The howling winds above the outskirts Shadowdeep were especially gloomy Karkiom noticed.

From the burning depths of Khyber steaming vapors would flow towards the surface causing winds
in the never ending caverns. Not that Karkiom had a great understanding of geological reasons for
these winds, he only knew what the stories told. It was said that when Khyber were especially
hungry, the winds would blow their strongest. This was one of these days.
Something about the whole situation felt wrong, but the rest of the raiding party was cheerful. It had
been a good hunt, no casualties, and the deal with the drow was solid. The drow were conniving and
vicious, and many would say untrustworthy, but the yautja had a different opinion. You could
always trust a drow to hunger for power. The trick was to make the drow believe that you weren't a
threat in their power game.
Two live carrion crawlers (the drow would love them for they paralyzing mucus), one adult wyste
(a specialty in certain taverns in Shadowdeep) and three live phaerlocks (strong, dumb and good at
safeguarding watery passages). The yautja frowned upon killing of the weak, and none of these
creatures were anything near worthy opponents. However, selling them to slave labor was thought
normal. Some would say a favor even, to strengthen them. Because who knows, maybe someday
you would face an old captive for a good old revenge show down.

The trait off was to be held in a hot spring facility by the edge of the massive cavern. The small
establishment was controlled by vodyanoi, these frog like bipedal didn't own the place of course, a
drow aristocrat from the city did. But their inborn talent for water manipulation made them perfect
workers in the hot springs. Maybe the drow aristocrat had plans to use the phaerlocks here.
Wealthy merchants and travelers filled the hot baths, away from the ramshackle monster of city in
the horizon. The lichen that grew in the hot springs gave the entire place a warm, but alien, emerald
glow. It was like a walled oasis. A beacon of cyan light that contrasted the enormous dark city.

It was a sight when the yautja hunting party entered the gates to the springs. Even the battle
hardened orc guards would give the massive yautja a wide berth. The yautja didn't order to them,
they had a special rights and the orcs knew this. Dark scaly armors glinting in the lights from the
pools. The silent warriors would pass through the crowd with determined gait. Carrying with them
their captives in matching dark chains.
The compound was big, and divided into several zones where the customers could be alone, and
pretty much do what they like. Many brought slaves with them to the pools. Mostly for special
needs, but according to the laws of Shadowdeep prefecture, the fate of a slave was up to it's master,
be it good or bad.

Karkiom frowned upon the fat and lazy merchants as he passed by. Unworthy meat sacks
slumbering in their pools. If the end times came, all these pathetic deepers would be the first to fall.
His thoughts wondered sometimes. Karkiom wasn't the clever yautja, but he had a solid
understanding of the world around him.
Soon the group arrived at a walled area withing the establishment. An orc guard was stationed there,
he kept his pose as the intimidating yautja came closer. From the shadows near the closed gate came
a small person, wrapped in a black and silver lined cloak, a drow of course, perhaps a servant of the
people the group needed to trade with. Karkiom wasn't the leader the squad, he wasn't the one to
handle bargaining s, and therefor didn't know the drow. Monirak leaded the pack. Unlike most
yautja hunters he had a silver tongue. It was why he was the dominant, in the face of a chaotic
battle, he could rally the group, and the hunters respected that more than battle prowess. Monirak
had saved each individual of the group a handful of times. His status had earned him a dread helm
from the smiths of the clan. It's gleaming red eyes foretold disaster to any opponent of the pack.

“Welcome Monirak Kiwath of the Scaleslay clan” the drow addressed the yautja leader. ”Ever so
courteous dear Saloth Sar” Monirak mused sarcastic. The drow drew a sinister smile. Monirak
removed his dread helm and the glinting red eyes in the visor faded. The two obviously knew each
other. The drow motioned to the orc to open the gate and continued “right on time as always
Monirak?”. “Of course, I would never let my most respected benefactor wait, it is bad for both our
businesses” Monirak replied, sounding almost sincere. Saloth Sar ate the compliment like a slice of
tender rhothe steak.

