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Lolth
Basic Information
Title(s)	Queen of Spiders Queen of the Demonweb Pits
Power level	Greater deity Formerly: Intermediate deity Formerly: Demon lord
Alignment	Chaotic evil
Favored weapon	Spider (dagger)
Influence
Dominion	Demonweb Pits
Sphere(s) of influence	Drow
Portfolio	Assassins, chaos, darkness, drow, evil, spiders
Domains	Darkness, Poison, Trickery[1] Formerly: Chaos, Darkness, Destruction, Drow, Evil, Spider, Trickery
Worshipers
Worshipers	Drow and depraved elves, sentient spiders
Worshiper alignment(s)	LG NG CG LN N CN LE NE CE

Lolth (pronounced LOALTH ^[2]), sometimes Lloth in the Drow dialect,^[3] the Queen of Spiders or Queen of the Demonweb Pits, was the goddess of the drow^[4], a chaotic evil deity who reveled in chaos. She patterned her life and the lives of her worshipers on a regimen of chaotic acts and the veneration of spiders. The way that new-born spider broods tore each other apart to survive especially appealed to her. She promoted this by encouraging her worshipers to kill their rivals, thus ensuring that they were the strongest of the 'brood'. Her love of chaos often made her appear mad but the wise saw her as a calculating individual who was always several steps ahead of those who believed that they could anticipate her. She was cruel and domineering, forcing her will upon her followers and her enemies, a will which instructed the strong to crush the weak in the most torturous way imaginable.^{[citation needed]}

Contents 1 Worshipers 1.1 Orders 2 Relationships 3 History 3.1 Post-Spellplague 4 Gallery 5 References 5.1 Further reading

WorshipersEdit

Lolth's clerics had no set uniform, but spider motifs and darker clothes were the norm. Some rites required the worshiper to wear no clothing at all. Her sacred animals were arachnids. Lolth was worshiped almost exclusively by drow, though other sentient races venerated the Lady of Spiders as well. Her clergy sacrificed the living and treasure to her glory.^{[citation needed]}

OrdersEdit

Militant Myrlochar, Order of Soul Spiders

The Militant Myrlochar, also known as the Order of Soul Spiders, was an elite military order composed solely of male crusaders and found in the few dark elven cities where Lolth was revered and males are permitted to enter her priesthood. The Militant Myrlochar directly served the ruling Matron Mothers of the city in which they were based as agents of uncontrolled destruction, tirelessly hunting any creature designated as their quarry or who interfered with their pursuit and wreaking havoc until recalled, which rarely happened, or destroyed, their most common fate.^{[citation needed]}

Handmaidens of the Spider Queen

The Handmaidens of the Spider Queen was an order of female crusaders with no permanent ties to any individual city. Also known as the Daughters of the Yochlol, the Handmaidens served as instruments of Lolth's will in times when the Spider Queen needed to bring an entire city into line. At least three times in recorded history the Handmaidens of the Spider Queen assaulted and destroyed an entire dark elven city that threatened to drift from Lolth's web of chaos. When not assembled into an army of chaos and vengeance, the Handmaidens worked in small companies scattered throughout the Underdark, harassing merchant trains that looked to other deities for protection and conducting hit-and-run raids on cities ruled by the clergy of other deities.^{[citation needed]}

RelationshipsEdit

Lolth was a fervent enemy of the Seldarine, especially Corellon Larethian, Sehanine Moonbow and Fenmarel Mestarine for the parts they played in foiling her scheme to overthrow the Seldarine. She was also an enemy of both her children Vhaeraun and Eilistraee(who knew her as the Tyrant Poisoner)^[5], though she appreciated all the effort her son put into his plans to get rid of her. It was in accordance with her views on the chaotic nature of the drow.^{[citation needed]}Gruumsh was a former ally, later her enemy. He blamed her for the failed attack on his arch-nemesis Corellon.^{[citation needed]}

Lolth shared an enmity with Ghaunadaur, another former ally who went mad with rage when she refused his romantic interests. She also opposed every non-drow Underdark deity.

