Siege of Menzoberranzan

The Siege of Menzoberranzan was a siege of the drow city of Menzoberranzan by the combined forces of Horgar Steelshadow of Gracklstugh and Kaanyr Vhok's Scoured Legion with the secret backing of the Jaezred Chaulssin over 1372 to 1372 DR.
==History==
===Slave Uprising===
During the Silence of Lolth, which began on Eleint 28, 1372 DR, the goddess Lolth did not answer any of her supplicants, nor were her clerics able to cast any spells or otherwise use divine magic. Menzoberranzan, a matriarchal city ruled by Lolthite priestesses, was naturally in a perilous position. Priestesses were ordered by Matron Mother Triel Baenre not to speak of the Silence, but word nevertheless got out. A group of renegade male drow, led by the alhoon Syrzan (likely with support from the Jaezred Chaulssin), instigated an uprising of slaves and "undercreatures" on Marpenoth 20. This group, which used stonefire as a weapon, damaged the city and forced the slaughter of a large number of slaves.
===Battle of the Pillars of Woe===
Soon after the slave revolt, the leaders of Menzoberranzan received word (via Nimor Imphraezl of the Jaezred Chaulssin, who was posing as the drow captain Zhayemd of House Agrach Dyrr) that Crown Prince Horgar Steelshadow had amassed a duergar army that was marching against the city. Nimor's warning instigated the creation of the Army of the Black Spider, a conglomeration of soldiers and slave fodder from two-dozen drow houses. The army marched out to the Pillars of Woe, where they were ambushed by the duergar, who were joined by the tanarukks of the Scoured Legion. In addition, the contingent of House Agrach Dyrr turned on their fellows, as Matron Yasraena Dyrr and the Lichdrow Dyrr had made an alliance with the Jaezred Chaulssin. The drow army lost a fourth to a third of their total number (which had been 4,000 drow and 2,500 slaves) and were forced to retreat under cover of a rescue contingent sent by House Baenre.
===Siege of Menzoberranzan===
On Uktar 3, the , Kaanyr Vhok and the forces of Gracklstugh (more than 5,000 duergar in more than eight companies, with orc and ogre slaves) began besieging Menzoberranzan itself. The forces approached from the southeast and also swung around and attacked from the north, utilizing a tunnel from outside the city that gave access to Tier Breche, where the Academy was located. This remained the main battlefield for quite some time, with the masters of the Academy working together to prevent the besiegers from overtaking the city. The attackers used stonefire in an effort to destroy the Academy's structures; although damaged, they remained intact until the end of the siege. In addition, the duergar armies raised undead soldiers to fight for them. At least once, the Archmage of Menzoberranzan Gromph Baenre was able to turn the undead soldiers against their fellows.
Just before the siege began, Gromph Baenre had been missing for a period of several weeks after being imprisoned by the Lichdrow Dyrr. He returned to find the city under siege and he took it upon himself to remove Nimor Imphraezl from the picture. He gathered all the mages of House Baenre and attempted to attack Nimor through a scrying crystal. However, Nimor's protections reflected the spells cast upon him, killing Julani Baenre and injuring the other wizards. Gromph then disguised himself and weaponsmaster Andzrel Baenre as tanarukks of the Scourged Legion and entered the enemy camp. Gromph attached a light gem to Nimor to prevent him shadow-walking. Nimor transported himself to the Plane of Shadow, but was stuck there for some time, being unable to shadow-walk back to the Material Plane.
At the same time that the city was besieged by outside forces, House Xorlarrin, with some support from other houses, was besieging the traitorous House Agrach Dyrr. Gromph Baenre also confronted the Lichdrow Dyrr in a spell battle that destroyed the Bazaar. The Jaezred Chaulssin also attempted an assassination attempt on Triel Baenre, which failed.
On Ches 28, the , the Silence of Lolth ended and Lolth's priestesses regained their powers. Kaanyr Vhok subsequently recalled his forces to Hellgate Keep and the remaining duergar were easily defeated and turned back. The siege officially ended on Ches 30. 
==Aftermath==
All in all, Vhok lost 120 tanarukks in the Siege of Menzoberranzan. There was an unknown, but surely much greater, number of duergar, drow, and slave casualties.
As the duergar army retreated, Nimor swept in and killed Horgar Steelshadow. He spoke with Vhok, ensuring that the Scoured Legion and the Jaezred Chaulssin could still be potential allies in the future.
Soon after the siege ended, life in the city mostly returned to normal. The inhabitants began the process of rebuilding the damage with the help of the captured duergar, who had been enslaved.
House Agrach Dyrr was spared, except for the temple, which was destroyed when Gromph Baenre inadvertently activated the master ward while destroying the phylactery of the Lichdrow. Triel Baenre arrived and halted the Xorlarrins' assault, meeting with Anival Dyrr and forming an agreement: House Agrach Dyrr was to become a vassal of House Baenre for centuries, "essentially an extension of House Baenre."
==Appendix==
===Appearances===
===References===
Category:Battles
Category:Events in Menzoberranzan
Category:Events in the Northdark
Category:Events in the Upperdark
Category:Events in the Underdark
Category:Events on Toril