The scourges of the Citadel of Gezneth were elite warriors completely devoted to the matron mother of their chosen house.

Becoming a Scourge

Male drow of the noble houses, short of being an important woman's consort or claiming the position of weapons master or guard officer - near-unattainable positions for lesser-born nobility - had few options for social elevation. As a result, the prospect of becoming a scourge - warriors sworn to abstinence and loyalty, but of high status - was not a bad one. Scourges had access to the highest levels of a drow house, often standing at the side of a matron mother or her daughters, forming part of the house's elite force, and having the opportunity to accompany the high nobility at balls and the like.

At the end of their standard education in the College of Spiders, 16 year old drow could swear to pursue the path of a scourge. In doing so, they forfeited all ties to their old house and accepted to focus purely on martial training for the coming century. If they passed an entry test, they were admitted into Silent Screech, the smallest and most exclusive of the Eight Castles. There, they wore only unadorned clothes and trained in full anonymity from each other, adopting new, simple names like "Zun" or "Tez".

Once their training was complete - around half the applicants died in the process - the scourges were among the best fighters in the citadel. On the day of the graduation, they had the opportunity to meet representatives of many high houses - usually no less than houses' first priestesses or masters-at-arms, or their matron mothers for lesser ones - and decide which house they wished to swear fealty to and serve. Technically, the houses were supposed to make their offers based purely on scourges' curriculum and present skill, but often nobles kept track of who was who and chose scourges from families associated with them, ideally their own. Once a scourge decided which house to serve, he adopted that house's ensign, a fee was paid to his instructors, and his promised gifts were handed to him, usually his equipment (exquisite plate armor and heavy weapons) and lodgings.

A Scourge's Devotion

Once a scourge chose his house, he was bound to it for life. This bond encompassed unquestioning service to the matron mother, protecting her to the death (though, if she was still killed, a scourge's loyalty was due to the new matron); renouncing a house meant death. A scourge's entire reason to be was bound to his house, so treason was unthinkable. Additionally, loyalty to the matron mother meant a complete focus on obedience and fighting, so scourges were subject to an oath of chastity and were notably exempt from any sexual services; in some cases, they were actually castrated.

Scourge Uses

Scourges, being great heavy fighters of unwavering loyalty, made great bodyguards for a house's highest elite. Matron mothers almost always had scourge escorts, and priestesses could be given protectors of their own. Scourges would fight attackers on the front-line, holding the troops together while priesesses either used their spells or fled.

Occasionally, scourges were used to form the core of strike groups, such as small forces sent to destroy a house from the inside or track down a powerful enemy in the Caverealm. They rarely assumed command, but were ideal to strengthen the morale and toughness of a force, because they virtually never broke and were hard to defeat.

Equipment

Though a scourge's equipment was sponsored by his house, and accordingly its quality and style varied from house to house, a standard doctrine was usually followed. Scourges wore black, and their armor was usually heavy, web-like wedged plate with a large shield and a heavy weapon. When not prepared for combat, which was rare but could occur when scourges escorted their charge to balls or the like, or when they were off duty, they wore simple black silk with their house's crest emblazoned on the chest.

When graduating, scourges received a small iron medallion as a certificate of their rank. On one side, these medallions depicted a heavy blade - symbol of their role - and on the other, an image of Lolth. Scourges always kept the tokens on their body, and they were supposed to be returned to Silent Screech if the scourge died. If stolen, these medallions could bestow an unholy curse on the unwitting thief.