Jarlaxle

Jarlaxle (born Jarlaxle Baenre) was a drow mercenary and leader of the Bregan D'aerthe mercenary company. He was (sometimes) an ally of House Baenre, although his band's services were often available to the highest bidder or to whoever suits him. He was one of a small number of male drow who actually had significant power in a Lolth-worshiping city.

Description
Slender, handsome, and tightly muscled, Jarlaxle was the dandy of Menzoberranzan. He chose the brightest colors for his clothes and wore a cape that shone in every color in both the visible and infrared spectrums. Jarlaxle commonly wore high boots and bracelets that can be made to be loud or silent at his discretion. He also wore a magical eye patch that protected his mind from magical and psionic intrusions and allowed him to see through walls and other solid objects. He often shifted the patch from eye to eye to keep others guessing as to its powers. Another staple item was his wide-brimmed hat, plumed with a diatryma feather and worn atop his clean-shaven scalp. Jarlaxle's shaven head was a symbol of his place in Menzoberranzan, a society where rank and position are indicated by hair style (e.g., male drow nobles all have haircuts specific to their houses). Although beautiful like all Tel-quessir, Jarlaxle had no hair to illustrate that he considered himself removed from the society of Menzoberranzan.

Personality
More than anything, Jarlaxle was an opportunist. His wealth is considerable, but official station in drow society meant nothing to him. He observed that the best way for a male to survive and prosper in the matriarchal drow society was to be outside the system and to be too valuable to be eliminated -- and he was audacious enough to take his life in that direction. Always calm and graceful, Jarlaxle enjoyed flaunting his independence and was proud of the fact that the noble houses come to him for aid. In the city of Menzoberranzan, intrigue and double-dealing were a way of life, and no one played them better than Jarlaxle did. As a male outsider in the city, Jarlaxle had much information few others beyond Lolth's priestesses were likely to have access to. He was probably one of the most powerful individuals in the city and the surrounding Underdark. For enough money, Jarlaxle and his band might have allied with Gromph Baenre and Jalynfein the Spider Mage to set about changing Menzoberranzan's Lolth- and female-dominated society and to squeeze as much adventure and pleasure from life as he possibly could. However, he saw no need for such drastic change, as he benefited from the chaos of Menzoberranzan and was always able to align himself with the winning side in any feud. In any case, he preferred to see adventure and profit in the World Above.

He had a very charismatic personality, always willing to talk his way out of situations rather than resort to force of arms. Moreover, talking was what Jarlaxle did best. His words easily worked past the handicap of his race's evil reputation, able to turn potential enemies into allies. He appeared to be extremely intelligent and a brilliant tactician who almost never seemed to be unprepared for any thinkable and unthinkable circumstances. He also preferred not to kill anyone as long as he could manipulate the person to serve his interests, no matter how small their role might be. Interestingly, for a drow, Jarlaxle didn't like to kill somebody unless he had to.

His lieutenant Kimmuriel Oblodra revealed a deep understanding of Jarlaxle's personality. He recognized that his gambling and sometimes foolish-seeming attitude was a very good facade, underneath which lay a frighteningly intelligent mind.

Jarlaxle spoke Common, Drow, as well as the Goblin, Svirfneblin, and Halfling tongues. Also, with the aid of his many magical devices and items, Jarlaxle could possibly speak any language in existence, fluently and flawlessly.

Early life
Due to the status of his birth, Jarlaxle was to be sacrificed to Lolth by Yvonnel Baenre. However, she could not seem to kill the baby. Her second-oldest son tried to grab him in an attempt to assist, only to be killed by all of the effort that Yvonnel put into killing the baby by some magical power. Thus, the matron felt that the sacrifice was complete, even if it was her second-born son instead. During his youth, Jarlaxle became close friends with Zaknafein and the first time Jarlaxle felt guilt was when he betrayed their friendship.

Bregan D'aerthe
Jarlaxle later grew up to found Bregan D'aerthe, a mercenary band that grew to be very powerful. It could be said that due to the band's loyalty to House Baenre, they had somewhat forged an empire in Menzoberranzen. Bregan D'aerthe was present amongst the troops of Baenre during the fall of House Do'Urden.

