Drow deities
Encyclopedia
The Dark Seldarine is the name given to the fallen, mostly evil deities of the subterranean drow in the Dungeons & Dragons
role-playing game
. They are not truly a pantheon in the same way the Seldarine are, though, as they do not co-operate. The Dark Seldarine are led by Lolth
, whose power sometimes forces the others into obeying her. Their planes are various layers of the Abyss in 2nd Edition D&D and is the Demonweb Pits
in the Third Edition cosmology.
The Dark Seldarine consists of:
"That Which Lurks" usually appears as a reddish-purple giant slug, though it can alter its form at will. Its symbol is a purple eye on purple, violet, and black circles. Priests of the Elder Eye are required to make daily sacrifices, preferably willing sacrifices. If a priest falls behind in their sacrifices, they are required to say a prayer while coating their hand in magical oil and lighting it on fire. If the prayer is good, the priest may keep the hand. If not, then the hand will be consumed by the Elder Eye.
It is generally discouraged for priests of Ghaunadaur to be friendly with other priests; however, the Underdark is full of strange things. More information on Ghaunadaur can be found in "The Drow of the Underdark," the TSR AD&D 2nd edition rulebook.
in the Underdark
. The place where his worshippers are most common is the city of Eryndlyn. He is the patron of unequaled battle prowess and bloodlust. He cares only for battle and destruction everywhere, and he has a great hatred for all things living, although that is nothing compared to the hatred he has for his mistress Lolth
.
. His home plane is the Demonweb Pits
, which in normal Dungeons & Dragons cosmology is the 66th layer of the Abyss, but in the revised D&D 3e Forgotten Realms cosmology is a plane to itself. His symbol is a crossed sword and mace over a spider, and his Third Edition D&D domains are Chaos, Drow, Evil, Spider, and War.
In the Forgotten Realms setting there is a worshiper above Selvetarm's regular clerics known as a Judicator, who is revered and feared as a master of the blade as well as for his (for they are exclusively male) clerical and/or arcane powers. Only one, known as Dhairn, has ever been mentioned, and he met his end at the hands of the Chosen of both Eilistraee and Mystra, Qilue Veladorn.
, the spider that waits appears as a large spider some of the time with the head of a drow male. He is known to wield a sword and mace in his front arms, and he can call upon the spells of all spheres.
The spider that waits rarely manifests himself in the realms, he prefers to either send his avatar or simply ignore the petitions of his supplicants, although he will manifest when his avatar is busy elsewhere. On those rare occasions, he manifests himself as a tiny sphere of utter darkness.
and Zandilar the Dancer (a demipower worshipped by elves in Yuirwood and later absorbed by Bast who would become Sharess
), which was part of an elaborate plan to help Zandilar's followers against the attacks of Lolth's.
Selvetarm was alone for a time, until he was befriended by Eilistraee who showed him the ways of good, but all this would be short-lived as a result of the trickery of Lolth
. The Spider Queen was enraged by the existence of a demonic
lesser lord of the Abyss, who professed himself as having power over spiders, and whose name was Zanassu
. Around this time the spider demon Zanassu had been weakened by a conflict in the Prime Material Plane
, and so Lolth tricked Selvetarm into destroying the Abyssal lord
and absorbing his divine power, under the false pretences of winning Eilistraee's gratitude. But in his actions Selvetarm also absorbed enough of Zanassu's malevolence to overcome his acquired goodness. Lolth used this to her advantage and entrapped Selvetarm's will, binding her grandson to her service.
due to the similarity of their personalities and portfolios. He fiercely opposes his father Vhaeraun's machinations.
In Lisa Smedman's Sacrifice of the Widow
(Wizards of the Coast, 2007), Selvatarm was slain by Cavatina, a mortal follower of Eilistraee wielding the Crescent Blade.
campaign settings. His worshipers include assassins, male drow and half-drow, poisoners, shadowdancers, rogues, and thieves.
cosmology, she has been killed or banished by Lolth.
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
. They are not truly a pantheon in the same way the Seldarine are, though, as they do not co-operate. The Dark Seldarine are led by Lolth
Lolth
Lolth is a fictional goddess in the Dungeons and Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Lolth , the Demon Queen of Spiders, is the chief goddess of drow elves...
, whose power sometimes forces the others into obeying her. Their planes are various layers of the Abyss in 2nd Edition D&D and is the Demonweb Pits
Demonweb Pits
Demonweb Pits, in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, is the 66th layer of the chaotic evil-aligned plane of existence known as the Infinite Layers of the Abyss...
in the Third Edition cosmology.
The Dark Seldarine consists of:
- Eilistraee, Lolth's daughter and patron deity of good drow (more closely associated with the Seldarine). Exclusive to the Forgotten Realms.
