Dark Seldarine

War of the Seldarine

Araushnee, with the help of her son Vhaeraun, gathered a host of evil deities opposed to the Seldarine, and convinced them to attack Arvandor, in an attempt to overthrow Corellon. She had planned for the assault to ultimately fail, as her actual goal was for his consort to be killed during the battle and to replace him as Coronal(the title for the person who rules over an Elven realm) of Arvandor. She tricked Eilistraee into dangerously injuring her own father, but the conspiracy was ultimately thwarted by Sehanine Moonbow and Corellon’s life was saved. After her betrayal, Araushnee was banished by Corellon, while Vhaeraun was simply exiled. Even though she was cleared from all guilt, Eilistraee chose to share her mother’s and brother’s punishment, because she knew that the drow would need her light in the times to come.

Aftermath

Araushnee took the name of Lolth, and made the 66th layer of the Abyss, the Demonweb Pits, her new home. She had to struggle to gain control over the layer, fighting the power of both Ghaunadaur and of Kiaransalee, but neither of them were able to prevent Lolth from reaching supremacy. Kiaransalee was subdued by Lolth, reduced to an unwilling vassal. Ghaunadaur, on the other hand, became the author of his own defeat, as his failure to seduce and subdue Lolth drove him to kill and steal the intelligence from his worshippers in a fit of rage, leading to a great loss of followers, and therefore of power.

The War of the Spiders

After years of planning, overwhelming feelings of hatred and the desire for revenge, Lolth delved deep into the Abyss and called out a dark entity known as Areop-Enap, the Ancient Spider. Areop-Enap was capable of weaving the world’s tapestry and bringing into existence creatures from other realms. Having freed him from the realm he was trapped in, he fell in love with the Spider Goddess and followed her instructions to weave into existence a powerful race of creatures called the Tsuchigumo, large demonic spiders that devoured the souls of those that they consumed. Along with her beloved Drows, Lolth led her people and the Tsuchigumo against the cities of Eldonor, slaughtering many elves. The Seldarine rose to fight against the powerful Spider Goddess with the help of other pantheons.
After much blood was shed, mainly from the elves and the drow, a hero named Karad Novar led his group to the 66th layer of the Abyss where Lolth lived. While she was on the surface fighting with the other gods, Areop-Enap was gathering energy in the Demonweb Pits, creating more Tsuchigumo while also controlling them all. Karad and his group had been blessed by the gods of the different pantheons and charged in to fight Areop. Just when things had seemed that Karad and his group were going to be defeated, Karad imbued his blade with his faith, causing him to emit a powerful and pure aura that prevented the Tsuchigumo from approaching him. He then managed to reach a stunned Areop-Enap and banish him to another realm, trapped once again.
The moment he left, the Tsuchigumo on the surface lost a large part of their power as their source had been banished and they were easily dealt with. Lolth had no choice but to retreat back to the Demonweb Pits and order her Drow to scatter and flee. But Lolth didn’t lose everything as during the battle, she supposedly killed a weakened King Oberon and Queen Tatiana. But, in actuality, she was able to capture their souls and take them back with her.

Mythology & Lore

The members of the Dark Seldarine include:

• Lolth(formerly Araushnee), goddess of spiders, evil, darkness, chaos, assassins, and drow. (Trickery)

• Ghaunadaur, formerly a drow god, patron of abominations, oozes, slimes, jellies, outcasts, ropers and rebels. (War)

• Eilistraee, goddess of song, beauty, dance, swordwork, hunting, moonlight and good aligned drow. (Light, Nature, Life)

• Kiaransalee, goddess of undead, vengeance. (Arcana, Death)

• Selvetarm, god of drow warriors. (War)

• Vhaeraun, god of thievery, drow males, evil activity on the surface. (Trickery, War)

• Zinzerena, the princess of outcasts, demigoddess of deception and thievery. (Trickery)

Type

Religious, Pantheon