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Vandayinu D'Verra's Memoirs (PG13)
lambardier
Member Posts: 3 Arc User
The Moonstone Mask was bustling as usual, everyone going about their business; wooing companions, counting coins, enjoying the finest wines and brandies the land has to offer - except for one lone figure that sat in a corner, her cloak drawn closely around her body, as though trying to hide from casual onlookers.
This figure was Vandayinu D'Verra, a reasonably well-known Drow who had resided in Neverwinter since shortly after Ophala Cheldarstorn passed the festhall down to her daughter. Lady D'Verra was one of the Mask's most faithful clients, passing several dozens of gold coins over the tables - and several dozens more under them. She had even helped tether the inn to the ground during the Spellplague, when it broke free from the earth and started ascending into the sky.
Indeed, the Drow was welcomed into the Moonstone Mask, so long as she kept her heritage hidden while in the common rooms, and didn't abuse the serving-girls too badly. The few times she let a flash of her slate-grey skin show, it was regarded as a trick of the lighting or one's eyes playing tricks after too much wine. Thankfully, none of the other clients pushed the matter any further.
When partaking of the inn's famous(some would say infamous) hospitality, however, Vandayinu was allowed free reign, as was the unspoken rule for all patrons of the Mask. She was in the mood for this hospitality this very instant, in fact. She rose from her seat and purposefully strode up to a serving-girl who seemed to be doing nothing at the moment - a comely blonde half-elven lass with sharp features, and an amulet bearing the symbol of Oghma.
"Pardon me, m'lady. I noticed that you seem to be faithful to the God of Wisdom. Tell me, do you know your letters?" Vandayinu inquired, trying her best to make her voice sound more gruff and masculine than she actually was - an affectation that had little practical value considering how poorly she managed, but still enjoyable nonetheless.
The serving-girl tittered, amused by the Drow's little game, and responded. "Ay, Milady- pardon, Milord. I know how to read and write the letters of both the elves and men." Despite being instructed to respect the privacy of customers, the elven serving-girl found herself trying to peek beneath Vandayinu's hood to catch a glimpse at her face.
"Very well then. I would seek your services for tonight. I will pay you a scribe's wage on top of the usual. And a fair bit extra for confidentiality." Vandayinu was grinning wickedly when she spoke. The poor girl was one of the newer workers, recently arrived in Neverwinter from Baldur's Gate she would later find out - working at the Mask to help care for her ailing mother or somesuch. Lady D'Verra honestly cared little for stories such as those, as she found that a goodly number of the tales were exaggerated at the least; dramatized in order to pull in extra coin as sympathy tips.
After the half-elven lass brought Vandayinu to her room, she turned and closed the door behind her, locking it and dropping the key into a pocket in her blouse - she would have no interruptions on her first night working in the upstairs rooms, especially with one who was paying so well. "Now that we have some privacy, madam, may I at least see what color flesh you hide beneath your cloak?"
Vandayinu chuckled at this. "Oh-ho, lass. Moving quickly, are you not? Why, we haven't even made introductions yet. Allow me to speak first - I am Vandayinu D'Verra, you may have heard of me. Former leader of the Rubykissed Hands. An adventurer and ofttimes companion, despite my... heritage." She made a face as though that last word carried with it a foul taste, pulling her hood down as she spoke. She kept her eyes on the serving-girl, reveling in her fearful reaction and maneuvering herself behind her to block the room's exit, as well as embrace her before patting a hand on the key in the girl's pocket. She truly enjoyed the fearful reactions her heritage garnered when she revealed herself to the new staff - a manifestation of the sadistic streak that the Drow were so famous for, though that was as far as she would allow herself to descend. Even as a faithful of Sharess, there were some pleasures that simply weren't indulged.
The serving-girl took in a breath to scream, but was cut silent by a hand placed over her mouth and a soft kiss on her cheek. "Now now, lass. No need to call attention to our interaction. You are offering up a terrible version of hospitality and confidentiality, and after I offered you so much! I ask you, please - all I seek is a scribe, and if you are willing, a companion for a time. Surely even to you, the name Vandayinu D'Verra must hold some weight, even if my face does not match how I am commonly depicted."
After a time, the serving-girl nodded, complying with Vandayinu's wishes. If only for the coin and the sake of not infuriating the dark-skinned woman - definitely an adventurer, by the rough feel of the hand that now rested on her throat. If not current, then sometime in the past. "V-very well, Mistress D'Verra. If it would please you to know my name, I am Selena Oakenbough, formerly of Baldur's Gate. May I be so bold as to ask from where you hail?" Vandayinu chuckled and removed her hands from the half-elf, stealthily caressing the front of the girl's body and allowing herself to thrill in the shudder of revulsion that went through the poor lass. It would be the last time she would allow herself this pleasure tonight.
