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Time had little meaning to Jarlnian during his first ten years of life. House Del'Axle had a very large chapel, and it kept the young male busy all the time. One of his many chores was to polish the statues that adorned the perimeter of the chapel. Most of these statues were of beautiful drow females - beautiful, naked drow females. As Jarlnian became older, he enjoyed this part of his labors more and more.
Herlina Del'Axle, the noble daughter that had been assigned to wean Jarlnian took notice of this one day. The newest member of the family had been polishing one statue in particular for over an hour now. Normally, it took the young drow an hour to finish any given statue, but he had levitated up to this statue's chest and had not moved since.
Jarlnian's levitation spell had given out a long time ago, but he had braced his feet on the shapely hips of the statue and curled his inactive hand around the statue's back to hold him up. With the vigor that he was working, Herlina thought a compliment of his dexterity was in order, for staying balanced in his position for as long as he had was no easy task. Herlina had not complimented the talented young male once and would not start now.
"Male child!" Herlina called. She did not use his name. He was only ten, and as far as she was concerned, he did not deserve a name until he was at least 14. Jarlnian knew what his name was, but only because he overheard his sisters talking about him. "Come down here!"
Jarlnian did not levitate down from his perch but simply jumped. It was a six-foot drop, and for someone as small as he was, it was a big fall, but Jarlnian landed lightly on his feet, his eyes never leaving the ground. "Yes," he said meekly.
"Why have you taken so long on this statue?"
"I want to do a thorough job. I want you and Lloth to be pleased."
Herlina looked up at the statue. One of the breasts was now lopsided, significantly smaller than the other one. "You have deformed this statue."
"I apologize, sister. I let my desire to please Lloth get the best of me. I shall strive to be more careful."
The three-headed snake-whip at Herlina's side was practically leaping off her belt, yearning to beat this male. Herlina was a high priestess. It was not traditional for someone of her rank to be responsible for weaning a child, but House Del'Axle did not have any noble daughters that were not high priestesses. Even with her rank and skill, she could not read this child's thoughts.
His mind was very disciplined. She knew he was Baenre's child, and it was clearly obvious now. She wanted to believe that Jarlnian's comments were dripping with sarcasm, that he had ruined this statue on purpose, or that he had spent so much time in one area living out some perverse sexual fantasy. But if he was not being sarcastic, if he truly did yearn to please Lloth in everything he did, whipping him would be detrimental to that desire. He was the son of Baenre; it was highly likely that his devotion to Lloth was greater than her own. Still ...
"I want you to finish the rest of this statue, but I want you to do so with your eyes closed. From now on, whenever you work on statues of drow females, you will do so with your eyes closed. Your hands will be able to feel the parts that need to be smoothed, and your eyes will not deceive you." If he got his kicks by staring at the naked females, this should solve the problem. Also, if he fell several times in the process because his eyes were closed, all the better.
Jarlnian nodded in compliance and turned around. With his eyes now closed, he levitated back to his previous perch and used the hand that was not holding the polishing stone to feel the surface of the statue. As Herlina watched her brother's dexterous fingers feeling their way over every inch of the statue's shapely body, she realized she had probably made a mistake. As Jarlnian felt his way around the statue's slim waist and up its bare back, a shiver went down Herlina's spine and she had to look away. "Males," she shuddered as she walked away. As soon as she had turned her back, a huge smile spread across Jarlnian's lips.
Several common drow priestesses of House Del'Axle came into the chapel that day to say their prayers to Lloth, but they were all taken in by the actions of the youngest noble in the family. Jarlnian spent the rest of the day, six hours, polishing the statue. His eyes never opened once, and he never once lost his balance. He worked every inch of the ten-foot statue, and when he was finished, it was the most exquisite statue in the chapel.
When Herlina came for him at the end of the day, she had to admit that he had done incredible work. Aside from the lopsided breasts, which the house artisan would fix the next day, the statue was incredible. Herlina could not say anything but led the male to his tiny chambers in the back of the chapel where his cold meal for the day was waiting.
Before Herlina could leave him for the night, Jarlnian stopped her. "Sister, I have shamed Lloth with my actions today. I should be punished."
Herlina was stunned. She took the whip from her belt and would definitely comply with the request. "How did you shame the Spider Queen today?"
