Book One: The Cityby Ed Greenwood

Table of Contents

Drow Cities of the Underdark. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .3Menzoberranzan the Mighty. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4A Walking Tour of the Dark Dominion. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .6Daily Life in Menzoberranzan. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .10Drow �High Life�. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16Now: Current News and Rumors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .19Then: The Spider Mage�s History. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .22Menzoberranzan�s Merchants . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .26The Neighborhoods of the City . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .30The Bazaar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45Special Occasions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49What the Future May Hold . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .52The Mage Lords of Menzoberranzan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55Magic of Menzoberranzan: Items . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61Magic of Menzoberranzan: Mage Spells . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .64Priestesses of Evil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .71Magic of Menzoberranzan: Priest Spells. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .76Magic of Menzoberranzan: Special Spells. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .82Monsters of Menzoberranzan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .84

Alhoon (Illithilich) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .88Cloaker Lord . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89Foulwing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90Lizard, Subterranean . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91Riding Lizard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92Wingless Wonder. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .93

Some Known Traps of Menzoberranzan . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .95

Credits:

Design: Ed Greenwood Cartography: DieselEditing: Karen S. Boomgarden Typography: Gaye O�KeefeInterior Art: Jaime Lombardo and Ron HillCover Art: Jeff Easley

Production: Paul Hanchette and Dee BarnettGraphic Design: Paul Hanchette and Dee Barnett

Special thanks to Anne Brown and Julia Martin for their timely help.

ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, AD& D, SPELLJAMMER, RAVENLOFT and FORGOTTEN REALMS are registered trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. The TSRlogo is a trademark owned by TSR, Inc.

Copyright ©1992 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved Printed in U.S.A.

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1083XXX1503ISBN 1-56076-460-01083

America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material or artwork contained

Drow Cities of the Underdark

There is a world beneath the world hu-mans know�a vast, lawless land underThe Realms That See The Sun. It is a peril-ous wilderland of dark caverns, crevices,and labyrinthine passages: The Realms Be-low, the vast and mysterious Underdark.No surface adventurer has seen all itsdepths and corners. Beasts that nosurface-dweller yet knows of lurk in itslightless depths�and surviving explorerssay the known dangers are bad enough!

To the unwary (or merely desperate)traveler in the Underdark, a city mayseem a refuge from creeping doom in thedarkness. It holds, after all, bustling life�with food, tools, and perhaps aid.

Perhaps not. Even the good beings ofthe depths, dwarves, gnomes, thaalud,and svirfneblin, tend to be (rightfully) sus-picious of intruders. Other city-dwellersinclude (among merely nasty folk, such asjermlaine) the most evil and dangerousraces of the Realms: kuo-toa, duergar, il-lithids, cloakers, and most far-reaching ofall, drow, the dark elves.

The essential guide to this deadly race isthe sourcebook Drow of the Underdark. ADM familiar with it and the �Elf, Drow� en-try in Volume 2 of the Monstrous Compen-dium knows drow �basics.� To understandthe unusual power and influence of drow,however, one must see a drow city.

Something of what life is like amid thecruel, ever-warring drow can be gleanedfrom the FORGOTTEN REALMS® novelsHomeland and Exile by R.A. Salvatore, butbringing a drow city to life needs more:this boxed set.

Of the set�s three books, this tome is aguide to Menzoberranzan, a drow city ofmiddling size and importance that is(thankfully to most surface folk!) a week�stravel from the nearest surface connec-tion. Companion books detail its noblesand suggest adventures.

We�ve explored Menzoberranzan, of theforty or so known drow cities, because itis the birthplace of the famous DrizztDo�Urden (himself detailed in Book II ofthis boxed set, his statistics updated fromHall of Heroes). A look at the strange,harsh, and at times splendid cesspool ofevil from which he sprang shows howdrow became a power in the Realms�andunlocks the door to vivid adventures inthe drow-ruled Underdark.

This set can be used to create any sub-terranean drow city by changing the lay-out, the names and detailed NPCs of thenoble Houses, and the trade interests andoverall aims of the inhabitants.

Change the all-pervasive worship ofLolth (�Lloth� to Menzoberranyr) to atense rivalry between worshippers ofLolth, Ghaunadaur, and Vhaeraun, andyou have Eryndlyn, a city that trades withthe Sword Coast from hidden caves some-where in The High Moor. Change it to theworship of Ghaunadaur only (with rever-ence and breeding of slimes, jellies, andoozes) and you have Llurth Dreier, a cityof 400,000 drow ruling vast fungi-farm ca-verns under The Shaar, northwest of TheDeep Realm of the dwarves (detailed inDwarves Deep). Let mages rule, reducingpriestesses to minor power, and you havethe magical item-trading city of Sshamath,somewhere beneath The Far Hills. Readon, and find adventure!

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Menzoberranzan the Mighty

Slightly more than 20,000 drow call Men-zoberranzan home. This is fewer thanmost drow cities; most hold 35,000 ormore. The bitter, violent rivalries of thecity�s noble Houses (perpetuated and fos-tered by the Spider Queen and those whoworship her) keeps the population fromgrowing much�but also ensures that thedrow of Menzoberranzan are among thehardiest and most cunning survivors, anddeadliest fighters, of the Underdark. Mostsurface realms of forty times the city�spopulation would be hard put to assembletwenty warriors who could hold theirown for long against twenty Menzober-ranyr fighters.

Menzoberranzan�s low populationmakes its ruling Council smaller thanthose of most drow cities�eight Housesrule, rather than the more usual nine,twelve, fourteen or sixteen. At least onedrow city, Guallidurth (deep under Calim-shan), has twenty-one Houses in Council.

On the other hand, Menzoberranyr area more tightly-knit populace than most,because they all dwell in one vast naturalcavern. Most drow cities have inherentprejudices and rivalries, as citizens growup in various caverns and linking pas-sages, and citizens are judged or rankedby where they came from.

The worship of Lolth (called �Lloth� inMenzoberranzan, as in some other drowcities, and as she will be referred to in therest of this set) dominates Menzoberranyrlife. There seems no higher purpose in thelives of most citizens than to rise in theservice of the Spider Queen�until sheclaims each life, in turn. Most drow de-velop a hobby or interest to call their own(from mastery of a particular weapon tocollecting certain gems or fine boots), butthese can be weaknesses if a rival can finda way to exploit them.

With Lloth-worship comes female domi-

nance. Males of the city tend to excel inthe few things they are allowed to excelin: fighting, wizardry, and dirty jobs re-lated to trade, building, and food.

Males who enjoy home or the worshipof Lloth turn their efforts to mastering thearts of sculpture and design (and, if magi-cally talented, glyphs and House defensivetraps), and to excelling at songs in praiseof the Spider Queen.

Restless or independent males tend togravitate to study in Sorcere (which caninvolve being cloistered away from mostHouse politics for their entire lives), or to-wards life as a merchant travelingthrough the perilous Underdark to andfrom other cities and trademoots, some-times on the surface. (Skullport, under thecity of Waterdeep, is one such trademoot.On rare occasions, it is worth the longtrip, and the destination�s great dangers,for the scarce and wonderful wares�such as spell components�that can bebought there.)

Except for individuals of great beauty,or who show great aptitude in the arts ofwar, sorcery, or artisanship in a valuedfield, the preceding notes on choices in lifeapply almost exclusively to drow nobles:commoners do as they are told, formingthe bulk of the drudge labor, House-servant, and common soldiering tasks asservants of the noble Houses.

No drow citizen of Menzoberranzan isever officially the �slave� of another Men-zoberranyr, but a great many drow areslaves in all but name. (Drow battle-captives won from outside the city can beheld openly as slaves.)

The commoners� only avenues to free-dom lie in escape from the city, or in devel-oping skill and reputation (and thereby,work) as hunters, mercenary warriors, ortraveling merchants. As all of these routesto a better life lead into the dangerous

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wild Underdark, few survive long to enjoyany successes.

Commoners with exceptional skills areusually adopted by the noble House theyserve, or (more rarely) by the first nobleHouse to notice their skill and seize them.They receive the House name, sponsor-ship, and a position�a precarious one,based on performance and the whim ofthe ruling Matron of the House. In thecase of male drow of great beauty award-ed the position of �patron� (consort to theMatron), this is all too literally true. Somesadistic Matrons take new patrons everynight, having the twisted, disfigured rem-nant of the last consort fed to House ani-mals, slain out of hand, or put to meniallabor to be slowly worked to death.

Perhaps the best road to independencefor drow lies in sorcery. House wizards(and even more so, House members study-ing in Sorcere, shielded from daily contactwith non-wizards) are treated with somerespect by even the most aggressive fe-males. One can never be sure of thepower of a drow mage�until it is too late.As shown in Drow of the Underdark, un-der �House Insignia,� drow wizards alwayslook to their own defense first, and are of-ten able to hide powers and magical prep-arations even from watchful highpriestesses of Lloth.

Female drow usually throw themselveswith energy and zeal into the endless, vi-cious intrigue and politics of the city. Thebodies of many mark every twist and turnin the fortunes of the Houses, and theeverchanging favor of fickle Lloth�butfor every drow female who falls, fifteen totwenty males meet doom.

If life is so dangerous, and drow forcedinto endless strife against drow, how isMenzoberranzan �the mighty?� Why doesit survive at all? The answer lies withLloth. If one believes her faithful, the cru-

el Spider Queen pits drow against drowsolely to improve and strengthen her peo-ple, making the survivors ever stronger,wiser, and better able to serve her. Llothalso helps her people from time to time(though seldom directly, especially inHouse-versus-House internal conflicts).Matrons can ask information and aid ofher dreaded handmaidens, the yochlol(detailed in FOR2), but any faithful Menzo-berranyr drow who calls on Lloth in needmay receive a one-time cure light wounds,neutralize poison, or any spell-power pos-sessed by drow even if the supplicant can-not yet, or never will be able to, wieldsuch powers or has exhausted his or herdaily ration of them. (There is a 10 percentchance per level of this happening, minus10 percent for each time in the last 33days aid has been called for.) Such aid isalways temporary, and accompanied bythe arrival of some sort of spider. Lloth al-ways exacts her price later: often a diffi-cult, dangerous mission or service.Alternatively, Lloth may send spiders toattack foes of beleaguered drow; this formof aid does not �cost� anything.

5

Menzoberranzan the Mighty is a seethingpower-house of Lloth-worshipping, tire-lessly evil drow, striving for supremacy inthe eyes of the fell Spider Queen. �An ant-hill of arrogant evil,� the archsorceressLaeral once described it. To map everyroom and passage of a city so busy, and soworked into the stone (with many risingand falling levels, secret ways, and milesupon miles of passages) is an impossibilityand a hindrance to the creativity ofDungeon Masters. Even a dedicated, un-opposed drow citizen would need most ofa lifetime to walk every stone of the city�so here is a brief tour of its highlights.

Menzoberranzan is not a large city bydrow standards; only 20,000 drow dwellthere. It fills a large cavern, formerly a gi-ant spider lair known by its dwarvenname, Araurilcaurak (literally, �Great Pil-lar Cavern�), for a great natural rock pillarat its center, that joins floor and ceiling ina massive shaft.

NarbondelKnown as Narbondel, this pillar has beenleft unworked by the drow. It servesthem, and all visitors with infravision, as agigantic clock. At the end of each day, thecity�s ranking Archmage (or a master ofSorcere, in the rare instances when theArchmage is dead, otherwise occupied, orabsent from the city) casts a fire spell intoits base.

The heat created by the spell is conduct-ed slowly upward through the stone, untilto infravision Narbondel glows red fromtop to bottom. Then it fades rapidly todarkness, �the black death of Narbondel.�The time when the wizard casts his firespell anew corresponds to midnight in thesurface Realms, just as the cycle of Nar-bondel�s rising fire equals a surface-worldday.

6

A Walking Tour of the Dark Dominion

The CavernMenzoberranzan�s cavern is roughlyarrowhead-shaped, with the pool of Doni-garten at its tip, and two miles across at itswidest point. The ceiling rises a thousandfeet high, and its floor is studded withmany stalagmites and lesser pillars (stalac-tites and stalagmites that have grown to-gether, to fuse into an unbroken shaft ofrock). The cavern floor is broken by threemajor rifts and many smaller ones, andtwo areas rise above the rest of the city:Tier Breche, the side-cavern occupied bythe Academy that trains all drow citizensfor adulthood; and larger Qu�ellarz�orl(House-Loft), a plateau separated from thelower city by a grove of giant mushrooms,home to many of the city�s mightiest nobleHouses.

From either of these heights, a drow citi-zen can look out across the city. The viewis row upon row of carved, spired stonecastles, their salient points and sculptedhighlights lit by the soft, tinted flows ofpermanent faerie fires. Except for Nar-bondel, not a stone of the city has been leftin its natural shape�everything has beenworked into a smooth, unbroken, unjoint-ed expanse. Adventurers bent on vandal-ism take note: unless one brings it along,there is no such thing in the better partsof Menzoberranzan as a loose stone, lyingaround to be snatched up as a weapon!

Many of the city�s largest dwellings, es-pecially the compounds occupied by nobleHouses, were created by fencing stalag-mites together with magically raised andmelded stone. The grandest drow featsare the carved, worked, hollowed-out sta-lactites that hang over much of the centralcavern and above Qu�ellarz�orl: �Over-caverns� linked to the main city below bya hundred leaping, railless, stone bridge-

spans, and by spiraling stairs and pas-sages in the cavern walls.

DonigartenAt the smoothest, lowest end of the city�scavern is a natural lake or pond, Donigar-ten. Its chill waters serve vital food needsfor the drow, nourishing fish and eels(taken from the waters by fisher-goblinslaves), flowing into carefully irrigateddungfields (where orcs tend mushroomsand other edible fungi, renewing and ex-panding the fields with excrementbrought in wagonloads from the cityproper), and supporting two moss beds.

The large bed on the shore holds mosseaten by drow as delicacies; the secondbed covers an island, and feeds a herd ofdeep rothe (ox-like cattle detailed fully inDrow of the Underdark, FOR2) confinedthere by the waters of the pond and bythe diligence of orc slave-shepherds. Onthe Isle of Rothe, rothe are reared for thetables of Menzoberranzan. Small pens onthe shore nearby allow the orcs to tendother animals (notably captured or pur-chased surface-world delicacies such asmountain sheep, or edible monstersbrought back by drow hunting bands),and to breed rothe away from the crowd-ed isle.

The slaves pole rafts about the pond.They are allowed to swim, and even todive with spears or to tow nets if fish areneeded in a hurry, but are forbidden to ex-plore the pond�s murky, muddy bottom.Legends of lurking, water-dwelling ropersand worse make the rounds regularly, butmost wise orcs suspect that any pondmonsters are deliberately-placed guard-ians, and the real reason for the prohibi-tion is to keep slaves from finding magicalitems and valuables lost to the drow in

7

A Walking Tour of the Dark Dominion

long-ago days, when two customs filledthe pond waters with treasures.

It was the custom in those times to con-sign the bodies of Matron Mothers of theeight ruling Houses, and drow heroes fa-vored by Lloth, such as warriors who per-ished in achieving victories, to the watersof Donigarten. The corpses were dressedand adorned in finery (gems, magic, andall), then lashed to a stone spar of strongadamantite content and dweomer radia-tions. This made the bodies sink, and con-cealed the precise whereabouts of themagic from would-be thieves, masking thearea with many flickering magicaldweomers.

The second custom was unofficially butmuch more enthusiastically pursued; am-bitious drow who murdered friends, ri-vals, or kin would often sink them inDonigarten, in haste and with all valuablesthat could be identified as theirs, so thatthey disappeared tracelessly into the tan-gle of other corpses below. Something be-low Donigarten�s inky black surfacedevours drow corpses, and orc and goblinslaves do disappear from time to time, butthe slaves who swim and dive do not fearattack; it never comes (at least, not in frontof witnesses).

Even drow children have heard persist-ent, age-old rumors of flooded tunnelsthat link Donigarten to an underwaterkingdom, or a lost temple of a god olderthan Lloth, or a warren of watery cavesinhabited by creatures more powerfulthan kuo-toa. No sane drow tries to inves-tigate such tales; the magical chaos atDonigarten�s bottom hopelessly confusesall scrying attempts, and explorationsmust be made directly.

Tier BrecheThe highest part of the city �floor,� thisside cavern is home to the Academy thattrains drow for adulthood and full statusas citizens of Menzoberranzan. From themain part of the city, Tier Breche isreached by a stone stairway. Its upperend is flanked by two giant stone pillars.In the shadow of each, at all times, standsa male drow warrior on guard: last-yearstudents of Melee-Magthere, the schoolfor fighters.

Here twenty-five-year-old drow comefor training, and are not allowed to passback down the stairs into the city untilthey have been graduated by a Master orMistress of the Academy.

A male whose aptitude for magic hasnot been demonstrated during his youthas outstanding (or greater than his battleprowess) goes first to Melee-Magthere, thelargest and most easterly of the threestructures of Tier Breche. This is the fight-ers� school, and here the famous DrizztDo�Urden, like countless drow before andafter him, spent nine years training tofight�a schooling that involved many pa-trols out into the Dominion and beyond,into the lawless Underdark, but no visitsto the city proper. The first half of Drizzt�stenth year took him to the sculptedstalagmite-tower of Sorcere, the many-chambered tower of wizardry, closest tothe west wall of Tier Breche. Here, manyof the most powerful drow males of thecity dwell, hidden from much dailyintrigue�or as fugitives from the deadlyways of House rivalries and politics, await-ing a chance for revenge.

The northernmost and most impressivebuilding of the Academy is spider-shapedArach-Tinilith, where the priestesses ofLloth are trained. Males are housed here

8

only for the last six months of their ten-year training.

Drow leave the Academy molded intothe treacherous, vicious ways of Menzo-berranzan, �The Spite of the SpiderQueen� as other drow have called it.Those who fail their training die, or aretransformed into driders or worse. Moreis said of the Academy�s dark work in oth-er chapters of this book.

The Dark DominionOver a hundred tunnels link the city ca-vern with the surrounding Underdark�notably with almost two dozen faerzress(magic power) spots, where adamantite-laden rock gives off the dark radiationsdrow value in the making of their best ar-mor, weaponry, and tools. The areaaround the city patrolled by the drow isknown as Bauthwaf (around-cloak), ormore grandly as the Dark Dominion. (Theword �patrolled� is carefully chosen; onlya fool ever refers to an area as �con-trolled,� or �safe.�)

Monsters roam the Dominion despiteregular drow patrols, and even ventureinto the city, following the ready food andguidance of merchant traffic. Most arequickly dispatched; such is the drow thatstrong guards are kept only over the sin-gle entrance to Tier Breche. Its sentinelsare a pair of magical jade spiders (detailedin Drow of the Underdark, FOR2), overthe several tunnels that open out of Qu�el-larz�orl (the guards there are drow withmagical items such as wands of viscidglobs, alarm horns to summon swift rein-forcements, and servant giants) and onthe Eastways.

The Eastways are three tunnels thatopen into the eastern end of the cavern ofMenzoberranzan, where no drow dwell

and Donigarten�s precious water lies.Their mouths are all guarded by scorpion-shaped, poison-shooting jade spiderstatues.

The smallest of these tunnels leads to achasm at the eastern edge of the Domin-ion inhabited by driders outcast from thecity. They slay and devour all who strayinto their clutches, especially hating andprizing the flesh of unaltered drow.

9

Daily Life in Menzoberranzan

As well as being a battleground for war-ring drow of rival Houses and a cauldronof willing and unwilling followers of thecruel Spider Queen, Menzoberranzan is aplace where people live, laugh, love, anddie�arrogant, cruel drow, but peoplenonetheless.

What, then, is daily life like in Menzo-berranzan? This chapter and the one on�Drow High Life� attempt to impart thegeneral �feel� of the place; DMs who planto use Menzoberranzan as a setting forcampaign play are warned that it is on the�bare bones� furnished here that most oftheir development work must be built, tomake the city come alive�and to be trulytheir own, with secrets that players whoread these pages cannot steal before playbegins.

The StreetsA typical street scene in Menzoberranzanis dimly and weirdly lit, by the vivid phos-phorescent hues of fungi, magical fields ofvarious sorts, and deliberately-placed fa-erie fires. Except for a few ambulatory,slowly-oozing fungi, plant growths tend tobe pruned and trained by slaves, to growin pillars, arches, or shaped clusters, rath-er than spreading wildly. Underfoot,rocks are similarly scarce (to deprivethieves, rebellious slaves, or angry visitorsof ready weapons); adventurers expectingto �just pick up a handy rock� are likely tobe disappointed.

Spells have also been applied to the out-er walls of House compounds, to preventtheir being readily chipped, breached, ordefaced. An adventurer who determined-ly attacks such a protected area will eitherdischarge a House defense glyph directly(see Drow of the Underdark, FOR2), orwill eventually trigger a roving �backlash�

spell that protects the entire wall. Thesespells typically unleash a 6d4-hit-pointdamage lightning discharge the first timearound, and if attacks persist, manifest inthe attacked area(s) as an equivalent toEvard�s black tentacles (duration and pre-cise damage left to the DM, as they varyfrom House to House with the wizardswho applied them).

These comments on wall defenses, lackof rocks, and tidy gardening of fungi areless and less true as one travels towardDonigarten, into the hovels and alleywaysof the commoners, and the lodgings ofnon-drow. There, in the worst areas,shadows a-plenty lurk between the softradiances, rubble-piles can even be foundhere and there, and the fungi grow wild.Drow nobles take care never to go drunkor lightly armed into such areas�morethan one grand drow has been torn limbfrom limb by inhabitants who saw achance to overwhelm a lone target andtake out their anger, resentment, and frus-tration over the cruelties of House rule.

In Menzoberranzan, edible mushroomsfor internal House use are grown withincompounds (for safety, to avoid poisoningand theft), and the fungi for general con-sumption in the farm fields near Donigar-ten. The fungi that remain in clumps alongthe edges of streets and between housestend to be guardian shriekers if they flankgates or doors in compound walls, orotherwise inedible (at least to drow) mush-rooms.

Typical sights in the streets includeslaves, commoner servants, and visitingmerchants struggling with many-wheeledcarts. The conveyances of those too poorto afford levitate- related magic tend tohave many independently-sprung axles, tocope with the always uneven rock, mud,and scree floors of the Underdark�s pas-sages. In Menzoberranzan, the streets are

1 0

Daily life in Menzoberranzan

of solid, smooth rock�never pavingstones. Almost all such carts are drawn bysubterranean lizards, although the occa-sional slug-drawn cart can be seen. The gi-ant spider-carts (and belly-pack carryingspiders) used in the southern Underdarkare never seen in Menzoberranzan; to sotreat an arachnid is to earn a painful andimmediate death, under the fanged-headed whips of the nearest high-priestesses.

Around these knots of carts and theirtenders stream many drow on foot, aswell as small bands of bugbears, orcs,gnolls, and other hirelings.

In the poorer areas of town near Doni-garten, non-drow bands tend to be armedand unsupervised, and the drow moveabout in families (commoners going shop-ping or to work) or in armed groups (no-bles and House servants with business inthe area, such as visiting one of the heavilyguarded House warehouses).

In the city�s better areas (Qu�ellarz�orland the streets nearest to the mushroom-clad slope that marks its boundary), non-drow are fewer , and tend to beaccompanied by a drow overseer orguide, and the drow on foot tend to go sin-gly, in pairs, or in small, unconcernedgroups�lingering to talk, shop, or lookabout with little fear for their personalsafety. Street patrols (detailed in the Ba-zaar chapter) are common, and open at-tacks in the streets, as well as the firing ofdarts and the hurling of spells, except inself-defense, are crimes that demand resti-tution in the form of very stiff fines, a per-iod of (dangerous, of course) servitude, orworse (see Drow Justice, below).

Through this street traffic, parting it inthe same way large ships cleave throughmany small, moving barges and boats inthe crowded harbors of the Sword Coast,are nobles. Male nobles tend to ride liz-

ards, and females either to use lizardswith couches instead of saddles, or en-closed litters carried by slaves, dependingon their rank and age (litters carry agrander status, can be furnished moreluxuriously, and, unless one�s slaves are at-tacked, provide a much smoother ride).

The rarer out-of-doors trips made byHouse Matrons tend to be by stately andsilently drifting drift-discs (detailed inDrow of the Underdark, FOR2), flankedby heavy escorts of House troops and highpriestesses on foot, if the Matron wishesto make a show�and by heavily-guarded,closed litter (borne by House troops, notslaves) if she doesn�t.

Non-drow are very seldom seen in Qu�el-larz�orl, where they are not wanted, andare more likely to run afoul of some arro-gant drow noble or other, and be pun-ished or slain out of hand. Near the small,unobtrusive entrance to the Cavern of theRuling Council, and in the entire TierBreche area, slaves, commoners, and non-drow are not permitted except by the spe-cial invitation of a Master, Mistress, orMatron, and under escort in any case.These restricted areas have their ownguards, typically drow warriors who cancall on a backup wizard, who in turn canalert a high priestess by means of a send-ing, and/or jade spiders (detailed in Drowof the Underdark, FOR2) to keep unau-thorized folk out.

The streets of Menzoberranzan tend tobe rather hushed�and yet always noisy.This is not the contradiction it seems atfirst. The echoing of all sounds made inthe cavern could form an endless cacoph-ony, so many, many long-term silencespells have been placed on various stalac-tites, spurs, and hollows on the ceiling(drow who know where these are some-times use them for sleep or study). Thesehave the effect of reducing the noise in

1 1

the city to an endless murmur, formed bythe impact noises of movement on stone,the drip of water, and the hissing andchatter of speech, highlighted here andthere by the soft pipings of drow music�and the occasional high scream of pain.

The great cavern that houses Menzober-ranzan tends to be damp at the Donigar-ten end, and dry elsewhere. The decay ofrotting plants and fertilizer tends to cre-ate pockets of warmth in the moss bed,rothe-isle, and fungi-farm areas�and thegatherings of warm, living drow bodies,augmented by magically generatedwarmth and the heat created by variouswork activities, create a larger pool ofwarmth at the other end of the cavern. Asa result of these warm and cold im-balances, gentle breezes usually waft

around the cavern, and the main trade-passages impinging on the main cavern al-low large-scale air transfer.

Visitors tend to find Menzoberranzanpleasantly damp (�alive,� as opposed to themany drier, �dead� stretches of the Under-dark), cool but not chillingly so, and its airscented with the spicy, strong but not un-pleasant musk of fungi spores.

Spells prevent violet fungi or otherharmful spore discharges from remaining�active� longer than 1d4 rounds after theirrelease into the air of any part of the city�sgreat cavern. Any spores that attack,transform, or enter into symbiosis withd r o w l u n g s a r e a u t o m a t i c a l l yneutralized�and the lungs of elves,dwarves, gnomes, orcs, humans, and al-most all intelligent air-breathing mammals

12

Daily life in Menzoberranzan

are sufficiently protected by the magic. Vi-olet fungi are not permitted in Menzober-ranzan, and have been eradicated fromthe city�s great cavern and from the sur-rounding Dominion, although the wildUnderdark around the patrolled Domin-ion contains a lot of it.

Drow JusticeMenzoberranzan is governed by The Wayof Lloth, a code of behavior known in de-tail to every high priestess. It is adminis-trated by the ruling Council of theMatrons of the eight most powerful nobleHouses, who meet in a natural cavernheavily guarded by a ceremonial guard ofpriestesses and wizards from the Acad-emy, bolstered by jade spiders, and thebodyguards of the attending Matrons.

When the Council is in session, the caveis lit by hundreds of sweet-smelling can-dles placed around its edges�and onlytwo guards per Matron are permitted in-side (non-magic-using warriors, who donot bear any magical items). The rest ofthe bodyguards must remain outside theclosed ironbound doors of the cavern.

The Matrons meet around a spider-shaped table, sitting in grand chairs. Fourplain, smaller chairs can be drawn upfrom the cavern walls, to seat guests ofthe Council.

Any member of the Council can call ameeting of this governing body. Typically,Matron Baenre calls the Council togetherto deal with important business and over-all emergencies, and to disseminate thepublic directives of Lloth, and the otherMatrons call meetings only to settle dis-putes.

The Council is a grand sham; HouseBaenre has so much power, and controlsso many of the other Houses in the city

through alliances, agreements, blackmail,loans, and financial guarantees, that itcontrols life in the city. (The exception iswhen one House attacks another; andeven then, such attacks are often causedby Baenren manipulation, and their out-comes are decided by Baenren aid or be-trayal.) Bregan D�Aerthe exists only at thefavor of House Baenre; both Jarlaxle andMatron Baenre know that House Baenre,of all the noble Houses in the city, has themight to hunt down and destroy this mer-cenary band.

This tension and subterfuge underliethe harsh code of Lloth. It is too long andcomplex to quote here, but its general ten-ets are as follows:

� There is no true god or goddess otherthan Lloth. Any who follow or bow tothe dictates of any other power orfaith (or its representatives) are to beutterly destroyed, preferably in sacri-fice to Lloth: their names forgotten,their works cast down and broken in-to rubble, and their spawn eradicated(unless such descendants have al-ready served Lloth well, or joined herformal service).

� Ritual worship of any power otherthan Lloth is forbidden within thecity�s great cavern. Non-drow who vi-olate this�once �are merely finedheavily, and expelled from the city.They may return on another occa-sion. Second offenders, those whoscorn Lloth, or drow worshippers areslain. Merely uttering anotherpower�s name is frowned upon, butno cause for punishment.

� In practice, any drow suspected offollowing Vhaeraun will be interro-gated magically, and if such worship

13

Daily life in Menzoberranzan

is proven to occur, they are executed(even if they�ve never performed anyact of worship to the power in Menzo-berranzan).

� Anyone who mistreats an arachnid,or any creature (from slave to beastof burden) of a House, is fined andwhipped by priestesses of the SpiderQueen. Those who kill spiders mustdie.

� For a slave to refuse any order of adrow of the owning House is a fataloffense. The treatment of slaves is to-tally the affair of their owners. Slaveshave no rights, and there are no stric-tures on punishments or duties thatcan be set for them.

A commoner citizen who refuses tofollow the order of a high priestesscan be punished as the offendedpriestess sees fit, up to and includinginstant death. The exception to thisrequires the commoner to be theproperty of another House, and a no-ble of that House must be present andobject to the punishment. In this casethe priestess and the House Matronmust agree on a punishment: usuallya flogging delivered by the offendedpriestess.

A student of the Academy whorefuses a Matron or Mistress any-thing can be punished as the offend-ed officer sees fit, up to and includinginstant death.

� Any drow who falsely wears the col-ors or insignia of another House (ex-cept by the express permission fromthat House), or who deliberately al-ters his or her hairstyle or attire to

appear as a rank different from his orher own (except by the express per-mission of the owning Matron), mustdie.

� The penalty of death also awaits anynon-drow who uses any means toadopt the disguise of a particulardrow, or a drow of noble rank or of aHouse other than their own.

� If one House attacks another Houseand fails to utterly exterminate its no-ble line, the House that perpetratedthe attack is itself obliterated, by thegathered might of the city includingthe Academy.

� If two or more Houses combine to at-tack another House, all of the Houseswho participated in the attack are tobe destroyed themselves. HouseBaenre holds itself exempt from thisrule, apparently with Lloth�s support.

� Any House attacking another that hasjust survived an earlier attack (withinthe same year) loses the favor ofLloth. This means their priestesseslose the use of their spells during theattack and thereafter, until a greatdeed or service has been performedto regain Lloth�s favor; the House isunable to defend itself except by dip-lomatic and purely physical means,and is surely doomed. Other Housesmay attack it with impunity.

1 4

Drow law, as Drizzt Do�Urden so clearly surprise attack on the city is highest andsaw, is but a cruel facade to cover the cha- predators are most likely to follow theos of ruthlessly-striving, ambitious drow trail of a caravan into a cavern crammedfighting each other: a mockingly ironic set with ready food.of rules in which the only ones to be pun-ished are those who get caught.

Drow law enforcers can imprison drowand non-drow alike in cells, the �pit-warrens,� roamed at times by carrioncrawlers and cave fishers, near Donigar-ten�s moss beds.

The patrol strength of such police is de-tailed in the chapter on the city�s Bazaar.Duty guards are posted at major intersec-tions and trouble areas, such as slave pensand the entrances to tunnels used by mer-chant caravans, where the possibility of a

15

Drow �High Life�

The daily life of most drow may be domi-nated by hard drudgery and the wantoncruelty of superiors�but there is fun inthe city of Menzoberranzan, for thosewho know how to find it. Among visitorsfrom the surface world, the decadentthings noble and wealthy non-noble drowdo have become legendary.

Among Menzoberranyr inhabitants,drow and non-drow (slaves, hirelingtroops, and trading agents) tend to keepseparate in their leisure activities. Visitorswith money to lose are generally welcomein drow recreational activities, but less soin non-drow gatherings (as they might bespies hired by the drow Houses).

PartiesDrow love parties�affairs of wild musicand dancing, much drinking of exotic andpowerful beverages, and the inhaling ofscented smoke (sometimes primed withmagical illusions) from braziers. Housesrent sumptuous open mansions as neutralground in which to entertain, rather thanrisking the security of their own property.

Drow love to score witty points inbarbed conversation (while dancing ordining); a wise host hires wizards to enter-tain with magic, heading off any drunken(and destructive!) magical competitionsamong the revelers.

Parties tend to last most of a day. Mostend in wild fighting, vandalism, fires, andwanton debauchery, with party-goers be-ing dumped unceremoniously into thestreet. Wise Matrons send escorts to carryhelplessly drunken scions of Houseshome.

Drow of different Houses can also get tomeet each other at more formal dances,or illiyitrii (�promenade�). Both stately andpolitical, these affairs are places to be

seen, in which drow of both sexes dressup in their finest garb. They are very dan-gerous situations for non-drow who arenot conversant in the subtle intricacies ofdrow manners, House rivalries, and re-cent happenings among noble Houses inthe city.

In sharp contrast to illiyitrii are the ne-deirra of the younger and wilder drow.Seldom attended by high priestesses,these wild, acrobatic �sweat dances� usu-ally leave young drow drenched in sweat,dancing to the syncopated, drivingrhythms of drumming and piping music.A wizard or two is often hired to createfun: illusions, tickling and slapping can-trips, and so on.

MassageFor drow who live hard, always tense andalert for attack, the ultimate sensuouspleasure in life is a warm bath (or a per-fumed oil soak), followed by a �deep-stroke� thorough body massage, typicallyon a contoured couch (often in a roomwhere others are receiving the same min-istrations, so that all present can argue,chat, or do business). A talented body-stroker (masseuse) is a highly-valued (andhighly-paid) artisan of drow society.

The most popular leisure spots in Men-zoberranzan are the massage houses.Massage is a common outlet for the pas-sions of drow of different Houses, forwhom courtship is too dangerous.

1 6

Drow �High Life�

HuntsNoble drow, alone of the inhabitants ofMenzoberranzan, like to mount hunts outinto the Underdark�either of monsters,or of slaves released into the tunnels withsome sort of head-start.

Although drow hunters may restrictthemselves sharply in terms of weapons,equipments, and steeds used, to give thequarry a chance, it is rare to find a hunt-ing party without a wizard and at leasttwo (usually five or six) priestesses along.The hunters will almost all be well-equipped with magical items useful incombat�just in case the hunters becomethe hunted, or a rival House is unable toresist a chance to strike at relatively un-protected enemies.

For the same reason, it is rare to find ahunt (except those sent out to find and ex-terminate or capture intelligent prey, suchas adventurers or scouts from other drowcities) composed of members of more thanone House�except the rare �Dark Hunts�run by the Academy.

Most of these are training affairs, inwhich the monstrous quarry is equippedwith spells it can cast or magical items itcan use against its pursuers. More thanone captured adventurer has ended up asthe doomed quarry of a �Dark Hunt.� Veryrarely, one escapes, to die a lonely death,lost deep in the wild Underdark.

The PitsDrow of all ranks are welcome in the city�s�drinking pits,� where they must surren-der all weapons as they enter, and can getas drunk as they want, shout, argue, talk,and have a good fight. Priestesses oftenuse magic to eavesdrop in such places, lis-

tening for treachery, plans for attacks onHouses, or other business being discussed.

The entertainment in such places isslave-versus-slave and slave-versus-beastfights, in pit-arenas. Establishment pa-trons wager heavily on these bloody con-tests.

PlaysDrow theatrical productions always in-volve slapstick comedy, singing, the use ofmasks and exaggerated costumes, thepassing on (or invention) of sly gossipabout city affairs, and imparting the latestnews (bought from newly-arrived mer-chants, who have learned to charge forsuch news, and not offer it freely to anywho ask) of the Underdark�or, especially,the wonders and events of the fabledLands of Light (the surface world). Theyare typically the centerpiece entertain-ments at parties, but are also staged inrented warehouses near the Bazaar fromtime to time.

At a party, a stage is often defined with afaerie fire- glowing rope laid in an oval;larger productions typically take place ona raised stage. Drow audiences alwaysstand and move about during a perform-ance, not sitting down. To discouragethieves, some playhouses hire an expertthief and a wizard. The wizard�s magicgives the thief extraordinary means ofsight, and also animates a dozen or moreglowing skeletal hands (used by drow di-rectors to point out things during per-formances) above the crowd. If thievery isdetected, the thief directs the wizard tobring a glowing, pointing hand down to in-dicate the guilty party. The crowd aroundtends to exact justice on the spot.

17

Wizards At PlayDrow mages like to play pranks (in mas-sage houses and other places of recrea-tion, where such things are expected, andmost likely to escape retaliation or punish-ment) by creating small, harmless �oops�spell effects.

A favorite cantrip creates a �secondpair� of hands, so a drow being massagedsuddenly feels another pair of hands�or,the embracing hands of an amorous danc-ing couple are suddenly multiplied many-fold.

Wizards in search of more violent andpowerful play sometimes fly out into thewild Underdark, to the rifts inhabited bydriders, and get in some good �drider-blasting� with whatever offensive spellsthey can muster. This pastime always car-ries the spice of danger�one never knowswhen a drider will elude or break throughbarrier-spells, during a magical attack thatdisrupts these defenses, and be able toreach its tormentor.

18

Now: Current News and Rumors

It�s always hard for even citizens of Men-zoberranzan to separate �real� news andrumors from the false whispers and talesspread (or simply distorted from a core oftruth, and promoted in slanted form) byhigh priestesses who delight in this sort ofthing. Most Houses have one or more dab-blers in misinformation, and the rulingCouncil, Arach-Tinilith, and (to a lesser ex-tent) Sorcere indulge in spreading what ahigh priestess long ago dubbed archly�false truths.�

Behind the city�s institutions lies HouseBaenre, expert in controlling the spread ofinformation and falsehoods, and by thosemeans�augmented by arranged �happen-ings� such as assassinations, brawls, andpatrol clashes�steering the deeds and loy-alties of rival Houses and drow common-ers alike, year after year.

Residents of Menzoberranzan knowthis, with varying degrees of perception ofits scope and deliberate nature�but visi-tors must learn this the hard way. Theamounts of truth in the current tidingsthat follow are left to the DM, who shouldfeel free to twist them to suit planned ad-ventures in a campaign.

The NewsHere are the tidings a visitor would hear,of what�s going on in Menzoberranzan atpresent:

� Drow from the distant city of Sschin-dylryn have discovered a gate to an-other plane, apparently of ancientmake, in the Underdark not far�ninedays of travel, not more�from Men-zoberranzan. They have mounted aguard on it, fighting off several cara-vans that were merely trying to passthe site (which is on a well-used trade-

route), and have kept secret just whatplane it leads to.

The Council is upset that a city sofar away was scouting Menzoberran-zan�s Dominion�perhaps planning aninvasion, or a good site for establish-ing a fortified outpost, from whichthe city could ultimately be raided�and has met several times to argueover what should be done. An at-tempt to seize the gate may be madesoon.

� The drow city of Maeralyn, far, far tothe south, has invaded the drow cityof Jhachalkhyn, a much nearer com-munity where kin (and investments)of House Fey-Branche are�or were;as far as is known, Jhachalkhyn is allbut destroyed, and its folk fled orfought in retreat, scattered all overthe Underdark. Refugees may comehere soon.

� Driders have raided one of the mostprecious dark caverns, where the ra-diations that empower the finestweapons and armor are strongest.They were slaughtered by a rescue-band of priestesses and wizardsarmed with much magic�but not be-fore some escaped with nearly-finished long swords and maces ofthe finest make, and left the cavern-guard of almost twenty dark elvesdead. Most of them were torn apartbodily, and the innards taken�to beeaten later, it is feared.

� New routes to the World Above havebeen discovered, in the northern ColdReaches of the Underdark. Longblocked by ice, and bounded by areasroamed by purple worms and infest-ed with orc-holds, the ways have re-

1 9

Now: Current News and Rumors

cently been opened up by drow ex-ploring bands led by the famousUuedurnn Valsharn, of the drow cityof Dusklyngh.

He has reported trade possibilitieswith surface beings, but has not saidwhat trade, and with whom. Somepriestesses of Lloth have condemnedthis reach to the World Above as un-sanctioned by the Spider Queen, andsomething that could bring disasteron all her People.

� The great shudders that shook theUnderdark not long ago werethought to have been caused by somenot-yet-agreed-upon force, or forces,employing magic in a region of manysmall caverns and drainage-passages.Duergar and drow merchants havefound large new caverns, still a-swirlwith dust, where none existed before.No sign of volcanic activity, water-courses that might carve away rock,life�or recent death�has been foundin these areas yet, but it is never wiseto go boldly into new ways in theUnderdark; explorations continue.

� Mistresses of Arach-Tinilith reportthat Revered Queen Lloth has reactedwith favor to newly developed pray-ers offered up in her honor�devotions involving new songs ofpraise to the Spider Queen, sung bymales while they render up a sacri-fice to Lloth, into bowls held bypriestesses.

New spells will undoubtedly begranted to those who devised theprayers�and thence to all Lloth�spriestesses in the city, in return for el-evated ranks for the favored priest-esses.

� The rich ore-lodes discovered in theDark Dominion by prospectors ofHouse Xorlarrin recently, and dubbed�The Lustrum,� have proven to in-clude much silver, and an astonishingvariety of gemstones (though not ahint of gold or adamantite). HouseXorlarrin has formally protested inCouncil against the aggressions ofother Houses�since the announce-ment of their discovery, House guardsprotecting The Lustrum have foughtoff no less than nineteen raids-in-force, and slain over forty attackers.Some of the bodies have been identi-fied as commoners attached to manyof the major Houses in the city�butall of these Houses have so far deniedany knowledge of the attacks, sayingthat these traitors must have beenacting independently, out of personalgreed.

House Baenre suggested in Councilthat House Xorlarrin hire BreganD�aerthe, and there are indicationsthat they have done so. Xorlarrin wiz-ards have also announced that theywill be using new and powerful spellsin defense of The Lustrum.

The WhispersRumors currently making quiet rounds ofthe city, under the openly-discussed news,include:

� Lloth is planning a conquest of theWorld Above�and has already cho-sen certain drow of Menzoberranzanto lead an assault on certain fortress-es in the Lands of Light, striking upfrom below! This will happen soon;already the favored drow war-leadersare secretly recruiting those they

20

want to wage war in the WorldAbove.

� A male drow corpse has been foundin the Underdark, very close to an en-trance to the city. It had tentacles in-stead of arms�three from eachshoulder�and wore special armor ofrich make! It also bore strange andpowerful weapons. They have beenwhisked away to Sorcere�or, somesay, House Baenre�for examination.

� The dangerous alhoon (illithiliches, oroutcast mind flayer liches) are plan-ning to attack Menzoberranzan!Their spies�mind flayers of normalnature, but very rich and well-dressed�have been peering and pry-ing about the city for over a yearnow, and are growing more numer-ous. The Council are worried, and themasters of Sorcere have been put towork developing new spells to foil at-tacks on the mind.

� Someone�or something�in Sorcereis killing wizards. Masters of theAcademy, as well as mages in train-ing, have been found dead, reducedto dry, empty husks, as if eaten orburned away from within so that onlytheir outer parts remain. So far, inves-tigations by the Archmage and othersenior Masters have failed to discoverthe cause: a rogue spell, a summonedmenace, or even a monster that haswandered in from the wild Under-dark, and evaded detection. Theworst fear, of course, is that a Masterhas fallen prey to insanity or outsideinfluence�from beholders, vam-pires, alhoon, or rival drow�and isdoing the killing with a hitherto-unknown spell. This may be just a

first step in weakening the city,launched by some outside power. Ifthe deaths spread to Arach-Tinilith,few other conclusions are reasonablypossible.

� House Baenre is controlling the Acad-emy�s training directly�not just byholding most of the teaching posi-tions, as has always been the case, butby deliberately arranging the mur-ders of promising drow of otherHouses in training �accidents.� Therehave been angry words in Council,threats of reprisals�and calm denialsfrom Matron Baenre. The deaths�from all Houses but Baenre�continue . . .

2 1

Then: The Spider Mage's History

Deep in the shadowed inner chambers ofSorcere are many things best left hidden�and more than one drow glad to be leftalone. One of these (detailed in the MageLords of Menzoberranzan chapter of thisbook) is the mysterious wizard known on-ly as The Spider Mage. He, perhaps best ofany living drow, can recount the historyof Menzoberranzan.

This is his tale; PCs who question othersources or try to piece things togetherfrom writings will learn various lesser ordistorted versions of this narrative. Re-cent events are not spoken of, as The Spi-der Mage takes little interest in the triflingeveryday doings of young and foolishdrow, and because such details are prop-erly left to individual Dungeon Masters, tolet them bring the city to life, and build insecrets for PCs to uncover.

PCs asking around Menzoberranzanabout the city�s history will hear colorfulexploits of the ancestors of whoever they-�re speaking to, usually glorifying theHouse of the speaker. If they press for his-torical details, most drow will direct themto the tower of Sorcere.

It will take a lot of gold (or somewhatless in the way of magical items or scrolls)in payment for a master of Sorcere to dis-turb his studies long enough to answerthe foolish and prying queries of outsid-ers. None of the masters will dare to an-swer questions about current doings inSorcere; if pressed, they�ll irritably directPCs to The Spider Mage, in the shadowedheart of Sorcere.

The Spider Mage has Art enough to spyon things in the city more or less at will.He says little of such matters unless paidwell, and will omit or distort answers toprotect the city as a whole (but not indi-vidual Houses) from external attack, orthe plots of others, especially if he sensesthat the theft of magic may be involved.

PCs wanting to rescue captured com-rades, on the other hand, will find TheSpider Mage sympathetic�he knowswhat imprisonment feels like, and has lit-tle time for the petty tyranny and cruel-ties of most drow priestesses.

The Spider Mage�s tale of the great cityof Menzoberranzan, �The Flower ofLloth,� can be summarized as follows:

The FoundingFive thousand years ago, the city wasfounded here by a great high priestess ofLloth, Menzoberra the Kinless (so-namedbecause she had no surviving family), whohad fled from the great drow city of Golo-thaer.

Golothaer was busily destroying itself incivil war, between drow faithful to the Spi-der Queen, Lloth, and those who wor-shipped Ghaunadaur. As warringpriestesses turned foes to spiders or en-tombed them beneath tons of shiftingrock, drow mages hurled spells to sum-mon gigantic purple worms to devourtheir opponents, made huge, many-roomed inhabited stalactites break loosefrom cavern ceilings to crash down ondwellings below, and caused great cracksto open up in the solid rock, to swallowdrow armies and the fortresses they is-sued from. All over Golothaer there wasgreat death and destruction, no safety orpeace or happiness�and in the end, nohope of survival.

The proud and powerful priestess ofLloth, Menzoberra, alone of her sisterhigh priestesses, turned away from thefray. She gathered seven families ofwealth and power, telling them she wasfollowing the will of Lloth, and bade themaccompany her to found a new city loyalto Lloth.

2 2

Then: The Spider Mage's History

Leaving the chaos of war-torn Golo-thaer, Menzoberra�s band set forth intothe unknown, trusting to Lloth�s guidance.They traveled a long, long time throughthe Underdark, fighting off many fear-some monsters, and braving the perils ofwaterfalls, cave-ins, and rockslides in theeverpresent darkness.

Whenever the band seemed lost, orabout to perish from hunger or at thehands of a foe, Lloth sent aid�manyeasily-slain giant cave bats for easily-gotten food; or a spider leading them onby a hidden route out of an apparent wa-terless dead-end; or a timely cave-in,bringing down a cave-ceiling atop illithidson the verge of overwhelming the wearydrow band.

For all of Lloth�s aid, the road was longand hard, and none of Menzoberra�s bandcould have found the way back to ruinedGolothaer if they had wanted to.

The Axes of the Dwarves

Several times, the wandering drow (whotook the way Menzoberra thought right,as she followed dream-visions sent by theSpider Queen) met and defeated smallbands of svirfneblin and dwarves.

At length they came to the caverns ofthe Black Axe Clan, mines rich in iron butmercifully free of monsters, due to thevigilance of the dwarves. The clan guardsfell back before the advancing drow, de-eming them too many to defeat, and sentword to their elders.

A handful of clan heroes took a stand ina small cave known as The Cavern of Clov-en Heads, seeking to hold off the drow in-vaders while, behind their shieldwall, theBlack Axe Clan fled en masse.

The dwarves had little to withstand thespells and numbers of Menzoberra�s peo-

ple except bravery and axes�but almosthalf the drow led by Menzoberra perishedat their hands, as those dwarven heroesfell one by one, fighting to the last breath;�The Brave Beards,� the drow afterwardscalled them.

The last dwarf of all to go down, bloodybut unbending, his body wracked byspasms brought on by the poison borne bya score of drow bolts that had piercedhim, wished on the invaders �the doom ofmany eyes� before he coughed bloodthrough his beard, and died. Some sort ofdweomer must have set upon this hero be-forehand, for his body sank slowly intothe solid stone of the cavern floor, and wasgone.

The Doom of Many Eyes

Exploring on through dark and desertedcaverns where stalactites and stalagmiteshung and stood like forests of ever-gapingfangs, Menzoberra�s band came at last to ahuge cavern, all a-glow with the soft radi-ances of giant, edible mushrooms andlichens�and choked with the bones ofthose who had fallen prey to the cavern�sowner, a gigantic beholder as big aroundas the base of the largest tower in far Go-lothaer.

The beholder (called Many Eyes by localdwarves, the drow later learned) hadtwenty or more eyestalks, and ruled thecavern with the aid of various charmedmonsters (including younglings of its ownkind). The frightened drow hastened toescape the place.

They were fighting their way free of themonsters who served Many Eyes whenLloth appeared to them, floating above thebeleaguered band in the form of a beauti-ful, gigantic female drow head whosetresses trailed away into long, dark arach-

2 3

Then: The Spider Mage's History

nid legs.The Spider Queen told the drow they

were her chosen people, and this was theplace she had chosen for them�if theywere worthy of her, they would find someway to remain, and make it their home.

And so Menzoberra�s band turned andfought with all the blades and magic attheir command. Many were the beaststhey battled, before the great beholderwas left alone, and finally came againstthem, eye-magic against spell.

The Founding of The City

Many drow perished fighting ManyEyes�hurled down from on high or turn-ed to stone, as they hacked at eyestalks, orsunk poisoned darts and bolts into staringeyes as big as their own heads. More thanone House perished utterly in that fray.

In the end, Menzoberra herself calledupon Lloth and hurled spells into the eyetyrant�s gaping mouth that blew it apartfrom within. As the smoking, writhing ru-in drifted towards the cavern floor, Men-zoberra the Kinless proclaimed the caverntheir new home, in the name of Lloth,Queen Of All Drow.

Left to stand with her at the end of thatday of death were the families S�sril,Thaeyalla, Baenre, Masq�il�yr, Nasadra, Tu-cheth, and Uusralla. They made a hometogether in the beholder�s treasure-strewn lair, a large side-cave in the south-ern wall of the huge cavern, and raised analtar to Lloth. A yochlol appeared as theirfirst prayers were made, and told them tocall their cavern �Menzoberranzan� (=�Menzoberra�s home�) in recognition of herefforts and success in the service of theSpider Queen.

The Curse of All DarkElves

All too soon, the curse that plagues alldark elves�the same feuding, born ofpride, cruelty, and battle-lust, that de-stroyed Golothaer�returned to the drowof Menzoberranzan.

The Thaeyalla were a House of proudand accomplished wizards, and almost allthe surviving Nasadra were priestesses ofLloth. The Nasadra ordered the Thaeyal-lan wizards about, questioned their loyal-ty to Lloth, reserved the right to tell themwhat to do, and punished those whostrayed from such commands �in thename of the goddess.� At length, whileabout such proud games, they put to tor-ture the oldest and wisest mage of Thaey-alla, and he died of it.

In rage, House Thaeyalla appealed toMenzoberra to curb the self-assumed au-thority of the Nasadra. She took counselwith Lloth, and sided wholly with the Na-sadra, giving them whips whose strandswere living snake-heads, to enforce thewill of the Spider Queen. The triumphantNasadra gleefully began to flay the Thaey-allan wizards�who fled in despair togather at a certain spot in the cave.

There they spent their own lives in agreat spell that rent the side-cavern asun-der, burying most of the drow of Menzo-berranzan in a single cataclysmicexplosion and roof-collapse that obliterat-ed the Houses of Thaeyalla, Masq�il�yr, Tu-cheth, and Uusralla at a single stroke, slewMenzoberra herself, and reduced HouseS�sril and House Nasadra to a few dazedsurvivors. The explosion transformed theformer side-cavern into the great plateauthat came to be known as Qu�ellarz�orl,but by some miracle the central pillar ofthe main cavern, Narbondel, survived.

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The Way of LlothThe bitter Nasadran survivors sought toproclaim their rule over the survivingdrow�but the tattered priestesses ofS�sril, the eldest and proudest of the sur-viving families, defied them. HouseBaenre, who retained enough might to de-cide the issue either way, sided withHouse S�sril�but to prevent furtherbloodshed that would inevitably leave allthe drow too weak to hold the cavernagainst the perils of the Underdark, thepriestesses of House Baenre proposed acompromise: those who accepted the ruleof Nasadra would travel on, to found an-other city to the glory of the goddess, andthose who sided with S�sril would remainhere.

Lloth appeared in person, and firmlyblessed the wisdom and forbearance ofHouse Baenre. The Spider Queen then laiddown The Way of Lloth, the basic laws un-der which both cities would live. She alsodecreed that the two cities must remainfriendly to each other without fail or bothface her whole-hearted wrath, and led theNasadran band into the Underdark, tofound Ched Nasad.

The RebuildingThe rebuilding of Menzoberranzan beganslowly, but quickened as homeless drowand refugees arrived from fallen Golo-thaer and from Cloibbra, a drow city farto the south that had been sacked bydwarves, svirfneblin, and thaalud work-ing together.

House S�sril died out (the only nobleHouse of Menzoberranzan ever to becomeextinct through non-violent causes), itslast elders founding the Academy to train

drow newcomers in the Menzoberranyrway of Lloth-worship. Under their guid-ance, and amid the stability enforced byHouse Baenre, mastery of sorcery leapedahead rapidly, and the city of Menzober-ranzan soon became a place of pride andpower, of wealth and of soaring castles.

All too soon, rivalries turned violentagain�but the city�s ruling Council hadbeen proclaimed, and House Baenre heldiron-hard to The Way of Lloth. Now therewere rules to the feuding of drow Houses,boundaries on the strife that let warringdrow grow ever-stronger. As they grew inpower, so too did the planar power (andfavor) of Lloth the Spider Queen, DarkMother Of All Drow.

25

Menzoberranzan's Merchants

The lifeblood of Menzoberranzan is itsmerchants�House agents and traders,and the more numerous independentcommoners. These entrepreneurs (partic-ularly those who travel the Underdark toother cities and trademoots) keep Menzo-berranzan vital, important, and rich.Some are loners and eccentrics; othersband together to form �companies� (suchas Xalyth�s Company, or The Company ofThree Black Rings), or cooperate in theuse of facilities and in trade agreements as�fellowships� (such as The High Handed,The Black Claw, and The Brown Mush-room).

A Merchant Career Menzoberranzan�s merchants are chieflydrow males (trade being one of the fewoutlets for aggressive and creative males),but a current star trader is �Nal� Xalyth(her nickname is an acronym for Not A La-dy, a scornful boast she once made at aparty, spurning a noble male flatterer).Non-drow traders are becoming more nu-merous, but tend to be relegated to �cor-ner shop� or �lift and load laborer� roles.

Merchant careers in Menzoberranzanare dangerous, and often short. To anger aMatron or even a proud young House no-ble is to court death or disaster to one�strade through �accidental� destruction ofone�s goods (or one�s home and family), byspell or �misdirected� House troops onarms practice.

This, plus the restlessness of many mer-chants (who, at heart, are happiest whentraveling), makes the city�s mercantile ros-ter ever-changing. To the other dangers ofmerchant life must be added rivalriesamong traders. These tend to be fiercestamong drow native to the city; visitingdrow, duergar, and other races who don�t

cause trouble tend to be left alone, by un-written agreement.

House AlliancesMany merchants survive by alliances withnoble Houses�but the dangers of anger-ing nobles lead them to keep such rela-tionships secret, except in the face ofpossibly-fatal threats. (�You should know,as Lloth is my witness, great noble, that toattack me is to attack�House Baenre.Think on this, I ask you, before you act. IfI fall, I shall be avenged.�) Hints of such alli-ances can be found in this book, on a case-by-case basis�but only one is noted here:the relationship between House Baenreand the fellowship of The Black Claw.

When merchant alliances and no-blades-bared pacts began to be formalized as fel-l o w s h i p s a n d c o m p a n i e s , m o s tcommoners saw this as good�a counter-balance to the overwhelming power ofhaughty noble Houses.

Most Houses didn�t agree. HouseBaenre, however, was crafty enough to se-cretly found and sponsor the most power-ful and independent (openly defiant ofHouses) fellowship of all, The Black Claw.It gained popular support as a rival to thenobles, but House Baenre controlled itspolicies and actions, and grew rich fromit. Over time, Baenren control of the Clawbecame an open secret, and then commonknowledge�until several other powerfulhouses, led by Fey-Branche, founded TheBrown Mushroom as a deliberate counterto House Baenre (to get their own share ofriches earned through successful trade).

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Goods In And Out weapons, and obsidian carvings minedfrom nearby veins�notably �black glassdaggers� favored for sacrificial uses in Ca-

Menzoberranzan is largely self-sufficient, limshan, Mulhorand, and certain cults andif need be (most drow communities mustbe, or they soon fall under the control of

brotherhoods of the North; the Zhen-tarim, for example, enspell such weapons

another city, or are destroyed), but trades to create magical death daggers, whichwith others to gain rare goods (especiallyhighly prized surface-world delicacies

they leave as their calling card at thescenes of assassinations. These weapons

such as fruit and shellfish varieties), slaves(labor is always in short supply, in a place

smoke when striking, burning a distinc-

dominated by sadistic, whip-wielding tive hole around the wound, for triple

priestesses), textiles, and anything that isnormal damage�and in the process,cause such wracking pains that the victimoffered at a lower price than it costs to

buy or make oneself in Menzoberranzan. cannot concentrate to cast spells, and is

In return, Menzoberranzan exports-3 on all attack rolls.

Menzoberranzan also sells water toskilled stone-sculptors, edible mushrooms long-distance travelers, and breeds andof very high quality (grown in the richfarms near Donigarten), finely-made

trains lizard-mounts in nearby caverns.Menzoberranyr hunting bands gain

27

Menzoberranzan's Merchants

food for city tables, keep nearby training,radiation-strong, and lizard-raising ca-verns relatively safe, and keep the trade-passages to and from the city open (thecity�s own exiled driders and natural pred-ators of the Underdark would overrun allif unchecked for long). Wide patrols alsoraid svirfneblin, cloaker, and duergarholds occasionally, but the days of all-outwar are past (unless Menzoberranyr wantto harm their own success as a presently-important trading center).

At present, they don�t; the city is enjoy-ing a wave of prosperity brought about bya time of relative peace among its rulingHouses (there have been few recent noblefamily extinctions, with attendant lossesof all wealth, servants, talents, and con-tacts), and by the success of the city�s ba-zaar (The Bazaar has a chapter all its own,in this book).

A �DM�s handy selection� of currentlyprominent city merchants can be gleanedfrom the �Neighborhoods� chapter. Hereone of the most interesting traders is de-tailed, as a guide for DMs developing mer-chant NPCs.Xalyth: drow female F7; AC 4 (drowchainmail +1); MV 12; 44 hp; #AT 3/2rounds; Dmg by weapon (1d8: long swordor sword of dancing; 1d4: dagger; 1-3:hand crossbow bolts, 60-yard range, savevs. poison at -4 or sleep for 2d4 hours, 2bows and 33 bolts carried); THAC0 14; S15, D 14, C 16,I 18, W 17, CH 16; spell use(innate drow powers); CE.

�Not A Lady� Xalyth rose from humbleor igins (as a chi ld , she emptiedchamberpots�by hand�onto her father�sdung-cart, to be taken to the fungus-farmfields) to dominate gem-dealing (andunder-the-table fencing of stolen goods) inMenzoberranzan. Her unadvertised side-line is providing material components for

spells.Xalyth is known as a fair gem appraiser

but a hard bargainer, who buys low andsells high (with no discounts for volume orrepeated patronage). She doesn�t have tocompete overmuch; she is the only steady(as opposed to caravan empty-the-cartwindfall sale visits) source of spell compo-nents in the city (except for �stiff services�providing corpses to those interested inanimating undead).

Xalyth�s success in that trade dependson firm relationships with nine far-traveled suppliers, from the Vhaeraun-worshipping drow male Amryyr ofSkullport to the duergar Ubelein �Fatreek�Shubelith, of Underspires.

Xalyth never tries to cheat anyone, hold-ing to even casual promises and agree-ments (unless forced from her atweapon-point). This trustworthiness is thecornerstone of her success, and she ce-ments it with occasional aid (doctoring,hiding, and giving shelter) to her suppli-ers, if they arrive wounded or in troublewith the authorities or rivals.

On one memorable occasion, Xalythwent out into the Underdark alone, whena magical sending told her Amryyr wasendangered by zealous priestesses ofLloth. She attacked their patrol from be-hind, using special bolts (tipped with a poi-son that puts to sleep even priestessesimmune to the usual crossbow-bolt spidervenom). Leaving them slumped asleep as awarning to their Houses, she broughtAmryyr in safety to the city. Such deedshave made her famous in Menzoberran-zan.

Xalyth always puts on a calm front;shrieking rages are for priestesses whothink society revolves around them, andhave soldiers at their call. At times, hercalm is rather icy, and her sharp tongue isfamous, but she is always interested in

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making a deal first, and fighting later.In fights, Xalyth is known for keeping al-

ert track of foes who work around to at-tack her from behind, while she confrontsthose in front of her.

In her shop, Xalyth has several glass vi-als full of potent sleep-gas; if attacked, shecan break one, forcing all within 90� tosave versus breath weapon at -4, or fallasleep for 4d4 rounds.

If cornered and fearing death, Xalythwill reluctantly use her secret weapon,bought from a drow wizard for many rareand expensive spell components. If shespeaks or whispers a certain word, part ofher prominent bust (a magical construct,not her own flesh) vanishes, releasingchain lightning that inflicts 12d6 (save forhalf damage) harm on the first beingstruck, 11d6 to the second, and so on;Xalyth can control where the first twojumps go, and is herself immune from allburst damage.

This body-weapon is a magical form oflast-ditch defense becoming popularamong drow able to afford it. Typicallythe loss of a body part is involved, and theprocedure is long, risky, and expensive.Some drow who want such protections(such as Matrons or ambitious high priest-esses) can�t trust a drow wizard enough tohave it done.

Xalyth�s chest lightning burst is the sim-plest, most common sort of body-weapon(for another, see The Spider Mage in thechapter on Mage Lords). It was done forher by the aged Past Master CourdhMizzrym, Archmage Emeritus of Menzo-berranzan, who oversees all teaching atthe Academy, and is in charge of experi-menting with and guarding most power-ful magical items held by Sorcere. He issecretly Sorcere�s overseer of security�which, unbeknownst to the Matrons,means he is their chief spy on the noble

Houses. In answer to suspicious queriesfrom the ruling Council, Courdh was ableto justify working with a commoner mer-chant (and not reveal precisely what hedid for her) on the grounds of �dangerous,but necessary� experimentation if Menzo-berranzan was to keep pace with otherdrow cities in defensive sorcerous arts�too risky to yet perform on any priestessof Lloth.

Xalyth�s ultimate aims are to break thepower of the ruling high priestesses, sothat all drow have a greater say over theirlives in the city�or if she can�t do that, toleave Menzoberranzan for a more freeand equal community near the surface,where she can carry on trade. One day, ifdrow wizards develop the necessaryspells and protective items, she�d like to beable to travel freely between the Under-dark and the surface world, to see thewonders of The Lands of Light and to dotrade there.

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The Neighborhoods of the City

The maps in this set show a proud,sprawling subterranean city. This chapteraffords an overview of �what�s where� inits streets. The city can readily be dividedup into neighborhoods. To the north of themain cavern is its most sacred area, nor-mally off-limits to visitors and most citi-zens alike: the upper cavern of TierBreche.

To the south of the main cavern is a larg-er raised area, a plateau that is itself domi-nated by a higher plateau occupied by thevast complex of House Baenre. This isQu�ellarz�orl, the Place of the Nobles.Except by invitation or on important busi-ness, unescorted visitors and drow not of(or servants of) the noble families thatdwell in �the House loft� are not welcomethere.

Between these restricted places of dan-ger and power lies bustling Menzoberran-zan. If one surveys its areas in order ofdecreasing power and influence, the nextdistrict is an arc-shaped belt curving alongthe base of Qu�ellarz�orl�s slopes, from thewest wall of the main cavern to the east,touching the central pillar of Narbondel,and roughly as wide as the distance be-tween Narbondel and the House-loft, allalong its length. This is Narbondellyn,also known as �Broad Streets� for itswealth and pretensions; most ambitious,up-and-coming noble Houses live here.

Older, more established noble Housestraditionally inhabit the West Wall area.It runs north along the main cavern�swestern wall from where Narbondellynends (the wide meeting of streets knownas Lloth�s Web, or just �the Web�), curvingeast with the cavern wall, to end at thesteps of Tier Breche.

The West Wall curves around themiddle-class and mercantile heart of Men-zoberranzan, which lies on all sides ofNarbondel except the south. This is Duth-

cloim, or Manyfolk, home to wealthynon-drow, and well-to-do non-noble drow.It contains The Bazaar, detailed in itsown chapter.

East of Manyfolk�that is, roughly eastof a line formed by the Clawrift, and theflight of a quarrel fired straight from thetip of its easternmost �finger� to the east-ernmost walls of House Fey-Branche �liesEastmyr, or as young drow tauntinglyrename it, �mere East.� In these narrower,shabbier streets dwell commoners, drownot attached to any noble House, or nottrusted enough to dwell in a House com-pound. Here live drow mercenaries andnot-so-successful merchants.

East of Eastmyr, in a band stretchingnorth to south from the western end ofthe Spiderfangs (the east-west line ofstalagmites north of House Barrison De-l�Armgo), are the dark alleys and hovels ofthe Braeryn, or �the Stenchstreets.�Here dwell the nameless and diseaseddrow, the lawless, and goblins, orcs, bug-bears, and other non-drow hangers-onand occasional hirelings. Drow nobles oc-casionally go on hunts here for sport,slaughtering all who cannot hide or de-fend themselves.

East of the Braeryn is a patrolled area, tokeep its inhabitants from freely stealingfrom the farms beyond�for to the east liethe rich fungi farms that feed the city.They stretch to the easternmost end of thecavern, where the small lake of Donigar-ten lies, with its moss beds and rotheherds. The whole area is referred to asDonigarten.

The only other city �neighborhood�comprises the passages and side-cavernswithin immediate reach of the maincavern�the closest areas of the Dark Do-minion. This fringe of the Bauthwaf(�around-cloak�) is known as the Mantle,and has always been part of city life.

3 0

The Neighborhoods of the City

As we tour these areas (shown on the ac-companying City Districts map), somegeneral notes apply.

� It is impossible to show all of themany hollowed-out, inhabited, andsometimes bridge-linked stalactiteshanging over the city�or the manypassages that enter its cavern wallshigh up, to form balconies or beckon-ing cave-mouths (no stairs down fromthese are allowed, to prevent readyinvasion by rival drow, duergar,goblinkin, or others who could firemissile weapons out over the city toprovide covering fire for descendingtroops). An inventive DM can addmany of these, to enliven a campaignset in, or extensively exploring, Men-zoberranzan.

� All neighborhoods are patrolled�themore important or wealthy the area,the heavier the patrols. Drow rarelydare to assault or insult other drow(one never knows when one is facinga master of Sorcere out for some fun,or a magically-disguised priestess ofLloth or Matron Mother on importantbusiness bent, and armed with ashort temper), but obvious non-drowmay be challenged almost continu-ously in the first three areas listedabove. Patrol strengths appear in thechapter on �The Bazaar,� but adven-turers are warned that when the cityis aroused by recent lawlessness, in-ternal strife, or open violence, patrolsin the three wealthiest districts and inthe trouble spots of Eastmyr and theBraeryn may be doubled or trebled inboth numbers and frequency.

� Partly to get some measure of controlover merchants, many noble Houses

constructed rows of shops along thewalls of their compounds, which theyrent out. These shops are constructedof stone, to look a part of the centralfortress. Anyone trying to tunnelfrom a shop into the wall of the castlebeyond typically finds a grim warn-ing once they pierce the shop�s backwall, furnished by the priestesses ofthe House: a drow skeleton hung onthe revealed castle wall. If touched, itanimates and attacks. Diggers whopersist in work on such a castle wallwill encounter killing defense glyphs(described in Drow of theUnderdark), typically of the sort thatunleash chain lightning.

� The visitor will notice several ruinsaround the city�notably those of thecomplexes that were once HousesDeVir, Do�Urden, Freth, Hun�ett, andTeken�duis. It is considered defianceof Lloth to rebuild a House (or on thesite of a House) eradicated due todrow justice, or that fell because itlost the favor of Lloth. In some cases,a generation or so after a ruin, aHouse may with the open blessing ofLloth or her priestesses take over avacant spot and build, but time mustpass between the old and the new.

It is lawful to take over the prem-ises of a House that was defeated byanother House, but this is rarelydone; it is considered unlucky. For theHouse who conquered, it is danger-ously close to arrogance before Lloth,to do so�and any other House mov-ing in faces the rightful wrath of theconquering House. Moreover, whowants a fortress that has fallen, and isknown to be pregnable?

3 1

� Though all buildings in Menzoberran-zan have cellars, the Underwaysaren�t extensive. All digging in the citymust be done by hand, and tunnelingbeyond the surface boundaries of aholding is punishable by death (if abuilding�s outside walls were extend-ed straight down through theground, they would mark the limitsof allowable digging).

These laws are due to widespread dig-ging in the city�s early days�mining soprevalent it caused many disasters. Drowdug to cause a wall or tower of a rivalHouse to collapse, or to gain access to thecellars of someone else�s building for atheft or raid-in-force. Things became sobad that the wizards of Sorcere worked

together to develop a mighty contingencyfield spell, similar to the mightiest magicsof Evermeet and lost Netheril: the stonecurse. (Contingency field spells are veryrare because their casting usually involvesthe sacrifice of the caster�s life.)

The stone curse governs all of Menzo-berranzan, including the Overways, theUnderways, and the Mantle. It cannot bedispelled by normal means (short of awish spell), but can be briefly suspendedby a limited wish. Anyone caught trying todestroy, alter, or suspend the stone curseis slain on the spot.

The stone curse triggers an immediatereverse gravity spell, accompanied by athunderclap-like sound, wherever castingis performed for a dig, move earth,passwall, or vanish spell (or at the location

32

The Neighborhoods of the City

of the wielder of any magical item or psi-onic power activated to duplicate any ofthese effects).

The by-hand and boundary limitationson excavation in Menzoberranzan keepmost digging small-scale. Drow have cometo recognize two other dangers linked tounderground expansion: the increasinglikelihood of triggering a collapse of thestructure above, or of breaking into exist-ing passages and caverns (lessening the se-curity of the dwelling).

Please keep in mind that information onnoble houses given here mirrors what�most citizens think� rather than beingcompletely accurate. For true details ofthe noble Houses, consult the book in thisset devoted to them.

Tier BrecheThe largest single piece of architecturefound in Menzoberranzan is the broadstairway that leads up to Tier Breche. Ru-mor says these stone steps are enspelledwith chain lightning and other killing mag-ics, under the control of wizards of Sor-cere. If such defenses exist, they arerarely used.

The top of the stair is always guarded bytwo male drow warriors in the final yearof their battle training. They wear rings ofspell turning, and have sleep-venomedlongswords, hand crossbows, daggers,and guardhorns.

A note from a guardhorn summons amid-level �duty� wizard from Sorcere in 1-2 rounds. The wizard can in turn summona pair of jade spider guardians (detailed inDrow of the Underdark) and a �duty�priestess of mid-level. In addition to theirspells and items (both typically carrywands), these two can call on wizard andpriestess reinforcements; storming Tier

Breche from the city below is not likely tobe a successful act.

Drow who try to fly or climb past theguards, avoiding the stair, discover�thehard way�that other guardians exist:many hungry, web-shooting spiders lurkon the walls and ceiling where TierBreche joins the larger main cavern.

The guards challenge all who ascend toTier Breche, except known masters of theAcademy and priestesses of the city. Noone leaving Tier Breche is customarilychallenged (though the guards may be al-erted to prevent a certain departure), andchallenges issued to any drow who lookslike a powerful wizard or priestess are po-lite indeed.

The most famous and distinctive build-ings in Menzoberranzan (House Baenre ismore hollowed-out, bridge-liked over-hanging stalactites than buildings) are thethree large buildings found in TierBreche: the spider-shaped temple of Lloth,where all priestesses receive their initialtraining, known as �Arach-Tinilith;� themany-spired wizards� stronghold of �Sor-cere;� and the starkly-simple, hugepyramid-fortress where Menzoberran-zan�s fighters are trained, �Melee-Magthere.�

There�s no point in mapping any of thesein detail. Visitors rarely see anything moreof Arach-Tinilith than a few smallaudience-chambers near the entrance,and the large upper chamber dedicated tosummoning rituals of homage and wor-ship to Lloth (where young drow traineesgraduate). The rest of the temple is largelyshrouded in habitual darkness�and if oneis not a Menzoberranyr priestess of Lloth,one is decidedly unwelcome here.

