Zaknafein Do'Urden

Zaknafein Do'Urden was the famed Weapons Master of House Daermon N'a'shezbaernon. He was also Drizzt Do'Urden's father, his mentor and his dearest friend. It was he who gave Drizzt the courage to leave Menzoberranzan and trained him to become an excellent warrior. Zaknafein also played a great part in shaping his personality, protecting his son from the truth of Menzoberranzan for as long as he could.

Training Drizzt
Zaknafein was heavily involved in his son's martial training. He taught Drizzt to think creatively in a fighting situation and trained his muscles to respond to such thoughts. He insisted that improvisation was the mark of a good warrior. He also flipped two coins for Drizzt to catch to test him as a Fighter, Mage, or Cleric. It is through Zaknafein's tutelage that Drizzt developed the duel-wielding fighting style common among the drow, and that allowed Drizzt to become known as one of the greatest swordsmen in Faerun.

Background
Zaknafein Do'Urden was an excellent warrior, the finest in Menzoberranzan, but most importantly, he was good beyond the ability of his kin. Noble, kind-hearted, and strong in his own way, he did his best to live by his principles, in a world where greed overcomes compassion and ambition overrules all. He also had a mysterious friendship with Jarlaxle, leader of Bregan D'aerthe.

Zaknafein was the Weapons Master of House Do'Urden prior to it's eventual destruction, and was said to be the "greatest weapons master to ever cross blades in Menzoberranzan". As such, he can be considered as one of, if not the, greatest swordsmen in drow history. He fought using two finely crafted drow long swords in the dual wielding fighting style common among drow warriors.

Zaknafein was sacrificed to Lolth when House Do'Urden fell out of Lolth's favor. Upon discovering this, Drizzt left Menzoberranzan for the wilds of the Underdark. Zaknafein was later brought back through Zin-carla to hunt his son; the spirit-wraith found Drizzt and fought him in a cavern overlooking a pit of acid. Ultimately, Zaknafein fought through the mental barriers and hurled himself into the chasm to prevent himself from killing Drizzt.

Years afterward, Drizzt learned that someone he thought lost became a prisoner of the demon Errtu. He set out to rescue whom he thought was his father. It was revealed that Wulfgar was the demon's captive and that Zaknafein was indeed dead. However, the priest Cadderly Bonaduce summoned Zaknafein's spirit. The fallen warrior told Drizzt what had happened to him, and expressed the pride and love he felt for his son before disappearing.