"As I worked, I had impure thoughts."
Herlina smiled broadly as she instructed Jarlnian to remove his clothes. She knew he had taken a bit too much enjoyment today. Herlina was a little curious as to why he would admit this when he had a chance to end the day without a beating. Her thoughts had been that he was being rebellious, but why then would he admit to his sins?
When Jarlnian had stripped down to just a loincloth, Herlina whipped him severely. The punishment lasted several minutes, leaving Jarlnian crying at the end. Between sobs, he thanked his sister, and retired to his chambers. Herlina closed his door and walked away. She did not know what to think. Either he was being totally sacrilegious, or his devotion to Lloth was something of legend. Regardless, his mental discipline went far beyond anything she had ever seen, and he would grow to be a very big asset to this house.
The next day, Jarlnian rose early and was hard at work before Herlina arrived in the chapel. The statue he worked on this day was another exquisite drow female, but this one was two feet taller than the one he had worked on before. When Herlina did enter the chapel, she saw that he was obeying her instructions by working with his eyes closed. He also was not wearing a shirt and the scars from the previous night's beating stood out clearly in the infrared spectrum.
Herlina also noticed that several of the house's priestesses, who had been in the chapel the previous day, were here again. A drow high priestess needed to spend several hours in prayer to Lloth everyday and normally did so in the chapel or in front of her private altar, but a common priestess who was not of noble birth did not require that level of devotion. Their trips to the chapel should occur once every five days, yet most of the females who had come yesterday were here again today.
The reason was obvious. Jarlnian spent over twelve hours on the tall statue, not once asking for a break and not once falling from his blind work. The visitors to the chapel were entranced by his work. Herlina was at a loss. She could see that if she allowed Jarlnian to continue his work, in only a month's time, the chapel would be in the best shape of its entire existence. That could only please Lloth. Also, by all appearances, Jarlnian was doing this work out of a sincere devotion to Lloth.
Still, the effect his actions were having on the rest of the house was a little detrimental. Herlina spent the day monitoring the females that entered the chapel, making sure their attention stayed were it needed to. She caught more than a few of the priestesses blushing as they watched Jarlnian at work.
At the end of the day, Herlina brought Jarlnian to his room. "Did you enjoy your work today?" she asked.
"Yes I did," he responded, his eyes glued to the floor.
Herlina readied her whip again, thinking her brother had once again fantasized about the female he had spent twelve hours polishing.
"I spent the entire day working in Lloth's chapel, improving the appearance of one of her glorious high priestesses. How could I not have enjoyed my work."
Herlina nearly fell over at the comment. "You were able to keep your mind from impure thoughts?"
"By the grace of the glorious Spider Queen, yes," Jarlnian replied.
Herlina so wanted to beat this child to death. Her arm double clutched several times, the hungry heads on her whip begging to bite into the male's skin. But how could she?! The females that had visited the chapel today were far more deserving of a beating than this child. Barely restraining herself, Herlina began to replace her whip on her belt.
"I have shamed Lloth this day," Jarlnian said quietly. "I should be punished."
Herlina was stunned. "Why?"
"I was not born a female. Every day that I draw breath I disgrace the Spider Queen by being a male. My work on the beautiful statues has taught me this."
Herlina laid into her brother with more passion and fervor than she had thought herself capable of. She not only beat him for being a male, but because she envied the piety he possessed. That Lloth would have wasted this blessing on a male - a male that had almost been sacrificed! - angered Herlina to no end. Though she had not requested Jarlnian to remove his clothes before this beating, at the end, he did not even wear his loincloth, as all of his clothes had been ripped from his body.
Jarlnian was not able to stand at the end. His body shook spasmodically from the pain as he huddled on his side. He was not strong enough to make his way to his bed, but before he passed out, he was able to issue a barely audible, "Thank you."
Herlina needed to wake Jarlnian the next morning. He again went without a shirt and pants as well, for Herlina had destroyed his only set of clothes. Jarlnian did not ask for more clothes, but went to work in only a loincloth. He could not walk without a limp, but still managed to climb his way up another statue. His work was much slower this day, and he lost his balance several times, falling to the ground from very substantial heights. After each fall, Jarlnian spent a brief moment in apparent prayer and then climbed the statue again.
