Lolth

Queen of the Drow

Lolth, God of Drow, Spiders, Evil, Darkness
Queen of the Drow, the Spider Goddess, the Spider Queen, the Black Queen, Queen of Spiders, Demon Queen of Spiders, Demon Queen of the Abyss, Queen of the Demonweb Pits, Weaver of Chaos, the Mother of Lusts, Dark Mother of All Drow, Lady of Spiders, Lady of Trickery and Destruction, Weaver and Poisoner of Fate and Folly, Ruler of the Material Worlds of Spiderkind, Her Eightfold Majesty

The Spider Queen's Web

In the pantheon of deities venerated by the denizens of the Underdark, none is more feared or revered than Lolth, the Demon Queen of Spiders. Her dominion extends beyond the mere physical realms, entangling the hearts and souls of the dark elves in a web of deceit, ambition, and cruelty. This article delves into the depths of Lolth's influence, exploring her lore, her intricate relationships with other entities, and the societal structures she has spawned among the drow.

Veil of Darkness

Description of Lolth

• Duality of Form: Lolth is a deity of contrasts, manifesting both as a breathtakingly beautiful dark elf and a fearsome giant black widow spider, embodying the allure and danger she represents.
• Mistress of Deception: Whether in her drow guise or arachnid form, Lolth exudes a malevolent grace, her every move calculated to seduce or destroy.

A Web of Enmity

Relationships

• Corellon's Betrayed: Once part of the elven pantheon, Lolth's insatiable lust for power and dominion led to her fall, forever positioning her against Corellon Larethian and his followers.
• Abyssal Rivalries: Despite her ascension to godhood, Lolth maintains her rivalries within the Abyss, particularly with Zuggtmoy, Demoness Lady of Fungi, though she now stands largely above these conflicts.
• Allies and Adversaries: Lolth's circle of influence includes reluctant servants like Keptolo, and adversaries such as Vhaeraun and the surface elves' deities, highlighting her complex positioning within the divine hierarchy.
• Major foes: Vhaeraun, Gruumsh, and Ilsensine

The Demonweb Pits: Throne of Chaos

Realm of the Spider Queen

• Abyssal Dominion: Lolth's realm, the Demonweb Pits, epitomizes the chaos of the Abyss with its endless, intricate web, symbolizing her control over the fate of her followers.
• Iron Fortress: At the heart of this labyrinth lies Lolth's stronghold, a colossal iron spider that moves at her will, highlighting her ever-changing nature and unpredictability.
• Layered Confusion: While traditionally associated with the 66th layer of the Abyss, sources have varied, reflecting the chaotic and elusive essence of Lolth's dominion.

The Creed of Shadows

Dogma

• Doctrine of Fear: Lolth venerates the strong, teaching that fear is a tool to be wielded, while love and respect are chains that bind the weak.
• Sacrificial Edicts: The Spider Queen demands the blood of those who defy her, be they disobedient drow males or creatures of other races, reinforcing her reign with terror.
• Sanctity of Spiders: In Lolth's faith, spiders hold a sacred status, and to harm one is considered an unforgivable sin, symbolizing her connection to these creatures.
• Chaos and Contradiction: True to the nature of the Abyss, Lolth's commands are capricious and often self-contradictory, ensnaring her followers in a web of confusion and danger.

Dark Matriarchy

Worshipers and Society

• The Drow: Under Lolth's tyrannical guidance, the drow have evolved into a society where treachery and strength determine one's place in the dark hierarchies of the Underdark.
• Clergy and Rituals: Lolth's priestesses wield immense power, performing blood sacrifices to honor their deity and further their own ends, with the Spider Queen's favor determining their fate and fortune.
• Cults and Servants: From the feared yochlol to the Proxies of Lolth, a host of demonic entities serve at her behest, enforcing her will across the planes.

The Loom of Fate

Clergy and Hierarchy

• Priestesses of the Spider Queen: At the heart of Lolth's worship are her priestesses, who dominate drow society through fear and manipulation, their authority second only to Lolth herself.
• Ranks of the Faithful: The clergy of Lolth is structured around a strict hierarchy, from the Unblooded novices to the exalted Proxies, each rank a rung in a ladder steeped in blood and treachery.

The Dark Faithful: Followers of Lolth

Cult of the Spider Queen
The worship of Lolth weaves a complex web of power, fear, and submission, encapsulating the essence of drow society. Her followers, drawn from a wide array of beings, pay homage through sacrifices and rituals that not only honor the Spider Queen but also reinforce her tyranny. Within this dark tapestry, the clergy stands as her most fervent devotees, wielding absolute power in her name and ensuring that her will is executed with ruthless efficiency.

• Transformation as Punishment: In Lolth's cruel hierarchy, those who fail her might be slain or turned into monstrous driders, a fate that underscores her merciless nature.
• Aberrations of Lolth: Among her punishments, transformations into beings like aracholoths and brood mothers serve as dire warnings to her followers, emphasizing the terror she embodies.
• Diverse Worship: Beyond the drow, creatures such as chitines, araneas, and even human cultists like Lareth the Beautiful, find solace or power in her worship, broadening her sphere of influence.

