Innovindil

Innovindil is a fictional character in the Dungeons & Dragons-based Forgotten Realms setting. She first appeared in the 2002 novel, The Thousand Orcs, by R. A. Salvatore as the beautiful and deadly moon elf companion of Tarathiel. The character has appeared again in subsequent novels of The Hunter's Blades Trilogy including the most recent, The Two Swords.

In The Hunter's Blades Trilogy, Innovindil and her partner Tarathiel notice a pair of dwarves around a campfire in their home, Moonwood. The two take the dwarves, Ivan and Pikel Bouldershoulder, prisoner until discovering that their intentions are not to harm their woodland home. After realizing that the two dwarves plan on representing the priest Cadderly Bonaduce at the coronation of Bruenor Battlehammer in Mithral Hall, Innovindil and Tarathiel realize that the dark elf Drizzt Do'Urden will be returning to the area. This knowledge is of great importance to them because one of their clan, Ellifain Tuuserail, left the Moonwood to find and kill Drizzt due to the misconceived notion that Drizzt was responsible for the slaughter of her family years ago. Before they are able to meet with the dark elf, Innovindil and Tarathiel find the lands around Mithral Hall are ridden with thousands of orcs and scores of frost giants.

After investigating more closely, Innovindil and Tarathiel begin watching over Drizzt Do'Urden as he recklessly slaughters countless orcs on his own out of rage and anger for the loss of his friends at the orc assault on the town of Shallows. After Drizzt finally gets himself into a situation with no escape, the moon elf pair come to the rescue. When they confront Drizzt and ask him to join them, he refuses, as he is still unable to cope with the apparent loss of his friends. After some time, he finally decides to meet the elves, but when he arrives at their cave, he finds two drow holding Innovindil and Tarathiel prisoner. Drizzt dispatches of the dark elves, Ad'non Kareese and Donnia Soldou, and frees the moon elves. In the conversation that ensues, Innovindil and Tarathiel learn of Ellifain's fate and how she attempted to kill both Drizzt and herself but failed in killing Drizzt. Despite hearing the sad news, they don't blame Drizzt for defending himself.

Innovindil, Tarathiel, and Drizzt become a trio to be feared as they soon take it upon themselves to prevent the orc king Obould Many-Arrows from gaining any reinforcements by turning orc tribes emerging from the Spine of the World back into their holes. Unfortunately, Obould sets up a trap for Tarathiel and his pegasus, Sunrise, and in the fight to follow Obould kills Tarathiel while Innovindil and Drizzt, unable to help, witness the fight. Filled with grief and sorrow, Innovindil leaves with Drizzt, but they soon decide that they must save Sunrise and gain a measure of revenge. In the following days, Drizzt and Innovindil notice the importance of the orc shaman Arganth Snarrl to Obould and capture the shaman to glean some information, after which they go after Obould's son Urlgen Threefist, who is killed by Innovindil, dealing a huge blow to the orcs attacking Mithral Hall.

During the days where Innovindil and Drizzt are together, Innovindil questions Drizzt as to whether he knows what it means to be an elf. She states that he left Menzoberranzan and the Underdark as a child by elf standards and was never trained in the perspectives of elven culture, which is why he does not know how to deal with his emotions towards Catti-brie. Drizzt enjoys her company and realizes he has never spent time with any elves like Innovindil who can give him advice.

While Drizzt and Innovindil are able to kill Obould's lieutenant, their goal of rescuing Sunrise still remains. After a failed attempt to rescue Sunrise from Obould, Drizzt and Innovindil try once more after Sunrise is given to the frost giantess, Gerti Orelsdottr; however, Drizzt ends up in a stalemate with Gerti while Innovindil is able to escape on her pegasus, Sunset. Gerti offers Drizzt to let him go free with Sunrise if he promises to slay Obould and forge a truce between the home of the frost giants, known as Shining White, and the surrounding kingdoms after the orcs have been defeated. After making the deal, Drizzt takes Gerti's help in setting up a battle between him and Obould, but he is unable to defeat Obould and his impenetrable armor and retreats.

Drizzt then meets up with Innovindil and explains how he escaped Shining White with Sunrise before the two return to their task of driving orcs back into their holes. On one such raid, Drizzt notices an orc carrying Catti-brie's sword, Khazid'hea and goes mad with grief at the almost indisputable evidence that Catti-brie died at Shallows; however, soon after retrieving Khazid'hea, Innovindil and Drizzt meet Ivan and Pikel Bouldershoulder who tell them that Drizzt's friends are alive. Innovindil and Drizzt are thrilled at the news, but before reuniting with them Drizzt decides to fight Obould once more with Khazid'hea, also known as "Cutter".

After apparently defeating Obould, Drizzt reunites with Catti-brie and no longer holds any doubts as to what to make of his feelings for her, at which Innovindil comments, "That is what it is to be an elf, Drizzt Do'Urden." At the end of The Hunter's Blades Trilogy, Drizzt states that he and Innovindil will bring Ellifain's body back to the Moonwood so that she may be properly put to rest.