just traveled all over Rilara. It was mostly the four of us though, since they dwarf suddenly just dissapered. It was so amazing, we save the great river Kem or something like that, the hills, the great forest and much more! My travel companions was indeed some good persons too. This isle is so much more interesting than Mistone. Just a lot of nearly untouched nature, not so many human settlements. That Grubber, who mostly led the way, got lost didn't make it any worse, then we just saw even more of the isle. I've never felt so alive!

Niles09 · « **Reply #11 on:** October 24, 2005, 01:19:00 pm »

- Sielwood, home
Hmm haven’t been doing much lately. Skinning and tailoring mostly, those worgs makes excellent training. I’ve met a few noticeable persons. Lan, a hunter indeed a very kind friend, though I wouldn’t like to be his enemy! And Caeli a Tiefling.
Remember this Zanirth! Every time I kill an animal for skin, the extra power its gives me, in the form of a leather, need to strengthen me enough to make up for the loose, by protecting nature. Oooh what a mistake I made, I killed a few wolves and made a leather, just to find out it protected against animals! Who could ever use such thing for good?
Anyway I explained miss paladin, in a way she even could figure out, how she had broken me! Heh “I wouldn’t wish that for my worst enemy” she said, before she figured out it was about me. And that’s the end of that.
Then I met Caeli, tiefling but a most kind one. We was sord of on the same wavelength. I hope to meet her again.
Kaizer finally seems to have grown up! Maybe, Im not sure if I trust him, but he says he no more would call woman for loveslaves and fight evil…
I talked with Lan today. Mostly about our sights of nature and being a part of it. He asked for my story. I did tell him, it was hard… Brings forth those emotions, which my race is so feared for. Uh I can’t think more of that for now, maybe I someday can be able to ignore it… after a revenge.

Niles09 · « **Reply #12 on:** November 04, 2005, 01:42:00 pm »

- Sielwood, home
Im improving! Or at least I've been underestimating my skills. I wen't with a group into the mines at Haven, at the bottom I got away from the others. All alone I sneaked past every ogre in the mine, to the surface.
I remember this now, several weeks later, since there was another occurrence like that. Me and Lan decided to go exploring, Storold and two others called Kloss and someone I cant remember went with us. We were about the same poitn in our training, but we could easily fight us through the broken forest and into the orcs. I even begun hunting ogres alone, they aren't good for the woods.

Niles09 · « **Reply #13 on:** November 10, 2005, 05:29:00 am »

A little piece of paper lies here: http://www.layonaraonline.com/forums/photos/show-album.asp?albumid=311&photoid=4536

- Eastern woods of Rilara

What a surprise, I met Spugle the other day in Hlint, havent seen him for ages. Taislin was with him, heh a fine party we were. Spugly needed help in the Grey Peaks, so the tree of us went there. Sadly, after fighting the ogres outside Krandor I had lost the respect for their cursed spellcasters, so they completly took us in surprise. Luckely some other guys helped us. Things are slowing down here, I've stopped thinking too much on it all, though the time for helping Ael is coming near.
I went to Rilara on my own, to seek new huntinggrounds, I know what the skins of Mistones animals do, so there is no point in killing more of them... My curiosity nearly killed me, there is so many exciting places here.

Niles09 · « **Reply #14 on:** November 11, 2005, 05:59:00 am »

- Fort Velensk
Here we go, the blood is upon us, or should I say the humans. Im not sure what I think of all this yet. Anyway, yesterday, or was it two days ago? Anyway I and Ilwe was going for some mountain he would show me, when the quite night was being disturbed by ringing bells across the land. I was in the middle of fighting undead so for a moment I thought it was one of their new tricks but soon I realized it wasnt. We went to Velensk since everyone went there. A lot of other adventures came, we were told that Blood's ships was on the way. To say it shortly we battled across land and sea, ending up at the dragon isles. A treant led us pass unto the woods. Now those adventures were fast to answer the "queen's" call for aid, they were ready to battle for good. In the moment a treant attacked, it coulndt really kill the one it attacked, but everyone attacked it... Year lets protect the citizens of Mistone, the humans, elves, gnomes, haflings, dwarves but who have ever cared about the woodlands?
It looked like the bloodsoldiers who had fleed into the woods was dead. A treant said we couldnt get any longer before the forest got a protecter............? anyway we went home again, since the enemy was repelled.