"Selena... a beautiful name." Vandayinu smiled, without the least hint of malice. "As to my origins, we shall get to that soon." With a chuckle, she removed her shroud and shrugged a small pack from her back, containing a fair-sized tome and a mechanical quill - a gnomish invention, quite handy when one is unable to find an appropriate placement for their inkwell. She then sat Selena down at a table, placing the tome in front of her and flipping past a few illustrations (mostly images of a carnal nature that she found pleasing enough to copy) to a blank page.
After instructing miss Oakenbough in the basic use of the gnomish gadget, she issued the woman her orders. "I am certain you are familiar with bardic songs, and how sometimes adventurers write out memoirs - a history of themselves and their accomplishments. Well, this is my attempt at that, and I would like you to share this undertaking with me, if you please." She waited for Selena to acknowledge her before continuing. "And if this takes longer than a single night, can I count on you to see this through to the end with me?" Selena nodded silently, still unsure what to make of a denizen of the Underdark entrusting her with penning their life story. "Very well then, let us begin with my birth..."
((To be continued...))
This figure was Vandayinu D'Verra, a reasonably well-known Drow who had resided in Neverwinter since shortly after Ophala Cheldarstorn passed the festhall down to her daughter. Lady D'Verra was one of the Mask's most faithful clients, passing several dozens of gold coins over the tables - and several dozens more under them. She had even helped tether the inn to the ground during the Spellplague, when it broke free from the earth and started ascending into the sky.
Indeed, the Drow was welcomed into the Moonstone Mask, so long as she kept her heritage hidden while in the common rooms, and didn't abuse the serving-girls too badly. The few times she let a flash of her slate-grey skin show, it was regarded as a trick of the lighting or one's eyes playing tricks after too much wine. Thankfully, none of the other clients pushed the matter any further.
When partaking of the inn's famous(some would say infamous) hospitality, however, Vandayinu was allowed free reign, as was the unspoken rule for all patrons of the Mask. She was in the mood for this hospitality this very instant, in fact. She rose from her seat and purposefully strode up to a serving-girl who seemed to be doing nothing at the moment - a comely blonde half-elven lass with sharp features, and an amulet bearing the symbol of Oghma.
"Pardon me, m'lady. I noticed that you seem to be faithful to the God of Wisdom. Tell me, do you know your letters?" Vandayinu inquired, trying her best to make her voice sound more gruff and masculine than she actually was - an affectation that had little practical value considering how poorly she managed, but still enjoyable nonetheless.
The serving-girl tittered, amused by the Drow's little game, and responded. "Ay, Milady- pardon, Milord. I know how to read and write the letters of both the elves and men." Despite being instructed to respect the privacy of customers, the elven serving-girl found herself trying to peek beneath Vandayinu's hood to catch a glimpse at her face.
"Very well then. I would seek your services for tonight. I will pay you a scribe's wage on top of the usual. And a fair bit extra for confidentiality." Vandayinu was grinning wickedly when she spoke. The poor girl was one of the newer workers, recently arrived in Neverwinter from Baldur's Gate she would later find out - working at the Mask to help care for her ailing mother or somesuch. Lady D'Verra honestly cared little for stories such as those, as she found that a goodly number of the tales were exaggerated at the least; dramatized in order to pull in extra coin as sympathy tips.
After the half-elven lass brought Vandayinu to her room, she turned and closed the door behind her, locking it and dropping the key into a pocket in her blouse - she would have no interruptions on her first night working in the upstairs rooms, especially with one who was paying so well. "Now that we have some privacy, madam, may I at least see what color flesh you hide beneath your cloak?"
Vandayinu chuckled at this. "Oh-ho, lass. Moving quickly, are you not? Why, we haven't even made introductions yet. Allow me to speak first - I am Vandayinu D'Verra, you may have heard of me. Former leader of the Rubykissed Hands. An adventurer and ofttimes companion, despite my... heritage." She made a face as though that last word carried with it a foul taste, pulling her hood down as she spoke. She kept her eyes on the serving-girl, reveling in her fearful reaction and maneuvering herself behind her to block the room's exit, as well as embrace her before patting a hand on the key in the girl's pocket. She truly enjoyed the fearful reactions her heritage garnered when she revealed herself to the new staff - a manifestation of the sadistic streak that the Drow were so famous for, though that was as far as she would allow herself to descend. Even as a faithful of Sharess, there were some pleasures that simply weren't indulged.