Hierarchy of Terror

The Clergy of Lolth

• Matriarchal Dominance: The priesthood of Lolth, primarily female, commands drow society through fear and manipulation, with the highest-ranking priestess presiding over each noble house.
• Rites of Power and Fear: Lolth's clerics, recognizable by their red and black vestments, embody the deity's will, acting as enforcers, judges, and executioners within the drow matriarchy.
• Ritual Garb: In ceremonies, the attire ranges from nudity to elaborate black robes adorned with purple and deep red, often complemented by spider-themed helms, each element a testament to Lolth's love for ostentation and fear.

The Unseen Sanctuaries

Temples of Lolth

• Unearthly Constructions: Lolth's temples, often vast marble edifices buried deep within the earth, stand as symbols of her unyielding dominion over the drow. These fanes are not just places of worship but fortified vaults where dark magics and lore are zealously guarded.
• Guardians of the Faith: Priestesses, along with devout soldiers and an array of spiders, protect these sacred spaces, ensuring the Spider Queen's decrees are upheld with absolute precision.
• Centers of Power: Beyond their spiritual significance, these temples serve as epicenters of political and magical power within drow society, influencing decisions and dictating the lives of their inhabitants.

Desecration of Light

Holy Days and Rituals

• Afront to the Moon Goddess: The choice of the full moon for ceremonies is a deliberate provocation to Sehanine Moonbow, reinforcing Lolth's disdain for the deities of the surface elves.
• Sacrificial Edict: The highest form of worship involves the ritualistic sacrifice of surface elves, particularly targeting Sehanine's followers, performed in secrecy or before a gathered crowd, depending on the rite's significance.
• Perverse Offerings: Lolth's desires dictate a gruesome hierarchy of sacrifices, with the blood of her own priestesses being the most coveted, showcasing her insatiable appetite for power and control.
• Trials of Faith: Drow are periodically subjected to cruel tests of loyalty and strength, with failure resulting in transformation into monstrosities or worse, underscoring the merciless nature of Lolth's favor.

Veil of Shadows

The Enigmatic History of Lolth

Unraveling Deceit: Pivotal Schemes

• Temple of Elemental Evil: Lolth's early machinations involved the Temple of Elemental Evil, aligning with Iuz and Zuggtmoy in plots that stirred the fabric of the world.
• Invasion Thwarted: Her subsequent plan to invade Oerth through Istivin was disrupted by heroes, marking a rare setback in her endless quest for domination.

Myths and Discord

Origins Contested

• Surface Elf Lore: Known as Megwandir or Araushnee, Lolth was an elven deity cast out for her treachery, her divine essence corrupted as she descended into the Abyss.
• Weaver of Destiny: Originally a benign goddess, her ambition led her to the Abyss, where she reclaimed her divinity through corruption.
• Drow Perspective: Rejecting surface myths as blasphemy, the drow view Lolth as eternally supreme, dismissing any names suggesting her subservience.

A Tale of Two Uprisings

• Betrayal and Resistance: The drow myth paints Lolth as proposing elven supremacy, betrayed by Corellon, leading her to empower a sect of elves in secret.
• Duaral: The first dark elves, taught by Lolth in secrecy, later known as drow, faced the wrath of the Seldarine, marking the beginning of their exile.
• Proposition of Dominance: Lolth, in her guise of wisdom, sought to empower the elves for dominion over lesser races, only to be spurned by Corellon's vision of elven purity.
• Rise of the Duaral: In the aftermath, Lolth, shrouded in nocturnal secrecy, imparted forbidden knowledge to a select few, birthing the Duaral, precursors to the drow, destined to walk a path diverged from their kin.
• War of Shadows: Led by Corellon, the surface elves waged war against the Duaral. Despite the latter's superior skills, they were overwhelmed by sheer numbers and the stigma of darkness branded upon them.
• Retreat into Darkness: Defeated but unbroken, the Duaral withdrew to the world's nether regions, where their adversaries dared not tread, forging a new destiny in the depths.

Variations of Exile

• The Drow Exodus: Lolth led her chosen beneath the surface, marking them for the darkness, establishing realms where they would reign supreme.
• First Among Elves: A controversial myth positing that elves originated in the Underdark, with the weaker cast to the surface by Lolth's decree.
• The Chronicles of Lolth: This tapestry of myths and legends portrays Lolth as a figure of unparalleled complexity, weaving through the history of elves with a thread of ambition and darkness. Her narrative is a battleground of belief, where history and mythology intertwine to shape the identity of the drow.

Enforcers of the Abyss

The Orders of Lolth

Militant Myrlochar: The Order of Soul Spiders

• Warriors of Darkness: This formidable military order comprises male crusaders, a rarity among the matriarchal society where Lolth's worship dominates.
• Instruments of Destruction: Tasked by the Matron Mothers, they embody unbridled devastation, tasked with annihilating any designated prey or obstacle with ruthless efficiency.
• Fate of the Crusaders: Bound to a relentless existence, they either fulfill their mission or meet their demise, often the latter, embodying the sacrificial zeal for their dark matron.

