Forgotten realms favourite characters

I'm a big fan of R A Salvatore and wondering if any other fans would like to discuss their favourite character (and please don't all say Drizzt do'urden).

I think my favourite character would have to be:

Artemis Entreri.

As at first, he was an almost aimless profiteer, a bounty hunter, assassin and kidnapper working for a thieves guild in darkest Calimport. His background cloudy, his loyalty to nobody but himself and his mercy unknown. His skills were exceptional and even his name would strike the fear of the gods into his enemies, such was his reputation.

One fateful day sent him to kidnap a halfling thief who had betrayed the guild, and on such a task he discovered the Dark elf, the ally of the unlucky halfling.

Until he met his nemesis Drizzt the renegade Drow, Artemis' dark lifestyle had no true calling, and despite being the sharpest warrior/assassin in all of Faerun he cared for little. That is until he was almost out matched in deadly combat with the dark elf.

Since finding his exact match (in sword craft and figthing techniques) he soon desired something more than just materialism. He discovered that Drizzt was almost a mirror to his soul. This supposedly evil creature, was his total opposite. Good and pure and merciful, whislt Jarlaxle reflected his own dark soul back at his nemesis. Together they met their match in a web of blades and vicious cuts.

Since that early encounter, Artemis has vowed for revenge (humiliated that he could not defeat his almost perfect opponent), to take Drizzt's life in armed combat would be his ultimate delight, and yet, despite several battles, neither has truly come out as victor (several occasions cost them both more than they bargained for) and this continued to infuriate the Assassin.

In once of my favourite scenes, the mortal enemies suddenly have to rely on each other, as they face waves of enemies, fighting back to back against a common foe, both having to keep the other alive, both figthing as a force never seen again in the world.

Ironically, along the path of fate, the Assassin was caught up in a plot by the dark elves as they plotted revenge upon the renegade drow, and soon the assassin found himself trapped beneath the earth, completely alone in the spider pits of Menzoberranzen (home of the drow), saved by a seemingly merciful male drow called Jarlaxle, head of a mercenary guild of deadly warriors.

Jarlaxle, an uncommon character even amongst his fellows in the underdark, since the Drow hierarchy promotes females as the stronger of the sexes, somehow Jarlaxle had grown strength (even amongst leading female rulers) and soon sowed his strange webs of confusion and entangled plans, keeping everybody on their toes, unsure of the motivations of this strange opportunist.

The human assassin soon formed a strange friendship with the merciful drow, (the drow appreciating the deadly finery of the humans swordplay and also relished in the knowledge that Artemis wanted revenge upon Drizzt. This would also favour Jarlaxle, as it would be yet another rung up the ladder of recognition amongst his elders.

Interestingly enough, despite a few other encounters with Drizzt and his allies, seemingly satisfied with a 'supposed' victory over the Drow, Artemis slowly changes his motivations, his needs not for blood or revenge, but ultimately for a strange new purpose that only Artemis and his strange ally Jarlaxle would eventually find out.

Strange how a man with such a dark heart, would ultimately befriend a creature of the same species as his mortal enemy, and even stranger, how his passions and ideas would slowly change, leaving him to show mercy and almost and understanding of his own crimes and actions........

As I often play a caster, have to go with Elminster.... I mean, the guy's been everything (even a woman at some point)...Thief, Warrior, Priest, and arguably the most powerful mortal (even though he's lived lifetimes) in the Realms....

The books leading up to how he got there however, are very entertaining.

I'd wager that most people (who even understand your question), will say Drizzt..... I myself have a fondness for dark elves, but I like my Drow to retain their evil.... :evil:

(and Elminster would toast Drizzt.... Sure, I know, but what about his magic resistance? you'd say...pooh...."I wish the air entirely surrounding 5' around Drizzt Do'urdern to instantly and permanently solidify into adamantite"...area effect spell, no magic resistance, no save, just a planter formerly known as Drizzt...courtesy of a Wish spell).

[edit on 8-6-2009 by Gazrok]

Elminster is probably one of the cooler characters in the Realms. He has a strong sense of humor and compassion, despite more tragedy than Shakespeare would have written.
I enjoy Drizzt stories, but I've alwayys more been a fan of Bruenor than Drizzt. He's a king who doesn't want to be king, he finds the whole thing to be pretty boring. He's portrayed as being able to put aside his extreme prejudice for the Orcs, something that's supposedly helped bring Orcs into the Civilized races of the realms.

Danilo Thann, from the Songs and Swords novels is another interesting character. Remarkably talented, but hides it under the guise of being incredibly foppish. Always enjoyed characters like that.
His uncle, Khelben Blackstaff is also a pretty cool wizard.

I've also enjoyed the Clerics Quintet, with Cadderly Bonaduce. A little more religiously inspired than his other works, and the idea of a character kicking but with a yo-yo and explosive crossbow is pretty sweet to me. The story ended pretty sharply, and so the characters remained pretty fresh and interesting.

Agreed Elminster is positively epic.

And i can't digree with Bruenor either, has the most world weary of the lot i think, and his mission of peace to the orcs is very powerful, after all the struggles and woe.

Now Cadderly is great, because i think the Cleric Quintet combined elements of humour and tragedy together, with Ivan and Pikel consistently squabbling even whilst bashing goblins , and then yet Salvatore throws a spanner in the works with the final book. The chaos curse.

But my money is still on Entreri and Jarlaxle, simply because of the total absurdity of a man with nothing but vengeance upon one drow, finding himself allied with another drow.

I always liked Liriel Baenre. Kind of the female version of Drizzit. Her series was pretty entertaining and she proved to be a very crafty character. Her companion, Fyodor, was pretty cool as well. She also became a Cleric for Mystra, which I thought was an interesting twist.

I really like the Cleric Quintet. Cadderely would probably be second favourite.

I've always had soft spot for halflings/kender/hobbits so Regis would have to rank in there too.

Man, there are so many. The Seven Sisters, Breagn D'Arthe plus all mentioned above.

reply to post by GAOTU789


Thanks for the response.

Liriel Baenre, is she of good alignment? A renegade like Drizzt too?

Yes, she's a fellow renegade, and worshipper of Mystra...

Bah, I play my Drow elves like the true bastards they are, muhahaha....

[edit on 17-6-2009 by Gazrok]

Personally, I rather liked Pharaun Mizzrym from the War of the Spider Queen series. Character gave stark contrast to Drizzt "Angst Boy" Do'Urden.

How's about Laroch the Arch-lich. He even makes Elminster seem a bit week. He was a Netherese lich! I got cast my vote for Artemeis! No morality [till recent books] and crammed just as skilled swordsmanship in a shorter amount of time!!