A character long in the making
Posted: Thu Oct 03, 2013 5:38 am
I suppose I should preface this by saying that as far as a written out character goes my Beldor is rather unimpressive. When I write of his adventures in old games, of the times he has both sickened me and brought me joy, I do so less as as somebody molding out a new face and more so as a person remembering an old tale. I won’t bore you with a lengthy recollection of everything he is or has done, but I will bring up the points that others seem to judge him on most.
Lolth did as much as she could to separate her chosen children from those that lived under the light. Where surface elves could take an eon talking over what to have for breakfast, a Drow will have found and murdered an assassin in the pantry then taken off with bits of bread and cheese still on their lip. Exceptional breeding would eventually bring out the best qualities given by the spidery deity, most notably a tangible magical affinity that others of her kind simply lacked. It seems however that beyond all physical and mental changes that the Drow had undergone, none were so altering to the race as a whole as the shifts she had sewn deep into their hearts. Enforcing in them the capability to see other living beings as objects was perhaps her smartest move, dark being that she was. Perhaps one of the best examples of this hardening of the heart can be found in the youngest son of noble house Aleanerv.
A bit of history on house Aleanerv, first; The Matron Dhuana Aleanerv (Beldor’s grandmother) is the oldest woman in her community. Her age has made her less of an easy target to pick off and more of a face to fear in the community, one that demands respect. Her first in line and Beldor’s mother Lealfryn has been an outstanding member of the community. She assists the needy with loans at unredeemable rates, puts her two cents into every political decision she can with equal parts brute force and verbal beatings, and generally bears her mother’s name with honor. It was a family to be feared and respected; except that they had one problem. The boys of the family were uncontrollable.
The eldest son left home before his coming of age ceremony, leaving a note saying something about how he was not willing to kill a childhood friend were it asked of him. He was weak willed, and the last rumor of his appearance pinned him in a mage’s tower far from the reach of the dark lands. The third son was sacrificed to the spider queen after birth, as was customary. The second son was rather promising, but lacked any skill in magic and was promptly killed after joining patrols in the guard as was normal for all the non-gifted males of noble houses. This history was a problem for the Aleanerv name. Though Dhuana and Lealfryn both had several respectable daughters, rumors abound that the house had gone soft in Lolth’s teachings. A house full of strong women was all well and good, but apart from picking a fight here and there with another house over a petty detail, they did present the spark of domination over all others that seemed so prized by the society. The solution was obvious- the decision to get into a new line of business was made quickly, before any real damage from rumors could be done.
Slave business was good- one could compare it to making investments into businesses. To an outsider looking in the buying and selling of others could seem like a gamble. It took time to get a practiced understanding of which workers could last a few months in the mines and which would at best break down after a week or two. Dwarfs were far and away one of the safest investments made- living somewhere above under the earth, they knew how long the impossible depths of the under ran. The sturdy workers might make noise for a week or two, but after a time would set to a steady pace finding comfort in their work, knowing that they had no hope of finding their hallowed halls of stone again. Surface elves were sacrificed nearly as soon as they arrived- even if one really did want to keep one of those things around, it would be killed on sight by the next uninformed visitor or guard on duty. They didn’t seem to have very good constitutions down here either- the lack of light and normal flora and fauna seemed to drain them nearly upon arrival. New business ventures had its challenges of course. Hand crossbows, for instance, became a rather new commodity around the estate. They did little lasting bodily damage and could be poisoned quickly, allowing for quick incapacitation of any potential escapee or rioter. A few new languages had to be picked up as well, though the distasteful and inelegant surface tongue would be used sparingly and only on the newly acquired for training. Most learned their places rather quickly.
So, where does Beldor fit in all of this familial renovation? As a child, he would find himself as the central gear in the machinations of his family for decades to come. They wanted to power grab- get in good with the priestesses, and eventually get their fingers on the pulse of the under dark itself. They wanted what all Drow living deep underground wanted- power enough to make others fear them, and to lack fear of all others. But to do that they needed an example. See, it was easy enough to kill a few people. But the death rate underground is so normally high that a few bodies hardly proved anything to the community at large. A much more effective way of showing power was required. Lealfryn Had a dream.
She saw a world where she could walk down the street, and people would avert their gaze as she approached for fear of a sharp pain and a slow death. She imagined an entire city of people that belonged to her without a single chain or shackle in sight- a place where people knew better than to challenge her. She had a terrible, ambitious vision the likes of which others would not dare to think of, their minds saying it was impossible. But not for her; not for Lealfryn, who needed no weapon but fear.