In 1357 DR, Jarlaxle worked with Artemis Entreri during the early phases of Baenre's conquest of Mithral Hall. Entreri had requested a fight against Drizzt -- a fair one -- and offered his services in return. However, a fair fight was not, at the time, able to be given. Entreri "joined" Bregan D'aerthe and was led to Menzoberranzan, but there he felt trapped and fled the Underdark (with Jarlaxle's implicit aid) with Drizzt and Catti-brie. Nevertheless, Jarlaxle continued to aid Baenre during the conquest of Mithral Hall all the way to the failure of the conquest.

In 1364 DR, Jarlaxle then arranged a fight between Entreri and Drizzt Do'Urden. During the fight, he acquired Crenshinibon. At this time, Jarlaxle approached Entreri with the hopes of extending his empire to the surface, starting with Calimport. In 1366 DR, they created a faction out of the Basadoni guild and placed Entreri as the pasha. Jarlaxle increasingly fell under the influence of Crenshinibon until his two lieutenants, Kimmuriel and Rai-guy, enacted a plot to overthrow him. He was only rescued from his own follies by Entreri, who claimed to need Jarlaxle alive to protect him from the two drow lieutenants. Jarlaxle made an agreement with Kimmuriel for co-leadership of Bregan D'aerthe while Jarlaxle went traveling around the surface.

Bloodstone Lands
After leaving Calimport, Jarlaxle and Entreri eventually wound up working in the Bloodstone Lands (namely Damara and Vaasa) in 1368 DR. He and Entreri started working for Ilnezhara and Tazmikella, the copper dragon sisters of Heliogabalus, who wanted them to investigate the appearance of Zhengyian constructs in Vaasa. T Jarlaxle stayed in regular contact with his lieutenant Kimmuriel Oblodra, in whose capable hands he left Bregan D'aerthe. Although he did not at the time take an active role in leading his mercenaries, he still requested the resources of the group when it suited his needs. The option was open for Jarlaxle to retake control of the mercenaries, as Kimmuriel wished to be done with his duties leading the group so that he could spend more time with matters of the mind. After Entreri left him in Calimport, Jarlaxle was seen with the dwarf Athrogate beside him.

Jarlaxle was later forced, against his will, to betray Artemis Entreri in Baldur's Gate to the Netherese, who were seeking to recover the Charon's claw sword. To refuse to aid the Netherese would have resulted in war between the Empire of Netheril and Menzoberranzan and possibly in Jarlaxle's own execution. Jarlaxle trapped Entreri in one of his extra-dimensional pockets, originally planning to rescue his human friend immediately after handing him over. However, Kimmuriel Oblodra and House Baenre had worked to lower Jarlaxle's magical defenses so that Kimmuriel to enter his mind and change his memories about the betrayal. He came to believe that Entreri had betrayed him. By the Jarlaxle had found out the truth, Entreri was beyond Jarlaxle's reach, and Matron Mother Quenthel Baenre had forbidden Jarlaxle from involving himself in the affair further. Jarlaxle and Athrogate went on numerous adventures together over the next several decades but always did Jarlaxle regret what had happened to his old friend.

Transitions
In 1376-1377 DR, Jarlaxle and his group manipulated events in Luskan that resulted in the destruction of the Host Tower of the Arcane, the death of Deudermont, and Luskan becoming a free port. Jarlaxle allowed Regis and Drizzt to live and also took a scrimshaw piece from Regis that depicted Drizzt and Guenhwyvar, rather than taking the valuable ruby pendant.

In 1384 DR, Jaraxle's dreams were invaded by Yharaskrik, the illithid killed in Servant of the Shard who had joined up with Hephaestus, the red dragon Jarlaxle had helped kill, and the lich kings captured in Crenshinibon. He and Athrogate both joined up with Drizzt Do'Urden, Bruenor Battlehammer, and Thibbledorf Pwent on an adventure to Spirit Soaring where they hoped Cadderly could help them fend off the coming of the Ghost King.

The Neverwinter Saga
In 1462 DR, Jarlaxle returned beside Athrogate to join Dahlia Sin'felle in an expedition to Gauntlgrym, where they were tricked into releasing the fire primordial. Jarlaxle and Athrogate joined Drizzt Do'Urden and Bruenor Battlehammer in an attempt to right this wrong, but in the process Jarlaxle and Athrogate were overtaken by fire. Drizzt (falsely) presumed them dead.

