Dark Seldarine - Drow Pantheon

[Innovation]

Eilistraee

The Dark Maiden, Lady of the Dance
Symbol: Nude long-haired female drow dancing with a silver bastard sword in front of a full moon
Home Plane: Arvandor (also the Demonweb Pits)
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Portfolio: Song, beauty, dance, swordwork, hunting, moonlight
Worshipers: Good-aligned drow, hunters, surface-dwelling elves
Favored Weapon: "The Moonsword" (bastard sword)

Cleric Alignments: CG, CN, NG
Domains: Chaos, Drow, Elf, Good, Portal

History/Relationships: The daughter of Corellon Larethian and Araushnee (who later became Loth), and the sister of Vhaeraun, Eilistraee was banished along with the other drow deities for her (inadvertent) role in the war against the Seldarine. Despite being absolved of any crime, Eilistraee insisted upon this punishment from her reluctant father, because she foresaw that the dark elves would need a beacon of good within their reach. Her allies are the Seldarine, Mystra, Selune, and the good deities of the Underdark races; her enemies are the evil deities of the Underdark, especially the rest of the drow pantheon.

Dogma: Be always kind, except in battle with evil. Encourage happiness everywhere. Learn and teach new songs, dance and the flowing dance of skilled swordwork. Promote harmony between the races. Befriend strangers, shelter those without homes, and feed the hungry. Repay rudeness with kindness. Repay violence with swift violence so that those who cause it are quickly dealt with. Aid drow in distress and give them the Lady's message: "A rightful place awaits you in the Realms Above, in the Land of the Great Light. Come in peace and live beneath the sun again where trees and flowers grow."

[Innovation]

Ghaunadaur

That Which Lurks, the Elder Eye
Symbol: Purplish eye on purple, violet, and black circles
Home Plane: Demonweb Pits
Alignment: Chaotic evil
Portfolio: Ooozes, slimes, jellies, outcasts, ropers, rebels
Worshipers: Aboleths, drow, fighters, oozes, outcasts, ropers
Favored Weapon: An amorphous tentacle (warhammer)

Cleric Alignments: CE, CN, NE
Domains: Cavern, Chaos, Drow, Evil, Hatred, Fungus, Ooze

History/Relationships: Ghaunadaur is an ancient deity, said to have emerged from the primordial ooze. Venerated by the largest slimes, oozes, slugs, and other crawling things, some of which as said to possess intelligence, albeit alien, Ghaunadaur struck most of them mad in a fit of fury for some transgression and stole their intellects. As a result, many of its worshipers, and most of its power, ceased to exist. Only in recent millennial have evil beings seeking an alternative to established deities begun to worship That Which Lurks, and it is only the veneration of drow disaffected with Lolth that places him within the drow pantheon. Ghaunadaur has no allies. He is opposed to nearly every deity with a presence in the Underdark as well as Malar and the various members of the Seldarine.

Dogma: All creatures have their place, and all are fit to wield power. Those who hunt weed out the weak and strengthen the stock of all. Those who rebel or who walk apart find new ways and try new things and do most to advance their races. Creatures of power best house the energy of life, which Ghaunadaur revers and represents. Make sacrifices to the Eye, persuade others to sacrifice themselves to Ghaunadaur or in service to the Eye, further knowledge and fear of Ghaunadaur and in the end give yourself to Ghaunadaur in unresisting self-sacrifice. Convert all beings to the worship of Ghaunadaur. Slay all clergy of other faiths, plundering their temples and holdings for wealth to better your own lot and to further the worship of Ghaunadaur.

[Innovation]

Kiaransalee

Lady of the Dead, the Revenancer, the Vengeful Banshee
Symbol: Female drow hand wearing silver rings
Home Plane: Demonweb Pits
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Portfolio: Undead, vengeance
Worshipers: Drow, necromancers, undead
Favored Weapon: “Cold Heart” (dagger)

Cleric Alignments: CE, CN, NE
Domains: Chaos, Drow, Evil, Undeath

History/Relationships: Kiaransalee was once mortal, a powerful dark elven necromancer-queen from another plane. She has long been an unwilling vassal of Lolth, capable of only small acts of rebellion. In recent years, Kiaransalee seized the realm of Orcus, a demon lord of the undead, and is now consumed with efforts to eliminate every last trace of Orcus in any form. Kiaransalee is loosely allied with many deities in hopes of loosening Lolth's web, including Hoar, Velsharoon, Malar, and Vhaeraun. Her foes include Deep Duerra, Dumathoin, Elistraee, Kelemvor, Laduguer, and Jergal.

