Open Chronicles Shallow Grave

[Kassa Lia]

For most of her life, Kassa’s interests focused on herself. She couldn’t afford to care much about others with the payoff from benevolence and altruism so slim. Usually it simply led to less savory people taking advantage of the giver, people who took and took until there was nothing left. It just wasn’t worth it, so she saw Nasir’s purpose and drive for his people rather foolish.

Even so, it was noble. She had to admire that.

Filling her own ceramic plate, Kassa chewed on her meal slowly, stirring a small fork around in pensive circles. She glanced at Myrra, fur surely the displaced elf knew that if she chose to help Nasir she would embroil herself in a conflict and doomed revolution in which her death might very well be imminent. Was her wish to return home strong enough to accept that?

Myrra would not be a martyr as Nasir would be. She would be killed, and no one would remember or mourn. Kassa took a sip from a small water canteen lifted from her horse, washing down a mouthful of the food as Nasir finished speaking.

“That’s very brave of you,” Kassa remarked. “And bold of you to expect Myrra to let you use her.” There was no disdain in Kassa’s voice, only factual observation. It was the way of all men and women – to use each other, betray each other, and then leave each other to whatever fate had in store. “Well, it’s none of my business, your quest to save your people. But I’d like to know more, about this curse you have. And I’m sure Myrra would like to know, also. Hmm?” she said, glancing pointedly at the elf.

 

[Myrra]

Tension filled the air so thick you could almost see it. Revolutions, martyrs, and curses. There were probably worse dinner conversation topics available but none jumped out to Myrra.

Kassa had brought up a good point however. One she had been too eager to know her kinfolk to recognize. Stupid of her, of course there was some ulterior motive behind Nasir’s actions. Would not have made much sense for the random dark elf she met at a tavern to agree to return her home simply out of the goodness in his heart.

“Share as much or as little as you feel comfortable,” the dark elf spoke hoping to ease what she assumed was a building friction between her other two companions. “But,” she said whilst putting her now empty mug on the ground, “I do need to know at least one thing.”

Red eyes transfixed on the sliver of sun still peaking over the horizon. It’d be night soon and stargazing was a favorite past time. Reliable way for her to clear her head. She wished the stars were out now if she were being honest. Would make for a good excuse to end this conversation, sleep and resume in the morning with some more uplifting discussions.

Finally finding the words in her head she reset her vision on Nasir, “do you intend to use me? If so, for what end?” She leaned back a bit, figuring that if she seemed relaxed maybe the other drow would recognize that she was not upset. At least not yet.

“I wish to find our home, learn of our people. So, in a way it’s fair to say that I am taking advantage of what I perceived as your generosity. If your only intention is to return home as well then say it and I will trust you.” She leaned forward, placing an arm across her elbow and cocking one eyebrow. “However, if there’s more to it than that, if you’re involving me in some elaborate plot, then I need to know. I deserve to know.”

 

[Nasir]

Nasir wondered why he had allowed the mage to come along. At this point she was proving more annoying than anything else.

"I do not intend to use you, no one that followed me was ever forced or tricked into it." Nasir answered truthfully.

His goal was to return to the city, to begin again where he had failed, but the only part of the plan that Myrra was part of was allowing him to be there in the first place. What she decided to do after that was her business, even if it meant standing against him. "I believe I am right. I believe I can bring glory to our people, but I will not involve you if you do not wish it."

Once they were inside of the Underdark Nasir could easily break off from the two. He could give them directions to the Undercity and Myrra would be welcomed. There would be suspicion at first but that would ebb away as the realization struck that she was lost kin.

"The curse, as I said is set into me." He briefly looked down at his hands. "If I attempt pass through the gates into the Underdark my flesh will burn from the bone."

An experience that would be decidedly painful.

His eyes turned to Myrra, glacial blue meeting burning red. "However, every curse has it's outs, and this one is no different."

Nothing was perfect after all.

"If what I believe about Myrra is true, she simply need stand within the gates..." Nasir trailed off for a moment, then smiled almost as if he were thinking of something funny. "...And invite me in."

 

[Kassa Lia]

Disdain was easy to see in someone’s eyes. Kassa felt the annoyance growing in Nasir, but she herself was more amused than offended. She lowered her head to hide the smirk passing across her lips. It was not that she particularly enjoyed annoying others, but rather that she found sensitive, weak nerves humorous. Nasir still had no idea who – what – he was dealing with.