The gate opened into a big yard, with a corresponding gate on the opposite side. Karkiom scanned
the surrounding cavern ceiling and estimated that it might lead to the exit of the complex. Within
the yard stood two other drow, both clad in extravagant glamor weave clothes. Hues ranged from
red to orange sprawled their black garments, increasing and decreasing in power as the warm winds
blew into the yard from the open gate. Behind the two drow was two enormous black furred
minotaurs, both armored and wielding huge axes. Saloth Sar motioned to the orc to close the gate
behind them as Monirak continued toward the two drow. When he came closer he kneeled and
murmured some courteous greeting Karkiom couldn't distinguish. Saloth Sar continued in his wake,
and took place a few steps to the side of the two aristocrats. Monirak stood up again and motioned
for the slaves to come closer. As procedure dictated, one after the other was brought forth and was
bargained for. Karkiom was brought forth one of the carrion crawlers. The mindless predator was
shackled, gagged and its tentacles bound, in this state it was nothing more than a weak human sized
worm. Karkion dragged it towards the aristocrats, as he came closer he held his head low as
instructed. It infuriated it Karkiom to bow his head to these weaklings. How can pretty clothes
protect you from my spear? He thought. Lost in thought again, Karkiom wondered for split second
why Saloth Sar drew his blade glinting mithral blade. Then his face was splattered with the blood
from the drow aristocrat...

A roar boomed through the courtyard as one of the minotaurs suddenly went berserk. Swinging it's
axe at the closest creature it could reach, one of the drow aristocrats was cut in half splashing warm
blood all over Karkiom and Monirak. Karkiom leapt to the side, evading the second swing from the
giant beast. For split second he thought his predictions about the drow's garments was right, it
couldn't resist the swing of a mighty warrior. Karkiom, on the other hand, was confident he could
stand a swing. The raging bull man charged him, drow entrails still clinging to it's mighty axe. The
adrenaline fired up in Karkiom again, as if ready for a hunt in the marshlands. As the minotaur
bored in on him, he quickly reacted and skewered its stomach with his long spear, sending it
tripping back a few steps. The surprised minotaur stood there for a second, it looked around as if
confused, then suddenly a furious rage took over it again. The hit was obviously far from enough to
keep the beast away, but enough to give Karkiom some time to gather his bearings. He noticed the
other minotaur go into spasms as his own opponent came flying at him once more. Something was
meddling with the fragile minds of these big beasts. It didn't seem like anybody else had noticed
this.
Before he could look around for the culprit, another fatal swing came in. Luckily minotaurs pack
more power than precision, and he managed to push the strike aside with his shield, sending sparks
flying as the metal connected. Karkiom did a counter attack and jabbed at the minotaurs head. This
time it dodged the attack, spun around, and hit Karkiom with the flat side of the axe, sending him
flying into the wall. Karkiom could hear his armor grind and crack, as it took the worst of the
damage from the impact with the wall. He noticed the wall gave way, it was obviously not as solid
as it looked. More like straw framework fortified with clay and limestone. He quickly kicked up
from his prone position and awaited the great beast to charge him again. Although intelligent, a
minotaur bore too much resemblance to a wild animal, and Karkiom had years of experience with
beasts. It didn't take much goating to get the horned giants attention, and as quick as before, the
black monster came at him again.
As predicted, the fragile wall was no match for the minotaur, and the momentum of the brute send it
flying through it, as Karkiom passed away from it's attack. He smirked beneath his dark iron mask,
the opposite side of the wall led straight to a hot spring area, with fat merchants of various races.
While the beast was struggling with the debris, trying to maneuver it self back to it's former fighting
pose, Karkiom quickly closed in on it's back, sending an array of deadly jabs at it's vulnerable back
side. With each attack, the minotaur roared in pain, and it's dark blood spurted out over the dusty
debris. The sight send the fear struck merchants scrambling towards the gate out of the enclosure.
Karkiom knew the fight was far from over, and he needed to gain some ground over the massive
beast, if he was to stand a chance against it. Behind the minotaur Karkiom noticed one the
illuminated pools. Before the beast could turn around, Karkiom was on it once more, and with all
his strength and will, he ended his barrage of juts with one final powerful thrust to it's ribcage.
Though bearing a lot of force, it was not the deadliest attack, but it pushed the beast into the pool.
Clumsy and armored the minotaur flailed around with it's massive axe. The emerald pool turned
crimson as chunks of fur and flesh came off it. “Having a hard time charging, are we bull man?”
The strategy was perfect, with his superior reach, Karkiom could push the beast back if it tried to
leave the pool.