- Ghaunadaur, an elemental deity adopted into the drow pantheon. Exclusive to the Forgotten Realms.
- Kiaransalee, patron deity of undeadUndead (Dungeons & Dragons)In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, undead is a classification of monsters that can be encountered by player characters. Undead creatures are most often once-living creatures, which have been animated by spiritual or supernatural forces....
drow. - Lolth, formerly Araushnee of the Seldarine, primary deity of the drow.
- Selvetarm, Lolth's grandson and Champion. Exclusive to the Forgotten Realms.
- Vhaeraun, Lolth's son and patron deity of disaffected male drow.
- Zinzerena, a demipower of assassins killed and absorbed as an aspect of Lolth during the Forgotten Realms' Time of TroublesTime of Troubles (Forgotten Realms)The Time of Troubles, also known as the Arrival, Godswar, and Avatar Crisis, is a fictional time period in the chronology of the Forgotten Realms campaign setting of the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role playing game...
.
Ghaunadaur
Ghaunadaur (gone-ah-dowr) is also known as That Which Lurks and The Elder Eye. Although officially considered a member of the drow pantheon, its followers include oozes, slimes, jellies, outcasts, and rebels. Most of its followers are lowly drow outcasts.Overview
Ghaunadaur is considered to be highly unpredictable by any standards. It is not always necessary to worship it; sometimes, simply paying lip service is enough to earn a boon from the god. However, this is not often done, as it's equally likely that it will consume or maim the penitent without warning."That Which Lurks" usually appears as a reddish-purple giant slug, though it can alter its form at will. Its symbol is a purple eye on purple, violet, and black circles. Priests of the Elder Eye are required to make daily sacrifices, preferably willing sacrifices. If a priest falls behind in their sacrifices, they are required to say a prayer while coating their hand in magical oil and lighting it on fire. If the prayer is good, the priest may keep the hand. If not, then the hand will be consumed by the Elder Eye.
It is generally discouraged for priests of Ghaunadaur to be friendly with other priests; however, the Underdark is full of strange things. More information on Ghaunadaur can be found in "The Drow of the Underdark," the TSR AD&D 2nd edition rulebook.
History
Ghaunadaur is a very ancient deity, rumored to have emerged from the primordial ooze itself. In that age it was worshipped by the largest of slimes and other crawling creatures, many of which contained an alien intelligence. In a fit of fury due to Lolth spurning his romantic interests, Ghaunadaur struck most of them mad and took their intellects. As an unforeseen result, many of these worshipers ceased to exist, which caused The Elder Eye's power to collapse. Only in recent millennia have some evil beings turned back to Ghaunadaur, looking for an alternative to the established deities. Ghaunadaur is only a member of the drow pantheon because of the worship of drow that became disaffected with Lolth. in 1379 DR Ghaunadaur, finally fed up with Lolth, left the Demonweb Pits and created a new realm in the Deep Caverns.Selvetarm
Selvetarm, known also as The Spider that Waits or Lolth's Champion, is worshipped by few drowDrow
The drow or dark elves are a generally evil, dark-skinned subrace of elves in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game.-Publication history:...
in the Underdark
Underdark
The Underdark is a fictional setting which has appeared in Dungeons & Dragons role-playing campaigns and Dungeons & Dragons-based fiction books, including the Legend of Drizzt series by R. A. Salvatore...
. The place where his worshippers are most common is the city of Eryndlyn. He is the patron of unequaled battle prowess and bloodlust. He cares only for battle and destruction everywhere, and he has a great hatred for all things living, although that is nothing compared to the hatred he has for his mistress Lolth
Lolth
Lolth is a fictional goddess in the Dungeons and Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Lolth , the Demon Queen of Spiders, is the chief goddess of drow elves...
.
Overview
Selvetarm is a Chaotic Evil DemigodDemigod
The term "demigod" , meaning "half-god", is commonly used to describe mythological figures whose one parent was a god and whose other parent was human; as such, demigods are human-god hybrids...
. His home plane is the Demonweb Pits
Demonweb Pits
Demonweb Pits, in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, is the 66th layer of the chaotic evil-aligned plane of existence known as the Infinite Layers of the Abyss...
, which in normal Dungeons & Dragons cosmology is the 66th layer of the Abyss, but in the revised D&D 3e Forgotten Realms cosmology is a plane to itself. His symbol is a crossed sword and mace over a spider, and his Third Edition D&D domains are Chaos, Drow, Evil, Spider, and War.
