The Spider Mage

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## Basic Information

 ### Home

 Menzoberranzan

 ### Gender

 Male

 ### Race

 Elf, Drow

 ### Occupation

 Instructor, Sorcere

## Rules Information

 ### Alignment

 Neutral Evil

 ### Class

 Wizard

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Though few know his true identity, the mention of the Spider Mage evokes immeasurable fear and aversion in the drow of Menzoberranzan. He is likely the most powerful drow wizard to ever master the art, and he is the founder of a mysterious organization called the Council of Spiders. It is his vision that the matriarchy should fall and be replaced with a ruling body that can truly see the drow rise to the greatness that is rightfully theirs.

The Spider Mage personally plays an ancillary role in Out of the Abyss and Queen of the Demonweb Pits, however his machinations are at the heart of the Rage of Demons saga.

## **Description**

The Spider Mage has eschewed the trappings of nobility long ago. He often wears a simple, dark hooded cloak and drapes magically strengthened strands of webbing around his shoulders like a shawl. He conceals his hideously scarred visage behind a featureless black cloth mask.

## **Personality**

The Spider Mage plays the role of the feeble, infirm sage, belying his tremendous power.

## **Abilities**

The Spider Mage is a conjurer, and will never allow himself to be caught alone and unguarded. His familiar, a **quickling** named Cobweb, usually lurks nearby.

Statistics for the Spider Mage can be found here:

**http://homebrewery.naturalcrit.com/share/S1GoXUSyM**

## **Possessions**

The Spider Mage wields a *staff of the Spider Magi* (found in the Armory) that was crafted by the Council of Spiders.

## **Activities**

The Spider Mage has far-reaching plots designed to further the cause of the Council of Spiders. He wishes to see the matriarchy fall and the worship of Lolth abolished. To this end, he sought a new patron for his people. A patron, he hopes, that will lead his people to the greatness that they rightfully deserve.

## **Relationships**

Although the Spider Mage is considered an instructor of Sorcere and claims one of the most exclusive and secluded offices in the structure, he does not teach any classes or conduct any lectures. He is allowed to conduct his own research and is given any of the resources of Sorcere to facilitate his works. He occasionally takes on assistants or apprentices, who subsequently advance quickly in their aptitude.

To the Spider Mage, though, the Council of Spiders is everything. His entire life's ambition is to topple the corruption of the matriarchy and establish a ruling body capable of moving the drow forward. He has sought an alliance with a fiend known as the Blooded Baron, who has agreed to help the Council of Spiders thwart the will of Lolth permanently.

He is served by a **quickling** familiar named Cobweb.

## **History**

The Spider Mage was first introduced in the 2nd edition campaign supplement, *Menzoberranzan*, in 1992.

## **In Rage of Demons**

While in the eldritch library of Gravenhollow, Tik-Tik encountered an echo of the Spider Mage, who had come to Gravenhollow for the first time as a youth to learn its secrets. According to the echo, he had spurned a priestess of Lolth and she punished him by melting off his face. Blind and scarred with no chance of justice, he fled Menzoberranzan into the Underdark and was embraced by the library. There, he has declared he would not rest until he devours all the arcane knowledge the library has to offer. When he is finished, he will return to Menzoberranzan and have his vengeance on the matriarchy that allowed his mutilation and disgrace.

The Spider Mage's echo gave Tik-tik a single word to remember the encounter by, should they meet in the future: *araj*, the drow word for "vengeance."