Before entering the city, Arielle led Anthony to a storage chest near the city gates. Tipping her chin up, she asked, "How many are in your party?"
Anthony feigned ignorance but played it safe, deliberately undercounting: "Two. Myself and my apprentices."
Arielle nodded, pulling two cloaks from the chest. "These are guest cloaks bearing House Maever's insignia. Wear them, and other drow will know you're under our protection—they won't trouble you. But don't mistake this for leniency. Cause trouble for House Maever, and you'll regret it for the rest of your very short life."
Such was drow custom. Without these cloaks—or the mark of a slave—outsiders had no council protection. Kill them, and no guard would intervene.
"Of course. I'm a simple man, here only to earn coin. Why would I invite trouble?" Anthony smiled amiably. "If you doubt me, I'll stake the lives of these rare slaves as collateral. Should anything go awry, execute them. I'll bear no grudges."
This drow, though young, was meticulous—even now, tightening the leash. But once inside the city, my plans won't be so easily restrained.
Arielle snorted. 'Simple man'? Hardly. Yet further debate was pointless; duty called.
Supporting Maya, she addressed the captain: "My sister is weary. I'll escort her to rest. But let no one grow lax in my absence. I expect zero incidents upon my return."
The captain gave a perfunctory nod. The only real threat here is this surface-dweller slaver caravan.
And if chaos erupted? Not my problem.
As the drow warriors yielded passage, the motley adventuring party finally entered the city. A Mission Success chime echoed in their minds, and shoulders loosened in relief.
[Phase One Main Quest: Enter Menzoberranzan — Completed]
[Divine Favor Earned: 1,000 points]
[Phase Two Main Quest: Escort Drizzt Do'Urden to the Surface within 15 days]
[Reward: 1,000 Divine Favor. Trial Mission concludes. Return to Trial Camp.]
[Optional Quest: Reshape Menzoberranzan's Top Ten Noble Houses]
[Reward: 500 Divine Favor per eliminated top-ten drow house (shared party-wide)]
[Optional Quest: Drow Hunter]
[Slay a Level 6+ Drow Warrior: 5 Divine Favor]
[Slay a Level 6+ Drow Mage/Priest: 10 Divine Favor each]
[Hidden trial objectives exist. Explore freely, Chosen Ones.]
[Current Divine Favor: 25]
[Note: Optional Quest failure carries no penalty. Main Quest failure = Elimination.]
Anthony pondered the directives.
Compared to Phase One's brevity, Phase Two overflowed with details. The 1,000-Favor reward seemed fixed—a trial-ground safety net.
For most, this mission would be arduous. For Anthony? Manageable.
If the original timeline held, Drizzt's blunder—offending the Spider Queen—would soon surface. In response, Matron Malice of House Do'Urden would sacrifice Zaknafein: Drizzt's father, her former consort, the city's finest weaponmaster, a legendary warrior. His death would appease Lolth's wrath.
Drizzt, too principled to comply, would soon betray his house and flee Menzoberranzan.
In any other world, this plot would defy reason.
But this was the drow. Faerûn's most deranged race.
From Matron Malice's perspective, a legendary warrior's worth paled beside Lolth's favor. Zaknafein's might? External. His shared children with her? Irrelevant. Defy the goddess, and she and her daughters would lose their divine spells—their primary power. Survival would then hinge on others' mercy.
For drow, self-interest always tipped the scales.
Anthony couldn't recall the exact timeline, but the quest's 15-day window suggested imminent chaos.
Subduing Drizzt now? Anthony had a dozen methods. Escorting him surface-side posed little issue.
The tunnels? Drizzt knew the routes. And if risks were acceptable… the ancient black dragon's lair might offer a shortcut.
Could Anthony defeat that monstrosity? Unlikely. But a head-on fight wasn't necessary. Sprint through the tunnels before the dragon reacted—that was the play.
Once he got Drizzt back to the Surface, he could return to the Trial Camp. Even if that Ancient Black Dragon wanted to hunt him down, good luck finding so much as a shadow.
But then again, this approach had its own problem.
The earnings were just too low.
Going out to risk life and limb for mere pocket change? That was no better than being a dead fish.
And let's not forget—he was already 1,000 points of Divine Favor behind. Slacking off would only leave him even further in the dust.
For a Red Dragon, that was utterly unacceptable.
Judging by the Optional Quest from the Trial Mission, the Overdeity was clearly encouraging its Chosen Ones to stir up trouble and rack up some Killing.
Especially that first task: wipe out any one of Menzoberranzan's top ten families, and the entire Adventuring Party would net 500 Divine Favor each.
All things considered, that was a hefty payout. Pulling it off just once could set them up nicely—but the difficulty was equally extreme.
Drizzt's family, the Do'Urden family—currently boasting one Legendary Warrior and three high-tier Priestess—was only ranked ninth.
(Well, in Menzoberranzan, nine was bigger than ten.)
Though the Do'Urdens' actual strength probably placed them in the top three, even they didn't dare act recklessly.
This City had an Unspoken Rule: any family launching a Civil War must exterminate every major Member of the targeted family—man, woman, and child—in a single night.
Succeed, and the other families would turn a blind eye. Do it cleanly, leaving no Clues, and even the Spider Queen would applaud such Evil.
But if even a single bloodline Member of the victim family survived, their testimony would turn every family in Menzoberranzan against the aggressors—a force so overwhelming that not even House Baenre, ranked first for millennia, could withstand it.
Given the Adventuring Party's current strength, none of the top ten families were viable targets. Anthony himself couldn't take on two high-tier Priestesses simultaneously.
Ambushes were a different matter, of course. But if they failed, survival within Menzoberranzan became… unlikely.
The first Optional Quest would have to wait. The second, however, was far simpler.
Killing Drow Professionals earned Divine Favor. The individual rewards were paltry, but steady work paid off.
Earlier, he'd even received credit for five Drow kills before accepting the task.
A clear implication: even without an Issued quest, the right targets could yield Divine Favor.
That Ancient Black Dragon, for instance… perhaps that was the Hidden task.
Practicalities mattered more. Drow mages were rare, but warriors? Plentiful. And let's not forget his debt to that new Devil Lord on the second layer—ten souls owed.
Ten Crystallized Souls, to be precise.
Devil debts weren't negotiable. After midnight, the Interest would Increase by 10% hourly—and though the Devil girl hadn't spelled it out, that Interest was absolutely Compounding.
Even the most ruthless casino would balk at those terms.
Arguing semantics with a Devil was futile—unless one could outright void the debt.
But voiding this Devil Lord's claim? Impossible. Especially since she'd once been an archangel before her fall.
Whispers claimed her Methods were… inventive. The mightiest Demons and Devils broke under her torments.
No escape, then. Debt Repayment it was. Yet harvesting Drow souls carried risks. The entire Multiverse knew how vindictive Goddess Lolth was—and Menzoberranzan was her cherished City.
Without equal.
If Lolth caught him stealing souls here, she'd hound him even to Barovia.
Not even his mother dared cross her. Hence why Anthony hadn't taken those Patrol Team souls initially.
But that didn't mean he couldn't collect any souls.
Lolth prized this City? Fine. Followers of other deities here became his prey.
And if none appeared soon? No matter. His next destination specialized in other races' souls.
…Ah, and perhaps some lovely gold coins as a bonus.