Though probably few of you remember Shanwynn, she was a great personality of the Thieves Guild many, many years ago ('96-'97). Shanwynn's Walk came at the hands of Kraelyst after Shanwynn betrayed the Dark Court. Her player has recently been in contact with me and gave me this short story she wrote of Shanwynn's demise.
The Assassination of Shanwynn Bearer, Barmaiden
Shanwynn quickly downed one glass of whiskey and then carried two more to a pair of dark figures seated at a small table in the corner of the Viper?s Nest Tavern.
"Alright, gentlemen, two whiskeys." She leaned across the table as she placed the whiskey on the table, she made a quick grab for the smaller man's changepurse, finding herself three platinum coins while he occupied himself with oogling her bosom. Turning back to the bar, she quietly pocketed the coins without either man noticing the theft.
"Eh, Wynnie, ye got a visita." A halfling at the bar grunted at her and pointed up the stairs.
"Do I now?" Shanwynn asked, chuckling. She was used to visits from "special customers" who thought that they could get more from her than a wink and giggle. She usually succeeded in getting them so drunk that they didn't remember that nothing happened by morning. Shanwynn climbed the stairs to the back room. When she opened the door, she saw a blinding white light and a blow to the back of her head. It didn't knock her out but she couldn't see. "What was that light?"
She drew forth an ivory hilted kris from her bodice and struck out behind her, where she thought the attack had come from. She felt it strike flesh, but she couldn't be sure how deep. A blow came from her side and another from behind her. The thrust again to the side, this time missing. At that moment, she felt another blow to the back of her head and lost consciousness.
Shanwynn felt her senses returning as she shook off a heavy stun. She found herself bound and gagged on a damp stone floor in a dark corridor. Shanwynn took the opportunity to attempt to free her hands from the ropes that bound her. She winced in pain as she moved her left hand, realizing that it was broken. They must have beaten her while she was down. She considered cursing her captors out loud but thought better of it when she heard a noise. Kraelyst's voice echoed from nearby in harsh whispers. A few words found their way to her ears: secrets, betrayal, assassinate, Urrem'tier.
Kraelyst was her guild brother and she dared believe at one time he had been a friend. They did, after all, both share elven blood. But Shanwynn feared that he had become too concerned with power and the Dark Court was becoming too powerful for its own good. Shanwynn had gone so far to speak in confidence to Kalag and Crow. The guild leaders had enough influence to keep the Dark Court under control. But someone must have betrayed her, just as she had attempted to betray the Dark Court.
The voices quieted and soon Shanwynn was being roughly lifted from the floor. She hadn't heard footsteps approaching, but that wasn't unusual if she was captive to the Dark Court as she suspected. Just as she was lifted, she was able to free her hands, but she didn't dare try to escape now because she did not know where she was, so she held the rope trying to hide the fact that she had partially freed herself. Rough hands guided her without speaking, pushing her along a mucky path that smelled of offal and sewage. She felt a cloak drape across her back and cover her face, as if her captors were attempting to hide her from someone. Soon, she realized why they had done that as she was lifted into the air and grabbed by someone above. She heard familiar sounds and was certain she was outside the Viper's Nest Inn.
She seized the chance while some of her captors were still attempting to climb up to street level from the sewers to cast off the cloak and blindfold. She saw two humans that she did not recognize and quickly attacked, driving a swift chop with her good hand to each of their Adam's apples. She didn't wait for anyone to come up from the sewer but quickly ran in the opposite direction, sending quick prayers to Botolf for her feet to be swift and to Idon, her patron God. She knew her quick jab and run technique would not keep her captors occupied for long, but they had stripped her of all her daggers, even the one she normally kept in her bodice.
Shanwynn knew she needed help. Spotting a fat trader walking along with his braying donkey, she quickly slipped into the crowd behind him, reaching her good hand into his fat sack. Her fingers closed around what she was seeking: a gwethdesuan. She quickly slipped into the shadows to focus. She knew the Dark Court would have someone watching every gate out of town. She sent a harried message over the gweth, but she quickly realized that she would have to get out of this on her own. There was no one she could trust. She did not know just how far the Dark Court's reach went. Even her once beloved Corruption was suspect and she had not seen her sister Loria for months. Could the Dark Court have gotten to her, too? She would have to risk leaving The Crossing on her own.
Sneaking through the shadows was tedious with her severe injuries. Shanwynn's left hand was not the only thing broken - her left shoulder also pulsated with pain indicating a broken collarbone. Her body was battered and bruised over every inch. After some time she finally made it to the east gate and tried to blend in with the crowd of people leaving town. She passed the guards and kept her head down, praying to Botolf not to be recognized.
As her feet felt the soft path outside the east gate she let out a slight sigh of relief. Without warning, Kraelyst's shadowy figure stepped out of the crowd in front of her. Searing pain ran through her chest as her ribcage shattered and a crossbow bolt sliced neatly to her heart. Fleetingly, the image of her daughter came to mind. Shanwynn collapsed, and for a moment thought that Urrem'tier himself caught her as she fell backward. She never felt her body hit the ground.
