Had to bring it up. After reading the general trend in R.A. Salvatore's latest books I get the strong feeling that Lolth is pushing forth a stronger version of her vision. With drow females taking more positions at the various academies, etc., it makes me think that perhaps She would like to make a public example of certain 'uppity' males. Jarlaxle has skirted the edges of 'proper' society for far too long, and while I imagine Gromph may find a way to 'go with the flow' I just see Jarlaxle getting caught in the crosshairs and being named #1 target, much as Drizzt was. Either it could end tragic--perhaps Jarlaxle getting killed while protecting Artemis--or pure outright capture-and-kill for Lolth's amusement.
Any thoughts, y'all?
It is quite possible that could happen i haven't read the neverwinter series and i'm unfamiliar with Jarlaxle's actions during the books. IMO i just don't see Jarlaxle as the self sacrificing type to take a bullet or sword to the gut for anyone...especially Artemis. I do agree however that even though Jarlaxle is matron baenre's son (Yvonell i believe its spelled don't quote me on that though lol) he managed to escape his own death and was feared by his mother so much so that Lolth had even eyed him for special things. Jarlaxles rejection of both lolth's blessing and his familys led him in search of his own path. There were times in the older books that Jarlaxle kept me entranced more so than |Drizzt...however I do believe that Jarlaxle's walking and thinking outside the box days maybe numbered. |From what i read however it is possible that if and when Jarlaxle's time is up that maybe Drizzt and reunited companions may come to Jarlaxle's aid and rescue his butt.
Quite true, and we all know how hard it is for an author to kill a favored characters.
From the broader perspective, the reason why I think this is very possible--Jarlaxle's days being numbered--is that if he can't live within the newer, even more overtly matriarchal Menzoberranzen then where is he really going to go? It keeps being pushed that there's no place one could run that would be out of the matron mothers' reach. The power play is still in process, but considering how WotC is pushing more towards 'the drow are evil with few exceptions' (that is, it's inherent jst as with orcs) then I see it not going well for Jarlaxle. Look at what they've done with Drizzt, resurrected his old hous and used his house's name to bring ill upon him on the surface.
As for Jarlaxle and Artemis, Jarlaxle (despite his alignment) feels sense of remorse over what happened with Artemis. He may never overtly say/do something out of the goodness of his heart, but I could see him doing something in Artemis' defense--to keep him from being discovered, for example. Which would be seen as disloyalty by Quenthal, et al. And thus a great excuse to be done with him. If Bregan D'arthe (sp?) is forced to turn against him as well...
So if something happens, the possible results:
A) He's caught, sacrificed as punishment .
B) He's caught, freed, and pays his perceived debt to Artemis
C) He's found out, escapes...but to where? In the end, Lolth and the priestesses of Menzoberranzen are out to firmly put all drow males under the boot. He may be even more infamous than Drizzt if caught,
I suppose if those working for WotC were correct, and dead gods are coming back...perhaps Jarlaxle will come out as a Chosen of Vhaeraun. Or even his vessel. Imagine that.
Perhaps all along he was a Chosen, and Vhaeraun's been covertly aiding him all along.
Now that would be interesting.
That would be worth reading I would also think that Jarlaxle would eventually come to the surface lands to "escape" and hang with artemis. If it goes badly for him mind you. Would be awesome to see him make a play for the throne...He could absolutely pull off a coordinated play for the throne himself having bregen d'arthe minions slit the throats of all the priestesses of lolth within the compound. I think house baenre has enjoyed its seat of power for far far to long.
I think the key would lie with Gromph. At the moment he's following the wishes of Quenthal. He's toeing the line, and if Jarlaxle ran off they'd turn to Gromph to find him. (Yes, they have a lot of priestly power but it's more 'fun' to use another male to do so--divide and conquer, after all.) I could see Bregan D'aerthe divesting themselves of the city and becoming a noble house in and of themselves. In the process they could put out the call for other talented male drow to join them. In a way, they're the ultimate spider--their webs are everywhere, not just Menzoberranzen or occupied Gauntlgrym.
The consequence? Menzoberranzen weakend but the priestesses even more entrenched before, the remaining drow males not much better than slaves since even the leaders among arcane and battle units would be guaranteed to be females. Males can't be trusted, after all, doubly so if Vhaeraun comes back as it's been ruined.
As for Baenre, they remain the (literal) preferred tool of Lolth's will. Her means of maintaining a controlled chaos among the populace.
It just occurred to me...Since Lolth lost the battle for the Weave, perhaps this push is out of a perceived disloyalty among drow males, particularly the wizards. Drow males are less inclined to be invested in Lolth's vision, at best paying lip service to avoid being assaulted or sacrificed. Hmm.
With regard to Bregan D'aerthe's capability to slay priestesses wholesale, it could be possible. Could be. More likely it would be done as a means of covering their tracks by sewing chaos. And just as it's said Drizzt inadvertently serves Lolth's, so will the mercenary band by eliminating the weakest ones...thus promoting Lolth's vision of survival of the fittest.
