Post/Author/DateTime	Post
daimyotx 01-08-08, 03:05 PM	I ran across a reference to an Underdark Mage called "The Spider Mage". I'm assuming that this is a male Drow mage, but could be wrong. Anyway it was stated that this mage is probably easily more powerful than Gromph and than Lord Dyr together, but that his existence has been forgotten by most. Anyone have any idea what supplement or novel this was referenced in? Does anyone have any basic information available to flesh out my knowledge of powerful lesser-known Underdark figures?
daimyotx 01-08-08, 03:12 PM	well I think I just found the information that I was looking for. Should have kept digging for 5 more minutes before posting. For thos interested, it can be found at this external link: Spider Mage Information (http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Jalynfein) I figured it would be in the Menzoberranzan boxed set - I had forgotten avout Drizzt's Guide to the Underdark as well.
Shiftkitty 01-08-08, 03:21 PM	I was about to send to the Menzo box set. I briefly played him as more powerful than Gromph at the start of my Underdark campaign, but not much more. Gromph has recently surpassed him in my campaign, a feat which has drawn the attention of outsiders even the Spider Mage hadn't been aware of. What I find curious about the position of Archmage of Menzoberranzan is that it seems to be the only high-ranking post in the city that one can retire from and remain among the living. I think I saw that in the box set as well being hinted at. If so, it smacks of an unnatural (for drow) atmosphere at Sorcere. It referred to the archmage emeritus, which refers to someone who has retired from a post but is still hanging around in an unofficial capacity.
Phelf_Der_Zemit 01-08-08, 04:53 PM	Yes, I know for a fact that one of the old Mizzrym Mages was an Archmage, and still lives at the Mizzrym House.
Shiftkitty 01-08-08, 07:58 PM	Wasn't the Archmage right before Gromph from Mizzrym?
Phelf_Der_Zemit 01-08-08, 08:22 PM	I do believe so.
Lord Karsus 01-08-08, 11:57 PM	-He's been ignored in all of the sourcebooks and novels of late that deal with the subject of Drow and/or Menzoberranzan, but presumably, he's still in Menzoberranzan.
Jhiroth 01-09-08, 07:23 PM	Yes, I know for a fact that one of the old Mizzrym Mages was an Archmage, and still lives at the Mizzrym House. I believe you mean Courdh Mizzrym, CE male drow M22 (I believe this is from Drizzt's Guide to the Underdark), the Archmage emeritus of Menzoberranzan.
Shiftkitty 01-09-08, 08:01 PM	That's him!!! All I could remember was that his first name reminded me of "couch".:lightbulb
rikkiwalker 01-12-08, 12:31 PM	His name is Jalynfien and he is a 24th level wizard...his stats and a brief background arei n the menzoberranzn boxed set
Shiftkitty 01-12-08, 09:04 PM	AGH! I'm getting senile at 40!!! Then who the heck is Courdh Mizzrym? I know I've read that name somewhere! Awwwwwwww, puckernuts! I'll just go download Drizzy's Guide and see what it says. Then I'm gonna make me a Geritol martini...
Phelf_Der_Zemit 01-12-08, 09:11 PM	His name is Jalynfien and he is a 24th level wizard...his stats and a brief background arei n the menzoberranzn boxed set Yes, that is the spider mage, but we were talking about previous archmages, I'm not sure if the spider mage ever was one or not.
rikkiwalker 01-13-08, 12:11 AM	AGH! I'm getting senile at 40!!! Then who the heck is Courdh Mizzrym? I know I've read that name somewhere! Awwwwwwww, puckernuts! I'll just go download Drizzy's Guide and see what it says. Then I'm gonna make me a Geritol martini... Hes in charge of spying on the matron mothers for sorcere
The_Shaman 01-13-08, 10:01 AM	I'm pretty sure I saw him as lvl 25 somewhere... I will need to check out just where. Anyway, I'd say he is the most powerful mage in Menzoberranzan - while Gromph may have access to much more resources, he is, by canon at least, notably lower in level. However, I haven't seen him mentioned in 3.x anyway, so just how powerful he is is the DM's call.
Shiftkitty 01-13-08, 10:13 PM	Okay, got it, head is removed from posterior and I couldn't find the geritol... Spider Mage was never an archmage, but his rep for being nuts meant they left him alone. Mizzrym-dude was archmage before Gromph. I read somewhere, probably in the Menzo boxed set that a possible background plot was that the Spidermage was interested in enlisting Gromph's help to break Lloth's hold on the city. Was that idea ever handled in a novel, or was WotSQ the first one to attempt a toppling of the government in Menzo?
Philalexandros 01-14-08, 01:28 AM	The Spider Mage was conspicuously absent from the events described in the War of the Spider Queen series. :confused:
Zanan 01-14-08, 04:17 AM	The Spider Mage was conspicuously absent from the events described in the War of the Spider Queen series. :confused: ... as were approximatly 80% of the NPCs mentioned and listed in the Menzoberranzan box or Drizzt do'Urden's Guide to the Underdark. But you suddenly have 15th to 20th level chaps springing into existence and taking up major roles in the events - while all matrons got a major toning-down in Underdark, level-wise.
Philalexandros 01-14-08, 07:29 AM	Well.... I took the absence of the Matrons as being part and parcel of yet another absence on the part of Lolth. Where Jalynfein is concerned, though, it was a high priestesses that was responsible for his condition to begin with! That he wouldn't take advantage of such ridiculous chaos (the better part of the city being torn apart on two different occassions) struck me as silly. I mean, Gromph had no qualms of gunning for the second most important priestess in the city--if through semi-covert means. How the heck could the Spider Mage pass up a similar chance? :confused: As for the other NPCs... meh, I've always figured they were out there. That's not to say that I think there's a lot of such people running around... but you know what I mean.
Shiftkitty 01-14-08, 01:11 PM	Similar to the Githyanki lich-queen, I can't imagine the Matrons letting anyone get too powerful unless they were damn sure they had absolute control of the person. I imagine anyone who was getting powerful, unless you had the backing that Gromph had, would keep themselves as obscure as possible (Jarlaxle notwithstanding). If you lived in Menzoberranzam, would you want the constant PMS crowd perceiving you as a threat?
The_Shaman 01-15-08, 11:59 AM	Similar to the Githyanki lich-queen, I can't imagine the Matrons letting anyone get too powerful unless they were damn sure they had absolute control of the person. I imagine anyone who was getting powerful, unless you had the backing that Gromph had, would keep themselves as obscure as possible (Jarlaxle notwithstanding). If you lived in Menzoberranzam, would you want the constant PMS crowd perceiving you as a threat? Exactly: as long as they don't know just how powerful he is and don't think he's going to give them trouble, they are more likely to concetrate on other things, like trying to stab each other in the back - or front, sides, or wherever they can get a dagger in. Besides, he has a reputation of being blessed by the Spider Queen due to that special effect face of his, so probably even they tread carefully around him.