DROW PANTHEON
=============

The Ssri-Tel'Quessir of Abeir-Toril, the dark elven subrace of the Fair
Folk, have long been divorced from the Seldarine, the traditional elven
pantheon of Arvandor. The drow, as they are now known, venerate a wide
range of dark powers, the most prominent of which are presented
hereafter. The deities of the drow are a pantheon in name only, united
only by the common heritage of their worshipers, longignored familial
ties among four of them, and occasional, short-lived alliances forged
only as a matter of convenience.

By Corellon Larethian's decree, the destiny of the dark elves was
placed long ago in the hands of his consort, Araushnee the Weaver. At
that time she was a minor, but secretly ambitious, elven power and
member of the Seldarine. After a series of betrayals of her fellow
gods, Araushnee was banished to the Abyss by Corellon for plotting
against her lover and for secretly assembling a host of evil
deities-the anti-Seldarine-to assault Arvandor, home of the Seldarine,
in a bid to replace Corellon as Coronal of Arvandor. After her
banishment, Araushnee assumed the name Lolth, Demon Queen of Spiders.
She set about establishing her new realm in the Abyss and driving off
or subjugating rivals like Ghaunadaur, Kiaransalee, and Zanassu.
Araushnee was not the only elven power to be cast out of Arvandor and
the Seldarine, however, for her webs ensnared her two children as well.
When his mother's perfidy was exposed, Vhaeraun, son of Araushnee and
Corellon, was banished to Abeir-Toril for his complicity in the
Weaver's plots to replace Corellon as head of the Seldarine. Vhaeraun's
sister, Eilistraee the Dark Maiden, agreed to exile as well, although
she was only an unwitting participant in her mother's plots.  Lolth
dominates all the other powers and brooks (or at least admits) no
challenge to her ultimate authority. Only Kiaransalee and Selvetarm
acknowledge the Spider Queen as head of the pantheon, an unavoidable
acknowledgment of Lolth's great power. Eilistraee, Vhaeraun, and
Ghaunadaur remain in- dependent of the Spider Queen's control, but none
of them is strong enough to challenge her directly, and their mutual
enmity precludes any possibility of alliance against her. Kiaransalee
only recently fought free of Lolth's shadow, but she has little
influence (and few worshipers) in the Realms. Selvetarm is still firmly
enmeshed in his grandmother's webs, despite the efforts of his
followers to break away from the Spider Queen s cult. Eilistraee and
Vhaeraun are brother and sister, children of Araushnee (Lolth) and
Corellon Larethian. Selvetarm is the offspring of an ill-fated tryst
between Vhaeraun and Zandilar the Dancer (Sharess), a goddess of the
Yuir elves. Ghaunadaur is a primordial evil who joined the other
members of the anti-Seldarine in the assault on Arvandor. Kiaransalee
is a once-mortal dark elf of another world who achieved divinity and
was named drow before the fall of Araushnee.

With the notable exception of Eilistraee, the dark powers of the drow
pantheon are intimately involved in the lives of their followers,
demanding absolute obedience and exclusive veneration in exchange for
great power. Aside from the Dark Maiden, the gods of the drow pantheon
care nothing for the fate of their followers except as it advances
their own personal power. All but one dwell in the Abyss or other dark
realms, embodying the banishment of the drow from the Lands of Light.
Eilistraee seeks to redeem the fallen dark elves and lead them back to
the great forests of the surface world that their ancestors forsook
many millennia ago. However, the Dark Maiden is quite constrained in
her actions by the power of Lolth and the other gods of the pantheon,
and she acknowledges the need for individual drow to find their own
path to redemption that heavy-handed interference on her part would
preclude.

The origin of the drow is firmly enshrined in the minds of all the
elven subraces whose ancestors fought in the great Crown Wars that
split the Fair Folk. While the other elven subraces recall with horror
the depraved actions of the Ilythiiri, as the dominant tribe of dark
elves was known, that led to the Descent, the drow weave their own lies
regarding the perfidy of the Seldarine and the other elven races whom
they hold turned on the Ssri-Tel'Quessir and unjustly banished them to
the Underdark. Only those drow who have answered the redemptive call of
the Dark Maiden recall and preserve the elven myths regarding the
ancestry of the Fair Folk, for such tales are of little interest to
those who seethe in anger at the Creator they now scorn, Corellon.

Drow culture is distinguished by a curious mixture of monotheism and
polytheism uncharacteristic of most human and demihuman cultures of the
Realms. Most drow cities-such as Guallidurth, Menzoberranzan, and Ched
Nasad-are ruled in the name of Lolth by priests of the Spider Queen and
even the mention, let alone the worship, of other gods is forbidden. A
few drow cities-such as Llurth Dreier (Ghaunadaur) and V'elddrinnsshar
(Kiaransalee)-are ruled by the clergy of the other drow powers in
similar fashion, but they too forbid the worship or mention of all
other gods. The few drow cities that exhibit the open worship of two or
more deities-such as beleaguered Eryndlyn, located beneath the High
Moor, or Golothaer, from whence the founders of Menzoberranzan and Ched
Nasad fled-are riven by strife and are usually destroyed by civil war
within a generation of such a split appearing. Nevertheless, most of
the drow gods have a few secretive worshipers in every drow enclave, as
such devotions afford
dissidents the opportunity for additional weapons in their endless
quest for increasing personal station. Aside from the faithful of
Eilistraee, who venerate the Dark Maiden in a fashion resembling the
veneration of the Seldarine by elves of other races, most drow venerate
one (or in some cases two) deities out of fear, respect, and a desire
for additional power of their own, not out of any sense of true piety.

Over 10,000 years ago, the Crown Wars exposed the depths to which most
dark elves had fallen in the service of fell powers such as Vhaeraun,
Ghaunadaur, and Lolth, despite the mitigating efforts of the
good-hearted Eilistraee. As a result, by means never discussed by the
Fair Folk, the dark elves were forever banished to the deep tunnels
beneath Faerun by the Seldarine and the allied elven nations and
thereafter named drow (originally dhaeraow, an elvish term meaning face
of shadow, heart of night, traitor), circa-10,000 DR.

The first drow civilizations arose in the Underdark of southern Faerun
circa -9,600 DR. The first great kingdom of the drow was Telantiwar,
with its capitol in the great cavern of Bhaerynden, the conquered heart
of the first great kingdom of the Stout Folk seized by the drow in
-9,000 DR. The drow fought among themselves, noble against noble,
priest against priest, for rule of their new realm. This all-out war
ended amid great magical explosions that brought down the roof of
Bhaerynden. The ceiling collapsed entirely, burying many drow and the
shattered dwarven cities that they had seized. The cavern, now open to
the sky, became known as the Great Rift, and the chasm and the
surrounding caverns were later resettled by the ancestors of the gold
dwarves to form the Deep Realm. In a great diaspora known as the
Scattering, the surviving drow nobles and priests gathered what people,
slaves, and equipment they could seize and fled into the Underdark in
search of places to dwell. Since that time, countless cities and
smaller settlements have risen and fallen, and the drow are now found
throughout the deep tunnels beneath all of Faerun and even farther
afield.  The web of chaos and cruelty that enmeshes the drow is
embodied in the constant strife between the gods they venerate.
Likewise, the hatred they hold for all other races, particularly the
Fair Folk of the surface world, is played out as well in the
never-ending conflict between the Seldarine and those they banished
long ago. Only a small fraction have returned to the surface lands of
their forefathers, typically by way of the welcoming hand of
Eilistraee.

General Drow Priest Abilities: The general abilities and restrictions
of drow priests, aside from the specific changes noted later in this
section for each drow faith, are summarized in the discussion of drow
priests in "Appendix 1: Demihuman Priests."

Eilistraee
----------

(The Dark Maiden, Lady of the Dance, Lady Silverhair)
Lesser Power of  Ysgard, CG

PORTFOLIO:            Song, beauty, dance, swordwork, hunting,  moonlight
ALIASES:              None
DOMAIN NAME:          Nidavellir/Svartalfheim
SUPERIOR:             None
ALLIES:               Callarduaran Smoothhands, Haela Brightaxe,
                      Lurue, Mystra, the Seldarine, Selune
FOES:                 Deep Duerra, Kiaransalee, Laduguer,
                      Ghaunadaur, Lolth, Malar, Selvetarm,
                      Vhaeraun, Blibdoolpoolp, the Blood Queen,
                      Diinkarazan, Diirinka, Great Mother, Gzemnid,
                      Ilsensine, Ilxendren, Laogzed,
                      Maanzecorian (dead)
SYMBOL:               A silver long sword outlined against a silver
                      moon, with silvery filaments (Eilistraee's hair)
                      around all, in a nimbus
WOR. ALIGN.:          LG,NG,CG

Eilistraee (EEL-iss-TRAY-yee) is the goddess of the good drow-those
rare dark elves who yearn for a re-turn to life on the surface Realms,
existence akin to that enjoyed by elves of the woodlands, left behind
by the drow long ago. She is a goddess of song and beauty, goodness and
light, worshiped through song and dance-preferably in the surface
world, under the stars of a moonlit night. Eilistraee aids her faithful
in hunting and swordcraft, and worship of her is usually accompanied by
a feast. Eilistraee also has worshipers of human, elven, and in
particular, half-elven stock (particularly around Silverymoon), and she
looks kindly upon the Harpers.  She is usually seen only from afar, hut
her song (of unearthly beauty, driving many to tears) is heard whenever
she appears.

The Dark Maiden is the sister of Vhaeraun and the daughter of
Araushnee, who was cast out and became Lolth, and Corellon Larethian.
After Eilistraee nearly slew her father with an arrow during a great
battle between the Seldarine and a host of evil deities bent on
conquering Arvandor, the Dark Maiden forswore the use of ranged weapons
(although she permits them to her followers). Although her arrow went
astray because of Araush-nee's treachery, Eilistraee chose banishment
from Arvandor (and the Seldarine) along with her mother and brother,
foreseeing a time when she would be needed to balance their evil. On
Aheir-Toril, the Dark Maiden strove for centuries against the hatred of
Vhaeraun and his corrupting influence on the Ilythiiri (southern,
darkskinned elves). Eilistraee's power ebbed with the death of many of
her faithful in the Dark Disaster, and the rise of Lolth and Ghaunadaur
among the dark elves marginalized the influence of the Lady of the
Dance for millennia. Only in recent centuries has Eilistraee's faith
regained a small amount of prominence in Faerun, as the Dark Maiden
seeks to lead the fallen drow back to the long-forsaken light.

Eilistraee is a melancholy, moody drow female, a lover of beauty and
peace. The evil of most drow banks a burning anger within her, and when
her faithful are harmed, that anger is apt to spill out into wild
action. It is not her way to act openly, but she often aids creatures
she favors (whether they worship her or not) in small, immediately
practical ways. Eilistraee is happiest when she looks on bards singing
or composing, craftsmen at work, lovers, or acts of kindness.

While the Dark Maiden and the Seldarine remain allies, it is a strained
relationship that reflects the divisions that persist among the elves.
Among the elven powers, Eilistraee is only close with Erevan Ilesere,
and she has only recently worked out an uneasy truce with Shevarash.
Eilistraee is unusually close with the human goddess of magic, Mystra;
Qilue Veladorn, seventh of the Seven Sisters, serves both goddesses as
Chosen of Mystra and as Chosen of Eilistraee. The Dark Maiden hates the
corruption and unredeemable evil that both Lolth and Ghaunadaur
represent, and she mourns her brother's enduring cruelty and
selfishness.

Eilistraee's Avatar (Bard 29, Cleric 24, Ranger 21, Fighter 21)

Eilistraee appears as an unclad, glossy-skinned female drow. She is 9
feet in height with ankle-length, sweeping hair of glowing silver. Her
hair and wandering silvery radiances cloak her body in a smoothly,
continuously moving array of beauty. Eilistraee can call on all spheres
and schools of magic, but favors spells from the spheres of animal,
creation, healing, and plant and the enchantment/charm school.

AC -2; MV 15, Fl 18; HP 165; THACO 0; #AT 7/2
Dmg ld8+12/ld8+12 (singing sword of dancing +3 x2, +7 STR, +2 spec.
bonus in all swords)
MR 50%; SZ L (9 feet high)
STR 19, DEX 20, CON 16, INT 21, Wis 22, CHA 23
Spells P: 12/12/12/12/11/8/3, W: 6/6/5/5/5/5/1
Saves PPDM 2 RSW 4, PP 4, BW 4, Sp 5

Special Att/Def: Eilistraee wields twin singing swords of dancing +3,
each with all of the powers of a bastard sword of dancing (but with a
fixed attack and damage bonus) and of a singing sword (see below). When
she wishes to appear clothed, the Dark Maiden is garbed in a set of
deep brown leather boots with all the powers of  boots of elvenkind,
boots of varied tracks, and boots of the north that allow her to pass
without trace and move in total silence at will. She also wears a
dappled green cloak that shifts its colors to match the
foliage around it, providing concealment similar to that of a cloak of
elvenkind and a ring of cha- meleon power, but always providing 100%
invisibility in natural surroundings. Eilistraee has true seeing
(continuous, but otherwise functions as the priest spell) and can
unleash nine silvery magic missiles per round in addition to her normal
avatar melee combat and spellcast-ing attacks for a round. These
missiles unerringly inflict 2d4 points of damage each to all creatures
except evil beings and undead creatures, who suffer 4d4 damage per
missile.

Once per turn, Eilistraee's avatar can employ spell turning as the
ring, but the effect works against all magic directed against her in
that round.  This replaces her magic missile attack for the round. Once
per turn, the avatar can also regenerate damage to herself, restoring
even lost limbs without a system shock roll and healing ld4+l points of
damage per round.  (This process can continue for 4 continuous rounds
and precludes spellcasting, but not other activities or combat.)

At will, the Dark Maiden's avatar can create moonfire (see the
Eilistraee's moonfire spell below), silvery light, or dancing lights;
cause harp, horn (a far-off horn is her sign), or flute music to sound;
and sing. At will, her song can affect undead and evil creatures of 3
Hit Dice or less as a repulsion spell; can stun any one being (saving
throw vs. spell at -2 to avoid) for 1 round; or can act as a knock
spell (as if cast by an 11th-level wizard). She can also levitate at
will (self only, horizontal move of up to 160 feet per round). She can
only be struck by +1 or better magical weapons.

Other Manifestations

The Dark Maiden seldom takes a direct hand in the affairs of mortals,
but she sometimes appears in the midst of a dance in her honor, leaping
amid the flames of the feast unharmed. She also appears, radiance
dimmed and clad in a plain, cowled cloak, at the campfires of wayfarers
in the woodlands by night to test their kindness.

Most worshipers see Eilistraee only from afar, perched on a hillock or
battlement, silver hair streaming out behind her. She appears to show
her favor or blessing and often rallies or heartens creatures by
causing a high, far-off hunting horn call to be heard. (On several
occasions, this has frightened off brigands or orc raiders, who thought
aid for their quarry was on the way.) When Eilistraee's hunting horn is
heard but no foes are present, her followers interpret it as a sign
that someone nearby needs their aid.

Eilistraee's most used manifestations are a silvery radiance, sometimes
accompanied by a wordless snatch of song or a few echoing harp notes.
If the radiance surrounds an item (almost always a sword or other
bladed weapon), that item typically gains the following two powers for
6 rounds:  full possible damage (maximum roll, plus all bonuses) and
immunity to breakage or other damage (automatic success of all item
saving throws). If the radiance envelops a being, Eilistraee's favor
typically gives any or all of the following three aids for 4 rounds;
the ability to strike first in any round, an increase in Armor Class of
2 points, and a bonus of +4 to all attack rolls, including the ability
to strike creatures normally affected only by magical weapons of a +2
or greater bonus.

Eilistraee sometimes manifests to a worshiper or nonworshiper who
honors her with a solitary dance as a silver radiance that transforms
the recipient's hair into a mane of silver fire for a month or even
permanently.  Eilistraee has also been known to aid her worshipers by
providing a faint silvery radiance when they need to find something
dropped in darkness, or follow an unknown trail by night through dark
woods, or when childbirth occurs in darkness. She sometimes sends a
flutter of silvery swallowtailed moths to show her favor, join in a
dance, or lead her faithful that have become lost or need some
indication of the best direction to take.

In rare circumstances, males who worship Eilistraee-or beings without
any priest powers who work to further Eilistraee's aims and need her
visible blessing and support (or just some light)-will temporarily
manifest moonfire (see Eitistroee's moonfire below). Such
manifestations are at the will of the goddess; the lucky recipient has
no control over the duration, intensity, and location of the radiance.

The Church

CLERGY:           Clerics, crusaders, mystics, specialty priests
CLERGY'S ALIGN.:  LG, NG, CG
TURN UNDEAD:      C: Yes, Cru: No, Mys: No, SP: Yes
CMND. UNDEAD:     C: No, Cru: No, Mys: No, SP: No

Eilistraee is served by aasimar, aasimon (particularly lights), asuras,
cath shee, einheriar, eladrins, mercury dragons, elven cats, fcystags,
frosts, hollyphants, incarnates of faith and hope, lythari, mist
dragons, moon dogs, moon-horses, mortal, pixies, radiance
quasielementals, reverend ones, silver dogs, silver dragons, sprites,
sunflies, a tiefling or two, and silverstriped tabby cats or
normal-looking animals with solid silver-colored eyes.  She
demonstrates her favor through the discovery ofmithral, moonbars,
moonstones, and silver, and the sudden inspiration to write a beautiful
song or poem or the skilled to craft a gorgeous sword. Eilistraee
indicates her displeasure with the sudden rising of a cold breeze, the
disfavored ones hands or feet growing chilled, a sudden lack of
inspiration for or capability in any artistic endeavor, or the
inability to catch anything while hunting.

All clerics (including multiclassed clerics), crusaders, mystics, and
specialty priests (including multiclassed specialty priests) of
Eilistraee receive reli gion (drow), religion (elven), and
reading/writing (drowic) as bonus nonweapon proficiencies. All clergy
of Eilistraee must be female, but they may be of any intelligent race.
Multiclassed priests are permitted if normally allowed by race. (In
other words, if they are not dark elves.) Note that the base and mature
spell-like powers as well as the magic resistance and saving throw
bonus vs. magical attacks of nearly all priests of the Dark Maiden have
either faded due to extended sojourns on the surface or were never even
acquired. A player character dark elven priest of the Dark Maiden never
receives any such powers.

The followers of Eilistraee are figures of legend in both the Underdark
and the Lands of Light. They are the subject of superstitions and
wildly inaccurate mistruths, held by surface dwellers to be the evil
vanguard of the Spider Goddess's plot to plunge all of Faerun into
darkness under her rule and held by those drow who follow the Way of
Lolth (or other evil gods) to be faerie (surface elf) invaders
masquerading as dark elves in preparation for the coming war of
annihilation. Rare is the individual-dark elf or not-who appreciates
that Eilistraee is forging her own path, one that welcomes beings of
all races who revel in life and the free form expression of all that
entails.

The clergy of Eilistraee are collectively known as Dark Ladies,
although individual temples often have a unique collective name for the
Dark Maiden's priests. Acolytes and aspirants to the clergy who wish to
join a temple or who have not yet attained full priesthood are known as
Maids.

The titles of individual priests vary widely-and at some temples are
personally selected during a private Flame Song-but some common
examples include Moon Dancer, Moon Singer, Dark Huntress, Argent Maid,
Living Sword, Unsheathed Blade, Sword Smith, Bright Edge of Darkness,
and Ghost of the Moonstruck Night. Specialty priests of the Dark Maiden
are known as sword dancers and, including multiclassed specialty
priests, make up the vast majority (90%) other clergy. The fraction of
clerics (including multiclassed clerics) in Eilistraee's service (6%)
has always been small and is continuing to shrink. A small fraction
(2%) of Lady Silverhair's clergy, found predominantly in the South,
although that has started to change in the aftermath of the Time of
Troubles, are crusaders, and all are members of the Darksong Knights.
An even smaller fraction (less than 1%) of those who venerate the Lady
of the Dance are mystics. Such priests invariably discover Eilistraee
on their own and come to worship the Dark Maiden outside of any
established church environment.

Temples of the Dark Maiden are typically established in the mouths of
dark caverns and in dim forests on the surface world from which her
priests can venture forth at night to brave the moonlight. It is rare
for clergy of Eilistraee to found a temple below the surface, even one
so close to the world above as the Promenade (see below). Eilistraee's
places of worship are chosen and developed in a manner similar to those
of the surface elves dedicated to the Seldarine. The Dark Maiden's
clergy seek out pristine, natural sites that need little modification.
Temple complexes typically include a glade in which to dance and from
which the view of the moon is unobstructed, a dark place removed from
the light of day, a thick tree canopy, a lively fresh water stream that
playfully dances and sings, a forge and smithy for Grafting swords, an
access tunnel to the Underdark, and a vein of iron or some other metal
suitable for the Crafting of swords.  However, the simplest shrine of
the Dark Maiden requires naught but a moonlit glade and a song (audible
or imagined) that draws one into a dance.

