House Duskryn

Written by RiverFang

With great power comes the ability to create the laws that are below you.

— Elerra Duskryn

In the center of Eryndlyn, a dark tower reaches above the houses and shops of the city. Its peak reaches far above the black tower that marks the academy, far above anything. Almost touching the ceiling of this darkened cavern, the home of House Duskryn looks down upon the city just like the Matron Mother of the house looks upon those that live in her city. Eryndlyn is a city of Drow, but only one reigns enough to be considered a queen.
House Duskryn, the ruling house of the Drow city of Eryndlyn, is the oldest of the noble houses that call the city home. For millennia, House Duskryn has ruled from this towering structure, looking far down upon the rest of the city. Ascending to this throne nearly two thousand years ago, the Matron Mothers of House Duskryn are the closest any city of the Underdark has ever come to being ruled by a queen. Even in Drow Culture, the power of this house is odd, but no one can contest the power and charisma of these women.
Under the rule of Matron Elerra Duskryn, House Duskryn has risen to new heights, surpassing the laws that the Matron and the Ruling Council of Eryndlyn have created to govern the growing, and sometimes warring, city. Drow law often requires turning a blind eye to save face, but the movements and blatant disregard of the law she helped create sets House Duskryn above the rest, a sign of true nobility and queenhood.

Assets

Leopufele by Image via Midjourney, created by Riverfang

Other houses in Eryndlyn are known for their trade and exports to the surface, such as House Baenre, but House Duskryn serves as the greatest exporter of Leopufele and magic items from this province of the Underdark. Most of their trade occurs between the other houses in the city, but House Duskryn has been known to send magic items to various kingdoms on the surface, sharing Drow-made items with all kinds.
The largest export of the Duskryns within the Underdark is the small creatures known as Leopufelea. Trained for tracking and killing large beasts in the small tunnels, these creatures are extremely dangerous and difficult to train. House Duskryn has become methodical in their training, constantly turning out well-trained and well-behaved Leopufele far beyond anything else seen in the Underdark.
This house is also extremely wealthy in terms of soldiers, weapons masters, and priestesses. House Duskryn boasts the largest standing guard in all of Eryndlyn, as well as the best-trained weapons masters and priestesses. No other house is allowed to rival the grandeur and might of House Duskryn.

History

Like many of the other houses in Eryndlyn, the history of House Duskryn is written in quiet whispers and secrets better left to the dusty crypts below the city. Stories of other houses are whispered behind closed doors and tight lips throughout the city, but none dare speak of the scandals and dark history that surrounds the last two thousand years of House Duskryn. The women of this house have a power and benevolence that none wish to question.

Great Tunnel by Landscape via Artbreeder, created by RiverFang

The millennia of House Duskryn bring with them strong women, those that are unafraid to do whatever is necessary to secure their place and their legacy. In the days before the Ruling Council of Eryndlyn was established in its entirety, these powerful women reigned in positions nearly as monarchs, using the powers at their command to condemn those that did not fall into line within their vision.
While histories are kept quiet and scandals quieter still, it is not unknown that the great house has started numerous wars between the other noble houses of the city. In the last two millennia, historians attribute at least three of the great house wars to the ruling house, but the women of House Duskryn remain silent about their involvement. A web of alliances and mercenaries fuel the unrest in the city, but the same web also grants immeasurable power to House Duskryn.

Power without pride is nothing. Pride gives one the will to continue taking and conquering, amassing whatever power is necessary to reach the top.

— Matron Elerra Duskryn

With great power comes those who wish to topple it. House Duskryn has its fair share of those that wish to remove them from their pedestal, but in nearly two millennia, no one has accomplished such a feat. During that time, the great house has only been subjected to a single house war, but that attempt was short-lived and quickly fizzled as the rest of the city realized the true power of House Duskryn.

Notable Scandals

Matron Monopoly

For two thousand years we have waited for the house to fall, but they have only gotten stronger as the years continue past.

