In Aaron's eyes, Menzoberranzan's defenses were second only to those of the Imperial Palace designed by Dorn.
The entire city lay beneath immense walls, higher on the outside and lower within. Its defenses could only be described as impregnable, especially with the Family Fortresses, bastions, and dense networks of overlapping fire awaiting the allied army behind those sturdy walls.
This was how Lolth had designed Drow society: everyone was born into a world of cutthroat competition where personal safety was never assured. From the outset, the big fish were destined to eat the little fish, and the little fish to eat the shrimp. Even a small family had risen through countless bloody struggles. Any great family had surely fought countless wars and swallowed many smaller families to attain its current standing.
Once a family rose to prominence, its first task was to strengthen its defenses and ensure the safety of its core members.
This made besieging the city an extremely difficult undertaking.
But why did both Aaron and Eilistraee believe that once the city walls fell, the Drow would have no defensible ground left?
The reason was simple.
The Drow were not united at all!
Under pressure from a powerful external enemy, the Drow could temporarily unite through the Matron Ruling Council to resist the "Whip of Lolth." But once the walls fell, the great families could only retreat to their own Family Castles. With Lolth remaining silent, the Drow would instantly splinter into selfish factions concerned only with saving themselves. The city's overall defenses would disintegrate along with its walls, leaving each family thinking only of survival and escape.
The besieging army shared this assessment: breach the walls, and they could bring down this ten-thousand-year-old city of the Underdark!
But that was easier said than done.
Before the towering