The serving-girl took in a breath to scream, but was cut silent by a hand placed over her mouth and a soft kiss on her cheek. "Now now, lass. No need to call attention to our interaction. You are offering up a terrible version of hospitality and confidentiality, and after I offered you so much! I ask you, please - all I seek is a scribe, and if you are willing, a companion for a time. Surely even to you, the name Vandayinu D'Verra must hold some weight, even if my face does not match how I am commonly depicted."
After a time, the serving-girl nodded, complying with Vandayinu's wishes. If only for the coin and the sake of not infuriating the dark-skinned woman - definitely an adventurer, by the rough feel of the hand that now rested on her throat. If not current, then sometime in the past. "V-very well, Mistress D'Verra. If it would please you to know my name, I am Selena Oakenbough, formerly of Baldur's Gate. May I be so bold as to ask from where you hail?" Vandayinu chuckled and removed her hands from the half-elf, stealthily caressing the front of the girl's body and allowing herself to thrill in the shudder of revulsion that went through the poor lass. It would be the last time she would allow herself this pleasure tonight.
"Selena... a beautiful name." Vandayinu smiled, without the least hint of malice. "As to my origins, we shall get to that soon." With a chuckle, she removed her shroud and shrugged a small pack from her back, containing a fair-sized tome and a mechanical quill - a gnomish invention, quite handy when one is unable to find an appropriate placement for their inkwell. She then sat Selena down at a table, placing the tome in front of her and flipping past a few illustrations (mostly images of a carnal nature that she found pleasing enough to copy) to a blank page.
After instructing miss Oakenbough in the basic use of the gnomish gadget, she issued the woman her orders. "I am certain you are familiar with bardic songs, and how sometimes adventurers write out memoirs - a history of themselves and their accomplishments. Well, this is my attempt at that, and I would like you to share this undertaking with me, if you please." She waited for Selena to acknowledge her before continuing. "And if this takes longer than a single night, can I count on you to see this through to the end with me?" Selena nodded silently, still unsure what to make of a denizen of the Underdark entrusting her with penning their life story. "Very well then, let us begin with my birth..."
((To be continued...))
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Vandayinu began with tales of her birth as Selena tried her best to keep up, still somewhat fearful of the Drow. "Let us see. By my reckoning, I was born some two-hundred and fifty years ago. Second and youngest daughter of Lliyana, of House D'Verra - lesser nobles of Lith My'athar, admittedly, but nobles nonetheless." She took notice of the half-elf's confusion. "That's a city in the Underdark, by the way. Beneath Waterdeep. Life there was somewhat cut-throat - in the literal sense. Kill or be killed, and I cared very little for it - a rebellious spirit, I suppose I was. Felt more at home around the Eilistraians than the Lolth worshippers. Of course, being public about that would have gotten me killed. For blasphemy and such, you understand."
As she dictated her story, Vandayinu wandered idly around the room, removing the more ornate of her trappings in an effort to make Selena feel that much more comfortable. "Eilistraee is - was the patron deity of surface-seeking Drow. Drizzt and his ilk, if you are familiar with the tales. I believe she was slain with her own sword, not a decade after the Wailing Death - ancient history, I know. But I get ahead of myself, Selena." She patted the half-elf's shoulder. "I'm sorry, this is my first time doing something like this. Returning to my youth - I was raised by my elder sister. Mother was too busy tending to matters of court, so to speak. It was intended that I follow in their footsteps, as all Drow did at the time, and become a priestess of Lolth. I would have none of that... I wanted to see the surface, and actually fight up close, rather than spewing venom from afar. Ah, I still have scars from the whippings my tutor gave me... As she still bears scars from me - if she yet lives."
Chuckling, Vandayinu took a seat on the overstuffed goosedown bed situated in the center of the bedroom, remarking as she bounced on the mattress. "Soft as they were in Lith My'athar... Now, there wasn't much more to life in the Underdark beyond thwarting attempts on my life, surviving my tutor's whippings, and dreaming of the surface. To this day, I believe Tymora took my hand and placed in it a handful of adventurers - hired by the officials of Waterdeep to deal with the Valsharess's machinations within their city. That was a mere year or two after the Wailing Death. And also the very same group that had adopted that famous Kobold bard. Deekin, I believe his name is. Was."
