RP:Drow Council Meet after Razurath Invasion

Part of the Saurian Onslaught Arc

Summary: Gevurah summons the drow council hours after the Razurath invasion. House D’Jiv’Undus, the Third House, has been completely destroyed. Daath is the only remaining noble. House Stavret, the Fifth House, took heavy damage and is currently led by a male, mage child. Patron Lanlan D’l’sel’Dissen of the Second House and Matron Vartha Orbb Quar'Valsharess of the Fourth House survived.

Lanlan arrives late and angry after witnessing a kiss between Daath and Gevurah during the invasion after Gevurah saved Daath’s life and healed him. His jealousy boils over and he dares silence Gevurah when she is announcing her betrothal to Daath. Gevurah slaps Lanlan and embarasses him in front of the council then marries Daath with the council as witness.

The Drow leaders, sans Lanlan, begin to plot how to reclaim their city.

House D’Artes

Gevurah summons the Drow Council to House D’Artes in an unprecedented move. The Council typically meets elsewhere, but that building was destroyed. Part of House D’Artes was destroyed too, but the grand dining room remains intact and serves as boardroom for the emergency meeting. At one end of the table, Gevurah and Daath speak in whispers as they wait for the other drow nobles to join them. The Matron of House Orbb Quar'Valsharess survived the attack and arrives first. House Stavret, which has long been without its Patron, lost more than half of its army and noble family. A young mage of noble birth arrives to represent House Stavret. He’s never met any of the other nobles before and looks visibly anxious. Daath is all that remains of House D’Jiv’Undus. Where the hell is Lanlan? As Gevurah and Daath whisper about Trist’oth’s defenses, its failing, next steps, etc. Gevurah glances towards the door often in search of Lanlan. With every minute that passes her anger at his absence quickly turns to dread. Did he not make it? That hadn’t occurred to her until now. It seemed impossible until now. Her stomach flips and drops and wrenches as she dreads the terrible news. So much so that she stands up abruptly in the middle of Daath’s sentence and paces over to the side table to pour herself a drink, her hand shaking a little as she does so.

Daath is still recovering from the entire ordeal, truth be told far more than he'd allow to be known. He manages to hold his composure, even as Gevurah shows any little interest in him at the moment. He chalks that up to the attack and stress of salvaging the situation. The Razurath guard presence hasn't fully settled in yet, so this meeting is undisturbed for now. As the time rolls on, Daath is met by the growing patrons and matrons, the young Stavret patron actually mentioning his attempt to save them all, and in a rare gesture of drow kind says. "Thank you Lord D'jiv'undus. My entire house would be destroyed if you hadn't intervened." This causes the Matron of House Orbb Quar'Valsharess to loudly scoff, adding in. "Yes. -So- brave and yet so pointless. You should have used those gifts of yours to kill the same lizards, but nooo, you just delay their victory while she hands over our city." Tensions run high at that last comment, but I believe all expected as much. Never has a council meeting gone without verbal sparring. If anything Matron Orbb Quar'Valsharess actions bring a sense of normality to the affair.

Lanlan rushes back to his house and returns immediately to his study, slamming the door closed. Then he opens it and slams it closed a few more times. His eyes affix to the half-rolled up love letter he was writing before all this, and he stomps over to it, grabs the feather quill, and begins scribbling over everything he wrote. Scratching up and down across and back until the paper is shredded and the table is scarred. Then he grabs the edge of a bookcase and rocks it back and forth until he pulls a muscle dragging it down. A knock at the door. Energy balls up in one hand as Lanlan sweeps his hair back with the other. "Come in! Shut the door behind you." The servant does and finds Lanlan standing in the middle of a mess. The servant begins to say something when Lanlan interrupts and says, "Sit down," without turning to him. The servant uprights a chair and sits in it, and spiked chains emerge from the floor spinning around the servant, lacerating him as they tighten and squeeze him to the chair. Without another word, Lanlan turns around and begins beating him to death with the stone slab that formed a shelf on the book case. Then he finds the bloody council invitation. When he arrives to the meeting, he doesn't look at anyone except Gevurah, and he enhances his voice slightly to make it harder to ignore. "I would like to remind the council that we have a tradition. It's old, but it's important." He's completely stonefaced despite the actual rage boiling inside. "The council is represented by the five patrons and matrons of each house recognized as most powerful." In fact, he's disguised himself with the illusion of...a more collected version of himself. No one can see his gnashing teeth or glowering eyes. "Obviously we can't know yet which house-be it House Vallaire or perhaps House Rilyn'Ath, is the next which should be represented. But we do know that a patron without a house, is not a patron at all."