Kassa leaned back against a rock as she continued to eat, staring into the fire as Nasir spoke. A moth fluttered into view and she watched it swirl about, its delicate wings driving it dangerously close to the flames. She extended a hand and, as if drawn by the harsher light inside her, the moth flew to her and landed on one of her fingers.

“…and invite me in,” Nasir finished.

Ah. Kassa flicked the moth away. The tiny insect whirled and flew into the flames, falling to ash. “So you can only enter if a valid another allows you entrance?” Kassa was familiar with such a requirement. It was a relatively common albeit effective one, proving an irritant for certain vampires, demons, and other distasteful ilk. Lines of salt, spell circles, powerful disenchantment –there were all kinds of ways to block one from certain territory. Invitational entrance was only one.

She looked at Myrra then, wondering what made her the only one who could allow him in. What sort of secret lay hidden within the unassuming orphan? What sort of powers did she have? Kassa’s bored eyes brightened. Perhaps later, when all was done…

 

[Myrra]

Myrra’s features softened a bit. As much as she longed for a home she never knew she reasoned it would be far worse to never return to a home you loved. Nasir’s motivation was noble and she did not sense any deceit in his voice. Maybe she was being too trusting but it was a risk she felt comfortable with.

“What is it about me that’s so special as to grant you passage?” she inquired.

It was possible that he did not feel it time to share such information. It was also possible that any dark elf could allow him passage and perhaps Myrra’s ignorance of his past was the only thing required. Kassa seemed familiar with magic based on her phrasing but it made no real sense to drow.

The dark skinned elf stared at Kassa for a few seconds. If she were familiar with magic then perhaps she could help verify what Nasir was describing. Maybe, when the time was right, she could obtain some clarity surrounding her own magic.

For now though, Myrra’s attention was fully engrossed on Nasir and the home of her kind.

 

[Nasir]

"As I stated in the tavern." Nasir called back to the moment, his expression neutral. "In the Undercity your eyes would mark you out as part of a noble line."

He pointed to his own right eye. "Just as mine mark me as a Soldier."

The explanation had always been those marks were gifts from the gods. Bestowed upon one of their kind when they were born. It marked out a persons path, carried them forward. Of course it was more general than that.

There were nobles without eyes of red and soldiers that had not been marked with the blue, but these were more rare rather than not. That was where the doubt of all this still stemmed. It was very possible that Myrra was just an aberration.

If that were the case, he was likely walking to his death.

Though he decided not to speak on that.

"If I am right, your word will allow me to step into the Underdark once again." Something he'd waited three centuries for.

(I am attempting to leave this open ended Myrra so you can decide your characters past and such. This is just what Nasir believes )

 

[Kassa Lia]

Knowing little about dark elves, Kassa found Nasirs explanation fascinating. She had never heard of such a thing in any other race or culture, where the color of one’s eyes denoted stature and caste. While the dark elves were far from the only place that used certain features to determine their standing, they were the only ones who used eye color as far as Kassa knew.

She caught Myrra staring at her, and she returned the look with a wide beam. “From homeless bandit to a noble,” she said brightly. “How does that feel, my dear?”

Perhaps Myrra had much more in store for her when she reunited with her race than any of them expected. Kassa considered the possibilities. Did the dark elf have family in the Undercity, awaiting her return to the fold? Did she have enemies? What was the reason for her being orphaned? Was it simply chance and circumstance, or was it by more malicious intentions?

Finishing off her supper with a few more bites, Kassa set aside her plate and awaited Myrra’s reaction. It would be interesting, to be sure.

 

[Myrra]

It was odd. The words were understood by Myrra but not fully comprehended. Before her rendezvous with Nasir and Kassa the most noble thing about her was the occasional work she performed for nobility. Now she was being told that noble blood may be coursing through her veins?

“It’s uh, a lot to process,” the drow confessed to Kassa as thousands of thoughts crisscrossed in her head.

She fidgeted a bit with her hands, running one finger over another. Normally she wasn’t anxious, normally she was confident, but the more she learned about her heritage the more nervous she was becoming. Before all of this nonsense it was simple. She was an orphan, she had to rely on herself, the end. Now it was complicated. Obfuscated with a myriad of questions.

