Welcome to
Day-to-day Activities of a Vhaeraun FollowerWithin Vhaeraun's priesthood is nearly exclusively male and practices passive opposition to Lolth's priests. They are also active in the Night Above, and some preach of heresy of the unity of elven races and their need to work together for dominion. They specialize in intrigue, trickery, and treachery and dormost disobedience and rebellion among males in drow communities where Lolth's reign is supreme. Often Vhaeraun's priests will disguise their allegiance for certain reasons.Contact and marriages with other elven races are encouraged. Half-drow usually breed true back into the drow race; The Masked Lord sees this as a practice of raising drow numbers in the surface realm. Every priest works to establish some sort of permanent drow seelement on the Night Above. Either support that settlement's needs personally or make is self-supporting. Poison use, manufacture, and experimentation is also common. Especially effective spells, poisons, and tactics devised by a priest are to be shared with Vhaeraun and thenc all his clergy. DogmaThe shadows of Vhaeraun must cast off the tyranny of Lolth and forcibly reclaim their birthright and rightful place in the surface realm. The existing drow matriarchies must be smashed, and the warring practices of the twisted Spider Queen done away with so that the drow are welded into a united people, not a squablling gaggle of backstabbers that exist in Houses, clans and aims. Vhaeraun will lead his followers into a society where the Ilythiiri once again reign supreme over the other, lesser races, and there is eqality between male and female.Priests of Vhaeraun must encourage, lead or aid bands of drow and allied chaotic evil creatures in thievery and istigate plots, intrigues and events to continually increase drow influence and real power in the surface realms. They must manipulate trade, creatures, and intrigues to lessen the power of and frustrate the plans of Lolth priests and continually foment rebellion or disobedience among drow males. Drow thieves in need must be aided, even if females, healed, bailed out of prison or jails, or forcibly rescued. Cruelities against drow men must be avenged. Affiliated OrdersThe Dark Dagger composed of drow who enerate Vhaeraun is a whispered name of growing weight in the dark allies around the Inner Sea lands. Individually powerful but few in number, Dagger agents habitually use poison (which at times they are immune to}. Active in Skullport, in Turmish and the Vilhon REach, and to a lesser exten in Amn and Calimshan, the various Points of the Dagger are now beginning to infiltrate coast cities all are the Sea of Fallen Stars. They like to take control of loacl thieving guilds and fellowships behind the scenese, hire skilled human and humanoid agents, and establish hidden temples to Vhaeraun, whose symbol is identical to that of Mask, the Lord of Shadows.Very rare, but greatly feared in Lolth-fostered drow folklore and among living priests of Lolth is the traitor priest who serves Lolth and Vhaeraun. It is for this reason that male drow who aspire to be priests in Lolth's service seldom rise very far in levels. Even if they overcome the hatred and resentment of any female drow clergy they must work with, the Spider Queen simply does not trust them. They tend to end their days quickly, being used as temple enforcers or guards. In this role they face many spell battles with intruders or priests who are rebellious or feuding. Or who have succumbed to insanity under the pressures of their station or contact with lower-planar creatures. There are priests who serve Lolth on the surface and Vhaeraun underneath. The reverse is almost unknown, though the estructive potential of such an individual keeps the idea a dark and secret dream that fires a glint in the eyes of many a high priest. The glory for training and placing such a one would be very great, but finding suitable candidates and steering them alive through the perils of prepartion without losing their loyalty to Lolth and to their handler is unlikely in the extreme, and so far, as far as it is can be told from the news of the Underdark, so unlikely as to be unknown. How can treachery be tolerated by any god? They surely can read the hearts and minds of every worshiper. Vhaeraun in truth not so much less powerful than Lolth. He simply uses his power in subtle hidden, behind-the-scenes ways, not in the tyrannical, exultant, and brutal force manner so loved by Lolth. He watches over the drow in any place ruled by the Spider Queen. Where he does have worshipsers and can find any opportunity for a private audience with the wavering Lolth worshiper. Vhaeraun manifests as a shadowy black face mask, and telepathically speaks to this individual. If the individiual is discovered or attacked by others, The Masked Lord typically leaves after using spells to destroy the beings who discovered or attacked his intended faithful. In doing this he manifests a sign of his power over Lolth and preserves the intended worshiper for another attempt at converstion later.
--------------------------------- |
