The Legend of Drizzt is a series about very normal people with no psychological problems or trauma whatsoever (citation needed).

[quote source]

Joy of Calihye · Warmth of Dahlia · Embrace of Jarlaxle · Respect of Drizzt

Artemis thinks about his life

One of my fav parts of Neverwinter is when in the sewers Drizzt starts info dumping about snake behavior to Mr. "Has previously gone on a dramatic monologue about shark behavior" and Mrs. "I am terrified to death of snakes"

Charon's Claw, R.A. Salvatore

I was a bit worried going into the Neverwinter Saga because the only thing I had ever seen anyone say about it was how they absolutely hated Dahlia, but like, I’m two books in and ummmmm....

I love her, Your Honor

Hello! Just curious, what's the word on Dahlia? Was she really removed off-screen in that short story? (Not that I'd be sad to see her go, but that seems pretty offhand for a previously major character) Thanks.

[[ Hey there, sorry for taking a while to respond, your question is a really good one and I needed to find a chunk of time to address it properly. Cut for spoilers.

Dahlia was indeed removed off-screen in One-Eyed Jax. I wrote a quick overview of it since it was only available in audiobook format, although I'd imagine someone might've transcribed it by now.

In any case, what we know as of the current published story canon is that she's indeed dead, and I agree, it was pretty unceremonious. I liked Dahlia as a character concept, I felt that she was a lot more interesting than Catti-brie, but the flailing that Bob did with her in the Homecoming and Generations trilogies turned me neutral about her. My guess is that Bob did Dahlia off this way because the vast bulk of his biggest fans hate Dahlia with a burning passion, to the extent of feeling that she deserved everything that's ever happened to her, including that particular incident when she was a child that defined so much of her personality.

We never see a body, so of course the contention that whenever we don't see the body the character isn't truly dead has ever been the case with Dahlia's scenario. However, One-Eyed Jax handled her fate with such a note of finality. Artemis just accepts that Dahlia is dead because they found her weapon in someone else's possession and apparently knowing Dahlia would never willingly part with it must mean that the only possibility that it ended up separated from her is that she's dead. Artemis, who is extremely thorough, meticulous, intelligent and circumspect, for some reason doesn't bother to look into what happened to Dahlia, if for no other reason than for his own knowledge.

Things did seem pretty cool between Artemis and Dahlia in Relentless, so perhaps his willingness to accept her supposed fate is due to that. However, that theory also doesn't track. We've seen in the past that Artemis loves intensely and with supreme dedication. In One-Eyed Jax, he goes out of his way to kill the person most likely responsible for Dahlia's fate, including cutting off their head and bringing it back with him. As a man who doesn't waste actions, it's evident that he wouldn't have gone to such lengths if his feelings for Dahlia had indeed cooled.

One-Eyed Jax takes place after Relentless, which ends in 1488 DR. I would estimate that it transpires about a few months after the conclusion of Relentless. The current trilogy picks up in 1490 DR. It's been about two years, which is more than enough time for the past to remain in the past.

I was curious though, and figured since I have the ARC I might as well take a peek, so I searched for "Dahlia". I was surprised to see that there were hits, her name literally didn't come up at all in Starlight Enclave or Glacier's Edge. I figured that, being the end of the trilogy, she's probably mentioned in Lolth's Warrior as part of reflections of the past. This is what I found instead:

Only 14 mentions, but what a whopping 14! From this, I infer that Dahlia is (most likely) alive. Furthermore, with the current story concluding in Lolth's Warrior and Bob not likely giving up his cash cow, the search for Dahlia could be anywhere from a side plot to the main plot of the next trilogy. It would also fit the formula of "uniting all the characters" that's been going on for a while now. Just as Doum'wielle Armgo played a role in kicking off the search for Calidae, perhaps Dahlia is doing the same for the new plot.

This is incredibly artificial though, and inherently self-contradicting with how final Artemis was about Dahlia. Why would he decide TWO YEARS LATER to try to pick up her trail again? He gave up way too easily and uncharacteristically before, so now he suddenly decides that he needs to go the whole nine yards, uphill both ways in the snow? I suspect Bob will give some justification along the lines of, oh his time in Callidae made him see through the power of friendship that he didn't try hard enough for her and that even if they're no longer a couple he still needs to bring her back because she needs to feel and be reformed by the pOWeR oF friENdShiP that turned him totally out of character.

Or who knows, maybe Bob will do the more sensible thing of having one of Dahlia's keepsakes turn up. I'm honestly not sure if this is better though, as it would make the situation that Dahlia's been suffering in captivity for these couple of years while the rest of the cast lackadaisically assumed that she was dead based on minimal evidence. That would mean that none of the shining heroes of the Companions of the Hall thought to be more thorough and were just ok with taking the path of least resistance even while one of their "precious allies" went through proverbial hell.

No matter what happens, Bob will likely say that he intended Dahlia to not be dead all along, if she is indeed alive. 🫠 ]]

Dahlia meeting Maya in the therapy fic au where Maya's familiar is a large white python.

{ HEADCANON }

Astarion's admiration for Drizzt Do'Urden isn't just because Drizzt is one of the most famous elves in the realms. It's also because Drizzt's tales are heavily told in Moon Elf society because part of Drizzt Do'Urden's history is tied to a Moon Elf historical figure: Ellifain Tuuserail (male alias Le'lorinel Tel'e'brenequiette).

Astarion can't remember his natural life when he was just a Moon Elf lad or being told these stories as a child, but he does remember the stories. He even builds a little collection of books that focus on Drizzt Do'Urden's tales after the events of the game.

