Q'Xorlarrin

Q'Xorlarrin was a drow settlement founded around the forge of the ruined dwarven city of Gauntlgrym. Q'Xorlarrin was proposed as the sister city of Menzoberranzan, but was in actuality only intended to be a mere satellite of House Baenre.

Description
The focal area of Q'Xorlarrin was the Great Forge. The rest of the settlement spread out from there, with the chapel housed next to the primordial Maegera. The mines (which produced mithral and adamantine) were occupied by slaves and slavedrivers.

Inhabitants
The city's primarily inhabitants were drow, but a number of driders dwelt there, as well as plenty of slaves, primarily goblins and dwarves.

History
In 1463 DR, a group of Menzoberranyr drow from House Xorlarrin, led by Ravel Xorlarrin, captured the forge area of Gauntlgrym at the behest of Matron Zeerith Q'Xorlarrin, having been secretly prodded to do so by House Baenre. The purpose was to create a sister city to Menzoberranzan that was free of the direct control of House Baenre and that would provide many valuable forged goods. Additionally, the city had the potential to afford greater rights to drow males and driders, as well as to improve access for Bregan D'aerthe to send trade goods from the surface back to the Underdark. A brief setback occurred shortly after the occupation began when Brack'thal Xorlarrin, the house elderboy, succumbed to the whispers of Maegera and tried to release the primordial once more, coinciding with an attack from a contingent of Shadovar led by Herzgo Alegni.

By 1484 DR, the drow had secured the area around the forge and some of the lower mining tunnels, where they forced slaves to work. That year, House Xorlarrin received official approval to leave Menzoberranzan for the new settlement. Not long before Matron Zeerith was set to arrive, drow troops (under the command of House Baenre) captured Artemis Entreri and his companions (Dahlia Sin'felle, Afafrenfere, and Ambergris) and tortured them or set them to work. The reborn Companions of the Hall, who entered Gauntlgrym to free Thibbledorf Pwent from his vampiric curse, learned about Entreri's captivity and set out to rescue him. In the ensuing fight, the drow were forced to retreat temporarily and many of the settlement's rooms were destroyed. However, Zeerith and Matron Mother Quenthel Baenre arrived and presumably moved to rebuild the city.

In 1486 DR, King Bruenor Battlehammer, leading an army of dwarves from the dwarven kingdoms of the Silver Marches, secured the upper reaches of Gauntlgrym. After pausing to fortify and begin repairs, the dwarves, with the help of the Harpells, descended into Q'Xorlarrin and retook it from the drow. The city was barely retaken before the dwarves began dismantling or destroying many of the drow (and particularly Lolth) accouterments that had been added during the city's existence.

Politics
Q'Xorlarrin paid tribute to Menzoberranzan and was required to serve Menzoberranzan's armies under House Baenre if summoned.

Notable locations

 * Chapel: The chapel was located in the chamber next to the primordial and included a waterfall. Guardian jade spiders placed by Quenthel Baenre and a water elemental summoned by Gromph Baenre guarded the lever that could release the primordial. The altar was made of smooth black marble inlaid with blood-red veins. The door to the chapel was made of mithral with a drider-like relief of black adamantine.

Notable inhabitants

 * Ravel Xorlarrin: Elderboy and wizard.
 * Berellip Xorlarrin: High priestess ; killed in 1484 DR.

Novels

 * Charon's Claw
 * The Last Threshold
 * Night of the Hunter
 * Rise of the King (mentioned)
 * Vengeance of the Iron Dwarf (mentioned)