Lolth (pronounced LOALTH), or Lloth is a major Goddess of the Drow and is sometimes called the Queen of Spiders or Queen of the Demonweb Pits and is the leader of the Dark Seldarine. Lolth is a cruel, capricious goddess, thought by many to be insane. She delights in setting her worshipers at each other's throats, so that the strongest, most devious and most cruel survive to serve her. Lolth roams the Realms often, appearing in answer to the rituals of drow priests, and working whatever harm she can to the enemies of drow. She drives the Drow under the pretense of culling the weak into heavy infighting. All for the sake of having fun, while at the same time limiting the growth of Drow power and influence to ensure that she remains the only accessible power source to them. The Spider Queen secretly wants to be worshiped by humans and elves of other races on the surface Realms, and sometimes journeys among their communities, whispering of the power Lolth can bring. Lolth is malicious in her dealings and coldly vicious in a fight. She enjoys both personally dealing and causing death, destruction, and painful torture. Even more, Lolth enjoys corrupting elves and humans to her service. Lolth can be kind and render aid to those she fancies-but she really cares only for herself; her favor and aid can never be relied on. The Spider Queen enjoys the company of and can converse with spiders of all sorts.

Lolth’s follower base is very varied. Primarily it consists of Drow but also of Aranea, Chitins, Draegloths and Deep Dragons. She also has attracted some surface elves under the guise of Moander, a deity of rot, who is considered more attractive to elves than herself. Her sacred animals are arachnids. She considers them valuable enough to kill those who mistreated them.

Lolth formerly Araushnee, the Goddess of Destiny and Artisans, was Corellon Larethian’s consort. The two had twins together, the elder Vhaeraun, the younger Eilistraee. At some point, Araushnee grew ambitious and started to plot against Corellon. She aided Gruumsh in an attempt to kill her husband by sabotaging his sword. She gave Corellon a scabbard of her making that caused the destruction of the sword, however, the plot was foiled by Sehanine Moonbow. Sehanine Moonbow knew about Araushnee’s tempering of the scabbard because the Weaver conducted this very first step of her betrayal in plain sight of Sehanine Moonbow.

Later, Araushnee agitated Malar into attacking the wounded Corellon, after she witnessed the Beastlord killing the god Herne, but Corellon managed to chase the Beastlord away. Araushnee’s next plan was gather a host of gods on hostile footing with the Seldarine, forming them into an army. The army itself was badly organized, and she was confident, that they would fail. Her true plan was to give Corellon another cursed scabbard, that drew arrows shot by Eilistraee to him, thus killing Corellon while turning Eilistraee into her scapegoat. Before the attack by the anti-Seldarine faction was ready, Sehanine confronted Araushnee about her initial betrayal, confirming Araushnee to be a traitor. Araushnee detained Sehanine and her confident Vhaeraun, imprisoned Sehanine and organized things so Eilistraee was in the vicinity of her father while at the same time guaranteeing the sheath to be in possession of his father.

The battle started and things went according to Araushnee's plan and Eilistraee shot Corellon, while the anti-Seldarine army lost and retreated. Corellon was almost killed and Araushnee tried to poison him with a dose of Eilistraee’s poison, pretending it to be water from Elysium with healing qualities. Sehanine, who managed to break out from Vhaeraun’s prison, albeit at immense cost to herself, managed to stop her. A trial was called in which Vhaeraun and Eilistraee became members in exile of the Seldarine, in the case of Eilistraee willingly, while Araushnee was declared a tanar’ri and was sentenced to banishment. She turned into a spider monster and attacked Corellon. The Protector was too weak of heart to kill her and she managed to escape.

Araushnee took the name "Lolth“. She conquered the 66th layer of the Abyss, the Demonweb Pits for herself. She had competition in the form of Kiaransalee, an elven goddess whom she swiftly subjugated, and Ghaunadaur with whom she had a longer confrontation. That which Lurks tried to subsume her but failed and in his rage robbed his followers their intelligence. It also downsized his follower base and with it his power thus allowing Lolth to win. After securing control over her layer, she got bored and came up with the idea to be worshipped as a goddess and bring misery to elves because she had no confidence at hurting Corellon Larethian directly. When a moon elf named Kethryllia Amarillis came to the abyss to retrieve her lover, Lolth became interested in the world the elf came from. She sensed the presence of Vhaeraun in that world. She saw the Ilythiiri ruled over by a Dark Elf necromancer named Ka'Narlist preparing for war against the opther elves. Lolth admired the old mage’s craftiness and made herself known to him granting him additional power and taking him as her first worshipper and consort. The Dark Elves, were much to her liking, not only because they were richer, more cosmopolitan and lively, but because they had the capability to be ambitious and to act on their ambitions.

Although originally, the Dark Elves and the other Elven nations were on good footing, Lolth poisoned this relationship to the point of the elves coming up with the idea to create a dark elf-free piece of land. They caused the First Sundering and destroyed the continent with corresponding casualties. Among the casualties was a large part of the church of Vhaeraun. Vhaeraun’s efforts to make remedying to this were thwarted were undermined by the ongoing conflict between him and Eilistraee, granting Lolth and Ghaunadaur the opportunity to fill the void. She started her machinations that lead to the Crown Wars. For Lolth, the Crown Wars were an opportunity to have a lot of fun destroying the majority of the elven nations. Lolth’s church grew in prominence during the Second Crown War. At that time the sun elf nation, started what was believed to be a genocidal campaign against the dark elves. Its coronal summoned Wendonai, a balor in service of Lolth, and bought power from it. He got special treatment because, Lolth took it as a golden opportunity to get an entire of subrace of elves under her rule. Other noble families of the Dark Elves learned of this and followed the example and Vhaeraun, Kiaransalee and Ghaunadaur threw in their powers and by the end of the Crown Wars the Dark Seldarine were established . The Dark Elves ultimately were defeated and driven underground and branded Drow. The Drow experimented with the iconography of their new gods and showed them as spider gods. These efforts to put the Drow deities in such a relation with each other was considered so offensive by the depicted, that Lolth, Vhaeraun, Ghaundaur and Kiaransalee killed their high priests for it though ultimately the Gods of the Dark or Anti Seldarine became commonly worshipped by all those called Drow.

