Intermediate Power of the Abyss, CE

PORTFOLIO:         Spiders, evil, darkness, chaos, assassins, the
                   drow race
ALIASES:           Araushnee, Lloth (Menzoberranzan and
                   Uluitur), Megwandir, Moander, Zinzerena
DOMAIN NAME:       66th level/Lolth's Web (the Demonweb Pits)
SUPERIOR:          None
ALLIES:            Loviatar, Malar, Selvetarm
FOES:              Deep Duerra, Eilistraee, Ghaunadaur,
                   Gruumsh Ibrandul (dead), Kiaran.satee,
                   Laduguer, Moander (dead), the Seldarine,
                   Vhaeraun, Blibdoolpoolp, the Blood Queen,
                   Diinkarazan, Diirinka, Great Mother,  Gzemnid,
                   Ilsensine, Ilxendren, Laogzed, Maanzecorian
                   (dead), Psilofyr
SYMBOL:            Black spider with female drow head (at bottom
                   of figure) or black cloak and short sword
                   (Zinzerena aspect)
WOR. ALIGN.:       LN, N, CN, LE, NE, CE

Lolth (LOLTH) is the goddess of the drow race and drow society. She is
responsible for the nature, customs, laws, and survival of most drow
commu-nities. The Spider Queen maintains her absolute rule over drow
cities by means of her clergy, who tirelessly seek out and destroy all
traces of dissent, disobedience, rival faiths, or sacrilege and w
ruthlessly enforce the Way of Lolth. The Spider Queen foments unending
chaos in drow society and sets the drow eternally at war with each
other both for her own amuse-ment and to prevent complacency, runaway
pride from asserting itself, or the rise of other faiths. Lolth is also
venerated by chitines, a small spiderlike race that are castoffs of the
drow.

As Araushnee, Lolth was once a lesser power of the Seldarine and the
consort of Corellon Larethian. She was the patron of artisans, the
goddess 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 Corel-lon twin godlings-Vhaeraun and Eilistraee-before she
turned against her lover and betrayed him. First she aided Gruumsh
One-Eye, chief among the orcish gods, in one of his perennial battles
with the Creator of the Elves, and then she set Malar on the trail of
the weakened Corellon after observing the Beastlord defeat Herne on
Faerun. When these plots failed as a result of Corellon's skill at arms
and Sehanine's interference, Araushnee raised a host of hostile
powers-the anti-Seldarine-to assault Arvandor.  Despite the treachery
of Araushnee, and to a lesser extent, Vhaeraun, the assault failed and
the perfidy of Corellon's consort and son were revealed.  By order of
the Council of the Seldarine, Araushnee was transformed into a
spider-shaped tanar'ri and banished to the Abyss.

As an Abyssal Lord, Araushnee assumed the name Lolth and conquered a
considerable portion of that foul plane, driving off Ghaunadaur and
subjugating Kiaransalee in the process. The Spider Queen then turned
her attentions toward corrupting the mortal children of the Seldarine
and reclaiming her divinity. Lolth's attentions were drawn once again
to Abeir-Toril by the intrusion of the moon elven heroine Kethryllia
Amarillis into her domain, and the Spider Queen immediately began to
cultivate followers among the most cruel and corrupt of Corellon's
children in Faerun. In the centuries that followed, Lolth made great
inroads among the warlike Ilythiiri, who had long since spread across
the South conquering their kin- folk under the careful guidance of
Vhaeraun, and to a lesser extent, Ghau- nadaur. Lolth's machinations
among the elves culminated in the Crown Wars, and eventually, the
descent of the drow into the Underdark, but by that time she had
enmeshed most of the dark-skinned Ilythiiri, now drow, in her webs and
engendered the death of countless elves and the destruction of much of
elven civilization in Faerun.

In the centuries since the Crown Wars, Lolth's followers have continued
to spread throughout the Underdark, from Dusklyngh to T'lindhet and
from Guallidurth to now-fallen V'elddrinnsshar. While other powers
contest her rule, the Spider Queen's dominion over the dark elves
continues to expand, albeit more slowly than before. Lolth's followers
have been occupied with the conquest of the Underdark and the
destruction of the faerie elves of the surface, and the Spider Queen
has never ceased in her efforts to destroy the elven sanctuary of
Evermeet.

Since the Time of Troubles, Lolth has assumed additional aspects as two
of her many stratagems to increase the ranks of her faithful and thus
her own personal power. In the drow city of Menzoberranzan, in the
Underdark beneath the North where Lolth-or Lloth, as she is known
there-appeared during the Time of Troubles, the Spider Queen has
allowed rumors to spread of a new demipower of chaos and assassins,
Zinzerena the Hunted.  While Zinzer-ena was once a legendary drow
assassin and later an emerging demipower of a world other than
Abeir-Toril, the Spider Queen recently slew Zinzerena-or at least
banished her influence from the Realms-and assumed her aspect as a test
to see if additional divine aspects increased or decreased the total
(albeit fragmented) divine power available.  In the Lands of Light,
Lolth has long found that the deeply imbued racial antipathy of the
surface elves toward the Spider Queen interferes with her attempts to
seduce otherwise eminently corruptible individuals. With the death of
Moander, always a more comprehensible (and tempting) force of evil to
the nature-loving surface elves than the Spider Queen, Lolth has
assumed the Darkbringer's aspect and portfolio of rotting death, decay,
and corruption and revived its cult in a bid to add elven, half-elven,
and human worshipers to the ranks of her faithful.

