House Baenre

House Baenre is a fictional clan of dark elves in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, created by R.A. Salvatore.

First House of the Underdark drow city of Menzoberranzan for as long as any can remember, House Baenre is a family of powerful schemers and manipulators which has recently suffered some severe setbacks in its domination.

The Baenre family has been a bastion of power in Menzoberranzan for over 2500 years. Fiercely devoted to the drow goddess Lolth, as most Houses of Menzoberranzan are, House Baenre is currently led by Matron Mother Triel Baenre, a shrewd priestess of Lolth who succeeded her slain mother Yvonnel.

Yvonnel Baenre/Old Matron Baenre

Yvonnel Baenre, called for centuries simply Matron Baenre, embodied the House in the city of Menzoberannzan with an uncanny strength bred from deceit and ambition. Still, in the Underdark where the most evil of creatures lie, there are none who 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 sent her daughter Quenthel to the afterlife. Drizzt's friend, Bruenor Battlehammer, slew Matron Baenre during her assault on Mithril Hall.

Triel Baenre

Matron Triel Baenre is Yvonnel Baenre's first daughter. Shrewd and ambitious though she is, Triel did not expect to be landed with the role of House Matron so early. Paranoid about her height (Triel is short, even by drow standards), she fills her mother's role but not her throne. However, Triel is shrewd and calculating, and a powerful vessel for Lolth's Will, despite her often flippant attitude toward her goddess. She has guided Meznoberranzan through tough times and continues to do so in the presence of looming catastrophe. She has a draegloth son, Jeggred, who acts as her bodyguard and obeys her every command.

Gromph Baenre

Gromph is the Archmage of Menzoberranzan; Master of Sorcere, the arcane school; and first son of Matron Baenre, which makes 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, who are their only real challengers for power, as Archmage Gromph has many responsibilities in the City of Spiders. Foremost, he must energize Narbondel, the huge "clock" of Menzoberannzan. Gromph is one of the few males of the city who has power enough to have almost anything he desires, including the 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 argument for this would be that since Elminster is less than six centuries old and Khelben slightly older than that, but Archmage Gromph has had nearly a full millennium to practice the art. Recently, and 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 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-priestess of Lolth—led a struggle against them with the help of her friends—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. She 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 Yvonnel Baenre, returned from death by the will of Lolth, has been reinstated as Mistress of Arach-Tinilith, the priestess school. She and Triel's draegloth son, Jeggred, teamed up to uncover the mystery of Lolth's Silence.

Jarlaxle

Jarlaxle, who led the mercenary band Bregan D'aerthe, seems to hold a grudging loyalty to the family, one that raises questions about his relationship to them. He eventually gave up his leadership of Bregan D'aerthe to the powerful drow psionicist Kimmuriel Oblodra and now travels the lands of Faerûn with his new companion, Artemis Entreri. 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 and was once sacrificed to Lolth.

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 subtlety. 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.