Lillium, Herlina's oldest sister came into the chapel this day. She had heard the reports of what her youngest brother was doing and had to see it for herself. Though Jarlnian worked much slower this day, his work was no less perfect. Lillium called Herlina over to her side as she looked at the countless wounds that covered Jarlnian's body.
"Has he been rebellious?" she asked.
"No," Herlina responded. "His piety is something one would only expect to find in a high priestess or a matron mother."
"Or a sacrificial child of Matron Baenre," Lillium added. "If his devotion is such, why do you beat him so? I have never seen a child so scarred." They both watched as Jarlnian fell once more. "Surely it is affecting the quality of his work."
"He has been requesting it."
Lillium pulled her eyes away from the sight of her brother kneeling in prayer in front the statue before climbing back up. She stared hard at her younger sister. "He does what?"
"At the end of each day he admits to sins only he could know and then requests to be punished for them."
Jarlnian ended his prayer and began to climb but fell again immediately. He spent twice as long in prayer this time. "And what was this most heinous sin that he committed yesterday for you to beat him so?"
"He said that he was not born a female and should be punished for it."
Lillium looked up and said a brief prayer to Lloth. She looked back at her sister. "This one might grow up to bring both this house and Lloth praise in his adult years. You would be wise to make certain he gets there in one piece."
That night Jarlnian again asked for punishment. Herlina obliged but put no force behind the blows and did not allow it to last that long. Jarlnian was able to stand throughout the punishment and actually asked for more.
"You will get what I deem you deserving of. No more; no less. Is that understood?"
"Yes."
The next morning, Herlina gave Jarlnian a healing potion. At first he refused, saying that his pain reminded him of his state of being and helped him to focus on his work and prayer.
Herlina was furious. "Stupid male! You will never be able to commune with the Spider Queen as long as you live. Your prayers will go unanswered unless they are directed through me. Lloth does not deem the words of a male, and a child at that, worthy of her attention. As far as you are concerned, I am Lloth, and you will do as I say. Now drink this."
Jarlnian did as he was told.
***
Dantrag Baenre graduated the first in his class from Melee-Magthere. Through the ten years at the Academy, he never once lost the top ranking. He won the grand melee each year. Not once did any of his other twenty classmates come close to beating him. Many had tried, but none had succeeded.
During one night at the Academy, Krein'nophma of House Barrison Del'Armgo, the second house in Menzoberranzan, attempted to kill Dantrag in his sleep. To kill a noble born member of the first house of Menzoberranzan would almost certainly mean death for the student and possibly his house if Baenre so chose. Dantrag awoke briefly before the attack, quickly wrestled the dagger away from the student, killed him, rolled over, and fell back asleep.
It was believed throughout the Academy and the ranking houses, as the deed became known, that Uthegental, the weapon master of the second house, had ordered his fighter to commit the deed. Dantrag was on his way to greatness, that much was obvious, and many felt that Uthegental's position as the best fighter in Menzoberranzan was in jeopardy. Though everyone assumed the weapon master had ordered the attack, and Uthegental never denied it, no one was brave enough, or stupid enough, to accuse the huge weapon master to his face.
Dantrag's dominance in the Academy was detrimental to the structure of the training facility. The masters of the Academy saw this quickly and decided to take matters into their own hands. With the help of a wizard of Sorcere, the Head Master disguised himself as a student and entered the grand melee in the fifth year. He and Dantrag met as the last two combatants, and the Head Master was soundly defeated.
After the final battle, Dantrag helped the disguised master to his feet and addressed him by name, his real name. Dantrag had seen through the ruse quite easily, recognizing that the attack routines performed by the master were not those of any student. After that, the masters of the Academy decided not to hinder Dantrag's ascent any further.
Matron Baenre welcomed her son home with much fanfare. House Baenre put many fighters through Melee-Magthere, and more often than not, they finished at or near the top of their class, but since Gromph had gone to Sorcere, the school for mages, Dantrag was the first noble born Baenre to graduate from Melee-Magthere.
