Born in the early hours of the false, magic created purple dawn of Menzoberranzan, Suliss'urn had already passed her first test of survival.

Drow fertility is near legendary, for unlike their delicate surface cousins unable to procreate often, and a single child every few hundreds of years; drow females often have dozens of children by the time a single surface elf has given birth to one. Triplets, quadruplets, sextuplets and more, drow females are truly blessed. Generally however, only one child is born, and so, within the womb, Suliss'urn assured her place in life by slowly strangling the life of her sisters and brothers. Each death bringing her mother much physical pleasure.

She was not the only daughter, unfortunately. She was born middle-sister to a group of three.

Her toddler years were insignificant and usual for that of the drow race; thrown within the packs of other noble children to see who would survive and who would not. Early education with weapons, poisons and ultimately, murdering your fellow toddler is not only nominal but encouraged, furthering the survival of the fittest at any cost.

Her father, surprisingly, did his best to take care of the child during these years as only a drow father could. He taught her spells, gave her daggers and made sure she was in constant supply of poison as well as antidote.

She managed to not only survive toddler years, but young adolescence as well. Forgetting her father completely when her Matron Mother demanded she continue her education much more formally during her 'teen' years. Suliss'urn left her childhood, if one could call it such, behind her and looked toward her future.

She was already near devastating as a swords woman and some-what educated in the area of magic, but it was soon found that her strength lay more with the edge of keen mithril than spells, despite inheriting her father's long, boney fingers.

Her particular brand of fighting could be called Phindar Streeaka* though it is not truly considered a style. She also learned and studied the styles of Jivvn Golhyrr and Kylorin Phylnn*, yet her power lay in Phindar Streeka*. It was not nor is a popular style of fighting because it lacks visual finesse and often exposes the underlying chaos in drow society, thus why she peppered her studies of fighting with several other schools.

She excelled in all of them, but was unstoppable in Phindar Streeaka, many drow sought to figure out her trigger in order to control the whirlwind of black, white, and blade. Her master and her Eldest sister are the only people on this earth which know of her trigger. One is dead.

In between studying various fighting stances, furthering her education in poisons, and idle slaughter of random rivals, Suliss'urn often was pitted against her other two sisters by her Matron Mother. Not an idle pass time, as such games often revealed the strongest female to take succession of the House from their Matron. Despite the fact that the eldest, or First Daughter should ascend to being head of the House, the title of Eldest Daughter was not permanent by birth alone. If a female was able to kill her sisters, eliminating rivalry, she could become First Daughter.

During this time, she also forced her youngest sister to cut her favorite slave into small chunks of quivering flesh with a dull knife in order to teach her youngest sister the lessons of getting too attached to things, nearly killed her Eldest sister in a friendly joust for Matron Mother, and earned her first scar in return.

The first action would come back to haunt her in the years to come.

Thus, clever plots and plans between the eldest and Suliss'urn were a constant part of her early adolescence, late adolescence, and young adult-hood. The youngest sister appeared more concerned with amusing herself.

Suliss'urn, fooled by her youngest sister's act of being a waste of space more concerned with her slaves than plotting was purposefully led by clever bits of information. Her youngest sister arranged it so that Suliss' believed she had found a way to ensure her rise toward Matron hood via her Eldest sister's discovered worship of Elistraee, Lloth's sister.

Elistraee, being the Sword Maiden, deity of Drow upon the surface and supporter of drow returning to it. Eilistraee's message was to teach drow humility, compassion, love, and peace, as well as to learn to live in harmony with all the races.

Such a thing was anathema in a city full of females dedicated to Lloth.

What Suliss'urn nor the Eldest knew, as she presented her evidence to a full council of Matron Mother's, including her own, was that the youngest sister had set up a plot near perfect and both had been tangled in her strings. The youngest sister was able to present false information accusing Suliss'urn of worshiping Elistraee along with the Eldest; thus paving a clear path for the youngest toward Matronhood and ultimate power. As well as unspoken revenge for the lesson Suliss'urn taught her youngest sister years ago.

Suliss'urn and the eldest looked forward to long centuries of torture and the eventual ultimate punishment; being turned into a Drider and left to go slowly insane within the caverns of darkest earth.

Fortunately, or, unfortunately for Suliss' depending on whom was asked, her eldest sister had learned many lessons as a worshiper of Eilistraee. With the aid of several other beloved of Eilistraee, a monumental effort on all parts--both Suliss'urn and her older sister made a break for the surface. When the eldest had found Suliss', both eyes had been burned out and already given to an altar of Lloth. In a remarkable gesture, the eldest called upon Eilistraee to restore her sister's sight. Not only was Suliss'urn gifted with two eyes the golden color of a wolf's (to remind her of the gift given and the Goddess of the Hunt), but able to see in infrared vision still.

With her new found vision, eldest and middle sister ran for the light.

