Llothic Reformation Resolution
The Llothic Reformation Resolution is a document created by the Lloth Temple asserting that their dogma had strayed too far from the true will of Lloth and officially modifying several key laws that had been enforced up to this point. This was in response to a popular progressive movement and a general strike that occurred around this time.
Historical Details
History
About 500 years after The Celestial Exclusion, a contingent of drow who were dissatisfied with the strict rules imposed by the Lloth Temple began advocating for giving more political power to the Drow Monarchy.
At this time, the Monarchy had no say in what laws were passed. That was entirely the domain of the Temple. But the Monarchy was in charge of enforcing those rules through their control of the military, which also acted as a police force, and the military was quickly becoming the loudest voice demanding change in the Underdark.
This was because of a few factors that set the military apart from other areas of drow society. First, the military was much more integrated between the sexes, since unlike in the priesthood, men could become soldiers and even rise a bit through the ranks. Though it was far from equal, many more soldiers were able to see men as capable comrades while also witnessing their struggles under the harsh restrictions imposed by the Temple.
In addition, several attempted invasions of the Underdark by other underground races required the Monarchy to greatly increase the ration cards given to soldiers and especially to officers. As a result, military officers were able to rise through high society and develop much larger households than before. There was a huge influx of new money that brought a larger number of drow into spaces previously occupied only by nobility with long and prestigious lineages. The "new nobles" began to question the strange rituals of posh society (many of which were dictated by the Temple) and resented the expectation that they were supposed to defer to the "old nobles" simply because of the latter's bloodline, rather than any actual accomplishments.
The tipping point came at the arrest and execution of Dhasibi ser Zenzin. He was a drow man and a private in the military who had been cited numerous times for various petty violations, including wearing his hair too long, failing to respond to a higher ranking officer when questioned, and missing a mandatory Temple service. So many had accumulated that, when Dhasibi met the eyes of a particularly vindictive priestess without her permission, it triggered a nearly forgotten law that set execution as the punishment for such a high number of "crimes."
The trial became a flashpoint for the conflict between the reformists and the traditionalists. Reformists decried the fact that Dhasibi even had to stand trial for such a ridiculous crime and they asserted that most of his previous crimes were likewise ridiculous. Traditionalists responded that Lloth herself set some of those laws in the Tome of the Spider Queen and the rest were created by the temple that She had set up herself. As none of the priestesses had lost their divine powers, Lloth must agree with their decisions.
Meanwhile, the Temple and the Monarchy were clashing behind the scenes. The Queen was attempting to intervene in order to stop the trial or at least commute the sentence to some form of imprisonment. But the High Priestess resisted this, stating that judgment and punishment were her domain and the Monarchy had no business meddling.
Ultimately, the Temple executed Dhasibi over the protests of the military, Monarchy, and a large chunk of the people. This triggered riots and a strike extending over many civil professions. Though the Temple tried to pressure the Monarchy to to force the strikers back to work, most of the military was striking as well, so the Monarchy couldn't do as they were asked even if they wanted to.
Eventually, the Cardinal Council entered into a week long "meditation" to contact Lloth and receiver her guidance. When they emerged, they had the Reformation Resolution to show for it.
Public Reaction
The Reformation largely addressed the complaints of the drow and quelled the immediate discontent. It also proved that putting social pressure on the Temple could work to bring about change, a lesson that certain more radical factions within the drow have taken to heart and use to this day.
Nevertheless, those same radical factions were not entirely satisfied with the Reformation and saw it as a band-aid solution to deep, systemic problems. In those circles, the rapid return to complacency from the majority of drow has been used as evidence that those systemic problems will not be solved unless the Temple's influence is drastically reduced or eliminated entirely.
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