Gevurah snaps over her shoulder at the Fourth Matron, “Do shut up, Vartha.” The First Matron has no patience for the drow posturing tonight because she knows as well as every single other drow in the entire city that there was no good choices today. If Vartha Orbb Quar’Valsharess could have done anything differently, she would have. Gevurah downs half the glass in one swig just as Lanlan comes in swinging the door and other things that start with D. So he is alive. Her face is an expressionless mask as relief floods over her to make room for anger again. She (thinks she) knows exactly why Lanlan is playing this little game. The Matron makes it a point not to look at Lanlan as she walks back to her chair. With her back to Lanlan while facing Daath, she gives Daath a subtle look and nod encouraging him to announce the engagement and thereby take some power in this den of wolves of whom none are more vicious than Lanlan. The Second Patron’s brutality is part of why she finds him so attractive (if she had seen him beat a man to death with a stone she would have swooned), but it’s also an aggravating fact of Lanlan when he isn’t under her control - and he isn’t under her full control now. As Daath speaks, Izzerin (Gevurah’s most loyal servant) appears in the door way and nods to Gevurah. She nods back and waits for Daath to finish breaking the news.

Daath is one that seems the most unfazed by almost all the squabbling, even when he becomes the target of Lanlan's venom. Still exhausted from the ordeal, he hasn't the energy to relay the fact that even if his own house was destroyed that almost all of D'jiv'undus strength was saved, having been rallied to D'Artes. He could point out that if it wasn't for a D'jiv'undus other houses could have, more likely would have, been erased as well. No, he doesn't play that card, and simply he rises as Gevurah offers him that look. She'd make him do it. Very well. "You're right "Lord" Lanlan. How very lucky you still retain your "inherited" house." Of course he wouldn't fire back, but he quickly adds. "But you're right. My house is gone. And yet.." He looks directly at Lanlan as he says. "It seems I am not without a house. As previously me and Matron Gevurah had become engaged. In fact, given the situation I see no need for formalities and grand displays." To Gevurah he says. "You're the Matron of the First House, you've the authority to seal out engagement and declare the marriage whole and done. And so, you are left to decide my fate. Shall we merge the last D'jiv'undus with house D'Artes? Or shall I excuse myself while the true lords and ladies discuss matters?"

Lanlan stares at the back of Gevurah's head the whole time she walks away from him. What was that look she gave Daath? Was it...She smiled at him didn't she? He feels his facade shatter as his concentration withers, so he draws his hand up to his face to see if he can redecorate himself. He can't. He can't regain composure on his own, or with magic, and he can't sit down. So he awkwardly forces his rigid body across the room to get a drink for himself. He pours it. Drinks it. Pours another one. He listens to Daath while he nurses it and becomes completely unaware of his own body and shakes his head dramatically. Then as Daath continues he makes his way to the seat furthest from Gevurah and closest to the exit. He abruptly slams his hand on the table and nearly falls forward when it doesn't hold up his weight, having very recently pulled that muscle and exacerbated it against his servant's face. But he catches himself and winces. "Yes, Gevie," he says as he casts an enchantment on her voice. No sound will come out of her for a while. "Shall you declare the marriage whole and done?" He looks to Daath, "Or should you let Daath return to the surface where he would truly rather be? Actually I think even if you do get married, House D'Artes would still need only one representative. Isn't that right? So who leads House D'Artes in the event you both get married?" He stands ready to evacuate himself if need be, but also concentrates on his enchantment over Gevurah's lips.

