Chapter 111: A Chaotic Offensive

Maya sat upright in the Matron Mother’s seat, gazing at the scene before her with a sense of profound satisfaction. Standing in her presence were the members of House De'n'ir, the drow warriors, all bowing their heads in humble submission, offering their respects to the youngest Matron Mother in the history of the house.

However, not every drow warrior felt the same. Many cast anxious, probing glances at one another. It was highly irregular for House De'n'ir to be left with only a single high priestess. In the drow military, the power of a priestess was often enough to turn the tide of battle. Moreover, priestesses were the sole conduits through which the drow communicated with the Spider Queen. If a house wished to retain Lolth’s favor, a large contingent of priestesses was essential. This was precisely why House Baenre continued to rule Menzoberranzan; Matron Mother Baenre commanded sixteen high priestesses, and her daughters and sons held leadership roles in both the Sorcere and Melee-Magthere, allowing the influence of House Baenre to permeate the entire city. Were it not for the fact that Lolth despised a static, unchanging order, House Baenre would likely have wiped out all rivals to unify the city long ago.

Yet, it was not merely the decline of the house that unsettled the drow; it was the presence of those standing beside the new Matron Mother. By tradition, only high priestesses were permitted on the holy dais to share in the Matron’s glory. Yet now, beside Maya, stood only Vyerna—a Weapon Master whose presence was barely acceptable—and that recently arrived Chief Advisor Mage, accompanied by three strange figures. More importantly, none of them were drow.

Enoa, Ilith, and Patilina stood beside Jan, observing the drow. Enoa wore her usual gentle smile, though her eyes flickered as if lost in thought. Ilith’s expression was complex; though she had spent years battling these drow in the city of Black Onyx, she would have sworn she would never stand beside a drow Matron Mother. As for Patilina, she grinned, eyeing the warriors with the curiosity one might reserve for a bizarre and exotic beast.

They had been brought here by Jan after Maya ascended to the position of Matron Mother. Jan claimed they were his summoned servants, a story Maya did not question. She was thoroughly blinded by Jan’s words, lost in a trance. Especially after the night of her ascension, the pleasure she experienced in the Matron’s chambers had caused her to fall completely under his spell. She now desired nothing more than to please the Spider Queen again, so that she might continue to indulge in that pleasure.

"Now, we must go to war!" Maya declared, her voice ringing out from the chair. The drow warriors exchanged confused looks. By all logic, they did not need to go to war. House De'n'ir was the second house of Menzoberranzan, second only to Baenre. Its prominence was unquestionable, and it had no need to attack other houses to improve its standing—save for House Baenre, and Maya was certainly not foolish enough to strike at them. They should be gathering their strength; as long as House De'n'ir could fend off attacks from rival houses, it would eventually recover.

Maya saw it differently. She believed the decline of House De'n'ir was due to her mother and sister’s lack of ambition, their obsession with past glories while ignoring the dangers from below. The former Matron Mother had been furious at the attacks from House Xorlarrin, but Maya felt it was only natural. This was the way of the drow; the House De'n'ir of old had slaughtered countless others to secure its second-place position. They should never have let their guard down against the lower houses. Her mother had ignored this, focused only on securing her own position—which was hardly the best way to please Lolth.

Now, she would strike first, obliterating the houses that watched her with ambition. With their blood and death, she would strike terror into the hearts of the petty, showing them the power of House De'n'ir and the strength of the goddess's favor.

"We launch our attack immediately! We depart in fifteen minutes!"

Maya’s voice echoed through the hall. The drow warriors exchanged glances, stunned by such an unexpected and abrupt campaign. Many looked worried—their new Matron seemed to lack patience.

Nevertheless, the long-standing drow tradition of obedience to their females compelled them to carry out her orders. The drow lived for battle; this was merely another facet of daily life. Vyerna quickly followed, moving to coordinate the forces as Weapon Master to ensure they reached maximum efficiency in the shortest possible time.

Soon, hundreds of drow warriors and kobold slaves departed the De'n'ir compound, slipping silently into the depths of Menzoberranzan. They did not know their destination, for Maya had only said "depart," and the drow followed, filled with doubt.

