Security Institute?

Just curious as to what the deal is with that place? From what I heard it's never really been active. It would be pretty cool to get it active at some point if the DM's are able. There certainly are a lot of roguish PC's running around Szith.

The Security institute has never really been active. VDVM I believe rp'd it as there headquarters, but most of the players that were VDVM are now inactive. So it could definitely use a kick start. VDVM is actually more like a secret police and CIA for the Valsharess and the Ulathtallar rather than a security building.

Ahh I see.

Well that sounds like it could be interesting. Truthfully, I've enjoyed the subterfuge aspect of playing Akkori more than anything else... information gathering and what not.

Perhaps I could find a few interested players to help get things started up again.

Not a problem, Look for Bladechill (Alzar/Ryse/whoever), he had some contact with them in the past. Let me know and I will give who ever wants to take charge, access to the full VDVM forum.

Sounds good. I know we have quite a few stealthy PC's rolling around Szith. I'll get in touch with bladechill and whoever else I run across and see what end is up. =)

As i understand, at least in Szith lore, the VDVM was the secret police of the Valshress Pau, sort of your Sith Lords to mix/mangle mythologies

Well, with my recently made rogue, I'd be willing to join the VDVM, however as a shebali jaluk it makes it very difficult to rise in power, but then of course males aren't normally as restricted, even in lolthian cities, as they are in Szith.

(IE Drizzt Do'Urden's father being the master of the Melee Magthere in Menzoberranzan)

Actually, they are typically more restricted.

Zaknafien was a noble.

Though it is true that non nobles can join and even become masters of Melee, to join the others though, such as Arach Tinilith, and VDVM you must be noble.

Actually, it isn't know that he is a noble himself, just part of the house and formerly the matron's toy in bed. And I didn't mean for shebali to rise up, but for males period, it was posted in the VDVM section that they can only reach a certain rank (one that wasn't even listed).

There are sections of the VDVM forum you can not see. It is a form of "Secret" Police after all . From what I understand, VDVM members were not even sure who all the other members were, it was all very hush, hush.

Technically, noble houses are restricted to families. Other drow are just soldiers in service to the house. To keep things fair for players we have more of guild system set up with the houses, so everyone is considered noble upon joining (and blooding). So in our city, males can rise up higher than in the novels and source books by joining a house and gaining rank with in the house.

Unfortunately, do to game limitations, Player numbers, and other things, miner changes must be made to the norm. If people had the margin of chance with there characters that they would have in more canon drow city, no one would want to play, because they would never be more than a lowly soldier and if they are extremely lucky, a master of Melee.

And I would consider Zaknafien a noble, I do believe he was even refered to as a Do'Urden (if I am remembering right, would have to look to be sure). He was house weapon master (not Melee), he may not have been born into the house, but he became part of it, and even took a major rank with in the hosue (besides Matron's Consort). I would say that makes him noble, the source books even mention him as having Do'Urden last name, if I am remebering right there is well.

DM_SongSpider wrote:

And I would consider Zaknafien a noble, I do believe he was even refered to as a Do'Urden (if I am remembering right, would have to look to be sure). He was house weapon master (not Melee), he may not have been born into the house, but he became part of it, and even took a major rank with in the hosue (besides Matron's Consort). I would say that makes him noble, the source books even mention him as having Do'Urden last name, if I am remebering right there is well.

Having re read that book recently, I can answer a couple of questions. Yes, he is called just "Zaknafien" and is not of direct noble blood, not born of the Matron Mother's blood line. Yes Zak is just the Weapon Master of House Do'Urden, and not one of the Masters of the Melee. Zak is not considered a "commoner" or shebali, nor is any drow who is directly attached to a noble house.

Even though such members of the house are not blood relations (marriage is not a part of their culture), such members are still shown higher status as if they were nobles, since they represent the nobility of their house directly. Attacking a guard of a noble house (who may be someone's boy-toy of the month) is just like attacking a member of the noble family of the house. So a soldier can be called Do'Urden just to show that he is a servant of the house. I suppose that is one wanted to be picky in their drow lingo (that wasn't as well developed at the time Homeland was written by Salvatore) a soldier might be called d'Do'Urdan meaning "of Do'Urden" but who the hell wants to make that additional scripting and guild leader widget? Not me.

Within the fiction, a Matron Mother, can make anyone into a 'blood relation' of a family just by saying so (higher to lower status would apply, of course). The former Matron Mother of a defeated house was made into the first daughter of the House that defeated her (adopted could almost be the term). Szith does pretty much the same thing with all noble house members, in that when a commoner joins a house, that commoner is now considered as if born of the Matron's womb, and a member of the blood line.