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XullraeZauviir โ€” Xull'rae by Nobodyno1

Published: 2010-07-31 22:44:26 +0000 UTC; Views: 4800; Favourites: 85; Downloads: 128
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This was a commission I paid for. The art is by ~nobodyno1 This was a scene from Xull'rae's Plight.

Roughly five minutes had passed since Cogliostro and his small entourage took their leave of Narbondel's Shadow. In their wake, the Inn's proprietor hastened to pass a message along to Xull'rae right as she prepared to leave. How he had known her identity, cloaked as she was, had not been revealed; the room was filled with no less than forty of the proprietor's regular, somewhat loyal guests. Xull'rae figured it would not be to her benefit to cause a ruckus in order to find out.

Reviewing the message let her know it came from a certain bladesinger that she had come to know, and it asked her to meet him at the ramshackle dwelling he'd managed to procure for himself in the Stenchstreets district as soon as was possible. Sighing loudly to herself, Xull'rae wondered what the damnable male was doing here and what he wanted now.

Xull'rae left the tavern and moved her way carefully through the crowded streets. Her steps were deliberate and slow as she did not want to bump into anyone or have her cloak brush against dirty bodies. The Braeryn always made her skin crawl and her nerves shy away in pure disgust. She, from a noble house, could not stand this hovel of a place. Xull'rae didn't consider herself snooty, as living in the wilds of the Underdark for a time taught her to appreciate what she had, but she still could not pity those that chose to live this way. It was why she came to hate Menzoberranzan, it was ruled by fear; fear of change.

As expected in such environs, the odor of decay, sweat, and other less mentionable things proved nearly overwhelming to Xull'rae's senses. Though she kept her identity largely hidden, most of the creatures residing within the Braeryn were shrewd enough to figure out she was not one to be trifled with. She was but a short distance from her destination, one would think the journey would be a quick one. However, the streets were far busier, and more crowded, than she could remember. She had wind around so many mobs of the filthy, disease-infested slave races and outcast drow just to make forward progress.

At last, the description of the small spire that comprised the bladesinger's home was in her line of sight. The once-grand sculpting along its walls was now but a shadow of its former glory, covered in every manner of unmentionable fluids and gore. Xull'rae's amber colored eyes surveyed the home of the calling male, a frown creased her lips beyond the cowl of her piwafwi. Tiny feet carried her confidently inside.
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Comments: 39

jks-7 [2024-02-10 03:26:04 +0000 UTC]

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femelushka [2013-10-04 20:57:46 +0000 UTC]

nice

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elDrow [2012-12-11 18:37:22 +0000 UTC]

The colors are very smooth in this piece, so that it makes it blend with anything else. I'm still wondering if it is 3D or not XD. It's very well done. The background - very familiar setting to me, I'm sure you know why. Which begs the question after reading it, when did she become so lose around these parts? Is is she still disgusted by them? It's interesting, as Grey comes from there XD. So, it made me curious

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XullraeZauviir In reply to elDrow [2012-12-11 22:33:38 +0000 UTC]

Thanks for the fav Sweetie.

I believe it's digital. Remind me to send you the full file when next I see you on skype.

Yes I am well aware Grey came this section of the city, looking back at this picture now I see she did an excellent job on depicting the poverty I described.

Xull'rae became very familiar with the Braeyrn of Menzo throughout the course of our campaign, as this is where the portal leads to from the Tower of Masked Mage in Sshamath, so it became a headquarters of sorts . . .but as you know the campaign stopped and disbanded before we could do what we had planned.

4th edition cannon ruined everything. Mike likes cannon so we stopped because we could not reach a consensus on what to do, but the plan was to amass an army from the slaves and vagabonds plus the entire tower and its allies from the other churches of Vhaeraun to invade and conquer the great city of the spider queen.

Xull'rae was one of the field agents, mostly (spy) but because she was a woman and a true priestess of Lolth she was one of the commanders. Her job was to infiltrate the enemy, establish a house and work the way up the ranks and then strike once she got a seat in one of the 8 houses and strike from within.