Once in the Underdark, the Drow lived in a borderline animal state. Lolth gathered them together and urged them into the foundation of their first city, Telantiwar. It later destroyed itself through infighting, causing the Drow to spread throughout the Underdark. A thorn in her side however was a demon lord called Zanassu. That one called itself the demon lord of spiders. Lolth saw to his defeat by sending Selvetarm, her grandchild, born between Vhaeraun and Zinzerena. Selvetarm fought and defeated Zanassu, absorbing his power and being bound to Lolth’s will.

The Silence of Lolth is a period in which Lolth was overthrown by the Drow Godess Nocticula. Lolth was beaten and nearly destroyed by on of Nocticula's most powerful servants and fell comatose. During this period, called the Silence of Lolth, Nocticular took over the rule of the Dark Seldarine. Vhaeraun took advantage of this and tried to assassinate Lolth. She was further injured but saved by Selvetarm. When she finally awoke she called for three candidates to become her Chosen champions, Danifae Yauntyrr, Quenthel Baenre and Halisstra Melarn. The first two came on their own to the Demonweb Pits, the last one was sent by Nocticula to kill Lolth however In the Demonweb Pits, Halisstra converted back to Lolth. Out of the three, Danifae was chosen to become a part of the Spider Queen, Quenthel was sent back homeand Halisstra was made Lolth’s Lady Penitent, her Chosen. and so Lolth regained much of her strrength and power but remained second to Nocticula.

Lolth and Nocticula elected to play a game of sava with the future of the Drow at stake. Lolth’s core win strategy involved the employment of only two powerful servants of hers Halisstra Melarn and Wendonai. Vhaeraun, her son, came up with a new plan to kill her. He wanted to kill Lolth and unite their churches to increase his power and then go out to kill Nocticula. Halisstra Melarn managed to get her hands on Malvag, the organizer of Vhaeraun’s plot. Lolth ordered her Chosen to ensure his survival, however his plot was ended.


Dogma

Fear is as strong as steel, while love and respect are soft, useless feelings that none can lean on. All Drow who do not worship Lolth must be converted or destroyed. All weak and rebellious Drow must be weeded out. All who impugn the faith must perish. Males or slaves of other races who act independently of Lolth's dictates (and those other priests) must be sacrificed to Lolth. Those of the faithful whose loyalty is weak must be eliminated. Children are to be raised as loyal worshipers of Lolth, and each family should produce at least one priest to serve the Spider Queen better than his or her parents. Arachnids of all sorts are to be revered, and anyone who mistreats or kills a spider must die.

Such are the commands of Lolth-but the priest who follows them blindly is on a slippery path leading to swift death. Success in the service of Lolth lies with those who are attentive to the ever-changing, often contradictory will of Lolth. Lolth's capricious nature makes hard-and-fast rules few and uncertainty great. Of course, questioning Lolth's motives or wisdom is a sin. Aiding non-Drow against Drow is a great sin, as is ignoring the Spider Queen's commands in favor of love. (Lolth often tests her priests by ordering the sacrifice of a favored consort.) Drow who lose the favor of Lolth are always given a single chance to redeem themselves. This is usually a dangerous or difficult mission, though Lolth may test certain individuals by setting no task at all and observing what they do. Those who willfully fail are destroyed. Lolth commands other worshipers to do this (in turn, testing them). Those who fail through mischance or poor planning or execution are usually transformed into driders. Lolth often plays favorites among her Drow worshipers, but those who ride high one season are warned that Lolth can turn her dark face upon them without warning and undoubtedly will sometime soon.

Like all religions, the worship of Lolth involves a number of rituals and rites. Many of them included sacrifice. The following is a secret sacrificial prayer in Abyssal known only to high priestesses: "Great Goddess, Mother of the Dark, grant me the blood of my enemies for drink and their living hearts for meat. Grant me the screams of their young 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. As sacrifices go she "prefers sentient creatures over non-sentient ones, humanoids over non humanoids, elves over other humanoids, and Drow over elves. She prefers more powerful (higher level) sacrifices to weaker ones, and her own priestesses over all others." Drows without influence who displease the priesthood easily find themselves on the sacrificial altar.


Symbols and Regalia

When participating in rituals, priests of Lolth work unclad or wear robes (black, trimmed with dark red and purple-or, for lesser or novitiate priests, dark purple or red trimmed with black). In some cities ornate helms carved to resemble writhing spiders are worn by Lolth's clergy, while in others heads are always left uncovered. Jewelry worn by the Spider Queen's priests consists of spider medallions and other spider designs, all made of platinum. The holy symbol of the faith is a platinum disk at least 3 inches in diameter with an embossed depiction on both its obverse and reverse in jet black enaml of a black widow spider or a platinum spider figurine on a platinum or mithral chain necklace. The Spider Queen's sacred animals are (naturally) arachnids.


Holidays

Lolth requires homage-submission in prayer, plus offerings-regularly from her priests. Ceremonies involving the sacrifice of surface elves are performed monthly during nights of the full moon as deliberate affronts to Sehanine, Lolth's hated rival. Rituals to Lolth are customarily practiced in female-only company in a sacred room or area. Rituals requiring extraordinary power or a public display may be celebrated in the open and in all sorts of mixed company When Lolth's aid is required, sacrifices must be made. These are traditionally the blood of Drow faithful and/or captured foes, spilled with a spider-shaped knife whose eight descending legs are blades (2d6 points of damage). In other cases, gems or other precious objects may be burned in braziers, as prayers of offering are chanted. In large, important rituals, priests of Lolth customarily use eight braziers to provide additional flame material and in homage to Lolth (the flames represent her eight legs). The most powerful rituals to Lolth defy detailed description and are seldom seen by non-Drow. Rituals to Lolth involve the burning of precious oils and incense, live offerings, and riches of all sorts, particularly gems. These are customarily placed in a bowl-shaped depression in a black altar (or burning brazier). These offerings are always consumed in the flames of Lolth at some point in the ritual. If Lolth is particularly displeased, or impostors are present, the black-and-red flames that leap from the braziers to consume the offerings may also arc to consume other valuables present, such as magical items, jewelry, and clothing. Typically, Lolth's flames do little more than humiliate a burned priest, destroying his or her garments and dealing him or her 1d4 points of damage, but an impostor or intruder receives a searing flame attack that does 6d6 points of damage (half if a saving throw vs. spell at a -2 penalty succeeds). If this occurs, every priest of Lolth present in the chamber instantly receives a free darkfire spell to wield, even if she or he is carrying a full load of spells or has other darkfire spells memorized. The spell comes with the strong command to use it, forthwith, to blast those who would so insult Lolth.

