18+ only, minors dnf/dni. call me aurora! black nonbinary femme, she/her tme, poly, bisexual, hellenic pagan, old as balls. multifandom, mostly vidya games, 99% ffxiv. in this house we stan house fortemps.
Hi, is it true that you don't enjoy new reblogs in your old cosplay posts? I was going to put the Anthy picture scan in my rgu tag but then I read a comment saying that
yes because it makes me dysphoric. I deleted it years ago but that was long before we got the option to stop reblogs on a post, and that option doesn’t work on deleted posts that are still circulating.
I also block people for it. even if I wasn’t bothered by the attention from it due to the above, I find it really bizarre and unsettling when people follow solely bc of that . I’m not a cosplayer anymore and haven’t been in years, I don’t post utena content at all. I sporadically post final fantasy xiv and bg3 fanworks about my oc and the worlds she inhabits. I want people to follow me for that, not for what i looked like a million years ago when I still thought I was cis.
Went to a live Q&A screening of I Love Boosters last night at the Brooklyn Alamo Drafthouse and got to see the man himself, Boots Riley and Lakeith Stanfield!
As for the film itself…I Love Boosters is genuinely SO good. Similar surrealist humor as Sorry to Bother You but on steroids. Slapstick and deep messages abt art, consumerism, fast fashion, people over profits. The last third is totally bonkers in the best way. See it in a cinema, please. During the Q&A Boots talked about how important word of mouth is for projects like these. Opening the same weekend as a Star Wars movie is rough. But please support the film this weekend if you can. Don’t wait on streaming. See it, tell your friends to see it. Everyone decries sequels and reboots and remakes but we have to support original, creative, ballsy filmmaking like this.
The Q&A was great in general and I could have listened to these guys talk for hours. Boots taking about A24 and Neon physically fighting at Cannes took me out. Lakeith was so funny too man! His wife is in the film, i refuse to spoil the storyline because it’s so hysterical and bonkers. And he’s very very tired of the Get Out gifs and begged us to make new ones of him. 😂
But he also dropped something really profound that’s going to stay with me for a long time, as a creative. He was telling a wild anecdote about an incident that happened on set during the filming of Sorry to Bother You, and said that if nothing has the chance to go wrong, it never has the chance to be great. We have to be audacious with our art, because keeping it safe is always going to result in mediocrity. Even if we might fall down, we have to reach as high as we can if we ever have the hope to reach new levels. As a writer I found that so inspiring.
And that’s Boots as a filmmaker, honestly. The back third of this movie is fucking crazy. He swings for the fences and whether or not it lands really is up to the viewer. But he never half asses anything and it shows. I adored it, even more than Sorry to Bother You. This is just a FUN and oddly inspiring and uplifting movie, and it’s landing at the perfect time. Coming together to fight for change is the only way it happens. People have power as a collective. And for all the craziness of this film, that’s the central message and it’s so important.
Alamo gave us all wigs and we put them on and they took a big group pic of us afterwards. 😂
Welcome my lovlies to another wonderful Junelezen! Starting on June 1, this year we will exploring the more theatrical side of our wonderful Elezen, with prompts meant to evoke cinema, theater, movies and more! There is a prompt for every day in June, so feel free to take your pick.
How you participate is completely up to you - use the prompts for screenshots or writing or art; use all prompts or just one that tickles your fancy - and if you tag your works with either #junelezen or #junelezen2026, we'll be keeping an eye out to reblog them!
Break a leg, and show us what your Elezen can do!
Get ready, get hype, and /blowkiss at every Elezen in your Light and Full Parties!
we need to have a conversation about how the "everyone is 12" theory of politics now doesn't only apply to conservative men who want to kick the bad guys' asses and then go home and eat a steak their bangmommy made just for them (NO VEGGIES!!!) but also to adult women who are literally afraid of other people having sex and being sexy. it's like there's been this massive regression among women in their 20s where we've gotten rid of feminism and replaced it with a new form of purity politics that requires never saying anything bad about another women unless you find a new and creative way to call her a whore. the misuse of "she caters to the male gaze" as a new form of enlightened slut shaming, labeling any woman who wears a short skirt or has sex with a man as "not a girls' girl" and "a pick me," the intense overreaction to celebrity affairs or even just shit like the summer house mess where a woman is now dating another woman's ex even though there was no overlap and the "relationship" was just kind of a situationship that fizzled but now these little girls are online demanding both people involved in the new relationship lose their jobs and not get any brand deals, the panic over mildly sexual content in literally any capacity like ads or an instagram post in a crop top, the compulsion to link everything back to the epstein files, the monthly meltdown over sex scenes on tv and in movies. everyone is 12 and AFRAID of sabrina carpenter.
every time i post about polyamory and defending it someone adds that dumbass fucking article clip that's like "more and more i have to defend people i think are annoying against people i know are dangerous."
why are you calling me annoying on a post defending my right to simply exist?
why do you think poly people are like, an 'acceptable' class of ppl to just mock even on posts by a poly person talking about biases against poly people?? and so much of the mocking is coming from other queer ppl! jsyk the majority who thinks polyamory is a disgusting perversion think the same thing about your monogamous gay relationship!
i make a post like 'it's fucked up that people judge me and make entire presumptions about my personality and life and morality based on the relationships i'm in' and you're like 'true they shouldn't do that. however you are annoying. which i know based on the relationships you're in''
i'm annoying???? what is wrong with you? and nvm that so many 'jokes' about poly ppl are actually just making fun of fat and disabled people. i am so fed up. how are you going to reblog a post to 'support' poly people and insult poly people in the tags???
say something nice or shut up. no one asked you to reblog my post.
it is evident that the general tumblr populous has written off most historically black art forms near entirely. this applies to music, film, art history, etc. rather, the art engaged with and popularized in tumblr spheres is that of "good representation" which usually takes the form of idk, a black side character on your tv show whose personality is a huge nothingburger, but is appealing because they are not "problematic."
i think alot of this comes down to people's inability to make judgement calls for themself about what is ethical and what is right. this can be seen in conversations about kink when people say "anything as long as it's legal," sorry but, that is an incredibly bad faith and spineless read. the law should not decide your morals, you should, because anything can be criminalized, and your distinction of a perverse harmful action versus an acceptable one hinges upon your ability to make a decision about what you think is right.
when white allegedly woke users don't engage with black art, what i see is this: a person who does not know how to engage with art in a critical way that is decided by what they think–because this art causes them to confront what they think. often, when white and engaging with black art, you will be confronted by your own racist presumptions, your own back-of-mind urges, and that is the most important part. everyone is racist, because we undeniably live under white supremacy and are thus subject to racist propaganda near constantly (insert sydney sweeney jeans ad).
i really do think some white tumblr users are afraid of engaging with content made outside of their culture because they could be "appropriating" or having "incorrect thoughts" about race. this thought police bullshit will only coddle your racism. you need to undo it yourself by engaging with black people and black art. nobody else will for you, you will not one day be cured, you are the only one who can dismantle your own racism. you cannot avoid your racism by pretending race does not exist (i.e. by [consciously or unconsciously] not engaging with the works of black people). that is the titular thing, really: do you really want to stay racist? you could be listening to tha carter ii, like
I should've put this in the initial post, but I need to say now that Even if rap WAS all about getting money and bitches and having a fat ass, it still wouldn't be inherently bad or lesser art. Conscious hiphop is not the only rap music with merit in fact, many of y'all in the notes saying 'just find rap you like, which will be conscious hiphop because it's actually deep' are giving these racist bad faith arguments merit by saying "not allll rap is like that!!! there's also good rap!" it's just so weird, gangsta rap and club music ARE indicative of a lot of the genre, and a lot of the rap that's talked down about on here for its supposed misogyny and capital fetishism is actually fucking phenomenal. black music is not exclusively good when it's got a deep message and is totally metatextual / self referential. No offense but, sometimes music is for fun. Lol. And you simply don't understand
Here is another longform lore post on my Realms, this one on Tav!Gisèle’s very unusual drow noble house. The usual disclaimers re: my bg3 work apply: that this video game is simply one small part of larger Realmslore that I have been crafting for 20+ years though the original BioWare BG trilogy and its sister FR CRPGs, tabletop campaigns, and fic. In particular, this loredoc heavily references events from the War of the Spider Queen and serves as a Fix It for many aspects of it, in accordance with the Menzoberranzan I’ve worked on for the better part of 30 years.
(cw: incest mention, of the royal cousin marrying sort.)
House Motto: Ulu z’hin maglust dal Qu’ellar lueth Valsharess zhah ulu z’hin wund lil phalar. / Marcher à l'écart de la Qu’ellar et de la reine, c'est entrer dans la tombe.
("To walk apart from House and Queen is to walk into the grave.")
Glyph: a circle of 8 stylized skeleton keys joined at the bow. meant to symbolize the eight tenets of the house:
Survival
Cunning
Knowledge
Strength
Loyalty
Patience
Piety
Wisdom
Personae:
Zythandrar the Fathomless, many times removed grand sire of late Matron Ysandre, a deep dragon. Shadow advisor to Matron Lilithane and true House Wizard.
Matron Mother, Queen Lilithane, eldest daughter of late Matron Ysandre and Dowager Prince Janvier. Sorceress, bae’qeshel and Masked Traitor.