She is a devious thing . . .

As you know Oblodra was third house. Xull's personal plans was to reach third seat once again, reclaim the oblodra name and announce Vhaeraun's intentions when she struck, so not only does she get the honor of spouting her true faith, but the glory of resorting her name and the love of not hiding in secret anymore.

She would probably die in battle but she would go down happily knowing she achieved such greatness for her family, friends, and her god.

Because Xull'rae, her dream come true would see Lolth dead, her city's burn or conquered and the spider queen's grip of fear on her people let go. It's why she still hates the Stenchstreets. It is ruled by fear, fear Lolth and her priestesses cultivate and Xull'rae loathes it with every fiber of her being . . .

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elDrow In reply to XullraeZauviir [2012-12-13 03:12:53 +0000 UTC]

Ohhhh right, the portal. So it was used more often than not. Probably had to stay in the Braeryn a couple of times or meet contacts there. It would've been hard to pull the slaves into it after they were used so savagely in War of the Spider Queen. They took heavy loses back then, and I'm assuming that their hatred for any kind of drow grew as well.

I mean, think about it. You as a slave believing in the words they told you to then have no back-up whatsoever and being abandoned when the fight could've been conquered. It wasn't the slaves who backed out that time. There, I think, is an inner hate growing over the fear that they once held for the drow - they have already seen they could die, and by the masses. What was it? "Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate... leads to suffering" Yoda. XD

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XullraeZauviir In reply to elDrow [2013-01-10 00:23:01 +0000 UTC]

Well it wouldn't have been hard if WotC hadn't endorse how the other gods handled Lolth silence. I mean really? Selvetarm beating the shit out of Vhaeraun was utter BS IF you look at base stats and portfolio's of each god.

But I digress. The portal still remains, in fact where it stands is where Cogliostro met his demise because he tried to destroy it. Never got played out though, nor the invasion of Menzo. Xull'rae was to lead. You know her she would have been diplomatic to the slaves and saw to it they'd have a hand in rebuilding and acclimating to the new society, but never got to see light of day.

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elDrow In reply to XullraeZauviir [2013-01-10 17:47:18 +0000 UTC]

It makes sense in two ways:
- Surprise attack using your most powerful attack can work if the roll is good XD. Other than that, Selvetarm had always been shaping his skills, growing. Vhaeraun is a rogue in all the senses - supposed to be squishy. Selvetarm is a fighter, pure fighter. Selvetarm was the patron of unequaled battle prowess and bloodlust. Selvetarm cared only for battle and destruction everywhere. So either his stats were... very... wrongly made, or he became better than what was stated. In a sense, I see it as the underdog gone wrong. His story is pretty damn sad :/
- Vhaeraun was in Lolth's domains... Selvetarm is Lolth's Champion. Even if a god goes "silent" the essence remains in their dominions, so to speak. He didn't really defeat him, though. We don't really know how the rest of the fight went "down", so... [shrug]. He stalled him. That was all he needed.

As for diplomacy with the slaves, I agree, though it would not be easy. They were used once, nearly annihilated once because of their hope and how they were toyed with. It would be a very difficult thing to do... but it would be awesomely interesting to try!

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XullraeZauviir In reply to elDrow [2013-01-10 18:46:28 +0000 UTC]

Here is another way to look at it:

1. WotC never keeps cannon in their novels when it comes to rules anyway.

2. They always play favorites. I mean look Lolth lives. Look at Mystra and the seven sister's bunch of Mary Sues the whole lot! All it was was a popularity contest. Nobody got to see what went down because WotC didn't care. Those two were set to die, end of story. To them the details didn't matter and THAT is what pissed me off. They had such good backstories, both of them, but we don't get to see any resolution.

Yes Selvetarm's story is sad, but again WotC does not address that, some people that read the books NEVER read the core books have no idea the depth of characters and again that is a massive peeve of mine.

