Tumgik
#I also like thinking about shri’iia in her time as the matriarch’s weapon where she would hunt down traitors of her matriarch’s house
swordmaid · 1 month
Text
i like thinking about shri’iia’s life pre receiving her oath/turning into a paladin where she was yet another swindler in menzoberranzan. sometimes I think about changing her background to urchin just because her childhood was particularly rough - since she was raised in poverty she had to literally build herself from the ground up and she didn’t care what she had to do, her only focus was getting herself out of the slums - but then the liar and cheater aspect of charlatans is such a core part of her character that i can not! before I used to have this hc that shri’iia had this particular network of people she used to work with - since she doesn’t bear any allegiance to any houses, she becomes the sort of middle man for people looking to ruin someone else since the trail won’t lead back to them - but I think she’s not capable of running such an intricate network lmfao like there’s a reason why she’s a very good attack dog and not the person pointing where to bite, but I think I like the idea of her being something similar where she will cheat and swindle people if she’s paid to do so, and I also like the idea of her hanging around the upper city and learning how the middle class/nobles talk and studying their mannerisms so she can blend in their ranks, pretend to be one of them. it’s to cheat and steal from them ofc but I also think it’s a wish fulfilment in her part bc that’s who she wanted to be you know, they’re the kind of drows lolth expects her children to be, and shri’iia is def manifesting that for herself. she believes she’s destined for better! bc lolth says that drows are above all! so she can’t be living in braeryn where the slaves and the non drows are….that’s not Right.
hence why, when she got that offer to join a noble house in exchange for her allegiance (autonomy) she didn’t think twice just accepted bc it’s exactly what she wanted.
#then cue the rest of it#I also like thinking about shri’iia in her time as the matriarch’s weapon where she would hunt down traitors of her matriarch’s house#or basically whoever her matriarch told her to hunt. she never asked questions or details she only did what she was told 👍#I wouldn’t put it past her to have hunted down slaves / drow men trying to escape for a better life and I think she was particularly cruel#with them to please her Lady like. that’s so diabolical of her but we can see it#the thing with her is that she has done the most rancid diabolical things known to man and she didn’t care! she stomached it!#there’s no honor or morality when all that mattered to her was getting her matriarch’s praise#like she was really The Best type of Paladin for a drow and that’s like. the worst u can be lol#and when she gets abandoned in the surface the realisation of what she has done never Mattered#and the things that she DID do for lolth’s name. the crushing weight of it all#for me it’s hmm less regret - I don’t see her regretting her actions nor denying it bc she WAS that person u know I still think she retains#that conviction bc it is a very paladin trait to have. and to deny it isn’t in her nature#but I do think she mourns the devotion that was lost. and she also knows better to regret bc even if she was aware that everything was for#nothing (which is already implausible) she would still make the same choices anyway since she was following that oath. and her following it#is out of her own Will too like these choices - while heavily influenced by a cult’s doctrine - are still hers#like an important thing for me is that she fully owns up to her past and everything and it’s not some outside figure’s fault - like yes she#def was manipulated and heavily influenced - but it’s still her own#like it’s all abt autonomy for me … much to ponder about I think#oc: shri’iia.
1 note · View note