PAXLAIR - July 16, 1999 - Lisa of LaFrance
Recently I, Lisa of LaFrance, sat down with
the acting leader of the Xun Verin, Valuk Razillian, to
hear his tale on how a human came to be with the Drow, as well as what
information he had to offer on the Xun Verin and their intentions. This is his story as told by himself, and may very well contain clues into
the heart of the Xun Verin.
Surely one must understand that no tale has a set beginning, or end
for that matter. Perhaps I will begin this tale with mine first meeting.
Alas, no, for what reasons had I to be there? People must know and
understand this as well. Very well, let this be not only a history of Xun
Verin, but of the occurences that led me to them.
You may be surprised to know, once upon a time I was a great warrior for
the causes of the Kingdom of Britannia. Tis true, once I fought for the
beliefs which Lord British has bestowed upon his subjects. At one time,
Justice was my heart of hearts and the law flowed through mine blood.
As all thing do, this came to an end. For reasons which I will spare you
from, I found myself cast out by the very people I had once vowed to
protect. Shunned at every turn, I wandered the lands until I found myself in
the crypts near the city of Yew.
Deeper into the crypts I trod, past rooms which had not been disturbed in
many a year. Finally I found mineself in a room so dark the magic I cast
could barely penetrate it's gloom. Sitting upon the floor, I found myself
resting against a wall, which quite to my surprise moved slightly as I
leaned mine back against it.
I began to pry the wall open with my dagger and soon found a cave within.
Having nothing further to lose, I made my decision to enter and found a tip
of a blade at my throat. Several figures moved from the shadows each
carrying a weapon leveled upon me. I could hear the wall close behind me and
knew I was trapped.
Over the next few days, I was held prisoner by these strange creatures
and forced to travel down paths I could never re-step. On what seemed to be
our fourth day of travel, we arrived at our destination, Hall Xukuth
De'Chath, the home of who I would come to know as Bregan De'Xun Verin, or
the preferred name Xun Verin. And then I met her. Ilharess Chknae, the
Matron Mother of the Xun Verin, if there is such a thing for a mercenary
group of Drow. But I will speak more on that later. Over the next several
months I learned about the Drow as I taught them of us surface races. For
brevities sake, I will sum up most of what I have come to know of this most
magnificent of races.
The Xun Verin, as with all Drow, live in what is often called the
Underdark, a place more chaotic then one imagines hell could be. And the
very being who makes it so? The Drow themselves.
Unlike the chaos which we humans know, thiers is far more intricate, and
I must say honorable. A bit of irony I know, but allow me to explain. The
Drow's only intension is to spread chaos, but it always seems to be for a
reason. While anyone would agree a brother slaying a brother to be quite
chaotic in nature, a human does it for no reason, but a Drow only to gain
for oneself or for their house.
There are many Drow cities in the Underdark, each waging war upon the
other, spreading the chaos. And within each city rests many houses, each
waging quieter wars with their neighbor. And within the houses are the Drow,
ready with sword and spell to attack or defend against a rival brother or
sister. Spreading th choas. And at the head of each house, sits the
Ilharess, the Matron Mother, looking down at the chaos she has spread and
yet knowing it may come for her at anytime.
Occasionally, in all this madness, a house may rise or fall in stature in
the blink of an eye. Some of the houses may be destroyed, some taken into a
larger house, and some still have fled. One may notice a few Drow have
managed to come to the surface world in hopes of their own safety. These
have usually been smaller houses, avoiding their own annihilation. Not so
with the Xun Verin.
The Matron Chknae is not a true Matron Mother in that she has no house to
rule over. Her Drow and other loyal subjects obey her not by some act of
birth or violent act which led to her rule. She is a renegade, a mercenary
so to speak; as are all who follow her, and they follow her because she will
lead them to victory.
In the great Underdark, the Xun Verin have grown to their full expanse.
They profit from every war between houses, fighting for both sides behind
the scenes without hardly lifting a blade. Now, it is time for the Xun Verin
to expand futher, where once the Underdark had restricted them, the surface
world shall open new horizons.
And so we have come. A few Drow at first. and what humans still
remembered my name after so long a time, we are the Xun Verin. But fear not,
as Matron Chkae continues her trips to the Underdark, and the profits of the
surface world begin to yield, more Drow will come; as shall more humans and
other races. Those who would seek a better life then that offered to them by
the Lord British.
Surely any can see this is to be true...Already we have enlisted the aid
of the Snub'Gruk clan, with many more groups waiting in the shadows. Each
being offered a place by our sides in an alliance which shall last and
benefit all involved. Although the Matron Chknae may not be present here on the surface world
while she gives her attention to matters in the Underdark, her presence can
be felt. And know this as well, while Xun Verin falls under my rule, I will
not let her faith in me go for naught.
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