d20 Goodman Games The Complete Guide to Drow - The House of Azran.pdf - Goodman Games - R5700

The House of Azrán

By Joseph Goodman

This web enhancement for the Complete Guide to

Drow is an example of a detailed drow household, con-

structed according to the book’s guidelines.

House Azrán is a drow family with deep roots and

shallow standing. The house symbol is a stylized spider

crawling downward beneath a steep triangular moun-

tain, a reference to the house’s origins: it claims a direct

descent from the high priestess of the ben’docian, the

alpine elves whose defeat in the Kindred Wars ultimate-

ly spawned the drow. But the mighty have fallen. House

Azrán’s current status is quite low, thanks to the inept

diplomacy of the present matriarch.

Firaril, the matriarch, is an ancient drow priestess

whose powers are dwindling as she succumbs to the

senility of old age. For her entire life, Firaril has suf-

fered from two competing character traits, which have

combined to drag her house’s status ever lower. First,

she is ambitious to a fault, desiring status and power

over all things. But she is coarse, rude, and simple-

minded. She lacks all the traits that could have helped

her in the political struggles that comprise day-to-day

drow life. Her ceaseless ambition has led her to repeat-

edly attempt diplomacy and chicanery that she can

never pull off, and this constant bungling has cost her.

Va nya, eldest daughter of Firaril, has watched her

mother’s missteps with horror. Vanya, too, has the

ambition of heritage within her breast. But, unlike her

mother, she is endowed with more than a modicum of

charisma and intelligence. For decades they have

clashed, as Vanya asserts her growing power in an

attempt to stifle her mother’s inept maneuvers.

Unfortunately, Firaril favors her second daughter,

Elca, over Vanya. Elca is like her mother: tactless and

unperceptive. Although drow heritage dictates Vanya

should rule the household when Firaril passes, Elca

seems to have other ideas. What’s worse for Vanya is

that Elca’s social deficiencies are more than made up by

an innate talent for divine spellcasting. Despite their age

difference, Elca has exceeded Vanya in personal power.

Were it not for Firaril’s attempts to “keep peace,”

Elca would have challenged Vanya to a death match by

now. Firaril’s pride in her house’s deep roots gives her a

strong appreciation for tradition, and it is probable that

on her deathbed she will hand over the housemother

position to Vanya, despite their differences. She certain-

ly doesn’t want her two daughters bickering. But in day-

to-day life she still favors Elca, and no one can be sure

of her true intent.

House Profile

House Azrán is a small house, per the guidelines

given on page 7 of the Complete Guide to Drow. How-

ever, its makeup is rather atypical since it was once

much larger and has dwindled to its current size. The

house’s army consists of:

Matriarch: Firaril, Clr13.

Priestesses: Vanya, Clr8; Elca, Clr9; one other

daughter, Clr7; one captured priestess, Clr5.

Arcane: One male Wiz8.

Patriarch: None. He long ago deserted the house.

Elite soldiers: 15 adamantine warriors; 8 black

guard; 1 dark blade.

Regular soldiers: 57 drow troops.

Fodder: 48 goblin slaves; 33 orc slaves.

Interaction With Others

House Azrán has its own walled compound, which you

can place in any drow city in your campaign. The com-

pound is quite large and once held more than 250 house

members and half as many slaves. Sadly, it has become

nearly empty in recent years as members desert to other

houses. Now less than half of the compound is occupied.

At one time, the males of House Azrán trained as

armorsmiths, and the house earned a steady income

trading its masterwork armor. Now the best armor-

smiths have left or died, and those that remain produce

only mundane pieces.

The house’s treasury has been draining steadily.

This economic disadvantage has only compounded

Firaril’s bids for power. Firaril’s most recent exploits

include several especially bad decisions. Most notably,

she was approached by a small drow house from a dis-

tant city seeking to share her half-empty keep. The other

house, known as House Barzek, was known for the

arcane research of its male wizards. But Firaril, from

her self-important perspective, could only see the fact

that they had no deep hereditary claims, nor any other

great status. Disdaining even to ask why they needed to

share her keep, she sent them away with the barest cour-

tesies. Only later did she learn the basis for their

request: they had captured a prestigious (and powerful)

magical relic in combat with duergar, and wanted to

form an alliance to make sure they held on to it.

Shortly thereafter, Firaril attempted several

alliances of her own, only to mis-assess the situation

and approach houses who, by the standard of “the

enemy of my enemy is my friend,” were most certainly

not her friends. Then she ruined a promising agreement

to secure access to a newly discovered vein of dwarven

adamantine when she failed to pick up on a dwarf clans-

man’s hints regarding a bribe.

Firaril has long considered the use of a force as a

means of last resort, and in the past, she has used vio-

lence to her favor. But even though she herself is quite

powerful, her troops are demoralized and outnumbered,

and there is little chance of battlefield success.

Prominent NPCs

Firaril

Firaril is a very old drow priestess on the edge of

senility. She has white hair, coarsened with age, that

hangs limp and lusterless. She always wears ornate

black tunics trimmed with precious stones and the long,

red scales of certain underground beetles. In combat she

dons magical chitin armor dyed black and adorned with

the same vivid red scales.

