Full name: Maim Zau'afin
Age: 132
Race: Drow
Sex: Female
Date of birth: Nightal 2 1228
Place of birth: The lost tunnels around the City of Portals by her mother the mad Yath'tallar Eclav but then taken by Dreadguard Dilarra Zau'afin to Menzoberanzan as a child to be raised as a Yathrin at Arach'Tinilith
Alignment: NE
Patron deity: Lolth
Profession: Leader, Guard of Zau'afin's history, secrets, family, and stronghold
Classes: Cleric, Battle Caster of Lolth
Primary language: Common, undercommon, drow, drowsign,
Secondary languages:
elven, abyssal, dwarven, draconic, orcish, infernal
Physical description:
A slightly taller than average female drow whose bearing, manner, and speech denotes great wisdom, intelligence, grace, and beauty in that order. When holding her fierce snake whip her beauty is magnified. While many Yathrin hold their whip tightly with a look of hate and vengeance, she holds her whip lightly, with soft eyes, and feminine charm and beauty the inspires desire and a wish to be possessed by her or to possess her. She is approachable socially and does not bear a haughty bearing. This could be because she was raised without the support of a house, only an quiet and deadly Dreadguard of her house, while being educated at Arach'Tinlith. Predictably she was tormented and teased since childhood. However instead of developing a sense of hate and vengeance, she actually developed compassion and wisdom, because she learned that her only family member in the area, a Dreadguard, would silently eliminate any who would threatent her, and no one seemed to be able to capture, catch, or stop Dilarra. In fact, no one knew that those who plotted real harm to Maim, dissapeared because of this, as Dilarra was ever present, hidden in the shadows, supplementing what Arach'Tinilith would not teach a poor Yathrin, with the hard lessons of a survivor of the deep tunnels. In fact it was the love of Dilarra for Eclav and house Zau'afin, which kept Maim alive in Menzoberanzan. Because of this, Maim discovered the power of love and true family. However, she submitted to the demands of Lolth, and would even sacrifice that love if needed to honor Lolth, however, she did not feel it was necessary to give into the chaos that drove her mother Eclav mad, or the hate that drove her people to seek the death of her enemies. Maim realized that surviving alone in the underdark in of itself was a great accomplishment, and everything else was just for show. Because of the harshness of Dilarra's martial lessons, and skill as a tactician, Maim learned that her gifts with the faerl of destruction, was her gift, and honed her arcanane gifts. There is no way to explaing Maim's survival at Arach'Tinilith other then the intercession of her Dreadguard.
Psychological Description/Religious Views:
Maim is in full control of her psychological and emotional factors because she had foundational secure attachement to Dilarra and had the teachings of the best and wisest Yath'tallar. Unlike those who lead in lesser houses who focus on passion, chaos, and struggle, she has learned that patience and steady leadership and being always ready as teh way to perserve a house indfinitly.
She realizes that Lolth is not there to satisfy any of her needs, but to be served faithfully, often placating what is an unpredictable and hateful being. However, she respects the power of Lolth and in order to draw from that power for her own use, she chooses every cycle to serve Lolth as Lolth seeks to be served. Total submission and willing to sacrifice anything to please her. She was quick to sacrifice two of her most capable and admirable chidren to placate the offense of Lomiths and Vierna's betrayal in turning away from Lolth and Zau'afin.
However, in one area Maim believes herself superior to Lolth. That is in understanding the importance of family, and noting how Lolth is incapable of understanding or relating to her children as a true mother and family member, but as a Tyrant. Maim rationalizes this because she feels that the underdark is an impossibly harsh environment which requires harsh and implacable powerful leadership in order for a family and a people to survive. Also, Maim is able to look beyond the false narratives of those believing to serve good Gods and organizations, to see the hypocrisy of how they use character assassination, gossip, and selfishness as much as even the worse of the drow, to further their own goals, and how those goals are not even rational most of the time, but based on unconscious fears drowning in undisciplined emotions.
Ancestry:
Born from the much loved, feared, and inspiring Yath'tallar Eclav, the mad Yath'tallar. Drow for miles would travel to the wild caverns where Zau'afin was born, near the city of portals also called Schyndrylin, to meet and bask in Eclav's presence. Maim is one of the last known children of Eclav and her father is unkown. Zau'afin was a house who battled the Dabel'Kith House. Nobles from this house were known for performing skillful deeds in battle and for trading magical items made by skillful house Faerns.