During the events of The Last Threshold, it was revealed that Jarlaxle had not died in Gauntlgrym and ended up aiding Drizzt Do'Urden and Dahlia Sin'felle indirectly once again. Jarlaxle and Artemis Entreri end up meeting once more though Entreri had not forgiven him for his earlier betrayal

When the reincarnated Regis passed through Luskan in 1483 DR, he stayed at One-Eyed Jax, an inn and tavern on the northern bank that was named for Jarlaxle, who (through Ship Kurth) owned the place. The barkeep, Serena, was "spoken for" by Jarlaxle, who was well-known by the tavern's patrons. Jarlaxle had a conversation with Regis, and while the drow didn't recognize the halfling, he was suspicious enough to send a Bregan D'aerthe agent to keep an eye on him in Icewind Dale. That agent, Braelin Janquay, discovered Regis' true identity, saving him and Catti-brie from some thugs from Ship Rethnor and presumably passing word of Regis's true identity to Jarlaxle.

Kimmuriel Oblodra
Jarlaxle rescued Kimmuriel Oblodra from the fall of his house and made him into a lieutenant of Bregan D'aerthe. He and Kimmuriel shared a mutually beneficial relationship, and Jarlaxle passed on main leadership of his band to Kimmuriel in 1366 DR when he ran off with Artemis Entreri.

Catti-brie
Since their meeting in the Underdark, Jarlaxle showed an attraction to and fondness of Catti-brie. He chose to aid Catti-brie after she was afflicted by the Spellplague, and he even continued to search for her at Drizzt Do'Urden's request.

Artemis Entreri
The relationship between Jarlaxle and Artemis Entreri was often strained, but the two traveled together for many years and seemed to have develop some form of friendship — perhaps more so on the part of Jarlaxle. Jarlaxle and Artemis Entreri met when Vierna Do'Urden employed Artemis to help find, capture, and fight against Drizzt Do'Urden. After Artemis was trapped in the Underdark, Jarlaxle grave him advice and missions,, perhaps his only solace from the drow. In Calimport, Artemis rescued Jarlaxle — claiming he needed the drow for protection — and escaped the wrath of Rai-Guy and Kimmuriel during the Bregan D'aerthe takeover. The two later traveled into Vaasa and Damara. They joined a party of adventurers, battled the dracolich Urshula, and invaded a replica fortress of Castle Perilous. Jarlaxle disappeared during the fight, drawing Entreri's mistrust, but Jarlaxle claimed the castle for "King Artemis I." In Damara, Jarlaxle obtained Idalia's flute and gave it to Entreri in an apparent attempt to make him resolve his emotional problems. Instead, the flute brought up all sorts of memories, leading Artemis back to Calimshan to search for (and murder) his father. Artemis viewed the flute as manipulation on the part of Jarlaxle.

Jarlaxle later betrayed Entreri to the Netherese, for which Entreri never forgave him. Jarlaxle, for his part, had intended to rescue Entreri but was tricked by his fellow drow into forgetting the whole event. Jarlaxle greatly regretted the way events had turned out and it haunted him for many decades.

Drizzt Do'Urden
Drizzt Do'Urden's relationship was developed in the novel Gauntlgrym. Jarlaxle held respect for him because he had been able to escape not only Menzoberranzan, but also the associations that come with being drow, though he feared that Drizzt was forgetting his principles.

Athrogate
Athrogate joined with Jarlaxle in Damara in 1368 DR and traveled with him for many, many years. Jarlaxle considered Athrogate his closest friend at the time

Combat
When forced into combat, Jarlaxle could throw a seemingly unlimited supply of magical daggers conferred to him by his bracers. One in every three or so daggers was an illusion, but could still be fatal if it is believed to be real. The daggers magically disappeared after a short period of time, returning themselves to his magic bracers.

He was extremely skilled in the two long-blade fighting style commonly used by the drow, though when mismatched with less skilled opponents he has been known to use the less effective but visually showy swashbuckling style to distract them -- though his mastery of this style was enough to impress even Artemis Entreri, the famed assassin and Jarlaxle's companion.

In situations where his daggers were of no use, he could magically extend two blades that he wore at his belt behind his back transforming them into long swords, not to mention the array of weapons (including a small warhammer that he kept miniaturized in the band of his outrageously large hat).

Of course, Jarlaxle also possessed the typical drow weapon: a hand-held crossbow adorned with bolts dipped in sleeping poison.

