I have seen the Time of Troubles, I have seen the Darkening, and I have fought against the Order I once created. I was born to Matron Mother K'Yara Bront'tej of House Bront'tej in 1190, my name was Ilivarra Bront'tej. After many years of being the Twentieth House of Menzoberranzan, House Barrison Del'Armgo destroyed my house, to rise to the top. Mez'Barris, not Matron Mother yet, promised to grant me the title of First Priestess of her House when she took leadership. I readily agreed to her promise, well I had little choice; to die or join House Barrison Del'Armgo.
Leaving with Mez'Barris Armgo we rejoined her house at their compound in Narbondellyn.
I may have skipped a good portion of my life but it is irrelevant. Well, here is a small description of these past years. I went back to Tier Breche with a new name Valsharess Armgo of House Barrison Del'Armgo, where I learned the ways of Lolth. After years in Arach-Tinilith, the school for Priestesses of Lolth, I left and returned to a renewed House Barrison Del'Armgo with a new Matron Mother at its head, Mez'Barris my adoptive mother. As her promise to strengthen House Barrison Del'Armgo I was given the title of First Priestess, and to train her First Daughter, Taayrul Armgo. Her training was quite boring for the first years of her life. It was a great relief for me and the slaves when she was sent to Arach-Tinilith for further training.
After the next few years I was sent to the surface by the will of Lolth to be worthy of the title of High Priestess. Without the aid of the Spider Queen, I adopted the guise of a ranger. Armed with my long knife from the armoury of House Bront'tej and my hand crossbows, I was teleported to the surface. The experience was worse than I had ever expected. My armour started to disintegrate slowly, the enchantments on my weapons left and what was worse was the horrible burning orb of fire in the sky that the iblith, surface dwellers, call the sun. It took me a long time to find a settlement, but I did. Stealing armour, I fled the town and made my way to where Lady Lolth took me.
After many tendays I noticed a sign with information on a job for 'Brave Adventurers Looking for Work!' on it. Chuckling I noticed a few others around, each with the same sign. I reluctantly joined them. Travelling to a place called Winterfall we were joined by one of the darthiir, and elf enemy of my people. Without the blessings of Lady Lolth I did not kill this one, as she seemed to have a bigger future to play out. Apart of the entourage was an ugly Halfling bard who would not shut up, and would not stop staring at me. He wanted me, but I refused to have anything to do with his disgusting race unless it was to enslave them for the glories of House Barrison Del'Armgo. I was immensely fascinated that we travelled with one of the fabled Shardmind's. Fortunately the trip did not last long; we introduced ourselves and then continued on our way. Arriving we accepted the job and left. The job was to literally clear out kobolds and find their leader. I took great sorrow in killing the kobolds knowing they could be used as slaves to House Barrison Del'Armgo to strengthen the Second House. After many days of almost dying and failing Lady Lolth I made it, with the blessings of Lady Lolth, to the lair of a white dragon. The battle with the dragon was very easy and was over quite quickly. Proclaiming this an act of the Will of the Spider Queen we left back to Winterfall.
We gained our reward and the Halfling, whose name I care not to know, got the Lord to give him his son for training. We left and spent the night in an inn, where I heard the calls of Lolth to return to Menzoberranzan, the City of Spiders. Leaving the party, I left a note there hoping one of the surface dwellers would find it and read it.
The message read;
Companions of Toril.
I find myself being called back to my home in Menzoberranzan. It brings me little sadness to inform you all of my departure. In ways you all were pawns in my rise to High Priestess, no offense meant of course, but in the end you all helped me accomplish my mission to Lady Lolth.
This is to you, darthiir; recently I have been in contact with some fellow Drow. They warned me of some plot you had against me. Little did you know I found out about this foolish plot against me? So I would be wary and always watch your back. But as the old sayings in Menzoberranzan go; those who watch their backs, meet death from the front.
To the annoying Halfling known as Orcerian? Orissian? Osirian Silvertongue! Yes, that was it! Anyways, you annoyed me since the moment I saw your ugly form. That annoyance was multiplied by tenfold when you would not shut up and refused to accept I had no feelings besides wanting to cut your miserable head from your pitiful body. Luckily I grew to tolerate you over the short time I knew you. After I left I missed hearing your blabbering mouth, but I hoped I would see you again soon.
I have nothing for the sharmind since I knew nothing about you besides that you were made of crystals. Sorry, child.
With no sincerity,
Valsharess Armgo of House Barrison Del’Armgo
It took me a few tendays to push you all out of my thoughts, but in the end I did. After I left Toril and returned to Menzoberranzan, my life changed drastically.