Lolth enters the Prime Material Plane in avatar form or allows herself to be contacted only when it pleases her to do so. Otherwise, Lolth's servant Yochlol are reached. Such contact rituals require the use of a brazier of burning oils, coals, or incense-burned in a vessel fashioned of a valuable black material (such as onyx, obsidian, or a golden bowl whose interior is studded with black pearls). The flames provide material that the magic transforms into an interplanar gate temporarily linking the 66th layer of the Abyss with the Prime Material Plane. Through this link, the Yochlol appear, using flame material to fashion semblances of themselves. If called with sufficient force, a Yochlol can emerge fully from its gate. Lolth usually orders her handmaidens to remain in the Prime Material Plane only so long as the flames that brought them remain-the dying of the summoning flame then allows a Yochlol the safety of being sucked instantly back to the Abyss. Yochlol who are summoned can keep the gate that brought them open while they communicate with Lolth and others in the Abyss. (Such communication demands their full attention, causing their Prime Material forms to go momentarily blank faced and unhearing.) They can also send one creature of the Abyss into the Prime Material Plane, loose of all control and against the wishes of the summoner. This act causes the destruction of the gate and the disappearance of the Yochlol. Such sends are usually myrlochar.


Treatment of Worshipers, Priests and Organizations

Lolth's priests are the rulers, police forces, judges, juries, and executioners of Drow society. They wield power daily, and most do so in a manner in keeping with the cruel and capricious nature of Lolth herself. Priests of Lolth strive to act as Lolth wishes and to manipulate (often by brutal force) their fellow Drow to do so too. The ultimate aim of every priest is to achieve and keep the Favor of Lolth. The spirits of priests who die in her favor are believed to go to the Abyss, where they become Yochlol and other servant creatures. Those who die in Lolth's disfavor are thought to pass into torment on another plane somewhere, perhaps to someday return to the Realms as a snake or spider. (Drow beliefs are confused on such matters, and often change with time and location.) The duties of a good priest, then, are to do whatever is necessary to gain and to keep the Spider Queen's favor. Although treachery and cruelty are often rewarded, Lolth does not look kindly on those who let personal grudges and revenge-taking bring defeat or shame to their House, clan, city, or band.

Lolth has a social Darwinist streak a mile wide -- her rules for the Drow are basically:

  1. The strong should rule over the weak.
  2. There are no other rules.

There are actually plenty of other 'rules', but Lolth tends to overlook transgressions, so long as the transgressor is not caught and revealed by someone other than Lolth. Such a rule-breaker will be swiftly and mercilessly punished, for being stupid enough to be caught and too weak to kill or otherwise silence the spotter.

A fiendishly clever back-stabbing is a good way to earn her favor, though getting stabbed in the back by someone else is a good way to lose it just as quickly. Lolth demands results, and she is not fond of failure. Despite this there is at least one instance when she helped out someone who got stabbed in the back. This was Jaggedra Thul, a half dragon who was slain by her vampire mate for a powerful magic item. It is also worth noting that if a Drow or group of Drow are destructive enough to Drow society, probably through the very behavior she encourages, she engineers said group's (or individual's) fall (be it death, eliminated by the priesthood, transformation into a drider, etc...). Lolth is usually kind enough to send a cease and desist visions to the culprit and gives him/her a chance to stop first, but sometimes she isn't in the mood to. It is this obsessive micromanaging that has explicitly prevented Drow society from obliterating itself within a handful of generations. Unsurprisingly, such an evil total bitch that she is hated by Everyone, even her own priestesses. It has a lot to do with actually enforcing Stupid Evil in her worshippers. Because of her the Drow spend 3 quarters of their energy fighting each other instead of defending themselves, which is a really bad idea since they live underground under constant threat of being raped by Illithids and Beholders. In fact, when things get really bad she literally has to tell them to stop for a short period of time. Really, the only race that actually likes Lolth is the Chitines, and that's only because A: they were created by her magic, and B: she set them free from their Drow slave-masters. They rather studiously ignore the fact she only did so because she felt the Drow hadn't shown her the proper respect by dedicating the newly-made chitines to her in the first place, and that she's since chosen to ignore them.

When a Drow has shown ambition, drive, and a willingness to put herself before others, she has taken her first step onto Lolthtanchwi. She is now considered a zwy'il and is subject to the whims of her dark goddess. Lolth "tests" her followers who achieve power, and she tests her priestesses and powerful matriarchs quite regularly. Failing such a test results in death or being turned into a drider or some other horror. The Drow call these tests punishments, because success is only rewarded by being spared the fate of those who fail. Outside interference in such tests are forbidden, but of course Lolth generally only takes action against those that interfere if the interfering individual(s) (who are typically sabotaging the Zwy'il) gets caught by someone other than Lolth herself. Such tests maybe (but aren't limited to):



  • Chwineka: The Test of Darkness - In some ways, this is the most terrifying of tests, because it comes seemingly at random and without warning. The zwy'il is inspected by Lolth to see if she is dark enough of heart to truly be a Drow. To the Drow, being dark of heart means being without mercy, filled with selfishness, and possessing a remarkable sense of superiority. This chwi comes suddenly and always at a time in which the Drow is performing some deed within view of other dark elves. The Drow feels her heart swell with pride, power, and drive, tinged with a sensation of being watched from afar. If she gives any indication of self-doubt or unworthiness, a terrible pain clutches her heart. Without any warning, the zwy'il's body begins to convulse and transform. Her eyes blacken and grow to enormous proportions, while six smaller eyes emerge around her face. Two huge poisonous fangs emerge from the zwy'il's mouth. Lastly, an extra pair of spider-like legs grows from her torso. The Drow has been transformed into an aracholoth - another monstrous creation of Lolth that is feared and persecuted by other Drow (see the Aracholoth entry). Lolth hates all such transformed Drow and takes pleasure in making them mere mockeries of spiders and Drow, rather than true members of either species. The Chwineka occurs when a Drow has gained enough experience to advance to 2nd level.