Their movements went unnoticed—or so it seemed on the surface. At first, other houses were merely surprised that House De'n'ir dared to mobilize, but soon they became utterly baffled. Like all other drow, they believed House De'n'ir needed no further raids to prove its status. Their behavior did not look like a raid, but rather like aimless wandering. It was not until Maya, accompanied by Jan and Vyerna, turned a corner and arrived before the compound of another house that she finally issued her command.

"Destroy it!"

Maya’s expression was manic, her fingers trembling. It looked as if she had pointed at a target at random, rather than a carefully chosen enemy. This mattered little to Vyerna, who had already prepared a strategy for this unexpected maneuver. Vyerna raised a whistle and blew a soft, soundless magical note that echoed in the ears of every De'n'ir warrior. In the next instant, the drow surrounded the fourth house’s compound, swiftly releasing thick, dark mists that enveloped the area.

The battle did not begin immediately, as the kobold slaves intended for the vanguard had not yet arrived due to Maya’s impulsiveness. However, this did not stump Jan. He simply tapped Patilina on the shoulder.

"It’s up to you."

"Leave it to me, Master!"

Patilina grinned with excitement. As a knight who craved battle, she was tired of waiting. To her, starting a war was the most interesting game of all. She raised her lance, and with her right hand, she gripped the air. A conical shell emerged from a trembling subspace dimension, which she loaded into her massive cannon. She pulled the firing mechanism hard.

"BOOM!"

The screaming projectile rotated, shattering the adamantine gates of the fourth house and bypassing countless traps, slamming deep into the heart of the compound without hesitation. Fire erupted, the earth shook, and the stalactite pillars began to crumble under the force, cracks spreading through the thick walls. With a single blow, Patilina had destroyed nearly all the traps and defenses—proving once again that destruction is always easier than construction.

The gathered kobolds surged forward, followed by hundreds of elite drow warriors. They poured into the compound, now shrouded in darkness and flame.

"What is the meaning of this?!"

The Matron Mother of the fourth house, having regained her senses after the dizzying impact, was furious. Like the others, she had been wary of Maya, but she assumed House De'n'ir was merely raiding a smaller, weaker house to show off. She never imagined this new Matron would be arrogant enough to attack her!

"Repel them! I want to see the destruction of House De'n'ir with my own eyes!"

The Matron Mother of the fourth house snarled her command. The three high priestesses in the temple quickly gathered around the statue of Lolth, whispering prayers for the power to destroy the arrogant invaders.

"BOOM!"

Before they could finish, the temple doors burst open. Raging flames mixed with lightning roared inside. Caught off guard, the high priestesses and the Matron cried out, shielding their eyes and stumbling back, lashing out with their snake-headed whips.

It was too late.

Enveloped in flames, Ilith stepped into the temple. She chanted a spell and thrust her hands forward. Dark red flames and magical runes swirled around her fingers and shot out, striking one of the high priestesses squarely. The negative energy fire erupted, instantly consuming the priestess's divine protections. The unfortunate woman collapsed, dead before she could even scream.

"You wretched maggots!"

The Matron of the fourth house, having recovered from the flash of lightning, grew even more feral at the sight of her daughter’s death. She pointed at Ilith, hurling vicious curses and lashing out with her snake-headed whip. The heads of the whip elongated, transforming into half a dozen giant, venomous vipers that lunged at Ilith.

But Ilith, a mage, was no fool. Flashes of magical light appeared before her, and a barrier of fire materialized, blocking the vipers. The Matron’s eyes widened in fury, but before she could act, a bolt of lightning streaked from the swirling dust, striking straight at her.

The strike was fast and brutal. Even the Matron could only raise her whip to block the charge. A flash of light and a thunderous roar followed, and the Matron was forced back several steps by the impact.

Before she could regain her footing, a figure appeared silently before her. A blade flashed. With a scream of agony, the Matron’s fingers, still gripping the whip, fell to the floor. Before she could shout again, Jan’s blade pierced her heart.