Handmaidens of the Spider Queen

• The Daughters of the Yochlol: An elite cadre of female warriors, the Handmaidens operate independently of any singular dark elven metropolis, acting as direct envoys of Lolth's chaotic decree.
• Harbingers of Reformation: Throughout history, they have razed entire cities to ashes for straying from Lolth's tangled edicts, ensuring her dread rule remains uncontested.
• Guerilla Tactics of the Underdark: When not unified for massive onslaughts, they scatter throughout the under realms, preying upon those who seek refuge in faiths other than Lolth's and striking fear into the hearts of cities under the protection of lesser gods.

Shadow Crusades and Divine Wrath

Both the Militant Myrlochar and the Handmaidens of the Spider Queen serve as extensions of Lolth's will, each order representing a unique aspect of her dominion. The former stands as a testament to the rare but formidable presence of male prowess under a goddess who otherwise favors female supremacy. The latter, a roving force of judgment and chaos, ensures that Lolth's influence remains unchallenged, her wrath unquestioned.
Together, these orders encapsulate the essence of Lolth's reign over the drow: one of fear, control, and absolute devotion. They are not merely soldiers; they are the embodiment of the Demon Queen's unyielding decree, her instruments in maintaining the intricate web of power and terror that defines the dark elven society. Through their actions, Lolth's command is absolute, her malice far-reaching, and her doctrine, unescapable.

Elven Pantheon

Symbol: black spider with the head of a female drow
Realm: Demonweb Pits
Domains: Chaos, Destruction, Domination, Evil, Oracle, Pestilence, Trickery
Speciality Clerics

• TurnUndead: Command at -2 levels
• Priest of the 1st web: immune to all spider venom
• Priest of the 5st web: dispel magic 3/day
• Priest of the 9th web: true seeing, double duratio
• Priest of the 12th web: domination, as psionic discipline, save at -4

Divine Classification

Intermediate god

Alignment

Chaotic evil

Species

Elves of Greyhawk

Ethnicity

Dark Elves

Quotes & Catchphrases

"By the Spider Queen's will, the weak shall fall, and the strong shall rise."
"Through chaos, order; through fear, obedience."
"In the web of Lolth, all threads lead to power."
"Where there is discord, Lolth weaves the strongest silk."
"Lolth's enemies are but prey in her eternal hunt."
"From the darkness, we strike; with venom, we rule."

Lolth symbol by 3orcs

The Shadows of Divinity

The Dark Seldarine
Dominance Unchallenged: Within the ranks of the Dark Seldarine, Lolth stands supreme, her authority over the drow pantheon uncontested, save for the nominal allegiance of its weakest deities, Kiaransalee and Selvetarm.

• Uneasy Alliance: Though referred to as a pantheon, the Dark Seldarine is more a collection of powers under Lolth's iron grip rather than a cooperative assembly of deities.
• Reluctant Subordinates: Kiaransalee and Selvetarm, recognizing the futility of opposition, stand as reluctant acknowledgers of Lolth's supremacy, a clear indicator of her overwhelming might.

The Divergent Court: Members of the Dark Seldarine are a testament to the diverse and often conflicting interests that define the undercurrents of drow theology.

• Eilistraee, the Dark Maiden: The beacon of hope and redemption for the drow, seeking their return to the surface world in peace.
• Ghaunadaur, That Which Lurks: A deity of slimes and oozes, reveling in the grotesque and the formless.
• Kiaransalee, the Revenancer: Goddess of vengeance and the undead, wielding death as her domain.
• Selvetarm, the Champion of Lolth: Born of Vhaeraun and Zandilar the Dancer, a reluctant warrior serving Lolth's will.
• Vhaeraun, the Masked Lord: A god of thievery and the patron of male drow seeking to overturn the matriarchal order.

Aspirations of Power: The members of the Dark Seldarine share a common goal—usurping Lolth's throne, save for Eilistraee, whose vision for the drow charts a path of salvation and liberation from their dark legacy.

• Eilistraee's Redemption: Unlike her kin, Eilistraee dreams not of power but of freeing the drow from Lolth's tyrannical grasp, guiding them towards a future of harmony and coexistence with the surface races.
• Ambitions Thwarted: The rest of the Dark Seldarine, driven by envy and ambition, vie for Lolth's position, though none have yet to challenge her dominion effectively.

Realm of Shadows: The Demonweb Pits, once the throne of the Dark Seldarine, reflect Lolth's ascent to greater godhood, a realm of twisted webs and dark intrigues that mirror the chaotic essence of the drow pantheon.

• Eilistraee's Separation: In contrast, Eilistraee's choice to dwell in Arvandor alongside her father, Corellon Larethian, symbolizes her divergence from the dark paths tread by her kin.