The rooms and passages of Sorcere areso often veiled, distorted, hidden, or al-tered by the wizards (partly out of para-n o i a , p a r t l y f o r a m u s e m e n t o r

33

experimentation, and partly due to a de-liberate plan to foil intruders) that any Qu�ellarz�orlmap is useless before it is finished.

Melee-Magthere is vast, with many cel-lars and lower levels as well as the vastbulk that can be seen from outside. Yetthere is little of interest here; after onehas seen one armory, spartan sleeping-cell, or sparring-chamber, one has seenthem all�and, beyond a few darkdungeon cells and torture chambers, anda handful of trophy-adorned, larger war-council and assembly halls, that is allMelee-Magthere contains (in great num-bers).

Screened from the lower city by its forestof giant mushrooms, the plateau occupiedby some of the proudest noble Houses isbare and spacious; there is none of thecrowding associated with most otherneighborhoods. House Baenre ruthlesslykeeps the rabble out. One sees only giantmushrooms�a small forest of them�andnoble Houses (as well as the ruined com-pounds of some extinct Houses); no oneelse lives here, and no businesses are lo-cated here.

Soldiers of all the powerful nobleHouses promenade here from time totime, on real or assumed business, just tobe seen�and to challenge beings they

3 4

The Neighborhoods of the City

don�t think belong here, or just don�t likethe look of.

The eldest of the city�s current noblefamilies, House Baenre, was one of thefounding Houses of Menzoberranzan, fivethousand years ago. It has not only sur-vived the city�s cruel intrigues, but flour-ished, growing to fill an awesome fortressof thirty linked stalactites and twenty talland majestic stalagmites, atop a plateau atthe eastern end of Qu�ellarz�orl. This com-plex is girt about with a huge weblikefence�whose most powerful spells, citi-zens whisper, were spun by Lloth herself.The House is so strong that it can spare athousand warriors (all it has openly admit-ted to having, for years) to guard its wallsat all times. At the heart of the great for-tress is a huge circular, domed temple toLloth�an amphitheater dominated by animage of the Spider Queen that shifts end-lessly from one of her forms to another.Lloth seems well pleased with the �FirstHouse� of Menzoberranzan.

Below the watching bulk of HouseBaenre, three other Houses currentlydwell on Qu�ellarz�orl: Xorlarrin, AgrachDyrr, and Mizzrym. All are among the rul-ing Houses of the present Council.

House Xorlarrin is reclusive and secre-tive; its members go veiled or masked inpublic. It is known for its magical might,boasting at least seven wizards among themasters of Sorcere, some of them very oldand powerful.

House Xorlarrin occupies a small,recently-raised stone tower, the Spellto-wer Xorlarrin, in the center of Qu�ellar-z�orl. They moved here from a cluster ofunfenced houses in the lower city aftertheir utter destruction of House Hrost Ul-u�ar.

House Agrach Dyrr is an old, haughtyHouse dominated by a handful of power-ful male wizards led by the lichdrow Dyrr

himself. It occupies a recently-finishedfortress of nine towers, surrounded by anarrow dry moat of sharpened stonespikes. The House hastily moved to Qu�el-larz�orl from the lower city when theirwizardly rivals House Xorlarrin arrived inthe House loft, to preserve their assumedsupremacy in matters magical.

House Mizzrym has become known forthe depth and intricacy of its intrigues andinterlocking alliances. The treachery anddouble-dealing of Mizzrym have even ledto a Menzoberranyr saying: �Even oneside of a Mizzrym�s tongue doesn�t knowwhat the other is saying�and once it findsout, won�t admit to it!� (Mizzrymyr havebeen known to attack drow who say suchwords, but secretly take great satisfactionin such a reputation.) Persistent whisperssay House Mizzrym is building its own ar-my, somewhere in the labyrinthine pas-sages southwest of Menzoberranzan.

House Mizzrym occupies an old, largecavern network above Qu�ellarz�orl,reached by a heavily-guarded stair spiral-ling up from a single massive stalagmite-tower. Among the guardians of thestairway are monstrous foulwings (see�Monsters of Menzoberranzan�).

In the southwestern corner of Qu�ellar-z�orl is the entrance to The Chamber ofthe Ruling Council. Its arched, ironbounddouble entrance doors are closed andguarded by soldiers of House Baenre andan honor guard from Melee-Magthere atall times, opening only to allow MatronMothers and their bodyguards into andout of the not-so-secret meetings wherethe ruling Houses decide what befalls inthe city.

The Chamber is a small, natural side-cavern dominated by a spider-shaped ta-ble. The ruling Mothers sit there in tall,jewelled thrones when Council is in ses-sion, the chamber lit by a hundred sweet-

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The Neighborhoods of the City

smelling candles. A single, unadornedchair is provided for guests (only oneguest is customarily allowed into the ca-vern at a time). It is rare indeed for anyguest to be non-drow, or male. Body-guards in attendance on the matron moth-ers are allowed in, and by custom remainsilent, standing around the walls, whenCouncil is in session, speaking and movingonly when bidden to. Each matron admitsthe same number of bodyguards, no morethan two except by extraordinary agree-ment, and never more than six (six eachmakes the Chamber crowded indeed).Guards are usually clerks or others calledto make demonstrations or give evidence;they are rarely needed (or effective) as de-fenders of a matron�s person.

The most striking natural feature of theHouse loft is its mushroom forest. Themaps in this set only show mushrooms thesize of an ogre or larger, but among thosegiants shown are many smaller �shroomsand fungi, growing in a fantastic labyrinthof soft phosphorescence. This area is usedby many nobles for meetings, picnics, andgames�but no prudent drow considers itan area to go into unarmed, or a place forwords and dealings that must remain se-cret: House Baenre and others use magicto spy or eavesdrop on drow in the mush-room forest as a matter of course. It is acrime punishable by a heavy fine to will-fully damage (or cut, for eating) any grow-ing thing in this forest . Anyonedestroying, felling, or harvesting an entiremushroom faces the death penalty. With-out these rules (known to all Menzober-ranyr), the forest would long ago havevanished�as most of the mushroomsgrowing in the main chamber did. Hungrydrow harvested them for food, and sam-pled them for use in the making of medi-cines, potions, and spellcasting, until fewwere left.

NarbondellynThis wealthy district is dominated by theruling noble Houses of Fey-Branche, FaenTlabbar, and Barrison Del�Armgo, and bythe lesser Houses of Tuin'Tarl, Srune�lett,Horlbar, and Shobalar. It is also home tomany wealthy up-and-coming drow fami-lies (the noble Houses of the future), andthe most luxurious and profitable oftrades: gems, perfumes, moneylending,and the like.

Fey-Branche, a relatively young and ag-gressive House, has a triangularstalagmite-compound in the center of thecity, just south of where drow flying instraight lines from Tier Breche, HouseBaenre, and Narbondel would meet. Fromthere, neighbors say cattily, they can �spyon everything, with a minimum of real ef-fort.�

House Faen Tlabbar is known for its tall,beautiful, and ardent females, who oftenseek the company of male visitors, and arealways developing new spells. Its MatronMothers created an unusual tradition:open, candid speech among House mem-bers, regardless of sex or rank. The Houseoccupies the stalagmite-and-stalactitecompound just north and west of thewestern end of Qu�ellarz�orl.

The dangerous Second House of Barri-son Del�Armgo occupies the large, triangu-lar fenced-stalagmite compound lyingnortheast of Qu�ellarz�orl, between HouseBaenre and Donigarten.

House Tuin�Tarl is relatively young, risenfrom common stock through shrewd trad-ing with other drow communities. It occu-pies the triangular fenced-stalagmitecompound due south of Narbondel (east ofa larger triangular compound occupied byHouse Horlbar).

House Srune�lett is known for the short,

36

The Neighborhoods of the City

stout drow its bloodlines produce (itspriestesses have long been referred tothroughout the city as �the fat sisters,�much to their annoyance). It inhabits arecently-constructed, many-pinnacled for-tress on the north side of the Darkspires(the stalagmite cluster that runs east towest, between Houses Horlbar and Shoba-lar).

House Horlbar has been ruled by sisterhigh priestesses for two thousand years.Their cruel depravity is infamous; if theywere ever to fight each other, the Housewould split apart, making it easy prey forrivals�which is all that keeps these twocold, contemptuous females from tearingeach other�s hearts out. Horlbarryn, it issaid, make dangerous enemies: they neverforget, and their patience for revenge canspan a thousand years or more. TheHouse occupies the westernmost of thetwo triangular fenced-stalagmite com-pounds south of Narbondel (the smaller,more easterly compound is House Tuin-�Tarl).

House Shobalar is almost exclusively fe-male; among its women are wizards ofpower as well as high priestesses. It keepsto itself, its nobles rarely appearing inpublic�and there are persistent rumorsof strange Shobalarran experiments in-volving spiders. One possibly exaggeratedtale whispers of powerful, living spider-bodies whose legs are equipped withdagger-like blades of bone, that drow donlike clothing, and animate by thought.This is unconfirmed, but it is true thatShobalarran prefer to ride about the cityon strange, mutated or specially-bred gi-ant spider steeds (regular giant spidersthat can �fire� sticky strands at prey, ascave fishers do), rather than using drift-discs or riding-lizards. The House also hasa history of entering alliances and thensimply abandoning them whenever an ally

gets into trouble of any sort.House Shobalar inhabits the diamond-

shaped stalagmite-and-stalactite fortressdirectly north of House Faen Tlabbar.

Many other drow families of wealth andimportance (or self-assumed importance)inhabit Narbondellyn. These includeUrundlet, Balartyr, Tuek�tharm, Hael�lrin,Shunn T�ahaladar, and Klor�lbar.

Important merchants dwelling and op-erating in Narbondellyn include the mosthaughty gem-merchants of the city.(Though a wealthy merchant may rent orown a second home to escape businesspressures or to use for secret meetings,mistresses, and the like, almost all mer-chants live in the same fortified buildingthat houses their shop, to better guardtheir stock and wealth.)

Mritt Shadalun and Hondel Belek�tyrcarry on a bitter rivalry for braggingrights to being �the best� gem merchant inthe city. Both are known for the varietyand high quality of their stock. They maycoldly outbid each other for a particularlylarge or unusual gemstone of a type Men-zoberranyr deem valuable (rubies, sap-phires, and emeralds are most favored),but on a daily basis tend to specialize.Surface-world oddities and treasures(such as amaratha, king�s tears, and roguestones, all prized by drow and detailed inthe FORGOTTEN REALMS® Adventureshardcover sourcebook) are the stock-in-trade of Belek�tyr, while Shadalun sneersat such �foreign� stones, and tends to dealin black opals, fire opals, and other trea-sures of the known and familiar.

A cluster of lesser gem merchants spe-cialize in one particular stone (amethystsare the field of the Ouol family, and dia-monds are dealt in by the rival families ofThadalix and Ryrrl), or deal in stolen,seized, or enspelled materials. The mostfamous of these �dealers in the shadows�

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The Neighborhoods of the City

is a magically-well-armed, sardonic one-eyed drow male warrior known as Farsee-ing Phurn, who can be met with byleaving messages for him at most of thedrinking-spots in Menzoberranzan; hiscompetitors include the drow priestessThaelara Oblare, a skilled gem re-cutter,and the mercenary female drow warriorInfinyl Mestpar.

Narbondellyn is also home to the weal-thiest (and most expensive) perfumers inthe city. In the crowded, damp under-ground, perfuming is an art born of neces-sity. The best drow scents mingle with lessdesirable smells to mute everything into apleasurable background�rather thanmasking stinks with a thick, choking stinkof their own. The precise makings ofscents are well-guarded secrets, althoughmost drow know (and, if time and needspermit, practice) the basics of making apleasant, usually spicy masking scent.

The artists of Menzoberranzan perfum-ery sell scents that purport to capture thefragrance of certain surface-worldflowers, or that sway drow into certainemotional states (such as ardent love), aswell as personal body-scents andrecognition-smell dyes and paints. Thesepreeminent merchants include Mhaersha-la of the Flowers, famous far across theUnderdark; the halfling Myrip Minstrel-wish, reputed to be half-crazed (or worse),and given to acrobatic dancing and sing-ing while he works; the discreet brothersDhellorn and Diriziir Jaszarr, �Perfumersto Nobles,� who deal in love-drugs and per-sonal scents for fashion and party use; andthe old, lame she-drow Halaera, whowalks with a stick, carries powerful magi-cal items on her person, and has a hand inhalf the kidnappings and slave-deals in thecity.

More openly sinister than most of theproud (or, if a customer is noble and suffi-

ciently powerful, fawning) merchants ofNarbondellyn are the not-so-silently-hatedmoneylenders.

MoneylendingMost ambitious drow run short of coin atone time or another. Some are in no posi-tion to successfully steal or extort funds,murder and rob, or gain a loan from a pa-tron or House superior. They turn to themoneylenders, who also act as money-changers for outsiders.

Menzoberranyr accept all surface coin-ages, but prefer metal or gems of intrinsicvalue. A drow is happier with silver orgold coins than copper pieces, because themetal can be melted and reshaped for usewhere the coinage is not honored. Themoneylenders of Menzoberranzan alsodeal in trade bars, rare shells, the jarredand jellied eyeballs used by some mindflayers, all known types of gems, per-fumes, and even rare foods and plants.The more exotic the currency or collat-eral, the higher their rates.

A standard loan to a drow of the city istypically in coinage, at an interest rate of10%, compounded every 20 days. Collat-eral of written title to items worth 25 gpor 75% of the loan, whichever is higher, isusually required.

To a visiting drow, the standard is 12%,compounded every 40 days, but collateralequal in value to 100% or more of the loanin portable property (or a deed to land ora building in the city) must be left with thelender.

To a non-drow citizen or long-term resi-dent of Menzoberranzan, the terms are thesame as for visiting drow, but the rate is14% or more, compounded every 20 days.Visiting non-drow are also lent money onthese terms, but at 16% or more.

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The Neighborhoods of the City

High-risk loans (to merchants who musttravel the Underdark before they can seeprofit enough to repay, a fugitive fromdrow justice, or someone widely knownaround the city to be in trouble with apowerful drow House) typically are at20% to 25% or more, and require collat-eral left in the lender�s possession, to thevalue of 150% of the loan.

Most moneylenders have magic andhired swords and spies to back up theirdemands and defend their wealth. Theyare wily, ruthless, and often adopt a pow-erful House as patron (giving its memberscut rates and ready credit), to gain its pro-tection when a noble debtor of anotherHouse decides, as some of the youngerand more reckless inevitably do, that hav-ing a bit of sport and wiping out fast-building debts with a quick swordthrust iseasier than paying up.

Moneylenders prominent in the city atpresent include Nantlel of the Three Fin-gers (all his others have been lost inswordfights, down the years), a retiredwarrior (F11) known to be guarded byseveral servant monsters, including agreater peltast (detailed fully in moduleFA1, Halls of the High King, and describedin the Adventures book of the Ruins ofUnderMountain boxed set). Nantel�s com-petitors include the sinister drow wizardSheeress of the Many Eyes, a bitter andparanoid female archmage outcast fromSorcere by male wizards who feared hersoaring power; the fat, gluttonous drowmale warrior Ologh �Gathergold� Ilyri,last of his family (ridiculed by his slimmer,less lazy kin, he poisoned them all to gaintheir wealth and start his business); andYuimmith Shulcloak, an elderly drow ofquick and cold wits, iron nerves, softspeech, and long patience. Yuimmith em-ploys more than a dozen halflings, andhalf that number of orphaned drow. They

function as both guards and spies; Yuim-mith sells information as well as lendingmoney. Any secret of the city that can belearnt, Menzoberranyr say, Yuimmith hasfor sale.

West Wall Aside from the ruins of House Do�Urden,the fortresses along the western wall ofthe great cavern of Menzoberranzan arewealthy, solid, and long-established�andlook it. Among them are the noble Housesof Duskryn, Druu�giir, Symryvvin, andVandree. Their neighbors include proudold non-noble families, given to gaming,various esoteric hobbies (such as collect-ing animals of the surface world, or stag-ing gladiatorial combats betweencaptured beings, for private amusement),and dreaming of grander days.

House Duskryn is known for well-equipped, mercilessly-trained troops, ledby nobles known for cruel pranks and leg-endary drinking-bouts. It inhabits thelarge, long and narrow fenced-stalagmitecompound due north of the Westrift.

House Druu�giir is strong in mercantileaffairs and moneylending�so strong, folksay, that its influence over actions in thecity is often secondary only to HouseBaenre. House Druu�giir is dominated byelderly male wizards, with coins enoughto hire any needed warriors. Rumor holdsthat Druu�giir maintains a camp of readywarriors somewhere near the city, at itsdirect call: hirelings that can, some whis-per, appear directly in House Druu�giir bymeans of magical gates opened by theHouse wizards. It occupies a small rectan-gular fenced-stalagmite compound south-east of the tip of Westrift.

House Symryvvin is known for its pur-suit of magical might�devising prayers to

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The Neighborhoods of the City

Lloth (and receiving new priest spells inreturn) and creating new wizard spells. Itselderly and numerous mages and highpriestesses don�t appear in public often,but are accorded great respect when theydo�they are apt to fell one, or one dozen,drow who displease them (regardless ofwho their targets are; in the recent past,victims have included masters of theAcademy and priestesses of HouseBaenre), hurling spells as if they heldendless reserves of memorized magic!House Symryvvin inhabits the five-sidedstalagmite-and-stalactite fortress north-east of the tip of the Westrift (and ofHouse Duskryn).

House Vandree has a reputation for get-ting into trouble and surviving somehow. Itis a family that seems to delight in involved,ongoing internal feuds. Poisonings andstabbings are common, and the nobles seewhipping their commoners as enjoyableand frequently necessary recreation. MostHouse members are very interested insurface-world affairs, and in acquiring tro-phies from The Lands of Light, from leavesand flower-seeds to human skulls, fine fur-niture and magical items. From time totime, these collecting propensities extendas far as living humans and other surface-world monsters, which usually end theirdays (after providing amorous drow fe-males and whip-wielding drow males withsufficient amusement) facing the blades ofHouse Vandree warriors in need of a littlepractice.

House Vandree inhabits the large walledcompound south of ruined House Do�Ur-den, whose walls point eastwards into thecity in a great prow-shape.

The homes of many cultured, wealthynon-noble drow families can also be foundhere�among them Ilueph, Llarabbar, Mi-liskeera, Neereath, Ol�il�isk, Tirin, Vaha-darr, Waeth del�tar, and Yulaun�tlar.

There are few shops or massage housesin this neighborhood; the drow who dwellhere actively discourage such common es-tablishments, and the traffic they bring,preferring to go into adjacent Manyfolkfor such services.

One of the few businesses that doesflourish in this neighborhood is Elstearn�sEscorts. This �escort service� can providegood-looking drow of either sex to accom-pany clients, but its principal business liesin providing intelligent, good-looking,well-spoken and connected Menzober-ranyr citizens as guides and interpretersto outlanders visiting the city and trying tocarry on trade�and as bodyguards to cul-tured West Wall citizens when they wantto visit more dangerous parts of the city,or go on hunts or other excursions out in-to the surrounding Underdark.

Manyfolk This large area of the city is home to thecommon folk, and is where most of theshops and businesses of the city can befound, from the Bluirren family (whomake spiced sausages from Underdarkcreatures whose precise identities and ori-gins are better not investigated tooclosely) to the Ulaver (whose luminous,sweet green wine is a growing tasteamong Menzoberranyr).

It also home to the noble House of Oblo-dra, who have always had a treacherous,unpredictable, even insane reputation.Oblodren are known for fanaticism, reck-less battle-rages, and for dabbling in thewildest magic and the most dangerous ofthe arts of the mind, continually pushingthe boundaries of the dictates of Lloth.Such drive brings the House again andagain to the brink of extinction�but noone wants to have House Oblodra for an

4 0

The Neighborhoods of the City

enemy; Oblodren attack like mad dogs,throwing their own lives away unhesitat-ingly to get revenge.

The House�s high priestesses commandstrange, unusual powers of the mind (psi-onic wild talents, some tutored), and manyMenzoberranyr drow whisper that thisHouse sends its daughters to train andeven breed with illithid in nearby mindflayer cities! House Oblodra occupies thesmall compound in the center of the city,between two fingers of the Clawrift.

Around The Bazaar stand too manyshops and family homes to list; almost allcommoner or �normal drow citizens�dwell in Manyfolk, and even most nobleHouses maintain secondary or secretive�safe� residences here. It is the place mostMenzoberranyr come from, and (althoughthe ambitious always try to move out of it,to a �better� area) is the most colorful, in-teresting, and tolerant neighborhood ofthe city.

DMs locating businesses, inns, and mi-nor noble Houses of their own invention(or would-be nobles) should place themsomewhere in Manyfolk, where most ofthe buildings have been left unassignedfor them to do so.

Visitors seeking the sights of Manyfolk(after The Bazaar, of course) are directedto the many fine massage houses, and toshops such as Faeera�s Floating Plants(which deals in exotic plants from �Allover the Realms, Above and Below,� dis-played and sold in levitating pots); Vil-teern�s Fine Chains (where chain can bepurchased in lengths up to a thousandfeet, ranging in size from wire-thin orna-mental links to fortress-gate chain whoselinks are as long as a full-grown drowstands tall); and The Cathlyre, wheresurface-world birds of all sorts (includingthe peacock-like cathlyre) are sold as pets,live targets, or roasted alive before the

customer�s eyes, a hot meal seasoned anddone to order.

The most wealthy and influential mer-chants of this area currently include:

� Du�arthe Klendara (drow male F5): tex-tiles

� Uluruela Drael Tuabbar (drow female

EastmyrThose not successful enough to dwell inManyfolk live in the poorer, less esteemedneighborhood of Eastmyr. Struggling mer-chants, outlaws and the penniless, merce-naries, and non-drow of no particularwealth or power dwell here. The nobleHouses Hunzrin and Kenafin maintaintheir fortresses here.

F3/P3 of Lloth): clothing and travelgoods of leather, lizardskin, and carvedbone

� Bhaern del�Hluanter (drow male F7):crates, chests, casks, and carts

� Sh�aun Darnruel (drow female F4/P4 ofLloth): personal fashions, clothing,body dyes and augmentations (crests,glued-on manes of hair or wigs, artifi-cial limbs, body padding, etc.)

� Baelaskros Do�Ilisharr (drow male F6,grossly fat): bulk grain, dates, and otherfoodstuffs

� Tlar Quel�tlarn (drow male F2): finemetal smithing, gemsetting, and lock-smithing

� Rhauvais del'Ygana (drow female F6):weapons, exotic and high-quality (speci-ality: concealed and venomed body-weaponry for nobles)

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House Hunzrin is known for stupid ar-rogance; its folk are quick to wet blades inthose who offend them, regardless of thecost. It has survived extinction because ofits large numbers; Hunzrin currentlydominates farming in Menzoberranzan,and its food supply can support hugenumbers of children. House Hunzrin oc-cupies the triangular fenced-stalagmitecompound due north of House BarrisonDel�Armgo, the closest noble House to thecity�s farms.

House Kenafin occupies the walled com-pound that lies between House Hunzrinand House Fey-Branche. Nearby are thehouses of several families who pretend tonobility: Asbodela, Dlaen Del�Amatar, andYune�duis. It remains to be seen whethertheir pretensions will ever become reality.

Few individuals of prominence dwell inEastmyr, but one good massage house canbe found here: Dylchanta�s Furfeathers,which regularly hosts massage-parties forlarge groups.

Eastmyr also has at least four rooming-houses useful to non-drow visitors to thecity wishing to avoid attention, cold treat-ment, and high prices. Two of these, Nar-bondel�s Shadow and Symeera�s, arerecommended (both are run by careful,fair human ex-adventurers, who knowcontacts for the discreet hire or purchaseof needed magic, healing, weapons, andother gear within the city). Typical ratesare 1 gp/person/day (includes all meals,basic drink, stabling for a mount, and aprivate room with a glowglobe lightsource).

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The Braeryn Extending north from the western end ofthe Spiderfangs are the dark alleys and hov-els of �the Stenchstreets.� This is Menzober-ranzan�s slum, home to sick and outlawdrow, goblins, orcs, bugbears, and othernon-drow who are sometimes hired for oddjobs (such as heavy loading or digging) byMenzoberranyr, or for guard or mercenarypillage-raid duty. Some are even stupid ordesperate enough to try their luck in thecity as thieves or kidnappers.

Drow hunt here for sport from time totime (often after drinking too much), slay-ing all who can�t hide, escape, or fight offtheir attackers. Outlaws and others hidehere: raiding drow occasionally come togrief when the helpless old orc they at-tacked turns into a powerful, enraged hu-man wizard or drow priestess on a spymission or indulging personal tastes foradventure.

No drow of importance or reputationdwell here, but the mercenary band Bre-gan D�Aerthe maintains contacts here,through which they can be hired. Certainaged drow dwelling here concoct and sellpoisons, drugs, and love philtres. Some al-so sell information, but seldom live long,once they become widely known.

One such crone, city cradle-lore swears,was once revealed as the Spider Queen indisguise�when the Goddess shed her ragsto blast a priestess who treated her cru-elly. Rumors persist that Lloth keepswatch over (or even, in disguised form,dwells in) the Stenchstreets. Such beliefsgain support from the numerous spidersof all sorts and sizes who scuttle and lurkall about the area, despite many attemptsto slay them or drive them off.

DonigartenThe granary of Menzoberranzan, this areais dominated by the lake of Donigarten. It issurrounded by a rich moss bed, a stand ofgiant mushrooms, and rich fungi farms. Onan islet in the lake, orcs and goblins tend aherd of rothe (deep rothe, detailed in Drowof the Underdark), watched over by drowpatrols sent out from Tier Breche throughthe Mantle. As well as the patrols, drowwith guardhorns and eyes of the eaglecusps keep watch from cavern-wall fis-sures overlooking Donigarten, to preventfood thefts by the orcs and goblins, as wellas raids by others. There are 2-5 spies onduty at once, drawn from all three schoolsin Tier Breche (to teach them patience andvigilance).

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The Mantle The passages and caverns directly aroundthe main city cavern have always played adaily part in the life of the city. Teenagersprove their defiant daring by venturinginto the Mantle; bold children play in itsentrances; lovers use its dark ways fortrysts (particularly forbidden liaisons be-tween drow of rival Houses); and plottersfind it handy for dark meetings.

There is no such thing as a safe area ofthe Underdark, and this is as true of theMantle as it is of the wild depths of thesubterranean realms far from drow rule.Monsters occasionally reach the maincavern�through the Mantle. The Menzo-

berranyr have learned that these menacesare so numerous (attracted by the smells,warmth, and vibrations of so many beingsgathered in one place) that establishingpermanent, immobile guardposts merelyoffers ready food to the passingmonsters�drow food.

Instead, the Menzoberranyr use mobilepatrols. In strategically important areas,drow work-parties excavate defendablefiring-hollows. A patrol uses a four-to-sixdrow star formation to move in and se-cure the known hollow, as the rest of thepatrol provides covering fire. Once the ar-ea is secured, the star provides coveringfire for the others to join them.

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The Bazaar

There is an ever-changing, always busy ar-ea of Menzoberranzan; a crowded, untidylabyrinth of stalls and hagglers whosefame has spread across the Underdark. Inthe city, it is known simply as �The Bazaar.�

A Calishite with rings gleaming on everyfinger and puffing slaves bringing pur-chases along behind would feel right athome here�and indeed, Calishite satrapsseeking bargains are often to be seen inthe Bazaar.

Menzoberranzan�s ongoing trade fair at-tracts merchants and goods from allFaerun, and even a few items from Kara-Tur and fabled Maztica. Merchants andshoppers of all races and lands arewelcome�and it is even whispered thatsome of the more mysterious traders (whogo about masked and cowled, gesturing si-lently) come from �places beyond thestars, Above the World Above,� or otherplanes of existence!

Goods And Services The less lawful and tolerated vices amongdrow are addressed in the Bazaar�and aslong as rebellion is not talked of, and thepeace is kept (folk bow, scrape, and getout of the way of House Matrons doing alittle shopping), shoppers can gettheir every desire satisfied in the cur-tained booths and stalls of the Bazaarwithout being (so they think) under thewatchful eye of a Matron.

Slaves are bought and sold here, sur-gery (rare in the Underdark), potions andherbal medicines are available, and thereare even certain booths where one can ar-range to send or receive messages to andfrom locales and folk in the World Above(surface world).

Other drow flockoutlander mages to

to the Bazaar to hirework spells, often to

visit revenge on an enemy, or recoverfrom a revenge someone has worked onthem. There are also stalls selling wines,cheeses, and exotics (jellied eels, venisontarts, even wyvern pie) from the Lands ofLight.

Prices vary with supply (scarcity) anddemand�when mind flayer or Calishitevisitors arrive in larger numbers, andseem to want to buy everything in the Ba-zaar, down to the bare boards of the stalls,prices quickly go up.

The businesses that preceded The Ba-zaar here are still going strong, too: themassage dens. Many drow visit their fa-vorite den at least once a day (for more onthe drow taste for massage, see the �DrowHigh Life� chapter). These places are sel-dom settings for hired romance. Drow ofboth sexes and all ages delight in simplyrelaxing, and often hold business discus-sions, or simply chat sessions or casualget-togethers, on adjacent massage-couches.

Moving, Always MovingThe Bazaar, by decree of the ruling Coun-cil, contains no permanent structures�even long-established and favored boothsmust be moved around. The longest a stallor booth can remain in one spot is 66 days.This law prevents any proprietor fromowning �floor-space� in the Bazaar, andbuying more (so as to make the Bazaarever-smaller, as the desirable space islocked up, until it dwindles away to noth-ing, and the city loses its riches). It alsoforces visiting buyers to tour the Bazaar,searching for favored stalls or merchantsthey�re looking for�so they see every-thing, and opportunities for impulse-

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buying are as numerous as possible.Proud merchants boast that one can �buyanything at the Bazaar, for coins enough,�and they�re not far wrong�not since wiz-ards took to teleporting in fresh surface-world produce and items, for those whocan pay enough.

Wise established merchants arrange totrade spots with other established ven-dors, rotating around the Bazaar-space.Still, fights and covert sabotage are com-mon, as booths of different sizes jostle forspace that isn�t really there, or fight toavoid being relegated to a bad location(low-traffic, or sandwiched between larg-er competitors in the same goods, orsomeone selling something that clasheswith or diminishes one�s own wares). Mer-chants are not allowed to openly sell their

space�it�s not theirs to sell�but if moneychanges hands in the sealing of a deal overwho moves where, that�s purely the pri-vate affair of the traders involved.

PatrolsThe Archmage of Menzoberranzan ar-ranges to have the Bazaar patrolled, bywarriors-in-training from the Academy(led by an instructor), augmented by train-ee priestesses and wizards (these dutiesare rotating, and paid). The firm intent ofsuch policing is simply to keep the lid onviolence, not to muscle in on haggling, ar-guments, or the fun of shoppers; unobtru-sive firmness is the order of the day.

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The Bazaar

Menzoberranzan mounts constantstreet patrols, consisting of a �hand� (seebelow), accompanied by a wizard, andled by a priestess.

In the Bazaar, where things can quick-ly get very wild indeed, patrols are larg-er. A typical Bazaar patrol, on duty atany given time (the Bazaar is alwaysopen), consists of three �open hands,� orsmaller, open-formation groups.

Each group has 8-12 male fighters of2nd level, armed with +1 long daggersand short swords, and long, blackwooden staves with one end equippedwith a metal ball, that can do 1d6 + 1damage, and the other fitted with asnag-hook, for catching fleeing thieves.

They are led by an instructor fromthe Academy, typically a female F6/P6,armed with a +4 or better adamantine(the most durable adamantite alloy iscalled �adamantine�) mace and a handcrossbow (60-yard range, 22 darts car-ried, each doing 1-3 hp damage, plussave vs. poison at -4, or sleep for 2d4hours; the poison is a mixture that af-fects even drow immune to the usualspider venom darts are tipped with).

The warrior leader instructs at leastone, and usually two, fighters to serveas flanking guards to the priestess andthe mage on patrol: a female F7/P8,armed with her spells, a mace, and awand of viscid globs (detailed in Drowof the Underdark), who also carries 1d4healing potions; and a male F3/W3,armed with his spells, a sleep-poisoneddagger, and a spider wand (also foundin FOR2).

The priestess commands the patrol,but wise priestesses follow the ordersof the Academy instructor (the warriorleader), who among other things deliv-

ers reports on the performance of allpatrol members�particularly themage and the priestess, who are notcurrently her students. Drow studentsunder the eye of an instructor do notgenerally indulge themselves in reck-less, disorganized, or goaded-to-ragebehavior; they are trying to impress,and are practicing fighting as an orga-nized unit.

This is not to say the ruling Council al-ways adopts a �hands-off� or neutral posi-tion towards the Bazaar. Someone whobreaks their rules, or sells things theydon�t approve of (such as access to wor-ship services of deities other than Lloth,spells that purport to neutralize House de-fense glyphs, or female drow slaves guar-anteed to be former priestesses of Lloth)will soon meet with an �accident� that de-stroys their stall, typically with them in it.Then whispers will begin, started bypriestesses, that the displeasure of Llothwas involved, and others should takeheed.

Meddling occasionally takes a moreheavy-handed form (yet always cloaked inthe thin disguise of something accidentalor unintended, to avoid harming the Ba-zaar�s popularity among visitors). At leastone recent and very public spell-battle be-tween rival House wizards, which de-stroyed many houses and shops adjacentto The Bazaar area, is widely suspected tohave been deliberately arranged by theMatrons of the two Houses involved, toclear more space for The Bazaar.

Merchants always grumble about themeddling of the Council, but all of themaccept it as necessary�for one thing, ifthe patrols did not exist, there would bemore destructive behavior by Houses or

4 7

individual nobles, just �throwing theirpride around��and for another thing, thepatrols (bolstered by occasional under-cover surveillance by powerful Academywizards, who usually want to do a littleshopping themselves) were instituted tocurtail rampant thievery.

Moreover, whenever Bazaar patrols be-come smaller or fewer, thievery anddrunken brawling (with attendant vandal-ism) rise sharply, and merchantscomplain�or resort to a tactic frowned onby the Council: hiring ever-larger num-bers of guards (which the Council fearscould grow into private armies).

Certain beings (such as beholders,neogi, and githyanki) are not welcome inthe Bazaar, and others are tolerated onlywhen they keep a low profile, or appear insmall numbers (such as Zhentarim andmind flayers). Some beings are consideredjust too powerful, too dangerous to thecity if they prove treacherous or growenraged�or are mentally manipulated bythe spells of a desperate or mischievousdrow mage.

Two fixture Bazaar establishments of in-terest to visitors are:

Daelein Shimmerdark�s Decanter: Namedfor its handsome, charming (smart-mouthed) young proprietor, this stallstocks rare and fine drinkables from theRealms over�at prices only drow nobles(and desperate or homesick surface-worldmerchants) can afford.

Love- and sleeping-potions, and even liq-uid poisons, can also be had here, by thosewho know just how to phrase their whis-pers, and how much extra to offer.(Daelein also provides directions to thosewishing to sell stolen goods discreetly.)

Vhurn Bhaelyndryn�s Bestiary: This estab-lishment is heavily-guarded (by a dozendrow and gnoll overseers at a time, armedwith snatch-hooks, clubs, weightedthrowing-nets, and quarter staves). It pro-vides pack lizards and riding lizardmounts (see the Monsters chapter), andharnesses, goads, lead-lines, and carrying-frames for them.

At least one of each sort of lizard are al-ways harnessed and ready. These costfour times more than the rest of the ex-pensive stock (three times if the buyerthrows trade-in mounts into the deal), butthis fee includes immediate help from theoverseers, in delaying pursuit, patrols,and other forces (short of angry highpriestesses) seeking to detain the pur-chaser and any companions from leavingthe city.

The fat, affable Vhurn (an old, scarreddrow warrior) also sells �Underdarkpacks,� containing torches, ropes, grap-nels, spikes and a mallet, a tinder box,flasks of lamp oil in a metal carry-box, ahooded signal-eye lamp, a probing pole(10' pole with a reel on one end that re-leases a weight-tipped, marked plumbline�for measuring drops and chasms),food, and a spare dagger, rock-hammerand prying-bar.

He also knows good places to buy othergear and weapons, and to deal in gems.

48

Special Occasions

There are many parties and religious rit-uals in the life of Menzoberranyr, as wellas grave and important meetings of theruling Council�but precious few specialoccasions. Here we survey the three annu-al festivities enjoyed in the city; they arespaced evenly around the year.

The Ceremony of Graduation Students in the Academy, at the end of tenlong years, enjoy the Ceremony ofGraduation�led by the top-ranking fe-male student priestess, who summons atanar�ri from the Abyss. It is a time of wan-ton abandon, enjoyed by students andhigh priestesses as (temporary) equals.This ritual can be more daunting thanpleasant for those whose worship of Llothis not strong; Drizzt Do�Urden was such aone.

It is traditional for all Houses who havemembers graduating from the Academy�no matter how lowly in the ranks of theHouse�to celebrate with a light feast, ac-companied by much dancing and drink-ing. It is forbidden for any House to attackany other House on the day precedingGraduation, the day of the Ceremony, andthe day following, and it is usual forHouses to let most of their servants andwarriors have three days of leisure, re-ducing the active staff to bodyguards andcooks. It is also usual for most nobles tostay at home, and the folk of the Academy(non-graduating students, masters, andmistresses) who have kin in the city belowTier Breche, to go down and visit theirfamilies at this time.

Visitors are not generally welcome inthe city at this time, but those who havesomehow got in (usually by arriving days

beforehand and lying low, so that theyhave become almost trusted, or almostforgotten) will find more drunken or fun-seeking and relaxed drow about than atany other time of the year, fewer guards,and in general, less vigilance. The acquisi-tive are warned that it is customary forwise House wizards to set magical trapsand warnings on all valuables and vulner-able access-points, before the funbegins�as much against drow prank-sters as against thieves or would-be assas-sins.

The Festival of the Founding Every year on the anniversary of thedeath of Many Eyes and the formal found-ing of the city by Menzoberra, the drow ofthe city celebrate their heritage by goingto a strange house or an open picnic in thefarm fields to take dinner with a familythey do not customarily dine with. At thismeal, dignified toasts are made to Lloth,then Menzoberra, and then to the found-ers of whatever Houses the diners belongto, and then to favorite ancestors or deadheroes of the families involved. Tales aretold of their exploits, and it is said that onthis day Lloth walks among her people inthe form of a mortal drow, of either sexand any age and appearance, listening toand judging her people.

For this reason, no passing stranger isrefused hospitality at a meal, but is insteadinvited to sit down and partake. Lloth, it issaid, has been known to reward thosewho please her with magical powers, mi-nor but permanent transformations oftheir physical frailties or shortcomings, orgifts of magical items�but she has alsobeen known to strike dead entire families

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who irritate or displease her by turningtheir food and drink to deadly poison.

If the talk, as she listens or passes near,is of someone she favored, Lloth some-times causes the real-seeming image of thedead hero spoken of to appear, respond-ing to the speakers with silent gesturesand expressions as if they live, and canhear what is being said. She uses such illu-sions, of course, to sway drow to under-take tasks or make decisions she desiresthem to.

The entire city takes heart if Lloth her-self is definitely seen�and any family whohosted her is honored, as guests for aweek or so following the festival, and ac-corded respect for the entire rest of theyear (as folk who enjoy the favor of Lloth,and who should therefore not be crossedor harmed). The festival itself is cele-brated in the second half of the day, cen-tering as it does around the main mealthat closes the day, but by tradition the en-tire day is one of leisure, when shops areclosed and no trade is done.

Visitors to the city will be hosted at din-ner (who knows what form Lloth�s whimswill cause her to take?), but they will beunable to find any drow�except guards,angered at having to leave their dining!�at their accustomed tasks, or willing to doany business. This state of affairs lasts foronly one day; the preceding and followingdays are life as usual.

The Open Days The special occasion of most interest tothe visitor is an annual stretch of eightdays that serve Menzoberranyr as a sortof trade fair.

Visitors (even hungry predatory mon-sters of the Underdark!) are allowed intothe city, to wander freely (even into thecompounds of noble Houses). This pro-vides the citizens with as much of a spec-tacle as it does the visitors, and quite a fewHouses dine on exotic fare, such as rock-snake steak, or tunnel worm stew, as a re-sult of a hungry monster�s attack coupledwith the presence of alert House servantsor guards.

The purpose of the event, however, is toencourage trade, and few drow get muchsleep. Guards are always alert, shop-keepers keep their establishments alwaysopen for business, and House agents arealways trying to meet with visiting mer-chants, to make deals.

To impress such visitors, and to discour-age those who might secretly be examin-ing the city for any signs of weakness,drow Houses put on special demonstra-tions of magic and martial readiness, toawe potential foes and rivals. It is commonfor House armies to execute precision aer-ial maneuvers in full battle armor, for highpriestesses and wizards to fly grandlythrough the air while sipping drinks orplaying at various games and gambling di-versions, and even for staid and dignifiedmasters of Sorcere to engage in spell-hurling competitions, or in spectacular se-quences of meant-to-impress shapechanges.

Priestesses take turns weaving large andelaborate illusions of Lloth in the air abovethe city, so that she appears in a succes-sion of forms, looking down on the city�

50

but from time to time, such clerics havefainted dead away upon discovering thattheir work was amusing�or annoying!�the real Lloth, who had appeared to watchthe fun.

fully-rested contingent of guards, wiz-ards, and priestesses ready to stand guardas everyone else sleeps, to recover).

Visitors with sinister intent are warned Unexpected Revels that most Houses set one or more wizardsand priests to the exclusive task of watch-ing for drow of rival Houses, or other ene-mies, who enter House compoundsdisguised (or even openly), on dark pur-poses bent. This is not a time for catchingdrow unawares amid the apparentchaos�everyone is more alert than usual(and when the Open Days end, and drowknow they�ll be exhausted, they eitherclose up their shops or houses to sleepthings off, or [in the case of Houses] have a

It is rare for Menzoberranyr to engage inany city-wide celebration for an unexpect-ed or sudden cause. When these do occur,they tend to be wild parties (extending, attimes, to brawls and orgies), held becauseforces of the city have scored a major vic-tory over foes outside the city, or becauseLloth herself (her avatar) has appearedsomewhere in the city, and not shown anyanger or disfavor by issuing harsh decreesor meting out punishments.

51

What the Future May Hold

Not even the gods can see all that well in towhat lies before us, and has not befallenyet. Mortals peering into the future tendto see what they want to see�or fearmost.

�Elminster of Shadowdale

Soothsaying, even divination magic, tendsto be a less than exact craft at the best oftimes�and the farther one looks fromhere and now, the more prone to exagger-ation, errors, and wishful thinking it be-comes. Accordingly, this chapter does not saywhat will surely befall. Instead, it tries tooutline possibilities to guide DMs in devel-oping long-running campaigns set in Men-zoberranzan, and the Underdark around.

The Future of Menzoberranzan In the city itself, the pressures of tradewill continue to loosen the rules, customs,and petty tyrannies of the noble Houses�commoners and visitors alike will be ableto move as they please, and less as thewhims of various House Matrons andlesser high priestesses force them to do.

At the same time, Lloth�s rule over thecity will increasingly be challenged by oth-er deities (especially Vhaeraun).

There is also a growing cult in theUnderdark: the worship of Malyk, TheDark Mage, who represents wild and evilmagic�all that is mysterious and a chal-lenge to authority. Some wild mages willworship him, and folk of the Underdarkwill encounter more and more wizshades(detailed in Volume 7 of the MonstrousCompendium, the first SPELLJAMMER®appendix), believed to be his servants. Appa-ritions of empty, cowled robes that moveand gesture as if filled by an invisible

body, but which collapse into driftingsmoke if attacked, will become a featureof the subterranean world�and will bethought to be manifestations of Malyk.

To keep wizards of Sorcere (most ofwhom have always felt rebellious�if notdaring to be actively so�towards the ruleof her high priestesses) loyal to her, notturning to this upstart Malyk, Lloth willgrant the wizards of Menzoberranzannew and powerful spells. They will growmore able to ignore or thwart the ordersand cruelties of priestesses, if not more in-fluential and prominent in Menzober-ranyr society.

At the same time, increased trade willbring a secretive trickle of new spells andmagical items, which will awaken in theyounger and more ambitious drow magesa desire to see the surface world, and per-haps grow in power there. Escape fromMenzoberranzan will become a perceivedpossibility�among commoners, too, asthey see more and more riches from theWorld Above, and hear news of change.

The long-static society of Menzoberran-zan will enter a period of uncomfortable,intrigue-filled change. House Baenre,which has always ruled the city in fact ifnot in name, will move skillfully to keep itspower, by gathering the most powerfulnew spells, magic, and goods under itscontrol, and by manipulating or befriend-ing the most influential and powerful out-siders (adventurers from the surfaceworld, for example) who take any interestor residence in the city.

To avoid offering itself overmuch as atarget, House Baenre will employ lesserHouses that it controls or influences to domuch of the work involved in keep thecity under effective Baenren control. Asits stable, loyal, lasting rule has keptLloth�s worship strong in the city, it is un-likely that House Baenre�s dominance will

5 2

What the Future May Hold

be ended unless a new power or invadingforce destroys the city or forcibly changesthings, at the same time as Baenre losesthe favor of Lloth, or the Spider Queen�sown power diminishes to the point thatshe is unable to aid them enough.

Although the unconquerable has beendefeated many times before, and the eter-nal swept away by the winds of change, itseems unlikely that anything short of amilitary destruction of the city (or a greatnatural cataclysm, such as the collapse ofthe entire great cavern, brought on by thesort of spell-battle that might accompany afull-scale civil war, or a last-ditch defenseof the city) will end the rule of Lloth(through House Baenre) over Menzober-ranzan.

Although details of the customs, rules,and laws of the city will probably change,it is in Lloth�s interest to keep the rate ofsuch changes slow. Widespread, acceler-ating change has a dangerous way of end-ing in serious to fatal challenges to thestatus quo�and once commoners, anddrow males of all ranks, taste indepen-dence, the reign of Lloth�s priestesses maywell be doomed.

There is a deep-rooted fascination withthe surface world among drow, born ofthe loss they felt at losing a place in it.Many drow, as much as they fear the per-ils of the Underdark and the unfamiliar,but almost certainly greater dangers ofthe World Above, secretly dream of re-turning there, to see the sun. As evenready access (say, from subterranean tun-nel homes, or mountain caves) to the sur-face world will bring opportunities andinfluences to drow that challenge Lloth�scruel, repressive rule, the Spider Queen isalways battling this deep urge of the darkelves.

On the other hand, to wall Menzober-ranzan off from the greater world around

it dooms the city to stale ingrowth, and aneventual decadent dwindling of power�and with it, Lloth�s own power and influ-ence. Contact with the Underdark, whichis �on the move� again, after an aeon of rel-ative isolation from the surface world, isto inevitably expose Menzoberranyr tosurface-world goods, trade, and other in-fluences, and to awaken in them interestin the Lands of Light.

The Days Ahead for the Nearby Underdark Menzoberranzan�s patrols have alwayscontrolled a large area of the Underdarkimmediately surrounding the city (the�Dark Dominion�), but the very strengthand riches of the city have always drawnpredators of the Underdark�from hunt-ing beasts to rival intelligent races�to it.

Rival drow and duergar who have re-spected the overwhelming military and es-pecially magical power of the city ofMenzoberranzan, have never dared domore than occasionally raid the rich oredeposits (such as The Lustrum, mentionedin the �Now� chapter that deals with cur-rent news of the city) and importantradiation-strong areas controlled by Men-zoberranyr drow, in the Dominion.

Were the Menzoberranyr to weaken,however, they could expect attacks fromthese subterranean rivals. The presenceof a gate to another plane or planes in thenearby Underdark (see the �Now� chap-ter) makes a Menzoberranyr defense thatmuch more difficult; the city�s drow mustguard against a surprise attack in force, atall times, by foes of unknown numbersand powers.

The known foes are bad enough. Two

5 3

age-old powers of the Underdark are onthe rise again: the mysterious cloakers(led, it is whispered, by a powerful�Cloaker Lord�) and the awesomely-powerful beholders. Both races are ex-panding throughout the Underdark, andif their internal wars do not tear theirpower asunder again, they may well be-come rulers of the Underdark, dividing allbetween them before annihilating eachother.

Drow culture may well perish, caughtbetween these rival races and opportunistraids from surface-based powers throughincreasingly-well-known surface connec-tions and subterranean trade routes.

There is a third rising power in the localUnderdark, a new one: the outcast al-hoon, or illithiliches. If they ever come tolead or dominate sizable communities ofillithids (as opposed to merely small bandsof adherents), these fell beings may welloutstrip all other subterranean powers.An alliance between them and large num-bers of beholders, for example, would beunbeatable by any known communitypresently active in the Underdark ofFaerun. They are already spying out thecommunities of the Underdark, includingMenzoberranzan. Informants and agentsloyal to the city fear that some surface-dwelling drow who worship Vhaeraunand trade into the Underdark are alreadyunder the sway of the Alhoon; any alli-ance in force between these two groupscould also be disastrous for Menzoberran-zan.

It is not enough to be powerful�mightenough to impress some, and make otherstoo fearful to attack, always attracts inter-est in the Underdark. Whenever a time ofweakness comes, as it inevitably will,given the numerous enemies and naturalperils of the subterranean world, probingattacks will come from all sides. To sur-

vive, Menzoberranzan must be able to de-feat not only the first foe to attack it, orbecome embroiled in a dispute with it�but the next waiting foe, and the next. (Ifthey cannot, two or more such foes maystruck at once, and smash Menzoberran-zan between them.)

Given Lloth�s aggressive, dominant na-ture and the increasing traffic betweenMenzoberranzan and the surface world, itis likely the Spider Queen may soon urgedrow of this loyal city to mount attacks onthe surface world. She must be careful notto weaken Menzoberranzan too much,however�or the waiting foes will strike,and the drained city fall to them.

54

The Mage Lords of Menzoberranzan

Far less well-known than the socially dom-inant priestesses of Lloth, even amongdrow, are the Mage Lords, the (maledrow) mages of power active in Menzo-berranzan. They are the mightiest drow,in a one-to-one fight, the city can muster�tough, twisted survivors who have risento rival human archmages in power, over-coming far greater obstacles on their jour-ney. All began under the harsh schoolingof Menzoberranzan�s Academy, the cradleof drow wizards.

Drow Wizards In many ways, drow wizards are the sameas human mages�they run the samebroad spectrum of eccentric and nastypersonalities, the same variety of powerand aptitude, and even the same wide dif-ference from spell roster to roster (mosthuman-devised spells useful in the Under-dark can be found in a spellbook in Sor-cere, and in use by Menzoberranyrmages; consult FOR2, Drow of the Under-dark, for specialized drow wizard spells).

Like humans, most of the fewsorcerously-talented drow who survivelong enough to attain any power chooseto flee from society. They become rec-luses, dwelling in fortresses or spell-guarded towers, generally avoiding thecompany of others. Those drow wizardswho dare not, or desire not, to dwell outin the wild Underdark, can go a long waytowards achieving seclusion in the city, bytaking a teaching position in the Academy,in the tower of Sorcere. There they arenominally under the command of drowpriestesses, and are occasionally calledupon to take part in the affairs of the city(using their spells to destroy a nobleHouse, for instance). They have students,and set duties within Sorcere, but can, by

and large, remain aloof from the cut andthrust of daily House-versus-House in-trigues, if they wish to.

No wizards of note survive for long outin the wild Underdark too close toMenzoberranzan�the high priestesses ofall the city�s Houses (who constantly see in-vasions from without, and treachery fromwithin, where no such things have beenplanned) will not tolerate such risky mis-fits, and gather forces to root out suchrogue males.

House Wizards Wizards of power can work within the so-ciety of Menzoberranzan, as members ofa House. If they are accomplished in sor-cery, and in favor with the Matron of aHouse�or merely competent, but a directrelative of the ruling priestess�they maybecome the head �House wizard,� servingas the family�s chief instrument of sorcery.This position tends to be risky and time-consuming; like it or not, one is alwaysembroiled in the politics of the city. If onedoes poorly, one is deemed expendable bya priestess or other, and expended; if onedoes well, one is seen as an ambitious,treacherous threat� and, sooner or later,when the time is right, expended. FewHouse wizards ever attain a level higherthan 12th (although 16th and even higherhave been known, in large, confidentHouses such as Baenre).

If one is injured too badly to hold one�sown, winds up on the losing side of an in-ternal House battle, grows tired of in-trigue, or wishes to grow in powerthrough study, Sorcere always awaits.

55

SorcereAll wizards of Menzoberranzan receivetraining at Sorcere. It is supervised by theMistress of the Academy (herself head ofArach-Tinilith) to ensure that it turns outwizards who will not defy the rule ofLloth (or her priestesses), and deals withall possible threats to social stability andauthority�such as drow of either sex whoget their hands on magical items, and hidethem for later rebellious use against theirHouses or the priestesses of Lloth�orwho exhibit signs of psionic powers.

The Mistress of the Academy (abettedfrom time to time by other servant crea-tures of Lloth) spies often on the wizardsof Sorcere, just to be sure they�re not up tosomething that could unintentionally�ordeliberately! �destroy the city, or itspresent rulers, or challenge the authorityof the ruling Mothers (and behind them,Lloth).

The Masters of Sorcere have orders towatch their students closely�and only thedimmest among them fail to realize thatthey, too, are being watched. As a result,wizards of Sorcere have developed thehabits of concealing what they�re reallydabbling with by means of many unneces-sary gestures, rituals, and incantations(many of which are actually cantrips thatevoke minor �frills� to impress spies and toconceal the true nature�and simplicity�of the spell really being cast).

A typical series of these showy additionsmight involve a passionate chant, the kiss-ing of frogs held in the hands, circlingbackwards around a mushroom that hasbeen set a-glow with faerie fire, and theaddition of a strand of the caster�s hair to alit brazier or candle. They might add (to adimension door spell, say, or an identify), apulsing and flickering radiance swirling

around the caster, a shimmering, hissingnimbus that briefly surrounds the caster,and then fades away, illusory changes tothe caster�s body that make parts of itseem temporarily transparent, or suf-fused with rushing blood, and so on.

It is important for adventurers fromoutside Menzoberranzan, hostile drowcitizens confronting a wizard of Sorcere,and even good priestess-spies, all to re-member that these frills are just that: awizard can dispense with them all, to killwith a spell unleashed with a single wordor gesture, that lashes out an instant later.Wizards of Sorcere tend to drop the frillswhen dealing with fellow wizards (whosnort or sigh derision at such antics), Ma-tron Mothers in a rage, and others whowill know the deception for what it is (andwho can do the wizard direct and immedi-ate harm).

No one likes being spied on, and within

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The Mage Lords of Menzoberranzan

Sorcere, there is a protocol governingmagical prying on fellow wizards�andvarious factors making surveillance bypriestesses, outsiders planning thefts orattacks, or merely rivals within the Acad-emy as difficult as possible. These includeinterior wall-coverings of overlapped leadsheeting, covered with a stucco which in-cludes gorgon�s blood, spellstone-dust,and certain other secret substances�and,atop these, doors, wood panels, and door-curtains adorned with randomly-migrating magical auras, wards,protective runes, and so on. These defens-es prevent anyone teleporting or usingsimilar ethereal-travel magics to enter orleave Sorcere; such trips have to be madephysically (past wizard doorguards andturretwardens, and the other guardiansof Tier Breche), or by using items (such asan amulet of the planes), known gates, orspells (such as a gemjump, described inthe FORGOTTEN REALMS® Adventuressourcebook). The defenses also makemind-prying (either magical or psionic)confusing or impossible (depending onwhat is being attempted), and visual scru-tiny only slightly less difficult. Many pro-tective runes (see Drow of the Underdarkfor more on these) await, to punish un-wary spies or intruders with their magic.

The Archmage

The head of Sorcere, and the only one ofits Masters with a high public profile, isthe Archmage of Menzoberranzan. Hisrole is to advise and serve the ruling Coun-cil (especially in devising magics for thedefenses of the city), and to keep time inthe city by casting the spells that light upNarbondel (a duty that incidentally gener-ally keeps him tied to the city, and underthe watchful eye of its priestesses). The

Archmage is almost always a wizard ofHouse Baenre, who use their influence toensure that one of their own occupies thehigh seat in Sorcere (to keep wizardly actsagainst House Baenre to a minimum).

The Archmage of Menzoberranzan isseldom of less than 13th level as a wizard,and is usually of 17th to 20th level (thecurrent office-holder, Gromph Baenre, is19th level). Some drow cities have mageswho hold offices�or who rule and leadthe city, where Lloth does not hold exclu-sive sway�who are as powerful as 24thlevel. More powerful drow wizards arevery rare�not surprising, perhaps, giventhe extreme danger of the society and en-vironment they live in (remember thatany wizardly enclave, just as any drowcity, has its intrigues, cabals, betrayals�aswell as genuine magical accidents andmonstrous dangers!).

The Masters of Sorcere

The Masters under the Archmage are alargely mysterious, reclusive group ofmen with an awesome reputation. Theyhave few ranks or titles, but many differ-ences in power and influence, from thelowliest of the teaching Masters and theStudents Aspirant (undergraduatemasters- or House wizards-in-training,studying and practicing spells to attain themagical might necessary for a positionthey covet�or their House Matrons in-tend for them) to the mighty Mage Lords.

Only one of this last, most powerfulgroup is described here; DMs are urged toadd many more, under the cloak of secre-cy that guards Sorcere.

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The Mage Lords of Menzoberranzan

A Mage LordIn this entry, spells marked with an aster-isk are found in Drow of the Underdark;spells marked �#� appear in the Tome ofMagic; spells marked �!� are in theFORGOTTEN REALMS® Adventures tome;spells marked �@� are in this book.Jalynfein, �The Spider Mage�: drowmale W24; AC 1 (see below); MV 12; 51 hp;#AT 1; Dmg by spell or weapon (dagger:1d4); THAC0 13; S 15, D 17, C 14, I 18, W17, CH 7; AL CN.

Perhaps the most powerful wizard ofMenzoberranzan now, �The Spider Mage�cloaks his might behind a carefully-cultivated reputation of insanity and zeal-ous devotion to Lloth. This is false; likeZaknafein (onetime weapon master ofHouse Do�Urden), he hates the tyranny ofLloth, and the twisted, cruel creatures shemakes of the drow, who should be trulynoble, free of evil manipulations of aheartless, fey goddess.

Jalynfein is far too intelligent (andskilled at magic) to ever betray these innerthoughts. He uses spells to spy on eventsin the city, often, and will sell informationif offered enough magical items, gems, orgold pieces (by the hundreds).

The Spider Mage knows what it feelslike to be imprisoned, and opposes slaveryof any sort, for all races. If he can thwart ascheme of any priestess and escape detec-tion, he will; he hates the cruelty and wan-ton destructiveness of most drowpriestesses.

In his youth, he spurned a priestess,who in fury slashed open his face anddoused the wounds with a corrosive distil-late of spider poison. His face became apurplish, bloated ruin resembling afungus-growth. She imprisoned the now-unrecognizable youth in her chambers, to

be her personal slave.It was a long time before he found a

chance to take his revenge. When he did,it proved fatal for his captor. He fled intothe wild Underdark, vowing to return on-ly when he had magic enough to hold hisown in cruel Menzoberranzan. Jalynfeinreturned only a dozen years later, and willnot speak of where he went, or how hegained his magic. When he came back, hewas an accomplished mage, demonstrat-ing this by besting three wizards at oncein spell-combat, for the entertainment of aHouse Matron.

His nickname (which is what he prefersto be known by) comes from a bizarrespell-like power conferred upon him by ayochlol, long ago: once a day, Jalynfein canperform a spider summoning (as the spell,detailed in the wizards� spells chapter ofthis book�but for The Spider Mage, it is anatural ability, not requiring rest orstudy). While he is doing so (and as long asthe spiders are present), his disfiguredface (which he normally conceals with afeatureless gray cloth mask) is trans-formed into a writhing mass of long spi-dery legs, and is lit by a flickeringpurple-and-orange faerie fire radiance.

T h e S p i d e r M a g e � s s p e l l s a r e5,5,5,5,5,5,5,5,4. When in Sorcere, he typi-cally has memorized: charm person, iden-tify, magic missile, shocking grasp, spiderclimb/blindness, detect invisibility, ESP, in-visibility, spectral hand/far reaching I#,fly, hand of darkness*, hold person, minormalison#/acid bolt*, backlash*, dimensiondoor, Evard�s black tentacles, spidershape@/cloudkill, feeblemind, hold mon-ster, spidercloak armor@, wonderform@/anti-magic shell, chain lightning, claws ofthe umber hulk#, lich touch!,turnshadow!/finger of death, forcecage,reverse gravity, ruby ray of reversal!, spellturning/death link!, mind blank, poly-

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morph any object, prismatic wall, sink/black blade of disaster*, imprisonment,time stop, web of shadows (a spell createdby Jalynfein, which he keeps secret and al-most always has memorized; it is detailedbelow). He typically wears a ring of pro-tection +6 on AC, +1 on saving throwsand a ring of free action, and carries a rodof absorption and a wand of magic mis-siles, but has access to many more itemswhen in Sorcere.

The Spider Mage is reluctant to attackanyone until he learns who they are andwhere they�re from. He is particularly in-terested in surface-world lands and thepowerful wizards who dwell there, andwill even aid surface-folk in return for in-formation and magical �shop talk.� On theother hand, he is always alert for traps setby the high priestesses, and will not ver-bally betray his city, say ill directly againstany House or priestess, or reveal his true

feelings and interests.The Spider Mage�s treasure consists of

several caches of gems (typically 16,000gp-worth or so, plus a handful of �spend-ing money� coins), healing potions, andspellbooks, concealed in the Underdarkaround the city. He has a similar cacheabove a sliding panel in his bedroom inSorcere (directly above the bed), and hasconcealed another inside the body of oneof Sorcere�s interior guardian jade spiders(magically animated guardian monsters,described in FOR2/ Drow of the Under-dark), which he enchanted.

Over the years, Jalynfein has deliber-ately imbibed ever-stronger doses ofmany spider venoms. This has earned hima false reputation for being of sicklyhealth�and rendered him immune to thepoisons of most known spider types. He al-so bears a magical experiment: if hebreaks one of his fingers and utters aword, the finger is consumed, but un-leashes a burst of 24 magic missiles (as thespell).

Ninth Level Spell

Web of Shadows (Conjuration/ Summoning)

Range: 40 yardsComponents: V, S, MDuration: 1 hour/levelCasting Time: 1 roundArea of Effect: 40 sq. ft./levelSaving Throw: Special

This spell fills an area with shadowygrey strands of force, resembling a giantspider web. The strands are not solid, andneed not be anchored to anything. Oncecreated, they are stationary, and can bedestroyed or moved only by spells; gusts

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of wind (even magical ones) and physical reach zero hit points, the web stops drain-attacks do not affect them. ing them at that point.

Creatures in the area in which a web ofshadows is forming are allowed a savingthrow to get out. If it succeeds, they takeonly 1d4 points of chill damage, and aredeemed to have left the web. If it fails (orthey elect to stay in the area), they sufferfull contact effects.

Contact with a web of shadows causesall beings (except the caster, who ignoresall effects of his own web) to be slowedwhile in the web, and for the rest of anyround in which they leave it.

In each round in which contact with theweb occurs, a being is chilled, losing2d4 + 1 hit points and 1 Strength point(lost Strength points return 2d4 rounds af-ter leaving the web). Creatures who loseall their strength collapse helplessly, losingconsciousness; if this occurs before they

If a spark, fire spell, or open flame ofany sort comes into contact with a web ofshadows, it does not harm the web�butdoes race all over it: the entire web blazesfor 1d4 rounds before the fire vanishes.During this time, all creatures in contactwith the web take 1d4 points of fiery dam-age (2d4 if a save versus breath weaponfails), per round. This damage is in addi-tion to the web�s usual chilling damage,which is not impaired.

A web of shadows vanishes at the death,unconsciousness, or deliberate will of thecaster (who need not concentrate, remainpresent or refrain from spellcasting tomaintain it). Its material component is apiece of spider web, collected in shadowor darkness.

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Magic of Menzoberranzan: Items

Magical items used by Menzoberranyrdrow are described here, unless they arerare or unique (prepared by the DM as�surprises� for adventures), or have al-ready appeared in the FOR2/ Drow of theUnderdark sourcebook. In the entries,�XP Value� is experience gained by a beingwho makes (enchants) an item, not by onewho merely comes to possess it.

�GP Value� is a guide for DMs trying todetermine a typical market price for theitem (to a buyer who does not sense thatthe sellers are desperate for cash). Keepthese values secret from players; PCs inthe Realms do not normally know the go-ing market rate for any magical item.

MiscellaneousMagicAmulet of PhelthongXP Value: 7,000 GP Value: 30,000

Named for the drow wizard of fabledpowers who devised them long ago, theserare, fist-sized obsidian pendants arecarved into smiling drow faces. In Menzo-berranzan, they are worn only by power-ful master mages of Sorcere. Such amuletshave the following powers (identical tospells of the same names):� comprehend languages whenever heldor worn� dimension door twice per day, by silentwill-command of the bearer. Use of thispower extinguishes any fires within 30� inthe round of its activation� obscurement once/day, activated by thebearer�s will� timestop once every 12 days: thispower can only be unleashed by speakinga secret word while touching the amuletto a magical item (which is foreverdrained)

Orb of RadianceXP Value: 8,000 GP Value: 32,000

These hand-sized globes of polishedwhite quartz are among the most valueditems of drow mages, who use them to de-fend themselves against drow attack (or tosufficiently impress other drow, particu-larly hostile priestesses, that attacks canbe avoided). Any being who knows thecommand words can use an orb of radi-ance, as long as some part of their skin isin direct contact with it. While they hold itor carry it on their person, they make allsaving throws against any sort of magic at- 1 .

When directed, an orb of radiance canemit a:� sunray (once every other round, to amaximum of four times/day): as the spell,command words: �Delather myarra heth!�� light spell (once every other round, re-mains in globe where cast, not movingwith orb, and unless dispelled by othermeans, lasts exactly 1 day from casting),command word: �Aumrae!�� ruby ray (once per day): effects as theruby ray of reversal (see the FORGOTTENREALMS® Adventures sourcebook): meltsaway one patch of web or viscid glob; or:springs all magical and mechanical trapstouched (normal effects, if targets inreach); or: unties all knots and opens alllocks, breaks all bars, chains, straps, man-acles, and opens even wizard locks andheld portals; or: ends the effects of all en-tangling or imprisoning spells, magical ef-fects, or devices�except walls of forceand forcecages, which it opens a 1-foot-wide hole in; or: dispels all touched illu-sions; or: reverses effects of a magic jarspell; or: returns a petrified or poly-morphed being to original form (systemshock rolls, if any, still apply).

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Each time the ruby ray power is acti-vated, it drains 1d4 + 1 hit points from theorb- user; such lost hit points can be re-gained by normal healing means. Thecommand word for this power is:�Raspra!�

It is whispered that these rare itemswere first fashioned with the aid ofsurface-world priests of other faiths. InMenzoberranzan, such items are carriedonly by wizards of Sorcere, or perhaps ashidden treasures by nobles of one or moreof the most powerful noble Houses.

Phandoorl�s BracersXP Value: 4,000 GP Value: 20,000

Named for the long-ago drow wizardwho devised them, these dark, ordinary-looking bracers have been made by manywizards since, because of their extremeusefulness. They automatically protectthe wearer against all attacks by arach-nids and snakes of any sort (including oth-er beings who have magically assumedsuch forms), forcing them to attack thewearer of the bracers at -3 to hit, and al-lowing the wearer a +2 bonus on all sav-ing throws versus webbing (of anysort�even magical webs or living webmonsters, having nothing to do witharachnids), venom, and acidic or other se-cretions.

In addition, Phandoorl�s bracers com-pletely ward off all attacks made by awhip of fangs, such as those borne bypriestesses of Lloth (and detailed in thes o u r c e b o o k F O R 2 / D r o w o f t h eUnderdark); the fanged heads of such aweapon simply cannot touch the wearerof the bracers.

Phandoorl�s bracers may be worn underclothing, and will function unhampered.They may be worn around thighs, biceps,or ankles as well as wrists, and still func-tion normally. If a single bracer, rather

than a pair, is worn, the protection is re-duced to -1 on spider, snake, and whip offangs attack rolls, and a +1 bonus on sav-ing throws against poison, webs, and se-cretions.

Magical Weapons Death Dart

XP Value: 4,000 GP Value: 16,000This item is similar to the surface-world

guardian magical item known as a flyingdagger. Few drow mages know how tofashion them (and fewer still will admit toknowing how, for fear of being capturedand enslaved by a noble House, and set tomaking endless darts for protection andfor sale). They are eagerly sought after bynoble and wealthy drow.

In old hoards, 1d8 such weapons areusually found. Sometimes one or morewill be set atop or inside a chest, with in-

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structions to attack all living things exceptthe being who placed them there (orsomeone accompanied by the one whoplaced them). A death dart resembles anine-inch-long black needle. It has a flaredbutt-end, tapers swiftly, and then thickensmore gradually to a bulge in the center,before thinning down to a long, deadlypoint (so that the �bulge� looks like twoback-to-back cones, large ends placed to-gether). When constructed, a dart is ei-ther set to activate at a whisperedcommand word (to be carried about forpersonal defense), or given activation con-ditions as specific as the most elaboratetriggering conditions of a magic mouthspell (q.v.). Once determined, the activa-tion conditions of a given dart can neverbe altered.

Once activated, a death dart flies about,silently and point-first. Death darts cannotbe affected by any sort of mental control.

The spells that enable a death dart toswoop, dart, and detect opponents (theyare usually set to attack anything within60� that moves) also prevent rusting andbrittleness due to extreme heat and cold.

A dart that successfully strikes a movingarrow or thrown weapon, can deflect it, ifa DM desires.

Some death darts can reflect, or are im-mune to, certain spells, or have specialabilities: e.g. their touch can rust metalitems as a rust monster�s antenna does.Items struck must save vs. lightning orrust. A death dart strikes metal when it isattacking a target being carrying or wear-ing something metal, and its attack rollmisses by only one to three points. A few(22%) death darts carry sleep or damagingpoison. Poison damage is added to physi-cal damage for the first three strikes ofthe dart: the target saves versus poisonnormally for the first strike, at +2 for thesecond, and at +4 for the third (there-

after, the poison has been exhausted). Adart can be anointed with poison as oftenas its activator has the means and desire.

Most death darts are AC 4; MV Fl 24 (A);HD 1 + 1; hp 9 each; THAC0 17; #AT 3;Dmg 1-4; and are considered magicalweapons for purposes of deciding what itcan hit. A few darts may differ slightlyfrom this norm, usually being larger, andAC6; MV Fl 20 (A); HD 2; THAC0 17; #AT 2;Dmg 2-7 (1d6 + 1).

63

Magic of Menzoberranzan: Mage Spells

Like most mages, drow wizards constant-ly experiment with magic, and steal, buy,or seize spells from others�seeking al-ways to increase their own mastery ofmagic, and to keep as many specific detailsof their powers secret as possible (to bet-ter deter rival mages and hostile priest-esses from attacking them).

A fair number of surface-realm spellshave made the journey to the Underdarkover the years, either in stolen or pur-chased spellbooks or scrolls, or via livingmages (captives or highly-paid guests).Some of the more daring drow mageshave also become accomplished thieves ofmagic, venturing up into the surfaceRealms by night to make off with whatthey can. Adventurers� spellbooks are par-ticularly attractive prey; weary bands ofheroes bunked down in the open, or at aninn, are more easily overcome than a wiz-ard surrounded by apprentices, compo-nents, scrolls, items, and guardian spellsand creatures, in a well-guarded lair.

A few spells have made the reverse jour-ney, developed in the Underdark and thenshowing up in use in surface lands�evenin other worlds! These, listed alphabetical-ly within ascending levels, include (if theDungeon Master has access to the Tome ofMagic hardcover sourcebook): conjurespell component, fist of stone/protectionfrom paralysis/Maximilian�s Stony Grasp,minor malison/greater malison, mask ofdeath/safeguarding/claws of the umberhulk and acid storm.

Some of the �basic� drow wizard spellsthat appear in FOR2/ Drow of the Under-dark have also been seen in use bysurface-dwelling mages. The spells givenhere are not immune from this wizardlyborrowing-back-and-forth.

Be warned: most powerful spells devel-oped by the Mage Lords of Sorcere re-main secret (adventurers battling a dark

elven master mage may face almost anyspell). DMs determining the spell roster ofany drow mage should note that darkelves tend to �go in� for necromancy; nec-romantic spells from FORGOTTENREALMS® Adventures, the Player�s Hand-book, the Tome of Magic, and the variousRAVENLOFT® publications can readily beused. Drow mages are not keen on wildmagic, due to its tendencies to wreak hav-oc on nearby cavern walls and ceilings!

The new spells appearing here are pre-sented alphabetically, within ascendinglevels.

First Level SpellsCling (Alteration)Range: TouchComponents: V, SDuration: 1 round +1 round/levelCasting Time: 1Area of Effect: Creature touchedSaving Throw: None

This spell allows the caster or anothertouched being to adhere to any surface,regardless of gravity, winds, weight, orslipperiness. This allows a slipping or leap-ing being who reaches a smooth stone,soapy, icy, or wet surface to stick fast. Thecaster can end this effect with a word.

The clinging being chooses a body area(e.g. back, hand, or the fingers of onehand) as the �holding� surface. As long asthe holding surface doesn�t move (i.e. un-like a spider climb spell, the being cannotmove about), the clinging effect remainsfirm, even if the being casts spells, readiesweapons, ties knots, drives in spikes, orperforms another activity.

Clinging ends instantly, breaking thespell, if the spell recipient moves about, orthe surface clung to is shattered. If the re-

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Magic of Menzoberranzan: Mage Spells

cipient is struck by, or burdened by, an ob-ject of greater weight than its own, aStrength Check is forced; failure alsomeans that the clinging ceases. This spelldoes not lessen falling damage in any way.

