Va'laere Duskryn

**Va'laere Duskryn** is a male drow paladin from House Duskryn of Menzoberrazan. At a young age he turned from the matriarchal society of the Lolth-Sworn Drow to seek a better life on the surface. Turning his training as a slaver to use, the drow warrior turned to the career of a Bounty Hunter, building a reputation for himself in Waterdeep.

Va'laere is a player character in the ongoing *Waterdeep: Dragon Heist* adventure.

## Description

Va'laere is a drow elf. He stands at about 5 feet and 5 inches (1.6 meters) tall and weighs about 150 pounds (68 kilograms). He has the dark gray skin common to the drow race, along with silver-white hair. His eyes are a distinct amber hue, which he inherited from his father Nalfein. He has one notable scar on the left side of his chest, given to him when he fought a capable sword dancer of Eilistraee.

Despite his drow heritage, Va'laere has embraced Waterdhavian fashions. If spotted at night from afar, he might even be confused for a surface elf native to the City of Splendors. Around his neck is a pendant with the a holy symbol of Eilistraee, the good-aligned drow goddess of the Moon. Va'laere acquired this when a raid on the surface saw his party capturing a half-drow worshiper of the Dark Maiden, and Va'laere, although unaware of its meaning, wears the necklace as a symbol of his rebellion.

## Personality

Though he has clearly abandoned the religion and society of the Lolthite drow, Va'laere is far from one of the 'redeemed drow' of the surface. Va'laere is ambitious and power-hungry, traits common among his people and exacerbated by the oppression he faced as a male in Menzoberranzan. Although he has put aside many of his own prejudices, even coming to tolerate and sometimes appreciate the surfacers he was taught to hate, Va'laere often finds it difficult to trust or associate himself with surface elves. For the most part though, the utter hatred he was once taught to feel for all non-drow has shifted elsewhere, leading to Va'laere's disdain for clerics and cultists of gods and fiends alike. He primarily blames the goddess and demon lord Lolth for his upbringing, but also extends his hatred towards gods such as Vhaeraun and Malyk, as in his eyes, they never truly saved him or males like him from Lolthite slavery. Believing worship and subservience to any god, devil, or demon to be utterly foolish, he often finds himself slighting even the clerics of good-aligned gods who played no part in his upbringing.

Unlike some of his drow kin, Va'laere lacks a sadistic or bloodthirsty streak. In his career as a bounty hunter in Waterdeep, Va'laere has built a reputation for himself for bringing in all his bounties alive, unless specifically asked to kill. This is of course because of his background as a slaver rather than any desire for mercy, but the lack of a sadistic streak also means he hasn't spent his time on the surface making a reputation for brutality.

## History

### Childhood

Va'laere was born in 1338 DR to the union of First Priestess Prae'anelle Duskryn and Nalfein Duskryn, the then-consort of the House's First Daughter. Nalfein was executed soon after the birth for having given the priestess 'one too many sons' for her liking. Va'laere had only three other siblings at that time, and only one of them- his older brother Jorlan, was male. As a second living son of Prae'anelle he was to be her last, and he was spared the dark fate of other male children to come. He was not given to Lolth in sacrifice, and his aunt Neheedra Duskryn was tasked with weaning and raising him. For the following twelve years of his life, Va'laere was taught and raised by the abusive Neheedra, who both hated that she'd be relegated to the demeaning task and also saw the benefits of holding the second son of the House under her sway.

For most drow children, this time was the period where they were taught the basics of Lolth-Sworn Drow society, where they were forced to become subservient to their matriarchs and sisters on threat of death. In Va’laere’s unique case, his aunt fed him lies of sympathy and understanding from an early age. She claimed she saw great potential and power in his future, and the horrendous amounts of physical abuse leveled at him were for his mother’s benefit rather than his. From an early age, hate was what Va’laere had for his family’s matriarchs, though he had a softer heart for the other 'abused' member of the family- Neheedra. It wasn’t long before his matriarch read his thoughts, sensed his hate, and taught him a more direct lesson. After a beating that would remove his 'insolence', he was taken from Neheedra's grasp, and moved on to his next teacher.

After Neheedra, Va'laere was put under the watchful eye of his older brother Jorlan, who was tasked with preparing the young drow for his eventual training at Melee-Magthere, the School of Warriors. Jorlan was far less ambitious than Neheedra, and lacked the patience or drive to try portraying himself in any sympathetic light. The first son of the House only had the goal of shaping the second, and he did that by continuing the same abusive practices that once been used on him. Once Va'laere's only outlet for his anger was fighting, his proper training began. Jorlan was a prodigy of sorts, and Va'laere had potential. Once the younger brother knew his place, it wasn't too hard for the former to teach the latter.

