|
House Baenre is a fictional clan of drow elves in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, created by R.A. Salvatore.
First House of the Underdark dark drow city of Menzoberranzan for as long as any would care to remember, House Baenre is a family of powerful schemers and manipultors, who recently have suffered some severe setbacks in their domination.
The Baenre family has been a bastion of power there for over 2500 years. Fiercely devoted to the drow goddess Lolth, as most Houses of Menzoberranzan, House Baenre is currently led by Matron Mother Triel Baenre, a shrewd priestess of Lolth, who succeeded her slain mother Yvonnel.
Triel filled her mother's position lazily, and with the deaths of her sister Quenthel, and the departure of the once much-favoured young Liriel Baenre - daughter of Triel's brother Gromph, House Baenre was not ready for the Silence of Lolth that began in 1372 DR.
Yvonnel Baenre/Old Matron Baenre
Yvonnel Baenre, called for centuries simply Matron Baenre&mdashas she embodied the House so thoroughly&mdashbuilt Menzoberannzan into a cruel and heartless place with an uncanny strength bred from deceit and ambition. Still, in the Underdark where the most evil of creatures lie, there is not one that would not shudder at the fury of the "Spider Kissers" being turned on them. However a series of events has damaged the House's reputation. The drow ranger Drizzt Do'Urden caused great problems for Yvonnel Baenre, and he sent her daughter Quenthel to the afterlife. Drizzt's friend Bruenor Battlehammer was Yvonnel Baenre's slayer.
Triel Baenre
Matron Triel Baenre is Matron Baenre's first daughter. Shrewd and ambitious though she is, Triel didn not expect to be landed with the role of House Matron so early. Paranoid about her height - for Triel is short, even by drow standards - and infuriated that other people, particularly her brother Gromph, may be laughing at her, she fills her mother's role, but not her throne. However Triel is shrewd and calculating, and a powerful vessel of Lolth's Will, despite her often flippant attitude toward her goddess. She has guided Meznoberranzan through tough times and continues to in the presence of looming catastrophe. She has a draegloth son, Jeggred, who acts as her bodyguard.
Gromph Baenre
Gromph is the Archmage of Menzoberranzan, Master of Sorcere - the arcane school, and first son of Matron Baenre - making him the most powerful male in the city. Gromph is thought to be around a millennium old. He wandered for some time and adventured before becoming the "leashed" Archmage of the Council of Eight, the eight ruling houses according to a decree by Lolth. It is only logical for the Council to keep close watch on the wizards, being their only real challenge for power, as Archmage Gromph has many responsibilities in the City of Spiders. Foremost, he must energize Narbodel, the huge "clock" of Menzoberannzan. Gromph is one of the few males of the city who has power enought to have almost anything he desires, including respect of females. Liriel is his daughter by one of his discarded lovers, making her claim to Baenre heritage shakey.
Some consider Gromph the greatest archmage in all the Realms. An arguement for this would be that if you consider that Elminster is less than six centuries old, Khelben slightly older than that, and Archmage Gromph has had nearly a full millenium to practice the art. However recently, disturbingly, Gromph disappeared at a time when the city most needed him.
Liriel Baenre
Liriel Baenre (created by Elaine Cunningham)—the beautiful, flippant, and sardonic daughter of Gromph—originally belonged to House Vandree, before her talent for arcane magic was discovered by her father. Taken into the ranks of the Baenres, Gromph still sought to keep her separated from the influence of his sisters and mother, and he sent her to stay with a minor House to hone her magical talent rather than study to be a priestess. Liriel grew independent and soon found the restrictions of Arach-Tinilith, when they were finally placed on her, too binding. Using a book given to her by her father Liriel travelled to the surface lands where she met drow elf followers of Eilistraee, the Dark Maiden of benevolent drow. Caught up in the plots of the Vhaeraunite merchant-turned-mercenary band the Dragon's Hoard, Liriel—a powerful mage, warrior and ex-prietess of Lolth—led a struggle against them with the help of her allies, a human barbarian named Fyodor of Rashemen, the mutant two-headed deep dragon Zz'Pzora, and the Eilistraeean forces of Qilué of the Seven Sisters.
Settling for a life on the surface, Liriel found herself hunted by her House and father, and travelled across the ocean with Fyodor, who became her lover and friend, and a pirate named Hrolf, who took her in as a daughter. Liriel's adventures caused drastic consequences for all drow, including the return of her sister Quenthel to her old House.
Quenthel Baenre
Quenthel, second daughter of Matron Baenre, returned from the death by the will of Lolth, is reinstated as Mistress of Arach-Tinilith, the preistess school. She and Triel's draegloth son, Jeggred, teamed up to uncover the mystery of Lolth's Silence.
Other members of House Baenre
Andzrel may be a mere shadow of Dantrag (the Baenre's dead Weapons' Master) or Bergin'yon (the House's renegade first son) with his blade, but he knows his way around a melee. Sos'Umptu, the quiet and unambitious sister of Triel and Quenthel tends the Baenre chapel - her adoptive sister Merith, a psychotic ex-commoner, lacks her subtelty. Another priestess - Triel's cousin Zal'therra - commands the Army of the Black Spider. Jeggred, a demonic draegloth, stands by his mother Triel's side as bodyguard, and in the face of Lolth's Silence, paired up with his aunt Quenthel.
Lastly Jarlaxle, who leads the mercenary band Bregan D'aerthe seems to hold a grudging loyalty to the family, one that raises questions about his relationship to them. It is revealed at the end of Servant of the Shard that his full name is 'Jarlaxle Baenre', and that he is the third son of Yvonnel Baenre.
|