Patron, Prince Consort Vandarel (Hyacinthe), her consort, a sorcerer. House Wizard.
Ilmryn, their concubine, a knight of the House
Chalithra, their concubine, a priestess
Bastien, their concubine
First Princess Ysabel, a high priestess/bae'qeshel (d. - killed by Gisèle in self defense upon her defection)
First Princess Gisèle, a high priestess/sorceress/bae'qeshel. z’elendarin (“pain-bearer”; defected to the surface in 1487)
Elderboy Prince Isidore, a fighter/sorcerer. House Weapon Master.
Secondboy* Prince Narcisse, a wizard-sorcerer. (*nonbinary, they/them). a master of Sorcere
Thirdboy Prince Cyprien (d. - sacrificed to Lolth per tradition)
Thirdboy Prince Baudoin, a master of Melee-Magthere. Son of Ilmryn.
Lady Anaïs, second daughter of late Matron Ysandre
Ghyslain, her consort, a master of Sorcere. Son of Válerian, brother of late Matron Ysandre
Sidonie, a mistress of Arach-Tinith
Marvais, a sorcerer. master of Sorcere
Aristide, a master of Melee-Magthere
Lady Fanchone, third daughter of late Matron Ysandre
Ambroise, her consort, a knight of the House (fighter/wizard). Son of Ilmryn and Mylène, sister of late Matron Ysandre
Blaise, a warlock-sorcerer
Maëlys, a priestess. Twin of Thaïs.
Thaïs, a priestess. Twin of Maëlys.
Lady Noemie, fourth daughter of late Matron Ysandre
Loïc, her consort, a wizard
Sébire, a priestess
Lady Séverine, fifth daughter of late Matron Ysandre
Maxine, her consort, a wizard
Cyril, their concubine, a wizard
Lord Maël, eldest son of late Matron Ysandre. fighter/sorcerer/wizard. former House Weapon Master. (Disabled in the Battle of Mithril Hall and succeeded by Isidore)
Nalfein, his consort, a wizard. master of Sorcere
Mourn, their concubine, a wizard
Shalnazar, bard/wizard. master of Sorcere. Former courtesan of Oleander House, and Gisèle’s lover. Secret son of Maël and a moon elven adventurer who was a Vhaeraunite.
Lord Célestin, second son of late Matron Ysandre, a sorcerer-knight.
Lady Yasraena, his consort, a priestess
Sabal, their concubine
Rauva, their concubine
Sacha, a sorcerer/knight
Shi'nayne, a shadow mage. daughter of Rauva
Lord Válerian, third son of late Matron Ysandre (d. - sacrificed to Lolth)
Matron Ysandre's surviving siblings, in order of birth:
Prince Válerian, a priest
Lady Oriana, his consort, a high priestess (d - perished at Mithral Hall.)
Ghyslain, a wizard. consort to Lady Anaïs
Princess Mylène, a high priestess/bae'qeshel
Lord Titouan, her consort and knight of the house.
Corin, a sorcerer.
Elya, his consort.
-Raphael, their son, a knight/sorcerer
-Valentìn, their son, a knight
Prince Flavien
Lord Quentin, his consort, a wizard
Thierry, his son, a shadow mage/priest
Amarante, Thierry’s consort
-Florian, their son
[Truncated Family Tree Here.]
History
House Surana is a very old and distinguished Menzoberranyr noble house, tracing its roots before the Descent directly back to the last queen of ancient Miyeritar. Ancient pre-Descent House Surana, before the Dark Disaster, was actually known for its piety and devotion to Eilistraee, even through the Aryvandaari occupation of the kingdom; they were bae'qeshel and continue the lineage even into the present day through Queen Léonide Surana, last rightful ruler of the kingdom and leader of the Miyeritari resistance, who was even Eilistraee’s Chosen. Léonide’s consort, the silver dragon Prince Razhailin, laid down his life in a futile effort to defend the land from the Aryvandaari ritual of High Magic that caused the Dark Disaster. Losing the love of her life and her people drove Léonide to renounce Eilistraee.
She led the few Miyeritari survivors of the genocide to Illythiir (in family lore it’s called “The Long Walk”), where she pledged herself and her house to Lolth in her grief. Eilistraee was weak and could not protect her own people. But Lolth was strong, per the Illythiiri.
Lolth was all too happy to prey on her grief, as were the expansionist Illythiiri using the plight of their dark elven kin from Miyeritar as a pretext to launch the Fourth Crown War. And House Surana happily committed atrocities for their new allies. Thus, they were banished with them to the Underdark.
Post Descent, they were one of the seven noble houses to follow Menzoberra the Kinless out of the civil wars in Golothaer and found Menzoberranzan. Jehane Surana was the youngest of those matrons; she survived her mother and sisters in the old city, who perished in the fighting. But her relative youth and inexperience made her a target, and she was the most vulnerable of the seven. During the sojourn in the wilderness of the deep, what seemed like endless wandering, Jehane began to resent Menzoberra, and the zealotry that resulted in the wars which made them flee in the first place, upending her comfortable life. It was a simmering resentment beneath the surface, however, for Jehane was wilier than she appeared.
Meanwhile a small nearby clan of deep dragons took notice when these elves turned up on their doorstep slaying the ancient beholder Many Eyes who’d been a thorn in their side for centuries and took claim of its lair, naming it Menzoberranzan. The youngest, Zythandrar, was sent to infiltrate the drow ranks as a spy.
During a patrol, the unit Jehane led was set upon by hook horrors and her life was saved by a mysterious and beautiful drow male named Phaelarn who claimed to be a refugee of Golothaer, the last of his house. Jehane, enthralled by his beauty and desperately needing to bolster her ranks, took him as a lover, seeing the value in such a powerful ally. Because despite her youth and inexperience, Jehane knew "Phaelarn" was a deep dragon on sight, due to her own silver dragon ancestry, though she didn't let on right away; she wanted to see what his game was.
Truthfully, Zythandrar was dissatisfied with life in his own clan, which for as long as he could remember was defined by struggle until the death of Many Eyes. And he became utterly fascinated by mortals, particularly the drow. He quickly became enamored with his comparatively charmed life in Menzoberranzan--most especially with Jehane, who delighted him at every turn with her quick wit and insatiable curiosity to match his own. They bonded intensely over their love of hedonism and lust for life.
So they cut a deal: Jehane made him her patron, under his assumed Drow identity, and he fathered heirs with her to strengthen the magic in their bloodline and shared the knowledge of his kin. Shortly thereafter, in -3864 DR, House Nasadra attacked House Thaeyella, and in the ensuing battle, Thaeyella’s wizard triggered the collapse of a wall in the cavern that destroyed no less than four other noble houses and Menzoberra herself. House Surana only survived due to Zythandrar’s intervention and his powerful magic, but was greatly weakened. Still, seeing an opportunity, he encouraged Jehane to mount an attack on Nasadra with what remained of the Surana forces, bolstered by some few disguised reinforcements from his dragon clan. House Baenre quite unexpectedly sided with Jehane, successfully aiding the Surana in bringing Nasadra to heel. Through Zythandrar’s secret counsel, she brokered the agreement that saw Nasadra go into voluntary exile and found the city of Ched Nasad (though they would claim this was upon orders of Lolth, so the Nasadra could save face). But it was House Baenre that would rise to become First House of Menzoberranzan in the aftermath, as House Surana was too weakened to challenge them. Instead, Jehane would position her house as their seemingly loyal courtiers—though still firmly Seventh.
It was a turning point for House Surana, as Jehane saw the wisdom of Zythandrar’s ways, and his influence upon her was profound even beyond that early test. She shaped House Surana in the image of a deep dragon clan more than the typical Lolthite noble house, for she saw the value in his radical ways of thinking; she did not understand why her mother set Jehane and her siblings against one another, for it weakened the house when Jehane was all that remained. In stark contrast with the drow, deep dragons prioritized survival of the clan above all else, hunting together, protecting their lairs together; that Zythandrar’s kin would still come to his aid in the battle against House Nasadra despite his leaving spoke volumes to Jehane. (Note: His showing up to High Hall thousands of years later to aid Gisèle in the final battle against the Emperor and the Netherbrain is meant as a callback to this.) Much of House Surana's tradition, particularly their clannishness, is the result of Zythrandar's influence. But it was a true love match, all things told, despite everything. Jehane indulged his every whim, permitting him to wander the Night Above as he willed, bringing back all manner of scrolls, tomes, trinkets, and magical artifacts to share.
Everything changed, however, when Thirdboy Hyacinthe was born.
By Lolthite custom, the third son of a noble house must be sacrificed to the Spider Queen. But there was nothing more precious to Zythandrar than his children, not even his treasures, and Jehane felt the same; she feared being subjected to the Test of Lolth if she refused, however, and losing her favor with so few priestesses at her disposal in the House. In the end, she submitted, and wielded the sacrificial blade herself. She was devastated, vengeful, and cursed the Spider Queen and the vice grip she held on her people. It was then that Vhaeraun made overtures to them both, in their darkest hour of grief, promising them a better way, one that would raise them back to the glory of lost Miyeritar--Jehane’s birthright. And so Jehane would become the first in a long line of Masked Traitor priestesses, pledging herself and her house to Vhaeraun's service while feigning loyalty to Lolth on the surface. They began taking in males, particularly those gifted in the arcane Art, to fortify their bloodlines, content to play the long game.