  • Chwikezzar: The Test of Ambition - Surviving the Chwineka, the zwy'il has shown the sense of superiority necessary to advance in Drow society. Lesser Drow immediately give her deference in most social circumstances, although she must still be mindful of her place in the hierarchy. The zwy'il must now brace for the Chwikezzar (chwee-keh-ZAR), or Test of Ambition. To those who study the insane logic of Lolth, Chwikezzar is seen as the simplest of the tests, because the natural drive, zeal, and urge to succeed that all Drow possess is weighed by the Queen of Spiders. However, no one is ever sure what amount is necessary to placate her desire. Zwy'il at this point commit horrid acts of murder, fraud, deception, and coercion to advance their place in society. This is tempered by the fact that all Drow must continually be mindful of their place in that society. A Drow can show tremendous energy in doing what it takes to succeed, but it only takes one wrong move to receive a poisoned dagger in the back - complements of a superior's assassin. The Drow must place herself above others during this stage, wheeling and dealing, jostling for position at the expense of others. The actual test is subtle. The zwy'il receives information from an anonymous source, spelling out an extremely profitable venture, but at great risk - the exact endeavor depends on the "business" that the Drow is involved in. For example, a Drow merchant might find a way to completely eliminate a competitor and raise the price of her goods but at the risk of angering a high-powered priestess. The information is correct, but it cannot be verified. If the zwy'il acts on this information and takes the risk, then she passes the test. If the zwy'il hesitates or does not use the opportunity presented to her, then Lolth considers her unworthy of ambition. From that point on, almost everything the Drow does is doomed to failure - business opportunities dry up, spells fail with alarming regularity, and she is inexplicably shunned by other Drow. Eventually, the Drow either goes into exile, goes mad, or is killed. When the Drow fails the Chwikezzar, a tiny green spider is seen exiting the body. In game terms, a Drow that has failed the Chwikezzar suffers from a -6 effective decrease in MA and a -4 penalty to attack rolls, saving throws, ability checks, and -20% to skill checks. These penalties can be removed by any non-Lolth-worshiping spellcaster casting bestow curse, break enchantment, limited wish, miracle, remove curse, or wish so long as the Drow suffering the effects forswears Lolth. This test occurs at some point when the Drow has gained enough experience to advance to 3rd, 4th, or 5th level.

  • Chwidridera: The Test of the Drider - The Chwidridera (chwee-dri-DERA), or the Test of the Drider, is the most infamous of the Punishments of Lolth. It is known outside of Drow society, mainly because those who fail the test are transformed into the foul creatures known as driders. At this point, the Drow has shown a high amount of aspiration, backstabbing, and conniving as she advances up the social ladder, but she walks a fine line between the "healthy" arrogance of a normal Drow and megalomania, thinking that she is immune to her dark goddess's wrath. When this aspect of the Lolthtanchwi begins, the Drow has disturbing visions of her body being consumed from the inside by a mass of spiders. In a manner uncharacteristic for a Drow, the zwy'il begins to avoid and fear spiders. Considering the amount of spiders and spider imagery that abounds in the cities of the Drow, the zwy'il must confront this fear almost every waking second. Her paranoia increases, and she becomes convinced that every spider is waiting to sink its venomous fangs into her flesh. If the zwy'il can manage to overcome this irrational behavior, the fear abates, and her usual respect and admiration for spiders returns. Those who fail this test do so by fleeing their community. Once this has happened, the zwy'il knows her fate is sealed. She is filled with an overwhelming sense of dread and foreboding, as the visions of the spiders eating her alive fill her mind in their horrible vividness. Nothing happens until the next time she rests. The visions return with a terrible intensity, and a single miniscule red spider appears and crawls into the zwy'il's mouth. Once the spider is inside, the Drow goes through a grotesque and traumatic transformation during which she turns into a drider. If horrified onlookers do not kill the drider, it flees into the Underdark, knowing that it can never return. Drow despise driders, recognizing that they are failures in the eyes of Lolth, and will do anything to see them destroyed. The drider's mind is twisted by the transformation, filled with an incredible hatred for the race to which it once belonged. Drow clerics tell that Lolth revels in this animosity and the chaos that is sown from the creation of one of these aberrations. The Chwidridera occurs when a Drow has gained enough experience to advance to 6th level.

  • Chwiakrell: The Test of Lies - If the zwy'il manages to survive the dreaded Test of the Drider, she still has many challenges to face. The next test focuses on the zwy'il's status within Drow society. Even the most secluded Drow must have some interaction with her kin; even if just to threaten them into leaving her alone. For a Drow who is more entrenched in the workings of her people, the web of intrigue and double-crossing begins to tighten around her as she enters into the Chwiakrell (pronounced chwee-uhKRELL), or Test of Lies. The zwy'il must plant seeds of lies and deception, with the dual purposes of bringing down an enemy and propelling herself higher up the ladder of status. The lie can be small and subtle, so long as it ripples and grows to monstrous proportions. The lie must also be completely untrue, although the zwy'il can help the lie along by planting evidence and arranging compromising situations for the victim to be caught in. The zwy'il knows the test has begun when she catches wind of a rumor about her that is completely untrue (possibly the result of another Drow's Chwiakrell). A cocky zwy'il can fail her test immediately if she does nothing, but most go through tremendous effort to quash the rumor (and the perpetrator) as quickly as possible. Clerics of Lolth believe that the Queen of Spiders whispers these lies into the ear of another Drow to begin the test. The zwy'il passes the test if her chosen victim is utterly humiliated and removed from her position of power, or (preferably) killed as a result of the lie. As mentioned above, the zwy'il fails the Chwiakrell if she does not respond to the lies about her. She also fails if her plan to bring down the victim does not have the desired effect. If irrefutable proof of innocence is presented to other Drow, the zwy'il immediately fails the test. Drow who fail this test become incapable of lying as though under the effects of a zone of truth spell. This effect can be removed by any non-Lolth-worshiping spellcaster casting bestow curse, break enchantment, limited wish, miracle, remove curse, or wish so long as the Drow suffering the effects forswears Lolth. The Chwiakrell occurs when the Drow has gained enough experience to advance to 7th or 8th level.