Vandayinu let out a nostalgic sigh. "I still remember that little reptile. Sang such amusing songs about menial things in life, as though they were the greatest of luxuries. Shoes and hats and the like. Ah! Did I hear correctly, Miss Oakenbough? Was that laughter?" Indeed, Selena had brought a hand up to her mouth in an attempt to stifle her giggling, but remained otherwise silent, focusing intently on penning Vandayinu's story. After several hours of laying out various unimportant facts and tales of her life in the Underdark, touching on her watching the men train from afar and culminating with her emergence upon the surface in the aftermath of an Arch-Devil's attack on Waterdeep and aiding in the city's subsequent reconstruction, Vandayinu indulged the half-elven serving girl, sharing in a brief 'prayer' to Sharess.
When the religious proceedings have been completed, Vandayinu reached into her pack to produce a decent-sized and quite heavy pouch of golden coins, carefully placing them into Selena's hands with a pleasant smile as well as a kiss on the cheek, and then sent her out of the room. "Thank you for your hospitality, Miss Oakenbough. If it pleases you, I would dearly enjoy resuming where we have left off tonight - at the same fee, of course."
Accepting the coin, the half-elf nodded, smiling coyly. "Yes, Mistress D'Verra, that would please me immensely." And then she left, returning to her duties in the common rooms while Vandayinu went into her elven reverie, looking quite satisfied with herself.
The next day, Vandayinu returned to the Moonstone Mask. Selena Oakenbough wasn't working tonight, seemingly attempting to avoid the drow. She settled on passing the night with another worker, simply relieving stress and giving praise to Sharess. This continued for several days until she caught the half-elf off-guard.
Vandayinu practically dragged Selena away from pouring drinks for a couple of noblemen and spoke to her, her voice coming out in an irritable hiss. "Where have you been, girl? I've been seeking you for a tenday and I don't enjoy being kept waiting, especially for one as valuable as you. Now, finish your tasks in the commons and bring yourself to my chamber, lest another of these barely-literate oafs receives your payment for the night." With that, the drow gently shoved the serving-girl away, storming her way to her usual room.
After a number of hours, Selena cautiously entered the drow's room, closing and locking the door behind herself. She didn't speak until addressed. Vandayinu was wearing a diaphanous gown with her back turned toward the door, peering through the curtains at the city of Neverwinter. Keeping her back to the half-elf, she spoke. "Selena. I'll not ask your excuse for being absent in these past days. However, I am a woman who dearly values the smooth progression of things. If you are to be missing for any duration of time in the future, I would appreciate being informed of it that I may alter my plans accordingly." With this, Vandayinu finally turned to face the lass, her face bearing a salacious grin.
After an hour of indulging in wine and other pleasures that Vandayinu sent the half-elf to retrieve, she sat the girl down at the desk with her memoirs and a quill in front of her. She then instructed her to write once more. "I remember last time we left off with my flight from the Underdark. I emerged with the Waterdeep Adventurer from the basement of the Yawning Portal tavern, in the wake of an arch-devil's assault on the city. Mephistopheles, I believe it called itself - I am uncertain how the fiend was repelled, but I do know that the adventurer had something to do with it. Nonetheless, Mephistopheles was defeated and were it not for the adventurer speaking on my behalf, I would have been slain then and there - keep in mind that this was a time when Drizzt was barely known to the surfacers. When Drow were nothing more than foul murderers who would love nothing more than to slit your throat and sacrifice your children to dark gods. Tolerance toward my race has come quite a long way, relatively speaking."
Vandayinu smiled fondly as she remembered her first days on the surface, pulling up a chair to sit beside Selena. "The innkeeper set me to work, doing menial chores and repairing the damage wrought by battle. Though the surface was blindingly bright and burned like an inferno, it was quite pleasant to be used for something constructive for a change. To be more than a pawn in a political game. After a few months of cleaning and moving casks in the back rooms of the taverns, I crossed paths with a paladin of Kelemvor. To this day, I believe he was driven by a misguided attempt to make what he believed to be my last weeks of life as enjoyable as he could manage. He extended an offer to train me in the finer points of the usage of a blade, and put me to use in helping to rid Faerun of foul undead... An offer which I snapped up without hesitation."
By this point, a faint tone of mournful reminiscence was beginning to creep into Vandayinu's voice, but she continued dictating anyway, heedless of the worried looks that Selena was giving her. "We delved into crypts and dungeons for a number of years, the number of our group changing as new members came and went, though the two of us were constant. We grew to enjoy each others' company, even developing something akin to love between us. But alas, it wasn't meant to be. He was slain by a lich that we were hunting. My natural magic resistance saved me from his fireball, but alas, my beau wasn't so fortunate. The lich fled, to be slain by another group of adventurers a month later, while I retreated to deliver news of his passing to his family and order. From then on, I drifted throughout Faerun, posing as a leper to hide my identity for several years before I chanced upon an elven Sharessin with a taste for danger. He was the one who converted me to the worship of Sharess, and taught me to enjoy the more transient things in life..."