3. Selv and Vhae were just scapegoats, while it was Eilistraee who got to take the limelight but she was a massive cliche. Good guy beats bad guy, but realizes she was couldn't be safe with such a corrupted new portfolio and so sacrifices herself for the greater good. You couldn't just make her neutral instead, really?

Like I said favoritism it's ALL it is.

Nothing with Xull'rae is ever easy but that never stops her from rising to whatever challenges await. She would probably lose a good portion of the slaves to the ensuing chaos but she's good at surviving and salvaging even if little remains. It how I know she can survive Vhaeraun's demise it's just a question of keeping her under surveillance. Easy said then done though. Grief and fear makes her do drastic things, like Benoni.

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elDrow In reply to XullraeZauviir [2013-01-10 21:06:41 +0000 UTC]

Very very true. I do wonder what comes out first, core books, rules and mechanics, or novels? They should go in par with each other. Salvatore has done great at following the core books. Lee Byers... Lee Byers showed us the transition between 3.5 to 4e in three awesome books. I don't think it's hard to keep up with the established lore. That there has to be some changes, and that some things needed to be kept the same, I agree. I don't know, but something tells me that the rage would've been bigger if Lolth died, or if she died and they played on Mystra's card to bring her back. One way they could've approach this was on War of the Spider Queen. Lolth dies, gets her chosen one, comes back... as in... nothing seems amiss. It was all part of the plan kind of thing. It gives time for other deities - like Vhaeraun and Eilistraee even Sev - to shine until the chaotic bitch came back in some awesome way and shows Lolth as the devious thing she truly is, inserting her back in 4e, where her children would have to fight against her, or suffer exile... or something... It would have been interesting to play with that.

As for Eilistraee's sacrifice, something like that for her death was to be expected, but the way it was executed... Bleh... That is my personal opinion... Just Bleh... XD She was a great concept, a wise and strong woman placed between family hatred. One would think she was tugged by all sides - her mother's manipulation, her brother's lies and illusions, her father's love but distance... That stuff hardens you, or breaks you. I liked to think that it made her tougher... But a certain author didn't see this -_- It was hard to believe that after consolidating hers and his brother's followers, she'd just decided to sacrifice herself because of the porfolio being too evil to take... That's BS. She doesn't sound like the kind to simply die for something so selfish. Neutrality was a choice, or, letting go of certain parts of Vhaeraun's porfolio, or lock them away. It is possible. Cyric stole some of Masks' domains. So yes, they can be lost, tucked away... and THAT would've been another great stories... think, shards - living shards, gods fighting to attain those parts, or steal them, shards as items that would've led to adventure books...

But no :/ If I could fix this all, I would. All of this happened in 3.5. 4e is about to move on to 5e. 4e is playing with the rise of the drow to the surface and 5e is still a baby. There's time to fix it, or mend it. 5e can continue the work - a transition. We'll see... They are putting more attention on drow now, so we'll see...

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XullraeZauviir In reply to elDrow [2013-01-10 22:15:07 +0000 UTC]

Lets hope WotC can fix it. I'll wait and you keep me updated. But stuff like what they pulled is why I never bothered to try to get hired by them. They utterly disgusted me and I'll be damned if I let such a greedy company that dumped all over their fans take my ideas and leave me in their muck like they did Ed Greenwood.

But yes your ideas and mine are similiar, their was so much they could have done with them all. Cause they were family . . .SHOW that, show the dysfunction, the love, the hate, the anguish. I would. I should.

Fans keep telling me to pull Xull away from Forgotten Realms and write her elsewhere, publish her even and I keep replying I can't. WotC could and probably would sue.

Laele was half baked in the war of the spider queen series, my version of her, she's strong and vicious, so I know I could write what you described with Loth and her kids rather easy. I've been playing drow for over a decade. Their twists and evil are literally second nature to me now. I'll probably play with some ideas. Might have to post them on my boards, might be too dark for DA. I'll see.

Gotta write them down so I don't forget them.

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elDrow In reply to XullraeZauviir [2013-01-23 04:48:46 +0000 UTC]

[shrug] I don't know, really... I don't know. I saw Greenwood playing D&D Next with Perkins as DM a couple of days ago. Rob was there too... playing a halfling with a spoon... XD It made my day, I swear.