Lolth did have tentative alliances with Loviatar, Malar and several tanar'ri lords, including Errtu who was the caretaker of Menzoberranzan, her favorite city during the Time of Troubles. The only alliance she ever had that could possibly be described as solid would be the one she had with Selvetarm. He was her consort and although he was not hugely enamored of that fact he guarded her vigilantly. In 1375 DR however, Selvetarm was slain by a worshiper of Eilistraee wielding the Crescent Blade (with the help of the transformed Halisstra Melarn), leaving her alone to fend off external threats.^{[citation needed]}

HistoryEdit

Lolth was formerly Araushnee, elven goddess of destiny, artisans and dark elves. She was the lover of Corellon and had him completely smitten by her grace and beauty but she grew power-hungry and a sense of never-before seen greed and cruelty entered into her mind. She began by aiding Corellon's enemies. In a fight with his nemesis Gruumsh, Araushnee aided the orc god and Corellon had to flee.^{[citation needed]} She then sent her new ally Malar to hunt her weakened lover but through sheer skill of arms Corellon, with the help of Sehanine Moonbow, managed to defeat the Beastlord.^{[citation needed]}

Corellon still had no idea that his beautiful consort was behind the attacks but Sehanine Moonbow had found out the truth after discovering that Araushnee had started an affair with Fenmarel Mestarine in an effort to make him aid her in an upcoming rebellion. Although at first entranced by her advances he eventually spurned her. Sehanine confronted Araushnee and was imprisoned as a result.^{[citation needed]} With her subtle plans failed, she instead organized an attack on the entire Seldarine with her "Anti-Seldarine" consisting of Vhaeraun, Malar, Ghaunadaur, Gruumsh, Auril, and a host of other gods of goblinoids, orcs, giants, and kobolds, as well as Eilistraee, who was only an unwitting participant in her schemes. Sehanine escaped from her imprisonment and warned Corellon of the impending attack. Despite their force of numbers, the anti-Seldarine were defeated. While her allies fled, Araushnee directly confronted her former lover but then Sehanine, Hanali Celanil and Aerdrie Faenya came to the rescue, merging their powers together to become a single deity, Angharradh. Araushnee was defeated and cast into the Abyss along with both of her children (despite the fact that Corellon knew Eilistraee had been tricked). Araushnee's banishment also involved Corellon turning her into a bloated spider demon so that he could not be persuaded to reconsider his decision due to her beauty.^{[citation needed]}

Araushnee took the name Lolth and turned the 66th layer of the Abyss into her new home. Without another home Vhaeraun, Eilistraee and Ghaunadaur took up small residences there, though Vhaeraun and Eilistraee rarely visited them, preferring to wander in the Plane of Shadow and Arvandor respectively. Ghaunadaur took the opportunity of living in the same realm as Lolth to announce his love for her but Lolth prized physical beauty, an attribute Ghaunadaur did not have and rejected his advances. The Drow demi-power Kiaransalee created a tower of bones in the realm and was thusly subjugated by Lolth's will into becoming her reluctant vassal. Also, Lolth learned of the demon prince Zanassu who claimed divine dominion over spiders. Considering her new body, she thought it was her sole right to own such a portfolio and angrily tricked Selvetarm into attacking the demon prince, killing him. She gained a divine portfolio and a new consort. She used her regained divinity to turn the 66th layer into the Demonweb Pits, morphing it into a giant funnel-shaped web to fit her spidery appearance.

Some time afterward, the moon elf Kethryllia Amarillis intruded into the demonweb, reminding Lolth of a way to regain more of her divinity by having the surface elves worship her once more.^{[citation needed]}

She began corrupting the surface elves, especially the dark-skinned and warlike Illythiri of whom she used to be the sole patron. It was her actions during the second Crown War that ended up causing the Illythiri to turn to darkness when she sent the balor lord Wendonai and other demonic servants to offer corrupting power to the dark elves. Just before the Illythiri were turned into drow they had begun openly worshiping Lolth.^[6]

Although she has attempted to inspire a couple of invasions of Evermeet Lolth seemed to have been content to sit and watch her worshipers killing each other in the Underdark, at least until the Time of Troubles. She spent most of her time as an avatar tracking down the new drow demi-power in the realms, Zinzerena. She killed Zinzerena easily and became more chaotic in nature as a result, actually spreading the faith of Zinzerena (who wanted to rebel against Lolth) in Menzoberranzan, and granted spells in her name seemingly just for the sheer irony. When the Time of Troubles ended, Lolth also began granting spells to the followers of Moander after he was killed by Finder Wyvernspur.^{[citation needed]}

