A Journey Underneath

On the way to her Under Dark entrance, her teachings about the Under Dark did not fall on deaf ears. They paid much attention and absorbed all she taught, because they've all heard the stories about the Under Dark. A land of darkness and death where nothing but the most powerful and terrifying of creatures survive, and even with their army of 343 Orks, fighting anything in the underdark would be a challenge they had never faced before. At least these Orks seemed to understand the gravity of the situation.

When they got close Kurgoth asked her "So, we go to make your kingdom in the Under Dark. If I may be so bold as to ask, why the Under Dark?" He didn't seem worried anymore, he seemed to carry himself with the kind of air that denoted a silent confidence. Almost excited to add Under Dark creatures to the long list of things he had killed.

She seemed surprised that the Orks were taking to her teaching so well. It appeared that they actually could comprehend the risks they were taking.
When Kurgoth asked about the Under Dark, her eyes were filled with longing. She remembered what had been in her grasp.
"Yes. Long ago I had a palace here. It was grand and magnificent. I had a fine drow cult at my beck and call. I was ready to rule my kingdom...The Under Dark is the only place I truly feel at home. The twisting tunnels are crawling with secrets and danger, and most importantly power. The denizens of the Under Dark desire power more than any of the other races. They use their cunning and wickedness to get ahead and they posses great magic. I believe that harnessing the deadly Under Dark is the quickest way to gain power. Also," she licked her lips greedily. "It is ironically the safest. If we can establish ourselves in the Under Dark then we have little to fear from the outside world, save another of my kind. And there are few dragons who prefer the Under Dark."

Kurgoth nodded "Me and my Orks will make your kingdom more glorious than any dark elf possibly could! We are Orks, we are strong. I look forward to adding under dark abominations to my long list of kills" He had a wide fanged and sharp toothed grin. It was rather horrible to look at, but it showed he was at least a confident servant, his bravado would be useful against the monsters in the Under Dark, he and his orks would make good cannon fodder.

"Heh, good. Very good, Kurgoth. I have no doubt," she purred. "
Remember to only kill what I command you to kill. I know all too well, the tendencies the Orks have and it sometimes may be better to negotiate with the enemy or even, in our case, run."
She chuckled to herself. Loyal to the end, he was. She grew tired of looking at their hideousness and decided to fly ahead farther to observe the landscape. It would likely be a few days before they reached the entrance.

Kurgoth nodded "We will follow your orders to the letter my Queen, don't you even worry about that."

It would take a few days, and then they would arrive at the entrance she had used to come out of the Under Dark. They were at the cusp of the entrance, and finally, she was going to take back her home.

She stood on the precipice with antici...

...pation. "Time to take back what's rightfully mine. We shall explore what we can find and see if there are civilizations nearby. I need to settle down somewhere where I can establish a lair. "
She stretched her wings one last time and furled them. Xhar'zyavhir was a smaller dragon and she would have no trouble navigating the Under Dark corridors. However there was no need to cause any more arousal than they already would be. She breathed deeply the air coming from the cavern and turned to her followers. "Orks. We stand now on the edge of a different land. In this land stealth and survival is our mission. To demonstrate, I shall take on a new form for a while. Try not to be too shocked."

Xhar'zyavhir concentrated. It's been a log while indeed since she attempted this. Her scales shifted and the runes shimmered. Her body began to glow and change shape. She shrank down to the shape of a human and when the spell cleared, before them, stood a beautiful naked drow. She was tall with tattoos that matched the runes on her scales. And her eyes where the same bright green as they were in her dragon form. When she spoke, her words seemed to flow like poisoned nectar.
"Now my followers, let us journey beneath."

She would cast a variety of protection spell on the party. They all had infravision so sight would not be an issue. They began their descent, and she could feel the tunnels calling to her.

Drow or not, the Orks were now looking at a beautiful naked woman, and looked like it. Their eyes were wide and many of them had a certain look about them. Kurgoth definitely did, but he attempted to keep himself under control to talk to her "My Queen, the fey heart inside of me is sensing something on the way down. I can't tell what is is though, but it's definitely there..."

She knew very well the beauty she held, and its sway over the earthly creatures. She intended to use it well.
"Very well." Xhar'zyavhir deftly jumped between rocks, a dim blur in the low light to normal eyes. She was getting used to her new form. It was stronger for its size, but she felt a little. Smushed? Cramped?
"It is to be expected. Is it trying to invade your mind?"

"No it feels...opposite to the heart. What does that mean? What is opposite to the Fey my Queen? It's also incredibly powerful"

the Question 'What is opposite to the fey' rang in her mind for a moment before the answer came back to her

Abyssal

Interesting...so close to the surface. This could be bad. "Kurgoth, you and the rest of the Orks stay here and be on your guard. Do not worry, I shall return."
She dashed ahead and to see if she could sense or see anything more concrete. What was an abbysal creature doing just waltzing around blatantly? She dared not reach out her mind, for she new the dangers of leaving oneself unprotected.

Once she got a good distance away from her Orks down into the cave, she would smell something familiar, a Beholder, but the closer she got she would also smell the taint of the abyss, but there wasn't such a thing as an Abyssal Beholder, was there?