### Time at Tier-Breche

In 1358 DR, the same year his mother had ascended to the rank of Matron Mother, Va'laere was accepted at Melee-Magthere sent to Tier-Breche to spend the following following decade away from his family, learning from the best warriors in Menzoberranzan. Far from the family he now detested and safe behind the walls of the academy, he was sent away just in time to spare him the sights of being a drow noble during the Time of Troubles. Though he only witnessed its effects through what happened within the academy, he still heard of all the troubles in the city proper. He heard of the priestesses losing power, of Lolth herself gracing the city with her presence, and of a demonic host who came to punish a great house for attempting to wrest control from the great house Baenre. He had no love for any of the houses involved, but at a young age, the stories had an effect on him. While others in Tier Breche took a demonic host arriving to quash the rebel house as a sign that House Baenre was righteous, young Va'laere took it as a sign of hypocrisy. The Spider Queen demanded chaos and ambition from her subjects, and when one House took advantage of her own weakness to get an upper hand in the city, the goddess had sent some minions to force the status quo once again. He would remember his first year at the academy for decades to come.

Three years later in 1361 DR, even stranger news reached his ears, coming both other students and his teachers. A new era was at hand, dubbed the *Peace of Lolth*- and the for the first time in his life, Va'laere was happy to hear a religious declaration. To help the city recover from the Time of Troubles and their failed assault on Mithral Hall, Lolth had declared that she required no more drow sacrifices, that there would be no more wars among houses, and that both males and children would be treated well until she declared otherwise. While most of Menzoberranzan was upset and confused with these new changes, Va'laere welcomed them with open arms. They played a serious part in making an already rebellious drow male into a complacent one, and he spent the next few years in Melee-Magthere feeling eager and ready to be released back into Menzoberranzan.

His graduation came in 1368 DR, with his final year at Tier-Breche spent learning the basic concepts of magic and religious law at Sorcere and Arach-Tinileth. Despite the Peace of Lolth, this was the worst year of his schooling, as the drow male hated being lectured by priestesses who demanded subservience and complete respect. His graduation left a mark on him too, as nothing he was told before the ceremonies could've prepared him for what he had to witness then. Still, he survived his decade of schooling, and he returned to his House a proper warrior.

### Return to House Duskryn

Soon after his return to his family, Va'laere took his place as a warrior in his house's army. In 1371 DR, when the Peace of Lolth was nearly at its end, House Duskryn began building up its forces through the capture of kobolds and goblins, desiring to advance from their position as the the ninth house of Menzoberranzan. When the wrath of the drow was turned upon the neighboring city of Blingdenstone, House Duskryn provided a large contingent of their house army, led by Neheedra, to the invading force. Once again under the beck and call of his aunt, Va'laere and Jorlan both participated in the march to the city, and later its sacking. The destruction of Blingdenstone was Va'laere's first true experience with war. His first 'true' kill occurred then, when the young elf fought a deep gnome wizard along with his fellow soldiers, and the wizard's death became necessary due to the presence of summoned elementals. All sentient opponents Va'laere had faught before then had been captured goblinoids or orcs, and since they'd never had a shot at survival, the young drow warrior had never considered them deaths to be proud of.

After the sacking of Blingdenstone, it was House Duskryn who had proven they'd killed the most deep gnomes. As a reward, they were charged with being the garrison of Blingdenstone, ensuring the deep gnomes could never settle it again. Va'laere and Jorlan were almost chosen to stay behind with their two aunts Neheedra and Zelzpassa, but were ultimately sent away so they could lead the returning contingent of troops back to House Duskryn. They were both lucky, as the garrison of House Duskryn who chose to remain behind were never heard from again.

