#the high priestess of house vandree

[faun-draws]

She was a high priestess of House Vandree. Beautiful, elegant, ruthless.

I adored her, and had been sharing her bed for some time when the order came that she must die.

I stayed with her while the poison did its work, and whispered words of comfort as she slipped away.

-Minthara Baenre, Baldurs Gate 3

She brought food and wine to her priestess. Leaving armor and weapons at home. Her love knew the wine was poisoned. Still she drank the whole glass, sadness and defeat in her eyes. She caught her before she hit the ground.

„I am so sorry.“, she whispered against her cheek, smeared with blood. Both of them shed a tear, glistening in the hundred candles that lit the temple.

Edit: I am now writing their story down. Its ‚Her Priestess‘ on ao3

[baldursyourgate]

Minthara Lore Masterpost

Just putting things in one post so I could come back to it later I guess.

Name: Minthara Baenre - Min/Ran - lesser, minor, second. thara/tar - glyph, marker, rune -> drow name meaning post

Age: estimated born sometime in late 11XX or early 12XX, referred herself to be young when Viconia DeVir was exiled from house DeVir, which occur sometime before 1297 when house DeVir fell. The events of Baldur's Gate 3 take place in the year 1492 -> Estimated she's around at least 200 and no more than 300 years old.

Lineage: Noble of house Baenre, mother unknown. Mentions that mother is alive and remarked "If the world were to end, I think my mother would survive to rule over the ruins.". Speculations ->

Early days: Survived an assassination attempt as a baby. Own mother tried to kill her when she came of age. Expectation of greatness was put on by others since birth. Trained to be a soldier in Lolth's service - while most noble houses seems to largely employ male soldiers, house Baenre has many elite female soldiers/fighters. Lived a life of many luxuries and dangers.

Events that she (could have) witnessed when she was still living in Menzoberranzan: the exile of Viconia DeVir (canon) (happens sometime before 1297 - the fall of House DeVir after Matron Ginafae aided a deep gnome and lost Lolth's favour, destroyed by the Do'Urden), matron Yvonnel Baenre's reign and her death (1358), matron Triel Baenre's reign and her death (1383), matron Quenthel Baenre's reign (1383).

Sos'Umptu Baenre became the current Matron Mother as of the end of Lolth's Warrior, third book from "The Way of the Drow" trilogy. The exact year was not stated, but it happen sometime after 1490 stated in the first book of the trilogy, so the timeline narrows down a little more... The events of BG3 take place in 1492, so she possibly could have been there when Sos'Umptu became matron. Or had missed the entire thing, which could potentially be very hilarious if she went back.

Siblings: unknown, mentioned that her own sibling would've slain her if she set foot back to Menzo, so she must've had at least one. If her name is any indicator (Min means lesser/second), might be a second child.

Relationship: complicated relationship with her own mother. Recognises her mother's abuse, but begrudgingly respect and admire her still - the woman taught her how to survive the ruthless, unforgiving life in Menzoberranzan. Nevertheless, Minthara wants a matricide.

First romantic relationship was with a high priestess of house Vandree. Poisoned her when was ordered to do so, but stayed and "whispered words of comfort as she slipped away". Does not like wizards.

Feel free to add more in the reblogs or replies, I'll update the post when new info comes up!

[linka-from-captain-planet]

She was a high priestess of House Vandree. Beautiful, elegant, ruthless. I adored her, and I had been sharing her bed for some time when the order came that she must die.

I stayed with her while the poison did its work, and whispered words of comfort as she slipped away.

[mithraeris]

Karlach and Minthara party banter

Which almost no one will see since it's somewhat hard to have them in the party together:

If the player is in a relationship with Minthara Karlach: It's funny seeing you so smitten, Minthara. Didn't think you were able. Minthara: I took my first lover before you were a spark in your father's eye, child. She was a high priestess of House Vandree. Beautiful, elegant, ruthless. I adored her, and had been sharing her bed for some time when the order came that she must die. I stayed with her while the poison did its work, and whispered words of comfort as she slipped away. Karlach (quiet, shocked, just heard a very sad story): Oh no.

====== Karlach: Hey, so, what's romance like in the Underdark, Minthara? Minthara: In Menzoberranzan, romance is commonly a luxury enjoyed between women. Men are mostly present for propagation. Here on the surface, gender does not define one's role so strictly. There are weaklings of every sort. =====

Minthara and Karlach explore the sewers beneath Baldur's Gate Minthara: This place is foul. Drow would not tolerate rivers of waste flowing so close to their residences. Karlach: You've got slaves to manage your sanitation. Baldur's Gate doesn't. Though we do rely quite heavily on kobolds. Minthara: But surely the kobolds are slaves?

