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Chrisvirgo
Acolyte

4 Posts

Posted - 08 Feb 2018 :  23:08:23  Show Profile Send Chrisvirgo a Private Message  Reply with Quote  Delete Topic
Hello.
I'm hoping i am posting this is the correct spot. We are starting an out of the abyss campaign on Saturday and I'm stuck a little with my backstory. I'm playing a young drow ranger. I don't want to dig into the lore too much as i want the story to be a surprise as we go along so I'm having a hard time nailing down a couple things. So far I have myself as a child being shunned by jarlaxle and tossed from the city of menzoburran. From there i maybe get taken in by a rival house where I work on plotting my revenge. I get caught on purpose and go undercover to try and infiltrate the bregan d'Arthe and maybe kill jarlaxle. Or something.

I've already read more than I think I want to. So help me decide if I'm on the right track and where do i go to when in get thrown out of the city. Can I just live on my own until I'm ready for revenge? Is there a good rival that would take me in? Are there houses in other cities?

My DM likes everything I've come up with to this point. I just need the last details.

Thanks in advance.

Chris.

Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire

USA
15724 Posts

Posted - 08 Feb 2018 :  23:25:50  Show Profile Send Markustay a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Kill Jarlaxle?

You do know he's taken down entire kingdoms right? That his OWN HOUSE hates him, and yet can't do a thing to touch him... despite being the most powerful house in what is arguably the most powerful drow city.

How do you know about Jarlaxle? He's normally not in any one location long enough to be found, and certainly not in Menzoberranzan. He travels all over Faerūn... and under it. He is the most OP character written by the most OP author in FR (except for maybe the Sojournor, but we love you anyway Paul). To a group of FR grognards like we have around here, that's like asking, "how do I stop the grass from being green?"

Oh, and Drow aren't big on taking in orphans. They EAT babies. Seriously, they do. You'd be lunch, and I don't even mean figuratively.

Since your DM is allowing all of this, I would assume its up to him to make it all up, because canon can't really help you with this one. Even at level 30, it would be insanely hard (his right-hand man can easily take-out Drizzt, and READS MINDS).


"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone


Edited by - Markustay on 08 Feb 2018 23:26:19
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Chrisvirgo
Acolyte

4 Posts

Posted - 08 Feb 2018 :  23:42:34  Show Profile Send Chrisvirgo a Private Message  Reply with Quote
And this is why I ask. So definitely not killing him. What could I be trying to inlfiltrate then? And could I have just survived on my own after getting thrown out of the city? I could also just be born into another house and be a spy for them.

I'm not looking to be 100% accurate. But I don't want to have any huge holes either.
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Lord Karsus
Great Reader

USA
3736 Posts

Posted - 08 Feb 2018 :  23:44:19  Show Profile Send Lord Karsus a Private Message  Reply with Quote
-The Jaezred Chaulssin is a cool group that would butt heads with Bregan D'aerthe.

http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Jaezred_Chaulssin

(A Tri-Partite Arcanist Who Has Forgotten More Than Most Will Ever Know)

Elves of Faerūn
Vol I- The Elves of Faerūn
Vol. III- Spells of the Elves
Vol. VI- Mechanical Compendium
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Chrisvirgo
Acolyte

4 Posts

Posted - 09 Feb 2018 :  00:18:12  Show Profile Send Chrisvirgo a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Ok I think that might work well. So Bregan D'Arthe aren't necessarily against Lolith? Even though they are don't want the matriarchal society?
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Dalor Darden
Great Reader

USA
4211 Posts

Posted - 09 Feb 2018 :  00:32:10  Show Profile Send Dalor Darden a Private Message  Reply with Quote
There are probably THOUSANDS of Drow that dream of being the one to knock off Jarlaxle.

I'd play it that you are a bastard son of his put on a woman he charmed from whatever house you prefer. You want to kill him maybe because he abandoned your mother to her horrible fate without even trying to help her.

Just an idea.

The Old Grey Box and AD&D for me!
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Storyteller Hero
Learned Scribe

USA
329 Posts

Posted - 09 Feb 2018 :  00:40:51  Show Profile  Visit Storyteller Hero's Homepage Send Storyteller Hero a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Jarlaxle is not just a high level/epic level NPC. He's a MONTY HAUL high level/epic level NPC.

The only way to take him down is to form tons of connections with the right parties over the long course of a campaign and set up a trap of epic proportions that involves a lot of favors and promises.

The plan might take you more than a decade to complete, but it's possible.


