Return to the Therra Riverine NPC Page

* N'araktheel: Female drow elf Rogue 4/Fighter 6/Assassin 5/Sorcerer 4; CR 19; Medium humanoid (elf); HD 4D6+4 plus 6D10+6 plus 5D6+5 plus 4D4+4; hp 102; Init +7; Spd 30 ft; Space 5 ft; Reach 5 ft; AC 27 (touch 15, flat-footed 22); Atk +19/+14/+9 melee (1D6+4, Quiniryil) or +17/+12/+7 ranged (1D4+1, +1 hand crossbow); SA sneak attack +7D6, death attack, poison use; SQ immune to sleep spells and effects, +2 on saves against enchantments, +2 bonus on Will saves, +2 bonus to Listen, Spot, and Search checks, Spot secret doors at a distance, darkvision 120 ft, spell-like abilities, light blindness, +2 saves against poison, improved uncanny dodge, evasion, trapfinding, trap sense +1; SR 28; AL NE; SV Fort +9, Ref +14, Will +14; Str 10, Dex 17, Con 12, Int 19, Wis 14, Cha 18; Height 5 ft.

Skills and Feats: Appraise +11, Balance +10, Bluff +19, Climb +6, Concentration +11, Decipher Script +8, Diplomacy +16, Disguise +13, Escape Artist +13, Forgery +7, Gather Information +12, Hide +15, Intimidate +17, Jump +12, Knowledge (arcana) +10, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +9, Listen +12, Move Silently +15, Profession (merchant) +11, Search +9, Sense Motive +12, Spellcraft +13, Spot +12, Swim +5, Tumble +16, Use Magic Device +18; Alertness, Combat Expertise, Dodge, Exotic Weapon Proficiency (hand crossbow), Improved Feint, Iron Will, Highborn Drow, Rapid Reload, Silver Palm, Weapon Finesse, Weapon Focus (shortsword), Weapon Specialization (shortsword).

Special Qualities: Spell-Like Abilities (Sp): 1/day - dancing lights, darkness, detect good, detect magic, faerie fire, levitate (all at 19th level).

Possessions: Quiniryil (+2 blindsighted deadly precision venemous drowcraft shortsword), +1 handcrossbow, darkoil (10), +4 mithril chain shirt, +3 mithril buckler, ring of protection +2, greater piwafwi (as cloak of elvenkind plus fire resistance 5), house insignia (1/day - blur, feather fall, shield, spider climb at 13th level), drow knockout poison (6), wand of lightning bolt at 7th level with 44 charges, wand of cure serious wounds at 5th level with 39 charges, bracers of quickstriking (wearer gains Improved Initiative feat), boots of elvenkind, ring of mind shielding, brooch of shielding with 86 charges, circlet of persuasion, glove of storing, potion of Bear's Endurance at 3rd level, potion of Haste at 5th level, scroll of Fireball at 7th level, scroll of Dispel Magic at 16th level, scroll of Mirror Image at 5th level, scroll of Delay Poison and Neutralize Poison at 7th level, masterwork potion belt, scroll organizer, spell component pouch, belt pouch, amethyst gate key (trapezoidal in shape, worth 250 gp, operates the magical gate between her lair and the dungeons below the Lake Cald Mercur Keep).

Sorcerer Spells Known (Cast 6/7/4; base DC = 14 + spell level): 0 - arcane mark, daze, detect poison, mage hand, no light, stumble; 1 - comprehend languages, disguise self, protection from chaos/evil/good/law; 2 - acid arrow.

Assassin Spells Known (Cast 3/3/1; base DC = 14 + spell level): 1 - deep shadows, disguise self, obscuring mist, true strike; 2 - alter self, bone field, invisibility; 3 - demonhide, find the gaps.

Languages: Undercommon, Drow, Common, Orcish, Goblin, Dwarvish.

N'araktheel is the undisputed ruler of House Vrielsevri, one of the leading Merchant Houses of the drow. For most of her career before NS 1, N'araktheel directed the fortunes of House Vrielsevri against their arch rivals, the Merchant House Quinilver. She was the daughter of the previous Matron, and rose to prominence after arranging for her mother to have an "accident" while on a trading mission to the Duergar. She then eliminated every one of her siblings, quickly consolidating her power by means of ruthless purging of enemies and lavish rewarding of friends.

It was N'araktheel who first took interest in reclaiming the former demesne of the Ironaxe Clan, for her far-ranging merchant caravans brought her news of the dwarven reclamation of the old dwarven mines in the West Mountains and she took this as a sign that there were likely rich veins still present in the mines, for why else would the dwarves return? Unfortunately for the Matron, her discovery was spied out by House Quinilver, and the latter, not wishing to allow Vrielsevri to claim the mines for their own, alerted the Lolth Priesthood, which then commanded the takeover of the Ironaxe Mines and divided the holdings between itself and the two Merchant Houses.

This angered N'araktheel to no end, and she vowed to one day displace the Priesthood and take over queenship of all the drow. To this end, she was pleasantly surprised to learn, in 5514, that a group of human heroes was travelling north through the Underdark. Some magical divinations revealed that they were on some mission of grave import, and when she captured these heroes, she was able to learn that they carried a Gem of Power. This revelation delighted the Matron Mother to no end, for in it she saw her means to take over the drow, and possibly extend her influence into the surface world.

N'araktheel realized that the greatest impediment to her ascension to power was the Lolth Priesthood. Therefore, she reasoned, if the human heroes were able to release the gods and place the Deceiver into Slumber, they would take Lolth with them along with the other Maugs. With their goddess in Slumber, the Lolth Priesthood would be so weakened and disheartened, with its armies committed to the lost war above, that House Vrielservi and its allies could organize a quick, decisive, and brutal coup d'etat. Once done, she figured that the surface dwellers, weakened from their massive war, would then be easy prey to an invasion of their lands from below.

Indeed, the gods were released from Slumber and the Deceiver, but Lolth, ever the escape artist, spun a web of her own essence to hide from the gods, and although weakened from her previous status, still she remained on Therra and out of Slumber. The Lolth priesthood, learning of House Vrielsevri's attack, did not show their hand, but allowed House Vrielsevri to attack. When N'araktheel's forces were committed, Lolth appeared and rallied the Priesthood and many other Houses, some of whom were on the fence and possibly considering allying with Vrielsevri, and the uprising was quelled and many Vrielsevri soldiers sacrificed to the Spider Queen.

N'araktheel was quick to realize that her gambit had failed, and that there would be no future for her or her house in the Drow Empire. Thus, she determined to flee with the remnants of her House into exile. Not desiring to be vagabond in the Underdark, N'araktheel instead set her sights on the surface. She was able to use her knowledge of Merchant Houses to infiltrate an outpost of a human Merchant House, House Mercur in the Far Coast of the Empire of Antoria. With the help of a succubus she had rescued from entrapment in the Underdark, the Matron Mother has completed her clandestine domination of House Mercur. Now she is attempting to consolidate power and pursue a takeover of House Riverine in the same province.

N'araktheel is a very dangerous opponents, for she combines the various strengths and resourceful attributes of her race without many of the shortcomings of her kin. She is very patient, and quite pragmatic, and she tries not to underestimate her opponents, even when they are members of other races. She prefers intrigue to violence, but is herself a fearsome warrior and will not shhirk from battle when it is necessary to fight. She rewards loyal service very well, and rarely for one of her station, will forgive failure if the subordinate who has failed did as well as could be expected and promises to have further usefulness for the Matron Mother. Nonetheless, she can be vicious and brutal against any who show the slightest disloyalty to her or any designs on her position.