Gromph Baenre Gromph Baenre was a drow and the Archmage of Menzoberranzan , as well as a very capable diviner . He was also the Master of Sorcere , the arcane school , and the eldest son of Matron Mother Yvonnel Baenre , which made him the most powerful male in the city . Description . Gromph was austere yet handsome . He had amber eyes , like his daughter Liriel . Despite his old age ( he was old even by elven standards ) , Gromph appeared eternally youthful due to the effects of a magical amulet in his possession , that contained a piece of a unicorn ' s horn . As a powerful spellcaster and the archmage of the city , Gromph almost always wore the Robe of the Archmage of Menzoberranzan , a ceremonial garment that was heavily enchanted . He also displayed the badge of House Baenre at all times . Interestingly , by 1361 DR , Gromph had not been able to enter elven Reverie for many decades , nor sleep ; presumably , only the power of his brooch of perpetual youth kept him alive . Personality . Gromph was arrogant , surly , and temperamental , with the occasional tendency to focus on petty disputes . He was cautious when his actions might affect his standing or involve the ruling matriarchy of Menzoberranzan , although he always kept an eye out for ways in which he might strengthen his power and influence . He was no fan of Lolth himself , but he understood her capriciousness . Although Gromph was always looking for ways to expand his power , he was generally conservative in his approach to the status quo . He had several opportunities to potentially bring down the matriarchy , but he decided to play it safe and not become a revolutionary . This was both in fear of the matriarchy and in fear of Lolth herself . Gromph viewed himself as the greatest wizard in the world . Some consider Gromph the greatest archmage in all the Realms ; Elminster , however , was more than eleven centuries old and Khelben a few centuries younger than that ( both may have been greater mages than Gromph , as they had more time to study and perfect their mastery of the Art ) ; as such , it may be more accurate to list him as a rival in power to the other archmages of the Realms . History . Background . Gromph wandered for some time and adventured before becoming the " leashed " Archmage of the Council of Eight ( the eight ruling houses ) , according to a decree by Lolth . It was only logical for the Council to keep close watch on the male wizards , who are their only real challengers for power ; Gromph especially so , as he has many responsibilities in the City of Spiders . Foremost , he had to energize Narbondel , the huge " clock " pillar of Menzoberannzan . For most it seemed to be a ceremony of power and therefore an honorable task , but in truth it was a short chain that tethered Gromph to the city itself . He was also tasked with minimizing the in - fighting of the potential students of Sorcere . After the failed invasion of Menzoberranzan by the duergar and the tanarukk s , wizardly powers were in short supply . War of the Spider Queen . In 1372 DR , during the Silence of Lolth , Gromph disappeared at a time when the city most needed him . After a failed attempt by the Lichdrow Lord Dyrr to force Gromph to join sides with him and the Jaezred Chaulssin , he was attacked and imprisoned in a magical sphere . With the help of his familiar , a rat named Kyorli , he managed to utilize a " faerzress " to navigate down a river to Lake Donigarten , where he was discovered by a roaming illithid named Sluuguth . He tricked the illithid into bringing him to his quarters in Sorcere , where used " thought bottles " of his own design to trick and defeat Sluuguth , sealing his soul into a magical axe . Gromph left his quarters to find the city under siege by duergar and tanarukk s . He aided in the defense of Tier Breche . Gromph then plotted to find one of the siege ' s instigators , Nimor Imphraezl of the Jaezred Chaulssin . With the help of Andzrel Baenre , he glued an enchanted light gem to Nimor , ensuring that it would take some time before he was able to leave the Plane of Shadow . In the process , Gromph was blinded . With the help of his employed assassin Zillak , Jaemas Xorlarrin , and Kyorli , he received an eye transplant from a member of House Agrach Dyrr . Not long after , Gromph was forced to confront Lord Dyrr once again . He was physically sent to the halfling sphere of heaven , the Green Fields . He returned with the soul of a dead halfing named Dietr , who became a huecuva . The huecuva was easily destroyed by the lichdrow . A terrific battle of magic ensued , destroying much of the Bazaar . Despite having a " staff of power " and " ring of regeneration " , Gromph very nearly lost the spell battle . He was backstabbed by Nimor and petrified by Dyrr . It was only after Triel Baenre , her clerical powers newly restored after the return of Lolth , turned him back into flesh that he was able to break the " staff of power " and destroy Dyrr ' s physical form . Once Dyrr ' s physical form was destroyed , however , it remained necessary to destroy his phylactery in order to prevent him from returning . Using subterfuge and many spells of disguise , Gromph infiltrated House Agrach Dyrr while it was under attack by House Xorlarrin and found Dyrr ' s phylactery in the house chapel . He was able to destroy the phylactery with the same axe that slew Sluuguth . The Lichdrow ' s soul was entrapped in the axe , Gromph inadvertently left the axe behind when his " contingency " evasion spell took him away from the scene when the house wards began to go off . Post - Spellplague . Gromph weathered the Spellplague and grew stronger . As of 1463 DR , he was likely the oldest drow in the