Gevurah :: The other nobles look confused by Daath’s announcement. Matron Vartha looks confused because she had no idea Gevurah and Daath were even on speaking terms, let alone close enough for marriage. The young Stavret mage is confused due to the simple fact that he is a child and in over his head. Gevurah stands alongside Daath, without touching him, and tries to speak but her voice fails to rise. Her lips snap shut into a snarl and she rounds the table with preternatural speed. If Lanlan tries to escape, Izzerin will block his path. Hopefully, Lanlan takes it like a man as Gevurah slaps Lanlan, and again, and as many times as is necessary until she feels him lose concentration on the spell that silences her. Once she feels the spell is gone, she leans in close to Lanlan and whispers in a low, cold voice, “Undermine me again and I *will* kill you.” Now Lanlan is free to storm off if he wants without Izzerin blocking his way. Gevurah returns to Daath’s side, and without touching him, speaks to the nobles gathered, “Yes, circumstances as they are, we won’t hold a wedding. We will marry now, with all of you as witness.” She and Daath recite a shortened version of the drow vows, which pledges power and allegiance and makes no mention of love. Once the ritual is complete, they are married. Gevurah addresses the gathered again, “At a later time, if there is interest, we’ll hold a wedding for the benefit of communicating the union to the lower houses. Right now, we must discuss what happened today, and it is my command that Daath stay. He will be vital in securing our extermination of the Razurath. Make no mistake that our goal is nothing short of an entire genocide of their entire species.”

Daath watches with far more interest than simply enjoying a lesser noble get his. No. There is something more here, isn't there? He called out to her with a nickname, Gevie? Such informality is only reserved for very close allies, and yet not even then would it be so brazenly used before all others as to clearly expose a possible alliance. No. This drow was acting out, but why? It's clearer now, having seen his facial expressions once his illusions failed. He was jealous. Oh my gods. The patron of the second house was jealous! You'd be dumb and blind to miss it. The target he had on him as soon as Lanlan walked through the door. Gevurah's eyes constantly darting to look for someone. The look of worry she had! Oh! This gets better! Every slap just reverberates with passion. And then she does it. She makes it official. With the fall of his house he was no longer a D'jiv'undus. Tonight he leaves this council meeting a D'Artes. And all of it was being rubbed in Lanlan's face. Oh yes, Gevurah would be showered with gifts and aided in her every schemes, simply to watch it drive this apprentice mage further into madness. Why? Because he was bow Daath. He was an upstart who ride the coattails of greater drow and now dare challenge Daath? He'd risk weakening the drow people to spite him? To what, make Gevurah love him? Oh it was all too damn good. But outside Daath shows none of it. He had mastered long ago to keep such hidden, a fact Lanlan clearly forgot. The foolish illusionist had showed his hand, and now that it was played Daath would not miss a chance to act upon it. But, when the time is right. After all, more important matters were at hand aside from the jealousy of some pissant. Nodding his head, he simply moves his seat to be closest to Gevurah's, signifying his status to all present, but most of all Lanlan. From third house to first. Now in every possible way Lanlan is beneath him. That was almost victory enough to wash away the bitter bite of today's defeat. And in that, he dismisses Lanlan entirely and says. "I can bolster all houses with undead, to replenish armies and ensure chaos doesn't consume us from lower houses looking to strike. As well, given we have new inhabitants, I can use my connections outside Trist'Oth to help rally forces against these creatures. Our retribution shall be swift, and we shall ensure not a single one lives. If that is so my wife's desires." Here he'd look right at Lanlan one final time, emphasizing the -my wife- comment in an unspoken manner.

Lanlan backs up into Izzerin, and puts his frail arm up to defend against Gevurah. It's useless, and she slaps it away, and then him. In his face. Over and over and over. He's so detached at this point, that it takes much more than Gevurah, or even himself would've normally expected. Under different circumstances he might not have minded so much. But with everyone watching, and him being impeded by a servant? This could only be the beginning. But she did also quite literally slap some sense into him. Izzerin had been holding him up, so he spins in place and yanks him out of the way by his hair, holding some of it between his fingers. He moves to storm out, but lingers at the door if only to torture himself further. He doesn't usually let his anger get the best of him, but right now he didn't want to reign it in. It felt too righteous and good to give into it. Once the newly weds have finished speaking, he scoffs and storms out completely. She'd inform him of their plan later. Or...she might not.