And yes... you should. Taking Eilistraee to a more realistic level is what should have happened. I mean... seriously... she was the referee, good at words to stop any drastic moves... for centuries. I see her as a wise goddess who has great love and hope for her mother and brother. She must see something that Lolth doesn't often show to believe that... damn it... to STAY with them. Same with her brother. I know what it is to be in a situation similar to hers. You lose hope after a couple of months without evidence. Eilsitraee was not simply determined. I believe that her hopes were founded on something that was never told.

As for writing Xull in another setting... [shrug] I don't think WotC would sue. They're not Bethesda XD. I do have scattered notes for a world under creation. It will be somewhat different. Dark elves won't be entirely the same, and I've been tempted to place Grey on it. It's kind of funny, but I used a lot of my own folklore as a Puerto Rican... I don't know. Maybe I'll continue it and show it to you once it is properly organized XD

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XullraeZauviir In reply to elDrow [2013-02-22 22:57:31 +0000 UTC]

Well if I ever put Xull'rae in another setting I'll still have the dark elves as a whole look different than her as her concept was to loook vastly different than someone typical of her species. I would never change the years I spent on her design, I've worked too hard on it. 12 years is a long time and with so many copycats of her out there now, it gets harder and harder for me to keep her fresh.

I still find her damn gorgeous though, no other red head drow will ever compare to Xull'rae, at least in my eyes.

And YEEES show me your world. Do you need my help to organize it? I'm good at keeping notes.

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elDrow In reply to XullraeZauviir [2013-02-23 16:40:25 +0000 UTC]

No. I agree!

Well, I'm figuring out on how to make the drow. Thermal vision is nifty, but I'm not sure if they would or should have it. Blindess is more realistic, while sonar would give them clarity of vision, but it is haaaard to write person who is blind - imagine an entire race. So, I'm not sure. I'm still trying to figure it out. I believe that most of them will be evil, based on their society and the myths of the Carib Amerindians. I will use some of the original context of the dark elves - they used to make nightmares so maybe they collect or feed on dreams or something of the such. Or use dreams as portals, something something.... I'll have to check what to do with it, lots of stuff.

As for the Spaniard XD... I already got Captain Colรณn XD. It will be somewhat different - more based on Rond - but it should be a fun write up. They're not going to be Spaniards of course, but all of it will be closely related as I'm putting some of my own folklore into this.

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XullraeZauviir In reply to elDrow [2013-02-23 17:23:02 +0000 UTC]

Hopefully you are writing this stuff down somewhere so you can keep it concise and organized?

Blind would be hard. Maybe have them see like bats? Or see things like in a blacklight spectrum? So normal light and other sources of light actually hurt them or WILL blind them?

The dreaming aspect reminds me of Xull'rae's goddess concept, remember? The weaver of dreams and nightmares. She is unable to sleep and therefore unable to dream, so is fascinated by dreams vs the memories she is forced to reflect on while in reverie.

Maybe this is a way they can see clearly, through the minds of others when they take/give dreams?

Goes with Xull'rae's psion concept too.

I look forward to seeing what you come up with.

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elDrow In reply to XullraeZauviir [2013-02-25 18:02:41 +0000 UTC]

Yes. I've got some notes... not exactly concise, but I'm on it XD. Between building this world and build Winterhaven into FR in a way that makes sense - the Nentir Vale can be placed pretty much anywhere in... anywhere XD, but I want to keep it clean - I'll be pretty entertained. I would like to post my ideas for this new world I'm creating in the forum and have you guys point out things and whatever

And yes, I'll write those ideas for dark elves down

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XullraeZauviir In reply to elDrow [2013-02-27 05:27:24 +0000 UTC]

Do you need me to make a new forum for it?