“Nasir,” she finally said, “I will do whatever it is I need to help you return home.” She glanced at him for three or four seconds before the words formed, “but… I am curious, if I am of noble blood why was I abandoned?”

It was obviously a foolish question. He wouldn’t have an answer. Maybe he could provide some insight into their people’s cultural attitudes or maybe there was some orphaning tradition. Neither seemed likely but Myrra figured she’d never know without asking.

 

[Nasir]

The question was not one that he could easily answer. He had knowledge of his peoples culture, of their ways, but it had been long since his exile.

"I have not been to our home in Three hundred years." He gently reminded Myrra, not wanting her to mistake his lack of knowledge on the subject.

"It is possible things have changed." Abandoning a noble daughter was strange to say the least, but there were a few reasons he could think of at the top of his head. "It is possible that your parents harbored thoughts close to my own."

Rebellion among the Nobility had not been common however. Not a single one of them had joined Nasir's coup, and in fact he had planned to slaughter the lot of them.

Not something he would share of course. "More likely though it is tied to our Gods."

For a second he paused, wondering how to put this.

"Our Gods are old. Ancient even compared to those of other races." His lips thinned. "Their methods are...different."

He looked at Myrra. "I spoke of a ritual earlier, where all the Elder Gods bestow their power directly upon one of our species. That ritual consists of the chosen being flayed alive, bled to near death, and being almost stripped of their sanity."

Nasir let that hang in the air.

"It is likely that your destiny was in a ritual similar to this one." Nasir doubted that Myrra had been a candidate for central blessing, but it was not uncommon for the Elder Gods to pitch their own champions against one another. Just for the sport of it. "Not many parents, even devout ones, can watch their children suffer in such a way."

It was one theory, a kind one that offered Myrra a small bit of hope. There were others of course, but he did not speak them.

Not now.

 

[Kassa Lia]

Perhaps it was a foolish question Myrra asked, but to Kassa there was never a more sensible one. Twining her fingers together, Kassa leaned forward a bit, closer to the fire as her eyes fixated on Nasir. The answer he gave was at once unsettling and comforting. At least, they might be to Myrra. To Kassa, it was incredibly stupid and naïve. She suspected there were many more reasons the dark elf might have been deserted, and she said so.

“That’s just one theory.” Her eyes narrowed. “Don’t get your hopes up, Myrra. I’ve seen parents sell their children off for a half penny, to fates worse than you can imagine. All of that,” she waved at Nasir dismissively, “would be a mercy to those children.” She regarded Myrra for a moment, and her expression softened somewhat. “Of course, I do hope that is the case. I just wouldn’t stake my life on one concept, and nor should you.”

Kassa turned to Nasir and with one glare told him everything she felt about him. She didn’t trust him, did not like him, and knew he withheld much. That he was an exile, even an honorable one, mattered little to her, good or bad. He was willing to risk a life, many lives, for one goal, one purpose, one idea that could do well with more planning and less reckless incursions.

What she said next might well have been expected.

“Haven’t you got snares to set, darling?”

 

[Myrra]

Perhaps there were worse fates than being an orphan. Such as being flayed alive. Or sold for a half penny as Kassa suggested. But at the moment just about anything would be more welcoming than this camp site.

The idea that her parents had her best interest at heart was a comforting one though. One that she couldn't help but cling to and allow to linger. Her abandonment hadn't been out of selfishness or irresponsibility, no, it had been an act of mercy. A loving notion that likely cost them more than just their child. In an act of extreme desperation they would place her within a rundown orphanage filled with prejudiced humans so that she may have some chance at a life...

It was a stupid thought.

She used to fantasize about all of the noble and righteous excuses for why she was abandoned. To explain why she was different than the other kids who found homes or who fit in. But she had grown out of those fantasies when she was a teenager and that was well over ten years ago now. Why did she suddenly want to cloud her mind with such childish thoughts?

"Thank you Nasir, but I believe Kassa is correct and it's likely something I'll never know for sure," Myrra confessed.

The dark elf pulled her knees into her chest and wrapped her arms around the front of her legs. Her head went back fully to glance up at the stars that were beginning to peak through the dusky sky. Stargazing was still comforting at least. It was difficult to feel alone with hundreds of bright specks of light looking back at you.

