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Inside the Baenre compound, a large, little used room was filled to capacity. Matron Baenre had gathered all of her children together to discuss the implications of what they had discovered. House Del'Axle had stolen one of their noble sons and claimed him for their own. Not only that, but they had stolen him during one of the most sacred of drow ceremonies, Hakia-Corus, the act of sacrificing a third born son.
All of the nobles of House Baenre had been gathered but one. Vendes was the youngest of the Baenre nobles, conceived on the very night the theft of Iblith Baenre had taken place. She was currently attending Arach Tinilith, still a long ways from graduating and then even further from becoming a high priestess and an official member of the family. The other ten daughters sat around a very long table with their mother at the head. Many of them had left important responsibilities within the city and the house to attend this meeting.
Dantrag and Gromph were there too. They sat at the far end of the table. They were well aware of their position in the house, and though both of them thought of themselves as powerful and knowledgeable, neither one expected to do any talking during this meaning. Baenre had instructed them to come only because she knew that in whatever action they might take, the house's chief wizard and weapon master would probably play large roles.
"You all know why we are here," Matron Baenre started. "Our house has been disgraced and humiliated in Lloth's eyes. House Del'Axle has made a grave error."
"How are they still in the Spider Queen's favor?" one of the daughters asked. "For that matter, how are we still in her favor?"
Sos'Umptu answered this question. "On the night in question, Trenian Del'Axle, third born son of Matron Reinela, was given to Lloth in Iblith's place." Under direct order from Matron Baenre, Jarlnian was only to be referred to by his rightly given name. "Our house promised to give Lloth a third born son, and that gift was given. Lloth returned her blessing to our Matron Mother by giving her yet another daughter."
"Then should we pursue this matter further?" another daughter asked. "If Lloth received our gift, what care is it of ours that House Del'Axle has a new male. He was dead to us anyw-"
Baenre stood suddenly and slammed the table. "They stole from us!!!" Her face was a beet red, and the daughter who had just spoke nearly fainted dead away. Dantrag watched with interest from the end of the table. He had struggled with the idea of pride quite a bit in recent weeks, and he felt he had brought it under control. Apparently his mother still had a long way to go.
"They stole from us during a sacred sacrifice," she continued. "Though I was blessed for the fulfillment of our promise, House Del'Axle stole the majority of our glory by completing the act. Neither house slighted the Spider Queen, but that does not mean she does not still wish us to take vengeance on the offending house."
"Should we bring it before the council?"
"They will not give us justice," Triel responded. "They will not condemn a house over just one male, and since no crime against the Spider Queen was committed, they will not take any action against House Del'Axle. Bringing it before the council would only alert our enemies as to our intentions."
"Then we must act on our own. House Del'Axle will not even be able to formulate an idea of retreat before they are destroyed."
Baenre was seated again and calm, or as calm as she would ever be. "No," she shook her head. "We can not take direct action against another house in the city. The council would unite against us. We are more powerful then the next three houses in line combined. We can wipe out any house we choose. They all know this, but they do not act against us because we have not used that power against them. As soon as they feel they are in danger, they will unite the entire city against us."
"Then we shall do it in secret."
Triel was shocked at the naivete of her sister. "They will know. The whole city will know. There is not one house execution that takes place in this city that the ruling council is not aware of. Though no evidence is left, nothing can be hidden from a high priestess of Lloth, and the city will know we were responsible."
"Then we can get another house to do it for us," another daughter suggested. "Houses DeVir, Faen Tlabbar, and Hun'ett all wish to see the fourth house removed from in front of them. If we should give them a nudge, or just wait a few decades and do nothing, they will likely take out House Del'Axle for us."
Baenre was on the edge of fury again. "We are the first house of Menzoberranzan, likely the most powerful drow house in the underdark. We do not rely on lesser houses to do our killing for us. The 5th, 6th, and 7th houses all have too much to gain. Though House Del'Axle might fall to one of them, it will not be for their crime against us, but because the killing house wanted to improve its standing."
"Then what can we do?" a frustrated daughter cried out. "We can not go to the council with our problem, we can not attack directly, and we can not use another house. What other options do we have?"
"Thus the reason for this meeting," Baenre said solemnly.
The daughters around the table suddenly came to attention. In every other such instance, their mother had gathered them together to tell them what they were supposed to do. This was different. Matron Baenre did not know what to do and was turning to her family for assistance.
"Then we must attack them indirectly," a daughter said. "We can hit them with a plague or a disease." She looked at the other ten high priestesses sitting around the table. "We have the ability to wipe them out without ever leaving our compound."
