Jalynfein

Jaylnfein "the Spider Mage" is a male drow wizard from Menzoberranzan, and is perhaps the most powerful spellcaster in the city. He carefully cultivates a reputation of insanity and zealous devotion to Lolth, but truly hates the tyranny of the Spider Queen and opposes all forms of slavery. However, he is far too intelligent and skilled in the magical arts to ever betray these inner thoughts. From his position of seclusion, he is able to use scrying spells to spy on events in the city, and will sometimes sell information if offered enough magical items, gems, or gold.

Sorcere
Jalynfein maintains a private tower in Sorcere, the arcane school of Tier Breche. His tower is heavily protected by spells of great power, and stocked with all of the wealth of the Spider Mage. This includes many magical items, caches of gems and gold (usually around 16,000 gp worth), and numerous healing potions. While in this secluded sanctuary, Jalynfein is virtually untouchable by any would-be attackers.

Appearance
Jalynfein has a disfigured face, which he covers with a featureless grey cloth mask. This is his most distinguishing feature, and apart from this very little is known about him; he keeps himself immersed in mystery and protected by powerful spells, preventing anyone from spying on him by magical means or otherwise.

Personality
Jalynfein is a mysterious but incredibly powerful wizard who keeps himself well protected by magical means. He is very intelligent, a trait that has allowed him to survive in the harsh society of the drow. The Spider Mage is reluctant to attack anyone until he learns who they are and where they're from. He is particularly interested in surface-world lands and the powerful wizards who dwell there, and will even aid surface-folk in exchange for information on these lands. On the other hand, he is always alert for traps set by the high priestesses, and will not verbally betray his city, say ill against any House or priestess, or reveal his true feelings and interests.

History
In his youth, Jalynfein spurned a priestess of Lolth, who in fury slashed open his face and doused the wounds with a corrosive distillate of arachnid venom. His face became a purplish, bloated ruin resembling a fungus-growth. She imprisoned the now-unrecognisable youth in her chambers, making him her slave. It is this experience that turned Jalynfein against the tyranny of Lolth, and against any form of slavery; he experienced first hand the cruelty of the priestesses, and suffered a life of servitude and entrapment. It was many years before he found a chance to take revenge on his captor; when he did, it proved fatal for the priestess. Jalynfein escaped from his prison and fled into the Underdark, vowing to himself to return when he had magic enough to hold his own in cruel Menzoberranzan.

He returned only a dozen years later; where he went is a mystery - he will not speak of that chapter of his life, nor of how he gained his arcane abilities. All that is known is that when he returned, he was an accomplished mage, demonstrating this by besting three wizards at once in spell-combat, for the entertainment of a House Matron.

The nickname Spider Mage, as he prefers to be known, comes from a bizarre spell-like power conferred on him long ago by a Yochlol: a spider summoning spell that turns his face into a writhing mass of spider legs while it is in effect. He also went through a process of intentionally imbibing increasingly large doses of spider venom, earning him a false reputation as a sickly and diseased mage, but in reality giving him a natural resistance to almost all forms of arachnid poison.

Magic and Abilities
Once a day, Jalynfein can use his innate ability of Spider Summoning, with the side effect that his face is transformed into a writhing mass of long, spidery legs, lit by a flickering orange and purple faerie fire radiance. The Spider Mage is immune to most arachnid venom, and can unleash a burst of 24 Magic Missiles if he deliberately breaks a finger. He also has access to many magic items and has developed many new spells, including the 9th level wizard spell Web of Shadows. Jalynfein's innate abilities, combined with his considerable repertoire of spells and magic items, makes him one of, if not the, most powerful magic users in the Underdark. His only rival in power is perhaps the archmage of Menzoberranzan himself, Gromph Baenre.

Literature
2. Edition:

Jalynfein