In the 5,000 years since, Zythandrar has served as a shadow advisor to House Surana's matrons from his lavish stalactite tower lair at the edge of the Surana estate upon the Qu'ellarz’orl, occasionally pretending to be his own descendants, but largely content to remain hidden, hoarding jewels and rare books and tomes from the surface. He is, however, a true believer in Vhaeraun’s way, as the Masked Lord’s philosophy dovetails with his own, and as such is content to aid his beloved House from the shadows, exercising discretion.
Despite such a powerful shadow patron, and being one of the founding noble houses of Menzoberranzan, House Surana was not politically powerful comparative to its wealth and lineage until more recent upheavals in the past couple of centuries saw a shakeup in the city rankings, however. This is largely because of its comparatively small numbers, and its relative lack of priestesses compared to other noble houses; perhaps it was the Masked Lord's influence, or Zythandrar’s blood, but the Surana always trended toward male births. Those females born to the house were Masked Traitors to a one and exercised caution lest their heresy be discovered.
Thus, the house has instead always particularly been known for producing exceptionally powerful wizards and sorcerers, and as such has a long and storied history with Sorcere, the famed arcane academy in Tier Breche. Until recently, this combined with its control of a number of merchant clans and an extensive trade network through the upper Underdark represented the sum total of the house's clout. Only House Agrach Dyrr, longtime Second House, came anywhere close to matching the arcane might of House Surana. The other houses viewed them as indolent and nonthreatening because they were Seventh for millennia. The quiet consolidation of arcane power, their tightened grip on Sorcere, was noted. But House Surana seemed to do little with this power, thus had a reputation as being mere libertines, even by Drow standards, seemingly content to wallow in hedonism and excess and lacking the necessary ambition to be anything more than a footnote to House Baenre in Menzoberranyr history.
The House was far from idle, in truth. Their trade network dealt in information as much as goods, and it was through this vast intelligence apparatus that they learned of a cell of Vhaeraunite rebels in the city of Rilauven, led by the Archmage Malavon Despana, Elderboy of the city's ruling house. Overtures were quietly made, Matron Ysandre sending Lilithane herself as her envoy, and a deal was struck to secretly provide funding and other support to the rebels in exchange for exclusive trade rights with the city's merchants, who all supported overthrow of the Lolthite matriarchy so as to open the city to potentially lucrative business with Neverwinter on the surface. As part of the arrangement, Lilithane trained a number of other priestesses as Masked Traitors, and essentially rebuilt their espionage system from the ground up.
During Lilithane's time in Rilauven, she worked extremely closely with Vandarel Despana, Secondboy of the house and Malavon's younger brother and closest lieutenant. A powerful wizard in his own right, Vandarel was deeply devoted to Vhaeraun; for him the rebellion was less about seizing temporal power but throwing off the tyrannical yoke of Lolth. Lilithane was drawn to his passion and arcane gifts, and Vandarel deeply admired Lilithane's cunning and devotion to the Masked Lord. Before long they became lovers, and when the Vhaeraunites struck at last and pulled off their successful coup, it was largely a bloodless one thanks to the foundations laid by the two of them. Lilithane took Vandarel as her consort, to cement the alliance between House Surana and Malavon, but truth be told Malavon feared his brother and was relieved to see him go off to distant Menzoberranzan.
Lilithane would bear several children by Vandarel in rapid succession, beginning with eldest son Isidore.
It was after the birth of Ysabel, their first daughter, that Matron Yvonnel Baenre's disastrous march on Mithral Hall occurred. It would result in the deaths of Matron Ysandre and most of her siblings, and the maiming of the House Weapon Master, Lilithane's uncle Maël. As a result Lilithane was elevated to Matron Mother of the house; she named Isidore the new weapon master as her first act.
1372, the Year of Wild Magic, would prove a critical turning point in House Surana’s history. This was the time of the Silence of Lolth, the period when the Spider Queen did not answer her priestesses' entreaties and their spells did not work. While the city's powerful Archmage Gromph Baenre held it together, he mysteriously vanished one day, and Vandarel Surana swiftly stepped into the vacuum of power. During the Siege of Menzoberranzan, when the city was besieged by renegade males bolstered by outside forces seeking to take advantage of the Silence, it was the wizards and sorcerers of House Surana who led the arcane rituals that successfully defended Tier Breche, preventing the coup from reaching the Qu’ellarz’orl. House Surana's Weapon Master, Vandarel’s eldest son Isidore, led a daring raid on the traitorous Second House Agrach Dyrr’s labyrinthine estate and not only rescued Gromph Baenre—who, as it turned out, had been abducted and held prisoner there—but located the phylactery of the Lichdrow himself, the shadow ruler of the house, and destroyed it while Zythandrar fought him in a titanic duel.
For these efforts, Matron Lilithane was able to leapfrog into second rank from seventh when House Agrach Dyrr was expelled from the city’s ruling council and forced into a vassal status to House Baenre. Shortly afterwards, she would give birth to Gisèle by Vandarel, still in the Silence. And, quite shrewdly, Lilithane made to reaffirm House Surana’s loyalty to Baenre, in reassurance that her house’s arcane fury would not be turned upon them. She forged a betrothal arrangement with Matron Triel Baenre, pledging her infant daughter in marriage to Triel’s newly born niece, Minthara.
It was to be Triel’s last act before her assassination at the hands of her wily and ambitious younger sister Quenthel—Minthara’s mother—in fact, and was the catalyst for it. For Quenthel believed the elevation of House Surana a foolhardy mistake, and that they would not be content to remain loyal courtiers of House Baenre once permitted to rise to second rank. She dissolved the betrothal, citing some absurd point of law, but in truth she did not want a Surana within arm’s length of her throne. Lilithane demurred of course, but was privately furious, for she fully intended on using Gisèle to finally bring down House Baenre, from within. Once thwarted, Lilithane made it her newfound mission to personally see Quenthel laid low.
Lolth's Silence resulted in one other major shift in the city. Quenthel as yet remained Matron Mistress of the city’s Academy even after her ascension, and she decreed that the noble houses must send their daughters to Sorcere for rigorous instruction in the arcane—in earnest, rather than the cursory overview all students historically received. Lolth sanctioned this, granting her blessing upon a new caste of priestess-wizards who would keep an ever more watchful eye upon their male brethren.
As it turned out, Gisèle inherited the Surana aptitude for the arcane from her father and draconic sorcery from her mother, and was part of that first wave of noblewomen to attend Sorcere in numbers. And as the first female born to House Surana in decades, her birth was heralded as an omen; when she became dedicated as a Masked Traitor, Vhaeraun himself said that she held a divine gift and was marked for greatness. Lilithane interpreted this to mean that Gisèle would one day be the Masked Lord’s consort, and raised her with the belief in preparation for this eventual role, that she would be his dagger plunged into the heart of House Baenre.
Lilithane took in a storied young courtesan of Shavrak Thalra’s first house, Shalnazar, at Gisèle’s behest, for his arcane talents; he was Gisèle’s first lover, and unbeknownst to her, Maël’s secret son by a moon elf devotee of Vhaeraun. But Lilithane knew, and sought to use him to keep Gisèle content and mollified. What Lilithane did not know was Shalnazar was a Secret Moondancer of Eilistraee. He eventually converted Gisèle, though a battle for her soul would ensue once she was sent to Arach-Tinillth.
It was during her time there that Gisèle was uncovered as a z’elendarin, one supposedly blessed by Lolth to feel transcendent pleasure from the greatest of agonies. Lilithane crowed at such an achievement, for there had not been a z’elendarin born to Menzoberranzan in centuries. She saw this as proof that she would be the one to finally take down House Baenre and see the millennia long plan fulfilled. When Gisèle was nearly killed by a jealous rival, Lilithane urged her to seduce Quenthel Baenre for protection; it was Lilithane’s plan to use her to finally take down the Baenre from within as she had schemed since Gisèle’s birth. Gisèle complied, but eventually rebelled when Quenthel ordered her to sacrifice Shalnazar. She refused, but Lilithane did not dare intervene on behalf of a male for fear of exposing the House as heretics. So Gisèle ran.
Her defection from Menzoberranzan in 1487 DR, which resulted in the death of her sister First Princess Ysabel, sent shockwaves throughout the House and indeed all of Menzoberranzan. Oddly, House Surana did not lose the favor of Lolth as a result, despite Gisèle’s actions coming in personal defiance of the command of Quenthel Baenre, the self-styled Valsharess of Menzoberranzan and Lolth’s own Chosen. None outside of House Surana know that Gisèle defected because she’d converted to the worship of Eilistraee, for obvious reasons, but she has been declared anathema as a result, and her life is forfeit should she ever return to Menzoberranzan, whether by Quenthel’s hands or those of the family she left behind.
