>>5289112“Tell the dark elf that the most prominent God is the Serpent Ascending, and that the most prominent goddess is the Mother of Dragons,” you say.
Glowie claps her hands together and rattles happily at your choice of her ‘grandmother’, while the intellectuals nod and shrug; the Novice tilts her head, as if admiring the ploy.
It makes as much sense as anything. The Serpent Ascending is a masculine ideal, in many ways: the will to power, to self-improvement, to status and glory for oneself and one’s people. He but has always been favoured by social elites and battlefield commanders who aspire to boldness and great triumph at greater risk. The Mother of Dragons (and Bugs, admittedly) is a fickle and flighty being, evidently, but she is also a protector, a defender-of-the-home, a rearer-of-young, and easily the most preeminent Dark Goddess; very feminine, very queenly.
The dark elf scout considers this for a time, then nods sagely and says something.
“He says that the Mother of Dragons must be in-charge, then, given the season,” the Translator supplies.
“Sure,” you say, a little exasperated, “why not?”
It is a two-day journey into deeper darkness before you will reach the outermost elven encampment of any size, you are informed. However, along the way you pick up several other scouts, individually or in small groups. Some stay but briefly, conversing with the scout who leads you and watching you with wariness or interest; some join up with you. A few have with them large, hairy spiders, almost the size of the Junior Novice, or large earwig-like creatures. Glowie looks at these with excitement, particularly unsettled by the spiders; when they draw near, she clutches to your armour and hides behind you, drawing sniggers from the group. You get the feeling they think her your chosen patron among the elites, the daughter of some connection in the Serpent Priesthood… Maybe even a mate.
You occasionally get the half-formed idea that Glowie holds similar notions, but you maintain a safe distance from such dangerous ideas within the temple of your own mind and body.
As your journey deeper, what do you do? Choose only two (write-ins which combine multiple may result in reduced efficacy):
>Get the know the dark elves better, and learn their language and culture>Practice language lessons with Glowie,a n detach her your script [specify if you wish to discuss anything with her in particular]>Practice fleshweaving with the Novice>Archery practice with the lads>Attempt to commune with a Dark God (specify which, and what questions or requests you have for them)>Attempt to divine what lies ahead>Write-in 