Drizzt Do´Urden

The stories of The Forgotten Realms take place in the land of Faerùn and Drizzt Do'Urden was born in Menzoberranzan, deep below the deepest caves in a land called the Underdark. His mother, Matron Malice, was the Matron Mother of House Do'Urden (the formal house name being Daermon N'a'shezbaernon), the Tenth House of Menzoberranzan (the great city of the drow elves) in a matriarchal society. In this world, the women, especially the High Priestesses of the goddess Lloth, are the dominant gender. Menzoberranzan is a city of evil, a cruel environment full of deceit and treachery populated by the drow (commonly known as the "dark elves") who are ruthless, forever plotting against one another, and extremely efficient killers.

Drizzt was born into this cruel society and was "given" to his sister Vierna to be taught the ways of the drow. She was his teacher and mentor until he became sixteen. Then, because of Zaknafein, the greatest weaponmaster ever known in Menzoberranzan, he was trained to be a warrior, instead of a wizard. It turns out that "Zak" was his real father, although just another (though the one-time favorite) of Matron Malice's many "diversions". Zak was also Vierna's father, though not Briza's, Drizzt's oldest sister, a "priestess-in-training" of Lloth. (The depth of the relationships between all the characters in Salvatore's books is greater than most other authors' works that I have read, regardless of genre.) He trained with Zak for years and grew to love and respect the great warrior without knowing his true familial relationship to the weaponmaster. Drizzt's speed and innate abilities were apparent from a very young age and his demeanor seemed different from the "standard" drow.

After training with Zak, Drizzt was sent by Matron Malice to the Academy, Melee-Magthere, where he was to learn more about the drow and to train more in combat situations. During the Grand Melee, Drizzt teamed up with a classmate who "killed" him right after Drizzt saved his life. That was when that he truly learned just how evil the drow are. Over the next years he was in the Academy, he never teamed up with anyone again, and won every time. Drizzt eventually runs away from Menzoberranzan into the Underdark to live, away from the corruption and deceit of Menzoberranzan. Drizzt's "problem" is that he has principles that are foreign to virtually all other drow, save Zaknafein. He believes in honor, love, friendship and many other tenets foreign to drow society as a whole.

While in the Underdark, Drizzt lost all track of time, and if it wasn't for his friends Guenhwyvar (a magical panther), Belwar Dissengulp, and Clacker, he would have never lasted against his family, who were constantly chasing him in a misguided effort to regain Lloth's favor, which was lost during the successful effort to usurp House DaVrie, when House Do'Urden became the eighth House of Menzoberranzan and Matron Malice became a member of the ruling council.

To escape from the drow, Drizzt went to the surface world. He was hated by those he tried to save. He eventually found his way to a blind old ranger named Montolio DeBrouchee. After becoming best friends, Montolio taught Drizzt all about the surface world and all those in it. He teaches Drizzt about Mielikki, the goddess of the rangers' heart. To Drizzt she was not a goddess, but a way of life. After Montolio died, he went around the realms of Faerùn, being shunned away at every city until he ended up in Icewind Dale. He wasn't allowed in the only cities in the area, Ten-Towns, but he was allowed on the opposite side of the only mountain, Kelvin's Cairn. Here he meets his life long friends and his life truly begins anew.

He travels with his friends to distant places, from the icy glaciers above Icewind Dale all the way to the hot Deserts of Calimport, to Mithril Hall and Silvermoon. Along the way, he meets more who become friends as well as some who become enemies. Using the skills that he learns throughout his travels, he manages to always land on top of the situation. As he travels with his friends he learns that none of the places are really his home; that his home is with his friends.

Drizzt is a ranger, and follows after the heart of Mielikki. He is one of the finest fighters in all of the realms, but has the biggest heart of them all. He is kind to all and tries not to judge anyone. He is always there for his friends and never lets them down if he can help it.