All of Dantrag's sisters were gathered to great him, including Vendes, his youngest sister, who was born just eight years ago. She was the result Baenre's dark ceremony ten years ago. Lloth had blessed the matron mother that night and Baenre was planning on starting another string of daughters.
"Congratulations, brother," Triel said as Dantrag made it to the end of his procession. "You have brought our house honor in you actions."
"For the glory of Lloth," he said, kneeling before his eldest sister and mother.
"Rise," Baenre commanded, and Dantrag did so. "Do you have any requests upon your return?" It was traditional in drow culture to reward a successful noble male with any request he desired, within reason.
"I feel that I can best serve Lloth and my house by serving as weapon master," he replied.
"But our house already has a weapon master," Baenre responded. Dantrag's posture flinched. Baenre knew that Dantrag could beat Drelmn, the current weapon master of House Baenre, with his eyes closed. Dantrag had done so before he had left for the Academy, and now he was surely twice the fighter he had been. Baenre also had every intention of making Dantrag the weapon master, but not yet.
"I have graduated at the top of my class," Dantrag began. "I have proven myself to be the best fighter the Academy has ever seen. It should be my honor to train the warriors in the first house of Menzoberranzan."
"Are you not to go out with the patrols in a few days?" Baenre asked.
"Yes, Mother, but my time with them will be brief."
"And then you will no doubt be invited back to the Academy to serve as a master, probably Head Master, an honor that you would be foolish to decline."
Dantrag had planned on declining the offer, knowing without a doubt that it would come. He could not see any benefit to him or his house by tying up his talents in the Academy. Now, by his mother's words, he would have to accept the invitation. "Again, Mother, my time there will be brief. I will be back home to stay before long."
"Yes," his mother agreed, "but until that time, you will exist outside this house. A weapon master's responsibilities lie within his house. He should not be wandering the tunnels around the city or busy in the Academy. Drelmn will continue to serve our house as weapon master. You will serve your year in the patrol. During that time you will garner even more honor and power for our house.
"You will then reenter the Academy as a master, a title only a few of this house have held. Never have we had a Baenre as Head Master of the Academy. You will be the first. You will continue your service for as long as need be. Is this understood?"
"For the glory of Lloth and the dominance of House Baenre," Dantrag responded respectfully, but inwardly he was furious. As he stood, the top graduate of the Academy, and likely the best warrior to have ever passed through the halls of Tier Breche, he still ranked behind every weapon master in the entire city. Yet in his mind, not even Uthegental of House Barrison Del'Armgo could stand against him in battle.
Dantrag was proud. It was not a common thing among males in drow society. Not only were they second-class citizens, but proof of that was given to them every time they heard the snap of a priestess's whip. Dantrag knew just about any of his sisters could kill him, but only because they had spells that could disable him before his blades could strike them down. If any of them, even Bladen'Kerst with all her strength and fury, would be so foolish as to engage him in melee combat, Dantrag was sure he would prove the stronger.
The secondboy of House Baenre needed to swallow his pride now. He was three decades old, an insignificant age by drow standards. He would tolerate these next few years in service to the Academy because they were the wishes of his mother, and, true to his own words, the time would be brief. When he returned to his house to stay, he would be weapon master and woe to any who claimed to be above him.
***
Lillium, Goria, and Herlina all stood before their seated matron mother in the general audience chamber of the Del'Axle compound. Herlina was the youngest of six high priestesses and was only present to give her report on the development of Jarlnian. It had been fourteen years since Krol and Trenian had stolen him from the spider colony, and his time within the chapel would soon be ended.
"How is my third born son developing," Matron Reinela asked. She had visited the chapel many times during the past four years and was immensely pleased with the work Jarlnian was doing. He not only kept the statues and altars in perfect repair, but his conduct and composure were befitting of a young female.
Matron Reinela had also spent hours, as had all Del'Axle females, watching him blindly clean the statues. While most watched such a display for their own pleasure, Reinela took careful notice of her son's dexterity. Only after crippling whippings did he ever falter, and even those occurrences had slowed and then ceased after the first few months. He could scale the tallest statue, a 20-foot representation of Matron Reinela, totally blind without a hint of discomfort or difficulty.