Dogma: Aid the weak, strong, grateful, and churlish alike; be always
kind, save in battle with evil. Encourage happiness everywhere; lift
hearts with kind words, jests, songs, and merriment. Learn how to cook
game and how best to hunt it. Learn new songs, dances, and ways with
weapons, and spices, and recipes, and pass this learning on whenever
possible. Learn how to play, make, and repair musical instruments.
Practice music and sword-work. Defend and aid all folk, promoting
harmony between the races.

Strangers are your friends. The homeless must be given shelter from
storms, under your own roof if need be. Repay rudeness with kindness.
Repay violence with swift violence, that the fewest may be hurt and
danger fast removed from the land.

The faithful must aid drow who are in distress. If the distressed are
fighting with other drow, the combat is to be stopped with as little
bloodshed as possible. So long as the drow met with are not working
evil on others, they are to be aided and given the message of
Eilistraee: "A rightful place awaits you in the Realms Above, in the
Land of the Great Light. Come in peace, and live beneath the sun again,
where trees and flowers grow."

Priests of the goddess are allowed to keep and accumulate money given
them as offerings-with the understanding that this wealth is to be used
to buy food, musical instruments, and other tools (such as good swords)
to serve the will of the goddess. Priests of Eilistraee are allowed to
go adventuring, so long as they feed, aid, and defend the needy along
the way. They are encouraged to aid adventuring parties, with the price
of their aid to be provision of some sort of beneficial magical armor
they can use (or failing that, an enchanted sword of some sort).

Faithful of Eilistraee are encouraged to give food to others in need
with a prayer to the goddess, to act with kindness, and to give food
and money they can spare to their priests. Priests are to feed
themselves by their own gardening and hunting skills as much as
possible and to try to convert at least one stranger per moon to the
worship of Eilistraee. Leading a convert in a prayer to the Dark Maiden
is itself an offering to the goddess, who often (68%) manifests as a
sign to the convert. When priests of the goddess must fight evil, they
are to bum the bodies of the evil creatures they slay as an offering to
the goddess-unless such creatures are edible and nonsentient, and there
are hungry folk near.

Any hungry travelers met with, who offer no threats, are to be fed by
the faithful of Eilistraee. While traveling, priests are to carry food
with them for this purpose at all times. Where food cannot be purchased
or received, it must be gathered or hunted for. Faithful of Eilistraee
are to set aside food and give it as often as possible to strangers in
need, particularly outcasts and those of other races. If food yet
remains, it is to be given to the priests of Eilistraee, that they may
do the same, and none shall go hungry. In times of plenty, store food
for lean times ahead. In harsh winters, patrol the lands about to find
and take in the lost, the hurt, and those caught in the teeth of the
cold. Whenever possible, food should be eaten with the accompaniment of
song. Except for properly sad occasions, a feast should be accompanied
by merriment; the faithful of the Dark Maiden are commanded to promote
happiness and gaiety whenever possible. When faithful and allies of a
priest fall in battle, any priest present must, if possible, provide
burial, a funeral song, and comfort to the bereaved.

Day-to-Day Activities: Whenever and wherever possible, faithful of
Eilistraee encourage drow to return to the surface world and work to
promote harmony between drow and surface-dwelling races in order to
establish the drow as rightful, nonevil inhabitants of Faerun.  They
nurture beauty, music, the craft of making musical instruments, and
song wherever they find it, assist hunters and hunting, and help others
in acts of kindness whenever they see ways to do so. Priests must be
skilled in the playing of at least one of the Dark Maiden's favored
instruments-horn, flute, or harp; be adequate singers; and be fit,
graceful dancers. They gather songs and musical knowledge constantly
and acquire training in the use of the sword when they can.

Holy Days/Important Ceremonies: The customary worship to the Dark
Maiden is a hunt, followed by a feast and dancing, and a Circle of
Song, in which the worshipers sit and dance by turns in a circle, each
one in succession leading a song. If possible, this is done out of
doors, in a wooded area, on a moonlit night. Daily prayers are sung
whenever possible, and priests try to lead others in a song or two
every evening, even if no formal ritual is held.

Worshipers of Eilistraee try to let out all of the gathered emotions of
the day with an 'evensong'. An evensong is a personal thing, often
wordless and done in private. Priests of the Dark Maiden who have the
coins to do so are expected to hire any strange minstrel or bard they
meet for a song or two; lay worshipers are encouraged to do so.
Whenever a sword is finished or first taken into use by a worshiper of
the Dark Maiden, a priest tries to call down the blessing of the
goddess upon it. This is done by planting the blade point-down in the
ground, out of doors and by night, and dancing. The Sword Dance circles
the blade and involves the priest drawing blood from each of her limbs
by dancing momentarily against the blade. If successful (45% chance,
per night attempted), the blade glows with a silvery radiance. For
three months, it does not break or rust (if a drow weapon, it is also
made immune to sun and removal-from-radiation damage for the same
period), and though lacking a bonus or dweomer, can strike creatures
normally hit only by magical weapons.

The High Hunt is celebrated at least once in each of the four seasons:
a night-time hunt of a dangerous beast or monster, led by priests of
Eilistraee. By tradition, the hunters may use any bladed weapons, and
wear anything-except the priests, who go naked, carrying only a single
sword.  If the quarry is slain, a chanted prayer and circle dance to
the goddess is held.

At least once a year, priests of Eilistraee undertake a Run. Those who
are not drow blacken their bodies with natural dyes and oils. All
priests, drow or not, boil certain leaves and berries to make their
hair silvery, and go wandering (on the surface world). (Hostile drow
say their silver hair indicates that the brains within the head are
addled, though many drow who do not worship Eilistraee have silver
hair.) Trusting to their music, kind ways, and sword skills to keep
them from being slain as drow, priests of the Dark Maiden go where they
are strangers, making an effort to seek out elven communities and bring
them game, kindness, and helping hands.  They try to learn new songs,
music, and sword ways, and do not come to preach their faith or make a
mark for themselves.

In the end, all priests who do not die in battle hold their greatest
ritual:  the Last Dance. In old age, Eilistraee's priests hear the
goddess singing to them by night, calling them to her. When the song
feels right, they go out unclad under the moonlit sky and dance-never
to be seen again. Those who have observed such dances say that the
goddess comes and sings overhead, and the aged priest begins to dance
more effortlessly, looking younger and younger. Her hair begins to glow
with the same radiance as the Dark Maiden's, and then she becomes
slowly translucent, fading away as the dance goes on. In the end, only
a silvery radiance is heard, with two voices-the goddess and her
priest-raised together in melancholy, tender song.

Major Centers of Worship: Before the elven Crown Wars, Eilisrraee's
faith was strong in Miyeritar, and she had small numbers of faithful in
Ilythiir and the other elven realms of the time. The Dark Disaster,
unleashed during the Third Crown War, transformed Miyeritar into the
blasted wasteland now known as the High Moor and dealt a devastating
blow to the ranks of the Dark Maiden's followers. When the Ilythiiri
were transformed into the drow and banished from the sunlit lands at
the end of the Fourth Crown War some five hundred years later,
Eilistraee's church effectively collapsed and was not reformed for
millennia. A few ancient, sacred sites of power built before the Crown
Wars survive in the Misty Forest, along the borders of the High Moor,
and in the Shar, scattered across the onceverdant savannah.

In the Year of Shadows Fleeting (-331 DR), the drow of the Twisted
Tower fell to the armies of Cormanthyr and Rystal Wood was left in the
hands of good-aligned dark elf allies. Within a century, the Tower of
the Dark Moon was Eilistraee's greatest temple in the Realms. The Dark
Maiden's temple fell once again to the drow beneath Cormanthyr in the
Year of the Apparition (190 DR) and survives today as Shadowdale's
primary redoubt where it is known by its original name, the Twisted
Tower.  All that remains of the Dark Maiden's legacy is the swirl of
Eilistraee's moonfire that envelops any follower of Eilistraee who
mentions her name within the once-sacred halls.

The Promenade of the Dark Maiden, also known as Eilistraee's Promenade
or simply the Promenade, occupies a large ruined city located to the
east and north of the lawless, subterranean city of Skullport on the
third level of Undermountain deep beneath Waterdeep, the City of
Splendors. Of the four major caverns that comprise the temple, one
cavern contains many two- and three-story buildings that serve as
living quarters for the faithful; another cavern-the Cavern of
Song-serves as open space and as an amphitheater for the hymns of the
Dark Maiden's worshipers; the third cavern serves the priests as living
quarters; and the fourth cavern houses guards' barracks, storehouses,
armories, and living quarters. A large side cavern leads off from the
Cavern of Song to Eilistraee's Mound, site of a great statue of the
Dark Maiden hewn from a jagged mound of rock. Adjoining the main temple
is the Hall of Healing-once a temple of Moander that was destroyed by
an unknown band of adventurers in the service of Tyr long ago- which
serves as a sick nursery for the care and tending of the temple's
wounded as well as those unfortunates who suffered from the dangers of
the Under Halls and were rescued by the Dark Ladies. A fixed one-way
teleport spot from the sixth level of Halastar's Halls delivers
adventurers and an infrequent monster to the northwestern corner
passage north of the Hall of Healing itself. Priests of the Promenade
heal any who come to the Hall, offering the hand of friendship oft
denied to those of the Shunned Races.

Many races live among the community of faithful, and their numbers are
drawn from escaped slaves, former adventurers, and the Chosen of
Eilistraee, as the dark elven priests are known. Prominent individuals
resident in the Promenade include: Qilue Veladom, High Priest of the
Promenade, Chosen of the Chosen, and Chosen of Mystra (see Seven
Sisters and Heroes' Lorebook for additional details on the least-known
of the Seven Sisters); Elkantar Iluim, Right Hand of the Lady; Arrikett
Uruth, Hand of the Protectors; Iljrene Ahbruyn, Hand of the Protectors.
The Protectors of the Song, who wield the temple's sacred singing
swords, serve as the temple's guards. Their ranks include 24 drow (nine
females), 9 dwarves, 27 humans (12 females), and 4 halflings.

Daily activities in the temple include food-growing, temple-building
chores, patrolling the temple caverns and passages, and practicing
diplomacy beyond the immediate temple area. The Chosen of Eilistraee
work tirelessly to further the Lady's aims toward the peaceful
coexistence of drow with other races of the Realms and to fulfill her
commandments about preventing the return of Ghaunadaur.

Centuries ago, Eilistraee appeared to Qilue Veladorn and commanded the
young dark elf and her playmates from part of the now-vanished drow
settlement of Buiyrandyn-a small, poor gathering of drow families too
small to be considered a city-to take up the singing swords provided by
the Dark Maiden and destroy the Pit of Ghaunadaur. The Pit was a
mile-deep shaft whose upper terminus opened into the third level of
Halasters Halls. After a great battle that resulted in the destruction
of an avatar of the Elder Eye as well as the most of its slithering,
oozing, and creeping worshipers, the Pit was filled with rubble and the
caverns around its opening collapsed. (The rubble-filled Pit of
Ghaunadaur is located in the area north of Skull-port and west of
Eilistraee's Promenade. The only remaining access to the rubble-filled
Pit is via a long, twisting staircase capped by Eilistraee's Mound.)
Qilue and the rest of the Chosen of Eilistraee then took up
responsibility for patrolling the region in armed, vigilant tours
mockingly referred to as promenades by other inhabitants of the area.

In the years since their great victory, the number of battles the Dark
Ladies have been forced to fight-particularly with the minions of
Ghaunadaur-has continued to increase. After centuries of conflict, the
Chosen began construction on a temple complex where they could receive
the guidance and aid of their goddess late in the Year of the Harp
(1355 DR). Although construction continues, the temple was largely
completed and habitable by the end of the Year of the Prince (1357 DR).
Since that time, the Chosen of Eilistraee have continued to patrol the
surrounding tunnels of Halaster's Halls, but with the added security of
a fortified redoubt to which they can retreat when prrudent. In the
spring of the Year of Maidends (1361 DR), the Dark Maidens participated
in a daring raid of a slave ship berthed in Skullport that resulted in
the death of the deep dragon Pharx and the destruction of the Dragon s
Horde consortium, a merchant band led by a priest of Vhaeraun. Several
years later in the Year of the Banner (1368), the Promenade came under
attack by Ghau-nadaur's cultists who led a full-scale assault on the
temple that lasted for several months before the Elder Eye's followers
were driven off.

Aboveground temples of Eilistraee are known to exist in the Moonwood
north of the village of Quaervarr and at the northern end of the
Velarwood in Harrowdale. The Mouth of Song, as the former temple is
known, is located in a cavemouth beneath a treeless hill-atop which the
dark elven priests and a few half-elven and elven faithful from
Silverymoon dance in a great ring on moonlit nights-a day's travel
north of Quaervarr.  The Shadowtop Glade, as the latter temple is
known, is located in a series of caves that line both sides of a
steep-sided overgrown gully dominated by a grove of towering shadowtop
trees. Dark elven priests of the temple armed with enchanted silver
swords and moon-worshiping lycanthropes from the nearby Howling Hill
join together to conduct sacred hunts to Eilistraee and Selune when the
moon is full.

Smaller shrines of the Dark Maiden have been spotted in the Misty
Forest, the High Forest (where the Dark Ladies are led by Ysolde
Veladorn, daughter of Qilue), the Forest of Shadows, the Lake Sember
region, the Grey Forest, the Forest of Lethyr, the Yuirwood, and the
Chondalwood.  Hidden temples of Eilistraee may exist in the hearts of
such forests as well.  Temples of the Dark Maiden are conspicuously
absent on Evermeet, the Green Isle, despite the recent rapprochement
engendered by the dark elven ambassador, Lady Karsel'lyn
Lylyl-Lytherraias.

Affiliated Orders: The Darksong Knights are an elite order of
Eilistraeen crusaders active of late in South beneath the lands of
ancient Ilythiir. Composed entirely of crusaders and warrior/priests,
each members of this order is expected to devote her life to the
furthering of the Dark Maiden's ethos, and in particular, the
destruction of the Abyss-spawned yochlol, also known as the handmaidens
of Lolth.

Priestly Vestments; Priests of Eilistraee wear their hair long, and
dress practically for whatever they are currently doing. For rituals,
they wear as little as possible. Otherwise, they tend to wear soft
leathers for hunting, aprons while cooking, and-when battle is
expected-armor. When relaxing, they favor silvery, diaphanous gowns.
The holy symbol of the faith is a silver sword pendant the length of a
Dark Lady's hand. Such symbols are typically worn as pins or hung
around the neck on a slender silver or mithral chain.

Adventuring Garb: Eilistraee's clergy must garb themselves in either
magical armor or armor of drow make. Whenever possible, priests of the
Dark Maiden must use swords in battle. If no swords are at hand but
other bladed weapons are available, they must be used in preference to
other weapons. Long bows and silver-tipped arrows are also commonly
employed as secondary weapons.

Singing Swords XP Value: 1,600 GP Value: 10,000

The favored weapons of priests of Eilistraee are singing swords. Some
are sentient and aligned to chaotic good, but most can be wielded by
any being capable of lifting them. A singing sword is a silver bastard
sword +3 that sings constantly and loudly when unsheathed. When and if
silenced, the weapon loses its attack and damage bonuses. Its song
makes its wielder more confident, so she need never make any morale
checks while using the singing sword. The sword also renders its
wielder immune to charm, command, confusion, fear, friends, repulsion,
scare, and suggestion. If emotion is cast on the
wielder, the only result is rage directed at the caster of the emotion
spell. The sword's song also negates the songs of harpies, stills
shriekers, and can entrance creatures of 2 Hit Dice or less (except
undead beings or creatures from other planes). Such creatures must
succeed at a saving throw vs. spell whenever they are within 60 feet of
the song or be subject to an automatically successful suggestion from
the sword wielder. This suggestion ability functions as the spell of
the same name. Note that the sword wielder can enact a different
suggestion on each creature affected. Also note that a bard can easily
negate this latter power of the blade by singing a countersong.

Specialty Priests (Sword Dancers)

REQUIREMENTS:           Dexterity 16, Wisdom 9
PRIME REQ.:             Dexterity, Wisdom
ALIGNMENT:              LG, NG, CG
WEAPONS:                Any (swords preferred)
ARMOR:                  Only magical or drow armor (of any kind)
MAJOR SPHERES:          All, combat, creation, elemental, guardian,
                        healing, necromantic, protection, sun, wards
MINOR SPHERES:          Animal, charm, divination, summoning,
                        travelers, weather
MAGICAL ITEMS:          Same as clerics
REQ. PROFS;             Ancient or local history, artistic ability, hunting
BONUS PROFS:            Dancing, musical instrument (horn, flute, or
                        harp), singing

* Sword dancers can be of any intelligent race, but they must be female.

* Sword dancers can multiclass as a sword dancer/fighter or as a sword
  dancer/ranger provided that their race is allowed to multiclass as a
  cleric/fighter or cleric/ranger, respectively. Half-elven sword
  dancers are allowed to multiclass as sword dancer/bards.

* Sword dancers can use a sword of dancing to great effect. On any round
  in which the blade's plus is not a 1 (for example, round 2, 3, 4, 6,
  7, 8, etc.), a sword dancer can release the sword of dancing. At 5th
  level, sword dancers can release the weapon on any round after the
  first round; the sword of dancing fights on its own for a number of
  rounds equal to the priest's level before returning for 1 round. (The
  cycle of pluses continues unaffected by when the priest actually
  grasps the blade.)

* Sword dancers can cast Eilistraee's moonfire at will, once per day
  for every level of experience they possess.

* At 5th level, sword dancers can cast magic missile (as the 1st-level
  wizard spell, four missiles per spell), or they can temporarily
  enchant an edged slashing weapon to ignite with a fiery blue-white
  glow visible to all and strike with a +3 attack bonus (but not a
  damage bonus) in the next round (in addition to any other bonuses it
  has). They can either cast magic missile twice in one day, enchant a
  weapon twice in one day, or use each ability once in one day.

* At 7th level, sword dancers can cast enchanted weapon (as the
  4th-level wizard spell) three times per day by touch on any bladed
  weapons. Blades so enchanted glow with a silvery radiance and
  exhibit a +2 attack and damage bonus for 7 rounds, regardless of how
  many attacks they land or how many dispel magic spells are launched
  against them.

* At 10th level, sword dancers can cast speil turning (as the 7th-level
  wizard spell) once per day.

* At 13th level, sword dancers can cast commune or true seeing (as the
  5th-level priest spells) once per day.

* At 15th level, sword dancers can cast stone tell (as the 6th-level
  priest spell) or plane shift (as the 5th-level priest spell) once per
  day.

Eilistraean Spells

Two unique spells widely employed by the Dark Maiden's followers are
lesser spellsong and spellsong. The use of these spells has given the
clergy of Eilistraee the name spellsingers in the North. Sword dancers
should not be confused with spellsinger wizards who cast spells in the
same way, but who worship Mystra and other gods, with other aims.
(Spellsinger wizards are detailed in 'Wizards and Rogues of the
Realms'.)

In addition to the spells listed below, priests of the Dark Maiden can
cast the 2nd-level priest spell 'stalk', detailed in Faiths & Avatars
in the section on Mielikki.

2nd Level

Eilistraee's Moonfire (Pr 2; Alteration)

Sphere:               Sun
Range:                Variable
Components:           V,S
Duration:             1 round/level
Casting Time:         1 round
Area of Effect:       Up to 1 cubic foot/level
Saving Throw:         None

By means of this spell, the caster can conjure controlled moonfire.
Moonfire can range from a faint glow to a clear, bright (but not
blinding) light, varying in hue as desired: blue-white, soft green,
white, and silver. It serves as a source of light for reading, finding
one's way, and attracting others to a desired location. Moonfire is the
same as the strongest moonlight for all purposes.

Eiiistraee's moonfire lasts for one round per level of the caster.
Concentration is not required to maintain it, but it can be ended at
will by the summoner, by a successful dispel magic spell, or by any
darkness spell cast against it for this purpose (which the Eihsrraee's
moonfire negates during its own destruction).

3rd Level

Bladedance (Pr3; Conjuration/Summoning)

Sphere:          Combat
Range:           Touch
Components:      V,S,M
Duration:        1 round/level
Casting Time:    6
Area of Effect:  1 bladed weapon
Saving Throw:    None

Moonfire always appears to emanate from some part of the body of the
priest casting the spell, but it can move about as the user wills.
Priests of 4th level or higher can cause moonfire to move away from
their bodies altogether, drifting about in the manner akin to dancing
tights. Moonfire moves about the caster's body as rapidly as desired,
but when no longer in contact with the caster it can drift in any
direction (and through the tiniest openings) at a rate of up to 40 feet
per round. Moonfire can fill as large or small an area as the priest
desires, up to the volume limits of one cubic foot per level.