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Storyteller Hero
Learned Scribe

USA
329 Posts

Posted - 09 Feb 2018 :  00:41:27  Show Profile  Visit Storyteller Hero's Homepage Send Storyteller Hero a Private Message  Reply with Quote
[I had a posting snafu, so I edited an unfortunate multi-post to at least offer different potentially helpful replies]

Here's a couple of links to reddit threads that were discussing Jarlaxle's magic items, to show a hint of how strong and well-connected he is.

https://www.reddit.com/r/dndnext/comments/2iv08w/magic_items_belonging_to_jarlaxle_part_1/

https://www.reddit.com/r/dndnext/comments/2iv1c0/magic_items_belonging_to_jarlaxle_part_2/






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Edited by - Storyteller Hero on 09 Feb 2018 00:52:29
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Storyteller Hero
Learned Scribe

USA
329 Posts

Posted - 09 Feb 2018 :  00:42:48  Show Profile  Visit Storyteller Hero's Homepage Send Storyteller Hero a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Find out who his enemies are, and understand that the very act of finding out who his enemies are could put you in his radar.




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Edited by - Storyteller Hero on 09 Feb 2018 00:47:22
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Markustay
Realms Explorer extraordinaire

USA
15724 Posts

Posted - 09 Feb 2018 :  00:53:10  Show Profile Send Markustay a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Chrisvirgo

And this is why I ask. So definitely not killing him. What could I be trying to inlfiltrate then? And could I have just survived on my own after getting thrown out of the city? I could also just be born into another house and be a spy for them.

I'm not looking to be 100% accurate. But I don't want to have any huge holes either.
Well, Drizzt did. I believe so did Jarlaxle himself (both were 'cast=offs' from their families... well, actually Jarlaxle's family extinguished Drizzt's family, but you get the idea).

There are quite a few who 'ran away' because they didn't want what being the typical drow meant for them - all of the followers of Eilistraee, and also another Baenré - Liriel (funny how her and Jarlaxle never met or teamed-up; I think he would be her uncle). However, all of those were older, except for the original followers of Eilistraee who created the Promenade; they were children, but they had help from the goddess herself (because children don't fare so well in the Underdark... neither do adults, for that matter).

The followers of Vhaeraun (Lolth's son) may be just what you are looking for - they would take in orphans, I suppose, if they showed promise, and they work covertly against Lolth 'from within' (unlike Eilistraee, who is all about running far away). Jarlaxle is not a Vhaeraunite, as far as I know, but he has quite a few in his group. That might be your 'back door' in.

"I have never in my life learned anything from any man who agreed with me" --- Dudley Field Malone


Edited by - Markustay on 09 Feb 2018 00:54:13
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Chrisvirgo
Acolyte

4 Posts

Posted - 09 Feb 2018 :  01:01:11  Show Profile Send Chrisvirgo a Private Message  Reply with Quote
Well that's pretty insane. I'll take just one of those please.
I'll leave it to the DM with how he wants to handle it. But I think that's a somewhat decent direction. Maybe, if I can even find him, he might tell me a different story about my past. I do like the idea of going undercover as a spy as I'll have to RP keeping it from my party until I think I can trust them.
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Fineva
Seeker

Canada
79 Posts

Posted - 10 Feb 2018 :  00:43:43  Show Profile Send Fineva a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Chrisvirgo

Well that's pretty insane. I'll take just one of those please.
I'll leave it to the DM with how he wants to handle it. But I think that's a somewhat decent direction. Maybe, if I can even find him, he might tell me a different story about my past. I do like the idea of going undercover as a spy as I'll have to RP keeping it from my party until I think I can trust them.



Drow from Rhymanthiin the city of hope. A few were rescued and live there, some changed to brown elves. It's close to Boarskyr bridge but really hard to find!

I" am Sathia of Orogoth
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TBeholder
Great Reader

2378 Posts

Posted - 10 Feb 2018 :  17:07:24  Show Profile Send TBeholder a Private Message  Reply with Quote
quote:
Originally posted by Chrisvirgo

Hello.
I'm hoping i am posting this is the correct spot. [...] I'm stuck a little with my backstory. I'm playing a young drow ranger. I don't want to dig into the lore too much as i want the story to be a surprise [...] So far I have myself as a child being shunned by jarlaxle and tossed from the city of menzoburran. [...] I get caught on purpose and go undercover to try and infiltrate the bregan d'Arthe and maybe kill jarlaxle. Or something.

Good one. This is the correct spot. The forum can use a good laugh now and then.
214. There is no prestige class Drizzt Slayer.
Or something.
Thank you.
P.S.: In the unlikely case you seriously tried to do it, the common advice is to start with playing a human (even better, a human warrior) - in part, to avoid exactly this sort of thing.

People never wonder How the world goes round -Helloween
And even I make no pretense Of having more than common sense -R.W.Wood
It's not good, Eric. It's a gazebo. -Ed Whitchurch
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