Thoughts of a Prisoner...

[broham1]

As I sit in this cold dark cell my thoughts go to my parents....My mother, raped and killed by a drow raid to the surface. Taken from me before I was truly an adult....And my father...Only recently had I returned from the Isle of Evermeet where I laid him to rest..Perhaps I will see them soon enough.

I will NEVER help these vile creatures..Never tell them anything. I will fight every chance I get and welcome death, for that would be a release from this dismal experience. Only fed scraps and beaten every hour on the hour...What are they waiting for? I am sure by now they realize that they will not get what they want...

I am just watching and waiting for my chance to end this...

Mother, Father...Your son will soon be with you...

[broham1]

As I awoke this day....I think it's day...I was no longer in my tiny cell but in a room with a bed and fireplace. As I slowly opened my swollen eye, I noticed another figure in the room with me. It was Lilly. Thank the gods she is still alive. I never would have been able to face Elias again if something had happened to her. As my Vision returned I noticed that she too had felt the abuse of the drow....

"Are you ok M'lady?" I asked the young mage. "All things considered." She replied in a broken injured voice. "How long have we been down here?" My memory was hazy due to the beatings I had received. "The days have grown together Keagan, all I remember is being taken here...and the beatings I have recieved..." As she said that a tear fell down her cheek. "Be strong m'lady, we must have hope that we will see the sun once more."

At that moment a Duergar guard opened the door and commanded that I follow. "I WILL NOT LEAVE THE LADY!" I yelled at the Grey one. "Ye will if'n ye want ta keep yer 'ead on yer shoulders!" He barked as he leaned forward with his halberd. I slowly turned to Lilly, I tried to keep the look on my face calm as if not to alarm her anymore than she was already. "Remember to keep hope in your heart young mage. The light will triumph over the darkness.." And with that I turned and followed the guard down the hall to a separate holding room.

It seemed like hours had passed when I heard a commotion coming from outside the door. "What is going on out there!" I yelled at the top of my lungs. Though in my mind I was hoping it was Ujio. The monk had escaped the clutches of the drow in the caverns of the Underdark. Cocky? Yes. Hero? Definitely. Ujio held one of the rings the half-breed Analesse gave to us before our decent into the depths. The ring was our only hope of escape, enchanted with magics of teleportation. All grew silent in the hall beyond, until the door was thrown open and a robed figure was thrown inside. Unconscious and bloody. I knelt by his side and removed his hood to find it WAS Ujio...

"My friend are you going to make it?" I asked him in a low voice. "Of course. *cough* I'm Ujio." As he spoke the words blood trickled down the corner of his mouth. He then reached into a secret flap on the inside of his robe and produce a small vial that contained a blue liquid. "They didn't find this." he said defiantly, "And they will no longer harm the surfacers they held captive." With that statement my eyes lit up. "You have rescued the others?" I asked with slight excitement in my voice. "Aye." he said, "Myself and the gnome found the others locked away down the hall. they have escaped using the ring the devil's daughter had given us..." Confusion washed over my face..."Why did you not go with them my friend?" With that he slowly sat up. "I held the Duergar at bay and allowed them a chance to escape, besides I could not leave you my friend." Ujio drew closer and said, "When they next open the door we will fight our way to the tunnels....from there we will reach the surface or die trying!"

Not a moment later the lock on the door released with a loud THUNK! As the door opened Ujio exploded into series of furious blows that Knocked two unconscious. I quickly followed behind him. Another drow, which looked to be the leader stood down the hall. "Your time has come!" Ujio yelled, "You will die by my hand!" Just then a grey came out of nowhere and attacked the drow from behind. We were all throwing blows at the drow when he erupted in laughter, "FOOLS!" and with that he released a blast of magic that consumed us all. Darkness settled in once again...

As we regained consciousness the drow stood above us...They were talking back and forth in their foul tongue. I could only understand bits and pieces...Fight, Coin, and Death. Then the one that released the blast stated in common, "The two surfacers will make for good entertainment, I care not what you do with the traitor..."A smile crossed the drows face. "The surfacers will fight to the death in the arena, the winner will be granted freedom. The loser will find judgment before Lloth!"