This spell enables a single bladed melee weapon touched by the caster
to animate and attack a chosen creature. The spell confers only the
ability to move and fight; it does not confer any other magical
abilities or properties.  If at any time the caster and the weapon are
separated by more than 60 feet, the spell ends and the weapon falls to
the ground.

Any time after the spell is cast, the bladed weapon can be cast into
the air by the priest and commanded to attack. The weapon flies toward
the target creature by the most direct route. It attacks any creature
that tries to block its way. If left to itself, it will fight its way
to the intended target through all opposition; however, the caster can,
at will, take direct control of its flight, its positioning, and its
attack. Doing so requires full concentration on the weapon for the
entire round; otherwise, the blade attacks on its own.

The weapon attacks once per round, as if wielded by the caster. If
bladedance is cast on a magical weapon that has powers activated by a
wielder (such as the radiance effect of a sun blade), the caster must
concentrate on the blade in order to use them. The dancing weapon does
not take normal melee damage, but any attack that might destroy the
weapon under normal circumstances can affect it, and of course the
bladedance is subject to dispelling. If the weapon is engaged in
non-lethal combat, it defends as if it was the caster. While the blade
is acting on its own, the caster can take any other actions: resting,
discharging missiles, spellcasting, melee, and so on.

At 5th level, a priest can cast bladedance on any size S bladed melee
weapon. At 7th level, she or he can cast the spell on any size S or M
bladed melee weapon, and at 9th, a size S, M, or L bladed melee weapon
can be affected.

The material component is the priest's holy symbol, which is touched to
the weapon.

Lesser Spellsong (Pr 3; Evocation)

Sphere:                Creation
Range:                 As spell created
Components:            V, S
Duration:              As spell created
Casting Time:          1 round, or variable depending on the value of the
                       material components used in the spell created
Area of Effect:        As spell created
Saving Throw:          None

This spell enables the caster, by song and supplication to Eilistraee,
to cause an effect equivalent to almost any desired priest spell of 3rd
level or less, in effect casting the spell with normal effects, range,
duration, saving throws, and so on, but without the usual gestures or
(most often) material components. However, spells that require material
components in excess of 100 gp in value require an additional round of
singing to be added to the casting time for each 100 gp of value or
fraction thereof of the material component. Spells that specify that
the material component cannot be eliminated or substituted for cannot
be created with lesser spellsong.  The caster must be able to move
(hands and shoulders at least) and sing free of magical silencing.
Priests of Eilistraee are trained to sing when in pain and can sing
while dodging about in combat.

6th Level

Spellsong (Pr 6; Evocation)

Sphere:                Creation
Range:                 Special
Components:            V, S
Duration:              Special
Casting Time:          1 round, or variable depending on the value of the
                       material components used in the spell created
Area of Effect:        Special
Saving Throw:          None

This spell enables the caster, by song and supplication to Eilistraee,
to cause one of several effects. If other priests of Eilistraee are
present, the options for the possible effects this spell can produce
increase. The caster and any additional choral participants must be
able to move about freely to dance and sing free of magical silencing.
Priests of Eilistraee are trained to sing when in pain and may sing
while dodging about in combat. Choral work by multiple priests involves
a circular dance around the person to be aided, a fire, or other focal
point. Failing anything else, a long sword driven point-down into the
ground or a tripod of sticks surmounted by the holy symbol of the
caster can be used.

This spell can perform one of the following functions:

(1) Spellsong can cause an effect equivalent to almost any desired
priest spell of 4th level or less, in effect casting the spell with
normal effects, range, duration, saving throws, and so on, but without
the usual gestures or (most often) material components. However, spells
that require material components in excess of 100 gp in value require
an additional round of singing to be added to the casting time for each
100 gp of value or fraction thereof of the material component.  Spells
that specify that the material component cannot be eliminated or
substituted for cannot be created with spellsong.

(2) Alternatively, a spellsong may be used to recall to memory and the
immediate ability to cast any one spell of 4th level or less cast by
the spellsong caster earlier in the last 48 hours, not including any
spells cast from scrolls.

(3) It can also, with different wording, bestow spell immunity. If a
spellsong is cast when more than one priest of Eilistraee is present,
the other priest or priests can join in the song without using a spell
themselves. In this case the spell immunity is not only applicable for
a spell known to the caster by casting or by the experience of having
it cast on or against her, but also can be applied from any spell known
to others in the choral group by casting or having it cast upon or
against one of them.

(4) A differently worded spellsong can heal 1d4+1 points of damage to
the caster or to any creature touched. Each additional singing priest
who touches the injured creature while the spellsong continues heals
1d4 more points of damage. (This choral addition can he used only for
healing points of damage, not in other healing uses of the spell.)

(5) If seven or more priests of Eilistraee are present, they can work a
cure blindness, slow poison, or cure disease instead of curing points
of damage if they will it so and sing together.

(6) If nine or more priests are present, a dispel magic, remove curse,
neutralise poison can be worked. Dispel magic or remove curse take
effect at the level of the highest choral participant.

(7) If 12 or more priests are present, a regeneration can be worked
instead or an experience level lost within the last day restored.

Ghaunadaur
----------

(That Which Lurks, the Elder Eye, the Ancient One)
Lesser Power of the Paraelemental Plane of Ooze, CE

PORTFOLIO:    Oozes, slimes, jellies, outcasts, ropers, rebels,
              all things subterranean
ALIASES:      Ghaunadar, Gormauth Souldrinker, Juiblex,
              the Elder Elemental God
DOMAIN NAME:  Paraelemental Plane of Ooze/The Cauldron of Slime
SUPERIOR:     None
ALLIES:       Bwimb (dead), Moander (dead) Deep Duerra, Eilistraee,
              Gargauth, Laduguer, Lolth, the Seldarine, Selvetarm,
              Vhaeraun, Lolth, Malar, Selvetarm, Vhaeraun,
              Blibdoolpoolp, the Blood Queen, Diinkarazan, Diirinka,
              Great Mother, Gzemnid, llsensine, Ilxendren, Laogzed,
              Maanzecorian (dead), Psilofyr
SYMBOL:       Purple circle, outlined with an inner ring of violet
              and an outer ring of black with a single black-rimmed,
              violet-on-mauve eye in the center of the circle or (older
              symbol) an inverted triangle of amber on a purple
              background, with amber lines inside of it forming an
              upside-down "Y" shape whose arms end by bisecting the
              sides of the triangle.
WOR. ALIGN.:  LN, N, CN, LE, NE, CE

Ghaunadaur (GONE-ah-door) is a fell deity that has plagued the darkest
reaches of the Realms since the dawn of time. That Which Lurks appears
as an amorphous, dark purple blob with many tentacles. It is venerated
by the largest slimes, oozes, slugs, and other crawling things-some of
which are said to possess intelligence, albeit alien. Once all such
beings worshiped Ghaunadaur, but it struck most of them mad in a fit of
fury for some transgression-said by some to involve its failure to
defeat Lolth shortly after her banishment from the Seldarine- and stole
their intellects.  As a result, many of its worshipers, and most of its
power, ceased to exist.  That Which Lurks and its giant roper servants
have been venerated for eons by various creatures of the Underdark,
particularly lone or subintelligent monsters and other outcasts (whom
it occasionally aids, in return for adulation), as well as the few
intelligent amorphs that remain.  Evil beings seeking an alternative to
established deities-including drow dissatisfied with the rule of
Lolth-have also begun to worship That Which Lurks. Most humans find the
worship of Ghaunadaur disgusting, but there are secret, subterranean
altars and cults to the Elder Eye all over Tori], particularly in the
older and more degenerate lands of the southern Sword Coast, Thay, and
Kara-Tur.

Although Ghaunadaur is a distinct entity unrelated to the tanar'ri lord
Juiblex, the Faceless Lord, or the otherwise unnamed Elder Elemental
God neither of the latter two powers is active in the Realms, and
Ghaunadaur ha^ assumed both of their aspects within the crystal sphere
of Realmspace.  Gormauth Souldrinker may have once been the name of a
separate power, but if so, it has long been totally subsumed by That
Which Lurks. Some rumors hold that Ghaunadaur occasionally lurks on the
Elemental Plane of Earth and the Paraelemental Plane of Smoke, while
others place him in the Abyss.

Ghaunadaur is unpredictable by human standards. It may aid worshipers
who merely pay lip service to its rituals-even expending great power to
grant permanent magical boons-but may also devour or maim them, without
warning. Ghaunadaur enjoys watching the hunting and devouring
activities of large horrible monsters and the suffering they cause.
Ghaunadaur is silent and terrible when outside the Inner Planes, but
old records tell of gibbering, bestial language spoken in the deity's
great court of mingled mud and gelatin pools. Ghaunadaur only
communicates telepathically with blunt and simple communications (for
example, "Approve," No," "Not," "Slay," "Come to Me," "Go to [mental
picture of desired place]," and so on).

Ghaunadaur's Avatar (Fighter 27, Cleric 25, Mage 21)

Ghaunadaur appears as a reddish-purple giant slug, but at will it can
alter its form into an amorphous free-flowing shape like a jelly, rear
up into a giant roper with up to 10 long purple tentacles, or appear as
a sticky green substance that emerges from the ground. It favors spells
from the chaos, combat, elemental, sun (reversed), thought, and war
spheres and from the alteration and conjuration/summoning schools, as
well as all elemental wizard spells. However, it can cast spells from
any sphere or school.  Elemental magic wielded by it always has the
maximum possible effect.

AC -1 (-3); MV 12; HP 205; THACO -6; #AT 10 Dmg
2d6 (corrosive touch) MR 50%; SZ G (26 feet long or in
diameter) STR 24, DEX 19, CON 22, INT 18, Wis 18, CHA
7 Spells P: 11/11/10/10/9/8/4, W: 5/5/5/5/5/4/4/4/2
Saves PPDM 2, RSW 3, PP 4, BW 4, Sp 4

Special Att/Def; Ghaunadaur creeps along silently and can cloak itself
at will in mauve or violet mists that eddy and flow, foiling attacks
that require their target to be seen, including spells such as magic
missile, and improve its Armor Class to the value given in parentheses
above. The mists foil heat-related detections of all sorts but can be
pierced by true seeing magic. Any being within Ghaunadaur's mists must
succeed at a saving throw vs. breath weapon every round or be slowed
(as by the spell) on the round that follows. The Elder Eye can emit its
violet and mauve mists once every third round to maintain a continuous
cloud surrounding it in a 5-foot radius. (However, the mists do not
move with Ghaunadaur, who must keep emitting them to maintain them when
it moves or there is significant air movement in its vicinity.) Once
per turn it can jet thick purple mist, with the same effects, that
extends the cloud outward to a 20-foot radius for 2 rounds. Immediately
thereafter, however, the mists dissipate entirely and cannot be renewed
until another round has passed- Ghaunadaur always has true seeing, even
through its own mists.

Once per day, Ghaunadaur can cause blindness in creatures that it
desires to affect within a 20-foot radius. Targets must succeed at a
saving throw vs. spell with a -3 penalty or be blinded. Their condition
lasts until a dispel magic or remove curse is applied. (Rest and cure
blindness or deafness spells do not suffice.)

Ghaunadaur's normal attack is to lash out with four to six tentacles.
Each tentacle can extend 30 feet and is studded with barbed hollow
teeth. When a tentacle hits a target, it grips with Ghaunadaur's full
strength. The target suffers 2d6 points of damage as corrosive fluids
well out from its teeth, and the target's movement is halted. Victims
are dragged 6 feet closer to Ghaunadaur each round but suffer no
further damage until they reach Ghaunadaur's mouth. Ghaunadaur's
saw-toothed maw does 3d4 points of damage to creatures dragged to it.
Ghaunadaur never employs more than two tentacles against the same
creature; the rest are held in reserve for her foes. The tentacles are
AC 6 and have 14 hp each.

Victims (and those who aid them) must make a successful Strength
ability check to avoid being dragged toward Ghaunadaur. On any round in
Inch the target's Strength roll equals or exceeds Ghaunadaur's, the
target can try to tear free from the tentacle by making a successful
Dexterity check. Tearing free does the target ld4+l points of further
damage. Lost tentacles are reabsorbed by Ghaunadaur.

Ghaunadaur is immune to all acids, drugs, and poisons. It can only be
struck by +1 or better magical weapons.

Other Manifestations

Ghaunadaur frequently (compared to most powers) manifests to aid
priests or worshipers who call on it and always in the same fashion. He
can also be summoned by great and audacious evil. One to three rounds
after a supplication (one to two if the worshiper has just drawn blood
from another creature), a roiling purple mist appears that grows in
size to a cloud 4 feet to 6 feet across. From the center of this cloud
comes a 12-inch-diameter gold eye that opens its lids to bathe the
favored creature in a fiery orange light. The light gradually fades to
deep red, then a dark purple. The entire cloud darkens to black and
shrinks away to nothingness. The process typically takes 8 rounds, and
this manifestation grants the following aid to favored beings: a +6
bonus to the being's Strength ability score (with attendant attack and
damage bonuses), double damage with every strike for ld8 rounds, and a
one-time healing (which occurs in the first round of its gaze) of 3d4
points of damage. It also regenerates severed limbs, lost faculties,
and permanently negates any diseases and/or poisons present in the
creature.

In the presence of an altar dedicated to its worship, Ghaunadaur can
manifest its eye within the unholy object and create up to three
tentacles emanating from the altar. Such tentacles have all the powers
of Ghaunadaur's avatar's tentacles, and the eye has all the abilities
described above as well as one of the following effects. (Roll ldl2 to
determine the fate of each creature seeing the eye.)

Roll    Effect
1       Death (or catatonia*, at the DM's option)
2       Insanity* (gibbering, drooling feeblemindedness (as the feeble-mind
        spell) broken by periods of incoherent frantic activity)
3       Rage* (attack companions until all are disabled or have fallen-
        physical attacks only)
4       Fright and weakness* (50% instant Strength loss, with the probable
        attendant need to discard armor, large weapons, and heavy treasure)
5       Unconsciousness for ld4+l 2 turns. During this time the victim
        visibly ages 2dl2 years.
6-12    No effect (looked away in time)

* = Curable by application of a remove curse by a 12th-level caster spell.

The Church

CLERGY:            Clerics, crusaders, specialty priests
CLERGY'S ALIGN.:   CN, LE, NE, CE
TURN UNDEAD:       C: No, Cru: No, SP: No
CMND. UNDEAD:      C: Yes, Cru: No, SP: Yes

Ghaunadaur occasionally acts through the appearance or presence of
alkiliths, darktentacles, deadly puddings, gelatinous cubes, giant
ropers (also known as ghauropers, they have 15 Hit Dice and many unique
magical abilities), gibbering mouthers, ghaunadan, jellies, oozes,
metalmasters, mephits (ooze), ropers, slimes, slithering trackers,
slithermorphs, slugs, and storopers. He also shows his attention-for
widely varying reasons- through the discovery of solitary mauve roses
that drip blood from their thorns or amethysts, jasmals, purple
luriyls, rosalines, Shou Lung amethysts, violines, or yanolite
(ophealine) from the depths of which stares a single, baleful, golden
eye.

All clerics (including fighter/clerics), crusaders, and specialty
priests of Ghaunadaur receive religion (drow), religion (elven), and
reading/writing (drowic) as bonus nonweapon proficiencies.

Ghaunadaur is little known on the surface ofToril except for a few
small cults in large, decadent cities. Those who are aware of his
existence recoil in horror from the foulness of the Elder Eye's evil.
In the Underdark, Ghaunadaur is more widely known, particularly among
the dark elves. While speaking the Elder Eye's name is a crime
punishable by death in most cities dominated by priests of Lolth, most
drow are at least tangentially aware of the existence of this rival of
the Spider Queen.

Any living creature-even oozes and jellies-may join the clergy of the
Elder Eye, as Ghaunadaur values devotion over ability. All ghaunadan
are considered as members of the clergy, as are many slithermorphs.
Titles vary widely among Ghaunadaur's solid (nonamorphous) clergy, but
examples include Loathsome Ooze, Spawn of the Pit, Eater of Wastes,
Noxious Slime,
Creeping Doom, and Amorphous Annihilator. Specialty priests or
Ghaunadaur are known as amorphites and make up over 60% or the clergy.
Clerics, fighter/clerics, and crusaders make up 12%, 8%, and 5% of the
clergy, respectively, and the remainder includes a wide range of
miscellaneous creatures who are not priests. Almost all (95%) of the
solid clergy are male.  Temples of Ghaunadaur are found throughout the
Realms in surface cities such as Bezantur (where it is known as
Juiblex), Calimport, Holldaybim (a drow city in the Forest of Mir),
Waterdeep, and Westgate. In the Underdark in the cities of the drow,
the Elder Eye's temples are found in strife-torn cities where the
clergy of rival powers are weak-Eryndlyn, located in hidden caves
beneath the High Moor, is riven by civil war between the faithful of
Lolth, Ghaunadaur, Sel-vetarm, and Vhaeraun-or absent altogether-Llurth
Dreier, a city of 400,000 dark elves and countless slimes, jellies, and
oozes located under the Shaar, northwest of the Deep Realm of the
dwarves, is ruled by the clergy of the Elder Eye.  Ghaunadaur's temples
are sometimes located in the wilds of the Underdark, far from the
influence of cities led by the Spider Queen's priests. One such
example, beyond the reach of the priests of Guallidurth but better
known for having housed the Living Gem for many centuries, is located
beneath Forest of Mir.

Temples of the Elder Eye are typically lit by purple, mauve, and
lavender rays of light, radiances, and drifting, eddying luminous
mists.  These temples are usually located underground, but sometimes
can be found concealed in remote ruins. The walls are decorated with
mosaics depicting beings of all races crawling in self-sacrifice to be
eaten by vaguely squidlike creatures, each with 10 hairy tentacles. The
devouring creatures (Ghaunadaur's long-unseen bodyguard ropers) are
purple, violet, and mottled mauve in hue. Temples to the Eye always
have well-polished floors, usually of porphyry, obsidian, red and black
hornblende, or black marble. Where black and purple materials are not
available, carpets and tapestries of those hues are used.

The altar chamber sports ceiling support pillars of polished obsidian,
malachite, or serpentine, graven with runes and symbols of Ghaunadaur.
When possible, these pillars are imbued with magical effects created by
priests of the Eye. (Ghaunadaur itself, if summoned with the proper
prayers, endows these magical effects with permanency.) Pillar
enchantments radiate magical fields of effect. These typically include
magical unease and insecurity affecting all beings who do not worship
Ghaunadaur. At least one pillar in each temple has a teleport rune,
known only to its priests. If the rune is touched, the priest is
transported to a prearranged sanctuary or a city location. Some of
these runes are traps: If a command word is whispered, they go to a
safe destination; if no word is uttered, they transport the activator
instead into a monster lair or other dangerous area or discharge
electricity or other baneful effects. Temples to Ghaunadaur typically
have a pillar-flanked aisle leading to the altar in three ascending
tiers. On the second tier is the altar, a dull, porous-looking, rusty
black rectangular stone. On the first tier, surrounding it on the
second, and hanging above the third are usually an assortment of gongs,
chimes, drums, candelabra, and braziers.

Dogma: All creatures have their place, and all are fit to wield power.
Those who hunt weed out the weak and strengthen the stock of all. Those
who rebel or who walk apart find new ways and try new things and do
most to advance their races. Creatures of power best house the energy
of life, which Ghaunadaur reveres and represents.

The faithful of Ghaunadaur are to make sacrifices to the Eye, persuade
others to sacrifice themselves to Ghaunadaur or in service of the Eye,
further the knowledge and fear of Ghaunadaur, and in the end give
themselves to Ghaunadaur in unresisting self-sacrifice. Priests of
Ghaunadaur are to convert all beings that they can to worship
Ghaunadaur. They must slay all clergy of other faiths, plundering their
temples and holdings for wealth to better their own lot and to further
the worship of Ghaunadaur.

Day-to-Day Activities: Priests of Ghaunadaur must do whatever pleases
Ghaunadaur best and serve the Eye absolutely. Priests of Ghaunadaur
have simple duties: They are to ensure, by force or threat, that a
ready supply of sacrifices reaches Ghaunadaur's altars. The god
supplies them with spells and tentacle rods to ensure success in this.
Most of all, Ghaunadaur delights in creatures that offer themselves to
him without resistance (regardless of whether these sacrifices have
been magically charmed or otherwise coerced by its clergy). Priests who
can bring such offerings to the Eye's altars often are highly valued
and favored by the god.  Priests of Ghaunadaur are encouraged to become
familiar with the use and manufacture of acids, poisons (including
gases and incenses), and flaming oils of all sorts. (Temples and
priestly abodes are typically well supplied with such weapons in a
ready state.)

