Renato had never expected the deranged, chaotic Drow society to be so conservative in this respect.
He leaned against the training ground's fence, recalling Tristana's muddled drunken words from the night before.
In this city, Rodi's behavior was actually a crime punishable by burning at the stake.
But on reflection, it was hardly surprising. For these Drow who worshipped Lolth, their doctrine demanded that they devote themselves, body and soul, to loving the goddess.
Lolth was a jealous deity who demanded that her clerics offer all their love and adoration to her alone.
Falling in love with someone of the same sex inherently violated Lolth's most fundamental doctrine.
Besides, in Sammoril, every woman was a rival for power and a stepping stone to greater status. There was simply no social foundation for intimate relationships between them.
Female Drow were taught from childhood that sisters were the most dangerous enemies, and fools the most worthwhile targets for betrayal...
In such an environment, love between women was not merely forbidden; it was unthinkable.
The successful women who wielded power and enjoyed Lolth's favor were all priestesses of Lolth with no shortage of men. They had trampled countless other women to reach their current positions. Naturally, they could feel no sympathy for such love, only disgust.
By comparison, the Surface was much more permissive.
All kinds of behavior had the backing of deities from different temples. Even murder and arson had evil gods offering their protection. So no one in the Southern Principalities cared about something as trivial as personal preferences, much less subjected it to religious judgment.
"Lord Black Blade, your training sword."
Renato accepted the new sword a Drow warrior respectfully offered him, casually handing back his badly bent old training sword.
Besides occasionally sparring with the Weapon Master, he had