Lilithane has spent the intervening years performing damage control to ensure Lolth’s favor remains on the house, to not jeopardize the entire plan to bring her down. But during the Absolute crisis, when the Netherbrain threatened Baldur's Gate, Zythrandar himself would bring Isidore, Shalnazar, and a small band of House Surana forces to aid his wayward granddaughter in the final battle. He claimed it was Vhaeraun’s will, despite her apostasy; the Netherbrain’s plan to enslave Faerûn and enact the Grand Design upon Toril posed a direct and severe enough threat to Vhaeraun’s plans that the alliance was sanctioned. In reality, they loved her too much to let her face it without them, even after her betrayal.
And if it planted seeds of doubt within him, and Isidore, Lilithane would not know.
Goals
House Surana are the sole stewards of Miyeritar’s legacy, and thus the rightful rulers of the drow people; they are the only noble house who can trace their lineage back before the Descent, through bae’qeshel they alone have not forgotten who they truly are, unlike Lolth’s misbegotten children. To House Surana’s eyes, Lolth is a devil who robbed them of their birthright, who brought their people to nothing but unfathomable ruin and keeps them squabbling like children over one small cave for her twisted amusement, pitting man against woman, mother against son, noble against noble, killing one another while those who banished them have enjoyed the fruits of their ancestral lands in the Night Above.
But, when the time is right, House Surana will cast down the Spider Queen’s tyranny and lead Vhaeraun’s people back to the Night Above where they belong, and reclaim their ancestral birthright by any means necessary, ruling the surface in His name.
Ethos
We are the Queen’s heirs, and shall conduct ourselves as such. Loyalty to her and the house comes before everything but the Masked Lord Himself. Be not as the spider kissers cutting one another down for meaningless baubles and fleeting favor; only we are wise enough to know our strength lies in one another. The Masked Lord is no respecter of gender and neither are we; all who serve Him and are useful may serve.
All knowledge is worth having, prioritize its pursuit. If a spider kisser brandishes a blade, have two hidden on your person.
Trust no one who does not swear fealty to the Masked Lord, and cultivate deceptions when necessary to protect yourself and the House; His Shadow is our shield. Exercise restraint and caution; we have not survived these long millennia by recklessness. A word spoken in counsel can cut deeper than any knife, and serve one’s aims more effectively.
Culture
House Surana is intensely, singularly obsessed with its ancient Miyeritari heritage, as it has set the house apart from others in Menzoberranzan; in addition to the standard Drowic and High Drowic, the Surana speak a creole Drowic dialect derived from the ancient Miyeritari language, called Xan’nuit (“Night’s Tongue”), which is why virtually none of them have distinctly Drow names. Those who marry or who are adopted into the house are given Miyeritari names and are expected to become fluent in Xan’nuit in order to assimilate, as it is spoken exclusively within the house.
Their Miyeritari heritage is also represented by the fact that they are the oldest remaining bae’qeshel lineage on all of Toril, and are the art’s most prominent practicioners aside from a handful of Eilistraeans; Matron Lilithane was taught by her mother, the late Matron Ysandre, and has passed the art to her children, including Gisèle. But bae’qeshel are storytellers, poets, musicians, and by nature keep stories of family lines, history, and culture alive through their music and poetry. One of the ways the Surana have been able to wield their influence in the city as seemingly loyal courtiers to House Baenre is by leveraging this bae’qeshel lineage; as in ancient Miyeritar they serve as mediators and often settled disputes, but they are also keepers of many secrets.
As stated above, it is because of their stewardship of this ancient art that they believe they have a divine right to rule. But also, this bae’qeshel lineage is why Vhaeraun sought to subvert the house from Lolth, as it’s invaluable for espionage purposes. One of the reasons they have so been able to avoid detection as Masked Traitors these long millennia is through use of this art, adapting it to tap into the Shadow Weave and amplifying it through the natural sorcerous talent derived from their Draconic bloodlines.
In addition to their bae’qeshel practice, the Surana are more overtly trained in espionage from near birth and all of them regardless of vocation cultivate some manner of roguish skills; children of the house for example are taught elaborate games of hide and seek that serve to teach stealth and perception. Even those who do not directly practice bae’qeshel are still taught the performing arts and are expected to demonstrate competency in song, dance, at least once musical instrument, calligraphy, etc. This is, of course, a vestigial remnant of their ancestors’ ancient devotion to Eilistraee, but they would never, ever admit this; to them they are simply honoring their royal Miyeritari heritage, producing well-rounded nobles.
Even their appearance harkens to their ancestral past, as the Surana are quite fond of elaborate braided hairstyles that take many hours to complete. As children, Surana regardless of gender sit and take turns braiding one another’s hair in this fashion in order to teach them patience and discipline, two of the house’s guiding tenets.
This is not to say they do not indulge in the typical drow hedonism; far from it. Even by drow standards, Surana are vain, and cultivate beauty both as a mark of pride and as a weapon. Their hair is often ornately adorned with jewels, precious surface metals, and cowrie shells (a sign of opulence, as they are extremely expensive in the Underdark). Their extensive trade dealings with the surface give them access to all manner of luxuries. As well, as one of the elite noble houses, House Surana’s signature color by right is a duochrome violet-purple shade called surana sil’iluthos, chosen at the city’s inception by Matron Jehane as an homage to the color of Zythandrar’s scales, and the distinctive violet eyes that the house holds as a sign of his blood and sorcerous gifts running true. The Surana generally favor wearing shades of purple, even when it’s not sil’iluthos, however.
It is tradition that upon a Surana’s coming of age, a great fete is held at Oleander House, foremost of Shavrak Thalra—the most elite and prestigious of Menzoberranzan’s many courtesan guilds, with eight themed houses in a sprawling compound at the edge of Narbondellyn closest to the Qu’ellarz’orl. Surana are tutored by Thalran courtesans in the arts of pleasure and the house counts many ex-Thalran courtesans amongst its ranks as concubines, consorts, and servants.
Because of this, their legendary revels—said to last days at a time—and more, the Surana have a reputation within the city as libertines particularly devoted to Lolth’s aspect as Mother of Lusts. This is a reputation that is deliberately cultivated by the Surana, as being viewed as indolent hedonists by the rest of Menzoberranzan’s elite has worked to their advantage for millennia, and seduction is an especially favored tool employed by the house to manipulate and control their enemies. Their debauched revels are the stuff of legend in the city, often in the form of masquerades.
Their clannishness combined with their obsession with lineage and cultivation of arcane power results in a high instance of intermarriage, though pains are taken to avoid sanctioning of close blood relations, and the draconic ancestry of the Surana bloodline seems to prevent averse effects in the fruit of these unions (another reason they believe they are set above other drow). Abuse and coercion are strictly considered anathema, tantamount to heresy given Vhaeraun's enshrining of equity and the guiding ethos never to harm another of the house; the rare times it does happen, the offender is ritually stripped of his protection and put to death, their souls to wander Carceri in eternal torment by his demonic servitors.
House Surana notably does not keep slaves, unlike every other Menzoberranyr noble house. This is not because they are inherently more moral than their Lolthite brethren (they most assuredly are not), but rather due to prudent avoidance of what they believe is a foolish over-reliance upon a vast, disaffected underclass among the Lolthite nobility. All of the house’s servants and retainers receive generous compensation as a matter of engendering loyalty, and are chosen primarily for their discretion; a well-paid, well-treated servant has little cause to betray his master, which is also why House Surana has exceedingly stringent rules about the treatment of those in its employ, even battle captives. In turn, this makes the house exceedingly popular to work for and to do business with. In addition, they have a standing contract with the Bregan D’aerthe mercenary band, and more than one of the House’s soldiers have been poached from it, particularly those with arcane and sorcerous talent.
Religion
House Surana has been secretly, fiercely devoted to Vhaeraun for millennia. Every priestess of the House from Jehane on down has been a Masked Traitor, outwardly loyal priestesses of the Spider Queen while serving Vhaeraun in secret and acting as spies in her temple. That not a single one has been detected these long years by Lolth’s priestesses or the goddess herself, and the House has continued to enjoy the Spider Queen’s favor, is a testatment to its stealth, cunning, and talent for survival, as well as the Masked Lord’s protection. Their legendary hedonism is as much a cover, however, as it is widely believed in the city (with envy!) that none are as devoted to Lolth’s aspect as the Mother of Lusts as House Surana. In truth, the House views hedonism as Vhaeraun’s gift, as trust is inherently necessary in the sharing of pleasure, and bonds are forged.
While Vhaeraunite theology typically cares far less about dogma than it does praxis, the Surana view the Masked Lord not merely as their patron but as divine kindred; a divine prince robbed of his royal birthright, even as they were robbed of theirs. That their destinies are intertwined is taken as holy writ; what they do, scheming to claim Menzoberranzan and then the surface, they do not merely for themselves but for him. They work in the shadows that they might emerge from them when the time is right and take back what is rightfully theirs—that Vhaeraun might do the same. Intrinsic to this is the belief that the Masked Lord will take a Surana as his consort, thus to rule together. In truth, the Masked Lord has been known to join Surana revels and has claimed more than one as a lover over the millennia.
Dusk is held as a sacred time of silent meditation and contemplation; Surana priests gather then in the household temple to pray in the darkness, receiving spells from Vhaeraun. His rituals are held at night, sacrifices of wealth, weapons, and magical objects from the house’s enemies are made as offerings, melted down upon the altar.