  • Chwidencha: The Test of Sacrifice - Having learned that the only person she can trust is herself, the zwy'il must now understand the meaning of sacrifice. The Drow word for sacrifice (dencha) does not have quite the same meaning when it is translated in the Common tongue. For the Drow, sacrifice equals loss without gaining anything in return. The concept of freely giving something to another without gaining any benefit in the process is completely alien to the Drow mindset. During the Chwidencha, the zwy'il learns what this sacrifice truly means. Lolth is a greedy goddess and seeks to possess and consume anything that others have. By surviving this test, the zwy'il learns to prize her possessions and hoard anything of significance. This test begins after the Drow has gained something of importance. It is not necessarily a material item - an increase in status, a new skill or spell. or some advance in personal ability is likely, too. Shortly after the boon, the zwy'il catches sight of the spider messenger of Lolth, which appears on the object or representation of the trait that Lolth wants for herself. It might be a powerful magic item, a fabulous jewel, or even the zwy'il's hand. Whatever it is, the zwy'il immediately knows what the spider is indicating. Lolth never chooses something trivial - only something that has a close and powerful connection to the zwy'il suffices. In addition, the sacrifice is something that seriously hurts or reduces the Drow in some way, whether through the loss of magical might, social status, mental facility, or a physical trait. The zwy'il must decide if she willingly makes the sacrifice, and she must make the sacrifice within one week of the appearance of Lolth's messenger. In the case of an object, she must present it to another Drow of equal or higher status, preferably a priestess of Lolth. If it is a skill, or ability, the zwy'il experiences a wrenching vision that feels as though her soul is being torn apart, and she is drained of 1d4 x 200 XP. Some zwy'il are even commanded to sacrifice a part of their own bodies, such as an eye, foot, or ear. If the zwy'il willingly goes through with the sacrifice, she passes the test. If she refuses to part with the chosen sacrifice, she fails, with terrible consequences. The next time the Drow touches the treasured object or uses the ability Lolth desired, she transforms into a Spiderleg Horror (see the Spiderleg Horror entry). The Chwidencha occurs when the Drow has gained enough experience to advance to 9th, 10th, or 11th level.

  • Chwidevbril: The Test of Betrayal - The Test of Betrayal, is a punishment that strikes deep. As the zwy'il has progressed through the various trials and tribulations of Lolth, she has gained powerful allies as well as powerful enemies. Although trust is a distasteful concept to most Drow, they understand that sometimes it does happen and is even necessary. The Test of Betrayal teaches the zwy'il that she can only trust one person - herself. To succeed at this test, the zwy'il must betray someone who has garnered her trust or in whom she has placed her trust. Mentors, teachers, leaders, friends, and family members are all fair game, as long as there has been a solid connection of dependence made in the past. The relationship between master and slave or servant does not count; Lolth knows that betrayal is inherent in such a relationship. The victim must also be on roughly the same (or higher) social step as the zwy'il - murdering a trusted stable hand means nothing to the Queen of Spiders. The zwy'il must utterly destroy the other Drow in a way that allows her to advance in some manner. The method is not important: Blackmail, slander, and theft are commonly used. In the end, the victim must die. Usually, the victim is murdered by the zwy'il herself. commits suicide, or is killed by a third party as a result of the zwy'il's slander campaign. The Chwidevbrii begins when the Drow's attention is drawn to a peculiar black spider with a dagger-like marking on its back. This occurs in the presence of the victim, who is oblivious to its presence. Once the victim has been chosen, nothing can change it, and the result is either a ruinous end for the victim or for the zwy'il - the zwy'il succeeds when the victim is dead. If it takes an unusually long time for the plan to manifest or if the zwy'il attacks the victim but does not kill her, she fails the test. Punishment for failure results in having the target retaliate against the zwy'il. If the target does not immediately succeed, she gains a supernatural ability to hunt down the zwy'il, and it is just a matter of time before the failed Drow is lying dead at her feet. If the zwy'il manages to eliminate the target after this point, the test is still considered a failure, and a family member, servant, or other ally takes up the pursuit of the failure. As in the other tests, a tiny spider is sometimes seen exiting the mouth of the corpse of the failed zwy'il. When a Drow fails this test, the target gains the ability to find the zwy'il at will using discern location (as though cast by a sorcerer of the zwy'il's level). The target retains this ability until the zwy'il is dead or until Lolth deems a different Drow must take up the quest. The Chwidevbrii occurs at some point after a Drow has gained 12th level.

  • Chwihendrell: The Test of Domination - Having dispatched a Drow ally in the last test, the zwy'il must now prove that she is capable of ruling lesser beings by leading her people to dominate non-Drow. This is known as Chwihendrell (pronounced chwee-hen-DRELL), or the Test of Domination. Chwihendrell begins when a spider messenger draws the zwy'il's attention toward a non-Drow being. This could be as direct as seeing the spider crawling along the tunic of a duergar slave in the streets, or as abstract as watching it crawl across a map, where it settles on a territory known for its infestation of illithids. To the zwy'il, the meaning is clear: The chosen race must be destroyed. To pass the test, the zwy'il must raise an army (or elite team) and mount an assault on a significant population of the chosen race. The goal is elimination and/or enslavement, down to every man, woman, and child. The population must be the equivalent to a small town, although this amount can be spread out over numerous individuals, thorps, hamlets, and villages. Unlike the other tests, the Chwihendrell does not have a set time limit. The test can take years to complete if the enemy proves particularly tenacious or has a large population. Certain hard-to-find races, like the kuo-toa, can be maddeningly difficult to eradicate, which suits the twisted humor of Lolth. Failure is also arbitrary. If Lolth believes the zwy'il has taken too long to meet her goal or the enemy manages to regroup and mount a significant counterattack, the zwy'il fails the test. This awareness comes suddenly, along with a sensation of abandonment and despair. Over the course of a few minutes, her body undergoes a transformation similar to that experienced during the Test of the Drider. Instead of becoming a drider, however, the failed Drow is transformed into a brood mother (see the Brood Mother entry). The brood mother is a source of many of the different species of monstrous spiders that roam the darkness of the subterranean world. It is "born" pregnant and spawns many spiders during its lifetime. The brood mother injects other creatures with its offspring, killing the injected victim and giving birth to its children. These spiders are likely to kill the Drow's enemies at some point, and in Lolth's twisted logic, she accomplishes her extermination goals by creating more brood mothers. The Chwihendrell occurs after the Drow has gained enough experience to advance to 13th level.