Although the Spider Queen detests all the members of the Seldarine,
Lolth reserves her deepest hatred for her former lover, Corellon
Larethian, who banished her to the Abyss and named her tanar'ri. The
Spider Queen particularly loathes Sehanine Moonbow, long her rival, for
her part in foiling Lolth's bid to replace Corellon as head of the
Seldarine. The Spider Queen has also vowed vengeance against Fenmarel
Mestarine, who spurned her after initially falling to her seductions.

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.
(During the Time of Troubles, Lolth appeared in the northern city of
Menzoberranzan for a short period of time.) 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 Avatar (Cleric 33, Mage 31, Fighter 20)

Lolth can appear as a giant black widow spider with crimson eyes, or
she can change into the form of a human-sized, exquisitely beautiful
female drow. In this form she often clothes herself entirely in
clinging spiders, but sometimes wearing drow chain mail styled into
artful dresses or tunics. She can also combine the two forms, appearing
as a giant spider with a coldly beautiful female drow head. This is the
form in which she is usually found in the Abyss, and it is thought to
be her true form. Lolth can call on any sphere or school of magic for
her spells.

AC -2 (drow) or -4 (spider); MV 15 (drow) or 9, Wb 24 (spider); HP 210;
THAC0 1; #AT 1 or 3/1 (drow) or 3 (spider/drow) or 3 (spider)
Dmg 1d1O+9 (fist, +9 STR) or by drow weapon type (+3 drow weapon bonus,
+9 STR) (drow); ld4+special (webs) and 4d4+poison (bite) (spider/drow);
or 1d4+special (webs) and 4d4+poison (spider) MR 70%; SZ M (6 feet
tall-drow) or L (12 feet diameter-spider) STR 21,DEX 21,CoN 21,INT
21,WiS l7,CHA 23 (3 in spiderform)
Spells P: 12/12/11/10/9/9/9, W: 7/7/7/7/7/7/7/7/7
Saves PPDM 2, RSW 3, PP 4, BW 4, Sp 4

Special Att/Def: Statistics for Lolth's spider and combined spider/drow
form are nearly identical. Changing from drow form to either spider or
spider/drow form (or the reverse) takes an entire round, during which
Lolth can take no other action, is AC 0, and cannot use any spell-like
powers.  Changing from spider form to spider/drow form (or the reverse)
is instantaneous.

When summoned to the Realms, Lolth likes to roam the Underdark, basking
in the terrified worship of drow. She customarily takes any magical
items they offer to her (or that strike her fancy). When encountered,
she typically has ld4 such items, of the DM's choice. She can employ
these in any form, regardless of class limitations. When she employs a
weapon or weapons in combat (she can fight two-handed when she desires
at no penalty), they are drow weapons of +3 enchantment of variable
type.  Lolth can cast her priest and wizard spells only in drow form
and can then cast two spells in any round in which she forgos her
physical attack, rather than the normal one spell/one physical attack
sequence combat capabilities of avatars. In addition, Lolth can (in any
form) use any one of the following spell-like powers in a round at
will: charm arachnid (a spiders-only charm monster with no saving
throw; intelligent beings who have magically assumed spider form
receive saving throws vs. spell at a -5 penalty), comprehend languages,
confusion (creature looked at only-the victim need not meet Lolth's
gaze to be affected but gets a saving throw vs.  paralyzation to avoid
the effects), darkness 15' radius, dispel magic, dimension door, ESP
(drow only, one target per round), summon spiders (01-20%: ld8+8 large
spiders; 21-50%: ld6+6 huge spiders; 51-90%: 2d4 giant spiders; 91-00%:
ld4 phase spiders), tongues, and true seeing. Lolth can use the
following spell-like powers once per day: change self, clairvoyance,
domination, mind blank, and Evard's black tentacles. The Spider Queen
can also cast phase door and read magic twice per day and heal three
times per day as spell-like abilities.

When in drow form, Lolth's direct physical embrace, if she wishes, can
act as a charm person (with a -4 penalty to saving throws vs. spell) on
a human or demihuman of either sex. She customarily leaves a poisonous
spider to aid, guard, and keep watch on someone who serves her, and
gives them any one magical item that she possesses or can seize.

In spider or spider/drow form, Lolth can cast up to 30-foot-long web
strands from her abdominal spinnerets. These webs are equal in effect
to a web spell and are covered with a flesh-corrosive secretion that
inflicts 1d4 points of damage per round of contact unless a successful
a saving throw vs. poison is rolled. Lolth can swivel her spinnerets to
fire in all directions (except through her own body) and can cast 2
strands per round as well as biting or using a spell-like power.
Lolth's bite does 4d4 points of damage; the victim must succeed at a
saving throw vs. poison at -4 or die in 1d2 rounds of in twitching
agony.

