...they set out for the temple

Teysa awoke first. There was no dawn here in the underground; instead, the circle of flames high above gradually brightened. The City never slept, but it did rest, and as she stood at the window she could hear the sounds of people preparing for another day: merchants setting up their stalls, beggars taking their posts, and far away, the tolling of a great bell, calling the faithful to worship.

Her window faced the great Basilica, and she stared at it, as though by looking hard enough she could see through the stone. It erupted directly from the cavern wall and towered over the rest of the city like a tombstone. She squinted. From this distance, she couldn't make out the great bas-relief above the entrance. The tympanum perched atop ten broad columns, and while it was difficult to judge scale she estimated that each was more than a dozen feet across. She shivered. The whole building seemed to radiate gloom. All around it, smaller temples and chapels sprang up like toadstools after rain. They were built in a dizzying array of architectural styles; squat brick churches fought for space with soaring pagodas and ramshackle-looking adobe longhouses. The temples nearest the Basilica were all black basalt in the drow style; clearly, pride of place was given to the hometown faith.

Behind her, Aliara muttered and stirred. Teysa tore her eyes away from the window and sat down on the bed, laying a hand on her partner's shoulder and smiling. "Big day ahead, Li. You ready?"
Aliara sat up and rubbed the sand from her eyes. "Yeah, yeah. Let's hope we live to regret this. I assume we have a plan?"

Downstairs, Dom was serving breakfast. He smiled when he saw them descending the stairs and waved them to a table. "Be right with you! Right with you!" he called, bustling across the room with a tray of food. It seemed that the Stone Egg was a popular breakfast spot. They claimed the last open booth just as Dom crossed the room, a package under his arm.

"Alright, ladies. I called in some favors, and here's what I've got." He laid the package on the table. "Two outfits: today, you're priestesses of Ygarth the Many-Handed. Are you familiar with them at all?"

Teysa frowned. "A little. We broke up one of their cult rings on the surface a few years ago. Dom, how is this going to work? We don't know any of their rituals, any of their language--"

Dom cut her off. "That's the beauty of it. Ygarth has a mission down here. The Sisters of The Stolen Word. They take a vow of silence. You don't have to say anything. They're supposed to be taking notes at other Gods' services, so you won't be remarked on. Just try to look priestess-y, and when you get Mish'li alone you can talk to her."

"So, how do we find her?" Aliara asked. Dom patted the bag. "There's a map in there, too. Chapel of the Veil of Sorrows. I'm afraid I don't know what she looks like, or anything, so you might have to do some poking around. Be creative. I'm sure she'll turn up."

Aliara frowned. "This isn't going to work, Dom. What if we run into some of Ygarth's real priestesses? They'll recognize us in a second."
Dom shrugged. "Well, it's not a perfect plan. Avoid them, I guess. Unless you have a better idea?"
Aliara looked like she was about to say something else, but Teysa cut her off. "No, that's fine, Dom. Come in, Li, let's get changed." She scooped up the package and slid out of the booth without waiting for an objection.

Up in their room, Teysa shook the package out onto their bed, then spread out the clothes. Aliara swept the door closed behind her, then crossed over to examine the contents. "What in Quz's name...? Tey, do you remember if this is what that crazy priestess we fought was wearing? This doesn't look right."

Teysa pawed through the clothes. Black leather and satin seemed to play a prominent role. She held up a bundle of cloth and let it unroll, trying to make sense of where it would go on a human body. "This is... uh, I guess we'll have to figure it out. Come on, Li." She pulled her sleeping gown over her head and started to try on the outfit.

It took a bit of trial and error, but eventually they figured out what went where. The outfits' arms were made up of multiple parallel bands of leather that cinched tight, exposing about a half inch of skin for every two inches of coverage. Teysa's outfit had a form-fitting bustier that was, at least, a solid piece, made from black leather with diagonal silver stripes. Her hips were covered by a short skirt with black leather undergarments, and her legs were bare except for a pair of knee-high black leather boots. A strange satin collar wrapped her neck, connected to black disc-shaped shoulder pads the supported a short cape. Her head was bare, but the outfit included two long silver hair pins, and Dom had helpfully included a picture of the high bun favored by the priestesses of Ygarth. Aliara cursed as she fiddled with Teysa's hair, trying to hold it in place. The paladin winced as she felt a pin jab her in the head for the fifth time. "Damn it, Li! I think that one drew blood!"
"Shut up! This was your idea!" Aliara grumbled. She skewered the pin through Teysa's hair and stood back. "There. Done."

"How does it look?" Teysa asked. She spun around and curtseyed. "What do you think, love?"
Aliara snorted. "You look ridiculous. Like a dominatrix zebra."

Teysa smiled. "You're one to talk."

Aliara wore tight, thigh-length black boots made of some unfamiliar substance-- like leather, but far thinner and more supple. Her arms were covered by shoulder-length black gloves of the same material. Her modesty was preserved by two strips of black leather which clung tightly around her chest and hips. Teysa had painted patterns in soot-glue on her stomach and back; strange looping whorls and jagged runes that were unpleasant to look on. Aliara was hooded, and panels of black satin hung down from her arms like jagged-edged wings. She rolled her eyes. "I can't believe anyone dresses like this. If this is normal down there I'm going to get us in trouble for laughing. I feel like a slutty bat." She had done up her own hair, and Teysa had to admit it looked convincing. "Come on. Let's get moving. No talking, you!" She strode toward the door, but Aliara stopped her, taking her hand. Teysa turned just in time for Aliara to plant a kiss right on her lips. She hesitated for a moment, then closed her eyes and relaxed into it, wrapping her lover in her arms. They stayed together for a moment longer, then Aliara withdrew. She looked Teysa in the eyes and smiled.

"For luck. Now, let's go."

They ignored the stares as they passed through the Stone Egg's common room. Out in the city, passersby gave them a wide berth. Teysa tried to focus on solemnity and dignity, but she wasn't used to walking in tall, high-heeled boots and the cobblestones were giving her trouble. They were **** to slow down just to avoid tripping.

As they passed towards the temple, the buildings grew larger, cleaner and farther apart. The cobblestones grew more regular and smoother and eventually gave way to plain black tiles. They looked like obsidian, shiny and black, and formed regular, neat roads. Guard patrols were more common around here, and many wore the distinctive armor of the Fangs.

They stepped into a wide circular plaza. At one end the Basilica towered over everything, its vast double doors opening into a pitch-black antechamber. A line of armored guards stood like statues in front of the great portico. Five fountains stood in the plaza in a great cross formation, each guarded by a ring of drow with spears. Drow milled throughout the plaza, most dressed in the black and silver robes of the priestly caste, others in rich blacks or elaborate silken dresses. A few non-drow moved among them-- mostly surface elves, though Teysa thought she saw a heavily armored dwarf with the grey skin of the duergar.

A few other priestesses of Ygarth moved in a knot up ahead, and Teysa and Aliara abruptly veered to the right to avoid them. They didn't seem interested, thankfully. Teysa hoped her disguise was holding up, though it was rather late to check. Instead she stepped into an alley and unfurled the map. Finding their location was easy: the great Basilica and its plaza were central on the map. She strode confidently through the maze of satellite chapels, with Aliara behind her. Finally they came to a halt. Up ahead stood the Chapel, an unassuming square of black stone. The columns that lined the facade were weeping caryatids, each hiding her face behind stone hands. The wide circular portal stood open, but a pair of guards flanked it with crossed glaives. As Teysa watched, a priest in the red robes of Sythrax approached the door, and the guard stepped back to let him pass.