Karlach: Hell no.

Minthara (disappointed to learn ANOTHER miserable fact about Baldur's Gate - which is FAR inferior in her mind to great drow cities): Straj. Yet one more reason to despair for the fate of this city.

=====

Minthara: You allowed that smith to meddle with your heart, Karlach, simply so you can be touched? Better to shut off the carnal desires than indulge them. They are distractions.

Karlach: Yes, because every function comes with a handy switch. Next time I'm injured, don't heal, just turn me off and on again.

[uninspired--poet]

House Vandree has extended an invitation to House Baenre to attend their masquerade ball in celebration of the Founding. High Priestess Vandree has extended her own invitation to her beloved Inquisitor, Minthara. Both invitations have been accepted, and the High Priestess intends to remind Minthara of just what she has been missing in their months apart.

Minthara/High Priestess Vandree • Rating: Explicit • Words: 8,448 • Chapter: 1/2

[yathtallar]

Yathtallar [Drow; a high priestess of Lolth]

Roleplay Blog for Illiamer Vandree, a Character based on a conversation between Minthara and Karlach.

Mostly canon compliant| will probably address darker themes, 21+| read comments for rules and information

Everything beyond the banter between Minthara and Karlach is made up by me. Feel free to write your own interpretation of the high priestess of house Vandree but Illiamer is my character, thank you!

[baelavelaryon]

Saera Silverstruck—born Saedria Vandree—was the youngest high priestess in the history of her house, achieving the role before her hundredth year. She was dedicated to her duties and favored by Lolth, and a particularly proficient assassin. Her ability to kill, or arrange a killing, and pin it on a rival house made her indispensable within her house.

Things remained much the same, though her great-grandmother died, in remarkably benign circumstances, making her mother Sabrea the Matron of House Vandree. Then fate stepped in, a surface raid brought down many slaves, and sacrifices for their goddess. Particularly, a tiefling bard, who the Lady Saedria found particularly fascinating.

She chose him to entertain her in her chambers, he would tell her tales of the surface, each night ending the story with a twist, leaving it incomplete, and she would let him live until morning. This continued for months, Saera found herself falling for him, and one night he asked for a kiss in exchange for the end of the story.

He would warm her bed after that, she kept him close, exposing more of her raw emotions than she should have, despite the whispers that circled her, that she was too enamoured with her slave. Eventually, Saera confessed something that she had never voiced, she wanted to leave the Underdark He encouraged this, and eventually the pair agreed to leave for the surface and build a life together, they imagined where they would lives, the children they would raise, free from darkness and endless webs.

Before they could go however, Sabrea learned of their plot, and had Kalen killed in front of Saera. That night, she realized that she was pregnant.

Saera shirked her duties after that, without an escape, without an end to it all, she simply couldn't bring herself to continue the act of being High Priestess. She spent weeks locked in her room, unwilling and unable to perform even the most basic of her duties.

This continued for weeks, until she felt the pains of labour, she crawled to the altar of Lolth and begging her for forgiveness. She would never be sure if it was dream or reality, but Saera has a vivid memory of Lolth appearing before her and leaning in to kiss her before spitting in her face. An hour later, she delivered a twisted drider child, dead before their first breath.

After that, Saera became almost manic, she would spend evenings at parties, had affairs with her mother's most hated rivals, and drank herself into a stupor every single night. Her sister tried to bring her out of it and when that failed, proposed a solution to both of their problems; Saera would kill their mother in public before fleeing for the surface.

Saera took her up on the offer, and the pair helped organized a gala at the Vandree compound. Sabrea was glad that her favored daughter was finally appearing to have returned to herself after her humiliating outbursts, and seemed none the wiser to her children's schemes. When the night arrived, Saera struck her mother through the heart during the middle of her speech.

The Vandree guards were quick to give chase but Saera somehow knew the weaknesses in their patrols and was able to escape them and emerge at the surface. She kept running even once she had emerged from the caves, until her feet were cut up from the foliage of the woods and her legs gave out from underneath her.

Saera wiped her face and looked up at the sky, the moon was full and beautiful and the stars looked exactly as Kalen had described them. It was then that she began to laugh. She had finally done it, she had escaped the Underdark. Kalen was gone but she could make that same life for herself without him.