Worshipers
The church of Selvetarm usually acts over the manifestation of soul spiders, and also common spiders. He manifests his pleasure by the discovery of stones, dried bark or webstone, and his anger by making pieces of weapon or armor break upon contact. All of the Selvertargtlin are trained in the sword in addition to the clerical skills. Although the church is mostly males, a handful of females worship Lolth's Champion.In the Forgotten Realms setting there is a worshiper above Selvetarm's regular clerics known as a Judicator, who is revered and feared as a master of the blade as well as for his (for they are exclusively male) clerical and/or arcane powers. Only one, known as Dhairn, has ever been mentioned, and he met his end at the hands of the Chosen of both Eilistraee and Mystra, Qilue Veladorn.
Manifestations
When sending his avatarIncarnation
Incarnation literally means embodied in flesh or taking on flesh. It refers to the conception and birth of a sentient creature who is the material manifestation of an entity, god or force whose original nature is immaterial....
, the spider that waits appears as a large spider some of the time with the head of a drow male. He is known to wield a sword and mace in his front arms, and he can call upon the spells of all spheres.
The spider that waits rarely manifests himself in the realms, he prefers to either send his avatar or simply ignore the petitions of his supplicants, although he will manifest when his avatar is busy elsewhere. On those rare occasions, he manifests himself as a tiny sphere of utter darkness.
History
Selvetarm was born from the brief union between VhaeraunVhaeraun
Vhaeraun , also known as the Masked Lord and the Masked God of Night, is the drow god of thievery, drow males, and evil activity on the surface world in many Dungeons & Dragons campaign settings.-Publication history:...
and Zandilar the Dancer (a demipower worshipped by elves in Yuirwood and later absorbed by Bast who would become Sharess
Sharess
Sharess is a fictional Faerûnian lesser deity of the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, for Dungeons & Dragons.-Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition :...
), which was part of an elaborate plan to help Zandilar's followers against the attacks of Lolth's.
Selvetarm was alone for a time, until he was befriended by Eilistraee who showed him the ways of good, but all this would be short-lived as a result of the trickery of Lolth
Lolth
Lolth is a fictional goddess in the Dungeons and Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Lolth , the Demon Queen of Spiders, is the chief goddess of drow elves...
. The Spider Queen was enraged by the existence of a demonic
Demon (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, demons are the most widespread race of fiends. The demons are chaotic evil by nature, and are native to the Abyss...
lesser lord of the Abyss, who professed himself as having power over spiders, and whose name was Zanassu
Zanassu
Zanassu the Spider Demon is a demon lord, in the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game.-Publication history:Zanassu was first described in Empires of the Sands ....
. Around this time the spider demon Zanassu had been weakened by a conflict in the Prime Material Plane
Prime Material Plane
The Prime Material Plane is the central plane of existence in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game...
, and so Lolth tricked Selvetarm into destroying the Abyssal lord
Demon lord (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, demon lords are demons who have gained great power and established a position of preeminence among demonkind. Each demon lord has a unique appearance and set of abilities. Most control at least one layer of the Abyss...
and absorbing his divine power, under the false pretences of winning Eilistraee's gratitude. But in his actions Selvetarm also absorbed enough of Zanassu's malevolence to overcome his acquired goodness. Lolth used this to her advantage and entrapped Selvetarm's will, binding her grandson to her service.
Relationships
Selvetarm is allied only with Lolth (grudgingly), and GaragosGaragos
Garagos , is a lesser Faerûnian deity of war in the Forgotten Realms fictional campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game, though he focuses more on destruction and plunder than war itself....
due to the similarity of their personalities and portfolios. He fiercely opposes his father Vhaeraun's machinations.
In Lisa Smedman's Sacrifice of the Widow
The Lady Penitent
The Lady Penitent is a series of novels by Lisa Smedman, set in the Forgotten Realms campaign setting.-Plot summary:The Lady Penitent takes place after the events of War of the Spider Queen. Several fairly large realm-changing events take place during this series, ranging from the use of Elven High...
(Wizards of the Coast, 2007), Selvatarm was slain by Cavatina, a mortal follower of Eilistraee wielding the Crescent Blade.
Vhaeraun
Vhaeraun ( vay-), also known as the Masked Lord and the Masked God of Night, is the drow god of thievery, drow males, and evil activity on the surface world in many Dungeons & DragonsDungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
campaign settings. His worshipers include assassins, male drow and half-drow, poisoners, shadowdancers, rogues, and thieves.
Zinzerena
Zinzerena is the drow deity of chaos and assassins. Her symbol is a shortsword draped in a black cloak, symbolizing her hidden menace. In the Forgotten RealmsForgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
cosmology, she has been killed or banished by Lolth.
External links
- "Citadel of the Mask Lord" — contains tons of information on Vhaeraun and his clergy and churches, weapons, and orders and dogma.
- Living Greyhawk deities
Images
- "Vhaeraun and Selvetarm Do Battle," by Steve Prescott
- Symbol of Vhaeraun