Lolth can only be struck by +2 or better magical weapons. She is immune
to all poisons. Cold and electrical attacks do only half damage, bur
Lolth suffers extra damage from holy water. (Each vial does 3d6+3
points of damage from a direct hit and 6 points of damage from a
splash.) She has 120-foot infravision and 90-foot-range telepathy. She
is not harmed or discomfited by light.

Other Manifestations

Lolth rarely aids her worshipers directly, preferring to watch and
enjoy their sufferings and struggles. If she wants someone to know that
she is watching, Lolth causes a smirking pair of sensuous lips to
appear on any spider present. The spider is always outlined in a
flickering purple faerie fire. If no spider is present, Lolth creates a
smiling, spider-shaped shadow of giant size.

More rarely, Lolth acts directly. In such cases, her power may be seen
as a flickering black, mauve-edged radiance around a person or object
temporarily imbued with her power. The Spider Queen's power typically
gives one or both of the following aids to affected things: double
damage (triple
to giant-type creatures) or immunity to breakage or other damage
(automatic success on all item saving throws). It also gives any or all
of the following aids to affected beings for 1 turn: the ability to
strike first in any combat round, a +4 bonus to Armor Class, and a
three-level improvement in fighting ability. (For this lasts, phantom
hit points are gained and all damage inflicted is subtracted from these
points first; when the phantom points disappear at the end of the turn,
only any excess damage is actually suffered by the character.)

Lolth's laughter-soft, cruel feminine chuckling-is often heard by drow
who have lost her favor or who have gone mad. It is also heard by foes
of the drow, especially when beings of these sorts are alone and/or
fleeing in the endless caverns and passages of the Underdark. Beings of
less than 2 Hit Dice flee uncontrollably, as if affected by a fear
spell, until they die, are knocked unconscious, or can hear her
laughter no more.

The Church

CLERGY:            Clerics, crusaders, specialty priests
CLERGY'S ALIGN.:   CN, LE, NE, CE
TURN UNDEAD:       C: No, Cru: No, SP: No
CMND. UNDEAD:      C: No, Cru: No, SP: Yes

Lolth typically acts through the appearance of yochlol, the handmaidens
of Lolth, or myrlochar, the soul spiders. She also acts through the
appearance or presence of abyss ants, aranea, bebiliths, brambles
(petty faeries), cildabrin, darkweavers, deep dragons, driders, fallen
and corrupted eladrin, ettercaps, greelox, kalin, living webs,
pedipalpi (large, huge, and giant varieties), quasits, retrievers,
shadowdrakes, solifugids (large, huge, and giant varieties), spiders
(brain, hairy, large, hook, huge, gargantuan, giant, phase, sword,
vortex, watch and wraith varieties), spiderstone golems, tanar'n, red
widows, wall walkers, webbirds, and werespiders. Lolth has never been
known to employ steeders as minions, and their use as steeds by the
duergar hints at an ancient pact between Lolth and Laduguer. The Spider
Queen shows her favor through the discovery of arachnids encased in
amber, black sapphires, datchas, and webstone, and her displeasure by
causing items of value (usually gems) to shatter into eight pieces of
roughly equal size.

All clerics (including fighter/clerics), crusaders, and specialty
priests of Lolth receive religion (drow), religion (elven),
reading/writing (drowic), and ancient languages (high drow) as bonus
nonweapon proficiencies.

Members of Lolth's clergy always gain access to the spells faerie fire
and continual faerie fire (detailed in Prayers from the Faithful).
Members of Lolth's clergy must be drow or chitines, although little is
known about the latter, even among the dark elves themselves.

The Spider Queen is the subject of terrifying legend among most surface
dwellers and seen as virtually synonymous with the greatly feared drow.
In the Underdark, she is a well-known evil, hated for the cruel power
of her priests by dwarves, svirfneblin, and other races. Few elves are
even willing to discuss their deep-dwelling kin, let alone the dark
goddess who is blamed in large part for their depravity and for leading
them into evil. Only the dark elven priests of Eilistraee are even
willing to discuss the Spider Queen, and their fury at her enslavement
of their kin exceeds even that of the other elven subraces. Lolth is
hated and feared even by her most devout priests; they venerate her for
the power she provides, not out of any sense of affection or loyalty or
principles. Dark elves who venerate other evil gods as well all male
drow who pay her homage revile both the Spider Queen and her priests
for the power they possess, not that they would not seize such power
for themselves if they could.

