Homeland

Homeland is the first book in the Dark Elf trilogy by R.A. Salvatore. It was later reissued as book one of the Legend of Drizzt series.

{{quote|Travel back to strange and exotic Menzoberranzan, the vast city of the drow and homeland to Icewind Dale hero Drizzt Do'Urden.

Plot
The young prince of a royal house, Drizzt grows to maturity in the vile world of his dark kin. Possessing honor beyond the scope of his unprincipled society, young Drizzt faces an inevitable dilemma. Can he live in a world that rejects integrity?''}}

Summary
On the night Drizzt Do'Urden is born to Matron Malice Do'Urden, House Do'Urden destroys House DeVir. Drizzt would have been the third living son, to be sacrificed to the goddess Lolth. However, Secondboy Dinin Do'Urden puts a sword through the heart of Nalfein Do'Urden, appeasing the goddess and allowing Drizzt to live. Drizzt is given to his elder sister, Vierna Do'Urden, to word-wean him for the next five years.

Meanwhile, unbeknownst to House Do'Urden, Alton DeVir has survived the destruction of his house. He takes on the identify of the Faceless One (Gelroos Hun'ett) as a master of Sorcere and allows Masoj Hun'ett to be apprentice. His true identity is not discovered by Matron SiNafay Hun'ett for many years; when it is, she accepts him into her house as a future reason to provoke House Do'Urden. Once Alton discovers that House Do'Urden was the perpetrator of his house's demise, he plans his revenge.

After serving as the page prince for ten years, at sixteen years old, Drizzt is admitted into the noble ranks as Secondboy. Malice plans to have him train as a wizard, but house weapon master Zaknafein Do'Urden (Drizzt's father) convinces her that he is a born fighter. He beings training with scimitars with Zaknafein for the next four years. They become close friends and Zaknafein, having a different mindset than most drow, hopes that the academy won't ruin his innocence.

After Drizzt's four years of training is completed, he is accepted into Melee-Magthere, the fighters' academy, for the next nine years. He makes friends with Kelnozz of House Kenafin, who betrays him at the Grand Melee, leaving Drizzt ranked eighth in the class despite his greater skill with weapons. During his time at the academy, he learns some of the dark truths of drow society. During his last year, he trains under Masoj Hun'ett and is forced to learn about devotion to Lolth. At the graduation ceremony, Drizzt rejects the advances of a high priestess and flees. Vierna catches up with him and introduces him to driders, warning him that he will become a drider if he continues to shun Lolth and her priestesses.

After graduation, Drizzt patrols the Underdark with his group, becoming friends and partners with Guenhwyvar, the magical panther belonging to Masoj. The group soon journeys to the surface for a raid on an elven community. Drizzt is sickened by the violence in such a beautiful place. Trying to save the life of an elven child, he pretends to kill her. During another patrol in the Underdark, Drizzt slays an earth elemental, not noticing that Masoj is trying to kill him on behalf of House Hun'ett. Drizzt convinces his patrol to spare the life of deep gnome Belwar Dissengulp by cutting off his hands and sending him back to his city as a warning.

Back at House Do'Urden, Zaknafein hears about Drizzt killing an elven child on the surface and tries to kill Drizzt for his wicked ways. However, Drizzt confesses that he only pretended the kill the child. Unbeknownst to them, Matron Malice is scrying on them in that moment in order to discover who has brought Lolth's disfavor upon her house. When Drizzt leaves the house without permission, Zaknafein is taken by Malice and the priestesses and sacrificed to Lolth.

Out in the tunnels of the Underdark, Drizzt, distracted and thinking of his relationship with his father, is trapped by a cave fisher. Guenhwyvar, sent out by Masoj to kill him, finds him, resists the order to kill him, and rescues him from the cave fisher. Drizzt then returns to Masoj and Alton, offering to spare their lives if they give him Guenhwyvar. They refuse and attack Drizzt; he slays Masoj and Alton is caught and killed in an explosion caused by his broken wand.

Drizzt returns home to find that his family are preparing for war with House DeVir, but upon learning of Zaknafein's sacrifice, he is overcome with grief. He escapes the House and deserts the city with only Guenhwyvar as his companion in search of a life free from the evils of Menzoberranzan.

Main Characters

 * Drizzt Do'Urden

Supporting Characters

 * Alton DeVir (as Alton DeVir and the Faceless One)
 * Briza Do'Urden
 * Dinin Do'Urden
 * Guenhwyvar
 * Kelnozz
 * Malice Do'Urden
 * Masoj Hun'ett
 * Maya Do'Urden
 * SiNafay Hun'ett
 * Vierna Do'Urden
 * Zaknafein Do'Urden

Minor characters

 * Belwar Dissengulp
 * Berg'inyon Baenre
 * Byuchyuch
 * Ellifain (as elven child)
 * Gelroos Hun'ett (as the Faceless One)
 * Ginafae DeVir
 * Hatch'net
 * Methil El-Viddenvelp
 * Nalfein Do'Urden
 * Rizzen Do'Urden
 * Shar Nadal
 * Yvonnel Baenre (as Matron Baenre)

Mentioned characters

 * Lolth

Locations

 * Underdark (Northdark):
 * Menzoberranzan (Tier Breche, House Do'Urden, House Baenre, House DeVir, House Hun'ett, Lake Donigarten, Narbondel)
 * Blingdenstone


 * Surface :
 * Unknown

Creatures

 * bugbear
 * cave fisher
 * demon
 * drider
 * drow
 * duergar (mentioned)
 * earth elemental
 * elf
 * glabrezu
 * goblin
 * hook horror
 * kuo-toa (mentioned)
 * orc
 * riding lizard
 * rothé
 * scrag
 * shrieker
 * svirfneblin