Kayla Warcrest

A small campfire is built at the base of a trail in the Graypeak mountains. A band of traders are pitching camp and prepairing for supper before heading off to bed. There newest travling companion hobbling around the campsite on his crutch, his knee bandaged but healing nicely trying to help in where ever he is able. There stomachs filled they lean back and trade stories of the places they have been, the adventures they have had and the people they have seen. One human, who has remained quiet through most of the tails speaks up finally. "I've a tale to tell if your interested about how I came to be travling with you and the woman who saved my life." His companious laugh and make a few lued comments before being silenced by the steely look of his eye's. "Tis not that kind of story and I wont have anyone speak of her in this fashion, if you want to hear then be still, if not then ill keep my peace and retire for the night." After a few muttered appoligises and urges to tell his tale he begins. "It was a stormy night and I will admit I was quite lost at the time when I met her. Ya see I was taking a short cut through The High Forrest from Kheldell to Beirun that a merchant had told me about the privious week." he chuckles and say's, "Well it must of been two or three hours bast sundown and I was stumbling through the forrest trying to find shelter to get out of the blasted storm when I slipt and fell down a muddy incline. After a few moments of chatching my breath I realized that my left knee was hurting somthing awfull. I started complaining to Aeridin about his little display and the mess it had gotten me in when I noticed a bit of movement in the bushes ahead of me. Now call me a fool but my temper was still raging at this point and my common sence was taking a brief rest, so bold as ever I picked up a stone and threw it into the bushes and told who ever was watching me flounder around had better get there backside over there and help me up." The human takes a swig from his drink and chuckles to himself before he continues, "Well out of the bushes he did come but it wasnt a friendly sort who was having a good laugh at my expence, no sir it was one of the largest and ugliest oger's I had ever laid eyes on." He looks around at his companions as he describes the beast.

"He stood over twelve foot tall he did, long wicked looking claws, one big tusk sticking out of the left side of his mouth and carying the largest cudgel I have ever laid eyes on. He looked none to happy either and thats when I noticed the cut and trickle of blood comming down from the right side of his forehead. Seems my rock had struck true after all." The human chuckles to himself again and say's, "Well I was for sure I was a goner then and started praying to Aeridin, asking for forgivness for the harsh words I had just said and to protect me in my moment of need." The human shakes his head and pauses for a moment, reflecting the events then continues. "Right about then the beast started lumbering towards me raising that giant stick above his head, and me here on my rump trying to scramble backwards up a muddly wall. Thats when it happended. Out of nowhere arrow after arrow started sprouting out of his upper torso. The big thing roared in rage and looked at me in a fury but then the arrows started striking into the creatures back. Even for a stupid orger it didnt take him long to realize it wasnt me shooting him full or arrows." He drains his mug then had has it quickly refilled by his entharlaed companions. "Well the big brute turned around roaring with flustration trying to find his attacker," He pauses for a moment before continuing, "And thats when I saw her. Out of the corner of me left eye I saw a silver haired drow appear from the bushes and launched itself onto the beasts back it did! The ogar started roaring and swating at the drow with its free hand trying to dislodge the creature but to no avail the drow kept stabbing it with its sword repeaditly untill finally over fell the ogar dead as a post."

Sitting there stairing into the fire the human is silent for a moment then continues. "I sat there and staired at that ogre's dead body for awhile before me head started working correctly and realized that I might not be so safe after all for somewhere out there a drow was learking. Well needless to say I was a bit out of sorts and not thinking clearly so what did I do but said, 'Thank you for saveing me who ever you are, I thought for sure I was a dead man.', ya, thats right, I thanked the drow for saving me. It stuck me what I had said and how rediculious it sounded for I must of been its next victim so I started to panic when all of a sudden I seen her step out of the forrest in front of me smiling!! I thought for sure she was going to kill me and was enjoying my foolish comment when I recived my third shock for the night. She said, 'Your welcome.' and proceded to walk over and lean down to examing my knee. Well I sat there like I had been turned to stone to shocked to move. She introuduced herself as Kayla Warcrest and said she was an outcast from her people as she didnt believe in there evil actions. Still to shocked to think stright and baffled at this drow rambling on about her life story to me a complete stranger I didnt notice what she was doing till it was to late. She was trying to keep my mind occoupied while she prepaird to set my knee. With one quick movement she twisted my knee and shoved down on it popint it back into place. As I started to scream she jumped up and forced a liquid down my throught and held her hand over my mouth. She told me as I was trying vailny to get away from her and quickly losing consciousness she told me she had given me a potion that would make me sleep for a bit and take the pain away. As I fell asleep I remember seeing thies big kind eyes stairing down at me.

