Ahriman and Zhaunil keep their experiments going with the dragon egg project.
Suddenly word comes that a magical battle is taking place in the streets. GhulDril is dispatched with some troops to investigate. Arriving at the scene he finds a rather impressive massacre. A large band of assassins have died at the hand of Zarathustriel and her bodyguards, including a wizard-for-hire. Zarathustriel has had her arm blasted apart during the battle however and is badly injured and unconscious. GhulDril and his men secure the area, patch Zarathustriel up and sends for help.
Soon HouseNemalzhi is put on alert and MatronNemalzhi sens out Velve and Xora to use their contacts to find the guilty parts.
Sure enough a band of assassins are found who could be the perpetrators of the cowarldy assault on HouseNemalzhi.
After some spying and planning the forces of HouseNemalzhi move in only to find that the entire assasin-clan as been gassed to death by arcane means! And amongst the dead there is a priestess from the GrandTemple.
Zhe'raen visits the GrandTemple where his sisters are attending school to alert them to the dangers and he manages to witness LuaXena getting in minor trouble for tossing a stopper to an ink bottle at a classmate.
Mystifed by the death of the assassins and a priestess, our protagonists decide upon using more esoteric means in order to find out who the culprits are. Ahriman summons a Devil in order to watch what has happened before and through this they learn that it is likely that the GrandTemple itself is behind the nefarious attempt on Zarathustriels life. This, quite understandably, upsets HouseNemalzhi who will not stand for this, no matter who or what attacks them. Zhaunil moves to the main compound temporarily for greater protection and parts of her experiments are sent to HouseHasdrubel for safekeeping.
Meanwhile, Velve, GhulDril and Zhe'raen along with some strong fighters decide to infiltrate the GrandTemple. It turns out that sneaky and resourceful Velve has route prepared since years before.
They inflitrate and enter a cordoned-off part of the temple where it seems a large holding pen has been built. Indeed, enroute they are almost discovered by three of the highest-ranking priestesses in the GrandTemple exiting the pen. The priestesses seem displeased about something. "What's the use of us creating it if it doesn't obey us?".
Advancing carefully they come to a larger chamber, looking a bit like an amphitehatre. In the depressed area is noone else but WeaponsmasterXarnael , these days in the form of a Drider.
The former Weaponsmaster seems somewhat annoyed with the priestesses whom he claims to be cowards and weaklings. He gives the impression of being more focused and calmer than in the old days when he was a Drow. He also assures Zhe'raen] that he does not kill children, thus revealing that there seems to be (or at least was) a plot to have him murder LuaXena, Xunice, and JhulTana.
After some bantering back and forth it is clear to the members of HouseNemalzhi as well as the Drider that they wish to punish the arrogant clergy. But does Lolth wish this?
They ask her and she shows up. In person. All abase themselves before The Godess. She explains to the assembled that she need her priestesses punished. "They are like children who claim to know what their mother wishes better than their mother does." she proclaims.
"Yet", Lolth adds, "I have no whip in my hand. Will you be my whip?" And Zhe'raen, WeaponsmasterXarnael, GhulDril and Velve gleefully agree to this exceptionally reasonable request of their beloved godess.
Thus ends the episode.