Malice Do'Urden

Malice Do'Urden was matron mother of House Do'Urden of Menzoberranzan until her death. She was a strong high priestess of Lolth, although her fall was in losing the favor of Lolth.

Description
Malice was slender and deceptively small, around 5 ft (1.5 m), but she was very strong. Her eyes appeared red in the infrared spectrum, like most drow's, but appeared deep green in the light.

Personality
Malice's amorous exploits with the males of House Do'Urden (and many others) were legendary in Menzoberranzan.

History
Malice was the daughter of Vartha Do'Urden, the former matron mother of House Do'Urden. Vartha died unexpectedly when Malice was about 100 years old (around the eleventh century DR) and Malice ascended to the head of House Do'Urden, where she ruled successfully for four centuries.

In 1297 DR, Malice used the agony of childbirth to increase her clerical power in an attack against House DeVir, which was destroyed. The babe, Drizzt Do'Urden, was to be sacrificed as the third living son, but Dinin Do'Urden's assassination of elderboy Nalfein Do'Urden fulfilled that sacrifice and Drizzt was permitted to live. In 1338 DR, House Do'Urden and Matron Malice first fell out of the favor of Lolth when a member of her house displeased Lolth. Malice scried a scene between Drizzt and his father Zaknafein Do'Urden and discovered that Drizzt refused to kill (and indeed saved) an elven child during a surface raid, thus drawing Lolth's wrath. Malice planned to sacrifice Drizzt, but Zaknafein offered himself up instead. Drizzt subsequently killed Masoj Hun'ett and Alton DeVir, triggering a decade war between House Do'Urden and House Hun'ett, and departed the city altogether.

Malice never regained Lolth's favor after Drizzt's actions. Ten years later, in 1338 DR, the two houses finally ended their covert war when House Hun'ett attacked and were defeated by House Do'Urden. Yvonnel Baenre forced Malice to "adopt" SiNafay Hun'ett as Shi'nayne Do'Urden, her eldest "daughter" recently returned home. Malice detested her and at the last moment sacrificed her instead of Rizzen to Lolth as an offering for Zin-carla, a "spirit-wraith" which was normally allowed only under Lolth's highest favor but was granted to Malice as a last-ditch effort to find and kill Drizzt. When Zin-carla (which was Zaknafein Do'Urden resurrected and controlled by Malice) found Drizzt, Malice lost control of it for a moment, which was enough time for Zaknafein to kill himself instead of allowing his body to kill Drizzt. This caused Malice to forever lose the favor of Lolth and to be killed by Briza, in one last desperate — and futile — attempt to regain Lolth's favor for House Do'Urden. The house was defeated by House Baenre in 1339 DR.

Skills
Malice was very good at making salves and unguents. She provided Gelroos Hun'ett (the Faceless One) with a healing unguent for his scarred face as payment for his killing Alton DeVir (although in fact Alton was not killed and instead took over the identity of Gelroos).

Children
Malice was the mother of Briza, Nalfein, Dinin, Vierna, Maya, and Drizzt. Briza was born when Malice was about 100 years old, with the father being Uthegentel Del'Armgo. Nalfein was born soon before or after her. The father of Vierna and Drizzt was Zaknafein Do'Urden, Malice's on-and-off lover, while the father of Dinin and Maya was Rizzen Do'Urden, the patron of House Do'Urden.

Zaknafein Do'Urden
Malice hated Zaknafein as much as she desired him. She permitted him to live despite his express disregard for Lolth.

Novels

 * Homeland
 * Exile

Sourcebooks

 * Menzoberranzan (boxed set)
 * Menzoberranzan: City of Intrigue
 * A Reader's Guide to R. A. Salvatore's the Legend of Drizzt