Dogma: Death comes to all and cruel vengeance will be exacted on those who waster their lives on the petty concerns of this existence. True power comes only from the unquestioning servitude of the once-dead. Hunt, slay, and animate those who scron the Revenancer's power, and answer any slight a thousandfold, so that all may know the coming power of Kiaransalee.

[Innovation]

Lolth

Queen of Spiders, Queen of the Demonweb Pits
Symbol: Black spider with female drow head hanging from a spider web
Home Plane: Demonweb Pits
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Portfolio: Assassins, Chaos, Darkness, Drow, Evil, Spiders
Worshipers: Drow and depraved elves, sentient spiders
Favored Weapon: A spider (dagger)

Cleric Alignments: CE, CN, NE
Domains: Chaos, Darkness, Destruction, Drow, Evil, Trickery, Spider

History/Relationships: Lolth was once Araushnee, the consort of Corellon Larethian, patron of artisans, the deity of elven destiny, and -- later, by Corellon's decree -- the keeper of those elves who shared her darkly beautiful features. The Weaver of Destiny bore her lover two children, Eilistraee and Vhaeraun, before she betrayed him and tried to invade Arvandor, along with Ghaunadaur, Malar, and many other fell deities. For her crimes, Araushnee was banished to the Abyss in the form of a spider demon, where she took the name Lolth. As the original patron of the dark elves, the Queen of Spiders established herself as the unchallenged ruler of the drow pantheon. Lolth finds it convenient to ally herself on occasion with Loviatar and Malar, and since the Time of Troubles, to masquerade as Moander, an ancient deity of rot, corruption, and decay. Lolth's foes include the Seldarine (the elven pantheon) Ghaunadaur, Eilistraee, non-drow Underdark deities, and Gruumsh.

Dogma: Fear is as strong as steel, while love and respect are soft and useless. Convert or destroy nonbeliever drow. Weed out the weak and the rebellious. Destroy impugners of the faith. Sacrifice males, slaves, and those of other races who ignore the commands of Lolth or her clerics. Raise children to praise and fear Lolth; each family should produce at least one cleric to serve her. Questioning Lolth's motives or wisdom is a sin, as is aiding non-drow against the drow, or ignoring Lolth's commands for the sake of a lover. Revere arachnids of all kinds; those who kill or mistreat a spider must die.

[Innovation]

Selvetarm

Champion of Lolth, the Spider That Waits
Symbol: Spider on a crossed sword and mace
Home Plane: Demonweb Pits
Alignment: Chaotic evil
Portfolio: Drow warriors
Worshipers: Barbarians, drow, fighters, those who lie to kill, warriors
Favored Weapon: “Venommace” (heavy mace)

Cleric Alignments: CE, CN, NE
Domains: Chaos, Drow, Evil, Spider, War

History/Relationships: Selvetarm is the offspring of an ill-fated tryst between Vhaeraun and Zandilar (now an aspect of Sharess). He walked a solitary way for many centuries, and was nearly turned to good by Eilistraee when Lolth convinced him to battle Zanassu, a demon lord with a fondness for spiders. When Selvetarm defeated and absorbed the demon, he was overwhelmed by Zanassu's evil and fell into Lolth's mental traps. He now serves her utterly. He is allied only with Lolth and Garagos and opposes almost every other deity.

Dogma: War is the ultimate expression of individual power, and only through battle and death can you realize the respect of your comrades. Hone your fighting skills constantly and teach those who will follow into the fray. Never give or receive quarter, and hope to die amid the bloodlust of battle against overwhelming odds.

[Innovation]

Vhaeraun

The Masked Lord, the Masked God of Night
Symbol: A pair of black glass lenses that form a mask
Home Place: Demonweb Pits
Alignment: Chaotic evil
Portfolio: Thievery, drow males, evil activity on the surface
Worshipers: Assassins, male drow and half-drow, poisoners, shadowdancers, rogues, theives
Favored Weapon: “Shadowflash” (short sword)

Cleric Alignments: CE, CN, NE
Domains: Chaos, Drow, Evil, Travel, Trickery

History/Relationships: Vhaeraun is the son of Corellon and Araushnee (who became Lolth), brother to Eilistraee. Cast out when his and his mother's treachery was discovered, he longs for the surface world he was once free to travel. Allied with Mask, Shar, and Talona, he opposes the other Underdark gods, including his sister. His feud with Lolth is subtle, as he lacks the power to oppose her directly.

Dogma: The shadows of the Masked Lord must cast off the tyranny of the Spider Queen and forcibly reclaim their birthright and rightful place in the Night Above. The existing drow matriarchies must be smashed, and the warring practices of twisted Lolth done away with, so that drow are welded into a united people, not a squabbling gaggle of rival Houses, clans, and aims. Vhaeraun will lead his followers into a society where the drow once again reign supreme over the other, lesser races, and there is equality between males and females.