### Silence of Lolth

Soon after the Blingdenstone campaign, the Peace of Lolth became the Silence of Lolth, and Menzoberranzan was thrown into disarray. The priestesses lost their magic, and when word of this spread, the slave races and males alike prepared for an open rebellion. Va'laere, though he would one day grow to despise the priestesses again, was too spoiled by Lolth's declaration of Peace to join in the rebellion that followed. When the Alhoon Prophet Syrzan started a rebellion of slaves and drow males in Menzoberranzan, House Duskryn was one of the Houses that were caught unprepared by the revolt's use of stonefire pots, which set the compound ablaze. Va'laere participated in the defense of his house, aiding his brother Jorlan and his less powerful sisters against the assualt. During the battle, Va'laere slew Bruherd Duskryn, an outcast mage of the family who led a group of goblinoids to their doorstep. Although Va'laere would gain some recognition from the act later, it was far from a proper fight. Bruherd was injured from an illness he could not cure, and Va'laere had only taken advantage of the fact that his uncle was throwing spells at the females of the house rather than the male soldiers. After the revolt was done, Va'laere was rewarded by his matron, who gave him the magic rapier he would wield for decades to come.

Later, Va'laere would also take part in the disastrous battle against Gracklstugh at the Pillars of Woe, where the Army of the Black Spider was betrayed by House Agrach Dyrr and nearly crushed by the combined force of duergar, tanarukks, and traitor drow. Once House Duskryn's forces returned to Menzoberranzan, they played their part in the defense against the months-long siege, Va'laere himself getting to aid his House in holding the caves north of the Westrift. During the Silence of Loth, all the lies Va'laere was ever told about outsiders became true in his head, and he truly became the loyal drow male his family had always wanted him to be. Bruherd had been an outcast, and he'd debased himself by working with goblins. The duergar and tanarukks were more than willing to destroy Menzoberranzan, the only home he'd ever known. Though the priestesses of Menzoberranzan were done being merciful towards males the moment the Silence began, he held his tongue and kept all his ambitions in check. He wanted to be nothing like his weak uncle, and his time in the united Army of the Black Spider left him sacrificing his early desire for freedom to feel useful to the City of Spiders.

### Escape from the Drow

After the War of the Spider Queen came to an end, House Duskryn began currying influence with Great Houses of Menzoberranzan, leading the Matron Mother to the decision of sending her first son Jorlan to the outpost of Velkynvelve, where the Houses Mizzrym and Vandree were working together to expand the influence of Menzoberranzan. When Jorlan was given the task, Va'laere volunteered himself for a similar task. Rather than being sent off to Velkynvelve or a similar operation, Va'laere was instead put at the head of an operation east of Menzoberranzan and closer to the surface. It was well into his promising career of raiding in the Silver Marches that the spark of rebellion planted in him during his early childhood once again resurfaced.

In 1482 DR, during a raid near the city of Silverymoon, Va'laere's group of slavers came into contact with a caravan protected by a half-drow woman who was more than the raiding party's equal. Alone, her magic and swordsmanship slew most of the party, and it left Va'laere with a scar on his chest he still has to this day. If not for the drow poison on Va'laere's crossbow bolts, she likely would have slain them all. After the battle, Va'laere took a necklace she wore, which unbeknownst to him marked the sword dancer as a follower of Eilistraee. While holding the holy symbol, Va'laere felt a soothing comfort he'd never experienced before, and every night he spent in reverie afterward was filled with calming music rather than his own memories. When he next returned to Menzoberranzan with captives and treasures, his Matron Mother learned of the amulet, and instructed him to bring it before an altar of Lolth so it could be destroyed.

Not wanting to throw away the only thing that brought him some level of comfort, Va'laere chose that night to finally leave his family and city behind. It had been a long time since the Peace of Lolth, and he'd been forced too many time to give up on his own desires just to please the priesthood. He left alone after packing what provisions he'd need, eventually returning to the surface through the very route he'd used to raid it before. This time, he couldn't return before the sun rose, and this eventually led to the magical rapier he was awarded, as well as the *piwafwi* that marked him as a noble drow, both eroding under the sun's light. His *piwafwi* became nothing more than a tattered cloak, while his rapier thankfully retained its nonmagical properties.

Though he wasn't aware of Eilistraee's existence, Va'laere's rebellion had not been a result of his own ambitions, but because he had encountered the unconditional love Eilistraee had for the drow, luring him away from the service of the Spider Queen. Putting his life in the Underdark behind him, Va'laere traveled far from his usual raiding grounds in the Silver Marches, eventually arriving in Neverwinter under cover of night. Again, the amulet he'd taken for himself came to his aid, as he was allowed in the city when its guards spotted it and took him for a worshiper of the Dark Maiden. In Neverwinter he found work with Ashton Greenpeak, a Waterdhavian merchant working for the Orm's Highbench trading company. His being a drow had become an advantage once again, as Greenpeak believed he'd hired an intimidating enough guard that he would not be harassed on his way to Waterdeep.

