Chapter 34: Wandering Drow
Dark Maiden.
She is a very special deity, as she is the only good-aligned deity among the Drow.
The Dark Maiden is a goddess filled with melancholy and sorrow in her heart. In addition to protecting all good Drow, she also safeguards those Drow who long to return to the surface world and live in peace. The hearts of most evil Drow burn with rage against this good goddess, yet for those striving to escape the Spider Queen’s web, she is a welcome ray of hope. The Dark Maiden has a love for beauty and peace, but she does not hesitate to retaliate against those who try to harm her believers. Her appearance is that of a tall, n*ked dark elf with smooth, tender skin and long silver hair cascading down to her ankles.
She is often referred to as the “n*de Woman” and is a remarkable good deity.
Unfortunately, she is dead.
She is the daughter of the Elven Deity and the former Elven Queen, and now she is also the daughter of the Spider Queen; in the end, she died at her mother’s hands.
The Spider Queen remains the ultimate victor; she killed her daughter, the former Dark Maiden, and seized her divine power and position, thereby unifying the Drow of the Underdark completely. No deity has ever caused Soren such dread; the Spider Queen is the only one who has. He still remembers the terror of serving this evil goddess and her various capricious demands. If women’s nature is fickle, then the nature of a goddess is even more so; the Spider Queen is someone whose thoughts can never be fathomed.
The Dark Maiden unwittingly became part of the Spider Queen’s betrayal plan in the past and was subsequently exiled by the Elven Deity.
She protected the good Drow and those who wished to return to the surface world, once having many followers and believers in the Underdark. However, after her fall, these individuals faced the merciless slaughter of the Spider Queen, and the Elven Deity attempted to accept some of her believers. However, disputes seemed to have arisen later on; other elves could not accept these once-fallen kin. In Soren’s memory, the final fate of the Dark Maiden’s believers, priests, and followers was tragic; if they were captured by the Spider Queen’s priests, they would endure inhumane punishments, perhaps even being transformed into spider-like monstrosities.
Soren was truly surprised!
He never expected to encounter Drow in the overseas region. Moreover, they appeared to be from a certain family branch.
To adapt to life on the surface, they seemed to have mixed their bloodlines with humans.
Upon hearing Soren’s words, the Drow in front of him showed a hint of sadness in his eyes. He gazed silently at Soren, seemingly indifferent to the curved blade resting against his neck.
There are many tough Drow, as their living conditions are quite harsh.
Perhaps due to their racial talent, male Drow are skilled fighters. Female Drow have an advantage in spellcasting; their tradition dictates that only females can become priests, and even among the Dark Maiden’s believers, the majority were female priests. The other party silently regarded Soren, bearing an almost transcendent understanding of life and d*ath in their eyes, full of weariness and weathered experience. One could only imagine how much hardship they had endured. However, when he saw the curved blade in Soren’s hand, his gaze changed involuntarily, revealing a glimmer of excitement!
“Icebane!?”
He spoke slowly, his voice hoarse. He was speaking in Elven, and this pronunciation caught the attention of the other two companions. Upon seeing the curved blade in Soren’s hand, astonishment appeared on their faces, and they surprisingly knelt before him. The lead Drow, with a look of excitement, gently touched Icebane before quickly retracting his fingers as if shocked. Then he humbly lowered his head towards Soren, saying, “You are the master of Icebane! Please accept my humble respect!”
Icebane?
Soren paused for a moment, then looked at the expression of the Drow, slightly furrowing his brow, as if recalling something.
It seems that the previous owner of the legendary curved blade Icebane was a legendary-level Drow who held great prestige among the Dark Maiden’s followers. If these Drow in front of him were indeed believers of the Dark Maiden, they might truly recognize this curved blade. However, the Dark Maiden had fallen so long ago; how could they still maintain their unchanging faith?
These fellows really have resilient will!
“Perhaps it’s useful for them?”
Soren thought for a moment and then looked at the Drow before him, directly asking, “Where are you from? How many people are in your tribe? Why are you here?”
The Drow in front of him hesitated slightly at Soren’s series of questions. However, after exchanging glances, they slowly told him the story. It turned out that after the Dark Maiden was killed by her mother, the Spider Queen, their tribe began to flee the Underdark. Some of them were taken in by the Elven Deity, but in the end, they still faced divisions due to their inability to integrate. Another group, upon arriving in the surface world, mixed their bloodlines with humans, resulting in a batch of Half-Drow. For instance, those in front of him have a quarter of human bloodline.