Still laughing, she began to dance through the woods, revitalized by the sense of freedom and joy she now had. She then collapsed, and entered another strange dream or vision, where a giant drow woman visited her, complimenting her evensong, and kissing her over her left eye... which from then on would be a purple colour.

In the morning, Saera awoke in her clearing, to find a ruined shrine. She could tell it had once belonged to Eilistraee, but had been abandoned after her defeat by Lolth... Saera couldn't help but feel that it was her duty to restore it, to make it a home for herself and any others who escaped the Underdark.

Her shrine at Darkmaiden's Leap was small but popular, Saera would provide supplies and shelter to the runaways and the lost, and healing to the wounded, who always seemed to find their way there despite its remote nature. She grew close to the nature, finding even the smallest things on the surface fascinating, and Eilistraee blessed her with druidic powers so that she could observe the animals more closely.

For the next ten years, Saera embraced that quiet life, though isolated as she was, she couldn't help but feel that she wasn't doing as much good as she ought to, with all the blood she had spilled in Lolth's name.

[spiderwarden]

HC in the meantime, Minthara when talking about her first lover being the High Priestess of House Vandree, says “I took my first lover before you were a spark in your father’s eye, child.”

But the more I think about it, the more I consider her age and look at her early access version/Cleric self, knowing she was likely newly graduated. Makes me think of the graduation ceremony she so casually mentioned. (Which if you don’t know is like a college orgie where a demon is summoned to dick down the valedictorian and the high priestesses come in and pick from the young men and women to have sex with) the more I’m starting to think, Minthara didn’t ‘take’ her first lover, she was the one picked by the High Priestess, not the other way around.

And what started out as ceremonial sex, turned into love very quickly, because she stayed with her for some time.

Just some thoughts, nothing cemented yet…

[voerman]

A backstory dump for Ms Saera Vandree is under the cut. Warning there is a mention of miscarriage combined with Lolth typical spider body horror:

Once a dedicated high priestess of Lolth and beloved membor of house Vandree. Saera fell in love with a slave, a captured tiefling by the name of Kalen, and planned to escape to the surface with him. When this plan was discovered her mother had him tortured and sacrificed to Lolth.

Soon after she miscarries the child she had hoped to raise on the surface, delivering a clutch of spiders instead. Lolth no longer gives her powers, disgusted by her love for another species.

She goes on a complete bender after this, spending more time drunk than sober, neglecting her duties and embarrassing her family by making several bad choices. Including having multiple very public affairs with members of non-Baenre aligned houses.

Her youngest sister, Elaena was gearing up to overthrow their mother and offered Saera an ultimatum, kill their mother and she would let her flee to the surface, or die in her coup. She took the former option, desperate for some sort of revenge and not particularly caring if she died in the attempt. Saera drove a sword into her heart and fled, her sister's guards conveniently allowing her to escape.

On the surface, she found herself in the middle of nowhere. Exhausted and exhilarated, overwhelmed with the opportunities she now possessed: she stripped off her clothes and danced under the moon, glad to finally be free.

After collapsing in a clearing, she found herself in the company of a gorgeous drow woman, who named her Silver-struck and kissed her twice, once on the lips and once on her left eyelid. Eilistraee promised to always be with her. Saera woke the next day, determined to see every joy the surface has to offer.

[aspiringfictionwriter]

Abburth Lore and Relevant Gods

I just realized I am very unclear about lore in my writing, simply because I forget that people are not reading from my private notes, and then I feel repetitive whenever I explain in parathesis or between comas. So, I dug up my lore notes and decided that this may help any of my readers in understanding the overall layout of Abburth, as well as the Gods of some form of importance to the story itself, because, believe it or not, I actually planned the plotline of the story.

First, we have the hierarchy of Abburth, which includes the High Council and their Matron Mothers, and what they are known for.

The Head Council, or first five Houses of Abburth in order from first to last are Houses Coborial, Kilsek, Vandree, Telenna, and Eilservs. House Eilservs was recently appointed into power after they destroyed House Caddath in a raid. House Coborial is led by Matron Aunerae, who is known for her skill in battle and her intelligent twin daughters. House Kilsek is led by Matron Haelra, known for her cunning and skill in subterfuge. House Vandree is led by Matron Ilharess, who is known for her abundance of slaves and cruelty towards Houses below her. House Telenna is led by Matron Nathrea (not to be mistaken with Matron Nathrae II), who is known for her interest in religious lore, and her successful wizard sons. As well as House Eilservs led by Matron Chenzira known for her life dedicated to prayer and commitment to Lolth. The late House Caddath was led by Matron Angaste, who was known for her sternness towards her soldiers, earning a strong fighting force.