Noble Houses have their own private temples, and every drow city has at
least one large, open public gathering-area for large rituals, calls to
war, and the like. Most cities also have a grand temple to the Spider
Queen, used for training priests. In every temple, despite large
differences in size, opulence, and importance, certain constants apply.
Inner chambers are reserved for the worship and business of Lolth,
including most spellcasting.  These chambers are always shrouded in
darkness, except for the radiances involved in spellcasting and
rituals. Antechambers are set aside for warcouncils, and most business
wherein priests meet with drow males and outsiders. Most temples have
guardian creatures, often hidden, and occasionally magical in nature
(such as jade spiders). These usually include spiders of all sorts. In
the event of an attack, even the harmless sorts of spiders can be
equipped with armor-sheaths, strapped to their backs, that bear House
defense runes-or even, in the case of intelligent, charmed spi-ders,
house insignia with active magic powers may be wielded.  Statuettes of
the Spider Queen, usually worked of black stone, are present in all
temple chambers. Marble and obsidian are favored materials for statuary
and temple furniture. There are always large, ornately carved (with
spider shapes) braziers, and at least one altar of black stone.  Titles
used by Lolthite priests vary widely from city to city but are strictly
enforced within their respective domains. As an example, in
Guallidurth, deep beneath Calimshan, Lolth's clergy are known
collectively as Yom'y-athrins. In ascending order, the hierarchy of
titles for the Temple City of Lolth include Noamutha, Khalessa, Kyorla,
Alura, Quartha, Talintha, Elamshina, and Xundusa. High-ranking priests
of the Spider Queen are collectively known as yathtallars. If they rule
a noble house they are known as Ilharess (Matron Mother), but otherwise
they are titled Streea'Valsharess (Black Widow). Specialty priests are
known as arachnes. The clergy of Lolth includes dark elves (94%) and
chitines (6%). Of the dark elves, 96% are female; there are male
priests of Lolth (4%), but the Spider Queen very rarely allows them to
rise above 7th level of experience. Lolth's clergy includes spe-cialty
priests (40%), clerics (30%), fighter/clerics (20%), and crusaders
(10%), although the relative fractions of each vary from city to city.

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 nondrow 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.

Day'to-Day Activities: 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.

Holy Days/Important Ceremonies: 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 nondrow.  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.

Major Centers of Worship: Deep beneath the deserts of Calimshan and the
southern tunnels of Deep Shanatar is Guallidurth, the Temple City of
Lolth. The Matron Mothers of twenty-one noble Houses sit on the ruling
Council of this ancient city, each representing one (or more, in some
cases) sect, cult, or faction of the Spider Queen's faithful. One
measure of a sect's relative influence is the magnificence of the house
of worship it can afford to construct. As a result, Guallidurth
contains hundreds, if not thousands, of temples dedicated to Lolth
ranging in size from simple shrines to modest chapels to grand
cathedrals. Many of the city's temples are ruined-their congregations
long since murdered in the endless religious strife that rages across
the city-or abandoned-their congregations able to afford more
ostentatious (and defensible) houses of worship. Only the unforgivable
heresy of dark elves worshiping other gods-such as the cities of
Vhaeraun worshipers in Sarenestar (the Forest of Mir)-unites the
Lolthite clergies of Guallidurth in common cause and even such
endeavors are usually doomed to failure by the infighting among members
of the various sects.  Affiliated Orders: The Militant Myrlochar, also
known as the Order of Soul Spiders, is an elite military order composed
solely of male crusaders and found in the few dark elven cities where
Lolth is revered and males are permitted to enter her priesthood. The
Militant Myrlochar directly serve the ruling Matron Mothers of the city
in which they are based as agents of uncontrolled destruction,
tirelessly hunting any creature designated as their quarry or who
interferes with their pursuit and wreaking havoc until recalled (which
rarely happens) or destroyed (their most common fate).  The Handmaidens
of the Spider Queen is an order of female crusaders with no permanent
ties to any individual city. Also known as the Daughters of the
Yochlol, the Handmaidens serve as instruments of Lolth's will in times
when the Spider Queen needs to bring an entire city into line. At least
three times in recorded history the Handmaidens of the Spider Queen
have assaulted and destroyed an entire dark elven city that threatened
to drift from Lolth's web of chaos. When not assembled into an army of
chaos and vengeance, the Handmaidens work in small companies scattered
throughout the Underdark, harassing merchant trains that look to
Vhaeraun for protection and conducting hit-and-run raids on cities
ruled by clergy of the Masked Lord or That Which Lurks.

Drow in the Realms have embraced offshoots of the major faiths, usually
following a charismatic mortal leader who claims to be something more.
The only such cult known to be still active, albeit in a debased form,
is the She-Spider Cult, a Thayan-based sect that tried to link worship
of Shar with devotion to Lolth. Opposed in the end by both goddesses,
the Cult enjoyed initial success as a secret society operating slaving
and drugrunning operations in Mulhorand, Unther, and southern Thay.
They eventually degenerated into a criminal gang without divine
support. The Cult still stages fake rituals to thrill worshipers and to
slay foes under the guise of sacrifices.

Priestly Vestments: 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 enamel of a black widow spider or a platinum spider figurine
on a platinum or mithral chain necklace.

Adventuring Garb: Lolth's clergy favor drow chain mail with magical
bonuses ranging from +1 to +5. Typically such armor is enchanted to
have a +1 defensive bonus for every four levels of the priest. Some
priests also carry adamantite bucklers with similar properties to that
of drow chain mail and with magical bonuses ranging from +1 to +3.
Clerics of the Spider Queen typically wield adamantite maces-again with
similar properties to that of drow chain mail-with magical bonuses
ranging from +1 to +5. In addition to maces, crusaders and arachnes
sometimes wield adamantite short swords and long daggers, with magical
bonuses ranging from +1 to +3 (+4 if they are of noble blood). Priests
who are not clerics may also employ hand-held crossbows that shoot
darts up to 60 yards and inflict ld3 points of damage, in addition to
being coated with drow sleep poison that renders a victim unconscious
for 2d4 hours if she or he fails a saving throw vs. poison with a -4
penalty. Likewise, crusaders and arachnes sometimes employ small
javelins coated with the same poison as the darts, with a range of 90
yards and attack bonuses of +3 (short range), +2 (medium range), or +1
(long range). Most senior priests of Lolth carry snake-headed whips of
fangs, and delight in using them often.