Before long the rage faded in minotaurs eyes. Karkiom felt like it was only the domination magic
that kept it standing, huffing with exhaustion in a pool of it's own blood and entrails. “You fought
like an animal, and deserves to die like one” Karkiom boasted under his helm. With a upper hand
swing, like forester cutting wood, he cleaved his spear into the forehead of the beast. The hard skull
cracked open easily, and the spear sunk into it's soft brain. The minotaur stood for a second, then
fell backwards in a sitting position in the pool, sending small waves of fur and blood over the sides.
As Karkiom withdrew his spear, with a pull from the chain in it's end, a sudden uneasy feel came
over him again. He snapped out of his battle stance, he had been so focused on this single opponent
that he had forgotten all about his pack. He couldn't hear fighting anymore from the yard where he
came from, and ran to the hole in the wall.

What met his eyes was a gruesome sight. Lifeless bodies everywhere. His brethren laid lifeless
scattered across the gravel, the second minotaur laid slain amongst them, the two drow aristocrats
was literally splattered out over the ground, and the slaves was either gone or dead as well. On top
of the pile of dead bodies stood Monirak, one arm missing, fending off a monstrous being looking
barely humanoid. At first glance it looking like a giant pale humanoid being, hunched in a beastly
pose, pincers instead of hands and feet like that of a lupine. But instead of a head, another pale
gaunt being was stretched over its back, spine against spine, giving the creature an upside down
head with long pale hair, hanging down from it's head, like a mockery of a beard. It held Monirak,
with one of its massive pale pincers, by his good arm. It looked like the pack leader was barely
conscious and the fiery eyes in his dread helm was all but embers. As the monstrous abomination
held Monirak, it's stretched throat began moving, and it's humanoid head began speaking. It was
obviously both painful and difficult for the creature to speak, and all that got out was hissing sounds
in an unknown tongue. Karkiom was frozen in his place, never had he seen such aberration. He
quickly scuttled over the ruble and charged at the beast. As he came closer he could get a better look
at the huge misfit and it's alien eyes locked with his for a second. Karkiom felt as if a thousand
worms dug into his brain, invading both his thought and his vision. Screaming he fell to the ground,
kicking about. He could see the creature, but was unable to control himself, as if the worms had
taken over his bodily functions.
The creature looked back at Monirak, and from below it's forehead suddenly opened a giant maw.
Stretching from one ear to the other, just above the hair line, gaping right into where the creatures
brain should supposedly be. Red veiny tentacles sprout out from the toothed maw and engulfed
Monirak. Karkiom flailed on the ground, he was helpless, while his esteemed leader was being
consumed by this unearthly beast. The countless times he had been saved by this man, he could not
let him end his days in such a unworthy manner. Being eaten by this? This thing?
A surge of energy shot through Karkiom as the eldritch energies of his verve armor activated. The
mental worms was washed away with the power from the armor, and as slick as the tongue of a
drow, Karkiom sliced at the creatures tentacles. The cowardly creature spun about in pain, dropping
the lifeless body of Monirak. Karkiom was surprised when a set of smaller arms suddenly sprouted
out of the creatures body to attend to the wound in it's mouth. As if the body stretched over it's back
had hands of it's own. Mighty as it might have been, the creature obviously didn't like pain, and
with unnatural and alien movements it scurried towards the wall away from the compound. But
Karkiom was not satisfied with an enemy retreating in a fight, and threw his mighty spear at the
creature. It pierced it's pale skin by the leg and sent blood splattering all over it's pale body. He held
the chain of the spear tight as the creature tried to move away. Unnatural amounts of blood gushed
out of the creature and an alien smell of decay and iron spread out over the battlefield. It nauseated
Karkiom, and he felt worms starting to bore in his mind again. The creature, turned around, it's two
mouths gaping, one with bloody tentacles hanging out. Karkiom fell to one knee, the worms won
over, and the beast chuckled at him, blood spurting from it's hissing mouth. “What are you
mongrel?” Karkiom moaned, dropping his spear and shield. The pain was intense now, and his
vision became cloudy. As if the worms was digging in his eyeballs.
“I am the beautiful nightmare of my father” the creature hissed, barely able to use it's stretched
vocal cords. Then Karkiom's world became worms...