Family:
While it is known by those who were close to the family that Yath'tallar Eclav was the true power and ruler of house Zau'afin, her daughter Eloril was the first Matron. The second Matron was Nil'kah, a Bae'queshell (bard) whose rule lasted during a time of battle with Elistraeens and their surface allies. The next Matron was Ginthrae, a Yathrin of Lolth who provided steady leadership for a long time. After this Matron Lomith led the house after it established itself at Sshamath, focusing on trade and political intrigue. Under Lomith's rule Zau'afin's standing wtih the faerns of Sshamath improved as well as it's position as a powerful trading house. House Dev'lin was defeated not by battle, but by political intrigue. However Lomith waivered and abadoned her house, bringing her neice Vierna with her. This caused a tumult that nearly destroyed the house, but Dilarra had brought Maim out of hiding from Menzobaranzan , where she was kept in hiding for this possible eventuality, to lead the house back to Lolth and back to it's established way of being, a authentic drow house honoring Lolth.
History and Ambitions:
Because of long surviving members of Zau'afin, namely the first dreadgudar Dilarra, and her older brother Bardax, Maim has learned and been taugh about the failings and success of Zau'afin over the generations. As such, Maim strives to embody all the strengths of former Matrons while correcting the former weaknesses. Her ambition is to grow her house and to cultivate a strong fighting force, not to defead the Faerns of Sshamath, which she see's as an impentrable force and power, but to attack the surface elf communities, whom she feels have wronged Lolth, by not respecting and acknowledging her power, beauty, and strong will to survive. While most hate the surface elves because they are taught to hate them by Lolth, Maim see's surface elves as the perfect receptacles for her personal angst and ambitions. As long as she can maintain the focus of wrath upon the communities of the surface elves, the stability of the drow people can be maintained below by satiating the bloodlust and desire for money and slaves of her people. She understands the need of her peopel to dominate and control others as a manifestation of their personal discipline, power, and ambition, which she feels his at a zenith amongst her kind principally. It is not just that the drow are the strongest race, but they are almost the strongest willed, and thus their rightful place is to rule all.
Potential Heirloom Item:
The Spider Talisman: A holy symbol of Lolth worn around the neck that increases the wisdom of the wearer beyond what can be purchased while also giving her more turn undead attempts and allowing the wearer to massively increase her wisdom daily for a short period of time.
The Great Tower Shielf of Zau'afin: An artifact of Lolth given to Matrin Ginthrae to honor her victories against the Dev'lin, which entertained Lolth to no end, while also maintaining Zau'afin for many years providing Lolth with the same result. The tower shield provides damage reduction to magic and divine damage while also helping to spot hidden enemies. Once per day it can also cast spells on the wielder that shields from missile weapons. Holding up the shield, marked with Zau'afin markings, also improves the saving throws of the wearer based on how charismatic they are and has an aura that reduces the saving throws of enemies in close proximity.
Potential Plot Hooks:
1. Looking for ways to undermine and weaken surface elf communities without revealing her presence or involvement.
2. Looking to corrupt surface elves to make them willing and unwilling battle captive slaves and informants to surface elf communities.
3. Wants to steel artifacts and items that honor the Seldarine and blasphems them to position them as offerings in her stronghold's temple treasury to honor Lolth.
4. Wishes to make surface elf communities suffer by spreading callumny against them from their allies.
5. Wishes to expand the influence of her house Faerns, namely her sister Nefara and the Faceless one, in Sshamath. She wishes to have the Faceless one sit in the Zau'afin council position when dealing with the other house Fearns.
6. Looking to spread the respect and obeissance to the Yathrin and Lolth and find ways to avenge the honor of Lolth to those who should respect and show defference to her.
7. Desires to expand the Faern laboratory in the Zau'afin stronghold to include one way portals to key areas around the realms.
8. Seeks the destruction of the heretic Lomith and Vierna.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - Let the Story Begin - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -- -
Matron Maim sits on her thrown, flanked by the elite guards of Zau'afin, her thoughts are her own, but Malla Lolth hears them, because she is one with her.
"So many believe they know what it is to be a leader of a great house and to be a Yathrin. But they are fools because they have not studied in depth and live their lives in conceit that only those dominant and overtly powerful can lead. They only superficially understand the will of Lolth for her people. It is only one thing and one thing that leads to survival, to have a family and to test that family. Some believe that you first must test, then have a family. Some believe that family is a natural creation to be taken for granted. It is naut. The Dark Mother birthed her children to make more of themselves, in her image, but also numerous to wage war on those she hates. Hatred is the curse of Lolth upon her faithful for she hates all, including her own at times. And this is unkown to most Yathrin who do not understand the Dark Mother. She is an embodiement of feminin hate, but she is jealous of her hate. No one may hate more then her. Only she may have the last word. And so she always will. Those who believe that demonstrations of filial affections and respect are signs of weakness simply do not understand the dualism of being a female and Yathrin in drow society. Nor do they understand the Dark Mother. But I do. It is easy to hate, but it is difficult to love your children so that they can grow strong, only to love Malla Lolth more, to the point of even hating your own children. This is a difficult thing, but necessary."
