Temple of Eilistraee

History

Drow society was almost entirely centered around the Temple of Lolth and her tenants. As a result assassination, political scheming, paranoia, & slavery was rampant even among the lower castes. The followers of Eilistraee were systematically suppressed by the Matriarchs, seen as a subversive threat to complete control of the populace. Their isolation to the Underdark and dogmatic belief in racial superiority often made relations with other races difficult if not outright hostile. Drow that did escape the Underdark would often be met with open hostility by other races given their people’s reputations.

This began to change around the time of the Great Incursion over a millennia ago. While all the Matriarchs of the major cities were followers of Lolth, her priestesses began to make demands some considered too heinous to implement even by Drow standards. While the northern kingdoms on the surface were ravaged by hordes of Demons, Lolth wanted her followers in the Underdark to follow suit and open their own portals to the Abyss. Matriarchs that showed hesitation to follow the orders of Lolth were soon challenged by political rivals and their own clergy.

The resulting infighting destabilized many of the cities, creating opportunities for the oppressed. The city of Telorzza was the most notable where a slave uprising actually overthrew the Matriarch with the help of followers of Eilistraee. More cities followed suit, especially in the Shallows of the Underdark, throwing Drow society in complete chaos.

For centuries, a massive civil war was being waged underground, the deeper cities still devoted to Lolth attempting to reclaim the Shallows from the rebels. Eventually most of the Shallows were reclaimed as the Eilistraee followers had few allies. Knowing that they would receive no quarter, a massive exodus was organized. Thousands fled from the last stronghold for the surface, arriving in the mountains north of the Verdant Vale.

Centuries after their exodus, the Outcast Drow were approached by envoys from the Kingdom of Gamore. They were offered the right to settle in the kingdom and equality as citizens by King Modozlott. Seizing the opportunity, the Outcast Drow founded the city of Drolehem in the north of their new homeland. Here was built the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Moon, a massive temple dedicated to Eilistraee and establishing her worship as a formally recognized religion.

Clergy and Worshipers

She is primarily worshiped by the Outcast Drow, so her clergy are almost exclusively drawn from their race. They share a desire for all races to live in harmony free from discrimination and pointless war. This is especially true for the Elves, as they seek to rebuild relations with the other Elven races and mend the ancient division of their people.

As a goddess of beauty, dance, freedom, & song, her followers promote creativity and artistry. A special subsect of her clergy are the Moondancers, priestesses trained in ceremonial dances that are performed in the light of the full moon. They are especially popular in Gamore which promotes the religious ceremonies of their citizens as a way to spread unity, understanding, and public morale. They are also the targets of slave traffickers, forcing both the kingdom and the temple to be very proactive in rooting out these criminal groups.

She is also a goddess of hunting, redemption, & swordsmanship, giving her temple a strong following of warrior clerics, paladins, & rangers. Their primary interests are defending their parishioners from evil, whether that be Lolth’s followers or threats to their adopted homeland. They are noteworthy in their devotion to capturing humanoid enemies rather than slaughtering them, born from a hope that foes will have a change of heart and follow a more harmonious path.

Her clergy tend to be matriarchal, a cultural holdover from their time in the Underdark. However, they do not exclude males from their clergy as did the priestesses of Lolth. Male Outcast Drow still tend towards their traditional gender roles, serving as artisans, arcane scholars, & soldiers. There are no vows of celibacy associated with Eilistraee, despite her epitaph as “the Violet Maiden.” This is due to the Outcast Drow’s limited population & the high mortality rate of Drow in the Underdark.

Tenants

Creativity. Creation is an expression of the soul, whether that be through song & dance or craftsmanship. Let your work be glorifying to Eilistraee.

Freedom. Eilistraee has guided you out of the tyranny of Lolth. Seek your own destiny and take a proactive role in deciding your own fate.

Harmony. Lolth divides the Elves through falsehoods & hatred. Always seek unity and cooperation through compassion, mutual respect, & understanding.

