Menzoberranzan The Time of Troubles & Era of Upheaval We would like to welcome you to our homebrewed Forgotten Realms campaign setting. Inspired By Ed Greenwood

Menzoberranzan (pronounced: /ˈmɛnzoʊbəˈrɑːnzɑːn/ MEN-zoh-buh-RAN-zan), the City of Spiders, was a large underground drow city-state in the Upper Northdark. Menzoberranzan was possibly the most well known drow city in Faerûn. It was the home of Drizzt Do'Urden, and many of his early adventures dealt with the political intrigue and characters of the city.

It was located in the Upper Northdark, about 3.2km (2 miles) below the Surbrin Valley, between the Moonwood and the Frost Hills. It was quite close to Mithral Hall and was connected through tunnels to that settlement. Other tunnels led to the surface, namely in the Moonwood and on the western edge of the High Forest. Drygully Tunnel was a tunnel leading from the Underdark near Menzoberranzan to the surface.

The deep gnome city Blingdenstone was located about 45 miles to the west of Menzoberranzan. Ched Nasad was some distance to the southwest on the other side of Araumycos, a journey of several tendays from Menzoberranzan. The path through Ammarindar was the quickest journey between Menzoberranzan and Ched Nasad, but it was less traveled because of the danger that lurked there.

Menzoberranzan was located in a huge arrowhead-shaped cavern, some two miles wide and a thousand feet high. The drow called the cavern, Araurilcaurak. The city was mainly carved from calcite and it was filled with blue, green, and violet faerie fire. Buildings were often covered with the city's main motif: the spider, in honor of Lolth. The roof of Menzoberranzan was covered in paths. Some homes were 1,000 feet above the floor. Ceiling houses had to have great magic to prevent them from falling, and many were empty. An enchantment in the city cavern reduced echos from all the noise.

There were a fixed number of buildings in Menzoberrazan, meaning that the poorer areas were extremely crowded. Noble houses, once destroyed or abandoned, were not permitted to be reoccupied, meaning that there were a number of abandoned compounds both on the surface and roof of the city cavern. Gromph Baenre by francis001

The city had around a hundred gates, all guarded. These gates led into the myriad tunnels surrounding the city (collectively called the Bauthwaf).

One of the most distinct structures in the city was the pillar-clock called Narbondel. It was enchanted each morning by the Archmage of Menzoberranzan with a glow that slowly dissipated as the day wore on. Narbondel could be seen from throughout the entire city. When the pillar was completely dark, it was called Narbondel's Black Death (effectively midnight).

Notable Locations
• Arach-Tinilith
• Bazaar
• Carpathian's Tavern
• Clawrift
• Lake Donigarten
• Eastways
• Elstearn's Escorts
• Fane of Quarvelsharess
• Gollvelius' Tavern
• Jewel Box
• Melee-Magthere
• Narbondel
• Oozing Myconid
• Silken Rack
• Sorcere
• Symeera's
• West Ways

Districts
• Donigarten
• Duthcloim
• Tier Breche
• Eastmyr
• Narbondellyn
• West Wall
• Qu'ellarz'orl

Exterior Locations
• Dark Dominion

In 1370 DR, there were approximately 20,000 drow in the city, with 1,000 of them considered nobles of the 60-70 noble houses. Slaves included bugbears, goblins, ogres, ogrillons, orcs, minotaurs, quaggoths, trolls, and kobolds According to Liriel Baenre in 1361 DR, human slaves were rare in Menzoberranzan, but not unheard of.

In 1372, the city had 32,000 inhabitants — approximately one-third drow and the rest humanoid slaves, namely orcs, kobolds, gnolls, humans, and the occasional illithid. Circa 1486 DR, the city was back to 20,000 drow. As many as 1,200 visitors might have been in the city at one time, including beholders, deep dragons, illithids, naga, and fiends.

Independent traders and merchantile companies were an important part of drow society. They were run mostly by male drow, though a few merchants, such as "Nal" Xalyth, contradicted this standard. The trade was a dangerous one, even more so for non-drow, and many died quickly due to "accidents" from Houses that disliked them or from rival traders. Some were sponsored by noble Houses, ensuring their survival in some cases.

The city exported poisons, mushrooms, riding lizards, spell scrolls, wine, and water (clean water could be hard to come by in the Underdark). Other goods included body dyes, chains, everdark ink from deep dragon scales, giant slugs, herbal medicines, kayaks, musical instruments (flutes, drums), obsidian carvings (often used for sacrifices), perfumes, spells, spiced sausages, stone sculptures, surgical services, textiles, tortoiseshell goods, and ulaver wine. The city imported produce (surface and Underdark), shellfish, slaves, and textiles.

The neighboring drow city of Ched Nasad provided fully half of Menzoberranzan's goods. Various currencies were accepted in Menzoberranzan. Coins came in many shapes, including round, square, triangular, ring and spider-shaped coins. The greatest dozen houses in Menzoberrzan minted the coins. For example, House Baenre minted their own coins with the Baenre emblem, which were accepted throughout the city.

Ruling Houses
1) House Baenre
2) House Barrison Del'Armgo
3) House Faen Tlabbar
4) House Xorlarrin
5) House Agrach Dyrr
6) House Mizzrym
7) House Fey-Branche
8) House Tuin'Tarl

25) House Nurbonnis
29) House Thex

The city had many different factions, or Houses, all of which vied for power. As it was a matriarchal society, however, only females truly held power. Officially, the city was under the rule of the Ruling Council of Eight, composed of the eight matron mothers of the first (and most powerful) eight houses. For many centuries—as long as any living drow could remember—it was under the indirect rule of House Baenre which was governed by Matron Mother Yvonnel Baenre, also known as Old Matron Baenre, perhaps the most powerful de facto ruler the city ever saw. House Baenre had been the First House of Menzoberrazan for centuries of uncontested power.

Although drow culture was matriarchal, a few male drow in the city held some political power, including Gromph Baenre, the archmage of the city, and Jarlaxle, leader of the mercenary band Bregan D'aerthe, which was often utilized by House Baenre.