When I next awoke I was laying on a blanket covered by a thick animal skin slightly proped up on my backpack near a campfire. It wasnt raining and the ground was just slightly damp. I also noted that my clothing was missing and that they had been washed and was now hanging from a line in the camp. I also noticed that my knee had been bandaged and placed in a splint to keep it stright. As I was laying there I noticed Kayla kneeling down next to the campfire cooking somthing in a pot. Without ever looking in my direction se suddendly said 'I see you are awake now, I was begning to think you was going to sleep the week away.' Well it took me a couple of moments to find my voice and ask how long I had been asleep and she told me that I had been sleeping for three days now. She filled a bowl and brought it over to me and said that I needed to eat somthing to help regain my strength. I thanked her for all that she had done for me and once again I saw that lovely smile of hers as she said I was welcome. As I sat there and ate I finally managed to work up the courage to ask her about what she had said about being driven out of the undark. I could of sword she blushed when I asked her!! After a moment she looked at me and told me her story.

She was born into a minor nobel house in one of the Underdark's smaller city's. Growing up she was just like any other drow child, scheaming against the other children, working various petty little plots to increase her own reputation with the other children untill one day one of her little plots went horribally wrong. On the outskirts of the city there was an area known as Baraeon's Nursery as there were many deep holes that the spiders used to birth and raise there young. She had lured a girl from a rival house out there under the pretence that they were going to harvest some spiders to sell there poision at the market to make them selves some coins. The real reason was that Kayla knew this girl was deathly affraid of spiders and wanted to force her into a situtation where she would be forced to reveal her secret and Kayle would have somthing to blackmail her with when ever she needed to. As they were entering the nursery Kayla said they should split up so they would cover more ground faster. She then wated a few minutes before following her companion to watch the show. Unforntally the girl was even more terrified then Kayla new and begin to panic, as she turned around to run out she sliped and fell into one of the holes, just bairly managing to grab the top of the hole and keep her head above ground. As Kayla ran over to help her she saw the little spiders swarming up out of the hole onto her companions face and the look of sheer madness that appeared there before she let go to try and brush the spiders off of her plunging herself down into the pit. Horrified of what had just happended somthing changed inside of Kayla. Sickened by what she had done she ran home to tell her mother. With tears streaming down her face she told her mother what had happended and was shocked when she was not punished for killing her companion but for crying about it!!! Her mother actually congratulated her on such a devious little plan but chastised her for showing weekness in giving simpithy for a rival's death. But it was to late, seeing the pain and anguish she had caused made Kayla take a different look on her life.

As she grew up she became more and more discusted by the way her people acted towered each other and expecially how they treated all other races who they caputred to use as slaves or 'entertainment' though she was smart enough to keep thies fealings to herself for she knew if anyone learned of her fealings she would be killed. She began volunteering for every chore or job that would send her away from everyone for any length of time. As she reached her one hundered and twentieth year she was mostly put to guarding the slave pens before they were sent to the slave markets to be sold. The suffering she witness and the plain horrow the slaves lived in was starting to tear away at her very soul untill one night a new batch of slaves from a raid the night before was delivered. As she watched the slaves one human woman suddendly went into labor and gave birth to a healthy baby boy. Kayla watched in wonder as the woman started weeping and begging the others in the pen with her to kill her child so he would not know a life as only a slave. Hearing the womans please to spare her child in the only way possible somthing snaped inside of Kayla. She made her way through the small compound slaying all the other drow on duty and finally returning to the slave pens where she started unlocking all the pens. Standing in shock the humans looked at her unsure of what to do untill she entered the last pen when the new mother. As she knelt down becide the her she brushed her hair back and told her to cry no longer. With hope in her eyes she asked Kayla what she was going to do to them. As she stool Kayla told some of the men to pick her up and carry her and head back up to the surface as fast as they could.

