Surrounded by Black Forest stood Clar Karond or Tower of Doom as slaves prefered to call it. For its location Clar Karond gained most of its wealth by building raiding ships for other Dark Elves and not by slavery and raiding. Made from pines and black trees of Black Forest raiding ships of Clar Karond were swift and sturdy and with such fine vessels highborns of Clar Karond went to pillage and loot the weak empires for slaves and coin.
Even if it was wealthier than most of Dark Elf cities Clar Karond was not soo much different. Life was as cheap as in any other city and many elves would be found floating near docks at daily basis,while slaves would be sacrificed in vast numbers to the couldron of Khaine or massacred in some blood game druchii made to amuse themselves.
Still drachau of Clar Karond kept a tight leesh on highborns for he knew if he would let highborns do as they will they would be at each others throats in seconds and even thoughhe didn't care much for them they were the ones that brought tributes every year to the drachau in atempt to please him...for only death or great suffering came to those that were foolish enough to come empty handed infront of drachau of Clar Karond.
One of highborns of Tower of Doom was Agnar Harkython and he knew the city by hearth and every noble worth knowing.
Since his young age Agnar disliked the sea even if he knew that Dark Elves would not survive if they were not raiding but even so he only went in pillages when he really had to for while his brother were raiding he was bussy making aquantances with every noble that he could use in some way and with the cult of Khaine.
His good reputation with the cult was very known with most nobles and some even said that when he would come back from his ocasional raids he would give more slaves to the bloody brides of Khaine than drachau but noone dared to find more about it since it was said that most of Agnar retainers were actually acolytes from the temples and anyone who was against Agnar or said anything wrong about him found himself on wrong end of the blade eventually...or he would not be found at all.
Decades past and his brothers gained much power and wealth and after their fathers death it was clear to Agnar that his brothers had to dissapear.
Knowing that drachau would be upon him if his brothers died by assasins blade Agnar had to think of something else and many months passed before he came to a solution.
Sorcery.
Agnar always hated sorcery and found it too dangerous for it came at too high a price and the sorcerers themselves were dangerous and hard to get.
By using his connections Agnar found sorceress that was suspected for studying the dark arts withouth knowledge of the Witch King, an act that was punishable by something more horrifying than death.
The witch agreed in assisting Agnar but in return for her help she asked from Agnar to grand her a daughter. The thing witch asked for was apsurd but Agnar had to eliminate his brothers before they took actions against him and he agreed to witches demand.
Nine months passed and witch gave birth...but to Agnars suprise she gave birth to twins, a boy and a girl. Making his part of bargain Agnar demanded from witch that she lays a curse on his brothers so that they die in a way he would not be connected.
The witch made as she was asked and during their next raid both brothers met their grousume fates, one dying from attack of sea serpent while other from a sword of Brettonian coastal guardsmen.
After he learned of his brothers deaths Agnar called his assassins and sended them to kill the witch and take the children from her. Children were brought to the highborn and witch died wile one of her spells went wrong and tore the flesh from her bones.
Agnar laughed when he heard report and looked at his children.
With them he would not need to marry some manipulative royal whore to give him his offspring and with his fathers and brothers deaths he gained enough power to rival any highborn of Clar Karond and with time he would gain power almost equal as vaulhar himself...or so Agnar thought.
More than eighty years passed and during those years Agnar gained more power and most importantly his children were starting to gain a name for themselves.
Isvert Oriourmen or Crimsonhand as his father started to call him after his first hakseer raid was stilly in his young age but he showed great potential and like his father he offered many sacrifices to the temples of Khaine seeing the great advantage of having temples favour.
Isvert was alot like his father, in looks and the way he behaved. He had dark green eyes which always watched with cruel wisdom and long dark browh hair which he always tied so it would not bother him in fights. His face was boyish and someone could say that he is younger than he claimed if it wasn't for the scar which ruined his left cheek ...a gift he got from one Brettonian noble before he maniged to beat him and kill his family and children before his eyes.
Like with every dark elf hate was Isvert's companion but unlike most elves he was more concentrated and always tried to make his decision's with contept mind than to go berserk as a screaming acolyte of Khaine.
While Isvert was known for his wisdom his sister Aredhel was know for her pure cruelty and savagery.
While Isvert raided and his father made connections and took care of his secret bussiness Aredhel enjoyed herself in any vice she could find,sating her thirst for flesh and blood in huge quantities. Beautiful as the night she had long black hair that gently fell on her smooth pale skin. Her slender form and soft skin made blood of any druchii boil and some say looking in her dark cruel eyes was enough to make a man shudder. Manipulative as she was she used all her charms to make any lordling to dance to her tune but for all her beauty and charm she could not make her brother to do as she pleased and she saw him as a threat for he gained more and more power and it was not a secret that Agnar intended to make him his heir and marry Aredhel to some lordling he wanted or send her to the temple so that he could have some use of her thirst for blood.
Years passed and Aredhel continued with her vices and made friendships and pacts of her own with many less lordlings which she would use when the time came...and it came soon after her father Agnar took several raiding ships to Lustria. At first lordlings werent so willing to storm the tower where some of here fathers and brothers retainers were, but after word of Agnar's fleet demise reached Clar Karond lordlings started to act.
During one night Aredhel asked her brother to join her in her chamber where she awaited him with assassins of her own. The plan was perfect,while her father was gone she would take control of the tower and kill anyone who opposess her starting with her brother who she intended to kill first so that there was noone to lead his men in defence of the tower.
When her brother came inside her chamber a vicius smile could not leave her face as he came right in her trap,while retainers of her lordling pets showed themselves Aredhel thought her brother would unseathe his weapons in last attempt of defiance to her but he did not...he just stood infront of her staring,and smiling.
Not even a heartbeat passed and retainers feld on the floor with bolts in their backs and shocking understanding came to Aredhel. Her brother was expecting her to turn on him and prepared his men before she acted. The shock turned in anger as she took her daggers and screamed as a banshee while charging at her brother.
Isvert dodged her attack easly and while she turned he knocked her unconciuss with his mace.
When Aredhel came back to her senses she looked at scene of carnage,every retainer send by lordlings she lured into her web was slained and they were all pilled infront of her,next to the pile sat her brother, wine glass in his right hand.
„You tried to trick me dear sister,but it seems your confidence got better of you“,Isvert said without emotion while taking a long sip of wine,“Well I cannot make that go unpunished so its time I show you one more reason our father loved to hire temples acolytes“.
With a snap of his fingers acolytes came with tools and before they even started to do their bloody work his sister started to scream.
„Shhhh dear sister...it would be a pitty that you lose your voice before they even begin“,this time Isvert laughed while his sisters screams filled the tower. For whole week only her screams could be heard from Isvert's tower and since than everyone in Clar Karond had more respect towards its new owner.