Once in Waterdeep, a brief stint as a mercenary one could hire out of Orm's Highbench led the drow warrior to his true calling- bounty hunting. Using the skills he'd been forced to learn and use for over a century, the drow made a name for himself as a bounty hunter who almost exclusively brought charges back alive to face official judgement. In the years since his arrival in Waterdeep, Va'laere has made his home in the South Ward of Waterdeep, renting out a basement apartment below a moderately popular bakery owned by an eccentric who believed Va'laere's presence in the basement apartment would prevent the building from being broken into. In a way, this made the drow an unpaid guard of the bakery and the floor above it, where the owner resides.

### A Friend in Need

In the Summer of 1492 DR, after ten years of integrating himself with Waterdhavian society, Va'laere would see a change in his lifestyle after a chance encounter at the Yawning Portal. The drow bounty hunter was present in the famous tavern when an injured troll, covered in bloodsucking Stirges, clawed its way up from Undermountain to cause chaos in the establishment. Together with the inn's owner Durnan, as well as four others, Va'laere helped defeat the troll and the stirges. This drew the attention of the infamous Volothamp Geddarm, who was present within the tavern and wanted to pay the five adventurers to look for his friend Floon Blagmaar, who had gone missing. Va'laere had reservations about working for Volo, having held a small grudge over Volo's writing style and prose in *Volo's Guide to Waterdeep*, which had been difficult for Va'laere to decipher in his first few years learning Common. Regardless, he accepted the job, as did the adventurers that would become his future companions. From the very start Va'laere had a less than favorable view of this party, comprised of the human investigator Cassandra Lyonsbane, the yuan-ti teenager Xavier, the tiefling sorcerer Zora Valete, and the 'human' thief calling himself Vance. Despite this opinion, Va'laere worked alongside them- expecting a decent payout from Volo at the end of the mission.

After being told that their quarry Floon had last been seen at a tavern called the Skewered Dragon, the party set out for the establishment- witnessing the aftermath of a streetfight between the Zhentarim and the Xanathar Guild in the process. At Va'laere's request, the group stopped at the Old Xoblob Shop, a strange purple establishment run by an eccentric svirfneblin that Va'laere sought to question. Xoblob was paid through the purchase of a useless 'amulet of rain detection', and gave his account of two men, both fitting the description of Floon Blagmaar, being jumped by men with tattoos marking them as members of the Zhentarim, just two days before.

From there the party left for the Skewered Dragon, where Va'laere used that useless amulet he'd bought from Xoblob as a bribe to get information and a drink for Zora from the bartender, who deceived into believing the amulet was a powerful drow magic item. Xavier had, at the same time, been gathering information of his own- so together the party left for a warehouse on Candle Lane, where they believed that Floon and another man had been taken. They broke inside the warehouse and found it now inhabited by kenku agents of the Xanathar Guild, who had slain the former occupants- thugs loyal to the Zhentarim. After these Xanathar thugs were intimidated into surrender, they gave what little information they could, before Zora chose to give them permission to leave as free men- to the annoyance of Va'laere and Xavier, who both saw the danger of doing such a thing.

In that same warehouse, Va'laere and the others met Renaer Neverember, who Va'laere identified as the scion of the former Open Lord of Waterdeep. Renaer, who looked remarkably similar to Floon, explained to everyone that he had been drinking with Floon when both of them were taken to the warehouse. When the Xanathar Guild arrived, Renaer managed to hide while Floon was taken by the Guild's thugs into the sewers. Renear believed that this was because the Guild wanted access to money his father had embezzled, and this access was apparently tied to something called the Stone of Golorr. The stone had been in Zhentarim hands until it was stolen, the Zhentarim had captured Renaer to question him about it, and Floon was taken by the Guild, likely due to mistaken identity. Va'laere left then to follow the fleeing kenku and confirm where Floon was taken, and when he returned to the warehouse, it was amidst an encounter with the City Watch, who had shown up due to sounds of conflict and were questioning the party on all that had occurred. Renaer's account of the situation kept the group of trouble, and from there, they left to enter the sewer entrance that the kenku had escaped to- ready to follow their instructions and find Floon alongside Renaer.

