Vhaeraun

Vhaeraun (// or vay-rawn), also known as the Masked Lord and the Masked God of Night, is the drow god of thievery, drow males, and evil activity on the surface world in many Dungeons & Dragons campaign settings. His worshipers include assassins, male drow and half-drow, poisoners, shadowdancers, rogues, and thieves.

The church of Vhaeraun is loosely organized, mainly due to persecution from the priestesses of Lolth who rule over the majority of the drow race. Vhaeraun's clergy is almost entirely male, and they practice a passive opposition to Lolth. Aside from that, Vhaeraun strives to reclaim the surface world from which he was forced to flee. This leads to frequent conflicts with the clerics of Eilistraee, good dark elves who strive to live in peace with the surface folk and gain redemption for the evil ways of their kind.

Some priests of Vhaeraun advocate unity of the elven races in order to more easily dominate the surface world. Most, however, view this as heresy.

Vhaeraun resides in the Demonweb Pits, where he has a territory permitted to him by Lolth.

History
In the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, Vhaeraun is the son of Corellon and Lolth and the brother of Eilistraee. He is allied with Mask, Shar, and Talona. He was cast out of the elven pantheon, along with his mother (Lolth), after his and his mother's betrayal was discovered.

Vhaeraunite Organizations
Organizations of Vhaeraun include House Jaelre, the Jaezred Chaulssin, and the Dragon's Hoard.

House Jaelre is a former house of Menzoberranzan, driven away from the city for being a house of heretics. (Menzoberranzan is a holy city of Lolth.) They are currently based in Minauthkeep, an abandoned elven fort in the forest of Cormanthor on the surface world.

The Jaezred Chaulssin is a patriarchal house of skilled assassins. Their goal is to rid the drow of the tyrannical rule of Lolth and her priestesses. They are "based" in the ruined drow city of Chaulssin, from which they got their name. In truth, they only visit Chaulssin to hold highly secret meetings. They are actually spread throughout the Underdark in each major drow city. Recently, with the silence of Lolth, they have decided to let their major plans unfold. They have already destroyed the city of Ched Nasad, their duergar allies quite literally sending it crashing to the bottom of the V-shaped cavern from which it was suspended on calcified webbing. The Anointed Blade of the Jaezred Chaulssin, Nimor Imphraezl, has created an alliance with the duergar Crown Prince Horgar of Grackelstugh, the half-demon marquis cambion warlord Kanyrr Vhok and his Scourged Legion of tanurruks (demon-orcs), and Lord Dyrr of House Agrach Dyrr (Fifth House of Menzoberranzan). After winning a battle at the Pillars of Woe, these combined forces currently hold the great city of Menzoberranzan under siege.

The Dragon's Hoard is a merchant band that has formed a small community on the surface. Their main base, however, is in a deep dragon's lair in the notorious Underdark trade city of Skullport, situated beneath the great human city of Waterdeep. They later turned into a sort of mercenary band and were almost completely obliterated by a group of Eilistraee's followers led by a priestess named Qilué. Among this group of Eilistraeen followers were Liriel Baenre and her human companion, Fyodor of Rashemen.

War of the Spider Queen

 * Quotes from Condemnation by Richard Baker

With the coming of Lolth's Silence, a band of drow from Menzoberranzan led by Quenthel Baenre asked a Vhaeraunite priest by the name of Tzirik to consult his god and find information concerning the matter. The priest led them through the astral plane and into the Demonweb Pits—the domain of Lolth. Upon reaching the sealed entrance to Lolth's grand temple at the heart of the plane, Tzirik betrayed the company of Menzoberranyr, summoning his god Vhaeraun. "It is as I thought," he said to Tzirik, who had fallen prostrate at his feet. "Rise, my son. You have done well, and brought me to a place from which I was barred." Vhaeraun wanted to slay his mother in order to gain control of the drow pantheon of deities.

"Dear Mother," Vhaeraun said, addressing the face, "you were foolish to leave yourself in such a state" He then hammered away at the seal to Lolth's temple, a gigantic thing of obsidian sculpted into the visage of Lolth, causing a great crack to form in the structure. Shortly thereafter, a black rift appeared in the air near the Face of Lolth, and Selvetarm, the Champion of Lolth (and also Vhaeraun's son), emerged.

"Depart, Masked One," the spider-god commanded in a tortured, burbling voice. "It is forbidden for you to intrude here."

"Do not presume to stand between me and my destiny, Selvetarm," Vhaeraun snarled in reply.

Vhaeraun and Selvetarm battled, fighting in the realm of the physical as well as magically and psychically. The stone plaza disintegrated beneath the embattled gods, and they fell into the black abyss below, still engaged in their furious struggle.

Images

 * "Vhaeraun and Selvetarm Do Battle," by Steve Prescott
 * Symbol of Vhaeraun