He woke with a agonizing pain in his brain. He could hear he was at a silent place, but the mental
wound was throbbing in his head, giving him a ringing sensation in his ears. He held is burning hot
head with his hands, trying to numb the pain. After the sweat and pain receded, he heard a voice talk
to him. “Finally awake?” the voice sounded familiar. It had a distinct drow accent and suddenly
Karkiom remembered the battle. “Saloth Sar?” He asked. He looked around. A blue bracer was
burning nearby, giving off very little light, but a fair bit of warmth. “Yes yautja, it is I. It seemed
like we three where the only survivors of the attack.” Karkiom looked around, they where in the
caves now, in a smaller tunnel, and by his side laid Monirak. Still, but alive. “How did you manage
to get us out of there?” Karkiom asked while looking around for his weapons. “The gods favor me,
they taught me a trick or two” The drow mused. Forgetting all etiquette Monirak had taught him,
Karkiom quickly grabbed the drow my his collar, and pushed him up against the wall. “You think
this is a humorous situation, drow? You might like to see the blood of your own kind spilled, but we
are not as coldhearted. Show some fucking respect or I will bleed you!” Karkiom spat at the drow.
The aloof smirk on Saloth Sar's face dissipated, he had never experienced yautja talk to him in that
manner. It was quite intimidating actually. He scuffled away, brushing of his clothes. “No, but you
could at least acknowledge my skills you brute. I saved your life, calm down for Khyber's sake, you
should be relieved” He replied, frowning.

The two sat there for a moment, looking around, then Karkiom broke the silence. “So what do you
think we should do?” He said, in a relaxed manner. “First we need to get Monirak back to your
camp. Then we can take it from there. I need to stay out of dodge. My house will think I was behind
the assassination...” The drow explained. “Assassination? It wasn't an assassination, it was obvious
an open fight! You drow are messed up, you know that right?” Karkiom interrupted. Saloth Sar
continued without looking up ”...Then I need your help to gather proof that it wasn't my doing. Your
word is obviously not enough...” Saloth Sar stopped, and looked up, he had unintentionally insulted
the half giant again, and was ready to dodge a thrown fist. Nothing but a cold stare came from the
yautja however, and Saloth Sar continued to explain his plan. “I need your help, you must go to the
city and find evidence. Figure out what the hell is going. The aberration we fought today was
nothing less than a daelkyr minion!” Saloth Sar punctuated, and made a very dramatic stop in his
speech. He awaited a reaction from the yautja warrior, but Karkiom obviously had no idea what he
was talking about. “Well, let's be on our way then.” The yautja replied casually. Still waiting for a
suitable response, the drow kept seated for bit with his mouth open. Karkiom looked at him.
“What?” he asked. Saloth Sar looked up as if motioning to the gods to guide him. “Nothing” He
replied, hopelessly. “I will tell you about the daelkyr on our way back to your camp.” Then they
left.