  • Chwisasshra, or Test of Vengeance - The zwy'il is now ready to face the Chwisasshra, or Test of Vengeance. Just as in the Test of Betrayal, when the Drow brought down a trusted friend, the Chwisasshra demands that she utterly destroy a sworn enemy. Considering the treacherous life that most Drow live, the zwy'il probably has a large supply of enemies. Unlike the other tests, subtlety is not allowed. The zwy'il must bring every resource at her disposal to the task of wiping out her chosen enemy. The destruction must be absolute, including the elimination of the enemy's immediate family, household staff, and residence. This test is extremely dangerous, not only for the violence that is required, but also for the wrath of the target's allies. The test begins when the zwy'il sees the tiny spider that has appeared so many times before. It shows itself at a time when the zwy'il visibly sees the target or in some other abstract way (for example, spinning a web on the enemy's house banner). From that point on, the target can never change. Once the target has been revealed, the zwy'il must eventually attack her and her household. This is usually done with the help of the zwy'il's minions and troops. The zwy'il is forbidden to use a third party to assassinate the target, and she immediately fails if she does so - Lolth demands that the zwy'il spill the blood of her enemy directly. If the target is killed, the zwy'il must continue the rampage, looting, desecrating, and destroying her foe's home as well. If the zwy'il launches an assault and does not succeed in eliminating the target, the test is considered a failure. If the zwy'il is not killed during the attack, she must contend with a rightfully angry enemy. As in the Test of Betrayal, the hunter becomes the hunted, but in addition to gaining the ability to find the zwy'il at will using discern location, the zwy'il's enemy gains the ability to planeshift or teleport without error (as though cast by a sorcerer of the zwy'il's level) to the location of the zwy'il at will. Lolth revokes this ability if the zwy'il's enemy uses it for a purpose other than revenge, and should the zwy'il succeed in defeating that enemy, Lolth grants the abilities to a different enemy of the zwy'il. The Chwisasshra occurs after the Drow has gained enough experience to advance to 14th level.

  • Chwilolth: the Test of Lolth - The zwy'il is now reaching the pinnacle of her existence. She has overcome incredible odds and proven that she possesses the "best" traits that Drow admire: uncompromising will, unbelievable cruelty, and an utter sense of superiority. One more test remains, however - Chwilolth, or the Test of Lolth. Having bested her enemies, the zwy'il must face down a representative of the Spider Goddess herself. The test begins with visions. The zwy'il has a persistent vision of Lolth speaking to her. Lolth taunts, berates. and belittles the zwy'il in as many ways as possible, degrading her victories and revealing her weaknesses. The visions continue over the course of several weeks. Deprived of sleep (or, more accurately, the restful meditation that all elves require), the zwy'il starts seeing hallucinations. Visions of the Spider Goddess fill every moment of her life. The visions abruptly stop one day, and the zwy'il now knows that she must face Lolth. The next time that she is alone, she hears the sound of skittering claws behind her. When she turns, she sees a monstrosity lurking before her - a proxy of Lolth, complete with the head of a beautiful Drow maiden jutting out from a repulsive spider body. She states, "It is time," before leaping in to feast on the zwy'il's body. See the Proxy of Lolth for the proxy's statistics. The zwy'il must fight for her life. She can use any and all means available, including weapons, magic items, spells, and traps. Although Drow are taught that they must fight this battle alone, only a fool would do so. Most Drow bring all the forces at their command against the proxy, often sacrificing much of their power to bring down the deadly divine being. If the zwy'il defeats the proxy of Lolth, she passes the test. The reward for passing is greater than mere survival. Drow who pass are sometimes called to become proxies of Lolth themselves. They then have the opportunity to defend their positions by eliminating ambitious Drow during future Chwiloths. Otherwise, the proxy kills the zwy'il. Zwy'il killed by the proxy cannot be raised, reincarnated, or resurrected by any means. The clerics of Lolth say that the souls of zwy'il who fail the test are taken back to Lolth and slowly consumed. The Chwilolth occurs when the Drow has gained enough experience to advance to 15th level.

Religious Orders

  • Militant Myrlochar or Order of Soul Spiders: An elite fighting organization comprised exclusively of crusader males 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 and are employed to kill their targets. They are usually used so long without pause until they get killed.

  • Handmaidens of the Spider Queen or Daughters of the Yochlol: An order of female crusaders that have no ties to specific cities and are used when Lolth wants an entire city to brought back into line. At least three times in recorded history, have the Handmaidens of the Spider Queen destroy entire Drow cities to prevent them from straying too far from Lolth. Their usual job, though was it to terrorize merchants who take Vhaeraun as their patron as well as cities run by the followers of Vhaeraun or Ghaunadaur

See the Religious Orders section for more detail.

Organization

  • Yath'val'sharess (Primate):

  • Yath'il'haressen (Prelate):

  • Yath'taellar (High Priest/Priestess): :

    • Yath'allar' {Mistress of Acolytes):
    • Yath'allar' (Mistress of Archives):
    • Yath'allar' {Mistress of Secular Affairs}:
    • Yath'allar' {Mistress of the Religious Orders}:

  • Yath'rin (Priest/Priestess):

  • Yath'abban (Acolyte):

  • Yath (Student):


Holy Artifacts

A scourge of fangs, also known as a whip of fangs or a viper whip, is a snake-headed whip used by Drow clerics of Lolth. The scourge of fangs has an adamantine handle and a number of serpentine constructs (snake heads) as lashes. The snake heads writh and hiss in response to the bearer's emotions and are controlled by the will of the bearer, but have their own independent "personalities." The number of snake heads on the scourge indicated the level of power of the priestess. Each head has an AR 12, has 20 hp and 20 sdc, and attacks with a +3 to strike for 2d4 points of damage. The serpent heads have no poison effects, but their long fangs bite deep, leaving scars and injecting waves of magic that both numb and shoot waves of muscle- knotting pain through the victim. If a snake head is destroyed, it will fall off the whip. The rest of the heads continue to function normally and the lost head will grow back in 1-4 days.



Description

Lolth is spider-shaped Demon who once was a Dark Elven female of incredible beauty When she manifests to her followers ( which is beyond rare) She will apopear most often in her spider form but often uses her elven form when traveling the Plane so as to blend in with mortals.

Name: Lolth, Araushnee (Aliases Lloth, Megwandir, Moander, Zinzerena)

Alignment: Diabolic

Size: 12 feet (4 meters) tall.