So for now, I’ll end here with these thoughts. Beldor was the son of a Noble, an ambitious woman with an obsession with control. His story will not be one of an innocent, good natured young man in an unfair society either. He will be taught to be cruel for the sake of cruelty alone. He will enjoy it. He will participate in some rather depraved acts of his own free will.
Next time- An introduction to Bel’s youth.
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Lolth did as much as she could to separate her chosen children from those that lived under the light. Where surface elves could take an eon talking over what to have for breakfast, a Drow will have found and murdered an assassin in the pantry then taken off with bits of bread and cheese still on their lip. Exceptional breeding would eventually bring out the best qualities given by the spidery deity, most notably a tangible magical affinity that others of her kind simply lacked. It seems however that beyond all physical and mental changes that the Drow had undergone, none were so altering to the race as a whole as the shifts she had sewn deep into their hearts. Enforcing in them the capability to see other living beings as objects was perhaps her smartest move, dark being that she was. Perhaps one of the best examples of this hardening of the heart can be found in the youngest son of noble house Aleanerv.
A bit of history on house Aleanerv, first; The Matron Dhuana Aleanerv (Beldor’s grandmother) is the oldest woman in her community. Her age has made her less of an easy target to pick off and more of a face to fear in the community, one that demands respect. Her first in line and Beldor’s mother Lealfryn has been an outstanding member of the community. She assists the needy with loans at unredeemable rates, puts her two cents into every political decision she can with equal parts brute force and verbal beatings, and generally bears her mother’s name with honor. It was a family to be feared and respected; except that they had one problem. The boys of the family were uncontrollable.
The eldest son left home before his coming of age ceremony, leaving a note saying something about how he was not willing to kill a childhood friend were it asked of him. He was weak willed, and the last rumor of his appearance pinned him in a mage’s tower far from the reach of the dark lands. The third son was sacrificed to the spider queen after birth, as was customary. The second son was rather promising, but lacked any skill in magic and was promptly killed after joining patrols in the guard as was normal for all the non-gifted males of noble houses. This history was a problem for the Aleanerv name. Though Dhuana and Lealfryn both had several respectable daughters, rumors abound that the house had gone soft in Lolth’s teachings. A house full of strong women was all well and good, but apart from picking a fight here and there with another house over a petty detail, they did present the spark of domination over all others that seemed so prized by the society. The solution was obvious- the decision to get into a new line of business was made quickly, before any real damage from rumors could be done.
Slave business was good- one could compare it to making investments into businesses. To an outsider looking in the buying and selling of others could seem like a gamble. It took time to get a practiced understanding of which workers could last a few months in the mines and which would at best break down after a week or two. Dwarfs were far and away one of the safest investments made- living somewhere above under the earth, they knew how long the impossible depths of the under ran. The sturdy workers might make noise for a week or two, but after a time would set to a steady pace finding comfort in their work, knowing that they had no hope of finding their hallowed halls of stone again. Surface elves were sacrificed nearly as soon as they arrived- even if one really did want to keep one of those things around, it would be killed on sight by the next uninformed visitor or guard on duty. They didn’t seem to have very good constitutions down here either- the lack of light and normal flora and fauna seemed to drain them nearly upon arrival. New business ventures had its challenges of course. Hand crossbows, for instance, became a rather new commodity around the estate. They did little lasting bodily damage and could be poisoned quickly, allowing for quick incapacitation of any potential escapee or rioter. A few new languages had to be picked up as well, though the distasteful and inelegant surface tongue would be used sparingly and only on the newly acquired for training. Most learned their places rather quickly.
So, where does Beldor fit in all of this familial renovation? As a child, he would find himself as the central gear in the machinations of his family for decades to come. They wanted to power grab- get in good with the priestesses, and eventually get their fingers on the pulse of the under dark itself. They wanted what all Drow living deep underground wanted- power enough to make others fear them, and to lack fear of all others. But to do that they needed an example. See, it was easy enough to kill a few people. But the death rate underground is so normally high that a few bodies hardly proved anything to the community at large. A much more effective way of showing power was required. Lealfryn Had a dream.
She saw a world where she could walk down the street, and people would avert their gaze as she approached for fear of a sharp pain and a slow death. She imagined an entire city of people that belonged to her without a single chain or shackle in sight- a place where people knew better than to challenge her. She had a terrible, ambitious vision the likes of which others would not dare to think of, their minds saying it was impossible. But not for her; not for Lealfryn, who needed no weapon but fear.
So for now, I’ll end here with these thoughts. Beldor was the son of a Noble, an ambitious woman with an obsession with control. His story will not be one of an innocent, good natured young man in an unfair society either. He will be taught to be cruel for the sake of cruelty alone. He will enjoy it. He will participate in some rather depraved acts of his own free will.
Next time- An introduction to Bel’s youth.
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