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Deep beneath the surface of the world that humans call home, beyond the twisting passages of the Underdark, lies Menzoberranzan, the mighty city of the drow. With a population of only 32,000, of which only one third are drow, Menzoberranzan would be considered small when compared to the other drow cities within the Underdark. Its power lies in the hands of the Priestesses of Lloth, the evil Spider Queen. The city is run by a Ruling Council that consists of the eight most powerful ruling houses of the city, which are each ruled by a Matron Mother.
The constant struggle that exists between the ruling houses to raise their familys status within the city, and to keep themselves in the favor of Lloth, helps to keep the population of the city fairly constant. This also helps to assure that only the strongest and most capable drow survive. That is how a city so small has been able to survive in such a dangerous environment for as long as it has.
With the worship of Lloth comes the dominance of females within Menzoberranzan. Male drow are usually considered disposable by most ruling houses, and are quite limited in how far they can advance within society. The only exceptions are the male nobles who prove themselves quite capable at wizardry or combat. Those that choose to pursue a career in magic will usually confine themselves within the walls of Sorcere, the drow school of magic in Menzoberranzan, and can sometimes keep themselves separated from house politics. Those that prefer to use the more traditional forms of combat usually become trained at an early age at the pyramid-shaped drow academy for fighters, Melee-Magthere.
Male commoners who prove themselves useful to a particular ruling family may occasionally find themselves adopted by that family. Once accepted into a family, these males begin to use the family name, and receive all the benefits that any male member of a ruling house could expect. Those males that are not fortunate enough to find themselves in this situation usually live short lives working some menial job within the city.
Female drow commonly find their lives intertwined within the politics of the city, and the endless worship of their deity, Lloth. All of the citys priestesses begin their training within the walls of the spider-shaped temple of Lloth, Arach-Tinilith. Only these female followers of Lloth can ever aspire to achieve one of the prestigious positions of the Matron Mother of a ruling house of Menzoberranzan.
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