Horror/Awe Factor: 16

Occupational Classes: Priest, Assasin, Wizard and Mind Mage

Deific Powers: Lolth has the full range of powers over her followers, and can perform all prototypical deific powers at regular cost, as well as the following special powers

    1]Greater Metamorphosis: Aracholoth: Usually used failed followers as punishment (although the god could self-impose it), this changes one into an Aracholoth. It does not "wear off," and only the god can reverse the metamorphosis.

    2]Greater Metamorphosis: Drider: Usually used failed followers as punishment (although the god could self-impose it), this changes one into a Drider. It does not "wear off," and only the god can reverse the metamorphosis.

    3]Greater Metamorphosis: Spiderleg Horror: Usually used failed followers as punishment (although the god could self-impose it), this changes one into a Spiderleg Horror. It does not "wear off," and only the god can reverse the metamorphosis.

    4]Greater Metamorphosis: Brood Mother: Usually used failed followers as punishment (although the god could self-impose it), this changes one into a Brood Mother. It does not "wear off," and only the god can reverse the metamorphosis.

    5]Forge Holy Weapon: Can create a scourge of fangs.

    3]Resurrection: Yochlol: Creates a Yochlol from any dead, even if the body has been completely destroyed. All damage is repaired, including old wounds and missing limbs. Resurrected beings come back with full hit points, S.D.C., I.S.P., etc. only they are Yochlol and subject to Lolth's control

    4]Divine Immunities: Lolth is immune to

    • Transmutation, Energy and Ability Drain /Damage
    • o Cold, Heat, Acid, Disintegration and Electrical
    • Death Magic, Banishment or Imprisonment
    • Mind-Influencing Effects, Stunning, or Sleep
    • Disease, Paralysis, and Poison

    5]Salient Divine Abilities:

    • Alter Form
    • Alter Size
    • Arcane Mastery
    • Divine Spellcasting
    • Hand of Death

Priest/Healing Powers: Exorcism 50%, healing tough restores 2d6 SDC or HP, Remove curse 50%, remove deific curse 20%, resurrection 50%, and turn dead 70%.

Magic Powers: Knows all Priest and Wizard spells.

Psionic Powers: 15th level Master Psionic who has all powers

Favorite Weapons:

  • Lolth's Bite: Greater Rune Spear

    The spear is a work of art. The broad head of the spear is a highly polished black weblike structure. It is polished to the point that the head is almost a mirror. On the head are hieroglyphics of an ancient style. They are so ancient that their meanings are effectively lost in time. Using magic to decipher them, they are magical power words. The shaft is also of a black material but not as highly polished as the head itself. Even though the weapon is believed by most to be many thousands of years old, it shows absolutely no sign of wear.


    Like most “rune weapons” but unlike most more conventional rune weapons, the spear does not seem to have a strong personality. The weapon has not been known to communicate with possessors beyond an occasional bad feeling from time to time. It will however bond with a possessor after six months. As well, those who attempt to use the weapon who are not of evil creeds will be shocked when they attempt to grab the weapon.


    It is balanced as if it were made by the finest of Dwarven weapon craftsman. The spear is also extremely sharp and is considered the equal of most more conventional rune weapons doing 6D6x10 damage. As a greater rune weapon, it has the ability to cast a number of wizard spells. Most of the spells are keyed toward combat. These include the ability to create a mystic armor around the wielder, throw energy bolts, turn the dead, create a blinding flash, sense the invisible, and sense evil. Of course, the spear has a limited amount of mystical energy for spell casting.


    Attributes:

    IQ: 13 Can communicates with wielder through limited empathy (Rarely does), ME: 10, MA: 09


    Characteristics:

    • Like all Rune Weapons it is completely indestructible

    • Links to wielder within 6 months of constant contact. Can sense each other presences within 4 miles.

    • Gives wielder +1 on all saving throws.

    • Can be used to parry energy blasts at -6

    • Can only be used by individuals of evil Alignments, anybody not of those alignments takes 2D4 points of damage each time they touch the weapon or 3D6 damage if creatures of magic.

    Weapon Bonuses: Due to superior craftsmanship, equal to Dwarven quality, gets +2 to Initiative, +2 to Strike, and +2 to Parry.


    Weapon Damage: 6D6x10 per strike(Plus strength bonus if applicable).


    Weapon's Special Abilities: Wizard Magic: P.P.E.: 60, recovers at a rate of 10 P.P.E. for every three hours. Under normal conditions, spells are cast equal to sixth level Wizard.

    • First Level: Blinding Flash (1), See the Invisible (4), Sense Evil (2)

    • Second Level: Turn Dead (6),
    • Third Level: Armor of Ithan (10), Energy Bolt (5)
  • Lolth's Kiss: A 15 Cobra headed scourge of fangs
  • Lolth's Venom: Greater Rune Dagger

    The dagger is made from dark grey metal and like all rune weapons, it has runes running from blade to tip. The dagger is in the general pattern of a Cinquedea and is double bladed. The tip is extremely sharp for stabbing. The weapon has a wide hand guard which gives excellent protection and the hand grip is in a thatched pattern which makes for an extremely good grip. It can be considered as finely balanced as the greatest Dwarven crafted weapons and is equally good for melee combat and for throwing.

    The special abilities of the dagger are mainly for combat. Anyone wielding the dagger will find themselves slightly faster to strike and it increases the persons natural speed as well. The weapon needs to be considered an excellent weapon for throwing as well. When thrown, it always returns to its thrower even if that thrower has ducked behind cover. It also seeks when thrown at an enemy, giving the thrower a better chance to get a telling blow when it is thrown. A most spectacular trick is that the dagger can be thrown around a corner and hit an enemy around the corner. The accuracy will not be as great but it will still return to its thrower.

      Attributes:
        IQ: 14 Communicates with wielder through limited telepathy
        ME: 12
        MA: 14

      Characteristics:
      • Like all Rune Weapons it is completely indestructible
      • Links to wielder within 6 months of constant contact. Can sense each other presences within 4 miles (5.4 km).
      • Can be used to parry energy blasts at -6
      • Gives wielder +1 on all saving throws.
      • Can only be used by individuals of Unprincipled and Scrupulous Alignments, anybody not of those alignments takes 2D4 points of damage each time they touch the weapon or 3D6 damage if creatures of magic.

