Menzoberranzan

Menzoberranzan, the City of Spiders, was a large underground drow city-state in the Upper Northdark. Menzoberranzan was possibly the most well known drow city in Faerûn.

Surface
It was located in the Upper Northdark, about 3.2km (2 miles) below the Surbrin Valley, between the Moonwood and the Frost Hills. It was quite close to Mithral Hall and was connected through tunnels to that settlement. Other tunnels led to the surface, namely in the Moonwood and on the western edge of the High Forest. Drygully Tunnel was a tunnel leading from the Underdark near Menzoberranzan to the surface.

Underdark
The deep gnome city Blingdenstone was located about 45 miles to the west of Menzoberranzan. Ched Nasad was some distance to the southwest on the other side of Araumycos, a journey of several tendays from Menzoberranzan. The path through Ammarindar was the quickest journey between Menzoberranzan and Ched Nasad, but it was less traveled because of the danger that lurked there.

Structure
Menzoberranzan was located in a huge arrowhead-shaped cavern, some two miles wide and a thousand feet high. The city was mainly carved from calcite and it was filled with blue, green, and violet faerie fire. Buildings were often covered with the city's main motif: the spider, in honor of Lolth. The roof of Menzoberranzan was covered in paths. Some homes were 1,000 feet above the floor. Ceiling houses had to have great magic to prevent them from falling, and many were empty. An enchantment in the city cavern reduced echos from all the noise.

There were a fixed number of buildings in Menzoberrazan, meaning that the poorer areas were extremely crowded. Noble houses, once destroyed or abandoned, were not permitted to be reoccupied, meaning that there were a number of abandoned compounds both on the surface and roof of the city cavern.

The city had around a hundred gates, all guarded. These gates led into the myriad tunnels surrounding the city (collectively called the Bauthwaf)

One of the most distinct structures in the city was the pillar-clock called Narbondel. It was enchanted each morning by the Archmage of Menzoberranzan with a glow that slowly dissipated as the day wore on. Narbondel could be seen from throughout the entire city. When the pillar was completely dark, it was called Narbondel's Black Death (effectively midnight).

Founding
Menzoberra the Kinless, a powerful priestess of Lolth, founded the city that bears her name in -3917 DR. By the wishes of Lady Lolth, she led seven drow families into the Northdark from the city of Golothaer, one of the southerly drow holdings of Great Bhaerynden.

Their goal was to escape from the constant warring between factions who venerated Lolth and those that worshiped Ghaunadaur. Lolth aided them on their journey directly via dream-sendings, but only when it seemed like all hope was lost. After battling several of the Underdark's natives, including a conflict with a clan of dwarves to whom they lost half their number, they slew a bindip in -3917 DR that claimed a huge natural cave as its lair. The surviving drow took up residence in this cave, naming it after their leader.

The original seven drow families, having no immediate external enemy, fell to attacking and undermining one another—exactly what they had hoped to escape -- to the greater glory of their evil goddess, who loved chaos. Only fifty years after the city's founding, in -3864 DR, a great and terrible battle between the two most powerful Houses, House Nasadra and House Thaeyalla, occurred. This battle led to the collapse of a cavern wall that destroyed four houses and killed Menzoberra. The perpetrators, House Nasadra, were attacked by House S'sril and House Baenre chose to side with them against Nasadra. House Nasadra were banished from the cave on the orders of Lolth, who ordered them to establish a second city in her name (which would come, a few decades later, to be called Ched Nasad, and House Nasadra was still the First House there until the city's destruction) and for the two cities to maintain an amicable relationship. House Baenre then rose as the First House of Menzoberranzan.

The city's internal machinations continued unabated for millennia. The Houses that grow weak were destroyed, and newer Houses rose up to find Lolth's favor. The full history of each House would constitute a nearly endless logbook of treachery, spite, and unceasing ambition.

Trade
The city exported poisons, mushrooms, riding lizards, spell scrolls, wine, and water (clean water could be hard to come by in the Underdark). Other goods included body dyes, chains, everdark ink from deep dragon scales, giant slugs, herbal medicines, kayaks, musical instruments (flutes, drums), obsidian carvings (often used for sacrifices), perfumes, spells, spiced sausages, stone sculptures, surgical services, textiles, tortoiseshell goods, and ulaver wine.

The city imported produce (surface and Underdark), shellfish, slaves, and textiles.

The neighboring drow city of Ched Nasad provided fully half of Menzoberranzan's goods.

Various currencies were accepted in Menzoberranzan. Coins came in many shapes, including round, square, triangular, ring-, and spider-shaped coins. The greatest dozen houses in Menzoberrzan minted the coins. For example, House Baenre minted their own coins with the Baenre emblem, which were accepted throughout the city.

