The Braeryn
The Braeryn (also known as “the Stenchstreets”) is a shantytown of ramshackle structures overlooking garbage-choked alleyways, inhabited by the dregs of drow society. Fallen priestesses, bankrupt merchants, escaped slaves, and the homeless or maimed are common here, as are visitors to the city who wish to go unnoticed.
Drow who have lost homes or businesses find what shelter they can here, scratching out a meager existence among the roughest folk in Menzoberranzan.
The Braeryn is a great place to find allies or meet an untimely end. Roll for random encounters as the characters explore this district. You can roll a d10 and consult the Encounters in the table below. The party can avoid random encounters in the Braeryn by succeeding on a DC 15 Dexterity (Stealth) group check.
| 1d8 | Encounter | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Bugbears | These bugbears skulk through the streets, murdering lone travelers or small groups for food. If the party outnumbers them, they follow the characters in the hopes that one or more of them become separated from the larger group, whereupon the bugbears attack. |
| 2 | Drow Adolescents | This roving gang consists of 1d6+6 drow bandits. If the gang outnumbers the party, the drow attack. Otherwise, they make lewd hand gestures at the party but retreat if accosted. |
| 3 | Drow Pickpocket | This homeless drow commoner tries to pick the pockets of a random party member. The drow has a Sleight of Hand skill modifier of 1d20+2 . |
| 4 | Giant Wolf Spiders | These spiders are hungry and crawl out of buildings or descend from rooftops to attack the party. |
| 5 | Curious Drow | A young drow male will be standing on the side of the road trying to sell a beautiful valuable looking silver necklace with an amethyst spider pendant, to a shifty looking older drow. The older drow will scold them, saying that they know where that came from, and that they don't wish to get in trouble with House Baenre! The young rogue knows of a secret entrance to the Baenre compound, and am willing to tell the party where it is for a price. Name: Elandar - last name not important. |
| 6 | Mad Drow | This drow commoner suffers from a form of indefinite madness. The drow believes he or she is the true voice of Lolth, tasked by the Demon Queen of Spiders to admonish everyone for their lack of devotion, warning that “Demons will consume you all!” The mad drow wears an amulet made from a dead spider. |
| 7 | Shield Dwarf Berserker | This chaotic neutral dwarf — a former slave of the drow — sees nonexistent enemies everywhere, swinging his or her greataxe at the empty air. If a character engages the dwarf in battle or conversation, the dwarf attacks. |
| 8 | Svirfneblin Lure | A homeless deep gnome serves as host to an intellect devourer. It tries to lure one or more characters to a “secret enclave where enemies of the drow plot to overthrow Menzoberranzan.” A successful DC 15 Wisdom (Insight) check reveals something indescribably odd or untrustworthy about the gnome. If the characters follow the possessed gnome, they are led to a cramped cave under a dilapidated building. The cave is the secret lair of another 2d4 intellect devourers. |
The city of Menzoberranzan is from Out of the Abyss a dnd 5e adventure. Most of the descriptions in this article is directly from the adventure, and has only been slightly altered to fit my world.
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