Chapter 1
Oh how he loved the stars. Each night long after sunset he would scale the spires of the mighty Spider Queen's Cathedral and enter a jagged lava tube and climb to the shelf that overlooked the valley below the long extict volcano known as Graganol. Rallah would lean out over the valley and let the wind sweep through his long flowing silver main of hair. This was his fortress of solitude where he could come and let the troubles of politics and his status in the assassin's guild of the drow city Trull fall away and he could sort his troubled mind.
A pebble bounced and danced across the shelf falling over the edge dropping into the abyss below disrupting his moment of peace. "Father." he said. "I should have known it was you that would disturb me when i come here to seek peace." Dragnoth replied "Did you really think you were the only one that knew of this hideaway from the city? I Would come here often as a boy, allthough i must admit the trip was not quite as easy as it was then. The reason I came and disturbed you is to let you know i have chosen the successor to the Throne of Elde, and new king of the Theives and Assassin's Guild of Trull. The son I have chosen is you. You show more compassion and promise than your much younger brother who is wreckless and dangerous not only to the guild but to himself. Please come join me in my study when you are finished here." With a slight chuckle Dragnoth turned and left Rallah in his solitude on the mountain shelf.
Rallah took his time going to his father's study in the guild. He was in no hurry to go hear another of his father's long winded and pointless lectures on the proper behavior of royalty in the guild. The young prince drifted aimlessly through the market seemingly guided by the hand of fate to a small tavern and inn in the merchants zone of Trull. He walked up to the bar and summoned the innkeep with a slight nod of his head, as his ever present bodyguard took station near the door hand on the hilt of his runed Dark Elven Sword. Rallah reached into his purse for some gold and overpaid the innkeep for a glass of slagwine, and began to enjoy his relaxing drink. The Innkeeper continually stared at Rallah as if he knew him. He noticed the over attention he was being paid and began to question the inkeeper. "Why do you continually stare at me as if you had seen a ghost sir?" asked Rallah. The Inkeeper Replied "Forgive me master for I do believe I am seeing a ghost and I know you cannot be Franthar for I saw to his and his wives burial as I am his brother and next of kin; yet you look exactly like him including the long hair." Henthar stepped from the shadows and began to unsheath his sword at the onset of the conversation and Rallah stopped him. "Sir?, May we retire someplace more private and continue our conversation please?" asked The Innkeeper."You will not need your royal guard." he added quickly before gesturing to the back room and a private booth.
Seated in the private booth the Innkeeper began to unfold the tale to Rallah.
"About 70 or so cycles ago a young couple were exclusive traders with the wood elves in the valley outside our fortress. Due to political factions warring at that time they were assassinated by the current ruler of the guild. Your father. You look just like my brother. Kranthel Draork I myself and Jendral Draork and this inn is the Bleeding Basilisk. The political warfare that once shattered our lovely home is long since passed but some of the evil that instagated it are still in power and the merchants and poor people are being unfairly taxxed in the name of the crown and spider queen." At this point the innkeeper produced a tray of polished silver and held it next to his own face so that Rallah could see his own reflection and compare it to his own face. Then he continued,"My brother had a son,my nephew and had I not known you were a member of the royal theives family I would swear to the Spider Queen you were my nephew, and a member of the house of Draork. This is quite inpossible being as you are a member of the house of Elde and air to the throne of the Thieves and Assassin's guild of Trull." Rallah studying the Reflection and the Innkeeper's face has the look of realization and truth come upon his face.
Rising from his chair in an uncontrolled rage he knocked the table over and stormed from the Inn headed for his father's study. Rallah crossed the market district in such a hurry his guard had to practically run to keep up with him, pushing the throng of shoppers out of his way as he went. Once he made it to the entrance to the theives guild he slammed the door open and marched to his father's study. "Ah there is the new king." his father said with a smile. Rallah in a Feirce rage screamed at his father, "YOU LIED TO ME!! You hid from me who i really am. Why did you do this to me? You know that I could NEVER truely enherit the throne of the assassins guild of Trull!" "Son," his father continued, "You were a victim of politics that were inacted even before your very birth. I must say it is regretable the position I was put in to assassinate your birth parents. I was called on by people in greater postition than that of my own, It is by this reason I have Chosen you as the new Heir to the Throne of the assassins and theives guild of Trull. Your younger brother is way to hot headed and arrogant to properly handle the position and will remain as one of your leiutenants in the guild. You also did not realise that you are a rightful royal heir to the throne of the entire fortress of Trull."