When I returned my home was in chaos, more so than ever. Without the aid of Lolth I grew to accept it, but finding that I could not call upon her spells anymore I knew something was amiss. Returning to House Barrison Del’Armgo, Matron Mez’Barris Armgo called me to meet with her in the chapel. Returning to my natural clothing my sister, Taayrul, insisted that I wore the robes of a High Priestess of Lolth. Complying I put on the very elaborate and bejewelled black robes with intricate spider and web designs. With the slightest of movement the robes flew around me. Leaving to the chapel with Taayrul and Elara we made our way to Matron Mez’Barris. On entry our mother was on her knees, praying to Lady Lolth. When she heard the door close and our rushed footsteps in the chapel she rose and turned to us. She told us about the absence of Lolth and that it wasn’t Baenre’s fault, but it was magic array. Glaring at Taayrul as she told me that Matron Mother Yvonnel Baenre caused this silence in Lolth. Turning she told me I would be attending the Ruling Council with her and to bring the most valued item I had.
It took a few hours but I found it, the Staff of Spiders, once belonged to Matron Mother K'Yara Bront’tej of House Bront’tej, my mother. Going to Matron Mez’Barris, she told me it was time to leave. We left for House Baenre immediately.
Arriving at the Baenre Compound was a little sight. It’s grand spires and magnificent chapel was seen every day from the Qu’ellarz’orl, where my adoptive mother moved out house to. We assembled around in the Chapel of House Baenre. Around a table I stood beside my mother, as did the other First Priestesses with their respective Matron Mothers. Except Triel replaced the seat of Ghenni’Tiroth Tlabbar of Fourth House Faen Tlabbar and Gromph for K’yorl Odron of Third House Oblodra.
It startled us all when the doors flew open, Matron K’yorl Odron walking in with a wide smirk. “You dare hold a meeting of council without informing House Oblodra?” she said to the old Baenre Matron. Most of us gathered around, which I was included in, laughed when Baenre spoke, “The executioner does not invite her victim to the block. She lures her in or takes her there.” Unfortunately that conversation ended with K’yorl trying to add Baenre to the fires in which our items were added to bring a gift from the Spider Queen. It ended when Methil El’Viddenvelp, the ilithid advisor of Yvonnel the Eternal, intervened and easily fought and defeated her in a psionic battle. Defeated she failed to notice when the first tan’ari entered from the fires. Only when the second and third demon came she fled. Wave after wave of the demons came and went after K’yorl Ordon who fled back to the safety of her compound.
There we all gathered, all of Menzoberranzan gathered to witness the destruction of Third House Oblodra. Though what immensely shocked us all was that it was not the academy, nor the tan’ari gathered to destroy House Oblodra but Matron Baenre. Summoning the grand power of Lolth, she brought up a great spell which dragged the entire compound, the whole giant stalagmite, into the Clawrift. In song of the return of the Spider Queen, Baenre declared a unified march of Menzoberranzan’s noble Houses in a grand attack on Mithral Hall, the dwarven complex. Without any argument, fearful of being destroyed by House Baenre, we all accepted.
Matron Mother Mez’Barris sent Uthegental and I to lead our forces in the attack of Mithral Hall. Though the march was short, he took us to the svirfneblin city of Blingdenstone. I put over him a spell of gaseous form. He took many minutes, but when he returned he said the city of abandoned. We left the city and returned to our march to the dwarven halls.
Our attack was long, and it failed miserably. Matron Baenre was killed, as well as 2,000 Drow and an estimated 4,000 slaves. When we retreated, led my Matron Zeerith Q’Xorlarrin of House Xorlarrin, I realized the brute Uthegental was killed in the attack as well. Apart from the 200 Drow from House Barrison Del’Armgo that I led with Uthegental, 137 of them remained from the attack.
Nearly a century after the attack on Mithral Hall, I was awarded with the title of Mistress of Spiders, a position in which I was responsible of House Barrison Del’Armgo’s elite unit of priestesses. Giving the title of First Priestess of Taayrul, I made sure I had the best of the best. Later on I chose to bear children, to start my own house. But Matron Mother Mez'Barris Armgo refused it. Saying that if I were to have children, we would be Barrison Del'Armgo, to strengthen our House. I agreed to this, knowing that it would be harder to start anew. I married Nal'Dyre-Vor Hunzin, Elderboy of Matron Mother Shakti Hunzin of Eleventh House Hunzin. I gave birth to four children; two boys, Rayltar and Tregath, two girls, Viconia and Ssipriina.
Time passed and the Silence of Lolth came upon us. First the Slave Revolt then the threat of Gracklstugh and the Scoured Legion. Thus became the creation of the Army of the Black Spider. Matron Mez’Barris Armgo, a general of the Grand Army of the Black Spider, led us to the Battle of the Pillars of Woe. With the supply trains of Barrison Del’Armgo destroyed in the ambush, we were forced to flee when our forces were being overrun.