Niles09 · « **Reply #15 on:** November 18, 2005, 05:32:00 am »

-Hurm
Thinks are getting serious now, the assault at Velensk wasnt the real attack. The real attack came now. Im not sure but I think it was Mistone, Dragon isles, Dregar, Rilara and Roldem which was attacked. Some shadow called the shifter warned us about it. He said a lot in a strange language, by one translated it. If we are to defeat Blood the woodlands and the "civilized" must join forces, he said. Hah! Ive seen what they do and think about the forests, we are already doomed. We went to the queen to warn her, and call for aid against Bloods ships. Instead she wanted us to convince the different kingdom navies to retreat. Yup thats the way we win the war. Its not like I wanted to let the civilians be slaugthered by bloods forces, so I and lots of other people went to warn them all. Spugle was there, nice to have a friendly face among so many strangers.

Niles09 · « **Reply #16 on:** January 06, 2006, 05:14:00 am »

*The following year (from the last post) Zanirth travels through the woodlands of Mistone, to focus her thoughts, after she have lived among the "civilated" people for about 7 years. Most of the journal is filled with desciptions of the wonderful places she sees, then, refocused and after consuming the many different kinds of people she have met the last 7 years, she goes back to Hlint, relived and respirited*

Niles09 · « **Reply #17 on:** January 06, 2006, 05:26:00 am »

- Sielwood

The last weeks have been so filled that I havent got time to scribe anythig in this journal. Its wonderful to be back, Ive met many friends I havent seen for years, Spugle, Taislin, Lan, Ael, Alantha, Max and many many more! Ive also met some new people, E'manë, Ilisme and Kavil I remember best since they're the last I adventured with. It have surely helped to be bacak in nature for a longer while, I dont border when people shouts at me because of my skin anymore.

The most important things that have happened was a mission to recover an axe from some dwarves, me and a lot of others went on sea, but in s storm we wrecked upon an unknown coast. It was very cold, another way of nature I guess, bvut we made it to a harbor, and quickly came to the dwarven fortress. I and Alantha was throwen out though, stubborn dwarves they dont care to change for the better. Later when we returned to hilnt with the axe, the wagon master either cared much for drows, even though we helped him. That made me a bit angry, but i kept it inside.

I also sold my first leather armor, a worg to Wolf! And I succeded in making a bear leather, it is excellent, though it costed nature. I will do my best to repay it.

Niles09 · « **Reply #18 on:** January 10, 2006, 11:19:00 am »

- Rilara – Wolfswood

I’ve travelled a lot with Eàmanë and Ilisme lately, and things are going good. Its weeks since I last was close to death, and its not like I haven’t been busy adventuring. My skills are improving, and the year away improved my tactics and ability to see when a battle is lost.

I didn’t have any problems realising that Glokk couldn’t revenge his dad. Some others and I went with him to guard some glasstransport, though it soon changed completely as we met his bad wounded dad, the giant chief og some tribe on Rilara. Another giant, Gorg Rorg, I never got the name right, has taken the post and was allied to Milara and was in the attack on Stone. Glokk’s father was very powerful, though he couldn’t defeat Rorg, as Glokk now planned. I tried to explain that it was madness, but he and his father could only think of battle, so the others and I went with him. We were completely wiped out by the first giants we met. Luckily I made it out alive together with Ireth. After catching my breath I sneaked back. We could get a healer to the place, but two giants were guarding it. I got the idea that I could play a sending from Milara, cause I’m a drow, and so I tried, though they were pretty big, and I didn’t thought that I got much of a chance, so I kept hiding. So things turned rather surprising out, one of the giants left and the other thought I was a voice in its head. So I tricked it, into believing that I was a spirit that had come to warn its tribe, Milara would betray them. So the giant actually went to tell Rorg! Not that I think that Rorg will believe it, but now we could get the healer to heal everyone! I really learned something that night.

Niles09 · « **Reply #19 on:** January 14, 2006, 09:57:00 am »

- On a ship to Dregar

Eamane is gone. Isilme was crushed, I think she loved her. Apparently Eamane went to find her parents… In the underdark. One day I will return too, but first when I got the power, Eamane is not strong enough for it. May she find a quick death… I know what sord of sadistic creatures that live down there.
I'll miss they days with her, Isilme and Menidar.