Mephala's Maiden: Black Rose Clan Options

[Black Hand]

Hey guys, this isnt a divergence from the main story I have, but rather, I have been trying out a new type of character on my X-Box, a custom class 'Geisha' after seeing the movie 'Memoirs of a Geisha' Recently, and I gotta tell ya, its a lot of fun. Something different to be sure. It inspired this. Enjoy. (I hope.)


“Who was that lady, Sera?” asked Sayuri, looking at Edryno Arethi, her current matron in House Hlaalu.

“No one, get back too your duties, Retainer.” Edrnyo replied, twirling the Black Rose in her hand, a deathly pale in her face, she had been delivered the death message and was in no mood to speak.

Sayuri, the young Bosmer girl had been adopted by House Hlaalu after her parents had been murdered by a Telvanni Mage whilst in Sadrith Mora, and one of the Merchants traveling in his own ship to trade, took pity on the little crying girl, dropping her off in Balmora, and told Nileno Dorvayn of her plight.

She remembered the tsking of Nileno, and the warmth of her palm as she rubbed her cheek affectionately. She was given clothes and a bed, and place to sleep, and she was put to work, alternately being trained in House Hlaalu’s favored skills, for three years she served mostly as a serving girls, performing menial tasks, and occasionally as a thief, or a decoy. She loved it, as it seemed to coincide naturally with her gods-given talents.

Bratheru Oran, Edryno’s lover took the rose from her hand, and threw it on the ground, smashing it underneath his leather boots. His expression showed that of rage and helplessness. Sayuri would not bring it up again for three weeks, but one day, when Edryno gave her a key to her house, and told her that she would be gone for several weeks, she finally explained, as she had never held anything back from her adopted daughter for long.

“Do you remember that Rose, Sayuri? The black one?” she asked, as Sayuri nodded her head, remembering the vivacious Altmer that had delivered it, dressed in exquisite clothing and wearing Telvanni Bug Musk.

“You’ve been chosen, and are being taken from me, under the pain of death, I cannot refuse. The Black Rose Clan is taking you, and you will serve them. I…I am leaving to speak to them, and perhaps negotiate an alternative. But seldom will they refute a selection.”

“Black Rose Clan? Matron, I don’t understand!” Sayuri said nearly on the brink of tears.

“You know of the Morag Tong? They worship the Great Daedra Mephala, the Dark Matron of Murder, Sex, and Secrets. They are a small faction within the Tong, dedicated to the second part of that. Whereas most assassins are dark, aloof, and grim in nature, a Black Rose, or a Dark Petal, also Thorns or Mephala’s Maidens, rely more on Personality and Agility. As every rose have five petals, so does the Clan. When one ‘wilts’ away as they call it, either killed, or grows to old too become pleasing to men, another must be chosen to take their place. You, because you are born under the Sign of ‘The Lover’ which gives you more agility, and the power to freeze people, will become the newest petal in the Black Rose.”

Sayuri’s eyes tried to no avail to hold back the tears of confusion and frustration. For the second time in her life, she was to lose her family. Edyrno ran her hand through the childs raven dark hair, and embraced her, attempting to comfort the shaking Bosmer.

“I know, I promise everything will be all right…”

[Black Hand]

Genevieve stood up, and gave Errisa a knowing nod.

“Get up, Sister. It’s high time we departed.” The Altmer motioned to Sayuri.

The dark flower of the black rose, all five petals, reunited in a rare occurrence of birthing a new petal. From Suran they made there way north, over the mountains into the wilds of the Molag Amur region past the towering skeleton of the Bal Ur shrine, parting slightly northeast they traveled to a nondescript ash-covered hill.

Making some motions before it, Genevieve hands commanded forth a crackling mystic force that dispelled an illusion of a boulder.

“A clever simulacrum from Errisa no less. I do love the Telvanni sometimes.” Said Genevieve heading towards the door that had been revealed, it was the sideways oval that the demented architects of daedric shrines had somehow managed to build. Without the exterior daedric shrine.

Entry into a dark stairwell was met with a few moments of flint and stone clicking together, producing sparks that finally met with the torch, producing flames that slowly ate the chemical into a bright flame. The light producing a flickering luminance that set shadows into a play of up and down.

The light also produced a truly horrific sight that set Sayuri into a shrieking fright. The pale white skin of a womans torso and head, and dead white, pupil-less eyes gazed upon the five. Her long white hair was in crest on her head. The rest of her body was not human at all, rather it was eight red and black legs, and huge abdomen of a spider.

Sayuri fell into shock, hearing the horrible screams that seemed to emanate from around her, her vision blurred, but still she gazed into those dead eyes. The noise emanating from all around her.

She finally came back to her senses with two sharp slaps from Errisa. The golden hue of her skin contrasting sharply with the dead pale skin of the spider daedra, who was now producing those shrieks. With a few moments time, she realized that those shrieks were long, and short, and had precise patterns to them. It was talking, and strangely enough, Genevieve seemed to understand her, and speak with her, in Cyrodiilic.

“Get up, and stop embarrassing us! This is the shrines guardian! You’re lucky she recognizes Genevieve! Otherwise she would have eaten you by now, acting like a common grave robber!” Errisa whispered harshly into Sayuri’s ear, and clasping a strong hand around her arm, pulling her up.

The spider daedra looked at Sayuri again, and back at Genevieve, who was explaining that she was the newest member, the spider woman seemed to give a cold acknowledgement, and turned to the stairwell plodding down with inhuman speed into the shadowy turn.

Genevieve turned to Sayuri, her dead eyes set on hers, her dead expression intimidating the little Bosmer. “Act like that again, and I’ll let her eat you like she asked to. Now enough of this dallying; get down to the shrine, Mephala wants to meet her new spider…”