However, despite his proficiency with blades, Jarlaxle tended to prefer to use his many magic trinkets as a first resort.

Possessions
Jarlaxle was renowned for having a seemingly unlimited supply of magical tricks. The following list contains merely some of his confirmed items. It is very likely that he had many more:


 * A hat with a huge white diatryma feather that could be used to summon one of the Underdark birds; the feather always grew back after being used for the summoning.
 * A fine cord that could elongate to at least 120 ft, tucked under the silken band of his hat.
 * An eye patch that prevented magical and psionic intrusion or, if shifted to the other eye, enhanced his vision. It also enabled Jarlaxle to see through doors.
 * A pair of boots that could be noisy or silenced at will.
 * One of his jeweled earrings could extend its size to that of a small grappling hook, used as such when tied to a rope.
 * A many-hued piwafwi that displaced light, thus hindering ranged attacks.
 * A brooch of shielding clasped at his cloak's front side.
 * A silver whistle hanging on a chain around his neck that could open and close doors and the like regardless of traps and locks on them. Different abilities were activated by blows on it of varying lengths.
 * Two jewel skulls, artifacts obtained from relics of the lich Zhengyi. One had the power to raise humans from the dead and the other to employ the help of the powerful dracolich Urshula. Jarlaxle later gave them to his lieutenant Kimmuriel Oblodra for study.
 * Jarlaxle's belt was a snake that would uncoil into a rope form for climbing when needed, extending to whatever length is required.
 * Several extra-dimensional devices, including a button on his waistcoat that turned into a bag designed to shield the magical emanations of its contents, and a portable hole that, if reversed will create a temporary hole in whatever surface it touches. He also carried a ring that opened a limited number of extra-dimensional portals.
 * A black cloth in the shape of a small bat that turned into a living creature which could serve as a scout.
 * A palm-sized ornament in the form of a silvery rearing dragon, with wings and jaws spread wide, a gift from the dragon Ilnezhara. It was, in truth, a charm to secure the entrance of a room. . It was a trap bringing forth the various breath forms of the deadly chromatic dragons based on a previously set color.
 * A tablecloth that can magically provide a feast.
 * A pair of obsidian steed figurines of wondrous power, fashioned after one that he recovered from the dead body of Mariabronne the Rover.
 * Jarlaxle also possessed a variety of slender wands which are capable of releasing anything from a lightning bolt to a greenish, gluey semi-liquid blob of goo. One such wand could create a solid stone wall to cut off the pursuit of enemies. Another wand created illusions. In true Jarlaxle fashion, he spent much time practicing with it until he could produce an illusionary fireball so realistic that creatures within the illusion burned as if from a real fireball, so long as they didn't know it was an illusion. He was known to fire a blast at his own feet, killing any surrounding enemies, and leaving himself unharmed.
 * A Ring of Arbitration that the drow retrieved after the half-orc Olgerkhan dropped it.
 * A small silver cone to create an area of amplified sensibilities enabling him to overhear the conversation of his subjects from a long distance.
 * A small orb which, when crushed, could throw him through the multiverse, but to which plane of existence Jarlaxle could not predict. This was his last route of escape.
 * Agatha's mask, an item of illusionary magic obtained from Drizzt Do'Urden via Entreri.
 * A small silver mace charm attached to his hat that could be enlarged to a medium-sized heavy silver mace.
 * A copy of the magically persuading ruby pendant wielded by Regis.

Novels
The Dark Elf Trilogy:
 * Exile

The Legacy of the Drow Trilogy:
 * The Legacy
 * Starless Night
 * Siege of Darkness

Paths of Darkness:
 * The Silent Blade

The Sellswords Trilogy:
 * Servant of the Shard
 * Promise of the Witch King
 * Road of the Patriarch

Transitions:
 * The Pirate King
 * The Ghost King

The Neverwinter Saga:
 * Gauntlgrym
 * The Last Threshold

The Sundering (series):
 * The Companions

Short stories:
 * "Rite of Blood" in Realms of the Underdark and The Best of the Realms (mentioned)
 * "Empty Joys" in The Best of the Realms
 * "That Curious Sword" in Realms of Shadow
 * "Wickless in the Nether" in Realms of the Dragons

Computer games

 * Menzoberranzan
 * Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn