Charon's Claw (novel)

Charon's Claw is an R.A. Salvatore novel that concludes The Neverwinter Saga books that began with Gauntlgrym. It focuses on how Drizzt Do'Urden and Dahlia Sin'felle face Herzgo Alegni and preludes the arrival of Dagult Neverember in Neverwinter.

"In the conclusion to the #4 New York Times best-selling Neverwinter Saga, Drizzt draws his swords once more to herald a final battle for freedom. Returning to Neverwinter alongside the beautiful elf Dahlia, he plots revenge against the dictatorial Netherese lord Herzgo Alegni, then joins old foe Artemis Entreri as he seeks to destroy the magical weapon that holds him hostage — even if destroying the weapon means his own destruction as well."

Plot
The story begins with a meeting between Ravel Xorlarrin and the rest of his House, including Matron Mother Zeerith Q'Xorlarrin, his brother and sire Brack'thal, and his sisters, Berellip and Saribel. Through spying into Gromph Baenre's skull gem, he has ascertained that the devastation of Neverwinter was caused by a primordial under the Delzoun land of Gauntlgrym. Zeerith gives him orders to take an expeditionary force to Gauntlgrym and attempt to establish a city there for House Xorlarrin. The weapons master of House Xorlarrin, Jearth Xorlarrin, introduces Ravel's group to Tiago Baenre, and the two forces unite. Meanwhile, Andzrel Baenre informs Gromph of the departure of Tiago and Ravel.

Drizzt Do'Urden and Dahlia Sin'felle wake up after an argument whether to destroy Charon's Claw ("Claw"), the Netherese sword and sentence Artemis Entreri to his death. Meanwhile, Effron watches with a number of hired mercenaries from the Bounty Hirelings of Cavus Dun: Ratsis, Afafrenfere, Horrible, Jermander, Parbid, Bol, Ambergris, and the Shifter.

As Drizzt's group walks, they are beset by the bounty hunters. Bol, Parbid, Horrible, and Jermander are killed, and the survivors are forced to make a hasty retreat. At the end of the battle, Artemis Entreri realizes the intrusions of Claw, and Dahlia gives him her bo staff (part of Kozah's Needle) so that they may recognize when the sword attempts to infiltrate his thoughts.

In Neverwinter, Herzgo Alegni declares Jelvus Grinch the new Captain of the White Guard. With Alegni's lieutenants running the Shadow Guard and Grinch running the White Guard, Alegni declares that he is now available to claim the Lordship of Neverwinter, and he does so. Arunika departs in a hurry and meets her imp, Invidoo, who reveals that Sylora Salm is dead and is zombified. Arunika finishes her off and tells the imp; he is relieved when he can find another imp who has had experience with Drizzt.

As the House Xorlarrin expedition ventures towards Gauntlgrym, they terrorize a bugbear kingdom. The drider Yerrininae discovers a path through an ambush by the spirits of the dwarfs who had died in Gauntlgrym. They break through and inhabit the dwarven forge.

Drizzt, Dahlia, and Entreri elect to enter Neverwinter through the sewers. As the encounter a bed of snakes, Drizzt's ranger knowledge leads him to believe that something is wrong with the high number of snakes, before reaching the conclusion that they are babies. They follow them to their "mother," which is really an aboleth. Dahlia and Entreri fall victim to its telepathic seduction, but Drizzt's harrowing encounter with the illithid hide in his journey to the surface gives him the power to resist. As he finally succumbs, Guenhwyvar attacks and breaks the control over the three, allowing them time to attack.

Meanwhile, Brack'thal, Tiago, Saribel, and the smith Gol'fanin find that the primordial is trapped, a power the smith wants to exploit to repower the dwarven forges to finish his masterpiece.

Drizzt and his companions emerge from the sewers just before dawn. Drizzt calls Guenhwyvar, and they charge Alegni, who has been expecting them. He defeats Dahlia handily, but Entreri puts up resistance. The tiefling uses the sword against the assassin, but it eventually fails, as Drizzt encourages him and Artemis uses a four-word mantra as his mental armor: "The Walk of Barrabus," the bridge he had named after himself in defiance of Alegni. The three finally defeat him, thinking him dead. They retrieve Claw, but Effron manages to take Guenhwyvar with him, separating the panther from the onyx statuette. Arunika gives advice on destroying Claw, but Drizzt is only interested in recovering the panther. On their venture to Gauntlgrym, the Shifter offers the panther for the sword, but Drizzt refuses, something that surprises even him.

