Aleis kept his blade extended, though he did flinch.  They outnumbered him, and they were as drow as he.  Still, their blood would likely protect him more from them then them from him.  On the other hand, none of them was having a migraine-like attack of past and future.  "You'll have to forgive me if I don't trust you enough to lower my blade.  Drow we both might be, but I am a proud traitor to my kind."

"I am Aleis'tyth Vor-Bananomid, formerly of T'lindhet.  Now who are you, and why should I believe you?"  There was a harsh venom to Aleis's sharp question, almost like he had already decided not to trust the small squad of drow warriors.

Keeping her own blade at the ready, Meeka replies in kind.  "I am Meeka, Sword Maiden and Protector for the Lady Arminna.  What you choose to believe is your own concern, not mine.  You have approached us with blade, fire and challenge and we have not chastised you for your ill manners.  If that does not sway you as to our peaceful intent, then I suggest you move on and leave us be."

In reply to Meeka (msg # 823):

"Wait - let us inquire about this fellow traveler - Aleis - where do you come from?  How come you here?"

The figure Arianna was talking With Approaches "I give you this much as to their good intentions, I am an Eladrin" He waves towards himself in self reference.

"If they meant any Ill, I would sense it MY divinations have allready confirms their good intentions" He states

Bows slightly "My apolagies for not geting your approval before performing these divinations my Friends , but I prefer to err on the side of caution, Im sure you understand"

Aleis's brow furrowed at the probe.  He didn't trust them, and they thought to learn his past?

Any thoughts of the drow perhaps being interested in bloodshed or collecting whatever bounty Aleis had hanging over him started to pass with the wave of the Eladrin's hand.  The creature's presence among the evil creatures either meant the unfathomable - that the eladrin had been corrupted - or that the drows' intentions were indeed not vile.

Aleis's sword lowered slowly, the flames gone as fast as they had appeared.  It would be foolish not to trust these drow, if they were vouched for.  Ungrounded bias was not a logical path.  "Then well met, friends."  The word had a strange taste to it, as though Aleis were still getting used to using it.

"You asked where I came from.  I fled T'lindhet rather than let myself be a simple patsy in aristocratic power plays.  I rather like travel, as it turns out; I have a growing report with the denizens of this place for services I can afford them.  And yourselves?  Your names would suffice as a start.  Perhaps later you might see fit to elaborate on your stories, and me mine."

Arminna released a sigh as she opened her eyes again, wondering if she would ever get some time to meditate.  Standing up, she turned to the newcomer and said "Greetings, Aleis.  I am Arminna Xun'sohna, servant of the Dark Maiden.  I bid you welcome."

The eladrin puts his own sword down too.

"It is good to have so many guests in one day" he comments.

It took longer than usual to his sword sheathed, but Aleis managed to get it back without cutting himself.  It was hard enough to trust one drow; a large handful was beyond unreal.  "A pleasure.  How did you all... how is there such a large group of drow who have turned their back on our society?  I got out by the skin of my teeth, and I'm sort of a unique case.  How did all of you manage to yourselves free?"

Meeka looks irritated at Aleis'tyth's query.  "We have not turned our back on our society and while I am under oath, I am free.  We maybe at war with the Dwarves and the Gnomes, but that's only because they seek to claim our territory as their own."

Arminna takes a step toward Aleis.  "There are many who have shunned the darkness and welcomed Eilistraee into their heart," she says.  "And as you can see, you are not alone in this."

Meeka's words made Aleis itch for his blade again, but the drow prepared a far more savage attack.  The preparation hardly seemed worth the sharp stabbing pain Aleis felt from his fugue, however.  If they hadn't turned against the drow, how could they be welcome by an eladrin?

Arminna managed to clarify that with one word.  Aleis had heard of Eilistraee, but typically used as an expletive.  No - as an outright profanity.  Regardless, the truth was hard to believe.  "I just mostly figured that Eilistraee worship was mostly a theoretical crime to be used to punish rivals.  A community?  Never.  And I'm not the religious type but...would you mind if I tagged along and made myself useful?"

The Ghalee sighs "I myself was and am a Servitor of Eilistraee... I transgressed on the prime... I Broke my peoples ancient law against giving direct proof of my nature, to save a hundred lives.

