Exton

"Okay, brother, what's going on? You're not one to cry wolf…."

"When I was running I kept thinking I was seeing something... out of the corner of my eye. I thought I was imagining things at first, until I saw a gray-blue face fade into the trees. But then there's that signal they give to each other, that strange clipped warbling sound. They think the rest of the planet is too stupid to know of it. Either that or they have gotten so arrogant they don't care. I can't make the sound, but maybe Ky can, so you know what it sounds like. I don't like how close they are to the cabin. Granted, I doubt if they can get any closer with all our precautions. And I don't think they are about much when the sun is up, preferring to keep to the shadows."

I lean back and fold my arms, giving Tannr a quizzical look. "I get the impression you know a lot more about the Drow than I do - which wouldn't be hard. I basically know just that they exist and not much more than that. Care to share?"

Tannr smiles distractedly. "There's not a lot to share, Erik, but you're welcome to what I have. Some of what I'm about to say is fact, some is opinion; a lot is rumor and some is probably bullshit. The fact is, the Drow are the stuff of legends and it's hard to know where fact ends and legend begins.

You know, of course, that the Drow are called the Dark Elves. That's partly because of their coloration, which ranges from blue-gray to black - almost as dark as Keon - and partly because of their reputation as wielders of dark magic. They're said to worship a female demon called Lolth who takes the form of a giant spider. There are a lot of stories about Lolth-worship, and probably most fall into the bullshit category, but blood sacrifice is definitely a part of it.

The Drow are supposedly a part of the Unseelie Court, but word has it that Mab gave up trying to rule them a long time ago. They pay her token homage and she stays out of their business.

Truth is, the Drow are more like a cult than a tribe, like these lunatics here on Midgard that worship the Lords of Chaos. They're fanatics, and that makes them dangerous. They don't give a fuck about converting you to Lolth-worship… they'd be just as happy, or maybe happier, to sacrifice you to her.

Now this guy Nathlyn… he's a big noise among the Drow. The best I can tell, he'd be perfectly happy for both Courts to collapse - that way the Drow would be on top, and he'd be close to the top of the heap. So, you see, it's to his advantage if the Prophesied Child is never born, or once born, if he doesn't live long enough to become the Warrior."