Suliss'urn was first blinded by the light of the surface out of a crawl-hole, surprisingly close to a human establishment that was later (rather hurriedly) sealed. Surrounded by humans, Suliss'urn had little time to wonder why they would care for the situation of a single dark-elf, let alone put her up in a single darkened room for nothing. Suspicious, but exhausted and still wounded from various sessions with her torturers from her recent incarcerations; Suliss'urn thought little of it and fell into a deep trance to help her body heal.*

After several months of adjusting to surface light and realizing that it may take years for her eye sight to accommodate to the brightness of the sun, thus not leaving her blind during the day; she set out on her own in this strange surface realm the humans had named RhyDin, leaving The Red Dragon Inn behind her.

So much happened to her in her decade above the surface, so much for a near timeless creature to understand. She had reunited with her sister and had been finally convinced to follow the path of Eilistraee. For a time, Suliss'urn was well on her way to becoming an accomplished and amazing bard for the Sword Maiden.

She learned and was taught by several fellow drow the meaning of trust, love, and the very first steps to affection and deeper love, as she inadvertently fell for a male.

These lessons were shattered beyond repair as her youngest sister caught word of her survival. Having finally murdered their mother to become Matron of their house, should word get out that she had not, in fact, murdered Suliss'urn and her eldest sister, the youngest would no doubt bring untold shame and the end of her House's reign within Menzoberranzan. This could not happen, and, after several attempts to murder Suliss'urn with surface parties, assassins, she finally turned her thoughts to a more clever ploy.

Playing on Suliss'urns newest teachings above the surface, her youngest sister was able to lure Suliss' into her trap for a second time by falsely leaking information that indicated Suliss' eldest sister had been recaptured by a raiding party and on her way to be executed within the Underdark.

Caught a second time, the horrors with which they visited upon Suliss'urn is nearly untold if it were not for the head-to-toe myriad of drow-rune scarring the woman carried in her skin today. She was made a slave by her youngest sister and paraded about the Underdark when it suited the youngest. When it didn't, she was thrown to the slave pits and male drow. What had been done to her, the specifics of it, plenty can guess at but none can begin to fathom except her eldest sister, who, for a second time, rescued her middle sister.

Unfortunately, the rescue was not soon enough to save Suliss' from the insanity severe trauma can incur.

It was an impossibly long road back for Suliss', of which was mostly taken entirely by herself as her eldest sister had no idea how to care for her.

She was able to remember and recover the ability to speak, though now it was only in a whisper, for anything louder reminded the drow of how broken a once-legendary singing voice had become. She was able to recover the ability to walk and move without reopening the collection of scars, and worked on being able to return to the hair-raising dexterity most drow have by stretching scar tissue slowly.

She was even able to re-learn some of the lessons taught to her before. Affection, love, and occasionally trust, though love was a subject still as unstable and as unlucky as she.

When she had recovered enough to her satisfaction, Suliss'urn actually returned to the Underdark willingly. She would often return for weeks, months on end with no word sent to those who knew her. Luckily, those who braved the drow and did know her well enough understood her nature to do so and did not question her habits.

She returned whole, hale, and saner-by the lot. Those who dared to ask often were told she'd gone, 'hunting,' leaving the askee to fill in the blanks. Nothing seemed to cheer her up as much as the ability to slaughter a few of her fellow drow.

Eventually, there was an extended period of time the drow had gone missing. Upon her return, it was told to those in the tiny circle of trust she had murdered the youngest sister; exacting her revenge for everything which had happened to her.

After, she met a rather dour older gent. Through him, she became on-again-off-again mercenary and random soldier for Rhilshen, coming when and if Alysia would call. Nothing kept her more amused than the occasional spot of blood on her hands, after all.

It was with unfortunate clarity and surprising maturity after some months had passed, that Suliss'urn realized not all was meant to be. Some men do not need anymore shadows than they already have, and in the course of Jodiah Ayreg's time away (the gentlemen with which she was purportedly with before his disappearance) slipped quietly like shadows do into the sun. It's rumored she left a hand made pipe and single silver ring with sun and moon etched upon it behind with the gnomes of his shop.

As for Rhilshen, Alysia, Ayreg and those of their ilk, should Rhilshen call again, Suliss'urn would answer.

~Rumor has it that her current where abouts may be somewhere within the oldest parts of Rhydin and that her current behavior could almost be called 'laying low'. Though what might have inspired her to do so is not clear.

When not being fabulously dangerous with the rest of the Rhy'dinian crowd, she can be found today crouching upon the railing of any various establishments she wills to be at, or within the darkened streets and forests of Rhydin.

Some in this realm wear their stories on their sleeves or in their hearts.

This drow wears hers openly upon her skin.


~Updated to reflect recently concluded or current Story Lines.