Drow Chain Mail

XP Value: Varies   GP Value: 2,000 gp; 1,000 more for +4 and +5

Drow chain mail is a finely crafted, satiny black metal mesh that does
not encumber its wearer in the least. It is similar but not identical
to magical elven chain mail. It is typically fashioned into tunics, as
dark elves share their forest-bound cousins' preference for armor that
adequately protects without being overly weighty or restrictive.

Like elven chain mail, drow chain mail has a base Armor Class rating of
5. However, drow chain mail is crafted from an adamantite alloy that
absorbs the radiation of the drow homelands, giving it properties
similar to a magical bonus ranging from +1 to +5 but undetectable to
detect magic or similar spells. If drow chain mail is ever exposed to
direct sunlight for more than 2 rounds (or any exposure totaling 5
rounds in a five-day period, even if composed of brief instants), decay
sets in. Within 2d6 days, the chain mail loses is pseudomagical
properties and crumbles into worthless powder. If carefully protected
from full sunlight, it still loses its pseudomagical properties ld20+30
days after it is removed from areas of radiation (in other words, the
Underdark) if it is not reexposed to the radiation for two days per day
spent above ground (in other words, twice as long as it was removed
from the drow lands). Drow chain mail is still useful as chain mail if
no longer pseudomagical, so long as it is never exposed to sunlight;
however, it cannot be reforged into another item to reuse its
adamantite alloy. The drow radiations that permeate it transform its
structures in such a way that
sufficient exposure to heat to reforge chain mail causes it to
instantly break down as if it had been exposed to sunlight.

The resale value for drow chain mail is doubled if it is known to have
never been removed from the reach of Underdark radiation.

Whip of Fangs

XP Value: 1,000          GP Value: 1,000+500 per living head

These whips (often carried at the belt) have adamantite handles, but
their mulitple tendrils are living snake heads, ld4+1 in number. Evil
priests are the only beings able to employ these horrific weapons. In
drow communities, only priestesses are allowed to possess and use them.
The whips, once enchanted, are attuned to a specific individual and may
only be used by another being after another attunement ritual has been
performed, since they attack anyone who touches them except their
attuned wielder. The ritual of attunement re-quires the consent of
Lolth, and priestesses consider such whips personal gifts from her,
believing that they cease to function or even turn on their wielder if
they are used in an act against the will of the Spider Queen. Forbidden
acts usually include using a whip against a matron mother or other
ruling priestess.

Living serpents are required in the making of these weapons. The
weapons they become part of are enchanted extensions of the will of
their wield-ers, hissing, coiling, writhing, and reaching in response
to her thoughts. The whip of an angry priestess can knot about her belt
and menace the beings she is angry with without her ever touching it.
The whip's tendrils are from 1 to 3 feet in length. Each is AC 8, has 2
HD, and attacks (THACO 14) 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.

Angry drow priestesses typically use these whips indiscriminately on
slaves, servants, pupils, male relatives, and casual acquaintances.
Injured heads regenerate 2 hit points per day. Slain heads cannot be
healed, nor do they regenerate.

Specialty Priests (Arachne)

REQUIREMENTS:       Wisdom 13
PRIME REQ.:         Wisdom
ALIGNMENT:          CE
WEAPONS:            Any
ARMOR:              Any
MAJOR SPHERES:      All, astral, animal, chaos, combat, elemental,
                    guardian, healing, necromantic, protection,
                    summoning, sun (reversed only)
MINOR SPHERES:      Charm, creation, divination, time, wards
MAGICAL ITEMS:      As clerics
REQ. PROFS:         Etiquette, weaving
BONUS PROFS:        Animal training (spiders), spellcraft

* Arachnes must be drow or chitines. In some dark elven cities of the
  Underdark, the clergy of Lolth is exclusively female, but in other
  cities a few drow males are tolerated in the lower ranks of the
  priesthood. (None rise above 7th level.) No males are admitted into
  the ranks of Lolth s clergy among the chitines.

* Arachnes are not allowed to multiclass.

* Arachnes are immune to all spider venoms. * Arachnes can
  communicate with spiders of all kinds, and spiders never harm them in
  any way (except if desired by Lolth).

* At 2nd level, arachnes can cast spider climb (as the 1st-level wizard
  spell) or spidereyes (as the Ist-level wizard spell found in Wizard's
  Spell Compendium, Volume 3 or the Ist-level priest spell in The Drow
  of the Underdark) once per day. If spider climb is cast, it does not
  prevent spell-casting so long as two limbs grip the surface being
  climbed, and light objects do not stick to the priest's hands and
  feet.  Spidereyes allows the caster to see through the eyes of a
  single normal or giant arachnid within 60 yards, but it does not
  grant any control over the arachnid's movements or direction of gaze.

