House Baenre

House Baenre is a fictional clan of drow in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting.

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. Yvonnel Baenre, called for centuries simply Matron Baenre - as she embodied the House so thoroughly - built 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 eventually slew her. 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 archmage brother Gromph, House Baenre was not ready for the Silence of Lolth that began in 1372 DR.

The Baenre remains is still the foundation of Menzoberannzan. Triel fills her mother's role, but not her throne. Quenthel, returned from the death by the will of Lolth, has returned as Mistress of Arach-Tinilith, and the great Gromph, who for a while went missing, rules always at Sorcere. Andzrel may be a mere shadow of Dantrag or Bergin'yon with his blade, but he knows his way around a melee. Lastly Jaraxle, who leads the mercenary band Bregan D'aerthe seems to hold a grudging loyalty to the family, one that raises questions of his relationship to them.