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panied them, not as  a  newly captured slave but as their guest.

"Why did you want to come? Perhaps you were fleeing some  imor were fascinated by the grace and sophistication of m    placable enemy,

living in the exotic Underdark. My hunch is that you wanted to learn drow y  people and the idea of

magic, but it's pure speculation. No outsider ever knew.

"For that matter,  why did the Faen Tlabbar oblige you? That's  an even greater

mystery.  Conceivably someone harbored  am

had secrets to teach."           orous feelings for you, or you, too,

"Obviously"I had a way of persuading them," Sm. Once you reached Menzoberranylla said.zan, you made yourself useful to House Faen Tlabbar as countless minions  from  the lesser races had  done  before

you. The diffof familiarityerence being that you were acco. Matron Ghenni let you dine with trded a certain status, even a degree h

e family and attend social

functions, where you reportedly acquitted charm "                 yourself with a drowlike poise and

.

"I was their pet," said Smylla, sneering at the memogown and trained to dance on its hind legs. I just didn't know it at try, "a dog dressed in a h

e  time ".

"I'm  sure many saw you that way.  Perhaps some  saw something else. From  all

notch down fromaccounts, Matron Ghenni behaved as if sh a daughter, and with the me regarded you as a ward, just one istress of the Fourth House

indulging you, few would dare  challenge  your  right to comport yourself like  a

Me

"Until I fell ill," said the sorceress.nzoberranyr noble. Indeed, no one did, until she turned against you."

"Quite. Wasunlight that is a natural condition for your kind? Or did an enems it a natural disease, bred,  perhaps, by the lack of the searing

with poison or m                       y infect you agic? If so, was the culprit someone inside House Faen Tlabbarwho saw you as a rival for Ghenni'                   ,

s  favor, or the agent of an enemy famil

depriving their foes of a resource?"                    y,"I was never able to find out. That'

s  funny coming from  me, isn't it?"

"Ironic, perhaps. At any rate, several priestesses tried to cure you, but for somereason, the m

agic failed, whereupon Ghenni summarily expelled you from  her

citadel."

"Actually," Smylla said, "she sent a couple trolls, slave soldiers, to murder me. I escaped them  and the castle, too. Afterward,  I tried to offer m

y services to otherHouses, noble and m

erchant alike, but no door would open to a  human  who'd  lost

the favor of Faen Tlabbar ".

"My lady," said Pharaun, "if it's aprecisely the sam         ny consolation, you were still receiving

e  treatment we would  have given a member of our own race.

No dark elf would abide the presence of anyone afflicted with an incurable

malady. The Spider Queen taught us the weak must die, and in any case, what if

the sickness was contagious?""It's not a consolation."

"Fair enough. To  continue the tale: Unwelcome anywhere else, you made your way to the Braeryn. Despite your infirmity

,  some  magic remained within your

providing you with a private space in which to live. I daresay that wasn'grasp, and you employed it to cow the residents of this particular warren into t  easy.

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Dissolution

Then, using divinatory rituals, your natuyou'd discovered during your time with Hral psionic gifts, and whatever secrets ouse Faen Tlabbar

,a broker of knowledge. At first, only the lower orders availed them you set up shop as services, then gradually                   selves of your started consulting you. W, as your reputation grew, even a few of my  people e  wouldn't let you dwell among us, but some  werewilling to risk a brief contact if they  anticipated sufficient advantage from it "."I never heard of you," said Ryld, "but  within the district, your reputationseems to be considerable. We've been asking questions all day,  and more thanone suggested we seek you out."The door banged particularly loudly

,  and he glanced back to make sure the bugbears weren'

"That's all I know of your saga," said Pht breaching it.your cohabitants that a new stanza has begun."araun, "but I infer from  the hostility of "I suppose I couldn't bluff them  forever " Smylla said. "My powers, sorcerousand psionic alike, are all but gone, devoured by m,    y  malady. Once I acquired mystock in trade primarily through scrying, divinations,  and such

I've cajoled m                      . In recent years, y  secrets from  a web of  informother "                   ers, whom  I betray one to the .

The withered creature smirked.

"W

She coughed. No, it was a laugh. "Even ifell," said Ryld, "I hope you teased out the one we need." I did, why would I share it withyou, dark elf?"

"I told you," the warrior said, "we can protect you from  the bugbears andgoblins."