From here, Vandayinu began to explain the finer details of the Sharessan philosophy of "if it feels good, it is", and how pleasure can take many forms - from those of the flesh to the more intellectual pursuits or even through simple acts of charity. As one of Oghma's faithful, Selena's interest was piqued and she pressed for more. The ensuing discussion lasted for the remainder of the night, when Vandayinu was interrupted by the sunlight spilling through her curtains. Again Vandayinu paid the half-elf for her hospitality, then sent her off with a soft kiss on the cheek and promises of more of her story.
Once again, Vandayinu had entered the Moonstone Mask, observing what had become a routine for her. Always wearing her shrouding cloak, she sought out her current favorite girl - Selena Oakenbough - and had her sent to the room she had been practically living in for the past few decades of her life. She paid well enough that none of the staff questioned the arrangement, and she had never been the instigator of any violent unpleasantness. She had even managed to make a friend or two amongst the servants, one of whom had taken it upon himself to help soften Selena's judgment of the woman.
"She isn't as cruel as you likely imagine, Miss Oakenbough." He stated, referring to Vandayinu. His name was Stephan Brightedge, though everyone referred to him as simply Brightedge - as was customary at the Moonstone Mask; to preserve anonymity, none of the workers removed their eponymous masks or used their first names.
Stephan had come from a long line of Helmite paladins, and his parents considered him a great disappointment, refusing to be associated with him. He cared little for their attitude and viewed them as great hypocrites, taking some bitter solace in the fact that shortly after casting him out, they died of a disease contracted on their next adventure.
"I recognized her behavior from my first encounter with her. If you find her presence to be unpleasant, be assured that it will likely only last another tenday at the most. She is a capricious sort, though her heart is good. Ah! She might desire this, so bring it to her when she calls upon you." With this instruction, he gave Selena a large bottle of elven wine. When that time came, Selena entered Vandayinu's room and placed the bottle of alcohol on the desk as instructed, next to the tome and quill that had already been laid out for her. After the door had been locked and their usual greetings had been exchanged, the half-elf sat down at the desk, preparing to write.
"Eager to proceed, I see. Very well then." Vandayinu smiled as she spoke, preparing to continue her story. "I believe tonight I was to tell you of the Rubykissed Hand's creation. That was an idea of the elven Sharessin that I mentioned last night. The one who converted me. I believe the intention was to form a band of companions of negotiable affection, so to speak. But my more pragmatic side urged me to convince my companion to recruit additional members to fill other roles. We eventually had a fair-sized number of employees to fill any sort of job that was requested. Companionship, bodyguards, mercenary adventurers. There were even a number of high-profile clients that hired us for some of the more shady political work. We were akin to a traveling version of this very inn, back when Ophala ran it, or so I am told. Ah! I should add in that I was not a visible face of the Rubykissed Hand, though I had been called upon to sate some of the more... exotic appetites." Vandayinu chuckled and nodded towards the backpack she left resting upon the bed.
"That, my dear, is a bag of holding. It is currently filled with numerous outfits of varying utility, various potions and scrolls, an assortment of magical items that survived the Spellplague, and roughly a quarter of the Rubykissed Hand's total income since its founding in 1391 by Dale reckoning, amounting to... well, it's enough to support the comfortable lifestyle I lead. Having said this, I will give you this one warning: If you attempt to deprive me of this fortune... Well, you know personally how practiced my hands are and how intimately familiar I am with the humanoid body." With that, Vandayinu put on her most pleasant smile and patted the half-elf's shoulder, sensing that perhaps the threat was unnecessary. She then pulled the cork from the neck of the wine bottle, taking a hearty swig directly from it before using the back of her hand to wipe away a trickle of wine that escaped from the corner of her mouth.
She then offered the bottle to Selena, pulling it away when she reached for it. Taking a mouthful of the wine, she then transferred it to the half-elf via a kiss, acting purely on impulse. She laughed uproariously when the deed was done, amused by the girl's surprise. She then placed the wine bottle on the desk in front of her and flopped backwards onto the overstuffed bed. "You may finish the remainder if you so desire. And I find that I am not in much of a mood for further detailing my life tonight. You will receive a full payment for the night if you desire to leave now, or you may stay to indulge me until sunrise. The choice is yours."
Miss Oakenbough decided to stay, and the two wound up talking about her own life until the morning sun pouring through the curtains interrupted them and Selena returned to the commonroom, leaving Vandayinu to her reverie.