Chapter Two: The Will of Oggaroth
by Dharzhal T'Ar
I returned to the Temple with the head of my mentor in a bag and placed the trophy on the Pentagram of Blood. Kneeling, I offered a prayer to Oggaroth. In moments, the head disappeared completely, leaving only bloodstains as a reminder of the deed. He was pleased. To my amazement, he spoke to me yet again: "You have done well, but I sense a hint of remorse in you, Dark Elf. You must learn to put away such things. They are signs of weakness. You must be utterly pitiless to succeed. The Elder gods were of such mettle, and I thwarted them. Now they are stronger, more united than ever, and they owe it all to me, yet they are discomfited. You must not allow any emotion or feelings of conscience become a snare to you in this way." I bowed my head and dared to reply: "It is of the humans that I learned such things, especially one.. Velkyn. He helped me escape the prison of my doom in Targrancimon, my home." "Yes, I know this. I know your heart, Prince of the Dark Elves. It is natural to be grateful for aid.. only let no such thing deter you from your duty. One day you will have to make a choice with this Velkyn, to allow him life or death, and you must be prepared for it."
In my mind's eye I beheld the human he spoke of, a slave, captured in a raid on the surface world. He was headstrong, but skilled enough to command other servants in my household, and so received the appointment by me. It was he who risked life and limb (the slow and excruciatingly painful tortures of the Drow females are renowned!) to rescue me from the prison where my vengeful sisters had placed me, to await execution, for the murder of a rival, a sister older than I. She had expected to receive the usual ascendancy as the matron mother lay dying, but, in a move quite without precedent, my mother chose me instead. In a rage she secretly sent her assassins to kill me, but I eluded them, confronted her, and killed her instead. Of course, my other sisters saw their opportunity and condemned me for murder. While the murder itself means nothing to us, or Drow law, I failed in that I was caught in the very act. As I languished in the house dungeon, after torture, this Velkyn (which in Drow tongue means 'hidden'), quite voluntarily slipped past the guards and freed me. A few loyal guards aided my escape, and I led Velkyn to the surface world.. his home. I considered slaying him, but did not, and to this day, I cannot explain why. Oggaroth's voice interrupted my reverie. "You have much to do, Prince. I bestow upon you the title of Priest. You will be my only priest, and I will speak only to you, albeit rarely, from now on. I will be watching you, and will direct you with visions. You will inscribe my principles in books, so that followers can learn my ways. Gather to yourself those of like status: outcasts, villains, renegades, for they are the true purveyors of change, chaos, and destruction, in this world. Know ye this.. this world is marked for destruction by my hand! I will come one day, as Avatar. I will be the Destroyer. When I am finished, nothing shall remain of it, and no one left alive, save those loyal to me. I will then regenerate this world along lines of my own choosing, and ye all shall be its gods." "I hear and obey, Master." I bowed even lower, my face to the dank, gory stonework on the floor, then left to do the bidding of my god.
