TMD | Tue 15-Jul-03 02:14 AM |
Member since 15th Jul 2003
3 posts
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#35, "Xalthelir (Scion drow A-P)"
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There were a half-dozen entries to this role, but I can only find the first and the fourth or fifth.
Xalthelir was the fourth son of a minor drow house in one of the equally minor drow cities of the vast Underdark. A boy in a house with too many sons, in a culture where even the firstborn son is lower than the youngest daughter, not much was expected of him. As this unremarkable child grew towards maturity, his Matron could but hope that he would be accepted by either the famed warrior academy or prestigous wizard's school, the clergy, of course, being denied to him as a male. He was nearly consigned to studying at a lesser college for the lowest of the low, those unable to excel fully with either spells or blade, but a timely assassination of an apprentice magi by one of his elder brothers created the necessary opening and spared his house that shame, or so it seemed.
It was during the sixth year of his study at the wizard's college that Xalthelir's placid life was torn asunder. The ambitions of another house called for his own to be eliminated, and in a heartbeat, his entire family was butchered. Only by cowardly hiding among the house's slaves did he manage preserve his own life. The conquering house took Xalthelir's house's slaves as their own, and a grueling life of hard labor in the slave mines began. Perhaps he might have managed a daring escape with his limited magical training, but he lacked the nerve.
He dared not become too close to even the other slaves, for if any were to realize who he was, they would surely sell him out in an instant. The years of hardship and isolation gradually drove Xalthelir insane. Eventually, his only comfort was the scripture of a forgotten religion. They spoke of the doings of a dark god or his avatar in the mortal plane, and how this Hand of the Dark wandered the world like a harbinger of apocalypse, maiming those who obeyed him and killing any who didn't, whipping paladins for their blasphemy and cursing orphans.
The scriptures also foretold a final disciple of this dark god, who would rise out of slavery to walk the land like a king. He would punish his oppressors, and then move on to punish all. He would pact with dark forces and wield every mortal art in service to his wicked god. In the end he would be taken into the dark one's kingdom to dwell in glory forever.
Given a new sense of purpose by the scriptures, the drow managed to escape from his enslavers and begin to train for his role as the last disciple. In his madness, Xalthelir does not realize that he wrote this "holy" text himself.
So begins a rather unusual story.
--====--
Adjusting to life on the surface was hard for Xalthelir. Though he found some few allies he was amazed at the violent treatment he received from the denizens of what he thought of as the sun-washed world. They relentlessly charged after him, with axes covered in ornate etchings or ceremonial swords encrusted with semi-precious jewels. He was deeply puzzled by this behavior. Did they not know of the superiority of the drow over their insignificant races? Should they not fear he, blessed of the Shaidar Haran, master of spell and blade, above all others? In the name of his dark god he cut them down without mercy whenever he could. Always, the surface fodder blamed luck for his victories, rather than recognizing his obvious power. Was luck the name of the Hand of the Dark among the surface people?
Often he would preach to them like a mad prophet, reciting proverbs from his 'holy' text. Like many such texts, it is subdivided into books, whose names include Smiting, Blasphemers, Apocalypse, Contagion, Maiming, Oppression, Obfuscation, Sundering, Torment, Slaughter, Venom, Decay, Depradation, and Subjugation.
He has been surprised at times by the relatively warm treatment he has received from other dark elves on the surface. He does not trust them, though many have shown him more respect than natural surface-dwellers. The invoker Naldaeruth and shapeshifter Hiquilmas have proved useful allies to him at times, and on one occasion the healer, Merzofzyauhn, offered Xalthelir considerable aid. Most recently, a sorceress he traded some items with, Samira, asked him to seek out the aid of another of the drow, a priestess named Nazira, who she claimed could offer him useful training towards his goals. Xalthelir is intrigued by the unusual beliefs and methods of the priestess, though his extreme relucance to be under the thumb of a drow of a matronly mindset once more has kept him wary and distant.
In his thirst for knowledge about his forgotten god and his destiny, he has come to petition for a place among the Scions of Eternal Night, believing the shadowy creatures they pact with to be agents of the Hand of the Dark or somehow tied to his destiny. He currently seeks prophecies both fulfilled and unfulfilled at the bidding of their Chancellor, Jhaelryna, a person he feels drawn to in ways he does not fully understand.
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Calling all role contest winners!
[View all] , Arvam, Fri 11-Jul-03 03:03 AM
Mogrin - favorite role in theory, but never took off.,
Lightmage,
21-Nov-10 08:03 AM, #24
One question...,
TMNS,
21-Jan-11 09:11 AM, #25
My favorite- Crulvane-Scion Chancellor,
Lightmage,
21-Nov-10 08:04 AM, #23
Fiene,
Rayihn,
18-Nov-10 06:34 AM, #22
Punblinpo (winner 2003ish),
Hutto,
25-Feb-10 02:33 PM, #21
Duule (Runner up June 2007),
Malcolm,
17-Jul-07 08:29 AM, #20
Meagara (long),
Twist,
26-Jan-07 10:43 AM, #16
Gmuer Sabourin(Muouk),
Odrirg,
26-Jan-07 09:04 AM, #15
Any recent winners want to post theirs here?,
Valguarnera,
21-Feb-06 11:25 AM, #11
Here's a lot of the stuff I wrote regarding Flumpel sta...,
Lhydia,
22-Feb-06 07:42 AM, #12
Aputo Gemthumb...,
Saith,
28-Feb-06 07:39 AM, #13
Rhaguel the Feral Shapechanger, Pariah of Hillcrest- Ju...,
Aodh,
28-Feb-06 12:28 PM, #14
Tiatan's Role and Death Echoes,
Tiatan,
11-Feb-07 11:32 PM, #17
RE: Any recent winners want to post theirs here?,
v_vega,
11-Feb-07 11:32 PM, #18
Caragwyn (winner, 2001ish),
Beladorizid,
26-Mar-04 11:45 PM, #10
RE: Caragwyn (winner, 2001ish),
Snarf,
15-Feb-07 12:55 PM, #19
what about honorable mentions?,
permanewbie,
25-Mar-04 04:24 AM, #8
Sure. (n/t),
Valguarnera,
25-Mar-04 04:24 AM, #9
Onilyn (Entropy Bard Mayesha Follower),
Lhydia,
16-Jul-03 05:13 PM, #6
Xalthelir (Scion drow A-P),
TMD,
15-Jul-03 02:29 AM #5
I would like a book with this onset. Shame you lost the...,
Soren,
24-Aug-03 04:48 PM, #7
Kiaspiflas (Scarab arial assassin, Cyradia's tattoo),
TMD,
15-Jul-03 02:29 AM, #4
Iachegao (Battle felar warrior, Jacynth's tattoo),
TMD,
15-Jul-03 02:29 AM, #3
Rafkut's role: (Short!),
Rafkut,
11-Jul-03 11:59 PM, #2
Here is Iriogam's (Entropy Orc Astein follower), I'll s...,
Lhydia,
11-Jul-03 11:49 PM, #1
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