He would easily follow in his brothers' footsteps when it came to stealth and coordination, but Reinela also knew that Dantrag Baenre, Jarlnian's true older brother, had recently graduated at the top of his class in the Academy and would shortly be named Head Master of Melee-Magthere. Jarlnian would make a great warrior and an exceptional weapon master.
"He is coming along nicely," Herlina replied. "He has mastered the art of drow sign, and is fluent in both the duergar and svirfneblin tongue. He is strong of body and quick of mind. He will make a fine addition to our house."
"Good," Reinela responded. She kept her eyes on her youngest daughter, though, for she could feel she was holding something back. "What is it? Speak your mind."
Herlina bowed slightly. "I know your wishes concerning this child, but I think you should know that I disagree with them." Reinela only punished dishonesty in her daughters, and Herlina was not scared of punishment for her words.
"You wish him to be a fighter and to enter Melee-Magthere. I have been with him for the past fourteen years, and I think that would be a mistake. His mind is as sharp as anything I've ever seen. Already his innate magical abilities have surpassed my own, and likely most of my sisters. Plus his devotion to Lloth is something that can not be wasted. I feel he would make a very powerful priest, or even a wizard."
Reinela contemplated this. She respected her daughters' opinions, and she considered herself wiser for it, but on this topic, she would not change her mind. "Jarlnian will be a fighter. I agree that his mind is sharp, but that is just as important in a fighter as a priest or wizard."
"But his true strength lies-" Herlina began.
"I have made my decision!" Reinela shouted. "Do not argue with me on this point. You have just admitted that he is more powerful than you, do not make me choose between the two of you!"
Lillium and Goria were shocked. Their sister was a high priestess, and Jarlnian was just a male child. Yet here their mother had said in no uncertain terms that she favored Jarlnian over Herlina. Reinela realized she needed to clarify her outburst.
"I know where Jarlnian's strengths lie, but I am more concerned about our house's strengths, and more importantly, its weaknesses. We have no need for another priest or wizard. Regardless of Jarlnian's potential as such, we are far more in need of a fighter. I have said this many times, and I will not change my mind."
The matron mother looked over her three daughters, letting that point sink in. "You are dismissed," she said finally to Herlina. The youngest Del'Axle daughter bowed and left the chambers.
"Jarlnian will make a fine weapon master, Mother," Lillium said once Herlina had left. Reinela scowled at the hollow praise. She did not need her daughters' approval. "But we are still without the soldiers for him to train."
"That is what I want to discuss with you," Reinela responded. "Our house may not have the best fighters, but our scouts are second to none. I have received information that a few of the lower houses have discovered a rich vein of adamantium located far from the city."
The metal was rare and very valuable in the construction of magical drow weapons and armor. "These houses are very weak and have no purpose vying for a spot in the top twenty houses of Menzoberranzan, but they feel that if they are able to secure this ore site, their strength might rise.
"What they do not know is that this site is very close to an illithid settlement. Already several of the houses' soldiers have been captured. Right now they are blaming each other for the disappearing drow. Soon they will either fight each other or discover the truth. Whatever the result, our scouts predict that the end result will be an illithid victory.
"I have prayed to Lloth on this, and she has clearly expressed her will that she does not want to see any of her people in slavery to the illithids. When these houses have finally fallen, I predict that anywhere from fifty to a hundred drow might be captured. Lloth has assured me that any raid to free these drow will be done within her favor, and she will bless it."
"You want to lead our house in attack against illithids?" Goria was not happy.
"We boast seven high priestesses, including myself, and two dozen more graduates from Arach-Tinilith among the common females of our house. With Lloth behind us, we will easily be able to destroy the illithid settlement and free any of those captured there. With the addition of even fifty soldiers to our house, many of whom might be female or noble born, we would be secure against attack from all but perhaps Houses Baenre and Barrison Del'Armgo."
Neither of the two daughters liked this idea, but neither was going to speak out against their mother after Herlina had been rebuked. "When do you see this raid taking place?" Goria asked.
"Within the next decade. It will happen while Jarlnian is in the Academy. When he graduates, he will have a large group of drow warriors to train. We will be secure as the fourth house, and Lloth be with House Oblodra, for their position will be in jeopardy."
Like it or not, Lillium and Goria smiled at that. At least with these new soldiers, they would no longer have to train their daughters as fighters.
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