In reply to Aleis'tyth Vor-Bananomid (msg # 832):

"I suspect Aleis is from a different realm than ours - *very* different.  Almost a 'mirror image' universe..."

Jhaelnya pauses

Shes a somewhat visibly older Drow, looking middle aged, and has a missing Leg.

"If youve explore the planes to any depth you'll find that most gods tend to attract a few Truly faithful into their realm while still living, entire generations of Gnomes, halflings, goblins, or Drow, are born, live, grow old, and die within their gods realms.

SVartheims population, only grew, with the sundering, many of Eilistraees Followers fled to her Realm, it seemed a safer place then the prime... some authoritys even suggest thats part of what incited the current war against the Dwarves... Others think its just a tragic consequence of living in Ysgard, a plane DEVOTED in its very essence to Warfare."

She nods at X'ander "On that we agree, I think"

Arminna smiled and nodded.  "Very well, then," she said.  "We can all introduce ourselves to each other at evening meal.  Now if you don't mind, I would like to resume my meditations," she added, moving back to her spot under a tree.

"Oh, yes; I am from the Prime.  Faerun, specifically.  I take it I am alone in that, then?"  Aleis glanced from face to face.  As long on his own as he was in the different realms, that fact should have been less surprising than it was.  That meant he was all the more lost.  Good.  "But...you speak as though you have no knowledge of the Queen of Spiders....  You are all all the better for it, take my word on that."

Arminna nods to Aleis as they are eating around the evening campfire. "I was raised on Faerun, but I do not know if I was born there," she said.  "I was found as a baby by the priestesses of The Promenade of the Dark Maiden, which is near Waterdeep, where I was raised in the ways of Eilistraee.  When I became a Dark Lady, I was sent to Svartalfheim to aid in the struggles there, which is where I met my dear friend Meeka.  But I feel that now Lady Silverhair has sent me on a new path to explore the planes, and by her grace I have met new friends."

Eladrin sighs

"Would you like a chance to test yourself in Battle, and maybe do a little introspection while your at it?" Asks curiously

"I could show you to Lloths Grove." He pauses

"Its a spot where Aurashne tainted Arvandor as she was Cast out

Either the evil Magics she used, were so mighty, that the Seldarine couldnt cleanse the site... Or else theyve chosen not to, leaving a single patch of pitch black evil in otherwise pure and good Arvandor." He sighs shaking his head

"Which it is I cannot say, I do know that natural spiders, when taken into the grove mutate, and slowly but inexorably, become Gigantic and far more vicious.

Celestial Forces Purge the site regularly but... if you'd like a chance to fight against some relatively weak foes side by side?" he offers

Meeka shakes her head.  "As I have before and will do so again, I'll fight when needs be.  My mission is to protect Arminna, not serving the Celestial forces in cleaning up their messes.  If the Seldarine have chosen to leave the area uncleansed, the I'll ot second guess them.  If they are unable to cleanse the area, then we have little hope of doing so."

Rolls eyes "Meant to practice, not to permanently cleanse it, one reason why I think it may have been left on purpose, it gives an influx of dangerous, yet nonsentient creatures, that simply need to die. its a cheap way for warriors to test their mettle"

Arminna thought over the Eladrin's proposal.  "I am here to explore the planes, and to possibly find some answers," she responded, giving a brief thought to the drow maiden's ghost.  "I have no need to test myself, but if the rest of you wish to go there I would not object," she continued, looking over the group.

"Any infection left unchecked risks further damage.  I would happily purge the location, if only because someone must.  Is it far from here?"  The male asked, bringing his hand up to his forehead and pressing on to it.  He had a vague idea of where they might go, but he knew not to trust such inklings.  They always led to something, but not always what Aleis was expecting.  "I would be glad for the company and assistance, if the rest of you are so inclined as to participate."

Arminna thinks over what Aleis said.  "Very well then, I suppose we can at least give the area a look-see," she replies.  "What do you say, Jhaelnya?"

She smiles earnestly "To look, with my own eyes, to stand on my own foot" Emphasizes humorously the term Foot rather then feet "On the site of one of historys greatest Tragedyys?" She asks rhetoricaly

"What Bard could resist?"

"Fine then,"Arminna says with a smile.  "We shall head there in the morning, after a good night's rest.  But I'm not tired yet, so does anyone else wish to introduce themselves, or share a story?"