Immunity to Adherence (Abjura-tion, Alteration)Range: TouchComponents: V, S, MDuration: 1 round/levelCasting Time: 3Area of Effect: Creature touchedSaving Throw: None

This spell confers upon the caster or an-other touched being temporary immunityto magical and natural webs, viscid globs(such as those produced by a wand of vis-cid globs), the sticky secretions and natu-ral �glue-like� properties of quicksand,roper strands, mimic pseudopods, cavefisher filaments, and similar impediments.These perils do not hamper or cling to thespell recipient, who may move and actnormally.

The material components for this spellare a milkweed seed or other windborneseed �key� or �puff,� and a drop of water,alcohol, tears, or spittle.

Masque Mask (Illusion/Phantasm)Range: 0Components: V, SDuration: SpecialCasting Time: 1Area of Effect: The caster�s faceSaving Throw: None

This spell is used by wizards who wishto conceal their identities for a short en-counter or momentary sighting. It onlyworks on beings who have faces (althoughmore than one head, if they belong to thesame being, may be affected), and only on

living flesh.The masque mask transforms the sur-

face appearance of the caster�s facial fea-tures into a shifting blur, studded witheyes. The caster�s own eyes�howevermany currently have sight�will appear, intheir customary location and with theirusual appearance (i.e. a mage blind in oneeye will only display the �good� eye; andone with more than two eyes will showthem all, even if trying to conceal the factwith eyepatches or shutting eyes duringthis spell). This effect cannot foil true see-ing or any magic that can foil illusions, andin any case lasts only for 2-3 rounds (evenroll = 2 rounds, odd = 3 rounds; the cast-er has no control over duration). The spelldoes not conceal hair hue or cut, generalskin coloration, ear shapes, and so on, andis therefore seldom able to conceal therace of the caster. The spell�s name comesfrom its use at revels, to conceal the cast-er�s identity when unmasked�but it ismore often used when fleeing a crimescene, or while perpetrating a crime.

Second Level SpellsCircle Dance (Divination) ReversibleRange: 0Components: V, S, MDuration: 1 roundCasting Time: 2 roundsArea of Effect: The casterSaving Throw: None

This spell enables the caster to learnsomething of another creature. A gem orgems of not less than 1,000 gp total valueare powdered before spellcasting. Thecaster sprinkles this powder in a circle ofat least ten feet in diameter on any solidsurface (it may be temporary), and dancesan intricate, weaving pattern within it

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while concentrating on the target crea-ture and singing a repetitive rhyme (�Re-veal to me/For I would see...� or the like)which names the target creature concen-trated upon.

This naming is a focusing aid, and neednot be accurate (nicknames and descrip-tions may be used). If the spell is success-ful, the dance ends with the casterreceiving mental images and impressionsof the target creature. If the sought-aftercreature is on another plane, that much ismade clear�but which plane, and any de-tails of the current surroundings and stateof the target, remain unknown.

If the target creature is on the sameplane as the caster, the caster gains avague idea of how distant the target isfrom the circle dance, and some indicationof the target�s current surroundings andphysical or mental state (e.g. dead, asleep,unconscious, alert, happy, sad, casting aspell, etc.).

The base chance of success is 4% perlevel of the caster, plus cumulative bo-nuses as follows:+25% if target is fairly well known to thecaster, or +40% if target is intimatelyknown to caster;+10 if target is upset or excited;+15% if target is currently spellcasting oractively using a magical item;+5% if the target is near (within 1 mileper level of caster).

The total percentile score of the casterdetermines how much the circle dance re-veals; a total of 100% will yield a clearmental picture of the target�s surround-ings and a precise distance and directionto that locale. This is not an ESP spell, anddoes not allowing hearing of, or spellcast-ing at a target (it is not �seeing� the targetfor purposes of casting a magic missile orsimilar spell, but may well aid the caster inteleportation).

The reverse of the spell, circle charm,involves the same material componentand a reversed dance. It has the effect ofhiding the caster (only) and objects on hisor her person from all circle dance, locateobject, ESP, know alignment, and otherspells that locate and divine the thoughtsor nature of creatures. This protectionlasts for 1 day per level of the caster.

Neither form of this spell affects a send-ing or wizard eye, or functions as any sortof psionic barrier or protective aid.

Immunity to Spider Venom (Abjura-tion)Range: TouchComponents: V, S, MDuration: 2 rounds + 1 round/levelCasting Time: 2Area of Effect: Creature touchedSaving Throw: Neg.

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Magic of Menzoberranzan: Mage Spells

This spell confers upon the caster or an-other touched creature (who, even if will-ing, receives a saving throw; if successful,it breaks the spell) absolute immunity toall effects of the venom, internal fluids, di-gestive juices or secretions, or spilled goreof any arachnid (i.e. corrosive as well aspoison effects are negated). Fresh-spunwebs will not adhere to the protected be-ing, and the spell recipient is even im-mune to the blinding effects that wouldnormally result from being sprayed in theface by such fluids.

The spell also confers upon the protect-ed being a +2 saving throw bonus againstall other acids, venoms, and poisons (in-gested, contact, or insinuative).

The material component of this spell is awhole poisonous spider of any size, aliveor dried; it is crushed during spellcasting.

Improved Spider Climb (Alteration)Range: TouchComponents: V, S, MDuration: 3 rounds +1 round/levelCasting Time: 1Area of Effect: Creature touchedSaving Throw: Neg.

This spell is an improved version of thefirst level wizard spell spider climb. Therecipient can climb on vertical surfacesand hang upside down from ceilings, mov-ing at a rate of 8 (4 if at all encumbered);bare hands and feet are not required, andsmall objects do not stick to the recipient�sbody: a recipient can easily cast spellswhile sticking to a wall with feet and/orback. The caster can end the effect with aword (if this causes a fall, normal damageapplies). Sufficient force or impact can al-so tear the recipient free; the DM must as-sign a saving throw based on thecircumstances.

The material components of this spell

are a drop of bitumen (pitch) or tree gum,and a live spider, both of which must beeaten by the recipient. Unwilling recipi-ents must be touched and must eat thecomponents, and must also fail a savingthrow vs. spell, to be affected.

Third Level SpellsCloak of Insanity (Abjuration)Range: 0Components: V, SDuration: 1 round + 1d4 roundsCasting Time: 3Area of Effect: The casterSaving Throw: None

This spell temporarily cloaks the caster�smind with wild, insane surface thoughtsand images; it can�t be read or influenced,even by psionics. A cloak of insanity there-fore confers short-term immunity to psi-onic attack and all spells that act on themind, such as charm, command, confu-sion, ESP, fear, feeblemind, phantasmalkiller, possession, rulership, soul trapping,suggestion, and telepathy� and similar in-fluencing or scrying effects created orcaused by magical items. Limited wish andwish spells can penetrate this protection,as can the spells and spell-like powerswielded by demipowers and deities.

While protected by the cloak, the castercan�t cast another spell (any attempt to doso will force upon the caster instantfeeblemind effects, lasting 1 turn/level ofthe caster). The caster can use magicalitems (even those requiring commandwords, and/or mental control of effects),drink potions, scan spellbooks and scrollsto choose spells (but not study to memo-rize spells, or be feebleminded), or readyapparatus for later spellcasting. Combatand other physical activity on the part of

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Magic of Menzoberranzan: Mage Spells

the caster, even if it causes unconscious-ness or forces a System Shock survivalroll, cannot end a cloak of insanity.

Each time this spell is used, there is a12% chance that the caster will becomeconfused (totally helpless) when it expires,this state lasting 2d4 rounds. If this oc-curs, roll 1d8; if a result of 1-3 occurs, thecaster will unleash any offensive spell car-ried (or failing that, hurl any availableweapon) at a nearby creature, even iffriendly (determine randomly), and thenrevert to normal mental state.

Venom Bolt (Evocation)Range: 30 yardsComponents: V, S, MDuration: InstantaneousCasting Time: 3Area of Effect: One creatureSaving Throw: ½

This spell creates a burst of black, ap-parently blazing liquid from the caster�smouth. It gouts towards a target creaturechosen by the caster; to hit the desiredtarget with a venom bolt, the caster mustmake a successful attack roll (at a +4 bo-nus). If the roll fails, the bolt fades; it can-not affect non-living flesh or harm anunintended being.

A venom bolt, despite its name, is corro-sive in nature. It is not aflame, and can by-pass armor or obstacles by acting as a gasor mist of droplets. Its touch deals any liv-ing (not undead) victim 4-16 (4d4) points ofdamage.

The material components of this spellare at least six drops of any sort of poison,and any source of spark or flame (extin-guished in the spellcasting).

Fourth Level SpellsSpider Leap (Alteration)Range: 0Components: VDuration: InstantaneousCasting Time: 1Area of Effect: The casterSaving Throw: None

This specialized variant of the dimen-sion door spell allows the caster to trans-fer himself to the present location of apreviously seen and/or touched arachnidof any sort. The spell is wasted, and doesnothing, if no arachnid is within 30� (percaster�s level) of the caster.

If the desired arachnid (which the cast-er concentrates upon) is beyond thisrange, but another arachnid is withinreach, the caster is taken to the otherarachnid, even if unwilling (if severalarachnids are within range, determine theone arrived at randomly).

This special form of teleportation by-passes all physical obstacles, but can�t passthrough water or magical barriers. Thecaster cannot arrive in a spot occupied byanything solid; if this occurs, the caster issimply shifted in a random direction to anopen space, not trapped in the Astralplane (but is confused for 2 rounds). If thecaster arrives without a solid surface un-der his feet (i.e. the spider is on a wall, andthe caster arrives in mid-air), falling dam-age applies unless further magic is em-ployed.

The spell does not confer any protectionagainst, influence over, or friendship with,the arachnid focus. The caster requires 1round to recover from the use of this spell(unless confused as noted above), and canbring all worn or carried items, up to aweight limit of 500 pounds of non-

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Magic of Menzoberranzan: Mage Spells

living matter, or 250 pounds of living mat-ter. If the weight limit is exceeded, thespell �flickers� for 1 round, during whichthe caster must shed excess items to causethe spell to work (at the end of the round;the caster is still at his initial location, vul-nerable to attack, during this time)�orthe spell is wasted and will not function atall.

Spider Shape (Alteration)Range: 0Components: V, SDuration: 4d4 rounds + 2 rounds/levelCasting Time: 4Area of Effect: Touched creatureSaving Throw: Neg.

This spell allows the caster to assume aspecialized arachnid form (such as any ofthe spiders found in Volume 1 of the Mon-strous Compendium, or in FOR2/TheDrow of the Underdark). The caster canalso confer this spell upon another touch-ed being; if unwilling, the being gets a sav-ing throw vs. spell, at +2. If the save issuccessful, the spell is broken, and the vic-tim avoids its effects (but is confused for 1round, as they battle its power).

Beings assuming spider form require 1-2 rounds (determine randomly, by odd/even die roll) to become aware of theirnewly gained abilities, and to learn how tomake the arachnid body respond. Duringthis time, they are motionless and vulnera-ble.

Once acclimatized, the spell recipientcommands all the normal abilities of thespider form. This extends (even if a realspider of the same sort doesn�t have thesepowers) to the ability to spider climb (asthe first level spell) and the power to movealong or through natural or magical webswithout being slowed down or becomingstuck.

The being in spider shape can also leapif a real spider of the same form usuallycan, and bite for the same damage. Poisoneffects are not gained. Web-spinning abili-ties aren�t gained, but even if a real spiderof the same form can�t spin webs, a beingin spider shape can cast one web spell (asthe second level wizard spell, but with nomaterial component required). Unless theform chosen is too small, a being in spidershape can also carry burdens of up to 600pounds, including riders, without beingtorn off walls or ceilings by the weight.

The change to spider shape neitherheals existing damage or causes harm; anyarmor worn is hurled away by the spell. Aspell recipient is trapped in spider formuntil touched by the caster, or until thespell expires; the caster can resume hisown form at will (this ends the spell). Aslain spell recipient automatically revertsto his normal form.

No System Shock rolls are required fortransformation to or from spider shape,and beings in spider shape are highly re-sistant (+4 to all saving throws) to hostilepolymorph spells and magical effects.

Fifth Level SpellsSpidercloak Armor (Conjuration)Range: 0Components: V, S, MDuration: 4 rounds + 1 round/levelCasting Time: 5Area of Effect: The casterSaving Throw: None

This spell surrounds the caster with afloating, swirling, shadowy network ofnon-sticky webs (of irregular �scraps� offorce) and magical shadows. This magical,partially-solid barrier helps to deflect bothphysical and magical attacks, raising the

6 9

Armor Class of even a stationary, pin-ioned, or attacked-from-behind caster by3 points, plus 1 or 2 points more (odd oreven roll; check each round, as it fluctu-ates.)

Spidercloak armor also gives a variableaid to saving throws, of either nothing(odd roll) or +1 (even roll; check eachround), and its benefits are cumulativewith those of other protective spells oritems. The armor also conceals the caster�salignment aura, and any magical aurascarried on his or her person, from magicalscrutiny.

The material component of this spell is abit of spiderweb, or a living spider(crushed during casting).

Wonderform (Alteration)Range: 0Components: V, SDuration: SpecialCasting Time: 2Area of Effect: The casterSaving Throw: None

This spell allows the caster to instantlytake on the form of a wingless wonder(q.v., �Monsters of Menzoberranzan�chapter). No System Shock roll is re-quired, and the spell conceals the caster�strue alignment with the chaotic neutralaura of a �wonder,� as well as shielding thecaster�s mind from all contact: it can�t beread, influenced, or attacked. (Drow wiz-ards commonly use this spell to hide fromhostile priestesses of the Spider Queen, orintruder-mages unfamiliar with theUnderdark).

While in wingless wonder form, a magecan cast any memorized spells desired,purely by force of will. Somatic and verbalcomponents are not necessary; materialcomponents are consumed, and a spellwill fail without them, but they need not

be brandished (instead, they disappear bythemselves from the caster�s person, un-der the concealment of the wonder form).

A wizard can remain in wingless won-der form permanently, though 1 point ofintelligence is lost at the end of each fullyear in wonder form (ignore partialyears). At will, the caster can revert to hisor her own form, or take on another formby casting another spell that enables achange of shape. In either case, the won-derform spell instantly ends; a wizardcannot shift back and forth between nor-mal and wingless wonder form except bycasting multiple wonderform spells.

7 0

Priestesses of Evil

It has been said that the true ruler of Men-zoberranzan is the goddess Lloth; she isresponsible for the city�s nature, customs,laws, and survival. This saying is correct,but it is also true that at least forty otherdrow communities in (or under) theRealms are known to worship the SpiderQueen, and that her divine concerns,aims, and efforts often transcend her at-tention to mere individual mortal wor-shippers. In short, she can�t (and doesn�twant to) spend all of her time nursemaid-ing and spying on her Menzoberranyrfaithful. Although she enjoys being fearedand worshipped, and being in the midst ofa place where her rule is paramount,spending attention on a �secure� holding isa luxury, when battles and intrigue else-where demand far more urgent attention.So Lloth comes to Menzoberranzan all tooseldom to please her most dedicatedfaithful�her high priestesses�and muchtoo often for the comfort of its every otherinhabitant.

Lloth maintains her rule over the city bymeans of those same priestesses; in Men-zoberranzan, they speak her will, and actupon it. Through warring Matrons of rivalHouses, Lloth sets the drow at war witheach other, both for her own amusementand to prevent the onset of complacency,assertion of runaway pride, and a possibledecadent turning to other deities. In truth,Lloth fears the underground worship ofVhaeraun and Ghaunadaur, which sheknows to be present in Menzoberranzan,and can�t seem to eradicate. Her priest-esses have firm, zealous orders to tireless-ly seek out and destroy all traces of suchtreacherous, unholy faiths.

At the same time, Lloth�s hold over Men-zoberranzan is kept secure, and the wholecommunity kept from a perilous plungeinto ongoing, open civil warfare, by theoverwhelmingly superior strength (and

utter loyalty to Lloth) of the city�s FirstHouse, the family of Baenre. Lloth keeps aclose watch over the minds of not only itsaged ruling Matron, but over all of its highpriestesses and wizards of note; sheknows well that it is among the ranks ofthe lowly and ambitious�and especiallyamong wizards of Sorcere�that loyalty toher is lowest, and open rebellion oftenkept down only by stronger fear.

To a lesser extent, Lloth watches overthe other Houses of the city for the samethings. Though priestesses are taught ear-ly that �Lloth has a thousand thousandeyes,� it is usually true that she has morevaluable (and interesting) things to dothan to use them all constantly to spy overthe shoulders of her every worshipper�so she uses the vigilance and inquisitive-ness of a ready-made network of loyalspies within each House to do most of herwork for her: her priestesses. They doLloth�s watching, and she keeps them incheck by spying upon them, �watching thewatchers� to prevent any splinter faithsfrom emerging that might lessen herpower, and to prevent any other deityfrom subverting one of her high priest-esses to serve a different divine power.

Rival Faiths InMenzoberranzan Many visitors�both willing merchantsand unwilling slaves�come to Menzober-ranzan with its passing days, and it is fairto say that almost all of the known faithsof Faerun have been worshipped by some-one in the city at some point in time. Thisholds true for most trading cities of theRealms, and can be discounted in a look at�rival faiths.�

Lloth�s commands make it a fatal offense

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Priestesses of Evil

to openly worship any deity but her with-in the city (swearing by another deity in atavern, or during an argument or momentof great emotion, is frowned upon�andtends to get one watched�but is not causefor death; the prohibition is on rituals). Inpractice, Lloth�s priestesses tend to turn ablind eye to hired mercenaries of otherraces worshipping their own gods, such asorcs, bugbears, gnolls, humans who makeofferings to Tempus Lord of Battles, andso on. They are after bigger game: the ri-val drow faiths of Eilistraee, Ghaunadaur,and Vhaeraun (all detailed in the source-book FOR2/The Drow of the Underdark).

In Menzoberranzan, the worship ofEilistraee is practically non-existent, as isthat of Ghaunadaur (a handful of Menzo-berranyr devotees worship �The Eye� on-ly on visits to other drow communities,and do not communicate with each otherin any sort of organized, undergroundcult) and the smaller drow cults (not men-tioned here).

The real rival is Vhaeraun, The MaskedLord, who has a small but growing follow-ing in the city, particularly among drowwho travel the Underdark (and thereforesee things as they are outside a city ruledby Lloth�s dictates), and young drow dis-satisfied with the society as it is or withtheir own lowly ranking within it. (Theyare likely to ask such questions as: whyare things so cruel and divisive? why isn�tthere more harmony, mutual enjoyment,and common growth in power? why, afterthousands of years, are we still all stuck inthis one cavern, at each other�s throats allthe time�when we could be great, rule avast part of the Underdark, and all livelike surface-world kings?)

The necessarily secretive nature of thefaith of Vhaeraun in the city keeps it mys-terious, and its worshippers hidden; littleis said of them here, to allow DMs to bet-

ter conceal who is and isn�t a devotee ofVhaeraun from searching PCs.

The passages of the Underdark allaround Menzoberranzan are studdedwith cleverly-hidden holy symbols of TheMasked Lord, which are so constructed asto emit no betraying magical or alignmentaura. Priests of Vhaeraun need only bewithin a mile of their holy symbol to use itin working spells given to them by Vhae-raun; it need not ever be on their person(except when they first wear it to becomeattuned or linked to it) or brandished inspellcasting or dealing with undead. An-other chapter of this book deals with someof their important spells, and the chapteron the spells granted by Lloth herself con-tains one vital spell used by priests ofVhaeraun: conceal item. (They also, ofcourse, can call on any of the �common toall drow priests� spells detailed in FOR2/The Drow of the Underdark).

To priestesses of Lloth, priests of Vhae-raun are �the enemy,� to be hunted downby any means possible�torture of sus-pected drow is a favorite tactic�and erad-icated on the altars of Lloth, to earn themaximum glory of the goddess, and derivethe most personal enjoyment out of one�sefforts.

Serving Two DeitiesVery rare, but greatly feared in Lloth-fostered drow folklore, and amongst liv-ing priestesses of Lloth, is thetraitor-priestess (or priest), who servesLloth and another deity (usually Vhae-raun). It is for this reason that male drowwho aspire to be priests in Lloth�s serviceseldom rise very far in levels: even if theyovercome the hatred and resentment ofany female drow clergy they must workwith, the Spider Queen simply does not

72

trust them�they tend to end their daysquickly, being used as �temple enforcers�or guards. In this role they face manyspell-battles with intruders (such as drowtrying to settle grudges with enemies inthe clergy), or priestesses who are rebel-lious, or feuding, or who have succumbedto insanity under the pressures of theirstation or contact with lower-planar crea-tures.

There are priests, and even more priest-esses, who serve Lloth on the surface, andVhaeraun underneath. The reverse is al-most unknown, though the destructivepotential of such an individual keeps theidea a dark and secret dream that fires aglint in the eyes of many a high priestess.The glory for training and placing such aone would be very great, but finding suit-

able candidates and steering them alivethrough the perils of preparation withoutlosing their loyalty to Lloth and to theirhandler is unlikely in the extreme�and sofar, as far as it is can be told from the newsof the Underdark, so unlikely as to be un-known.

How can such treachery be tolerated bythe Spider Queen? Surely she knows theheart of every worshipper, and could pre-vail over any influences of a god of lesserpower, such as Vhaeraun?

The truth is that Vhaeraun is not somuch less powerful than the SpiderQueen; he simply uses his power in subtle,hidden, behind-the-scenes ways, not inthe tyrannical, exultant, and brutal-naked-force manner so beloved by Lloth.

He also watches over the drow in any

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Priestesses of Evil

place ruled by Lloth where he does haveworshippers (such as the drow cities ofMenzoberranzan, T le thtyrr , andWaerglarn) often and attentively, lookinginto their minds for doubts and misgiv-ings. If he finds great hatred or open re-bellion against the dictates of the SpiderQueen (or against her local high priest-esses), and can find an opportunity for a�private audience� with the waveringLloth-worshipper, Vhaeraun manifests asa shadowy black face-mask, and telepathi-cally speaks to the individual.

If the individual is discovered or at-tacked by others, Vhaeraun typicallyleaves�after using spells to destroy thebeings who discover or attack his intend-ed faithful, as a sign of his power overLloth, and to preserve the intended wor-shipper for another attempt at conversionlater.

Vhaeraun offers a faithful follower addi-tional powers, typically as follows: accessto all spells known to his faith (this in-cludes the spells noted in the relevantchapter of this book, in Drow of theUnderdark, and any desired spells fromother rulebooks: notably, from Tome ofMagic, the spells chaotic combat (whichwill work only when cast by the priestesson herself, or another faithful of Vhae-raun, regardless of class), create holy sym-b o l , d i v i n e i n s p i r a t i o n , m i n d n e t ,reversion, and seclusion); the use of oneadditional, �free� blessing of Vhaeraunspell per day, in addition to the normalspell roster of the cleric; the use of one de-ceive prying spell at any time in the fu-ture, bestowed immediately and carriedin addition to the normal spell roster ofthe cleric (but not replaced by Vhaeraun;if used, any replacement spell must beprayed for, by a priest of sufficient level,and gained as part of the usual, limitedcomplement of spells); the favor of Vhae-

raun, who richly rewards those who dowell in his service (sometimes, he willfalsely claim, with immortality�and he�sstill looking for a worthy consort); thepersonal attention of Vhaeraun, in theform of useful information imparted tothe priestess from time to time, in herdreams; and the ability to function with-out any penalties in full or bright light, inpart because the eyes of the faithful areshaded with �the shadow of Vhaeraun�spower.�

A double agent priest or priestess con-tinues to advance in Lloth�s service, and togain spells normally. If the individual�s loy-alty to Vhaeraun is ever discovered, Llothtypically alerts nearby drow, and refusesto grant any further spells to the traitor�but does not strip the drow of anypresently-memorized spells. If the drowsurvives long enough to flee Lloth-worshippers and any community theycontrol, he or she continues at the samepriest level and spell-power, losing only ac-cess to spells specifically and only grantedby Lloth (note that the conceal item spell isgranted by deities other than the SpiderQueen, and there may well be other Lloth-granted spells that have been co-opted byrival deities). The double agent becomes acleric of Vhaeraun (although the dressand manners of a Lloth-worshipper maybe retained for use as a disguise), and typi-cally travels to near-surface drow hold-ings or trading communities used byseveral races (such as Skullport).

If a DM wishes to make known to play-ers the existence of double agent priest-esses in drow society, an effective way ofrevealing them is to have PCs witness theunmasking and furious destruction ofsuch a priestess at the hands of priestessesloyal to Lloth, who will spit, snarl, lashwith their snake-headed whips until onegrows tired simply watching them, and af-

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terwards trumpet their victory over �theevil Shadow, the treacherous MaskedOne,� as they parade the mutilated rem-nants of the traitor through the city.

This grisly fate has befallen many a dev-otee of Vhaeraun, particularly beforesome of the concealment spells now avail-able to his faithful had been devised bythe Masked Lord: notably, in Menzober-ranzan, the priestesses Ililree Co-branhree, Slylyndrath Dhree, and MyyrinJalhuus, and the priest Narr Thuirbrynn.Drow tend not to speak the names orwant to remember such traitors�theirHouses disown them for safety�s sake, andother drow are urged by the yochlol notto remind people of treachery to Lloth bykeeping alive names of those who have sosinned.

Priestesses of theSpider QueenIn Lloth-dominated drow society, priest-esses of the Spider Queen are owed thehospitality of all drow including those ofrival Houses, who may provide guest fur-nishings at a safe distance from their ownresidences without giving any offense tothe visitors or to Lloth.

Generally, under The Way of Lloth, it isdeath to any drow or lesser creature (i.e.non-drow) to disobey a priestess�and apunishable offense for any drow of lesserrank than high priestess to disobey a Ma-tron of any House. There are recognized ex-ceptions to this rule: guests have a limitedimmunity, masters and mistresses holdingoffice in any community are exempt, andcertain drow (such as mercenaries) are �out-side� The Way of Lloth. Be warned; when indoubt, most priestesses strike to punishfirst, and ask questions later.

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Magic of Menzoberranzan: Priest Spells

Priestesses of Lloth wield many dark anddeadly spells; some are shown in the Play-er�s Handbook and Tome of Magic, and intwo sections (the entries for Lloth�s clergyand �commonly shared� drow priestspells) in Drow of the Underdark.

These pages delve again into the magicof those who pray to Lloth. Her clergy de-vise fewer spells than some priesthoods,but many of their magics are yet un-known to surface-world folk, and newones do appear. Spells given here mayvary in detail from drow city to city�andmay even see use by priests of other dei-ties (and other races).

No priestess of Lloth should be easilyovercome in any confrontation; most areharsh, aggressive creatures, quick tostrike, and canny in battle. More thanmost priests (except those of war-gods,such as Tempus), clergy of Lloth are train-ed and experienced in combat.

First Level SpellsCloak of Dark Power (Evocation, Al-teration)

Sphere: NecromanticRange: 0Components: V, SDuration: 1 round/levelCasting Time: 4Area of Effect: The casterSaving Throw: None

This spell creates a dark aura of cours-ing, swirling power around the caster.The priest�s body and anything worn orcarried (by the caster only) are protectedby this aura from the effects of full sun-light, even under the open, daytime sky ofthe surface world (arms and armor im-bued with the radiations of the Under-

dark don�t begin to lose their power, andthe drow caster suffers no �bright light�combat penalties). This magic is specifi-cally fashioned to prevail against a lightspell.

A priest shrouded in a cloak of darkpower functions as if of one experiencelevel higher, in all dealings with undead.Arachnids (and others using arachnidforms) attack a cloak -wearer at -3.

Undead Battlemight (Necromancy)

Sphere: NecromanticRange: TouchComponents: V, S, MDuration: 1 round + round/levelCasting Time: 4Area of Effect: One undead/levelSaving Throw: None

This spell affects (only) undead zombiesand skeletons touched by the caster, giv-ing them the speed and agility of the cast-er (in peak, healthy state). The undeadgain initiative rolls and the same savingthrows as the caster, if better than theirusual saves. The material components ofthe spell are three drops of water, sinewor cartilage from any mammal, and a dropof quicksilver.

Second Level SpellRevenance (Necromancy)

Sphere: NecromanticRange: TouchComponents: V, S, MDuration: SpecialCasting Time: 5Area of Effect: 1 undead/levelSaving Throw: None

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This is a clerical version of the wizardlyrevenance spell (see the FORGOTTENREALMS® Adventures book). The casteraffects one touched undead per level,making it immune to an initial attempt toturn, destroy, or command it by a priest,paladin, or other being with power overundead. The spell ends as it prevents thatone attempt; later attempts have a normalchance of success (the spell does not pro-tect undead from spells or magical item ef-fects). Protected undead radiate a faintmagical aura. Unlike the wizard spell,multiple clerical revenances can be caston a single undead; each turning attemptends only one spell, leaving the others op-erating. The material components of thespell are a drop of blood and a pinch ofdust per undead to be affected.

Third Level SpellConceal Item (Illusion/Phantasm)

Sphere: ProtectionRange: TouchComponents: V, S, MDuration: 2 rounds + 1 round/levelCasting Time: 6Area of Effect: One itemSaving Throw: None

This magic enables the caster to renderutterly undetectable, except to himself,any single non-living item smaller than histotal body mass, as long as he is carryingor touching it. The spell conceals evenmagical or alignment auras, and shows aspy using true seeing a blank, shifting-

7 7

Magic of Menzoberranzan: Priest Spells

outlines area of white �fog� where theitem is.

This spell is usually used to conceal acarried magical item or weapon; priests ofVhaeraun typically use it to hide holy sym-bols (when cast on any holy symbol, spellduration is tripled). Developed by a priest-ess of Lloth, this spell has been �bor-rowed� by all Menzoberranyr priests ofVhaeraun. Its material component is asmall handful (about two ounces) of thedust of any powdered gemstone.

Fourth Level SpellStone Walk (Alteration)

Sphere: ElementalRange: 0Components: SDuration: 1 round + 1 round/levelCasting Time: 7Area of Effect: The casterSaving Throw: None

A development of the meld into stonespell, this magic allows a caster to mergeinto solid stone and travel (short dis-tances) through it. Travel is possiblethrough loose, or broken stone, but notmud, sand, or fine gravel. Movement is al-ways 10 feet/round.

If spell duration permits, a caster canenter stone, leave it, and re-enter it or an-other mass of stone, without casting a sec-ond stone walk. While in stone, the castercan sense any ending or edges of stonewithin 120 feet, as well as the presence,location, and size of any cavities, seep-water, fissures, air pockets, and beingssuch as digging or imprisoned creatures,and those able to pass through stone (suchas xorn). The stone blocks all hearing, butsome vibrations can be felt. The caster can

walk up or down as well as horizontally,and can tell direction relative to the natu-ral grain of the rock.

The caster is trapped alive, entombed insolid stone (the same as a victim of the wiz-ardly imprisonment spell) if not out ofstone at spell expiry. A priest within 12feet of a break in the stone at expiry canstruggle onwards at a cost of 1d6 lost hp(2d6 if a system shock roll fails) to breakout. In a round of emergence from stone,a caster is unable to use spells or make at-tacks, has an effective Armor Class of 10,and moves at half rate (rounding down).

Fifth Level SpellsImbue Undead With Spell Ability(Necromancy)

Sphere: NecromanticRange: TouchComponents: V, S, MDuration: SpecialCasting Time: 8Area of Effect: One undeadSaving Throw: None

This is a clerical version of the wizards�spell of the same name described in theFORGOTTEN REALMS® Adventures book.The caster can affect one undead, touchedwith a drop of the caster�s own blood (thespell�s material component).

The undead (which can be controlled byclerical ability or by spells, without ham-pering this spell) becomes a spell focus forthe caster�who can funnel any chosen,currently-carried spell through the un-dead. The spell is emitted from the un-dead, but all casting activity (includingcomponent use) is performed by thepriest. Distance does not matter, if priestand undead remain on the same plane

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Magic of Menzoberranzan: Priest Spells

(but unless other spells are used to �see�the undead�s surroundings, or it is in aknown location, spells will be hurledblindly).

Unlike the wizard spell, spells to be castthrough the undead can be chosen asneeded, rather than at or before imbue-ment. A priest can cast multiple spells, oneper round, through the undead, until it isdestroyed, or a maximum of one spell perlevel of the priest has been cast (exhaust-ing the spell), or the spell runs out (it canlast up to 10 turns per level of the caster).

With this spell, a hidden priest can avoiddirect combat, employing an undead as aspellcasting fighting-focus. It can be caston undead affected by revenance and/orundead battlemight, and the spells willfunction simultaneously. A dispel magiccast on such an augmented undead willend only one of these spells (choose whichrandomly).

Spider Summoning (Conjuration/Summoning)

Sphere: AnimalRange: 0Components: V, S, MDuration: 1 round +1 round/levelCasting Time: 8Area of Effect: SpecialSaving Throw: None

This spell calls 1d4 �large� spiders (de-tailed in Volume 1 of the Monstrous Com-pendium) per level of the caster, to servethe priest. They �fade� into view within 100feet of the caster, on the round after cast-ing, and obey the caster�s command on theround thereafter. They have full possiblehit points and poison reserves, and fight todeath for the caster with utter loyalty, fol-lowing the caster�s silent mental urgingsas to targets, direction to move, and tasks

to do. The caster can cast other spellswithout ending this spell�s control. At spellexpiry, surviving spiders �fade away,� re-turning whence they came.

Only true arachnids can be summonedby this spell, not similar insect creaturesor beings using magic to take arachnidform (such as Lloth, or a wizard using spi-der shape). The spell cannot be used tocommand or repel encountered spiders; itonly allows the caster to command thearachnids it summons. The spell�s materialcomponent is a dried arachnid corpse.

Sixth Level SpellMeld of Lolth (Enchantment/Charm)

Sphere: CharmRange: TouchComponents: V, SDuration: 1 hour/levelCasting Time: 9Area of Effect: One beingSaving Throw: Special

Often used by priestesses to link them-selves to a powerful drow male before abattle (to control them when necessary),this spell enables the caster to �mind-meld�with another creature. The meld allowsthe caster to see through the other being�seyes and read its thoughts, and communi-cate telepathically with the linked being.

The caster can act, speak, and cast spellsnormally without ending this link, and isable (whenever not casting another spellor using any psionic abilities) to dominatethe linked being completely, controlling itsbody regardless of distance (the spell isbroken if caster and linked being end upon different planes). The caster can usethe linked being as the focus (source ofemission) of a currently-memorized spell,

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Magic of Menzoberranzan: Priest Spells

casting it through the linked being�butthis ends the meld instantly.

If the linked being�s intelligence is lessthan the caster�s, it is allowed a savingthrow vs. spells once per turn to break themeld. If the linked being is as intelligent asthe caster (or more so), and is or becomes(i.e. when ordered into danger) unwillingto be in the meld, it gets a saving throw vs.spell once every other round, to escape.

Whenever the linked being suffers dam-age, the caster must save vs. death. If thesave fails, the spell ends, and the pain-wracked caster suffers 1d6 hp of damage.If the linked being dies, the caster mustmake a system shock roll or die instantly(the caster can willingly end a meld 1round after deciding to do so).

Eighth Level SpellCloak of Gaer (Necromancy)

Sphere: HealingRange: TouchComponents: V, S, MDuration: SpecialCasting Time: 11Area of Effect: One being (usually caster)Saving Throw: None

This powerful spell surrounds the cast-er (or a touched recipient being) with afaint magical aura. It takes effect (days orperhaps years later) when the being it iscast on is forced to make a system shocksurvival roll, or when the being reaches 6hp or less. It can also be cast on a just-injured being.

A being protected by a cloak of Gaer au-tomatically makes a successful systemshock survival roll, when one is required.This triggers the spell to act; in the sameround it also:

� regenerates severed or missing limbs orbody extremities;� purges the body of all poisons, diseases,insanity, charms and outside mental influ-ences, curses and geas effects, possessionor symbiotic life (even if friendly and de-sired), feeblemindedness, and cancels theeffects of any forget spells previously caston the being;� restores the being to full wakefulness,alertness, sobriety, and pain-free state;and� heals the being of 4d8 hit points of dam-age (the being cannot gain �extra� hitpoints by this means).

If this spell is cast on a hurt being with-in 2 rounds after the major injury, thespell has the effects noted above, and al-lows a victim who has failed a systemshock survival roll (and �died�) a secondchance. This roll is made at a +22% bo-nus; if it fails, death occurs, but the purgeand regenerate effects still occur to thecorpse.

If this spell is applied 3 to 9 rounds aftera being has been stricken, it allows a sec-ond system shock survival roll, but with-out any bonus; other spell effects occur asnoted here. If the spell is applied later, itonly purges and regenerates (even onbodies).

The spell�s material components arefour drops each of holy water, the caster�sblood, and dew. A dispel magic cannotend this spell, in its �waiting� state. Thismagic has enabled many �known dead�drow to return and hunt down foes. Cer-tain drow wizards are rumored to use asimilar spell.

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8 1

Magic of Menzoberranzan: Special Spells

Certain spells are crucial to the daily sur-vival of the few, hidden priests of Vhae-raun in Menzoberranzan. (Most spells ofThe Masked Lord require his holy symbolto be within 1 mile of the caster, not on thecaster�s person.) Here are a few of thesespecial spells:

Second Level SpellBlessing of Vhaeraun (Conjuration/Summoning)

Sphere: CombatRange: TouchComponents: V, SDuration: SpecialCasting Time: 4Area of Effect: Creature touchedSaving Throw: None

This spell enables any one thiefly abilityuse or weapon attack of the caster or atouched spell recipient, to be performedwith a + 5 attack roll bonus or + 25% abil-ity bonus. Any damage caused by thisaction (harmful or beneficial to the recipi-ent) will be the maximum possible on a d8roll of 1-6 (otherwise, determine damagenormally). The ability or attack to be aug-mented is chosen by the spell recipientand stated aloud (�Let the aid be NOW!�). Itmust be performed within 1 turn of cast-ing, or the magic is lost. It also fails if a dis-pel magic is cast on the recipient beforethe round in which the blessing is used.

Sixth Level SpellsAir Tread (Alteration)

Sphere: NecromanticRange: TouchComponents: V, S, M

Duration: 1 round +1 round/levelCasting Time: 9Area of Effect: Creature touchedSaving Throw: None

This spell, a slightly more powerful ver-sion of the common air walk spell, tempo-rarily alters the body weight of the priestor a touched being (of L-size or less), sothat the spell recipient can walk upon liq-uid or �on air� with normal balance and atnormal movement rate. Unlike the thirdlevel spell water walk, the being�s feet docontact any liquid walked upon.

If cast upon a falling person, this spellbrings their descent to a stop within a fur-ther drop of their own body length (if anysurface is struck during this time, basefalling damage is halved). Very long fallscan be lessened by using the spell dura-tion to walk straight downwards, to lessenthe height of the remaining, unavoidablefall. When this spell ends, normal descent(with possible falling damage) occurs.

This spell is customarily used to walkacross chasms, or from one rooftop to an-other, but may be used to cast one addi-tional spell from a stationary midair�standing on nothingness� perch. This useof the spell exhausts it immediately uponthe completion of casting the other spell,so that the caster immediately begins tofall. The material components of this spellare a feather, a pinch of dust, and a sandalor shoe of any size.

Deceive Prying (Divination)

Sphere: AllRange: TouchComponents: V, S, MDuration: 1 turn +1 turn/levelCasting Time: 9Area of Effect: Creature touchedSaving Throw: None

8 2

This spell protects the priest or another tial saving throw against a charm persontouched being from magical and psionicexamination (not attack). The alignmentaura, faith, and thoughts of the recipientare overlaid by a false alignment and set ofbeliefs (chosen during casting), and ran-dom surface thoughts are supplied by thespell, in response to what the being seeshappening and the false alignment andfaith chosen. The being can cast spellswithout breaking this protection, and con-duct any mental activity desired (includ-ing the use of psionics or telepathy)behind the mental screen. A deceive pry-ing spell provides no protection againstenchantment/charm spells or psionic at-tacks except to give a +1 bonus to the ini-

magic (not the more powerful charmmonster), by making the attacker�s mindassault less precise.

Priests of Vhaeraun use this spell to hidefrom those trying to discover their identi-ties. Its material components are a drop ofcranial fluid (from any mammal), and asmall cube of iron.

83

Monsters of Menzoberranzan

Far too many monsters infest the vast,wild Underdark to fit into this book. Manyhave appeared in various volumes ofthe Monstrous Compendium and inFORGOTTEN REALMS® products, notablyFOR2/The Drow of the Underdark and TheRuins of UnderMountain boxed set. Every-thing from gargoyles to purple worms canbe met, by the unlucky adventurer, withinten days travel of Menzoberranzan. Here,some of the most important monsters arenoted, for easy DM reference.

Alhoon: Described later in this chapter,these mind flayer liches are a growingforce in the Underdark. Current news(see the �Now� chapter) suggests theyhave plans for Menzoberranzan.

Bat, Deep: This collective heading ap-pears in Drow of the Underdark, and in-cludes the azmyth, night hunter, sinister,and werebat. The first-listed bat type is awhimsical beast that can befriend or be-devil a drow or surface-world adventureralike, even serving as an adventuring-companion.

The two types listed �in the middle� arehunters, a menace to all in the Underdark,but most dangerous when hunting inlarge packs.

The last-listed bat is a lycanthrope. It iscertain that Menzoberranyr drow, as wellas humans and other surface-world folk,can become werebats. They are forced in-to were-shape when the moon is full in thenight sky above the surface world, eventhough they cannot see it (and may neverhave seen it!).

Cloaker Lord: The ancient and mysteri-ous subterranean race known as�cloakers� is scattered all over the Under-dark. Local cloakers seem to growing inpower (see the �Now� chapter), in part be-

cause of the Cloaker Lord that now leadsthem. This individual is part of a superiorsub-race, not a unique being, and is smartenough to capture and emplace themonster-producing beings known as �De-epspawn� (see below, and the FR11/Dwarves Deep sourcebook) to protectcloaker lairs from drow attacks.

Deepspawn: These rare, infamous hor-rors have the awesome power of generat-ing other, lesser monsters�versions ofcreatures that the deepspawn has de-voured sometime in its past. These othermonsters, the �spawn� of the motherdeepspawn, are self-willed, but cannot at-tack their parent deepspawn, even if com-pelled magically to do so. Deepspawn arefully detailed in the FR11/Dwarves Deepsourcebook.

In the vicinity of Menzoberranzan, theyare found only in caverns where thecloaker lord (see above) has placed them,their travel restricted by nets, and theirfeeding controlled by the cloakers.

Any attack or foray in force in the direc-tion of the cloaker lord�s area by the Men-zoberranyr drow will be answered by aremoval of the nets, and a skillful �retreat�by cloakers, to draw the drow into a con-frontation with the deepspawn�s assortedmonster spawn.

Dragon, Deep: Detailed in Drow of theUnderdark, this fearsome dragon of thedepths can shift its form to resemble adrow, duergar, orc, human, or other intel-ligent biped of the Underdark, as well astaking a winged snake shape.

Dangerous to drow in the extreme,these silent hunters are hunted down byMenzoberranyr whenever they arefound. Although they respect the magicalmight of the drow gathered in Menzober-ranzan too much to reveal themselves, or

8 4

Monsters of Menzoberranzan

to try and live in the city in drow-shape, atleast four deep dragons regularly visit thecity, noting weaknesses of the drow, andopportunities for later prey among fellowvisitors to The Bazaar.

Deep dragons don�t become intoxicatedas humans, duergar, and drow do�sothey quite often (in humanoid form) go the�drinking pits� and dances of the drow(described in the �High Life� chapter), toget to know certain drow, hear things letslip by drunken drow, and generally havea good time being amused by the antics ofthe celebrants.

Foulwing: Described in this chapter,these clumsy fliers are rare in the Under-dark around the city; they too easily fallprey to more agile predators. More com-mon in areas of the Underdark that con-nect with remote clefts, mountainouspeaks, and valleys in the surface world,foulwings are used by the more adventur-ous drow as aerial steeds in the night skiesof the surface world. They are includedhere for instances when Menzoberranyrand other drow venture into the surfaceworld.

Lizard, Subterranean: Described inthese pages under this collective headingare two of the most common Underdarkreptiles used by intelligent races as domes-ticated stock: the strong �pack lizard� andthe smaller, faster �riding lizard.�

Myrlochar: Detailed in Drow of theUnderdark, these servants of Lloth arespiders native to the Abyss. In the hierar-chy of Lloth�s servitors, they rank belowthe yochlol (see below, and in Drow of theUnderdark).

Found in Menzoberranzan only whensummoned by the prayers and rituals ofLloth-worshipping drow, these �soul spi-

ders� form hunting packs from time totime, at the request of drow priestesses,and go out into the Dominion to �scour� itfor foes of Lloth.

Pedipalp: This collective heading ap-pears in Drow of the Underdark, where itdetails the related large, huge, and giantspecies of �whip scorpion� monsters. Na-tive to the Underdark around Menzober-ranzan, they are used by the city�s citizensas pets, guardians, and the equivalent ofhunting dogs. In the wild, they are far-ranging hunters, who attack anythingfearlessly except groups of drow, arach-nids of any sort, and other pedipalpi.

Rothe, Deep: One of three related spe-cies of oxen-like herd creatures (the oth-ers are the surface rothe, and thewhite-haired, arctic-dwelling glacier or�ghost� rothe), these creatures have beendomesticated by the Menzoberranyrdrow. In and around the city, they arefound only on the island in Donigarten,under heavy orc guard.

Detailed in Drow of the Underdark,deep rothe are a crucial staple of the dietof the city�s citizens, a large part of thefood supply that keeps Menzoberranzan alasting, independent community. Al-though they are healthy and hardy, drowpatrols and other Underdark predatorshave rendered them extinct in the Domin-ion and the nearby Underdark. Elsewherein the dark realms, they are a plentifulsource of food, in the form of wanderingherds.

Slithermorph: These �black crawlers�are solitary predators native to the Under-dark. Rare in most areas, they are morenumerous around Menzoberranzan,seemingly attracted to the high-radiationarea�or perhaps merely to the ready

8 5

food that gathers there (the drow whoguard and use these clefts and caverns).Slithermorphs are detailed in The Ruins ofUnderMountain boxed set.

Solifugid: These �false spiders� are natu-ral predators of the Underdark. Theyobey drow who use spells to control them,and are wise enough not to attack drow inany event (unless wounded and in smallnumbers), but are a menace to all crea-tures they think they can defeat. They aredetailed in Drow of the Underdark.

Spider, Subterranean: This collectiveheading appears in FOR2/The Drow of theUnderdark, where it describes the hairy,hunting, sword, and watch subspecies.Sword spiders are unknown in the Under-

dark, but the first two species are com-mon in the wild. Watchspiders, developedin Waterdeep, have been purchased inlarge numbers (via Skullport) for use astrained guardians, by Menzoberranyrdrow.

To these subterranean species should beadded the flying spider (described in the�UnderMountain Adventures� booklet, inThe Ruins of UnderMountain boxed set),and the giant spider-variant developed byHouse Shobalar. Their spider-steedsare: Int Low; AL CE; AC 4; MV 3, Wb 12 (2and 10 laden); HD 4 + 4; THAC0 17; #AT 1;Dmg 1-8 + poison; SA adhesive trapline (ascave fisher�s fired filament); SZ L; ML 13;XP 975; q.v. Spider (Giant), MC 1, and Cavefisher, MC 1. They are large, strong giantspiders trained as steeds, and able to car-

86

ry a rider and still stick to walls and ceil-ings. Spider-steeds are able to �fire� stickystrands at prey, as cave fishers do.

The �basic� Spider entry is found in Vol-ume 1 of the Monstrous Compendium.

Spitting Crawler: Detailed in Drow ofthe Underdark, these small, acid-spittinglizards of the Underdark are often em-ployed as familiars by drow mages�but unwary visitors to the wild Under-dark can encounter them as foes. The fewthat stray into the Dominion are soon cap-tured by drow patrols, for use by theAcademy�s tutors.

Steel Shadow: Detailed in the The Ruinsof UnderMountain boxed set, these worm-like predators can merge with metal, and(like the slithermorphs; see above) seemattracted to the radiation-strong cavernsin Menzoberranzan�s Dark Dominion.

Wingless Wonder: These strange, comi-cal, sometimes deadly creatures roam theUnderdark in and around the Dominion,and appear in this chapter.

Yochlol: The dreaded �handmaidens ofLloth� are native to the Abyss, and appearin Faerun only when summoned by therituals of Lloth�s high priestesses. Theyare detailed in Drow of the Underdark.

In the pages that follow, the �new� mon-sters of Menzoberranzan�s vicinity, men-tioned above, are fully detailed. They canbe used to generate many adventures setanywhere in the Underdark�and to �spiceup� adventures included in this set, byadding one or more of the monsters notedabove as �complications� into theadventure-plots.

87

Alhoon (Illithilich) FRB1

CLIMATE/TERRAIN:FREQUENCY:ORGANIZATION:

AnyVery rareCommunity or solitary

ACTIVE TIME:DIET:INTELLIGENCE:

AnySpecialGenius (18)

TREASURE:ALIGNMENT:

S, T, V x 3 (x 6 in lair), XNeutral evil

NO. APPEARING: 1-4ARMOR CLASS: 5MOVEMENT: 12

HIT DICE: 8 + 4THAC0: 11NO. OF ATTACKS: 4

DAMAGE/ATTACK:SPECIAL ATTACKS:SPECIAL DEFENSES:

SpecialMind blast, spell useNil

MAGIC RESISTANCE:SIZE:MORALE:XP VALUE:

90%M (6� tall)Fanatic (17-18)9,000

Alhoon look like living mind flayers (mauve-skinned, octopus-headed beings with four mouth-tentacles, and three-fingeredhands). The only visible difference between illithid and illithilichis that an alhoon�s skin is dry and often wrinkled, never glisten-ing with slime.

Combat: Alhoon attack with four tentacles, as living mind flay-ers do. Once a tentacle hits, it does 1d4 points of damage perround automatically, as it bores on into the victim�s body. Attackson a tentacle (consider it AC 7) doing it 5 points or more of dam-age in a single round cause it to recoil, drawing out of the victim�sbody. It will then always strike at a new spot; an attack roll isrequired, and boring time to the victim�s brain remains 1-4rounds. Tentacles striking a victim elsewhere than its head dodamage for 4 rounds and then withdraw; they are not longenough to reach the brain.

An illithilich retains the psionic powers it had in life, being theequivalent of a 7th level psionicist, with 3 disciplines, 5 sciences,and 14 devotions. Alhoon attack with a mind thrust, having aPower Score of 18, and 1d100 + 250 psionic strength points. Likeall mind flayers, illithiliches always have the abilities of astralprojection, body equilibrium (their only psychometabolicpower), control body, domination, ESP, levitation, post-hypnoticsuggestion, probability travel, and teleport, and possess otherabilities varying from individual to individual, as well (consultPHBR5/The Complete Psionics Handbook).

In addition to their tentacles and psionic abilities, illithilichescan cast spells as 9th level mages (spells: 4, 3, 3, 2, 1). Typically,they use a wide variety of spells seized from human mages,spellbooks found in tombs, and the like�and always avidly seekmore, driven by their hunger for power. An alhoon can use aspell (as well as its tentacle attacks) in any round in which it doesnot use psionics.

Alhoon gain no special undead attacks (such as a human lich�schill touch), but do have �standard� undead immunities to sleepand charm- related magics. They cannot be turned or dispelledby priests, and are not harmed or impeded by holy water, coldiron, protection from evil, sunlight, or silver weapons�but aresubject to spells specifically affecting undead.

©1992 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.Habitat/Society: Alhoon spurn illithid societies ruled by elder-brains, and do not hesitate to take living mind flayers as thought-controlled slaves (just as they took all other creatures as slaves,when alive�a process continued in lichnee state). They usuallylive alone in the surface world, often slaying a human wizardand taking over his remote tower, but in the Underdark cooper-ate for mutual survival, sharing spells and aid freely to overcomedrow, duergar, cloakers, aboleth, and living mind flayers alike.Alhoon are capable of diplomacy and of loyally adhering to alli-ances when they see an ultimate benefit�but they consider allother beings cattle, and promises to them merely empty conven-iences. Alhoon regard true liches and beholders as their greatestrivals, and accordingly destroy them whenever prudently possi-ble.

Ecology: Alhoon have no need for sustenance, but their bodiesadapt only imperfectly to lichnee state; many magical parts ofmost lichdom processes used by humans fail on a strongly-magicresistant mind flayer body. Alhoon are plagued by ongoing skinwrinkling and tissue desiccation, which they counteract by bath-ing, or by drinking water, soup, alcohol, and other liquids. Nutri-ents need not be ingested, and poisons absorbed in this way willharm a mind flayer (lowering its hit points in the usual way), butcannot �kill� it (it reaches a minimum of 6 hp, and takes no fur-ther damage). The lichnee state neutralizes most poisons (healingall damage done by them) in 2d4 turns. Illithiliches enjoy devour-ing brains just as they did in life, but do not need to do so. Some-times (3 in 12 chance), devouring a brain gives an alhoon mental�glimpses� of 1d12 thoughts that the brain held, either at ran-dom, or (if the alhoon concentrates on a topic, such as magicalitems, written spells, or treasure locations), thoughts mostclosely related to a chosen topic.

Essence of alhoon brain is a general ingredient in spell-writinginks, and can be employed with great advantage in the craftingof any magical item concerned with effects of the minds of crea-tures.

Cloaker Lord FRB1

CLIMATE/TERRAIN:FREQUENCY:ORGANIZATION:

AnyVery rareSolitary or Community (leadingcloakers)

ACTIVE TIME:DIET:INTELLIGENCE:

AnyCarnivoreGenius (17-18)

TREASURE:ALIGNMENT:

C, VChaotic neutral

NO. APPEARING: 1ARMOR CLASS: 3 (1)MOVEMENT: 2, Fl 19 (C)

HIT DICE:THAC0:NO. OF ATTACKS:

9112 + special

DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-8 + victim�s AC/2-12SPECIAL ATTACKS: SpecialSPECIAL DEFENSES: Special

MAGIC RESISTANCE: 30%SIZE: H (12�+ long)MORALE: Fanatic (17-18)XP VALUE: 2,000

Cloaker lords are a superior sub-race of the feared subterra-nean race of cloakers. They look just like large cloakers, appear-ing either as a black cloak, such as an ogre or small giant mightwear�or unfurling to reveal their batlike true form, with ivory-clawed black wings, a flattish body whose white underside is in-set with a red-eyed, needle-fanged, horned face, and a lashing,whiplike tail.

Combat: Cloaker lords fly at targets and try to engulf them. Asuccessful attack roll means a cloaker lord has wrapped itselfaround a target�s body. An engulfed victim cannot use any weap-on longer than the arm wielding it, but automatically hits thecloaker with smaller weapons, at a -3 damage penalty. Thecloaker lord also automatically bites the engulfed victim, doing2d4 (plus the victim�s unadjusted Armor Class, ignoring shields)points of damage per round. Cloaker lords absorb blood throughtheir skins, devouring victims until only cleaned bones remain,to spill out of the unfurling �cloak.� Attacks against an engulfingcloaker lord inflict half their damage on the monster, and half onthe trapped victim. Area effect spells such as fireball inflict fulldamage on both cloaker lord and victim.

While engulfing a victim, a cloaker lord can use its thick-muscled, bone-barbed tail to lash any nearby creature for 2d6damage. The tail is AC1, and is severed if dealt more than 24points of damage.

The cloaker lord�s moan attack can cause an 90-foot-range un-ease and numbing, forcing all creatures in range to attack at -2,and suffer a -2 penalty on all damage rolls. Any creature whoremains in range, and hears the moaning for six consecutiverounds is forced into a trance that lasts as long as the moaningcontinues. Entranced victims cannot make attacks or cast spells,and cannot defend themselves (anything attacking them does soat +6 on all attack rolls).

Alternatively, a cloaker�s moan can act as a fear spell, affectingall beings within 40 feet of the cloaker lord. They must save vs.spell, or flee at full movement rate for 2 rounds.

The third intensity of moaning affects creatures in a conicalarea, extending 40 feet from the monster, and widening to 30

©1992 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

feet across at its open end. All beings in the area must save v.poison at -1, or be overcome by nausea and weakness for1d4 + 1 rounds (during this time, they are unable to take any de-liberate action).

The fourth moan strength acts as a hold monster spell, affect-ing only one being, who must be within 50 feet. Its effects last 6rounds�unless the monster attacks another target with thismoan, which instantly frees a previously- held victim.

By means of shadow shifting, a cloaker lord can obscure thevision of opponents, raising its own effective Armor Class to 1 bycloaking itself in swirls of darkness. Most often, the cloaker cre-ates duplicates of itself, to draw away enemy attacks; treat thiseffect as a mirror image spell that creates 1d4 + 2 images. Acloaker lord can use only one shadow shifting effect per round,but it can moan, attack physically (except biting, which makesmoaning impossible), and employ shadow shifting, all in thesame round.

Habitat/Society: Cloaker lords can elude most mind-commun-ication and -influencing psionics and spells because of theirstrange thought processes (determine what occurs on a case-by-case basis; attackers will have more success, the more practicethey have in using such powers against cloaker lords). Cloakerlords hold a natural domination over cloakers, and have recentlycome to rule their lesser brethren, drawing normally-solitarycloakers together into loose raiding bands, and forcing othermonsters (such as deepspawn, subdued by moans) into servi-tude.

Ecology: A cloaker lord that reaches a certain age or is neardeath will find a cloaker and devour it. If the cloaker lord sur-vives 2d4 days longer, it splits apart, giving birth to a cloaker lordand 1d6 cloakers, all �babies� of miniature size. All can moan atbirth, but their attacks do only half damage, and they can�t yetcontrol their shadow shifting. Instinct drives them to fly in dif-ferent directions, to seek prey and master their powers.

Foulwing FRB1

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: Any landFREQUENCY: RareORGANIZATION: Flock

ACTIVE TIME:DIET:INTELLIGENCE:

AnyCarnivoreLow (5-7)

TREASURE:ALIGNMENT:

NilNeutral evil

NO. APPEARING: 1-4ARMOR CLASS: 3MOVEMENT: 6, Fl 13 (D)

HIT DICE: 6THAC0: 15NO. OF ATTACKS: 5

DAMAGE/ATTACK:SPECIAL ATTACKS:SPECIAL DEFENSES:

2-5/2-5/2-5/1-4/1-4Ammonia breath, blood drainNil

MAGIC RESISTANCE:SIZE:MORALE:XP VALUE:

NilH (16-20� long, 40� wingspan)Elite (14)975

Foulwings are grotesquely misshapen flying predators,thought to have originated on another plane. Mildly empathicand essentially lazy hunters, these clumsy fliers are often tamedfor use as steeds by evil humans and drow hunting in the surfaceworld by night.

Foulwings have black, leathery wings, tailless, toad-shapedbodies, and vaguely horse-like heads. The shapes of their headsand the location and size of the many horn-shaped, wrigglingskin growths that cover their black bodies vary from individualto individual. Every foulwing has three needle-toothed jaws setaround a single-nostril snout. Their glowing, many-faceted red eyes have infra-vision (range: 9). Foulwings communicate with each other inharsh creakings, conveying identities, basic emotions, urges, andwarnings.

Combat: Foulwings prefer to fight in the air, or pounce from it,allowing them use of their wing-claws and the weight of theirwings and great bulk, to knock down and pin prey to the ground.Savage and wantonly destructive, foulwings enjoy killing. Theytwist their heads in battle so as to bite with all their jaws, andtheir ammonia-like breath causes opponents to temporarily(round of contact and following round) suffer -1 on attack rollsdue to the stinging irritation it causes to visual and olfactorysenses.

If a foulwing disables or pins prey (a Strength of at least 16 isrequired to escape pinning unaided; allow one Strength Checkper round), it will attempt to leisurely drain blood from the preyby sucking with one of its hollow, tube-like tongues, biting openwounds to do so. The blood drain is equal to 2-5 points a round;pulling free causes prey another 2 points of damage (each time).

When used as a steed, a Foulwing flies at MV 11 (E), and itspowerful flight settles (in 1d3 rounds) into a rhythm stableenough to allow riders to cast spells and use missile weaponswithout penalty. In a pinch, two M-size beings (or up to 4 S-sizedcreatures) can ride a single Foulwing, but the crowding makesspellcasting impossible, and all weapon uses force both -3 at-tack roll penalties, and a Dexterity Check (to avoid falling off!) onevery rider. A Foulwing this heavily laden is reduced to MV 9 (E).

©1992 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Foulwings can be trained to pounce upon running or ridingcreatures from the air, doing 2d4 points of impact damage andtrying to pin the quarry (the target is allowed a Dexterity Checkto avoid this fate), and to crush fences, flimsy buildings, and cartsby the same means. If there is a chance that the Foulwing couldbe impaled on a ready-held spear, wooden spar, or similar pierc-ing point, it must make a Dexterity Check. If the check succeeds,the Foulwing takes only half weapon damage (in the case of adeliberately-placed or -wielded weapon), or 1d4 points of damagefrom a wreckage hazard. If the check fails, full weapon damageis suffered, or 3d4 points is taken from wreckage.

Habitat/Society: Foulwings may be solitary hunters, or flocktogether in family groups or as unrelated individuals, gatheringwhile courting or to attack strong prey. Every �flock� (of up tofour foulwings) will be dominated by the largest specimen, andwill work together to scatter, disable, and herd prey.

Ecology: Foulwings are rapacious scavengers, but will eat carri-on or even plant leaves if no other food is available. They havebeen known to keep a �larder� of captive creatures for later food.Foulwings hate asperii and griffons, and will attack both onsight.

Foulwings bear live young, typically 1-3 at once, nesting inrocky, mountainous wilderland areas. Young are born with a sin-gle hit dice, and only bite attacks (for 1-2 damage, each jaw), butrapidly grow to full size, whereupon the parents abandon themand each other.

Foulwing flesh is heavy, oily, and foul in taste (hence the crea-ture�s name). It quickly rots upon the creature�s death, and hasno known usefulness as armor or in magical practices. Foulwingblood and salivary fluid, however, have both been found to be amildly caustic cleanser that brings metal to a bright, long-lastingsheen.

Lizard, Subterranean FRB1

Pack LizardCLIMATE/TERRAIN: AnyFREQUENCY: Common (subterranean); rare

(surface)ORGANIZATION: Solitary or packs

ACTIVE TIME: AnyDIET: OmnivoreINTELLIGENCE: Low (5-7)

TREASURE:ALIGNMENT:

Q (stomach) + whatever carried(Lawful) neutral

NO. APPEARING:ARMOR CLASS:MOVEMENT:

1-4 (domesticated: 1-20)39, Sw 15

HIT DICE: 8THAC0: 13NO. OF ATTACKS: 1

DAMAGE/ATTACK:SPECIAL ATTACKS:SPECIAL DEFENSES:

2-12NilSee below

MAGIC RESISTANCE:SIZE:

MORALE:XP VALUE:

NilH (15� + long, tail an additional8-12�)131,400

Pack lizards resemble giant iguanas, except that they are a dull,mottled olive-gray in hue, and are unusually broad of body (aver-aging 22-24� in overall length, they are always around 10� wide).As their name suggests, they are used as draft animals by all in-telligent races traveling in rocky or underground terrain.

Combat: Pack lizards are placid, slow-moving beasts who sel-dom attack anything unless attacked first. They will eat any-thing, including carrion, and seem especially fond of snake-fleshand the various yellow-petaled flowers that grow in meadows(such as dandelions, sunflowers, buttercups, and sunstars). Packlizards have long, sticky probing tongues, and in battle bite downwith crushingly-powerful jaws (if their teeth were larger, sharp-er fangs, they would do far more damage). They have beenknown to bite through armor and wooden doors, if hungryenough, and given time to think about it. If a pack lizard bitesdown in such a way that a metal or wooden object is at risk (a flatsurface usually is not, but one that sticks up, or has a projectingcorner certainly is), the item should make a saving throw vs.crushing blow. If the lizard deliberately attacks the item (i.e. tobite the head off a spear that is jabbing it, or to get through a celldoor to food beyond), the saving throw is made at -2.

Pack lizards are immune to most known poisons, and regener-ate physical damage at the rate of 1 hit point every 3 turns. Heat-and fire-based attacks inflict only half damage on them, but cold-based attacks do them an extra point of damage per die.

Pack lizards have sticky pads on their splay-toed feet. Theseflexible, vulnerable digits are covered by claw-like, horny pro-tective sheaths�but pack lizards do not in fact have claws, andcannot rake anything in combat for damage. Their sticky feetallow them to travel on cavern (and room!) walls and ceilings justas they do on floors, retaining their grip even when carryingheavy loads.

Pack lizards able to knock down and put a foot on a M-sized orsmaller opponent can hold on, so that bite attacks are automati-cally successful (no attack roll necessary; roll only for damage).

©1992 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

On the round that follows, the lizard does not bite, but does4d4 crushing damage. Allow the pinned victim (who can attackonly at -3) a Strength Check (at the usual 4-point penalty) towriggle free of the crushing weight; success on any round meansonly half damage is taken. The lizard typically goes on crushing,at 4d4 damage per round, for 6 to 8 rounds (or until it successful-ly makes another Intelligence Check), when it stops to see what�sleft�and bite it.

Habitat/Society: Left to themselves, pack lizards tend to be la-zy, placid beasts who lie about in grassy meadows devouringgrass and carrion at leisure, crawling into burrows or cave-refuges to escape biting winter cold, and who venture down intothe depths when breezes bring them the reek of much carrion�after a large battle in the Underdark, for instance.

However, they seldom, if ever, are left to themselves. Faster,more intelligent creatures are always hunting them down forfood, or enslaving them. Few are left aboveground, these days,save in the remotest desert areas. Instead, they dwell in burrowsand caverns around volcanic areas, basking in the heat of theearth, and eating whatever they can find (such as violet fungi,gelatinous cubes, and other plants or creatures that most beingsfind poisonous or corrosive). Pack lizards mate seldom, but re-main together in stable pairs for years when they do, raising lit-ters of 2d4 young at a time from rubbery-shelled eggs, andhaving new litters twice or thrice a year.

Ecology: Pack lizards can haul awesome loads in quite cold anddamp conditions, so long as they have sufficient time to soak upthe heat of the full sun (in surface-world deserts or on sun-bakedmountain rocks, for example), or that of deep, close-flowing lava.

Their flesh, which resembles the densest, whitest pork, is eat-en by many creatures, including drow and humans, and is espe-cially prized by orcs. Pack lizard ichor is a prized ingredient inpotions of vitality, and the essence derived from their boiled feetis valued in the making of sovereign glue.

Riding Lizard FRB1

CLIMATE/TERRAIN:FREQUENCY:ORGANIZATION:

ACTIVE TIME:DIET:INTELLIGENCE:

TREASURE:ALIGNMENT:

Any subterraneanCommonSolitary or pack

AnyOmnivoreAverage (8-10)

Nil (except as carried)Lawful neutral

NO. APPEARING: 1-6ARMOR CLASS: 7MOVEMENT: 16, SW 20

HIT DICE: 5THAC0: 15NO. OF ATTACKS: 3

DAMAGE/ATTACK:SPECIAL ATTACKS:SPECIAL DEFENSES:

2-8/2-12/2-12NilSee below

MAGIC RESISTANCE:SIZE:

NilH (stands 12� high; tail is another8-10� long)

MORALE:XP VALUE:

Elite (13-14)975

Riding or �mount� lizards are light, sleek reptiles, able to runswiftly on their hind legs when unencumbered. Unknown on thesurface, they take the place of the horse as the general steed ofintelligent races in the Underdark.

Combat: Riding lizards are darting, alert beasts who hunt preyaggressively when �in the wild,� preferring small snakes, centi-pedes, and�best of all�the small scurry rat of the Underdark.Riding lizards also eat lichens and fungi. Their diets make themimmune to the poisons of centipedes, insects, arachnids, andfungi�and also immune to all known fungi spore effects.

In combat, a riding lizard bites for 2d4 damage, and can kickwith either or both of its large hind legs in a round, doing 2d6damage with each one. Those same legs propel it on prodigiousleaps, of up to 30� upwards, and 50� horizontally, and it can de-scend, without harm, up to 80� in a single bound (with a ridermounted on it, reduce these three �safe� distances by 10�). It usesits leaps, and its ability to cling to any solid surface that itstrikes�such as a stalactite, halfway across the roof of a vastcavern�to cross �uncrossable� chasms, or to reach remote rockledges where prey lairs.

Riding lizards have keen balance and infravision (effective upto 160� away, unless within sight of a fire or magma-flow, when itis reduced to half range). When it has been trained by drow, andis magically compelled (e.g. by the use of spells or house insignia)by a drow who is present, the effective morale of a riding lizardrises to �Fearless� (20).

The movement rate of a riding lizard carrying a single M-sizedrider and gear (a drow warrior with weapons and provisions, forexample), is reduced to 15. Riding lizards carrying two such be-ings move at only 13; one equipped with a pack-lizard-stylecargo-harness can leap only short distances, and downwards (upto 30�), with out harm, and moves at only 11. Any leaping andclinging movements, encumbered or unencumbered, force aDexterity Check on the lizard (see below for effects).

Riding lizards regenerate 1 hit point of physical damage every 5turns. Heat- and fire-based attacks inflict only half damage on them,but cold-based attacks do them an extra point of damage per die.

©1992 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.Riding lizards have sticky pads on their three-toed feet, exuding

an adhesive that they can neutralize instantly with another secre-tion. These allow them to trot or even run in utter silence along thefloors, ceilings, and walls of caverns and structures, retaining theirgrip even when laden (riders who are not strapped in must takecare to hold on, with a successful Strength Check, when theirmount leaps or is upside down�or they�ll fall out!).

Riding lizards run lightly on their back legs or on all fours, andcan scale stone as easily as a spider. Left to themselves, they takean irregular route, using leaps, passage ceilings, walls, and dry,non-slippery stalactites and stalagmites more than floors, toavoid being tracked by predators of the Underdark who possessinfravision.

Habitat/Society: Riding lizards are typically captured bymeans of spells, and trained for most of a year, to make themfully obedient to more than one rider. Most drow communitiescapture lizards only to acquire new bloodlines; they breed andraise their lizard stock from previously-captured sires.

In the wild, riding lizards run in large, loose packs, the strong-er individuals of either sex serving as sentinels and guards forthe others. They mate often, but do not form families; the de-fense and feeding of a pregnant female is the common responsi-bility of all. Female riding lizards typically give birth to a �litter� of1d8 live young once every 7 months or so.

The young are born able to run and leap as their parents do.They run and hunt with their parents from the outset, joiningthe pack, and are AC 7; MV 16, Sw 16 (unable to carry even a S-size rider); HD 2; THAC0 19; #AT 3; Dmg 1-4/1-4/1-6; SD poisonimmunities, regeneration; SZ M (body 4�-6� + tail of up to 4�); ML13; XP 120.

Ecology: Eaten by many predators, riding lizard meat is a stapleof duergar diet. Drow only eat those that perish through misfor-tune. A good trained mount can fetch up to 1,000 gp (most go for600�700); untrained young sell for 200-500 gp.

Wingless Wonder FRB1

CLIMATE/TERRAIN:FREQUENCY:ORGANIZATION:

TrueAny except arcticVery rareSolitary or mated pair

TransformedAnyRareSolitary

ACTIVE TIME:DIET:INTELLIGENCE:

AnyOmnivoreLow (5-7)

AnyO mnivoreAs previously possessed

TREASURE:ALIGNMENT:

Q x 4Chaotic Neutral

Any (likely Nil)As previously possessed

NO. APPEARING: 1-2 1ARMOR CLASS: 8 8MOVEMENT: 6, Sw 4 6, Sw 4

HIT DICE:THAC0:NO. OF ATTACKS:

2 + 2 As previously possessed19 1710 10

DAMAGE/ATTACK:SPECIAL ATTACKS:SPECIAL DEFENSES:

2-8/1 x 10Psionic blast, wild magicAnti-Magic Shell

2-8/1 x 10See belowNil

MAGIC RESISTANCE:SIZE:MORALE:XP VALUE:

90% 90%S (4� tall) S (4� tall)Fearless (19) As previously possessed975 Varies

The alkada, or �wingless wonder,� is a comical beast that re-sembles a walking egg (which it has also been called). It standsrather unsteadily on two weak legs that end in rubbery, stickypads, and has two small arms, which it flaps constantly; hence itsmost popular name. The only sound it can make is a high-pitchedchittering.

Wonders are blue-green in color, with purplish undersides.They redden slightly when angry or excited. A wonder�s mouthis atop its head, surrounded by nine tentacles (old tales and re-cords suggest that there was once a related species that hadtwelve tentacles�and additional powers not possessed by won-ders today).

These pitifully clumsy, waddling misfits of nature are oftenmore deadly than they appear. Many of them are in reality farmore powerful, transformed creatures�such as high-level wiz-ards.

Combat: Wingless wonders are curious, shortsighted (10� or soeffective vision and infravision), and seemingly fearless. Theywander through life feeling along everything they come into con-tact with, employing their mouth-fringe of nine rubbery, retrac-tile tentacles.

A wonder�s tentacles are 2 to 12 feet in length, extending orshortening as it desires, and serve to handle food and to aid thewonder in moving about. Their ends are rubbery and sticky, ableto grasp and hold anything they touch (a Strength of 13 orgreater can break a wonder�s grip, as can alcohol and oil of slip-periness). Curiously, wonders cannot be held by any sort ofwebs, or by sovereign glue or viscid globs (produced by thewand of the same name, detailed in FOR2/The Drow of theUnderdark), although spells such as entangle do affect them.

A wonder can extrude a bony hook from deep within each ten-tacle, to grasp struggling food or to slash when fighting off a foe.This does 1 hp of damage. In any round of combat, every tentaclecan strike at a foe (or multiple foes, if the wonder is surrounded),twice. The first attack does damage (1 hp per successfully-striking tentacle). The second attack is an attempt to grasp thefoe: roll d20 for the target, and d10 for the wonder, adding to the

wonder�s total the number of tentacles it�s using (tentacles en-gaged against another foe, or holding items, cannot participate).If the target�s total is higher, the target tears free of the tentacles;if the wonder�s adjusted total is higher, the target is draggedwithin reach of the wonder�s mouth, and automatically bitten(for 2d4 damage). The wonder always releases a target after onebite.