— Unknown

The Matron Mothers of House Duskryn have served as the leaders of the Ruling Council of Eryndlyn and the city for centuries. Over that time, five women from the house have served in this position, and no one has reached the same level of power as these women. It is seen as an impossible task, one that very few have even attempted.
No one remembers how House Duskryn rose to power, and that history has since been lost to time. It has become near tradition for the Matron of House Duskryn to serve in a position of almost monarch, ruling from the family's high tower and lofty ideals.

Unknown Son

There are whispers of a Third Son, cast aside by Matron Elerra, but we do not speak of him, or else bring about our own demise.

— Unknown

Third Sons are not uncommon among the noble houses, and House Duskryn is no different. Matron Elerra cast aside an unwanted son early in her tenure as the house's leader, but very little is known about the child other than he was not killed. Some believe the child is Kalannar Dyrr, one of the well known members of the Black Cloak, but speculation about the topic has lead to a great number of deaths.

Elerra's Rise

There are rumors of my disregard of the laws I create, but with power comes a position to be above one's own rules.

— Matron Elerra Duskryn

Matron Elerra Duskryn saw a swift rise to power, following in her family's footsteps as a powerful and somewhat benevolent Matron Mother. While she is known for helping the Ruling Council of Eryndlyn create strict laws, she often acts outside of those laws when it suits her, using her position to supercede any other input or form of punishment.

Long Lived, Long Serving.

Type

Family

Leader

Elerra Duskryn

Leader Title

Matron Mother

Location

Eryndlyn

Related Ethnicities

• Silver Elf Culture

The Duskryn Legacy

The legacy of House Duskryn stretches much longer than any of the noble houses in Eryndlyn. In the thousands of years since its formation, the house has been known for its powerful women and its search for great power. In the last two thousand years, this search has come to fruition as the house established one of the longest-lasting monopolies of power that the city has ever seen. How House Duskryn rose to power has been lost to time, but its impacts will be felt for generations as the house continues to rule Eryndlyn with strict laws and benevolence.

Those in the city hope for a new power to rule, but even we know it is an impossible task to undertake.

— Unknown

In its centuries of existence, House Duskryn has boasted strong children and stronger armies. Through political alliances and other negotiations, the house became home to some of the strongest fighters, priestesses, and wizards that the city had ever seen. This power in numbers paired with the powerful Matron Mothers has made House Duskryn an unstoppable force in their search for power and glory.
Matron Elerra Duskryn is no different than her ancestors, using the house's great power as a tactic of intimidation. The house is something to fear, but the Matron herself is benevolent. She has helped create strict laws and established a peace that was relatively unheard of, even during the older reign of House Duskryn. No one dares question her for fear of their own life.

Cave by Dario Brönnimann on Unsplash

House Duskryn in Eryndlyn

The ruling council of Eryndlyn is made up of nine noble houses, with the Matron Mother of the first house serving as the Matron Mother of the city. This Matron Mother is often the oldest, having lived for centuries longer than the others on the council. Her house is the strongest, with many priestesses and weapons masters, as well as the most adept spellcasters in all of the city. The houses below the first fight for power constantly, participating in house wars, coups, and other events to try and rise to power by any means necessary. The laws of Drow cities exemplify this type of ascension, rewarding those that decimate the offending house with no survivors.
House Duskryn stands as the first house, as it has for nearly two millennia. While having amassed more power than the other houses, Matron Elerra and her house look down upon the other noble houses with a sense of pride as the eight other houses squabble amongst themselves in attempts to raise their stature. For roughly eight centuries, very little has changed in the hierarchy of houses, as House Duskryn's presence has slowed many of the secretive movements of the other houses.
While House Duskryn has its own scandals, said secrets do not reflect poorly upon the house as they would other houses. House Baenre faces a scandal that has lost them clout with the ruling house and other houses have faced such scandals. House Duskryn does not take lightly to those that bring dishonor to the city or the Ruling Council of Eryndlyn.