Then came the Silence of Lolth. Clerics suddenly could not receive spells, throwing the entire theocratic drow society into turmoil. Two great drow cities were destroyed, while others were taken over by Vhaeraunites. Lolth emerged again though. She had moved the Demonweb Pits from the Abyss to its own separate plane where spiders destroy each other day-by-day and Lolth weeds out the weak even from her dead as they have to traverse the plane's barren, mad spider-infested lands to get to the Demonweb itself.^{[citation needed]}

Lolth had taken the soul of a drow, Danifae Yauntyrr, and added her as the eight aspect of her divinity. Whether this was a replacement or addition to Lolth's combined mind was not clear.^{[citation needed]}

Several key events occurred that led up to Lolth holding her undisputed place and Queen of the drow-^{[citation needed]}

-Eilistraee defeated and subsumed her brother Vhaeraun, in a botched attempt to slay her.^{[citation needed]}

-An uncooperative, joint effort between Lolth and her daughter destroyed Kiaransalee (represented in a cosmic game resembling the drow version of chess, Sava).^{[citation needed]}

-Ghaunadaur retreated from the Demonweb Pits to the Dismal Caverns.^{[citation needed]}

-And finally, 1379 DR : During Flamerule^[7] Eilistraee, while inhabiting the body of Qilué Veladorn, was killed by the mad demi-power, the Lady Penitent(aka Halisstra Melarn) using the Crescent Blade. ^[8]

However, just after Eilistraee's death, Lolth discovered too late that her daugther managed to redeem about 20% of the entire drow race, turning them back into dark elves and allowing Corellon Larethian to take over the dead goddess's realm and place in the sava game. Thus, Eilistraee's legacy and mission to save the drow passed over to Corellon. Lolth was furious that her daughter had gotten the last laugh, forcing her to face a new opponent more dangerous than Eilistraee ever was.^[9]

Post-SpellplagueEdit

At some point in the years leading up to 1479 DR, Lolth ordered her servants to begin collecting blue fire items and relics important to Mystra.^[10] Her ultimate goal was to become the new goddess of magic.^[11]

GalleryEdit

ReferencesEdit

1. ↑ Logan Bonner. Domains in Eberron and the Forgotten Realms (PDF). Dragon magazine 378 p. 8.
2. ↑ Ed Greenwood, Sean K. Reynolds, Skip Williams, Rob Heinsoo (June 2001). Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting 3rd edition, p. 245. Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-1836-5.
3. ↑ Mentioned in The Dark Elf Trilogy, when Jarlaxle was talking to one of the svirfneblin
4. ↑ Bruce R. Cordell, Ed Greenwood, Chris Sims (August 2008). Forgotten Realms Campaign Guide, p. 80. Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 978-0-7869-4924-3.
5. ↑ Ed Greenwood (2005). Silverfall (Mass Market Paperback), p. 66. Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-3572-0.
6. ↑ Richard Baker, Ed Bonny, Travis Stout (February 2005). Lost Empires of Faerûn, p. 52. Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-3654-1.
7. ↑ Lisa Smedman (June 2008). Ascendancy of the Last, p. 19. Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 978-0-7869-4864-2.
8. ↑ Lisa Smedman (June 2008). Ascendancy of the Last, p. 292. Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 978-0-7869-4864-2.
9. ↑ Lisa Smedman (June 2008). Ascendancy of the Last, p. Epilogue. Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 978-0-7869-4864-2.
10. ↑ Bruce R. Cordell (June 2012). Sword of the Gods: Spinner of Lies Kindle Edition, p. 2765. Wizards of the Coast. ISBN B005C5QS90.
11. ↑ Bruce R. Cordell (June 2012). Sword of the Gods: Spinner of Lies Kindle Edition, p. 3549. Wizards of the Coast. ISBN B005C5QS90.

Further readingEdit

• Eric L. Boyd, Erik Mona (May 2002). Faiths and Pantheons, p. 40-43. Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-2759-3.

