Sosdrielle Vandree

Sosdrielle Vandree was a drow and the mistress of Gromph Baenre in Menzoberranzan. She bore Liriel Baenre and raised her for the first five years of her life. Although Sosdrielle was astoundingly beautiful, she lacked ambition and magical talent, so she was not successful. She was ordered to death by Gromph when Liriel was five, so that Gromph could then claim Liriel, who showed wizardly aptitude, as his own. Drow children were considered the property of the mother, and had Sosdrielle not been killed, Gromph would have had no claim on the child.

Unknown to all but a few, Sosdrielle was the subject upon which House Baenre's impressive shrine to Lolth was modelled after, it having been crafted by Gromph. When Liriel came of age, visitors to the shrine who knew her well enough began to notice the similarity between the image and the girl, Liriel having inherited her beautiful features mostly from her mother. During a conclave of the city council in the temple, the matron mothers took the likeness to be a sign from Lolth of her favour towards the girl.