Foes attempting to sever a wonder�s tentacles will find thatthey have an effective Armor Class of 3 (able to suddenly retractfrom harm), and one can only be severed if it is dealt 7 hp ofdamage or more in a single round (total hp damage to tentaclesdoes not matter, except to kill the wonder by damage accumula-tion).

Wingless wonders radiate a continuous, natural anti-magicshell, that stops all magical attacks inches from their skins. Thisaura is visible as a faint purple-white faerie fire glow around anywonder that is carrying an egg (developing young inside itself).

This is doubly curious, as wonders seem to be creatures pos-sessing natural �wild� magic. Once per day, a wonder can un-leash a random minor magical effect�akin to the powersunleashed by a wand of wonder. Such an effect will be at thetime of a wonder�s choosing, but it can�t control just what willoccur. The magical effect seems to draw power from the anti-magic shell, which flickers and pulses visibly. The round inwhich the wild magic effect manifests is the only time spells canpenetrate the shell, to affect the wonder itself, although foes of awonder will have to discover this for themselves.

Wonders regenerate naturally, regaining 1 lost hit point every2 rounds. This healing power does not seem to extend to the deli-cate, fuzz-covered outer skin of an alkada: it does not heal quick-ly, and many wonders are bleeding copiously when found,leaving a bloody trail wherever they go. Wonders are immune todamage from all forms and sources of fire.

Wingless wonders also exhibit a permanent, seemingly-unbreakable mind bar. This functions as the telepathic devotion(detailed in PHBR5/The Complete Psionics Handbook), but at-tempts to engage a wonder in psionic combat always fail; thewonder�s mind seems to �slip� away. In similar fashion, magical

©1992 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Wingless Wonder FRB1

spells that aim to contact or influence the mind fail when used ona wonder; there is a momentary impression of colorful mentalchaos, and then the wonder�s mind seems to �slip� away.

The only other psionic activity that a wonder ever exhibits oc-curs if it is slain: a �dying scream� directed at its killers. This issimilar to the mental blast of a mind flayer: it manifests as a cone,aimed by the dying wonder, 60 feet long, 5 feet wide at the base,and 20 feet wide at its end. All creatures in the area of effectmust save versus wands at -4 or be confused (as in the wizardspell confusion) for 1d10 +2 rounds. They must also save vs.breath weapon or be feebleminded (as the wizard spell). A crea-ture who fails both saves is not mentally affected at all, but is�mind-burnt� for a physical loss of 2d12 hp.

Wonders cannot be stunned or subdued by magical or physicalmeans, and seem mentally unaffected by disasters or great vio-lence occurring around them, chittering and waddling uncon-cernedly in the midst of a battlefield, or trotting in the heart ofan attacking dragon�s breath weapon!

Habitat/Society: Despite its seeming host of immunities andspecial powers, a wonder is easily killed by purely physicalmeans, and wonders are therefore rare in populated areas.

Wonders are always curious, and are attracted to brilliant redor purple colors and flashy objects. They are fascinated by gems;any treasure a wonder carries are gems it has swallowed. Thesestomach-stones are typically a wide variety of pretty stones,some nearly valueless. Wonders seem to spend most of their timecuriously examining things around them, and sampling them tosee if they can be eaten.

Wonders are bisexual. Whenever solitary wonders encounteranother of their species, the two entwine tentacles and chitterexcitedly in chorus for 2 rounds. This appears to be mating con-tact. Wonders may wander together in mated pairs, but are usu-ally solitary.

Wonders develop eggs within their bodies, excreting themwhen they are ready to hatch (gestation seems to take 6 or 7months). An egg falls to the ground as its parent wonder wan-ders away, ignoring it, and splits open in 1d4 rounds, to reveal asmall and even more clumsy (but otherwise fully-developed, hav-ing 1 + 1 HD but all the other statistics of an adult) wonder.

Ecology: Wonders eat mainly fruits and vegetables, althoughthey will devour worms, birds, small animals that stray into thereach of their tentacles, and carrion.

The flesh of a wonder is poisonous (save vs. poison at -1, ortake 3d10 points of damage, within 1d4 rounds; if the save is suc-cessful, only 1d4 points of damage are suffered, accompanied bya brief, wrenching nausea). Wonders lose their anti-magicalproperties immediately upon death�and if part of a wonder iscut away from its living body, that part retains no special powersor properties. A Wonder�s skin rots away in 3 + 1d4 days, butwhile still intact, it can serve as a cloak protecting (half to nodamage, if saving throw successful) against non-magical fire.

Transformed Wonders: There is a 20% chance that any wing-less wonder encountered will not be a �natural� wonder at all, buta transformed being. Most transformed beings are humanmages. Those who encounter a wonder never know if it is mere-ly a curious beast, a helpless victim able to unleash only randomsmall magics�or a disguised magic user, able to cast powerful memorizedspells!

Many wizards from Netheril escaped into wonder form whentheir kingdom fell, using a spell later (and independently) dupli-cated by drow mages; the wonderform spell included elsewhere

in this book. Such transformed folk can speak normally, andwork magic, while in wonder-shape, and escape from wonder-form at will. As the being�s mind is completely shielded from con-tact, and the wonderform spell masks its true alignment aurawith a �normal� wonder�s alignment, this can be a very effectivehiding-place from a foe who is able to probe disguises readily.

Others are not so lucky�and they are the sort most known tosurface-world humans, through tales and ballads. Several centu-ries ago, the notorious �spellslinger� Durshult the Mage (whomade a career of challenging mages, defeating them in spell-combat, and then seizing all their magic) was turned into a wing-less wonder by the sorceress Haleera Shundyl, after losing asorcerous duel to her in Baldur�s Gate. After Durshult�s fate be-came widely known, it was for a time a fad to imprison enemiesin wingless wonder form.

The infamous �Rebel Mage� Phaerl Godeep, a drow male whorebelled against the dictates of the ruling priestesses in his city,was forcibly imprisoned in wonder form�and presumably isstill a helpless, ridiculed prisoner. The drow wizard known on-ly as �the Watchspider Wizard� is known to have taken refugein wonder form to elude a yochlol summoned and sent (by anangered priestess) to slay him. Several human mages, includingAuziiyra Twelvestars of Tethyr and Brondeth of the BrokenStaff, may still survive somewhere in the Underdark, in thewonder forms they assumed to escape death at the hands ofdrow attackers who overwhelmed the human mining commu-nity they were guarding.

In Menzoberranzan, the drow wizards Thaerlbone Faen Tlab-bar and Master (of the Academy) Daethleness Tuin�Tarl areknown to have escaped the justice of Lloth by taking wonderform�and Ardreyth Mizzrym, Matron of her House at the time,received a fatal surprise when she casually lashed a chitteringwonder out of her path during a hunt�and it snarled and un-leashed a meteor swarm that fried her and most of her familyaround her. When the drifting smoke thinned, the blackenedwonder was seen, by the astonished drow survivors, standingunconcernedly amid the cooked carnage, having survived thefull damage of its own spell. It sighed and shuffled slowly away.That transformed wonder is still out there in the Underdark,somewhere; the drow dared not try to stop it going on about itsbusiness.

Surface-world wizards have developed spells that specificallypolymorph a foe into wonder-form, and drow priestesses of theUnderdark also use a spell to work the same effect, which keepsthe wizards alive in case their power is needed later, but as vul-nerable, helpless, non-threatening things. Beings so entrappedcannot speak (though they can use sticks to write words or drawsymbols)�they can only chitter, as �natural� wonders do.

Lacking any means to work spells or effectively communicatewith others, such unfortunates are trapped, although they retaintheir human intelligence and knowledge. Existence as a wondermay drive a human insane. Check at the end of each year; toavoid insanity, a percentile roll score must exceed a total of 50minus the character�s wisdom. A trapped being can always, byforce of will, unleash a wonder�s natural random magical effect(as noted earlier), but has no control over what effect occurs.

The only way to free a being trapped in wonder form is duringthe once-daily round in which they unleash a wild magic effect.During this round, the anti-magic shell becomes visible, and flick-ers visibly. A dispel magic, remove curse, or properly-wordedpolymorph other spell cast at the wonder during this round willreturn the being to its true form�although the being must makea System Shock Survival roll.

This chapter contains a few magical andphysical �booby traps� intruders may en-counter in guarded areas of Menzober-ranzan, such as Sorcere, House compoundperimeters, and vault-caverns. Add theseto the common pit- and smash-trapsknown to the surface world (a handy se-lection of these appear on the �DM�s handof cards� included in The Ruins of Under-Mountain boxed set), and obvious traps,such as throat- and ankle-height scythingblades, weighted webs that fall fromabove, and �web-tongues� (sticky fila-ments that shoot out like those of a cavefisher, detailed in its Monstrous Compen-dium Volume 1 entry).

Acid Locks: These are locks trappedwith a squirt-bladder of acid. If the mainlock is locked, a second, hidden lock is alsoengaged.

If the main lock is picked but the secondis not, or the door is forced open, a blad-der of acid within the door sprays directlyin front of the door. Any beings within fivefeet of any part of the door must make aDexterity Check. Success indicates 1 hp ofsplash damage is suffered; failure means2-8 hp is taken.

The second lock counts as a �trap� foruse of the Find and Remove Traps ability.There is no way to remove the trap exceptto successfully pick the second lock�whose hole is the squirting-orifice for thebladder (applying flame to the hole meltsthe bladder�discharging it anyway!).

A little less than 2 in 10 of such locks firea jet of poison-gas, not acid. Such a jetforces a poison save on all beings within10� of the door. Success means 1 round ofnausea (-1 on attack rolls, no further dam-age); failure means 1d4 + 1 hp of damageand 1-2 rounds of confusion. The poisonreacts with air to become harmless afterthe round in which it jets out.

Three in 10 locks (acid or poison) areconstructed to fire twice�or more.

Fangs of Lloth: These are jointed clus-ters of eight poisoned darts, curved andjoined by cross-strands to have the shapeof the legs of a spider. Points outward,they spin downwards, triggered by trip-wires or pressure-pad descending-stonedetectors.

The spinning darts strike at anyone trig-gering them, at THAC0 7. A struck victimis hit by 1d4 darts, for 1 hp of damageeach�plus a single save vs. poison. Suchdarts carry venom effective against drowas well as other races, doing a further 1d4points of damage instantly, and bringingon 2d4 rounds of paralysis, onset time in1d6 rounds.

Hands of Undeath: A rare, secret spellused by some drow Houses creates a glow-ing skeletal hand that guards a door, win-dow, or archway. Anyone passing istouched, for 1d4 points of chilling dam-age. A cold white faerie fire radiance is al-so imparted, expanding to illuminate theintruder�s entire body for 2d12 rounds (oruntil dispelled). As the hand acts, it emits aloud wailing sound. Unless dispelled ordealt 9 points of �damage� (it is AC 4, andMV Fl 14 (A)), it can strike at the next in-truder, acting up to 9 times.

95

Book Two: The Housesby

Robert A. Salvatore,Michael Leger,

and Douglas NilesTable of Contents

The Law Within the Raging Chaos . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3House Baenre . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6House Barrison Del�Armgo. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 0House Oblodra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26House Faen Tlabbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2 9House Xorlarrin. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3 6House Agrach Dyrr . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45House Mizzrym . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 1House Fey-Branche . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54Lesser Houses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57

House Tuin�Tarl . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 7House Duskryn . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 7House Srune�lett . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58House Horlbar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 8House Kenafin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 9House Druu�giir . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5 9House Hunzrin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60House Shobalar . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 0House Vandree . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61House Symrivvin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 2

Bregan D�aerthe . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6 3

Credits:Design: Robert A. Salvatore, Michael Leger, Interior Art: Jaime Lombardo and Ron Hill

Douglas Niles Cartography: DieselEditing: Karen S. Boomgarden Typography: Gaye O�KeefeCover Art: Jeff Easley Production: Paul Hanchette and Dee Barnett

This material is protected under the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use of the material orartwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written permission of TSR, Inc.

Copyright ©1992 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

Printed in U.S.A.

ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, AD&D, and FORGOTTEN REALMS are registered trademarks owned by TSR, Inc. The TSR logo is atrademark owned by TSR, Inc.

Random House and its affiliate companies have worldwide distribution rights in the book trade for English language products of TSR, Inc.Distributed to the book trade in the United Kingdom by TSR Ltd. Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regional distributors.

ISBN 1-56076-460-01083XXX15021083

The Law Within the Raging Chaos

Chaos is a predominant trait in dark elves, afault that has cost the drow potentialconquests throughout the Realms.Infighting, backstabbing, and treachery arenot reserved for enemies of the drownations.

There is a framework of law within thechaos, though; there would have to be, elsethe vicious dark elves surely would havereduced their own numbers to the point ofextinction. This framework is very specificand very unyielding; the penalties foroverstepping one�s bounds are dealt withtypical drow mercy�none at all!

Menzoberranzan, like many drow cities,is dominated by family networks, kinbonded together (when it is convenient) formutual protection. The eight strongestfamilies (houses) rule the city, with the otherfifty or sixty (the number fluctuates yearly)scrambling for position behind them.Perhaps nothing in all of Menzoberranzan isimportant as a house � s rank , or anindividual�s rank within her/his particularhouse. Only the Matron Mothers of the topeight houses are accorded the prestige ofseats on the city�s Ruling Council.

As Drizzt Do�Urden, the single drow fromMenzoberranzan known to have thrown offthe evil ways of his kin and traveled to thesurface, explains, station is of utmostimportance.

Station: In all the world of the drow, thereis no more important word. It is the callingof their�of our�religion, the incessantpulling of hungering heartstrings. Ambitionoverrides good sense and compassion isthrown away in its face, all in the name ofLloth, the Spider Queen.

Ascension to power in drow society is asimple process of assassination. The SpiderQueen is a deity of chaos, and she and herhigh priestesses, the true rulers of the drowworld, do not look with i l l favor uponambitious individuals wielding poisoneddaggers.

Of course, there are rules of behavior;every society must boast of these. To openlycommit murder or wage war invites thepretense of justice, and penalties exacted inthe name of drow justice are merciless. Tostick a dagger in the back of a rival duringthe chaos of a larger battle or in the quietshadows of an al ley, however, is quiteacceptable�even applauded. Investigationis not the forte of drow justice. No one caresenough to bother.

Station is the way of Lloth, the ambitionshe bestows to further the chaos, to keepher drow �children� along their appointedcourse of se l f - imprisonment. Children?Pawns, more likely, dancing dolls for theSpider Queen, puppets on the imperceptiblebut impervious strands of her web. Allclimb the Spider Queen�s ladders; all huntfor her pleasure; and all fall to the huntersof her pleasure.

Station is the paradox of the world of mypeople, the limitation of our power withinthe hunger for power. It is gained throughtreachery and invites treachery againstthose who gain it. Those most powerful inMenzoberranzan spend their days watchingover their shoulders, defending against thedaggers that would find their backs.

Their deaths usually come from the front.Drizzt Do�Urden(from Homeland)

This �paradox� of station, as Drizztdescribes it, is not only the limitation ofMenzoberranzan�s power, but the chaosinspiring element for adventures bynon-drow characters within the drow city.A drow house will stop at nothing to gain anedge over another drow house, even hiringnon-drow as spies or mercenaries. (The oneexception to this would be the hiring ofsurface elves. Above the hunt for station inthe drow world, all houses seek to maintainthe favor o f the Sp ider Queen andassociating with surface elves wouldnormally defeat those ends.)

3

The Law Within the Raging Chaos

House wars are quite common among theleast houses, minor groups continuallyjockeying for position, with little to lose andall the world to gain. Wars among the largerhouses are more rare, though certainly notunheard of. In the last fifty years, threeruling houses, House DeVir, House Hun�ett,and House Do�Urden, have been violentlytaken down. While this activity is a bitextraordinary, even for the chaotic drow,the intrigue among the top houses iscertainly not ended.

DM�s concerned with the politics ofMenzoberranzan should pay particularattention to the tension between the alliedhouses of Faen Tlabbar and Xorlarrin(ranked 4th and 5th) and either BarrisonDel�Armgo (2nd house) or Oblodra (3rdhouse). Faen Tlabbar and Xorlarrin are bothloyal to the first house, Baenre, and, ofcourse, Barrison Del�Armgo and Oblodraare Baenre�s only real rivals within the city.

Also, the prestigious seventh and eighthspots in the city might be in jeopardy, withHouses Duskrin (10th house) and Srune�Lett(11th house) firmly allied and eyeing thecoveted spots.

Even greater stirrings might be in theworks. Many of the houses, great and lesser,have expressed quiet concerns that HouseBaenre is becoming simply too powerful. Itis said in Menzoberranzan that HouseBaenre could defeat the combined forces ofany five other houses together, and MatronBaenre�s network might even be moreformidable than that!

But such absolute rule has never been aprecept of the chaotic Spider Queen�steachings. In Lloth�s many eyes, a followercan indeed become too good.

The attempted takeover of another houseis most definitely a hit-or-miss proposition.If the coup is completely successful, withnot a single house family member left aliveto bear witness, then the gains areimmediate. But if the attempt fails at all, ifany of the Family Nobles escape, then the

aggressor house faces a dire fate indeed.Consider the consequences faced by HouseTeken�duis when their attempt to destroyHouse Freth left three noble children alive(excerpted from Homeland), and note, too,t h e r o l e t h a t M a t r o n B a e n r e , t h a tever-present old hag, played in theexecution of those consequences:

M a t r o n B a e n r e a d d r e s s e d t h e g u i l t yhouse. �House Teken�duis!� she called. �Youha ve b ro k en o u r l a ws a n d ha ve b e enrightfully caught. Fight if you will, but knowthat you have brought this doom uponyourself!� With a wave of her hand, she setthe Academy, the dispatcher of justice, intomotion.

Great braziers had been placed in eightpositions a r o u n d H o u s e Teken�duis,attended by mistresses of Arach-Tinilith andthe highest-ranking c ler ical students .Flames roared to life and shot into the air asthe high priestesses opened gates to thelower planes.

Denizens of those dark places , huge,many-armed monsters, slime-covered andspitting fire, stepped through the flames.When the signal from Matron Baenre came,t h e y e a g e r l y d e s c e n d e d u p o n H o u s eTeken�duis.

Glyphs and wards exploded at everycorner of the house�s feeble gate, but thesew e r e m e r e i n c o n v e n i e n c e s t o t h esummoned creatures.

The wizards and students of Sorcere thenwent into action, slamming the top of HouseTeken�duis with conjured lightning bolts,balls of acid, and fireballs.

Students and masters of Melee-Magthere,the school of fighters, rushed about withheavy crossbows, f ir ing into windowswhere the doomed family might try toescape.

The horde of monsters burst through thed o o r s . L i g h t n i n g f l a s h e d a n d t h u n d e rboomed.

The first screams of the doomed family

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The Law Within the Raging Chaos

ro l l ed ou t f r om the house , s c r eams s oterrible and agonized . . .

One of the sons of House Teken�duis,fleeing a ten-armed giant monster, steppedout onto the balcony of a high window. Ad o z e n c r o s s b o w q u a r r e l s s t r u c k h i msimultaneously, and before he even fe l ld e a d , t h r e e s e p a r a t e l i g h t n i n g b o l t salternately lifted him from the balcony, thendropped him back onto it.

Scorched and mutilated, the drow corpsestarted to tumble from its high perch, butthe grotesque monster reached out a huge,clawed hand from the window and pulled itback in to devour it.

The siege went on for more than an hour,a n d w h e n i t w a s f i n i s h e d , w h e n t h ed e n i z e n s o f t h e l o w e r p l a n e s w e r edispatched through the brazier�s gates andt h e s t u d e n t s a n d i n s t r u c t o r s o f t h eAcademy started their march back to TierBreche, House Teken�duis was no more thana glowing lump of lifeless, molten stone.

Not a pretty picture, but such is the awfultruth behind the faerie-fire enhancedbeauty of Menzoberranzan, the awful truthbehind the unparalleled physical beauty ofthe evil drow.

A NOTE ON NOBLES: In the �Dark ElfTrilogy,� nobles were described as theMatron Mother and her immediate family,her children only, though sometimesextended to include a favored patron. Forpurposes of this book, the description hasbeen expanded to include the extendedfamily, the Matron�s grandchildren, hergreat-grandchildren, and in some cases, hergreat-great-grandchildren. Only theimmediate family, though, may bear witnessagainst an aggressor house.

Here, then, are the 18 most importanthouses forming the loose law within theraging chaos of drow society.

5

House Baenre

First House ofMenzoberranzanSYMBOL:

Matron Mother: Matron Baenrelevel 25 priestess

Nobles: 63Priestesses: 47

High Priestesses: 16House Males: 16

Fighters: 4Wizards: 12

Drow Soldiers: 2,600 (known)

Formations: 325 Elite Foot (female)675 Archers1,200 Foot400 Lizriders

Slave Force:

Formations:

700 (at house proper)

200 goblin foot150 orc spearcasters100 gnoll archers150 bugbears75 ogreboulder-hurlers25 minotaur foot

Chief Alliances: Gains strong supportfrom House Faen Tlabbar (#4), HouseXorlarrin (#5), and House Agrach Dyrr (#6),although the greatest amount of immediatesupport can be received from the houselessrogues of Bregan D�aerthe.

Chief Rivals: No house would openlyreveal enmity for House Baenre, but HouseBarrison Del�Armgo (#2) and House Oblodra(#3), because of their ranking and becauseneither has apparently sealed any pactswith Baenre, have been closely watched bythe powerful First Matron Mother.

House Baenre is the oldest (5,000 years), thestrongest, and the most prestigious house inMenzoberranzan. The story of its ascensionto the premier rank in the city is not known;to the drow of Menzoberranzan, Baenrejust is, and always has been, the First House.And their power cannot be logically denied.

In addition to the oldest and mostpowerful Matron Mother in the city, whoseems to have a special relationship with theSpider Queen, the house boasts 16 highpriestesses, including Triel, holding thecrucial and powerful position as MatronMistress of the drow Academy.

There can be no doubt that clericalprowess is the strength of House Baenre.Their wizard force, while second only toBarrison Del�Armgo�s, is not as impressive.Still, Matron Baenre�s elderboy, Gromph, isthe Arch-mage of Menzoberranzan, thehighest ranking wizard in all the city, withaccess to the finest alchemy shops and themost ancient spellbooks. The powers of theeleven wizards of House Baenre behindGromph run somewhat thin, but this maybe due to the fact that Matron Baenre putslittle store in the wizardly arts (and in males,in general), and since she already has oneson in the most prestigious and favoredposition, the others don�t really seem tocount.

Sheer numbers and the finest equipmentgives House Baenre�s elite fighting force tophonors in the city. Twenty-six hundreddrow soldiers stand ready inside theincredible Baenre complex, and, if therumors are true, that is barely half of thef o r c e t h e F i r s t M a t r o n M o t h e r o fMenzoberranzan could muster in a crisis.

As First Matron Mother, Matron Baenrehas principle say in the disposition of bothsurviving nobles and surviving soldiers ofdefeated drow houses. The only other voicein the city which could offer a check andbalance to her decisions is that of theMatron Mistress of the drow Academy, and,well, Matron Baenre seems to have that

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House Baenre

situation in hand. Baenre does not hoard allof these refugees, though, for she has tokeep the appearance, at least, that thepower structures within Menzoberranzanpresent some balance. It is no accident thatmost of the houses between the ninth andtwentieth rank boast of similar numbers.

But Matron Baenre is wily enough to findgains, even in handing out soldiers andnobles. Inevitably, when a house acceptssuch deposed drow, they take in a spy ortwo more loyal to Matron Baenre than to theparticular house�s Matron Mother. Also,some of the lesser houses (see HouseSymryvvin) are quite willing to exchangeunfavorable secret treaties with MatronBaenre in exchange for choice refugees.

Perhaps the strongest and most deviousalliance that House Baenre has formed iswith the renegade mercenary band ofBregan D�aerthe. The leader of the rogues,Jarlaxle, is a common visitor to the grandhouse�s magnificent complex, and some saythat he is more to Matron Baenre than abusiness partner. Whatever their personalrelationship, there can be little doubt thatBregan D�aerthe makes few moves withoutthe knowledge and consent of the FirstMatron Mother.

Simply put, Matron Baenre, in hermillennium as the leader of the first house,has developed an intricate and dominatingnetwork throughout the dark elf city, andeven beyond. It is said in Menzoberranzan:I l h a r e s s B a e n r e u i l k e r n o t h u m pa-Menzoberranzan, Ilharess Baenre wuiskernothump a-Menzoberranzan! whichliterally means, �Matron Baenre does nothave her finger on the pulse ofMenzoberranzan, Matron Baenre IS thepulse of Menzoberranzan!�

The Dwelling ofHouse BaenreHouse Baenre occupies the highest tier inthe main cavern of Menzoberranzan, at theeastern end of the Qu�ellarz�orl. Thecompound is roughly oval in shape,three-eighths of a mile long and a quartermile wide, and surrounded by a magnificentand magical fence, appearing as a silveryspider�s web around the general blue huesof the Baenre compound. Twenty feet high,this striking barrier is formed of iron-strungstrands as thick as a drow�s arm, andenchanted so that anything touching it willbecome stuck fast until the Matron Motherof the house wills it to be freed (Note: the5th level wizard spell, 4th level cleric spell,passweb will not work on this fence, thougha spider mask will). Even the sharpest ofdrow weapons could not put a nick in the(rumors say) Lloth-given gift. Entrance isgained through one of several symmetricalweb-gates, the principle one being setbetween the outer compound�s tallest twostalagmites, which spiral out, creating acircular gap.

The central structure of House Baenre is apurple-glowing dome, covering a chapellarge enough to seat all 2,600 of Baenre�sdrow. Around its anchoring symmetry,twenty huge stalagmite mounds weave avariety of ways, some tall and slender,others short and squat, and allinterconnected with gracefully sweepingand arching bridges and parapets.

Even more striking loom the inversestructures of the thirty stalactites. Not allare hollowed, as are the stalagmite mounds,but all are ringed with balconies, curvinglike the edging of a screw. Some connecttip-to-tip with stalagmite mounds; othershang freely, except for the inevitableskywalks linking every structure.

A thousand soldiers are always on patrolalong these skywalks and balconies,

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House Baenre

adorned in their meticulous Baenre silveruniforms, proudly displaying badgesdistinguishing their house and rank. Thelargest garrison (45 elite female warriors)patrols the area around the central domeand the immediate two stalagmite moundsflanking it on either side (where reside thenoble family�females in the more elaboratestructure on the left; males in the lessermound on the right).

The great mound occupied by MatronBaenre and her daughters also houses itsown inner garrison of no less than 50 elitefemale warriors, 25 per shift, broken downinto patrol groups of 5.

5 Guard Captains (9th level fighters):AC -8 (chain +5, buckler +3, Dex 18 +);MOVE 12"; HD 9; hit points 63-75; #AT 3/2;Dmg 2-7 +5; THAC0 7; MR 68%; AL LE

Weapon: mace +5 or handcrossbow withdarts of stunning

Inherent Spell-like Abilities: dancinglights, faerie fire, darkness, levitate, knowalignment, detect magic , c la irvoyance,detect lie, suggestion, dispel magic (allonce/day)

20 Drow Guards (6th level fighters):AC -2 (chain +3, dex 18 +); MOVE 12"; HD6; hit points 45-55; #AT 2; Dmg 1-6 +3/1-4+3; THAC0 12; MR 62%; AL LE

Weapons: short sword +3, dagger +3, orhandcrossbow with poison darts

Inherent Spell-like Abilities: same ascaptains, above

The lowest level contains dozens ofseparate chambers, housing both the eliteguard and the many slaves and attendants.Here, too, is an enclosed connectingwalkway leading to a door in the nearby

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House Baenre

chapel. The second level houses Baenre�sdaughters, with the exception of Triel (whenshe is visiting her home), Bladen�Kerst, andSos�Umptu.

A single circular, nearly translucentcrystal stairway ascends to the third level, aseries of winding corridors connecting eightwidely-spaced rooms. The only permanentoccupants, in a single, small chamber areDes�chel and Hingebrew, Matron Baenre�spersonal scribes. Three other rooms arereserved as private audience chambers foruse by Baenre and her most importantdaughters. Two others are war-rooms, onegeneral, one for secret meetings of thefamily, discussing dealings behind thedealings. The remaining two rooms containthe coined wealth and minor treasures ofHouse Baenre (the contents of either oneoutstrip the total wealth of any other housein the city).

The tower�s fourth level is dominated byMatron Baenre�s elaborate throne room.The throne itself is the most incredible item,carved of pure black sapphire. The souls ofall Menzoberranzan drow converted intodriders reside within this inky blackdimension, and can be seen writhing intorment beneath the First Matron Mother.

A thirty-carat diamond is set into the endof each arm on the throne, magicallyempowered to provide the room with light.On a command from Matron Baenre, eitherof these gemstones can shoot forth a line ofpurplish light, forcing its target to save vs.death magic or be disintegrated.

The fifth and smallest level of the towerresembles a spider in design, with thecentral area as the lone common room onthe level, and each of the eight legs a smallprivate room. S ix o f these conta inextra-dimensional private and permanentmansions (see the 7th level wizard�s spell,Mordenkainen�s Magnificent Mansion).Matron Baenre claims three for herown�one for her private use; one to keepher present patron; and one for the most

private family gatherings, which includes aprivate and secret extra-dimensionalwalkway to a secret door atop the crest ofthe great chapel�s dome, directly above thealtar area. Another secret door in this arealeads to House Baenre�s primary treasureroom (see below).

Triel, Bladen�Kerst, and Gromph eachclaim one of the other enchanted areas. Theremaining two rooms are normal enough,though undeniably elaborate. One is usedby Sos�Umptu, the other by Matron Baenre�sfavorite non-drow associate, the illithidEl-Viddenvelp.

Beneath the lowest levels of MatronBaenre�s stalagmite mound lies an intricatetunnel complex, stuffed with stores(including a private rothe herd andmushroom garden) that could allow theprominent house to withstand a siegeindefinitely.

The inner area of the great domed chapelresembles a gladiatorial arena, except thatthe central altar area is raised, affording anexcellent view from every seat on theringing benches. Arches are built along thewalls only, leaving the structure as a single,unobstructed open room. The outside of thebuilding is marvelously decorated with basreliefs and faerie fire and sports a widow�swalk around its entire perimeter, a favoredguard position among the rank and file.

The southwestern stalactite balconies arealso heavily guarded, with Baenre taking nochances f rom the ce i l ing-dwel l ing ,double-dealing wretches of House Mizzrym.

All in al l , House Baenre seems animpregnable fortress, fortif ied withpowerful magical wards and manned by anarmy of superbly-trained, superbly armedand armored drow warriors. No house (atleast none that anyone can remember, orwould dare to mention even if they could)has ever attempted a takeover of Baenre,though there is a fleeting rumor amongd w e l l e r s o f t h e r e g i o n o u t s i d e o fMenzoberranzan concerning that rather

9

House Baenre

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House Baenre

wide crack in the northwestern corner ofthe cavern�s floor . . .

The Baenre House GuardNo force in all of Menzoberranzan, perhapsin all of the Underdark, is as well-equippedas the 2,600 drow soldiers patrolling HouseBaenre�s elaborate compound. Of course, allwear piwafwi cloaks and drow boots, butthey normally keep their shielding cloaksfolded small, openly displaying their Baenrehouse uniforms.

The 350 elite female foot soldiers are alladorned in chain mail +5 and bucklers +3,and wield powerful melee weapons(typically of the +3 bonus). All carryhand-held crossbows, with bothpoison-tipped quarrels and assorted bolts ofpower, preferring the spider dart variety.Normal elite foot soldiers range in levelfrom 3rd to 6th. Patrol group leaders (notless than 7th level) are also routinelyequipped with a wand of enemy detectionand a mace befitting a high priestess (+4).

The archers of House Baenre, male andfemale, typically patrol the higher stationsalong the stalactite walkways. Levels rangefrom 2nd to 5th, with patrol leaders (almostalways female) no higher than 7th, since anyfemale above that rank would either becommitted to the command staff or the elitefoot soldiers. The archers wear the leastarmor in the Baenre drow force (chain mail+2) with no bucklers, and carry shortswords of lesser, +1, quality. Sixty percentof each patrol group wields a l ightcrossbow, the other forty percent usingheavy. All utilize quarrels of +3 value, oftenpoison-tipped with either sleep or spider(save 15/0) poison.

The meat of the Baenre drow force, 1,200male foot soldiers, controls the perimeter ofthe compound, patrolling both inside andoutside of the enchanted web fence andkeeping watch over the Baenre slavesoldiers. This force, exclusively male, offers

the widest range of levels, from the lowliestnovice fighters to Dantrag himself (18thlevel). Their chain mail varies in magic from+1 to +3; bucklers are typically in the +1to +2 range.

Berg�inyon Baenre (a classmate of DrizztDo�Urden�s in Melee-Magthere) leads the400 lizard riders of House Baenre. Thisforce is comprised of both male and femalewarriors of 5th to 7th level, equipped inchain mail of not less than +3 value andwielding death lances , with +3 shortswords on their belts, just in case. The lizardriders patrol the ceiling above the Baenrecompound, often making excursions in thedirection of House Mizzrym (just in case).The House Emblem of each Baenre rider canemit a dim light, similar to faerie fire, ofblue, purple, red, green, or orange hue.Nothing in all the Underdark can match thespectacle of the Baenre l izard riderchanging of the guard, with streaking riderscrossing paths along the thirty stalactitepillars in brilliant formations.

The Baenre slave force is not as numerousas those of other houses, primarily becauseMatron Baenre does not think much oflesser creatures such as orcs and ogres anddoes not like them smelling up her fabulouscompound. They are quartered in darkholes, u s u a l l y n o more thanthree-chambered caves, beneath thecompound�s outermost stalagmite mounds.Their patrolling areas are under the directjurisdiction of Dantrag and his generals, butrarely are any of them allowed on thewalkways above the floor level of theBaenre compound (unless the drow archersneed target practice). Still, even theminotaurs wear specially-crafted drowarmor (+3) and the bugbears wield +3halberds.

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House Baenre

House Baenre'sTreasuresIf any PCs are fortunate enough to stumbleamong the secret chambers concealedwithin the apex of the house chapel�s greatdome, they will be in the area of the greatestsingle treasure trove of Menzoberranzan. Asecret door leads to a two-foot widecorridor, 20 feet long and ending in anornate, platinum-gilded door (wizardlocked, triple-locked, and coated withcontact poison XX). Before the adventurersget to this point, though, they will be met bya regally-adorned Skeleton Warrior (AC 0;Move 6�; HD 9 + 2; hit points 72; #AT 1; Dmg1D10 +5; THAC0 3�Matron Baenre has thecirclet), brandishing a shining silvertwo-handed sword (+5). The creature�sgem-covered robes and abundant jewelryalone are worth some 10,000 gp, but thereal value of the undead is as an escort (thisis the legendary skeleton key), for themonster has been specially enchanted sothat it can simply open the magically barreddoor. The warrior seems ready for battle,but will not strike. Any hostile actionstowards the warrior or any attempts to takeits valuable possessions will begin a fight,but if the adventurers let the creature makethe first move, and if they can successfullylie their way through its interrogation(remember, the monster has Exceptionalintelligence!), it will open the protected doorfor them.

Beyond the door is a 10 x 10 chamberwith two more doors, one to either side.Note: only one of these three doors can beopened at any time, and the area in betweenthem, though the PCs might not know it, isactually another extra-dimensional pocket.The right door is the wrong door, foropening it will lead to another, separateextra-dimensional pocket, the result beingakin to throwing a bag of holding into aportable hole, opening a rift to the AstralPlane.

The left door, however, leads into thedome-shaped t reasure room (40 f t .diameter). Seven chests line the room�sperimeter. Six of these contain the housegeneral wealth (Treasure type H), whichvaries according to pay schedules for housedrow and bribes for political intrigue, andthe seventh holds 2d10 time bombs, alsoused for political intrigue.

Directly to the left of the door stands aninvisible pedestal with an invisible crystalball atop it. Gromph peers through thisdevice periodically, just to make certain thatall is as it should be.

Two black doors stand alone, side-by-sidein the center o f the room, l eadingapparently nowhere. They will not move,and actually, both are locked (-20% to athief�s roll). Also, only one of these can beopened at a time. The door on the rightleads (you guessed it) to anextra-dimensional pocket, this one a smallchamber f i l l ed wi th per fec t ebonysculptures of drow elves in various positions(see Vendes below). Matron Baenre tradesthese unfortunate artifacts (duergar adorethem and have been known to pay as muchas 50 finely-crafted weapons or 20,000 gps.worth of gems for a single piece). There isnothing else in the crowded chamber.

The door on the left leads to HouseBaenre�s private armory. In here are: 6d12piwafwi cloaks; 3d4 suits of drow chain (+2to +4); 3d4 bucklers (+1); 4d6 assortedmelee weapons (+1 to +3); and 2d4 handheld crossbows, each with a case of 20 bolts(+1).

The rest of the main treasure roomcontains assorted magical and otherwisevaluable items (roll 20d6 with each result of1 signifying a magical treasure). Alwayspresent, in addi t ion to the randomtreasures, are: 2d4 potions, including apotion of elemental control�earth (in caseof deep gnomes), and a potion of magicresistance; a wand of enemy detection; abrazier of fire elemental control; a brazier

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House Baenre

of s leep smoke; a f igurine of wondrouspower (obsidian steed); a Manual of Golems(jade spiders); and a Tome of MysticalEquations.

A mighty haul indeed, but just in caseyour PCs think that they�ve gotten awaywith something grand, there is, set in thecenter of the curving ceiling, a mirror ofretention (fastened with sovereign glue andcovered by three permanent outer layers,each the equivalent of a wall of force),which will record all of the events in theroom, and which Gromph checks andre-activates at the start of each day (evenbefore he goes to light up Narbondel). Don�tdoubt for a minute that Matron Baenre andGromph will stop at nothing to retrievestolen goods.

House Baenre NPCsMatron Mother Baenre

ARMOR CLASS: 5MOVE: 12�HIT POINTS: 87NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 (Spider Wand)DAMAGE/ATTACK: Save vs. Poison/DieSPECIAL ATTACKS: PoisonSPECIAL DEFENSE: NilMAGIC RESISTANCE: 100%SIZE: MALIGNMENT: Chaotic Evil

25th Level Drow PriestessS:09 I: 18W 19 D: 10 C: 16 CH: 15

Inherent Spell-like Abilities: dancinglights, faerie fire, darkness, levitate, knowa l i g n m e n t , d e t e c t m a g i c , d e t e c t l i e ,clairvoyance, suggestion, dispel magic

Commonly Remembered Spells:First Level: spider eyes, combine, command,fear, invisibility to undeadSecond Level: augury, charm person, darkfire, messenger, wyvern watch

Third Level: telepathy, spellweb, emotioncontrol, animate dead, dispel magicFourth Level : divination, free act ion,passweb, mental domination, mod i fymemoryFifth Level: commune, dispel evil, flamestrike, mind shatter, summon spiderSixth Level: blade barrier, spiritual wrath,reverse time, word of recallSeventh Level: creeping doom, unholy word

Physical Description: Matron MotherBaenre is considered to be ancient, even asdrow go, and whereas most drow retaintheir youthful appearance for most of theirlives, Matron Baenre has degeneratedthroughout her long and illustrious one. Herface is criss-crossed with numerous, deepwrinkles and her hair has become thin andstringy, giving her a strange, wraith-likeappearance. There are whispers among themasses that the Matron Mother of HouseBaenre should be dead and there are evenquieter whispers that suggest perhaps shealready is.

Equipment: Matron Mother Baenre hasacquired hundreds of interesting items inher long life, but she has a special place inher heart for a select few and these shecarries with her at all times.

On her left hand she wears a large,ornate, gold ring with a huge, shimmeringsapphire in its setting. The gold band hasbeen magically enchanted to writhe andsquirm on the Matron Mother�s finger as ifalive and the sapphire contains a magicallysustained, live black widow spider. The ring,as a whole, has been enchanted to act as aring of arachnid control (88 charges).

On her right hand she wears a small ringmade from the tooth of a mountain dwarf.The r ing conta ins the t rapped andtormented soul of a mountain dwarf kingwhose mining party ventured too near toMenzoberranzan. The party was capturedand sacrificed to Lloth and the king�s soulwas trapped within the ring. The ring now

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House Baenre

functions as a ring of anti-venom (18charges) and with every use the soul isbrought one step closer to a final rest, athought which displeases Matron Baenreimmensely.

The Matron Mother also carries a smallbag filled with 25 tiny onyx spiders whichacts similarly to a bag of bones. Uponcasting these i tems and uttering thecommand word, the onyx spiders becomehuge spiders fully under the command ofMatron Baenre.

Her favorite little toy is her prized spiderwand (63 charges). Her preferred tactic is touse the web power of the wand to entangleher victim and then poison the haplesscaptive until either he dies or MatronBaenre grows tired of the game (tired oftorment? Not likely).

Personality: Matron Baenre carriesherself with an ease that reeks of cockiness;if she ever had any fears they have beenlong forgotten. Matron Baenre has growntired of most physical pleasures (seetorment, above) so now she devotes hertime to the pleasures of political intrigueand psychological web-weaving. She openlypromotes strife within Menzoberranzanand seems to draw energy (perhaps life)from the resulting chaos. Feeling confidentthat she is safely set as First Matron Mother,she encourages ambitious on to great, andsometimes gory, glory.

Motivation: Having lived for such a longtime, t h e F i r s t M a t r o n M o t h e r o fMenzoberranzan has realized her greatestgoals and, for the present, seems content toserve the Spider Queen as well as she canand let the chaotic story unfold around her(with her inevitable nudging).Unfortunately for Menzoberranzan, shestill retains her natural drow craving formore and more power, so although theother houses don�t have to worry aboutHouse Baenre�s personal ambitions forascension, they certainly have to keep waryof Matron Baenre�s love of chaos.

Triel Baenre, MatronMistress of the AcademyARMOR CLASS: - 3MOVE: 12"HIT POINTS: 98NO. OF ATTACKS: 5 (Whip of Fangs)DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2d4 X 5(QX)SPECIAL ATTACK: Weakness (Whip)

SPECIAL DEFENSE: NilMAGIC RESISTANCE: 82%SIZE: MALIGNMENT: Chaotic Evil

16th Level Drow PriestessS:15 I: 14W: 18 D: 17 C: 16 CH: 15

Inherent Spell-like Abilities: dancinglights, faerie fire, darkness, detect magic,know alignment, levitation, clairvoyance,detect lie, suggestion, dispel magic

Commonly Remembered Spells:First Level: spider eyes, thought capture,command, fearSecond Level: augury, hesitation, dark fire,mind readThird Leve l : spe l lweb , memory r ead ,telepathy, unearthly choirFourth Level: passweb, circle of privacy,mental domination, free actionFifth Level: mind shatter, repeat action,flame strike, summon spiderSixth Level: spiritual wrath, reverse time,word of recallSeventh Level: mind tracker

Physical Description: Triel is a strongand confident female. She is just under fivefeet tall, but carries herself with such apowerful grace there can be no doubt of herstatus.

Equipment: With Arach-Tinilith at hercommand, Triel prefers to be uncluttered bypersonal items, so she commonly carriesfew possessions. Her chain mail is of the

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House Baenre

finest quality (+5), as is her rarely-utilizedmace (+5). She wears her house insignia ona heavy gold chain. This item, like all theinsignia of the selected Baenre nobles,empowers Triel with a Word of Recall,which will bring her directly to MatronBaenre�s throne room.

Her favored weapon is a dreadedfive-headed whip of fangs which has tastedthe flesh of more than a few young drowwho have made their way through theAcademy. Another toy is her wand of fear, agift from Mother when Triel was appointedto her present, prestigious position.

Personality: Triel is dominating andoverbearing, even as drow go, but she isalso aware that she is in a very influentialposition and is careful about taking risksthat might jeopardize her station. AlthoughTriel is a demanding overseer, she deals withthe Academy Mistresses, Masters, andstudents as fairly as possible�they knowwhat is expected of them and Triel usuallyfollows the rules that she has set down. Butthese are drow, after all, and there areexceptions to rules.

Motivation: Triel is content with her lifeas Matron Mistress of the Academy and hasno designs to usurp her Mother as Matronof House Baenre. As Matron Mistress, shewields more power than other MatronMothers, save those of the very highesthouses, and she sees no point in steppingdown from her position to foster a lesserhouse. Besides, there remains the questionsof Matron Baenre�s age; Triel is unsure thatMatron Baenre�s position will ever bevacant.

Gromph Baenre,Archmage ofMenzoberranzanARMOR CLASS: - 2MOVE: 12"HIT POINTS: 39NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 (Dagger +5)DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d4 + 5SPECIAL ATTACKS: Poison (Dagger)SPECIAL DEFENSE: NilMAGIC RESISTANCE: 95%SIZE: MALIGNMENT: Chaotic Evil

20th Level Drow ArchmageS: 10 I: 19 W: 12 D: 16 C: 9 CH: 8

Inherent Spell-like Abilities: dancinglights, faerie fire, darkness, levitate, knowalignment, detect magic

Commonly Remembered Spells:First Level: m eta m o rpho s e liquid,Murduck�s feathery f lyer , spider eyes ,spider climbSecond Level: Maximillian�s earthen grasp,past life, ride the wind, sense shifting, webThird Level: darkwing, hand of darkness,alacrity, wizard sight, lightning boltFourth Level: acid bolt, stop, thunder staff,turn pebble to boulder, dimension doorFifth Level: passweb, lower resistance, mindfog, chaos, dominationSixth Level: summon spider, Bloodstone�sspectral steed, disintegrate, Forest�s fieryconstrictionSeventh Level: viper gout (spider goutvariation, of course), prismatic spray,suffocateEighth Level: death spider, demand, symbolNinth Level: power word kill, time stop

Physical Description: Gromph, beingthe elderboy of House Baenre, is older thanmany o f t h e M a t r o n M o t h e r s o fMenzoberranzan. He has aged gracefully

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House Baenre

physically, if not mentally, with flowing andvibrant white hair and shows little of hisseven hundred years. He is a perfectionistwith few equals and carries himself with adignity befitting his station in life as thecity�s revered Archmage.

Equipment: Over the years, Gromph hasacquired many fascinating pieces of magic.As elderboy of House Baenre, he hadalready inherited many items, and asArchmage of Menzoberranzan, he receivedeven more. Now Gromph finds himself withan over-abundance of magical toys, if that�spossible.

His most-prized possession, of course, isthe celebrated robe of the Archmage ofMenzoberranzan. This flowing,many-pocketed piwafwi is emblazoned withsigils and runes of power highlighted withvarying hues of faerie fire, and bestows thefollowing benefits:

1. Armor equal to Armor Class 02. +5% Magic Resistance3. +1 to all saving throws4. wraithform, as spell, 2/day

Two brooches adorn the robe. One acts as amore powerful version of the amulet ofperpetual youth, halving the effects ofnatural and unnatural aging for as long asGromph is accorded the position as cityArchmage.

The second brooch enables Gromph tocast the lingering heat enchantment intoNarbondel at the beginning of each day.

Some other items which Gromph carrieswith him at all times include an ancientwand of viscid globs, which was given tohim upon his birth by Matron MotherX�larraz�et of House X�larraz� et�soj. Sincethat particular house was destroyed byHouse Baenre just a year later, Gromph hasto say that he found the wand whilecleaning the attic of one of House Baenre�slesser stalagmite mounds.

A wand of acidic spheres rests easy onGromph�s left hip�it seems that hestumbled across that one in the same

1 6

House Baenre

lucrative att ic . He wears a brooch ofnumber numbing under his marvelousrobes. (Gromph is typically House Baenre�sbargaining agent�in the world of the drow,having the upper hand is everything.)

Some of Gromph�s more important itemsare kept in his office in Sorcere. His largedwarf-bone desk contain his many contractsof Nepthas (to be used only in emergencies,of course!), his lens of speed reading, and histalisman of memorization. Built into the wallof his office, in a secret compartment, is theZhaunil del Faerbol Talinth-Mrimm, whichtranslates to the Knowledge of Philosophical(Alchemical) Magics, and acts as Nefradina�sidentifier. Scattered around the office is avast collection of talintu bol�et (thoughtbottles), some full, others waiting for aninspiration to fill their void.

In his room at House Baenre, Gromphkeeps his prized spider mask. MatronBaenre makes him keep it at home, since herwondrous fence is not immune to the item�seffects and she fears that another housemight get their hands on it and find a way tomake copies.

Personality: Gromph is an evil andcorrupt old drow, everything a dark elfmother could ask for. He is cold, bitter,calculating, and hoards his information like amiser hoards gold. While it is possible, thoughrare, to deal with Gromph on a regular basis,be assured that you will leave the relationshipwith less than you had going in.

Motivation: Gromph is motivated by onething: hatred. He sees his station in life (as amale in Menzoberranzan) as pointless, andrealizes that he cannot, under the strictmatriarchal system, rise any higher. Withthat in mind, he continually strives toimprove, to become more and morepowerful, in the fleeting hopes that, oneday, things will change for the better. AsArchmage of the city, Gromph receives agreat deal of respect, but not from the mostpowerfu l Matron Mothers , who heconsiders to be an overbearing bunch of

hypocrites who use their goddess as a shield(Matron Baenre excluded, of course).Unfortunately for Gromph, it is a veryeffective shield.

Because of his traitorous feelings, Gromphis in a tentative position with his Mother.Matron Baenre has chosen to ignore herson�s fai l ings as long as he remainsultimately useful to her. And Gromph hasfound a way, despite all, to find the favor ofthe Spider Queen. The most extraordinarysight in House Baenre is a permanent,30-foot-diameter illusion hovering over thecentral altar in the main chapel. This workof art continually shifts its form, onemoment appearing as a gigantic spider, thenext a perfect-featured drow female,perhaps the best representation of Lloth inall of Menzoberranzan.

El-Viddenvelp, HouseAdviser forExtra-MenzobermanianAffairsRACE: IllithidARMOR CLASS: 5MOVE: 12�HIT DICE: 8 + 4 (level 7

psionicist)HIT POINTS: 82THAC0: 11ATTACKS: 4DAMAGE/ATTACK: SpecialSPECIAL ATTACKS: Mind blast/psionicsSPECIAL DEFENSE: PsionicsMAGIC RESISTANCE: 90%SIZE: MALIGNMENT: Lawful EvilINTELLIGENCE: Genius

Psionic Strength: 225AT/DEF Modes: MT/M-/TS/MB/ +1Disciplines: 3Sciences: 5Devotions: 14

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House Baenre

El-Viddenvelp, or Methil, as he is known forease, is the chief adviser to Matron Baenreconcerning matters beyondMenzoberranzan�s borders, a n d a nimportant consultant even on matterswithin the city itself. His mental prowess(though little is known of his specific psionicpowers) has proven more than helpful tothe First Matron Mother in her dealingswith other Matron Mothers, particularly inthe meetings of the ruling council.

Matron Baenre even secretly created asmall chamber right beside the council cave,so that El-Viddenvelp could be out of sight,but not out of mind.

The reasons for the illithid�s dealing withthe house are shady at best. Perhaps it isdue to the fact that El-Viddenvelp�s illithidcommunity is located only a few weeks�march to the west of Menzoberranzan.While mind flayers do not normally fear thedrow, they do respect them, especiallywhen dealing with a city of 20,000!El-Viddenvelp�s community, by contrast,numbers a scant one or two hundred (andhalf the t ime, ha l f o f those a re o f fgallivanting in the Astral Plane).

Matron Baenre has nothing personalagainst double-agents, as long as shebenefits from the relationship. At present,she needs El-Viddenvelp to help herunderstand the mysterious powers ofHouse Oblodra (#3).

Other Important HouseBaerne NPCsQuenthel Baenre, Level 10 highpriestess: The newest member in Baenre�shigh priestess collection, Quenthel is seen asbeing the most ambitious of Baenre�s lot. Shebecame a high priestess in record time (tothe envy of all her peers, family included)and if it were not for the fact that she isfavored by Lloth, she would have beenkilled years ago by a prudent Triel. Quenthelknows that the best she can hope for is for

Matron Baenre to allow her to assume thetitle of Matron Mother of some lesser houseand then spend centuries building thathouse to prominence. She has openlydeclared, however that she wishes to rulethe Academy and has also alluded, verydimly, that perhaps Triel has been gettinglax in her duties.

Vendes Baenre, Level 11/14cleric/thief: This small and vicious femaleis known as �Duk-Tak� or the UnholyExecutioner. Vendes is so uncontrollablyvolatile that Matron Baenre would not giveher a room in the highest tier of the familystalagmite. Of course, this fact, especiallysince an illithid is allowed to reside up there,only shortens the fuse. The slight does notmean that Matron Baenre has no use for herfourth daughter. Often when MatronBaenre has a problem with a lower rankingdrow, she calls upon Vendes to meet out herpunishment. Vendes wields a specials e v e n - h e a d e d w h i p o f f a n g s w h i c htransforms the skin of her victims intoebony (save vs. death magic; drow magicresistance does not apply). Matron Baenrethen deposits the statue in a room for futuresale.

Vendes has also made her mark inArach-Tinilith. When a would-be priestess isseen, or even thought to be, deviating fromthe Way of Lloth, Vendes puts her whip intoaction. These special statues are put ondisplay in front of Arach-Tinilith for all tosee, for a period of one year.

Bladen�Kerst Baenre, Level 14 highpriestess: If sadistic behavior were avirtue, this high priestess would be agoddess. Bladen�Kerst is the oldest in-housedaughter (second behind Triel) and sheaspires to heights of greatness that MatronBaenre would never allow her to achieve.Even in savage drow culture, there is a timefor cruelty and a time for, well, less cruelty,but Bladen�Kerst never quite grasped that

18

House Baenre

idea and as a result has become a problemfor the family. Matron Baenre fears thatBladen�Kerst would fail miserably if sheattempted to form a house of her own, andfears even more the possibil i ty thatBladen�Kerst would succeed. With her lackof civility and understanding of drowprotocol, the second daughter wouldcertainly disgrace House Baenre. For nowMatron Baenre is happy just to let herterrorize the house males and believe thatshe is doing the family proud.

Sos'Umptu Baenre, Level 12 highpriestess: Sos�Umptu has been managingthe Baenre chapel for over 200 years,reaching a level of perfection in her workthat has astounded even her ancientmother. After finishing her studies inArach-Tinilith she assumed the role ofcaretaker for the huge worship place, andsince that time she has taken great pains(some of them even her own) to see that thechapel remains in perfect shape. It wasSos�Umptu who suggested the greatspider/lady work of art, even going overBladen�Kerst�s head in prompting herbrother to create it. This has caused a majorrift between the two sisters, especiallyconsidering Matron Baenre�s delight at thebirthday gift. Because of Bladen�Kerst�sobvious scorn and dangerous mannerisms,Sos�Umptu is now seldom seen outside ofthe huge domed chapel, a place where evenher elder sister would not dare to strike outat her.

Dantrag Baenre, Level 18 fighter: WithZaknafein Do�Urden out of the way, DantragBaenre is reputed to be the finest weaponmaster in all of Menzoberranzan. (You�dnever convince House Barrison Del�Armgoof this, however.) Whether or not he is thecity�s finest fighter remains to be seen, forfew would dare to challenge any drow ofthe city�s First House in combat. Dantrag isthe secondboy of the house behind Gromph,

but has no usurper�s aspirations (i.e., he�snot stupid). He wears brac e r s o f t h eblinding strike and fights with two swords,neither of drow make. One is a sword ofsharpness (+3), and the other a defender(+5) . Rumors say tha t the sword o fsharpness is an intelligent blade, evillyaligned and quite thrilled with its presentpossessor.

Dantrag is about as honorable as aLloth-worshipping drow can be, preferringnot to attack unarmed foes or strike frombehind. This should not be confused withhonor, though, for it is merely the result ofDantrag�s sick pride; in his eyes, no one canbeat him in melee combat.

Dantrag desires the position as PrincipleMaster of Melee-Magthere, but MatronBaenre will not allow it since he is toovaluable to her in the role of house weaponmaster.

19

House Barrison Del�Armgo

Second House ofMenzoberranzanSYMBOL:

Matron Mother: Mez�Barris Armgolevel 13/13priestess/fighter

Nobles: 48Priestesses: 11

High Priestesses: 3House Males: 37

Fighters: 20Wizards: 17

Drow Soldiers: 1,000 total

Formations: 50 Elite Foot (female)200 Elite Foot (male)200 Archers350 Foot200 Lizriders

Slave Force:

Formations:

1,100 total

300 goblin foot200 goblin archers150 orc spearcasters250 ogrillons

(home-bred)150 bugbears50 ogres

Chief Alliances: Tentative agreement withHouse Oblodra (#3), since both are underHouse Baenre�s ominous shadow.Otherwise, House Barrison Del�Armgo hasno known allies within Menzoberranzan.

Chief Rivals: House Oblodra (#3), quietly,and House Baenre (#1), even more quietly,seem to be Barrison Del�Armgo�s principle

rivals. No other house really poses anythreat to the superbly trained forces of thesecond house, though they do fear aconsp i racy be tween Faen T labbar ,Xorlarrin, and Agrach Dyrr, the 4th, 5th,and 6th houses respectively, all allies ofHouse Baenre. Also, House Vandree (17th)seems in line for trouble.

Barrison Del�Armgo, the second house ofthe city is, in a drow elf�s twisted perceptionof time, just a newborn babe. How theycame to achieve their number two rankingis shrouded in suspicion and envy, but noone has yet to express their feelings openlyor with purpose.

The house is led by Matron Mez� BarrisArmgo and her five daughters. Early onthey realized that they could never hope tobecome a force in Menzoberranzan withouta sizeable number of high priestesses. Formany years they prayed and sacrificed toLloth in the hope that she would answertheir prayers and bring them to greatness.

In the meantime, they wisely spent theirtime making treaties and forming allianceswith the lesser noble houses�treatiesdesigned to preserve their very existence asa minor house.

For years they had been quietly fosteringa staff of house wizards second to none,producing almost twice as many competentwizards as even the larger houses. TheMatron Mother discarded numerouspatrons in the hope that she could give birthto the daughters that are so essential to lifein the Underdark. Unfortunately, herattempts were futile and she gave birth toonly five daughters, of whom only threewere destined for greatness.

As their wizard population began to grow,Barrison Del�Armgo became more and moreuseful to the larger houses as an alternativeto the outrageously priced mercenaries ofBregan D�aerthe. Consequently, with evenHouse Baenre continually calling, the house

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House Barrison Del'Armgo

developed a reputation as an up and comingforce. Unfortunately, not all of the greaterhouses took heed of these rumors and, inthe end, their ignorance proved to be theirundoing.

With their list of alliances growing at anincredible rate, Mez-Barris turned herthoughts toward conquest. In their 550thyear, Barrison Del�Armgo was ranked 47thand the Matron Mother decided that it wastime for a drastic change. The greatBarrison Del�Armgo wizards concocted aspell that would move them up the ladder.

Barely a year later, the mages began theirevil work. At the waning of Narbondel, thedark hour reserved for dark business, the27 th house , Bron�tej , quite simplydisappeared, leaving in its stead a pool ofmurky sludge. The sludge solidified in a fewdays, forming a �natural� ridgework thatcuriously resembled the insignia of BarrisonDel�Armgo. Very few knew any specificsabout the attack, but for many daysafterward a glowing disc was seen floatingfrom House Baenre to Barrison Del�Armgoand all the houses, great and small, tookheed.

When things were at last sorted out, bydecision of the Ruling Council, BarrisonDel�Armgo was awarded the 16th rank inthe city, and, curiously, not a single houseof fered the s l ightes t word o f opencomplaint. But of course, thisunprecedented jump of 31 ranks would notgo unchallenged for long.

Over the ensuing years , Barr i sonDel�Armgo was assaulted by a number ofhouses, including noble ones, and theysurvived each attack and slipped inevitablytoward a seat on the Ruling Council. Still,Mez�Barris realized that her house wasbeing tolerated and pandered to, but thetreatment was condescending. Eventually,Barrison Del�Armgo would ascend too high,and the greatest houses, Baenre included,would turn against them.

Mez�Barris, long considered a renegadefor her catering to the predominant housemales, decided then to stop fighting againsther nature, to stop resisting the uniquegraces Lloth had bestowed upon her house.Mez�Barris realized that she, and heroff spring, would forever bear malechildren, and understood that Lloth wantedit this way. Of all the drow cit ies,Menzoberranzan, with their slavishdedication to matriarchal rule, wasprobably the weakest in terms of wizardlymagic. And the lopsided favors extended tofemales certainly diminished the other halfof the city�s drow population.

Mez�Barris found a new patron, anexceptionally large and strong male, andbegan with him a line of physically andemotionally superior males.

And so Barrison Del�Armgo, using theirunique ( to Menzoberranzan) gifts,continued to thrive, continued theirinevitable ascension. Their open acceptanceof males beamed out as a beacon ofwelcome for unhoused rogues�rumors saythat even Jarlaxle, mercenary leader ofBregan D�aerthe, has found the secret favorof Mez�Barris. Jarlaxle, of course, pragmaticand wise, and considered by Matron Baenreto be her exclusive property, denies theseclaims bitterly.

There was also once a rumor that GromphBaenre, Archmage of the city, spent someprivate moments with Mez�Barris Armgo onmore than one occasion. This cannot beconfirmed, though, since everyone whospoke the rumor, and nearly all of thosewho heard it, have since been sold as ebonystatues to a distant duergar community.

Another major benefit of BarrisonDel�Armgo�s attitude towards males is thatthe house males are undyingly loyal to theirMatron Mother (where else in all the citycould they go and receive as much respect?).Mez�Barris, therefore, does not have toworry, as do so many other Matron

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House Barrison Del'Armgo

Mothers, about sinister plots from within.No house other than Baenre would dare to

strike out against Barrison Del�Armgo alone,and even Baenre, so smug and mighty,understands that the cost of taking on thecity�s second house would be far too high.(This is why Barrison Del�Armgo rightfullyfears a conspiracy between Baenre�s mostpowerful allies.) The house has bred notonly the finest wizards in all the city, but themost elite warrior group as well, males bigand strong�unnaturally so, whisper thejealous other houses.

Note that they whisper.

The Dwelling ofHouse BarrisonDel'ArmgoBarrison Del�Armgo occupies a triangularcompound east of the Qu�ellarz�orl, literally(and fittingly) in the shadow of HouseBaenre. While the compound is not small byMenzoberranzan standards, the 1,000 drowof Barrison Del�Armgo find ituncomfortably tight. For this reason, andthe fact that Mez�Barris has outgrown themotherly eye of Matron Baenre, BarrisonDel�Armgo is apparently planning a move.

Three former noble houses, Do�Urden,DeVir, and Hun�ett, are presently eitherunoccupied or housing very minor families,but Barrison Del�Armgo, as second house,desires an even grander compound thanany of these. House Baenre possesses thegrandest, there can be no argument to that,but behind it, the compounds of HouseDuskryn (10th) and House Vandree (17th)seem the most promising. Duskryn,powerful beyond their rank and, by allexpectations destined for the ruling council,could prove a formidable foe. Vandree, onthe other hand, with merely 150 drowwarriors and no worthwhile alliances, couldbe easy pickings.

House Barrison Del�Armgo is nearly asimpregnable as House Baenre, when youconsider the size of the contingent heldwithin its relatively small walls. While halfof the garrison is sleeping, the other halfspends its time patrolling every square inchof the fifteen foot walls that surround thecomplex. To make living arrangements evenworse, the cavern ceiling is exceptionallylow above the compound, sporting dozensof stalactites, too thin to be hollowed forliving quarters, but strong enough tosupport guard stations and excellentarchery positions.

House soldiers typically range from level2-7, with guard captains in the 7-10 range.Patrol groups consist of 15 fighters pluscaptain, accompanied by 2 fighter/mages ofnot less than level 5/8. Guard captains areoutfitted in the finest chain (+5) andtypically fight with battle axe and hand axeof the finest quality. Wizard spells aretypically offensive and brutal in nature(magic missile, lightning bolt, acid bolt, andEvard�s black tentacles are favorites).

The chapel of House Barrison Del�Armgois located in the large, easternmoststalagmite mound that also houses thefamily nobles, male and female. Whilehaving the most important buildinganchoring one end of the compound gatemight seem dangerous, even foolhardy, themighty house is not overly concerned at thepresent, relatively unthreatening, time.

This enormously thick stalagmite has twodistinct (and unconnecting) sections, thesmall inner area used as the chapel andnoble quarters, and the outer, circlingtunnels, wherein reside nearly a third of theBarrison Del�Armgo lizard riders and theirmounts, leaving the important moundcrawling with lizards every moment ofevery day. Also, the many stalactites abovethis area form the stations for dozens of thehouse�s most skilled archers, and dozens ofdeadly wizards. There is even an area on

2 2

House Barrison Del'Armgo

the walkways reserved for spell researchand alchemical mixing, allowing the wizardsto continually work toward improving theircraft, even while guarding the noble family.

House BarrisonDel'Armgo NPCsMatron MotherMez�Barris ArmgoARMOR CLASS: 1MOVE: 12�HIT POINTS: 80NO. OF ATTACKS: 4 or 5 (Whip of Fangs)DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-7 +5 or 2d4 x 5SPECIAL ATTACKS: Weakness (Whip)SPECIAL DEFENSE: NilMAGIC RESISTANCE: 80%SIZE: MALIGNMENT: Chaotic Evil

13/13 Level Drow Priestess/FighterS: 15 I: 15 W: 18 D: 17 C: 11 CH: 14

Inherent Spell-like Abilities: dancinglights, faerie fire, darkness, levitate, knowa l i g n m e n t , d e t e c t m a g i c , d e t e c t l i e ,clairvoyance, suggestion, dispel magic

Commonly Remembered Spells:First Level: spider eyes, personal reading,cause light wounds, ring of woeSecond Level: draw upon unholy might,hesitation, idea, charm person, hold personThird Level: summon insects, spellweb,emotion control, meld into stone, causediseaseFourth Level: giant insect, cloak of fear,undetectable lie, poison, passwebFifth Level: plane shift, flame strike, insectplague, summon spiderSixth Level: blade barrier, word of recallSeventh Level: mind tracker

Physical Description: Matron MotherMez�Barris Armgo is a hulking, brutishfemale, with piercing red eyes. She has acurious red streak of hair that runs downthe center of her head�some say it was agift of the Spider Queen and a mark ofgreatness.

Equipment: Matron Mez�Barris wearsarm-length, open fingered evening glovesthat, though appearing delicate, function asgauntlets o f ogre power and bracers ofd e f ens e (AC 2 ) . Her p iwa fwi i s a l sodece iv ing , func t ion ing as a c loak o farachnida. For disciplining unruly slaves orunruly drow, she typically uses herf i v e - h e a d e d whip o f f angs , but herpreferred method of battle is to fight withtwin maces +5, Qu�ilth and Qu�uente(literally Blood and Guts), swinging twiceeach round with each of them.

She wears a golden necklace of theretriever with four large gems (ruby,diamond, blue sapphire, and obsidian), eachvalued at no less than 2,000 gold pieces. Thefirst three gems can emit, once/day, 60� longrays of fire, cold and lightning respectively,striking a single target and deliveringdamage equal to Mez�Barris� current hitpoints (half with a successful save vs. breathweapon). The obsidian stone fires a ray oftransmutation, which turns the victim intomud, stone, gold, or lead (determinedrandomly) unless a successful save vs.petrification is made, in which case there isno effect.

Personality: Mez�Barris is a fierce,battle-hungry warrior, the only MatronMother known to actually engage enemydrow warriors in melee combat. It was notalways this way; Mez�Barris� love of battleonly came about after she realized herspecial place in Menzoberranzan.

Motivation: Like most successful drow,Mez�Barris is motivated by desire for powerand the favor of Lloth. She seeks greaterglories (and a bigger compound) for her

2 3

House Barrison Del�Armgo

house and believes whole-heartedly thatHouse Baenre nears the end of its reign.

Another immediate concern is HouseOblodra (#3), the unpredictable and recklessmad dogs coveting Barrison Del�Armgo�sstation. Believing that the fighting garrisonof Barrison Del�Armgo will have littletrouble eliminating the Vandree family,Mez�Barris has her wizards concocting amighty dweomer that will extend the huge,claw-shaped ravine east of Tier Brechearound the unfortunate house and dropthem into oblivion. If this attack plan is everexecuted, Mez�Barris is confident that it willdefeat the potential conspiracy between the4th, 5th, and 6th houses before they evereven formulate plans against BarrisonDel�Armgo.

Uthegentel, Patron andWeapon Master of HouseBarrison Del'ArmgoARMOR CLASS: - 7 o r - 9MOVE: 24�HIT POINTS: 122NO. OF ATTACKS: 2 or 3DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-7 + 8SPECIAL ATTACKS: Skewer, EntrapmentSPECIAL DEFENSE: NilMAGIC RESISTANCE: 90%SIZE: MALIGNMENT: Chaotic Evil

20th Level Drow FighterS: 18/33 I: 10 W: 12 D: 18 C: 17 CH: 12

Inherent Spell-like Abilities: dancinglights, faerie fire, darkness, levitate, knowalignment, detect magic

Physical Description: Standing near tosix feet, with shoulders broad and sturdy,and weighing nearly 200 pounds,Uthegentel is one of the largest drow everseen in Menzoberranzan. He wears hiswhite hair short-cropped and spiked, andoften paints his face with zig-zagging linesof red and yellow. A mithral ring adorns hisnose, a golden pin protrudes through eachcheek, and Uthegentel�s blood-red eyesseem forever locked in a furrowed, angryglare. If your PCs have a worst nightmare, itprobably resembles Uthegentel.

Equipment: Uthegentel wears blackplate mail (+5) and boots of speed, which hetypically uses for only one direction�straight ahead. He fights with a blacktrident (+5) which Uthegentel can use toskewer, much like a lizard king (doingdouble damage), and a net of entrapment.

Though not truly of the noble family, hisspecial house emblem, pinned to his bareneck, functions as a girdle of giant strength(storm) once/day for 3D10 rounds.

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House Barrison Del�Armgo

Personality: Savage and merciless,Uthegentel has been aptly tagged withnick-names such as Streeaka Droc�uh (MadDragon), Elgg-hor (the Destroyer), andUltrin Sargtlin (Supreme Warrior), the lastone of particular disliking to DantragBaenre.

Uthegentel growls more than he speaks,spits readily, and has been known toarrange battles between himself(weaponless) and six armed goblin slaves.He even gives the goblins first swing, andallows at least one of the blades to land awicked hit. Then he summarily rips thelesser creatures limb from limb and hastheir choicest parts prepared for his supper.

Motivation: Uthegentel lives to fight andto breed, and serves as House Patron and assire to the majority of the other housefemales (which explains the unusual size ofBarrison Del�Armgo�s warriors). He iscompletely loyal to Mez�Barris and thefamily and will remain so as long as thefierce Matron Mother retains her zeal forwar.

On a personal note, Uthegentel wantsnothing more than a fight against DantragBaenre. With Zaknafein Do�Urden out of thepicture, only Dantrag presents any realchallenge. Dantrag welcomes thefight�publicly�but because MatronBaenre, evoking the name of Lloth, hasforbidden it, it is commonly believed thatDantrag is wiser than he sounds.

25

House Oblodra

Third House ofMenzoberranzanSYMBOL:

Matron Mother: K�yorl Odranlevel 16 priestess

Nobles: 32Priestesses: 22

High Priestesses: 6House Males: 10

Fighters: 4Wizards: 6

Drow Soldiers:

Formations:

450 total

300 Elite Foot75 Archers75 Lizriders

Slave Force: 600 total

Formations: 600 kobold

Chief Alliances: Tentative (phony) alliancewith House Barrison Del�Armgo (#2).

Chief Rivals: House Baenre (#1) has littleuse for the unpredictable Oblodren.Likewise, Matron Mez�Barris Armgo of thesecond house does not trust (simplydespises) Matron K�yorl Odran. House FaenTlabbar (#4), with a larger force, views therank of House Oblodra as the most likelynext step in its quest for ascension.

House Oblodra has been tagged (rightfullyso!) with a treacherous and unpredictablereputation. They are the most secretive ofhouses, and Matron K�yorl often flashes awicked smile at meetings of the RulingCouncil, a grin that tells the other MatronMothers that she is undoubtedly lying. She

knows that they know�she ENJOYS thatthey know!

Somehow, even so obviously outside theaccepted practices of Menzoberranzan,Matron K�yorl has remained in the favor ofLloth, as evidenced by House Oblodra�s solidstanding in the city�s hierarchy (and thisdespite the fact that their garrison numbersfar less than the forces of Faen Tlabbar, thenext house in line). At one council meeting,it was even quietly suggested, by MatronBaenre, that the two houses should considera reversal of rank. K�yorl laughed at her, andpromptly warned Matron Ghenni�tirothTlabbar that if she ever claimed the positionof third house, the Oblodren would setupon House Tlabbar openly, to the ultimatedestruction of both houses. Matron Baenrehas not made a similar suggestion since.

Oblodren are known for fanaticism,reckless battle rages and outright frenzy,and for dabbling in the wildest magic,pushing the boundaries of accepted magicalpractices as casually as they push theboundaries of Lloth�s unwritten dictates.Such recklessness has brought the houseseemingly to the verge of extinction againand again, but no other house has actuallydared to attack them. Perhaps this is due toMatron K�yorl�s supreme confidence, thefeeling that she always has some hiddenwild card left to play, but more likely it isbecause the Oblodren have left more than adozen obliterated houses in the wake oftheir ascension�obliterated beyond eventhe expectations of drow warfare.

The priestesses of House Oblodra areknown for possessing unusual powers ofthe mind (psionics�mostly wild talents),and many in the city whisper that they trainwith a community of illithids. Perhaps it isno coincidence that since the illithidEl-Viddenvelp has come to serve as MatronBaenre�s consult, the First Matron Motherhas afforded the wild Oblodren a great dealmore respect.

2 6

House Oblodra

By all sensible measures Faen Tlabbar (#4)is a stronger house than Oblodra, as weremany of the houses ranking below the thirdhouse. Matron K�yorl�s uncannyunderstanding of drow politics is creditedfor this.

Using this understanding, the MatronMother of House Oblodra has become theprinciple overseer of the many patrolgroups scouting the tunnels outside ofMenzoberranzan�s cavern, and she alwaysplaces many of her finest warriors in theranks of those patrols. This would seem yetanother reckless move for a house with sofew drow to spare, but through this tacticK�yorl always seems to have noble childrenof rival houses in a vulnerable and closelywatched position. As with everything else inher frantic life, K�yorl is walking a fine anddangerous line.

One of the reasons House Oblodra�sgarrison is so small (and why so few lowerlevel drow survive in the house), and also anexample of the renowned insanity of theOblodren, is a game called simply, Khaless(Trust). Khaless is played above the Clawrift,at the widest and deepest known point, atthe base of the chasm�s �thumb.� Inpreparation for the game, a globe ofdarkness is hung in the open air above thisdrop, and the area is also enchanted with amagical silence 15� radius. The challengingdrow levitate themselves and are pushedinto this dark and quiet globe by thereferees, using long catch poles called kheal.

The rules are simple: the first drow tocome out of the darkened area, either byfloating down and calling for a pole, or byhanging beyond the duration of her/hislevitation abilities (thus falling to her/hisdeath) loses. A drow willingly coming out ofthe globe does not automatically lose,however. If the challenging drow, in thedarkness and silence and thus oblivious tothe other�s surrender, remains in the areatoo long and falls, the survivor wins.

Two or more drow can play Khaless (itgets really wild when a dozen or more go upinto the globe!) and even the younger droware invited and given levitation spells by thehouse mages. (Of course, these ignorantyoung drow have no idea at all of how longthe wizard�s spell might last.) Winners areaccorded a vacation of pleasure (the femaleof their choice included) in the luxuries ofthe first family�s house; losers (if theysurvive) must spend a month cleaning thekobold caverns. Of course, there is often nowinner. If one drow plummets from theglobe, the other would not know it.

The Dwelling ofHouse OblodraHouse Oblodra occupies the smal lstalagmite and stalactite compound in thecenter of the city, between two �fingers� ofthe Clawrift. The house is protected onthree sides by the Clawrift, and the westface of the house is guarded by a contingentof no less than 25 (2nd - 3rd level) warriors,armed with bows and short swords (+2).

The Oblodren keep their kobolds in anextensive network of tunnels and walkwaysthat extend deep into the rift. The tunnelsare ancient and while House Oblodra admitsto having 600 kobolds, it is rumored that thetunnels are capable of holding 100 timesthat number. This simple rumor hasstopped more than a few ambitious housesfrom attempting a move into Oblodra�sposition.

The soldiers of House Oblodra typicallyrange from levels 4 to 8. While theirdefensive equipment is not of the finestdrow make (typically +2 or +3), theirweapons are as powerful as those of evenHouse Baenre.

Half of the Oblodren drow warriors andat least one noble daughter are out of thehouse at any given time. Matron K�yorl has

27

House Oblodra

openly declared that should any houseattack the Oblodren compound, this forcewill bring the battle to its gates (while thenoble daughter convenes the RulingCouncil).

House OblodraNPCsMatron Mother K�yorlOdranARMOR CLASS: 10MOVE: 12"HIT POINTS: 37NO. OF ATTACKS: 1DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d3 + 1 (knife)SPECIAL ATTACKS: PsionicsSPECIAL DEFENSE: PsionicsMAGIC RESISTANCE: 80%SIZE: MALIGNMENT: Chaotic Evil

9/15 Level Drow Priestess/PsionicistS: 08 I: 17 W: 18 D: 14 C: 11 CH: 13

Inherent Spell-like Abilities: dancinglights, faerie fire, darkness, levitate, knowa l i g n m e n t , d e t e c t m a g i c , d e t e c t l i e ,clairvoyance, suggestion, dispel magic

Commonly Remembered Spells:First Level: spider eyes, commandSecond Level: enthrall, auguryThird Level: emotion controlFourth Level: cloak of fearFifth Level: slay the living

Psionic Strength: 210Defense Modes: AllPsionic Disciplines: telepathy, psycho-kinesis, clairsentience, psychoporta-tion, metapsionicsPsionic Sciences: mindlink, domination,mass domina t i on , switch personal i ty ,

telekinesis, detonate, teleport, empowerPsionic Devotions: contact, invinciblef o e s , a w e , f a l s e s e n s o r y i n p u t , i dinsinuation, psionic blast , inf l ict pain,psychic messenger, molecular agitation,control body, inert ial barrier , animateobject, danger sense, combat mind, astralprojection, time shift, dimensional door,convergence, psychic drain, stasis field

Physical Description: Matron K�yorl isa small, seemingly weak female drow. Shewears simple, unadorned robes and carriesno visible weapon. She is, all in all, totallyunremarkable.

Equipment: K�yorl wears no armor andcarries no weapon. In fact, when DetectMagic is cast upon K�yorl, nothing registersas magic! She walks around apparentlyundefended but acting as if she is invincible.

Personality: This mysterious MatronMother offers no pretense of friendlinesstowards anyone outside of House Oblodra.Cocky, arrogant, even openly hostile, itseems amazing that K�yorl has survived,particularly since she appears so veryvulnerable. In Menzoberranzan, this iswhispered derisively as K�yorl�s Bluff, but sofar no one has found the courage to call thatbluff.

Motivation: K�yorl is dedicated to thepleasures of life, particularly the pleasuresof the mind. She uses her psionic powersmore to heighten the intrigue around herand to anger her rival Matron Mothers thanfor any real gains. K�yorl has been known toshow up (psychic messenger) uninvited to aHouse Baenre family dinner, or even a warconference, and Mez�Barris Armgo simplycannot get the witch out of her dreams.

28

House Faen Tlabbar

Fourth House ofMenzoberranzanSYMBOL:

Matron Mother:

Nobles:Priestesses:High Priestesses:

House Males:Fighters:Wizards:

Drow Soldiers:

Formations:

Slave Force:

Formations:

Ghenni�tiroth Tlabbarlevel 16 priestess4022518126

750 total

100 Elite Foot (female)200 Archers300 Foot150 Lizriders

800 total

400 goblin foot100 goblin archers100 orc spearcasters100 bugbears100 trolls

Chief Alliances: Strong supporter ofHouse Baenre (#1); has longstanding trucewith House Xorlarrin (#5)

Chief Rivals: Faen Tlabbar covets theposition of House Oblodra (#3); and worriesmost paranoically about attack from HousesAgrach Dyrr (#6) and Mizzrym (#7).

House Faen Tlabbar is a clan knownthroughout Menzoberranzan for thewanton nature of its priestesses�who alsohave a reputation for the utmost loyalty toLloth. The priestesses venture forth in small

groups, two to five of them together. Whena group of Faen Tlabbar females sets out fora night of such celebration, the whole cityoften discusses their exploits the followingday. Males are often slain by other jealousmales in the course of these ribaldries, andentire dens of debauchery are given over tothe whims of a few high level priestesses.

The matron mother of the House isMatron Ghenni, who is six hundred andforty years old. She has spent nearly threecenturies as matron mother, and during thattime her house has climbed from ninth tofourth in status�though it has never madean attack on another house!

The children of the matron have included11 daughters (eight of whom still live) and11 sons, of whom all but five have beenkilled. The high priestess of the house, afterthe matron of course, is Fini�they. Thispowerful cleric (level 13) is a refugee from alower-ranking house that was destroyed inwar; Matron Ghenni recognized herpotential when she begged Tlabbarprotection. The matriarch promoted thenewcomer over all of her own daughters.

The bitterness of this elevation, in fact, ledthe eldest Faen Tlabbar daughter to anattempt on Fin-they�s life. (Up until thisevent, Ghenni still had eleven livingdaughters.) T h e n e t r e s u l t o f t h earrangement is that House Faen Tlabbar hasa high priestess of more advanced rank thanmost matron mothers in Menzoberranzan.Fini-they assists Matron Ghenni in herceremonies. Many observers anticipate abloody fight between the adopted drow andthe family�s natural daughters when thetime comes for a younger female to takeover Matron Ghenni�s position.

The elderboy of House Faen Tlabbar isPir�Oront Tlabbar, a fighter of no minimalaccomplishment (level 14). He is content toremain in the background�setting thee x a m p l e f o r t h e r e s t o f t h e h o u s emales�while the priestesses guide the

29

House Faen Tlabbar

destiny of the clan. He is also the familyweapon master, and sees to the training ofthe younger drow. Pir�Oront is a skilledtactician, with an unusual characteristic fora drow warrior: he tries to conserve thelives of his troops when he plans and fights abattle. He has trained most of his youngerbrothers, and defeated challenges frommore than one of his mother�s patrons. Infact, family legend claims that he killed hisown father, the former weapon master, asthe means of ascending to his post.

The priestesses are the key to House FaenTlabbar�s power and its eminent rank asfourth house among all the clans ofMenzoberranzan. They are a potent band offemales, well-augmented by the fightingqualities of the males. Though the females,and Matron Ghenni specifically, exercisetypical iron-fisted drow matriarchal rule,the clan is unusual in that open dialogue anda free exchange of ideas and opinions isencouraged�including input from themales! Of course, the females make theultimate decisions, but all clan members aregiven the opportunity to voice theiropinions.

The high priestesses of House FaenTlabbar do great and continuous honor toLloth, and the Queen of Spiders, in return,has granted the clan some specific favors.Most notably, s h e h a s g r a n t e d t h epriestesses of the house the skill to createnew spells of dark magic. These spells areonly rewarded after a rigorous period ofprayer and ritual performed by all the clan�spriestesses.

When new incantations are granted,however, Matron Ghenni or one of herdaughters demonstrate the spell for thebenefit of all Menzoberranzan, and so thefamily�s status in the favor of their darkgoddess is widely known.

The priestesses of House Faen Tlabbar arealso famed for a potent potion, the brewingof which is a secret reserved for the highest

ranking females of the house. The potion isodorless and tasteless, and imbibers mustmake saving throws versus poison at -4 inorder to avoid the effects.

Those effects vary specifically by thenature of whoever drinks the potion. If theimbiber is a drow, than the potion inciteswithin that character a passionate hungerf o r t h e c o m p a n y o f F a e n T l a b b a rfemales�an effect that lasts a year. Suchsmitten drow will stretch the bounds ofgood tas te and convent ion in the i rdetermination to win the favors of thehouse females, but they will not changetheir alignments or betray their own houses(unless given very unusual circumstancesindeed). If one who is not a drow, but is stilla humanoid of some type, drinks the potion,the potion will render that person into thephysical image of a drow elf of the samesex�i.e. shockingly white hair and indigoblack skin. The drow appearance will stillcarry some traits of the original�atransformed ogre, for example, will belarger than any drow, and unusually broadof girth. Humans will retain their wide eyes,or rounded ears, but all othercharacteristics become quite like a dark elf.

The dwellings of House Faen Tlabbar arelocated in a walled compound of stalactitesand stalagmites. Battle platforms occupymany different elevations of this greatpillars, and walls of adamantite protect thegreat family compound, as well as the innerkeep. The walls around the latter locationare fully thirty feet high, and only breachedby a single gate. The house itself is detailedon pages 31-33.

Much of Faen Tlabbar�s power comesfrom its influence as a major trading house.Because it has so many friends�or, at least,so many drow who owe some debt ofgratitude to the Matron Ghenni�the househas access to great amounts of information.Thus, Faen Tlabbar agents are among thefirst to learn when a new caravan of

30

House Faen Tlabbar

duergar dwarves, for example, is due inMenzoberranzan with a shipment ofdiamonds and high-quality weapons andblades. The merchants of the house useinformation such as this to conclude dealswith traders before much of the rest of thecity even knows that there�s anything forsale.

House Faen Tlabbar has a reputation as afair-minded and relatively non-treacherousclan (within the context of drow society, ofcourse). They have never, so far as isknown, gone to war with any other house.Indeed, they tend to be very non-belligerentin negotiation and discussion�the matronwill not even employ the threats that are them e a t o f a n d b r e a d o f m o s t d r o wconversation. Of course, Lloth�s favorableimpress ion o f the house i s enoughprotection� and enough of a threat�tokeep most detractors silent.

This house is a favorite refuge for thosesurvivors of the common inter-clan wars inMenzoberranzan. Such houselessrenegades need a place to live, a clan toprotect them from the cruel ravages ofMenzoberranzan society�and House FaenTlabbar is only too willing to welcome new,and often powerful, members into the circleof its family. Several of its most proficientwarriors have come to the house in suchdesperate fashion. Now, they fight as loyallyfor their adopted family as they ever did fortheir native clans.

The soldiers of the clan are equipped witha wealth of enchanted armaments. Drowchainmail armor is standard for all the darkelf contingents of the force, and the averageenchantment of the Faen Tlabbar meleeweapons is a +3. T h e t r o o p s a r eexceptionally loyal, regardless of how longthey have served�Matron Ghenni tends toinspire such unusual (and un- drow-like)reactions in her subordinates.

The lizard-mounted cavalry is among thefinest of such troops in the city. On those

rare occasions when Menzoberranzanmusters an army to challenge anotherpopulace�s forces, the Tlabbar riders haveoften proved their worth.

The Dwelling ofHouse Faen TlabbarThe residence of this highly-regarded clanfits the house�s status in this city which isalways so aware of station. The expansivecompound is very grand indeed, but notquite so grand as the dwellings of thesecond and third houses�and nowherenear the extravagant opulence of HouseBaenre.

The fortified residence is located in theeasternmost alcove of Menzoberranzan�sgreat cavern. The outer compound is a largecourtyard, enclosed by high, adaman-tite-reinforced walls. Within that compounddwell most of the house slaves, and thecommon drow troops of the family gar-rison. Here, too, are the great warehousesof the family�s trading concerns.

This portion of the compound is guardedby shriekers outside the walls themselves,as well as a series of mechanically concealedpit traps at the base of the wall. These trapsare thin screens of webbing supporting adusting of gravel�identical to the groundaround the house. They have absolutely nomagical enhancement, and consequentlywill not be revealed by a detect magic spell.

Atop the wall are posted drow guards at60� intervals. In addition, a patrol of 10guards, led by a fighter/mage of level 5/5, iscontinuously on duty, patrolling theramparts of the wall. They will arrive at anydisturbance within 2-12 rounds of analarm�but they will not leave this section ofthe compound.

Faen Tlabbar Drow Guards (2nd levelfighters): AC 2; Move 12; HD 2; hit points 11

31

House Faen Tlabbar

(average); #AT 1; Dmg 1d8 + 3; THAC0 16;MR 54%; AL LE

Weapons: long swords +3; handbowsInherent Spell-like Abilities: dancing

lights, faerie fire, darkness (all once/day)

Guard Captain (fighter/mage level5/5): AC 0; Move 12; HD 5; hit points 24; #AT1; Dmg 1d8 + 5; THAC0 12; MR 60%; AL LE

Weapon: Long sword +4Inherent Spell-like Abilities: dancing

lights, faerie fire, darkness, levitate, knowalignment, detect magic (all once/day).

Spells Known:First Level: alarm, magic missile, light,charm personSecond Level: invisibility, webThird Level: haste

The gatehouse, the only entrance to theclanhold, occupies a great stalagmiteanchored to the ground. The sides of thepillar have been carved out to support battleplatforms, and wizards and archers willhasten to garrison these in the event of anattack, where they can command thesituation both outside of the walls andwithin the main compound. A taller, morenarrow pillar rises from the ground at onecorner of this compound, and this, too, hasbeen constructed into a defensive bastion.

Each warehouse is guarded by a drowpatrol (equivalent to the wall patrol, above,including the captain). Also like the wallpatrol, these guards are trained to stay attheir stations. They will not move toreinforce their comrades in the event oftrouble.

Each of the barracks houses half of the

32

House Faen Tlabbar

drow soldiers of the house. All troopswithin those barracks will be armed andarmored, pouring out the door into thecourtyard, within 2-12 rounds of an alarm.

The slaves are kept in two much dingier,smaller barracks buildings�each of whichis guarded by a typical patrol. In the event ofan attack, the slaves will arm themselves,but will not be ready for battle until 6-16rounds have passed (2d6 + 4).

The stables for the lizard mounts of theelite Faen Tlabbar cavalry are also locatedhere. The lizards are guarded by a doublepatrol of guards, and the beasts themselvesare loyal to the house and will resist anyattempts to abduct them.

But the true heart of the household is thegreat keep, occupying the higher terrain inthe rear of the compound. A veritable forestof cave-pillars�stalactites and stalagmites,both, as well as solid columns where the twohave grown together�walls in this secludedcompound, providing a defensive perimeteras well as framework for the dwellings ofthe Faen T l ab b ar no b l es and the i rattendants.

The floor of the caverns slopes upwardc o n s i d e r a b l y n e a r t h e b a c k o f t h ecompound, close to the great pillar ofNarbondel, and this has placed the Tlabbarhousehold on high, commanding terrain.The ground level of the main familycompound, as a matter of fact, is higherthan most of the walltops of the lowercompound. T h u s , i t provides goodobservation across the city, as well asforcing any a t t a c k e r s t o a s c e n d atreacherous surface.

A great central pillar holds the houseproper, with the sacred chapel and the altarof Lloth near the column�s summit, and thesleeping chambers of the priestesses andtheir consorts occupying the lower floors ofthe great central stalagmite. The matron�sthrone room is in the bottom room, a great,circular chamber large enough to hold a

gathering of many hundred dark elves.Around the periphery of the house�s

upper compound are many narrower, butoften taller columns. These are given to themales for their living quarters, and alsohave been prepared as ultimate defensivepositions, in case the outer compound of thehouse should fall.

These walls are garrisoned with twoguards every thirty feet, and three patrolsof house guards�one ready to respond totrouble at each of the tree main walls. Oneof these patrols will reach a disturbancewithin 1-6 rounds of any alarm. Guards andpatrols are the same as listed above.

Patron Rinnill has established himself inone of these columns, surrounding hisquarters with sycophants and courtiers.Graceful, curving bridges of crystal connectthe pillar with the compound walls and withthe central tower of the priestess. (Thebridges can be disintegrated with a singlecommand word, and would be destroyed atthe beginning of any battle.) The outside ofthe pillar is decorated in intricate andunusual patterns of faerie fire, and is widelyregarded as one of the most beautifulconstructs in Menzoberranzan.

The clan elderboy, Pir�Oront, has claimedanother of the great columns�the onefarthest from the house gate�and hasturned the pillar into the most stronglyfortified portion of the entire compound.Traps both magical and mundane protectevery door, every window of the place. Hehas an elite squad of personal guards, allfighters of exceptional courage and loyalty,pledged to protect the elderboy unto death.

33

House Faen Tlabbar

House Faen TlabbarNPCsMatron MotherGhenni'tirzoth TlabbarARMOR CLASS: 5MOVE: 12�HIT POINTS: 85NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 (dagger + 6)DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d4 +6SPECIAL ATTACKS: poisonSPECIAL DEFENSES: NilMAGIC RESISTANCE: 82%SIZE: MALIGNMENT: Chaotic Evil

16th level drow priestessS: 11 I: 17 W: 19 D: 15 C: 12 CH: 16

Inherent Spell-like Abilities: dancinglights, faerie fire, darkness, levitate, knowalignment, detect magic , c la irvoyance,detect lie, suggestion, dispel magic

Commonly Remembered Spells:First Level: command, detect snares andpits, invisibility to undead, magical stone,f e a rSecond Level: augury, flame blade, silence15� radius, slow poison, wyvern watchThird Level: feign death, meld into stone,prayer, pyrotechnics, speak with deadFourth Level: abjure, free action, imbuewith spell ability, spell immunity, tonguesFifth Level: animal growth, control vapor,summon spider, transmute rock to mud,wall of fireSixth Level: aerial servant, animate object,word of recallSeventh Level: repulsion

Physical Description: Matron Ghenniis exceptionally tall for a drow. She is alsoextremely slender, and this has occasionally

caused others to suspect that she is frail. Intruth, her slender limbs are well-muscled.She enjoys wearing white gowns whichmatch her hair and contrast sharply withher indigo-black skin.

Equipment: Matron Ghenni alwayscarries her dagger, which she calls�Scrag-tooth�. The weapon is exceptionallypoisonous ( -4 to saving throw) if theproper command word is used within 6turns before the wound is inflicted. The + 6enchantment remains whether or not thepoison is employed. In addition, the weaponcan be used out to a range of 60�, by use of adifferent command word. It wil l f lyoutward, attack, and return to the wielder�shand in a single round. Calculate the chanceto hit as if the weapon was wielded in meleecombat.

Another cherished device of MatronGhenni is her platter of communing. This isa platinum plate upon which her priestessesserve the sacrificial remains offered to Llothwhen they beseech a new spell. Thesymbols for the spells appear in blazing lighton the plate after the sacrifice (usually aheart) is consumed.

She also carries�as do all the females ofthe family�a small vial of the special potionbrewed by the Faen Tlabbar females.

Personality: Matron Ghenni i s ,outwardly, extremely calm and dignified fora drow female. She rarely raises her voice inthe screeching displays of temper that areso commonplace among her peers. Thoughshe does feel rage, the same as any drow,she has learned to channel that fury intointernal power.

Also unlike most drow, Matron Ghennican be genuinely pleasant and concernedwhen in conversation with those of lesserstatus. It is this apparent sincerity thatdraws so many refugees to the protectivearms of House Faen Tlabbar.

Motivation: Here, the matron is typicalof virtually all powerful drow females: she

34

House Faen Tlabbar

desires more power, and she desires to seeher enemies perish before her eyes�in asmuch agony as is physically possible.Although she carefully nurtures herreputation as an unusually fair-minded andtrustworthy drow, she is not above stickingthe knife in the back of some trustingunderling�if the act will provide a concretebenefit. Because her reputation is soimportant, however, the matron makes surethat her tracks are very well covered whenshe resorts to such messy tactics. Thisthoroughness has been known to extend toranks of tens or scores of victims who areonly peripherally r e l a t e d t o theindiscretion�but who pay for their minimalknowledge with their lives, in order topreserve Matron Ghenni�s precious name!

Patron Rinnill TlabbarARMOR CLASS: - 2MOVE: 12"HIT POINTS: 64NO. OF ATTACKS: 1DAMAGE/ATTACK: by weaponSPECIAL ATTACKS: NilSPECIAL DEFENSES: NilMAGIC RESISTANCE:SIZE: MALIGNMENT: Chaotic Evil

9th level drow fighterS:16 I: 9 W: 12 D: 18 C: 13 CH: 17

Inherent Spell-like Abilities: dancinglights, faerie fire, darkness, levitate, knowalignment, detect magic

Physical Description: Patron Rinnill isexceptionally handsome for a drow male.His features are finely chiseled, and hissnow-white hair is kept long andfree-flowing. He is large of frame, but well-proportioned.

Equipment: Rinnill favors a combination

of buckler +3 and shortsword +4 formelee combat. He wears the traditionalpiwafwi of the drow, as well as the drowequivalent of boots of elvenkind.

Personality: Rinnill is a smooth-talking,unusually pleasant individual (for a drow, ofcourse!) He has wooed Matron Ghenni withfar more romance than is usually employedin dark elf courtship, and knows how to useflattery to cajole and win favor. Although heis patron of the matron mother, in thefree-wheeling relationships of this house hiscompanionship has been enjoyed by morethan one of the matron�s daughters�Ghennidoesn�t mind, as long as he�s available whenshe wants him.

Rinnill has tried to form friendships�or atleast, bases of mutual trust�with the housemales, but here he has been less successful.The elderboy, Pir�Oront (who is also theweapon master), has gone so far as tochallenge Rinnill to a duel. Since the patroncould not hope to win , he po l i te lydeclined�but since that time, he hasmaintained a watchful eye on the house�seldest son.

Motivation: Rinnill is a refugee from adestroyed house, and in consequence isgrateful for the protection offered him byMatron Ghenni. On the other hand, heknows that all of her patrons were slainwhen the female tired of them, and hewould prefer to avoid this fate.

Thus, he has made secret contacts withboth House Agrach Dyrr (#6) and Mizzrym(#7), the two chief rivals of House FaenTlabbar. If either (or both) of these housesshould ever move against the Tlabbar clan,Rinnill will weigh the odds very carefully.Since his status will be greatly increased inany victorious house that successfullydefeats Faen Tlabbar, he will be willing totake significant risks at the moment of histreachery.

35

House Xorlarrin

Fifth House ofMenzoberranzanSYMBOL:

Matron Mother: Zeerith Q�Xorlarrinlevel 15 priestess

Nobles: 36Priestesses: 14High priestesses: 5

House Males: 22Mages: 21Fighters: 1

Drow Soldiers: 250 total

Formations: 60 Elite Foot (female)100 Archers80 Foot20 Lizriders

Slave Force:

Formations:

500 total

200 goblin foot100 goblin archers100 orcspearthrowers100 bugbears

Chief Alliances: Has been known to aidthe activities of House Baenre (#1); haslongstanding truce with House FaenTlabbar (#4)

Chief Rivals: The Xorlarrins worry mostabout attack from Houses Agrach Dyrr (#6)and Mizzrym (#7).

House Xorlarrin wields power far beyondthat indicated by mere numbers of noblesor warriors. The true strength of this houseemerges from two characteristics: one, theMatron Mother (and, hence, all the females)

allows the males to live on a more or lessequal basis; and two, every male child isrigorously (and ruthlessly) screened, toensure that his life is employed to the mostefficient purposes of the house.

Xorlarrin is a house that, even among thefanatically secretive drow, must beconsidered paranoically reclusive. All of thenobles of House Xorlarrin, whether wizardor priestess, conceal their identities whenthey venture into public. A veil or maskcovers the face, and loose, flowing clothingis favored, to disguise the overall size,physique�and even the sex!�of the noble.The family badge, inscribed with theXorlarrin symbol, is st i l l displayedprominently on such a costume, however.

Matron Mother Zeerith Q�Xorlarrin is thematriarch of this clan, but she exercises amore democratic rule than any otherpowerful matron in Menzoberranzan.Lively arguments are tolerated, wherein themales�at least the elderboy, patron andweapon master�speak up as loudly as anyhigh priestess. Indeed, so unusual amongher peers is Matron Zeerith that many ofher ex-patrons still live, serving the house insome fashion or another.

The current patron is the ancient, bald,and decrepit-looking drow wizard known asHorroodissimoth Xorlarrin. He is also theleader of the council of wizards whoo v e r s e e S o r c e r e � t h e s e c o n d m o s tinfluential position for a Menzoberranzanwizard, after the archmage Gromph, whoignites the daily fire of Narbondel. Thoughhe is physically repulsive, Matron Zeerithshows him most un-drowlike respect, andeven affection. The wizard has fatherednone of the matron�s children (though threehave been born during his tenure aspatron). He and Zeerith have a relationshipbased purely upon ambition, and havefound each other to be most useful tools.

Weapon master Jearth Xorlarrin is theonly fighter of note among the clan�s nobles,

36

House Xorlarrin

though he is not a formal member of thefamily. He has, however, sired several of thematron�s children during the last centuryand a half. He is an extremely accomplishedwarrior, but is used more as an assassin andbodyguard than as a teacher of theXorlarrin male offspring.

Of these, the elderboy is the mostpowerful. He is Brack�thal Xorlarrin, awizard of level 14. He is jealous of the othertwo influential males, and has oftenconsidered plots for the removal of one orthe other of them. These plots have alwaysbeen discarded as too risky, but he would bea willing conspirator in any such endeavorthat seemed practical and relatively secure.

The high priestesses are all daughters orgranddaughters of Matron Zeerith, andhave been very loyal to their mother. Noneof them is truly powerful (the mostexperienced, Kiriy, being a mere 10th level)enough to cha l lenge the i r mother � sstation�and also, they recognize theprosperity that the current matron hasbrought to them all. If there is a point ofcontention with the daughters, it is thattheir mother shows the males of the clan toomuch respect and tolerance. Kiriy is theeldest daughter, and most vocal on thispoint�but never when the matron motheris around.

The family center is the SpelltowerXorlarrin, an elegant spire located in thecenter of the raised platform known asQu�ellarz�orl. Given the elevation of thetower and its strategic position on the flankof House Baenre, the family occupies one ofthe most commanding loca t ions inMenzoberranzan.

The structure itself is deceptively small.Though it rises like a spire from the rockyfloor of the cavern, the tower is relativelynarrow in girth, and this lends the lie to theillusion of towering height. Nevertheless,the place is one of the most defensiblehouses in all the great drow city.

T h e k e y t o t h e h o u s e � s r e l a t i v einvulnerability is found in the potent magicwielded by the Xorlarrin wizards�all ofthem male, and numbering among thegroup the most accomplished sorcerers inall Menzoberranzan. Fully seven of themare counted among the masters of themage-school Sorcere, and these include thel e a d e r o f that august council,Horroodissimoth Xorlarrin.

Matron Mother Zeerith and her daughtershave consistently given birth to maleoffspring of high magical ability. Thepurpose of the aforementioned screening ofyouths is to determine, at a very young age,the exact level of aptitude exhibited by theboy toward the arcane arts. Only thoseyouths who demonstrate a significant levelof potential are retained by the family, tobegin immediate schooling as a mage�sapprentice.

All other male children are disposed of.Some are sacrificed in family ceremonies.Others are sold to Bregan D�aerthe to serveas warriors in that mercenary legion. Thosewho display some physical proficiencies aresometimes spared the deadly kiss of Lloth,instead being sold into slavery. Thisprocedure ensures that even �useless� sonscontribute to the house in the form of theriches or the favors of Lloth gained from theyouth�s sacrifice.

Of the 22 mages currently listed on thefamily record, a full 12 of them are wizards,w i t h t h e m o s t p o w e r f u l o f t h e s e(Horroodissomoth Xorlarrin) a physicallydecrepit but deceptively mighty level 18. Heis discussed in detail among the NPCs ofHouse Xorlarrin.

The other 10 mages cover the range ofapprentice and journeyman (through aboutlevels 1-7) ; al l of these have shownpromising aptitude in the arcane arts. Atleast seven wizards of the house are listedamong the masters of Sorcere, and severalof these are extremely powerful (though not

37

House Xorlarrin

quite as mighty as Horroodissomoth).The wizards of House Xorlarrin have

raised the art of magical wand creation to itshighest level in drow history. All sorts ofwands have been designed by these drowsorcerers, many of which have beenbestowed upon important personages ofother houses as gifts, bribes, or otherpayments. In fact, the possession of aXorlarrion wand is considered a mark ofhigh status in Menzoberranzan.

Many of their wands are unique, and acouple of them are described here. Even themore �standard� types of wands, such aswands of lightning bolts and fireballs, or awand of cold, are superior when crafted bythe Xorlarrin wizards. As a general rule, if aXorlarrin wand is a damage-inflictingdevice, it will inflict +1 hit point per die ofdamage. (Example: if the normal damage ofa wand-cast spell is 6d6, a Xorlarrin wandwill deliver 6d6 + 6 of damage.) Also, victimssuffer -2 penalties to their saving throwswhen they are saving against the effects of aXorlarrin wand.

The following are two wands unique toHouse Xorlarrin. Several of each have beenmade, but they are rare, and each exampleis a highly treasured item in Menzo-berranzan.

Wand of Lloth: This is a tiny device, nomore than eight inches long. It can beemployed for several different purposes:

Web. The wand can launch the equivalentof 1 web spell per round, creating the effectup to 120� away from the wielder.

Rope. The wand will launch a thin, butvery strong, rope. The rope will travel up to240�, to a secure location indicated by theuser (or, alternately, it can hang straightdown without being attached to anything).Once fastened, it remains affixed until thewielder commands it to release. The ropecannot be affected by fire or normalweapons; if attacked by magical weapons, it

is assumed to have an AC of -4, and 12 hitpoints. However, it can be cut by the wielderof the wand with any knife or blade, by theuse of a command word.

The wand, when new, contains a full 240�of rope. If the rope is saved after each use(drawn back into the wand) the full length isavailable the next time. If any is lost,however, it is lost permanently.

Sting. T h e w a n d e x t e n d s i n t o ascorpion-like scimitar that functions in allrespects as a poisoned longsword, +4. Theuser needs no proficiency in sword use; butmust know a command word to activate thestingsword. Damage is inflicted normally(1d8 +4 against man- sized foes), but anyonestruck with the weapon must also make asaving throw versus poison. If the save fails,the character is paralyzed for 3-18 turns.

Wand of the Underdark: This wand canbe used once per turn, to perform one of thefollowing effects:

Darkness, 30� radius. This expandedsphere of darkness will remain for a timeperiod (up to permanent) specified by thecaster at the time of the casting. It can becast up to 120� away.

Silence, 30� radius. This effect workswithin the same parameters as darkness,above.

Detect Magic. The wand can be used toindica te an ob jec t o r a rea (up to amedium-sized room or 60� section ofcorridor). It will indicate whether the item isunder any sort of enchantment, though itwill not provide any further definition.

House Xorlarrin has long fostered a goodrelationship with House Baenre. Indeed, thematron mothers of the latter have oftenemployed Xorlarrin wizards when theyneed extra magical capability for some task.

The root of House Xorlarrin�s financialwealth comes not from trade or evencraftsmanship (though, occasionally, a

38

House Xorlarrin

Xorlarrin wand is sold by bid). Instead, thehouse exploits the diplomatic ability of itsmatron mother to serve as agent and arbiterfor the business transactions of many otherhouses. For a small fee, the priestess andwizards of House Xorlarrin will adjudicatethe squabbles of two or more other houses.

The Dwelling ofHouse Xorlarrin:The SpelltowerThis elegant spire is, as mentioned, aprominent feature of the Qu�ellarz�orl.Located on a raised portion of the cave floor,the tower is far removed from any hangingstalactites or other natural means ofapproach. It is outlined in a steady circle ofdiagonal stripes, etched in faerie fire, thatrotate around the pillar, giving it theappearance of constant motion.

T h e w a l l s o f t h e t o w e r a r e i r o n ,reinforced with adamantite. A single,arched gateway allows access into the baseof the tower. There are arrow (and magic)slits located around the periphery of thetower, beginning at 20� above ground level,but these are too narrow for a normal-sizeddrow to fit through. They are designed togive the defenders, in the tower, a wide fieldof view; yet at the same time to restrict theline of sight granted to an enemy outside.

The approaches to the tower are steep,but deceptively smooth. Although, from adistance, the sloping terrain looks rough,pocked with multiple hand- and footholds, ithas in fact been smoothed to an almostmetallic finish by the magic of Xorlarrinwizards. Any character attempting to crossthe slopes here (unless climbing the smoothsteps leading to the gate) should besubjected to multiple Dexterity checks, withfai lure forcing a fal l and potentialbacksliding of 0-50�.

There are many spouts located around

the base of the tower. In the event of a fullscale attack, these spew a steady drain of oil,which quickly spreads across the alreadyslippery slopes around the tower. The oilmakes the surface impassable except tothose who can employ exceptional means(levitation, thief climbing ability, spikes orcrampons, etc.) to retain their balance. Eventhen, the obstacles are not entirelynegated�the house wizards are willing toignite the entire oil-spill in an attempt toincinerate overly tenacious attackers. Thewalls of the tower have been designed towithstand this heat, and the slits in the wallscan be closed against smoke and heat.

A pair of platforms provides commandingdefensive positions from the outside of thetower. The first of these is a wide parapet,about halfway (75�) up the tower. Fromhere, ranks of archers can shower arrowsand darts onto attackers massed below.Near the very top of the tower is a smallerrampart. T h i s o n e i s d e s i g n e d f o rwand-wielding mages, and serves as a basefrom which a half-dozen or so of the housemages (usually apprentices or journeymen)keep a watch against attack from above.Should any enemy attempt to descendagainst the top of the tower, a combinationof frost-cones, fireballs, and lightning boltswill try to blast them from the air.

The ground floor of the tower is alwaysgarrisoned by an elite company of 24 drowguards and six captains.

Guard Captains (fighter/mage level6/5): AC -1; Move 12; HD 6; hit points 28;#AT 1; Dmg 1d8 +5; THAC0 11; MR 62%; ALLE

Weapon : L o n g s w o r d + 5 , or hand-crossbow with poison darts

Inherent Spell-like Abilities: dancinglights, faerie fire, darkness, levitate, knowalignment, detect magic (all once/day).

Spells Known:First Level: detect magic, magic missile,light, taunt

39

House Xorlarrin

Second Level: invisibility, protection fromparalysisThird Level: spirit armor

Drow Guards (3rd level fighters): AC 1;Move 12; HD3; hit points 18 (average); #AT1; Dmg 1d8 + 3; THAC0 12; MR 56%; AL LE

Weapons: long swords +3; handbowsInherent Spell-like Abilities: dancing

lights, faerie fire, darkness (all once/day)

The ground floor of the great tower is theaudience chamber of the matron mother,and a general council and gathering placefor the clan. Several great thrones areplaced on a raised platform in the center ofthe room (a huge chair for the matronmother; six lesser ones for the three highestranking priestess and three mosthighly-regarded house males). The rest ofthe group stands, or sits on the hard floor,during large gatherings.

The three floors immediately above thethrone room are given over to the familyquarters. Unlike most drow households,these are not segregated, with males andfemales in different parts of the dwelling.Here, the apartments of a priestess may justas likely neighbor those of a wizard asanother priestess.

The highest levels of the tower are thelaboratories of the mages. Here are kept theingredients and the libraries which havemade Xorlarrin such an influential power inthe realm of arcane accomplishments inMenzoberranzan. A host of magical trapsprotect the spiral stairway leading up to thissanctum, and the approach is constantly(and jealously) guarded by an invisible drowwizard of at least 9th level.

Wizard Guard (mage level 9): AC 0;Move 12; hit points 24; #AT 1; Dmg 1d4 + 5;THAC0 12; MR 68%; AL LE

Weapon: dagger +4Inherent Spell-like Abilities: dancing

lights, faerie fire, darkness, levitate, know

40

House Xorlarrin

alignment, detect magic (all once/day).Spells Known:First Level: alarm, magic missile, light, fist ofstoneSecond Level: invisibility, ride the wind,improved phantasmal forceThird Level: slow, invisibility 10� radius, flyFourth Level: acid bolt, minor globe ofinvulnerabilityFifth Level: passweb

The clerical heart of the house liesunderground, in a secret chamber whosevery existence is not even suspected beyondthe walls of the house. Indeed, theexcavations were constructed magically,with the greatest secrecy, and now thesechambers represent the last refuge of theclanhold in the event of a nearly successfulattack.

The caverns are designed in two levels.The upper, entrance chamber, is designed asa battle maze, wherein an attacker getsconfused and disoriented, all the whilesubjected to deadly attackers by theXorlarrin defenders. Several battle mazesare presented on the cards included in thebox set�any one of these can be employedto represent the Xorlarrin network.

The final bastion, and most sacred altar, ofthe house is found in the deep chamber.This huge, cavelike expanse, has beendedicated to the greatness of Lloth. Indeed,a giant statue of the spider queen is thedominant feature of the room.

House XorlarrinNPCsMatron Mother ZeerithQ'XorlarrinARMOR CLASS: 5MOVE: 12�HIT POINTS: 77NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 (dagger + 4)DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d4 +4SPECIAL ATTACKS: poisonSPECIAL DEFENSES: NilMAGIC RESISTANCE: 80%SIZE: MALIGNMENT: Chaotic Evil

15th level drow priestessS: 11 I: 17 W: 19 D: 16 C: 10 CH: 15

Inherent Spell-like Abilities: dancinglights, faerie fire, darkness, levitate, knowalignment, detect magic , c la irvoyance,detect lie, suggestion, dispel magic

Commonly Remembered Spells:First Level : curse , detect good, detectpoison, invisibility to undead, protectionfrom good, fearSecond Level: augury, charm person, silence15� radius, slow poison, snake charm, tripThird Level: continuous faerie fire, meldinto stone, prayer, spellweb, speak withdead, water breathingFourth Level : control temperature 10�radius, divination, free action, passweb,spell immunityFi f th Leve l : a tonement , f l ame s t r i k e ,transmute rock to mudSixth Level: animate object, spider biteSeventh Level: regenerate

Physical Description: Matron Zeerithis an unprepossessing drow female ofindeterminate age. She carries herself with

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House Xorlarrin

a very dignified, almost regal, bearing�andthis, more than any specific aspect of herappearance, is how other drow rememberher.

Equipment: Matron Zeerith has a flyingcarpet that she employs for its dramaticeffect whenever the matrons of the councilgather. She also possesses a russet tentaclerod, and is never encountered without herwand of viscid globs.

Personality: Perhaps more than anyother matron m o t h e r i n all ofMenzoberranzan, Matron Zeerith haslearned the value of listening to thosearound her. She can be as cruel and ruthlessas any drow, but employs the tactics for thefear they induce, not for the sense ofpleasure that most drow derive from pure,unadulterated malice.

She is also unusually diplomatic in herapproach to discussion, and has been verysuccessful in getting other drow to seematters from her point of view. Thisutilization of speech instead of threats andintimidation, naturally, is regarded with agreat deal of suspicion by other drow.Rumors persist that she is actually using asubtle form of charm magic that is merelydisguised as persuasion.

M o t i v a t i o n : M a t r o n Z e e r i t h i sdetermined to hold her house�s position inMenzoberranzan for many centuries, evenmillennia, to come. This is the root of theclan�s secretive nature, and also explains thecare with which the spelltower�s defenseshave been designed. A key feature in thematron�s diplomacy has been the cultivationof a relationship with House Baenre. It iswell known throughout the city that HouseXorlarrin wizards have been know to act incauses favored by House Baenre, and such areputed connection can go a long way toinsure a house�s safety from attack. Thematron is not eager to claim the position of ahigher house, feeling that it is a much moreuseful tactic to remain constantly alert

against any threat from a lower rankingclan.

House WizardHorroodissomothXorlarrinARMOR CLASS: 0MOVE: 12"HIT POINTS: 55NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 (dagger + 6)DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d4 +6SPECIAL ATTACKS: poisonSPECIAL DEFENSES: NilMAGIC RESISTANCE: 86%SIZE: MALIGNMENT: Chaotic Evil

18th level drow wizardS: 11 I: 19 W: 13 D: 16 C: 7 CH: 11

Inherent Spell-like Abilities: dancinglights, faerie fire, darkness, levitate, knowalignment, detect magicCommonly Remembered Spells:First Level: Affect normal fires, alarm,cantrip, magic missile, unseen servantSecond Level: Blindness, detect invisibility,knock, strength, webThird Level: clairaudience, clairvoyance,dispel magic, fly, lightning boltFourth Level: acid bolt, backlash, improvedinvisibility, wall of fireFifth Level: an imat e d ead , c l oudk i l l ,passwall, teleportSixth Level: Anti-magic shell, globe ofinvulnerability, summon spiderSeventh Level: delayed blast fireball, fingerof death, power word: stunEighth Level: airboat, death spiderNinth Level: glorious transmutation

Physical Description: Horrood-issomoth is a grotesque caricature of thegenerally handsome dark elves. His head iscompletely bald, and lined with multiple

4 2

House Xorlarrin

levels of wrinkles. This represents theravages of his craft more than the toll oftime, for the wizard is but six centuries old.Nevertheless, his form is frail, his posturestooped, and his whole appearance utterlydecrepit.

However, when Horroodissomoth ven-tures into the city in disguise (as allXorlarrins disguise themselves in public) healso disguises his physical frailties. Oneseeing his robed, masked figure stridingalong the street will naturally mistake himfor a much younger drow, probably afighter.

Equipment: The wizard has a deadlydagger, enchanted to +6, which responds tothe commands of its owner. When held, thedagger functions like a dagger; however, ifthe wizard names a victim who is within120� and then concentrates on the task, thedagger will float to the target (at 60� perround). When it reaches, it will attack as if itis being wielded by the caster. It attacks forfive rounds; at the end of this time (or if thecaster breaks concentration) it returns tothe wizard.

Horroodissomoth also has a magic wandfor every occasion, and is usually deckedout with no less than four of them (allXorlarrin wands, naturally!) in his belt.These will include a wand of frost and awand of Lloth, with two other wandsselected for the task at hand.

Personality: The wizard Horrood-issomoth is totally consumed by his work.The only time he displays any interest oranimation in conversation is when the useof magic is the topic. This total detachmenthas allowed him to remain patron of thefamily even as children have been sired byother males.

Horroodissomoth spends much timeteaching in Sorcere, where he is a ruthlessbut only marginally effective instructor.Although his knowledge is immense, hefinds the students� lack of expertise

annoying, and often shortcuts lessons andprocedures in his scorn for the young drow.

Motivation: The wizard�s motivationsare divided between the desire to immersehimself in his studies and meditations�histrue, innermost wish�and the necessity ofworldly involvement. This is illustrated byhis lackadaisical approach to teaching, forexample, but even more profoundly in hisrelationship to Matron Zeerith.

Because of her, he devotes considerableattention to the investigation of otherhouses, and in the maintenance of HouseXor lar r in � s de fenses a t the peak o fefficiency. His network of spies is thegreatest in Menzoberranzan (though thespies are never able to identify the one towhom they provide their information). Themage likes to select nondescript commonersfor his espionage duties, employing them toobserve activities in other houses withoutattracting attention to themselves. (Spying isan inherently deadly task in the drow citybecause of the mind-reading abilitiespossessed by so many priestesses of Lloth.)

However, Horroodissomoth has preparedan ultimate refuge for himself�and in theevent that House Xorlarrin should perish,he does not intend to perish with it. He hasoutfitted a cave in a distant portion of theUnderdark with all the luxuries a drowcould desire, as well as a complete library oftomes he hasn�t had the time to read. Heintends to teleport there if things becometoo dire.

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House Xorlarrin

Weapon Master JearthXorlarrinARMOR CLASS: - 3MOVE: 12�HIT POINTS: 61NO. OF ATTACKS: 4THAC0: 2DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d8 + 7 (x4)SPECIAL ATTACKS: NilSPECIAL DEFENSES: NilMAGIC RESISTANCE: 76%SIZE: MALIGNMENT: Chaotic Evil

13th level drow fighterS: 18/42 I: 12 W: 13 D: 18 C: 12 CH: 13

Inherent Spell-like Abilities: dancinglights, faerie fire, darkness, levitate, knowalignment, detect magic

Physical Description: Jearth Xorlarrinis a stocky and extremely muscular drow.His legs are bowed and his shoulders almostunnaturally broad. His eyes are small, butwhen he fixes them upon someone theyseem to stare with a paralyzing intensity.Jearth is a very dangerous dark elf, and hewants everyone to know it.

Equipment: The weapon master ofHouse Xorlarrin is famous for his twin longswords, a pair of ink-black, adamantiteblades that are more than 2,000 years old.The weapons, enchanted to +4, werecrafted by Yerri�thal Baenre himself, themost accomplished swordsmith in allMenzoberranzan�s legendary history.

The swords bestow upon their wielder anautomatic proficiency with two weaponswhen both are used together, allowing anattack with each and no penalty for the useof a weapon in each hand.

Personality: J e a r t h X o r l a r r i n i sunusually passionate for a drow elf,particularly a male. Indeed, in nearly any

other house, his aggressive statements andargumentative postures undoubtedly wouldhave cost him his tongue by now, if not hislife. He is fortunate to have found a homewith House Xorlarrin, where he has madehimself an asset to the matron mother andthe clan.

Jearth is the military authority of thefamily, and prides himself on his familiaritywith all matters violent and combative. Hecommands the house companies, and hasdesigned the mechanical and militaryaspects of Spelltower Xorlarrin�s defenses(the oil-chutes, for example, and the smoothoutside approaches).

Motivation: Jearth is determined toprove himself a master in every art of battleand assassination that the fiendish drowmind can concoct. He has been responsiblefor a number of ki l l ings in Menzo-berranzan, each performed in a differentdisguise. Secretly, he wishes that some otherclan would attack House Xorlarrin, so thatthe effectiveness o f h i s d e f e n s i v epreparations could be proven beyonddoubt.

44

House Agrach Dyrr

Sixth House ofMenzoberranzanSYMBOL:

Matron Mother: Auro�pol Dyrr

Nobles: 19Priestesses: 12

High Priestesses: 4House Males: 7

Fighters: 2Wizards: 5

Drow Soldiers: 400 total

Formations: 100 Elite Foot100 Archers150 Foot50 Lizriders

Slave Force:

Formations:

600 total

200 goblin foot200 goblin archers100 orc spearcasters100 bugbears

Chief Alliances: Supporter of HouseBaenre (#1); has longstanding truce withHouse Mizzrym (#7)

Chief Rivals: House Agrach Dyrr covetsthe position of House Faen Tlabbar (#4); ittries to remain ready for an attack from anyquarter.

Agrach Dyrr is one of the oldest houses inMenzoberranzan. In fact, only HouseBaenre can prove that it predates AgrachDyrr�s reign of more than five millennia,though House Mizzrym is known to haveappeared at approximately the same time as

House Agrach Dyrr.The house occupies a sprawling palace in

Qu�ellarz�orl, anchored like a spiderwebupon nine natural towers in the cavern.From here, the wizards and priestesses ofthe house command the respect (and/orfear) of all Menzoberranzan. House AgrachDyrr is known as a very warlike clan,responsible for the destruction of numerousother houses, and the brutally successfuldefense of its own domain on manydifferent occasions.

The secret of this success is the wizardDyrr. This powerful mage was one of thepatriarchs of the c lan�an unusua lcharacter for Menzoberranzan in any timeperiod. Dyrr, however, was born more thantwo thousand years ago! Yet he is still seen atthe family gatherings, or, less frequently, inthe streets of the city. He goes about veiled,but he speaks to those he knows�and allare convinced, as they have been convincedfor many centuries, that they have spokenwith Dyrr, himself. More details on Dyrr areprovided under the NPCs of House AgrachDyrr.

The matron mother of the house isMatron Auro�pol Dyrr. She has presidedover the clan for four centuries, the fourthin a series of matriarchs during the reign ofDyrr. The mage is not the family patron,however�Matron Auro has entertained atypical selection of these, as have herpredecessors. S h e h a s h a d s e v e r a lchildren�not a lot, by the standards of thelarger clans, but a talented and capablebrood nonetheless. Indeed, the sorcerouspower of the Agrach Dyrr mages is justlyfamed throughout Menzoberranzan. Otherdrow often refer to them as �The Wizards ofDyrr.�

Matron Auro shares a characteristic withthe matrons of Houses Xorlarrin and FaenTlabbar: she grants the males in the familyan unusually large share of independenceand respect. In part, this is due to the

45

House Agrach Dyrr

reliance she is forced to place on herwizards�they are the cornerstones of theclan�s power. But to a greater extent, this isdue to the influence of the wizard Dyrr.Dyrr, by the same token, keeps the clanmages under tight control, seeing that theyare devoted totally to the service of thematron mother.

The current patron of the house is CuraccDyrr, a young drow of renowned physicalattributes (in all arenas, so to speak). He hasentertained the matron for some thirtyyears, but his lack of intellect is beginning totell as Matron Auro becomes more andmore frustrated with him.

House Agrach Dyrr has exploited itsancient status with a kind of haughtyarrogance that other drow find annoying,but nonetheless at least partially believable.Thus, despite the pompous nature of someDyrr nobles, others will hesitate to corrector defy them in public�simply because ofthis reputation of superiority.

The military record of the house bears outthis dominance as well. Three powerfulhouses (Celofraie, Mlin�thobbyn, Syr�thaerl;all of them one-time members of the rulingcouncil of the city) have been annihilated inattacks perpetrated by House Agrach Dyrrduring its climb to its current high station.(Of course, though this fact is well known inMenzoberranzan, to speak of it publiclywould be a gross breach of the peace, likelyto trigger recriminations, council-sanctioned punishment, or war.) Numerousother houses of lesser status have alsoperished due to Agrach Dyrr aggression.

More recently, the house has not madeany attacks�and yet, its reputation forwarlike competence has not suffered.Within the last forty years, three separatehouses have attacked Agrach Dyrr. All ofthem have been soundly defeated. Indeed,the most recent of these�an attack bythen-tenth ranked House Elec�thil�wasvanquished so completely that not a single

noble of the attacking family remained afterthe battle. This annihilation deprived theruling council of the necessity�or perhapsthe pleasure�of ordering the destruction asa lesson in justice. Nevertheless, HouseAgrach Dyrr has been accorded the greatestrespect by the members of the other rulingfamilies, and the lesser nobles of the city aswell.

The Dwelling ofHouse Agrach DyrrThe sixth house of Menzoberranzan hasbuilt an elaborate palace in the Qu�ellarz�-orl, completed within the last few years.Previously, they dwelled in the lowercavern, in a small cluster of houses withouteven a proper wall for defense!

Their current location is quite theopposite, and rival houses, knowing theeffectiveness of Agrach Dyrr�s defenders intheir previous lair, are quite reluctant toattack the current, highly fortified dwelling.

The house has three features to itsdefense: a deep moat, a network of ninetowers enclosing the fortress, and a high,adamantite wall surrounding the entirecompound. A single gate, reached by anarrow bridge (with no protective railings)provides access to the house.

The moat itself is 40� wide, and has beenexcavated by dig spells to a uniform depthof 50�. Its sheer walls offer no handholdsnor footholds. The bottom is littered withjagged-edged rocks and rubble, so thatanyone falling there suffers 10d6 hit pointsof damage�double the normal dice offalling damage.

The bridge and fortress gate are guardedby a complement o f drow f ighters ,commanded by a fighter/mage. The samegarrison is placed in each of the ninetowers, maintaining a constant watch

46

House Agrach Dyrr

around the fortress.The inner sanctum of the house is large,

with quarters for commoners and noblesalike in one palatial structure. The buildinghas no doors nor windows, and the interioris crisscrossed by secret doors known onlyto the nobles of the family and the captainsof the house troops.

Guard Captains (fighter/mage level6/5): AC -1; Move 12; HD 6; hit points 28;#AT 1; Dmg 1d8 + 5; THAC0 11; MR 62%; ALLE

Weapon : L o n g s w o r d + 5 , or hand-crossbow with poison darts

Inherent Spell-like Abilities: dancinglights, faerie fire, darkness, levitate, knowalignment, detect magic (all once/day).

Spells Known:

First Level : detect magic , l ight , magicmissile, spider eyesSecond Level: detect invisibility, skyhookThird Level: darkwings

Drow Guards (3rd level fighters): AC 0;Move 12; HD3; hit points 21 (average); #AT1; Dmg 1d8 + 3; THAC0 12; MR 56%; AL LE

Weapons: long swords +3; handbowsInherent Spell-like Abilities: dancing

lights, faerie fire, darkness (all once/day)

The temple to Lloth lies at the heart of thefortress, which is also where the LichdrowDyrr spends most of his time. (He has noapartments, since he neither sleeps, noreats.)

47

House Agrach Dyrr

House Agrach DyrrNPCsMatron Mother Auro'polDyrrARMOR CLASS: 3MOVE: 12�HIT POINTS: 67NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 (dagger +3)DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d4 +3SPECIAL ATTACKS: poisonSPECIAL DEFENSES: NilMAGIC RESISTANCE: 76%SIZE: MALIGNMENT: Chaotic Evil

13th level drow priestessS: 13 I: 14 W: 18 D: 11 C: 15 CH: 13

Inherent Spell-like Abilities: dancinglights, faerie fire, darkness, levitate, knowalignment, detect magic , c la irvoyance,detect lie, suggestion, dispel magic

Commonly Remembered Spells:First Level : curse , detect good, detectpoison, detect snares and pits, spider climbSecond Level : charm person, darkf ire ,silence 15� radius, mind touch, wyvernwatchThird Level: animate dead, continual faeriefire, giant spider, speak with dead, curseFourth Level : atonement, free act ion,passweb, tonguesFifth Level: summon spider, transmute rockto mudSixth Level: spider bite, word of recall

Physical Description: Matron Auro isrelatively youthful, for a matron mother inany event. Her features are attractive, herfigure lissome. She wears her white hairlong, and unencumbered�an unusualfashion among the always-battle-ready darkelves.

Equipment: Matron Auro is neverencountered without her poisoned dagger,enchanted to +3 magic. She also has a staffo f the serpent , granted to one of herpredecessors by Lloth. Whenever thematron is encountered she will also bewearing her ring of arachnid control and abrooch mounting a fire elemental gem.

Personality: This matron mother isrelatively frivolous, at least by the standardsof Menzoberranzan society. She enjoys life,and if this enjoyment has a cruel streak( torment be ing one o f her favor i teentertainments), it is nevertheless markedby her ability to laugh and display herdelight.

This frivolous nature has extended to herpatrons, all of whom have had relativelyshort tenures of less than a century. She hasalready grown bored of her currentparamour, Currac Dyrr, and has beencasting about for a replacement. Thegruesome disposal of Currac will be one ofthe high points of the coming decade forMatron Auro and her high priestesses.

Motivation: Matron Auro is currentlymotivated by the desire to find areplacement patron for Currac. In thelonger term, however, she accepts theburden of responsibility inherent in thecustody of an ancient house: she will seethat the family not only survives, butprospers.

48

House Agrach Dyrr

The Lichdrow DyrrARMOR CLASS: - 4MOVE: 6�HIT POINTS: 108NO. OF ATTACKS: 1DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1-10SPECIAL ATTACKS: paralysisSPECIAL DEFENSES: +1 or better magical

weapon to hitMAGIC RESISTANCE: 86%SIZE: MALIGNMENT: Chaotic Evil)

18th level drow wizard, now undead lich

Inherent Spell-like Abilities: Dancinglights, faerie fire, darkness, levitate, knowalignment, detect magic, animate dead

Immune to: charm, sleep, enfeeblement,polymorph, cold, electricity, insanity, ordeath spells

Commonly Remembered Spells:First Level: alarm, cantrip, chill touch, light,sleepSecond Level : bl ind, deafness , forget ,invisibility, wizard lockThird Level: blink, clairaudience,clairvoyance, fireball, slowFourth Level : charm monster, dig,massmorph, monster summoning, wizarde y eFifth Level: advanced illusion, airy water,cloudkill, sending, teleportSixth Level: death spell, invisible stalker,true seeingSeventh Level: control undead, delayedblast fireball, shadowcatEighth Level: mass charm, polymorph anyobjectNinth Level: black blade of disaster

Physical Description: The lichdrowhas suffered the effects of more than athousand years of undeath, but this has not

49

House Agrach Dyrr

resulted in the rotting of his body so muchas its petrification. Those few who get a lookat Dyrr receive an impression of a shell-likedrow, dry skin supported by nothing. Theeffect is quite misleading, f o r t h eadamantite strength of the lich�s body isobvious to anyone who has suffered thecreature�s physical wrath.

Dyrr is generally masked even whenamong the members of his own family; onlythe high priestesses, wizards, and matronmother have seen the lichdrow�s actual face.

Equipment: The lichdrow Dyrr hasaccess to an incredible variety of magicalitems, since the House Agrach Dyrr armoryis exceptionally well-stocked in that area.However, his favorite personal item is a staffof withering which he carries at all times,using it in the deception that he needs it forsupport when he walks.

Personality : Dyrr i s comple te lyimmersed in the dynasty of his family andhis own (hopefully eternal) role within thatdynasty. To this end, he is a pleasant-voicedarbitrator in the constant tension betweenthe males and females of the house. Dyrrinsures that the wizards receive the besttraining and the finest equipment thatMenzoberranzan can offer. With the lich astheir leader, the wizards of Dyrr form themost formidable team of mages in thecity�with the possible exception of those ofHouse Xorlarrin. Dyrr, himself, reserves agreat deal of lore for the exclusiveknowledge of his own clan. No one inMenzoberranzan has been around for solong, or seen as much, as has the lichdrowDyrr.

Indeed, the wizards of the house havegained so much power that they, as a group,are a match for any family of priestesses inthe cleric-dominated city. Only the powerfulwill of the undead thing who is their leaderhas held the wizards back from takingcontrol of their own house.

Dyrr also maintains and elevates the

power of the priestesses. The undeadwizard derives his power directly fromLloth, and his consistent dedication to theSpider Queen has insured her favor both forhimself and for the matron mothers andhigh priestesses of the clan. Like thewizards, the priestesses recognize the debtthey owe to Dyrr, and consequently allowthemselves to be reconciled to a more equalstatus for the house males.

Motivation: Dyrr�s motivationsregarding his family involve themaintenance of high tension and rivalrybetween the males and females. Thisemotional equilibrium contributes greatlyto the warlike nature of Agrach Dyrr, for itis a lethal force when unleashed against arival house.

Dyrr seeks to encourage battle amongother drow houses whenever possible. Thelich has even taken the extreme risk ofintervening, in a battle between houses, tofavor the one whose victory most benefitsHouse Agrach Dyrr. Such intervention isalways done in the form of an invisibleteleportation, a quick barrage of spells intothe heart of the victim�s defensive position,and then a teleportation back to his ownhouse. Even if his robed figure is witnessed,briefly, the dynamic, blazing figure at thescene of the war bears no resemblance tothe hobbling, decrepit figure of Dyrr thathobbles about the city, leaning on his staff.

50

House Mizzrym

Seventh House ofMenzoberranzanSYMBOL:

Matron Mother: Miz�ri Mizzrym

Nobles: 14Priestesses: 8

High Priestesses: 3House Males: 6

Fighters: 3Wizards: 3

Drow Soldiers: 300 total

Formations: 150 Archers100 Foot50 Lizriders

Slave Force: 400 total

Formations: 200 goblin foot100 orc spearcasters100 bugbears

Chief Alliances: House Mizzyrm has pactsof alliance with all seven of the other rulinghouses; it intends to honor those with HouseBaenrae (#1) and House Xorlarrin (#5). It hasalso cultivated relationships with many ofthe minor houses; however, these might bedisso lved a t any moment i t seemsconvenient for the Mizzrym interests.

Chief Rivals: House Mizzrym is envious ofthe position of House Faen Tlabbar (#4), andis working toward its destruction.

House Mizzrym is famed as the mostduplicitous, double-dealing, treacherous,back-stabbing group of negotiators in a cityfull of black-hearted betrayals. For example,

they have been currying the favor of HouseSrune�lett (#11) with gifts of gold andplatinum, all the while subtly encouragingthe Srune� to attack House Xorlarrin inconjunction with House Mizzrym. However,Mizzrym has no intention of aiding such anonslaught, though it might subtly influencethe outcome of the battle with treacherydirected against vulnerable parts of HouseXorlarrin.

Matron Miz�ri, the matriarch of thisrelative upstart (2,000 years old) house, is acruel and wanton leader in the finesttraditions of Menzoberranzan femininity.She has offered many of her sons to theSpider Queen, and guards her positionjealously against the ambitions of herdaughters.

A great deal of the Mizzrym influencecomes from trade, for the clan is morewilling than most other drow to deal withcreatures from beyond Menzoberranzan.Rumors have insinuated that the Mizzrymhave even negotiated private tradearrangements with unscrupulous deepgnomes. This is a treacherous deed in theeyes of both nations, since all interactionbetween these mor ta l enemies hastraditionally been relegated to the Market ofthe Underdark, Mantol-Derith. (It is detailedin the adventure accompanying this boxedset.) The secret trade is performed in orderfor the Mizzrym to ga in access toexceptionally rare gems. In exchange, thetreacherous Mizzrym usually provide thegnomes with information about drowoperations near the svirfneblin territory.

The wealth of the house has led it to beone of the major employers of mercenariesin the city. Indeed, the sponsorship of HouseMizzrym was instrumental in the rise of theBregan D�aerthe band of hired soldiers,and�though the clan has not employed themercenaries in more than two decades�thematron mother still maintains regularcommunications with the mercenary leader,

51

House Mizzrym

Jarlaxle.The Mizzrimyr are accomplished in the

uses of illusionary magic, which they use todeceive allies and enemies alike. These usesinclude the simple disguise of appearancesto the creation of elaborate ambushes andhorrifying spectacles.

The Dwelling ofHouse Mizzrym House Mizzrym is the only clan to occupy adwell ing in the cei l ing of the greatMenzoberranzan cavern. It is reached via aspiraling stalagmite that reaches to within100' of a hanging stalactite. The open spacein between is traversed by a winding,crystal stairway that is outlined clearly infaerie fire�one of the high and glittering

sights in the great cavern ofMenzoberranzan. Two great foulwingsstand guard at the base of the stairway.

The top of the staircase is guarded by aguard patrol of a captain and 10 secondlevel drow. The captain, and two membersof the patrol, know a command word thatrequires a full round to utter�but whenspoken aloud will cause the bridge tovanish.

Another guard patrol garrisons the top ofthe pillar, which is the only way into thecaverns of House Mizzrym. There is alanding open to the air here, where thosewho can teleport or fly can rise straight tothe portals of the house from the cavernfloor. A pair of strong adamantite doorsseparates the landing area from the houseproper. The landing is about 1000� above thecavern floor.

52

House Mizzrym

The dwellings themselves are organizedinto three great caverns, each of which risesfrom the central pillar entrance so that ithas at least a 60� thickness of solid rock for afloor. The chamber to the right is dedicatedto the worship of Lloth. The central, andlargest, cavern is the dwelling of thefamily�spacious and airy for the noblefemales; cramped and stuffy for everyoneelse. To the left is a small, relatively opencavern that houses the warehousing stockof this clan which deals in so much trade.Small loads of very valuable objects will bestored in the family quarters; bulk goodssuch as coal, iron, sand, obsidian, and soforth are all stored in here.

House Mizzrym NPCMatron Mother Miz'riMizzrymARMOR CLASS: 0MOVE: 12"HIT POINTS: 61NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 (dagger +4)DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d4 +4SPECIAL ATTACKS: poisonSPECIAL DEFENSES: NilMAGIC RESISTANCE: 74%SIZE: MALIGNMENT: Chaotic Evil

12th level drow priestessS: 11 I: 15 W: 18 D: 9 C: 14 CH: 15

Inherent Spell-like Abilities: Dancinglights, faerie fire, darkness, levitate, knowalignment, detect magic , c la irvoyance,detect lie, suggestion, dispel magic

Commonly Remembered Spells:First Level : curse , detect good, detectpoison, detect snares and pits, sanctuary

Second Level: chant, charm person, silence15� radius, produce flame, wyvern watchThird Level: animate dead, prayer, speakwith dead, curse, stone shapeFourth Level: abjure, divination, free action,tonguesFifth Level: flame strike, transmute rock tom u dSixth Level: animate object, word of recall

Physical Description: Matron Miz�ri isa cruel female with a hard edge to her face.She smiles only to relish the suffering ofanother, and when she does so a fiendishlight gleams in her eyes. She is moderate inage and build, unremarkable in otherrespects.

Equipment: T h e m a t r o n m o t h e rpossesses a fleet of six flying carpets,ranging in size from exceptionally small andnimble to a huge (12� x 20�) and lumberingrug that can carry several tons of weight.She uses these for her own transportation,but she also shares them with the familymerchants, who use the larger ones to carrycargo from the cavern floor to the houselanding.

She also carries a six-headed whip of fangsand a purple tentacle rod. She wears a pairof magical rings at all times: a ring ofanti-venom and a ring of free action.

Personality: Matron Miz�ri isdomineering, arrogant, and cruel. Sheenjoys causing discomfort among those whoanger or disappoint her, and relishes the useof her whip on the house males and allcommoners.

Motivation: The matriarch is devoted tothe furtherance of her house�s aims throughdiplomacy and double-dealing. She oftenworks a deal with some other house oragent, simply for the pleasure she derivesfrom her ultimate betrayal of the poor saps.

53

House Fey-Branche

Eighth House ofMenzoberranzanSYMBOL:

Matron Mother: Byrtyn Fey

Nobles: 12Priestesses: 7

High Priestesses: 4House Males: 5

Fighters: 2Wizards: 3

Drow Soldiers: 300 total

Formations: 50 Elite Foot100 Archers100 Foot50 Lizriders

Slave Force: 400 total

Formations: 200 goblin foot200 goblin archers

Chief Alliances: House Fey-Branche haslong practiced fawning adulation for thehouses of higher status; it has no formalalliance, but is recognized for lackeypotential by Houses #1-7.

Chief Rivals: As the eighth house,Fey-Branche fears attack from many lower-ranking houses who desire a position on thecouncil. Most particularly, House Duskryn(#10) is perceived as a threat.

House Fey-Branche is one of the mostancient of all of Menzoberranzan�s long-lasting noble houses. At last count, thehouse had been in existence for more than3,900 years. Unfortunately for the drow of

54

House Fey-Branche

the clan, they are not exactly forty centuriesof triumphs and accomplishments. Indeed,considering the bad luck that has plaguedthis house through the years, it is amazingthat it is still around at all.

However, t h e h o u s e h a s n o t o n l ywithstood the vagaries of fortune, it hassuccessfully defended itself against morethan a dozen attacks to destroy it. Its walledcompound i s qu i te de fens ib le andd o m i n a t e s a l a r g e s e c t i o n o f t h eNarbondellyn section of the city.

The dark cloud that has long-daunted thisclan has been reflected most often in theuntimely deaths of its noble members. Someof these have fallen to freak accidents, whileothers have been slain in the course of duelsor by assassination attempts.

However, Matron Mother Byrtyn Fey hascollected a great deal of information over

the years, and this knowledge has becomethe family�s greatest trump. With reams ofinformation that could bring at leastembarrassment and in many cases outrightdoom upon the exposed house, the matronis able to deter most potential enemies fromany outright action against Fey-Branche.

The Dwelling ofHouse Fey-BrancheThe compound of this house is surroundedby an unusually high wall of adamantite,penetrated by a single reinforced gate. Thethree towers that anchor the corners of thetriangular fortress have been hollowed outon many levels, to offer a variety ofdefensive positions.

The compound within the walls includes a

55

House Fey-Branche

great temple where the females live, andwhere the worship o f L lo th i s a l soconsummated; and small buildings thatserve as quarters for the male nobles, thecommoners, and the house slaves. Thewhole area is dotted with shriekers that areset off by the approach of anyone notwearing the house insignia. Also, the wall isdotted with sporadic lightning bolt spells,set to blast anyone who approaches within30� of the wall (except in the area aroundthe gate).

House Fey-BrancheNPCMatron Mother ByrtynFeyARMOR CLASS: 5MOVE: 12�HIT POINTS: 55NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 (mace +3)DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d6 +3SPECIAL ATTACKS: NilSPECIAL DEFENSES: NilMAGIC RESISTANCE: 72%SIZE: MALIGNMENT: Chaotic Evil

11th level drow priestessS: 10 I: 15 W: 18 D: 15 C: 7 CH: 14

Inherent Spell-like Abilities: dancinglights, faerie fire, darkness, levitate, knowalignment, detect magic , c la irvoyance,detect lie, suggestion, dispel magic

Commonly Remembered Spells:First Level : combine, command, detectmagic, sanctuarySecond Level: charm person, find traps,silence 15� radius, spiritual hammerThird Level: animate dead, curse, removeparalysis, water breathing

Fourth Level: divination, detect lie, passwebFifth Level: commune, cure critical wounds,undead regeneration

Physical Description: Matron Byrtynis an extremely attractive drow female withan unusually well-rounded figure. Shewears garments that highlight her sensualappeal and favors robes and shawls of filmygauze that do little to preserve her modesty.

Equipment: The matriarch possesses asix-headed whip of fangs. Her favoredweapon, however, is a violet tentacle rod.She also brews her own potent version ofthe potion of magic resistance (which shecarries in several small vials wherever shegoes). The matron is additionally armed atall times with a spider wand.

Personality: Matron Byrtyn is famedthroughout Menzoberranzan for herpassionate affairs and ribald exploits. Sheuses her physical attractiveness to seducean assortment of males. She has notmaintained a regular patron for more than acentury.

Motivation: This drow is motivated byhedonism as much as by the desire to betterher family. Indeed, some of the elderdaughters secretly despise their mother forher wanton behavior, and desire very muchto claim her position as mistress of the clan.None of them is as yet powerful enough tomake such a move, however.

56

Lesser Houses

HouseTuin�TarlNinth House Tenth HouseSYMBOL:

Matron Mother: Prid�eesoth Tuin

Nobles: 11Priestesses: 5

High Priestesses: 4House Males: 6

Fighters: 2Wizards: 4

Drow Soldiers: 400 total

Slave Force: 400 total

Chief Alliances: House Tuin�Tarl is knownto be weak, and thus no other house iswilling to recognize an alliance with it.

Chief Rivals: As the ninth house, Tuin�Tarlfears attack from many lower-rankinghouses, most particularly House Duskryn(#10).

House Tuin�Tarl is a relatively new house,having arisen within the last millennium. Itsoriginal strength came from trade, and thatstill forms the basis of Tuin�Tarl power. Theclan is willing to send expeditions into thefar reaches of the Underdark, even tradingwith distant drow communities. (Indeed,one of the clan priestesses was brought toMenzoberranzan from distant Ched Nasad.)

HouseDuskryn

SYMBOL:

Matron Mother: Berni�th Duskryn

(level 12 priestess)Nobles: 33

Priestesses: 15High Priestesses: 13

House Males: 18Fighters: 6Wizards: 12

Drow Soldiers: 600 total

Slave Force: 500 total

Chief Alliances: House Duskryn hasformed a solid al l iance with HouseSrune�Lett (#11).

Chief Rivals: Because of its numeroustroops, House Duskryn fears no housebeneath its station; it has many offensivedesires, including attacks against HouseFey-Branche (#8) and House Tuin�Tarl (#9).

House Duskryn has a reputation forsavage cruelty for nothing other than theperverse amusement of the nobles. Arisingmore than 3,000 years ago, the house hasconsistently trained some of the best armiesin all Menzoberranzan. Advancement in thiscompany is rewarded for performance, notnoble ranking. The house�s most famousvictories have all been defensive, however.About seven centuries ago, several housestried and failed in successive attempts todestroy House Duskryn. It has long beenwhispered that House Baenre was behindthose attempts.

57

Lesser Houses

HouseSrune'lettEleventh HouseSYMBOL:

Matron Mother: Srune�Lyris Lett

Nobles:Priestesses:High Priestesses:

House Males:Fighters:Wizards:

(level 11 priestess)321511624

Drow Soldiers: 250 total

Slave Force: 400 total

Chief Alliances: Srune�Lett has tried toform several alliances recently, including abond with House Faen Tlabbar (#4), andHouse Duskryn (#10). None of theseinitiatives has met with success. TheSrune�lett have accepted peace initiativesfrom House Mizzrym (#7), but have beenrightfully suspicious of their sincerity.

