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In my travels on the surface, I have run into a lot of varying degrees of prejudice. The rich, the poor, the old, the young, women, and men have all suffered from, in most cases, unjust discrimination. I say in most cases, because in almost every situation, these prejudices were derived from some sort of truth. Are rich people stuck up snobs who don't care about the common man? There definitely are some that fit that category. Does that mean all rich people are snobs? Hardly.
Though these prejudices exist in almost everyone, almost no one is willing to admit to them. These prejudices are so deeply rooted in their lives that it is second nature for them to turn their nose up at a beggar or to discount the abilities of a youth or to assume every shapely woman they see on the street is a whore. Though they would never admit to these prejudices in public, secretly, in the back of their minds, they believe them.
In drow society, prejudice is the law of the land. The exact same prejudices exist in the underdark as they do on the surface. There is one main difference, though: they are openly embraced. Is there truth in the idea that kobolds and goblins are stupid? Most definitely. Is the average non-drow capable of standing up to a trained drow warrior? Not even remotely. And most importantly, is a drow male as strong or as powerful as a drow female? Not quite.
I have fought against many drow females in my life, and just by the fact that I am writing these words now proves I have not fallen to any of them yet. Does this mean I think I could take on Matron Baenre in her prime? Absolutely not. Does it mean I feel I should be treated as an equal among them? Yes.
Zaknafein made a living out of killing drow priestesses. His skill was unsurpassed, and his knack of taking on several of the Lloth blessed females at once made House Do'Urden very successful. Does this mean that Matron Malice held him on a pedestal along with her daughters? Of course not. Zaknafein was barely tolerated.
In the future, when the drow of Menzoberranzan have been annihilated, either by their own internal struggles or by some outside force, the legends of this city will be told. These legends will include many stories of Matron Baenre's rise to power and of the continual struggle between the prominent matron mothers and their daughters. However, these stories would be incomplete without mentioning several males who played a vital role in shaping that drow city.
Will my name be mentioned? Do I want it to be? That is yet to be seen. But what I know will not be mentioned is how each of those males was treated as a second class citizen. Each of them had to overcome such tremendous odds to achieve even half of what they did that their accomplishments far outshine anything that a high priestess has ever done. But that's just my opinion.
-- Jarlaxle
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