Valas Hune

Valas Hune was a pragmatic drow scout and member of Bregan D'aerthe. He was an accomplished guide of the Underdark. "Lolth will do as she will. I, however, am loyal to Bregan D'aerthe, and to my city."

- Valas in Condemnation

Description
Valas was described as small and wiry. Valas had amber eyes and a square jaw. He often appeared tense. His skin was scarred, particularly on his hands (although he noted that after being polymorphed, his scars were in different locations). He generally wore a simple vest of chain mail over a spider-silk shirt and dark breeches. Over that he wore a vest with numerous magical badges and tokens.

Personality
He seemed to know a little about everything, including star lore. He was well traveled and had been to Ched Nasad a number of times, as well as many locations on the surface. He was quiet and capable. He wanted to stay out of trouble with priestesses whenever possible. He was also referred to as "dutiful."

Quenthel Baenre's group suspected that Valas was a Vharaunite traitor because of his connections.

Early life
Born into House Ozzl'Hune, a merchant house in Menzoberranzan, Valas spent his formative years engaged in the family business, organizing and escorting Underdark trading caravans. This job gave him ample opportunity to learn to fight and encouraged him to be cosmopolitan. About a century before he joined the quest to solve the mystery of the Silence of Lolth, Valas and a dozen of his kin were escorting a caravan through the Labyrinth when a large group of minotaurs attacked them. Valas was the only survivor of the expedition and escaped the carnage after all the others had been killed. Somehow, Valas managed to survive in the Labyrinth alone and with no supplies, sneaking past monsters and finding a way through the winding tunnels until he encountered the refuge of House Jaelre. In thanks for taking him in, Valas lent his now-impressive fighting skills to the refuges defenses, befriending a Vhaeraunite cleric named Tzirik. Rather than stay with them indefinately though, Valas decided to return to his family, acting as a guard for several caravans until he found his way back to Menzoberranzan. Here he learned that the loss of the caravan in the Labyrinth had left his family destitute and their rivals had quickly destroyed House Ozzl'Hune. He immediately sought out Bregan D'aerthe and impressed his new brothers with his skills in silence and bladework, soon turning him into a high-ranking member of the mercenary group.

War of the Spider Queen
In 1372 DR, Valas was hired by Triel Baenre to retrieve the Ched Nasadan ambassador Faeryl Zauvirr and her retainers, who had snuck out of the city in disguise. He was then chosen to escort Quenthel Baenre, Jeggred Baenre, Pharaun Mizzrym, Ryld Argith, and Faeryl to Ched Nasad in search for information about the Silence of Lolth.

The group traveled to Ched Nasad, relying on Valas's abilities to direct them through the Underdark. Upon arriving in Ched Nasad, they became embroiled in a plot instigated by the Jaezred Chaulssin to lay low the city. Ultimately, the city was destroyed and Quenthel's band made it out just in time by escaping through a portal that led to the ruins of the Hlaungadath on the surface in Anauroch.

The group eventually decided to consult with Tzirik Jaelre, a Vhaeraunite priest and acquaintance of Valas' last seen in the Labyrinth. However, when they arrived there, they found that House Jaelre had apparently left for the surface. They took a portal from House Jaelre's holdings in the Labyrinth to the surface forest of Cormanthor and determined where House Jaelre was located. Upon their arrival, Tzirik offered his assistance only if they aided him in retrieving a magical tome from a beholder lair. They did so and Tzirik revealed that Lolth was still alive but that she was locked away in the Demonweb Pits. The group and Tzirik traveled via astral projection to the Abyss. Once there, Tzirik betrayed them and gated in Vhaeraun, who tried to destroy Lolth. Valas attacked Tzirik in an attempt to return the group to the Material Plane, but was unsuccessful. In the end, Pharaun was able to have Jeggred, who had stayed behind, kill Tzirik's mortal body to return them to Cormanthor.

Metamorphosis
While seeking a demonic ship of chaos, Valas plunged into a lake, given water breathing abilities by Pharaun Mizzrym. However, he was captured by Aboleths living in an underwater city, who used their abilities to transform him into a water-breathing creature (including webbed paws, gills, a fluked tail, no hair, and a slimy coating). This didn't prevent him from getting to the surface to make his report (carrying a water supply into his magically enhanced backpack), where Pharaun polymorphed him into a (very slightly different) drow. However, as Pharaun warned him, his metamorphosis could potentially be dispelled.

Abilities
"No one alive can follow me when I do not wish to be followed."

- Valas in Condemnation

Valas was highly skilled at stealth and remaining concealed, giving him a large advantage in combat. Valas favored the use of his two kukris enchanted to produce lightning, which he used to hamstring, stab, and eviscerate his enemies. Valas also used a short bow with which he was highly proficient.

Valas had some ability to disable mundane traps. He was unable to levitate because he was not a noble. He played sava well.

Equipment
Valas carried a double-curved shortbow. His preferred melee weapons were his magical kukris.

Valas wore a shirt of chain mail that was enchanted to give him great agility and balance. His belt had a steel buckle shaped like a rothe head. Over his chain mail, he wore a vest to which were pinned a large number of magical trinkets gathered over the years. These trinkets had various magical powers, although not all of them were powerful. A few of his pendants were
 * A pin with a nine-pointed star that enabled him to teleport short distances four times before requiring recharging.
 * A brass badge that enabled a mirror image spell.
 * A lucky double-headed coin (actually a magical amulet).
 * A mithral chime pendant he used to unlock things (as the spell knock).
 * A brooch of illusion which provided subtle illusions. It appeared as a gray stone surrounded by little uncut gems. It was made by svirfneblin.
 * An amulet shaped like a golden sun hung on a delicate golden chain around his neck. When kissed, it protected him from wraiths. It came from surface elves who worshiped Labelas Enoreth. He expended it during a wraith attack in 1372 DR, after which it became a dull gray.

Valas had also carried an enchanted backpack that was nondimensional.

Ryld Argith
During War of the Spider Queen, Valas formed a bond with Ryld Argith, a master of Melee-Magthere, since both shared the traits of having no magical or clerical abilities (apart from their equipment) and excelling in melee fighting.

Novels

 * War of the Spider Queen
 * 1) Dissolution
 * 2) Insurrection
 * 3) Condemnation
 * 4) Extinction
 * 5) Annihilation


 * Other
 * Road of the Patriarch (minor)
 * The Ghost King (minor)
 * Gauntlgrym (minor)