Lloth, sitting upon her spider throne, watched with interest the goings on at the Promenade. She smiled in glee as the Matron confronted her brother and the great renegade Zaknafein. Chaos would indeed rule, and perhaps she might be able to allow House Daemon N'a'shezbaernon to reclaim a bit of its' lost honor.

A disturbance in her portion of the Abyss caused her attention to go towards a glowing blue portal that had opened up in front of her. Ever looking for a way out, the denizens that she kept swarmed about it eagerly. Annoyed, she struck several of them down with her barbed whip as the diety Eilistraee entered. The surface loving drow goddess looked around with disgust and a glowing blue shield of force immediately sprang up around her, causing the denizens to chatter and growl in spite.

"Greetings, Queen of Chaos." Eilistraee greed, causing the spider Queen to look at her with surprise and annoyance.

"You realize that with a few words, I could take away that precious bit of protection and let my demons at you." she replied, matter-of-factly. Eilistraee shrugged.

"Oh stop it. We have better issues to discuss." the regal goddess of surface loving drow said, moving on with her reason for coming. "I know you, you desire nothing more than mass chaos. If Briza kills Drizzt and Zaknafein, you are duty bound to allow House Daemon N'a'shezbaernon some honor to save them from utter destruction, no?" she asked. Lloth looked at her with a bit more tolerance now, idly lashing an approaching denizen in response. Eilistraee took this as a clue that the Spider Queen was listening and continued.

"Perhaps if it was allowed for Briza to only defeat Drizzt, not Zaknafein, and she was defeated herself, you may acquire the degree of chaos in Menzoberranzan that you desire." Eilistraee suggested. "Then I would guess that the House would surely fall."

"Why do you ask this of me? All of those drow rightfully belong to my realms, what interest have you of them?" Lloth asked, curiously. Eilistraee shrugged.

"I have a score to settle with that particular renegade, Zaknafein Do'Urden." The surface goddess admitted. Lloths' eyes glittered with a strange light as she pondered this.

"Would your priestess destroy mine?" the spider goddess asked. Eilistraee shrugged. "Why would I allow that?"

"Perhaps she would not be destroyed, only sent back to her House. In defeat, mind you." Eilistraee suggested mildly. "Unfortunately, as Mielikki also has a claim to Drizzt, she would not be able to take him back with her as proof. Therefore, you may do what you wish with the house. It would only be by killing Zaknafein also that she would save herself." Lloth looked intrigued and nodded in satisfaction.

"I hear that Mielikki grows tired of her drow paladin anyhow, I'd be doing her a favor." Lloth agreed. "Briza never really did have a claim to Zaknafein, so I would see it only fair that if you have a score to settle, you may have him." she told Eilistraee. The spider goddess then got a sly smile on her face.

"You know," she said as the blue portal opened up behind Eilistraee, preparing to let the surface goddess out. "you really would make a proper Underdark drow goddess." she told her with a grin. The regal goddess shook her head in distaste.

"I prefer light to the dark." she said, backing into the portal. "I trust you will keep your word." her voice said as the blue light disappeared. Denizens howling in annoyance, Lloth sat back in her throne and smiled.

"Of course, my dear, of course." she said in response to the last question. "Then again, to deviate from a course of action a bit is even more chaotic." she murmured to herself, looking back into the scrying glass.

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Chapter 6