House Vandree

House Vandree was the 17th drow house of Menzoberranzan in 1358 DR and therefore one of the minor drow houses in the city. By 1480 DR, it had become the eighth house and thus a member of the Ruling Council.

Headquarters
House Vandree was located in a huge, walled compound south of House Do'Urden in the district of West Wall. The compound's main walls extended outwards (to the east) from the wall, appearing almost like a beak. Another source lists the location of House Vandree in the 15th century DR as in Duthcloim, which may be due to an error or unclear district boundaries, since it seems unlikely that the house would move to an area of lesser prestige.

Activities
The members of House Vandree were very interested in Surface affairs and frequently collected trophies from the Surface, from leaves to human skulls.

History
An tragic fate came upon one of the daughters of House Vandree around the year 1322. Sosdrielle Vandree became one of the latest liaisons of the archmage Gromph Baenre and gave birth to his daughter Liriel. When Gromph realised her talent for magic, he arranged the death of her mother Sosdrielle as an accident and took his daughter into House Baenre.

Around 1357 DR, Dinin Do'Urden spent a year infiltrating House Vandree at the order of Jarlaxle of Bregan D'aerthe in preparation for an attack. Dinin was recalled when Jarlaxle found a more interesting opportunity with Vierna Do'Urden and her lust for Drizzt Do'Urden.

Shortly after the Time of Troubles in 1358 DR, when the house ranked seventeenth, a priestess of the house introduced throat leeches to Heldaeyn's Pool, just outside of Menzoberranzan, in order to kill a rival of House Kenafin. The plot failed but the leeches remained, occasionally claiming victims.

House Vandree was in a most precarious situation around 1368 DR. Their numbers were few but their compound grand. Their neighboors of House Barrison Del'Armgo had made it known that they coveted the Vandree compound. For this reason Matron Troken'ther Vandree tried either to win the protection of House Baenre, or get Yvonnel Baenre to demand a civilized swap of the compounds. But the old Baenre hesitated to do so. On the one hand there had been too much chaos in the recent past among the leading houses, but on the other hand, Yvonell was eager to see Barrison Del'Armgo get into a fight and show what they could do. But there was a spark of hope for House Vandree; they had a long-standing tradition of getting into trouble and somehow finding a way out. Troken'ther and her offspring seemed to delight in internal feuding and dangerous political ploys. House Vandree even dabbled in surface-world affairs, acquiring all sorts of trophies and useful magical items. There were rumors that human skulls, fashioned into drinking goblets were their favorites.

House Vandree fell to the position of the twentieth house by 1372 DR.

By 1480 DR, House Vandree rose quickly to become the eighth house and thus a member of the Ruling Council.

Members

 * Alton Vandree : One of the missing males who disappeared in 1372 DR to join the illthilich Syrzan's revolt against the city's priestesses.
 * Fiirnel'ther Vandree : Daughter and assassin of Troken'ther. Current matron mother.
 * Liriel Vandree (Liriel Baenre) : Daughter of Sosdrielle Vandree and Gromph Baenre. She was a Vandree until five years of age, when she was taken by her father, who gave her his name in order for her to join House Baenre (although she was raised by House Shobalar.
 * Sosdrielle Vandree : Mother of Liriel Baenre; one of the most beautiful drow of Menzoberranzan and consort of Gromph Baenre until she was killed by his golem.
 * Troken'ther Vandree : Former matron mother.