war of the spider queen 1 dissolution

nferior　species。　Jumped　up　vermin；　really。　You　don’t　expect　Houndaer　and　the　boys　to　honor　a　pact　with　you　once　the　prize　is　won？　Dark　elves　don’t　even　keep　faith　with　one　another。〃
〃Fortunately；　the　prize　won’t　be　won　for　decades；　and　during　those　years；　I’ll　be　subtly　working　to　impose　my　will　on　my　associates。　Long　before　they　assume　the　rulership　of　the　city；　I’ll　be　ruling　them。〃
〃I　see。　The　fools　have　given　you　your　opening；　and　now　that　which　you　could　never　conquer　from　the　outside　you’ll　subjugate　from　within；　exnottending　the　web　of　pulsion　farther　and　farther；　one　assumes；　until　all　Menzoberranyr　are　mind…slaves　marching　to　your　drum。〃
〃Obviously；　you　understand　the　fundamentals　of　illithid　society；〃　said　Syrzan。　〃You　probably　also　know　that　we　prefer　to　dine　on　the　brains　of　lesser　sentients　and　that　we　share　your　own　race’s　fondness　for　torture。　Still；　some　of　your　folk　will　fare　all　right。　I　can’t　eat　or　flay　everyone；　can　I？〃
〃Not　unless　you　want　to　wind　up　a　king　of　ghosts　and　silence。　And　where；　may　I　ask；　do　these　stone…burning　fire　bombs　e　from？〃
〃Menzoberranzan　isn’t　the　only　drow　city　possessed　of　ambitious　males；〃　the　illithi…lich　said。
Pharaun　was　momentarily　speechless。　Another　drow　city…
〃Now；　it’s　your　turn　to　satisfy　my　curiosity；〃　Syrzan　said；　interrupting　the　drow’s　reverie。
〃I　live　for　the　opportunity。〃
〃When　Houndaer　and　the　others　explained　our　scheme；　did　you　sinnotcerely　consider　joining　us？〃
Pharaun　grinned　and　said；　〃For　about　a　quarter　of　a　second。〃
〃Why　did　you　reject　the　idea？　You’re　no　more　faithful　or　less　ambitious　than　any　other　drow。〃
〃Or　illithid；　I’ll　hazard。　Why　then　did　I　remain　firm　in　my　resolve　to　betray　you　to　Gromph？〃　The　slender　dark　elf　spread　his　hands。　〃So　many　reasons。　For　one；　I’m　a　notable　wizard；　if　I　do　say　so　myself；　and　in　Mennotzoberranzan　we　mages　have　our　own　tacit　hierarchy。　In　recent　years；　I’ve　channeled　my　aspirations　into　that。　Should　I　rise　to　the　top；　it　will　make　me　a　personage　nearly　as　exalted　as　a　high　priestess。〃
Syrzan　flipped　its　tentacles；　a　gesture　that　conveyed　impatience；　and　a　flake　of　skin　fell　off。　Unlike　the　slimy　hide　of　living　mind　flayers；　the　lich’s　flesh　was　cracked　and　dry。
〃The　renegades　are　trying　to　place　themselves　above　the　females；〃　the　undead　creature　said。
〃I　understand　that；　but　I　doubt　it’ll　work　out　the　way　they　plan；　or　even　the　way　you　plan。〃
〃You　believe　the　priestesses　are　too　formidable；　even　divested　of　their　spells？〃
〃Oh；　they’re　powerful。　They　may　well　extinguish　this　little　cabal。　Yet　for　the　moment；　I’m　more　concerned　about　the　undercreatures。　Do　you　realnotize　how　many　goblins　there　are；　how　fervently　they　hated　us　even　before　you　maddened　them；　or　how　dangerous　your　stone…consuming　fire　is？　It　could　be　that　after　they　riot；　we　won’t　have　a　Menzoberranzan　left　for　anyone　to　rule。〃
〃Nonsense。　The　ores　will　have　their　hour；　and　your　people　will　butcher　them。〃
Pharaun　sighed。　〃That’s　what　folk　keep　telling　me。　I　wish　your　consennotsus　forted　me；　but　it　doesn’t。　That’s　one　of　the　drawbacks　of　knowing　yourself　shrewder　than　everybody　else。〃
〃I　assure　you；　the　ores　cannot　prevail。〃
〃At　the　very　least；　they’ll　destroy　some　of　the　lovely　architecture　the　founders　sculpted　from　the　living　rock；　and　they’ll　set　a　defiant　example　for　future　generations　of　thralls。　Your　scheme　will　harm　not　merely　the　priestesses　but　Menzoberranzan　itself；　and　I　disapprove　of　that。　It’s　sloppy　and　inept。　Only　a　fool　mars　the　very　treasure　he’s　striving　to　acquire。〃
A　sneer　in　its　tone；　Syrzan　said；　〃I　wouldn’t　have　taken　you　for　a　panottriot。〃
〃Odd；　isn’t　it？　I’ll　tell　you　something　even　stranger。　In　my　way；　I’m　also　a　devout　child　of　Lolth。　Oh；　it’s　never　kept　me　from　pursuing　my　own　ends…even　past　the　point　of　murdering　a　priestess　or　two…but　though　I　strive　for　personal　preeminence；　I　would　never　seek　to　topple　the　entire　social　order　she　established。　I　certainly　wouldn’t　conspire　to　place　her　chosen　people　and　city　under　the　rule　of　a　lesser　creature。〃
〃Even　gods　die；　drow。　Perhaps　Lolth　is　no　more。　If　Menzoberranzan　is　indeed　the　mortal　realm　she　loves　best；　why　else　would　she　abandon　you？〃
〃A　test？　A　punishment？　A　whim？　Who　can　say？　But　I　doubt　the　Spider　Queen　is　dead。　I　saw　her　once；　and　I　don’t　just　mean　the　manifestation　who　visited　Menzoberranzan　during　the　Time　of　Troubles。　I’ve　gazed　upon　the　Dark　Mother　in　the　full　majesty　of　her　divinity；　and　I　can’t　imagine　that　anything　could　ever　lay　her　low。〃
〃You　have　looked　upon　the　Spider　Queen？〃
〃I　thought　you　might　be　interested　in　that；〃　said　the　mage。　〃It　wasn’t　long　after　I　graduated　from　Sorcere；　r