X is for Xylanthe

Spider once spread her elegant webs to catch unwary prey from every land while Snake thrashed her way across the towers and mountains. I was the silent partner to Nevalyn’s showy ostentation until this ridiculous Unity chased me into the Dark Circle, forcing me to concentrate my power there. 

I still light a candle on the day of Serena Jasior’s death just to let her know I haven’t forgotten the inconvience Nevalyn’s little upstart inflicted upon myself and my daughters. Her treachery resulted in my poor, foolish Snake being banished from this world. 

Serena seized the chains Zenobia forged, using them to bind the Serpent Born right and left. Spider was forgotten in the Dark Circle, luring the unworthy into her lair to drain them of life. I took on a new name, Xylanthe, after the bold Maethyrian maiden who forged the Circle of Thirteen in Maethyria. 

Ah, Xylanthe, how tasty she was. She remains in my heart and soul always. I fear some of her grief, being kept out of Maethryia by the warding watch of the Thirteen. 

It doesn’t matter. Their eyes can’t see everywhere. My spies can. What they tell me troubles me. 

There was a time when Maethyrians made pilgrimages to the Dark Circle, or they sent their exiles here. The worthy made a pact with me, gaining great power in becoming part of my Circle. The unworthy were eaten. 

Thus I began to spin my webs once more from within my lair, gathering all creatures who hungered for warm flesh and blood. 

Often bold adventures dared the Dark Circle, hoping for treasure and glory. How I adored these hotheaded fools. I even let a few of them achieve their goals, dragging heaps to treasure off to build Keeps in the neighboring land of Rowenda, never realizing they’d been marked by me. They became my eyes and ears, those chosen few. The others became my Circle’s meat. 

Take little Ylynessa for instance. I placed her in William Caerac’s path, created a past for her similar enough to his own to stir what human sympathy remains in his undead heart. Oh, yes, I’ve guessed his dirty little secret. I suspected it before Ylynessa wrote to me, her Aunt Xlyna, confirming his true nature. 

I worry about Ylynessa. She’s been an excellent spy but she’s fallen silent about events at Caerac Keep. Her letters are filled with frivolous, emotional rants about kobold rights and other such nonsense. Has she truly become such a vapid fool? Or has she remembered who I truly am? 

Is it possible one I marked has turned against me? The last deed of significance I heard about was the binding of Undine to a suit of armour, taking on the guise of the Captain of the Guard at Caerac Keep. 

Worse, fewer and fewer adventurers are entering the Dark Circle. 

I consider the ridiculous rants Ylynessa has made via letter, condemning adventuring as wrong, accusing those who hunt monsters as being no better than murderers and thugs. 

Could this nonsense be the reason we’re no longer getting large numbers of willing victims walking willingly into our webs? It’s very inconvient nonsense if so. How are we supposed to eat if it’s no longer glorious or heroic to attack the Dark Circle for its riches or the glory? We may have to start going out and hunting our own food, leaving the security of our lair! 

This is more than inconvenient. This is outrageous. 

To add to the annoyance, Ylynessa has begun to enthuse about sending pilgrims to the Dark Circle to learn about our ways rather than attack us. 

Well at least we’ll still have food walking willingly into our webs. Somehow these pilgrims sound a lot less interesting than the adventurers. 

Ylynessa did offer one interesting morsel of information among the tidings of irritation and change. A small party may be venturing out to the Dark Circle who are not pilgrims nor our usual adventurers. They include a unicorn cleric, one of the Serpent born, and a Maethyrian descendant of the original Xylanthe. 

Now these are tidings to whet the appetite. They’re almost too good to be true. Unicorns are strong and hard to catch. The Serpent Born are all too rare, rare enough for me to be skeptical at the prospect of one of them coming to me, although is it possible Nevalyn is acting through her descendants once more?

I thought Kyra Nevalyn severed the connection between the Serpent and the Serpent Born long ago. Such a connection is very hard to cut completely. 

I’m not sure whether to rejoice or be apprehensive. I haven’t exactly done anything to aid Nevalyn in her exile. Not that she ever sought help from me. Our alliance was one of mutual convenience and hunger. 

I am curious about this boy descended from her, though. This Rhodry Nevalyn. I’ve always regretted never getting a taste of Corwyth Nevalyn before the undead got to him. If this Rhodry is anything like him, well, it’s a chance to resolve an old regret. 

Nothing is quite as exciting, though as a descendant of Xylanthe walking willingly into my webs. It’s been far too long since I’ve had any Maethyrian. I can’t help feeling like Ariadne was raised just for me, being carefully guided by one of my agents back in Xylanthe’s homeland, groomed to return to my side. 

I’m not sure how much I can trust my agents. How long does my Mark last away from the Dark Circle? I fear its strength is being tested and found wanting. 

Regardless of what else is happening, Ariadne is coming to me. Slowly, step by step she is making her way back to me. 

I do have an advantage in getting her to come if nothing else fails. 

After all, she wants to find her sister.