And by that I imagine a mass slaying at a council meeting commited the same time as priestesses in the top eight houses are slain out of hand, including female leadership at the military acadamy and elsewhere. Bregan D'aerthe is everywhere, even where the matrons don't expect them to be. Such a strike would weaken them, allow subject settlements like Q'Xlorran to be completely autonomous and...well, lots of fun seeing where the dominos fall.
Full scale chaos I would love to see that...yet would the writers be up for the challenge muwhahahahahaha
It would be the writers vs. where WotC has set the general trajectory for the Realms the next few years--at least on the novel side of things. Menzoberranzen has to be the big bad drow city, Lolth has to remain in the driver's seat, and the priestesses need to rule the roost. Just because Menzo is the iconic drow citty, the showcase for how real drow live and suffer under Lolth's rules.
Jarlaxle would have a chance to escape if Gromph leaves as well. Gromph is the key--if his status (and life) is threatened then there is no value in staying put as the pet archmage of House Baenre. Who knows, maybe Menzo deserves some time being relegated to a 'backwater' drow settlement as punishment for not keeping the men in line (?)...
Hey ya never know Lolth allowed quite a few cities to fall |Ched Nasad being one of them...I'm sure other fell as well but from what i read that was another city highly dedicated to lolth i believe. If i'm wrong so be it. Lolth is fickle to begin with she grants favor and rips it away in a heart beat. I'm sure at one point she even favored Drizzt as she did his house and we all know how tht ennded. I honestly believe Menzo needs to fall...to shake the hell up out of the priestesses. The males need to rise up I still think Jarlaxle could call off a highly timed assassination of all high priestesses in the city. Maybe at the knell of what's it called narbonel in the city the time keeping thing. sorry its been a long time since i picked up some material.
Menzo is not the centre of Lolths worship on Faerun just the best known to readers of FR novels.
OK I'll bite since i have no other real source of knowing where lolth's central hub is aside from menzo. So i am humbly asking for you to enlighten this voracious knowledge seeking bard.
Faediira wrote:
I guess the real question one should ask:
Would throwing Menzoberranzen 'under the bus' (having it destroyed) count as a (near or actual) Realms-Shaking-Event?
I don't know quite where they draw the line. I do think, however, after 4e FR they'd restrain the wrecking ball a bit.
Trust me, it would be interesting for Menzo to wreck itself in an unconstrained civil war. The place would depopulate, drow would relocate to other locations and it would become a glittering ruin of death in the Underdark.
IMHO it might not be due to the fact its underground n noone on the surface would even know it happened except for very powerful wizards or priests perhaps. oR like what happened in sshamath with the wizxards having total control of the city relegating the priestesses of lolth to the background. \Now that would be awesome.
I think of Menzoberranzen in the same way others see Waterdeep, Myth Drannor, and a few others. They're iconic cities/settings, so a certain care is expected. With that being said, if the place was leveled through civil war or Lolth's punishment I could imagine the surface world noticing--bands of drow (mostly males) erupting from caves and tunnels, taking territory in remote forests and badlands, things like that.
In a way...kind of like replenishing Vhaeraun's surface-dwelling drow marauders and what not. 
As well as a few non-Lolth/not-Vharaun groups who just want to be left alone.
Hmm, perhaps Menzoberranzen could split itself down the middle, neither side willing to give up ground or surrender, only joining forces when other avaricious drow cities smell blood an decide to send their own armies to pick the city clean.
Jarlaxle is one of Salvatore's sacred cows. Being sacrificed will /never/ happen. Salvatore won't let anyone else mess with Jarlaxle or Kimmuriel. He's told the other authors they are his, and hands off. Wizards has NO reason to push that kind of agenda with their most popular author who doesn't NEED to write in the realms anymore. If Salvatore won't let others mess with them, he's not going to kill them off either.
EDIT: Salvatore has also said "hands off" for Menzoberranzan as well. IIRC, it was supposed to be destroyed in WOTSQ, Salvatore overrode it and Ched Nasad died in its place.
awwwwww well that blows....no mass chaos or destruction I would love to see the fall of menzoberranzan once and for all. I'm going to have to look up who Kimmuriel though that name doesn't ring a bell with me. I'm guessing it was in another set of books that i haven't read. 
oh boy spoiler alert there hee hee
Kimmuriel is a survivor of House Oblodra, and co-leader of Bregan D'aethe. Salvatore uses Kimmuriel to do all sorts of crazy things as he's a psion, rather than a mage. Not much else is known about his backstory. I'm guessing he's a child of K'yorl, but I don't think that it's ever confirmed, or how Kimmuriel managed to escape the fall.
In the war of the spider queen, 2 or 3 drow cities were more or less destroyed: Ched Nasad and Maerimydra. Ched Nasad was throughly pasted; if you're looking for the death of a city check out those war of the spiderqueen books.
I'd like to see some other drow cities detailed (especially Sshamath), Menzoberranzan is really the only drow city that has any details, unless you count that stupid greyhawk city Erelhei-Cinlu. Menzoberranzan is FAR more interesting than that place.
Faediira wrote:
Unless...Lolth plans on knocking Baenre from behind. She's a bit chaotic like that. Set someone up, stab 'em in the back.
Selvarin wrote: