At long last, Kiaransalee made the move Eilistraee had been waiting for. The undead goddess moved a lesser Priestess piece out of the way, then pushed her Mother piece forward. From its new position, the Mother piece was poised to capture either the Priestess that had taken Lolth's demonic Warrior earlier, or the masked Priestess that had been the first of Eilistraee's pieces to move into Kiaransalee's House. If either of these pieces fell, it would open a path to the heart of Eilistraee's House.
The Goddess of Death gave a low chuckle, dry as dust. Her bones creaked as she sat smugly back on her tombstone. "Your move, Eilistraee," she said gloatingly. "Your last move."
Lolth nodded approvingly. "What a cunning web you've woven, Kiaransalee," she said in a voice as dry as Kiaransalee's own. "I can't see a single thing Eilistraee can do to counter it."
Kiaransalee missed the sarcasm. Eilistraee didn't. She saw the rise of her mother's eyebrow, the slight nod of her head.
"I make my own choices," Eilistraee told her coldly.
"That may be," Lolth smirked. "But you follow my lead. You always have, ever since Arvandor."
"Sacrifices are necessary, if the drow are to be saved."
During this exchange, Kiaransalee's expression sharpened. She leaned forward, her wrinkled forehead creasing in a tight frown. She turned her head back and forth, hollow eyesockets searching the board.
Eilistraee had to make her move. Now. Before the Goddess of Death spotted what was coming and found some new way to cheat.
Eilistraee scooped up the Wizard piece that had been standing at the very edge of the board and moved it. Swiftly, to the very heart of Kiaransalee's House. "Wizard takes Mother!" she sang, her voice a victory peal.
"No!" Kiaransalee rocked forward, her bony hands scrabbling at the board. She grabbed a Priestess piece, but it turned to mist that drifted away through her hands. She snatched at another piece, which likewise vanished. She tried desperately to move one piece after another, but they would no longer obey her commands.
"No!" she cried again, a long, fading wail. Her body began to crumple in on itself, curling and flaking apart like a rotting leaf.
"Yes," Eilistraee said firmly. She leaned forward and scooped Kiaransalee's Mother piece from the board. As the Goddess of Death shrank to a tiny, forlorn pile of tattered skin flakes, the Mother piece turned to ash in Eilistraee's hand. Eilistraee turned her hand palm-up, lifted her mask, and blew the ash away.
Kiaransalee was gone. Her domain lingered a moment longer. Then its tombstones cracked and crumbled, its graves sagged in and became empty hollows. As it disappeared, the domains of Eilistraee and Lolth came together to fill the gap. A single silver ring that had fallen from Kiaransalee's fingers rolled across the sava board, grew increasingly tarnished, then fell onto its side. Lolth leaned forward and touched it, and it crumbled to dust.
Once again, there were only two players. Mother and daughter, malice and mercy, darkness and moonlight-shadow-streaked moonlight from a moon half-waned, but moonlight, just the same.
Eilistraee stared at Lolth across the sava board.
"Your move."