Chief Rivals: Srune�Lett attracts theinterest of many ambitious, lower-rankinghouses, including Druu�giir (#14) andHunzrin (#15). The house is cautiously goingalong with House Mizzrym with plans tostrike against House Xorlarrin (#5).

This clan comprises many powerfulfemale priestesses, but few skilled wizardsor fighters. It has a decent-sized force ofhired troops, but their loyalty has long beensuspect.

The priestesses of Srune�Lett tend to be

short and stocky�they are often referred toas the �fat sisters��though if the priestesseshear someone use the term, the phraseoften becomes the last words of theincautious speaker.

Recent rumors have passed around thecity, alleging that Srune�Lett has acquiredthe services of a non-drow wizard. This ispartially true� the matron mother haspersuaded a mind flayer to join ranks withthe family, a fact which considerablyimproves its military standing.

HouseHorlbarTwelfth HouseSYMBOL:

Matron Mother: Ker Horlbar

(level 13 priestess)and Jerlys Horlbar(level 12 priestess)

Nobles: 13Priestesses: 8

High Priestesses: 7House Males: 5

Fighters: 1Wizards: 4

Drow Soldiers: 200 total

Slave Force: 400 total

Chief Alliances: House Horlbar has longhad a cooperative relationship with HouseKenafin (#13).

Chief Rivals: The house is one of the chiefplotters against House Tuin'Tarl (#9)�thoughthat fact is not known to the Tarlyn.

58

Lesser Houses

The twin matron mothers of this clan are House Kenafin is a house where theits distinguishing feature. This has been the d o m i n a t i o n o f t h e p r i e s t e s s e s h a sclan structure for 2,000 years, with the pair completely subjugated the males. Under thebeing either sisters or first cousins in every ambitious and cruel reign of the matroncase. When one falls for any reason, the mother, the f emales exac t t e r r ib leother is also replaced by a female of the next vengeance for any infractions against theirgeneration. rigid code of behavior.

The two matrons traditionally hate eachother a lmost as much as they hateeverything non-Horlbaryn in nature. Thec lan has ga ined i t s power throughproductive agriculture and ambitious trade.Though Horlbaryn only rarely initiate awar, they never forget a sl ight, andvengeance against another house may becarried out generations later.

HouseKenafinThirteenth HouseSYMBOL:

Matron Mother: Kyrnill Kenafin

(level 13 priestess)Nobles: 14

Priestesses: 8High Priestesses: 6

House Males: 6Fighters: 3Wizards: 3

Drow Soldiers: 225 total

Slave Force: 500 total

Chief Alliances: House Kenafin has longcooperated with House Horlbar (#12).

Chief Rivals: House Kenafin is a secretplotter against House Fey-Branche (#8).

In public, House Kenafin is known as abusy trading house. It performs most of itstrade within Menzoberranzan itself, movingproducts around the city instead ofimporting them from outside sources.

The priestesses are working a grandappeal to Lloth, for which they are creatinga giant image of the goddess out of wax�aproject that has lasted 10 years. The imagewill be consumed during the ceremony, andthen, hopefully, the favor of the spiderqueen will be clear.

HouseDruu�giirFourteenth HouseSYMBOL:

Matron Mother: Carrolloc Giir

(level 11 priestess)Nobles: 11

Priestesses: 4High Priestesses: 3

House Males: 7Fighters: 2Wizards: 5

Drow Soldiers: 250 total

Slave Force: 300 total

Chief Alliances: This house has no formalalliances, but its role as moneylender

5 9

Lesser Houses

insures that its can exert pressure on mostany other clan.

Chief Rivals: House Druu�Giir desires toexecute an attack against House Srune�Lett(#11).

House Druu�giir has a direct influenceover other houses in the city that is secondonly to the power wielded by House Baenre.This is because the clan controls nearly allof the moneylending that occurs inMenzoberranzan.

The clan is dominated by elderly malewizards, and can quickly augment its troopsby hiring the Bregan D�aerthe or anothermercenary band if necessary.

The ultimate fear inspired by the house�sreputation is the notion that the housewizards can employ gate spells to bringtheir quickly-reinforced armies to virtuallyany house, any room, in Menzoberranzan!

HouseHunzrinFifteenth HouseSYMBOL:

Matron Mother: Kintuere Hunzrin

Nobles:Priestesses:

High Priestesses:House Males:

Fighters:Wizards:

(level 11 priestess)1241871

Drow Soldiers: 200 total Drow Soldiers:

Slave Force: 1,850 total (handlesgener a l c i ty fa rmslave force)

Slave Force:

150 total

100 total

Chief Alliances: None.

Chief Alliances: House Baenre (#1) is astrong supporter of Kintuere; as long asHouse Hunzrin continues to provide theagricultural needs of the city withoutgetting presumptuous.

Chief Rivals: House Shobalar (#16).

House Hunzrin has control of the farmingin Menzoberranzan, a fact which has led totheir being viewed as a bunch of �stonehead� farmers. Of course this is nevermentioned in public, for the warriors ofHunzrin are reputed to be the best pitch-fork (magical) wielders in the Underdark.

Matron Mother Kintuere Hunzrin has, onmany occasions, consulted with Mez� BarrisArmgo about Hunzrin�s inability to producefemales, a trait which both houses share.

HouseShobalarSixteenth HouseSYMBOL:

Matron Mother:

Nobles:Priestesses:

High Priestesses:House Males:

Fighters:Wizards (female):

Hinkutes�nat Alar

(level 11 priestess)1253116

6 0

Lesser Houses

Chief Rivals: Though not a weak house byany means, without allies, the house is aprime candidate for elimination by anambitious lower-ranked house.

House Shobalar is a house dominated byfemales, having only one noble son, theweapon master, Pu�Nel. This house alsoshowcases six wizards, which isn�t unusual,until you realize that they are all female.House Shobalar is seclusive and the family isseldom seen in public, but when they areseen, they are usually accompanied byenormous spiders which have been bred forriding. These spiders can spew forth stickystrands of webbing to catch prey, not unlikethat of a cave fisher. The house is alsorumored to be using spiders in strange andwondrous experiments, one involving a�live� spider cloak which can be animatedmerely by the thought of its wearer.

House Shobalar has very few alliances,due to their double-dealing reputation.

HouseVandreeSeventeenth HouseSYMBOL:

Matron Mother: Troken�ther Vandree(level 10 priestess)

Nobles: 13Priestesses: 5

High Priestesses: 2House Males: 8

Fighters: 6Wizards: 2

Drow Soldiers: 150 total

Slave Force: 120 total

Chief Alliances: Trying to forge analliance with House Baenre (#1).

Chief Rivals: Barrison Del�Armgo (#2)covets Vandree�s huge compound.

House Vandree is, at present, in perhapsthe most tentative position of any house inMenzoberranzan. Their numbers are few,their compound grand, and packed HouseBarrison Del�Armgo has made it known thatthey covet the Vandree compound. In lieu ofthat, Matron Troken�ther Vandree is tryingto either win the protection of HouseBaenre, or get First Matron Mother Baenreto demand a civilized swap of compounds. Itis not known how Matron Baenre will react.On the one hand, there has been perhapstoo much chaos among the leading houses inthe last few decades, and an orderly processmight seem attractive, but on the otherhand, Matron Baenre is eager to seeBarrison Del�Armgo, her principle rival, getinto a fight and show what it can do.

The situation does not look good, butHouse Vandree has a long-standing traditionof getting into trouble and somehow findingtheir way back out. Thoken�ther and heroffspring seem to delight in internal feudingand dangerous political ploys. The houseeven dabbles in surface-world affairs, andin acquiring all sorts of trophies and usefulmagical items. (Human skulls, fashioned intodrinking goblets are a favorite.)

61

Lesser Houses

HouseSymryvvinEighteenth HouseSYMBOL:

Matron Mother: Hesken-P�ajSymryvvin

(level 20 priestess)Nobles: 11

Priestesses: 5High Priestesses: 5

House Males: 8Fighters: 0Wizards: 8

Drow Soldiers: 100 total

Slave Force: 160 total

Chief Alliances: House Baenre (#1) andHouse Barrison Del�Armgo (#2) havealternately wooed the favors of venerableMatron Hesken-P�aj Symryvvin.

Chief Rivals: None.

House Symryvvin is an anomaly inMenzoberranzan in many ways. MatronHesken-P�aj is the second highest rankingpriestess of Lloth in all the city, yet she doesnot sit on the Ruling Council. The house hasheld its position (#18) for centuries withouteven the threat of attack from any otherhouse. Both Matron Baenre and MatronMez�Barris Armgo often visitHesken-P�aj�on several occasions they evenwent to the Symryvvin compound together!The house shows no ambition to climb to ahigher rank.

The family Symryvvin is known for its

studious pursuit of creating new prayers tothe Spider Queen (and in receiving newpriest spells in return). Likewise, theirmages live hermit-like, fanatically dedicatedto the pursuit of higher magic. The housenobles, on those rare occasions that they areseen outside their compound, are accordedgreat respect, for House Symryvvincommands Lloth�s highest favor and for anyhouse to go against them would surely putthat house on the wrong side of the volatileSpider Queen. Secretly, Symryvvin has beencalled the �eyes of Lloth,� watching over thecity inconspicuously, detached from thechaos.

62

Bregan D'aerthe

Not a house, but a mercenary society ofrogue drow, Bregan D�aerthe is one of themost respected (though unlawful�even bydrow standards) organizations in the city.Little is known about the assassin band,except that they maintain close ties withHouse Baenre, have been intricatelyinvolved in the last two disasters concerningruling houses (House Hun�ett and HouseDo�Urden), and are led by a swashbuckling,unusual drow elf who goes by the name ofJarlaxle.

Well over a hundred of Bregan D�aerthe�sroughly 150 members are male, and manyof these reputedly are nobles of fallenhouses. Typically, noble female survivors ofdestroyed houses would be grabbed up byother powerful houses, invited into thefamily (many of House Baenre�s priestessesstarted out as princesses in other drowhouses), but males, noble or not, havealways been a less desirable commodity in acity so dedicated to the Spider Queen.

The members of Bregan D�aerthe arealmost exclusively fighters orfighter/thieves, with a few fighter/magessprinkled in. Noamuth Lil (The Wanderer),formerly Vierna Do�Urden, is the onlyknown priestess in the band.

The mercenaries are very well equipped,and very well trained. They operate bothinside of Menzoberranzan, usually with theunspoken consent of the First MatronMother, and outside the city. Their mostvaluable potential, and thus the probablereason this rogue band is allowed to thrive,comes in the role of scouts forouter-Menzoberranzan affairs. Jarlaxleeven has contacts in Blingdenstone, thedeep-gnome city!

The band has also been known to serve inhouse armies during takeovers of otherh o u s e s . T h e i r f e r o c i t y c a n n o t b eunderestimated, but one would be wise notto overestimate their loyalty. When HouseHun�ett attacked House Do�Urden, the

Hun�ett force was supplemented by BreganD�aerthe, though Jarlaxle was at the timehold ing cour t wi th Matron Mal i ceDo�Urden. Malice made a better offer, and inthe middle of the fray, the mercenary bandsimply switched sides, to the swift demise ofthe aggressor house.

Menzoberranzan is a city of intrigue anddouble-dealings, and no one plays thosegames better than Jarlaxle.

JarlaxleARMOR CLASS: - 5 t o - 1 0MOVE: 12"HIT POINTS: 99NO. OF ATTACKS: 9/2 or 5 (throwing

daggers)DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2-7 + 3, 1d4 +2 or

1d4 +4SPECIAL ATTACKS: Wounding,

Life-stealingSPECIAL DEFENSE: DisarmingMAGIC RESISTANCE: 84%SIZE: MALIGNMENT: Neutral Evil

17th Level Drow FighterS: 13 I: 18 W: 15 D: 20 C: 15 CH: 18

Inherent Spell-like Abilities: dancinglights, faerie fire, darkness, levitate, knowalignment, detect magic

Physical Description: Perhaps nodrow in Menzoberranzan cuts a moredapper picture than Jarlaxle.

Jarlaxle, arrogant and brash, followedfew of the customs of Menzoberranzan�sinhabitants. He was most certainly not thenorm of drow society and he flaunted thedifferences openly, brazenly. He wore not acloak nor a robe, but a shimmering capethat showed every color of the spectrum,both in the glow of light and in the infra-redspectrum of heat-sensing eyes.

6 3

Bregan D'aerthe

Jarlaxle�s vest was sleeveless and cut sohigh that his slender and tightly-muscledstomach was open for all to view. He kept ap a t c h o v e r o n e e y e , t h o u g h c a r e f u lo b s e r v e r s w o u l d u n d e r s t a n d i t a sornamental, for Jarlaxle often shifted itfrom one eye to the other.

(from Exile)

His boots are high and hard, his jewelry isabundant, and a wide-brimmed hat, overlyplumed with the monstrous feathers of agiant diatryma, completes theswashbuckling image. Jarlaxle is not a largedrow, slender, but finely-toned. Unlikeother drow, he keeps his head clean-shaven.

Equipment: By most accounts, Jarlaxleis covered head to toe by magical items. Thespecifics are vague, though: his large,many-stoned necklace might be a necklaceof missiles; his eye patch reportedly giveshim powers similar to those exhibited by adreaded Eye of Fear and Flame (12HDFireball and Fear, as the wand); his rings andbracelets seem to offer some armor-likeprotection (certainly he�s not an easy one tohit); his boots can be as silent as the best ofdrow make, or as clunky as a hook horror ina tight passage; his cape (rumors say) actsmuch like a robe of scintillating colors; andhe can pull more than a rabbit from thatwondrous hat.

More is known about this odd drow�sweapons. Jarlaxle specializes in a two-handed combat style, with a rapier ofwounding (+1) as his primary weapon (+1to hit, +2 to damage, 5/2 attacks due tospecialization), and a main gauche (rumoredto be a blade of life stealing) +2. Like his eyepatch, he shifts these weapons from hand tohand, sometimes leading with his left,sometimes his right. Under the sleeve of hisleft wrist, he keeps a strange bracer, fromwhich he can remove and hurl f ivethrowing daggers (+4) in a single round(once/turn).

On his belt Jarlaxle wears the most-hatedof all magical items in Menzoberranzan, awand of illumination. He also keeps a pouchof holding on his jewelled belt, filled withlight pellets and time bombs. (It is believedhe got the devious bombs from GromphBaenre.)

Personality: Always graceful, alwayscalm, none in Menzoberranzan everremembers seeing the crafty Jarlaxle angry.He is a lover of comfort, of pleasure and thefiner things in life, and always seems to finda way to over-indulge himself. Jarlaxlesmiles and jokes more than a drow ought to,but the results of his off-beat actions alwaysseem to please Lloth, or at least, to pleasethe priestesses of the SpiderQueen�Jarlaxle openly reveals no religiouscalling.

Motivation: More than anything else,the leader of Bregan D�aerthe is a survivor,and a thriver. His wealth is considerable,a n d o f f i c i a l s t a t i o n s e e m s t o t a l l yunimportant, since every Matron Mother inMenzoberranzan affords him the deepestrespect. The only place in the city where themercenary is scorned is the Academy.Bladen�Kerst Baenre cannot stand the male,but whenever Jarlaxle is asked about theeldest daughter of House Baenre, he onlysmiles and flashes a devious wink fromwhichever eye happens to be, at that time,uncovered.

6 4

Book Three: The Adventure by

Douglas Niles

Table of Contents

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2Chapter One: Starting the Adventure. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .4Chapter Two: Journey into the Underdark . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .12Chapter Three: The Marketplace of Mantol-Derith. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .16Chapter Four: To the City of the Dark Elves . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .39Chapter Five: Menzoberranzan�The Heart of Darkness. . . . . . . . . . . . . . .46Chapter Six: The Stand of House Millithor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .55Aftermath: . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

Cred i t s :

Design: Douglas NilesEditing: Karen S. BoomgardenInterior Art: Jaime Lombardo and Ron HillCover Art: Jeff EasleyColor Card Art: Valerie ValusekCartography: DieselTypography: Gaye O�KeefeProduction: Paul Hanchette and Dee BarnettGraphic Design: Paul Hanchette and Dee Barnett

ADVANCED DUNGEONS & DRAGONS, AD&D, and FORGOTTEN REALMS are registered trademarks owned by TSR, Inc.The TSR logo is a trademark owned by TSR, Inc.

Copyright ©1992 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved. Printed in U.S.A.

Random House and its affiliate companies have worldwide distribution rights in the book trade for English languageproducts of TSR, Inc. Distributed in the United Kingdom by TSR Ltd. Distributed to the toy and hobby trade by regionaldistributors.

This work is protected by the copyright laws of the United States of America. Any reproduction or unauthorized use ofthe material or artwork contained herein is prohibited without the express written consent of TSR, Inc.

1083XXX1503ISBN 1-56076-460-01083

Menace in Menzoberranzan

An Adventure forExtremely BravePCsIntroductionMenace in Menzoberranzan is a dangerousadventure that will take player charactersfar beyond the comforting light of the sun,plunging them into the seething chaos ofdrow society. Treachery and betrayal arethe bywords of negotiation, and the darkelves demand subservience from all whodare intrude into the subterranean empireof evil.

Of course, there are great rewardswaiting to be won among the labyrinths ofthe Underdark�but many, too, are theadventurers who will answer for their risk-taking with the ultimate payment . . . lifeitself.

Though much of this tale is set inMenzoberranzan, the adventure can beplayed by a party of non-drow characters.Indeed, one primary purpose of theadventure is to provide a means tointroduce surface-dwelling characters andother Realms PCs into the dark elf city. Theyare introduced into the Underdark by thevehicle of a merchant�s caravan, carryings u r f a c e c o m m o d i t i e s t o t h e s e c r e tmarketplace of Mantol-Derith.

Alternately, the module can utilize drowcharacters from Menzoberranzan or otherrealms of the dark elves, who are alsodrawn in to the adventure throughMantol-Derith, mercantile crossroads of theUnderdark. These PCs hail from HouseMillithor, an up-and-coming clan currentlyranked 25th in the city hierarchy.

Two sets of pregenerated characters areincluded. Of course, if the PCs begin on thesurface world then their own charactersmay well be appropriate. The party should

include a balance of classes, and ideallyconsist of 6 characters of around levels 5-6of ability. Fewer characters of higher levels,or larger parties of less experienced PCs,are both viable alternatives. A typicalassortment of magical weapons and itemswill be useful, but it�s not required that thecharacters have any specific object.

Although the essential rules of the Player�sHandbook and the Dungeon Master�s Guideare all that are required to play the module,some of the magical items and spells listeda r e d e t a i l e d i n t h e T o m e o f M a g i csourcebook or the Drow of the Underdarkgame accessory.

In particular, Tome of Magic is useful forits introduction of wild magic�since thedevelopment of this new and powerfulsorcery is a major plot element in this story.However, if your campaign does not utilizethis book�or you, the DM, are not familiarwith it�this does not mean that you can�tplay the adventure. The wild magic is ofparticular use to one NPC, and there is noneed to use it against the players. Instead,the DM can make up some good pyrotechniceffects for the final battle scene, and simplymake sure the wild magic is used in areaswhere the PCs are not involved.

2

Menace in Menzoberranzan

Adventure OutlineThe characters will begin by joining asupply caravan transporting goods to theunderground marketplace. Once theyarrive at the Mantol-Derith, they are drawninto the political intrigues of Menzo-berranzan. Unknown to the PCs, themerchant who hired them is bringingpotent new spells�wild magic spells�intothe Underdark. Though he has tried to keepthis information secret , at least onepotential customer knows what�s going on.Several other groups, including rival drowhouses and other denizens of the dark,suspect the truth, and will take steps to gainthe magic for themselves�or at least toinsure that it does not fall into rival hands.

The PCs will be offered the opportunity tocome to the city of the drow (or returnthere, if it is the PCs� home), to serve themercantile interests of House Millithor. Thishouse ranks only 25th in the city, yet itsinfluence in the Mantol market makes it apromising upstart.

The characters will have a choice of threedifferent routes into Menzoberranzan, eachof which will set them up with certain alliesand enemies. They will be wooed andthreatened by agents of House Baenre, andthat clan�s greatest rival�House BarrisonDel�Armgo. They will even meet the famedmercenary captain, Jarlaxle, who offersthem some hope of avoiding the deadliesttraps that lie in their path.

Depending upon how they deal withtreachery and opportunity, triumph andfailure, the PCs will find themselves in themidst of a war of annihilation against one ofthe city�s clans.

Finally, as House Millithor is drawn into adesperate struggle for survival, the playercharacters will be faced with the choice offlight, betrayal, or the joining into a final,desperate stand.

3

Chapter One:

Starting theAdventureThe first step is to create or select the playercharacters that wil l take part in theadventure. The PCs will run through one ofthe two encounters (1A, the �One-EyedMerchant� or 1B, the �Covert Caravan�)presented in this chapter; either one willbring them into the mainstream of the story.

If the PCs are already in existence, the DMwill probably want to begin the adventureon the surface (unless those characters areall or primarily drow), with 1A, the�One-Eyed Merchant� encounter, below.Alternately, if the players choose thesurface-dwelling party of pre-generatedplayer characters (see the player cardincluded in this box), the adventure alsobegins with this encounter.

If the player characters are drow thathave been generated by the players or usedpreviously, they can also begin with the�One-Eyed Merchant� encounter; or, if youwish, you can arrange a starting encounterfor them in Menzoberranzan. You can, forexample, modify the structure of HouseMillithor (introduced in 1B) so that theplayer characters are members of thatfamily; alternatively, you can create jobs forthem in Menzoberranzan that will bringthem sooner or later to the marketplace ofMantol-Derith.

I f the p l ayer s c h o o s e t o u s e t h epregenerated drow characters of HouseMillithor, then begin the adventure withChapter 1B, �The Covert Caravan�encounter . In e i ther case , once theencounter runs its course, you should findyourself ready for �Chapter Two: Journeyinto the Underdark.�

Chapter One-A: TheOne-Eyed MerchantThis meeting can occur in any part of theeastern Realms, along the Sword Coast ormany miles inland�even to the shore of theSea of Fallen Stars or beyond. SinceMenzoberranzan is not specifically locatedin its relationship to the surface world, thepoint of entrance into the Underdark canvary from campaign to campaign. If yourplayer characters happen to be somewhereon the surface of the Realms, that placemakes a splendid location to start theadventure.

If you use the pre-generated playercharacters, or you have the freedom toplace the characters anywhere you want,begin the adventure in the upper city ofBaldur�s Gate.

Regardless of where the PCs are�an inn,a marketplace, a city street, or even anoutdoor camp�they will encounter thefollowing character.

An old man hobbles toward you, movingquickly despite the stooped posture of hisage. His hair is white, his figure small.

He wears a silvered tunic of fine silk,covered with a gold-embroidered cape. Adiamond gleams at his neckclasp. A patchcovers his left eye, but his right gleams ashe looks you over, cackling with apparentpleasure.

�Well met, my hearties! You look like alot that knows the meaning of goodtreasure when you see it�I�m talkin�rubies, folks, and diamonds in heapshigher than yer heads!�

The old fellow is Hadrogh Prohl, amerchant of the Underdark. His wealth isapparent in every one of his garments, andhe will freely drop a few platinum pieces if

4

Chapter One

the PCs give him the chance to speak withthem.

The merchant is physical ly unpre-possessing, and takes care to offer nothreat�in fact, he is interested in theservices of the PCs. However, he is quitecapable of taking care of himself.

Hadrogh Prohl(half-drow)Mage/thief (level 8/10)ARMOR CLASS: 0MOVE: 12"Hit Points: 43NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 (long sword +5)DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d8+5SPECIAL ATTACKS: poisonSPECIAL DEFENSES: gem o f spell

deflectionMAGIC RESISTANCE: 70%SIZE: MALIGNMENT: Chaotic Neutral

S:13 D:16 C:10 I:18 W:12 CH:14

Inherent Spell-like Abilities: faerie fire,darkness, levitate, detect magic

Thief Abilities: PP 64%; OL 50%; F/RT25%; MS 80%; HiS 25%; DN 65%; CW 60%;RL 80%

Commonly RememberedSpells:First Level: featherfall, light, magic missile,sleepSecond Level: blind, invisibility, stinkingcloudThird Level: fireball, haste, lightning boltFour th Leve l : ha l luc ina to ry t e r ra in ,polymorph self

Equipment: Hadrogh wears a cloak ofprotection +4 that also functions as apiwafwi. In addition, his gem of spel ldeflection is a powerful device that addsanother -4 to his armor class against allattacks. In addition, it gives him a bonus of+4 to all saving throws he is required tomake (after, of course, his magic resistanceis taken into account).

His long sword is another weapon ofunusual nature. The weapon appears to be abattered dagger that he wears carelesslythrough his belt, the blade no more than12� long. If examined, it will reveal a faintaura of magic, and it assumes its full sizeand appearance when held by the hilt. Theblade is black steel, clearly of drowenchantment, and strikes with a +5 bonusto attack and damage rolls. In addition,upon the shouting of a command word, theblade glistens with a deadly venom. Anyonestruck by the blade must save vs. poison ordie (save at -2).

Hadrogh also carries a folding boat in hispersonal backpack.

He has a highly personalized set ofgold-handled lockpicks (worth about 500gp).

Hadrogh always carries a good amount ofcash with him, mostly in gold piecesconcealed in a pouch at his side; but also agood number of platinum pieces�just incase. The platinum pieces are dividedbetween false soles in each of his boots, anda concealed band that runs around theinside of his belt.

Hadrogh�s manner is affable, and he isrelaxed and friendly in speaking withstrangers. He seems to be very unobservant;actually, the opposite is the truth. Hadroghtakes great pains to notice everything goingon around him. In fact, his eyepatch is fittedwith a small silver mirror (he has two goodeyes, after all). The mirror allows Hadroghto see what�s going on directly behind him,

5

Chapter One

as well as to his left rear.Although he is an accomplished thief, he

avoids practicing his t r a d e o nacquaintances� nor will he jeopardize abusiness transaction by utilizing his illicitskills amid the towns or establishments ofhis trading partners.

Hadrogh's OfferThe merchant attempts to hire the PCs asescorts for a caravan of goods that heintends to take on an expedition that hepromises, up front, will prove to bedangerous. However, he claims that the payw i l l m a k e t h e j o u r n e y m o r e t h a nworthwhile.

He will pay each loyal guard joining hiscaravan 5 gold pieces for each day of thejourney (which he suspects will last aboutfifty days). He also offers a bonus to be paidat the end of the trip�it will be based uponhis profits, but he anticipates an amount ofat least 500 gp per guard. If the journey isespecially lucrative, that amount couldtriple�or more!If the PCs hold out for more money up

front, Hadrogh will go as high as 10 goldpieces per day; the bonus remains the same.

He can also sweeten the pot with the offerof a few magical items�things that willprove useful where the expedition is going.He won�t offer these things right up front,but again if the PCs seem to be reluctant, hewill give each of them a choice of one of thefollowing items.

Potion of extra healingPotion of flyingPotion of gaseous formPotion of in visibilitya scroll containing up to 7 levels ofspells from Hadrogh�s spell list

(commonly remembered spells, above)a ring of protection +1a cloak of elvenkind

I f t h e p l a y e r characters agree toaccompany the merchant, he leads them toa nearby (relatively nearby, if the adventurebegins at a wilderness camp) warehouse.(And if they don�t agree to accompany him,the DM should have a couple of videosready to help pass the evening!) Here he hasgathered one dozen mules and a trio ofmuleskinners. T h e l a t t e r a r e t h r e edisreputable humans who are not much usefor anything except keeping the mulesunder control:

Muleskinners (2nd level fighters): AC 8;Move 12; HD 2; hp 10 each; #AT 1; Dmg 1d8;THAC0 19; AL N

The mules are loaded with bulgingsaddlebags, and though Hadrogh makes noattempt to explain his cargo, he doesn�t tryto conceal it from anyone who cares to ask.Each mule wears a large pair of saddlebagsthat are lashed shut and bulge with goods. Itis obvious to anyone who sees the mulesmove that they carry heavy loads.

About half of Hadrogh�s goods are loadedin stout casks, two per each mule. The caskscontain brandy, whisky, andrum�substances that c a n n o t b emanufactured in the Underdark, and havecome to be regarded as prized imports byc e r t a i n d e c a d e n t m e m b e r s o f t h esubterranean societies.

Other goods carefully packed into thesaddlebags include large bundles ofparchment; boxes containing a hundredcandles; bundles of hardwood boards (usedfor carving objects of art in theUnderdark�it�s too rare for practicalpurposes); perfumes and spices from allacross the Realms; feathers and down; anddried delicacies of surface foods, includingbeef and various breads.

The most valuable portion of this cargo issomething that Hadrogh does keep a secret:in the bottom of the saddlebag of the eighth

6

Chapter One

mule in line, concealed in a bundle thatlooks like blank paper, are a dozen scrollsinscribed with magical spells. These spellsare examples of powerful wild magic,previously unknown in the Underdark.Hadrogh assumes that they will make themerchant enough money to allow him toretire in luxury.

The scroll book is protected by a wizardlock, and by a mechanical trap that must bedisengaged before opening the cover of theleather volume. The trap is triggered by ahair-thin piece of thread connecting thefront and back covers; one end or the othermust be disconnected from the book. If thethread is broken in the middle (as when thebook is opened), oil splatters outward,followed by a cascade of sparks from aminuscule flint scraping against a thin stripof steel. Unless it is raining or otherwise

wet, ignition is certain. The person openingthe book suffers 2d6 hit points worth of firedamage the first round, and 1d6 hit pointsper subsequent round until the fire isextinguished�or until it burns out after 6rounds, total. An initial saving throw versusbreath weapon is allowed�a successful savehalves the damage each round (withfractions dropped).

Incidentally, the scrolls on are flame-proof pages, so they will be unaffected bythe blaze�though objects around theaffected character might not be so lucky,subject to the DM�s discretion. For example,this is a bad book to open in a hayloft.

The powerful spells on these scrolls are:Chaos Shield (2nd level);Fireflow (3rd level);Unluck (4th level);Vortex (5th level);

7

Chapter One

Wildshield (6th level);Wildzone (8th level);Wildwind (9th level)

Journey to Dark�sGate Hadrogh follows a route that he knows verywell, which begins with 3-18 days of travelon the surface. Hadrogh provides horses forhimself and the PCs; the merchant rides atthe front of the caravan, and the PCs�positions will vary�one or two riding atHadrogh�s side, at least two in the rear, andthe others protecting the flanks or perhapsriding ahead.

If your players seem ready for a littleaction, the caravan gets attacked by a largeband of robbers�men who figure to easilyovercome the outnumbered PCs.

Rugdard Crain, Bandit Leader (7th levelfighter): AC 2; Move 24�; HD 7; hp 55; #AT 2;Dmg 1d8 +6; THAC0 10; AL CNEquipment: scimitar +3; leather armor +4;boots of speed; 10 arrows +3; spectacles ofinfravision*

* These are glasses that will fit a human-sized head, and allow the wearer to benefitfrom infravision to a range of 90�. However,they can only be worn for 12 hours, afterwhich the character must spend another 12hours not using them before they willbenefit him again. If he tries to wear themfor more than 12 hours in a row, he will beblinded, effectively los ing both theinfravision and normal vision for 1-12hours�after which the 12 hour rest periodstarts.

8 Bandits (2nd level fighters): AC 6; Move 12;HD 2; hp 12 each; #AT 1; Dmg 1d8; THAC019; AL CE

8 Bandits (1st level fighters): AC 8; Move 12;HD 1; hp 6 each; #AT 2 or 1(shortbows/shortswords); Dmg 1d6; THAC020; AL CE

The bandits strike on a wooded stretch ofroad, with Rugdard shooting a non-magicalarrow at Hadrogh or another character inthe lead. The bandits then appear to eitherside of the caravan, with four archerslurking at the edge of the woods to the rightand left; five swordsmen approaching therear of the caravan; and three moreswordsmen standing with Rugdard in theforefront.

The muleskinners try merely to retaincontrol of the mules. Hadrogh helps them(after all, that�s why he hired guards); but ifthe PCs seem to fare badly he reluctantlyjoins the battle.

If their leader is slain, the bandits loseheart. If the battle starts to go badly,Rugdard abandons his men and flees on foot(through the woods, where a horse cannotfollow).

The bandit camp is a six-hour trekthrough the woods; there is little of valuethere, though a chest with 900 gp is buriedin the woods nearby. Only Rugdard knowswhere it is, though the other bandits knowof its existence.

When the caravan finally reaches itsdestination, the group finds itself before alarge cave, with a concealing screen ofbrush piled before its mouth. Hadrogh asksthe player characters to remove this brushw h i l e h e g o e s to speak w i t h t h emuleskinners�he�s paying them off, sincethey haven�t signed on for the undergroundportion of the trip.

After the party files into thecavern�which proves to be quite large andspacious�the PCs are asked to restore thescreen. Then, with darkness closing aroundthe party, the merchant announces that

8

Chapter One

they are starting into the cave, and asks thePCs to take up the halters of the mules.Hadrogh informs any reluctant playercharacters that they won�t have to guide themules for the whole trip�just until theirunderground handlers meet them, not farfrom here.

The beasts are stubborn and extra-orneryunderground�PCs who don�t make a pointof being careful are kicked or bitten (1-4 hpdamage).

Then Hadrogh leads the group into thedepths of the cave, descending slowly alonga smooth pathway for about a mile. He hasone of the PCs hold a lantern in theforefront (the mules won�t move in pitchdarkness). Then the cave seems to end, in alarge, c i r cu lar chamber f i l l ed wi thstalactites and stalagmites.

Here, Hadrogh goes to one of the stonepillars and bangs on it with an iron hammer.The sound reverberates through thecavern, seeming to echo for hours.

�Now, we wait,� he announces.The cavern has several pools of clear

water, and a variety of beautiful naturalfeatures. The only unnatural feature is thesecret door concealed amid a nest of pillarsat the end of the cavern opposite theentrance. The door is extremely difficult todetect, and even if detected it is impossibleto open from the outside�it is a plug ofstone and, if bashed, only sets more firmlyinto its narrowing socket. (If the PCs dodiscover the door, Hadrogh congratulatesthem on their acumen and informs themthat the portal will open in a matter ofhours.)

A full twelve hours pass before thesubterranean guides arrive. When they do,the secret door slips open so silently that,unless one is observing it directly, themovement is not detected.

A shape stands in a greater darknesseven than the cavern�s shadow. It movesforward without sound, gliding like anincorporeal form�but the dark skin, theshocking white hair and dark, gleamingplate mail are very much real.

The features of the drow are beautiful,in an icy sort of way. A female dark elfstands there, her high cheekbonesh i g h l i g h t i n g a n a r r o w f a c e a n dalmond-shaped eyes.

�Greetings, Hadrogh Prohl,� she says,bowing formally. Her voice is as cold asher eyes.

�Greetings, Dwillisith Millithor,� repliesthe merchant, bowing more deeply thanthe drow.

The dark elf looks at the mules and thehumans skeptically. Then she turns witha shrug and gestures into the dark holerevealed by the secret door.

� L e t u s set off,� s h e b a r k s ."Mantol-Derith is far away.�

At this point, it�s time to go to �ChapterTwo: Journey Into the Underdark.�

Chapter One-B: StartingIn Menzoberranzan

House Millithor is the twenty-fifth house inMenzoberranzan�s rigid hierarchy of socialstation. It has been a loyal servant of HouseBaenre in the past, and this willingness hascaused Matron Baenre to rememberMillithor with favor. Because of this, themembers of the house shall be given thechance to prove the i r courage andskill�and if they do so successfully, theywill gain the opportunity for significantadvancement of their station.

The pregenerated player characters,found on the adventure cards included inthe Menzoberranzan box, all are members

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Chapter One

of this unique house. A description of thehouse and the matron mother are alsoincluded on those cards. The dwelling of thehouse is detailed in Chapter 6 of thisadventure.

Although they have been as evil asnecessary to survive in the dark elf world,the matron mother of House Millithorpossesses an unusual level of neutralattitudes. She deplores bullying andbruta l i ty aga ins t subordinates as acounterproductive tactic; she prefers tofoster loyalty�and even a remote sort ofaffection�rather than fear in those whoserve her.

The DM should acquaint himself with thehouse as much as possible before beginningthe adventure�even though its initial stagesoccur beyond Menzoberranzan.

Matron Millithor gathers a select group ofher family and retainers (the PCs). They aresummoned to her audience chamber for thefollowing encounter.

Matron Millithor sits upon her highthrone, with the great spider�s eyegleaming at you from the back of thechair, over the slender female�s head. Sheh a s b e e n a b s e n t f r o m t h e h o u s elately�rumors claim that she has found anew patron, but if this is the case no onein the family has met the fellow.

�Greetings, my children. . . my obedientservants,� she begins, pausing to allowher eyes to sweep the room with regalcommand.

�I summon you for the commencementof an important mission�a task which, ifyou perform it successfully, shall elevateour house in the eyes of Menzoberranzansuch as nothing has before!

�It will be necessary for you to departthe city for many c y c l e s o fNarbondel�seventy, perhaps even ahundred of them. You will journey almost

to the surface, where you will meetanother of my faithful servitors.�

She smiles at you all, but there is nohumor in the expression�if there ispleasure at all, it is derived from thematron�s knowledge of how thoroughlyher subjects are held in her thrall.

�His name is Hadrogh Prohl, and he ishuman. Yes, I see you expressions ofdisgust�but this human has a thing ofgreat value to me. You are to accompanyhim through the Underdark, seeing to hissafety�for there are those who wouldlike to see him dead.�

If the PCs ask questions, she tells themwhat she can about the mission. She doesnot, however, reveal the nature of the thingof value carried by Hadrogh, nor where heis concealing it or carrying it. Her patron isthe drow magic user most accomplished inthe use of wild magic�it is to him that thespells will eventually be delivered, if all goeswell.

Other than this, however, she can informthem of the following procedure.l The PCs must follow a map (which she

g ives them) tha t l eads through theUnderdark to a high cave more than ahundred miles away. The journey will takeabout 25 days, and the PCs must move withabsolute secrecy, taking great care that theyare not followed.l The group must take 12 pack lizards

with them, for the purpose of loading thegoods that have been brought by mulebackto the gates of the Underdark.l There they must wait for the signal�a

rhythmic tapping in the ceiling of thechamber�that indicates the merchant hasarrived above them. The plan calls for thesignal to be made in another 30 cycles ofNarbondel.l The map shows the location of a secret

passage; they are to follow it up to the

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Chapter One

merchant, where they will meet him.l They are to obey the human in all

things, and follow the route he shows them,which will take them to the underearthmarket of Mantol-Derith. This is the mostdangerous part of the journey�there maybe attempts against the life of the merchant.

There, Matron Millithor herself�or oneof her agents, known to the PCs�will meetthe characters and inform them of the nextstage of their mission.

You and the players can roleplay thejourney to the gate with as much or as littledetail as required. If the PCs are careful,they�ll have little difficulty slipping out ofMenzoberranzan undetected. However,agents of two of House Baenre�s greatestrivals�House Barrison Del�Armgo (#2) andHouse Oblodra (#3)�are aware of theconnection between their traditional enemyand the otherwise innocuous HouseMillithor. Therefore, they will be veryinterested in the activities of the playercharacters.

I f t h e p a r t y t a k e s n o p a r t i c u l a rprecautions when they depart, they areobserved, and discreetly followed, by agroup of these agents. The drow do notattack�they are interested in gatheringintelligence �and they remain somedistance (a mile or two) back from the PCparty. Once the PCs make contact withHadrogh, the agents of House BarrisonDel�Armgo will attack.

The Del-Armgo Strike Team is detailed inChapter 2. However, if the PCs takeexceptional precautions, it is possible thatthey will encounter it here�possibly evenwiping it out, which would cancel theencounter described in Chapter 2.

Other than this possible surveillance, thejourney to the meeting proceeds withoutundo incident (except for such randomencounters as the devious dungeon mastermight care to devise). If the PCs make a

reasonable effort to make time (even if theykeep a careful watch for pursuit), they willarrive there in plenty of time. In the eventthey are late, Hadrogh has agreed to remainat the meeting place for 10 days, repeatingthe signal once per day. Actually, he has somuch of his future tied up in this venturethat he will remain in place for at least 15days.

Hadrogh is described fully earlier in thischapter (1A). When encountered here, he isleading a string of 12 mules, each burdenedb y a p a i r o f b u l k y s a d d l e b a g s .

The merchant will be cheerful and glad tosee the PCs, though his human (and othersurface dwelling) guards are less cordial.Nevertheless, they obey their leader, whoseems quite comfortable with the drow (heeven speaks the language reasonably well!)

He is accompanied by several human anddwarven veterans�ruffians, all, but notthreatening to the PCs. Indeed, before hecomes through the secret door to join them,Hadrogh dismisses these surface dwellers,paying them off from a jingling pouch ofcoins. After they disappear, he turns to thedrow PCs with a broad grin.

�Well,� he says�his voice smooth, hiswords spoken clearly in the language ofthe drow. �Let�s get going! You folks willhave to load the lizards�I�ll be busytrying to remember the way. Now, let�smove�there�s money to be made inMantol Derith!�

After the rendezvous is made, proceed toChapter 2.

1 1

Chapter Two:

Journey Into theUnderdarkFrom now on, the adventure runs prettymuch the same with either drow or non-drow PCs�although there will be occasion-al notes that relate particularly to one typeof player character or the other.

The pathway followed by Hadrogh windsalong a confusing network of tunnels�theonly map of which, apparently, exists in themind of the strange merchant. He guides theparty with a sure sense of confidence alongthe twisting and mazelike route.

The PCs notice a couple of things aboutHadrogh.

He can see in the dark quite well�a factthat he doesn�t bother to hide, but does notexplain.

The underground seems to suit him; hismood is cheerful, and his senses seem at-tuned to the surrounding darkness.

The journey to Mantol-Derith takes twen-ty days. Though it does not cover more thanabout 80 miles of distance in a straight line,the winding path and gently descending cor-ridors necessary for travel by lizard trainmore than double the distance that the par-ty must travel.

Much of the route follows long, straightpassageways excavated from the rock overyears of labor�any dwarf PCs recognize thework as duergar. In other places, gracefullyarched stone bridges�screened only by 1'high railings to each side�span bottomlessdepths. These deep cracks in the world aresometimes 40�-100� wide, occasionally asmuch as 200�. On the latter spans, the stone-work seems to sway alarmingly as the partypasses the center of the bridge.

Still other parts of the route wind theirway through natural caverns, where waterhas seemed through layers of limestone andformed long channels. Though these pas-

sages are naturally formed, smooth path-ways�always at least 6� wide, and nevergraded through a terribly steep descent�have been cleared through the center.

After about 8 or 10 days of this trek, the car-avan runs into an ambush prepared by theagents of House Barrison Del�Armgo (unlessthose NPCs were dispatched in Chapter 1).The purpose of the ambush is the death of Ha-drogh Prohl and the hijacking of his cargo.

The precautions of the party are left up tothe player characters. The circumstancesare arranged carefully, but good scouting oradvance patrolling will afford a decentchance at aborting the attack.

During the course of this expedition, twoother encounters are described�one likelyto be harmless, even useful to the PCs; theother somewhat dangerous. They should beplayed in the order that they are presented,since there is a (slim) chance that the charac-ters will gain some warning about the up-coming dangers from the first encounter.The DM should employ the third encounteras he sees fit�if the PCs have been weak-ened by the ambush, feel free to skip en-counter 3 and move on to the market.

Encounter 1:Sinister Deep BatsThe sinisters appear near the caravan�scamp at some point during the trek. Theyfind the party in a large chamber, wherethere�s a lot of overhead space for them tofly into. They use their pinpoint levitate abil-ity to hang motionless in the air, forming aring around the camp.

The creatures resemble flying manta rays,and thus their appearance is quite menac-ing.

Sinisters (12): AC 3; Move 2, FL 21 (A); HD4 + 4; hit points 20 each; #AT 1; Dmg 2-5;THAC0 17; MR 70%

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Chapter Two

Special Defenses: wall of force type en-ergy field, making them immune to normalmissiles and missile type spells (but not oth-er spells or melee attacks)

The sinisters are merely curious aboutthis intrusion into their Underdark domain.They will remain around the party for aslong as eight hours, if they are not attackedor molested. They communicate telepathi-cally among themselves. If a PC has a meansof telepathic communication, the bats willrespond to those messages�and even warnthe PC that other drow are lurking ahead.

Alternately, if any of the PCs makes any at-tempt to produce music while the bats arepresent, the bats will hover around the par-ty for much of the rest of the journey. (Thenthey will signal, via agitation, the presenceof the ambushing drow in Encounter 2.)

If attacked, the sinisters angrily swarm inwith their own attacks�but as soon as threeof their number have been slain, they flyaway and will not return.

Encounter 2: DrowAmbushThe actual drow ambush is detailed on Map1. The caravan moves onto the map fromthe north, traveling down a narrow andwinding passage. The terrain that the cara-van encounters here is among the rougheston the trip, with frequent small rockfalls lit-tering the path, and shoulders of rock oftenpressing close to the right and the left. Theywill be forced to descend through thesetight quarters, often down some relativelysteep stretches of trail, for several hours.

Then, shortly before the ambush, the trailwidens as it enters and begins to follow thebottom of a subterranean cavern. The darkwalls climb steeply away to the right andleft, and though a relatively smooth pathstill leads along the center of the floor, the

areas near the bottom of the cliffs are piledhigh with rubble.

The ambushing drow have been commis-sioned by House Barrison Del�Armgo�indeed, the leader (found at location C) is anoble member of that powerful house. Theattackers are positioned in four different lo-cations (A-D). If the PCs and Hadrogh bargeright into the ambush, it will develop likethis:

First, the drow in location D (who are con-cealed among the shadows at the edge of thefloor, and also blanketed by a darkness spell)will emerge from their concealment to at-tack the front of the caravan, first with avolley of darts and then closing in to usetheir melee weapons.

Second, in the round after the frontal at-tack, the drow in locations A and B will dropoff of their ledges 80� above the passingtrade caravan. Using their levitation abili-ties, they will slowly descend (20� perround), seeking to shoot Hadrogh with theirdarts (and the magic missile spell from themagic user). If the merchant has not beenslain by the time they reach the floor, theywill join in the general melee.

Third, the reserve drow in location C willwait until the attack is in full swing (5rounds). Then they will emerge to hit therear of the column, or to pick up the piecesif the battle is over (as the Barrison Del�-Armgo drow anticipate it will be).

Drow Attack Party A (five 3rd levelfighters): AC 2; Move 12; HD 3; hit points16 each; #AT 1; Dmg 1d8 +3 or 1d6; THAC015; MR 56%

Weapons: Long swords +3; handheldcrossbows

Inherent Spell-like Abilities: dancinglights, faerie fire, darkness (all once/day)

Ambushing Drow B (fighter/magelevel 5/5): AC 1; Move 12; HD 5; hit points21; #AT 1; Dmg 1d8 +4 or 1d6; THAC0 12;MR 60%

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Chapter Two

Weapon: Long sword, handheld crossbowInherent Spell-like Abilities: dancing

lights, faerie fire, darkness, levitate, knowalignment, detect magic (all once/day)

Spells Known:First Level: alarm, detect magic, magic

missile, sleepSecond Level: invisibility, webThird Level: haste

Ambushing Drow C (two 7th levelfighters): AC 0; Move 12; HD 7; hit points34, 42; #AT 1; Dmg 1d8 + 6; THAC0 10; MR64%

Weapon: long sword +5Inherent Spell-like Abilities: dancing

lights, faerie fire, darkness, levitate, knowalignment, detect magic (all once/day)

Del�Armgo Noble andBodyguards DPharius Del�Armgo, Noble Priestess (level 8):AC 1; Move 12; HD 8; hit points 39; #AT 3;Dmg 3 ( x 3), + possible slow; THAC0 16;MR 66%;

Weapon: Purple Tentacle RodInherent Spell-Like Abilities: dancing

lights, faerie fire, darkness, levitate, knowalignment, detect lie, suggestion, dispelmagic

Spells Known:First Level: curse, detect good, cause fearSecond Level: chant, hold person, silence

15� radiusThird Level: dark wings, animate dead,

stone shapeFourth Level: acid bolt, free action

6 fighters (2nd level): AC 3; Move 12; HD2; hit points 10 each; #AT 1; Dmg 1d8 +2;THAC0 16; MR 54%

Weapons: Long swords +2Inherent Spell-like Abilities: dancing

lights, faerie fire, darkness (all once/day)

If the ambush ends in the death of Ha-drogh, the drow persevere in trying to killthe PCs (they�re dark elves, after all). How-ever, if the battle goes badly, Pharius com-mands that her lackeys maintain the assaultwhile she uses her dark wings spell to fly upand away. (There is a secret passage nearthe roof of the canyon where she will exit,and make her way back to Menzoberran-zan). Of course, if a PC manages to stop her,than the rulers of Barrison Del�Armgo willhave no means of knowing the results oftheir ambush.

The second and third level drow are ruffi-ans and mercenaries, caring little (andknowing less) about the identity of thosewho hired them. If any of the higher leveldrow can be forced to talk, or if Pharius isslain and her body searched, proof of Barri-son Del�Armgo�s involvement can be ob-

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Chapter Two

tained. (The priestess wears the House insig-nia on a medallion under her armor, and herhigh level drow assistants have seen it.)

Only Pharius, however, knows the truegoal of the mission: it is to find the powerfulspells that Hadrogh has brought into theUnderdark�for whichever house gains ac-cess to that magic will have gained a com-manding advantage in the seething tensionof the dark elf city.

Encounter 3: PutridPedipalpiThese huge whip scorpions are drawn tothe smell of the mules. They creep upagainst the rear of the caravan, where theycan remain as far from the lanternglow aspossible. It is this succulent prey that hasdrawn the exceptionally large band (of fourcreatures) together.

Giant Pedipalpi (4): AC 2; Move 6; HD4 + 4; hit points 18 each; #AT 3; Dmg 1-8/1-8/2-8; THAC0 17; MR Nil

Special Attacks: grip, poison gas

The monsters attack by first releasingtheir clouds of noxious gasses (save versuspoison or fight at -3 on all combat rolls for1-6 rounds). They charge for the lizards, buteven their dim intellects realize that PCsstanding in their path are more dangerous.Thus, they attempt to attack the charactersfirst.

If Hadrogh perceives that his second- to-last lizard (as they are in line) is in danger, hebecomes quite hysterical, demanding thatthe PCs protect the beast�or retrieve it, if ithas been dragged off by the scorpions. How-ever, the wily merchant quickly recovers hiswits, explaining that the vintage of wine inthat lizard�s casks is the most priceless any-where in Toril. (Actually, however, the caskscontain a whiskey so cheap and vile that its

rough nature is immediately apparent toanyone so unfortunate as to catch a whiff ofits �bouquet.�)

If Hadrogh Perishesduring the journey:

If he is brought to 0 hit points or less, theDM should let him live long enough to gaspout a few last words. He will try to sketchout the rest of the route for the PCs. He evenshares the command word that opens thesecret door into Mantol-Derith (�Eraka-syne�).

He warns them to �Beware the Merce-nary�but you must meet him, for he is theone who will pay for your treasures!�

Even in death, Hadrogh does not mentionthe secret scrolls hidden in the saddlebagsof his eighth lizard.

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Chapter Three

The Marketplace of Mantol-DerithLocated more than three miles beneath thesurface of the earth, this network of ca-verns is nevertheless a crossroads of com-merce, news, and even migration among thedenizens of the Underdark. It is a placewhere creatures of different races�oftenpeoples separated by a long history ofbloodfeud and racial war�come together inuneasy truce, trading for goods that wouldotherwise be unobtainable in the lightlesspassages snaking their way through therock and dirt of the world.

Mantol-Derith is located equidistant fromMenzoberranzan and Blindingstone, and isone of the few places where members oftwo underground races�the drow and thesvirfneblin�will meet without coming toblows. And even here, in the market, the re-lations between these two ancient enemiesare maintained with as much distance aspossible, each group having a separate cavefor use as a warehouse.

Two other cultures are represented inMantol-Derith, and if they do not share asmuch mutual hate as the deep gnomes andthe drow, their members enter Mantol-De-rith with weapons close at hand, and eyessearching for the first indications of treach-ery. No law here is greater than the sword�though there is a tradition of negotiationand discussion that often overrides initialtendencies toward violence.

The latter two groups are the duergar�the dark dwarves�hailing from cavernseven below those of the drow and the deepgnomes, and brave surface dwellers whochallenge the darkness in search of the tre-mendous profits that can be gained here�for those who come back alive.

The Market of the Underdark is not awell-known gathering place. Its exact loca-tion is known to only a select few, and its

very existence is a closely guarded secret.Rumors exist among the homelands of allfour of the groups using the market�strange, obscure tales of mysterious mer-chants and menacing transactions. Yet it iscommon knowledge that these transactionsyield exotic goods that would not otherwisebe available to the folk of the surface or thedepths�therefore, the rumors are not vig-orously challenged or pursued.

Those members of each culture who haveaccess to the markets of Mantol-Derith havean advantageous position regarding wealthand status within their respective societies.For this reason, �membership� in the exclu-sive bazaar is hard to come by�and closelyguarded, once it is possessed. Those whoknow the password that provides access tothe private cavern complex guard thatknowledge jealously, and pass it along onlyto those on whom they wish to bestow agreat gift�or valuable bribe.

The caverns of the market can be ap-proached from above (by surface dwellers)through dry, dark tunnels, or via a windingand rapid underground stream; those dwell-ing below Mantol-Derith (primarily theduergar) can reach it only by crossing thewaters of a deep and deceptively placid sub-terranean lake. Routes for the drow and thesvirfneblin reach the marketplace via any ofthe three routes, though the merchants ofboth races prefer the dry, overland route.

The start of this adventure provides foran approach to the market in the companyof the surface-dwelling trader, Hadrogh Pro-hl. He is one of about a half dozen surfacedwellers who know of the bazaar�s exist-ence. The racial makeup of his bodyguardswill not draw any unusual remarks or no-tice, regardless of whether he has recruitedhis team from Menzoberranzan, Baldur�sGate, or anywhere else.

Note: In this chapter, the market is present-ed in some detail. Though the PCs might not

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Chapter Three

have cause to visit the entire area during thecourse of this adventure, it is a setting thatmight prove useful for future adventures inthe Underdark. It is particularly well suitedfor use as an avenue to introduce surfacedwellers to the chaos of Menzoberranzan�and give them a plausible reason for beingthere.

Entering TheMarketplaceThe network of Mantol-Derith is displayedon Map 2. The caravan approaches downthe �Black Chasm� in the northwest portionof the map. Hadrogh makes no indicationthat they are approaching the journey�s des-tination, though astute characters may no-tice that he is paying extra careful attentionto their surroundings during the last twen-ty-four hours. Then, finally, he claps hishands with glee and announces �We madeit!� He asks the PCs to wait for him at thebase of the chasm while he scrambles up anarrow, twisting trail that leads to a ledgeabout forty feet overhead.

Taking care that the PCs do not eavesdrop,Hadrogh approaches a narrow slit in thestone wall and softly speaks the commandword: �Erakasyne.� The secret portal softlyand magically slides open, revealing a darktunnel leading into the labyrinth that makesup the underground bazaar.

The secret doors at all three entrances tothe Mantol-Derith are identical; they willopen to the same command word. Withoutthat command, they do not budge. Each canabsorb a full 100 hp of damage before col-lapsing�and when it does collapse, the doorexplodes, inflicting 10d6 hp of damage onanyone within 30� of the outside of the door.Saving throws versus breath weapons re-duce the damage by half; anyone on the in-side of the door is not affected.

However�though the battering is heard

within the bazaar�there is no attempt todefend this entrance against illicit intrusion.That defense is saved for later, at the doorsbarring the two entrances to the actual ca-vern itself.

Within the outer door, a cavern winds to-ward the bazaar, meandering through anumber of twists and turns. At one point itbranches, with an aisle moving off to thenorth, and another continuing straightahead. The straight ahead route leads to an-other door. Beyond lies the riverside landingthat is sometimes used by subterraneanboatmen.

The path to the north leads to doom. If thePCs for some reason head down this corri-dor, and one of them successfully examinesthe walls or floor for traps, they notice tinyholes at irregular intervals�beginning 30�down this diverging corridor. The holes con-tinue for a full 200�, up to the point wherethe corridor ends in a cave-in.

However, as soon as an intruder has trav-eled past 120� of the trap (i.e. is a 150� intothe corridor) the trap is magically activated.Each hole spews hellish flame into the corri-dor, inflicting 6d6 hp of damage initially, andan equal amount on every round that thetarget remains in the area of effect. Savingthrows versus breath weapon must bemade with a -4 penalty because of the per-vasive nature of the effect; if a save is suc-cessful, the character suffers half damagefor that round.

The real entrance to the market, natu-rally, lies through another secret door�con-cealed in the wall opposite the northernpath to doom. The route beyond the con-cealed portal is the true path to the Mantol-Derith complex. This secret door workswith the same command word (or explodeswith the same damage) as the outer door.(The same applies to the door leading intothe southern end of the marketplace ca-vern.)

When one of these portals is opened (or is

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Chapter Three

destroyed), a straight corridor is revealed,leading into the darkness ahead.

The Inner Sanctum of Mantol-Derith Even here, having gained access to the innersanctum, the PCs will not find their advanceeasy if they are not accompanied by themerchant. If Hadrogh is present, however,he is boisterous and cheerful at the knowl-edge that the destination lies just ahead. Heeven shouts �Ahoy!� down the passage be-fore the party.

The corridor goes straight, with a ceiling10' overhead and smooth walls a good 12'apart. Then, abruptly, the ceiling soarsaway and the merchant caravan finds itselfwalking along the bottom of a deep, stone-lined trench. The sides are 50� high andmade of sheer stone that has been chippedfree of all but the most minimal hand- andfoot-holds.

A pair of bridges span the trench at thetop, and each of these is garrisoned by a par-ty of guards; roll a d4 for each group to de-termine which type.

1) 3 drow2) 6 svirfneblin3) 4 duergar4) 3 ogresPertinent game statistics for these sentries

can be found under Guard Patrols, below.If the party has used violence to gain ac-

cess to the market, they will still only see thebands of guards noted above; three addi-tional groups will be lurking just out of sightbeside each bridge, however, so that all fourgroups of guards are present to guard eachbridge.

The best way to get up to the floor level ofthe chamber is for the entire caravan togather in the 60� section of corridor belowand between the two bridges. Though thislooks like the stone floor throughout the

rest of the corridor, it is in reality a huge fly-ing carpet.

It can carry tremendously heavy loads,but it can only rise up and drop down inplace�it cannot be used to fly around themarket cavern, for example. The commandword �aurosythe� sends it upward; �durras-tyn� sends it back down again. It takes tworounds to make the 50� journey, regardlessof direction.

Guard Patrols In addition to the guards at the bridges, pa-trols of the same composition as the bridgegarrisons are present in the central cavernof the market�three patrols, each, of 1-4above.

Drow (three 4th level fighters): AC 0;Move 12; HD3; hit points 21 (average); #AT1; Dmg 1d8 + 3; THAC0 11; MR 56%

Weapons: long swords + 3; handbowsInherent Spell-like Abilities: dancing

lights, faerie fire, darkness (all once/day)

Svirfnebli (six 3rd level fighters): AC 2;Move 9; HD 3 + 6; hit points 20 each; #AT 1(or 2, w/ darts); Dmg 1d4 +2 (or 1-3 + spe-cial); THAC0 17; MR 20%

Special Darts: +2 to hit; 40� range; saveversus poison if struck�failure stuns a vic-tim for 1 round, slows for 4 more rounds

Spell-Like Abilities (illusionist): blindness,blur, change self all once/day; radiate non-detection

Duergar (10): AC 4; Move 6; HD 2 + 4; hitpoints 15 each; #AT 1; Dmg 1d6 +1 withshort crossbow (range 30/60/90�) orshortsword; THAC0 17

Ogres (3): AC 5; Move 9; HD 4 + 1; hitpoints 18 each; #AT 1; Dmg 1-10; THAC0 17

Each ogre has a satchel containing 12rocks, each of which inflicts 1-10 points of

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Chapter Three

19

Chapter Three

damage with a hit. The ogres can throwthem up to 30� (no range modifiers); they al-so can drop them quite effectively on targetsin the trench.

The guards, and the other inhabitants ofthe subterranean bazaar, speak a crude mix-ture of the Common tongue and the sign lan-guage tradespeech of the Underdark.Creatures of intelligence 10 or higher willhave no difficulty understanding the lan-guage; those of lesser intelligence should berequired to make Intelligence Ability checkswhen they try to grasp complex explana-tions or negotiations.

Entering theMarket WithoutHadrogh Although the denizens of Mantol-Derithtake great pains to insure their privacy, theyare a commercial concern. Thus, if someoneenters with a load of goods, and seems pre-pared to do some bargaining, the powersthat be (in the persons of the four Chief Ne-gotiators, described below) are willing to letbygones be bygones�even if some of theirown henchmen have perished in the at-tempt to stop the PCs illicit entrance.

Hadrogh Prohl is well-known and likedhere, so if the PCs can convince a negotiatorthat they served Prohl faithfully, and are infact executing his last request, they will bewell-received. If the party can be persuadedto throw down their weapons, however,and explain themselves, chances are goodthat they will be able to talk someone intoraising up the magic carpet and giving thema place to camp.

The CentralCavern of Mantol- DerithThe great cave of Mantol-Derith itself is agrand and natural grotto, with four exca-vated caverns nestled in its four corners.The ceiling of the central chamber is agrand dome, reaching a height of nearly100' in the center of the room. Numerousstalactites hang down from this sweepingroof, in several places joining with stalag-mites to form tall and graceful columns.

Though this is in fact a market, it is not thekind of bustling bazaar that one might en-counter in a crowded surface city. This isthe kind of place where deals take hours,even days, to close�and where negotiationsare conducted privately, beyond the view ofthose who have no business knowing. (A no-table exception to this is the buying frenzythat occurs when a duergar shipment ofsteel weaponblades arrives�and even thatinvolves relatively subdued, if intense, nego-tiations.) Though there are more than a hun-dred individuals in the marketplace at anyone time, their voices are muted and eventheir movements are planned so as to makeno sound.

Arriving caravans will be offered space inone of the two camps, located to either sideof the deep entrance trench. These arecrude accommodations, with loosely-ropedcorrals for beasts of burden and wornpatches in the mosslike soil to serve as beds.The following are typical of the hardy mer-chants who brave the Underdark to carrygoods to and from Mantol-Derith.

1) Svirfneblin caravan, comprised of 3-24rothe and led by a 5th level fighter. It hasbrought salt to Mantol-Derith, and waits forsome heavy cargo to carry away.

2) A drow courier, perhaps a fighter/magic

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user of levels 5/5. He carries a portable hole,and is completely secretive about his pur-pose.

3) A group of duergar spider-riders (5 graydwarves, each riding a huge tarantula).They have captured a young cave fisher andhave the thing in a cage. They are lookingfor a buyer.

4) A human priest of 11th level, devoted toan evil god and seeking to exchange a highlevel spell (in scroll form) for a great deal ofcash�or perhaps a powerful magical itemof evil from the drow.

There is only a 75% chance that a mer-chant will be here at any given time�theDM should check whenever a new caravanarrives. On a 25% or lower roll, there ismore than one additional merchant here.

A tax is assessed on all departing mer-chants, equalling 5% of the total funds ex-changed by that merchant during his stay inthe market. The merchant is not searched todetermine how much he has, but theamount is determined by the best estimatesof two of the four Chief Negotiators (see be-low); one of whom is selected by the mer-chant, the other by the remaining threenegotiators.

Pools of water are scattered about thechamber, and in several places waterfallsspill from high up the walls�and once evenfrom a chute in the ceiling�to feed thesepools, and the small stream that leads fromthe southwest corner of the chamber. Thetrickling and splashing of these narrow riv-ulets is the constant background noise inMantol-Derith.

The walls of the cavern glitter in any kindof light, reflecting brilliant crystals and myr-iad semi-precious stones. In places on thefloor, sheets of quartz have been smoothedinto a marble-like sheen, and these stonesare used to pave wide walkways throughout

the chamber�as well as to make up thebridges across the central trench.

Four large groves of fungus-forest alsoflourish in the moist cavern. Each of thesegrows before one of the four side caverns�and each has become a network of sellingstalls for the goods of that particular group.Beneath the overhanging canopy of giantmushroom caps�among the forest ofdense, woody stalks that supports that cano-py�the sellers have prepared small booths,private rooms (carved into the mushroomstalks), and ornate displays of some of theirmore unique or popular items.

Each of the artificially-excavated cavernsis claimed by one of the four groups usingMantol-Derith: the drow, svirfnebli ,duergar, and surface dwellers. Thoughnone of them is sealed by a door or gate,each is watched by an alert patrol of guards,rotated every few hours to insure alertness.The individual contents of each of the ware-house caves�together with the goods of-fered for sale by each of the four tradinggroups�are explained below.

The Covenants ofMantol-DerithEven in the Underdark there is honoramong thieves�and this might be the mottoof Mantol-Derith. There are only a few pro-hibited acts here, but they are rigidly pro-hibited. Anyone who attempts to violate oneof these tenets will most likely be caught;and if caught, he will be shown no mercy.(He will be shown the lake, however, includ-ing its bottom�which the offender will besent to visit, wrapped in heavy iron chains.)

The prohibited acts:Overt thievery. The goods in Mantol-

Derith are carefully watched by theirguards. In addition, each of the mushroomgrove stalls is studded with shriekers; if any-thing is removed from a display by someone

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not attuned to that market, the shriekerswill shriek.

Disguise of goods for barter. The useof illusions or phantasms to improve the ap-parent worth of objects sold, or used to pur-chase�or even simple counterfeiting, suchas plating copper pieces with gold, is consid-ered as bad as outright theft.

Use of magic or psionics to aid negoti-ation. Again, this is considered the same asrobbery, and there are enough magic detec-tions, proofs against charms, and the like toinsure that this is a very risky proposition.

As far as lies spoken during the course ofnegotiation, the rule is �Let the buyer be-ware!� A merchant can make any kinds ofclaims he wants to, without being held tothem. Those who deal in the Mantol-Derithare advised to carefully examine any pur-chased items before the deal is closed.

Violators of the actual covenants will, asmentioned, be wrapped in chains andthrown into the lake. If the powers-that-bein the market decide that the thief and hisparty entered the market for the purpose ofviolating the covenant, then all the compan-ions of the sentenced one may face a similarpunishment. The burden of proof, inciden-tally, rests on the convict�s companions�they are assumed to be guilty, and mustprove their innocence.

By tradition, all transactions take place atthe stall of the seller. If a trade is involved�for example, drow trading gems to thesvirfnebli in exchange for salt�then theparty that wishes to initiate the deal goes tothe stall of the other. Though it has littlepractical effect, it is considered a matter ofsome status in the marketplace to draw thecustomer to you instead of you going to him.

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Market of theSvirfnebliThe deep gnomes maintain a steady com-merce in Mantol-Derith; rumor has it thatthe market was originally formed by thegnomes, though its origins are lost in antiq-uity so it is doubtful that the truth will everbe known.

The gnomish portion of the market isknown for several things: gems (of course);magical items that are made of, or affect,stone and earth; and, finally, salt. Ironically,it is the latter product that has given thesvirfnebli their important status in the ba-zaar�for they have cornered the market onsalt in this portion of the Underdark. Wher-ever the gnomes excavate the stuff, theykeep its location a carefully guarded secret(indeed, none of the gnomes in Mantol-De-rith knows the location of the mines;gnomes who do know are forbidden to go toplaces where they could conceivably be cap-tured by enemies.)

The StallsThe deep gnomes do their business in a clus-ter of giant mushrooms outside the mouthof their warehouse cavern. The overhang-ing ceiling of spongy fungus is a good 7�high, out of consideration for the taller cus-tomers. However, the stems of three of thelarger fungi have been hollowed out with 3�high niches for the merchants. Rugs areplaced on the spongy moss outside, makingcomfortable sitting for the customers.

The three big mushrooms containing thestalls are very woody in nature, not easilybroken into or smashed (AC 8; 40 hp each).Each can hold two gnomes comfortably, andhas a tiny escape tunnel in the floor. If nec-essary, the gnomes can quickly drop out ofsight and scurry back to the warehouse; thetunnels are too narrow for any creature

larger than a gnome to follow.The largest of the stalls is used for sales of

salt. It contains several small portions of thevaluable substance; larger orders arebrought from the warehouse as needed.The other stalls are used to sell gems andmagical items�however, those items remainin the warehouse until a deal is close. Then,they are brought out individually (by thechief negotiator only).

The chief negotiator and merchant of thesvirfneblin contingent is Kassawar Plickens-tint�a shrewd wheeler and dealer with akeen eye for value and a poker face thatguarantees whoever sits across the matfrom him will not know what he is thinking.

Kassawar Plickenstint, Chief Negotia-tor for the deep gnomes (8th levelpriest): AC -4; Move 9; HD 8 + 6; hit points42; #AT 1 (or 2, w/ darts); Dmg 1d4 + 4 (orspecial); THAC0 13; MR 45%; AL LN

Special Acid Darts (6): Range 40�; 2-8 hpDmg or eats 3� hole in solid metal armor.

Crystal Caltrops (8): These will be crushedif stepped on; also they can be thrown ordropped. Creates 10� wide gas cloud (saveversus poison or lose consciousness for 1-12turns); cloud dissipates in 2 rounds.

Spell-Like Abilities (illusionist): blindness,blur, change self all once/day; radiate non-detection; summon creatures from the Ele-mental Plane of Earth once/dayCommonly Remembered Spells:First Level: detect magic; emotion read; lightSecond Level: mind read; silence 15� radius;zone of truthThird Level: dispel magic; invisibility purge;water breathingFourth Level: detect lie; thought broadcast

Magical items: amulet of proof against ESP

Kassawar has several lower level assist-ants working in the fungus-grove stall, butthose gnomes are mostly devoted to the sell-ing of salt. Deals involving the selling of

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more valuable items, or any transaction in-volving the purchase by the svrifneblins ofthe goods of others, will be handled by Kas-sawar himself.

Salt is dispensed in blocks, or crushed, inleather sacks, and will fetch approximately5 gp per pound; twice that much for smallquantities (under 20#) and half that muchfor bulk shipments (500# +).

Gems, though a svirfneblin trademark,are not the best deal in Mantol-Derith-pri-marily because the deep gnomes will notpart with any truly fine stones, and theycherish even the mediocre examples somuch that they can�t help but ask exorbitantprices (two or three times what the stonemight be worth in a typical surface market,or even in the darkened streets or crowdedbazaar of Menzoberranzan). Conversely,however, those who offer to pay the gnomesin gems will find their currency welcomedby the svirfnebli, and may find themselvesgetting a better deal than if they had tried topay with gold.

The magical items of the svirfnebli form acategory of goods that brings customersfrom all over the Underdark (and beyond).The objects do not come cheap�indeed, tenor twelve sales a year is the typical exchangeof these goods, and this is quite satisfactoryto the gnomes.

Several items that are available at thispoint in time are listed here. The prices list-ed are the asking price, followed by the veryminimum that the object will be sold for.(The latter figure will only be reached bytruly skilled negotiation on the part of theplayer character.)

Figur ine s o f wondrous power : Thosepresent include each of the three types ofivory goat (10,000/4,000 gp); an ebony fly(40,000/18,000 gp); and an onyx dog (10,000/3,500 gp)Ioun stones: (2,500/1,500 gp) All types areavailable; the player will not know what he�s

getting until the purchase is made; however,it will not be a burned out stone.Stone of control l ing earth e lementals(6000/2500 gp)Stone of good luck (12,000/5,000 gp)Pick of earth parting (20,000/16,000 gpBrooch of number numbing (30,000/21,000gp)Key of entrance* (20,000/9,000 gp)Oil of stone passage* * (4,000/3,000 gp)

* This is a unique device that can be used toopen any door made of stone, when the keyis placed against the door and a commandword is spoken. It will work on doors weigh-ing up to 800 pounds; it will not, however,swing open a huge fortress gate (nor thegates to Blindingstone, for that matter). Thekey will overcome all magic and mundanelocks; however, it has a total of 25 charges,and after these are used it becomes useless.

**This oily paste allows passage throughstone, much the way that a potion of gas-eous form allows a solid being to enter therealm of air. An object coated with this oilcan be literally pushed into an area of solidstone, with no more difficulty than it couldbe pushed into water, for example. A livingbeing coated with the oil can move freelythrough stone at a speed equal to half itsswimming or flying speed (whichever itchooses). On a living creature, the oil willlast for 3-18 turns; on an inanimate object itis permanent. An individual who senses theoil beginning to lose its potency (after the 3-18 turns are up) has 3-18 rounds to emergefrom the stone. If he cannot, he perishes,and is treated as if slain by a disintegratespell.

The WarehouseThis large cavern is where the deep gnomeskeep their valuable objects for barter, aswell as the goods and gold that they take in

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trade. It is similar in floorspace to the otherfour warehouses�but is ceiling is a littlemore than 3� above the floor!

Most of the warehouse is full, mostly withsalt. Blocks of the stuff are stored in hugemasses, forming narrow and winding corri-dors between them. In places, loose salt ismounded on the floor, and in others it isstored in the leather sacks that are used tosell it in smaller quantities.

Beyond all the salt�and, in fact, screenedby a secret door of salt blocks that must bemoved out of the way�are several chestscontaining the magical items, gems, andcash reserves of the mercantile. The magicalitems listed above are here, as are some500,000 worth of gems, cut and uncut�though few of them are really exceptionalexamples�and several chests containingupwards of 40,000 gp worth of platinumand gold pieces.

The long access tunnel is 20� wide and 40�long but, like the cavern itself, it is only 3�high. A party of guards maintains constantposition at the inner end of the tunnel, pre-pared to challenge (and, if necessary, attack)anyone daring to enter. With very rare ex-ceptions, the only ones allowed in here arethose deep gnomes who are officially part ofthe Mantol-Derith garrison.