"Do they have crickets in the Undercity?" she questioned as the chirp of insects began to take hold of the wilderness around them. There was something comforting about the idea that home wasn't entirely alien.

 

[Nasir]

For a second he ignored Kassa, smiling at Myrra's more simple question.

Nasir had always despised many things about the surface. The people, the savagery, the lack of respect, but the animals, the nature that could be found here had never been one of those things. "Not quite."

He said as he slowly stood from his place around the campfire.

"But there are other things." His eyes cast down towards her. "Insects that glow brighter than any firefly, mushrooms that sway to and fro with your movements, great vines that curl around entire caverns."

There was a longing to his tone. "The Underdark has it's own kind of beauty. I am sure you will come to find that."

As Nasir finished he began to walk away, heading into the wood to set the snares Kassa had spoken of.

 

[Kassa Lia]

Saying nothing, Kassa waited until Nasir was well outside hearing range. It was a longer distance to attain than a human’s, she knew, and was patient until she was sure even the elf’s sharper ears could not hear her speak. She turned to Myrra, and her tone was curt. Respectful, but stern and stiff.

“I get where you’re coming from, dear. You want to know where you came from and how you ended up here. He’d already drawn you in with grand promises and sights. He’s already made promises he can’t keep,” Kassa scoffed. “Well, I can give you more than that.”

Turning away from the fire, Kassa reached into her knapsack. From it she drew a small wooden bowl, its wood grains stained with red patches. Resting within it was a bag full of what looked to be like odd, green flowers and small, dark, purple-red berries. Laying this beside the fire, Kassa looked at Myrra pointedly.

“I’m not a mage like both of you appear to think I am, otherwise you might not let me travel with you,” she said, voice matter-of-fact. Leaning forward, voice lowering though there was no one else to hear, she whispered, “I fled from Elbion from those who hunt my kind.

“I believe you call us… witches.”

She smiled, not an entirely unfriendly expression. Would Myrra be scared? Hateful? Or would she accept it, as she had accepted everything thus far without prejudice or judgment?

“If you wish it, my dear, I can give you a very slight glimpse into the annals of your life of which you do not know.”

 

[Myrra]

Strange and foreign creatures provoked intriguing thoughts. Focusing more on the Underdark, the location her kind originated from, was far more comforting than dwelling on her own personal history.

Myrra's crimson eyes traced Nasir's exit before re-settling back on Kassa. Her sympathy was understood and there was a degree of logic behind it. But the dark elven woman really didn't have much else holding her down. She'd been wandering from place to place, making a bit of coin here or trying to understand herself somewhere else. For the first time in, pretty much ever, there was a very real chance at a home. At a greater purpose.

"I don't have any prejudice towards magic of any kind," the drow admitted, "though truthfully I'm quite uneducated in the ways of magic so it's difficult to form opinions on things you know nothing of." She laughed anxiously before clarifying, "if the only thing I get out of this escapade is to see where my kind came from then it will be worth."

What was far more interesting though was the possibility to glean into the past. Could Kassa's little bowl really shed light on the grim dark of her past? It seemed far fetched but you could probably say that for the entire expedition the trio was undertaking.

"What will I see?" she inquired of Kassa. Curious as to what mysteries lie behind the emerald woman's strange magic.

 

[Nasir]

Surviving for more than three hundred years in the world of Arethil took more than strength and magic.

It took skills.

Hunting was something that he had learned as a child. The task had taken place in an all together different environment of course, tunnels of the Underdark instead of open forest, but the principals were much the same.

Without a word of complaint or even thought of the future Nasir went about his work. He took small lengths of rope, bent firs, and quickly went about setting half a dozen snares within a mile of the camp.

There was a chance that some of them would catch something, but whatever they caught would not be until the morrow.

 

[Kassa Lia]

“Uneducated?” Kassa laughed. “You have magic, love, or do you not know? Either way, now is a good time to learn. As I said before, you and I are not so different. There is more to your heritage than simply a physical home, even your race. Disagree if you like, but there are more important things to life.”

Kassa straightened where she sat, head tilting from side to side as she rolled back her shoulders, loosening her muscles throughout her slight body. She slid the bowl close to her and lifted it, examining it for cracks or flaws. Such things could sabotage a spell with horrific consequences. As it was, it was perfect. She removed the bag of herbs and opened it, and a delicious smell wafted through the air.

