Character name: Jarlaxle Baenre Pokemon: Euol the Sableye (starring role), Dalhar the Zoroark (supporting cast, SFX) Move used: Protect, Flash
The performance: Offstage, orchestral music starts playing as the curtains part to reveal what looks like some kind of underground room with naught but a stone plinth in the center—made surprisingly realistic by Dalhar’s inherent ability to create illusory surroundings as well as illusory guises. It’s that inherent ability by Dalhar that lets the Zoroark place words in the air.
Bregan D’aerthe presents THE BABY WHO WOULD NOT DIE
Those words hang in the air for long enough for the audience to read, before fading and being replaced by others.
STARRING JARLAXLE BAENRE … as THE MATRON MOTHER DALHAR … as THE SECONDBOY and introducing EUOL … as THE BABY WHO WOULD NOT DIE
These words linger on the stage longer, but they’re finally replaced by a single sentence:
Based on a true story.
After those words fade, Jarlaxle strides onto the stage from the back, dressed in his own version of the cleric's robes that Vierna wore during her performance earlier, a white wig in an elaborate updo perched upon his head and his face painted. (While it would mean nothing to most of the audience, Kimmuriel and Vierna would recognize that hairstyle as the one favored by Yvonnel the Eternal.) Swaddled in black cloth and cradled in his arms is Euol, his Sableye.
“Come along, secondboy,” he says, in a fair imitation of a contralto. “I need one of my other children to bear witness to this. You’ll do.”
A young man comes trotting along, just as dark of skin and white of hair, his eyes the same amber color as Jarlaxle’s. Or rather, Jarlaxle’s Zoroark, Dalhar, in the guise of a young man. He carries a wicked-looking plastic dagger.
“Yes, Matron Mother,” he says, obediently—because, being disguised by illusion as a humanoid, Dalhar is temporarily capable of humanoid speech. Then, a moment later he adds, “Why are we sacrificing the new baby?”
“Because the Spider Queen tells us to, of course,” Jarlaxle says, briskly. “Lady Lolth requires the Matron Mothers of every House to send her their thirdborn sons—it’s a show of love and fealty towards the goddess. As the First House, we can do no less, not if we wish to retain our power and status.”
He sets the so-called baby down on the stone plinth, unwrapping the Sableye from his swaddling clothes. “If only you were a girl,” he murmurs to himself. He holds out his hand for the knife and once given the blade, raises it up high, stabs down and—
It bounces harmlessly off the sudden barrier that appears over the supposed child, easily recognizable as the move Protect.
Jarlaxle as the Matron Mother scowls and moves to stab again—
—but the blade is repulsed by another Protect!
Try as the Matron Mother might, every stab is repulsed. Turning to the disguised Zoroark, Jarlaxle says, imperiously, “Come here, secondboy. You try.”
He hands the knife to the so-called secondboy, who takes a deep breath as he raises the knife high. But this time the stabbing motion is met with a blinding Flash—
—and when the light fades, the secondboy is lying on the floor, very obviously dead. The Matron Mother is crouching down next to him, cowering in fear, with arms over eyes.
On the plinth, the so-called baby kicks his legs and waves his arms.
The Matron Mother straightens and stands up, somehow, and looks down at the plinth in trepidation, before saying, in horrified tones, “What are you?”
no subject
Pokemon: Euol the Sableye (starring role), Dalhar the Zoroark (supporting cast, SFX)
Move used: Protect, Flash
The performance: Offstage, orchestral music starts playing as the curtains part to reveal what looks like some kind of underground room with naught but a stone plinth in the center—made surprisingly realistic by Dalhar’s inherent ability to create illusory surroundings as well as illusory guises. It’s that inherent ability by Dalhar that lets the Zoroark place words in the air.
THE BABY WHO WOULD NOT DIE
Those words hang in the air for long enough for the audience to read, before fading and being replaced by others.
JARLAXLE BAENRE … as THE MATRON MOTHER
DALHAR … as THE SECONDBOY
and introducing
EUOL … as THE BABY WHO WOULD NOT DIE
These words linger on the stage longer, but they’re finally replaced by a single sentence:
After those words fade, Jarlaxle strides onto the stage from the back, dressed in his own version of the cleric's robes that Vierna wore during her performance earlier, a white wig in an elaborate updo perched upon his head and his face painted. (While it would mean nothing to most of the audience, Kimmuriel and Vierna would recognize that hairstyle as the one favored by Yvonnel the Eternal.) Swaddled in black cloth and cradled in his arms is Euol, his Sableye.
“Come along, secondboy,” he says, in a fair imitation of a contralto. “I need one of my other children to bear witness to this. You’ll do.”
A young man comes trotting along, just as dark of skin and white of hair, his eyes the same amber color as Jarlaxle’s. Or rather, Jarlaxle’s Zoroark, Dalhar, in the guise of a young man. He carries a wicked-looking plastic dagger.
“Yes, Matron Mother,” he says, obediently—because, being disguised by illusion as a humanoid, Dalhar is temporarily capable of humanoid speech. Then, a moment later he adds, “Why are we sacrificing the new baby?”
“Because the Spider Queen tells us to, of course,” Jarlaxle says, briskly. “Lady Lolth requires the Matron Mothers of every House to send her their thirdborn sons—it’s a show of love and fealty towards the goddess. As the First House, we can do no less, not if we wish to retain our power and status.”
He sets the so-called baby down on the stone plinth, unwrapping the Sableye from his swaddling clothes. “If only you were a girl,” he murmurs to himself. He holds out his hand for the knife and once given the blade, raises it up high, stabs down and—
It bounces harmlessly off the sudden barrier that appears over the supposed child, easily recognizable as the move Protect.
Jarlaxle as the Matron Mother scowls and moves to stab again—
—but the blade is repulsed by another Protect!
Try as the Matron Mother might, every stab is repulsed. Turning to the disguised Zoroark, Jarlaxle says, imperiously, “Come here, secondboy. You try.”
He hands the knife to the so-called secondboy, who takes a deep breath as he raises the knife high. But this time the stabbing motion is met with a blinding Flash—
—and when the light fades, the secondboy is lying on the floor, very obviously dead. The Matron Mother is crouching down next to him, cowering in fear, with arms over eyes.
On the plinth, the so-called baby kicks his legs and waves his arms.
The Matron Mother straightens and stands up, somehow, and looks down at the plinth in trepidation, before saying, in horrified tones, “What are you?”
The curtains closes.