Holy Days/Important Ceremonies: Ghaunadaur expects a prayer of
adulation and praise, accompanied by a sacrifice, at least once per
day. If live sacrifices cannot be procured that often, the Elder Eye
accepts offerings of bones and food burned in oil. Braziers of perfumed
incense are also burned.

If a priest is unable to procure such offerings, the priest must pray
while holding one hand in an open flame. The priest's hand must be
covered with any magical oil or potion. (Oils or potions of fire
resistance are instantly converted to lamp oil, with the appropriate
results.) If the prayer is accepted (55% chance), the hand is healed of
any damage it sustains immediately after sustaining it.

In any place of worship to Ghaunadaur, all cloth furnishings and
garments worn by priests are to be of hues pleasing to Ghaunadaur's
eye. Acceptable colors are copper, amber, flame-orange, russet, gold,
dark red, plum, purple, amethyst, violet, heliotrope, mauve, lilac,
lavender, black, and silver.

Smoke and flame are to be a part of all sacrifices to Ghaunadaur. No
creature should speak out against the will of Ghaunadaur in the
presence of the Eye, its avatar, or its manifestation. If such defiance
occurs, a sacrifice of appeasement must be performed (preferably
involving the creature who defied the Elder Eye).

Major Centers of Worship: In the South, deep beneath the heart of
Sarenestar (also known as the Forest of Mir) is a place of great power
sacred to Ghaunadaur. This ancient subterranean site was discovered by
Clan Hune of Ilythiir prior to the Fourth Crown War. Following their
discovery, the dark elves built a great temple around a massive pit in
which dwelt a monstrous creature of evil placed there by the Elder Eye.
When the temple, known as the Elder Orb of Ooze, was completed, the
leaders of Clan Hune sought to draw on Ghaunadaur's power in
preparation for the coming conflict with Keltormir. The inscrutable
Elder Elemental God was displeased, however, and it lashed out of the
fools who dared call on its name by causing countless oozes, slimes,
jellies, and other horrid monsters to erupt from the pit and attack
everything they encountered. Many of Clan Hune's leaders were
destroyed, and the temple was abandoned shortly thereafter. Although
its location has been long-since forgotten, the ruined temple still
exists today, its defenses still active. Ghaunadaur assuredly inflicts
his wrath on any solid foolish enough to profane his place of power,
and some believe that fate of the wizard Shond Tharovin was sealed when
the would-be tyrant removed the Living Gem from the temple.

In the North, the Elder Eye's place of greatest power was the Pit of
Ghaunadaur, located deep beneath Mount Waterdeep. Several years after
her birth in the Year of the Awakening Wyrm (767 DR), Qilue Veladorn,
Chosen of Mystra and Eilistraee, led a handful of her dark elven
playmates from their tiny, now-vanished settlement of Buiyrandyn in an
assault on the Pit of Ghaunadaur. After destroying an avatar of
Ghaunadaur resident therein and causing its minions to flee or be
destroyed, the Chosen of Eilistraee (as the dark elven children were
collectively known) sealed the downward fissures and tunnels in the
temple by which Ghaunadaur's surviving minions had fled and caused a
rockfall that filled what was left of the Pit of Ghaunadaur. After
centuries of patrolling the passages around the Pit, the Chosen built a
temple of Eilistraee, which they named the Promenade, atop the
long-sealed Pit. That Which Lurks has never accepted the loss of its
place of power in what is now the third level of Undermountain north
and east of the subterranean city of Skullport, and its minions have
remained active in the region. For several years, a circle of ghaunadan
based in a small temple to the Elder Eye in a hidden cellar beneath a
warehouse in Dock Ward have been active in Waterdeep and Halastar's
Halls. In the Year of the Banner (1368 DR), Ghaunadaur's cultists-12
ghaunadan commanders and approximately 50 semi-intelligent slimes and
oozes - began a full-scale assault on the Promenade from the northern
and eastern caverns that lasted several months. While the Chosen of
Eilistraee ultimately prevailed-thanks in part to the assistance of
Qilue's sister, Laeral Silverhand-and drove off their foes, the
followers of Ghaunadaur were not destroyed, and the cult continues to
rebuild its strength in preparation for another assault.

Affiliated Orders: The Fanatics of the Overflowing Pit were an elite
order of dark elven crusaders of Ghaunadaur in ancient Ilythiir-the
moon and dark elf domains in the woods south of the Lake of Steam in
the forests that once covered the Shaar-who waged endless war on the
clergies of rival faiths. While Ilythiir fell over ten thousand years
ago with the Seldarine-mandated Descent of the Drow, it is believed
that the order survives in some form in the city of Llurth Dreier
underneath the Shaar.

Priestly Vestments: As listed above, the vestments of all priests of
Ghaunadaur must be of hues pleasing to the Elder Eye. Typical raiment
includes a full-length robe with voluminous sleeves, a dark tabard
emblazoned with the symbol of the Elder Eye, and a gleaming, silver
skull cap. All priests wear their hair long and unbound, but beards and
mustaches are not permitted. The holy symbol of the faith is a sphere
of black obsidian at least 3 inches in diameter, which is sometimes
worn on a chain around the neck. Such spheres are often eveloped in a
nimbus of mauve-hued continual faerie fire.

Adventuring Garb: When adventuring, Ghaunadaur's clergy employ whatever
weapons, armor, or equipment is most appropriate to the task at hand.
Most priests are careful to always wear hues pleasing to the Elder Eye,
however, just in case it is observing their performance, even going so
far as to tint their armor and weapons.

Tentacle Rods

Any Lesser Rod:   XP Value: 3,000      GP Value: 15,000
Any Greater Rod:  XP Value: 5,000      GP Value: 20,000
Master Rod:       XP Value: 7,500      GP Value: 25,000

The favored weapons of drow priests of Ghaunadaur are tentacle rods.
The construction of these fell items is a secret held by drow who
worship the Elder Eye, but it apparently involves animate object,
enchant an item, permanency, and some sort of monster summoning.
Tentacie rods come in an assortment of types, but all are 2-foot-long,
dark rods with a thickened handgrip at one end and three, six, or seven
8-foot-long tentacles at the other. These lifelike arms reach and
writhe of their own accord when the rod is used as a flail. The color
of the tentacles denotes the type of tentacle rod. These rods function
in the hands of priests of any evil alignment, and then only if a
specially enchanted ring of tentacle rod control is worn as well. Such
a ring can control any tentacle rod of the type to which it is linked.
If a ring of tentacle rod control is not worn, a tentacle rod exhibits
none of its special powers and functions only as a magical horseman's
flail doing ld4+1 points of damage; it has no attack or damage bonuses
but still radiates a dweomer. No saving throws are allowed against the
special effects of these weapons. All tentacle rod sale values assume
that a ring of tentacle rod control for the same type of tentacle rod
is included; otherwise, deduct 75% of the given price.

Lesser Tentacle Rod

Lesser tentacie rods are 2-foot-long dark rods with a thickened
handgrip at one end. They have three 8-foot-long tentacles, all of a
single color.

Purple: When wielded in an attack, each arm attacks the same target
individually at THACO 13, inflicting 3 points of damage on a successful
attack. If all three arms strike the target in a round, the victim
suffers double damage (18 points) and is slowed for 9 rounds (as by a
slow spell). If struck by all three arms again during the slowed
period, the victim is slowed for 9 rounds after the latest strike. In
other words, the duration the victim is slowed is not cumulatively
extended by each triple strike. This rod's ring of tentacle rod control
is made of rune-carved hematite (material value 500 gp).

Red or Russet: This tentacle rod inflicts the same damage on a
successful attack as a purple lesser tentacie rod, but its successful
triple strike inflicts total weakness in the victim's right or left
arm, whichever takes the brunt of the attack. (Determine by situation
or randomly.) The limb cannot be lifted or used to strike, grasp, or
carry things for 9 rounds.  This rod's ring of tentacle rod control is
made of rune-carved rhodochrosite (material value 500 gp).

Yellow: This tentacle rod inflicts the same damage on a successful
attack as a purple lesser tentacle rod, but its successful triple
strike dazes a victim for 9 rounds. Being dazed costs the victim a -1
penalty on attack rolls and prevents the concentration necessary for
spellcasting, though magical items can be wielded and command words
spoken. This rod's ring of tentacle rod controi is made of rune-carved
lapis lazuli (material value 500 gp).

Greater Tentacie Rod

Greater tentacle rods are 2-foot-long dark rods with a thickened
handgrip at one end. They have six 8-foot-long tentacles, all of a
single color.

Amber: When wielded in an attack, each arm attacks individually at
THAC0 7, inflicting 6 points of damage on a successful attack. The six
arms can attack up to three different targets so long as sufficient
targets are within 10 feet. If three arms strike the same target in a
round, the victim is numbed and strikes at a-4 attack penalty for the
next 3 rounds. If all six arms hit a single target, the victim is
soul-burned, bursting into flame for 1 round and suffering 4d4 points
of damage, ld6 of which is a permanent loss of hit points. All worn or
carried items of a soul-bumed victim must succeed at an item saving
throw vs. magical fire or be destroyed. This rod's ring of tentacle rod
control is made of carved ruby set with a cabochon-cut piece of amber
(material value 12,200 gp).

Black: This tentacle rod inflicts the same damage on a successful
attack as an amber greater tentacle rod, but if all six arms strike a
single target, that victim is soul-chilled, suffering 6d6 points of
internal cold damage, ld8 of which is permanent. The victim is also
slowed (as if by a slow spell) for 6 rounds. This rod's ring of
tentacle rod control is made of obsidian set with a black opal
(material value 2,500 gp).

Jade: This tentacie rod inflicts the same damage on a successful attack
as an amber greater tentacle rod, but if all six arms strike a single
target, that victim is feebleminded (as the spell). Its ring of
tentacle rod control is made of jade set with a diamond (material value
5,500 gp).

Violet: When wielded in an attack, each arm attacks individually at
THAC0 7, inflicting 6 points of damage on a successful attack. The six
arms can attack up to three different targets so long as sufficient
targets are within 10 feet. If three arms strike the same target in a
round, the victim is blinded and attacks at a -4 penalty for the next 3
rounds. If all six arms hit a single target, that victim is blinded for
6 rounds and loses 1 point of Dexterity for ld4+1 years. A properly
worded limited wish or a restoration restores this loss (though this is
not the normal function of a restoration spell), but a heal,
regeneration, dispel magic, or remove curse does not.  This rod's ring
of tentacle rod control is made of amber set with an amethyst (material
value 2,500 gp).

Master Tentacie Rod

These extremely rare items have seven multicolored tentacles, one of
each hue of the other types of tentacle rods. The arms attack at THACO
4, inflicting 10 points of damage each on a successful strike. They may
be directed at multiple targets within 15 feet of the caster, extending
with lightning speed to 16 feet in length and retracting an instant
after striking.  If three arms strike a target in a round, the victim
is robbed of ld4 senses for the next 6 rounds. If all seven arms hit a
single target, that victim is simultaneously affected by any two
six-arm effects of a greater tentacie rod chosen by the rod wielder.
This rod's ring of tentacle rod control is made of carved malachite set
with a star sapphire (material value 6,500 gp.)

Specialty Priests (Amorphites)

REQUIREMENTS:         Wisdom 9
PRIME REQ.:           Wisdom
ALIGNMENT:            LE, NE, CE
WEAPONS:              Any
ARMOR:                Any
MAJOR SPHERES:        All, animal, chaos (nonlawful amorphites
                      only), combat, elemental, guardian, healing,
                      necromantic, sun (reversed only)
MINOR SPHERES:        Charm, creation, divination, numbers,
                      protection, summoning, weather
MAGICAL ITEMS:        Same as clerics
REQ. PROFS:           Survival (Underdark)
BONUS PROFS:          Blind-fighting

* Amorphites may be of any race capable of becoming a priest. Most
  amorphites are male dark elves. Except for a minuscule minority of
  other races, humans comprise the remainder.

* Amorphites are not allowed to multiclass.

* Amorphites are immune to diseases, even magically induced ones.

* At 3rd level, amorphites are immune to all poisons.

* At 3rd level, amorphites can resist the effects of acids, corrosives,
  and caustic substances once per day, for 1 round per level. Mild
  corrosives cannot harm the priest at all, although they can still
  damage his gear.  More intense acids and corrosives (black dragon
  breath, Melf's acid arrow, and the natural attacks of various
  puddings, oozes, slimes, and jellies) inflict only half the normal
  damage. If the attack requires a saving throw, the priest gains a +3
  bonus, sustaining half damage with a failed saving throw or
  one-quarter damage with a successful saving throw.

* At 5th level, amorphites are immune to all acids and corrosive fluids
  and substances.

* At 5th level, amorphites can cast mists of Gnaunadaur (as the
  3rd-level priest spell) or Evard's black tentacles (as the 4th-level
  wizard spell) once per day.

* At 7th level, amorphites can protect themselves from the attacks of
any of the various amorphous monsters, including slimes, jellies,
oozes, puddings, cubes, and slithering trackers, once per day. An
amorphous creature is any monster that has an amorphous or fluid body,
attacks through acids or secretions of some kind, and is a native of
the Prime Material Plane. The priest is guarded by a protective barrier
that amorphous creatures will not touch, and the natural attacks
(including ranged attacks) of such monsters automatically fail. If the
priest makes an attack against an amorphous creature or if he forces
the barrier surrounding him against the monster, the protection
immediately ceases.

* At 10th level, amorphites are immune to breath weapons.

* At 13th level, amorphites can cast amorphous form or elder eye (as
  the 5th-level priest spells) once per day.

* At 13th level, amorphites are immune to all spells from the school or
  sphere of elemental magic, as well as all related magical effects.

* At 15th level, amorphites can cast wall of tentacles (as the
  7th-level priest spell) or acid storm (as the 7th-level wizard spell)
  once per day.

Ghaunadauran Spells

3rd Level

Mists of Ghaunadaur (Pr 3; Conjuration/Summoning)

Sphere:             Elemental Air
Range:              0
Components:         V, S
Duration:           1 round/level to a 1 turn maximum
Casting Time:       5
Area of Effect:     The spellcaster
Saving Throw:       None

By means of this spell, the caster can cloak himself or herself in
mauve or violet mists that eddy and flow giving him or her effective
invisibility, foiling attacks for which one must see the target
(including spells such as magic missile), and thwarting infravision and
heat-related detecting abilities. The spellcaster also receives a +2
Armor Class bonus. The mists can be pierced by true seeing. The
caster's vision is unhindered by the enveloping mists of Ghaunadaur.

5th Level

Amorphous Form (Pr 5; Alteration)

Sphere:              Animal
Range:               0
Components:          V,S,M
Duration:            1 turn/level
Casting Time;        1 round
Area of Effect:      The caster
Saving Throw:        None

By means of this spell, the spellcaster can assume the form of an
deadly pudding, ooze, slime, jelly, or roper. Like a polymorph self
(the 4th-level wizard spell), this spell grants the spellcaster the
form, physical mode of locomotion, and mode of breathing of the
selected creature. No system shock roll is required. Unlike a polymorph
self spell, this spell also gives the new form's other abilities
(attack, magic, special movement, etc.), with the exception of the
ability of those creatures who can split into multiple forms
(voluntarily or involuntarily) and attack. Situations that would
normally cause the caster to split up do so, but the multiple shapes
only rejoin the next round into one form. Also, the caster cannot
assume a different form than the form selected when the spell is cast
at any time except to resume his original form, which immediately ends
the spell.

The type of form that can be assumed depends on the level of the
caster; of course a caster can choose a lesser form if desired.
Available forms include:

Caster Level    Form
  9-10          gray ooze, crystal ooze, gelatinous cube
  11-12         mustard jelly, ochre jelly, slithering tracker
  13-14         deadly pudding (black, white, dun, or brown)
  15+           roper

When amorphous form is cast, the caster's equipment, if any, melds into
the new form. (In particularly challenging campaigns, the DM may allow
protective devices, such as rings of protection, to continue operating
effectively.) The caster retains all mental abilities, hut she or he
cannot cast spells or use psionic abilities derived from the psionicist
class. A caster not used to a new form might be penalized at the DM's
option (for example, a -2 penalty to attack rolls) until she or he
practices sufficiently to master it.  Employing this spell does not run
the risk of the priest changing personality and/or mentality. However,
there is a 1% noncumulative chance per use of this spell that the
spellcaster is permanently transformed into a ghau-nadan (with
attendant loss of priest abilities) when this spell expires.  The
material component of this spell is a vial of ichor/fluid from the kind
of amorph into which the priest wishes to transform.

Elder Eye (Pr 5; Abjuration)

Sphere:            Necromantic
Range:             0
Components:        v,s
Duration:          7 rounds
Casting Time:      1 round
Area of Effect:    The caster
Saving Throw:      Neg.

When this spell is cast, one of the caster's eyes is transformed into a
glowing golden orb of evil for 7 rounds. Each round, the caster may
balefully glare at a single living creature within 20 feet with the
eider eye. If the creature fails its saving throw vs. spell with a -3
penalty, a magical blindness results that persists until a remove curse
or cure blindness or deafness spell cast by a 9th-level caster is
applied. The caster can cast spells or engage in combat in addition to
the effect. The caster's gaze can be reflected back on himself or
herself by spells or magical effects that do so.  There is a 1 %
noncumulative chance per use of the this spell that the caster's
eyeball is permanently blinded when the elder eye of Ghaunadaur
expires. In such circumstances, nothing short of a heal or regenerate
restores the caster's sight in the affected eye.

7th Level

Wall of Tentacles (Pr 7; Conjuration/Summoning)

Sphere:            Elemental Earth
Range:             0
Components:        V, S, M
Duration:          1 day/level
Casting Time:      1 round
Area of Effect:    Wall-shaped area (freestanding, if desired), 6 inches
                   thick, and with a surface area on one side of up to 10
                   square feet/level
Saving Throw:      Special

This spell enables the caster to create a special sort of quasiliving
elemental barrier. On the safe side (the inner side), it appears as a
shadowed section of wall. On the outside, it initially appears as
rough, purple-brown stone.  The caster and priests of the same faith
can move freely through the wall as though it does not exist. If any
other creature (except when in physical contact with a living, mobile
priest ofGhaunadaur) touches this plain wall, four tentacles emerge to
grasp the being and begin a loud hissing and champing noise to alert
the clergy to the presence of an intruder.

The wall can extrude 20 16-foot-long tentacles and two beaks. These
shift about its surface but can make only four attacks per round on any
single opponent. Only the tentacles attack initially; the beaks are
saved for a second stage of continued attack or resistance (see below).
Each tentacle strike inflicts physical damage and forces the victim to
succeed at a saving throw vs. spell or be magically held (similar to a
hold person spell).  Affected beings get a saving throw to break free
of the hold effect (only one saving throw, regardless of how many
tentacle strikes are suffered).  While held, victims are attacked by
other tentacles at a +2 attack bonus and dragged -feet closer to the
wall per round. Severing a tentacle automatically break its hold. A
tentacle can be severed by causing it more than 12 points r damage in a
single round, which causes it to vanish.

The wall of tentacles has the following statistics;

Wall of Tentacles: AC-2; MV 0; HD 10; hp 200 (special to the
spell); THACO 11; #AT 22 (maximum of 4 16' tentacles and two beaks
per target); Dmg ld20 (x20 tentacles) and IdIO (x2 bites);
SA poison bite, hold ability of tentacles; SD darkness 15' radius,
immunity to nonmagical weapon attack and to all spells dispel magic
(inflicts 50 points of damage), disintegrate (inflicts 100 points of
damage), or symbol of persuasion (allows all beings of the same
alignment as the caster-and others whom they escort, while touching- to
pass through the wall unharmed); SZ H-G (140 square feet minimum);
ML fearless (20); Int non (0); AL N.

The poison of the beaks is debilitative; it takes effect in 2d4 rounds
and reduces all of a character's ability scores by half during its
duration. All appropriate adjustments to attack rolls, damage, Armor
Class, and so on, from the lowered ability scores are applied during
the course of the illness.  Furthermore, the character moves at
one-half his or her normal movement rate and cannot heal by normal or
magical means until the poison is neutralized or the duration of the
debilitation elapses. The poison's effects last until neutralise poison
ends them or until 3d4 days have passed.  If the wall is attacked by
any spell or spell-like effect or is reduced to 99 or fewer hit points,
it creates darkness, 15' radius outward from its outside surface and
bites any victims it can reach.

The material component of this spell is any sort of snake, living or
dead, and the beak from an octopus or any avian.