“Milkwood flowers and berries,” Kassa explained. “For a sweet smoke and sweeter dreams.” Standing with her gear, she moved to where Myrra sat and seated herself next to the dark elf. Reaching into a pocket, the wtich withdrew something small and shiny. It glittered in the dark and the light of the fire reflected off it in a bright, blinding sheen. A sewing needle, thin as fishing wire, sharp as a razor, and clean as starlight.

Kassa offered the needle and set the bowl down. “A drop of blood. A prick, no more and no less, is needed for visions.”

When it was done, Kassa poured a bit of water into the bowl. With a flick of her hand, she tossed the herbs into the fire, and it erupted into a billowing blaze, breathing sweet, black smoke. As the herbs crisped and began to turn to ash, she flung the blood and water mix into the fire as well. Vapor clouded the air around them, cloaking them in water and moisture and nearly overwhelming heat… heat that turned, inexplicably, into a burning cold over the shoulders and face.

“Breathe in, my darling, and look into the smoke,” Kassa whispered, her voice sounding far away and hollow. “Witness what you will.”

Spoiler: OOC Info

Leaving it to you to decide what you want to see, if anything. Feel free to add other effects or consequences!

 

[Myrra]

"I can manipulate water, though I do not pretend to understand it nor comprehend how it came to be," she confessed, "it's become a bit of a second nature. I've never formally studied any discipline of magic. Study doesn't do much to keep you fed."

Kassa's words rang true though. There was more to who one was than simply where they came from. She had been much more certain of that just a few days prior. When she had accepted that she'd never know her origin or her people.

Now it felt different, she had Nasir to introduce her to a culture she thought would forever be out of reach. And she had Kassa who was able to provide her a glimpse of a past she thought she'd never know. It was either a series of extremely lucky coincidences or it could prove to unearth information she may wish she never knew.

Myrra didn't believe in forbidden knowledge, if it existed, she wanted to know about it. Damn the consequences.

A prick of her finger was needed, she grimaced at the sting of the needle then concentrated on Kassa's words. The mist and vapor made Myrra feel at ease. Due to her magic she could feel every individual molecule of moisture that washed over them. When instructed to take a deep breath, Myrra complied and suddenly her sense of magic dulled. Her eyelids grew heavy as she looked into the smoke but she willed them to remain open.

It was dim. Dark. There was a low light all around which had a blueish hue to it. She realized she was seeing the Undercity that Nasir had mentioned. The light was coming from the bio-luminescence of mushrooms and other fungi. Dripping from the stalactites created an audible cadence far into the distance. In the center of the room she beheld a large table with one of her people, seated at its head. He looked old, a bit like Myrra but with a generation or two removed. Before him stood a female dark elf with white hair and red eyes. She cradled an infant in her arms.

Then they spoke, their words shrouded in a language she couldn't comprehend. Abruptly the woman laid the child onto the table and then in an instance the scene vanished and she saw a human, clad in leather with sullen brown eyes, standing on a vessel sailing the high seas. The shipmate accompanying the human held a babe with a note, though she couldn't see what the note read.

"Cap'n, that elf asked us to find her a good home," another man holding the child yelled over the roar of the waves. At least these folks spoke common.

In a murky voice, partially shrouded by the obscurity of the vision, the captain replied, "we'll drop her off at the nearest orphanage as soon as we dock in Elbion, that elf gave us enough gold for any brothel or tavern we want to visit."

And then once more, the scene vanished and Kassa's magic presented her with a dark elven infant crying and being sat at the doorstep of the orphanage she grew up in. She could see the note now, it read, "Myrra Zaeneir," and for the first time the dark elven woman came to know her surname.



Myrra's return to reality was ushered in by a tilt forward. Far enough that she fell face first into the dirt. Quickly she picked herself up, feeling a bit woozy but with excitement on her face. Unaware if Nasir had returned or not she faced Kassa and exclaimed, "I think, I might have saw my mother and... I saw the Undercity it was, oh, how I wish I spoke dark elvish."

It hadn't looked like she was to be sacrificed in the manner that Nasir had suggested. Though who could really say. What she knew for certain though was she had some hint as to her heritage.