As the slaves fled back up toward the surface Kayla returned to Baraeon's Nursery and stood over the hole that had started it all so long ago. As she was working up the courage to step into the pit a most preculior thing happended to her, Weither it was from fatiuge from running, or just the breaking point of being under so much stress Kayla collapsed at the base of the opening and recieved a vision. She found herself sitting on the surface next to a small campfire somewhere in a forrest. Across the fire from her sat a lovely dark elf woman who was watching her intently with sympathy in her eyes. 'What troubles you so that you wish to take your own life my child?' the woman asked of Kayla. Beyond caring what happended to herself, only wishing for an end to her pain she didnt react to the sudden change of scenery or the strangly friendly drow sitting across from her and simply answered, 'I am tired of living a lie, I am tired of pretending I agree with what my people do. All the petty bickering and plotting, all the sencless death's, the slavery, the greed. If this is how my life is to be then I no longer wish to live.' Az'atta looked upon Kayla with sympathy and said, 'But there is another way my child. Flee to the surface this night and make your place among the surface races as I once did. It will not be easy at first but if your actions are just and honerable they will accept you.' The goddess stood and walked around the fire and huged Kayla. At this jesture of compashion and accpetance Kayla broke down and cried for the second time in her life. Hugging this woman Kayla asked between sob's 'Who are you?'. As the goddess gentely stroked Kayla's hair she said, 'My name is Az'atta my child, and I have come to show you a new path.'. Shocked at hearing this Kayla droped to her knees and beged, 'Forgive me great mistress for I did know it was you.'. Az'atta knelt down and lifted Kayla's chin, looking directly into her eyes while asking, 'Do you wish to Leave this evil place and give your life to the greater good in service of me?.' It only took Kayla a moment of thought before saying, 'Yes great mistress, I will serve you and work for the greater good.' With that Az'atta helped Kayla to her feet before telling her, 'Go now and flee this place. Make your way to Hlint where others of our kind reside.' With that Az'atta placed a necklace around Kayla's neck with a symbol on it. 'Wear this so that all know who you searve and that you walk in the path of virtue.' As Kayla peared at her new symbol Az'atta steped backwards and slowly started to fade away, before she vanished she left Kayla with one last bit of encourgement. 'Know that I am with you alwayse my child and that I have great hopes for you as your heart is truly pure. Go now.' And with that Kayla slowly woke up laying next to the open pit though one thing had changed, the necklase was still around her neck, proof that what she had was more then some wishfull dream.

As Kayla finished her tale I saw her playing the necklace that I had just now noticed was around her neck, the symbol of Az'atta cleary visible on the pendant. Turning to me now with a hint of tears in her eyes but a smile on her face she said, 'And that is my story human. I left the underdark not 4 days before I happended across you.' She chuckled and brought me somthing to drink, as I finished the brew I started falling to sleep once again I heard her say to me, 'Rest now human and know that you are safe, when you wake again I will see you safe on the road again.' And the next thing I knew I woke up in the back of your wagon As you had found me covered up, laying becide the road fully dressed covered up in this bear pelt. The rustle you heard in the bushes as you approached me I have no doubt was my savior watching over me till I was safe." Finishing the last of his ale he grabs his crutch and gets to his feat. "And that is my tale my friends but before I go off to sleep and dream let me give you this bit of advice, if you see a drow in need mabby you should stop to help. Some where down the line we half to stop and make a differance ourselves and accept others for there actions and not what they look like." With that the human limped off to his tent for a well diserved rest not knowing that high in a treetop above his head a pair of red eyes was smiling down on him and his companions.