Next, we have the schooling system within Abburth itself, which here will be listed the names and purposes of each school, as well as pronunciation, since some of the names are quite strange.

The wizard school is known as Gloufmarth, whose head wizards are from the High Council Houses of Telenna and DeVir, as well as a few other minor houses. The school of the sword and its arts is called Slaekmia (sly-kee-ma), whose heads are K'yornl, Matron Aunerae Coborial's mate, and one of Matron Chenzira Eilservs's sons. And finally, the most important school and training center, Amaxselts (amax-sleets) the Center of Religious Training, whose heads are the Matron Mothers of the Head Council to train all future priestesses of Lolth. Eventually, these priestesses-to-be lead congregated masses that the school holds, specifically the daughters of the Matron Mothers of the High Council.

Finally, in the Abburth lore, we have landmarks or places of interest within the city.

The time teller, otherwise known as the grand clock that tells the time of the surface, to determine when drow elves should retire for rest and evening prayer is known as Mystérieuse (myst-air-ri-oous.) The time is told by a lit and extinguished blue candle. At the beginning of the day it starts as a new flame, and it wanes as the "day" continues, until falling as those on the surface would loose light and retire for the night. Another landmark would also be centerpiece of Abburth itself, a gigantic spider-tiled plaza where exterminations or killings would take place. The last notable landmark would also be the arena, which is located near the outskirts of the city itself, with a large circular dome with black sand in the interior.

With the lore of the Gods, I will list a few, some have been mentioned so far in the book (for those who have read the currently released chapter), while others have no, and that is perfectly fine. All will make sense in due time.

First, we have Corelleon, the main God of the elves, and often called the Lord of Cowardice by the drow as a term of hatred towards Him. He fathers three children, Eilistraee, Vhaeraun, and Vandria, although all of them take residence in the Abyss with their mother, Lolth, or at the time of their birth, was known as Araushnee before Her dealings with a faction of the elves who soon retreated to the Underdark, and soon became known as what we would call drow elves.

Next, we have the aforementioned Lolth, Queen of Spiders, and ruler of the Demonweb pits, the sixty fifth layer of the Abyss. Mother to Eilistraee, Vhaeraun, and Vandria, and former wife to Corelleon, She is the chief deity of the Underdark, and the most terrifying of all of them. Sworn enemy to Eilistraee, Goddess of Dance, she idolizes malicious chaos, and supports senseless death, and even encourages it in Her followers.

Eilistraee, the most important of Lolth and Corelleon's children in the book, is the chaotic good Goddess of dance, song, and the moon, commonly known as the Lady of Dance or Lady Silverhair, on the account of Her long and beautiful silver hair. Her goal is to bring the drow to a better future, by reconnecting Her followers with the surface, to maybe one day tear Her mother away from Her throne, and end the conflict between the surface elves and drow.

Tymora, commonly known as Lady Luck, is a chaotic good Goddess of the surface world, and patron to most gamblers and rogues, and main deity of the Halfling race. She is the embodiment of luck in its entirety, where in front of all of Her temples there is a fountain, where, before entering, all believers must drop a coin in it for good luck, to be taken by the Church to further their journey to worship their God.

And lastly, we have Paladine, or Bahamut, the Platinum Dragon. He is a lawful good God of the surface, and twin brother to Tiamat (otherwise known as Takhisis), while also standing for justice and the distribution of fairness between all parties. His followers hold their friends closest to them, and have a silent vow to keep them safe no matter the obstacle.

[faun-draws]

„Despite everything, I was happy.“

[faun-draws]

I started posting their story on ao3!!

https://archiveofourown.org/works/52449191

Big Big thanks to @spiderwarden for Beta reading

I hope you like it:)

[faun-draws]

After Illiamer had been resurrected by Withers, the former high priestess started to heal Mintharas mind. Every day for weeks she used up all of her magic to retrieve her memories. It was a tiring process that took a lot of energy, especially from Minthara. Because reclaiming decades of memories also meant remembering all the things that Orin had done to her.

[faun-draws]

Getting out one drawing after the other with one chapter after the other thanks to my hyperfixation and @spiderwarden beta reading my stuff as quick as I write it!

[faun-draws]

A new chapter has been uploaded, including fancy dresses and mean sisters!

[faun-draws]

Last chapter !

Thanks everyone and especially @spiderwarden ! For reading everything I threw at you!