Yvonnel Baenre

Matron Yvonnel Baenre
Basic Information
Home	Menzoberranzan
Gender	Female
Race	Drow
Dates
Died	1358 DR
Rules Information
Alignment	Chaotic evil
Class	Cleric of Lolth 25
Game Edition	2nd

Yvonnel Baenre, called Matron Mother Baenre for centuries, was the matron mother of House Baenre in the city of Menzoberranzan, leading with an uncanny strength bred from deceitful ambition.

Appearance

Matron Mother Baerne had lost much of the beauty she posessed whilst young to a combination of factors, including several uses of zincarla. At the end of her life she looked haggard,with a patchwork of wrinkles across her face. Posessing an unusual vibrancy she was capable of pregnancy till her late 1900's.

History

Matron Mother Baerne was the younger half of twinborn drow priestesses, though not much is known of her youth it is known that during a partol (or attempted surface raid) she and her patrol encountered Gandalug Battlehammer and his bodyguard Crowmower Pwent. During this confrontation her twin sister was slain by the first king of Mithral Hall amongst others (mainly by the king's bodyguard). She managed to entrap Gandalug's soul in one of his teeth that had been knocked loose. During the following +/-2000 years she had many children, became the most powerful matron mother known to drow with influences stretching across the underdark and with so much of Lolth's favor bestowed upon her that she may have been rightly seen as Lolth's chosen prophetess. Several decades prior to her death she oversaw the rise to power of House Do'Urden, even going out on a limb (by drow standards) by helping them defend their home whilst they continued their search for their blasphemous son Drizzt when they had little to no favor with Lolth. At the very end of her life she put into motion the plan she had been nurturing for 2000 years, an all or nothing assault upon Mithral Hall, the location, layout and old defences having been gleened from the tormented spirit of Gandalug.

Initially things seemed to be going well, but then Catti-brie rescued the imprisoned Drizzt with the aid of Artemis Entreri and as a farewell gift sent a million ton stalactite crashing through the Baerne Chapel during the ceremony wherein Lolth's blessing was asked for the invasion. After that the time of troubles hit Toril, further stalling Matron Baerne's plans. During this time she came close to losing her life when the psionic house of Oblodra decided to abandon Lolth and attempt conquering Menzoberranzan. With Errtu's aid (courtesy of a deal made by Lolth) she managed to wipe most of house Oblodra off the map (and into the Clawrift.

After the time of troubles she led the army gathered from all houses in the city on her long-awaited conquest. Though they might have succeeded had drow not been drow, her plans where ruined by the valour of the defenders, dissent and desertion in her ranks and lastly by the unexpectedly succesful headhunt by Drizzt's party. When Errtu's appointed general opened a chest with a dead-magic gem inside all magic failed and Matron Mother Yvonnel Baerne crashed unto the floor from her glowdisc and was cut asunder by an enraged Bruenor Battlehammer.

Relationships

((stub))

References

• R.A. Salvatore, Michael Leger, Douglas Niles (1992). Menzoberranzan (The Houses). Edited by Karen S. Boomgarden. (TSR, Inc), p. 6. ISBN 1-5607-6460-0.