At midnight upon every New Moon, they take to riding lizards and go hunting upon the surface. While this is couched to their Lolthite peers as a typical raid of surfacer villages, in truth it is a sacred hunt of a stag in which its antlers and still-beating heart are sacrificed to Vhaeraun. The ignorant believe it a mockery of ancient elven ritual; in truth, like much of House Surana tradition, it is an homage to the ancient ways of their Miyeritari ancestors upon the surface, who held stags a sacred symbol of royalty. By sacrificing the stag, they seek to renew the covenant between the House and Vhaeraun.
The winter solstice is the holiest time of the year to House Surana. They hold an annual revel in the tendays leading up to it, a grand masquerade which is considered the social event of the year in Menzoberranzan, a monument to excess. Upon what they deem the Longest Night itself, however, the Surana retreat to the secret temple at the heart of their estate to perform the Masked Lord’s Embrace: shrouding the temple in complete darkness—sustained the length of the night by Vhaeraun Himself—they levitate and meditate the whole of the night in total sensory deprivation, reaffirming the House’s devotion to him, and contemplate how to further their shared goals. At times he will come among them, basking in their love, and send signs of his favor.
There is but one force on life that House Surana hates as much as Lolth, and that is Eilistraee. They view her as weak, a simple-minded fool without the will or the power to end the Spider Queen’s tyranny. She failed Miyeritar, their queen, their people. Eilistraee is a convenient scapegoat in the family lore, one to blame for their fall into exile; were it not for her failures to protect those sworn to her, their great Queen Léonide would never have fallen into the Spider Queen’s treacherous embrace. Only Vhaeraun’s cunning may be leaned upon, he who has sheltered and empowered them since Queen Jehane had the courage to don the mask.
They do not know or care that Vhaeraun no longer views his sister as his enemy. The Masked Lady, in their belief, was simply a clever gambit on his part to infiltrate and destroy her equally simple-minded followers. That Vhaeraun has not seen fit to disabuse them of these notions is simply a part of his long game.
Estate
The House Surana estate is a tastefully opulent palace situated on the southwest corner of the Qu’ellarz’orl, consisting of a central domed structure and a number of spiraling towers containing libraries, arcane laboratories, and living quarters. The largest tower by far is Zythrandar’s lair at the edge of the estate, a truly massive stalactite only accessible by flight or levitation, from which he keeps a weather eye on his kin. The Surana sense of interior design is, while lush and maximalist in keeping with drow sensibility, far less gaudy to their view than the other houses, particularly what they call “the Baenre anthill”; they flaunt their wealth in more subtle ways, with rarities from the surface which speak to their vast connections and prowess in trade. Salons are laid with priceless Calishite carpets of silk weave—true silk, rather than the spider silk common to the Underdark. The House’s libraries are stocked with rare tomes from across Faerûn and even the distant lands of Kara-Tur, its floors inlaid with Chessentan marble, its halls filled with objet d’art from a myriad lands. Even the servants quarters and barracks are well-appointed, in keeping with the Surana philosophy of engendering loyalty through grace rather than fear.
The estate also contains a number of inner courtyard grottos filled with rare surface flora among the Underdark specimens, night blooming flowers and even trees cultivated by the house’s small army of botanists and maintained through magical means.
An extensive network of hidden tunnels beneath the manor—a labyrinth, in truth—serves as both training ground and a method of escape to the wilds outside the city, though magical wards and false walls abound. It also protects Zythandrar’s hidden hoard, buried deep beneath it.
While they maintain a token temple to Lolth within their vast estate, conducting rites to avoid rousing the suspicion of both the Spider Queen and her loyal followers, the true center of worship in the estate is the vast underground amphitheater deep below it known as the Vault of Shadows Deep, or simply "the Vault". It is by far the most secure location in the estate, protected by all manner of arcane shields and Vhaeraun's own shadow magics. Remnants of the Lichdrow’s phylactery, once purified, are speckled amongst the beljurils in the temple ceiling both as a trophy and as an offering to the Masked Lord, proof of the Surana strength against their enemies.
Here is another longform lore post on my Realms, this one on Tav!Gisèle’s very unusual drow noble house. The usual disclaimers re: my bg3 work apply: that this video game is simply one small part of larger Realmslore that I have been crafting for 20+ years though the original BioWare BG trilogy and its sister FR CRPGs, tabletop campaigns, and fic. In particular, this loredoc heavily references events from the War of the Spider Queen and serves as a Fix It for many aspects of it, in accordance with the Menzoberranzan I’ve worked on for the better part of 30 years.
(cw: incest mention, of the royal cousin marrying sort.)
House Motto: Ulu z’hin maglust dal Qu’ellar lueth Valsharess zhah ulu z’hin wund lil phalar. / Marcher à l'écart de la Qu’ellar et de la reine, c'est entrer dans la tombe.
("To walk apart from House and Queen is to walk into the grave.")
Glyph: a circle of 8 stylized skeleton keys joined at the bow. meant to symbolize the eight tenets of the house:
Survival
Cunning
Knowledge
Strength
Loyalty
Patience
Piety
Wisdom
Personae:
Zythandrar the Fathomless, many times removed grand sire of late Matron Ysandre, a deep dragon. Shadow advisor to Matron Lilithane and true House Wizard.
Matron Mother, Queen Lilithane, eldest daughter of late Matron Ysandre and Dowager Prince Janvier. Sorceress, bae’qeshel and Masked Traitor.
Patron, Prince Consort Vandarel (Hyacinthe), her consort, a sorcerer. House Wizard.
Ilmryn, their concubine, a knight of the House
Chalithra, their concubine, a priestess
Bastien, their concubine
First Princess Ysabel, a high priestess/bae'qeshel (d. - killed by Gisèle in self defense upon her defection)
First Princess Gisèle, a high priestess/sorceress/bae'qeshel. z’elendarin (“pain-bearer”; defected to the surface in 1487)
Elderboy Prince Isidore, a fighter/sorcerer. House Weapon Master.
Secondboy* Prince Narcisse, a wizard-sorcerer. (*nonbinary, they/them). a master of Sorcere
Thirdboy Prince Cyprien (d. - sacrificed to Lolth per tradition)
Thirdboy Prince Baudoin, a master of Melee-Magthere. Son of Ilmryn.
Lady Anaïs, second daughter of late Matron Ysandre
Ghyslain, her consort, a master of Sorcere. Son of Válerian, brother of late Matron Ysandre
Sidonie, a mistress of Arach-Tinith
Marvais, a sorcerer. master of Sorcere
Aristide, a master of Melee-Magthere
Lady Fanchone, third daughter of late Matron Ysandre
Ambroise, her consort, a knight of the House (fighter/wizard). Son of Ilmryn and Mylène, sister of late Matron Ysandre
Blaise, a warlock-sorcerer
Maëlys, a priestess. Twin of Thaïs.
Thaïs, a priestess. Twin of Maëlys.
Lady Noemie, fourth daughter of late Matron Ysandre
Loïc, her consort, a wizard
Sébire, a priestess
Lady Séverine, fifth daughter of late Matron Ysandre
Maxine, her consort, a wizard
Cyril, their concubine, a wizard
Lord Maël, eldest son of late Matron Ysandre. fighter/sorcerer/wizard. former House Weapon Master. (Disabled in the Battle of Mithril Hall and succeeded by Isidore)
Nalfein, his consort, a wizard. master of Sorcere
Mourn, their concubine, a wizard
Shalnazar, bard/wizard. master of Sorcere. Former courtesan of Oleander House, and Gisèle’s lover. Secret son of Maël and a moon elven adventurer who was a Vhaeraunite.
Lord Célestin, second son of late Matron Ysandre, a sorcerer-knight.
Lady Yasraena, his consort, a priestess
Sabal, their concubine
Rauva, their concubine
Sacha, a sorcerer/knight
Shi'nayne, a shadow mage. daughter of Rauva
Lord Válerian, third son of late Matron Ysandre (d. - sacrificed to Lolth)
Matron Ysandre's surviving siblings, in order of birth:
Prince Válerian, a priest
Lady Oriana, his consort, a high priestess (d - perished at Mithral Hall.)
Ghyslain, a wizard. consort to Lady Anaïs
Princess Mylène, a high priestess/bae'qeshel
Lord Titouan, her consort and knight of the house.
Corin, a sorcerer.
Elya, his consort.
-Raphael, their son, a knight/sorcerer
-Valentìn, their son, a knight
Prince Flavien
Lord Quentin, his consort, a wizard
Thierry, his son, a shadow mage/priest
Amarante, Thierry’s consort
-Florian, their son
[Truncated Family Tree Here.]
History
House Surana is a very old and distinguished Menzoberranyr noble house, tracing its roots before the Descent directly back to the last queen of ancient Miyeritar. Ancient pre-Descent House Surana, before the Dark Disaster, was actually known for its piety and devotion to Eilistraee, even through the Aryvandaari occupation of the kingdom; they were bae'qeshel and continue the lineage even into the present day through Queen Léonide Surana, last rightful ruler of the kingdom and leader of the Miyeritari resistance, who was even Eilistraee’s Chosen. Léonide’s consort, the silver dragon Prince Razhailin, laid down his life in a futile effort to defend the land from the Aryvandaari ritual of High Magic that caused the Dark Disaster. Losing the love of her life and her people drove Léonide to renounce Eilistraee.
