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By Root 1512 0

description well; she says that you are ever one to attend to the business at hand. Matron Triel is seldom wrong, of course, and i readily admit you have worked wonders in matters of agriculture. Your contribution to the restoration of the farms and rothe herds has not gone unnoticed. But i must draw your attention to another matter, one that remains unresolved." The archmage held out his hands to her, palms up. Although they had been empty a moment before, cradled between them was a tiny bowl of dark red crystal. It grew rapidly until it was identical in every respect to the scrying bowl given to Shakti by the drow god Vhaeraun. The priestess stared, too stunned to hide her astonishment.

"You are acquainted with my daughter," Gromph continued in his cool, measured tones. "Yet i doubt you understand the half of Liriers value. She is a wizard of no little ability. Did you know i arranged and supervised her training myself? And do you think i would go to such trouble for no purpose?"

Shakti could do no more than shake her head, but Gromph seemed to consider the answer sufficient.

"i am sure that you, of all people, can understand the importance of one who has a foot firmly in two camps. Of course i knew that Liriel would someday attend ArachTinilith, would be trained as priestess to Lloth. But i had her first, and the earliest marks on the mind cut the deepest! Liriel was created to be one of my strongest supporters-a Baenre priestess who is first and foremost a wizard. Despite the recent unpleasantness with the amulet, she still could be useful to me," Gromph concluded, "and i want her back."

The archmage leaned forward, his amber eyes intent upon Shakti's face. "it has come to my attention that you have sought assistance from beings from the elemental plane of water. If; as you suspect, Liriel has taken to traveling the waterways of the surface, this was not an unwise choice. Yet i understand that your threats and blandishments met with rebuff; is that not so?"

Shakti managed to mutter something in the affirmative. "Not surprising. As a priestess of Lloth, you are accustomed to the creatures of the Abyss-entities of pure evil. The creature you have summoned is more complex; thus your methods must be more subtle."

Shakti's mind reeled as she tried to take in the implications of Gromph Baenre's words. How could he know so much? And more importantly, what did he plan to do with this knowledge?

The archmage plucked a bit of parchment from the empty air. "in the interim since your foray into the plane of water, i have gone to no little trouble to leam about the creature you summoned. On this parchment is written her true name. Use it only as a last resort, for there are easier ways to command the loyalty of this being. She calls herself iskor, and she deals in information. She is messenger for a god worshiped on the elemental plane and, apparently, by many creatures of the sea. As you surmised, iskor is not content with her role and wishes to amass power ofher own. Thus she also carries information to creatures that make their homes in the surface waters. Promise to be her eyes and ears into the Underdark, and demand that in retum for your aid she will seek out Liriel."

"You want the amulet," Shakti stated, more to buy time to gather her thoughts than for any true purpose.

This seemed to amuse Gromph. "Of course. Who would not? But i also want Liriel. See that she is retumed alive." The archmage rose to his feet. "That will be all. You should have all the information you need. If you require more, i will know. Kindly do not approach me directly. That might be… inconvenient."

Shakti could well imagine why. She would never accuse the archmage of Menzoberranzan of consorting with Vhaeraun, but what other explanation could there be? Where else could Gromph have acquired that scrying bowl? Or have learned so much about her plans? Or have gotten past the god-given wards on her chamber? Yes, she had a very good idea why Gromph Baenre had no wish to be seen in the presence of his sister's traitor-priestess.

But no matter what