Menzoberranzan, or the City of Spiders, was a gigantic underground drow city-state. It was located in the Upper Northdark, about 3.2km (2 miles) below the Surbrin Valley, between the Moonwood and the Frost Hills.

Menzoberranzan was possibly the most well known drow city in Faerûn. It was the home of Drizzt Do'Urden, and many of his early adventures dealt with the political intrigue and characters of the city.


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 cycle of violence and death that so plagued that city. Lolth aided them on their journey directly, but only when it seemed like all hope was lost. After battling several of the Underdark's natives, 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 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 S'sril, occurred. This battle led to the exile of House Nasadra (which later founded the city of Ched Nasad, and was the First House until the city's recent destruction) and to the rise of House Baenre 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.

Within the last century,[as of when?] this pattern seemed to have accelerated. House Do'Urden ascended from the Tenth House to the Ninth House by destroying the Fourth House, House DeVir. It then ascended to the Eighth House with the much-needed help of Jarlaxle's mercenary band Bregan D'aerthe by destroying the Fifth House, House Hun'ett.

House Do'Urden lost the favor of Lolth, however, when Matron Malice Do'Urden turned Zaknafein Do'Urden into a spirit-wraith by using Lolth's dread Zin-Carla ritual and failed to kill Drizzt Do'Urden with him. This resulted in House Baenre utterly destroying House Do'Urden.

In 1359 DR, during the Time of Troubles, House Oblodra, the Third House, aspired to be the First House of Menzoberranzan. Menzoberranzan was caught in a magic-dead zone, so magic did not work there. House Oblodra, however, was gifted in the rare art of psionics and seized upon this opportunity to strike at the other Houses.

The matron of House Oblodra nearly reached her goal, but an avatar of Lolth answered Matron Baenre's pleas for help and came to Menzoberranzan after the Time of Troubles had ended. Although she loved chaos, she did not wish to see a House that did not whisper prayer to her to rule the city. Foreseeing her temporary loss of power due to the Time of Troubles, Lolth had asked the demon Errtu to protect her worshipers, should she herself fail to do it. She opened a portal for Errtu and his host of demons to lay siege to House Oblodra.

By the time the Time of Troubles had passed, Lolth was restored to full power and single-handedly crushed House Oblodra, the remains of their stronghold being pushed into a deep chasm known as the Clawrift, and Matron Oblodra's spirit went to Errtu for eternal torment. Thus the ranks of the ruling Houses changed once again. All this she said was done for her greatest high priestess (although it was really done for herself), the two thousand-year-old Matron Baenre. All Houses in the city witnessed this great miracle and knew that House Baenre was the most favored House of the goddess.

In celebration, the city marched upon Mithral Hall, viciously attacking the Dwarfhold in what would be known as the Battle of Keeper's Dale. The drow lost the battle and the retreat was sounded after Matron Baenre herself was felled by Bruenor Battlehammer's Axe.

Yvonnel's eldest daughter Triel took her mother's place as leader of the city but faced many hardships during her time in power. Despite an early victory against Blingdenstone the constant infighting between the noble houses resulted in a rapid depopulation of the drow citizens of the city. Lolth herself expressed her displeasure and imposed a forced peace among the city's populace until Menzoberranzan's numbers had been restored.

Not long after the peace was lifted, the city was beset by a slave revolt and the infamous Silence of Lolth where the city was invaded by the duergar army of Gracklstugh and the Scoured Legion with the aid of traitorous drow from House Agrach Dyrr. The invasion was costly but as soon as The Silence of Lolth ended, Menzoberranzan's defenders turned the tide of the battle and drew victory from defeat.

Menzoberranzan returned to form quickly. Quenthel killed her older sister Triel, taking her place as leader of House Baenre and eventually the city returned to the kind of life it had seen for the 5,000 years before the failed invasion of Mithral Hall, the only change perhaps would be the solidification of Lolth's worship after the deaths of her deific rivals in the years following her Silence.