Quenthel Baenre

Quenthel Baenre was a drow priestess, and the third daughter of Yvonnel Baenre. She was the Mistress of Arach-Tinilith, the clerical school of Menzoberranzan, and later Matron Mother of First House Baenre.

First life and resurrection
Quenthel Baenre acted as an assistant to Matron Yvonnel Baenre during her invasion of Mithral Hall in 1358 DR. She silently disagreed when the matron mother killed other drow priestesses to further her own power, believing this was not sanctioned by Lolth.

Quenthel was killed fleeing the disastrous Battle of Keeper's Dale by Drizzt Do'Urden but was shortly thereafter (in 1361 DR) resurrected from death by decree of Lolth. Shakti Hunzrin returned her to life by entrapping the yochlol that was apparently Quenthel in a soul bubble. House Baenre attempted to cover up her absence by claiming she had gone on a mission, and kept the secret of her death from many. For some time, the only male to have known out about the incident is Gromph Baenre, who admitted to his sister Triel that he had found out.

Mistress of Arach-Tinilith
After her resurrection, Quenthel became the Mistress of Arach-Tinilith, the clerical faction of the Tier Breche Academy, where she served was of 1372 DR She intended to prove her greatness at Arach-Tinilith in order to prove her ability to rule the city. In 1372 DR, during the Silence of Lolth, she was subject to a number of assassination attempts. Her brother, Gromph Baenre, sent a number of demons to Arach-Tinilith to destroy her, but each time they were foiled, although at one point Quenthel had to approach Matron Mother Zeerith Q'Xorlarrin for magical help. Some of the students and instructors of Arach-Tinilith viewed these attacks as signs that Lolth wanted her destroyed, so so a group of them led by Drisinil Armgo attempted to kill her. They failed and Quenthel summoned a horde of spiders to destrot them. Additionally, the priestess Halavin Symryvvin fell mad due to one of Gromph's attacks and attempted to kill Quenthel.

War of the Spider Queen
Sometime afterward, Quenthel was assigned by Matron Mother Triel Baenre to lead a band of drow (Pharaun Mizzrym, Ryld Argith, Triel's draegloth son Jeggred, Valas Hune, and Faeryl Zauvirr) were tasked with uncovering the mystery of the Silence of Lolth. She had to travel with a number of companions. Quenthel competed with Danifae Yauntyrr and Halisstra Melarn, two drow priestesses she met on the journey, for the position of "Yor'thae", the Chosen of Lolth. Quenthel was enraged when Lolth selected Danifae, as Danifae was seen as more cunning. Quenthel killed Jeggred in the Demonweb Pits as a sacrifice to the reborn goddess, and returned to Menzoberranzan to her position of High Priestess and Mistress of Arach-Tinilith after the Silence of Lolth was dealt with.

Post-Spellplague
Quenthel was hailed as a dark heroine upon her return to Menzoberranzan, and she quickly turned her popularity among her fanatical people to her advantage. In only a decade, she gathered enough power to challenge her sister Triel for the title of Matron of house Baenre, a challenge Triel couldn't hope to win. Quenthel reigned as first Matron Mother thereafter, and has maintained her title as Mistress of Arach-Tinilith, a move first attempted by Triel during Quenthel's years in the Demonweb Pits.

Equipment
Quenthel possessed a whip of fangs, as many priestesses do, but hers was unique. IT consisted of five vipers attached to an adamantine handle, with the essences of five imps are also bound to the whip, one for each snake. These fiends kept watch for her and offered her advice on problems, each with its own personality. Each imp, and thus each snake head, had a name. Hsiv was the first imp bound into the whip. Yngoth was the wisest. K'Sothra was the least intelligent.

The Mistress of Arach-Tinilith also wore a necklace of large, black beads. When a bead was slipped off the chain and thrown at a target, it exploded in a brilliant flash of light, blinding anyone nearby. In addition, the target struck by the bead became temporarily immobilized by a magical force field.

Relationships
Quenthel and her brother, Gromph Baenre served as Triel's primary advisers. Gromph, however, was not fond of the competition and thus attempted to have her assassinated several times in 1372 DR.

Novels

 * Starless Night (minor)
 * Siege of Darkness
 * Windwalker


 * War of the Spider Queen series
 * Dissolution
 * Condemnation
 * Insurrection
 * Extinction
 * Annihilation
 * Resurrection