The guard party numbers 14; 12 of whomare typical guards. The last two are morepowerful, however; one is the commanderof the fighters, and the other is a specialist,able to summon an earth elemental upon hiscommand.

Svirfnebli (12 3rd level fighters): AC 2;Move 9; HD 3 + 6; hit points 20 each; #AT 1(or 2, w/ darts); Dmg 1d4 +2 (or 1-3 + spe-cial); THAC0 17; MR 20%

Special Darts: +2 to hit; 40� range; saveversus poison if struck�failure stuns a vic-tim for 1 round, slows for 4 more rounds

Spell-Like Abilities (illusionist): blindness,

blur, change self all once/day; radiate non-detection

Badrock Feerayton, Earthmaster: AC-1; Move 9; HD 6 + 6; hit points 46; #AT 1;Dmg 1d4 +3; THAC0 14; MR 35%

Spell-Like Abilities (illusionist): blindness,blur, change self all once/day; radiate non-detection

Once per day Badrock can summon a 16Hit Die Earth Elemental; the elemental ar-rives the following round, and will attackwithout Badrock�s concentration.

Earth Elemental: AC 2; Move 6; HD 16; hitpoints 80; #AT 1; Dmg 4-32; THAC0 7; Spe-cial Defense: + 2 weapon needed to hit

Horriwart Tlinglicken (9th level war-rior): AC -4; Move 9; HD 9 + 6; hit points51; #AT 1; Dmg 1d6 +4; THAC0 8; MR 40%

Spell-Like Abilities (illusionist): blindness,blur, change self all once/day; radiate non-detection

Equipment: short sword +3Crystal Caltrops (5): These will be crushed

if stepped on; also they can be thrown ordropped. Creates 10� wide gas cloud (saveversus poison or lose consciousness for 1-12turns); cloud dissipates in 2 rounds.

The deep gnomes will fight courageouslyto keep intruders from entering their ware-house. The entire cavern is protected by an-t i -magic barriers that prevent spells(including clairvoyance and so on) from pen-etrating into the chamber. Passage by magi-cal transport (such as teleportation) is alsoblocked by this barrier.

If the defense seems to be failing, how-ever, the svirfnebli will still try to preventtheir treasures from falling into the attack-ers� hands. A backup force of 4 deep gnomesguards the treasure, remaining ready in thewarehouse in the event of this. When com-manded to do so, they will quickly pour the

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contents of several bottles over the chests�these contain oil of stone passage. Once thechests are coated, they will be pusheddownward, sinking approximately six oreight feet below the surface of the solidstone floor. The flasks will be emptied, sothere will be no further oil in the room.

The treasure guards can be given the com-mand to send the chests under by eitherGardock or Horriwart; if both of thesegnomes are slain, and an enemy makes it in-to the warehouse, the gnomes will decide ontheir own to hide the treasure (1-6 roundsafter of the warehouse is entered).

Duergar QuarterThe gray dwarves maintain a vigorous pres-ence in Mantol-Derith, cantankerously bar-tering with traveling merchants andsquabbling with residents of the other quar-ters about such things as water use (a steadybone of contention with the deep gnomes),excessive noise, smoke and odors (especiallythe drow incense) and anything else thatserves as an excuse for a fight.

Indeed, the duergar make such obnoxiousneighbors that the other races would betempted to drive them from Mantol-De-rith�except for one important fact: Thegray dwarves make the finest steel blades inthe Underdark.

Duergar blades are the starting componentof the finest drow swords, and many enchant-ed weapons on the surface have begun withthe silvery cold, razor-sharp product of a graydwarf forge. Blades long and short, broad-sword and rapier, axe and dagger�all arebrought to Mantol-Derith in well-defendedcaravans. As a result, the market is one of thepremier locations in the Underdark for thetrading of such rare acquisitions.

The duergar are ruthless auctioneers, andwill exploit the existing demand as much aspossible before selling their weapons, play-ing off drow against human, ogre against

deep gnome. In this way they sell theirgoods quickly, and gain the maximum profit.

The duergar here represent an outpostfrom their distant realm of Gracklstugh, ateeming city located even deeper in theearth than Menzoberranzan and Blingdin-stone. The gray dwarves travel a portion oftheir journey by boat, crossing the Darklakein narrow barges to landings ten milesaway. From there, Gracklstugh is still a hun-dred miles of rough passage away�indeed,no drow, deep gnome, or human knows pre-cisely where the city of the duergar lies.

The StallsUnlike the other markets, the duergar quar-ter is open for business only on a sporadicbasis�based on the arrival of the weaponsand the speed with which they are dis-persed to the various purchasers. Whenthere are no goods available, GradrocGant�the Chie f Negot ia tor for theduergar�and his personal bodyguardslounge around outside of the cavern, con-versing (albeit truculently) with anyone whohappens by.

Gradroc will know when the next ship-ment is expected, and this information canusually be pried out of him for a price. If thecurious visitor is crude enough to pay incash, the duergar holds out for about 100gp. He is more intrigued, however, with liq-uor and exotic foodstuffs�and will oftenpart with the information for considerablyless value than the cash price.

Once someone learns about the arrival ofthe duergar caravan, naturally, the informa-tion becomes a closely guarded secret bythat person�he expects everyone else to goand find out for themselves.

Gradroc Gant, Gray Dwarf Chieftain(9th level fighter): AC -2; Move 12; HD9 + 18; hit points 72; #AT 3/2; Dmg 1d6 + 6;THAC0 8; AL LE

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Equipment: vorpal short sword +4; bootsof speed; amulet of magic resistance 30%,against spells levels 1-6 only.

Duergar (10): AC 4; Move 6; HD 2 + 4; hitpoints 15 each; #AT 1; Dmg 1d6 +1 withshort crossbow (range 30/60/90�) orshortsword; THAC0 17; AL LE

The 10 duergar are always on duty in theduergar quarter. Gradroc is always presentif there are goods for sale; if not, he must besummoned from the cave. On the average,he is 50% likely to come out�and rudely de-mand why his important work has been in-terrupted, though most likely he wasnapping or drinking.

The shipments from Gracklstugh arriveabout 6-8 times a year. Usually, they are soldout within a few days of their arrival (1-6days). If a randomly-determined arrival isrequired, the next caravan will arrive in2d20( -4) days, with a zero or less meaningthat the shipment is just around the bend.

The caravan will consist of 11-30 huge spi-ders, each burdened with a leather-wrapped bundle of steel. The blades are pol-ished and sharp, but have not been fittedwith hilts, pommels, or other attachments�they are just the bare steel, with a frame-work for the attachment of accessories.(Indeed, in the case of the drow especially,the enchantments wrought upon the bladewill be performed before a hilt is woven tothe steel.)

The caravans vary in the amount and typeof goods that are delivered, but several gen-eralizations are possible. The following is atypical inventory for about 10 spiders; mul-tiply appropriately for larger caravans.Prices listed are for individual weapons, andindicate where Gradroc will start the bid-ding; he may ask even more if there are rela-tively few samples of that item in thecurrent shipment!

30-180 longsword blades (200 gp)30-180 shortsword blades (100 gp)10-120 rapier blades (120 gp)10-80 broadsword blades (150 gp)101-200 dagger blades (50 gp)200-1200 pike heads (30 gp)1000-6000 arrowheads (10 gp)10-60 axeblades (200 gp)

A strong contingent of fighters arriveswith each caravan, remaining in Mantol- De-rith until the sale is over. They include, typi-cally, the following warriors:

Gray dwarf captain (7th level fighter):AC -1; Move 6; HD 7 + 14; hit points 52;#AT 1; Dmg 1d6 + 5; THAC0 11; AL LE

Equipment: short sword +4

Duergar veterans (10): AC 4; Move 6; HD2 + 4; hit points 14 each; #AT 1 or 2; Dmg1d6 +1 (shortsword) or 1d6 (short bow);THAC0 17; AL LE

Young duergar warriors (20): AC 4;Move 6; HD 1+2; #AT 1; Dmg 1d6 withshortswords or small crossbows (range 30/60/90); THAC0 19; AL LE

Spider-mounted outriders andmounts (10 each):RIDERS: AC 4; Move 12; HD 2 + 4; hit points15 each; #AT 1; Dmg 1d6 + 1 withshortsword or lance; THAC0 17; AL LEMOUNTS: Giant Tarantulas: AC 4; Move 12;HD 4; hit points 21 each; #AT 1; Dmg 1d8;THAC0 17; AL N; spiders can walk alongwalls or ceiling at full movement; can leap240� in any direction (with rider); 50% likely,on a successful attack, to stick to victim, al-lowing automatic hit on each subsequentround

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The WarehouseThe duergar warehouse is a messy and dirtyplace, fully in keeping with the messy anddirty nature of its occupants. Like the ware-house of the svirfnebli, it is protected bymagical wards and barriers to guaranteeprivacy�no one can teleport into the cham-ber, or use spells or items of scrying to spyupon the area.

Not that there�s much to see, in this case.Some thirty or forty duergar live here per-manently, squabbling and brawling amongthemselves when they have no external ri-vals to focus upon. They keep relatively lit-tle treasure here�the spiders of a caravanwait around until after the sale, so that theycan take the proceeds back to Gracklstughwhen they depart.

Drow QuarterThe drow contingent in Mantol-Derith iscontrolled by Menzoberranzan, which isthe nearest dark elf city. Still, that great me-tropolis is some 25 miles distant, and so thedrow who control the markets maintain agood deal of independence from their cous-ins in the city. The dark elves are recent ad-ditions to the market�though they havebeen here for more than a thousand years,both the duergar and the svirfnebli hadtraded in Mantol-Derith for centuries be-fore then.

The market represents several opportuni-ties for the hateful and chaotic dark elves�the chance to trade for items that wouldotherwise be completely unavailable tothem.

In return, they offer several types of trea-sure, available for barter. These include en-chanted weapons and armor�usefulprimarily in the Underdark, of course,though in certain instances such treasurescan be taken onto the surface�as well as ob-jects of art, and various types of magical

treasures and spells created by the mages ofMenzoberranzan.

The PavilionThe mushroom market in the drow quartercrouches like a huge spider over the trick-ling stream coursing through the cavern.Entrance can be gained through any of fourdoors, one at each point of the compass. Noportals guard these entrances, nor are theyguarded�anyone in Mantol-Derith is wel-come to enter the sweet-smelling den with-in.

Incense, made from powdered fungus,burns in several niches around the large,circular central room. Unlike the deepgnomes, the drow stall is centered in thisone area, where all purchases are resolved.One enters this sanctum through a low archof mushroom caps; within, the ceiling risesto a little more than 6�, so most visitors canstand upright.

All is darkness, at first, but then the faintoutlines of faerie fire become apparent, out-lining the floor of the central chamber witha shimmering image that first portrays a gi-ant, hideous spider-shape; and then gradu-ally shifts into the outlines of a beautifulfemale drow. The process is repeated end-lessly, alternating every round.

Amid the smoke of the incense, the sellingstall is lined with plush moss, forming com-fortable couches and chairs around theroughly circular chamber.

The chief negotiator for the drow�in fact,she must approve all sales and purchases�is Yyssisiryl H�tithet, a drow priestess who isattached to no house officially (yet who isvery much a creature of Matron Baenre�s).

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Yyssisiryl H�tithet, Chief Negotiatorfor the Drow

ARMOR CLASS: 3MOVE: 12�HIT POINTS: 67NO. OF ATTACKS: 1 (dagger + 3)DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d4 +3SPECIAL ATTACKS: poisonSPECIAL DEFENSES: NilMAGIC RESISTANCE 76%SIZE: MALIGNMENT: Chaotic EvilPSIONIC ABILITY:13th level drow priestessS:13 I:14 W:18 D:11 C:15 CH:13

Inherent Spell-like Abilities: dancing lights,faerie fire, darkness, levitate, know align-ment, detect magic, clairvoyance, detect lie,suggestion, dispel magic

Commonly Remembered Spells:First Level: curse, detect good, detect poi-son, detect snares and pits, sanctuarySecond Level: chant, charm person, silence15' radius, produce flame, wyvern watchThird Level: animate dead, prayer, speakwith dead, curse, stone shapeFourth Level: abjure, divination, free action,tonguesFifth Level: air walk, transmute rock to mudSixth Level: animate object, word of recall

Yyssisiryl is an extremely attractive drow fe-male, unusually voluptuous in shape whencompared to the normally slender dark elves.She wears her long white hair free flowing,and is fond of shaking her head to send it cas-cading around her shoulders and her body.She wears little else beyond her hair�shefinds it advantageous to distract those acrossthe negotiation mat from her.

The merchant is unusually lawful for adrow�a fact which is almost a prerequisitefor maintaining the drow presence in the

rigidly-governed Mantol-Derith. (The cove-nants of the market, after all, apply to thosewho sell there as well as those who buy.) Shehas commanded the drow presence here formore than a century. She finds the duty en-joyable, being one of the drow who did notcare for the seething intrigue and constantsavagery of Menzoberranzan.

Not that she doesn�t like savagery, how-ever�she is as evil as any drow. It�s just thatshe likes viewing it from a position of con-trol, and in Menzoberranzan�regardless ofher achievements in Station�her life and fu-ture would always remain subject to thewhims of others more powerful.

She is attended in her mercantile centerby several guards. These young drow (allmales) view the proceedings in the chamberthrough narrow slits in the hollowed-out ba-ses of some of the mushrooms forming thewalls of the negotiating chamber. They willrush out at the sight of a subtle hand signalfrom Yyssisiryl�or on their own initiative,at the sight of trouble.

Guard Captain (fighter/mage level 6/5): AC -1; Move 12; HD 6; hit points 28; #AT1; Dmg 1d8 +5; THAC0 11; MR 62%

Weapon: Longsword +5, or handcross-bow with poison darts

Inherent Spell-like Abilities: dancinglights, faerie fire, darkness, levitate, knowalignment, detect magic (all once/day).

Spells Known:First Level: sleep, magic missile, light,

charm personSecond Level: invisibility, webThird Level: fireball

Drow Guards (four 3rd level fighters):AC 0; Move 12; HD 3; hit points 17 (average);#AT 1; Dmg 1d8 + 3; THAC0 12; MR 56%; ALLE

Weapons: long swords +3; handbowsInherent Spell-like Abilities: dancing

lights, faerie fire, darkness (all once/day)

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Objects available from Mistress Yyssisirylinclude the following. Prices are not subjectto negotiation�however, the value assignedto the objects offered the drow in compen-sation can be haggled over for quite sometime, as a means of equalizing the exchange(or maximizing the profit, from Yyssisiryl�spoint of view.)

Drow Weapons and Armor:long sword +3 10,000 gplong sword +4 50,000 gplong sword +6 100,000 gpdagger of venom +4 65,000 gp

(this device contains 20 dosesof virulent poison, save at -4)

hand crossbow +3 25,000 gp

adamantite mace +3 12,000 gpadamantite mace +5 80,000 gpbuckler +2 10,000 gpbuckler +3 35,000 gpchain mail +3 50,000 gpchain mail +5 100,000 gp

Magical items:piwafwi (drow cloak) 10,000 gpdrow boots 10,000 gpring of anti-venom 12,000 gppurple tentacle rod 20,000 gpred tentacle rod 20,000 gpjade tentacle rod 30,000 gpspider wand 25,000 gpbracers of blinding strike 25,000 gpdriftdisc 20,000 gpfloatchest 5,000 gpspider mask 8,000 gp

In exchange, Yyssisiryl is interested in anumber of things. Most coveted are power-ful spells that have not been previously in-troduced into the Underdark�she will paygreat sums for these. Many of them she sellsto Matron Baenre for the latter to distributeto deserving mages; a few of the most po-tent, however, she keeps, or sells secretly in

Menzoberranzan for vast sums.Other things, more mundane, that in-

trigue the drow merchant include anythingof paper or wood, wine and other alcoholicbeverages, sugar, and exotic foodstuffs andspices. She is also responsible for all the saltdelivered to Menzoberranzan�typically,the drow make payments in gemstones forthe precious preservative. Indeed, Yyssisirylpurchases more than two tons of salt everyfortnight�she is Kassawar�s best customer.

The WarehouseThe drow warehouse is more of a fortressand living quarters than a storage facility.Since the goods sold by the drow require lit-tle space�but a lot of protection�this em-p h a s i s i s n a t u r a l . L i k e t h e o t h e rwarehouses, this vast chamber is boundedby wards that prevent the use of scryingspells into the area, and also that bar magi-cal entrance to, and egress from, the ware-house.

Large and messy cargoes are not kept inthe warehouse. Salt, for example, is onlypurchased (from across the cavern) when atrain of rothe has arrived in Mantol-Derith.After the purchase, the beasts are loadedand immediately depart for Menzoberran-zan.

Occasionally the drow purchase largeamounts of oil, or candlewicks, or pure oresfrom a caravan arriving in the market.These cargoes will be held outside the ware-house, under the watchful eyes of a drowpatrol (use the stats of the patrol guardingthe trench, above) until transport can be ar-ranged. Most commonly, such large loadsare taken by rothe; occasionally more exotictransport, such as a flying carpet or porta-ble holes carried by fleet lizard riders, is em-ployed.

Much of the cavern is given over to theluxurious apartments, draped off from eachother by fine tapestries or, rarely, a wall

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constructed of wooden boards. Yyssisirylhas the largest, of course, though there aretwo other apartments that almost equalhers in splendor.

One of these is used by Reftael Jerritril,Yyssisiryl�s most regular escort�though heis not her exclusive partner. Reftael is Over-lord of the drow warriors in the market ca-vern�he is a master warrior, and couldeasily earn a place as weaponsmaster of ahigh-ranking house if he chose to dwell inMenzoberranzan.

Reftael Jerritril, 14th level drowfighter: AC -4; Move 12; HD 9 + 15; hitpoints 62; #AT 2; Dmg 1d8 + 7; THAC0 2; MR78%; AL LE

Inherent Spell-like Abilities: dancinglights, faerie fire, darkness, levitate, knowalignment, detect magic

Equipment: Reftael wields an ink-blacklong sword +5. Instead of a piwafwi, hewears a cloak of invisibility, and boots of si-lence.

In addition, he keeps in his chambers adrow handbow with several powerful ar-rows; these include six bolts +3, two poi-soned bolts (save or die), two bolts with adisabling poison (save at -3 or fall, stunned,for 3-18 rounds), and two lightning bolt bolts.The latter will duplicate the effects of a light-ning bolt spell, inflicting 6d6 of damage.

Reftael is a treacherous partner to Yyssi-siryl, for the male is actually in the service ofHouse Barrison Del�Armgo�dread rival ofHouse Baenre. He has been alerted to the ar-rival of the precious cargo, and has been or-dered to insure that the goods (he doesn�tknow what they are) fall into the hands ofhis owning house. He will try to arrange forthe caravan to proceed to Barrison Del�-Armgo�s mercantile company, the BrownMushroom.

The second plush apartment is main-tained for the infrequent visits of Jarlaxle,the captain of the Bregan d�Aerthe band ofmercenaries. Jarlaxle finds the market to bea comfortable distance from Menzoberran-zan�for those occasions when he wishes toarrange a meeting far from the prying eyesof the city.

Of course, he knows that Yyssisiryl hasachieved her post through the influence ofMatron Baenre; and consequently, he knowsthat she is a source of information for thematron. Since Jarlaxle�s own business is alsooften performed in the service of Baenre,this arrangement works well. (And, in fact,there have been a few occasions whereJarlaxle has bought the silence of Yyssirirylwith a hefty bribe; he never works for theoutright betrayal of House Baenre, butsometimes he takes a job that MatronBaenre would frown upon.)

Despite the fact that they have cooperatedin the past, Jarlaxle and the female mer-chant are bitter and spiteful enemies. Thepriestess resents the requirement that sheprovide accommodations for Jarlaxle, and aspace for him to do his business; the merce-nary, on the other hand, realizes that Yyssi-siryl is as greedy and ambitious as anydrow, yet she is beyond even such chaoticlaw as exists in Menzoberranzan. He takescare never to turn his back on her, nor tosample any food or drink that she offers.

If one of them could prove something thatwould ruin the other, they would not hesi-tate to use that knowledge; both realize,however, that any such political attackwould have to have fast and fatal conse-quences�else the requisite counterattackmight prove even more damaging to the onewho initiated the contest.

Other quarters in the drow cavern areused by the drow warriors who are not onduty elsewhere in Mantol-Derith. These arecommons rooms, each of the four roomsholding bunks for eight drow. At any given

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them, there will be these drow in each oftwo rooms (roll a d4 to determine random-ly):

In first room: Drow guards (seven 3rdlevel fighters): AC 0; Move 12; HD 3; hitpoints 17 (average); #AT 1; Dmg 1d8 + 3;THAC0 12; MR 56%; AL LE

Weapons: longswords +3; handbowsInherent Spell-like Abilities: dancing

lights, faerie fire, darkness (all once/day)

In second room: Drow warriors (six 4thlevel fighters): AC 0; Move 12; HD 3; hitpoints 21 (average); #AT 1; Dmg 1d8 +3;THAC0 11; MR 58%; AL LE

Weapons: long swords +3; handbowsInherent Spell-like Abilities: dancing

lights, faerie fire, darkness (all once/day)

The drow goods for barter are kept in alocked vault of a room. Only Yyssiriryl (ofthe drow in the market) possesses the key tothis chamber; however, she was forced togive one to Jarlaxle upon the MatronBaenre�s command.

The treasures located in this room includeall of the things listed for sale, above, as wellas chests of gems and coins. The latter totalsomething like 250,000 gp worth of gems orjewelry, 50,000 gp worth of platinum piecesand 20,000 gp.

It is protected by several defenses. First,the huge door (weighing 2,000 lb) can onlybe opened by one of the keys. If the lock ispicked, fully three traps must be disarmed�a poison needle, save at -2; a 10� x 10� ceil-ing block, falling for 6d6 of damage (saveversus breath weapon for ½ damage); and a10d6 fireball that will extend in a 30� diame-ter semi-circle outside the vault door.

Within, the vault is protected by a numberof guardians:

Giant spiders (10): AC 4; Move 3, Wb 12;HD 4 + 4; hit points 22 each; #AT 1; Dmg 1-8;THAC0 17; SA poison (save or die); AL N

The huge arachnids have lined the walls andceiling of the chamber with their webs,though the floor is clear of the sticky barri-er. The spiders will automatically attack anynon-drow entering the vault; drow are al-lowed one round to make the secret handsignal that protects them against attack�any drow not making the signal will be at-tacked.

The final protection is a magical barrier:Each chest is enchanted with a permanentdetect alignment spell. If any intelligent be-ing approaches within 3� of a chest, it exam-ines the alignment of that individual. If thealignment is other than chaotic evil, thechest immediately teleports to the centralchamber of House Baenre, in Menzoberran-zan.

Surface-Dwellers�Quarter This is the most raucous and bustling por-tion of Mantol-Derith�for this is the area ofthose who long for the sun, and for the mostpart have not fully reconciled themselves tolife below the surface.

Of all the quarters of the market, this isthe one that most resembles a marketplacein a city of humans�a wide variety of goodsis offered here, and the negotiations areperformed out in the open, often in loud de-bate. Though very few surface dwellersknow of the existence of Mantol-Derith,those who do take advantage of that fact tobring an assortment of goods here, and theyinvariably depart with a hefty profit toshow for their efforts.

The goods from the surface are uniqueand, often, otherwise unobtainable to thecreatures of the Underdark. Items broughtdown from above include alcoholic bever-ages of all kinds (with whisky preferred),perfumes, spices, paper and wood, cloth ofcotton or silk, and spells that have been de-

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veloped by surface wizards, far removedfrom the eternal darkness.

The StallsThe stalls of this quarter almost resemblethe tents and pavilions of a city bazaar. In-deed, with its position nearest the waterfall,the rickety structures of this quarter aredraped by canvas to keep the interiors dry.Three crude shelters have been formed,each screened from outside view. Two ofthem contain plank tables, benches, andcandles; the third is nicer, with sitting mats,a polished wooden table, a pair of comfort-able chairs, and a buffet with decanters ofwine and bottles of whiskey.

A group of the ruffians listed below willusually be found in one of the low-classtents, griping and gambling. One of themwill be willing to get the Chief Negotiator ifsomeone stops by on official business:

Chief Negotiator Laral Kroul, half-orcand fighter/thief (levels 8/9): AC -2;Move 12; hit points 42; #AT 1; Dmg 1d8 + 5;THAC0 8; AL NE

Equipment: long sword +5 (of drow en-chantment); Bolts of Power�dart of silenc-ing; dart of stunning, spider dart; drowchain mail +4; ring of jumping; small vialcontaining 2 doses dust of disappearance

Laral is one of the few creatures of thesurface world who actually prefers livingout of sight of the sun. His disposition, asone might expect, matches this tendency�he is rude, surly, and suspicious to the pointof paranoia. For example, he maintains a con-stant guard outside his bedroom door whenhe sleeps. Also�and although he does notviolate the market�s covenant about overtthievery�he has been discovered on morethan one occasion rummaging through thebelongings of others, convinced that theyhave stolen something from him. These en-

counters have sometimes resulted in vio-lence, but fortunately for Laral he has afaithful ally in:

Saarduel, human mage (11th level):AC -3; Move 12; hit points 31; #AT 1; Dmg1d4 + 6 ( + poison); THAC0 15; AL NECommonly Remembered Spells:

*First Level: cantrip; charm person; magicmissile; read magic

*Second Level: detect invisibility; levitate;mirror image; stinking cloud

*Third Level: dispel magic; fireball; fly;suggestion

*Fourth Level: detect scrying; ice storm;wall of fire

*Fifth Level: domination; passwall; trans-mute rock to mud

The types of muscle employed in thisquarter varies a lot. Humans are preferred,but very few of them want to spend morethan a few months in the lightless oppres-sion of the Underdark. Thus, ogres, orcs,and half-orcs have all found gainful employ-ment in Mantol-Derith.

Typical of the bands that might be en-countered in the stalls area are:

Ogres (5): AC 5; Move 9; HD 4 + 1; hitpoints 18 each; #AT 1; Dmg 1-10; THAC0 17;AL CE

Each ogre has a satchel containing 12rocks, each of which will inflict 1-10 pointsof damage with a hit. The ogres can throwthem up to 30� (no range modifiers);

Orcs and half-orcs (10): AC 5; Move 9;HD 2; hit points 11 each; #AT 1; Dmg1d8 + 1; THAC0 17; AL NE

Human bullies (seven 5th level fight-ers): AC 2; Move 9; hit points 33 each; #AT1; Dmg 1d8 +3; THAC0 14; AL NE

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The goods currently available from Laral�smercantile include dozens of casks of whis-key and a lesser number of wine. Each sellsfor 1,000-2,000 gp, depending on the quality(the wine casks are bigger; the price percask is equal).

Also this quarter of the bazaar maintains avariety of dried peppers and other spices�all of which are foreign to the Underdark. Alittle seasoning goes a long way, so theseitems are often sold in small packets for any-thing from 10 to 100 gp. Perfumes, too, arepopular goods from the surface, and a smallvial can cost anywhere from 50 to 500 gp.

Laral also keeps a good supply of parch-ment on hand, in bundles of 10 sheets thathe sells for 50 gp. This is another materialthat underground mages have not been ableto make for themselves�yet the ease ofwriting upon it far exceeds the pages ofleather or beaten moss that are used whennothing else is available.

A great portion of Laral�s business is thetrade of spell components�all sorts ofthings derived from surface plants and ani-mals that are otherwise unavailable in theUnderdark. Though he has limited stock-piles of any single item, he has hundreds ofdifferent components. He also has a smallselection of scrolls, inscribed with magicalspells that are rare in the Underdark. He ne-gotiates the price of these on an individualbasis, but always gets at least 5,000 gp perspell level on the scroll. Currently, he hasscrolls containing the following spells:

Wizard:Fist of Stone (first level)Deeppockets (second level)Chaos Shield (second level)Ride the Wind (second level)Alacrity (third level)Dilation I (fourth level)Minor Spell Turning (fourth level)Stoneskin (fourth level)Turn Pebble to Boulder (fourth level)Lower Resistance* (fifth level)

*This spell has never been used in theUnderdark, and Laral is biding his time be-fore revealing its existence and trying to sellit�when he does, however, he will try to get100,000 gp for it.

Priest:Weighty chest (first level)Mystic Transfer (second level)Astral Window (third level)Emotion Control (third level)Magical Vestments (third level)Miscast Magic (third level)Compulsive Order (fourth level)Control Temperature, 10� Radius (fourth

level)Mental Domination (fourth level)

The WarehouseLike the other three private quarters, thewarehouse of the surface dwellers isscreened by the enchanted barriers insur-ing privacy and preventing magical intru-sions. Here, however, there�s not a lot ofmotivation for someone who doesn�t have toenter.

Most of the warehouse is a large, rubble-strewn cave�it�s an orc and ogre lair, afterall. Extra stockpiles of goods will be care-lessly stacked around the walls�except forthe whiskey and wine. These casks arestacked in the middle, and since Laral hasamusing punishments for those caught raid-ing the inventory�as well as attractive re-wards for those who turn their comrades infor the crime�the rate of pilferage is re-markably low.

The only private room in here is a cham-ber shared by Laral and Saarduel�it is alsowhere the cash reserves of this mercantileare stored. The door is heavy, made ofwooden timbers soaked in creosote andstrapped together by iron bars. It has onlyone lock, but it�s a good one�thieves suffer-25% probabilities to their chances to dis-

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cover and remove the poison needle trapthere (save versus poison or turn to stone),as well as to open the door. The poison, inci-dentally, Laral purchased from the assassinKrecil Treak�it is a less potent version ofthe stuff that Krecil himself uses. The ven-om used by Laral does not poison the victimat the same time it petrifies him!

A pair of ogres stand guard at the door tothe chamber whenever Laral is within;otherwise it is not specifically posted, but itcan easily be seen from much of the cavern.

Within the room are several chests,locked but not trapped. They contain a totalof 15,000 gp in platinum and gold pieces,and a few bits of jewelry. Laral has a stash ofanother 100,000 gp (mostly in gems) but it isburied in a remote passageway, severalmiles from Mantol-Derith.

The Adventure InMantol-DerithAfter the PCs have arrived, and the mules ofthe caravan have been raised by the magicalelevator to the floor of Mantol-Derith, theparty will be given a place in the camp onthe western side of the trench�the sideshared by the surface-dweller and drowquarters. Here they will be pretty much leftalone, since the custom in the market is forthe caravaniers to go up to the various quar-ters and state their business.

However, that is not to say that the PCs willbe unobserved. Representatives of each ofthe quarters will stroll by, conversing withthe new arrivals and discreetly examiningthe lizards and their saddlebags. More thanone covetous pair of eyes�whether graydwarf, deep gnome, drow, ogre, or human�will caress the telltale shape of the casks car-ried into the Underdark by the lizards.

Most interested in the mission is Yyssi-siryl, Chief Negotiator for the drow. She hasbeen warned, by Matron Baenre, that a hu-

man merchant would be bringing an objectof considerable importance into the market.She suspects that this is that mission, andshe finds it very difficult to be patient.

Yet Hadrogh (if he�s alive) chuckles to thePCs and tells them it�s best to let the cus-tomers anticipate for awhile. He�ll go andtalk to them after he�s rested. At that, he�llpull out his bedroll and settle down to sleep.

This is the last you, the DM, will roleplaythe doughty merchant, since it is regretfullynecessary at this point to kill him off in hissleep. He should be discovered after themurder by the PCs, slain by a black-bladeddagger. The weapon is inscribed with adrow glyph on the handle�the sigil displaysa black spider with the image of a red dag-ger thrust through its abdomen. It is not rec-ognizable, even by characters familiar withMenzoberranzan.

The weapon is jutting from Hadrogh�s un-patched eye. Apparently it killed him with asingle stab, and even if Hadrogh slept inplain sight, no one sees the murderer. Mostodd, however: the body is petrified. Ha-drogh is a solid stone statue, including hisclothing and pillow (but not the dagger).

For the future of the adventure, it�s best ifhis killer goes undetected for the moment�except for the clue of the dagger, which is infact a red herring. This is what happens:

Krecil Treak is the most feared magicuser/assassin in Menzoberranzan, andserves Jarlaxle and the Bregan d�Aerthe.Through a spy serving in the drow quarterof Mantol-Derith (using a messenger bat tosend the message), he learns of Hadrogh�sarrival. Using his ring of teleportation, hetravels to the bazaar; behind the screen ofhis invisibility spell (and cloaked in silence)he approaches the sleeping merchant. Ifnecessary, he uses darkness as a screen orlast-minute diversion (blinding someonekeeping watch, for example). The dagger

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Chapter Three

has been envenomed by a poison of his owninvention�it petrifies the victim as it kills.After the murder, he teleports away.

At this point, the players will be confront-ed with several choices by several NPCs�choices that are viable for both drow andnon-drow PCs. All of them will eventuallyplace them on the road to Menzoberran-zan�and each, too, will involve them in thedepths of a plot that could shake the city toits foundations.

The encounters can occur at the PCs insti-gation, if they go and visit Yyssisiryl orLaral. If they don�t, these two NPCs will bidetheir time for 3-6 days. At this point, one willhead over to the PCs followed shortly there-after by the other. In the case of Jarlaxle, ofcourse, the PCs will have to wait for his ar-rival�which occurs after Yyssiriryl speakswith the party.

Yyssisiryl represents House Baenre�s inter-ests. She knows that Hadrogh brought anextremely important treasure to the mar-ket�but she doesn�t know what it is! Ma-tron Baenre (who does know) has been veryvague on that point�it could be potions con-cealed as wine, spell components . . . any-thing. But she has been threatened with direconsequences if it does not reach Menzober-ranzan. She had been instructed to send Ha-drogh and his bodyguards to the Black ClawMarket. There, she promises that the PCswill be paid double the best offer they canobtain in Mantol-Derith.

She is determined to see that the goods ar-rive in the city safely�and shrewd enoughto realize that is was not House Baenre thatarranged for the merchant�s murder. Herbest guess is to trust the PCs, and try to hur-ry them on their way with the promise that

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Chapter Three

the Black Claw will pay generously for theircargo. She doesn�t want them to leave any-thing in Mantol-Derith.

Reftael Jerritrel will approach the PCs assurreptitiously as possible�especially tak-ing care to avoid the attention of Yyssisiryl.The male drow will make no overt state-ment of his beliefs and alliances. However,he suggests that if the PCs can bring theircargo to the Brown Mushroom Mercantilein Menzoberranzan, the rewards will be farbeyond what they can expect from the BlackClaw, or from any buyer in Mantol-Derith.He will request that the characters say noth-ing about his visit, though he will avoid mak-ing threats about consequences. Instead, hisappeals will be toward the players� greed.

Laral has made a careful guess about thecaravan of Hadrogh Prohl. His sources onthe surface (which are extensive, and en-compass much of Toril) have told him aboutthe shipment of spells destined for theUnderdark. He makes a shrewd guess thatthe spells have been carried by Hadrogh�which makes him the only one in the marketwho knows what the treasure is, but he�snot certain that it will be found in the cara-van.

Still, he will watch the drow quarter verycarefully, because he suspects that Yyssi-siryl will also be very interested in thespells. In fact, he would not be above sellingthem to her�but first he will try to gain pos-session of them for himself.

If the PCs depart the market with the car-avan, he will send a team of bandits afterit�the covenants, after all, apply only with-in the confines of Mantol-Derith! The thugswill attack from ambush shortly after themuletrain leaves the Market of the Under-dark�see Chapter 4 for details.

The svirfnebli and duergar will not be leftout of the action, either. The origins of theirinvolvement hail from the auguries of theHigh Priest of Blindingstone, who foresawthe arrival of sinister powers borne fromthe surface world on the backs of animals.These powers, in the prophecy, have beentied to the treacherous drow�thus, the con-nection of the caravan and the interest ofYyssiriryl will not be overlooked. Thesvirfnebli will make plans to annihilate thecaravan at the earliest opportunity.

In this they will enlist the aid of theduergar. Normally the two races would havelittle interest in cooperative actions. In thiscase, however, the common enemy�bothdiminutive races consider the drow to bethe bane of the Underdark�and the factthat Mantol-Derith has given the two nego-tiators a chance to develop a relationship al-lows a joint attack team to be assembled.They will pursue the caravan and create anambush in the isolated depths away fromthe bazaar�this attack, too, is detailed inChapter 4.

The final party interested in the shipment ofHadrogh Prohl is none other than Jarlaxle,the powerful leader of the Bregan d�Aerthe.Through his spy in the drow quarter, he willkeep tabs on the caravan, and only ap-proach after Yyssisiryl has gone to speakwith them.

In fact, if the PCs depart quickly (afterspeaking with Yyssisiryl), Jarlaxle will meetthem in the labyrinths of the Underdark. Inthat case, this encounter with him occurs af-ter they have left Mantol-Derith.

Jarlaxle warns the PCs that plans havebeen laid to kill them, ambushing them onthe way to Menzoberranzan. He encouragesthe players to trust him, promising to getthem to the city more quickly and moresafely than if they follow Yyssisiryl�s route.(He does, in fact, know a far superior route.If the PCs take his advice they will avoid a

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nasty encounter with the minions of Laral.) convinced him that it is something magical,If the PCs agree to accompany him, Jarlax- and very powerful.)

le informs them that they will have to travellight. He encourages them to leave the liz- Following the appeals by these variousards and most of the cargo in Mantol-Derith, NPCs, the players should be given a littlebringing along only the truly valuable trea- time for discussion and to make up theirsure that is concealed in one of the saddle- minds. With one ally or another, then, theybags. (He doesn�t know exactly what that should embark for Menzoberranzan.treasure is, but the chorus of interest has

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Chapter Four

To the City of DarkElvesThe trek from Mantol-Derith to Menzober-ranzan is the next stage of the adventure forthe PCs. The difficulties of that journey willbe determined by the choice of advice thePCs have selected. The Encounters in thechapter are numbered from 1-5; but no par-ty should experience all 5 of them. To deter-mine which ones to use, consult thefollowing list:

If the PCs take Yyssisiryl�s advice and headfor the Black Claw Mercantile, they willhave encounters 1, 2, and 3.

If the PCs listen to Reftael, and decide totry and take the goods to the Market of theBrown Mushroom, they will have encoun-ters 1, 2, and 4.

If the PCs decide to trust Jarlaxle�s adviceand slip into Menzoberranzan undetected,trying to lose themselves in the city, thenthey will have encounters 2 and 5.

The JourneyThe course of the march is a typical trekthrough eternal darkness. Much of it willpass through natural caverns, alongsmoothly graveled or eroded pathways forlong distances, though occasionally a steepdescent or climb becomes necessary. ThePCs don�t change altitude nearly as much asthey did on the march from the surface toMantol-Derith.

If they are accompanied by the lizardtrain and destined for one of the mercantilehouses, they will follow a route mapped outclearly by whichever drow they listened to.The trip will take 7-10 days. Those PCs whofollow Jarlaxle�s lead, however, will work

their way over rougher terrain�oftenwedging through narrow passages or usingropes to scale short, steep cliffs�and re-quire 11-14 days for the journey.

Both routes have a couple of things incommon, however:

Random Encounters can be employed atthe DM�s discretion�use any of your favor-ite monsters that inhabit the sunless reachesof the Underdark.

The PCs will pass near a large lake�theroute actually drops down to the lakeshore,and meander along a flat stretch of sand.

Encounter 1These brutes are sent against the party byLaral, and will initiate the attack against therear of the column with a barrage of stones,after which they will charge and try toclose, overcoming the party by brute force.The attack occurs in a wide and high-ceilinged (30' x 15') cavern with no branch-ing tunnels in the vicinity. The floor andwalls are pitted by erosion, except for the 8�wide track of crushed rock running roughlydown the middle. There are plenty of placeswhere a character can duck behind a stalag-mite or drop into a shallow depression inthe floor for cover.

The attack team will include the followingthugs:

Ogres (12): AC 5; Move 9; HD 4 + 1; hitpoints 18 each; #AT 1; Dmg 1-10; THAC0 17;AL CE

Each ogre has a satchel containing 12rocks, each of which will inflict 1-10 pointsof damage with a hit. The ogres can throwthem up to 30� (no range modifiers).

Ogre mage (1): AC4; Move 9, Fl 15 (B); HD5 + 2; hit points 26; #AT 1; Dmg 1-12; THAC015; AL LESpell-like Abilities: fly for 12 turns; invisibili-ty, darkness 10' radius; polymorph, regen-

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Chapter Four

erate 1hp/round; charm person, sleep, as-sume gaseous form, create a cone of cold(60� long, 20� wide at end; 8d8 damage)

NOTE: The ogre mage will not use its coneof cold in an area where it could get the liz-ards caught in the area of effect�it does notwant to risk ruining the wine in the saddle-bags! However, the main goal of the attack isto gain the spellbook or sheaf of parchmentssuspected by Laral to be here. Any of theogres or the ogre mage will know this, andreveal the information of interrogated.

Avoiding the Encounter: If the PCs havetaken Jarlaxle�s advice, the route he selectsfor them will easily outwit the ogres� pur-suit. The mercenary captain will inform theparty of the monsters, and let them knowthat the ogres have been diverted to a falsetrail.

Encounter 2Finally the PCs� route will bring them to thewide, sandy shore that circles around thedarkened waters of the subterranean lake.If they are following a map, their guide hasscribbled �Beware Aboleth!� for this part ofthe journey. If instead they are accompaniedby Jarlaxle, he will inform them that thelake is known to contain those horrificbeasts.

T h i s a m b u s h i s t h e r e s u l t o f t h esvirfneblin high priest�s prophecy, and thefear that the portents of the caravan bodeextreme ill for the Underdark�a not unreal-istic concern, given the potency of the spellscarried by the PCs. This is the one unavoid-able encounter of the journey�since thetracking skills and spying network of thesepeoples, combined, makes it very tough foranyone trying to elude attention.

However, if the PCs travel with Jarlaxle,his own network of scouts and spies in-forms him of the impending ambush. He

will warn the PCs to expect attack (even tell-ing them that they might have to face acharge). Then he abruptly departs�to sum-mon reinforcements, he explains impatient-ly if questioned.

The attack occurs on a large, flat expanseof sand at the shore of one of the great lakesof the Underdark. The flat expanse is cho-sen because the spider-mounted duergarcan employ their steeds to the maximum ef-fect. Also, though the sand itself is feature-less, i t is blocked by (presumably)impassable features to the right and left:

1) To the party�s left, a cliff rises 100' to theceiling of the cavern. It is pitted and crackedenough to allow good hand- and footholds,with many wide ledges.

2) To the right is the lake, known to be alair of the aboleth. These bloated and repug-nant horrors dwell in great numbers in thedepths, and will quickly strike out againstany who enter the water or attempt to sailatop it.

The encounter is initiated by the charge ofa line of �steeders��duergar mounted on gi-ant tarantulas�against the front of the PCs�party. These creatures will spring out of thedarkness, using their powerful leaps tocharge into the characters for full chargebenefits on the first round of battle.

On the second round of melee, as many ofthe spiders as possible will use their stickysecretions to seize a character (one spiderper PC) and thus inflict automatic damageon future turns.

Two rounds after the spiders attack, thesvirfnebli will rush forward from theirplaces of concealment at the base of he cliff.The deep gnomes have screened themselveswith rubble to avoid detection�treat thescreens as secret doors.

Duergar (8): AC 4; Move 6; HD 2 + 4; hitpoints 15 each; #AT 1; Dmg 1d6 + 1 withshort crossbow (range 30/60/90�) orshortsword; THAC0 17; AL LE

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Chapter Four

Spider Mounts (8): AC 4; Move 12; HD 4;hit points 21 each; #AT 1; Dmg 1d8; THAC017; AL N

Svirfnebli (12 level 3 fighters): AC 2;Move 9; HD 3 + 6; hit points 20 each; #AT 1(or 2, w/ darts); Dmg 1d4 +2 (or 1-3 + spe-cial); THAC0 17; MR 20%; AL NG

Special Darts: +2 to hit; 40� range; saveversus poison if struck�failure stuns a vic-tim for 1 round, slows for 4 more rounds

Spell-Like Abilities (illusionist): blindness,blur, change self all once/day; radiate non-detection

If Jarlaxle is not helping the PCs, this en-counter has no set time limit�the battlecontinues until more than 75% of both theduergar and svirfnebli have been slain orneutralized.

If the characters have the aid of the mer-cenary captain, however, he proves as goodas his word: 10 rounds after the first attack,a silent company of around two dozen darkelves rushes up the shore from ahead of theparty. The drow attack the duergar andsvirfnebli with crossbows, and the first dev-astating volley will be enough to send the at-tackers on their way.

Encounter 3This encounter results from the fear ofthe houses aligned against House Baenre�primarily Fey-Branche and BarrisonDel�Armgo�and the failure of their agent,Reftael Jerritrel. Since he could not con-vince the PCs to turn their precious cargoover to the Brown Mushroom MercantileCompany, he is driven to this desperate en-counter in an attempt to redeem his reputa-tion�and, very probably, his life.

As a lone operative, Reftael can call on fewaids beyond his own (admittedly formida-ble) abilities. However, he has managed tohire two drow renegades to help in this ven-

ture. They will serve to create diversions,while the great drow warrior makes hisown deadly attacks with crossbow andsword.

The attack will occur in a narrow cavern,tangled with pillars, stalactites and stalag-mites. It is portrayed on Map 3. (Note thatthe same map is used for Encounter 4�in-deed, that battle will take place in the samelocation, though no group of PCs will sufferboth encounters.)

The two henchmen will initiate the attackby shooting their crossbows at the party asit passes, from the almost point-blank rangeof 20�. (They�re in location �A�.) The drowwill remain firmly behind the cover of theirpillars, shooting every round until the PCscome after them and then defending them-selves with swords.

Drow (two 3rd level Warriors): AC 4;Move 12; hp XX each; #AT 1; Dmg 1-6 or 1-8 + 3; THAC0 16; MR 56%; AL LE

Inherent Spell-like Abilities: dancinglights, faerie fire, darkness (all once/day)

Equipment: handbows, long swords +3

Reftael himself is concealed in theshadows in front of the caravan (at locationB). He will shoot one of his lightning boltbolts at the range of 40� to start the battle,attempting to strike as many PCs as possiblewith the first attack. After this, he will usehis poisoned bolts to try and pick off healthyPCs.

(Reftael�s attributes and equipment arelisted in Chapter 3.)

The warrior will fight without regard tothe lives of his henchmen. However, if it be-comes clear that he will not be able to defeatthe PCs, he himself will try to flee on foot.He has a potion of speed carried on his per-son for just such an eventuality.

4 2

Chapter Four

Encounter 4If the PCs choose to betray House Baenre,their treachery will not pass unnoticed�orunpunished. This encounter will be the re-sult�an ambush that is backed up by muchgreater muscle than can be mustered bypoor, treacherous Reftael Jerritrel (see En-counter 3).

On the flip side, this ambush will be dis-covered by Jarlaxle, since he has a good net-work of informants in the House Baenrecircle of families. The mercenary captainhas not given up on converting the PCs tohis own purposes. Thus, he will come tothem during their journey, several hours be-fore they reach this deadly passage. He willwarn them of the ambush, and try�oncemore�to persuade them to throw in theirlot with him. If they agree, they will have toleave the lizards and the heavy cargo�buthe will be able to lead them around the am-bush, and bring them to Menzoberranzan insecrecy.

If they choose not to accompany the drowveteran, however, they will have to passthrough this ambush. The mercenary willprove truthful in his warnings about wherethe ambush will take place, and in the roughstrength of the attacking drow. He will notbe able to furnish the player characterswith tactical advice, however.

The following drow form the attackingparties.

Location A: These drow will lurk in theshadows, waiting for the barrage of missiles(from Location B) to start the battle. Afterthat attack, these dark elves will rush at thePCs to attack with their swords.

Drow (six 4th level warriors): AC 3;Move 12; hp 20 each; #AT 1; Dmg 1d8 +3;THAC0 15; MR 58%; AL LE

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Chapter Four

Inherent Spell-like Abilities: dancinglights, faerie fire, darkness (all once/day)

Location B: These are the missile troops, andthey will begin the ambush with a volley ofarrows and magic missiles directed at thePCs. These drow will not close for meleecombat, instead shooting missiles whenevera good target presents itself.

Drow (five 3rd level warriors): AC 5;Move 12; hp 15 each; #AT 1; Dmg 1d6;THAC0 17; MR 58%; AL LE

Weapons: hand crossbows, 3/#/#Inherent Spell-like Abilities: dancing

lights, faerie fire, darkness (all once/day)

Location C: The final (and hopefully fatal)blows will be delivered by this trio of youngdrow nobles. At the start of the encounter,they are using their levitation abilities andthe concealment provided by their piwafwito hide among the stalactites on the ceiling,40� over the PCs� heads. After the attack be-gins, they will watch the drow in the otherlocations attack the PCs. After the battle isfully joined, they will drop to the floor (stillin location C) and attack the PCs with spellsand longsword.

Drow fighter/mage (level 7/6): AC 1;Move 12; HD 5; hit points 24; #AT 1; Damage1d8 + 4; THAC0 11; MR 64%; AL LE

Weapon: Long sword +3; handheld cross-bow

Inherent Spell-like Abilities: dancinglights, faerie fire, darkness, levitate, knowalignment, detect magic (all once/day)

Spells Known:First Level: charm person, detect magic,

magic missile, read magicSecond Level: detect invisibility, webThird Level: lightning bolt, slow

Ambushing Drow Fighter (level 7): AC0; Move 12; HD 7; hit points 38; #AT 1; Dmg

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Chapter Four

1d8 + 8; THAC0 10; MR 64%; AL LEWeapon: long sword +5Inherent Spell-like Abilities: dancing

lights, faerie fire, darkness, levitate, knowalignment, detect magic (all once/day)

Noble Priestess (level 8): AC 2; Move 12;hit points 42; #AT 3; Dmg 2d4 (x3); THAC016; MR 66%; AL LE

Weapon: whip of fangsInherent Spell-Like Abilities: dancing

lights, faerie fire, darkness, levitate, knowalignment, detect lie, suggestion, dispel mag-ic

Spells Known:First Level: detect good, detect magic,

magical stoneSecond Level: charm person or mammal,

hold person, silence 15� radiusThird Level: dark wings, dispel magic,

feign deathFourth Level: free action, spell immunity

Encounter 5This encounter is reserved for those PCswise enough to follow Jarlaxle�s advice, thusavoiding the entanglements with rivalhouses provided in encounters 3 and 4.However, even the mercenary captain is notable to avoid all threats in the Underdark�particularly those posed by the SpiderQueen herself, Lloth. It occurs when thePCs are camped for a rest break.

None other than that dread goddess is be-hind this final encounter�when one ormore revenants emerge from the Under-dark to attack the PCs.

These horrific undead are created fromthe bodies of drow slain by the PCs duringthe adventure.

The exact number of revenants is up to theDM�s discretion�but it will not exceed thenumber of drow slain by the PCs during thecourse of this adventure. (Thus, if they havesomehow made it this far without killing any

drow, they will avoid the encounter.)Each revenant will seek out the specific

PC who killed that drow�the one who ad-ministered the final blow, if several attack-ers combined their efforts. Other PCsinterposing themselves will be attacked bythe undead only in order to get them out ofthe way.

Revenant: AC 10; Move 9; HD 8; hit points44; #AT 1; Dmg 2-16; THAC0 13; AL N

Regenerates 3 hp/round (except fire dam-age); immune to gas and acid; reunites if dis-membered

The monster can cause paralysis for 2-8rounds; it must look into the eyes of its origi-nal killer, and that character must save ver-sus spells or suffer immobility.

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Chapter Five

Menzoberranzan�the Heart ofDarknessThe arrival of the PCs in this dark elf citysignals the end of their travels, for the timebeing�but not the end of their adventure.Indeed, the number of individuals who wishto recruit (or to destroy) them rises dramati-cally. Treachery waits around every turn,and it will take careful planning and alertsenses just to insure survival!

But there is more than any individualcharacter�s survival at stake�and thesestakes have been created by the wild magicspells brought into the Underdark by Ha-drogh�s caravan.

This chapter can result in a lot of (or a lit-tle) running around in Menzoberranzan,while the PCs try to sort out their friendsfrom their enemies. In either case, by theend of Chapter five they should be firmlyentrenched (in one side or the other) for theclimax of the adventure�the attack on, andattempt to destroy, House Millithor.

The plot of these last two chapters has alot of variables, because the PCs could havearrived in the city with one of several differ-ent destinations. Also, it is possible that theystill may not know of the secret cargo�orthat they may have discovered the spells,and possibly even tried to open thespellbook.

The adventures in the city, however, candevelop with less specific detail than provid-ed for Mantol-Derith. After all, the rest ofthis boxed set contains descriptions of loca-tions in the dark elf city! Thus, the DM willneed to refer to areas described in the othertwo books while he referees the final en-counters described in the last two chapters.

Entering the CityWith Jarlaxle�s aid this is accomplished easi-ly. The mercenary joins the characters forthe last leg of the journey, and leads theminto the city via a narrow cavern with nopermanent guard. In his wake the PCs sim-ply emerge from this tunnel, which is nearthe Stenchstreets and pass unremarked intothe maze of alleys and decrepit structures.

If they arrive with the full caravan of liz-ards, they will have to declare their mercan-tile intent with one of the guard captains atthe entrance tunnel for the trade route intothe Eastvale. The guard will provide themwith directions to their destination if it is anoble house of the city or one of the knownmarkets (including the Black Claw andBrown Mushroom).

ObservationIf the PCs have brought the full caravan,they will once again have assured that theirenemies will quickly learn about their arriv-al, and their destination. They will not bemolested during this period, but charactersnear the rear of the caravan who announcethat they�re looking for anything suspiciousshould be allowed to make WisdomChecks�success means that they noticesomeone following them.

That one will be a low-level drow fighter/thief. He is alert and watchful, and if hesenses that the PCs are on to him he�ll try todisappear into the Stenchstreets. If the char-acters are clever enough to catch him,though, he can be made to reveal his em-ployer: whichever mercantile company thePCs are not traveling to.

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Chapter Five

Mercantile HouseRegardless of which merchant company thePCs take their packlizards to (the Black Clawor the Brown Mushroom), this descriptionwill serve to set the scene.

The merchant house hides behind a 20�high encircling wall of smooth black stone.No stalls or structures are attached to theoutside of this particular wall�the companydesires very much to squash potential com-petition before it can get started.

The gate is barred on the inside, andwatched by a captain and two warriors whostand at attention outside of the entrance.Any reasonable explanation of why they�rehere will serve to admit the PCs, as long asthey�re obviously traveling with goods. If,for some reason, they�re not, they will haveto bribe the guard or mention the name ofan important contact inside the house in or-der to gain access.

If they should try to get over the wall, theywill find that it is perfectly smooth. The topis only 6� wide, and flat�however, any pres-sure on the top of the wall causes sharpspikes to shoot upward to a height of 6�.Anyone in the area of effect suffers 2-24 hpof damage, with a successful saving throwversus breath weapon reducing the damageby half.

The trap even extend up in the air to thisextent: anyone flying over the wall (but notmore than 60� above the top of the wall) trig-gers a different trap. Magic missiles shootfrom several different apertures. The flyingcharacter will be struck by 2-12 of these, for2-5 hp of damage apiece.

Within the wall, the company consists of alarge courtyard, open to Menzoberranzan�s�sky�, and an equally large building with anouter shape of a smooth and rounded dome.The structure is made from the living rockof the cave, shaped by drow magic, and thefaerie fire outlines of the company symbol(either a claw or mushroom, as the case may

be) gleam in a constantly changing patternof colors over the entire face of the dome.

The merchant, called Tolokoph, is himselfis a old drow, slightly feeble in appearancebut very sharp mentally�and no slouchphysically, either, despite his looks. Tolo-koph uses an exaggerated stooped posture,and the tremors in his hands are totallyfeigned�but he acts the part from within,and employs no magical aids to his disguise.Thus, a detect magic spell will not reveal hischarade.

Tolokoph, drow magic user/thief(levels 5/7): AC 2; Move 12; #AT 1; Dmg1d8 + 3; THAC0 14; MR 64%; AL LE

Inherent Spell-like Abilities: dancinglights, faerie fire, darkness, levitate, knowalignment, detect magic (all once/day)

Spells Known:First Level: audible glamer, detect magic,

sleep, Tenser�s Floating DiscSecond Level: detect invisibility, ESPThird Level: item

The merchant will greet the PCs formally,although with unusual friendliness for adrow. Tolokoph has followed the reports ofthe PCs progress with interest, and is de-lighted and amazed that they have made itto his mercantile house. He graciously in-vites the characters into his offices to dis-cuss details of price. He will direct severalgoblin slaves to take the lizards into the sta-ble.

A single door grants access to the mercan-tile company�s dome, which contains thewarehouse, stable, and offices of the mer-chant company. The door is magical, andopens only upon Tolokoph�s command.

Among the stocks currently held here areexotic foods and drinks, and also a valuabletrove of perfumes. The musty scent of theserare oils and ointments permeates the hallsand rooms of the company�s offices�evenriding over the inherent smells of the stable.

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Chapter Five

This is too good to last, of course�indeed,the PCs are on the verge of making an hon-est dollar, so something has to be done! Theinterference occurs in the form of theskilled assassin, Krecil Treak (who probablyslayed Hadrogh earlier in this adventure).This time, he will strike with the aid of wildmagic, and his goal is nothing less than thetheft of Hadrogh�s spellbook.

The PCs may choose to take several pre-cautions as they enter the mercantile. Theassassin�s attack will take these precautionsinto account.

If the PCs send the packlizards into thestable while they go to negotiate with Tolo-koph, the encounter will occur offstage:they hear a thunderous boom, as wild magicis used to explode a portion of the ceilingdome. When they get to the stable, they willfind the goblins dead (and turned to stone,with the same type of dagger stuck in eachone as the weapon used to kill Hadrogh).The saddlebags concealing the spellbook aretorn open, and the book is gone�but noth-ing else has been touched.

If, on the other hand, some of the PCskeep an eye on their goods�either in thestable or by bringing them into the officewith them�they will have to deal with theattack more directly.

Krecil Treak, drow mage/assassin(wild magic; level 9/15): AC -4; Move15; hit points 85; #AT 2; Dmg 1d8 +6,1d4 + 6 + poison; THAC0 13; AL LE

Inherent Spell-like Abilities: dancinglights, faerie fire, darkness, levitate, knowalignment, detect magic (all once/day)

Spells Known:First Level: detect magic, light, magic mis-

sile, sleepSecond Level: continual light, detect invisi-

bility, rope trickThird Level: alternate reality, foolspeech,

wraithformFourth Level: dimension door, hallucinato-

ry terrainFifth Level: waveformEquipment: long sword +4; two daggers

of stone death. These are daggers +4, witha highly virulent poison of Krecil�s inven-tion. Though saving throws suffer only a-2 modifier, victims of the poison mustsave both versus poison and petrification. Ifa save fails, the victim suffers that effect.(Note that the two effects are not redun-dant�if a character benefits from a stone toflesh spell, it�s very important to knowwhether or not he was dead from poisonwhen he became a statue!)

He also has a ring of teleportation and acloak of silence.

Krecil is a skilled and cautious assassin.His primary goal is to steal the spellbook,not to kill�though he will not hesitate to useruthless violence to facilitate his crime. In-deed, he will show mercy only if it seems tofurther his chances of gaining the spellbookor escaping�or of recruiting the PCs to aidthe cause of his house. He will not identifythat clan, however.

If the PCs are negotiating with Tolokoph,the attack will occur when that unfortunatemerchant is examining the spellbook. Krecilhas taken a potion of speed, so the followingattack occurs at a whirlwind pace. First, heteleports, invisibly into the room. His cloakof silence muffles any sound of his arrival.In the next instant he snatches the bookfrom poor Tolokoph�s hands and then slaysthe merchant with a cut from one of his pet-rifying and poisonous daggers.

Before he disappears, Krecil will try tocommunicate with at least one of the PCs, ifhe has a chance. There is no mercy�justpragmatism�in the offer he will make justbefore he teleports out of sight. It is moti-vated by the knowledge that the PCs are re-sourceful adventurers, or else they wouldnever have made it this far. Also, Krecil real-izes that he and his comrades will need addi-

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tional allies in the struggle that his theft hasjust made inevitable.

�You�ll be blamed for this attack,� warnsthe assassin, his eyes steady, the gold ringwinking on his finger. �Flee to the Stench-streets�you�ll have your best chance ofescape there!

�My matron will welcome your aid,should you choose to fight with us againstthe true bane of Menzoberranzan�fleeto the Stenchstreets, and we shall findyou there!�

In the next instant, the ring on his fin-ger flares brightly, and the drow assassinblinks out of sight.

A quick investigation will show that thedome of the mercantile house has been shat-tered by a huge explosion�the drow andgoblins in the vicinity of the blast were allkilled.

Whichever of the mercantiles suffers thisindignity, the powerful houses backing itwill begin swift retribution. If this was theBrown Mushroom Company, then the com-bined might of Barrison Del�Armgo and Fey-Branche will unite to send enforcers afterthe troublemakers. If, on the other hand, itwas the Black Claw that Krecil attacked,then the awesome might of House Baenrewill throw itself into the pursuit.

In either case, considerable forces willsoon be arriving at the smoldering mercan-tile company, bent on vengeance�and theywill be inclined to seize any and all potentialwitnesses for interrogation. Once back tothe house torture chambers, the drow willallow the whips of the house priestesses toseparate the plotters from the mere inno-cent bystanders.

Thus, Krecil�s advice was good�the PCshad best beat a hasty retreat, or else theywill face a tough fight against a foe whosteadily increases in strength.

Arrivals on the scene occur in the follow-ing order, and begin 1-6 rounds after Krecildisappears. Each time a new enforcer (orgroup) arrives, roll a d6 again�the nextbunch comes that many rounds later.

F IRST: Drow warriors on l izardmounts (four 5th level): AC 2; Move 15;hit points 31 each; #AT 1; Dmg 1d8 +3;THAC0 12; MR 58%; AL LE

Weapons: lance, long sword +3Inherent Spell-like Abilities: dancing

lights, faerie fire, darkness, levitate

SECOND: 2 drow high priestesses(levels 6 and 8) on driftdiscs

Priestess (level 6): AC 2; Move 12; hitpoints 31; #AT 1; Dmg 1d8 + 2; THAC0 17;MR 62%; AL LE

Weapon: adamantite mace +2Inherent Spell-Like Abilities: dancing

lights, faerie fire, darkness, levitate, knowalignment, detect lie, suggestion, dispelmagic

Spells Known:First Level: detect magic; detect snares

and pits; sanctuarySecond Level: charm person or mammal,

slow poison, spiritual hammerThird Level: dispel magic, cause blindness

or deafness

High Priestess (level 8): AC 0; Move 12;hit points 40; #AT 2; Dmg 2d4 ( x 2); THAC016; MR 66%; AL LE

Weapon: whip of fangsInherent Spell-Like Abilities: dancing

lights, faerie fire, darkness, levitate, knowalignment, detect lie, suggestion, dispelmagic

Spells Known:First Level: detect good, detect magic,

cause fearSecond Level: augury, chant, silence 15�

radius

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Chapter Five

Third Level: dispel magic, feign death,meld into stone

Fourth Level: cause serious wounds, neu-tralize poison

THIRD: Drow warriors (10 3rd level):AC 3; Move 12; hit points 20 each; #AT 1;Dmg 1d6 +3; THAC0 15; MR 58%; AL LE

Weapons: hand crossbows, short swords+ 3

Inherent Spell-like Abilities: dancinglights, faerie fire, darkness (all once/day)

FOURTH: 2 House wizards, of level 6and 8, arriving on foot

Drow mage (6th level): AC 4; Move 12;hit points 30; #AT 1; Dmg 1d4 +5; THAC013; MR 62%; AL LE

Inherent Spell-like Abilities: dancinglights, faerie fire, darkness, levitate, knowalignment, detect magic (all once/day)

Spells Known:First Level: detect magic, magic missile,

sleep, wall of fogSecond Level: invisibility, webThird Level: haste, hold undead

Drow mage (8th level): AC 0; Move 12;hit points XX; #AT 1; Dmg 1d4 + 5; THAC012; MR 66%; AL LE

Inherent Spell-like Abilities: dancinglights, faerie fire, darkness, levitate, knowalignment, detect magic (all once/day)

Spells Known:First Level: detect magic, jump, light, read

magicSecond Level: detect invisibility, ESP, webThird Level: fly, hold person, slowFourth Level: fumble, minor globe of in-

vulnerability

More reinforcements will continue to ar-rive if these forces cannot handle the initialresistance. If the PCs elect to flee, however,they will not be (immediately) pursued for a

great distance. After all, flight is the expect-ed response of an honest drow citizen whenconfronted with a situation such as this.

Within a few hours, patrols of the offend-ed house will be combing the streets of thecity, looking for a number of potential sus-pects�including some who match the PCs�description pretty well. They will travel ar-rogantly, with their house banner promi-nently displayed, so the characters shouldhave little difficulty figuring out who�s afterthem.

These patrols will consist of the sametypes of forces as listed above, although typ-ically the first and second groups operate to-gether, and the third and fourth do as well.They will penetrate most areas of the citywith a fair degree of thoroughness, with theexception of the Stenchstreets�where theywon�t go at all. If the characters seek shelterin any other district, however, they willeventually find a group of curious drowchecking for them.

If they�re in a common room or publichall, they will see the enforcers come in.However, if they rent a private room anddon�t remember to watch the proprietor(who will almost certainly take a bribe fromthe searching drow) they will find the housetroops at the doors and windows of theirroom, ready for trouble.

But in the Stenchstreets they�ll be safefrom the drow of the vengeful house. Theywon�t be clean or comfortable, of course�nor will they be safe from all the otherdrow, not to mention the gnolls, ogres, orcs,duergar, bugbear, and goblins that add spiceto the low-class part of Menzoberranzan.The PCs should realize by now, of course,that you can�t have everything!

The characters should be able to findcheap lodging with little difficulty. Theymay have encounters with as many of theaforementioned ruffians as the DM deemsappropriate. Certainly, in any Stenchstreetscommunal house or inn, characters will

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Chapter Five

have to demonstrate a certain capacity totake care of themselves just to insure thatthey are left alone.

The Braeryn neighborhood, commonlyknown as the Stenchstreets, is described inthe �Neighborhoods� chapter of Book One:The City.

StenchstreetContactsCompounding the chaos of survival in thisrough district is the fact that vigorous ene-mies seek the PCs�and that search willeventually come to the Braeryn. It will mani-fest itself in teams of young nobles and theirveteran assistants hunting through thestreets and alleys of the district in the age-old hunting ritual of Menzoberranzan�forthe inhabitants of the Stenchstreets are con-sidered little better than game animals inthe vicious culture of the drow.

However, the eventual goal of this chapteris for the PCs to join forces with one side orthe other as the preparations for a great at-tack are made. The target of the attack willbe House Millithor, and if that is the PCshouse it shouldn�t be too difficult to getthem home for the fight. If the PCs are sur-face dwellers, however, they will be bribed(by Krecil) to help defend the house.

If they decline this task, they will have theopportunity to join up with the forces of themercantiles, acting through House Nurbon-nis, the 21st ranked noble house. HouseNurbonnis is an ally of Oblodra and Barri-son Del�Armgo. Neither of those powerfulhouses will risk an overt attack against Mil-lithor. (Despite their fear of wild magic, theywill not take a blatant action with such po-tential to anger House Baenre). Thus, theyhave found an ambitious and lower-rankingally to do the dirty work.

The drow that seek to punish or capture

the fugitive PCs will come into the Stench-streets about 36 hours after the player char-acters themselves. By this time, they willrepresent the forces of the Black Claw com-pany and the houses backing the BrownMushroom�i.e., Oblodra and BarrisonDel�Armgo. However, there are no moreHouse Baenre troops in the hunt! This is animportant detail that is best described to thePCs by omission. (The DM describes in detailthe houses that are asking about the PCs, andlets the players figure out who�s missing.)

The search (without Baenre) will maintainits pressure on the other neighborhoods,and all known exits from the city will bewatched. The parties of drow that enter theBraeryn will be stronger than those search-ing the other districts�in total, they will in-clude the equivalent of all four groups ofdrow listed on the previous page. Refer tothose stats if combat becomes necessary.

However, at the same time as this is occur-ring, the assassin Krecil will be driven to lo-cate the PCs for this reason: the attack onHouse Millithor is imminent, and the PCscan make a valued addition to its defense.Because of their entry into the city, Krecilwill feel confidant that the PCs are accom-plished fighters, and not attached to the ri-val houses.

Krecil will begin trying to contact the PCs24 hours after they enter the Stenchstreets.He will make his search by, first of all, plac-ing symbols bearing his seal�the black spi-der pierced by the red dagger�behind thebars of many Stenchstreets social establish-ments. The bartender will be able to ar-range a meeting, if a character asks aboutthe symbol. There is a 10% chance that anyestablishment the PCs enter will have such asymbol.

The following list suggests the names ofestablishments in this quarter�the DM canuse them as necessary, and create additionalplaces of his own.

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Chapter Five

The Purple Wyrm� a spice-incensedplace, popular with duergar and unusuallyugly drow.

Eye of the Beholder� a huge place, araucous mixture of all the intelligent racesfound in Menzoberranzan.

Black Stalactite� a den of thieves,famed for the illithid entertainer who per-forms mental tricks with willing or unwill-ing customers.

The Web� a favorite habitat of arrogantdrow, who commonly rob, assault, or killpatrons of other races.

Lair of the Lizardking� this is a favor-ite habitat of non-drow, particularly gnollsand ogres. They are prone to beat up ondrow who wander in.

Well of Darkness� this is an actual pitin the stone floor of the city, and featuresnumerous private booths cloaked by perma-nent darkness spells.

Krecil will maintain this procedure for 6days (i.e. until a full week has passed sincethe PCs came to the Stenchstreets). How-ever, if one of the searching bands of noblesdescribed above should discover the PCs,Krecil will hear about it quickly. He will tele-port to the fight within 4-24 minutes, andlend his talents to getting the PCs away�notto the killing of all the drow antagonists.Fortunately, he knows enough secret doors,concealed alleys, and private tunnels in theBraeryn to virtually insure a clean getaway.

If the week passes with no contact, how-ever, he will begin seeking them actively. Af-ter another 2-12 days, he will be givenaccurate information, and come to see themwherever they can be found.

Once the wild magic user makes contactwith the PCs, he will offer them a lot of gold,on the spot, to serve in the forces of HouseMillithor. He starts at 2,000 gp apiece, butwill go as high as 10,000 if the charactershold out. If they accept, he brings them tothat house, where they will join in the prep-

arations for defense that are occurringsteadily during this period.

If the player characters decide to rejectthe approaches of Krecil, and the party doesnot include members of House Millithoramong them, it is possible that they will notmake their way to that clan�s holdings. Inthis case, they will eventually be corneredby one of the searching drow parties. Theywill have to fight for their lives, or try andtalk their way out of the long-odds battle.The latter tactic is recommended�the no-bles of House Nurbonnis will pause to listento the PCs� entreaties, even during thecourse of a fight. In fact, they have been toldthat the characters would make valuable al-lies in the coming attack.

The only deal they will strike is this: ThePCs will be granted their freedom if theyagree to join the leading wave of the attackagainst House Millithor. They will not bepaid, but if their side is victorious they willbe allowed a share of the spoils. Otherwise,they are informed, they will be trackeddown and killed.

In this case, they will have the chance toexperience the end of the adventure fromthe attacker�s point of view instead of thedefender�s. (Of course, in true drow fashion,they will be free to choose or change sidespretty much up until the end of the battle.)

In any event, this chapter lasts until thePCs reach House Millithor, join forces withHouse Nurbonnis�or, possibly, slink out ofMenzoberranzan with their tails betweentheir legs (chickens!). Once they have deter-mined their role, proceed to the final show-down.

52

Chapter Five

53

Chapter Five

54

Chapter Six

The Stand of HouseMillithorThis chapter depicts a conflict that lies atthe center of Menzoberranzan�s harsh con-cept of �Station��for this is nothing lessthan the attempt of one house to totally ex-terminate another. The attacking forces arestronger, but the defending forces have theadvantages of a strong and well-fortifiedhouse, and the potential of wild magic (inthe powers of Krecil). The encounter shouldbe balanced so that the presence of the PCsswings the odds in one direction or another.

The battle is written as a roleplaying ad-venture, so the bulk of the fight will occuras background confusion. However, forthose players who may wish to resolve thisas a miniatures scenario, a modicum of sta-tistics conversion and some wholesale in-vention of armies wil l make for anentertaining setup. The building of the bat-tlefield will take some care, but miniaturesplayers will give themselves a tense andhighly magical conflict to resolve.

The Rival HousesThe battle itself is an attack against HouseMillithor under the auspices of House Nur-bonnis. The real motivations for the war arethe fears of House Barrison Del�Armgo (andother anti-Baenre families) about the poten-tial of wild magic�especially if the city�sfirst house gains control of that new and un-predictable sorcery. Since, now, House Mil-lithor is the primary center of wild magic inMenzoberranzan, they see a chance to nipthe problem in the bud.

Drow Soldiers: 140 totalFormations: 20 Elite Foot

50 Archers50 Foot20 Lizriders

Slave Force:Formations:

200 total100 goblin foot100 goblin archers

lithor fails, then the wild magic was overrat-ed and its loss is no great catastrophe. Asusual, House Baenre finds itself in a win-winsituation.

Not so for the lower-ranking clans, how-ever, that will actually fight the war. Thestandard rules of the city apply�if all HouseMillithor nobles are slain, House Nurbonnishas accomplished a great victory. But if oneor more of them remain alive, Menzober-ranzan justice will be dealt to the Nurbonnisclan.

The two houses are outlined here:

House MillithorTwenty-fifth HouseSYMBOL:

Matron Mother: Ki�Willis Millithor

Nobles: 8Priestesses: 4

High Priestesses: 2House Males: 4

Fighters: 2Wizards: 2

Matron Baenre is a shrewd enough judge Chief Alliances: House Baenre is Houseof the city�s mood to make no overt move in Millithor�s chief sponsor�but during thesethis conflict. If the wild magic is as good as times of careful diplomacy the matron ofshe believes, House Millithor will be able to that great house will make no overt show oftake care of itself�and then Baenre will support. Thus, for the time being, Housemake her approval known. If House Mil- Millithor stands pretty much alone.