Without our Lolth-given-spells we were hopeless to defeat our enemies, the combined forces of Horgar Steelshadow of Gracklstugh and Kaanyr Vhok's Scoured Legion with the secret backing of the Jaezred Chaulssin. On Ches 28, 1373 DR, the Silence of Lolth ended and Lolth's priestesses regained their powers. Kaanyr Vhok subsequently recalled his forces to Hellgate Keep; the remaining duergar were easily defeated and turned back. The siege officially ended on Ches. Little did I know but House Agrach Dyrr turned traitor and was defeated by the Xorlarrin’s, although Matron Mother Triel Baenre spared them if they swore to become a vassal house to House Baenre for at least a few centuries. Reports also say that Horgar Steelshadow was killed during the siege. With the end of the Siege of Menzoberranzan we took time to rebuild our once great house.
Another few centuries passed and thus began the Reign of Quenthel Baenre, one of my greatest rivals. Over the past years I began to hear rumours of a city called Diafthra and how the city, once plagued by giants, was nearly destroyed by a steel dragon named Amael but a group of adventurers led by the one and only Osirian Silvertongue. Another, the elf assassin named Zaya. Knowing that the damned darthiir wouldn’t be hunting me anymore, I thought now it was my turn to hunt. And as most of those inferior darthiir would say; the time of the deer is over, the time of the wolf is now.
Apparently those two were accompanied by a kobold (and I think to myself, why in the abyss would they have a kobold with them? Still I guess that was their thing: to accept anyone that wanted to come) named Foofy? No, Fluffy was the name! (And quite a peculiar one for a kobold) I laughed when I heard that an elf, none other than Mindlasher. One of the few darthiir that was not a slave or dead. He trained with the old witch Baenre's advisor, Methil El'Viddenvelp and that wretched K'yorl Odron. And don't get me started with that boy! Oh they lost all respect from me (even though they had no respect from me) when they chose to bring a human boy with them. Anyways I cared nothing for the other three, but Osirian and Zaya; they were quite the two I had in mind to visit.
Deciding it was time to once again see my old companions, I went to Matron Mez'Barris Armgo. Upon my arrival I asked her to give her approval to establish a trading alliance between House Barrison Del'Armgo and my old companions in Diafthra to compete with those Mizzrym's who nearly dominated the trading market. She agreed, knowing that if this worked out successfully we would become richer and thus making us stronger. Since Matron Mez'Barris controlled the most trained wizards and mercenaries, since Danifae and her mother, Matron Zeerith Q'Xorlarrin left the city, we could be a threat to even First House Baenre. Knowing this not to be true, I still wished it. I'm getting off topic, back to my tale.
With her blessing I established a new identity. I required a new name, occupation, affiliation, and history. It took seven long days to create this identity, but Taayrul opt in to help me (I think she just wanted to be rid of me so I couldn't kill her and take her title) build my new identity. Travelling to the surface took a lot longer than I remembered. After six tendays I arrived on Toril with my family. We move to Diafthra, to being a new age for House Barrison Del'Armgo.
This is the end of my tale, child. Well, not all of it. You will see the rest, my dear Ssipriina.
As for my children, Rayltar went rogue when we sacrificed his father to Lady Lolth.
Tregath thirsts to hunt his brother when he heard that he was spotted in Diafthra by Bregan D'aerthe. Viconia is a fat and sadistic fool, who disappointed my greatly. Her need to inflict pain was great and it would soon bring her to her doom, like First Priestess Berellip and Vendes Baenre so long ago.
Ssipriina, my First daughter, is alike to me. Cruel, yet reserved. Always calculating and knowing when to act and when not to. She rarely disappoints me, which makes me feel at ease. She knows the wrath of Matron Mez'Barris Armgo and would not dare kill me, for I am the destined heir for House Barrison Del'Armgo, as my adoptive mother promised me so long ago. And to this day reminds me of that promise.
False Identity:
Name- Ilivarra Do'Urden
Occupation- Noble Merchant of House Do'Urden
Affiliation- House Do'Urden, Lolth
History:
1290 DR: Born to Malice Do'Urden
1339 DR: Survivor of House Do'Urden save Vierna, Dinin, and Drizzt
1350 DR: Began to serve under House Mizzrym as a merchant
1358 DR: Aided in the Siege of Mithral Hall in the Xorlarrin Garrison
1484 DR: Join the resurrected House Do'Urden with my children
1489 DR: Greenest Attacked
1490 DR: Well of Dragons was destroyed and the beginning of the Rage of Demons began, and our departure from Menzoberranzan to Diafthra began.
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