"Hmm. Very well. If it's only a beholder we should have plenty of numbers to survive. It probably has some sort of magic item...or maybe it's taken a page from Kurgoth's book. But a beholder completely alone?" Hiding from it would be useless, but she had another thought.
Xhar'zyavhir caught up to where it seemed to be. She did not reveal herself, but called out in the tongue of beholders. "Hail, many eyed! Why do you travel alone?"

She wouldn't see anything, until a eye opened in what had looked like a wall. Then a giant circle slowly appeared, it seemed to have had been camouflaged to look like the wall, and it was probably as large as she was in dragon form. It's maw was horrible and full of long jagged teeth like great swords in length, it's eye was huge and yellow, but bloodshot. It's skin was a disturbing color of red crimson, like tainted blood. The worst part though was it's eye stalks, it had about twenty huge tentacle like eye stalks, but only ten of them were still eyes, ten of them looked like they used to be eyes, but had been mutated and changed, twisted into small gnashing mouths. "Who are you, and how do you speak my tongue" It said with a horrible barely understandable deep guttural voice.

She was startled, noticeably, no doubt. She expected a beholder to take her by surprise, however she has never seen one this large. Nor one quite this monstrous. Could the abyssal leak that she felt somehow have mutated this creature?
However, Xyar'zyavhir knew that she could escape if she had to, and that the Orks were not far away. So she remained calm and displayed no fear.
"There are many who know the tongue of beholders, should they care to learn it. I know it because I know the Under Dark. As for who I am, well you're true sight should be able to see my true form. I wonder if you could remember my shape?"

He stared for a moment and then let out a deep horrible laugh "A Hex Dragon, the dragon Xhar'zyavhir if I am not mistaken...I saw you once long long ago, from a distance. You've been gone a long time dragon. This world hasn't been yours for a very long time...Aren't your green skins coming down too? Or are you scared I'll turn them into my lunch?"

"Ha!" She sneered. "I'm glad to hear you recognize me. I had thought that we had all been long forgotten." A wellspring of hope had tapped into her to hear her name spoken aloud after so many years. She was not forgotten after all.

"Yes, I am that Xhar'zyavhir. The Orks will follow in due time. I do not think they are ready for this place yet, but I needed a buffer for my return. And as for you, I have no plans to attack you unless you give me reason to. In fact, I don't see why we can't be civil here. You seems to know much about me, but I do not even know your name. "

He chuckled again and said "Well, it's likely that I'm the only thing down here that knows you...except maybe the four Imperial Elder Brains, they may remember you as well..." He seemed to either ignore her last statement, or zone out slightly, as if the taint had affected his mind.

"Yes, I was gone for quite some time." She got a little annoyed that she was seemingly ignored. But held her tongue back. This thing was quite dangerous. "You seem distracted, however, and unlike the beholders I remember. What has happened to you?"

He moved in a nod like way, though he was obviously a bit off "I am tainted...a part of something new. Abyssal energy leaks into this world for multiple rips. Two in the Under Dark, one on the surface, though I don't know specifically where they are. The energy is not meant to be part of me...it plays with my mind, makes me...not feeble but...I believe humans call it 'zoning out'."

What! Not one but three rips of abyssal energy.
"Well. That's new." Her mind was already thinking. Could this be tapped? How dangerous is it if it can taint a huge beholder like this? Is the Under Dark safe now? She knew the answer to the last question. No. The Under Dark was never safe. Keep calm, Xhar'zyavhir.
"Surely you're not growing weaker, friend? Can you remember your name?"

"Weaker!?" He bellowed out with loud horrifying scratchy laughter "No, I could destroy your entire legion of orks in a few minutes I surmise. I remember my name...part of it at least. My name used to be longer but the taint..hmmm..the taint took it away. Along with most of my identity as a beholder...my name is Noxin now.."

"Noxin. Well, met. I don't doubt your prowess even now. But surely, among elders like you and I, you must not have much time left...perhaps I could help?"
She was fishing. But she didn't mind. What happened to this monster was very interesting indeed. Although he was strong, she could tell the abyss had a strong hold on him. Perhaps, she could learn about the nature of the leak. Perhaps find a way to harness it, or at the very least protect herself or plug it up. And if nothing else, having the assistance of a beholder would be very beneficial. Even an addled one. First a fey Ork. Now an abyssal beholder. What next?

He made a low humming sound as if he was thinking, it took him a bit longer to think about this than she thought it would. Whether or not it was because he didn't trust her, or because of the taint was unclear. "How could you help me?"

"You must know that I possess a great deal of magic potential. If what you say is true, then your condition is likely not going to improve. Clearly the abyssal leak is too much for you, but I may be able to tap into this power. Possibly reverse your condition." She crossed her arms. It was mostly speculation, but she did mean it. She had many encounters with other planes and she was confident she could find something of value. she added for good measure,
"As it stands right now, you'll soon be taken advantage of from your 'zoning out.'"

He made the same low humming sound, though this time it seemed far more like interested contemplation than thinking about a course of action. "Do you think you could do something to keep me from zoning out?"