Firaril’s mind is governed by self-interest. She eval-

uates new acquaintances strictly by how useful they can

be. If she determines them useful, she then decides how

to act to best turn them to her uses. With some, she will

be strong and commanding; with others, humble and

modest.

Or so she thinks. In reality, Firaril isn’t insightful

enough to fully perceive all the subtleties of most situa-

tions, nor charismatic enough to convince others of her

sincerity. Almost without fail, Firaril comes across as

unctuous, insincere, and dishonest.

Nonetheless, Firaril is experienced enough to per-

suade lower-level characters with some measure of suc-

cess, even if they end up not liking her. In the company

of her peers, Firaril is a boor; but in the company of

those weaker, she can still (sometimes) be compelling.

Firaril’s deficiencies are all the more surprising

given the usually intelligent, strong-willed nature of the

drow. Were it not for the strong household she inherited

from her own mother, she would never have become a

leader in drow society. Though the privilege of heritage

sustained her for some time, those days ended long ago,

and the household she will pass on to her own daughter

is but a shadow of what it once was.

Deep down, Firaril is aware of her failures. She is

strongly lawful for a drow, primarily because she has

had to lean heavily on tradition and heritage in order to

justify her status. She knows she has no hope of retain-

ing her position without such claims.

Firaril is a cleric of Bárgul. Her social status is

nobility in low standing (it was good standing at one

time, but not anymore). The profile below indicates the

treasure she carries on her person. The house treasury is

located in a secret vault attached to her bedroom; it con-

tains valuables worth additional 4,400 gp – the last of

the house’s once great fortunes. Half is in silver and

copper, with the remainder in art, furniture, weapons,

armor, and other objects, most inscribed with the house

symbol.

Firaril, Female Drow Clr13: CR 14; Medium-

size Humanoid (4 ft. 7 in. tall); HD 13d8; hp 67; Init

+2; Spd 20 ft.; AC 20 (+2 Dex, +6 +2 chitin armor ,

+2 bracers of armor +2, +2 large wooden shield);

Atk +11/+6 melee (1d8+2/crit 19-20, +2

longsword); SQ drow traits, spell resistance 24,

dancing lights 1/day, darkness 1/day, faerie fire

1/day, darkvision, light blindness, senility; AL LE;

SV Fort +8, Ref +6, Will +11; Str 10, Dex 15, Con

11, Int 8, Wis 17, Cha 7.

Skills: Concentration +4 (+8 on defensive),

Diplomacy +3, Heal +7, Knowledge (religion) +0,

Listen +5, Search +1, Spellcraft +3, Spot +5.

Feats: Brew Potion, Combat Casting, Dual Spell,

Heighten Spell, Maximize Spell.

Spells Prepared (6/6/6/5/5/4/3/2): 0 – cure

minor wounds x2, detect magic, detect poison,

guidance x2; 1st – bane*, cause fear, command,

divine favor, inflict light wounds, protection from

chaos*; 2nd – enthrall, hold person x2, silence*,

undetectable alignment, zone of truth ; 3rd – ani-

mate dead, cure serious wounds, inflict serious

wounds x2, magic circle against chaos* ; 4th –

commune*, discern lies, divination, giant vermin,

inflict critical wounds ; 5th – circle of doom*, flame

strike, healing circle, slay living ; 6th – forbiddance,

geas/quest, harm* ; 7th – dictum*, resurrection .

* Domain spell. Domains: Law (cast law spells

at +1 caster level); Drow (cast drow spells at +1

caster level).

Possessions: +2 chitin armor , large wooden

shield, bracers of armor +2 , +2 longsword , wand of

cure light wounds , wand of summon monster III ,

potion of spider climb , potion of cure serious

wounds x3, gem-encrusted tunic (250 gp), pouch

with 40 gp.

SQ – Drow traits: Firaril is immune to sleep

spells and effects and receives a +2 racial saving

throw bonus against enchantment spells or effects.

This stacks with her +2 racial bonus to Will saves

against all spells and spell-like abilities.

SQ – Senility: Firaril is getting on in her years.

Each day there is a 5% chance that she will wake

up in a senile state. For the rest of that day, she

sporadically acts as if under the influence of a con-

fusion spell – lucid for one minute, confused the

next. Firaril is not aware of her senility and thinks

she is perfectly lucid at all times. As a result of her

weak mind, she suffers a –4 circumstance penalty

to resist all confusion -like effects.

Vanya

As Firaril’s eldest daughter, rule of House Azrán is

Va nya’s by inheritance but not necessarily by fact,

thanks to the rivalry of her younger sister Elca.

Vanya is a striking, healthy drow in the prime of her

life. Her eyes are two different colors: the left yellow,

the right red. This is immediately obvious upon meeting

her. She accentuates this natural fact with red and yel-

low highlights in her otherwise dark clothing.