* At 5th level, arachnes can cast dispel magic (as the 3rd-level priest
  spell) or web (as the 2nd-level wizard spell) twice per day.

* At 7th level, arachnes can cast summon shadow (as the 5th-level
  wizard spell) or spider summoning (as the 5th-level priest spell)
  twice per day.

* At 10th level, arachnes can cast true seeing (as the 5th-level priest
  spell, but with twice the normal duration) or spiderform (as the
  5th-level priest spell) twice per day.

* At 13th level, female arachnes can cast domination (as the 5th-level
  wizard spell) once per day. Male drow must roll saving throws to
  avoid the effects with a -4 penalty. Elves and half-elves of all
  races do not get their normal racial magic resistance to avoid the
  effects.

Lolthite Spells

Many spells developed by the clergy of Lolth long ago have been
requested in parallel form from other drow powers or other nondrow
powers and have passed out of exclusive Lolthite usage. Of them, only
darkfire is detailed here. Note that any spell once specified as either
a drow priest spell or Lolth priest spell that has passed into general
usage is still available as a religion-specific Lolth priest spell;
priests of Lolth can still receive the spell no matter what its sphere.

1st Level

Cloak of Dark Power (Pr 1; Evocation, Alteration)

Sphere:             Necromantic
Range:              0
Components:         v,s
Duration:           3 rounds+1 round/level
Casting Time:       4
Area of Effect:     The caster
Saving Throw:       None

This spell creates a dark aura of coursing, swirling power around the
caster. The caster's body and anything she or he wears or carries is
protected by this aura from the effects of full sunlight, even under
the open, daytime sky of the surface world. Arms and armor imbued with
the radiations of the Underdark that are worn or carried by the caster
do not begin to lose their power, and the drow caster suffers no bright
light combat penalties while under the effects of a cloak of dark
power. A continual light spell cast directly agianst a cloak of dark
power negates both spells.

A priest shrouded in a cloak of dark power functions as if she or he
possessed one additional level of experience in all dealings with
undead.  Arachnids (and others using arachnid forms) attack a
cloak-wearer at a -3 penalty.

2nd Level

Darkfire  (Pr 2; Alteration)

Sphere:         Elemental Fire
Range:          Touch
Components:     V,S,M
Duration:       2 rounds/level
Casting time:   5
Area of Effect: One fire source
Saving Throw:   Special

This magic was developed for use in rituals of worship to Lolth, but
has since been adapted into an offensive battle spell. The spell
transforms a normal fire or ignites unlit fuel into darkfire.

Darkfire gives off no light at all, although creatures with infravision
see darkfire as brighter signature than regular flame. All of its
combustion is bent to producing heat and magical energy, which it does
very well:  Contact with a brazier, lantern, or lamp of darkfire
typically inflicts 2d4 points of damage, plus flammable items or
garments worn or carried by the target must succeed at item saving
throws vs. magical fire.

In battle, darkfire is usually caused to emanate from one of the
caster's hands. It does not harm the caster at all, except to burn away
clothing it touches. A blow from a flaming hand inflicts ld8 points of
fire damage.

Darkfire from a flaming arm can be willed into handfuls and thrown.
One ball per round can be so thrown, and such a ball attacks as if the
caster were striking directly and has a 10-foot range. Thrown darkfire
does ld3 points of damage plus 1 point per level of the caster upon
striking, to a maximum of 10th level. In the event of a miss, its flame
affects wherever it lands. When it misses, it rages where it lands for
ld2 rounds before burning itself out.

3rd Level

Conceal Item (Pr 3; Illusion/Phantasm)

Sphere:            Protection
Range:             Touch
Components:        V,S,M
Duration:          1 turn+1 round/lev.
Casting Time;      1
Area of Effect:    One item
Saving Throw:      None

This magic enables the caster to render utterly undetectable, except to
himself or herself, any single nonliving item smaller than his or her
total body mass as long as she or he is carrying or touching it. The
spell conceals even magical or alignment auras and shows true seeing a
blank, wavering area of white fog where the item is.

This spell is usually used to conceal a carried magical item or weapon;
priests of Vhaeraun typically use it to hide holy symbols. (When cast
on any holy symbol, spell duration is tripled.) Developed by a priest
of Lolth, this spell has been requested of Vhaeraun by most of his
priests and granted to them also.

Its material component is a small handful (about 2 ounces) of the dust
of any powdered gemstone. (Cheap stones, such as quartz, are fine.)

5th Level

Undead Focus (Pr 5; Necromancy)

Sphere:            Necromantic
Range:             Touch
Components:        V,S,M
Duration:          Special
Casting Time:      5
Area of Effect:    One undead creature
Saving Throw;      None

Undead focus allows one undead creature to become a spell focus for the
caster. The undead creature can be controlled by the command undead
priest ability or by spells without hampering this spell, but the spell
does not grant automatic control of the undead creature. The caster can
funnel any chosen currently carried spell through the undead being.
Such spells are emitted from the undead creature, but the priest
performs all casting activity, including component use. The amount of
space between the caster and the undead creature does not matter, but
priest and undead creature must remain on the same plane. Unless the
caster keeps the undead being and its surroundings in sight, other
spells are used to see it and its surroundings, or it is in an
extremely well-known location, spells must be hurled blindly from the
creature.

