"Strange, is it not, that an organization intent on defeating the drow should be led by someone with drow blood herself?" Vessa asked the astonished party. "Perhaps so. But maybe not so strange, when you have heard more about me. My "father"--and only in the biological sense, it was he who impregnated my mother--was indeed a drow, but he is nothing else to me." Then Vessa began to tell the party something more about her background.
She had been born during the Greyhawk War, around CY 580. Her mother had been a human woman, captured and enslaved by the drow and carried off to the Underdark along with many other unfortunate victims and their worldly goods. The slaves had been abused in the most unspeakable manners; most had died or been slain within a few months of their capture. Vessa's mother, however, had suffered a different fate. Her owner was a powerful priestess of Lolth named Aunrae, from the noble drow House Tormtor, a drow of exceptional depravity, viciousness and cruelty, even by drow standards. Vessa's mother had been considered very beautiful, and Aunrae appreciated this, even as she hated her slave as she hated all other surface-dwellers. After a time, Aunrae decided to "have some fun" with the slave-woman. She had the unhappy woman bound and gagged, then ordered one of her consorts to ravish her while Aunrae watched. The male drow willingly complied. Perhaps too willingly, for Aunrae had him flogged afterwards for "enjoying it too much."
A child was conceived as a result of the rape. She was born an outcast, as the daughter of a human slave. Aunrae watched the birth, delighting in the painful delivery the woman suffered. The woman named the child "Vessa."
Vessa grew up despised and abused, especially by one of Aunrae's daughters, Verdaeth. Vessa especially hated Verdaeth, who was responsible for the torture and death of Vessa's mother; Vessa had been forced to watch the horrific death. Eventually, around 600 CY, the girl managed to escape during one of the many civil disturbances constantly wracking the city in which she had been raised, and made her way over time back to the upper world. As the years passed, Vessa discovered that she had magical aptitude, and found a kindly wizard from whom she could study arcane magic and develop her many abilities. She vowed to herself that she would avenge her mother, and that she would someday visit her retribution on the drow in general, and on the city of her birth in particular: the city known as Erelhei-Cinlu, in the infamous Vault of the Drow.
As time passed, the organization that would eventually be formally organized as the Enterprise developed around Vessa. And as it grew, its goals expanded as well.
Vessa paused, then continued. "That is enough history for now, I’m sure you’ll agree." She clapped her hands once, and a servant appeared in the conference room. "Please escort our friends to their accommodations." Then, to the adventurers, "Tomorrow we will begin with the program for new third-levels. As was mentioned, you will all undergo a special ritual–developed by myself, I might add–that will protect you from, shall we say, unwanted attention. You will also complete a course of study on our organization, as well as other useful information."
The adventurers followed the servant to their quarters, which proved quite luxurious. The next morning, Edward, Green Arrow and Arnold were escorted to a large chamber, where Vessa was waiting for them along with ten other apparent spellcasters of various sorts. Arnold noticed that Vessa was holding a rod of an unfamiliar type. Vessa explained, "I must cast the spell myself, but my assistants will be helping me. The ritual requires about thirty days. Do you think you are capable of it?" Edward replied that all of them were ready. "Good. I expected no less," Vessa said with a smile.
After thirty-one days, the ritual was completed. "I call the spell unpredictability. Your actions now cannot be foreseen, because all divinations seeking information about you, including scrying, locate person and discern location, other than divinations by greater gods, are blocked by this spell. Magic items such as crystal balls, mirrors and the like are also useless to locate or observe you. You can suppress this protection at will, should you so desire, and can restore the protection likewise."
While Edward and the others were undergoing the ritual, Firiona and Lou began their course of study. They learned the structure and organization of the Enterprise, and were amazed to learn the extent and scope of Enterprise activities in the Prime Material Plane and a vast number of sites throughout the multiverse. The Enterprise was organized into six Sections, each headed by a director. The Armed Forces Section was led by Andronikos Phaskos, a powerful human male fighter and weapons master whom they had met on their promotion to second level. Exploration was led by Brennian, a half-elf man of many abilities, all conducive to the goal of charting the multiverse. Recruiting was headed by Sador, an elven roguish bard. Intelligence and Operations was guided by a mysterious human female who had also been present at their elevation to third level; she was usually known as "the Blue Dalia", and was a master of spying on and influencing others, as well as a powerful spellcaster. Trade and Finance was headed by Croesus, a human economics expert as well as a master propagandist and orator. Finally, Research was led by Matasuntha, a middle-aged human woman powerful in both arcane and divine magics, as well as much additional recondite lore. Under each of the six Sections were numerous sub-sections, some of whose leaders the adventurers had also met: Iarwain, sub-director of recruiting on the Prime Material Plane and Choor’s immediate superior; Jacobus Catena, sub-director of Intelligence; Lessic, head of the Armed Forces Liaison Office; and a host of others.
Firiona and Lou also began studies of additional subjects useful to Enterprise members, including a course in Undercommon.
When Edward, Green Arrow and Arnold completed the unpredictability ritual, they returned to their quarters to rest, and after a few days, they began their studies while Firiona and Lou took part in the ritual. Eventually, after about four months (with periodic breaks to allow the adventurers to attend to business at home or other matters of interest to them), the adventurers completed their third-level course of instruction and were ready to take their places as high-ranking Enterprise members.
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