Malice Do'Urden

Malice Do'Urden was matron mother of House Do'Urden of Menzoberranzan until her death. She was a strong high priestess of Lolth, although her fall was in losing the favor of Lolth.

Malice was the daughter of Vartha Do'Urden, the former matron mother of House Do'Urden. Vartha died unexpectedly when Malice was about 100 years old (around the eleventh century DR) and Malice ascended to the head of House Do'Urden, where she ruled successfully for four centuries.

In 1297 DR, Malice used the agony of childbirth to increase her clerical power in an attack against House DeVir, which was destroyed. The babe, Drizzt Do'Urden, was to be sacrificed as the third living son, but Dinin Do'Urden's assassination of elderboy Nalfein Do'Urden fulfilled that sacrifice and Drizzt was permitted to live.

In 1338 DR, House Do'Urden and Matron Malice first fell out of the favor of Lolth when a member of her house displeased Lolth. Malice scried a scene between Drizzt and his father Zaknafein Do'Urden and discovered that Drizzt refused to kill (and indeed saved) an elven child during a surface raid, thus drawing Lolth's wrath. Malice planned to sacrifice Drizzt, but Zaknafein offered himself up instead. Drizzt subsequently killed Masoj Hun'ett and Alton DeVir, triggering a decade war between House Do'Urden and House Hun'ett, and departed the city altogether.

Malice never regained Lolth's favor after Drizzt's actions. Ten years later, in 1338 DR, the two houses finally ended their covert war when House Hun'ett attacked and were defeated by House Do'Urden. Yvonnel Baenre forced Malice to "adopt" SiNafay Hun'ett as Shi'nayne Do'Urden, her eldest "daughter" recently returned home. Malice detested her and at the last moment sacrificed her instead of Rizzen to Lolth as an offering for Zin-carla, a "spirit-wraith" which was normally allowed only under Lolth's highest favor but was granted to Malice as a last-ditch effort to find and kill Drizzt. When Zin-carla (which was Zaknafein Do'Urden resurrected and controlled by Malice) found Drizzt, Malice lost control of it for a moment, which was enough time for Zaknafein to kill himself instead of allowing his body to kill Drizzt. This caused Malice to forever lose the favor of Lolth and to be killed by Briza, in one last desperate — and futile — attempt to regain Lolth's favor for House Do'Urden. The house was defeated by House Baenre in 1339 DR.