The three groups — Drizzt and his companions, House Xorlarrin, and Alegni's forces and Cavus Dun — converge as they approach Gauntlgrym. The drow shoot Drizzt, Artemis, and Dahlia with the poisoned crossbow bolts. They wake up and identify themselves as members of Bregan D'aerthe, something Berellip confirms as she confesses seeing Artemis with Jarlaxle many years previously and making love to him above the Clawrift. As Brack'thal unleashes the primordial, the groups are separated. Drizzt runs into Ambergris and Afafrenfere, who wish to join him (at the insistence of Ambergris), and toss Claw to be destroyed by the fire primordial. The destruction of the sword does not in fact kill Artemis, as they had all expected.

As Claw drops to the primordial, Thibbledorf Pwentwakes up. He trips over a grave and apologizes, before seeing a familiar one-horned helm and a familiar body interred within. As he sobs before the body of Bruenor Battlehammer, the dwarf realizes that he is no longer living, and has been reanimated as a vampire.

Deep in the forges of Gauntlgrym, Gol'fanin talks to Tiago. Tiago tells the smith that the drow had identified himself as "Masoj Oblodra." Gol'fanin recalls another Masoj, and asks the younger drow if they still teach history. As Tiago describes the drow, with the scimitars and the broadsword, the smith asks what his eye color was. Tiago then realizes that he had let the great rogue drow, Drizzt Do'Urden, slip through his fingers. Gol'fanin finishes his masterpiece telling the assistant weapons master, "These weapons will make you a weapon master. But the head of Drizzt Do'Urden? That will make you a legend!"

Main Characters

 * Drizzt Do'Urden
 * Dahlia Sin'felle
 * Artemis Entreri

Supporting Characters

 * Ambergris, dwarf of Cavus Dun
 * Afafrenfere, human monk of Cavus Dun
 * Berellip Xorlarrin, drow priestess
 * Brack'thal Xorlarrin, drow wizard
 * Effron, tiefling warlock
 * Guenhwyvar, summoned panther
 * Herzgo Alegni, tiefling lord
 * Jearth Xorlarrin, drow weaponsmaster
 * Ravel Xorlarrin, drow wizard
 * Tiago Baenre, drow fighter
 * Saribel Xorlarrin, drow priestess

Minor Characters

 * Alfwin, Shadovar sorceror
 * Andzrel Baenre, drow weaponsmaster
 * Anthus, human cleric
 * Arunika, succubus
 * Bol, tiefling member of Cavus Dun
 * Byok, Tiago's riding lizard
 * Draygo Quick, Netherese lord
 * Druzil, imp
 * Genevieve, former slave of aboleth
 * Glorfathel, elven member of Cavus Dun
 * Gol'fanin, drow weaponsmith
 * Gromph Baenre, Archmage of Menzoberranzan
 * Horrible, human member of Cavus Dun
 * Jelvus Grinch, captain in Neverwinter
 * Jermander, tiefling member of Cavus Dun
 * Invidoo, imp
 * Parbid, tiefling monk of Cavus Dun
 * Parise Ulfbinder, Netherese lord
 * Ratsis, human member of Cavus Dun
 * Shifter, member of Cavus Dun
 * Sovereignty Ambassador, aboleth
 * Sylora Salm, Thayan
 * Tutugnik, bugbear king
 * Thibbledorf Pwent, dwarven battlerager
 * Valindra Shadowmantle, lich
 * Yerrininae, drider
 * Zeerith Q'Xorlarrin, drow matron mother
 * Zingrawf Bourdadine, Shadovar

Mentioned characters

 * Akar Kessell
 * Athrogate
 * Bruenor Battlehammer
 * Catti-brie
 * Dantrag Baenre
 * Errtu
 * Horoodissomoth Xorlarrin
 * Jarlaxle
 * Kimmuriel Oblodra
 * Nojheim
 * Quenthel Baenre
 * Regis
 * Szass Tam
 * Wulfgar
 * Yvonnel Baenre

Locations

 * Neverwinter
 * Neverwinter Wood
 * Gauntlgrym
 * Shadowfell
 * Menzoberranzan (minor)

Creatures

 * Aboleth
 * Bugbear
 * Dire corbies
 * Drider
 * Fire elemental
 * Ghost
 * Goblin
 * Imp
 * Kobold
 * Orc
 * Primordial
 * Riding lizard
 * Snake
 * Vampire
 * Water elemental
 * Zombie

Artifacts

 * Charon's Claw ("Claw")
 * Dread Ring
 * Icingdeath
 * Kozah's Needle
 * Orbbcress
 * Twinkle
 * Vindrinath