      Weapon Bonuses:
        Due to superior craftsmanship, equal to Dwarven quality, +2 (+5) to Throw, +2 to Strike, +3 to Parry, and +2 (+4) on Initiative

      Weapon Damage:
        4D6+4 per strike, inflicts S.D.C. in S.D.C. Worlds and inflicts M.D.C. in M.D.C. Worlds. (Plus strength bonus if applicable) [(Rolls for Critical Strike are reduced by two when thrown - example: if the character normally requires a natural 20 for critical strike, with the dagger they will need Natural 18, 19, or 20]

      Weapon's Special Abilities:
        Seeking: When thrown, the dagger will seek out its target. This gives the dagger a bonus of +3 to strike when thrown beyond those from being a high quality initiative (Added into weapon bonuses) and well as reducing critical strikes by two points from what is normally needed (example: if the character normally requires a natural 20 for critical strike, with the dagger they will need Natural 18, 19, or 20.) If thrown around a corner, the thrower loses all bonuses except for the +3 bonus and critical strikes are normal. The dagger will also return when thrown even if it has to fly around corners to return.
        Speed Doubler: Doubles the wielder's natural speed attribute, gives +2 on initiative (Added into weapon bonuses), and adds one extra attack per melee.

    Armour:

    • Anacria: Drow Chain and Plate mail armour, lightweight and noiseless. A.R. 19, S.D.C. 600.

    Alliances & Allies: Malar, Selvetarm

    Enemies: Eilistraee, Ghaunadaur, Gruumsh, the Seldarine, Vhaeraun.

    Vulnerabilities: In combat she need fear only magic and magical weapons. Neither Holy Weapons, nor silver, do her any more than standard damage.

      Minions: Lolth has vast numbers of minions she can call apon.
      • Demons: Lolth can summon individual greater demons, such as Baal-Rogs or Raksasha, or modest numbers (2D6) of lesser demons (or 2D6+1 Yochlol).
      • Yochlol: An ancient minion of Lolth are the Yochlol. Yochlols have four forms available to them: humanoid, spider, ooze, and gaseous. In their natural form they appear as a six-foot-tall, eight-tentacled blob of melted wax that continually emit a foul stench. They also have the power to change their shape—usually to a comely drow female (although other elves and humans are also possible) or to a large spider. They can also change into a gaseous form, allowing their unknowing victims to inhale them, and then suffocate. All forms are immune to poison and electricity.

      Yochlol

      Like most demons, Yochlols are diabolic creatures. They relish dominating other creatures. They are cruel and enjoy a good battle. Summoned Yochlols are compelled to faithfully serve one deed to their summoner, but they take special delight in escaping the control of those who summon them and wandering about free about the Prime Material Plane, causing chaos. Yochlols use various forms as disguises to carry out cunning ploys and evil subterfuges to turn beings to chaos and evil (or, occasionally, to randomly provide acts of kindness to mortals). Unless enemies of Lolth are present, Yochlols do not engage in killing sprees or frenzies of mindless violence. Yochlol often hiss, whisper, or scream when in combat, even telling their opponents their names, so that should the victim escape, he or she will fear the return of the Yochlol.

      Yochlols have psionic abilities that allow them to dominate others and read their thoughts. In spider form, they have a poisonous bite. Lloth created the Yochlol from succubi that she captured from layers of the Abyss. She never revealed how she transformed the succubi into Yochlols, but when the process was completed, the Yochlol remembered nothing of its former life and was completely loyal to their new mistress.

      Alignment: Diabolic.
      Attributes: The number of six-sided dice rolled is as designated. I.Q. 3D6, M.E. 3D6, M.A. 3D6, P.S. 6D6+6, P.P. 4D6, P.E. 5D6, P.B. 2D4, Spd. 6D6. Considered to be a supernatural being.
      Size: 6 feet tall.
      Weight: 200 to 300 pounds.
      Natural A.R.: 15
      Average Hit Points: 3D6x10, plus P.E. attribute number.
      Average S.D.C.: 3D6x10 +100
      Horror Factor: 14
      O.C.C. Skills: Basic math (+10%), read and speak Drow(+20%), speak Dragon and two other languages of choice (+20%), hand to hand: expert, prowl (+10%), track humanoids (+20%), track animals (+10%), intelligence (+10%), interrogation (+10%), wilderness survival (+20%), plus select two skills from each of the following categories: Espionage, Military, Physical, Rogue, all at +5%, and four W.P.s. Also select five secondary skills.
      Natural Abilities: Nightvision 70 feet (21 m), see the invisible, resistant to heat, fire and cold (takes half damage), metamorphosis (as described), swim 98%, hold breath for 3D4 minutes, see well even in murky water, and heal twice as fast as humans.
      O.C.C.s Available to Yochlol: Effectively mercenary fighters.
      Combat: Six physical attacks per melee or two by magic. Spider bite (Special): Adds one melee attack per round and inflicts 1D6x10 damage from the bite, as well as injecting poison venom into the victim. The poison causes 6D6 damage per melee round to supernatural or deific creatures, or lD6xlOO damage to humanoids and other mortals! The poison lasts in the system for 2D4 melee rounds, inflicting damage each melee. A successful save vs poison means the character suffers a mere 30% of the damage.
      Bonuses (in addition to attribute bonuses): +3 to initiative, +1 on all saving throws, impervious to poisons and +2 to save vs drugs/poison, +8 to save vs horror factor.
      Magic: All Yochlol are knowledgeable in Wizard magic. Yochlol begin with seven spells selected from levels 1-4. At second level, three more spells are selected. At levels four, seven, nine, twelve and fifteen, select three additional spells from levels 1-9.
      Psionics: Master 200 isp
      Average Life Span: 200+ years.
      Habitat: The Yochlols' natural home is the Demonweb Pits. Only high priestesses of the Queen of Spiders are told how to summon a Yochlol to the Prime Material Plane. They are only supposed to be called upon in dire need or to witness sacrifices in the name of their dark goddess. All Yochlol serve Lolth and work surprisingly well together. One Yochlol would never betray, endanger, or attack another. All Yochlols share a telepathic bond with each other and Lolth herself. Yochlols are also used as a channel of communication to and from the Abyss. Lolth uses Yochlols to spy on the drow and ensure they are worshiping her properly.