Vhaeraun

Vhaeraun (vay-rawn) is vain, proud, and sometimes haughty. He bears grudges of legendary length and never forgets slights or deceptions. Any underhanded means and treachery are acceptable to him if they further his aims or are done in his service—but if others so treat him or his people, it is a deep sin that cannot go unpunished. He. actively involves himself in drow affairs and can be easily convinced to send a minion to assist the work of his clerics if the proper rituals are performed and the need is genuine.

The church of Vhaeraun is loosely organized, its adherents bound to largely autonomous cells. Vhaeraun’s clergy is nearly exclusively male and practices passive opposition to Lolth’s clerics, They are also active in the surface world, and some preach a heresy of the unity of elven races and their need to work together for dominion. They specialize in intrigue, trickery; and treachery and foment disobedience and rebellion among males. In drow communities, Vhaeraun’s clerics often disguise their allegiance, for obvious reasons. Contact and marriage with other-elven races is encouraged. Half-drow usually favor their drow parent, and Vhaeraun sees this inexorably raising drow numbers in surface lands. Every cleric works to establish some sort of permanent drow settlement on the surface, and either support that settlement’s needs personally, or (preferably) make it self-supporting. Poison use, manufacture, and experimentation is also common. Especially effective spells, poisons, and tactics devised by a cleric are to be shared with «the Masked Lord and through him all clergy.

Clerics of Vhaeraun pray for thęir spells at dusk, before skulking into the shadows. The most important attacks, negotiations, and other activities of the clergy must occur at night, Clerics of Vhaeraun utter prayers to the Masked / God of Night whenever they accomplish something to further his $ aims, Offerings of the wealth and weapons of those they vanquish (enemies of the drow, or regalia of female drow clerics) are to be melted in black, bowl-shaped altars. Offerings of magic and wealth are made regularly. The more value, the more Vhaeraun is pleased, though he favors daily diligence more than rare, huge hauls. Midwinter Night, known to Vhaeraun’s followers as the Masked Lord’s Embrace, is the most sacred time of the year to the followers of the Masked Lord. This annual holy day is celebrated by the Masked Lord’s followers with daylong introspective rituals of total sensory deprivation. Each worshiper is expected to cloak themselves in a region of magical darkness and sit or stand at the middle of the effect for a full 24 hours while contemplating Vhaeraun’s teachings and dreaming up schemes to advance the Masked Lord’s goals in the coming year. All followers of Vhaeraun who wish to perform this ritual are granted the ability to employ their darkness spell-like ability with the necessary extended duration. In the Night Above, nights of the new moon are considered sacred to his followers. Such occasions are observed with midnight stag hunts that range over miles of shadowy woodlands. Packs of Vhaeraun worshipers, mounted on riding lizards brought up from the Underdark, run down a stag and then sacrifice its rack of antlers and still-beating heart to the Masked Lord in dark rites that pervert the ancient ways of the surface elves. Many clerics multiclass as assassins, divine seekers, shadowdancers, or rogues.

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

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