She led the few Miyeritari survivors of the genocide to Illythiir (in family lore it’s called “The Long Walk”), where she pledged herself and her house to Lolth in her grief. Eilistraee was weak and could not protect her own people. But Lolth was strong, per the Illythiiri.
Lolth was all too happy to prey on her grief, as were the expansionist Illythiiri using the plight of their dark elven kin from Miyeritar as a pretext to launch the Fourth Crown War. And House Surana happily committed atrocities for their new allies. Thus, they were banished with them to the Underdark.
Post Descent, they were one of the seven noble houses to follow Menzoberra the Kinless out of the civil wars in Golothaer and found Menzoberranzan. Jehane Surana was the youngest of those matrons; she survived her mother and sisters in the old city, who perished in the fighting. But her relative youth and inexperience made her a target, and she was the most vulnerable of the seven. During the sojourn in the wilderness of the deep, what seemed like endless wandering, Jehane began to resent Menzoberra, and the zealotry that resulted in the wars which made them flee in the first place, upending her comfortable life. It was a simmering resentment beneath the surface, however, for Jehane was wilier than she appeared.
Meanwhile a small nearby clan of deep dragons took notice when these elves turned up on their doorstep slaying the ancient beholder Many Eyes who’d been a thorn in their side for centuries and took claim of its lair, naming it Menzoberranzan. The youngest, Zythandrar, was sent to infiltrate the drow ranks as a spy.
During a patrol, the unit Jehane led was set upon by hook horrors and her life was saved by a mysterious and beautiful drow male named Phaelarn who claimed to be a refugee of Golothaer, the last of his house. Jehane, enthralled by his beauty and desperately needing to bolster her ranks, took him as a lover, seeing the value in such a powerful ally. Because despite her youth and inexperience, Jehane knew "Phaelarn" was a deep dragon on sight, due to her own silver dragon ancestry, though she didn't let on right away; she wanted to see what his game was.
Truthfully, Zythandrar was dissatisfied with life in his own clan, which for as long as he could remember was defined by struggle until the death of Many Eyes. And he became utterly fascinated by mortals, particularly the drow. He quickly became enamored with his comparatively charmed life in Menzoberranzan--most especially with Jehane, who delighted him at every turn with her quick wit and insatiable curiosity to match his own. They bonded intensely over their love of hedonism and lust for life.
So they cut a deal: Jehane made him her patron, under his assumed Drow identity, and he fathered heirs with her to strengthen the magic in their bloodline and shared the knowledge of his kin. Shortly thereafter, in -3864 DR, House Nasadra attacked House Thaeyella, and in the ensuing battle, Thaeyella’s wizard triggered the collapse of a wall in the cavern that destroyed no less than four other noble houses and Menzoberra herself. House Surana only survived due to Zythandrar’s intervention and his powerful magic, but was greatly weakened. Still, seeing an opportunity, he encouraged Jehane to mount an attack on Nasadra with what remained of the Surana forces, bolstered by some few disguised reinforcements from his dragon clan. House Baenre quite unexpectedly sided with Jehane, successfully aiding the Surana in bringing Nasadra to heel. Through Zythandrar’s secret counsel, she brokered the agreement that saw Nasadra go into voluntary exile and found the city of Ched Nasad (though they would claim this was upon orders of Lolth, so the Nasadra could save face). But it was House Baenre that would rise to become First House of Menzoberranzan in the aftermath, as House Surana was too weakened to challenge them. Instead, Jehane would position her house as their seemingly loyal courtiers—though still firmly Seventh.
It was a turning point for House Surana, as Jehane saw the wisdom of Zythandrar’s ways, and his influence upon her was profound even beyond that early test. She shaped House Surana in the image of a deep dragon clan more than the typical Lolthite noble house, for she saw the value in his radical ways of thinking; she did not understand why her mother set Jehane and her siblings against one another, for it weakened the house when Jehane was all that remained. In stark contrast with the drow, deep dragons prioritized survival of the clan above all else, hunting together, protecting their lairs together; that Zythandrar’s kin would still come to his aid in the battle against House Nasadra despite his leaving spoke volumes to Jehane. (Note: His showing up to High Hall thousands of years later to aid Gisèle in the final battle against the Emperor and the Netherbrain is meant as a callback to this.) Much of House Surana's tradition, particularly their clannishness, is the result of Zythrandar's influence. But it was a true love match, all things told, despite everything. Jehane indulged his every whim, permitting him to wander the Night Above as he willed, bringing back all manner of scrolls, tomes, trinkets, and magical artifacts to share.
Everything changed, however, when Thirdboy Hyacinthe was born.
By Lolthite custom, the third son of a noble house must be sacrificed to the Spider Queen. But there was nothing more precious to Zythandrar than his children, not even his treasures, and Jehane felt the same; she feared being subjected to the Test of Lolth if she refused, however, and losing her favor with so few priestesses at her disposal in the House. In the end, she submitted, and wielded the sacrificial blade herself. She was devastated, vengeful, and cursed the Spider Queen and the vice grip she held on her people. It was then that Vhaeraun made overtures to them both, in their darkest hour of grief, promising them a better way, one that would raise them back to the glory of lost Miyeritar--Jehane’s birthright. And so Jehane would become the first in a long line of Masked Traitor priestesses, pledging herself and her house to Vhaeraun's service while feigning loyalty to Lolth on the surface. They began taking in males, particularly those gifted in the arcane Art, to fortify their bloodlines, content to play the long game.
In the 5,000 years since, Zythandrar has served as a shadow advisor to House Surana's matrons from his lavish stalactite tower lair at the edge of the Surana estate upon the Qu'ellarz’orl, occasionally pretending to be his own descendants, but largely content to remain hidden, hoarding jewels and rare books and tomes from the surface. He is, however, a true believer in Vhaeraun’s way, as the Masked Lord’s philosophy dovetails with his own, and as such is content to aid his beloved House from the shadows, exercising discretion.
Despite such a powerful shadow patron, and being one of the founding noble houses of Menzoberranzan, House Surana was not politically powerful comparative to its wealth and lineage until more recent upheavals in the past couple of centuries saw a shakeup in the city rankings, however. This is largely because of its comparatively small numbers, and its relative lack of priestesses compared to other noble houses; perhaps it was the Masked Lord's influence, or Zythandrar’s blood, but the Surana always trended toward male births. Those females born to the house were Masked Traitors to a one and exercised caution lest their heresy be discovered.
Thus, the house has instead always particularly been known for producing exceptionally powerful wizards and sorcerers, and as such has a long and storied history with Sorcere, the famed arcane academy in Tier Breche. Until recently, this combined with its control of a number of merchant clans and an extensive trade network through the upper Underdark represented the sum total of the house's clout. Only House Agrach Dyrr, longtime Second House, came anywhere close to matching the arcane might of House Surana. The other houses viewed them as indolent and nonthreatening because they were Seventh for millennia. The quiet consolidation of arcane power, their tightened grip on Sorcere, was noted. But House Surana seemed to do little with this power, thus had a reputation as being mere libertines, even by Drow standards, seemingly content to wallow in hedonism and excess and lacking the necessary ambition to be anything more than a footnote to House Baenre in Menzoberranyr history.
The House was far from idle, in truth. Their trade network dealt in information as much as goods, and it was through this vast intelligence apparatus that they learned of a cell of Vhaeraunite rebels in the city of Rilauven, led by the Archmage Malavon Despana, Elderboy of the city's ruling house. Overtures were quietly made, Matron Ysandre sending Lilithane herself as her envoy, and a deal was struck to secretly provide funding and other support to the rebels in exchange for exclusive trade rights with the city's merchants, who all supported overthrow of the Lolthite matriarchy so as to open the city to potentially lucrative business with Neverwinter on the surface. As part of the arrangement, Lilithane trained a number of other priestesses as Masked Traitors, and essentially rebuilt their espionage system from the ground up.
During Lilithane's time in Rilauven, she worked extremely closely with Vandarel Despana, Secondboy of the house and Malavon's younger brother and closest lieutenant. A powerful wizard in his own right, Vandarel was deeply devoted to Vhaeraun; for him the rebellion was less about seizing temporal power but throwing off the tyrannical yoke of Lolth. Lilithane was drawn to his passion and arcane gifts, and Vandarel deeply admired Lilithane's cunning and devotion to the Masked Lord. Before long they became lovers, and when the Vhaeraunites struck at last and pulled off their successful coup, it was largely a bloodless one thanks to the foundations laid by the two of them. Lilithane took Vandarel as her consort, to cement the alliance between House Surana and Malavon, but truth be told Malavon feared his brother and was relieved to see him go off to distant Menzoberranzan.
Lilithane would bear several children by Vandarel in rapid succession, beginning with eldest son Isidore.
It was after the birth of Ysabel, their first daughter, that Matron Yvonnel Baenre's disastrous march on Mithral Hall occurred. It would result in the deaths of Matron Ysandre and most of her siblings, and the maiming of the House Weapon Master, Lilithane's uncle Maël. As a result Lilithane was elevated to Matron Mother of the house; she named Isidore the new weapon master as her first act.
