>>5423888“To bow to a god—any god—is heresy here. It will ruin the chances of my favoured candidate, destroy my house. Unless…”
“Unless?” you press.
“You must show the other elves your might,” she says.
You hesitate, but shrug.
“If it is a matter of flashing these swords, … And if they will all understand MY claim to them…”
“They won’t,” she interrupts. “If the Drow see this sacred weapon in your hands, they will deny the truth of it… Especially and Prince-Ascending whose claim it threatens.”
“I’ll MAKE them acknowledge it,” you growl.
“Then they’ll swarm you, and take it by force.”
“They can TRY!” you all but bellow… But then, you calm yourself again.
“What do you propose?” you ask.
“A trial. A… Great labour.”
“Is slaying two ancient elven enemies with my own hands not enough?” you scoff.
Really, now…
The Queen laughs, a small sound, and regards you with a touch of the old bemusement. Your youthful impudence, perhaps, reminds her that you are not a god yourself—just their champion.
“Nobody saw the one, and only MY supporters saw the other. You must undertake a task which ALL Drow of merit and worth can see—every Prince-Ascending and Princess-Consort with potential to one day be a Queen or King-Mother.”
She offers you a few options, which she things would be worthy. What do you choose?
>There is a terrible beast who dwells in the lake—oasis that it may be—and has been known to snatch up Drow from the shores… You could swim out, or boat out, and slay it [Lowest difficulty, least dramatic]>Among the ghouls who stalk the Drow graves, there is a greater-one, a Ghoul Supreme, who is said to have intelligence and great might… And even some necromantic power. Maybe you could put an end to it for good? [Medium difficulty, mysterious implications]>Among the surface-elves, there is one forest-glen hated more than all the others—a group of pink-hued surface-elves who remembered the Drow, when all others forgot, and who dedicated a sacred order to their suppression… And order with a gateway-keep, and a stalwart old ‘paladin’ of sorts, who has never been bested [Higher difficulty, mysterious implications]>You hear the Elf-Queen’s words, but you are not satisfied with any mere labour to prove your worth indirectly—you will take your blade to the meeting-place of the Princes-Ascending, unveil it, and challenge any of these ‘worthy’ elven males to take it… On penalty of submission to YOUR rule! 