Kiaransalee
-----------

(Lady of the Dead, the Revenancer, the Vengeful Banshee)
Demipower of the Abyss, CE

PORTFOLIO:             Undead, vengeance
ALIASES:               Kiaranselee
DOMAIN NAME:           113th Level/Thanatos
SUPERIOR:              Lolth
ALLIES:                Hoar, Myrkul (dead), Velsharoon, Lolth,
                       Malar, Selvetarm, Vhaeraun, Blibdoolpoolp, the
                       Blood Queen, Diinkarazan, Diirinka, Great
                       Mother, Gzemnid, Ilsensine, Ilxendren,
                       Laogzed, Maanzecorian (dead), Psilofyr
FOES:                  Deep Duerra, Dumathoin, Eilistraee, Kelemvor,
                       Laduguer, Jergal, Lolth, Orcus
                       (dead)/Tenebrous (undead), the Seldarine
SYMBOL:                Female drow hand wearing silver rings
WOR. ALIGN.:           LE, NE, CE

Kiaransalee (KEE-uh-RAN-sa-lee) is the drow deity of both vengeance and
the undead. She is called upon by those seeking retribution, the dark
arts, or to prolong life. Although the Lady of the Dead has
historically demonstrated relatively little interest in the lands of
Faerun or the Underdark beneath them, the recent rise to prominence of
the Cult of the Goat's Head in Vaasa under the leadership of Zhengyi
the Witch-King renewed her interest in the Realms and fueled the
emergence of the Vengeful Banshee's cult as a power in the north
central Underdark.  Kiaransalee's ascension as a dark goddess of evil
predates even the banishment of Araushnee from the Seldarine, but the
Lady of the Dead has long been an unwilling vassal of the Queen of
Spiders, capable of only small acts of rebellion (such as assisting the
elven heroine Kethryllia in rescuing her beloved from Lolth's demesne).
Kiaransalee was once mortal, a powerful dark elven necromancer-queen on
a world known as Threnody.  The Revenancer was named drow and banished
by her husband, the king of Threnody, for her unholy experiments on the
once-living. Kiaransalee fled with a small group of followers who she
then transformed into undead servitors to ensure their loyalty. The
Lady of the Dead continued her unholy experiments in secret for
centuries before raising an army of undead to exact her vengeance. In
the wake of the Revenancer's army, Threnody was a dead world, and the
architect of its destruction fled with her unthinking servants into the
Abyss-where she eventually assumed a measure of divine power herself-to
escape the wrath of the Seldarine.

Only in recent memory has Kiaransalee achieved a measure of
independence from the Spider Queen, a result of a successful attack on
a rival power long resident in the Abyss. Not too many years ago,
Kiaransalee wrested Thanatos, a cold plane of ice, thin air, and a
black, moonlit sky known as the Belly of Death, from Orcus, the former
Abyssal lord of the undead, in revenge for some long-forgotten slight.
Although she lacked the power to eliminate the very memory of Orcus
from the minds of the multiverse after killing the Prince of the
Undead, Kiaransalee magically erased the name of the late Abyssal lord
wherever and however it had been recorded. With her foe slain and his
corpse adrift in the Astral Plane, the Lady of the Dead stew all the
servants and proxies of Orcus (save one, whom she accepted into her own
service) and hid the legendary Wand of Orcus where none could ever find
it-or so she thought. Recent events suggest that Orcus returned, at
least for a time, as an undead god who called himself Tenebrous. It is
unknown, even to Kiaransalee, whether the Prince of the Undead has
successfully transformed himself into an undead god, has been destroyed
forever, or simply waits for another opportunity to return to (un)life.
Regardless of the truth, Kiaransalee is convinced that her former foe
will eventually return, and thus the Lady of the Dead is consumed with
renewed efforts to find and eliminate every last trace of both
Orcus/Tenebrous.

The Lady of the Dead has long chafed under Lolth's suzerainty, and only
the Spider Queen's overwhelming strength has kept Kiaransalee's
long-planned vengeance in check. Consumed as she is with the unknown
fate of Tenebrous, Kiaransalee has little interest in interacting with
other powers. Nevertheless, her activities on Faerun have earned the
Lady of the Dead the enmity of Dumathoin, Kelemvor, and Jergal and the
possibility of an alliance with both Hoar and Velsharoon.

The Lady of the Dead is cruel, twisted, and consumed by thoughts of
vengeance. Kiaransalee descended into madness long ago, but she retains
her twisted cunning and clear recollection of every slight or insult
done to her-real or imagined. The Revenancer is powerfully chaotic and
swift to anger, and she schemes dark revenges against all who have
wronged her.  Kiaransalee prefers the mindless company of the undead,
whom she can manipulate at will, to sentient beings capable of
independent thought. She prefers to solve problems herself rather than
trust someone else to do justice to her vision.

Kiaransalee's Avatar (Necromancer 25, Cleric 23)

Kiaransalee appears as a sinuous drow female wearing only silver
jewelry and black silk veils. She favors spells from the spheres of
all, chaos, healing (reversed only), necromantic, and sun
(darkness-creating reversed spells), and the school of necromancy, but
she can cast spells from any sphere or school (including
illusion/phantasm and enchantment/charm).

AC -2; MV 15, Fl 24; HP 144; THACO 6; #AT 1
Dmg ld4+4 plus special (dagger +4)
MR 65%; SZM (5'6" tall)
STR 13, DEX 21, CON 18, INT 23, Wis 18, CHA 22
Spells P: 11/11/10/10/9/7/3, W: 6/6/6/6/6/6/6/6/5*
Saves PPDM 2, RSW 3, PP 5, BW 7, Sp 4

*Numbers assume one extra necromancy spell per spell level.

Special Att/Def: Kiaransalee wields Cold Heart, a curved dagger +4 that
continuously drips acid, inflicting ld4 points of acid damage for ld4
rounds after a successful attack. Curative spells end this additional
damage. When she wishes, Kiaransalee wears the Mantle of Nightmares, a
cloak of rattling bones that causes fear in all living creatures that
hear it, requiring a successful magic resistance check or a successful
saving throw vs. paralyza-tion with a -4 penalty to avoid its effects.
The Lady of the Dead sometimes loans the mantle to favored worshipers
for short periods of time.

In any given round Kiaransalee can command absolute loyalty from any
undead creature within 100 yards that is not of semidivine or divine
status, and she can animate any corpse she touches. (Typically she can
animate 10 corpses per round if they are placed close together.) If she
forgos her melee attack in a round, she can make two spellcasting
attacks in a round.

Kiaransalee is immune to poisons, death magic, special attack forms
from undead, and has permanent free action. She can charm person at
will and can keep up to 66 Hit Dice or levels of creatures charmed at
any one time. Opponents have a penalty of -4 to their saving throws
when saving
against her spells from the necromantic sphere or the school or
necromancy. She is immune to spells from the school or
illusion/phantasm. She can only be struck by +1 or better magical
weapons.

Other Manifestations

Kiaransalee rarely manifests in the Realms, preferring to husband her
personal power and work indirectly through the actions of her servants.
When she does manifest, however, the Lady of the Dead uses one of three
forms.  Kiaransalee's favorite form is to cause a skull to rise up
several feet above the ground and rapidly whirl about for several
seconds. When the skull stops rotating, it bears the visage of a comely
female dark elf. The goddess then addresses those present (typically
communicating a cryptic bit of information), threatens vengeance for
some insult or slight, or simply utters a maniacal laugh. The skull
then vanishes, or if Kiaransalee wishes, utters a wail of the banshee
(as the 9th-level wizard spell) and then disappears.

Kiaransalee sometimes manifests as a dry, chuckling laughter tinged
with madness coupled with the distinct sensation that someone has
stepped on the grave of every creature hearing her mad chortle. This
effect reduces the Wisdom and Constitution ability scores of everyone
present by ld4 points for the next 24 hours and duplicates the effects
of a fear spell. Since there is no obvious threat present, however,
those who hear the goddess's laughter flee in a random direction, as
adjudicated by the DM.

The Revenancer's most terrifying manifestation always comes without
warning. This manifestation only occurs while the target is standing on
soil at least 6 feet deep (in other words, ground that could
conceivably be dug up to serve as a grave). A pair of giant skeletal
hands burst forth from the ground and drag the unfortunate victim into
the earth in the blink of an eye.  The victim is dragged 6 feet under
the ground and held as if by a sink incantation (identical to the
8th-level wizard spell). If Kiaransalee is feeling generous, the effect
ends after 4 turns, and the subject is forcibly expelled from the
ground. If the victim has slighted or insulted the Vengeful Banshee,
however, the victim remains imprisoned until rescued by his or her
comrades (assuming they have the means and opportunity to do so). In
either case, after being freed the victim has a -4 penalty to all
saving throws vs. death magic for the next year.

The Church

CLERGY:           Crusaders, necromancers, specialty priests
CLERGY'S ALIGN.:  CE
TURN UNDEAD:      Cru: No, Nec: No, SP: No
CMND. UNDEAD:     Cru: No, Nec: No, SP: Yes, at priest level +2

Kiaransalee commonly acts through the appearance or presence of
apparitions, banshees, coffer corpses, crawling claws, crimson deaths,
ghasts, ghosts, ghouls, haunts, heucuva, kiaranshee, larvae, lhiannan
shee, liches of all sorts (including fallen baelnorns), maurezhi,
nightmares, penangglans, phantoms, quasits, revenants, shadow fiends,
shadows, shee, sheet ghouls, sheet phantoms, simpathetics, skeletons,
skuz, slow shadows, spectres, wights, wraiths, vampires of all sorts,
vargouilles, yeth hounds, and zombies, as well as even rarer forms of
undead. The Lady of the Dead shows her favor through the discovery of
chalcedony, chrysoberyl, chrysocolla, epidote, irtios, ivory, king's
tears, meerschaum, moonbars, samarskite, silkstone, tomb jade and her
displeasure through the discovery of skulls that split cleanly into two
pieces and bones that collapse into dust when touched.

All crusaders and specialty priests of Kiaransalee receive religion
(drow), religion (elven), and reading/writing (drowic) as bonus
nonweapon proficiencies. The DM is encouraged to allow Kiaransalee's
clergy members access to the necromantic spells detailed in the
Complete Book of Necromancers.

Kiaransalee and her followers are little known in the Realms, even
among the drow themselves. Even those dark elves who learn of her
existence usually assume she is simply some sort of lich with delusions
of godhood. On the surface of the Realms, Kiaransalee is almost wholly
unknown, aside from a few reclusive sages. In Vaasa, rumors of
Zhengyi's harem of undead drow mistresses haunting the Black Holes of
Sunderland are beginning to spread in Darmshall and have drawn the
attention of one or more members of the Spysong network.

Kiaransalee is worshiped in solitary secrecy in cities dedicated to
Lolth in simple shrines hidden away from prying eyes. Such shrines are
simply black marble sarcophagi adorned with carved depictions of the
dead rising up to take their revenge on the living. To venerate the
Lady of the Dead, a priest of Kiaransalee simply lies within her
personal sarcophagus while holding her holy symbol clasped in two hands
across her breast. According to legend, if a living priest of the
Revenancer is disturbed while so engaged, Kiaransalee grants her the
powers of a vampire for the next 24 hours. While the only true temple
of the Lady of the Dead found in the Realms is the Acropolis of
Thanatos (described below), smaller chapels exist in the wilds of the
Underdark across the length and breadth of Faerun.  Such chapels are
typically small caves in which the skulls and bones of countless
long-dead creatures have been partially absorbed by the walls, roof, or
floor of the cavern. Kiaransalee is said to guide small bands of
worshipers to such sites far from the prying eyes of the Spider Queen's
priests where they can worship in secret and plot their vengeance on
their spider-loving kin.

Kiaransalee's clergy are known collectively as the Crones of Thanatos.
Novices of the Revenancer are known as the Commanded. All other members
of the clergy are known as Nighthags. Titles used by Kiaransaleen
priests vary widely across temple hierarchies, but those used at the
Acropolis of Thanatos include Bones of the Dead, Flesh of the Zombie,
Terror Touch of the Ghoul, Chill Touch of the Shadow, Raking Claws of
the Wight, Life Leech of the Wraith, Rot of the Mummy, and Spirit
Harvest of the Spectre. High-ranking priests of the Lady of the Dead
have unique individual titles. Specialty priests are known as
yathrinshee. As one might expect, many of Kiaransalee's faithful are
transformed into undead servitors either by their own hands, by the
hands of other priests, or-in very rare cases-by the hand of the
goddess herself. High-ranking priests may become banshees, liches,
vampires, or-if truly favored-kiaranshee.  (Kiaranshee are banshees who
retain their spellcasting powers, whether they were necromancers or
priests.) The clergy of Kiaransalee includes only living and undead
female dark elves. Kiaransalee's clergy includes specialty priests
(80%), necromancers (12%), and crusaders (8%).

Dogma: Death comes to all, and cruel vengeance will be exacted on those
who waste their lives on the petty concerns of this existence. True
power comes only from the unquestioning servitude of the once-dead,
mastery over death, and the eventual earned stature of one of the
ever-living in death. Hunt, slay, and animate those who scorn the
Revenancer's power, and answer any slight a thousandfold so that all
may know the coming power of Kiaransalee.

Day-to-Day Activities: Kiaransalee's priests are rare, secretive, and
usually found in small drow communities or special enclaves. They are
agents of vengeance, plotting revenge on those who have slain, harmed,
or insulted the priesthood in any way. They also regularly go out on
missions to kill others to acquire corpses for animation or to steal
the corpses of the recently buried. They take a prominent role in
persecuting slaves of the drow.

Holy Days/Important Ceremonies: While each priest performs a handful of
minor devotions to Kiaransalee every month, the Crones of Thanatos
venerate the Lady of the Dead on a single annual holy day-the
Graverending-celebrated each Midwinter Eve. The Graverending is
celebrated individually, with each priest animating as many undead
creatures as she can. All such undead-known as the Vengeance
Hunters-are consumed with thoughts of revenge against their killers and
unerringly seek them out over the next 24 hours. If destroyed, a
Vengeance Hunter does not rise again. Vengeance Hunters return to their
graves, if possible, once 24 hours have passed since their animation or
once they have exacted their revenge.

Major Centers of Worship: Deep beneath the Galena Mountains and the
cold plains of Vaasa is a great subterranean lake fed by the icy waters
of the Great Glacier and inhabited by hundreds of giant water spiders.
The Vault of Gnashing Teeth is so-named for the thousands of skulls
embedded in the roof whose collective cacophonous chomping echoes
throughout the great cavern. At the center of the freshwater sea is a
large island, nearly a mile in diameter, dominated by a steep-sided
plateau at its center. All that remains of V'elddrinnsshar-once a drow
city dedicated to the Spider Queen that encircled the central mesa-are
crumbling ruins, stalked by a legion of banshees awakened by
Kiaransalee's faithful, and the bones of the city's former inhabitants
(drow and slaves of various races).

V'elddrinnsshar fell in the Year of Many Bones (1278 DR) to the ravages
of the Ascomoid Plague and was plundered by duergar scavengers a decade
later. The city sat unoccupied until the Year of the Wandering Maiden
(1337 DR), when it was explored by Reaper of Souls Larynda Telenna and
a small band of acolytes. At their goddess's direction, the priests
began construction of a
brooding temple of black marble atop the central plateau, a massive
stalagmite whose tip had been sheered off centuries before by the
followers of Lolth for a similar purpose. When the Acropolis of
Thanatos was completed a decade later, Larynda had expanded the ranks
of Kiaransalee's faithful a thousandfold, and the skulls of
V'elddrinnsshar's dead had been enchanted and mounted in the cavern's
roof to form an unholy choir. Since the temple's completion, the
priests of Kiaransalee have relentlessly combated the Cult of the
Goat's Head, active in the lands of Vaasa above. In the decade since
the defeat of the Witch-King and the destruction of Castle Perilous,
Kiaransalee's priests have nearly exterminated the remaining clergy of
Orcus in the Bloodstone Lands-many of whom took refuge in the Black
Holes of Sunderland and thus were readily accessible to attacks from
below-and destroyed most of the goblinkin tribes who venerated the
Prince of the Undead while the Witch-King reigned in the Lands of
Light.  Although they do not realize it, King Gareth Dragonsbane and
the people of Damara owe a great deal of their success against the
forces of the Witch-King to their subterranean neighbors.

Affiliated Orders: The Legion of Vengeful Banshees is an order of
Kiaransaleen crusaders dedicated to the destruction of Tenebrous's
undead tanar'ri servants, known as visages. While Banshee Knights are
found on many worlds, in the Realms all are based in the Acropolis of
Thanatos deep beneath the Galenas. From their chapter house within the
temple grounds, the members of the order mount long-ranging hunts on
the surface and in the Underdark for Tenebrous's minions. The Banshee
Knights have apparently developed some sort or spell or magical item
that allows them to detect and defend against the use of a visage's
lucidity control power. Crusaders of the order are fanatically
dedicated to their goddess and the destruction of all visages; they
stop at nothing to see one destroyed, regardless of the collateral
damage.

Priestly Vestments: The church of Kiaransalee favors loose black robes
with hooded cowls stitched with bone and ivory. The clergy wear gray
skullcaps on their shaven heads and thin silver rings on every finger
save the thumb. They spread a grayish paste made of the ashes of
incinerated corpses over all uncovered skin, such as the face, hands,
and feet. The holy symbol of the faith is the silver rings worn on as
noted above.

Adventuring Garb: Priests of Kiaransalee are forbidden to wear any sort
of armor, preferring to trust their own magical defenses and the combat
skills of their undead bodyguards. Many priests substitute a silver
ring of protection for one of their ceremonial rings to supplement
their defenses. Members of the Revenancer's clergy are trained in a
wide variety of weapons, but most favor slim poisoned blades, garrotes,
and maces so as to minimize the damage to bodies that could later be
animated.

Specialty Priests (Yathrinshee)

REQUIREMENTS:        Intelligence 9, Wisdom 9
PRIME REQ.:          Intelligence , Wisdom
ALIGNMENT:           CE
WEAPONS:             Any
ARMOR:               None
MAJOR SPHERES:       All, charm, combat, divination, elemental
                     (earth), guardian, healing (reversed only),
                     necromantic, sun (reversed only)
MINOR SPHERES:       Astral, chaos, elemental (fire), protection,
                     summoning
MAGICAL ITEMS:       As clerics
REQ. PROFS:          Dagger, spellcraft, singing
BONUS PROFS:         Necrology

* Yathrinshee must be drow females.

* Yathrinshee are not allowed to multiclass.

* Yathrinshee are immune to the special attack forms from undead beings
  including level-draining, energy-draining, statistic-draining, magic
  jar, aging, and so on, provided they are initiated by an undead
  creature. They are always protected by the equivalent of the
  3rd-level priest spell negative plane protection. This does not make
  them immune to physical damage inflicted by an undead creature.

* Yathrinshee can cast wizard spells from the necromancy school as
  defined in the Limited Wizard Spellcasting section of "Appendix 1:
  Demihuman Priests."

* Yathrinshee can cast animate dead (as the 3rd-level priest spell)
  once per day. They can animate one corpse for every two experience
  levels their possess.

* At 3rd level, yathrinshee can cast chill touch (as the 1st-level
  wizard spell) or invisibility to undead (as the Ist-level priest
  spell) once per day.

* At 5th level, yathrinshee can cast vampiric touch (as the 3rd-level
  wizard spell) or speak with dead (as the 3rd-level priest spell) once
  per day.

* At 7th level, yathrinshee can cast contagion or enervation (as the
  4th-level wizard spells) once per day.

* At 7th level, yathrinshee can cast cure critical wounds (as the
  5th-level priest spell) once per day on themselves only.

* At 10th level, yathrinshee can heal 2d4 points of damage+1 point per
  level to an undead creature by touch.

* At 13th level, yathrinshee can cast heal (as the 6th-level priest
  spell) once per day on themselves only.

* At 15th level, yathrinshee can cast energy drain (as the 9th-level
  wizard spell) or wail of the banshee (as the 9th-level wizard spell)
  once per day.

* At 20th level, yathrinshee can cast slay living (as the reverse of
  the 5th-level priest spell raise dead) or destruction (as the reverse
  of the 7th-level priest spell resurrection) twice per tenday.

Kiaransaleen Spells

2nd Level

Threnody (Pr 2; Necromancy, Enchantment/Charm)

Sphere:              Necromantic, Charm
Range:               0
Components           V
Duration:            Special
Casting Time:        1 round
Area of Effect:      30-foot radius
Saving Throw:        Special

Also known as Kiaransalee's song of lament, this spell enables the
priest to evoke images of lost friends and family in the minds of those
who are facing the undead, hindering their ability to attack those who
bear the guise of their loved ones.