1372, the Year of Wild Magic, would prove a critical turning point in House Surana’s history. This was the time of the Silence of Lolth, the period when the Spider Queen did not answer her priestesses' entreaties and their spells did not work. While the city's powerful Archmage Gromph Baenre held it together, he mysteriously vanished one day, and Vandarel Surana swiftly stepped into the vacuum of power. During the Siege of Menzoberranzan, when the city was besieged by renegade males bolstered by outside forces seeking to take advantage of the Silence, it was the wizards and sorcerers of House Surana who led the arcane rituals that successfully defended Tier Breche, preventing the coup from reaching the Qu’ellarz’orl. House Surana's Weapon Master, Vandarel’s eldest son Isidore, led a daring raid on the traitorous Second House Agrach Dyrr’s labyrinthine estate and not only rescued Gromph Baenre—who, as it turned out, had been abducted and held prisoner there—but located the phylactery of the Lichdrow himself, the shadow ruler of the house, and destroyed it while Zythandrar fought him in a titanic duel.
For these efforts, Matron Lilithane was able to leapfrog into second rank from seventh when House Agrach Dyrr was expelled from the city’s ruling council and forced into a vassal status to House Baenre. Shortly afterwards, she would give birth to Gisèle by Vandarel, still in the Silence. And, quite shrewdly, Lilithane made to reaffirm House Surana’s loyalty to Baenre, in reassurance that her house’s arcane fury would not be turned upon them. She forged a betrothal arrangement with Matron Triel Baenre, pledging her infant daughter in marriage to Triel’s newly born niece, Minthara.
It was to be Triel’s last act before her assassination at the hands of her wily and ambitious younger sister Quenthel—Minthara’s mother—in fact, and was the catalyst for it. For Quenthel believed the elevation of House Surana a foolhardy mistake, and that they would not be content to remain loyal courtiers of House Baenre once permitted to rise to second rank. She dissolved the betrothal, citing some absurd point of law, but in truth she did not want a Surana within arm’s length of her throne. Lilithane demurred of course, but was privately furious, for she fully intended on using Gisèle to finally bring down House Baenre, from within. Once thwarted, Lilithane made it her newfound mission to personally see Quenthel laid low.
Lolth's Silence resulted in one other major shift in the city. Quenthel as yet remained Matron Mistress of the city’s Academy even after her ascension, and she decreed that the noble houses must send their daughters to Sorcere for rigorous instruction in the arcane—in earnest, rather than the cursory overview all students historically received. Lolth sanctioned this, granting her blessing upon a new caste of priestess-wizards who would keep an ever more watchful eye upon their male brethren.
As it turned out, Gisèle inherited the Surana aptitude for the arcane from her father and draconic sorcery from her mother, and was part of that first wave of noblewomen to attend Sorcere in numbers. And as the first female born to House Surana in decades, her birth was heralded as an omen; when she became dedicated as a Masked Traitor, Vhaeraun himself said that she held a divine gift and was marked for greatness. Lilithane interpreted this to mean that Gisèle would one day be the Masked Lord’s consort, and raised her with the belief in preparation for this eventual role, that she would be his dagger plunged into the heart of House Baenre.
Lilithane took in a storied young courtesan of Shavrak Thalra’s first house, Shalnazar, at Gisèle’s behest, for his arcane talents; he was Gisèle’s first lover, and unbeknownst to her, Maël’s secret son by a moon elf devotee of Vhaeraun. But Lilithane knew, and sought to use him to keep Gisèle content and mollified. What Lilithane did not know was Shalnazar was a Secret Moondancer of Eilistraee. He eventually converted Gisèle, though a battle for her soul would ensue once she was sent to Arach-Tinillth.
It was during her time there that Gisèle was uncovered as a z’elendarin, one supposedly blessed by Lolth to feel transcendent pleasure from the greatest of agonies. Lilithane crowed at such an achievement, for there had not been a z’elendarin born to Menzoberranzan in centuries. She saw this as proof that she would be the one to finally take down House Baenre and see the millennia long plan fulfilled. When Gisèle was nearly killed by a jealous rival, Lilithane urged her to seduce Quenthel Baenre for protection; it was Lilithane’s plan to use her to finally take down the Baenre from within as she had schemed since Gisèle’s birth. Gisèle complied, but eventually rebelled when Quenthel ordered her to sacrifice Shalnazar. She refused, but Lilithane did not dare intervene on behalf of a male for fear of exposing the House as heretics. So Gisèle ran.
Her defection from Menzoberranzan in 1487 DR, which resulted in the death of her sister First Princess Ysabel, sent shockwaves throughout the House and indeed all of Menzoberranzan. Oddly, House Surana did not lose the favor of Lolth as a result, despite Gisèle’s actions coming in personal defiance of the command of Quenthel Baenre, the self-styled Valsharess of Menzoberranzan and Lolth’s own Chosen. None outside of House Surana know that Gisèle defected because she’d converted to the worship of Eilistraee, for obvious reasons, but she has been declared anathema as a result, and her life is forfeit should she ever return to Menzoberranzan, whether by Quenthel’s hands or those of the family she left behind.
Lilithane has spent the intervening years performing damage control to ensure Lolth’s favor remains on the house, to not jeopardize the entire plan to bring her down. But during the Absolute crisis, when the Netherbrain threatened Baldur's Gate, Zythrandar himself would bring Isidore, Shalnazar, and a small band of House Surana forces to aid his wayward granddaughter in the final battle. He claimed it was Vhaeraun’s will, despite her apostasy; the Netherbrain’s plan to enslave Faerûn and enact the Grand Design upon Toril posed a direct and severe enough threat to Vhaeraun’s plans that the alliance was sanctioned. In reality, they loved her too much to let her face it without them, even after her betrayal.
And if it planted seeds of doubt within him, and Isidore, Lilithane would not know.
Goals
House Surana are the sole stewards of Miyeritar’s legacy, and thus the rightful rulers of the drow people; they are the only noble house who can trace their lineage back before the Descent, through bae’qeshel they alone have not forgotten who they truly are, unlike Lolth’s misbegotten children. To House Surana’s eyes, Lolth is a devil who robbed them of their birthright, who brought their people to nothing but unfathomable ruin and keeps them squabbling like children over one small cave for her twisted amusement, pitting man against woman, mother against son, noble against noble, killing one another while those who banished them have enjoyed the fruits of their ancestral lands in the Night Above.
But, when the time is right, House Surana will cast down the Spider Queen’s tyranny and lead Vhaeraun’s people back to the Night Above where they belong, and reclaim their ancestral birthright by any means necessary, ruling the surface in His name.
Ethos
We are the Queen’s heirs, and shall conduct ourselves as such. Loyalty to her and the house comes before everything but the Masked Lord Himself. Be not as the spider kissers cutting one another down for meaningless baubles and fleeting favor; only we are wise enough to know our strength lies in one another. The Masked Lord is no respecter of gender and neither are we; all who serve Him and are useful may serve.
All knowledge is worth having, prioritize its pursuit. If a spider kisser brandishes a blade, have two hidden on your person.
Trust no one who does not swear fealty to the Masked Lord, and cultivate deceptions when necessary to protect yourself and the House; His Shadow is our shield. Exercise restraint and caution; we have not survived these long millennia by recklessness. A word spoken in counsel can cut deeper than any knife, and serve one’s aims more effectively.
Culture
House Surana is intensely, singularly obsessed with its ancient Miyeritari heritage, as it has set the house apart from others in Menzoberranzan; in addition to the standard Drowic and High Drowic, the Surana speak a creole Drowic dialect derived from the ancient Miyeritari language, called Xan’nuit (“Night’s Tongue”), which is why virtually none of them have distinctly Drow names. Those who marry or who are adopted into the house are given Miyeritari names and are expected to become fluent in Xan’nuit in order to assimilate, as it is spoken exclusively within the house.
Their Miyeritari heritage is also represented by the fact that they are the oldest remaining bae’qeshel lineage on all of Toril, and are the art’s most prominent practicioners aside from a handful of Eilistraeans; Matron Lilithane was taught by her mother, the late Matron Ysandre, and has passed the art to her children, including Gisèle. But bae’qeshel are storytellers, poets, musicians, and by nature keep stories of family lines, history, and culture alive through their music and poetry. One of the ways the Surana have been able to wield their influence in the city as seemingly loyal courtiers to House Baenre is by leveraging this bae’qeshel lineage; as in ancient Miyeritar they serve as mediators and often settled disputes, but they are also keepers of many secrets.
As stated above, it is because of their stewardship of this ancient art that they believe they have a divine right to rule. But also, this bae’qeshel lineage is why Vhaeraun sought to subvert the house from Lolth, as it’s invaluable for espionage purposes. One of the reasons they have so been able to avoid detection as Masked Traitors these long millennia is through use of this art, adapting it to tap into the Shadow Weave and amplifying it through the natural sorcerous talent derived from their Draconic bloodlines.
In addition to their bae’qeshel practice, the Surana are more overtly trained in espionage from near birth and all of them regardless of vocation cultivate some manner of roguish skills; children of the house for example are taught elaborate games of hide and seek that serve to teach stealth and perception. Even those who do not directly practice bae’qeshel are still taught the performing arts and are expected to demonstrate competency in song, dance, at least once musical instrument, calligraphy, etc. This is, of course, a vestigial remnant of their ancestors’ ancient devotion to Eilistraee, but they would never, ever admit this; to them they are simply honoring their royal Miyeritari heritage, producing well-rounded nobles.