5 5

Chapter Six

Chief Rivals: House Millithor has been along-standing (2000 + years) rival of HouseNurbonnis (#21). Now, however, House Mil-lithor has also attracted the enmity of HouseBarrison Del�Armgo (#2) and House Oblodra(#3).

House NurbonnisTwenty-First HouseSYMBOL:

Matron Mother: Nadallas Bonnine

Nobles: 10Priestesses: 5

High Priestesses: 3House Males: 5

Fighters: 3Wizards: 2

Drow Soldiers: 200 total

Formations: 30 Elite Foot80 Archers40 Foot30 Lizriders

Slave Force:Formations:

400 total150 goblin foot150 goblin archers100 bugbears

Chief Alliances: House Nurbonnis is a ma-jor crony of House Barrison Del�Armgo, the#2 clan of Menzoberranzan. Indeed, for thepurposes of this attack, House Nurbonnis ispretty much following the instructions of itsmaster. The clan also has good ties withHouse Oblodra (#3) and several otherhouses that waste no love on House Baenre.

Chief Rivals: House Nurbonnis has con-tributed much to the rivalry with House Mil-

lithor (#25). Now that rivalry has come to ahead, and when it passes only one of the twowill remain.

The Dwelling ofHouse MillithorThis house is located in the Narbondellynsection of Menzoberranzan, the wealthydistrict near the great pillar of time thatdominates the drow cavern. Millithor standsin the shadows of many of the influentialhouses of the city�indeed, after the Qu�el-larz�orl, the Narbondellyn is the finest quar-ter of the city.

Refer to the maps on Card 2 for the floor-plan of House Millithor. The numbered loca-tions on the map are keyed to descriptionsin this section.

The DefenseThe defenses of House Millithor includes itsphysical defenses (walls, traps, etc.); itstroop defenses; and its NPC and PC defens-es. The first two categories will remain con-stant; the third, of course, depends heavilyon the actions of the player characters.

The physical defenses have been coveredin the keyed description of the house. Thetroops will be assigned, most typically, to thelocations listed for them�though they mayrush to reinforce a nearby area at the DM�sdiscretion, or as a result of the actions ofPCs.

The prominent NPCs, include the matronmother and the assassin Krecil, as well as ei-ther PCs who are members of the house, orthese NPCs: 2 high priestesses, 2 fighters,and 2 wizards; plus any PCs who arepresent, but are not members of the family.Their locations will be suggested after thehouse is described.

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Chapter Six

1. The House WallThe wall is adamantite-surfaced stone,raised into shape by the efforts of drowmages in millennia past. The surface of thewall is inscribed with defenses against per-sonal intrusion�anyone touching it isstruck by a short range blast of lightningthat inflicts 6d6 worth of damage. It is 30�high and 10� thick at its base, with a 6� thickshell of adamantite surrounding the stone.

The gates are pure adamantite, and re-main barred unless the guards releasethem. They can absorb 300 hp of damagebefore giving way, but are only vulnerableto magical weapons and attacks.

Lightning bolt spells (6d6 damage) are per-manently placed in the wall, aimed to shootboth out and upward. Anyone flying overthe wall (within 180� of its top) is 90% likelyto trigger the lightning�unless he knowsthe location of the gaps in coverage. (Theyshift on a daily basis). In addition, any magi-cal attack against the wall will trigger a re-bound of 0-3 lightning bolts against thesource of the magical attack, up to a maxi-mum of 180�.Garrison: 100 goblin footsoldiers standjust inside the gate. They have orders tocounterattack any breach in the wall, butthey�ll have to pass a morale check beforethey will follow that command.

2. Battle TowerThis giant stalagmite extends 100� from thefloor of the cave. The lower 60� of it hasbeen hollowed out to form 3 battle plat-forms (at 20�, 40�, and 60� heights). Eachplatform has 24 arrow slits placed aroundits walls, and stockpiles of more than a thou-sand arrows per platform.

The platforms are connected by spiralstairways carved from the living stone ofthe stalagmite. Iron-banded doors of woodsecure the entrance and exit to the stairway

on each floor.The battle tower has one door�a solid

metal slab on the ground level, inside thewalled compound. The door is treated as AC0, 100 hp, if someone tries to bash it in.Garrison: There are 10 goblin archers and5 drow archers on each platform of the tow-er. In addition, 10 drow footsoldiers standinside the door at ground level.

3. PoolThis pool of water serves as a well and abathing pond for House Millithor. It insuresthat the clan can control its own water sup-ply, and also provides a private location forbathing and swimming.

In addition, a permanent enchantmenthas been placed upon the pool: a water ele-mental has been imprisoned here, and canbe released upon the command of any of thefamily nobles. The creature will join in thedefense of House Millithor against any andall attackers�it requires no concentrationfrom the noble.

Water Elemental: AC 2; Move 6 SW 18; HD16; hit points 92; #AT 1; Dmg 5-30 ( -5 out ofwater); THAC0 5; SD +2 needed to hit

The elemental�s 60 yard range from thepool can reach all portions of the familycompound except for the outer wall (be-tween locations 2 and 4) and the battle tow-er.

When no more attackers are present�re-gardless whether it is a lull in the battle orthe fight is over�the creature will departfor its own plane, having fulfilled the obliga-tions of its long servitude.

4. Sky ColumnThe sky column is like a more grand versionof the battle tower, but it also includes thegarrison space for the house soldiers and

57

Chapter Six

slaves, as well as stables and the supplywarehouse. Each of the two towers makingup the column has battle platforms at 30�,60�, 80, 100, and 140� heights. In the larger(west) tower, there are 64 arrow slits perplatform; in the eastern tower, 48.

A single door leads into the combat plat-forms of the tower�it is identical to thedoor of the Battle Tower. Several doors leadinto the stable area (A), described below�though more numerous, these too are thesame type of solid metal barrier as found atthe Battle Tower.

On the ground floor of the western tower,in the space marked �A� on the map, is thecomplex of caverns containing many impor-tant parts of the compound. The groundfloor is devoted to stables, and containssome 20 lizard mounts and 10 rothe. Thesecond floor contains the dining hall andcommons room for the drow troops ofHouse Millithor, and the third floor holdstheir great barracks-halls. Each companylives in one huge room with its officers.

Slave quarters are underground, belowthe stables. Here the humanoid troops livein squalor and darkness, pent up and an-gry�so that when they are used in the city,they fight with all the rage festered by theirbenighted status.

The fourth floor of area A is connected tothe lowest battle platform in this column,and also to the drow barracks below. It is abattle maze, designed to force attackersthrough a convoluted series of maneuvers,many of which make them vulnerable to at-tack. See a detailed layout of this maze onone of the player cards included in the Men-zoberranzan accessory. At the end of themaze is the beginning of a tall and narrowbridge, 60� above the courtyard of thehouse. The span leads to another readily-de-fensible location�the Spire.Garrison: There are 20 lizardriding drowjust inside the double doors of the stable.They will charge into the courtyard to coun-

terattack any enemies who�ve made itthrough the wall.

Three of the five platforms in eachcolumn will be garrisoned. These will be thelowest three, unless the attackers includeforces flying at the higher altitudes. Eachgarrisoned platform has 10 goblin archersand 5 drow archers. In addition, 10 drowfootmen stand inside each of the threedoors leading into the structure at groundlevel.

5. The SpireThis structure (like #s 2 and 4) is construct-ed from the natural rock of the cave�in thiscase, a stalagmite towering some 200� intothe air. It is windowless, and the only en-trance is the one at the end of the bridgeconnecting the Spire to the Sky Column. Thepurpose of the spire is to form a final bas-tion for the drow troops of House Millithor.It contains plentiful food and water stock-piles, a complete arsenal of enchantedweaponry, fresh arrows, oil, potions of heal-ing and a host of other supplies that makean extended siege a possibility. Although ru-mors, even among the house�s own troops,speculate that the house nobles will maketheir last stand here, this is not the case�still, Matron Millithor would like any attack-ers to believe this.

A magical linkage supports the bridge con-necting the spire to the sky column. Thatlinkage can be broken by the speaking of acommand word at the spire end of thebridge, which will cause the bridge to col-lapse immediately�and totally. The com-mand is known to all house nobles, and tothe captains of all the house companies ofdrow troops.

The spire includes successive levels ofplatforms, climbing ever higher into thetower. None of the five platforms opens tothe outside�in fact, the walls are 12� thickstone, with a 2� plate of adamantite on the

5 8

Chapter Six

interior surfaces of walls, floor, and ceiling.The first (lowest) of the levels can be en-tered from the spire�s outer door, whichconnects to the bridge. It is identical to themetal doors of #2 and #4.

The central stairway climbs through a hol-lowed-out column in the middle of the spire,so anyone climbing the steps is completelyexposed to murderous fire from above.There are five different platforms. Each ofthese is blocked from the stairway by ametal door; however, a dozen arrow slitsopen from each room into the stairwell. Tar-gets are visible from the time they leave thenext lower level until (and including when)they stand before the door to the shooter�slevel. In the event of fire, smoke, or gas at-tacks, however, the arrow slits can quicklybe closed and sealed.Garrison: The Spire is protected by 10drow footmen, inside the door, and 10 gob-lin and 5 drow archers just beyond them.However, the Spire will also be the destina-tion of drow troops driven out of the SkyColumn, so this number can swell consider-ably before the bridge is dropped.

The Great Hall ofthe FamilyThis is the central structure of the House,and it has been raised and shaped by thepowers of drow magic over the years. Thestructure is vaguely mushroom-shaped,since the upper level is larger than thelower. The walls are 15' thick stone, linedwith 6� of adamantite.

The only passages connecting the inside ofthis house to the outside are the front doors,and a secret tunnel leading downward fromarea 8 and leading through the streets of thecity to a concealed exit nearly 1000� feet be-yond the house wall.

6: Entry HallThis wide corridor sweeps through a fullcircle and more, following the coiling outerwall of the house towards the sanctum of itscenter. It is blocked on the outside with apair of adamantite gates as strong as thegates in the outer wall. Several secret doorsare placed on the interior wall, allowing thehouse troops to emerge and attack illicit in-truders in the flank or rear.Garrison: There are 20 elite drow war-riors stationed in this hallway. They will tryto counterattack the enemy in the rear,while the wizards and priestesses meet theattack head on.

7: Council Chamber andGreat HallThis huge oval is the public heart of HouseMillithor. Here Matron Millithor keeps hergreat throne, where she sits when she en-tertains visitors. Long banquet tables linethe walls�they can be pulled into the centerof the room when necessary. A wide stair-case follows one wall of the room, leadingup to the second floor. It has no railing onthe side away from the wall.

8: Upper FloorAntechamberThis is the entrance to the private quartersof the Family Millithor. It is a plain chamber,with heavy wooden doors leading to thepriestesses quarters, the male quarters, andthe kitchen and servants quarters.

Also, well concealed in the wall of thechamber (-1 to �find secret doors� at-tempts) is the secret door leading to a darkshaft that leads downward. A narrow lad-der is bolted to the wall, leading downwardfor 50�. There, it reaches the end of a nar-

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Chapter Six

row tunnel, which eventually comes upthrough a secret trapdoor in a narrow alley.

9. Matron Mother�sQuartersThese sumptuous apartments represent thepinnacle of depraved drowery. Upon enter-ing, one is immediately confronted by a full-length mirror. Upon all creatures exceptMatron Millithor, the glass acts as a mirrorof petrification� those seeing their own re-flection in it must make a saving throw ver-sus spells, or turn to stone. A black draperyhangs beside the mirror and can be used toscreen it; however, members of the noblefamily itself simply cast darkness over theglass when they enter the room.

The rest of the apartments include a hugebedroom; a large meeting/massage cham-ber, with a sunken pit that can be filled withwater or oil; a private dining chamber, gen-erally limited to dinners for two or three;and a library containing the matron�s tomesof magic, family histories, and notes andschemes.

10. High PriestessQuartersThe two high priestesses, daughters of thematron, share these apartments. They arenot so elegantly furnished as their mother�s,nor do they have the space for entertainingvisitors.

11. Young PriestessQuartersThis is little more than a rude barracks,where a dozen young female drow aretrained in the arts of Lloth. About half ofthese are granddaughters of the matronmother, while the others are promising non-nobles taken under the family wing.

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Chapter Six

Besides the beds, the chamber contains alarge space for exercise, and several tablesand benches for study.

A small, stone image of the Spider Queenrests opposite the door. The statue is im-bued with the ability to detect alignment onall individuals in the room. If an alignmentother than chaotic evil is discovered, the sta-tus spits out a bolt that hits exactly like amagic missile; however, those struck suffer1d6 of damage from the impact. On the fol-lowing round they must make a savingthrow versus poison; failure means thatthey suffer 1d4 of poison damage thatround. Repeat the save attempt (and sufferadditional damage) each round until a sav-ing throw is successful or the victim dies.The statue will only shoot a given individualonce, regardless of how many times she re-turns to the room.

12. The Sons of MillithorThis cramped apartment contains therooms of the four sons of the matron moth-er. Two wizards and two fighters crowd intothe chambers, leaving little room for per-sonal effects other than a trunk of clothing,a wardrobe, and a bed. Thus, the drowmales keep their equipment and valuablesin the training room across the hall.

13. Quarters of thePatronThis apartment is not bad, by male stand-ards�after all, Krecil gets as much space asall the sons combined. He has a hard wood-en bed, a workbench and a small library, aswell as the heads of several of his kills as tro-phies�a cave fisher, an aboleth, even adrow wizard who had once aspired to themastership of Sorcere.

He keeps a trunk in here containing all ofhis poisons and special effects. The trunk isvery thoroughly trapped. If it is not opened

with a single key (worn around Krecil�sneck), and if a string of command words arenot spoken at the same time, the chest willexplode. All of its contents will be de-stroyed, and anyone in the room will suffer12d6 of explosion damage, and will also bethoroughly poisoned (save at -6).

14. House Armory andPractice RoomThis chamber is where the males developtheir fighting skills. Although each of thewizards also has space here�a desk, andseveral shelves of scrolls and tomes�theroom�s overriding theme is combat. Weap-ons hang along the length of the room�scurved outer wall, including halberds,pikes, spears, axes, long and shortswords,rapiers, throwing daggers, and handbows.At least one example of each type is en-chanted to a level of +2; one more of each isa +1.

Also present are the fine mesh of drowchainmail, in several full suits that will fit adrow or a small human. The armor is also of+1 enchantment.

A small footlocker contains the personaltreasures of each of the four drow maleswho frequent this room. They contain valu-ables in gems and platinum coins totalling300-1800 gp apiece. Each is bolted to thefloor, and trapped with a poison needle trap.

15. Servants� QuartersThese unremarkable chambers house theseveral dozen servants and slaves who workin the Millithor house, including cooks andmaids, valets and armorers. Each has a smallroom, little more than a cubby, and very fewvaluables.

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Chapter Six

16. Dining and KitchenAreaThe most commonly-used family diningroom is here, sumptuously furnished withsilver plates and chalices, and�a real rari-ty�a wooden table! Faerie fire images linethe walls, shifting through scenes of Menzo-berranzan. The most striking image is a glo-rious impersonation of House Baenre thatlights up the whole wall and remains for tenminutes; other scenes are less spectacular,and shift after a minute or two.

The kitchens and pantries are clean andwell stocked, but mostly unremarkable.

House MillithorNPCsThese characters will most likely take upthe following positions; only discussionswith the PCs will be likely to change this:

The Matron Mother, the 2 high priest-esses, as well as 2 priestesses (5th level) and10 apprentices (1st-3rd level) will all havegathered before the altar of Lloth, in thefamily sanctum (#7).

The 2 wizards and 2 fighters will patrolthe inside of the wall and the towers, direct-ing the outer defense. I f the wall isbreached, however, and the courtyard fallsto the attackers, these males will retire tothe main house. There they will stand be-fore the doors to the sanctum, meeting thecharge of any enemy troops who make it in-to the house.

The AttackThe House Nurbonnis attack will be a multi-pronged assault designed to quickly pene-trate Millithor�s outer layers of defense, andthen to methodically eliminate any pocketsof resistance that remain. The attacking

house will use its goblin slaves for the mostdeadly attacks, conserving its bugbear anddrow forces until a breach is made in thewall and the battle begins to approach its cli-max.

The Troops of HouseNurbonnisThe attackers are organized into severalwings:FIRST WING: This is the �cannon fodder�wing, and includes the goblin footsoldiersand half of the goblin archers. They will at-tack the wall under the cover of darknessspells, and seek the gaps that will hopefullybe blasted by the mages.

Goblins (150): AC 7; Move 6; HD 1-1; hitpoints 5 each; #AT 1; Dmg 1d6; THAC0 20;AL LE

Goblin archers (75): AC 8; Move 6; HD1-1; hit points 4 each; #AT 1; Dmg 1d6,Range 30/60/90; THAC0 20; AL LE

SECOND WING: This is the main body of theattackers. It will remain in the backgroundwhile the holes are blasted in the walls (andthe first wing is annihilated). Then this forcewill pour into the courtyard of the house,seeking to battle the Millithor troops thatmake a stand there. When the courtyard issecure, these troops will pursue the defend-ing warriors that make a stand in the Spire,the Battle Tower, or the Sky Column.

Goblin archers (75): AC 8; Move 6; HD1-1; hit points 4 each; #AT 1; Dmg 1d6,Range 30/60/90; THAC0 20; AL LE

Bugbears (100): AC 5; Move 9; HD 3 + 1;hit points 15 each; #AT 1; Dmg 1d8 + 1;THAC0 17; AL CE

Drow lizardriders (30): AC 2; Move 15;HD 3; hit points 18 each; #AT 1; Dmg1d12 +2 (lance) or 1d8 +2 (sword); THAC015; AL LE

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Chapter Six

Drow archers (40): AC 2; Move 12; HD3; hit points 16 each; #AT 2; 1d6, Range 50/100/150; THAC0 16; AL LE

THIRD WING: This elite force will enter thehouse after the battle in the courtyard haspassed its peak. They will drive for the Fam-ily Hall, and will be entrusted with the mis-sion of securing the family quarters andseeing to the elimination of all Millithor no-bles.

Drow archers (40): AC 2; Move 12; HD3; hit points 16 each; #AT 2; 1d6, Range 50/100/150; THAC0 16; AL LE

Drow footsoldiers (40): AC 2; Move 12;HD 3; hit points 18 each; #AT 1; Dmg1d8 +2; THAC0 15; AL LE

Elite drow warriors (30): AC 0; Move12; HD 4; hit points 24 each; #AT 1; Dmg1d8 +4; THAC0 12; AL LE

House NurbonnisNPCsThese NPCs are listed on one of the cardsincluded in the Menzoberranzan Boxed Set.Their powers will be reserved, almost exclu-sively, for the confrontation with the HouseMillithor nobles.

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Chapter Seven

AftermathMenzoberranzan society will most likelycontinue to flourish after the adventure isconcluded. However, the actions of the PCsand NPCs can have some profound effects�most significantly, of course, as regards thestandings of Houses Nurbonnis and Mil-lithor. In addition, the players might haveearned for themselves niches in the dark elfcity, as servitors of one of the great houses.Or they may be�even as the last rumbles ofthe war rumble through the streets�fleeingfor their lives into the trackless realms ofthe Mantle and the Underdark. In eithercase, the adventure has just begun!

In the event that House Millithor is de-stroyed by the attack against it, survivingPCs will not necessarily face exile or death.Even if the characters are young Millithornobles, the other drow will assume thatthey will take a pragmatic approach to sur-vival. (Remember, only the matron motherand her children must be slain to destroythe house�the grandchildren, which in-clude the PCs, will be left without a house,but they will not face execution unless theybring it upon themselves.)

In fact, surviving Millithor characters mayfind potential employment from HouseBaenre or House Barrison Del�Armgo.Skilled drow warriors, priestesses andmages can always benefit a powerful spon-sor. Alternately, if the characters are famil-iar with the surface world, this gives them adifferent use for either of these houses�thedrow can always use intermediaries fortheir dealings with the races that live underthe light of the hated sun.

Of course, if House Millithor successfullywithstands the attack, then the combinedmight of the city�s ruling council will comedown upon House Nurbonnis. The matronmother and other nobles of that house willbe blasted in their clan�s dwelling, inevitablyto perish. In this case, House Millithorclimbs a rung on the ladder of Station, and isaccorded a great deal of attention by the no-bles of the ruling council. Matron Baenrewill favor the house with a visit, and will tryto learn as much as she can about the wildmagic (if that powerful brand of sorceryplayed a role in the fight.)

Of course, the accomplishments of thePCs might have been successful and dar-ing�but that doesn�t mean that everyonewill be happy with them. Given the natureof the drow, it is almost certain that, some-where or another, the PCs will have madethemselves a few enemies. The DM mightwant to make a few notes about these, forthe purpose of future gaming.

The adventure, additionally, can serve asan avenue for those players and DMs whowould like to campaign amid the chaoticwonders of Menzoberranzan. Perhaps, inaddition to their newfound enemies, the PCsmay have found a few allies. With a little in-genuity, the DM should have no trouble con-verting these relationships into the bases formany future adventures.

In any event, the wonders of Menzober-ranzan have been presented to the playercharacters, for better or worse. As with anygood, open-ended roleplaying setting,where you go from here is very much up tothe players and their Dungeon Master.

64

From the Seeds of Chaos

House Do'Urden, at the height of its glory (ifnot its true power), achieved the rank ofEighth House of Menzoberranzan, always adesired, and thus a tentative, position in thechaotic drow city. It was not a rival house�shunger that brought this drow house down,though, but the remarkable actions of thefamily�s remarkable youngest son, oneDrizzt Do�Urden.

The complete stories of both HouseDo�Urden and Drizzt can be found in R.A.Salvatore�s Icewind Dale and Dark Elftrilogies (The Crystal Shard, Streams ofSilver, and The Halfling�s Gem; Homeland,Exile, and Sojourn) and in the newest ofDrizzt�s tales, The Legacy. For purposes ofthis supplement, we�ll detail HouseDo'Urden�s NPCs in the Year of the SingingSkull (1297 DR), perhaps the height ofMatron Malice Do'Urden�s power. The NPCinformation about her renegade son, Drizzt,though, will be up-to-date.

House Do�UrdenNinth House ofMenzoberranzan(1297 DR)SYMBOL:

Matron Mother:

Nobles:Priestesses:High Priestesses:

House Males:Fighters:Wizards:

Malice Do�Urden(level 15 priestess)21124972

Drow Soldiers: 350

Formations: 250 Elite Foot

75 Archers25 Lizriders

Slave Force: 350 total

Formations: 200 goblin foot100 orc foot50 bugbears

Chief Alliances: Strongly supported byHouse Baenre (#1), which further invitesquestion about the house�s standing with theSpider Queen.

Chief Rivals: With the fall of House DeVir(#4), House Hun�ett (then #5) became bitterrivals with House Do�Urden. (Their covertwar would begin in Year 1338, lasting tenfull years.) Also, House Fey-Branche (then#10) had inklings that trouble might bebrewing in the Do�Urden household andprepared to spring upon the house at thefirst opportunity.

It has never been truly decided whetherHouse Do�Urden was a favored house ofLloth, or simply a pawn in the SpiderQueen�s unending game of chaos andperverted pleasure. Whatever the case, thehouse seemed on the fast track to ascension,climbing to the number nine spot inMenzoberranzan with one of the finesteliminations ever known in the city. HouseDeVir (#4) fell out of the Spider Queen�sfavor, and ambitious and opportunisticMatron Malice was quick to strike.

On the very day that House DeVir wasdestroyed, a child, Drizzt, was born toMalice, a child that would seal the fate of theDo�Urden family and even unintentionallyshake the foundations of Menzoberranzanitself. As the third living son, Drizzt wassupposed to be sacrificed to Lloth, but hisoldest brother, Nalfein, was killed in theDeVir assault (by his other brother Dinin)and the babe was allowed to live.

2

From the Seeds of Chaos

The might of House Do�Urden lay in theunquestioning fealty to Lloth of MatronMalice and her three daughters, Briza,Vierna, and Maya, and the unrivalledtraining of the Do�Urden drow soldiers.Every move Malice and her daughters madewas carefully weighed by the mostpertinent of all drow questions: Would itplease Lloth?

Malice also knew how to play the intriguewithin the city. Often she got her childrenplaced in important posit ions at theAcademy or in patrol groups. MatronBaenre usually nodded her approvalwhenever Matron Malice�s name wasmentioned, and there could be no doubt,with Lloth and the First Matron Mother�sapproval, that House Do�Urden wouldcontinue its climb.

Even more to the Spider Queen�s pleasurewas the way in which Malice handledZaknafein, her weapon master (arguablythe finest fighter in all of Menzoberranzan),who was not so loyal to drow ways�in fact,Zaknafein despised Lloth, despised his racein general, and best served Malice when hewas slicing his swords through the hearts ofdrow priestesses. Malice played her formerpatron well, though, using Zaknafein�sincredible skills to convert her drowsoldiers into a crack, elite unit.

Perhaps no better example of this can befound than when House Do�Urdensummarily eliminated the city�s FourthHouse, DeVir.

With DeVir destroyed, Matron Malice wasonly one rank away from her coveted seaton the Ruling Council. Over the next fewdecades, as Drizzt grew into an exceptionalfighter, the house�s reputation grew, too,and it seemed as if that seat would soon beassured. But those ensuing decades alsosignalled the inevitable doom for theambitious house, for Drizzt, amazing withweapons, was ak i n to Zaknafe in intemperament. The young drow had no

heart for the ways of the Spider Queen, andhis sacrilegious actions continually placedMalice out of Lloth�s favor.

One disaster led to another for HouseDo�Urden. They would ultimately win theirwar with House Hun�ett (thanks to thedouble-dealings of Bregan D�aerthe), butonly because Hun�ett was as much out ofLloth�s favor as was Do�Urden. The singlehope for Malice�s ambitions, even hersurvival, lay in the Lloth-decreed death ofDrizzt, who had fled the city, but, for all ofMalice�s attempts, they could neveraccomplish the task, never lift themselvesback to glory.

The Dwelling ofHouse Do�UrdenHouse Do�Urden is one of the Qu�ellor�weilhouses in Menzoberranzan, one of thehouses whose residence is primarily withinthe great cavern�s wall (as opposed to theusual stalagmite-stalactite arrangement).Two huge stalagmite pillars serve as thehouse�s anchoring posts for the gate andalso house the slave and commoner drowgarrisons, but the bulk of the house, and allof the nobles, reside in the two-levelled cavecomplex within the wall.

The first level is a virtual maze of tunnelsand small residence halls, a large commondining area, and a large training area. At theback end looms the house chapel, twostories high, and of similar design to HouseBaenre�s (though certainly not nearly aslarge or as well-decorated!).

The upper level can only be reachedthrough the chapel balcony or the outerbalcony overlooking the Do�Urden com-pound, and neither place has any type ofstaircase. The family drow get up to thelevel through levitation.

A long corridor leads in (straight west)from the outer balcony. Seven side passages

3

From the Seeds of Chaos

to the north lead to the small roomcomplexes of the ruling family, the lastbelonging to Malice herself, and the onebefore that serving as the Matron Mother�salchemical area wherein she creates herrenowned salves.

The southern side of the upper complexfeatures a large dining hall, a common warroom, a two-chambered area for Rizzen(the present House Pat ron) , and athree-chambered complex occupied byWeapons-Master Zaknafein, including aprivate room, a smaller, private trainingarea (complete with weapons rack), and thehouse�s private war room.

At the end of the central corridor on thissecond level rests the chapel anteroom, amost important place. Here is where Maliceand her principal priestesses gather in timeof war, sending out their powers at theenemy house. Beyond the anteroom, ofcourse, is the chapel proper.

House Do�UrdenNPCsMatron Malice Do�Urden (15th leveldrow priestess) is best known for her abilityat making salves. Her most commonunguent is similar to Keoghtom�s ointment,healing 1d4 +8 hit points of damage, andserving as an antidote for all types of poison.The importance of this unguent for HouseDo�Urden�s soldiers in t ime of war,particularly against other poison-usingdrow, cannot be underestimated.

Physically, Malice was a handsome drowfemale who carried her long years well. Heramorous exploits are well-known in theDo�Urden compound, particularly since oneof her former patrons, Zaknafein, was al-lowed to live after his time of servitude to her.

Fiercely ambitious, conniving, loyal onlyto Lloth, ruthless in the extreme, Malicewas, by all accounts, the perfect Matron

M o t h e r . I f n o t f o r f a t e ( s p e l l t h a tD-R-I-Z-Z-T), Malice would have no doubtbeen a worthy addition to the RulingCouncil.

Zaknafein Do�Urden, weapon master(24th level drow fighter) , earned areputation, both for skill at arms (and arms�training) and for love of killing drow, thatsent shivers along the spines of the rivalMatron Mothers. Wearing chain mail +5(AC -4) and wielding two long swords +5(#AT 4, Dmg 1-8 + 6), this master feared nodrow�in hand-to-hand combat. His respectfor the powers of Lloth�s evil priestesseskept him a virtual prisoner in HouseDo�Urden, serving Malice, whom he hated,in exchange for the occasional opportunityto slaughter the priestesses of rival houses.

Other than his fine armor and weapons,Zaknafein kept little magic (light pelletsbeing the only notable exception). Quitesimply, he didn�t need magic. Rumors saythat Uthegentel, weapon master of HouseBarrison Del�Armgo, once secretlychallenged Zaknafein to a duel. Alwayswilling to oblige, Zaknafein met the crazedwarrior in private, outside the city�sboundaries. Both returned alive, butUthegentel, once sporting a marvelousshock of hair, ever-after kept his headshaved. Whispers (VERY soft whispers) saythat this was the price Zaknafein demandedto accept Uthegentel�s surrender.

Briza Do�Urden (13 th l eve l drowpriestess) was Malice�s oldest daughter, alumbering, vicious female who grewincreasingly intolerant of her Mother�sblunders. Her favorite pastime waswhipping slaves (or male drow, who sheconsidered no better than slaves) with hersix-headed whip of fangs. Never a diplomat,Briza lived to kill and to torment, by herwarped standards the most pleasurableexperiences of existence.

4

From the Seeds of Chaos

Vierna Do�Urden (11th level drowpriestess), the second daughter of thehouse, is also the only female still alive, nowliving with Jarlaxle and the undergroundband of Bregan D�aerthe. Due to her eventemperament and tendency toward mercy,Vierna was always known as the weakest ofthe Do�Urden daughters. She is Drizzt�s onlyfull sister, and Malice wondered if theircommon father was responsible for theircommon traits.

Things have changed for the beleagueredsurvivor, though. Vierna never found thestrength to abandon the ways of Lloth, asdid her brother, and eventually, the darkside won her over. Now she dreams of gloryfor Lloth, of the favor of the Spider Queen,and of one day finding her way to theMatron position in a ruling house.

Dinin Do�Urden (12th level drow fighter)survived the demise of his house, falling inwith Jarlaxle�s mercenary band. Dinin�sgreatest fear concerns his brother, Drizzt.He was among those of the house sent out tofind their renegade brother, and he metDrizzt once in combat. Once was enough.Dinin fosters no hopes of ever seeing his

purple-eyed brother again, and openlyadmits this, which has, of late, put him outof increasingly ambitious Vierna�s favor.

Dinin fights with the weapons and armorthat used to belong to Zaknafein, and alsofavors the handcrossbow. His favoritemethod of attack is from behind, makinghim a perfectly suitable member of BreganD�aerthe, a band that holds no pretense ofhonor.

Little is known about Maya Do�Urden (9thlevel drow priestess), Malice�s youngestdaughter. Maya always played the proper,subservient role in family business,attendant to her Mother�s every whim,never questioning Malice�s word. Briza andVierna constantly vied for their little sister�sattention, probably so that the drasticallydifferent siblings could exert influence overmoldable Maya�s development.

Rizzen (8th level drow fighter), the lastPatron of House Do�Urden, was a handsomebut otherwise unremarkable drow. Not tooclever, not too dangerous, he served Maliceas a plaything, nothing more.

5

Drizzt Do�Urden

He is, perhaps, the most famous drow onthe surface of Faerûn, an honorable warriorwho accepts the cards fate has dealt him,accepts the taunts and threats of ignorantsurface dwellers, and has learned, throughsometimes bitter experience, what is trulyimportant in his life. Drizzt sits at the righthand of Bruenor Battlehammer, dwarvenKing of Mithril Hall, along with thebarbarian, Wulfgar, Bruenor�s adoptedhuman daughter, Catti-brie, and thehalfling, Regis, returned from his downfallas a Guildmaster in faraway Calimport.

Times are good now for the beleaguereddrow renegade, better than Drizzt has everknown. He has left a long legacy, though, atrail of defeated, if not dead, enemies thatincludes the survivors of his fallen house,other ambitious drow who know that to killDrizzt is certainly to gain Lloth�s highestfavor, and one Artemis Entreri, a ruthlessassassin who wants nothing more than tokill Drizzt in single, honest combat.

For a look at some specifics of thisunusual drow�s past, see the entry in theHall of Heroes (FR7). Readers of the IcewindDale and Dark Elf trilogies will no doubtspot several minor discrepancies in thatentry, but at that time little was widelyknown about Drizzt. Not until the release ofthe Dark Elf books was his story known,and that story, we now know, is still farfrom complete.

What follows, then, is an updated versionof that Hall of Heroes entry, including newequipment the drow has acquired.

ARMOR CLASS: - 3 t o - 8MOVE: 12�HIT POINTS: 92NO. OF ATTACKS: 5DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d8 +7(x3)

1d8 +5 (x2)SPECIAL ATTACKS: Critical hits, Stealth

(see below)SPECIAL DEFENSE: NilMAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil

SIZE: M (5�4�)ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Good

15th Level Drow RangerS:13 I:17 W:17 D:20 C:15 CH:14

Remaining Inherent Spell-likeAbilities: Dancing lights, faerie fire,darkness

Physical Description: Drizzt is hand-some, even by drow standards. His whitehair is long, flowing, and silky smooth, hisfeatures sharp, but perfectly proportioned.Most striking of all are the drow�s eyes,violet in hue even when Drizzt is looking inthe infrared spectrum of light. Fiery orbs ofpassion, their sparkle is strikingly visible,even within the shadows of a low-pulledcowl.

Drizzt stands 5�4� and weighs 130perfectly toned pounds. He wears aforest-green cloak, fur collared, and highblack boots.

Equipment: Drizzt wears mithral chainmail (+4) given to him by his dearest friend,Bruenor Battlehammer. Though forged bydwarves, the mail is as graceful and fine asthe best elven chain, and hardened under adwarf-pumped forge, it can turn asidemighty blows indeed.

In combat, Drizzt wields two whirlingscimitars, specializing in the blades (this isleft over from his days as a straight fighterclass; though his class has changed, heretains the ability). One of the scimitars,found in the lair of the white dragon,Icingdeath, is a frostbrand +3, and theother, given to Drizzt by the famed wizard,Malchor Harpel, is an even mightier blade.Twinkle by name, the scimitar was forgedby the surface elves and glows with an eeriebluish light when enemies are near. Theweapon is a defender +5, and when Drizztputs Twinkle into a mesmerizing dance withhis frostbrand, enemies would be wise toturn tail and run!

6

Drizzt Do�Urden

Drizzt�s most prized item (some say alsohis best friend) is a figurine of wondrouspower, an onyx panther, with which thedrow can call upon Guenhwyvar.

Guenhwyvar: AC4; HD 6 + 6; hp 45; Move15�; 3 attacks: 1D4/1D4/1D12, plus rearclaw rake for 2D4/2D4 if both paws score ahit; Move Silently and Hide in Shadows at95%; Never surprised. The figurine can beused for ½ day every other day.

Personality and Motivation: Drizzt hadattained 18th level as a drow fighter underZaknafein�s tutelage, but when he came tothe surface world, he found his true callingunder the instruction of a blind rangernamed Montolio DeBrouchee.

Since that time, Drizzt has become aranger in the purest sense of the word.Where goblinoids and other evil humanoidcreatures are concerned, no f ight isunnecessary. He is a perfectionist, in combatand in everything he does, striving to attainthe highest standards within his code ofmorality and self-discipline. Yet Drizzt iscareful not to impose his personal standardsupon others. Kindly and compas-sionate, he remains a valuable ally to all thegood races, despite the harsh treatment heusually receives from people who can�t seehis worth for the color of his skin and thereputation of his heritage. Drizzt believes inthe brotherhood of the goodly races andalways views the world with sympathy andempathy for the other person�s viewpoint.Thus, he accepts his lot in life withoutcomplaint.

But Drizzt�s outward calm and composureare only half of his dichotomous personality.He is the peacemaker, the level head in anysituation, always willing to avoid anunnecessary fight if possible. But when all ofthe options have been exhausted and a fight isunavoidable, a battle-lust burns within the

drow that makes even his closest friends stepback and shudder. Wulfgar is fully convincedthat Drizzt�s daring will one day get them intoa situation from which they cannot escape,and even Bruenor Battlehammer, fearless andstone hard, shrugs in amazement at his drowfriend�s daring.

The eager gleam in Drizzt�s eye gaveBruenor the impression that the drow hadmore in mind than watching. �Crazy elf,� hesaid under his breath. �Probably�ll take onthe whole lot of �em by himself!� (Bruenor)looked around curiously again at the deadgiants. �And win!�

(from The Crystal Shard)

Because of his heritage, keen ears, andagility, Drizzt can hide in shadows (99%),move silently (99%), climb walls (99%), andhear noise (60%) as well as most thieves.This stealth allows Drizzt a backstab attackas a thief of similar level (x5 damage),adding to Drizzt�s already enormousfighting advantages.

Also, so accurate are Drizzt�s wicked cuts,that if his attack roll exceeds the minimumrequired for a hit by more than 5, he scoresdouble weapon damage (this also applies tothe backstab) and has a base 10%, plus orminus 3% per level difference between himand his opponent, chance of killing the foeinstantly.

Perhaps the best measure of this unusualdrow�s personality, the best understandingof Drizzt�s motivations and desires, comesfrom his own essays, words sometimesgrim, often dark, but always honest andalways revealing the ever-present under-current of determination that allowedDrizzt to survive the terrible world of thedrow.

The collected essays of Drizzt Do�Urdenare presented here for the first time in onebooklet, along with one never beforeprinted: �On Vows� from The Legacy.

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Collected Essays of Drizzt Do�Urden

On Station: (Homeland)

Station: In all the world of the drow, there isno more important word. It is the calling oftheir�of our�religion, the incessant pullingof hungering heartstrings. Ambition over-rides good sense and compassion is thrownaway in its face, all in the name of Lloth, theSpider Queen.

Ascension to power in drow society is asimple process of assassination. The SpiderQueen is a deity of chaos, and she and herhigh priestesses, the true rulers of the drowworld, do not look with ill favor uponambitious individuals wielding poisoneddaggers.

Of course, there are rules of behavior;every society must boast of these. To openlycommit murder or wage war invites thepretense of justice, and penalties exacted inthe name of drow justice are merciless. Tostick a dagger in the back of a rival duringthe chaos of a larger battle or in the quietshadows of an alley, however, is quiteacceptable�even applauded. Investigationis not the forte of drow justice. No one caresenough to bother.

Station is the way of Lloth, the ambitionshe bestows to further the chaos, to keepher drow �children� along their appointedcourse of self-imprisonment. Children?Pawns, more likely, dancing dolls for theSpider Queen, puppets on the imperceptiblebut impervious strands of her web. Allclimb the Spider Queen�s ladders; all huntfor her pleasure; and all fall to the huntersof her pleasure.

Station is the paradox of the world of mypeople, the limitation of our power withinthe hunger for power. It is gained throughtreachery and invites treachery againstthose who gain it. Those most powerful inMenzoberranzan spend their days watchingover their shoulders, defending against thedaggers that would find their backs.

Their deaths usually come from the front.

On Memories: (Homeland)

Empty hours, empty days.I find that I have few memories of that

first period of my life, those first sixteenyears when I labored as a servant. Minutesblended into hours, hours into days, and soon, until the whole of it seemed one longand barren moment. Several t imes Imanaged to sneak out onto the balcony ofHouse Do�Urden and look out over themagical lights of Menzoberranzan. On all ofthose secret journeys, I found myselfentranced by the growing, and thendissipating, heat-light of Narbondel, thetime-clock pillar. Looking back on that now,on those long hours watching the glow ofthe wizard�s fire slowly walk its way up andthen down the pillar, I am amazed at theemptiness of my early days.

I clearly remember my excitement,tingling excitement, each time I got out ofthe house and set myself into position toobserve the pillar. Such a simple thing itwas, yet so fulfilling compared to the rest ofmy existence.

Whevever I hear the crack of a whip,another memory�more a sensation than amemory actually�sends a shiver throughmy spine. The shocking jolt and the ensuingnumbness from those snake-headedweapons is not something that any personwould soon forget. They bite under yourskin, sending waves of magical energythrough your body, waves that make yourmuscles snap and pull beyond their limits.

Yet I was luckier than most. My sisterVierna was near to becoming a highpriestess when she was assigned the task ofrearing me and was at a period of her lifewhere she possessed far more energy thansuch a job required. Perhaps, then therewas more to those first ten years under hercare than I now recall. Bierna never showedthe intense wickedness of our mother�or,more particularly, of our oldest sister, Briza.Perhaps there were good times in thesolitude of the house chapel; it is possible

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Collected Essays of Drizzt Do�Urden

that Vierna allowed a more gentle side ofherself to show through to her babybrother.

Maybe not. Even though I count Vierna asthe kindest of my sisters, her words drip inthe venom of Lloth as surely as those of anycleric in Menzoberranzan. It seems unlikelythat she would risk her aspirations towardhigh priestesshood for the sake of a merechild, a mere male child.

Whether there were indeed joys in thoseyears, obscured in the unrelenting assaultof Menzoberranzan�s wickedness, orwhether that earliest period of my life waseven more painful than the years thatfollowed�so painful that my mind hides thememories�I cannot be certain. For all myefforts, I cannot remember them.

I have more insight into the next six years,but the most prominent recollection of thedays I spent serving the court of MatronMalice�aside from the secret trips outsidethe house�is the image of my own feet.

A page prince is never allowed to raise hisgaze.

On Falsehood: (Homeland)

The Academy.It is the propagation of the lies that bind

drow society together, the ultimateperpetration of falsehoods repeated somany times that they ring true against anycontrary evidence. The lessons young droware taught of truth and justice are soblatantly refuted by everyday life in wickedMenzoberranzan tha t i t i s hard tounderstand how any could believe them.Still they do.

Even now, decades removed, the thoughtof the place frightens me, not for anyphysical pain or the ever-present sense ofpossible death�I have trod down manyroads equally dangerous in that way. TheAcademy of Menzoberranzan frightens mewhen I th ink o f the surv ivors , thegraduates, existing�reveling�within theevil fabrications that shape their world.

They live with the belief that anything isacceptable if you can get away with it, thatself-gratification is the most importantaspect of existence, and that power comesonly to she or he who is strong enough andcunning enough to snatch it from the failinghands of those who no longer deserve it.Compassion has no place in Menzo-berranzan, and yet it is compassion, notfear, that brings harmony to most races. It isharmony, working toward shared goals,that precedes greatness.

Lies engulf the drow in fear and mistrust,refute friendship at the tip of aLloth-blessed sword. The hatred andambition fostered by these amoral tenetsare the doom of my people, a weakness thatthey perceive as strength. The result is aparalyzing, paranoid existence that thedrow call the edge of readiness.

I do not know how I survived theAcademy, how I discovered the falsehoodsearly enough to use them to contrast, andthus strengthen, those ideals I most cherish.

It was Zaknafein, I must believe, my teacher.Through the experiences of Zak�s long years,which embittered him and cost him so much,I came to hear the screams: the screams ofprotest against murderous treachery; thescreams of rage from the leaders of drow soci-ety, the high priestesses of the Spider Queen,echoing down the paths of my mind, ever tohold a place within my mind. The screams ofdying children.

On Friendship: (Homeland)

What eyes are these that seeThe pain I know in my innermost soul?What eyes are these that seeThe twisted strides of my kindred,Led on in the wake of toys unbridled:Arrow, bolt, and sword tip?

Yours . . . aye, yours,Straight run and muscled spring,Soft on padded paws, sheathed claws,Weapons rested for their need,

9

Collected Essays of Drizzt Do�Urden

Stained not by frivolous bloodOr murderous deceit.

Face to face, my mirror,Reflection in a still pool by light.Would that I might keep that imageUpon this face mine own.Would that I might keep that heartWithin my breast untainted.

Hold tight to the proud honor of your spirit,Mighty Guenhwyvar,And hold tight to my side,My dearest friend.

On Loss: (Homeland)

Zaknafein Do�Urden: mentor, teacher,friend. I, in the blind agony of my ownfrustrations, more than once came torecognize Zaknafein as none of these. Did Iask of him more than he could give? Did Iexpect perfection of a tormented soul; holdZaknafein up to standards beyond hisexperiences, or standards impossible in theface of his experiences?

I might have been him. I might have lived,trapped within the helpless rage, buriedunder the daily assault of the wickednessthat is Menzoberranzan and the pervadingevil that is my own family, never in life tofind escape.

It seems a logical assumption that welearn from the mistakes of our elders. This, Ibelieve, was my salvation. Without theexample of Zaknafein, I, too, would havefound no escape�not in life.

Is this course I have chosen a better waythan the life Zaknafein knew? I think, yes,though I f ind despair often enoughsometimes to long for that other way. Itwould have been easier. Truth, though, isnothing in the face of self-falsehood, andprinciples are of no value if the idealistcannot live up to his own standards.

This, then, is a better way.I live with many laments, for my people,

for myself, but mostly for that weapon

master, lost to me now, who showed mehow�and why�to use a blade.

There is no pain greater than this; not thecut of a jagged-edged dagger nor the fire ofa dragon�s breath. Nothing burns in yourhear t l ike the empt iness o f los ingsomething, someone, before you truly havelearned of its value. Often now I lift my cupin a futile toast, an apology to ears thatcannot hear:

To Zak, the one who inspired my courage.

On Self-Understanding: (Exile)

I remember vividly the day I walked awayfrom the city of my birth, the city of mypeople. All the Underdark lay before me, alife of adventure and excitement, withpossibilities that lifted my heart. More thanthat, though, I left Menzoberranzan withthe belief that I could now live my life inaccordance with my principles. I hadGuenhwyvar at my side and my scimitarsbelted on my hips. My future was my own todetermine.

But that drow, the young Drizzt Do�Urdenwho walked out of Menzoberranzan on thatfated day, barely into my fourth decade oflife, could not begin to understand the truthof time, of how its passage seemed to slowwhen the moments were not shared withothers. In my youthful exuberance, I lookedforward to several centuries of life.

How do you measure centuries when asingle hour seems a day and a single dayseems a year?

Beyond the cities of the Underdark, thereis food for those who know how to find itand safety for those who know how to hide.More than anything else, though, beyondthe teeming cities of the Underdark, there issolitude.

As I became a creature of the emptytunnels, survival became easier and moredifficult all at once. I gained in the physicalskills and experience necessary to live on. Icould defeat almost anything that wanderedinto my chosen domain, and those few

10

Collected Essays of Drizzt Do�Urden

monsters that I could not defeat, I couldsure flee or hide from. It did not take melong, however, to discover one nemesis thatI could neither defeat nor flee. It followedme wherever I went�indeed, the farther Iran, the more it closed in around me. Myenemy was solitude, the interminable,incessant silence of hushed corridors.

Looking back on it these many years later,I find myself amazed and appalled at thechanges I endured under such an existence.The very identity of every reasoning beingis defined by the language, thecommunication, between that being andothers around it. Without that link, I waslost . When I left Menzoberranzan, Idetermined that my life would be based onprinciples, my strength adhering tounbending beliefs. Yet after only a fewmonths alone in the Underdark, the onlypurpose for my survival was my survival. Ihad become a c rea ture o f ins t inc t ,calculating and cunning but not thinking,not using my mind for anything more thandirecting the newest kill.

Guenhwyvar saved me, I believe. Thesame companion that had pulled me fromcertain death in the clutches of monstersunnumbered rescued me from a death ofemptiness�less dramatic, perhaps, but noless fatal. I found myself living for thosemoments when the cat could walk by myside, when I had another living creature tohear my words, strained though they hadbecome. In addition to every other value,Guenhwyvar became my time clock, for Iknew that the cat could come forth from theAstral Plane for a half-day every other day.

Only after my ordeal had ended did Irealize how critical that one quarter of mytime actually was. Without Guenhwyvar, Iwould not have found the resolve tocontinue. I would never have maintainedthe strength to survive.

Even when Guenhwyvar stood beside me,I found myself growing more and moreambivalent toward the fighting. I wassecretly hoping that some denizen of the

Underdark would prove stronger than I.Could the pain of tooth or talon be greaterthan the emptiness and the silence?

I think not.

On Friendship: (Exile)

Friendship. The word has come to meanmany different things among the variousraces and cultures of both the Underdarka n d t h e s u r f a c e o f t h e R e a l m s . I nMenzoberranzan, friendship is generallyborn out of mutual profit. While bothparties are better off for the union, itremains secure. But loyalty is not a tenet ofdrow life, and as soon as a friend believesthat he will gain more without the other, theunion�and likely the other�s life�will cometo a swift end.

I have had few friends in my life, and if Ilive a thousand years, I suspect that this willremain true. There is little to lament in thisfact, though, for those who have called mefriend have been persons of great characterand have enriched my existence, given itworth. First there was Zaknafein, my fatherand mentor, who showed me that I was notalone and that I was not incorrect in holdingto my beliefs. Zaknafein saved me, fromboth the blade and the chaotic, evil, fanaticreligion that damns my people.

Yet I was no less lost when a handless deepgnome came into my life, a svirfneblin that Ihad rescued from certain death, many yearsbefore, at my brother Dinin�s mercilessblade. My deed was repaid in full, for whenthe svirfneblin and I again met, this time inthe clutches of his people, I would havebeen killed�truly would have preferreddeath�were it not for Belwar Dissengulp.

My time in Blingdenstone, the city of thedeep gnomes, was such a short span in themeasure of my years. I remember wellBelwar�s city and his people, and I alwaysshall. Theirs was the first society I came toknow that was based on the strengths ofcommunity, not the paranoia of selfishindividualism. Together the deep gnomes

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survive against the perils of the hostileUnderdark, labor in their endless toils ofmining the stone, and play games that arehardly distinguishable from every otheraspect of their rich lives.

Greater indeed are pleasures that areshared.

On Life: (Exile)

To live or to survive? Until my second timeout in the wilds of the Underdark, after mystay in Blingdenstone, I never would haveunderstood the significance of such a simplequestion.

When first I left Menzoberranzan, Ithought survival enough. I thought that Icould fal l within myself , within myprinciples, and be satisfied that I hadfollowed the only course open to me. Thealternative was the grim reality of Men-zoberranzan and compliance with thewicked ways that guided my people. If thatwas life, I believed, simply surviving wouldbe far preferable.

And yet, that �simple survival� nearlykilled me. Worse, it nearly stole everythingthat I held dear.

The svirfnebli of Blingdenstone showedme a different way. Svirfneblin society,structured and nurtured on communalvalues and unity, proved to be everythingthat I had always hoped Menzoberranzanwould be. The svirfnebli did much morethan merely survive. They lived andlaughed and worked, and the gains theymade were shared by the whole, as was thepain of the losses they inevitably suffered inthe hostile subsurface world.

Joy multiplies when it is shared amongfriends, but grief diminishes with everydivision. That is life.

And so, when I walked back out ofBlingdenstone, b a c k i n t o t h e e m p t yUnderdark�s lonely chambers, I walked withhope. At my side went Belwar, my newfriend, and in my pocket went the magicalfigurine that could summon Guenhwyvar,

my proven friend. In my brief stay with thedeep gnomes, I had witnessed life as Ialways had hoped it would be�I could notreturn to simply surviving.

With my friends beside me, I dared tobelieve that I would not have to.

On Strength: (Exile)

There have been many times in my life when Ihave felt helpless. It is perhaps the most acutepain a person can know, founded infrustration and ventless rage. The nick of asword upon a battling soldier�s arm cannotcompare to the anguish a prisoner feels at thecrack of a whip. Even if the whip does notstrike the helpless prisoner�s body, it surelycuts deeply at his soul.

We all are prisoners at one time oranother in our lives, prisoners to ourselvesor to the expectations of those around us. Itis a burden that all people despise, and thatfew people ever learn to escape. I considermyself fortunate in this respect, for my lifehas traveled along a fairly straight-runningpath of improvement. Beginning inMenzoberranzan, under the relentlessscrutiny of the evil Spider Queen�s highpriestesses, I suppose that my situationcould only have improved.

In my stubborn youth, I believed that Icould stand alone, that I was strong enough toconquer my enemies with sword and withprinciples. Arrogance convinced me that bysheer determination, I could conquerhelplessness itself. Stubborn and foolishyouth, I must admit, for when I look back onthose years now, I see quite clearly that rarelydid I stand alone and rarely did I have to standalone. Always there were friends, true anddear, lending me support even when Ibelieved I did not want it, and even when I didnot realize they were doing it.

Zaknafein, Belwar, Clacker, Mooshie,Bruenor, Regis, Catti-brie, Wulfgar, and ofcourse, Guenhwyvar, dear Guenhwyvar.These were the companions who justifiedmy principles, who gave me the strength to

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continue against any foe, real or imagined.These were the companions who fought thehelplessness, the rage, and frustration.

These were the friends who gave me mylife.

On Spirit: (Exile)

Spirit. It cannot be broken and it cannot bestolen away. A victim in the throes ofdespair might feel otherwise, and certainlythe victim�s �master� would like to believe itso. But in truth, the spirit remains,sometimes buried but never fully removed.

That is the false assumption of Zin-carlaand the danger of such sentient animation.The priestesses, I have come to learn, claimit as the highest gift of the Spider Queendeity who rules the drow. I think not. Betterto call Zin-carla Lloth�s greatest lie.

The physical powers of the body cannotbe separated from the rationale of the mindand the emotions of the heart. They are oneand the same, a compilation of a singularbeing. I t is in the harmony of thesethree�body, mind and heart�that we findspirit.

How many tyrants have tried? How manyrulers have sought to reduce their subjectsto simple, unthinking instruments of profitand gain? They steal the loves, the religions,of their people; they seek to steal the spirit.

Ultimately and inevitably, they fail. This Imust believe. If the flame of the spirit�scandle is extinguished, there is only death,and the tyrant finds no gain in a kingdomlittered with corpses.

But it is a resilient thing, this flame ofspirit, indomitable and ever-striving. Insome, at least, it will survive, to the tyrant�sdemise.

Where, then, was Zaknafein, my father,when he set out purposefully to destroy me?Where was I in my years alone in the wilds,when this hunter that I had become blindedmy heart and guided my sword hand oftenagainst my conscious wishes?

We both were there all along, I came toknow, buried but never stolen.

Spirit. In every language in all the Realms,surface and Underdark, in every time andevery place, the word has a ring of strengthand determination. It is the hero�s strength,the mother�s resilience, and the poor man�sarmor. It cannot be broken, and it cannot betaken away.

This I must believe.

On Sunlight: (Sojourn)

It burned my eyes and pained every part ofmy body. It destroyed my piwafwi andboots, stole the magic from my armor, andweakened my trusted scimitars. Still, everyday, without fail, I was there, sitting uponmy perch, my judgment seat, to await thearrival of the sunrise.

It came to me each day in a paradoxicalway. The sting could not be denied, butneither could I deny the beauty of thespectacle. The colors just before the sun�sappearance grabbed my soul in a way thatno patterns of heat emanations in theUnderdark ever could. At first, I thought myentrancement a result of the strangeness ofthe scene, but even now, many years later, Ifeel my heart leap at the subtle brighteningthat heralds the dawn.

I know now that my time in the sun�mydaily penance�was more than mere desireto adapt to the ways of the surface world.The sun became the symbol o f thedifference between the Underdark and mynew home. The society that I had run awayfrom, a world of dealings and treacherousconspiracies, could not exist in the openspaces under the light of day.

This sun, for all the anguish it brought mephysically, came to represent my denial ofthat other, darker world. Those rays ofrevealing light reinforced my principles assurely as they weakened the drow-mademagical items.

In the sunlight, the piwafwi, the shieldingcloak that defeated probing eyes, thegarment of thieves and assassins, became nomore than a worthless rag of tattered cloth.

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Collected Essays of Drizzt Do�Urden

On Guilt: (Sojourn)

Does anything in all the world force aheavier weight upon one�s shoulders thanguilt? I have felt the burden often, havecarried it over many steps, on long roads.

Guilt resembles a sword with two edges.On the one hand, it cuts for justice,imposing practical morality upon those whof e a r i t . G u i l t , t h e c o n s e q u e n c e o fconscience, is what separates the goodlypersons from the evil. Given a situation thatpromises gain, most drow can kill another,kin or otherwise, and walk away carryingno emotional burden at all. The drowassassin might fear retribution but will shedno tears for his victim.

To humans�and to surface elves, and toall of the other goodly races�the sufferingimposed by conscience will usually faroutweigh any external threats. Some wouldconclude that guilt�conscience�is theprimary difference between the variedraces of the Realms. In this regard, guiltmust be considered a positive force.

But there is another side to that weightedemotion. Conscience does not alwaysadhere to rational judgment. Guilt is alwaysa self-imposed burden, but is not alwaysrightly imposed. So it was for me along theroad from Menzoberranzan to IcewindDale. I carried out of Menzoberranzan guiltfor Zaknafein, my father, sacrificed on mybehalf. I carried into Blingdenstone guilt forBelwar Dissengulp, the svirfneblin mybrother had maimed. Along the many roadsthere came many other burdens: Clacker,killed by the monster that hunted for me;the gnolls, slain by my own hand; and thefarmers�most painfully�that simple farmfamily murdered by the barghest whelp.

Rationally I knew that I was not to blame,that the actions were beyond my influence,or in some cases, as with the gnolls, that Ihad acted properly. But rationale is littledefense against the weight of guilt.

In time, bolstered by the confidence oftrusted friends, I came to throw off many of

these burdens. Others remain and alwaysshall. I accept this as inevitable, and use theweight to guide my future steps.

This , I be l i eve , i s the purpose o fconscience.

On Deity: (Sojourn)

To all the varied peoples of the world,nothing is so out of reach, yet so deeplypersonal and controlling, as the concept ofgod. My experience in my homelandshowed me little of these supernaturalbeings beyond the influences of the viledrow deity, the Spider Queen, Lloth.

After witnessing the carnage of Lloth�sworkings, I was not so quick to embrace theconcept of any god, of any being, that couldso dictate codes of behavior and precepts ofan entire society. Is morality not an internalforce, and if it is, are principles then to bedictated or felt?

So follows the question of the godsthemselves. Are these named entities, intruth, actual beings, or are they mani-festations of shared beliefs? Are the darkelves evil because they follow the preceptso f the Sp ider Queen , or i s L lo th aculmination of the drow�s natural evilconduct?

Likewise, when the barbarians of IcewindDale charge across the tundra to war,shouting the name of Tempus, Lord ofBattles, are they following the precepts ofTempus, or is Tempus merely the idealizedname they give to their actions?

This I cannot answer, not, I have come torealize, can anyone else, no matter howloudly they�particularly priests of certaingods�might argue otherwise. In the end, toa preacher�s ultimate sorrow, the choice of agod is a personal one, and the alignment to abeing is in accord with one�s internal code ofprinciples. A missionary might coerce andtrick would-be disciples, but no rationalbeing can truly follow the determinedorders of any god-figure if those orders runcontrary to his own tenets. Neither I, DrizztDo�Urden, nor my father, Zaknafein, could

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ever have become disciples of the SpiderQueen. And Wulfgar of Icewind Dale, myfriend of later years, though he still mightyell out to the battle god, does not pleasethis entity called Tempus except on thoseoccasions when he puts his mighty warhammer to use.

The gods of the realms are many andvaried�or they are the many and variednames and identities tagged onto the samebeing.

I know not�and care not�which.

On Purpose: (Sojourn)

I now view my long road as a search fortruth�truth in my own heart, in the worldaround me, and in the larger questions ofpurpose and of existence. How does onedefine good and evil?

I carried an internal code of morals withme on my trek, though whether I was bornwith it or it was imparted to me byZaknafein�or whether it simply developedfrom my perceptions�I cannot ever know.This code forced me to leave Menzo-berranzan, for though I was not certain ofwhat those truths might have been, I knewbeyond doubt that they would not be foundin the domain of Lloth.

After many years in the Underdarkoutside of Menzoberranzan and after myfirst awful experiences on the surface, Icame to doubt the existence of any universaltruth, came to wonder if there was, after all,any purpose to life. In the world of drow,ambition was the only purpose, the seekingof material gains that came with increasedrank. Even then, that seemed a little thing tome, hardly a reason to exist.

I thank you, Montolio DeBrouchee, forconfirming my suspicions. I have learnedthat the ambition of those who follow selfishprecepts is no more than a chaotic waste, afinite gain that must be followed by infiniteloss. For there is indeed a harmony in theuniverse, a concordant singing of commonweal. To join that song, one must find innerharmony, must find the notes that ring true.

There is one other point to be made aboutthat truth: Evil creatures cannot sing.

On Hope: (Sojourn)

How different the trail seemed as I departedMooshie�s Grove from the road that had ledme there. Again I was alone, except whenGuenhwyvar came to my call. On this road,though, I was alone only in body. In my mind Icarried a name, the embodiment of my valuedprinciples. Mooshie had called Mielikki agoddess; to me she was a way of life.

She walked beside me always along themany surfaceroads I traversed. She led meout to safety and fought off my despairwhen I was chased away and then huntedby the dwarves of Citadel Adbar, a fortressnortheast of Mooshie�s Grove. Mielikki, andmy belief in my own value, gave me thecourage to approach town after townthroughout the northland. The receptionswere always the same: shock and fear thatquickly turned to anger. The more generousof those I encountered told me simply to goaway; others chased me with weaponsbared. On two occasions I was forced tofight, though I managed to escape withoutanyone being badly injured.

The minor nicks and scratches were asmall price to pay. Mooshie had bidden menot to live as he had, and the old ranger�sperceptions, as always, proved true. On myjourneys throughout the northland Iretained something�hope�that I neverwould have held if I had remained a hermitin the evergreen grove. As each new villageshowed on the hor izon , a t ing le o fanticipation quickened my steps. One day, Iwas determined, I would find my home.

It would happen suddenly, I imagined. Iwould approach a gate, speak a formalgreeting, then reveal myself as a dark elf.Even my fantasy was tempered by reality,for the gate would not swing wide at myapproach. Rather, I would be allowedguarded entry, a trial period much like theone I endured in Blingdenstone, thesvirfneblin city. Suspicions would linger

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Collected Essays of Drizzt Do�Urden

about me for many months, but in the end,principles would be seen and accepted forwhat they were; the character of the personwould outweigh the color of his skin and thereputation of his heritage.

I replayed that fantasy countless timesover the years. Every word of everymeeting in my imagined town became alitany against the continued rejections. Itwould not have been enough, but alwaysthere was Guenhwyvar, and now there wasMielikki.

On Vows: (The Legacy)

What turmoil I felt when first I broke mymost solemn, principle-intentioned vow:that I would never again take the life of oneof my people. The pain, a sense of failure, asense of loss, was acute when I realizedwhat wicked work my scimitars had done.

The guilt faded quickly, though�notbecause I came to excuse myself for anyfailure, but because I came to realize thatmy true failure was in making the vow, notin breaking it. When I walked out of myhomeland, I spoke the words out ofinnocence, the naivete of unworldly youth,and I meant them when I said them, truly. Icame to know, though, that such a vow wasunrealistic, that if I pursued a course in lifeas defender of those ideals I so cherished, Icould not excuse myself from actionsdictated by that course if ever the enemiesshowed themselves to be drow elves.

Quite simply, adherence to my vowdepended on variables completely beyondmy control . I f , after leaving Menzo-berranzan, I had never again met a dark elfin battle, I never would have broken myvow. But that, in the end, would not havemade me any more honorable. Fortunatecircumstances do not mean high principles.

When the situation arose, however, thatdark elves threatened my dearest friends,precipitated a state of warfare againstpeople who had done them no wrong, howcould I, in good conscience, have kept myscimitars tucked away? What was my vow

worth when weighed against the lives ofBruenor, Wulfgar, and Catti-Brie, or whenweighed against the lives of any innocents,for that matter? If, in my travels, I happenedupon a drow raid against surface elves, oragainst a small village, I know beyond anydoubts that I would have joined in thefighting, battling the unlawful aggressorswith all my strength.

In that event, no doubt, I would have feltthe acute pangs of failure and soon wouldhave dismissed them, as I do now.

I do not, therefore, lament breaking myvow�though it pains me, as it always does,that I have had to kill. Nor do I regretmaking the vow, for the declaration of myyouthful folly caused no subsequent pain. IfI h a d a t t e m p t e d t o a d h e r e t o t h eunconditional words of that declaration,though, if I had held my blades in check fora sense of false pride, and if that inactionhad subsequently resulted in injury to aninnocent person, then the pain in DrizztDo�Urden would have been more acute,never to leave. . . .

I now make a new vow, one weighed inexperience and proclaimed with my eyesopen: I will not raise my scimitars except indefense, in defense of my principles, of mylife, or of others who cannot defendthemselves. I will not do battle to furtherthe causes of false prophets, to further thetreasures of kings, or to avenge my owninjured pride.

A n d t o t h e m a n y g o l d - w e a l t h ymercenaries, religious and secular, whowould look upon such a vow as unrealistic,impractical, even ridiculous, I cross myarms over my chest and declare withconviction: I am the richer by far!

©1992 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

16

BATTLE MAZE #1Dungeon Masters are encouraged to insert this maze into Menzoberranzan wherever it might be useful. Forexample, battle mazes are often used to screen the last route of retreat of a powerful noble house, or onemay be employed to guard the vault of a wealthy merchant or moneylender.

1. EntryThis large room has a ceiling twenty feet above the floor, and three pairs of double doors in the walls. Two

of these portals are false�if any attempt to open them or to pick their locks is made, they explode outwardas a 6d6 fireball, filling all the room with the effect.

Along the ceiling are eight slits, four on each side, allowing drow in rooms numbered 2 to shoot arrows ordarts at anyone entering this chamber. The doors that lead to the maze are barred; attempts to bash themopen suffer a -20 percent penalty to the open doors roll.

2. Ambush RoomThese chambers are reached via secret doors and steep stairways. Their sole purpose is to allow bombard-

ment of intruders in room 1.

3. Pit TrapsThese nasty surprises are located throughout the maze. They resemble the floor perfectly in appearance,

though they sound hollow if someone taps the floor. Falling causes 4d6 points of damage from the 20� falland the spikes at the bottom.

4. Water TrapIntruders stepping on these areas trigger a flow from the cistern (#6), which fills the hallway from floor to

ceiling between this location and the nearest stairways leading up.

5. Acid TrapAnyone trying to open these doors or pick the locks opens a vat of acid, which strikes those directly in

front of the doorway for 8d6 points of damage, and soaks the characters and their possessions. Anyonestanding more than five feet away takes only 4d6 points of damage, and is not affected above the knees.

6. CisternThis is a spring-fed tank, so regardless of how many of the water traps are sprung, the cistern remains

full.

7. Second Ambush RoomThis chamber allows up to three drow defenders to shoot darts of arrows into the adjacent room.

8. Barrier WallsThese are adamantite walls, about 4� high, with passages only wide enough to accommodate one elf at a

time. They provide good cover for defenders who wish to shoot at attackers; any character shooting frombehind one of these walls has the equivalent of AC 3.

9. Monster TrapThe DM can place a monster of his or her choice here, encased within the three-tiered altar. When the

room is entered, the stone shell breaks, sending fragments throughout the room (2d6 points of damage to allpresent). The monster then attacks.

10. ExitThis wide corridor connects with whatever the maze was designed to protect.

@1992 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

BATTLE MAZE #2Dungeon Masters are encouraged to insert this maze into Menzoberranzan wherever it might be useful. Forexample, battle mazes are often used to screen the last route of retreat of a powerful noble house, or onemay be employed to guard the vault of a wealthy merchant or moneylender.

1. ElevatorThis shaft supports a small, circular platform that can be raised and lowered by its passengers, or by

someone at the top or bottom of the elevator, by cranking a block and tackle mechanism. The total drop is80�, and requires 4 rounds of cranking. The elevator can carry a maximum of 8 passengers.

2. Stairway to the VaultThis wide stairway descends 30�, and leads to a large room with walls on three sides. The fourth side

drops 50� to the floor of area #7. A narrow ladder leads to the bottom of the larger chamber.

3. Pit TrapsThese nasty surprises are located throughout the maze. They resemble the floor perfectly in appearance,

though they sound hollow if someone taps the floor. Falling causes 4d6 points of damage from the 20� falland the spikes at the bottom.

4. Mother of All Pit TrapsThis treacherous plunge takes characters the full 80� down, dropping them in the middle of area #7, and

inflicting 8d6 points of damage from the fall.

5. False DoorsThis portal will explode outward on any attempt to push or smash open its doors or pick their locks. A

lightning bolt blasts from each, down the full length of the corridor facing the doors. Anyone in that corri-dor is subject to 6d6 points of damage.

6. Back StairsThis stairway, accessible only by secret door, leads down 30� to a network of chambers (numbers 8,9, and

10) though some of them require still more sucessful detections of secret doors.

7. Ambush RoomThis large chamber exists solely as a danger to those unknowing intruders who find themselves here. Any

attempt to open the double doors visible on the walls results in the same lightning bolt, detailed in #5: twinbolts that strike straight out from the doors, covering the full length of the room. Also, targets in this roomcan be showered with missile fire from area 8.

8. High GroundThis chamber has eight slits along the wall adjoining room 7, allowing characters to shoot into the latter

from 40� up, and retain the equivalent of AC 2 from the protection of the walls. The room is well stockedwith arrows, flasks of oil, and even rocks.

6. Secret ShaftThis narrow shaft conceals a lader that leads down 50 feet.

10. Monster RoomThe DM is encouraged to place a large monster in here, keyed to attack any intruders.

11. ExitThis stairway is exposed to fire from above for its entire length; but those who make it out have reached

the end of the maze!

©1992 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

©1992 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

House Nurbonnis NPCs House Females

Carri�pol NurbonnisDrow Priestess of Lloth, Level 6

AC 2; Move 12; hit points 31; #AT 1; Dmg 1d8 + 2; THAC017; MR 62%Weapon: adamantite mace +2

Inherent Spell-Like Abilities: dancing lights, faeriefire, darkness, levitate, know alignment, detect lie,suggestion, dispel magic

Spells Known:

First Level: detect magic, detect snares and pits, sanctuarySecond Level: charm person or mammal, slow poison,

spiritual hammerThird Level: dispel magic, cause blindness or deafness

Rynn�qynnil NurbonnisDrow High Priestess of Lloth, Level 8

AC 0; Move 12; hit points 40; #AT 3; Dmg 2d4 ( x 3); THAC016; MR 66%Weapon: whip of fangs

Inherent Spell-Like Abilities: dancing lights, faeriefire, darkness, levitate, know alignment, detect lie,suggestion, dispel magic

Spells Known:

First Level: detect good, detect magic, cause fearSecond Level: augury, chant, silence 15� radiusThird Level: dispel magic, feign death, meld into stoneFourth Level: cause serious wounds, neutralize poison

Lynn�qynnos NurbonnisDrow High Priestess of Lloth, Level 7

AC 3; Move 12; hit points 30; #AT 2; Dmg 2d4 (x 2); THAC017; MR 64%Weapon: whip of fangs

Inherent Spell-Like Abilities: dancing lights, faeriefire, darkness, levitate, know alignment, detect lie,suggestion, dispel magic

Spells Known:

First Level: curse, detect magic, shillelaghSecond Level: chant, find traps, spiritual hammerThird Level: dispel magic, cause blindness or deafnessFourth Level: spell immunity

©1992 TSR, Inc. All Rights Reserved.

House Nurbonnis NPCs House Males

Karelist NurbonnisDrow Mage, Level 8

AC 0; Move 12; #AT 1; Dmg 1d4 + 5; THAC0 12; MR 66%

Inherent Spell-like Abilities: dancing lights, faerie fire,darkness, levitate, know alignment, detect magic (allonce/day)

Spells Known:

First Level: detect magic, jump, light, read magicSecond Level: detect invisibility, ESP, webThird Level: fly, hold person, slowFourth Level: fumble, minor globe of invulnerability

Daevion�lyr Nurbonnis,SecondboyDrow Guard Captain (Fighter/Mage), Level 6/5

AC -1; Move 12; HD 6; hit points 28; #AT 1; Dmg 1d8 + 5;THAC0 11; MR 62%Weapon: long sword +5, or handcrossbow with poisondarts

Inherent Spell-like Abilities: dancing lights, faerie fire,darkness, levitate, know alignment, detect magic (allonce/day).

Spells Known:

First Level: sleep, magic missile, light, charm personSecond Level: invisibility, webThird Level: fireball

Pernictal Nurbonnis,ElderboyDrow House Wizard (Mage), Level 9

AC 0; Move 12; hit points 24; #AT 1; Dmg 1d4 + 5; THAC012; MR 68%Weapon: dagger +4

Inherent Spell-like Abilities: dancing lights, faerie fire,darkness, levitate, know alignment, detect magic (allonce/day).

Spells Known:

First Level: alarm, magic missile, light, charm personSecond Level: invisibility, web, improved phantasmal forceThird Level: slow, fireball, flyFourth Level: ice storm; minor globe of invulnerabilityFifth Level: Bigby�s interposing hand

Adlictin Lot�ttlDrow Warrior, Level 5 (on lizard mount)

AC 2; Move 15; hit points 31 (each, warrior and mount);#AT 1; Dmg 1d8 + 3; THAC0 12; MR 58%Weapons: lance, long sword +3

Inherent Spell-like Abilities: dancing lights, faerie fire,darkness, levitate

Caraf�nir Pron�nonnisDrow Warrior, Level 6

AC -1; Move 12; hit points 38; #AT 1; Dmg 1d8 + 5;THAC0 12; MR 62%Weapon: long sword +4

Inherent Spell-like Abilities: dancing lights, faerie fire,darkness, levitate