• Bruce R. Cordell, Gwendolyn F.M. Kestrel, Jeff Quick (October 2003). Underdark. Wizards of the Coast. ISBN 0-7869-3053-5.

• Elaine Cunningham (1998). Evermeet: Island of Elves (Hardcover). TSR, Inc. ISBN 978-0786907137.

• Anne Gray McCready et al. (March 1994). Elves of Evermeet. TSR, Inc. ISBN 1-5607-6829-0.

• Steven E. Schend and Kevin Melka (1998). Cormanthyr: Empire of the Elves. TSR, Inc. ISBN 0-7069-0761-4.

Deities of the Post-Spellplague Age
Ao the Overgod
Greater Gods of Faerûn
Amaunator | Asmodeus | Bane | Chauntea | Corellon | Cyric | Ghaunadaur | Gruumsh | Kelemvor | Lolth | Moradin | Oghma | Selûne | Shar | Silvanus | Sune | Tempus | Torm
Gods of Faerûn
Angharradh | Auril | Bahamut | Berronar Truesilver | Beshaba | Garl Glittergold | Gond | Ilmater | Loviatar | Luthic | Malar | Mielikki | Sheela Peryroyl | Sseth | Talona | Tiamat | Tymora | Umberlee | Waukeen | Zehir
Exarchs of Faerûn
Abbathor | Arvoreen | Baervan Wildwanderer | Bahgtru | Baravar Cloakshadow | Brandobaris | Callarduran Smoothhands | Clangeddin Silverbeard | Cyrrollalee | Deep Sashelas | Dugmaren Brightmantle | Erevan Ilesere | Fenmarel Mestarine | Fzoul Chembryl | Garagos | Hoar | Hruggek | Jergal | Labelas Enoreth | Lliira | Maglubiyet | Malar | Marthammor Duin | Milil | Obould | Red Knight | Sharess | Shargaas | Shevarash | Shiallia | Siamorphe | Solonor Thelandira | Thard Harr | Uthgar | Valkur | Vaprak | Vergadain

Deities of the Era of Upheaval
Ao the Overgod
Greater Deities of Faerûn
Angharradh | Bane | Chauntea | Corellon Larethian | Cyric | Garl Glittergold | Gruumsh | Horus-Re | Kelemvor | Lathander | Moradin | Mystra | Oghma | Shar | Silvanus | Sune | Talos | Tempus | Tyr | Yondalla
Intermediate Deities of Faerûn
Abbathor | Arvoreen | Baervan Wildwanderer | Berronar Truesilver | Beshaba | Callarduran Smoothhands | Clangeddin Silverbeard | Cyrrollalee | Deep Duerra | Deep Sashelas | Dumathoin | Erevan Ilesere | Flandal Steelskin | Gond | Hanali Celanil | Helm | Ilmater | Isis | Labelas Enoreth | Laduguer | Lolth | Mask | Mielikki | Nephthys | Osiris | Rillifane Rallathil | Sehanine Moonbow | Segojan Earthcaller | Selûne | Set | Sharindlar | Sheela Peryroyl | Solonor Thelandira | Thoth | |Tymora | Umberlee | Urdlen | Vergadain

Deities of the Age of Humanity
Ao the Overgod
Major Deities of Faerûn
Angharradh | Bane | Bhaal | Chauntea | Corellon Larethian | Garl Glittergold | Gruumsh | Horus-Re | Lathander | Moradin | Myrkul | Mystra | Oghma | Shar | Silvanus | Sune | Talos | Tempus | Tyr | Yondalla
Other Deities of Faerûn
Abbathor | Arvoreen | Auril | Baervan Wildwanderer | Berronar Truesilver | Beshaba | Callarduran Smoothhands | Clangeddin Silverbeard | Cyrrollalee | Deep Duerra | Deep Sashelas | Dumathoin | Erevan Ilesere | Flandal Steelskin | Gond | Hanali Celanil | Helm | Ilmater | Isis | Labelas Enoreth | Laduguer | Lolth | Mask | Mielikki | Nephthys | Osiris | Rillifane Rallathil | Sehanine Moonbow | Segojan Earthcaller | Selûne | Set | Sharindlar | Sheela Peryroyl | Solonor Thelandira | Thoth | Tymora | Umberlee | Urdlen | Vergadain