Followers of the Dark Mother
“I spin thy web of chaos, Mother, I spin it in your name - let not the threads unravel.” — A basic prayer to Lolth.[67]
“
Children? Pawns, more likely, dancing dolls for the Spider Queen, puppets on the imperceptible but impervious strands of her web. All climb the Spider Queen's ladders; all hunt for her pleasure; and all fall to the hunters of her pleasure.
”
— Drizzt Do'Urden[34]
Lolth's follower base was varied. It mainly consisted of drow,[33] but also included aranea, chitine, draegloths and deep dragons.[68] She gained a few elven followers,[33] and tried to gain more worshipers by assuming the aspect of Moander, a deity of rot.[31]
Lolth drove her worshipers into heavy infighting under the pretense of culling the weak, while her actual goals were to hold absolute control over the dark elves, prevent the rise of alternative faiths or ideas, and avoid complacency (even though she found amusement in the strife that plagued her followers' communities).[69] However, in the long run, her influence proved to be an obstacle to the growth and success of her drow followers, preventing them from unifying against common enemies or for a common cause.[53][70]
Any attempt by the drow to emulate Lolth was doomed to fail, for unlike other humanoids, their arachnid deity was without their form or psychology. They were ashamed that they could not fully live up to her demands, and in truth, the Spider Queen was one they could never truly please.[71] Any boon she granted to them was only in service to escalating conflict and causing further strife, and in the end, she cared nothing for them.[41]
Clerics “ Ascension to power in drow society is a simple process of assassination. The Spider Queen is a deity of chaos, and she and her high priestesses, the true rulers of the drow world, do not look with ill favor upon ambitious individuals wielding poisoned daggers. ” — Drizzt Do'Urden[34] Lolth's clerics were almost exclusively female (although there were a few males). They represented the rulers of most Lolthite communities, and strictly followed the Spider Queen's will, forcing the drow into extreme subservience to their deity, and into the constant state of conflict that dominated their lives. Each priestess strove for the favor of the Spider Queen and was ready to do anything in order to gain status in her goddess' eyes.[33][51][72] Her clergy sacrificed the living and treasure for her glory. Their vestments were normally adorned with spider motifs. Her rituals required them to wear darker clothes or none at all.[51][72]
Orders Militant Myrlochar, Order of Soul Spiders The Militant Myrlochar, sometimes known as the Order of Soul Spiders, was an elite fighting organization composed exclusively of male crusaders, and found in the dark elven cities where Lolth was worshiped and males were allowed entrance into her priesthood. They directly served the reigning Matron Mothers of the city and were employed to kill their targets. They were usually used without pause until they got killed.[73]
Handmaidens of the Spider Queen The Handmaidens of the Spider Queen were an order of female crusaders. Also called the "Daughters of the Yochlol", they had no ties to specific cities, and were used when Lolth wanted an entire city to brought back into line. At least three times in recorded history did the Handmaidens of the Spider Queen destroy entire drow cities to prevent them from straying too far from Lolth. One of their usual tasks was to terrorize merchants who took Vhaeraun as their patron, as well as settlements run by the followers of Vhaeraun or Ghaunadaur's (or where those faiths were prominent).[73]
Lolth drove her worshipers into heavy infighting under the pretense of culling the weak, while her actual goals were to hold absolute control over the dark elves, prevent the rise of alternative faiths or ideas, and avoid complacency (even though she found amusement in the strife that plagued her followers' communities).[69] However, in the long run, her influence proved to be an obstacle to the growth and success of her drow followers, preventing them from unifying against common enemies or for a common cause.[53][70]
Any attempt by the drow to emulate Lolth was doomed to fail, for unlike other humanoids, their arachnid deity was without their form or psychology. They were ashamed that they could not fully live up to her demands, and in truth, the Spider Queen was one they could never truly please.[71] Any boon she granted to them was only in service to escalating conflict and causing further strife, and in the end, she cared nothing for them.[41]
Clerics “ Ascension to power in drow society is a simple process of assassination. The Spider Queen is a deity of chaos, and she and her high priestesses, the true rulers of the drow world, do not look with ill favor upon ambitious individuals wielding poisoned daggers. ” — Drizzt Do'Urden[34] Lolth's clerics were almost exclusively female (although there were a few males). They represented the rulers of most Lolthite communities, and strictly followed the Spider Queen's will, forcing the drow into extreme subservience to their deity, and into the constant state of conflict that dominated their lives. Each priestess strove for the favor of the Spider Queen and was ready to do anything in order to gain status in her goddess' eyes.[33][51][72] Her clergy sacrificed the living and treasure for her glory. Their vestments were normally adorned with spider motifs. Her rituals required them to wear darker clothes or none at all.[51][72]
Orders Militant Myrlochar, Order of Soul Spiders The Militant Myrlochar, sometimes known as the Order of Soul Spiders, was an elite fighting organization composed exclusively of male crusaders, and found in the dark elven cities where Lolth was worshiped and males were allowed entrance into her priesthood. They directly served the reigning Matron Mothers of the city and were employed to kill their targets. They were usually used without pause until they got killed.[73]
Handmaidens of the Spider Queen The Handmaidens of the Spider Queen were an order of female crusaders. Also called the "Daughters of the Yochlol", they had no ties to specific cities, and were used when Lolth wanted an entire city to brought back into line. At least three times in recorded history did the Handmaidens of the Spider Queen destroy entire drow cities to prevent them from straying too far from Lolth. One of their usual tasks was to terrorize merchants who took Vhaeraun as their patron, as well as settlements run by the followers of Vhaeraun or Ghaunadaur's (or where those faiths were prominent).[73]
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