Lloth, Dark Mother

CURRENTLY UNEDITTED NOTES on myths of Lloth

LLOTH

Arachne, Demon Queen of Spiders

Demon Power Female Chaotic Evil Attributes: Spiders, Darkness, Elven (Drow) Domains: Evil, Destruction, Trickery, War Symbol: Black spider with female Dark Elf head Typical Worshippers: Dark Elves Raiment: Black cloak and short sword Preferred Weapon: Shortsword, whip Holy Days:

Lloth (loth) also known as; The Spider Queen, Demon Queen of the Abyss, Queen of the Demonweb Pits, Weaver of Chaos, the Hunted Mother of Lusts, Dark Mother of all Dark Elves, Lady of Spiders. She is the patron Power of the Dark Elven race. She is most responsible for the nature, customs, laws, and survival of most Dark Elf communities. Lolth maintains her absolute rule over the Dark elves by means of her clerics, who tirelessly seek out and destroy all traces of dissent, disobedience, rival faiths, or sacrilege and ruthlessly enforce the Way of Lolth. She forments unending chaos in Dark Elf factions and sets the Dark elves at war with each other both for her own amusement and to prevent complacency. Lolth is also a major Abyssal Lord and her title of Demon Queen of the Spiders is well deserved as she is one of the more powerful Demon Lords.

Fear is as strong as steel, while love and respect are soft, useless feelings that none can lean on. All Dark elves who do not worship Lolth must be converted or destroyed. All weak and rebellious Dark Elves must be weeded out. All who impugn the faith must perish. Males or slaves of other races who act independently of Lolth's dictates (and those other priests) must be sacrificed to Lolth. Those of the faithful whose loyalty is weak must be eliminated. Children are to be raised as loyal worshipers of Lolth, and each family should produce at least one priest to serve the Spider Queen better than his or her parents. Arachnids of all sorts are to be revered, and anyone who mistreats or kills a spider must die.

Lolth's priests are the rulers, police forces, judges, juries, and executioners of Dark Elf society. They wield power daily, and most do so in a manner in keeping with the cruel and capricious nature of Lolth herself. Priests of Lolth strive to act as Lolth wishes and to manipulate (often by brutal force) their fellow Dark Elf to do so too. The ultimate aim of every priest is to achieve and keep the Favor of Lolth. The spirits of priests who die in her favor are believed to go to the Abyss, where they become yochlol and other servant creatures. Those who die in Lolth's disfavor are thought to pass into torment on another plane somewhere, perhaps to someday return to Taliesin as a snake or spider. (Dark Elf beliefs are confused on such matters, and often change with time and location.) The duties of a good priest, then, are to do whatever is necessary to gain and to keep the Spider Queen's favor. Although treachery and cruelty are often rewarded, Lolth does not look kindly on those who let personal grudges and revenge-taking bring defeat or shame to their House, clan, city, or band. Only female Dark elves may become clerics of Lolth.

Lolth requires homage-submission in prayer, plus offerings-regularly from her priests. Ceremonies involving the sacrifice of surface elves are performed monthly during nights of the full moon as deliberate affronts to Sehanine, Lolth's hated rival. Rituals to Lolth are customarily practiced in female-only company in a sacred room or area. Rituals requiring extraordinary power or a public display may be celebrated in the open and in all sorts of mixed company When Lolth's aid is required, sacrifices must be made. These are traditionally the blood of Dark Elf faithful and/or captured foes, spilled with a spider-shaped knife whose eight descending legs are blades. In other cases, gems or other precious objects may be burned in braziers, as prayers of offering are chanted. In large, important rituals, priests of Lolth customarily use eight braziers to provide additional flame material and in homage to Lolth (the flames represent her eight legs). The most powerful rituals to Lolth defy detailed description and are seldom seen by nonDark Elf. Rituals to Lolth involve the burning of precious oils and incense, live offerings, and riches of all sorts, particularly gems. These are customarily placed in a bowl-shaped depression in a black altar (or burning brazier). These offerings are always consumed in the flames of Lolth at some point in the ritual. If Lolth is particularly displeased, or impostors are present, the black-and-red flames that leap from the braziers to consume the offerings may also arc to consume other valuables present, such as magical items, jewelry, and clothing. Typically, Lolth's flames do little more than humiliate a burned priest, destroying his or her garments and dealing him or her 1d4 points of damage, but an impostor or intruder receives a searing flame attack that does 6d6 points of damage (half if a saving throw vs. spell at a -2 penalty succeeds).