A Drow's Dilemma Ep. 84: Information

Author's Note:

A Drow's Dilemma began as a one-on-one roleplaying project and has been converted into a chapter-by-chapter format for weekly posting with the permission and assistance from my partner. It will contain a considerable amount of sexual themes such as femdom, lesbian, straight, 'reverse' rape, BDSM, group sex, romance, and other themes. The main goal of the story, however, is to tell an epic tale of adventures, gods and goddesses, fae, and nymphomaniacs. This episode and every episode to come will be available for free on Literotica for the foreseeable future. All characters that engage in sexual or suggestive situations are mentally and sexually mature: the human equivalent of 18 for their race.

A bit of a filler episode this week. There's lots of character development, but not much plot. Things will pick up a lot next week!

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Episode 84: Information

That evening, Ashyr and Tsabdrin were later than usual reentering the pocket dimension. Ashyr immediately called the party to a meeting. Selene and Caleldir were ported to the main dining hall, and everyone sat down with a relaxing cup of tea or alcoholic beverage.

"Tsabdrin and I have been talking; we think it's finally time to talk about what we might expect from Duskhaven City. We're really close now," Ashyr began when everyone was settled.

"Yeah, I have my notes mostly together," Tsabdrin said as he pulled out a sheet of paper. "Right now, I'd say that there are six major players within Duskhaven City: Kilarn, Aleett, Dinoryn, Teken'ath, Maevalzynge, and Frehelvi. Selene?"

"That should be correct, unless something drastic changed in the past couple of weeks," Selene confirmed. She pulled the notes closer to her. Crimson eyes darted across the first section: the noteworthy houses. As she went through it, a pen lifted from the table and began to scribble additional information without Selene having to lift a finger. When that was done, she read that section of notes aloud.

---

"House notes

House Kilarn: Founded around the same time as Duskhaven itself. At present, acts quite loyal to House Duskhaven. Will likely only continue to do so as long as it is profitable. It's worth staying friendly with them, but, like most Houses, they are not to be trusted.

"House Aleett: A small, young, but ambitious House. Produces a lot of strong fighters, a lot of which currently supplement Irahc'vic's army. It is unknown whether Aleett has sided with Duskhaven males, but it is probable that they will in the future. Rather poor at initiating subterfuge, but reasonably good at spotting it. Risk-takers.

"House Dinoryn: Controls a prominent school training mages, and the family itself is strong in magic. Major player in politics, but hasn't made any moves to gain power for a while. Produces top-quality, highly sought-after enchanted items as a side-business.

"House Teken'ath: In charge of communications and deliveries throughout drow lands via both magical and mundane means. Teken'ath is an older house with a firm footing in every city and town. Considered to be just as influential as House Duskhaven, but only because they don't have a major city. If they were to achieve that, they would be the second most powerful house right after the Val'Sharess' family. They don't seem to be in a hurry to do so.

"House Maevalzynge: Owners of local Spider hatchery, a lot of which is built upon the ruins of a several thousand-year defunct facility that was so perfect for raising spiders that that was probably what it was used for when it was first built. Their perfect facilities allowed them a monopoly on the trade, and earned them enough money to buy into the higher noble ranks a couple hundred years ago. Their farm mainly produces excellent silk, but the matron and her daughters also raise spiders that are widely sought as battle companions.

"House Frehelvi: Known as major players in the slave trade. Relatively close-knit house as drow families go. They firmly believe in strengthening bonds within the house by going on raiding missions together. Other 'bonding' activities are rumored to occur within the family, as they produce slightly more offspring than usual, but have not negotiated a breeding contract or taken a Consort in several hundred years."

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"It is important that we stay on good terms with and perhaps even ally ourselves with Houses Teken'ath and Dinoryn, as they both seem to prefer that things stay as they are. Teken'ath would be our first priority. Only after Duskhaven secured their support would we start work on Dinoryn," Selene explained.

"It's interesting that two of the more powerful Houses - peers with Duskhaven rather than lesser families - are rather more content with current events than he expected from the infamously ambitious drow," Caleldir noted.