Va nya’s inheritance includes not just a decaying

house, but ambition. Unlike her mother, she is highly

intelligent and quite charismatic. Were she in charge of

the house, she would be on the way to restoring its lost

glory.

In almost every situation, Vanya is at odds with her

mother. In any interaction with PCs where both are

present, it is highly likely that Vanya will disagree with

her mother’s actions. In most cases, Vanya will bite her

tongue, or voice these disagreements tactfully, to little

avail. In emotional or perilous situations, however, the

tension will break through to the surface.

Despite her hatred of her mother, Vanya needs her.

She knows that Elca is rapidly exceeding her in power.

Elca doesn’t dare confront Vanya while Firaril still lives

– or at least, while Firaril still has the power to reign in

Elca – which gives both sisters an incentive to eliminate

their mother. But Vanya will only do so after Elca is

taken care of.

Vanya is very pragmatic. She does not put her ego

in the way of her plans. She is acutely aware of her

house’s diminishing reputation, and will go to any

lengths to repair it, regardless of her pride.

Vanya is a 8th level cleric of Bárgul with high Intel-

ligence and Charisma. We leave it up to you to flesh out

her stats.

Adventure Hooks

Despite its problems, House Azrán is an interesting

source of adventure hooks, because its rulers are des-

perate. Firaril’s ambition leads her to make stupid deci-

sions about unachievable goals. She is more than ready

to recruit adventurers to her side, and clever characters

may manage to take the upper hand. Vanya and Elca are

both in the same situation, though their recruits will

more likely be aimed at each other rather than outsiders.

Here are some means to get House Azrán into an

ongoing campaign.

•

The simplest hook: Vanya has recruited the adven-

turers to kill Elca. Alternatively, Elca may hire them

to eliminate Vanya. Remember that Vanya won’t

attempt to eliminate Firaril until she has destroyed

Elca, because if Firaril dies first, Elca will most cer-

tainly wrest power from Vanya. But if Vanya can

arrange for Elca’s death before Firaril’s demise, her

path to power is secure.

Elca

Younger than Vanya, Elca is nonetheless more pow-

erful. She has an innate talent for spellcasting and has

raced ahead of her sister’s ability. It is clear that she will

someday be far more powerful than the rightful heiress

of House Azrán, a fact that is lost on no one.

Elca is heavily favored by Firaril. They share com-

mon goals and common deficiencies. Both are ambi-

tious, and neither is particularly intelligent. Both are

vain in relation to their house’s once-proud name (the

tarnish on which they refuse to acknowledge). Although

Elca is smarter than her mother, she is not in the same

league as Vanya, who routinely plots strategies that

would be far more successful than Elca’s. But Vanya

rarely gets to enact her strategies, thanks to Firaril’s

favoritism toward Elca.

Elca bides her time, certain that she will rule House

Azrán in the end. Although she has a strong incentive to

kill her mother, whose reliance on tradition means

there’s a good chance she will bequeath housemother

status to Vanya, their close relationship prevents her

from attempting such a thing. Elca is certain that she

will be able to engineer Vanya’s death once her mother

is gone.

Elca is a 9th level cleric of Bárgul with exception-

ally high Wisdom and low Charisma. We leave it up to

you to flesh out her stats.

•

If the characters are visibly wealthy, Firaril could

arrange some excuse to entertain or hire them, then

await an opportunity to murder them and steal their

gold.

•

The PCs encounter drow adventurers. Formerly of

House Azrán, the adventurers are now destitute.

They’re willing to take a chance as mercenaries

rather than watch their house go to ruin under Firar-

il’s rule. The drow describe the house’s situation,

including what remains of the treasury and its rap-

idly diminishing ranks of defenders.

•

Desperate for cash, Firaril has been selling her

armor to the usual vendors – then hiring the charac-

ters to steal it back so she can resell it to someone

else. The characters are given extremely helpful

information about the best way to make the theft

(e.g., Firaril’s knowledge of ancient secret tunnels

or hidden entrances to another house’s compound).

The PCs get to keep any valuables they find as long

as they return the armor.

•

Sensing the weak state of House Azrán, another

house is preparing to attack. The PCs hear of the

impending assault early and, due to a landslide on a

major underdark route, are caught in the middle.

Who do they side with? Do they sell their knowl-

edge to House Azrán, or try to remain neutral?

won’t have the money until her next shipment of

armor has sold – and now the characters must

accompany that shipment to keep it safe.

• anya is recruiting adventurers for some errand of

Firaril’s... but Vanya wants the errand to fail so that

Firaril’s current scheme (whatever it is) does not

succeed. Vanya hires the characters then secretly

does everything in her power to make sure they fail.

• iraril has arranged a meeting with another house to

discuss trade arrangements that Vanya is desperate-

ly opposed to. Vanya hires the characters to disrupt

the meeting. Elca has also arranged to disrupt the

meeting then pin the blame on Vanya, completely

unaware that Vanya really is trying to disrupt the

meeting.

•As a variation on the previous ideas: The House has

recruited the PCs for some task. When they return

to claim their pay, Firaril informs them that she

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