"So can my  little iron trinket."

"But eventually, if you simply remain in here, you'll die of hunger and thirst "."I'm  dying anyway. Can't you tell? I'm  not an old woman—I'mdrow measure time!—but I look like an ancient hag. I j      a baby as you u st don't want to perish at the hands of those miserable Undercreatures.  I've ruled here for fifteen years, and if I die beyond their reach, I win. Do  you see?""Well, then, my  lady," said Pharaun,  "your wish suggests the terms of a bargain. Oblige us, and we'll refrain from  admShe m                 itting the bugbears."ade a spitting sound and said, "Admit them  if you must. I loathe the brutes, but I hate you dark elves more. It was you who made me  as I am. I bartered information with you for as long as I had something to gain,  but  now that the disease is finally killing  me, you can all go to the Abyss wheregoddess lives, and burn."                       your

Pharaun might have replied that as far as he could tell, Smylla had
 
sealed her own fate on the day she decided to desit would soften her resolve.     cend into the Underdark, but he doubted

"I don't blame you," he said, making a show of sympathy. It wouldn't have deceived any drow, but even though she'd  trafficked with his race for decades, perhaps she still had human instincts. "Sometimes I hate other dark elves myself.I'd certainly despise them  if they  served me  as they've treated you."

She eyed him  skeptically. "But you're  the one who's different from  all theothers?"

"I doubt it. I'm  a child of the goddess. I  follow her ways. But I've visited the

Realms that See the Sun,  where I learned that other races think and live differently. I understand that by the standards of your own people, we've treated you abominably."

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War Of The Spider Queen

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Dissolution

For a moment, she looked up at him  as  if no one had commiserated with herabout anything since that long-lost season  when she was the belle, or at least the coveted curiosity

She said, "Do you think a few gentle words will m, of the revels and balls.     ake me  want to help "Of c                            you?"ourse  not.  I just don't want your bitterness to get in  the  wasense. It would be a pity if you turned your back on your salvation."y of your good

"I can take away your sickness.""What are you saying?""You're lying. How could you do what the priestesses cannot?"illusion. "My name is Pharaun Mizzrym"Because I'm a wizard." Pharaun snapped his fingers and dissolved his mask of . Yyou'                  ou may have heard of me. If not,

She was imve surely heard of the Masters of Sorcere."

"Who aren't healers," she said.pressed, though trying not to show it."Who are transmuters. I can change you into a drow

, or, if you prefer, a member of another race. Whatever we choose, from  your new body."        the transformation will purge the sickness

"If that's  true," she said, "then why do your people fear illness?"

"Because this remedy is inappropriate for them. It's unthinkable for a drow,  one of the goddess's chosen people, to permanently assume  the form  of a lessercreature except as a punishment. Also, most  wizards can't  cast the spell deftlyenough to purge a disease. It requires a certain facility, which happily, I possess ".

He grinned."And you'll use it to help me?"

"Well, to aid myself, really."

The soothsayer scowled, pondering the offer.

"ExactlyEventually she said, "What do I have to lose?".""But you have to change me  first."

"No, first of all, we must establish  that you do indeed possess the informationmy  colleague and I require. We're seeking a number of runaway males hailing from  noble and humble residences alike."

"We have a handful of drow hiding out  in the Braeryn. Some  are sick like me.

Some  are outcast for some  other offensholiday from  their responsibilities and feme. A couple are just taking a long illicit ale relations. I can tell you where to find most of them."

"I'm  sure," said Pharaun, "but I imagine they've resided here for a while, havethey not? We're seeking rogues of more recent vintage. Menzoberranzan hassuffered a mass mi

Smylla frowned. Fromgration in recent tendays." a subtle shift  of expression, the madeciding whether or not to lie.               ge knew she was "More drow males than usual have visited the Braeryn," she said. "Indulging their most sordid impulses, I assumed, but  as far as I know they didn't  stay  here.

If they did, I don't know where."Ra bafyld sighed. Pharaun knew how he felt. fling, brain-cramping puzzle, but even Generally speaking, the wizard relished he was growing impatient at  their lackof progress.Given the lack of any sensible leads, he  resolved to follow where intuition led.

Still caught up in his role of sympathizerSmylla on her bony shoulder      ,  he dared to step to the cot and pat

.  She gasped.  In all likelihood, no one  had touched

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