Liriel Baenre

Liriel Baenre is a drow fighter and mage, and is royal member of House Baenre, the first house of Menzoberranzan. She is the primary character of the Starlight and Shadow trilogy by Elaine Cunningham. She, besides Drizzt Do'Urden and Zaknafein Do'Urden, is one of only a few non-evil drow in the Realms.

Relatives
Liriel is the only daughter of Gromph Baenre, archmage of Menzoberranzan. Her mother was Sosdrielle Vandree.

Childhood
At the age of five, Liriel was placed by Gromph under the magical instruction of Xandra Shobalar, but Xandra was told to keep this a secret. She excelled at her studies immediately and in a few years she had outgrown the ability of all of her peers, inciting the envy of Xandra. She shared a bedroom with Xandra's daughter, Bythnara Shobalar.

Liriel privately coined the term "the mask" to refer to the facade she displayed when required of her. It was a neutral expression of apparent ignorance designed to hide her true emotions.

The Blooding
Liriel was given a vial of holding and a pair of boots of elvenkind by Gromph before the Blooding ritual began. When her prey was revealed to be the human wizard Tresk Mulander, she refused to take part in the ritual, believing that she should face a more monstrous creature, but both Xandra and her mother, Hinkutes'nat Alar Shobalar, insisted. It was at this moment that Liriel realised Xandra wanted her dead. Xandra also gave her the key to the amulet of containment around Tresk's neck, although did not explain its function.

Liriel was caught by surprise by Tresk and a magical battle ensued, but she soon came to realise that he was only using drow magic and that he knew a great deal about drow tactics. Liriel was able to cast a spell to disrupt Tresk's piwafwi, proof to her that Tresk had been equipped. When he summoned a darkenbeast from a concealed mole on his body, Liriel was forced to use much of her magical strength against it, after which she capitulated. She threw the key to Tresk, which she had placed in the vial of holding. Tresk opened the vial without realising what it was and became imprisoned within. Liriel returned to Menzoberranzan where she smashed the vial, unleashing Thesk, who attacked Xandra. She slew Tresk but not without suffering a deep wound to her face. Although Xandra tried to claim that the Blooding had not been fulfilled because Liriel had brought back Tresk alive, Liriel's argument was that she had been entitled to use whatever weapon she preferred to kill Tresk, and she had used Xandra as a weapon. This view was upheld by Hinkutes'nat, and Liriel was accepted as having fulfilled the Blooding.

Religion
Liriel renounced the worship of Lolth and now looks towards Eilistraee for a deity.

Appearances

 * Daughter of the Drow
 * Tangled Webs
 * Windwalker
 * "Rite of Blood", a short story included in The Best of the Realms