We were lead through he city, bound at the hands and shacked at the feet. As we walked the drow of the city threw all manner of items at us from rotten mushrooms to rocks. "DIE SURFACERS!" they yelled, "YOU WILL NEVER SEE THE SUN AGAIN!!!" Myself and Ujio stayed stone faced through the onslaught from the Citizens. They gathering crowd looked on in shock to see a Duergar bound in the same manner, "TRAITOR!!!!" We walked for what seemed like forever, until we came to a large mound of stone that jutted up from the ground to reach the cavernous celling. "We bring the prisoners for House Noqu'afin." They drow guard said to the sentry at the door. "Enter, Master Belados is waiting for you in the Arena." The sentry replied never diverting his attention away from his duties.

The halls never gave away the fact that this House was carved from stone, it held all the same manner of luxuries that the most wealthy of surfacers had adorning their homes...Silks and braziers hung from the walls and statues of drow stood in the hallways. As we were lead through the drow house the servants would stop and stare as if they had never seen a surfacer before. Some ducked behind doorways as if the were frightened. They were just servants after all...

Finally we arrived in the Arena of the drow house. It was packed full of commoners of the city, all with the hopes of seeing someone die. "You will fight each other to the death, or you will both perish!" The head of the house yelled. "I will never fight my friend!" Ujio yelled defiantly. All manner of thoughts raced through my mind...I turned to Ujio, "We must my friend...it is the only way...you must slay me so that you my return to the surface and warn them of what lies below..." Ujio's face turned to shock, "WHAT?!? I will not Keagan! Let them try to kill us...we will die in a blaze of glory!" Just then I knew what I had to do...Ujio would never fight me willingly. I must force his hand, make him kill me so that he may walk free. I turned to ujio and said, "It must be done...I am sorry my friend, please forgive what I am about to do." Ujio's face turned to surprise when I cocked back my arm and blasted him in the chin. "STOP!" he screamed, "I WILL NOT FIGHT YOU!!!" I continued to attack knowing that eventually he would defend himself and that I stood NO chance against his mighty fists. Ujio took the onslaught of my attack then released a fury of blows like none had ever seen in the history of the realms. His fists landed with astounding accuracy, every one bringing me closer to death and Ujio closer to freedom.

When the last blow had landed keagan feel limp to the floor....With his dieing breath he said..."You have your freedom my friend, *cough, cough* Please tell my brother I will be waiting for him at Mothers side...." and with that the last of his life force escaped his body to leave him an empty shell on the Prime.

"NOOOOOOOOO!!!!" Ujio yelled, "I am so sorry my friend, so sorry...."



(((I would like to invite any others that were involved to add to the story. Tell the server your view on the whole situation. Please keep all entries IC. Thanks!))))

[Zealote]

Looking down at Keagan, Ujio felt the guilt of old times. A guilt he was used to forget. And it is done....again. ''I...I am sorry...I am so sorry my friend...''. He fell on his knees and looked up to the stone ceiling. His eyes shut and his fists closed tight. The drow behind him speaks. ''I will fight this Rivvil! He will now die by my hands for his offenses!''.
Suddenly, Ujio's eyes open and he looks over his shoulder. The glow of fury can be seen in his eyes as he get up and face the drow. ''Come you bastard! At least one drow will die for Keagan!''. The drow quickly drew his sword as Ujio remembered that he had none of his equipment with him. Facing the drow directly into the eyes, he screamed. 'I will kill you bare handed you fool! Come and taste my fists!''. As fast as Ujio spoke this words, the fight was over. The drow lied there coughing blood as another drow, surprised with the quick end of the fight decided to cast a spell at Ujio while he was looking at the fallen enemy. He muttered something in a weird tongue as the spell was casted. But to his surprise, nothing happened to Ujio. His fury was so great that the strength of his soul protected him. Suddenly, the House Ruler screamed something in his language. ''Stop that you fool!''. The scream was directed to the drow attacking Ujio with his spells. But upon that, faster than a lightning coming from the clouds can hit the ground, Ujio was swinging and attacking the mage drow. As the punches hit him, he tried to dodge and continue with his powerful casting, but it was useless. Ujio's fury was like a blazing comet and the comet crashed right on the drow's chest.
Another one was down. Quickly, the House Ruler casted a spell that prevented Ujio from harming anyone else. Like a energy field, keeping him from unleashing his fury upon the others. Another spell toss him back on the ground, and quickly, several drows surrounded him.
They brought a hot iron to the chamber. Ujio was struggling with every fiber of his being, but it was not enough. The smell of burnt flesh filled the room as the drow branded Ujio like his property. He didnt scream. The pain was unbearable, but the anger was greater. He thought of Keagan. He thought of Mithari. Nahum. Aiden and all the others he knew and cherish. A quick blow to the head made him dizzy. They released him and the House Ruler came forth. ''Kneel and thank me for your life slave!''. Despite the heavy blow and the blood dripping down his face, his first thought was to attack the drow. But then he remembered Keagan's last words. he knew he should bow and do not die. Keagan's brother had to know the truth. As much as Nahum. Ujio got down on his knees. ''Thank...you''.
A disgusted look was all he could show. But the blood on his face hid it. He looked at the House Ruler and asked if he could now leave. They said yes. But to escape the Underdark was left to him. He got up, bleeding and with his neck burnt. He looked at the side of the arena and saw the duergar. Tied up and at the mercy of the drow. He remembered that it was because of that duergar named Glaran, that he was able to save the others. He was the one that was guarding Ujio and told him to escape the first time. And it was him that showed Ujio the way to the city. Without him, Ujio would have been wandering by the empty and dark caves of the Underdark forever.
He was the key to get to the surface! He turned to a drow and asked. ''What of the duergar?''. ''He will be sold as a slave''. The drow said. Ujio then asked if his possession would be returned and upon the agreement by the House Ruler he made an offer to buy the grey dwarf. ''I will buy him No drow will want him now. He is a traitor and you will lose gold. I will buy him. Name your price''.. The duergar holding Glaran said seven thousand gold pieces. Ujio replied five thousand. The purchase was made. They left the House of Noqu'afin with his possessions and went into the darkness of the Underdark to find their way, or die trying.


