Lolth - Queen of Spiders
Gameplay:
Followers of The Old Gods have the most diverse set of beliefs and gods on the Sword Coast. As such all religious classes (clerics, paladins, and druids) are open to them. Listed below, in order of importance, are the most important deities in the pantheon, but there are too many to list. You may choose one of them as your character’s deity, or you may design your character’s deity and religion. If you wish to play as a follower of The Old Gods, work with your DM to design your character’s beliefs and the nature of the religion and the god(s) she serves.
A Note to Players:
There is a lot of room for players develop their characters' religious beliefs and to expand on the brief summaries of each deity presented below. Players are invited to help expand or ammend what is written below.
Lolth, known as the Queen of Spiders or the Queen of the Demonweb Pits, is the most influential goddess of the drow. For most other followers of The Old Ways she is a taboo subject, a dread demon, who is not to be mentioned lest she be invited into one's home.
Beliefs:
Drow enforce the will of Lolth, the dread spider goddess, who teaches that the world belongs to the strong and that the weak must serve or perish. Lolth worship nominally has two purposes, called "the First and Second Part of the Destiny of the People". The former is about forcing all other races of the Underdark into subservience, while the latter is about driving the entire elven population into worship of Lolth, the spider goddess.A Dark Theocracy:
Drow society is a matriarchal and theocratic one, based on worship of Lolth. Lolth's clerics are exclusively female and also serve as the matriarchs of the noble houses that rule drow city-states. They strictly follow the Spider Queen's will, forcing the drow into extreme subservience to their <br> deity and into continual conflicts for supremacy <br> against the other noble houses.Unholy Orders:
Militant Myrlochar, Order of Soul Spiders
The Militant Myrlochar, sometimes known as the Order of Soul Spiders, is an elite fighting organization comprised exclusively of male crusaders, and found in the dark elven cities where Lolth is worshiped and males are allowed entrance into her priesthood. They directly serve the reigning Matron Mothers of the city.Handmaidens of the Spider Queen
The Handmaidens of the Spider Queen are an order of female crusaders. Also called the "Daughters of the Yochlol", they have no ties to specific cities, and are lead by wandering Matron Mothers. One of their usual tasks is find and purge Disciples of Chantrel. In order to do this they have destroyed several Drow cities where suspected Disciples may have resided.Rites:
Like all religions, the worship of Lolth involve a number of rituals and rites. Many of them include sacrifice.Places of worship:
Every drow city has a temple to Lolth that also stands as the central palace of the Matron Mother and the center of the government of the city. The granduer of the temple directly reflects the resources of the city.Characterization:
She is most often depicted as beautiful drow female with dark purplish skin with the abdomen and legs of a giant spider, spinning a giant web.Servant to The Great Adversary:
In The Teachings of Chantrel and in Unity, Lolth is portrayed as a servant of Ran, the great adversary. These religions portray her as a former high servant of the holy power, who after a rebellion led by Ran trying to usurp the heavenly throne, was cast-down with Ran into an infernal realm. She was transformed from a beautiful heavenly creature to her abominable form. In the infernal realm, Ran established his kingdom, waging a perpetual war against the heavens and all creation. In these myths, Lolth becomes the consort of Ran, working to corrupt the hearts of men and in particular elves.Worshippers:
Drow and various denizens of The Underdark"Great Goddess, Mother of the Dark, grant me the blood of my enemies for drink and their living hearts for meat. Grant me their screams for song, grant me the helplessness of their males for my satisfaction, grant me the wealth of their houses for my bed. By this unworthy sacrifice I honor you, Queen of Spiders, and beseech of you the strength to destroy my foes."
Related Ethnicities
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