These Drow had a hard life!
Having lost the Dark Maiden’s protection, they became completely helpless, pursued by the Spider Queen’s priests while various surface powers offered them no kindness. After all, Drow are born as evil beings, and many races cannot coexist with them; even many elves harbored hostility towards them after a long struggle. In the end, they had to migrate continuously, experiencing numerous relocations, until they found a small space for survival in the deserted overseas region.
However, without the guardianship of their deity, their numbers dwindled and their strength weakened.
Even though they have many excellent warriors, in battles against some indigenous people’s tribes, they may not even gain the upper hand. Having lost their deity, they lack the support of priests, have no heritage or knowledge, and it is difficult for them to give birth to wizards. The remaining spellcasters consist of only a few sorcerers; in this world, without spellcasters as a backing, relying solely on a group of excellent warriors is unlikely to change their predicament. They lack food, weapons, and various supplies, and they are still not adapted to the primitive and barbaric environment. They have no means to resist various monster attacks.
These three secretly used spells to disguise themselves as humans to come to Shipwreck Bay, originally planning to quietly purchase a batch of supplies to get through this difficult time. Unfortunately, they underestimated the cunning of human gangs, and during their operation, they inadvertently exposed themselves. The result goes without saying: they were surrounded by several times their numbers and captured by the Sea Wolves, subsequently imprisoned in a cellar. The Sea Wolves likely have no idea how to handle these Half-Drow.
Indeed, it is a tale of bl**d and tears.
If a tribe loses the protection of its deity, it is already fortunate to survive, and living a good life is almost impossible.
Without a deity, there are no priests; without priests, there are no divine techniques.
Having lost healing divine techniques, without the blessings of temples, and missing a large number of spellcasters, it is almost impossible to sustain the growth of a tribe relying solely on a little inheritance from sorcerers. The more they weaken, the less ability they have to cultivate wizards, and in the end, they may end up becoming nothing but warriors. Spellcasters are always essential; otherwise, Soren wouldn’t be honored as a spellcaster. A tribe’s elite fighting power must include spellcasters, and their existence serves as a deterrent similar to nuclear weapons.
Can I recruit them?
Soren pondered a question. With his understanding of Drow, he knew that these individuals are naturally inclined to obey the strong, especially when they are trapped in their current situation. However, a Drow tribe, even if weaker, would still be stronger than his current self. Considering the innate rebellious nature of Drow, unless Soren could display sufficient power, he might indeed struggle to recruit them.
He fixed his gaze on the Half-Drow in front of him and spoke solemnly, “How many of you are left?”
The Drow in front of him hesitated slightly, then said, “There are more than eight hundred of us, with over half being warriors.”
More than four hundred Drow warriors?
Soren’s eyes suddenly sparkled with excitement, feeling very thrilled, as these were nearly tier-three warriors, and it would be quite normal for a few tier-four warriors to emerge with some training.
He contemplated for a moment and then said solemnly, “I will give you a cargo ship, along with some personnel; it will be filled with food, medicine, weapons, and supplies, which you can take back to your tribe.”
Surprise!
Incredible surprise!
The three Drow looked at Soren with incomprehensible eyes, and then they unexpectedly fell to their knees as if on the verge of tears, burying their heads deeply into the ground, exclaiming, “Thank you, Your Excellency! … Thank you very much! …”
It seemed they were indeed enduring much hardship.
With racial barriers, a strange environment, and unable to trade with other beings, it is extremely difficult for them to live in the primitive and wild overseas regions relying solely on self-sufficiency.
Because there are too many dangers there.
Soren looked at the Drow before him, paused for a moment, and then said, “These supplies should be enough to last you for a while, but the path ahead will still need to be chosen by you. Without the Dark Maiden’s blessings, you may not even be able to defeat the indigenous peoples, and for certain reasons, I can offer you assistance, but only this once.”
“As for your future, it will depend on your own choices.”
“It won’t be long.”
“I will also launch an expedition to develop the overseas islands, and I hope you can give me the answer I want.”
Soren slowly stood up.
Then, with a wave of his hand, he ordered the subordinates nearby to prepare a cargo ship and supplies for them; this island is stocked with a large amount of goods.
………………(To be continued ~^~)
