Villains' Lorebook.pdf - Department of Political Science

Special Equipment: Jaylnfein’s collection of scrolls,
potions, spellbooks, and magical items rivals or even
exceeds that of Gromph Baenre. Below is a list of
just some of the items Jalynfein’s known to own: ring
of protection +6, +1 on saves; ring of free action; rod of
absorption; wand of magic missiles.
Descripion: When Jaylnfein was young, he spurned
a priestess’ advances. As revenge, she slit his face
with her dagger and tossed a vial of distilled spider
venom in it. To this day, Jalynfein’s face is a purplish,
bloated ruin resembling some Underdark fungusgrowth.
Jalynfein later managed to escape the priestess’s
imprisonment and returned only a dozen years
later as a powerful mage, taking his revenge on her.
When not using his spider summoning ability, he
wears a featureless, gray mask.
Like Gromph (and the few other powerful male
drow), Jalynfein is hoping to one day overthrow the
female-dominated, evil drow culture. He’s particularly
interested in surface dwellers, especially mages
of power. While he’ll not verbally betray his true
feelings, Jalynfein is determined to covertly work for
change in Menzoberranzan.
Matron Malice Do’Urden, (15th-level priestess
of Lolth), AC 2; MV 12; hp 56; THAC0 12; #AT 1;
Dmg by weapon or spell; MR 75%; SZ M; ML 17;
AL CE; XP 11,000.
S 10, D 16, C 17, I 18, W 16, Ch 13.
Spells: 7/7/5/5/5/2/1.
Special Equipment: Alchemy jug, cloak of the bat,
ring of regeneration, rod of beguiling; it’s also likely she
possessed several of the drow magical items mentioned
under other characters (and detailed in this
book). Additionally, Malice possessed the following
spell-like powers: dancing lights, faerie fire, darkness,
levitate, know alignment, detect magic, detect lie, clairvoyance,
suggestion, dispel magic.
Description: To many drow, Malice was the perfect
example of a Matron. Fiercely ambitious, conniving,
loyal only to Lolth, and ruthless in the extreme, her
exploits (political and amorous) are still the stuff of
legends in Menzoberranzan. While she lived, Malice
strived to gain a seat on the city’s Council. If not for
an ill-advised scheme of vengeance against her renegade
son, Drizzt, she might well have succeeded. At
one point in her quest for Drizzt’s death, she raised
the dead Zaknafein using the dreaded zin-carla* spell.
Zaknafein Do’Urden, (24th-level male fighter),
AC -4; MV 12; hp 178; THAC0 -3; #AT 5; Dmg by
weapon; MR 98%; SZ M; ML 20; AL CN; XP 19,000.
S 15, D 19, C 16, I 15, W 15, Ch 14.
Special Equipment: Drow chain mail +5, two long
swords +5; Zaknafein also had the following spelllike
abilities: dancing lights, faerie fire, darkness, levi-
tate, know alignment, detect magic.
Description: Zaknafein was once the “patron” of
House Do’Urden, meaning, of course, that he was
Malice’s plaything until the time came that she tired
of him. Likely because of his skill at arms, she al-
lowed him to live on as Do’Urden’s weapons master.
As was his duty at this post, he trained all the
young Do’Urdens in martial skills. His most exceptional
student was Drizzt. As the two trained together
throughout Drizzt’s youth, the two grew close,
as a father and son should. Indeed, after Drizzt had
fled Menzoberranzan and Malice declared his life
forfeit, Zaknafein willingly gave up his life in ex-
change for Drizzt’s.
Malice, treacherous to the last, however, used the
vile zin-carla spell to reanimate the dead body of
Drizzt’s father, and sent the undead weapons master
out to seek and destroy his beloved son. After a long
and arduous chase, the two met in combat for the
final time. Realizing that this thing was merely the
instrument of Malice’s hatred and not truly Zaknafein,
Drizzt was able to defeat the undead creature
and allow his father to rest, finally free of Malice.
While he lived, Zaknafein resented Malice and
the evil of drow society, but he respected the power
of Lolth’s priestesses too much to flee as did Drizzt.
Instead, he took out his anger in combat, slaughtering
the members of whichever noble house Malice
had targeted at that time.
Sources: The Menzoberranzan set, The Drow of the
Underdark accessory, the Dark Elf trilogy, The
Legacy, Starless Night, Siege of Darkness, Daughter of
the Drow, Tangled Webs, and “The Fires of Narbonbdel.”
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