The story of Drizzt Do'Urden and Ellifain Tuuserail goes as such:

On Drizzt's first visit to the surface, he participated in an attack on the surface elves with his fellow Drow. During this experience, he began to realize how vile he found his own kin, and saved the young Ellifain by smearing her with blood from her mother's corpse. Ellifain recalled a different account of events and believed Drizzt to be responsible for her mother's death, hunting him down relentlessly. Afterward, Ellifain continued living with the elves of the Moonwood, but was scarred by the traumatic event, despite the efforts of clerics and wizards to restore her mental state. When she heard rumors of a drow with lavender eyes who had come to live on the surface, she was consumed with thoughts of revenge. In 1357 DR, she encountered Drizzt as he was traveling through the Moonwood. She decided to kill Drizzt Do'Urden for what she thought he did. The elves tried to persuade her not to, but her thoughts of revenge were too tempting as she hatched a plan to kill Drizzt. The pair were to meet again in the Moonwood, when Tarathiel and other elves had to hold her back to stop her from attacking. Ellifain later disappeared, traveling to Silverymoon in an effort to hire a swordsman capable of the two-long-weapons fighting style favored by Drizzt whom she could train against. Ellifain eventually found a swordsman who used two scimitars to practice against, obtained an ensorcelled ring to aid her, and became a follower of Sheila Kree. This culminated in a final encounter between Drizzt and Ellifain, in which both were mortally wounded. Ellifain died in a pirate cavern believing Drizzt to have also been killed, but Bruenor Battlehammer came to his aid and saved his life. Later, her spectre was summoned by clerics of King Battlehammer, and she realized the truth only in death, that Drizzt was her savior from the merciless blades of the drow. Drizzt finally released his guilt after Ellifain's soul was summoned and she apologized for her unwarranted hatred of Drizzt.

A secondary reason that Astarion likes Drizzt Do'Urden so much is because he can relate to Drizzt's initial inability to deal with the emotional implications of gaining genuine feelings for someone (for Drizzt it was falling in love with Catti-brie), using sex and sexuality as a tool and unhealthy coping skill (Drizzt's relationship with Dahlia Sin'felle after the death of Catti-brie), and the realization of being used for one's body but being cut off from emotional connection (also Drizzt's relationship with Dahlia Sin'felle).

Dahlia: I'll find us a covered wagon and horses if you two can manage not to kill each other while I'm gone

Entreri: oh, please, we're not children

Dahlia: *leaves*

Drizzt: eat shit and die

Entreri: yes, fuck you

Warmup. If Dahlia Sin'felle has no fans I am dead. Shes got a cool bo staff that shoots lightning and doesnt afraid of anything. She's a fucked up asshole and it rules

I think that scene in Charon's Claw when artemis thinks he will die after drizzt throws charon's claw into the lava could have been improved if he'd also planted one on drizzt after kissing dahlia. i mean, you're gonna die anyway (or so you think). you might as well

@solvicrafts I did another one just for you Solvi

Think one of my fav things about Neverwinter is that the second Artemis learns Dahlias deal, despite the fact that he's been tortured by Alegni for like years, he's like oh you got dibs. I'll help you do it but he's all yours. Get his fucking ass. Kill the fucker.

Random mini-outline/plot bunny. Post-Hero.

Dahlia, Artemis and Jarlaxle all cheat when playing games, to the point where they’ve created an additional ‘house rule’ whenever they do so – whoever figures out the precise manner in which the other two are cheating is declared the winner, so long as they speak before the standard win condition of whatever game they are playing is reached.

This has resulted in Artemis occassionally hitting Jarlaxle – for playing by the rules. This happened often enough that another house rule was added – players have to declare ahead of time if they’re aren’t going to cheat.

Naturally Jarlaxle just keeps cheating anyway and making a personal goal of not getting caught and Artemis is certainly not going to behave if he won’t and the whole things just escalates. Dahlia keeps up with them, but she’s much less aggressive about it and at some point Artemis and Jarlaxle pause their constant bickering/backstabbing long enough to realize she’s managed to win something like 90% of the games they’ve played in the last six months because they haven’t been paying attention.

There’s a good ten seconds of silence between them before both the men throw their games pieces (cards?) at Dahlia. She laughs, and proceeds to win that game too.

     why  does  the  Forgotten  Realms  fandom  not  exist?   there  are???   so  many  good  characters???   like  if  you  need  a  suggestion,   I’ve  got  them  for  you.   just  take  a  look  at  any  of  the  following  because  they’re  all  just  so  amazing!

               belwar  dissengulp  ;  deep  gnome  ;  male                bruenor  battlehammer  ;  dwarf  ;  male                catti-bri  battlehammer  ;  human  ;  female                wulfgar  ;  barbarian  hero  ;  male                alustriel  silverhand  ;  human mage  ;  female                montolio  debrouchee  ;  human ranger  ;  male                regis  ;  halfling  ;  male                zaknafein do'urden  ;  drow  ;  male

other  minor,   but  still  awesome  people,   can  include:

               cassius,   who  was  the  first  diplomat  of  any  city  to  allow  Drizzt  to  stay  nearby.   he  gave  the  drow  a  cave  where  he  would  be  welcomed  and  Drizzt  was  perfectly  happy  with  it  because  it  was  more  than  any  other  city  would  give  him.                kellindel,   an  elf  whose  story  will  make  you  cry  and  who  deserved  so  much  better.   e_e                dahlia sin'felle,   but  probably  only  if  you  like  somewhat  toxic  relationships  tbh.