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Lady Fellshot
Senior Scribe
USA
379 Posts |
 Posted - 07 Jul 2008 : 14:39:57
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I thought I might post this, partially because I really don't care where it goes and what people do with it, but also because I think that some might enjoy the speculation. There are some spoilers for the Lady Penitent books, but they aren't anything really horrible (I think) but I put the notice up there anyway.
Oh yes, before I forget, the characters are not mine and are used without permission with no intention of profiting from their use. I wouldn't want to get paid for this anyway. I like it more as a hobby ^.^
Mods, if this needs to be moved or modified, please tell me or do so 
--)--------
He watched his daughter explain her grand scheme to him with animation and vigor. He had caught on to what his dear grown up little girl wanted to accomplish with her ploy and sacrifice very early on. In fact, he remembered being treated to a similar idea a few short years ago. Kill or undermine her traitorous mother, his former love. Redeem her chosen people and bring them back to the light.
He shut his eyes in frustration. Those with faces of Shadow could be redeemed, he knew. He had delegated the task to his court's heart warden. That one had so far shown good judgment regarding where to bestow her blessing. A scout here, a runaway guard there. Those who truly wanted to return to the fold and the wholeness of elven community. They found the sense of it returned to them in trickles. The trickles eventually became rivers and all was restored to those who truly sought it. His heart warden showed a special inclination towards couples in love, but that was to be expected. The warden's methods were gentle, gradual and sure. Nothing like the upheaval his daughter proposed.
The first time there had been a chance that his daughter might succeed with her coup, if she chose the right agent. Someone who would strike sure and without hesitation. He had suggested two males who would likely do the task if approached. One among the living and one of the spirits. The spirit would have been especially eager to do so. The living soul would have needed some guidance, but also would have struck sure and swift when the time came. His daughter chose a female who lacked the poise and courage to carry out the business at hand, who had turned in her hand and bitten her twice.
Favoritism towards her female followers, he thought sadly. She treads in her mother's steps. All the way to this convoluted game she wishes to play now. For what? To force a redemption on those who do not want to understand what it means to have an elven soul? To pretend that the problems within her followers were nothing more than a touch of demonic bloodline, diluted by fifty generations? The sheer ridiculousness of that assumption floored him. She wishes to accomplish by force a change that should take place within the heart.
He realized that his daughter had stopped talking. He opened his eyes and found her looking at him expectantly. She wanted his support as she had asked before. He looked at her and recalled a similar scene prior to her birth with her mother.
Her mother had taken his support as a sign of weakness and plotted her grandiose treachery. His daughter took his support and earnestly let her plans collapse on themselves, fizzling away to nothing.
He took a deep breath and said, “No child. You tried this once before whilst your mother slept and it did not work. You must reach for hearts, male and female alike, not feats of arms, if you wish to undermine your mother's control.”
“But it will work!” she exclaimed, “I know it will!”
“It will work for a few and then what, daughter?” he countered and thought, I have already lost her. She is going to try anyway, regardless of what advice I might give. “I cannot support this sacrifice of yours. I do not want to lose you.”
“I will be reborn!”
“Child, you cannot be certain of that.” Sadness, regret and worry mingled in his voice. “With your mother awake, you must wage a silent war of hearts.”
“She understands nothing but force,” his daughter cried vehemently.
“You should not answer in kind,” He replied. “You have been walking an edge for a while now, daughter. I fear you will fall with this next step.”
“I can do it! I know I can!” she laughed. “I will present you with redeemed dark elves soon, Father. I will prove myself.” She took off running before he could answer, her long sliver hair trailing behind her like a pennant of moonlight.
“But you do not have to prove yourself to me, Eilistraee,” Corellon whispered to the gentle Arvandor breeze. The wind would carry his words to her. “You never had to.”
--)--------
You may have noticed that this is something of an opinion piece, but what the hey, it is only a speculation.
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Edited by - Lady Fellshot on 07 Jul 2008 14:43:55
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monknwildcat
Learned Scribe
USA
285 Posts |
Posted - 07 Jul 2008 : 15:05:36
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Well done!
I enjoyed the way you took disparate pieces and tied them back together. IMO, without such a vignette, the trilogy's finale remains jarring. This smoothes things a bit.
Thanks for sharing your work, Lady Fellshot! |
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Jakk
Great Reader
Canada
2165 Posts |
Posted - 30 Sep 2008 : 04:47:14
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After reading this four or five times, I feel I'm ready to comment. It's a brilliant piece of writing, for sure, but I'm not at all happy that it was necessary (and yes, I do think it was necessary). I haven't read the War of the Spider Queen books or the Lady Penitent books, and knowing what happens, I don't know if I want to bother. Wizbro changed so many other things with 4E, and had a real opportunity to change the drow; instead, they took them right back to where they were in 1E. The deaths of Vhaeraun and Selvetarm put the male drow back in decided servitor status (which, despite being male, I don't really have a problem with, except that it's old and already done) and the outcome of the final scene of the Lady Penitent trilogy as I understand it from the summaries I've read is essentially that the drow are now a monotheistic race, apart from the few who still worship Ghaunadaur. Existing worshippers of Eilistraee and other good-aligned drow are now not drow, instead being elves, because drow are not elves any more. In elven eyes, of course, they never were (being N'Tel-Quess), but that hair-splitting was a trait of the elven world-view. Now, that world-view has been shoe-horned into reality (or vice-versa, depending on how you see it, I guess), probably all in the name of simplification of the game. Still, it is a great piece of prose that I've enjoyed reading, and I'm not sure that the latter will be true of the Lady Penitent books for me. And that's not your fault, because I believed that before reading your post, and you clearly advertised your spoilers.
EDIT: Does all this mean that in 4E, there will be a way for drow to become elves or eladrin? Just curious; it seems much simpler in 3E, oddly enough.  |
Playing in the Realms since the Old Grey Box (1987)... and *still* having fun with material published before 2008, despite the NDA'd lore.
If it's comparable in power with non-magical abilities, it's not magic. |
Edited by - Jakk on 30 Sep 2008 04:51:51 |
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Rinonalyrna Fathomlin
Great Reader
USA
7106 Posts |
Posted - 30 Sep 2008 : 20:51:31
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| Well, drow are "fey" in 4E-speak. Elves and eladrin are "fey" as well. Only "elves" are "elves". |
"Instead of asking why we sleep, it might make sense to ask why we wake. Perchance we live to dream. From that perspective, the sea of troubles we navigate in the workaday world might be the price we pay for admission to another night in the world of dreams."
--Richard Greene (letter to Time) |
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Lord Karsus
Great Reader
USA
3746 Posts |
Posted - 07 Oct 2008 : 20:03:27
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quote:
Originally posted by Jakk
EDIT: Does all this mean that in 4E, there will be a way for drow to become elves or eladrin? Just curious; it seems much simpler in 3E, oddly enough.
-The Akh’Faen’Tel’Quess Elven High Magic Ritual of Solitude already does this. So, it's as easy as a simple casting. And, with 4e Elven High Magic seemingly being a "background" thing, it's THAT much easier. |
(A Tri-Partite Arcanist Who Has Forgotten More Than Most Will Ever Know)
Elves of Faerûn
Vol I- The Elves of Faerûn
Vol. III- Spells of the Elves
Vol. VI- Mechanical Compendium |
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Regrets- A speculation with some spoilers