Sipping some fine wine from a globlet Matron Maim's eyes go distant and she gets lost in thought, "My mother Eclav was one of the most ferocious and hateful old spiders ever birthed in the underdark. From her came Matron Eloril, Matron Nil'Kah, Matron Ginthrae, Matron Lomith, and finally myself. It was her hate that drove her to madness. And in that madness, she lost the willl to live with purpose. She surrendered to the darkness of the wilds. Her fate is still uknown. But it was Dilarra's attentions that kept her alive. Why Dilarra would do so is beyond me, based on how she was treated by Zau'afin and Eclav, but had she not I would never have been birthed and raised. I would never be sitting here, attempting to raise my own children and family. I have my brother Bardax, sister Nefara, my daughter Dirza, and of course Dilarra, my war mentor."
A gleam of anger passes her eyes unseen by the drow guards in the chamber and she continues to think about her present situation, "I would still have Seldszez my Yath'sarglitin son and my Bae'queshell trained daughter Filfstra, had naut Lomith and Vierdra abandoned Zau'afin to chase after the Moon Strumpets! How could the name of Zau'afin be so marred, and for what, for the hypocritical self-righteousness of a weak Goddess and her heretical petulant followers who spend their time hating their culture and the hardness of the Dark Mother? Vithers! All they do is prattle on about how evil the Yathrin are, when it is the Yathrin who bring stability to drow society and make it strong, and allow them to survive in the harshness of the underdark. I gave Lomith a chance to return, but she would naut. She cursed my son Selsdzez to his face, already humiliated by the task I sent him on to give mercy to the fallen Matron. By the blood of my own children, who I reared with tears and toil, trained skillfully, did I avert the just wrath of Lolth. Malla Lolth requires obedience so that she can be confident and sure of the trustworthiness of her Qu'ellars, who I believe she needs to make war on the children of her enemies."
Dirza Zau'afin, Yath'sarglitin of the temple of Lolth
Closing her eyes Maim visualizes her daughter Dirza and muses, "My daughter Dirza is angry at me for sacrificing her older brother and sister. Yet she understands the reasons. I could not ask for a better daughter. But her anger is great. I can sense it. I feel that because of these actions, she is at risk of falling into the ways of my mother Eclav. Her heart burns in hatred for the Moon Strumpets who contaminated the purity of Zau'afin, drew away our Matron, which caused the death of her siblings. I would stay her hand for the greater purpose of my plans, but if I do not let her empty out her rage, she will make mistakes in the coming war with the surface faries. What can I do as her mother but pray that she passes all of Lolth's tests?"
Bardax Zau'afin, the sarglitin who could have been Quel'saruk, if it was naut for his big mouth
A small sigh escapes Matron Maim's mouth as she delves into her regretful thoughts, "If only it was Bardax and naut my children who were worthy sacrifices. I would have gladly placed him on the altar and sacrificed him. All the Zau'afin secrets he has revealed when his belly was full of ale. How he managed to kill every Velg'larn and merceny sent to kill him for his loose lips I will never know. Perhaps he is not the fool I take him for, or perhaps more skillfull. We do naut always choose our family or our enemies, but our useful allies I would like to think we do. And I have too few of those at this time and it frustrates me to no end. I will have to make do with Bardax for now. I wonder if I should make him a dreadguard for Yathrin Axsa, who has prooved exceedingly capable and diligent in her duties. Would she accept such a slack mouthed fool as her trusted dreadguard, who would only obey her orders and mine? And what of Bae'queshell Malodia, she has many plans and plots, and I am eager to see what she does."
Nefara Zau'afin, Master Faern of Frost magic, Sister of Matron Maim
Taking a final sip before getting up from her thrown Maim impatiently considers something that has been bothering her, "Nefara tells me she has almost mastered the forbidden faerl she needs to make Zau'afin uniquely ready to strike out in war. An advantage we need to pass our troops quickly to where they need to be, striking fear and death upon the accursed surface faries. But even if she were ready tomorrow, we still do naut yet have enough nobles for our once great house to wage war. To do so now would court disaster."
Dilarra Zau'afin, former first dreadguard of Zau'afin, now weakened by years of torture at the hands of the Dabel'Kith
Getting up from her throne, Matron Maim makes her way to her private quarters, where Dilarra Zau'afin guards her from the shadows, in the corner of her room. Unseen and unheard, Dilarra too muses over the history of Zau'afin. A house where she has served every Matron from the beginning. She has heard the whispers of war preperations from the other sarglitin. She too is getting ready to spread the power, fear, and influence for Zau'afin. But she will naut do it for Malla Lolth, she will do it for Zau'afin, and for her Matron.
Matron Maim Zau'afin
