Gromph Baenre

Archmage Gromph Baenre is a drow and the archmage of Menzoberranzan. He is also the master of sorcere, the arcane school, and the first son of Matron Mother Yvonnel Baenre, which makes him the most powerful male in the city. His only daughter is Liriel Baenre whose magical education and upbringing he once paid House Shobalar for until she fled to the surface. Gromph lives in the Narbondellyn district of Menzoberranzan. He is over 700 years old.

History
Gromph wandered for some time and adventured before becoming the "leashed" Archmage of the Council of Eight (the eight ruling houses), according to a decree by Lolth. It is only logical for the Council to keep close watch on the male wizards, who are their only real challengers for power; Gromph especially so, as he has many responsibilities in the City of Spiders. Foremost, he must energize Narbondel, the huge "clock" of Menzoberannzan. Gromph is one of the few males of the city who has power enough to have almost anything he desires, including the respect of females.

Some consider Gromph the greatest archmage in all the Realms; Elminster, however, is more than eleven centuries old and Khelben a few centuries younger than that (both may be greater mages than Gromph, as they have had more time to study and perfect their mastery of the Art); as such, it may be more accurate to list him as a rival in power to the other archmages of the Realms.

Recently, and disturbingly, Gromph disappeared at a time when the city most needed him. He was attacked and imprisoned in a magical sphere by an exceedingly powerful lichdrow named Lord Dyrr, the true ruler of House Agrach Dyrr. He managed to escape the sphere by manipulating an illithid named Sluuguth, killing the illithid soon afterward. Gromph went from that point on to help secure the city from the many magical fires that were burning it to the ground.

Gromph, in the later War of the Spider Queen hexad of books, with the help of Triel, kills the lichdrow Dyrr and destroys his phylactery.

Appearance
Gromph is austere yet handsome. Despite his old age (he is old even by elven standards), Gromph appears eternally youthful due to the effects of a magical amulet in his possession, which contains a piece of a unicorn's horn. As a powerful spellcaster and the archmage of the city, Gromph almost always wears the Robe of the Archmage of Menzoberranzan, a ceremonial garment that is also heavily enchanted.

Relatives
Gromph's only daughter is Liriel Baenre. His mistress for a time was Sosdrielle Vandree, Liriel's mother, but when Liriel was five, Gromph had Sosdrielle put to death. The fact that Liriel is Gromph's daughter by one of his discarded lovers makes her claim to Baenre heritage shakey.

Gromph is the eldest son of Yvonnel Baenre, making him the eldest male of House Baenre. He has a number of siblings, all children of Yvonnel Baenre, but most notable of these is his sister Triel Baenre, Matron Mother of House Baenre. Gromph's high-born heritage and high standing in the city serve to make him the most influential male in Menzoberranzan, with the possible exception of Jarlaxle, leader of the mercenary band Bregan D'aerthe (though Jarlaxle is currently adventuring on the surface, leaving Gromph as the most powerful male).

Equipment
Gromph wears a ceremonial piwafwi with many spell components inside. It is a sign of his high status. He also has in his possession various powerful magical items, including: a robe of the archmage of Menzoberranzan, a brooch of perpetual youth, a brooch of lingering heat, a wand of viscid globs, a wand of acidic spheres, a brooch of number numbing, many contracts of Nepthas, a lens of speed reading, a talisman of memorization, numerous thought bottles and a spider mask.