"My family name is Zaeneir. Do you think Nasir knows of them? Should I ask him?" she questioned Kassa, dirt still on her chin.

 

[Nasir]

Nasir slowly wandered through the woods and back towards the camp.

His steps were soft and graceful, the stars loomed above, and an owl hooted in the distance. The small journey was a pleasant one. He had lived in solitude for so long that the company of others was...difficult.

In a way it was pleasant to travel with one of his own kind, but even that was hard after so long alone.

There was a time when it had not been so, when the company of others had not only been pleasant, but invigorating. It had been back when he'd lead the armies of the Undercity, back when he had been a soldier. His fingers folded into fists as he walked, memories of days before creeping through his mind.

Up ahead the campfire came into view.

 

[Kassa Lia]

Though Myrra’s type of magic was common when it came to elemental manipulation, Kassa’s interest in the dark elf never waned. The witch wondered how strong Myrra’s control was, if it was self-taught or learned from a master, and if the magical gift ran through her noble blood or if it was simply luck. All that, Kassa thought, must soon come to light, and she simply watched and waited as Myrra pricked her finger without much hesitation.

Kassa smiled. Determination and fortified will were admirable traits.

She neglected to mention that she too would witness much of what Myrra did. Not all of it; a person’s past was their own and naturally clung to that person while evading another. But Kassa saw enough to glimpse a vision of the Undercity, and the echo of Myrra’s surname that rang strongly through the vision until the spell thrummed and faded.

Kassa laughed as Myrra’s eyes shone with revelation and wishes. She reached forward and brushed a little bit of dirt off the hydromancer’s chin. “Not so much and not so fast, my dear,” she grinned. “But here he comes. Yes, asking him would be the best course of action. He may know or not, but even if he knows nothing, rest assured I can help.”

Zaeneir. What a beautiful name, indeed fit for a noble girl. It sounded elegant, graceful. Useful.

 

[Myrra]

The drow nodded at Kassa, a warm smile forming on her face. She was usually quite logical, not being swept up in silly emotions or fantasies. But this was different. Seeing the things she had seen just now provided a glimmer of hope that had yet to exist in her life.

"Thank you for showing me that," she said to the emerald witch. "I think it raised more questions than answers but you've let me see things I thought impossible."

Myrra twisted her head around to see Nasir approaching their camp site. She stood up to greet him, swaying a bit as her heart was still racing from the excitement and stumbling towards him. Would he know of her family name? What sort of work did they perform? What were they like?

With a wave of her open palm she gestured him to come nearer. Then, without much pretense, she simply blurted out the truth, "I know my family surname." A radiant smile spread across her and infected every corner of her face.

"It's Zaeneir. Do you know of it?"

 

[Nasir]

His features tightened slightly at mention of the name.

It was more than familiar to him. They were one of the more prominent families within the Undercity, close to the Royal line and holding sway even with some of the Minor Gods. They had also been one of the five on the Council that had ultimately condemned him and his followers.

He stopped, remaining at the edge of the campsite for a brief moment before taking in a deep breath.

"Yes." Nasir said with a slight edge to his tone. "I know them."

He did not blame Myrra for her families part in his exile, how could he? She had never even spoken with them, nor did she know of the history they had. Lips thinned for a brief moment, and he wondered if the truth would set her free...or push her away.

A moment of silence passed, and slowly he added. "They were part of those who condemned me and executed my followers."

Of course, had it not been so they themselves would have been slaughtered by Nasir and Myrra would never have existed.

Funny, how fate twisted itself.

 

[Kassa Lia]

What cruelty the world held, wrapped in an abundance of scornful humor. One more of its painful jests came to light with Nasir’s words. Kassa’s eyes swiveled back and forth from the tall elf to the orphaned girl, wondering what feelings they felt, what grudges they might hold. She didn’t miss the slight prickle in Nasir’s voice, the slight twitch of his lips or the careful way he spoke. For the moment, he didn’t seem to find Myrra at fault for the actions of her forebears, but Nasir’s expression revealed very little.

Kassa was more interested in what lay in Myrra’s heart and mind. Where the campfire seemed to brighten at Nasir’s confirmation of knowing her lineage, now it seemed to dim, bleak at the fact that it was that same lineage that had slain his followers and exiled him without mercy. Without true justice.

