Jarlaxle

Jarlaxle (born Jarlaxle Baenre) was a drow mercenary and leader of the Bregan D'aerthe mercenary company. He was one of a small number of male drow who actually had significant power in a Lolth-worshiping city, although he increasingly spent little time in the city itself as he adventured on the surface.

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 spectra. He commonly wore high boots and bracelets that could be made to be clack loudly or be 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, which was a symbol of his refusal to conform to society's expectations in Menzoberranzan, a society where rank and position were reflected by hair style.

Jarlaxle walked with mild limp from an injury that never completely healed.

Personality
More than anything, Jarlaxle was an opportunist. His wealth was 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 who had no qualms dealing with the "lesser races," Jarlaxle had much information few others beyond Lolth's priestesses were likely to have access to. He was one of the most powerful males, if not individuals, in the city and the surrounding Underdark. He benefited from the chaos of Menzoberranzan and was always able to align himself with the winning side in any conflict. In his later years, he preferred to see adventure and profit in the World Above. He found that he felt most alive when he was with friends and when he was taking risks.

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 loved irony, sarcasm, and wit. He was extremely intelligent and a brilliant tactician who was always prepared for any imaginable or unimaginable circumstances. He also preferred to avoid killing someone as long as that person could be manipulated to serve his interests, no matter how small his or her role might be. In fact, Jarlaxle didn't like to kill somebody unless he had to, an unusual trait in a drow — and likely the reason he did so in the first place. Several times, he played the hero just for the sake of it.

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.

Early life
Jarlaxle was born to Yvonnel Baenre, the matron mother of House Baenre, the first house of Menzoberranzan. Due to the status of his birth order, Jarlaxle was to be sacrificed to Lolth. However, the sacrificial blade of Matron Baenre could not pierce the infant. Her second-oldest son, Doquaio Baenre, was ordered to assist, but as he grabbed the infant, all of the kinetic energy of the attempted sacrifice was reflected on to him through the psionic power of the matron mother of House Oblodra. Doquaio was killed. The failure of the sacrifice was kept secret, but Matron Baenre feared Jarlaxle from that time forward and believed that her fate was tied with his. Jarlaxle was viewed as favored by the Spider Queen. Indeed, Lolth did favor him as an agent of chaos and granted him the memory of his near-sacrifice. However, he rejected her and she withdrew her favor, although the matron mothers of Menzoberranzan never learned of that fact. Kimmuriel Oblodra was one of only three living drow who knew the truth of the story ; the event and involvement of Matron Oblodra was apparently passed down through the years among the members of House Oblodra.

Jarlaxle attended Melee-Magthere, the warriors' academy. He was recognized for his mastery of strategy and tactics and his strength was in the non-physical aspects of fighting, although he was a skilled swordsman as well. However, he favored a stealthy dagger over hand-to-hand combat.

At some point, Jarlaxle became close friends with Zaknafein Do'Urden, later the father of Drizzt Do'Urden. He eventually betrayed Zaknafein in undisclosed circumstances and still felt guilt over it many years later.

Bregan D'aerthe
Jarlaxle later left his house and his name (but not his connections) behind and founded Bregan D'aerthe, a mercenary band of rogue males that grew to be very powerful. It could be said that the band they forged its own underworld 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 attempted conquest of Mithral Hall. Entreri had requested a fight against Drizzt Do'Urden — 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. 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 help 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. He refused to travel with Jarlaxle further after that point. However, Athrogate remained by Jarlaxle's side.

During his travels with Artemis, 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.

At some point after they split ways, Jarlaxle was forced, against his will, to betray Artemis 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, creating the Ghost King. 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 Bonduce could help them fend off the coming of the Ghost King. They succeeding in that task, albeit not in the manner they had expected.

The Neverwinter Saga
Around 1452 DR, Jarlaxle and Athrogate to joined Dahlia Sin'felle in an expedition to Gauntlgrym, where they were tricked into releasing the fire primordial that destroyed the city of Neverwinter. In 1462 DR, Jarlaxle, Athrogate, and Dahlia once again joined up together and recruited Drizzt Do'Urden and Bruenor Battlehammer in an attempt to right this wrong. They were successful, but in the process Bruenor was killed and Jarlaxle and Athrogate were overtaken by fire. Drizzt (falsely) presumed the latter two dead.

However, in reality Jarlaxle had not died in Gauntlgrym. Some time later, he discovered that Drizzt, Dahlia, and their companions had been captured by the Netherese lord Draygo Quick and were being held in his home. With the help of Bregan D'aerthe and his brother Gromph, he assaulted the castle to free Drizzt and company. Artemis Entreri had also been traveling with Drizzt at the time and Jarlaxle ensured that his petrified form was returned to flesh, although it was clear that Artemis did not forgive Jarlaxle for his betrayal. Drizzt disappeared in Icewind Dale not long afterwards and Jarlaxle, despite many expensive attempts, was unable to locate him.

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 and owned by Jarlaxle (through Ship Kurth). 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.