Spells to be cast through the undead can be chosen as needed. A priest
can cast multiple spells, one per round, through the undead creature
until it is destroyed or a maximum of one spell per level of the priest
has been cast, exhausting the undead focus pell. The spell also expires
after 10 turns per level of the caster have expired.

With this spell, a hidden priest can avoid direct combat, employing an
undead being as a spellcasting righting focus. It can be cast on undead
creatures affected by revenance and/or undead battlemight, and the
spells function simultaneously. A dispel magic cast on such an
augmented undead creature ends only one of these spells (choose which
randomly).

The material component is a drop of the caster's blood.

Spiderform (Pr 5; Alteration, Necromancy)

Sphere:            Animal, Necromantic
Range:             Touch
Components:        V, S, M
Duration:          4 rounds+1 round/level
Casting Time:      2 per target to a maximum of 1 round
Area of Effect:    One small living animal or arachnid/level one drow
Saving Throw:      None

This spell enables a priest to turn one or more small living animals or
arachnids into giant spiders. (See the Spider entry in the MONSTROUS
MANUAL tome; these spiders are the giant spiders that are similar in
shape and abilities to large spiders.) Unlike normal giant spiders, the
bite of the spiders created by this spell is not a fatal poison;
instead, failure of the poison saving throw results in the victim being
stunned (no attacks or deliberate activities) for 1 round and slowed
(as the slow wizard spell) for the rest of the spell duration.

Even if a transformed creature is an arachnid that is normally
poisonous, the spell transforms it into a giant spider as described
above. The giant spiders created are unable to spin webs but can
readily navigate in existing webs, even the sticky strands of web or
spellweb spells.  If spellcasting is interrupted for any reason or the
arachnids to be transformed already bear a magical dweomer (for
example, they are other creatures polymorphed into spiders), the spell
is ruined, and the would-be caster is stunned (unable to think or act
coherently) for 1 round.

If this spell is used on any drow and overcomes his or her magic
resistance, the drow is temporarily transformed into a drider under the
caster's control. (See the Elf, Drow entry in the MONSTROUS MANUAL tome
for a description of driders. Note that transformed drow retain their
own spells, hit points, intellect, and many class abilities.)

This control is like a charm spell and lasts for 1 round per level of
the caster. It is broken instantly if the drider is commanded to do
anything contrary to its nature, the known wishes ofLolth, or its
superiors, or that would be anything clearly fatal to itself.
Transformation to and from drider form takes 1 round, during which time
the drider can take no action, and occurs at the spell's expiration or
upon the verbal command of the caster.  The affected drow usually
(unless Lolth desires otherwise) remembers nothing of its time and
actions as a drider.

The material component of this spell is a spider of any type small
enough to be held in the caster's hand.

Spider Summoning (Pr 5; Conjuration/Summoning)

Sphere:            Animal
Range:             0
Components:        V,S,M
Duration:          1 round+1 round/level
Casting Time:      8
Area of Effect:    1d4 spiders
Saving Throw:      None

This spell calls ld4 large spiders (detailed in the MONSTROUS MANUAL
tome) per level of the caster to serve the priest. Only true arachnids
are summoned by this spell, not similar insect creatures or beings
using magic to take arachnid form (such as Lolth or a wizard using
spider shape). They appear within 100 feet of the caster on the round
of the spell's casting and obey the caster's command on the round
thereafter. They have their natural maximum hit points and poison
reserves and fight to the death for the caster with utter loyalty,
following the caster's silent mental urgings as to targets, direction
to move, and tasks to do. The caster can cast other spells without
ending this spell's control. When the spell expires, any surviving
spiders disappear, returning whence they came.

The spell's material component is a dried arachnid corpse.

6th Level

Meld of Lolth (Pr 6; Enchantment/Charm)

Sphere:                Charm
Range:                 Touch
Components:            V,S
Duration:              1 hour/level
Casting Time:          1 turn
Area of Effect:        One being
Saving Throw:          Special

Often used by a priest to link herself to a powerful drow male before a
battle (to control him when necessary), this spell enables the caster
to join mind with another creature. The meld allows the caster to see
through the other being's eyes, read its thoughts, and communicate
telepathically with the linked being.

The caster can act, speak, and cast spells normally without ending the
link and is able (whenever not casting another spell or using any
psionic abilities) to dominate the linked being completely, controlling
its body regardless of distance. The spell is broken if caster and
linked being end up on different planes. The caster can use the linked
being as the focus (source 
of emission) of a currently memorized spell, casting it through the
linked being, but this ends the meld instantly.

If the linked being's Intelligence is less than the caster's, it is
allowed a saving throw vs. spell once per turn to break the meld. If
the linked being is as intelligent as the caster or more so and is or
becomes unwilling to be in the meld (for instance, when ordered into
danger), it gets a saving throw vs.  spell once every other round to
escape the meld.

Whenever the linked being suffers damage, the caster must succeed at a
saving throw vs. death. If the saving throw fails, the pain-wracked
caster suffers 1d6 points of damage. If the linked being dies, the
caster must succeed at a system shock roll or die instantly. The caster
can willingly end a meld 1 round after deciding to do so.