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elDrow In reply to XullraeZauviir [2013-02-27 14:41:08 +0000 UTC]

Oh yes! Lots of history research, but I will be able to ask around and I know some of them have already given me ideas. I can keep on collecting them and putting them on order to build this thing

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XullraeZauviir In reply to elDrow [2013-02-27 20:09:58 +0000 UTC]

Done! It's under the main fantasy category at the bottom (under the fantasy storyline's) but I can move it anywhere.

I can also change the name and especially the description. I just put in filler for now. So please type one up so I can insert something proper on the outside of the forum.

Enjoy!

[link]

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elDrow In reply to XullraeZauviir [2013-02-28 17:17:34 +0000 UTC]

I still don't have a name for it and much less a short description. I'll think of it as it goes and then try to find a name for the world itself XD

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Match25 [2012-09-25 23:53:16 +0000 UTC]

very pretty

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XullraeZauviir In reply to Match25 [2012-10-15 21:56:00 +0000 UTC]

Thank you!

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yakkingyetis [2011-02-13 18:09:44 +0000 UTC]

wow you have commissioned a lot of people !!

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XullraeZauviir In reply to yakkingyetis [2011-03-13 02:22:51 +0000 UTC]

Yes I have and still continue to commission others!

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yakkingyetis In reply to XullraeZauviir [2011-03-13 18:14:27 +0000 UTC]

wow its amazing you do that, you must be rich lol

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XullraeZauviir In reply to yakkingyetis [2011-08-18 21:17:22 +0000 UTC]

No, not rich, just invested in my character.

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yakkingyetis In reply to XullraeZauviir [2011-08-19 05:48:35 +0000 UTC]

that's inspiring.. i'll wait for your game

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XullraeZauviir In reply to yakkingyetis [2011-08-19 19:05:57 +0000 UTC]

I WISH I could make a game with Xull'rae as the main character.

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yakkingyetis In reply to XullraeZauviir [2011-08-20 07:09:41 +0000 UTC]

haha sure you could it can afford to commission someone to make it : )

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XullraeZauviir In reply to yakkingyetis [2011-08-20 19:53:42 +0000 UTC]

Know anybody who does that?

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yakkingyetis In reply to XullraeZauviir [2011-08-22 04:11:30 +0000 UTC]

you can post a job on Elance and many people will bid for the job : )
just me play for free when its done? : )

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XullraeZauviir In reply to yakkingyetis [2011-08-22 18:37:22 +0000 UTC]

If I ever get it made, we'll see.

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yakkingyetis In reply to XullraeZauviir [2011-08-23 09:30:29 +0000 UTC]

i'll hold you to that : )

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DameOdessa [2010-08-11 15:05:39 +0000 UTC]

Splendid!

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XullraeZauviir In reply to DameOdessa [2010-11-05 22:57:01 +0000 UTC]

It is isn't it. The artist colors really well. Thank you for the fav!

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littlegoblet [2010-08-02 08:58:08 +0000 UTC]

a very neat and classy, confident and ofcause sexy outfit buddy. I realy like how you can see the glimps of the slummy street she was walking through. If I lived in that area, just looking at her would tell me that she appears to be a woman of wealth and high status. I wouldn't mess with her either.

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XullraeZauviir In reply to littlegoblet [2010-11-05 22:55:39 +0000 UTC]

Yeah I let the artist design Xull'rae's outfit as she wanted. I swear Xull'rae has the biggest wardrobe . . . The only one that is repetitive seems to be her armor for obvious reasons.

Thanks for the fav! I find this outfit sexy too.

Yeah this was a real good scene to portray and the artist did a fine job. She gave it a poor and creepy feel to it. I hope to get more scenes drawn in the future. It's more fun with all the details in my opinion.

If I saw Xull'rae I'd die cause I'd stop and stare, she really hates that.

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littlegoblet In reply to XullraeZauviir [2010-11-08 11:21:03 +0000 UTC]

lol so no staring at Xullrea then... Just peeking lol

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Kadajo [2010-07-31 23:25:12 +0000 UTC]

Lovely

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XullraeZauviir In reply to Kadajo [2010-11-05 22:49:17 +0000 UTC]

Thank you. I'm glad you like it.

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