Skills
Jarlaxle was extremely skilled in the two long-blade fighting style commonly used by the drow, though when mismatched with less skilled opponents he was known to use the less effective but visually more showy swashbuckling style to distract them. His mastery of this style was enough to impress even Artemis Entreri, who generally found the style ineffective. However, despite his proficiency with blades, Jarlaxle tended to prefer to use his many magic trinkets as a first resort.

When forced into combat, Jarlaxle could throw a seemingly unlimited supply of magical daggers conferred to him by his bracers; only one of every three were real, the rest were illusions. 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 he kept tucked around his person. Of course, Jarlaxle also possessed the typical drow weapon: a hand-held crossbow adorned with bolts dipped in sleeping poison.

Jarlaxle was talented with languages. He spoke Common perfectly fluently, as well as his native Drow, Abyssal, Goblin, Svirfneblin, and Halfling tongues. Also, with the aid of his many magical devices and items, Jarlaxle could possibly speak any language fluently and flawlessly.

Possessions
Jarlaxle was very fond of magical items and was renowned for having a seemingly unlimited supply of magical tricks. He was rarely seen with the same item more than once or twice. The following list contains merely some of his confirmed items.

Clothing
 * A wide-brimmed purple 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. The hat itself allowed him to use magic to disguise himself.
 * One of his jeweled earrings could extend its size to that of a small grappling hook, used as such when tied to a rope.
 * 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. It became less effective after the Spellplague.
 * A many-hued piwafwi cloak that displaced light, thus hindering ranged attacks.
 * A brooch of shielding clasped at his cloak's front side.
 * A pair of boots that could be noisy or silenced at will. These were common among drow nobles.
 * A house emblem of House Baenre, which allowed him to levitate.
 * A Ring of Arbitration that the drow retrieved after the half-orc Olgerkhan dropped it.
 * A ring that created illusionary copies of the bearer.
 * A ring of teleport.
 * A belt that was a snake that would uncoil into a rope form for climbing when needed, extending to whatever length is required.
 * A fine cord that could elongate to at least 120 ft, tucked under the silken band of his hat.

Weapons
 * Bracers on each wrist that could produce a nearly infinite supply of throwing daggers. 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.
 * A variety of slender wands which were 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, as 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. His favorite wand was the wand of viscous globs.
 * A small silver mace charm attached to his hat that could be enlarged to a medium-sized heavy silver mace.
 * Hand-held crossbow with darts dipped in drow sleeping poison.

Other
 * 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. A similar (possibly the same) item created a hole that led to an extra-dimensional room large enough to hold several humanoids. 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. This was 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. They summoned nightmares; he gave one to Artemis and kept the other for himself.
 * 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.
 * A whistle that could only be heard by members of Bregan D'aerthe.
 * Two jewel skull gems, 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.
 * 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 copy of the magically persuading ruby pendant wielded by Regis.

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 the bulk of the leadership of his band to Kimmuriel in 1366 DR when he ran off with Artemis Entreri. Originally, the arrangement was intended to be temporary, but Jarlaxle increasingly left the running of his band to Kimmuriel, who by 1463 DR was widely understood as the primary leader. Jarlaxle continued to work for Bregan D'aerthe, but he had his own interests and often found himself paying for the band's services.

Catti-brie
From 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 from Jarlaxle's perspective. Jarlaxle and Artemis met when Vierna Do'Urden employed Artemis to help find, capture, and fight against Drizzt Do'Urden. 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.

Jarlaxle's treatment of Artemis during their adventures was somewhat bewildering. Jarlaxle's intentions in giving Artemis Idalia's flute were to free him from his emotional burdens to help him enjoy life. However, Artemis saw it as blatant manipulation of his psyche and in some ways a betrayal of their friendship. Idalia's flute was one of the main reasons Artemis left Jarlaxle in

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 originally viewed Jarlaxle (rightfully) with a healthy dose of distrust. He was never quite sure of the mercenary's motivations. However, Jarlaxle claimed to have been a friend of Drizzt's father, and Drizzt came to believe it. Jarlaxle saved Drizzt's life a number of times, and after Drizzt's wife left Toril, Drizzt tasked Jarlaxle with finding her again. (He tried but was not successful.) By 1462 DR, the two considered each other friends.

Jarlaxle was particularly interested in Drizzt because, in Jarlaxle's words, "He was the one who escaped" the heritage and fate of the drow. In Menzoberranzan, Drizzt was a symbol of male rebellion and the lack of acceptance of males' positions among females. Jarlaxle, who always felt there was something wrong with Menzoberranzan and drow society, truly admired him. though he feared that Drizzt was forgetting his principles. Many years after Catti-brie's death, however, Jarlaxle worried that Drizzt was forgetting himself and crossing the line of honor he had always held himself to.

Athrogate
Athrogate joined with Jarlaxle in Damara in 1368 DR and traveled with him for many, many years. Jarlaxle came to consider Athrogate his closest friend, and vice-versa.

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
 * Neverwinter (mentioned)
 * Charon's Claw (mentioned)
 * 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