Selene nodded. "Well, having carved out their own spheres, they know that it was less risky and more profitable to keep the three lizards in the hand than let them go to try for that one in the bush. Or birds, whatever you surfacers use for that analogy. Let us move on, unless anyone has anything to say?"

No one did, so Selene pushed the notes back over to Tsabdrin to read aloud.

---

"Duskhaven Males

Duagmyr -- Ashyr's oldest brother and oldest child of old matron. Perpetrator of the whole mess. Is the "Patron." Cunning and stubborn, has had his share of abuse from females and is bitter for it. Father unknown for certain, possibly long-dead fighter born of one of the Grandmatron's fighting companions.

"Adinyraen -- Ashyr's second older brother. Sired by Sornamal Lltkahril, the old Consort (my sire). In charge of the breeding program to get the numbers back up. Almost certainly responsible for the plot to impregnate Selene, though of course didn't try to do so himself.

"Ethefein -- Ashyr's younger brother probably from the same sire, though the Matron did not know for sure and did not care to find out. Was raised alongside Selene by Ashyr and myself. Currently in charge of House resources such as food and slaves. Is also the head caretaker in charge of very young twin boys and a girl whose mothers (Ashyr's sisters) 'died on the road to the main city due to a cave-in'. -I don't know what's really going on with them.

"Irahc'vic -- Selene's younger brother and last child of the Matron's sister. Unpredictable and suspected insane. Father unknown. Sold Selene to the Orcs to appease them, even though he knew of the plot to get her pregnant. Irahc'vic is controlling the army. While not especially magical himself, he does have his core group of powerful mages mostly chosen from nephews and male first cousins once removed his age born from Sornamal's offspring."

---

With that, Tsabdrin pushed the notes over to Caleldir, who was thoughtful as he looked over them. So, another female did survive. Caleldir was a bit worried about the girl, actually, not sure if he should judge what had happened to Selene as a possible future fate for her, were they to delay long enough for her to hit maturity. Not that they would. That could be some thirty odd-years from now.

He tried not to think about Selene's previous assertions that his duties as consort extended to Duskhaven women not his daughters yet to reach maturity or even be born. He felt a bit uneasy thinking about whether or not this as yet unnamed girl would be under that category. He decided he could ask Selene about that later, although he was not sure he wanted to know the answer. Actually, better to put that from his mind completely. It really was not relevant. Still, the odd rules surrounding Consorts gave him a bit of a headache.

"Thank you, Selene, Tsabdrin. This is all very useful information. I will need time to think over these things," Caleldir finally said.

"You still have a couple days before we arrive - You can join us again on the road, Caleldir. We have a good path plotted out, with potential hideouts if we encounter other travelers on the road. There are some interesting sights I would like you to see, Caleldir," Ashyr explained with a smile.

After that, the conversation shifted to more mundane things. In due time, the party retired to their beds. The next morning, Selene was yet again left alone with R.I.S.A. while the other three set out.

The outside party traveled winding cramped caves, through mushroom forests infested with spiders, across a massive cavern that even their dark vision could not see the other side of, over an almost impossibly long spidersilk rope bridge far above a molten river of rock, and finally back into winding caves. Ashyr and Tsabdrin took shifts leading Caleldir and scouting around for danger and food. It was because of their efforts that nothing of any real danger bothered them. Finally, after the expected time of travel, they made it to they edge of the Drow Territories in the Underdark. They made it to Duskhaven.

Leading up to the entrance, the tunnel they were in widened before it curved back again into massive archway guarded by towers built straight into the walls on either side. Beside those towers, a dull green glow from veins of glowing fungus lit the massive carvings of elegant spiders, riding lizards, and other creatures of the deep caves. Tall buildings could be seen on either side of the main road that rolled and wound through the city and deeper into the territory. To an overworlder, the architecture would appear as if dwarves had attempted to build a city with an elvish motif. Everything looked thicker, sturdier, and slightly shorter to fit into the limited space the city had.

"Can't see much of the city from here." Ashyr explained as she pulled Caleldir aside before they could be spotted -- which was just before the tunnel they were in widened. "And we really want to arrive unannounced. I can stuff you two into R.I.S.A. and get in unseen." She grinned at her own words. Ashyr hadn't meant it to be an innuendo, but now that she said it, it did bring interesting images into her head.

Caleldir chuckled a bit. The A.I. had stopped repressing her lusts for him these last few days, and he just knew that the moment that Ashyr put him in R.I.S.A., she (who did listen to whatever was said around her totem) would gleefully suggest that they fulfill the alternate meaning of that statement as well. She told him that she had twelve hundred years of growing lust to finally sate on him, which was a prospect both exciting and terrifying.

"Thank you for phrasing it that way," he said dryly. "You pretty much just gave permission for R.I.S.A. to shunt me off to that one room in the basement with no doors or windows, just a big bed. So, I guess try not to think about that while sneaking around Duskhaven." He gave her a kiss. "I kid. R.I.S.A. will not distract you like that. I pray for your success getting to the estate. And also give you some of these to help you." He unloaded his usual cocktail of buffing magic into her, increasing pretty much all her physical abilities and skills, but especially the sneakiness ones.

"It's too late," Ashyr responded with mock despair. "I'll be thinking about that no matter what you do." But when he kissed her, she was grinning. She very much did not mind if that became his fate during the hour or so it would take for her to get to Sornamal's estate. It would make for an interesting first meeting between the proud had-been and sexually roughed-up would-be Consort of House Duskhaven. At least, it would have in Ashyr's opinion. Selene would have probably preferred a more dignified introduction.

Ashyr forced herself to focus again. "I can pull all of us out once we're in the safely on Sornamal's estate. I hope it's safe, anyway. There's a better view of the city from there."

And, with that, Caleldir retreated to R.I.S.A.'s dimension.

"See you in an hour or two." Ashyr said just before the portal closed and she was alone in the Underdark.

It was actually half way into second hour when she brought out R.I.S.A's totem, whispered that they were ready, and reactivated the portal.

All things said, Calelidr still had a bit of trouble understanding why Ashyr apparently liked for him to have sex with other women. His own opinions towards her having else with other men were studied indifference because he knew that he could not change it. So, teasing aside, he felt bad about spending his time in such a way while she snuck around Duskhaven avoiding trouble.

Not bad enough that he could say no to R.I.S.A., though, who had learned that it was easy to guilt-trip him into consenting. Because, unlike Risa or Selene (or Althaia, who instead asked Ashyr for permission, because Caleldir 'belonged' to her in her eyes), she really needed him to agree to it. Having had him in both her personalities, though, R.I.S.A. was behaving like an insatiable newlywed. Who was also a nymphomaniac. And a succubus powered by sex.

So despite Caleldir's initial resolve to do nothing of the kind, the Caleldir that stumbled out of the portal was clearly one who had been receiving a rather large amount of the A.I.'s attention.

[Thank you for letting me have the Master Librarian like this,] R.I.S.A. whispered mentally to Ashyr. [I will make it up to you later. As many copies of me as you want, in whatever genital configuration you desire. I am feeling more bold now than I used to. Still against my programming to use a fully masculine body though. Not sure if I want to try to rewrite that...] The A.I. seemed to drift off into a conversation with herself.

Ashyr shook her head with a fond expression. No time to think about the A.I.'s offer, though. The female ranger focused her attention back to their surroundings.

Ashyr had them exit next to a house that was carved high up into the wall of the massive cavern that held Duskhaven City. There were other similar houses, but this one was so far separated that it could barely be considered part of Duskhaven. It was also not quite as grandiose as the structures carved into the wall nearer the center of the city. From their high vantage point, the rest of the city could be seen spilling out onto the mostly flat cavern floor. The main road that cut the city in half was easily recognizable from where they stood. On either side of that road were the most grand of the buildings that weren't carved into the wall. Between the wall and the roadside buildings, which were built in classic drow style, most of the stone structures were built in various styles, were mostly flat-roofed, and showed signs of regular traffic by the more agile of the population. It was how Ashyr got around, in fact.

The dwelling that the party was at was, as was mentioned before, not quite so grand as any of the drow-styled structures within the city. Somehow, it had the air of an intentionally modest estate -- things were well-made and, upon closer inspection, the materials used were more expensive than one would think after a casual look in the dwelling's direction. Closer to the edge and the path that led up there, the gardens that led up to the front door were more manicured. But the party was in a part of the garden housed in its own carved-out space that hugged one side of the house itself. It looked very much like a miniature version of the mushroom forest they traveled through several days ago.

"The Sornamal Estate? Classy, elegant, understated. I love it," Caleldir commented quietly.

There was a small servant door nearby, which Ashyr led the rest of the party towards. Selene, however, shouldered her way around Ashyr before the older cousin could knock at the door. The youngest drow raised her hand and pressed it against the door. A small flare of magic, and runes flared in an elegant pattern around Selene's palm. The door swung open into a lavish kitchen. Aside from the party, the space seemed completely empty.

"He'll be notified," Selene assured Caleldir, who looked worried about just waltzing into a powerful and probably paranoid arcanist's home unannounced.

Caleldir followed Selene into the house. "At least I hope he would not be one to attack his own daughter or former student," he remarked. "But if I were him, I would be pretty jumpy at the moment."

Caleldir looked very drow at the moment, and had complemented his new usual appearance with a conjured outfit that he had asked Selene to design for him: an understated by decidedly noble-looking suit.

Ashyr waited with her cousins and Caleldir, listening and watching for the person she really hoped would be their host. A quick look at Selene told her that her youngest cousin was absolutely confident that her sire would help. Ashyr, however... well, she had had her disagreements with the old Duskhaven consort. Her uncertainty was actually quite clear in her posture and expression.

The longest three minutes passed before a panel in the wall of the kitchen slid open. All that could be seen on the other side of the door was a bright light being held in a dark hand in front of a shadowed figure. The drow turned toward the figure, but could not look directly at it. That light that was held was easily the brightest thing they had seen since they left the surface. That was probably the point.

Caleldir did not have any problem looking directly at the figure despite the light. Even a human or ordinary Light Elf, let alone a drow, would have had pain in his eyes from such a bright light after so long in the darkness, but Caleldir was a bit more alien than that. For a moment, his face looked slightly craggy in the brightness, before it was revealed as a trick of the shadows and he was back to his pretty, unintimidating self.

"Phaerdra?" whispered a deep, masculine voice. The light winked out with an abrupt flick of the hand, and the male took one step into the kitchen. But he stopped. "Ashyr," he corrected more loudly. It took a moment, but their bleary eyes focused on a drow who would be considered tall for a male of his race. The first thing their recovering eyes could see were the flowing robes the same color purple as Selene liked to wear. Next was his sleek, long hair was no longer entirely silver-white; visible streaks of it had turned blonde with age. Finally, their eyes could focus on his features. He studied at them with eyes as cobalt blue as Tsabdrin's, though this male had a hint of wrinkles at the corners. In fact, his whole face had the touch of age that would indicate he was entering his forties, had he been human. In reality, he must have been much, much older than that.

"Sornamal Lltkahril, my sire," Selene greeted him in her version of a warm tone. She approached to stand next to him, and then partially turned to the rest of the party.

"Selene," he acknowledged warily. His cobalt eyes narrowed at Tsabdrin, and then at the unfamiliar male. But he did step a little closer to his daughter, and his hand raised to rest lightly on her back. It almost seemed a protective gesture. "Who have you brought into my estate?" It was both a question and an accusation.

"My brother has seen the error of his ways. I believe we can trust him -- do not worry, my sire," Selene responded in a comforting tone. "This other male is... well, why don't you introduce yourself, Dearest?" she told Caleldir, making it up to him whether he revealed his identity to her sire or not.

Confusion entered Sornamal's expression, apparently due to the affectionate name she called Caleldir. It was generally only a name that she and Ashyr used with each other. Sornamal's eyes focused on Caleldir, and one of his eyebrows raised in a very Selene-like expression. Or, more accurately, a very Sornamal-like expression that Selene inherited. The party had a lot of explaining to do, that much was clear just by his face. But he would wait until they revealed what they wanted to.

It was clear that not everyone in this reunion was completely happy with it, so Caleldir decided to change the tone of the meeting a little. By introducing himself. Drawing on his memories of the mannerisms and accents of the Blackdawn drow he had known so very long ago, he bowed in a respectful, archaic manner.