Shaddar leaves Kug to his work and seeks out Barrityl and Yanivlitan. He can sense their minds in the main audience chamber and sees that they have things to discuss with him from their thoughts.
“Report!” Shaddar barks as he enters the hall. He strides briskly to the pair of drow and stops with his hands on his hips.
Barrityl bows slightly as he responds, “Great one, you will be pleased to hear that there are so many worthy drow who could be useful as a part of your army that we do not have room to house them all inside the palace.”
“This is a gratifying problem to be presented with,” Shaddar says with a nod.
“Many of the lower classes of drow were quite excited with the idea of not doing their normal labors for the humans and instead to do something for the glory of the drow race,” Barrityl says with pride.
“Fools! Their laziness will cost them their lives,” thinks the deposed drow elder, Yanivlitan. He speaks, “What about their duties? Who is covering for them at the work they have been assigned by the humans and the lords?”
“The humans will fill their menial positions with time, Yanivlitan!” Shaddar proclaims.
“But the humans are sure to notice in the short-term,” Yanivlitan says respectfully. “And then they will be alerted to our plans!”
“This is true,” Shaddar says with a flick of his tentacles. “Your point would be…?”
“Then the knights will come down to ask us what is transpiring,” Yanivlitan thinks slyly. “Which may not be such a bad thing…”
“Ah?” Shaddar thinks, “So this ‘secret’ palace is not a secret from all of the humans then? This makes sense. The humans would want some form of structure in place for the drow – thus giving them access to control of their slave races on both ends of the political stick. And Yanivlitan thinks that this gives him an advantage, does he?”
“If it is of no concern to you, Great one, then I will speak no more of it,” Yanivlitan says with false graciousness. “What would you have me do as your… chancellor?”
“You will provide reassurance to your people,” Shaddar says as if it is obvious. “My direction is the chosen direction and it must not be contested.”
The drow elder bows and leaves the room to be about it. Shaddar finds his internal plotting to be a good sign that the dark elf’s brain is functioning at a high level. Good. His plots will come to naught and so they do not worry Shaddar in the least.
Barrityl continues to speak once the drow elder has left the room. “As for the drow that have volunteered for your army, Great one: I have already set guards to work in training them in basic drills, using sticks for weapons. Soon we will need a great many arms to equip them, however.”
“I will see to the procurement of weapons and armor, Barrityl.”
“Good. We have no lack for locations to train and billet the troops. The humans very seldom visit our dwellings and meeting halls in the border zone. And the hobgoblins that live in our basements will not comment on any of our activities – the dumb brutes that they are. I must warn you, Great one, not to expect any miracles.”
“What do you mean?”
“These drow are willing and able, but it will take quite some time before any of them are worth anything in any kind of serious fight. Military training takes time. Any that might have the raw talent to work with me and my fellow assassins will take years to hone their skills.”
“I understand completely,” Shaddar says, “How many trained assassins do we have available right now?”
“I have 40 assassins under my command, Great one. Most are initiates only, but myself and my three sub-commanders are diligently working to identify new recruits and complete the training of our band.”
“And are they loyal to me?”
“They are loyal to me, Great one. Since I am loyal to you – it is the same difference,” Barrityl shrugs.
Shaddar nods thoughtfully. “As you say.”
“What are your orders, Great one? Are there any troublesome drow that must be removed? This is our normal function. Usually we hunt runaway sorcerers.”
“Perhaps I may,” Shaddar says quickly. “But first, tell me more of the drow sorcerers.”
“We keep all of the sorcerers in their own section of the border zone. Far from any others, be they drow, lumpy, or human. They are not allowed to consort with others, by the command of the lords of the Realm.”
“Why?”
“The humans are fearful of their innate magical power, Great one. When one of them acts out on their displeasure it is very visible and quite deadly. Beyond the capabilities of even the Heroes at times. Thus was our order founded; to remove the threat against our people.”
“And explain to me how the arrangement works between the sorcerers and the Guild of Villains.”
Barrityl looks confused and concerned. “I have heard of no such arrangement, but if there is one it is in defiance of all law, both drow and human. Surely it is not happening!”