After 1 round of singing threnody (the casting time), anyone within or
who enters the spell's area of effect while the singing continues must
succeed at a saving throw vs. spell or fall under the sway of threnody
for as long as she or he remains within the area of effect. Anyone
unaffected who remains within the area of effect in subsequent rounds
must continue to roll a saving throw vs. spell with a +2 bonus or fall
under the sway of threnody.  The only way to escape the lament's
effects is to stay more than 30 feet from the singer of threnody.

To a being under the sway of threnody, undead creatures in the area of
effect appear to be deceased persons for whom the subject being cared
deeply. As a result of threnody's magic, affected beings attack undead
opponents with a -2 penalty to attack and damage rolls.

A fortunate few persons-typically the very young or the very
sheltered-have never lost a loved one or family member or witnessed a
death.  Such individuals (as adjudicated by the DM) are immune to
threnody. At the other extreme of experience, if a being who falls
under the sway of Kiaransaiee's song of lament who actually encounters
the animated remains of a love one or comrade while subject to the
spell's effects is incapable of attacking that foe and suffers a -4 AC
penalty to avoid the undead creature's attacks.

This spell requires no material components, but the priest casting
threnody must be a proficient singer.

5th Level

Haunted Reverie (Pr 5; Necromancy)

Sphere:            Necromantic
Range:             Touch
Components:        V,S
Duration:          Special
Casting Time:      8
Area of Effect:    One elf
Saving Throw:      Special

This insidious incantation affects only elves, drawing them into a
world of nightmares when they attempt to enter the reverie. After
casting haunted reverie, the priest must make a successful attack roll
against an elf, ignoring any nonmagical Armor Class adjustments
(including shields and the base AC rating of armor, but excluding
Dexterity and magical adjustments), within the next turn or the spell
dissipates without effect. Only one elf is affected by this spell.

A latent haunted reverie effect can be removed by a remove curse,
limited wish, or wish, but not a dispel magic. Once an elf enters the
haunted reverie, only a wish or a remove curse cast by a 12th-level
caster can extract him or her from its effects.

The subject of a haunted reverie attack suffers no effects from the
magical attack until the next time she or he enters the reverie. Upon
entering the reverie, the targeted elf must succeed at a saving throw
vs. spell with a -3 penalty to avoid its effects. If the saving throw
is successful, haunted reverie is held in abeyance until the next
attempt to enter the reverie. Each subsequent attempt by the elf to
enter into the reverie requires another saving throw vs. spell, but the
penalty decreases by one with each success. If the elf succeeds at four
successive saving throws against the spell, the magic of haunted
reverie dissipates without effect. However, upon failing any of the
saving throws, she or he enters into the haunted reverie, a nightmarish
parody of the true reverie sought.

An elf who enters the haunted reverie thrashes about in agony but
cannot be awakened except by means of a wish spell or a remove curse
cast by a 12th-level caster. The elf is consumed by horrific visions of
Thanatos, Kiaransalee's realm in the Abyss. Memories of friends,
family, and favorite places are intermixed with visions of death, the
undead, and decay. Each turn an elf remains in the haunted reverie, she
or he must succeed at a saving throw vs. spell-with a cumulative -1
penalty for every turn entrapped in the haunted reverie (round down)-to
escape its nightmarish dreamscape. For every turn an elf remains in the
haunted reverie, she or he loses 1 point of Intelligence in the first
round, then 1 point of Wisdom in the second round, and then 1 point of
Constitution in the third round. If any attribute drops to 0 (zero) in
this manner, the elf's psyche is drawn into Kiaransalee's grasp, and
the elf is permanently dead, beyond the reach of all magic save a wish
spell.

Once an elf escapes the haunted reverie, the spell ends, even if the
elf has not yet succeeded at a saving throw vs. the effect on four
separate occasions. Lost Intelligence, Wisdom, and Constitution
attributes return at a rate of 1 point each every hour.

Although elves are normally resistant to sleep and charm spells,
haunted reverie is designed to undermine the defenses of elves to such
effects, and, as a result, the normal elven magic resistance to such
enchantments is ineffective in defending against haunted reverie.

6th Level

Curse of the Revenancer (Pr 6; Necromancy)

Sphere:          Necromantic
Range:           Touch
Components:      V,S,M
Duration:        Special
Casting Time:    8
Area of Effect:  One living creature
Saving Throw:    Special

This spell curses a single creature to be haunted by the vengeful
spirits of the dead. Curse of the Revenancer requires the priest to
make a successful touch attack within 3 rounds of casting this spell or
the spell dissipates harmlessly. A victim touched within that time can
avoid the curse's effects by making a successful saving throw vs.
spell, but otherwise nothing short of a wish or a remove curse cast by
a 14th-level caster can end the curse of the Revenancer.

Once the curse of the Revenancer is successfully laid on a victim, any
foe killed by the victim has a 5% chance of rising from the grave as a
revenant, regardless of the foe's ability scores. If the foe's
Constitution is at least 18 and either Intelligence or Wisdom is 17 or
greater, that chance increases to 30%. If the foe is a follower of
Kiaransalee, the chance of the foe rising as a revenant increases to
50%. If the foe is the priest who laid the curse of the Revenancer, the
chance of the foe rising as a revenant is 100%.

The effects of the curse of the Revenancer become more pronounced the
more deaths the victim of the curse is responsible for. If the victim
of the curse kills a large number of creatures shortly after the curse
is laid, she or he may awaken an army of revenants seeking vengeance
before even noting the presence of the curse. For the purposes of this
spell, the victim is deemed to have killed a foe if she or he delivers
the killing blow via magical, psionic, or physical assault or by
poison.

The material components of this spell are a pinch of dirt from a
freshly dug grave and the priest's holy symbol.

Lolth
-----

(The Spider Queen, Queen of Spiders, Demon Queen of Spiders, Demon
Queen of the Abyss, Queen of the Demonweb Pits, Weaver of Chaos, the
Hunted the Mother of Lusts, Dark Mother of All Drow, Lady of Spiders)
Intermediate Power of the Abyss, CE
PORTFOLIO:         Spiders, evil, darkness, chaos, assassins, the
                   drow race
ALIASES:           Araushnee, Lloth (Menzoberranzan and
                   Uluitur), Megwandir, Moander, Zinzerena
DOMAIN NAME:       66th level/Lolth's Web (the Demonweb Pits)
SUPERIOR:          None
ALLIES:            Loviatar, Malar, Selvetarm
FOES:              Deep Duerra, Eilistraee, Ghaunadaur,
                   Gruumsh Ibrandul (dead), Kiaran.satee,
                   Laduguer, Moander (dead), the Seldarine,
                   Vhaeraun, Blibdoolpoolp, the Blood Queen,
                   Diinkarazan, Diirinka, Great Mother,  Gzemnid,
                   Ilsensine, Ilxendren, Laogzed, Maanzecorian
                   (dead), Psilofyr
SYMBOL:            Black spider with female drow head (at bottom
                   of figure) or black cloak and short sword
                   (Zinzerena aspect)
WOR. ALIGN.:       LN, N, CN, LE, NE, CE

Lolth (LOLTH) is the goddess of the drow race and drow society. She is
responsible for the nature, customs, laws, and survival of most drow
commu-nities. The Spider Queen maintains her absolute rule over drow
cities by means of her clergy, who tirelessly seek out and destroy all
traces of dissent, disobedience, rival faiths, or sacrilege and w
ruthlessly enforce the Way of Lolth. The Spider Queen foments unending
chaos in drow society and sets the drow eternally at war with each
other both for her own amuse-ment and to prevent complacency, runaway
pride from asserting itself, or the rise of other faiths. Lolth is also
venerated by chitines, a small spiderlike race that are castoffs of the
drow.

As Araushnee, Lolth was once a lesser power of the Seldarine and the
consort of Corellon Larethian. She was the patron of artisans, the
goddess of elven destiny, and-later, by Corellon's decree-the keeper of
those elves who shared her darkly beautiful features. The Weaver of
Destiny bore Corel-lon twin godlings-Vhaeraun and Eilistraee-before she
turned against her lover and betrayed him. First she aided Gruumsh
One-Eye, chief among the orcish gods, in one of his perennial battles
with the Creator of the Elves, and then she set Malar on the trail of
the weakened Corellon after observing the Beastlord defeat Herne on
Faerun. When these plots failed as a result of Corellon's skill at arms
and Sehanine's interference, Araushnee raised a host of hostile
powers-the anti-Seldarine-to assault Arvandor.  Despite the treachery
of Araushnee, and to a lesser extent, Vhaeraun, the assault failed and
the perfidy of Corellon's consort and son were revealed.  By order of
the Council of the Seldarine, Araushnee was transformed into a
spider-shaped tanar'ri and banished to the Abyss.

As an Abyssal Lord, Araushnee assumed the name Lolth and conquered a
considerable portion of that foul plane, driving off Ghaunadaur and
subjugating Kiaransalee in the process. The Spider Queen then turned
her attentions toward corrupting the mortal children of the Seldarine
and reclaiming her divinity. Lolth's attentions were drawn once again
to Abeir-Toril by the intrusion of the moon elven heroine Kethryllia
Amarillis into her domain, and the Spider Queen immediately began to
cultivate followers among the most cruel and corrupt of Corellon's
children in Faerun. In the centuries that followed, Lolth made great
inroads among the warlike Ilythiiri, who had long since spread across
the South conquering their kin- folk under the careful guidance of
Vhaeraun, and to a lesser extent, Ghau- nadaur. Lolth's machinations
among the elves culminated in the Crown Wars, and eventually, the
descent of the drow into the Underdark, but by that time she had
enmeshed most of the dark-skinned Ilythiiri, now drow, in her webs and
engendered the death of countless elves and the destruction of much of
elven civilization in Faerun.

In the centuries since the Crown Wars, Lolth's followers have continued
to spread throughout the Underdark, from Dusklyngh to T'lindhet and
from Guallidurth to now-fallen V'elddrinnsshar. While other powers
contest her rule, the Spider Queen's dominion over the dark elves
continues to expand, albeit more slowly than before. Lolth's followers
have been occupied with the conquest of the Underdark and the
destruction of the faerie elves of the surface, and the Spider Queen
has never ceased in her efforts to destroy the elven sanctuary of
Evermeet.

Since the Time of Troubles, Lolth has assumed additional aspects as two
of her many stratagems to increase the ranks of her faithful and thus
her own personal power. In the drow city of Menzoberranzan, in the
Underdark beneath the North where Lolth-or Lloth, as she is known
there-appeared during the Time of Troubles, the Spider Queen has
allowed rumors to spread of a new demipower of chaos and assassins,
Zinzerena the Hunted.  While Zinzer-ena was once a legendary drow
assassin and later an emerging demipower of a world other than
Abeir-Toril, the Spider Queen recently slew Zinzerena-or at least
banished her influence from the Realms-and assumed her aspect as a test
to see if additional divine aspects increased or decreased the total
(albeit fragmented) divine power available.  In the Lands of Light,
Lolth has long found that the deeply imbued racial antipathy of the
surface elves toward the Spider Queen interferes with her attempts to
seduce otherwise eminently corruptible individuals. With the death of
Moander, always a more comprehensible (and tempting) force of evil to
the nature-loving surface elves than the Spider Queen, Lolth has
assumed the Darkbringer's aspect and portfolio of rotting death, decay,
and corruption and revived its cult in a bid to add elven, half-elven,
and human worshipers to the ranks of her faithful.

Although the Spider Queen detests all the members of the Seldarine,
Lolth reserves her deepest hatred for her former lover, Corellon
Larethian, who banished her to the Abyss and named her tanar'ri. The
Spider Queen particularly loathes Sehanine Moonbow, long her rival, for
her part in foiling Lolth's bid to replace Corellon as head of the
Seldarine. The Spider Queen has also vowed vengeance against Fenmarel
Mestarine, who spurned her after initially falling to her seductions.

Lolth is a cruel, capricious goddess, thought by many to be insane. She
delights in setting her worshipers at each other's throats, so that the
strongest, most devious and most cruel survive to serve her. Lolth
roams the Realms often, appearing in answer to the rituals of drow
priests, and working whatever harm she can to the enemies of drow.
(During the Time of Troubles, Lolth appeared in the northern city of
Menzoberranzan for a short period of time.) The Spider Queen secretly
wants to be worshiped by humans and elves of other races on the surface
Realms, and sometimes journeys among their communities, whispering of
the power Lolth can bring.  Lolth is malicious in her dealings and
coldly vicious in a fight. She enjoys both personally dealing and
causing death, destruction, and painful torture.  Even more, Lolth
enjoys corrupting elves and humans to her service. Lolth can be kind
and render aid to those she fancies-but she really cares only for
herself; her favor and aid can never be relied on. The Spider Queen
enjoys the company of and can converse with spiders of all sorts.

Lolth's Avatar (Cleric 33, Mage 31, Fighter 20)

Lolth can appear as a giant black widow spider with crimson eyes, or
she can change into the form of a human-sized, exquisitely beautiful
female drow. In this form she often clothes herself entirely in
clinging spiders, but sometimes wearing drow chain mail styled into
artful dresses or tunics. She can also combine the two forms, appearing
as a giant spider with a coldly beautiful female drow head. This is the
form in which she is usually found in the Abyss, and it is thought to
be her true form. Lolth can call on any sphere or school of magic for
her spells.

AC -2 (drow) or -4 (spider); MV 15 (drow) or 9, Wb 24 (spider); HP 210;
THAC0 1; #AT 1 or 3/1 (drow) or 3 (spider/drow) or 3 (spider)
Dmg 1d1O+9 (fist, +9 STR) or by drow weapon type (+3 drow weapon bonus,
+9 STR) (drow); ld4+special (webs) and 4d4+poison (bite) (spider/drow);
or 1d4+special (webs) and 4d4+poison (spider) MR 70%; SZ M (6 feet
tall-drow) or L (12 feet diameter-spider) STR 21,DEX 21,CoN 21,INT
21,WiS l7,CHA 23 (3 in spiderform)
Spells P: 12/12/11/10/9/9/9, W: 7/7/7/7/7/7/7/7/7
Saves PPDM 2, RSW 3, PP 4, BW 4, Sp 4

Special Att/Def: Statistics for Lolth's spider and combined spider/drow
form are nearly identical. Changing from drow form to either spider or
spider/drow form (or the reverse) takes an entire round, during which
Lolth can take no other action, is AC 0, and cannot use any spell-like
powers.  Changing from spider form to spider/drow form (or the reverse)
is instantaneous.

When summoned to the Realms, Lolth likes to roam the Underdark, basking
in the terrified worship of drow. She customarily takes any magical
items they offer to her (or that strike her fancy). When encountered,
she typically has ld4 such items, of the DM's choice. She can employ
these in any form, regardless of class limitations. When she employs a
weapon or weapons in combat (she can fight two-handed when she desires
at no penalty), they are drow weapons of +3 enchantment of variable
type.  Lolth can cast her priest and wizard spells only in drow form
and can then cast two spells in any round in which she forgos her
physical attack, rather than the normal one spell/one physical attack
sequence combat capabilities of avatars. In addition, Lolth can (in any
form) use any one of the following spell-like powers in a round at
will: charm arachnid (a spiders-only charm monster with no saving
throw; intelligent beings who have magically assumed spider form
receive saving throws vs. spell at a -5 penalty), comprehend languages,
confusion (creature looked at only-the victim need not meet Lolth's
gaze to be affected but gets a saving throw vs.  paralyzation to avoid
the effects), darkness 15' radius, dispel magic, dimension door, ESP
(drow only, one target per round), summon spiders (01-20%: ld8+8 large
spiders; 21-50%: ld6+6 huge spiders; 51-90%: 2d4 giant spiders; 91-00%:
ld4 phase spiders), tongues, and true seeing. Lolth can use the
following spell-like powers once per day: change self, clairvoyance,
domination, mind blank, and Evard's black tentacles. The Spider Queen
can also cast phase door and read magic twice per day and heal three
times per day as spell-like abilities.

When in drow form, Lolth's direct physical embrace, if she wishes, can
act as a charm person (with a -4 penalty to saving throws vs. spell) on
a human or demihuman of either sex. She customarily leaves a poisonous
spider to aid, guard, and keep watch on someone who serves her, and
gives them any one magical item that she possesses or can seize.

In spider or spider/drow form, Lolth can cast up to 30-foot-long web
strands from her abdominal spinnerets. These webs are equal in effect
to a web spell and are covered with a flesh-corrosive secretion that
inflicts 1d4 points of damage per round of contact unless a successful
a saving throw vs. poison is rolled. Lolth can swivel her spinnerets to
fire in all directions (except through her own body) and can cast 2
strands per round as well as biting or using a spell-like power.
Lolth's bite does 4d4 points of damage; the victim must succeed at a
saving throw vs. poison at -4 or die in 1d2 rounds of in twitching
agony.

Lolth can only be struck by +2 or better magical weapons. She is immune
to all poisons. Cold and electrical attacks do only half damage, bur
Lolth suffers extra damage from holy water. (Each vial does 3d6+3
points of damage from a direct hit and 6 points of damage from a
splash.) She has 120-foot infravision and 90-foot-range telepathy. She
is not harmed or discomfited by light.

Other Manifestations

Lolth rarely aids her worshipers directly, preferring to watch and
enjoy their sufferings and struggles. If she wants someone to know that
she is watching, Lolth causes a smirking pair of sensuous lips to
appear on any spider present. The spider is always outlined in a
flickering purple faerie fire. If no spider is present, Lolth creates a
smiling, spider-shaped shadow of giant size.

More rarely, Lolth acts directly. In such cases, her power may be seen
as a flickering black, mauve-edged radiance around a person or object
temporarily imbued with her power. The Spider Queen's power typically
gives one or both of the following aids to affected things: double
damage (triple
to giant-type creatures) or immunity to breakage or other damage
(automatic success on all item saving throws). It also gives any or all
of the following aids to affected beings for 1 turn: the ability to
strike first in any combat round, a +4 bonus to Armor Class, and a
three-level improvement in fighting ability. (For this lasts, phantom
hit points are gained and all damage inflicted is subtracted from these
points first; when the phantom points disappear at the end of the turn,
only any excess damage is actually suffered by the character.)

Lolth's laughter-soft, cruel feminine chuckling-is often heard by drow
who have lost her favor or who have gone mad. It is also heard by foes
of the drow, especially when beings of these sorts are alone and/or
fleeing in the endless caverns and passages of the Underdark. Beings of
less than 2 Hit Dice flee uncontrollably, as if affected by a fear
spell, until they die, are knocked unconscious, or can hear her
laughter no more.

The Church

CLERGY:            Clerics, crusaders, specialty priests
CLERGY'S ALIGN.:   CN, LE, NE, CE
TURN UNDEAD:       C: No, Cru: No, SP: No
CMND. UNDEAD:      C: No, Cru: No, SP: Yes

Lolth typically acts through the appearance of yochlol, the handmaidens
of Lolth, or myrlochar, the soul spiders. She also acts through the
appearance or presence of abyss ants, aranea, bebiliths, brambles
(petty faeries), cildabrin, darkweavers, deep dragons, driders, fallen
and corrupted eladrin, ettercaps, greelox, kalin, living webs,
pedipalpi (large, huge, and giant varieties), quasits, retrievers,
shadowdrakes, solifugids (large, huge, and giant varieties), spiders
(brain, hairy, large, hook, huge, gargantuan, giant, phase, sword,
vortex, watch and wraith varieties), spiderstone golems, tanar'n, red
widows, wall walkers, webbirds, and werespiders. Lolth has never been
known to employ steeders as minions, and their use as steeds by the
duergar hints at an ancient pact between Lolth and Laduguer. The Spider
Queen shows her favor through the discovery of arachnids encased in
amber, black sapphires, datchas, and webstone, and her displeasure by
causing items of value (usually gems) to shatter into eight pieces of
roughly equal size.

All clerics (including fighter/clerics), crusaders, and specialty
priests of Lolth receive religion (drow), religion (elven),
reading/writing (drowic), and ancient languages (high drow) as bonus
nonweapon proficiencies.

Members of Lolth's clergy always gain access to the spells faerie fire
and continual faerie fire (detailed in Prayers from the Faithful).
Members of Lolth's clergy must be drow or chitines, although little is
known about the latter, even among the dark elves themselves.

The Spider Queen is the subject of terrifying legend among most surface
dwellers and seen as virtually synonymous with the greatly feared drow.
In the Underdark, she is a well-known evil, hated for the cruel power
of her priests by dwarves, svirfneblin, and other races. Few elves are
even willing to discuss their deep-dwelling kin, let alone the dark
goddess who is blamed in large part for their depravity and for leading
them into evil. Only the dark elven priests of Eilistraee are even
willing to discuss the Spider Queen, and their fury at her enslavement
of their kin exceeds even that of the other elven subraces. Lolth is
hated and feared even by her most devout priests; they venerate her for
the power she provides, not out of any sense of affection or loyalty or
principles. Dark elves who venerate other evil gods as well all male
drow who pay her homage revile both the Spider Queen and her priests
for the power they possess, not that they would not seize such power
for themselves if they could.