Government
The city had many different factions, or Houses, all of which vied for power. As it was a matriarchal society, however, only females truly held power. Officially, the city was under the rule of the Ruling Council of Eight, composed of the eight matron mothers of the first (and most powerful) eight houses. For many centuries—as long any living drow could remember—it was under the indirect rule of House Baenre which was governed by Matron Mother Yvonnel Baenre, also known as Old Matron Baenre, perhaps the most powerful de facto ruler the city ever saw. House Baenre had been the First House of Menzoberrazan for centuries of uncontested power.

Although drow culture was matriarchal, a few male drow in the city held some political power, including Gromph Baenre, the archmage of the city, and Jarlaxle, leader of the mercenary band Bregan D'aerthe, which was often utilized by House Baenre.

A separate council of mages dealt with affairs of the arcane—but as its members were all male, it was wholly within the grip of the matron mothers.

Defenses
Menzoberranzan was guarded by huge magical jade spider constructs. The two dozen or so most powerful houses were able to muster an army, such as the Army of the Black Spider in 1372 DR, to defend the city at times of need.

Religion
The worship of Lolth was prevalent, and the worship of any other deity was forbidden. However, there were a number of secret (mainly male) worshipers of Vhaeraun.

The Academy
The Academy of Menzoberranzan was located in Tier Breche and was composed of three schools: Arach-Tinilith, the clerical school; Sorcere, the wizards' school; and Melee-Magthere, the warriors' school. Tier Breche and Qu'ellarz'orl (see below) were considered the "two heads" (most important unifying parts) of Menzoberranzan.

Food & Drink
Local food was primarily produced in and around Lake Donigarten. The Isle of Rothe in the lake housed the city's rothe herds, managed by House Hunzrin, which provided rothe cheese and meat to the city. The area in and around Donigarten also housed moss fields, giant mushrooms, fungus farms, fish, and orc and goblin slaves.

Pyrimo, a type of aggressive fish similar to piranhas, was prized, despite being deadly if not prepared in the correct manner.

Cheap street food in Menzoberranzan included sausage and rolls, which could be bought from street vendors in the Braeryn slum, and pickled sausage. Finer foods included rothe steak, raw mushrooms with creamy dipping sauces, wine, and a salad of black, red, and white fungus.

Alcoholic beverages found in Menzoberranzan included green ulaver wine and a type of sweet dessert wine. There was also lace fungus brandy and some drow favored duergar brandy

Entertainment
Entertainment was perhaps not the most obvious word connected with Menzoberranzan, but the city nevertheless provided recreation and relaxation (as much as possible) to its (drow) inhabitants. Taverns were plentiful and brothels could be found if one looked hard enough. The Bazaar offered food, shopping, street performers, and even a game tent or two. "Houses of delights," massage parlors, and public bath houses, all of which were usually manned by slaves, offered their services.

Well-to-do drow, particularly nobles who were not busy plotting to overthrow their rivals or guarding against usurpers of their positions, were fond of wild parties and dances.

Sava was a popular chess-like game that represented war between noble houses. It was often played in taverns.

Another notable past time in Menzoberranzan was the plotting and carrying out of pranks.

Customs
Because the drow worshiped Lolth, the Spider Queen, killing spiders (even unintentionally) was punishable by death by the law of Lolth.

By law, parties had to end at start of new day (the Black Death of Narbondel, or midnight). Dancing while armed was considered an insult (as well as being hazardous), so dances, particularly the frenzied nedeira, were usually performed sans clothing.

Death (usually by intrigue) was widespread in Menzoberranzan. The dead were usually placed in airtight stone crypts in the solid rock north of the city cavern so that they could later be reanimated as battle fodder. Only priestesses were cremated to prevent such a thing occurring to their corpses.

"Rock, knife, and parchment" was game in Menzoberranzan after the manner of "rock, paper, scissors."

Organizations in Menzoberranzan
Several non-House organizations operated in Menzoberranzan, including
 * Bregan D'aerthe, a mercenary company led by Jarlaxle.
 * Dragon's Hoard, a trading and mercenary company led by Nisstyre until his death in 1361 DR.
 * Black Claw Mercantile Company, a consortium in Menzoberranzan and Ched Nasad primarily owned by House Baenre and the Ched Nasadan Melarn, but operated by House Zauvirr of Ched Nasad. It was disbanded in 1372 DR with the fall of Ched Nasad.
 * Brown Mushroom Mercantile Company, a direct competitor to the Black Claw; primarily operated by House Fey-Branche and House Barrison Del'Armgo.
 * High-Handed Fellowship, an importer of unusual food and drink from the surface.
 * House Hunzrin, as much a business as a noble house. They supplied much of Menzoberranzan's home sourced food.
 * Three Black Rings, a small but efficient merchant group that seeks out little-known routes through the Underdark and charges other merchants for guides through them.
 * Xalyth's Company, a primarily female merchant coster that has cornered the market on the city's gemstone and spell component trade.