Condemnation

Condemnation is the third book in the War of the Spider Queen series.

"The forces aligned against Menzoberranzan begin to take shape, and the threat to drow civilization is more terrifying than anyone has yet imagined. From the impenetrable shadows of the Underdark to the remote corners of the no less unforgiving World Above, the path toward the secrets of Lolth's silence is as unpredictable as it is deadly.

Joined by two drow who might be the last survivors of Ched Nasad, the explorers from Menzoberranzan have learned much, but for every answer they find, a thousand new questions arise. They must seek out a rival priest, in hopes that he can speed them on their way to the goddess herself, but can one dark elf ever trust another?"

Summary
The group of drow adventurers -- Quenthel Baenre, Pharaun Mizzrym, Jeggred Baenre, Faeryl Melarn, Danifae Yauntyrr, Ryld Argith, and Valas Hune -- plan a trip to Lolth's domain: the Demonweb Pits. They travel along the surface to seek the followers of Vhaeraun, male Drow who seek to overturn female dominance. Halisstra is captured by followers of Eilistraee, but she kills her captors and escapes, where she is found by followers of Vhaeraun. Quenthel asks the High Priest of Vhaeraun for assistance, and after a test he agrees to lead part of the group's spirits to the Demonweb Pits using astral projection. When they reach Lolth's domain, she is blocked off inside a construct, and will not answer their prayers. The High Priest then betrays them by gating Vhaeraun into the Pits, where he plans to kill Lolth and become the dominant Drow deity. Selvetarm, Lolth's protector, engages in battle with Vhaeraun. Quenthel, a Baenre skilled in betrayal, gets revenge by ordering Jeggred, who remained behind, to kill the High Priest's physical body. The astral projection negated, the group's spirits return to the temple of Vhaeraun. They decide to go back to the Underdark, where they will make another attempt to contact Lolth in the Abyss.

The other part of the book focuses on a mysterious Drow named Nimor Imphraezl, the so-called "Anointed Blade" of a group called the Jaezred Chaulssin. Nimor incites two groups, the legions of the warlord Kaanyr Vhok and the Duergar army of Horgar Steelshadow, into taking advantage of Lolth's silence by attacking a Menzoberranzan weakened by the loss of most divine magic.

The battle plan has two stages. First the lichdrow Dyrr, of the city's prominent House Agrach Dyrr, is enlisted to imprison the city's Archmage Gromph Baenre in order to weaken the city's arcane magical defenses. Then Nimor, in the guise of a Drow commander from House Agrach Dyrr, informs Matron Triel Baenre of the invasion force and manipulates her into sending the Army of the Black Spider to the Pillars of Woe in order to defeat the Duergar invasion before they reach Menzoberranzan. Waiting there is a trap where the Legions of Kaanyr Vhok join the Duergar and the army of traitorous House Agrach Dyrr to obliterate much of the Drow army.