Noble Houses have their own private temples, and every drow city has at
least one large, open public gathering-area for large rituals, calls to
war, and the like. Most cities also have a grand temple to the Spider
Queen, used for training priests. In every temple, despite large
differences in size, opulence, and importance, certain constants apply.
Inner chambers are reserved for the worship and business of Lolth,
including most spellcasting.  These chambers are always shrouded in
darkness, except for the radiances involved in spellcasting and
rituals. Antechambers are set aside for warcouncils, and most business
wherein priests meet with drow males and outsiders. Most temples have
guardian creatures, often hidden, and occasionally magical in nature
(such as jade spiders). These usually include spiders of all sorts. In
the event of an attack, even the harmless sorts of spiders can be
equipped with armor-sheaths, strapped to their backs, that bear House
defense runes-or even, in the case of intelligent, charmed spi-ders,
house insignia with active magic powers may be wielded.  Statuettes of
the Spider Queen, usually worked of black stone, are present in all
temple chambers. Marble and obsidian are favored materials for statuary
and temple furniture. There are always large, ornately carved (with
spider shapes) braziers, and at least one altar of black stone.  Titles
used by Lolthite priests vary widely from city to city but are strictly
enforced within their respective domains. As an example, in
Guallidurth, deep beneath Calimshan, Lolth's clergy are known
collectively as Yom'y-athrins. In ascending order, the hierarchy of
titles for the Temple City of Lolth include Noamutha, Khalessa, Kyorla,
Alura, Quartha, Talintha, Elamshina, and Xundusa. High-ranking priests
of the Spider Queen are collectively known as yathtallars. If they rule
a noble house they are known as Ilharess (Matron Mother), but otherwise
they are titled Streea'Valsharess (Black Widow). Specialty priests are
known as arachnes. The clergy of Lolth includes dark elves (94%) and
chitines (6%). Of the dark elves, 96% are female; there are male
priests of Lolth (4%), but the Spider Queen very rarely allows them to
rise above 7th level of experience. Lolth's clergy includes spe-cialty
priests (40%), clerics (30%), fighter/clerics (20%), and crusaders
(10%), although the relative fractions of each vary from city to city.

Dogma: Fear is as strong as steel, while love and respect are soft,
useless feelings that none can lean on. All drow who do not worship
Lolth must be converted or destroyed. All weak and rebellious drow 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.

Such are the commands of Lolth-but the priest who follows them blindly
is on a slippery path leading to swift death. Success in the service of
Lolth lies with those who are attentive to the ever-changing, often
contradictory will of Lolth. Lolth's capricious nature makes
hard-and-fast rules few and uncertainty great. Of course, questioning
Lolth's motives or wisdom is a sin. Aiding nondrow against drow is a
great sin, as is ignoring the Spider Queen's commands in favor of love.
(Lolth often tests her priests by ordering the sacrifice of a favored
consort.) Drow who lose the favor of Lolth are always given a single
chance to redeem themselves.  This is usually a dangerous or difficult
mission, though Lolth may test certain individuals by setting no task
at all and observing what they do.  Those who willfully fail are
destroyed. Lolth commands other worshipers to do this (in turn, testing
them). Those who fail through mischance or poor planning or execution
are usually transformed into driders. Lolth often plays favorites among
her drow worshipers, but those who ride high one season are warned that
Lolth can turn her dark face upon them without warning and undoubtedly
will sometime soon.

Day'to-Day Activities: Lolth's priests are the rulers, police forces,
judges, juries, and executioners of drow 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
drow 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 the Realms as a snake or spider.  (Drow 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.

Holy Days/Important Ceremonies: 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 drow faithful and/or captured foes, spilled with a spider-shaped
knife whose eight descending legs are blades (2d6 points of damage). 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 nondrow.  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). If
this occurs, every priest of Lolth present in the chamber instantly
receives a free darkfire spell to wield, even if she or he is carrying
a full load of spells or has other darkfire spells memorized. The spell
comes with the strong command to use it, forthwith, to blast those who
would so insult Lolth.

Lolth enters the Prime Material Plane in avatar form or allows herself
to be contacted only when it pleases her to do so. Otherwise, Lolth's
servant yochlol are reached. Such contact rituals require the use of a
brazier of burning oils, coals, or incense-burned in a vessel fashioned
of a valuable black material (such as onyx, obsidian, or a golden bowl
whose interior is studded with black pearls). The flames provide
material that the magic transforms into an interplanar gate temporarily
linking the 66th layer of the Abyss with the Prime Material Plane.
Through this link, the yochlol appear, using flame material to fashion
semblances of themselves. If called with sufficient force, a yochlol
can emerge fully from its gate. Lolth usually orders her handmaidens to
remain in the Prime Material Plane only so long as the flames that
brought them remain-the dying of the summoning flame then allows a
yochlol the safety of being sucked instantly back to the Abyss. Yochlol
who are summoned can keep the gate that brought them open while they
communicate with Lolth and others in the Abyss. (Such communication
demands their full attention, causing their Prime Material forms to go
momentarily blank faced and unhearing.) They can also send one creature
of the Abyss into the Prime Material Plane, loose of all control and
against the wishes of the summoner. This act causes the destruction of
the gate and the disappearance of the yochlol. Such sends are usually
myrlochar.

Major Centers of Worship: Deep beneath the deserts of Calimshan and the
southern tunnels of Deep Shanatar is Guallidurth, the Temple City of
Lolth. The Matron Mothers of twenty-one noble Houses sit on the ruling
Council of this ancient city, each representing one (or more, in some
cases) sect, cult, or faction of the Spider Queen's faithful. One
measure of a sect's relative influence is the magnificence of the house
of worship it can afford to construct. As a result, Guallidurth
contains hundreds, if not thousands, of temples dedicated to Lolth
ranging in size from simple shrines to modest chapels to grand
cathedrals. Many of the city's temples are ruined-their congregations
long since murdered in the endless religious strife that rages across
the city-or abandoned-their congregations able to afford more
ostentatious (and defensible) houses of worship. Only the unforgivable
heresy of dark elves worshiping other gods-such as the cities of
Vhaeraun worshipers in Sarenestar (the Forest of Mir)-unites the
Lolthite clergies of Guallidurth in common cause and even such
endeavors are usually doomed to failure by the infighting among members
of the various sects.  Affiliated Orders: The Militant Myrlochar, also
known as the Order of Soul Spiders, is an elite military order composed
solely of male crusaders and found in the few dark elven cities where
Lolth is revered and males are permitted to enter her priesthood. The
Militant Myrlochar directly serve the ruling Matron Mothers of the city
in which they are based as agents of uncontrolled destruction,
tirelessly hunting any creature designated as their quarry or who
interferes with their pursuit and wreaking havoc until recalled (which
rarely happens) or destroyed (their most common fate).  The Handmaidens
of the Spider Queen is an order of female crusaders with no permanent
ties to any individual city. Also known as the Daughters of the
Yochlol, the Handmaidens serve as instruments of Lolth's will in times
when the Spider Queen needs to bring an entire city into line. At least
three times in recorded history the Handmaidens of the Spider Queen
have assaulted and destroyed an entire dark elven city that threatened
to drift from Lolth's web of chaos. When not assembled into an army of
chaos and vengeance, the Handmaidens work in small companies scattered
throughout the Underdark, harassing merchant trains that look to
Vhaeraun for protection and conducting hit-and-run raids on cities
ruled by clergy of the Masked Lord or That Which Lurks.

Drow in the Realms have embraced offshoots of the major faiths, usually
following a charismatic mortal leader who claims to be something more.
The only such cult known to be still active, albeit in a debased form,
is the She-Spider Cult, a Thayan-based sect that tried to link worship
of Shar with devotion to Lolth. Opposed in the end by both goddesses,
the Cult enjoyed initial success as a secret society operating slaving
and drugrunning operations in Mulhorand, Unther, and southern Thay.
They eventually degenerated into a criminal gang without divine
support. The Cult still stages fake rituals to thrill worshipers and to
slay foes under the guise of sacrifices.

Priestly Vestments: When participating in rituals, priests of Lolth
work unclad or wear robes (black, trimmed with dark red and purple-or,
for lesser or novitiate priests, dark purple or red trimmed with
black). In some cities ornate helms carved to resemble writhing spiders
are worn by Lolth's clergy, while in others heads are always left
uncovered. Jewelry worn by the Spider Queen's priests consists of
spider medallions and other spider designs, all made of platinum. The
holy symbol of the faith is a platinum disk at least 3 inches in
diameter with an embossed depiction on both its obverse and reverse in
jet black enamel of a black widow spider or a platinum spider figurine
on a platinum or mithral chain necklace.

Adventuring Garb: Lolth's clergy favor drow chain mail with magical
bonuses ranging from +1 to +5. Typically such armor is enchanted to
have a +1 defensive bonus for every four levels of the priest. Some
priests also carry adamantite bucklers with similar properties to that
of drow chain mail and with magical bonuses ranging from +1 to +3.
Clerics of the Spider Queen typically wield adamantite maces-again with
similar properties to that of drow chain mail-with magical bonuses
ranging from +1 to +5. In addition to maces, crusaders and arachnes
sometimes wield adamantite short swords and long daggers, with magical
bonuses ranging from +1 to +3 (+4 if they are of noble blood). Priests
who are not clerics may also employ hand-held crossbows that shoot
darts up to 60 yards and inflict ld3 points of damage, in addition to
being coated with drow sleep poison that renders a victim unconscious
for 2d4 hours if she or he fails a saving throw vs. poison with a -4
penalty. Likewise, crusaders and arachnes sometimes employ small
javelins coated with the same poison as the darts, with a range of 90
yards and attack bonuses of +3 (short range), +2 (medium range), or +1
(long range). Most senior priests of Lolth carry snake-headed whips of
fangs, and delight in using them often.

Drow Chain Mail

XP Value: Varies   GP Value: 2,000 gp; 1,000 more for +4 and +5

Drow chain mail is a finely crafted, satiny black metal mesh that does
not encumber its wearer in the least. It is similar but not identical
to magical elven chain mail. It is typically fashioned into tunics, as
dark elves share their forest-bound cousins' preference for armor that
adequately protects without being overly weighty or restrictive.

Like elven chain mail, drow chain mail has a base Armor Class rating of
5. However, drow chain mail is crafted from an adamantite alloy that
absorbs the radiation of the drow homelands, giving it properties
similar to a magical bonus ranging from +1 to +5 but undetectable to
detect magic or similar spells. If drow chain mail is ever exposed to
direct sunlight for more than 2 rounds (or any exposure totaling 5
rounds in a five-day period, even if composed of brief instants), decay
sets in. Within 2d6 days, the chain mail loses is pseudomagical
properties and crumbles into worthless powder. If carefully protected
from full sunlight, it still loses its pseudomagical properties ld20+30
days after it is removed from areas of radiation (in other words, the
Underdark) if it is not reexposed to the radiation for two days per day
spent above ground (in other words, twice as long as it was removed
from the drow lands). Drow chain mail is still useful as chain mail if
no longer pseudomagical, so long as it is never exposed to sunlight;
however, it cannot be reforged into another item to reuse its
adamantite alloy. The drow radiations that permeate it transform its
structures in such a way that
sufficient exposure to heat to reforge chain mail causes it to
instantly break down as if it had been exposed to sunlight.

The resale value for drow chain mail is doubled if it is known to have
never been removed from the reach of Underdark radiation.

Whip of Fangs

XP Value: 1,000          GP Value: 1,000+500 per living head

These whips (often carried at the belt) have adamantite handles, but
their mulitple tendrils are living snake heads, ld4+1 in number. Evil
priests are the only beings able to employ these horrific weapons. In
drow communities, only priestesses are allowed to possess and use them.
The whips, once enchanted, are attuned to a specific individual and may
only be used by another being after another attunement ritual has been
performed, since they attack anyone who touches them except their
attuned wielder. The ritual of attunement re-quires the consent of
Lolth, and priestesses consider such whips personal gifts from her,
believing that they cease to function or even turn on their wielder if
they are used in an act against the will of the Spider Queen. Forbidden
acts usually include using a whip against a matron mother or other
ruling priestess.

Living serpents are required in the making of these weapons. The
weapons they become part of are enchanted extensions of the will of
their wield-ers, hissing, coiling, writhing, and reaching in response
to her thoughts. The whip of an angry priestess can knot about her belt
and menace the beings she is angry with without her ever touching it.
The whip's tendrils are from 1 to 3 feet in length. Each is AC 8, has 2
HD, and attacks (THACO 14) for 2d4 points of damage. The serpent heads
have no poison effects, but their long fangs bite deep, leaving scars
and injecting waves of magic that both numb and shoot waves of muscle-
knotting pain through the victim.

Angry drow priestesses typically use these whips indiscriminately on
slaves, servants, pupils, male relatives, and casual acquaintances.
Injured heads regenerate 2 hit points per day. Slain heads cannot be
healed, nor do they regenerate.

Specialty Priests (Arachne)

REQUIREMENTS:       Wisdom 13
PRIME REQ.:         Wisdom
ALIGNMENT:          CE
WEAPONS:            Any
ARMOR:              Any
MAJOR SPHERES:      All, astral, animal, chaos, combat, elemental,
                    guardian, healing, necromantic, protection,
                    summoning, sun (reversed only)
MINOR SPHERES:      Charm, creation, divination, time, wards
MAGICAL ITEMS:      As clerics
REQ. PROFS:         Etiquette, weaving
BONUS PROFS:        Animal training (spiders), spellcraft

* Arachnes must be drow or chitines. In some dark elven cities of the
  Underdark, the clergy of Lolth is exclusively female, but in other
  cities a few drow males are tolerated in the lower ranks of the
  priesthood. (None rise above 7th level.) No males are admitted into
  the ranks of Lolth s clergy among the chitines.

* Arachnes are not allowed to multiclass.

* Arachnes are immune to all spider venoms. * Arachnes can
  communicate with spiders of all kinds, and spiders never harm them in
  any way (except if desired by Lolth).

* At 2nd level, arachnes can cast spider climb (as the 1st-level wizard
  spell) or spidereyes (as the Ist-level wizard spell found in Wizard's
  Spell Compendium, Volume 3 or the Ist-level priest spell in The Drow
  of the Underdark) once per day. If spider climb is cast, it does not
  prevent spell-casting so long as two limbs grip the surface being
  climbed, and light objects do not stick to the priest's hands and
  feet.  Spidereyes allows the caster to see through the eyes of a
  single normal or giant arachnid within 60 yards, but it does not
  grant any control over the arachnid's movements or direction of gaze.

* At 5th level, arachnes can cast dispel magic (as the 3rd-level priest
  spell) or web (as the 2nd-level wizard spell) twice per day.

* At 7th level, arachnes can cast summon shadow (as the 5th-level
  wizard spell) or spider summoning (as the 5th-level priest spell)
  twice per day.

* At 10th level, arachnes can cast true seeing (as the 5th-level priest
  spell, but with twice the normal duration) or spiderform (as the
  5th-level priest spell) twice per day.

* At 13th level, female arachnes can cast domination (as the 5th-level
  wizard spell) once per day. Male drow must roll saving throws to
  avoid the effects with a -4 penalty. Elves and half-elves of all
  races do not get their normal racial magic resistance to avoid the
  effects.

Lolthite Spells

Many spells developed by the clergy of Lolth long ago have been
requested in parallel form from other drow powers or other nondrow
powers and have passed out of exclusive Lolthite usage. Of them, only
darkfire is detailed here. Note that any spell once specified as either
a drow priest spell or Lolth priest spell that has passed into general
usage is still available as a religion-specific Lolth priest spell;
priests of Lolth can still receive the spell no matter what its sphere.

1st Level

Cloak of Dark Power (Pr 1; Evocation, Alteration)

Sphere:             Necromantic
Range:              0
Components:         v,s
Duration:           3 rounds+1 round/level
Casting Time:       4
Area of Effect:     The caster
Saving Throw:       None

This spell creates a dark aura of coursing, swirling power around the
caster. The caster's body and anything she or he wears or carries is
protected by this aura from the effects of full sunlight, even under
the open, daytime sky of the surface world. Arms and armor imbued with
the radiations of the Underdark that are worn or carried by the caster
do not begin to lose their power, and the drow caster suffers no bright
light combat penalties while under the effects of a cloak of dark
power. A continual light spell cast directly agianst a cloak of dark
power negates both spells.

A priest shrouded in a cloak of dark power functions as if she or he
possessed one additional level of experience in all dealings with
undead.  Arachnids (and others using arachnid forms) attack a
cloak-wearer at a -3 penalty.

2nd Level

Darkfire  (Pr 2; Alteration)

Sphere:         Elemental Fire
Range:          Touch
Components:     V,S,M
Duration:       2 rounds/level
Casting time:   5
Area of Effect: One fire source
Saving Throw:   Special

This magic was developed for use in rituals of worship to Lolth, but
has since been adapted into an offensive battle spell. The spell
transforms a normal fire or ignites unlit fuel into darkfire.

Darkfire gives off no light at all, although creatures with infravision
see darkfire as brighter signature than regular flame. All of its
combustion is bent to producing heat and magical energy, which it does
very well:  Contact with a brazier, lantern, or lamp of darkfire
typically inflicts 2d4 points of damage, plus flammable items or
garments worn or carried by the target must succeed at item saving
throws vs. magical fire.

In battle, darkfire is usually caused to emanate from one of the
caster's hands. It does not harm the caster at all, except to burn away
clothing it touches. A blow from a flaming hand inflicts ld8 points of
fire damage.

Darkfire from a flaming arm can be willed into handfuls and thrown.
One ball per round can be so thrown, and such a ball attacks as if the
caster were striking directly and has a 10-foot range. Thrown darkfire
does ld3 points of damage plus 1 point per level of the caster upon
striking, to a maximum of 10th level. In the event of a miss, its flame
affects wherever it lands. When it misses, it rages where it lands for
ld2 rounds before burning itself out.

3rd Level

Conceal Item (Pr 3; Illusion/Phantasm)

Sphere:            Protection
Range:             Touch
Components:        V,S,M
Duration:          1 turn+1 round/lev.
Casting Time;      1
Area of Effect:    One item
Saving Throw:      None

This magic enables the caster to render utterly undetectable, except to
himself or herself, any single nonliving item smaller than his or her
total body mass as long as she or he is carrying or touching it. The
spell conceals even magical or alignment auras and shows true seeing a
blank, wavering area of white fog where the item is.

This spell is usually used to conceal a carried magical item or weapon;
priests of Vhaeraun typically use it to hide holy symbols. (When cast
on any holy symbol, spell duration is tripled.) Developed by a priest
of Lolth, this spell has been requested of Vhaeraun by most of his
priests and granted to them also.

Its material component is a small handful (about 2 ounces) of the dust
of any powdered gemstone. (Cheap stones, such as quartz, are fine.)

5th Level

Undead Focus (Pr 5; Necromancy)

Sphere:            Necromantic
Range:             Touch
Components:        V,S,M
Duration:          Special
Casting Time:      5
Area of Effect:    One undead creature
Saving Throw;      None

Undead focus allows one undead creature to become a spell focus for the
caster. The undead creature can be controlled by the command undead
priest ability or by spells without hampering this spell, but the spell
does not grant automatic control of the undead creature. The caster can
funnel any chosen currently carried spell through the undead being.
Such spells are emitted from the undead creature, but the priest
performs all casting activity, including component use. The amount of
space between the caster and the undead creature does not matter, but
priest and undead creature must remain on the same plane. Unless the
caster keeps the undead being and its surroundings in sight, other
spells are used to see it and its surroundings, or it is in an
extremely well-known location, spells must be hurled blindly from the
creature.

Spells to be cast through the undead can be chosen as needed. A priest
can cast multiple spells, one per round, through the undead creature
until it is destroyed or a maximum of one spell per level of the priest
has been cast, exhausting the undead focus pell. The spell also expires
after 10 turns per level of the caster have expired.

With this spell, a hidden priest can avoid direct combat, employing an
undead being as a spellcasting righting focus. It can be cast on undead
creatures affected by revenance and/or undead battlemight, and the
spells function simultaneously. A dispel magic cast on such an
augmented undead creature ends only one of these spells (choose which
randomly).

The material component is a drop of the caster's blood.