"Don't forget House Del'Axle boasts the second most high priestesses in the city with seven," Baenre countered. "They are in Lloth's favor, and while we would probably overwhelm them, they will know of their attackers and will warn the rest of the city before the task is done."
"What if we use one of the lesser races? House Del'Axle does not posses many soldiers. We could over-run them with orcs or trolls."
"Our house will not be represented by colnbluth," Baenre said, using the drow word for anything that was not drow. She did not need to elaborate on this point.
"A cave in, then," came another suggestion. "House Del'Axle has several stalactites hanging above their compound. With the right combination of spells, we could wipe them out in a heartbeat."
"That is too impersonal," Baenre replied. "I want Reinela to not only know who her executioners are, but also the reason for it. She must not feel that she was sent to Lloth by mere chance."
Everyone at the table was getting frustrated now. It seemed that Baenre's eagerness to punish the fourth house was only matched by her unwillingness to accept any of their proposals. "If we can not use a ranked house because of their own potential gain, what about a lesser house. We could make an attack through them, bolstering their house with our own fighters."
"No lesser house could perform the task," Baenre said. "Even Houses DeVir, Faen Tlabbar, and Hun'ett, though capable, would have a hard time talking down the fourth house."
"The lesser house would not have to take it down," the daughter argued. "They would not even have to have much representation during the fight. All they would need is to be present. We would do the fighting and they would take the credit."
"I heard you the first time," Baenre said curtly. "What I said is that no lesser house could perform the attack. If we want the city to believe that we played no part in it and this lesser house committed the act on their own, then it would first have to be believable that they could do it. No house outside of the council is capable."
"House Do'Urden."
All heads turned toward the end of the table. Dantrag even looked about for the speaker until he realized it was he. Actually it had been Khazid'hea speaking through Dantrag. Dantrag cursed his carelessness with regard to controlling the powerful weapon and fully expected to be punished for his outburst.
Instead of lashing out at her son from across the vast table, Baenre looked at him with interest. "If you have something to say, say it."
Dantrag was quickly trying to think of someway he could explain his breach of protocol, but instead, he began to listen to his sword. It was actually making some good points. "House Do'Urden could succeed against House Del'Axle."
Though Matron Baenre was the chief matron of the city, she did not care about the lesser houses and had no idea what rank this house held or anything else about it. She motioned for Dantrag to continue.
"House Do'Urden is the thirteenth house in the city, though it has as many fighters as any house between them and Del'Axle. Their high rank is rooted in the fact that they only have two high priestesses, Matron Vartha, and her daughter, a recent graduate from Arach-Tinilith, Malice Do'Urden."
"And why should this house be willing to go into battle against the fourth house?" one of Dantrag's sisters mocked.
"Because we will tell them to," Dantrag responded. It was a disrespectful answer, but it played well into Matron Baenre's already inflated ego. He was right. What house would dare oppose the wishes of House Baenre?
Dantrag knew the answer was not good enough, but he was only now working out the whole scenario in his head. "They are a strong house, but their lack of high priestesses has kept them from advancing. They will fight with us, for they shall be able to absorb any priestesses from the fourth house once it is defeated."
"If there are any left," Matron Baenre grinned.
"But the rest of the city must believe them capable?" Triel pressed.
"They could do it," Dantrag said. "House Do'Urden not only has as many fighters as any house below them, but they are skilled as well. They just recently graduated a student from the Academy that was the best Melee-Magthere has seen in many years."
Khazid'hea grunted at this comment, but it knew Dantrag did not really believe it. "All they are lacking is more high priestesses. The easiest way to solve that problem is to conquer another house and take them. House Del'Axle is the weakest house with the most high priestesses. I'm actually surprised House Do'Urden hasn't thought of this already."
"So we are to turn the thirteenth house into a juggernaut?"
"Not even remotely," Dantrag almost laughed at his sister. "We will be conducting the actual fighting. You all," he motioned to his sisters around the table, "will assault the Del'Axle high priestesses, exacting the justice our Matron Mother demands, while I will lead our troops against the pathetic fighters of the fourth house, using the Do'Urden soldiers only as fodder. There will be no high priestesses remaining for them to claim, they will take great losses in the actual battle, and any Del'Axle soldiers that join their house will only make them weaker."