Even their appearance harkens to their ancestral past, as the Surana are quite fond of elaborate braided hairstyles that take many hours to complete. As children, Surana regardless of gender sit and take turns braiding one another’s hair in this fashion in order to teach them patience and discipline, two of the house’s guiding tenets.
This is not to say they do not indulge in the typical drow hedonism; far from it. Even by drow standards, Surana are vain, and cultivate beauty both as a mark of pride and as a weapon. Their hair is often ornately adorned with jewels, precious surface metals, and cowrie shells (a sign of opulence, as they are extremely expensive in the Underdark). Their extensive trade dealings with the surface give them access to all manner of luxuries. As well, as one of the elite noble houses, House Surana’s signature color by right is a duochrome violet-purple shade called surana sil’iluthos, chosen at the city’s inception by Matron Jehane as an homage to the color of Zythandrar’s scales, and the distinctive violet eyes that the house holds as a sign of his blood and sorcerous gifts running true. The Surana generally favor wearing shades of purple, even when it’s not sil’iluthos, however.
It is tradition that upon a Surana’s coming of age, a great fete is held at Oleander House, foremost of Shavrak Thalra—the most elite and prestigious of Menzoberranzan’s many courtesan guilds, with eight themed houses in a sprawling compound at the edge of Narbondellyn closest to the Qu’ellarz’orl. Surana are tutored by Thalran courtesans in the arts of pleasure and the house counts many ex-Thalran courtesans amongst its ranks as concubines, consorts, and servants.
Because of this, their legendary revels—said to last days at a time—and more, the Surana have a reputation within the city as libertines particularly devoted to Lolth’s aspect as Mother of Lusts. This is a reputation that is deliberately cultivated by the Surana, as being viewed as indolent hedonists by the rest of Menzoberranzan’s elite has worked to their advantage for millennia, and seduction is an especially favored tool employed by the house to manipulate and control their enemies. Their debauched revels are the stuff of legend in the city, often in the form of masquerades.
Their clannishness combined with their obsession with lineage and cultivation of arcane power results in a high instance of intermarriage, though pains are taken to avoid sanctioning of close blood relations, and the draconic ancestry of the Surana bloodline seems to prevent averse effects in the fruit of these unions (another reason they believe they are set above other drow). Abuse and coercion are strictly considered anathema, tantamount to heresy given Vhaeraun's enshrining of equity and the guiding ethos never to harm another of the house; the rare times it does happen, the offender is ritually stripped of his protection and put to death, their souls to wander Carceri in eternal torment by his demonic servitors.
House Surana notably does not keep slaves, unlike every other Menzoberranyr noble house. This is not because they are inherently more moral than their Lolthite brethren (they most assuredly are not), but rather due to prudent avoidance of what they believe is a foolish over-reliance upon a vast, disaffected underclass among the Lolthite nobility. All of the house’s servants and retainers receive generous compensation as a matter of engendering loyalty, and are chosen primarily for their discretion; a well-paid, well-treated servant has little cause to betray his master, which is also why House Surana has exceedingly stringent rules about the treatment of those in its employ, even battle captives. In turn, this makes the house exceedingly popular to work for and to do business with. In addition, they have a standing contract with the Bregan D’aerthe mercenary band, and more than one of the House’s soldiers have been poached from it, particularly those with arcane and sorcerous talent.
Religion
House Surana has been secretly, fiercely devoted to Vhaeraun for millennia. Every priestess of the House from Jehane on down has been a Masked Traitor, outwardly loyal priestesses of the Spider Queen while serving Vhaeraun in secret and acting as spies in her temple. That not a single one has been detected these long years by Lolth’s priestesses or the goddess herself, and the House has continued to enjoy the Spider Queen’s favor, is a testatment to its stealth, cunning, and talent for survival, as well as the Masked Lord’s protection. Their legendary hedonism is as much a cover, however, as it is widely believed in the city (with envy!) that none are as devoted to Lolth’s aspect as the Mother of Lusts as House Surana. In truth, the House views hedonism as Vhaeraun’s gift, as trust is inherently necessary in the sharing of pleasure, and bonds are forged.
While Vhaeraunite theology typically cares far less about dogma than it does praxis, the Surana view the Masked Lord not merely as their patron but as divine kindred; a divine prince robbed of his royal birthright, even as they were robbed of theirs. That their destinies are intertwined is taken as holy writ; what they do, scheming to claim Menzoberranzan and then the surface, they do not merely for themselves but for him. They work in the shadows that they might emerge from them when the time is right and take back what is rightfully theirs—that Vhaeraun might do the same. Intrinsic to this is the belief that the Masked Lord will take a Surana as his consort, thus to rule together. In truth, the Masked Lord has been known to join Surana revels and has claimed more than one as a lover over the millennia.
Dusk is held as a sacred time of silent meditation and contemplation; Surana priests gather then in the household temple to pray in the darkness, receiving spells from Vhaeraun. His rituals are held at night, sacrifices of wealth, weapons, and magical objects from the house’s enemies are made as offerings, melted down upon the altar.
At midnight upon every New Moon, they take to riding lizards and go hunting upon the surface. While this is couched to their Lolthite peers as a typical raid of surfacer villages, in truth it is a sacred hunt of a stag in which its antlers and still-beating heart are sacrificed to Vhaeraun. The ignorant believe it a mockery of ancient elven ritual; in truth, like much of House Surana tradition, it is an homage to the ancient ways of their Miyeritari ancestors upon the surface, who held stags a sacred symbol of royalty. By sacrificing the stag, they seek to renew the covenant between the House and Vhaeraun.
The winter solstice is the holiest time of the year to House Surana. They hold an annual revel in the tendays leading up to it, a grand masquerade which is considered the social event of the year in Menzoberranzan, a monument to excess. Upon what they deem the Longest Night itself, however, the Surana retreat to the secret temple at the heart of their estate to perform the Masked Lord’s Embrace: shrouding the temple in complete darkness—sustained the length of the night by Vhaeraun Himself—they levitate and meditate the whole of the night in total sensory deprivation, reaffirming the House’s devotion to him, and contemplate how to further their shared goals. At times he will come among them, basking in their love, and send signs of his favor.
There is but one force on life that House Surana hates as much as Lolth, and that is Eilistraee. They view her as weak, a simple-minded fool without the will or the power to end the Spider Queen’s tyranny. She failed Miyeritar, their queen, their people. Eilistraee is a convenient scapegoat in the family lore, one to blame for their fall into exile; were it not for her failures to protect those sworn to her, their great Queen Léonide would never have fallen into the Spider Queen’s treacherous embrace. Only Vhaeraun’s cunning may be leaned upon, he who has sheltered and empowered them since Queen Jehane had the courage to don the mask.
They do not know or care that Vhaeraun no longer views his sister as his enemy. The Masked Lady, in their belief, was simply a clever gambit on his part to infiltrate and destroy her equally simple-minded followers. That Vhaeraun has not seen fit to disabuse them of these notions is simply a part of his long game.
Estate
The House Surana estate is a tastefully opulent palace situated on the southwest corner of the Qu’ellarz’orl, consisting of a central domed structure and a number of spiraling towers containing libraries, arcane laboratories, and living quarters. The largest tower by far is Zythrandar’s lair at the edge of the estate, a truly massive stalactite only accessible by flight or levitation, from which he keeps a weather eye on his kin. The Surana sense of interior design is, while lush and maximalist in keeping with drow sensibility, far less gaudy to their view than the other houses, particularly what they call “the Baenre anthill”; they flaunt their wealth in more subtle ways, with rarities from the surface which speak to their vast connections and prowess in trade. Salons are laid with priceless Calishite carpets of silk weave—true silk, rather than the spider silk common to the Underdark. The House’s libraries are stocked with rare tomes from across Faerûn and even the distant lands of Kara-Tur, its floors inlaid with Chessentan marble, its halls filled with objet d’art from a myriad lands. Even the servants quarters and barracks are well-appointed, in keeping with the Surana philosophy of engendering loyalty through grace rather than fear.
The estate also contains a number of inner courtyard grottos filled with rare surface flora among the Underdark specimens, night blooming flowers and even trees cultivated by the house’s small army of botanists and maintained through magical means.
An extensive network of hidden tunnels beneath the manor—a labyrinth, in truth—serves as both training ground and a method of escape to the wilds outside the city, though magical wards and false walls abound. It also protects Zythandrar’s hidden hoard, buried deep beneath it.
While they maintain a token temple to Lolth within their vast estate, conducting rites to avoid rousing the suspicion of both the Spider Queen and her loyal followers, the true center of worship in the estate is the vast underground amphitheater deep below it known as the Vault of Shadows Deep, or simply "the Vault". It is by far the most secure location in the estate, protected by all manner of arcane shields and Vhaeraun's own shadow magics. Remnants of the Lichdrow’s phylactery, once purified, are speckled amongst the beljurils in the temple ceiling both as a trophy and as an offering to the Masked Lord, proof of the Surana strength against their enemies.
