Organization: House Bralfah: The Surface Drow

House Bralfah is a drow family with deep roots and average standing. The house symbol was at one time a stylized spider climbing up a mountain into the sunlight. The modern badge combines Jancassis’s symbol and a stylized rising sun. While pretty much intact from when the drow’s underground city was destroyed, even house Bralfah, who remained neutral during the power struggles was fairly significantly damaged. Prior to the fall of the city, Bralfah was a fairly insignificant house. Now that the mighty have fallen, House Bralfah has become the pre-eminent house, if not the only remaining one, of the drow.

Sirarlith, the old matriarch, was an ancient drow priestess (cleric level 16), whose powers were dwindling as she succumbs to old age and senility. This not so slow decline placed most of the power and decision making into the hands of her second eldest daughter, Larvanya (Cleric 7 / Sorcerer 3). It was Larvanya’a decisions that kept House Bralfah alive and moved them back toward the surface world after her mother died during the city’s fall.

Larvanya, watched her mother’s decline, if not with glee, at least, with a sense of expectancy, brought about from Larvanya’s ambition. Larvanya is intelligent and is quite charismatic and managed to assert her growing powers fairly easily as her mother declined.

Sirarlith’s eldest daughter, Atrea (Cleric 9 / Assassin 3), fully expected to take over the house from her mother when she died and has taken exception to the fact that her mother chose, against tradition, to give her power over to her younger sister. Atrea is, however, much less intelligent and charismatic than Larvanya. Unfortunately for Larvanya, Atrea is a much more talented divine spellcaster.

If it weren’t for the attempts by Sirarlith to “keep the peace,” pior to her death, and the efforts of her sister Tirarleth since then, Atrea would have challenged Larvanya to a death match. But Larvanya, using her wits and charisma has nearly isolated Atrea to a small contingent of followers and uses this to her advantage at all times.

There is a third and often forgotten about youngest daughter named Firbral (Cleric 5). Firbral is much younger than the other two and a very quiet child. She is extremely close to Larvanya and is her most ardent supporter against Atrea.

House Breakdown

Total population - 487

• Matriarch: Larvanya – Cl. 7 / Sor. 3;
• Priestesses:
  • Sisters: Atrea - Cl. 10 / Ass. 2;
  • Firbral - Cl. 3 / F. 3;
  • Aunt: Tirarleth Cl. 12/ Sor. 4
  • Other: Unnamed – Cl. 6
• Arcane:
  • Tredort – Wiz. 8;
  • Jareth – Wiz. 5
• Patriarch: Currently none (killed during city fall)
• General:
  • Kahlag – F. 8 / Ass. 5 / Wiz. 2
• Elite soldiers:
  • 20 Elite warriors (level 7);
  • 12 Black guards (level 10)
  • 2 Grey Blades (level 12)
• Regular soldiers:
  • 40 archers
  • 60 foot soldiers
  • 12 assassins
• General population:
  • 332 assorted merchants, tradesmen, craftsmen and hunter/farmers

Prominent NPCs:

Tirarleth

Tiraleth is an extremely old drow priestess, and sister to the old matriarch. She has white hair, coarsened with age that hangs limp and lusterless. Though she rarely leaves her room these days, let alone her bed, she is always dressed in ornate black tunics trimmed with precious stones and long red scales of a certain underground beetle. When in combat she wears a magical chitin armor that is dyed black and adorned with the same vivid red scales.

Tirarleth was always supportive of her sister and has been a mentor and supporter to Larvanya. She evaluates new acquaintances by how useful she thinks they will be to her. Although she believes she is, Tirarleth is not a very insightful person and doesn’t fully perceive many of the subtleties of any particular situation, and she is rarely subtle. She also is not charismatic enough to always ensure that she has convinced others of her sincerity. Almost without fail she comes across as unctuous, insincere and dishonest.

Deep down, Tirarleth is aware of her faults and failures. She is strongly lawful for a drow, mostly because she has had to lean heavily on tradition and heritage in order to justify and retain her status.

Larvanya

Larvanya, Sirarlith’s middle daughter, is a strikingly, beautiful and healthy drow in the prime of her life. Hey eyes are two different colors: the left is yellow, the right red. This is immediately noticeably obvious upon meeting with her. She accentuates this natural fact with red and yellow highlights in her otherwise dark clothing.

Unlike her mother, Larvanya is not ruled by self-interest, but she is very ambitious. She wants to bring House Bralfah back to glory and to a position of importance in the Wold. In spite of the drow tradition, of matronship being passed down to the eldest daughter, Larvanya was heavily favored by her mother and aided by her aunt to take over the house when she dies.

Aware that her eldest sister, Atrea, expects, by tradition to inherit the mantle of House Matron, Larvanya routinely plots strategies to thwart Atrea’s plans and actions, aware that Atrea will not make a move against her as long as their mother lives. She is very pragmatic, and does not put her ego in the way of her plans. She is acutely aware of her house’s new responsibilities and will go to any lengths to ensure the house’s reputation and power, regardless of her pride.

Atrea

Even though older and more divinely powerful than her sister, Sirarlith chose Atrea’s younger sister to become matron of House Bralfah when she died. This brought Atrea to the edge of reason through anger. It is obvious that she will be far more powerful a priestess, than the matron of the house. In almost every situation Atrea was at odds with her mother. In any interaction where both were involved, Atrea disagreed with her mother. In most cases Atrea bit her tongue or voiced these disagreements tactfully, to little avail. In emotional or perilous situations, the tension broke through to the surface. Despite her hatred of her mother, Atrea knew she needed her, as there was the slim chance that Sirarlith would stick to tradition and change her mind about the succession.

Like Larvanya, Atrea is very ambitious, but is nowhere near as intelligent and is more like her mother when it comes to matters pertaining to charisma. Although smarter than her mother, she is not in the same league as her sister and finds that her many plots are often easily thwarted by Larvanya and her followers.

Atrea bides her time however, certain that she will rule House Bralfah in the end, whether through traditional succession or by assassination.

Fibral

Timid and shy Fibral might be, but she is fearless to a fault. Loved by her middle sister, she was and still is the frequent target of Atrea’s wrath. While she knows she will never be able to match her sister’s divine power, she has struck up a relationship with the leader of the House army and is receiving instruction from him in the deadly arts of war. By doing so she hopes to be able to both aid herself against her oldest sister and keep the army backing Larvanya’s rule.

Tredort

Tredort is the most powerful male left to the house of Bralfah and has been a councilman for the matron for the past few years. He continues on the council and is also the paramour of Larvanya.

Jareth

Jareth is Tredort’s rival for male power in the house and is aligned with Atrea.

Kahlag

Kahlag is the defacto head of Bralfah’s army. Bitter from past injustices done to him and the house, he is resolute in his obedience and loyalty to the house, whom ever is in charge. He has taken a shine to the timid but fearless Fibral and has been secretly instructing her in the matters of war and strategy. While he is not necessarily loved by his troops, his officers respect him greatly and will follow him anywhere.

See also Origin of the Drow

See also Dradah Delmah

See also Surface Drow

See also Ust Delmah home page