Oh how he loved the stars. Each night long after sunset he would scale the spires of the mighty Spider Queen's Cathedral and enter a jagged lava tube and climb to the shelf that overlooked the valley below the long extict volcano known as Graganol. Rallah would lean out over the valley and let the wind sweep through his long flowing silver main of hair. This was his fortress of solitude where he could come and let the troubles of politics and his status in the assassin's guild of the drow city Trull fall away and he could sort his troubled mind.
A pebble bounced and danced across the shelf falling over the edge dropping into the abyss below disrupting his moment of peace. "Father." he said. "I should have known it was you that would disturb me when i come here to seek peace." Dragnoth replied "Did you really think you were the only one that knew of this hideaway from the city? I Would come here often as a boy, allthough i must admit the trip was not quite as easy as it was then. The reason I came and disturbed you is to let you know i have chosen the successor to the Throne of Elde, and new king of the Theives and Assassin's Guild of Trull. The son I have chosen is you. You show more compassion and promise than your much younger brother who is wreckless and dangerous not only to the guild but to himself. Please come join me in my study when you are finished here." With a slight chuckle Dragnoth turned and left Rallah in his solitude on the mountain shelf.
Rallah took his time going to his father's study in the guild. He was in no hurry to go hear another of his father's long winded and pointless lectures on the proper behavior of royalty in the guild. The young prince drifted aimlessly through the market seemingly guided by the hand of fate to a small tavern and inn in the merchants zone of Trull. He walked up to the bar and summoned the innkeep with a slight nod of his head, as his ever present bodyguard took station near the door hand on the hilt of his runed Dark Elven Sword. Rallah reached into his purse for some gold and overpaid the innkeep for a glass of slagwine, and began to enjoy his relaxing drink. The Innkeeper continually stared at Rallah as if he knew him. He noticed the over attention he was being paid and began to question the inkeeper. "Why do you continually stare at me as if you had seen a ghost sir?" asked Rallah. The Inkeeper Replied "Forgive me master for I do believe I am seeing a ghost and I know you cannot be Franthar for I saw to his and his wives burial as I am his brother and next of kin; yet you look exactly like him including the long hair." Henthar stepped from the shadows and began to unsheath his sword at the onset of the conversation and Rallah stopped him. "Sir?, May we retire someplace more private and continue our conversation please?" asked The Innkeeper."You will not need your royal guard." he added quickly before gesturing to the back room and a private booth.
Seated in the private booth the Innkeeper began to unfold the tale to Rallah.
"About 70 or so cycles ago a young couple were exclusive traders with the wood elves in the valley outside our fortress. Due to political factions warring at that time they were assassinated by the current ruler of the guild. Your father. You look just like my brother. Kranthel Draork I myself and Jendral Draork and this inn is the Bleeding Basilisk. The political warfare that once shattered our lovely home is long since passed but some of the evil that instagated it are still in power and the merchants and poor people are being unfairly taxxed in the name of the crown and spider queen." At this point the innkeeper produced a tray of polished silver and held it next to his own face so that Rallah could see his own reflection and compare it to his own face. Then he continued,"My brother had a son,my nephew and had I not known you were a member of the royal theives family I would swear to the Spider Queen you were my nephew, and a member of the house of Draork. This is quite inpossible being as you are a member of the house of Elde and air to the throne of the Thieves and Assassin's guild of Trull." Rallah studying the Reflection and the Innkeeper's face has the look of realization and truth come upon his face.
Rising from his chair in an uncontrolled rage he knocked the table over and stormed from the Inn headed for his father's study. Rallah crossed the market district in such a hurry his guard had to practically run to keep up with him, pushing the throng of shoppers out of his way as he went. Once he made it to the entrance to the theives guild he slammed the door open and marched to his father's study. "Ah there is the new king." his father said with a smile. Rallah in a Feirce rage screamed at his father, "YOU LIED TO ME!! You hid from me who i really am. Why did you do this to me? You know that I could NEVER truely enherit the throne of the assassins guild of Trull!" "Son," his father continued, "You were a victim of politics that were inacted even before your very birth. I must say it is regretable the position I was put in to assassinate your birth parents. I was called on by people in greater postition than that of my own, It is by this reason I have Chosen you as the new Heir to the Throne of the assassins and theives guild of Trull. Your younger brother is way to hot headed and arrogant to properly handle the position and will remain as one of your leiutenants in the guild. You also did not realise that you are a rightful royal heir to the throne of the entire fortress of Trull."