DRAMATIS PERSONAE
Eilistraee's Faithful Qilue Veladorn (KIE-loo-ay VEL-a-dorn), one of the Seven Sisters, chosen of Eilistraee and Mystra, drow high priestess of the Promenade Cavatina Xarann (cav-a-TEEN-a zar-ANN), Darksong Knight, drow priestess of Eilistraee Leliana Vrinn (lell-lee-AH-nuh VRIN), drow priestess of Eilistraee, Protector of the Promenade, mother of Rowaan Miverra (miv-AIR-uh), drow priestess of Eilistraee Rowaan Vrinn (roe-WAHN VRIN), drow priestess of Eilistraee, head priestess of the Misty Forest shrine, daughter of Leliana Brindell (BRIN-dell), halfling priestess of Eilistraee, Protector of the Promenade Halav (hah-LAHV), drow priestess of Eilistraee, Protector of the Promenade Tash'kla (TASH-kluh), drow priestess of Eilistraee, Protector of the Promenade Chizra (CHIZ-ruh), drow priestess of Eilistraee, Protector of the Promenade Zindira (zin-DEE-ruh), drow priestess of Eilistraee, Protector of the Promenade Shoshara (show-SHAH-ruh), drow priestess of Eilistraee in the Shilmista Forest, aka the Forest of Shadows
Nightshadows Valdar Jaerle (VAL-dar JARE-lay), drow cleric of Vhaeraun, one of four who opened the portal between the domains of Eilistraee and Vhaeraun Karas (kah-RASS), drow rogue and Black Moon cleric of the "Masked Lady," formerly of Maerimydra Nar'bith (nar-BITH), drow cleric of the "Masked Lady" Gindrol (JIN-drawl), drow cleric of the "Masked Lady" Telmyz (tell-MEEZ), drow cleric of the "Masked Lady" Talzir (tal-ZEER), drow cleric of the "Masked Lady" Glorst, drow cleric of the "Masked Lady" in the Shilmista Forest, aka the Forest of Shadows
Kiaransalee's Cultists Cabrath Nelinderra (ka-BRATH nel-in-DAIR-uh), keening spirit, priestess of Kiaransalee, head priestess of the Acropolis of Thanatos
Lolth's Minions Halisstra Melarn (HAL-is-truh mel-ARN), sister of Q'arlynd Melarn, formerly a drow priestess of Lolth in Ched Nasad, later a priestess of Eilistraee, now Lolth's "Lady Penitent" Wendonai (WEN-doe-nie), balor demon, corrupter of the Illythiri dark elves
Residents of Sshamath Q'arlynd Melarn (KAR-lind mel-ARN), brother of Halisstra Melarn, battle wizard, formerly of Ched Nasad Eldrinn Elpragh (EL-drin el-PRAG), drow wizard specializing in divination, son of Seldszar Elpragh Piri (PEE-ree), drow wizard acolyte of the skin, apprentice of Q'arlynd Melarn Baltak (BALL-tak), drow wizard, transmogrifist, apprentice of Q'arlynd Melarn Zarifar (ZAR-ee-far), drow wizard, geometer, apprentice of Q'arlynd Melarn Alexa (al-ECKS-uh), drow wizard specializing in conjuration, apprentice of Q'arlynd Melarn Seldszar Elpragh (SELDS-zar el-PRAG), drow wizard, Master of the College of Divination, member of Sshamath's ruling Conclave, father of Eldrinn Elpragh Khorl Krissellian (KORL kris-SELL-ee-un), sun elf sorcerer of the College of Divination Daffir the Prescient (da-FEER), human wizard of the College of Divination Urlryn Khalazza (URL-rinn ka-LAZ-zuh), drow wizard, Master of the College of Conjuration and Summoning, member of Sshamath's ruling Conclave Gilkriz (GILL-kriz), drow wizard of the College of Conjuration and Summoning Jyzrill (JIEZ-rill), drow wizard of the College of Conjuration and Summoning Mazeer (mah-ZEER), drow wizard of the College of Conjuration and Summoning Darbleth (DAR-bleth), duergar metal crafter Klizik (KLIZ-ik), drow merchant, slave house proprietor Other Folk Laeral Silverhand (LARE-all), one of the Seven Sisters, chosen of Eilistraee and Mystra Flinderspeld (flin-der-SPELLED), svirfneblin gem merchant, formerly Q'arlynd Melarn's slave
About the Author
Lisa Smedman is the author of five SHADOWRUN(r) novels: The Lucifer "Deck, Blood Sport, Psychotrope, The Forever Drug, and Tails You Lose. She also wrote the novel The "Playback War, set in FASA's VOR: THE MAELSTROM universe.
Lisa has had a number of short science fiction and fantasy stories published in various magazines and anthologies, and has had two of her plays produced. In 1993 she was a finalist in the Writers of the Future contest.
Formerly a magazine editor, she now splits her week between working as a reporter/editor at a weekly newspaper and writing fiction. When not working or gaming, she enjoys hiking and camping with a women's outdoor club and collects stamps that illustrate the space race. She lives in Vancouver with her partner, and spends much of her time catering to the needs of their "blended family" of cats.