Picking up a twig, Kassa stirred the fire idly, though her eyes never left the actors of this thoroughly interesting play. How would Myrra react, knowing the faults of her family, the crimes they had committed? Would she blame herself freely, or evade the sad truth that sins were, however unjustly, often inherited?
Would she show courage in the face of that? Or would she show cowardice?

Whatever her nature, whatever she was prepared for or not – it would all decide what branches the future would weave. Death was one of them, but oh, there were so many other paths rife with possibilities.

 

[Myrra]

Glee shifted towards confusion as the older drow admitted he knew of Myrra’s familial line. There was something not quite right about the way he spoke. The mild bend in his voice, the simple, ‘I know them,’ and worse still the silence.

A pause in conversation could mean many things. This pause, this lack of words, was absolute torment. Why had his voice shifted? Why was he allowing suspense to build? Had her family been killed?

It was an eternity.

Then, the quiet from Nasir ruptured into a tragic revelation. Her family had condemned him to exile. Killed those closest to him as well.

Myrra tensed and wondered if she should be preparing to defend herself. She also couldn’t help but fret over the now fragmented image of her return. What had been a happy reunion with uncles, grandmothers, and home cooked meals now felt like an impossibility.

“Nasir,” his name escaped her lips as she willed the tension out of her muscles. A calm demeanor was difficult to fake right now.

“I cannot pretend to understand how that must’ve felt. I don’t know why our, my people, would do that to you,” she let her scarlet eyes lock with his, “but I would never be in favor of some mass execution. I’m so sorry for what my family did to your followers. To you.”

 

[Nasir]

He paused for a moment, considering the situation.

Nasir had always wanted what was best for his people, had always sought to break what he saw as a chain around their necks. The Gods did not want what was best for them, they wanted to use them like playthings.

He knew that to be true, and he had known the nobility knew the same. That was why he had attempted his rebellion, that was why he had wanted to slaughter those who held themselves closest to the Gods. They were complicit, all of them.

Myrra however, was not. She could not have been, she had never known that world.

So he decided to offer her the truth.

"You must understand, Myrra." He began simply. "I am not some innocent."

Far, far from it. "I held a belief, I still hold it. As did those who followed me. What your family did to me, to those who thought as I did..."

How did he best phrase this?

"We are a harsh people. The best and worst of us can kill better than any human." Their kind was meant for it, always had been. The Underdark was not an easy place to survive, and thousands of years below the earth had shaped them well. "What was done to me and mine is no different than I intended to do to them. Had I succeeded in my rebellion I would have put them all to death. Your family included."

She would likely see him differently now, they both would, but that was understandable. They had not grown where he'd grown. They had not need the world, and they most certainly had never experienced the Underdark.

Things were different there. "That is the way of who we are."

"I do not hate them for what they have done to me. I hate them for not seeing the truth, for willingly keeping a chain around the throat of our people." He concluded.

 

[Kassa Lia]

Honesty was something Kassa appreciated, and here at last Nasir earned some modicum of respect. She regarded him quietly as he spoke, with brevity and blunt truth. While Kassa still didn’t trust nor like the elf general, she believed his words and the conviction in his voice. He really believed he was doing what was right for his people, what was best for his kind. Even if he was wrong.

That left the question; was he wrong? Or did his belief merely stem from a fanatical view that, to him and anyone who followed him, was right no matter what? No matter the circumstance or situation? Kassa tilted her head, frowning in deep thought. She’d seen such things before, seen people killed for such beliefs. It was why she held faith and religion in very low regard. Gods and goddesses there might be, she never doubted that, but the zealots who did supposedly their will were always at fault. So were people who formed an idealistic mindset and followed through with it, murdering anyone in their way.

She didn’t like what Nasir said concerning his people. They sounded, now more than ever, a nasty bunch. A small nation, fighting and brutally killing each other for whatever crazy belief they held. No wonder the race had fallen from their initial station. Kassa thought about saying as much, but raising Nasir’s clear dislike of her seem like a waste of time.

“Well,” she said instead at length, “we should sleep. We’ve got a long day of riding tomorrow.”

She rose and then laid down on her bedroll, wrapping herself in its blanket. The journey would be long, no doubt, but she had much to think on, and much to plan.