Phindar Streeaka - The phindar streeaka style is not technically a combat style, but it's more of a mindset when entering combat. It means "mindless recklessness," and it is the name that dark elves give to the rare drow berserkers.
Jivvn Golhyrr -The jivvin golhyrr style is a defensive style that relies on weaknesses in the enemy's performance to cause them to stumble and fall, making them more vulnerable to later attacks and emulating a position of weakness. The name means "amusing trick" and comes from the cruel drow's appreciation for placing another in the humiliating position of a slave or other subservient being
Kylorin Phylnn - Conservative dark elf fighters and those who either need to capture opponents alive (usually for interrogation) or just enjoy humiliating their opponents use the kyorlin plynn style, which means "watch and take." The style uses defensive tactics and efficient methods of disarming to delay opponents and negate their ability to fight effectively.
*Suliss does not sleep. Though drow, like humans, must rest their mind and body from time to time. She does so by entering a deep, coma-like state once or twice a week. During this she is completely as well as totally helpless, unaware of the world around them and cannot be awoken.

I PMed the author, but I thought that I would mention it again: Screa'in in the Behind the Scenes forum is a beautifully written piece. It really sings out the nature of the character, both in her good and bad ways, and even though I hadn't read her backstory yet, I was very impressed with it.

Now that I have read her backstory, I'm very interested as well. Talk about a well-developed character! I have a drow (very young male, secret-worshiper of Elilistraee who was rescued, though he does sleep, just not as much as a human), but the depth of Suliss's tale is just incredible. I'm really looking forward to reading more about her in the days to come!

Suliss'urn is one of my favorite characters. She being one of the few who first interacted with Salvador before he knew how to speak English. I still have a log of that experience from his premiere days. It wasn't anything too spectacular in any plot-binding fashion, but that small experience left an ever-lasting imprint on the karmic hunter.

She was lurking about in the shadows on the porch of the Silver Moon Inn, and so was Salvador. Both peeking in through the windows and curiously spying on the activity within. They spoke in whispered conversation, trying to figure each other out and unable to comprehend each other's language. Until Suliss got smart and started pointing things out. "Lotha barra," she called him. And helped him translate that into Spanish: poca sombra. He still responds to that "name" even today, and it always makes him smile.

I think what I like best about Suliss'urn is that she's a true to life drow. She's not the common, overly-played, cliché (no offense, Harold), Drizzt type runaway male who's seeking a better life on the surface. The biggest plus is that she is indeed a female drow, and you really don't see those often enough. She's also not timid, despite all the torture she endured. She doesn't act like a beaten dog, like most of the drow characters I see played do. With the exception of a couple.

I like that you stuck to the old rules of classic D&D resource style drow. I like that she's edgy and hardened and cruel under the skin. I like that she's real and not another pit-party locked in a pound of flesh. I keep saying that she and Sal should go hunting some time. Heh. They should at least cross paths again.

Delahada wrote:
I think what I like best about Suliss'urn is that she's a true to life drow. She's not the common, overly-played, cliché[...]

Thank you, both. It really, really is appreciated and makes me feel like I've done some thing alright.

I remember Delahada as well, along with Caroline. Two children, or young characters that did not fit the stereotype of children played in Rhy'din at the time. You both pulled off the 'ordinary child' under extraordindary circumstances with exceptional style as well as taste.

It's also a really great ego stroke (what? Like I wouldn't admit that) during a time when I've had some severe doubts and bad experiences!

She's not the common, overly-played, cliché (no offense, Harold), Drizzt type runaway male who's seeking a better life on the surface.

:-P None taken. Especially since you don't know Vicfryn's story or how he came to the surface. Now, if you read the Underdark logs... you'd probably love him, though for different reasons entirely.

But since Vic is only my alt, and barely played, I'm not going to bother typing it all out.

I am, however, following Suliss's story and reading each post as it pops up. It's good stuff, if not entirely horrifying at points.

elf_fu wrote:
I remember Delahada as well, along with Caroline. Two children, or young characters that did not fit the stereotype of children played in Rhy'din at the time. You both pulled off the 'ordinary child' under extraordindary circumstances with exceptional style as well as taste.

*Carolyn - Valkonan. Drake's daughter. Suliss' called her "lotha murrpau" on account of the neko ears she was wearing that night. One of Sal's first and oldest friends.

Heh. I'm not sure I'd call either of them ordinary children, though. Probably fits that you put that in quotes. They were both pretty un-ordinary, and still are. Exceptional styles and tastes, though. Now that's something. One way of putting it - rofl

I loves the Suliss'urn!

She is truely fun to play with, and the complete opposite to Cianan, who has managed to.. somewhat find his way to work in the upperworld. Playing out their interactions is some of the must fun I have RPing lately.

It's awesome role playing with someone that will let her stab their character from time to time. Thank you for that!

Oh, Cianan is made to be beaten, and bashed. As long as I have a person who will work with me and make it fun! So, thank you!

Edited to add in relevant, current information.

Also, for some reason on my end, EVERY contraction, or ' mark in all of my writing seems to have been replaced (on my monitor/end) with a weird ’ symbol. I am going through my writing to clean it up asap.