((( I would say something about the previous events, but your post is perfect man. Thank you for allowing me to participate on your idea.)))

[highwayman]

The scarred grey dwarf heard the warning bell throughout the wards of shamath and moaned, "here we go again". He reached deep down and drew upon his innate ability to go invisible, and as fast as his stubby legs could move he ran to the duergar settlement. This wasn't about some shiny arsed rightious quest, it was about paying in due what was owed to the black elves for treating him like fodder and leaving him to die in the caves. Hoar demanded it, and if he cut down kin in the process all the better. The same bastards responsible for his entire families exile because his uncle was caught offering hyms to moradin.

Once in the compound he paced throughout it trying to sow seeds of doubt amongst his ex kin. Whispering unseen, he spoke in dwarven.

"these elves left your own kin to die in the caves below"

And in the central room where the elder was standing he whispered,

"the black elves have left out quite a bit, they have the lower planes after them."

The comments were ignored, so the dwarf started to check the halls for the least occupied, remembering his oath to the man in black in the caves.
I'll help ya, just get me out of this damned place!

As he rounded the one corner he heard a scuffle, the man in black apparently was doing what the dwarf had intended for him back in the caves, beating the pulp out of black fairies.

Full of rage and guided by an oath and at the same time recalling that he never swore anything to that foul shade or the helmet wearing surfacer, the dwarf plowed into the warlock. Well the dwarf bounced off his attempt to bowl the warlock over but returned in kind and mopped up the mess the man in black had started.

A smile crept from beneath his helmet as he saw the body of that arrogant drow mage fallen only to have it wiped suddenly off by seeing the surfacers bleeding to death. All went black.

Glaran awoke chained. After plenty of curses in dwarven and banter between elf and human we were lead to a meeting hall.
Twisted drow justice was the aim as usual.
The dwarf whispered prayers to Hoar to return the favor poetically to the drow and to guide the surfacers in there aim for they were most likely being used as pawns by that halfbreed bitch up top.

The man in black killed his friend in protest while the drow laughed as usual at the site of useless slaughter.
Glaran saw a strength in the surfacer, something he missed while up top a few months prior. This bond of friendship he had with the elf was stronger than a blood tie and something few in the underdark would ever come to appreciate. It's a quality that would doom the shamath inhabitants to extinction glaran hoped.

After the fuss the dwarf was shocked to hear what the drow had in mind. The man in black was to go free? The dwarf was thoroughly confused. These did not sound like the words of drow.
While a dead stare of thought crossed Glarans face, a duergar trader stepped forward and offered to sell the exile to the man now known as uijo. They haggled, and Glaran became property once again. He grudgingly thanked the dwarf for not selling him to a flayer and in short both were dismissed.

After gathering some explosives from the nearby alchemist Uijo and glaran set out to the caves outside of shamath. The dwarf had two ideas as to where an exit may be. He recalled hearing birds in a cave near a waterfall he had recently found....And at the same time
he hoped the other option wasn't the pile of rock found near the mini tyrants found deeper into the caves.

[broham1]

*bump due to new characters being played by me and bro. If you are a Weavemaster I'm sure you would have heard about this*