city . Presumably at the bequest of Matron Mother Quenthel Baenre , he helped instigate the Xorlarrin expedition to Gauntlgrym by " allowing " Ravel Xorlarrin to peer over his shoulder while divining information from a skull gem given to him by Jarlaxle . Gromph continued to consult on occasion for Jarlaxle , who paid him well . Equipment . Gromph wore a ceremonial piwafwi with many spell components inside . It was a sign of his high status . He also had in his possession various powerful magical items , including : the Robe of the Archmage of Menzoberranzan , a brooch of perpetual youth , a brooch of lingering heat , a wand of viscid globs , a wand of acidic spheres , a brooch of number numbing , many contracts of Nepthas , a lens of speed reading , a talisman of memorization , numerous thought bottles , and a spider mask that allowed him to cross the House Baenre compound fence . After reciting a spell to allow him to become a fighter for a short time ( probably a derivation of the spell known as Tenser ' s transformation ) , Gromph obtained a soul - stealing battle axe of duergar manufacture . The most important soul encased in the axe was that of the illithid Sluuguth , although duergar souls were also trapped within the blade . In the battle for Menzoberranzan , when Gromph fought the Lichdrow Dyrr , he captured the lichdrow ' s soul inside the axe . This expelled the other spirits . The axe was subsequently left behind when Gromph fled the destruction of the temple of House Agrach Dyrr . Its fate , however , was unknown . Gromph had access to Sorcere ' s storehouse of magical items . One of Gromph ' s more interesting items was Caer Gromph , a magical cube that turned into a black adamantine tower fortress lined with balconies and arrow slits . It was activated by the words " Caer Gromph . " Jarlaxle used it in his assault on the home of Draygo Quick in 1463 DR . Residence . Gromph had a mansion in Narbondellyn , the nicest district in Menzoberranzan , which allowed him time away from his family for his magical items and mistresses . The black mansion had been carved into stalactites and its walls were covered in shifting symbols . It was generally avoided by the residents of the city . Gromph also had his own quarters in Sorcere ( although there was an unwarded access shaft located in its own extraplanar space ) . These quarters had numerous protections , including an animated obsidian statue of a four - armed swordsman called Szashune and sigils to protect the quarters summoned a fire elemental and cast the spell " imprisonment " . The room itself had no windows , a single door made of black marble with silver runes , and a floor made of marble . Inside the room was a desk of polished bone with extradimensional drawers with fronts containing different skulls , which only Gromph could open . Gromph ' s chair was plush , while the visitor ' s chair was made of hard wood . There were also many bookshelves with scrolls . The rooms were lit by perpetual red candles held in candleholders made of skeleton hands . Relationships . Kyorli . Gromph had a rat familiar named Kyorli . Gromph could communicate with her mentally . , and even concentrate to see through her eyes . Gromph and Kyorli were relatively close and affectionate with one another , and he was quite patient with her , even though she was easily distracted . Liriel Baenre . Gromph ' s only daughter is Liriel Baenre . His mistress for a time was Sosdrielle Vandree , Liriel ' s mother , but when Liriel was five , Gromph had Sosdrielle put to death . . He then had Liriel ' s magical education and upbringing taken care of by House Shobalar , at least until she fled to the surface . House Baenre . Gromph was the eldest son of Yvonnel Baenre , making him the eldest male of House Baenre . He had a number of siblings , all children of Yvonnel Baenre , but most notable of these were his sisters Triel Baenre , later Matron Mother of House Baenre , and Quenthel Baenre , Matron Mistress of Arach - Tinilith . He had a particular vendetta against Quenthel , who was Triel ' s main advisor in addition to him , and attempted to have her assassinated multiple times in 1372 DR . She later became matron mother of House Baenre . Gromph had at least two brothers ( in addition to the rogue , Jarlaxle ) but both of them met their end in some way . The second son of Yvonnel Baenre and weapons master of the house , Dantrag Baenre , was cut down by Drizzt Do ' Urden in his escape from the house . After Dantrag ' s death , Gromph ' s younger brother , Berg ' inyon Baenre , became weapons master for the assault on Mithral Hall . After that disaster , Berg ' inyon joined Bregan D ' aerthe and was later struck down by Drizzt ' s rival , Artemis Entreri . Males of Menzoberranzan . Gromph ' s high - born heritage and high standing in the city served to make him one the most influential males in Menzoberranzan , with the possible exception of Jarlaxle , leader of the mercenary band Bregan D ' aerthe and also his younger brother ( though from the 1350s DR onward , Jarlaxle was rarely seen in the city ) . Jarlaxle and Gromph remained in communication with each other even after Jarlaxle left the city . Gromph was also able to summon all major wizards in the city to his side with the help of vials bearing the House Baenre insignia ; upon being broken at a certain time , the vials would bring the bearers to his audience hall . Gromph did not spend much time with all of the other powerful wizards of Menzoberranzan . In 1372 DR , he had not spoken with Lord Dyrr ( whom he feared ) in more than 400 years . However , he did work extensively with Pharaun Mizzrym , whom he believed aspired to be the next Archmage of Menzoberranzan .