Their assault on the lair led them into conflict with goblins and duergar, before they arrived at a room with a half-orc mage and an illithid named Nihiloor were torturing Floon for information. The enforcer and mage was slain before he had a chance to cast his first spell, and Nihiloor attempted to flee using a portal and an eye-shaped keystone, presumably leading to the Lair of the Xanathar. Cassandra's blood curse kept the illithid still long enough for Va'laere and the others to damage it- though the aberration enthralled Va'laere into becoming temporary thrall during the battle. In an act of malicious compliance, the enthralled Va'laere slew the pseudodragon familiar of Xavier, for it was closest to him and was harassing his 'master'. Before this enthrallment could actually lead the dark elf to attack any of the others, Nihiloor was slain, freeing his mind. Va'laere, despite not being the one to kill the aberration, took pride in the battle and shared his gratitude towards the party for both slaying the illithid before he could leave, as well as well as freeing him from psionic enslavement.

Floon was similarly grateful for being freed, though Va'laere was more focused on decapitating the illithid and taking the aberration's robes than receiving the thanks of the tortured human. After the party took everything they thought was of value, the left with Renaer and Floon, ready to recieve their promised payments upon their arrival at the Yawning Portal. To their great annoyance, Volothamp Geddarm had lied, not actually having the hundred dragons he had promised for each of them. Va'laere threatened to 'misplace' the friend the party had just rescued for Volo, but the author dismissed those threats with a promise of something better- a haunted and rundown property known as Trollskull Manor that he had purchased for his research into the incorporeal undead for a book he was working on. At Renaer's urging, the party agreed to look at the property before they took their frustration out on Volo, and when they arrived to find the place in a dismal state, Renaer made up for Volo's scam by offering to pay twenty-five dragons to each of the party, as well as all the legal fees needed to transfer the property to the party.

Although Va'laere and some of the others were still upset at having been lied to about a huge payment, they agreed, each coming to the realization that they might be able to make some profit out of the restoration of the manor if they then made it into a place of business. Va'laere himself saw a better future for himself as a partial owner and resident of the manor than the one he had living as a tenant, and so he put aside his anger towards Volo to reach that future success. After meeting the three specters that haunted the halls of Trollskull Manor, Va'laere had the idea of removing the flesh of Nihiloor's head and placing it on display- as they could then call their haunted tavern the *Haszak's Haunt* (after 'Haszak', which was Drowic for Illithid). The others had no protest, and from that day on, the would all be tied together as joint proprietors of the Haszak's Haunt and as an adventuring party.

### Calm Before the Storm

In the tenday following the acquisition of the Haszak's Haunt, Va'laere and his new companions sold some their old possessions and the loot they had claimed from their fight with Nihiloor, using what they gained from the process to secure business arrangements and loans needed to properly start their business. Va'laere, for his part, tried to reach his contact among the magistrates of Waterdeep and claim a non-existent bounty on the illithid, stressing the danger a mind flayer could've caused within the city. He did not secure a full payment due to his unwillingness to part with the creature's remains, but ultimately claimed a minuscule reward.

In their restoration of the Haszak's Haunt, Va'laere and the party learned of the building's storied history as a failed venture and the site of a hag's previous atrocities. Despite learning of this, Va'laere and the others were not discouraged from pursuing their goal of tavern ownership. Among the renovations to the building was the construction of an 'fish tank' for an illithid tadpole that Cassandra claimed from Nihiloor's possessions, though no one in the party was knowledgeable about aberrations enough to realize the danger they were causing by housing the strange creature they called 'Groober'.

During the restoration, the party began to receive the attentions of various groups, with Va'laere noticing he was being stalked and tailed as he ventured to different parts of the city, particularly when he was moving his possessions from his basement apartment to the attic room of the Haszak's Haunt. Though the drow did try to discover who had been following him, all he could find during his attempt was a note, instructing him to 'Wait for Nevercott'. During the restoration of the Haszak's Haunt, Va'laere also specifically sought out Bonnie, the barmaid of the Yawning Portal, to be barmaid of his own his own establishment. Though this did take some charisma on his part, their previous amicable relationship, the promise of a safer work environment, and some light flirting on Va'laere's part secured him his favored pick for barmaid.

Later, when the yet-unnamed adventuring party were invited by Mirt the Moneylender to a showing of *The Fall of Tiamat* at Lightsinger theatre, Va'laere attempted to make contact with J.B. Nevercott while others in group bought fine clothes from the haberdasher's business. This attempt at early contact proved to be fruitless, but began Va'laere's suspicions regarding being spied upon by disguised agents.
[tbc]

## Gallery

Va'laere Duskryn, by @luiyicloudSketch of Va'laere, by @luiyicloudVa'laere's Token during Waterdeep: Dragon Heist.