“Oh, that is happening, Barrityl,” Shaddar says with a tone of utter assurance. “And because it is your task regarding the drow sorcerers is two-fold. First, discover how many of them will be willing to join my army and swear fealty to me. If any are dangerous, by your estimation, or unwilling to fight for their own people, then you will eliminate them quietly.”
Barrityl nods tightly. His mind is still worried at the new information Shaddar has given him about the drow working with the Guild of Villains.
“Your second task,” Shaddar continues, “is to investigate the manner in which the Guild of Villains has acquired the services of drow sorcerers. Find out if any of these traitors are salvageable. If not… kill them.”
“And those who made the arrangement with the humans?”
“We will make that decision when we know more, but it is very likely that they will need to be punished with finality as well,” Shaddar says flippantly.
“It will be done, Great one.”
Shaddar nods thoughtfully. “I desire that you and your three sub-commanders met with me in private.”
“Is there a problem?”
“Not at all,” soothes Shaddar. “In fact I wish to give all four of you a gift. A gift of power. A small portion of my divine essence that you can share with time among all of the assassins of the drow.”
Barrityl raises an eyebrow. “A gift of power?”
“Quite.”
“I will assemble my men, Great one. Give me an hour and we shall meet back here in the audience chamber. If this is a suitable place for your ritual?”
Shaddar’s tentacles move in a gesture of mocking as he sees the disbelief in Barrityl’s mind. He must lock the drow assassins firmly under his control and prepare them for his grand plan of vengeance. Shaddar nods his acceptance and Barrityl leaves the chamber.
His path to ultimate victory is simple. Shaddar must get rid of the lords of the Realm. The dragons that were the cause of the overthrow of proper illithid rulers of this world must be punished for their crime and make way for his own domination.
“But they are dragons,” Shaddar thinks cautiously, “and dragons are not to be underestimated.”
Over the course of the next hour Shaddar examines the ring which has two remaining rubies – two wishes. He plots and plans in the darkness. None of the drow dare to disturb him, as is proper. He readies himself for not only his wish, but for a display of showmanship that will become a legend.
He draws meaningless magical signs and sigils on the floor of the audience chamber. The more mystical he can make this event – the better the legends will remain and be taught to the next generation of killers that now work solely for him.
When the hour has passed, Shaddar stands in the center of a rough circle. The door is locked and he motions for silence. He directs each of the assassins to kneel at one of the compass points around him. And then he speaks.
“Your are to be the tip of my blade – a brotherhood of vengeance and independence! The dagger that stabs from the shadow! You will execute my will from the darkness!”
The drow assassins are pleased by this speech, but all of them are a bit fearful as to what Shaddar has planned for them. He continues with great energy.
“You will purge the world of all of the enemies that obstruct our divine destiny!” Shaddar shouts with both arms upraised.
“And now! Witness and learn the knowledge that I will require of my Scalehunters!” Each of the drow look steadfastly upon him as his voice almost hypnotizes them with imbued mental energy.
In a deep and terrible voice, Shaddar intones, “I wish for you to gain an innate understanding of the lords and how to defeat them in both battle and during assassination tasks! This knowledge will be transferable to those under your instruction making you the most fearsome killers of lords this world has ever seen! This knowledge and power shall be linked to your loyalty to me! Even as I wish it – so let it be!”
The ruby on Shaddar’s ring turns to vapor and settles on the four dark elves. It sinks into their bodies and all of them gain a greenish glow to their eyes as sudden enlightenment appears spontaneously into their minds. The knowledge and ability that turns them into assassins of dragons.
“A fine way to spend my second wish,” Shaddar thinks with glee. “Once these minions have shared their magically-enhanced knowledge, I will have a small army of dragon-hunters at my beck and call!”
The energy and excitement of the moment fades into normalcy.
“Do you not feel the power?” Shaddar whispers, “The change within you?”
Barrityl looks at Shaddar in awe. “How is it possible? I have knowledge about fighting and slaying the unslayable!"
“The lords are not unslayable, my Scalehunters. We will prove it, you and I. And together will shall free this world form the oppression of the rulership of the lords.”
The dragon assassins bow before him with respect and devotion.
“And now I am a step closer to my ultimate goal,” Shaddar gloats internally, “I will locate my enemies and carefully place Scalehunters next to each target. With a pre-arranged signal all of the dragons will be attacked and slain at once – thus cutting off their threat to me and my uncontested ownership of this world!”
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