Spider Bite (Pr 6; Evocation)

Sphere:         Combat
Range:          0
Components:     V,S
Duration:       Special
Casting Time:   9
Area of Effect: The caster
Saving Throw:   None

Poison Effects if Save
Failed/Succeeded
20 points/1d3 points
25 points/2d4 points
30 points/2d6 points
30 points/2d6 points
Death/20 points

Also known as venom bite, this spell confers the poisonous biting
ability of a spider to the caster. A successful attack roll is required
to administer the poison, and the caster can only bite exposed or
clothed flesh; armor cannot be bitten through. The number of times the
bite has venom effects, and the power of those effects, depends on the
caster's level:

Rounds Level  Uses to       Onset
11-13         1 bite only   2d6
14-16         1 bite only   1d4+1
17-18         1 bite only   1d2
19-20         2 bites       1d2
Over 20       2 bites       Immediate

Spider bite can be saved for hours or days after casting. However, a
bite delivered, whether it successful in poisoning a victim or not, is
considered to expend one use of the magic. Victims receive a saving
throw vs. poison at -3 to avoid the bite effects.

For the entire time this spell is in effect, the caster is immune to poison.
No more than two spider bite spells can be active on the caster at one time.

7th Level

Cloak of Gaer (Pr 7; Necromancy)

Sphere:           Healing
Range:            Touch
Components:       V,S,M
Duration:         Special
Casting Time:     1 round
Area of Effect:   Creature touched
Saving Throw:     None

This powerful spell surrounds the protected creature with a faint
magical aura. It takes effect (days or perhaps years later) when the
being it is cast on is forced to make a system shock survival roll or
when the being reaches 6 hit points or less. It can also be cast on a
just-injured being.  In the round that the protected creature must make
a system shock survival roll or is reduced to 6 hit points or less, the
cloak of Gaer is triggered and the following occur:

* The system shock roll succeeds automatically, regardless of the
  creature's Constitution.

* The protected creature regenerates severed or missing limbs or body
  extremities.

* The cloak purges the protected creatures of all poisons, diseases,
  insanity, charm effects and outside mental influences, curses and
  geas effects, possession or symbiotic/parasitic life (even if
  friendly and desired), and feeblemindedness. It also cancels the
  effects of any forget spells previously cast on the protected being.

* The cloak restores the being to full wakefulness, alertness,
  sobriety, and and a pain-free state.

* The cloak heals the protected being of 4d8 points of damage.

If this spell is cast on a hurt being within 2 rounds after the major
injury that reduced it to 6 hit points or required a system shock
survival roll, it has the above effects and allows a victim who has
failed a system shock survival roll and died a second chance. This roll
is made at a +22% bonus. If it fails, death occurs, but the purge and
regenerate effects still occur to the corpse.

If this spell is applied 3 to 9 rounds after a being has been stricken,
it allows a second system shock survival roll, but without any bonus;
other spell effects occur as noted here. If the spell is applied later,
it only purges and regenerates (even on bodies).

The spell's material components are four drops each of holy water, the
caster's blood, and dew. A dispel magic cannot end this spell while it
waits to be activated. This magic has enabled many dead drow to return
and hunt down foes. Certain drow wizards are rumored to use a similar
spell.

Repulsion (Pr 7; Abjuration)

Sphere:          Guardian
Range:           0
Components:      V, S, M
Duration:        1 round/2 levels
Casting Time:    7
Area of Effect:  Creatures in a 10-foot-wide path that is 10-feet
                 long/level of caster Saving
Throw:           None

When this spell is cast, the priest is able to cause all creatures in
the path of the area of effect to move directly away from his or her
person. Repulsion occurs at the speed of the creature attempting to
move toward the caster.  The repelled creature continues to move away
for a complete round even if this takes it beyond the area of effect.
The caster can designate a new direction each round, bur use of this
power counts as the caster's principal action in the round. The caster
can, of course, choose to do something else instead of using the
repulsion attack.

This spell is not effective against any drow or creatures of chaotic
evil alignment, but other evil creatures are affected. The priest must
be able to confront the creatures to be affected: She or he must see
them and be seen.  As the casting ends, flickering black flames seem to
emanate from the caster, streaming outward to define the pathway of
effect of the spell.

The material components are the priest's holy symbol; a miniature sword
blade, normal dagger, or knife; and a flame, spark, hot coal, or ember.

CLIMATE/TERRAIN: FREQUENCY: ORGANIZATION: ACTIVITY CYCLE: DIET: INTELLIGENCE: TREASURE: ALIGNMENT: NO. APPEARING: ARMOR CLASS: MOVEMENT: HIT DICE: THAC0: NO. OF ATTACKS: DAMAGE/ATTACK: SPECIAL ATTACKS: SPECIAL DEFENSES: MAGIC RESISTANCE: SIZE: MORALE: XP VALUE:	The Abyss Unique Planar Ruler Any Carnivore Godlike (25) Q (X5), R, X (X3) Chaotic Evil 1 -10 (-2) 1, Wb 9 (15) 14, hp 66 7 1 and 1 (1) 4-16 and webs (by weapon type) Poison See Below 70% L (M) Fearless (19) 13000