Triel was now warming to the idea too, despite the fact that Dantrag had proposed it. "Besides, even if House Do'Urden does gain in strength, how long do you think they will last? They will be twelfth, but capable of taking out any house below them, up to, and perhaps including, the third house in the city. They will be removed out of fear, and our secret involvement with the fall of House Del'Axle will die with them."
Matron Baenre liked the idea a lot. She was already working on how she would present the task to Matron Vartha Do'Urden. She did not care enough about her son and his exploits to know about Zaknafein or the rivalry between the Do'Urden fighter and her own son. Even if she did, she would have cared little.
Hanging from Dantrag's belt, the demon head on the hilt of Khazid'hea smiled. It would make sure that Dantrag and Zaknafein had a chance to fight in the upcoming battle. It cared little who won, all it wanted was to be wielded by the winner, whoever that might be.
***
Matron Vartha and Malice sat in the Do'Urden audience chamber discussing the matters of the house when the house's page entered. He was only twelve years old, and was going through the training that all males of the house went through. This was the first time he had ever been in this chamber and the first time he had ever had to speak with either of the two powerful females. He did not speak now either, and respectfully kept his eyes on the floor.
"What is it?" Vartha asked, annoyed that the boy would interrupt them, but also knowing that he had most likely been commanded to come here by someone else.
"I have been sent to inform you that we have a visitor from House Baenre who wishes to speak with you, Matron Mother."
Malice and Vartha exchanged curious glances as the page continued to stare at the floor. "I told you that the conflict between Zaknafein and Dantrag would turn into something more substantial," Malice said.
Vartha shook her head, though she could think of no other reason for the visit. She turned back to the page. "Show the messenger to this chamber and be quick about it. Do not keep him waiting."
The page began to bolt out of the room, but hesitated at Vartha's last comment. "What is a matter child? Is your hearing bad?" Malice prepared her whip. It had been so long since she had beaten a male.
"I beg your forgiveness, Matron Mother," the page said humbly. "You referred to the messenger as a 'him.' The messenger is in fact a high priestess."
"Go doubly fast then, boy!" Vartha cried. The page was gone in a flash.
"A high priestess?" Malice asked. It was not common for them to be used as simple messengers. It was not even common for them to leave the house for any reason. "Zaknafein has really gotten us into trouble now." Vartha again had no response, but still had a problem believing all this was over a male.
Triel Baenre walked into the audience chamber a short while later, sending even bigger shock waves through the two Do'Urden females. Triel was the first born of Matron Baenre. Next to the Head Mistress of Arach Tinilith, a title Triel would eventually have if she did not inherit house Baenre first, this high priestess was the most powerful non-matron mother in the city.
"It is an honor to speak to speak with you, Matron Vartha," Triel said graciously, bowing low.
Vartha felt very uncomfortable. While she and Triel were the same age, the matron mother had nowhere near the same power or prestige as her visitor. Vartha should be bowing to Triel. She was not about to say this though. "Thank you, Triel. What brings the first house of our great city to my house this day?"
"My Matron Mother would like me to invite you to our house. Matron Baenre is looking forward to speaking with you on matters of great importance that will strengthen both of our houses."
"What are these matters?" Vartha asked.
Triel just smiled. "I'm afraid I am just a simple messenger. My Matron Mother did not elaborate further. She said only that she wishes to speak with you as soon as possible. Also she thought it would be best if you made your trip to our house as quietly as possible." With that, Triel bowed again and showed herself out.
"A simple messenger," Malice echoed in a less than respectful tone. "A simple trap setter is more like it. Baenre has plans to ruin us!"
Vartha shook her head. "I know your thoughts on this matter, but I disagree with you. Baenre has no reason to cause me or my house harm. If Zaknafein has dishonored their secondboy in some way, then I trust Matron Baenre to allow her son to handle it by himself and not bring the females of the houses involved."
"Then what else could it be?" Malice paced back and forth in front of her mother's throne. "Matron Baenre does not make social calls, and she does not send her first born daughter to deliver simple messages."
"If she had sent a male to deliver the message, would you be this paranoid?" Vartha asked.
Malice was about to snap back a response, but she remembered her place. She also realized her mother was right. Vartha had to accept this invitation. She could not ignore Triel like she could have ignored a common male. "I will see what Matron Baenre wants. If it is about Zaknafein, I will hand him over without complaint. If it is something else, I will do what is best for this house. You should not worry about it."
Malice stopped her pacing just long enough to bow toward her mother and then left the room. "Lloth let me live a while longer," Vartha prayed quietly as her daughter exited. "I fear Malice is not ready to be a matron mother."
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