Redemption. Lolth would have all Drow enslaved to darkness. Show others the light of Eilistraee so that they may have the opportunity to escape their own chains of evil.

Religious Habit

Clerics traditionally wear black tunics and scapulars secured around the waist with a knotted cincture. They also carry prayer beads traditionally made of beads of moonstone & obsidian. Senior clergy will often have the symbol of Eilistraee embroidered on the front of their scapular, consisting of a vertical sword silhouetted by a full moon. The fabrics used are often woolen or linen, though bishops often adorn themselves with vestments of embroidered silk for special occasions and ceremonies.

Moondancers will wear special ceremonial garb for their dances in the light of the full moon. These are form-fitting garments of dark violet with silvery tassels to allow both freedom of movement and to emulate the common depictions of Eilistraee dancing with nothing but her long silver hair covering her body. Some Moondancers prefer to perform in perfect imitation of their goddess, though this is heavily discouraged for public ceremonies.

Relations with Other Faiths

Corellon & the Seldarine. While Eilistraee left Arvandor with her father’s blessing, many of their followers treat the goddess and her followers with suspicion. Reconciliation between the Elves and the Outcast Drow is very much still in progress, needing to overcome millennia of separation and hostility.

Lolth & the Dark Seldarine. In summary, they are diametrically opposed to each other. The followers of Lolth follow a strict dogma of survival of the fittest, using that tenant to justify assassination, eugenics, genocide, & slavery. Eilistraee and her followers are seen as a blight that weakens the Drow race as a whole. Meanwhile, Eilistraee’s followers often seek to redeem their fellow Drow, which can be problematic when more manipulative Lolthites prey on a naïve Outcast Drow.

• Selvetarm. Despite being a member of the Dark Seldarine, Eilistraee was once on amicable terms with this warrior deity before he was tricked and enslaved by Lolth. Some factions of Outcast Drow believe that if the god were to be freed from Lolth’s influence he could be redeemed. Such a venture would be near impossible except by very powerful heroes, as he his trapped deep in the Demonweb of the Abyss.

Jazirian. The god of coatls & the Enlightened Yuan-Ti, Jazirian’s followers are on amicable terms with those of Eilistraee. Both faiths share a mutual interest in promoting community & harmony.

Kikanuti. The fertility goddess of the Nomadic Goblins, Kikanuti’s followers are on very amicable terms with those of Eilistraee. Both goddesses seek to redeem their races from a corrupting influence, in the goblins case from the warmongering of Maglubiyet.

Luthic. The long animosity between Elves and Orcs is often difficult to overcome. The worship of Luthic as a mother goddess is popular among the Orc population of Gamore. Often Luthic’s followers and Eilistraee’s followers will compete during winter as to who can throw the best festival: Luthic’s Feast of the Moon versus Eilistraee’s First Dance of the Winter Moon. This friendly rivalry generally improves both festivals without giving way to racial conflict.

Mystryl. Lore has that Eilistraee and the goddess of magic are especially good allies. This likely stems from an attempt on Lolth’s part to create her own version of the Weave exclusive to her followers and free from Mystryl’s control. This plot was thwarted by their champions, & now some of Eilistraee’s heroes can gain access to boons capable of enhancing their spellcasting.

The Raven Queen. There is no current lore concerning these two goddesses, though the Raven Queen’s attempt at reconciliation during the War of the Seldarine would suggest that the two might share a common interest. The Temple of the Raven Queen is the state religion of Gamore & relations are amicable between both faiths. Clerics of both temples most often work together when performing funerary rites, the local Raven Queen cleric assisting with hospice, burial, & grief counseling according to the dictates of the presiding Eilistraee cleric.

Other Deities or Entities. Eilistraee is almost universally opposed to the other pantheons associated with the Underdark, including but not limited to those of the Aboleths, the Beholders, the Derro, the Duergar, the Illithids, the Kuo-Toa, & the Troglodytes. She also opposes the dark god Malar, a rival patron of hunting.

Type

Religious, Temple