Spiderform (Pr 5; Alteration, Necromancy)

Sphere:            Animal, Necromantic
Range:             Touch
Components:        V, S, M
Duration:          4 rounds+1 round/level
Casting Time:      2 per target to a maximum of 1 round
Area of Effect:    One small living animal or arachnid/level one drow
Saving Throw:      None

This spell enables a priest to turn one or more small living animals or
arachnids into giant spiders. (See the Spider entry in the MONSTROUS
MANUAL tome; these spiders are the giant spiders that are similar in
shape and abilities to large spiders.) Unlike normal giant spiders, the
bite of the spiders created by this spell is not a fatal poison;
instead, failure of the poison saving throw results in the victim being
stunned (no attacks or deliberate activities) for 1 round and slowed
(as the slow wizard spell) for the rest of the spell duration.

Even if a transformed creature is an arachnid that is normally
poisonous, the spell transforms it into a giant spider as described
above. The giant spiders created are unable to spin webs but can
readily navigate in existing webs, even the sticky strands of web or
spellweb spells.  If spellcasting is interrupted for any reason or the
arachnids to be transformed already bear a magical dweomer (for
example, they are other creatures polymorphed into spiders), the spell
is ruined, and the would-be caster is stunned (unable to think or act
coherently) for 1 round.

If this spell is used on any drow and overcomes his or her magic
resistance, the drow is temporarily transformed into a drider under the
caster's control. (See the Elf, Drow entry in the MONSTROUS MANUAL tome
for a description of driders. Note that transformed drow retain their
own spells, hit points, intellect, and many class abilities.)

This control is like a charm spell and lasts for 1 round per level of
the caster. It is broken instantly if the drider is commanded to do
anything contrary to its nature, the known wishes ofLolth, or its
superiors, or that would be anything clearly fatal to itself.
Transformation to and from drider form takes 1 round, during which time
the drider can take no action, and occurs at the spell's expiration or
upon the verbal command of the caster.  The affected drow usually
(unless Lolth desires otherwise) remembers nothing of its time and
actions as a drider.

The material component of this spell is a spider of any type small
enough to be held in the caster's hand.

Spider Summoning (Pr 5; Conjuration/Summoning)

Sphere:            Animal
Range:             0
Components:        V,S,M
Duration:          1 round+1 round/level
Casting Time:      8
Area of Effect:    1d4 spiders
Saving Throw:      None

This spell calls ld4 large spiders (detailed in the MONSTROUS MANUAL
tome) per level of the caster to serve the priest. Only true arachnids
are summoned by this spell, not similar insect creatures or beings
using magic to take arachnid form (such as Lolth or a wizard using
spider shape). They appear within 100 feet of the caster on the round
of the spell's casting and obey the caster's command on the round
thereafter. They have their natural maximum hit points and poison
reserves and fight to the death for the caster with utter loyalty,
following the caster's silent mental urgings as to targets, direction
to move, and tasks to do. The caster can cast other spells without
ending this spell's control. When the spell expires, any surviving
spiders disappear, returning whence they came.

The spell's material component is a dried arachnid corpse.

6th Level

Meld of Lolth (Pr 6; Enchantment/Charm)

Sphere:                Charm
Range:                 Touch
Components:            V,S
Duration:              1 hour/level
Casting Time:          1 turn
Area of Effect:        One being
Saving Throw:          Special

Often used by a priest to link herself to a powerful drow male before a
battle (to control him when necessary), this spell enables the caster
to join mind with another creature. The meld allows the caster to see
through the other being's eyes, read its thoughts, and communicate
telepathically with the linked being.

The caster can act, speak, and cast spells normally without ending the
link and is able (whenever not casting another spell or using any
psionic abilities) to dominate the linked being completely, controlling
its body regardless of distance. The spell is broken if caster and
linked being end up on different planes. The caster can use the linked
being as the focus (source 
of emission) of a currently memorized spell, casting it through the
linked being, but this ends the meld instantly.

If the linked being's Intelligence is less than the caster's, it is
allowed a saving throw vs. spell once per turn to break the meld. If
the linked being is as intelligent as the caster or more so and is or
becomes unwilling to be in the meld (for instance, when ordered into
danger), it gets a saving throw vs.  spell once every other round to
escape the meld.

Whenever the linked being suffers damage, the caster must succeed at a
saving throw vs. death. If the saving throw fails, the pain-wracked
caster suffers 1d6 points of damage. If the linked being dies, the
caster must succeed at a system shock roll or die instantly. The caster
can willingly end a meld 1 round after deciding to do so.

Spider Bite (Pr 6; Evocation)

Sphere:         Combat
Range:          0
Components:     V,S
Duration:       Special
Casting Time:   9
Area of Effect: The caster
Saving Throw:   None

Poison Effects if Save
Failed/Succeeded
20 points/1d3 points
25 points/2d4 points
30 points/2d6 points
30 points/2d6 points
Death/20 points

Also known as venom bite, this spell confers the poisonous biting
ability of a spider to the caster. A successful attack roll is required
to administer the poison, and the caster can only bite exposed or
clothed flesh; armor cannot be bitten through. The number of times the
bite has venom effects, and the power of those effects, depends on the
caster's level:

Rounds Level  Uses to       Onset
11-13         1 bite only   2d6
14-16         1 bite only   1d4+1
17-18         1 bite only   1d2
19-20         2 bites       1d2
Over 20       2 bites       Immediate

Spider bite can be saved for hours or days after casting. However, a
bite delivered, whether it successful in poisoning a victim or not, is
considered to expend one use of the magic. Victims receive a saving
throw vs. poison at -3 to avoid the bite effects.

For the entire time this spell is in effect, the caster is immune to poison.
No more than two spider bite spells can be active on the caster at one time.

7th Level

Cloak of Gaer (Pr 7; Necromancy)

Sphere:           Healing
Range:            Touch
Components:       V,S,M
Duration:         Special
Casting Time:     1 round
Area of Effect:   Creature touched
Saving Throw:     None

This powerful spell surrounds the protected creature with a faint
magical aura. It takes effect (days or perhaps years later) when the
being it is cast on is forced to make a system shock survival roll or
when the being reaches 6 hit points or less. It can also be cast on a
just-injured being.  In the round that the protected creature must make
a system shock survival roll or is reduced to 6 hit points or less, the
cloak of Gaer is triggered and the following occur:

* The system shock roll succeeds automatically, regardless of the
  creature's Constitution.

* The protected creature regenerates severed or missing limbs or body
  extremities.

* The cloak purges the protected creatures of all poisons, diseases,
  insanity, charm effects and outside mental influences, curses and
  geas effects, possession or symbiotic/parasitic life (even if
  friendly and desired), and feeblemindedness. It also cancels the
  effects of any forget spells previously cast on the protected being.

* The cloak restores the being to full wakefulness, alertness,
  sobriety, and and a pain-free state.

* The cloak heals the protected being of 4d8 points of damage.

If this spell is cast on a hurt being within 2 rounds after the major
injury that reduced it to 6 hit points or required a system shock
survival roll, it has the above effects and allows a victim who has
failed a system shock survival roll and died a second chance. This roll
is made at a +22% bonus. If it fails, death occurs, but the purge and
regenerate effects still occur to the corpse.

If this spell is applied 3 to 9 rounds after a being has been stricken,
it allows a second system shock survival roll, but without any bonus;
other spell effects occur as noted here. If the spell is applied later,
it only purges and regenerates (even on bodies).

The spell's material components are four drops each of holy water, the
caster's blood, and dew. A dispel magic cannot end this spell while it
waits to be activated. This magic has enabled many dead drow to return
and hunt down foes. Certain drow wizards are rumored to use a similar
spell.

Repulsion (Pr 7; Abjuration)

Sphere:          Guardian
Range:           0
Components:      V, S, M
Duration:        1 round/2 levels
Casting Time:    7
Area of Effect:  Creatures in a 10-foot-wide path that is 10-feet
                 long/level of caster Saving
Throw:           None

When this spell is cast, the priest is able to cause all creatures in
the path of the area of effect to move directly away from his or her
person. Repulsion occurs at the speed of the creature attempting to
move toward the caster.  The repelled creature continues to move away
for a complete round even if this takes it beyond the area of effect.
The caster can designate a new direction each round, bur use of this
power counts as the caster's principal action in the round. The caster
can, of course, choose to do something else instead of using the
repulsion attack.

This spell is not effective against any drow or creatures of chaotic
evil alignment, but other evil creatures are affected. The priest must
be able to confront the creatures to be affected: She or he must see
them and be seen.  As the casting ends, flickering black flames seem to
emanate from the caster, streaming outward to define the pathway of
effect of the spell.

The material components are the priest's holy symbol; a miniature sword
blade, normal dagger, or knife; and a flame, spark, hot coal, or ember.

Selvetarm
---------

(Champion of Lolth, Thane of Lolth, the Spider That Waits, the
Spider Demon, Prince of the Aranea, Lord of the Venomire)
Demipower of the Abyss, CE

PORTFOLIO:             Drow warriors
ALIASES:               Zanassu
DOMAIN NAME:           66th level/Lolth's Web (the Demonweb Pits)
SUPERIOR:              Lolth
ALLIES:                Garagos, Lolth
FOES:                  Deep Duerra, Eilistraee, Ghaunadaur, Laduguer, the
                       Seldarine, Sharess, Vhaeraun, Blibdoolpoolp, the
                       Blood Queen, Diinkarazan, Diirinka, Great Mother,
                       Gzemnid, Ilsensine, Ilxendren, Laogzed,
                       Maanzecorian (dead), Psilofyr
SYMBOL:                Crossed sword and mace overlaid with spider image
WOR. ALIGN.:           LN, N, CN, LE, NE, CE


Selvetarm (SELL-veh-TARM) is the Champion of Lolth and the patron or
drow warriors. Seen as the embodiment of unequaled fighting prowess,
Selvetarm is worshiped by a few drow in the northern and western
reaches of the Underdark beneath Faerun, particularly in the city of
Eryndlyn beneath the High Moor and in the dungeons of Undermountain
beneath Waterdeep. The Spider Demon is also venerated by many of the
aranea of the Spider Swamp in southern Calimshan where he is known as
Zanassu, the Spider That Waits. A few drow in the Forest of Mir as well
as a handful of Volothanni seeking any advantage to advance themselves
politically in the Gem City of Calimshan round out the ranks of
Selvetarm's faithful.  Selvetarm is the offspring of an ill-fated tryst
between Vhaeraun and Zandilar the Dancer, an demipower once venerated
by the elves of the Yuirwood. When the Dancer's elven followers began
to falter in the face of relentless assaults by Lolth's minions,
Zandilar sought out the Masked Lord and seduced him in an attempt to
either gain information or elicit his direct assistance in battling the
Spider Queen. The Masked Lord betrayed Zandilar and imprisoned her, and
only the timely assistance of Bast, an errant Mulhorandi demipower,
allowed the Dancer to escape. Selvetarm was birthed shortly thereafter
when the weakened Zandilar voluntarily merged her essence with that of
Bast, creating the goddess now known as Sharess.

Selvetarm walked a solitary way for many centuries, spurning both of
his parents, for he was not wholly given over to evil but neither was
he aligned with the forces of light. Eventually his path crossed that
of his aunt, Eilistraee, and he began to appreciate the goodness of the
Dark Maiden, as exhibited in her teachings and deeds. By way of
Selvetarm's redemption, Eilistraee hoped to begin to heal the breach
between the majority of dark elves and the Seldarine. The Dark Maiden's
hopes were dashed, however, by the insidious plotting of Lolth.

The Queen of Spiders had long resented the existence of Zanassu, a
minor Abyssal Lord with pretensions of suzerainty over spiders, nearly
as much as she disliked the possibility of Eilistraee winning an
ally-Selvetarm-among the pantheon of the drow. When the Spider Demon
lost much of his power after a conflict on the Prime (against Qysara
Shoon V of the Shoon Empire), Lolth convinced Selvetarm to destroy
Zanassu and seize the Spider Demon's burgeoning divine power. She did
so by suggesting to Selvetarm that a victory would increase his
personal power and win him favor in the eyes of Eilistraee, whom he
greatly admired. While Selvetarm prevailed in battle over the Spider
Demon, the absorption of Zanassu's wholly evil and chaotic nature
overwhelmed Selvetarm's nascent beneficial aspects and weakened him
sufficiently that he could not escape the traps by which the Spider
Queen bound his will tightly to her own.

Cruel and malicious by nature, Selvetarm cares only for battle and
destruction. The Champion of Lolth harbors a deep hatred for all living
things, including his dominating mistress, and the only beauty he can
appreciate is a well-honed and deadly fighting style. Selvetarm can
exhibit a great deal of patience while waiting for prey to fall into an
ambush he has set, but he prefers the wild abandon of battle frenzy to
a careful and deliberate attack.

Selvetarm's Avatar (Fighter 24, Cleric 16)

Selvetarm appears as a large black spider, sometimes with the head of a
drow male. He wields a long sword and mace in his front appendages. He
prefers spells from the spheres of all, animal, chaos, charm, combat,
elemental, guardian, healing, protection, sun (reversed only),
travelers, and war, though he can cast spells from any sphere.

AC -2; MV 15, Wb 21; HP 180; THACO -3; #AT 7/2 and 1 bite
Dmg 2d8+poison (bite) and ld8+15 (long sword +5, +8 STR, +2 spec.
bonus in long sword) and ld6+12+special (footman's mace +3, +8 STR)
MR 70%; SZ L (15 feet across, 6 feet high)
STR 22, DEX 20, CON 20, INT 15, Wis 18, CHA 16
Spells P: 9/9/8/7/4/3/1
Saves PPDM 3, RSW 5, PP 4, BW 4, Sp 6

Special Att/Defc In his right hand Selvetarm wields Venomace, a
footman's mace +3 that continuously oozes a noxious sludge of acid and
venom that inflicts an additional ld4 points of poison damage (if a
saving throw vs. poison is not made) and ld4 points of acid damage
every round for 3 rounds after a successful hit. In his left hand, the
Spider Demon wields Thalack'velve, a long sword +5, defender.

Victims bitten by Selvetarm must succeed at a saving throw vs. poison
at a -4 penalty. A failed saving throw results in death in 1 round, but
even if the saving throw succeeds, the poison inflicts 3d6 points of
damage.  Selvetarm is immune to poison and sustains only half damage
from cold, electricity, and lightning attacks. He is only affected by
+1 or better magical weapons. Magical cold iron weapons get a +2 damage
bonus when striking him.

Selvetarm can at will, one at a time, use any of the following
spell-like powers once per day instead of casting a spell: charm
monster, charm person, command, darkness 15' radius, detect good,
detect invisible, dimension door, dispel magic, fly, infravision,
invisibility, know alignment, protection from good 10' radius, speak
with monsters, telekinesis (up to 5,000 gp), teleport without error,
unholy word, and web. The Spider Demon can summon spiders (01-20%;
1d6+6 large spiders, 21-50%: 1d4+4 huge spiders, 51-90%: 1d6 giant
spiders, 91-00%: 1d2 phase spiders) at will, once per round, instead of
casting a spell.

Other Manifestations

Selvetarm rarely bothers to simply manifest in the Realms when
entreated by his followers, as he prefers to either dispatch his avatar
directly or ignore the supplication. He occasionally manifests when his
avatar is otherwise occupied and the outcome of the fray is of great
interest to him. In such situations, Selvetarm manifests as a tiny
sphere of absolute blackness that slowly grows in size over the course
of 3 rounds from about 1 inch in diameter to about 1 foot in diameter
and then explodes in a shower of blades equivalent in effect to the
6th-level priest spell blade barrier, though it grants its victims no
saving throw vs. spell against its effects.

The Church

CLERGY:           Clerics, crusaders, fighters, specialty priests
CLERGY'S ALIGN.:  NE, CE
TURN UNDEAD:      C: No, Cru: No, F: No, SP: No
CMND. UNDEAD:     C: Yes, Cru: No, F: No, SP: No

Selvetarm commonly acts through the appearance or presence of myrlochar
(soul spiders), retrievers, and spiders of all sorts. The Spider Demon
shows his favor through the discovery of rogue stones, pieces of dried
silver-bark, and webstone, and his displeasure by causing steel weapons
and armor to shatter in combat even after a glancing blow.

All clerics (including cleric/fighters, a multiclassed combination
allowed to drow priests of Selvetarm), crusaders, and specialty priests
of Selvetarm receive religion (drow), religion (elven), and
reading/writing (drowic) as bonus nonweapon proficiencies.

Outside of the Spider Swamp, the city of Volothamp, and the dungeons
beneath Waterdeep, Selvetarm is little known on the surface world. He
does appear in a few Calishite tales as the Demon of the Swamp in which
he is depicted as a lurking evil capable of insidious charms and
unchecked battle fury. Aside from the drow city of Eryndlyn, where
Selvetarm's name is synonymous with the nigh-unstoppable battle prowess
of drow male warriors in the service of Lolth, the Spider Demon is
known in the Underdark in only a few drow cities that follow the Way of
Lolth. Few drow are aware that he is divine being, as most tales depict
him simply as a powerful tanar'ri and a minion of Lolth.

The few temples of Selvetarm that exist are typically large
subterranean chambers dominated a huge black stone spider idol. The
Chapel of the Sericeous Sargh, a small shrine on the first level of
Undermountain (Room #12) beneath the streets of Waterdeep, is fairly
representative of the style.  The idol appears to merge with the center
of the room's eastern wall. A darkly stained altar sits before the
idol, and two of the spider's legs are outstretched in front of the
altar. Another two legs are raised up high, above the altar, suspending
an unlit brazier from each leg. The spider's other legs bend up and set
down close to its sides, forming large arches along the sides of the
idol. An eerie, purplish-blue radiance emanates from the statue's eyes,
providing the chapel's only illumination when the braziers are not lit.
Selvetarm's clergy are known collectively as the Selvetargtlin, which
is drow for warriors of Selvetarm. Titles used by Selvetarm's clergy
vary widely across temple hierarchies, but those used in the city of
Eryndlyn include Edge of the Axe, Crush of the Mace, Steel of the
Blade, Tusk of the Boar,
Hunger of the Swarm, Claw of the Cave Bear, Talon of the Wyrm, and
Bloodlust of the Berserker. High-ranking priests of the Spider Demon
have unique individual titles. Specialty priests are known as
spiderswords.  The clergy of Selvetarm includes both male (70%) and
female dark elves (8%) as well as male (15%) and female aranea (7%).
Selvetarm's clergy includes specialty priests (35%), crusaders (25%),
cleric/fighters (20%), fighters (15%, including nonpriest multiclassed
fighters), and clerics (5%).  Dogma: War is the ultimate expression of
individual power, and only through battle and death can one realize the
respect of one's comrades.  Hone fighting skills constantly and teach
those who will follow into the fray. Never give or receive quarter, and
die amidst the bloodlust of battle against overwhelming odds. Cultivate
as many different weapon tricks and combat maneuvers as a spider has
arms, and never fear that hidden venom, like a secret vengeance waiting
to strike, will serve you ill.

Day-to-Day Activities: Selvetarm's faithful spend most of their days
guarding fortifications, honing their fighting skills, participating in
patrols, guarding slave caravans, and getting into fights over status
and petty slights. Many spend much of their time training other
warriors in the art of war. While the Selvetargtlin are rightly known
for their skill in battle, the teachings of the faith place little
emphasis on tactics or strategy and thus few members of Selvetarm's
clergy achieve a high military rank.

Holy Days/Important Ceremonies: Selvetarm's faithful are expected to
observe the rituals of Lolth, as directed by her priests. (Those who
have recently emigrated from Eryndlyn have abandoned this practice, so
far without divine retribution, and are said to be praying for guidance
in new ways of honoring the Spider Demon.) Selvetarm does expect all
who take up arms in his name to cry out his name in the bloodlust of
battle as they deliver the killing blow to a foe. Since there is always
the chance that any attack will be a fatal one, the Selvetargtlin tend
to constantly scream out their god's name during a battle.

The aranea of the Spider Swamp venerate Zanassu with a totally
different set of rituals, notable in comparison for their emphasis on
patience, craftiness, and subtlety. Such ceremonies involve animal
sacrifices to the Spider That Waits-typically a boar or lizard-and
repeating litanies beseeching him to return. The holiest day of the
year is the 6th of Kythorn, the day on which Zanassu returned after his
millennial exile. On this day all of the aranea celebrate their
deliverance through fasting and ritual combat.

Major Centers of Worship: In the northern reaches of the Spider Swamp
of Calimshan lies a ruined city known as Lost Ajhuutal, rumored to have
been the capitol of the Maridlands millennia ago. The ruins have been
inhabited by a race of werespiders for centuries. The aranea are large,
intelligent spiders capable of assuming a single humanoid form.
Originally all could assume drow form, but increasing numbers assume a
human or half-elven form identical in all ways to Calishites of the
same racial mix.  In the center of oft-rebuilt Lost Ajhuutal stands the
Apostolaeum of the Spider That Waits, one of the city's few buildings
that is still relatively intact. The temple has a massive stone spider
as its central dome, with stone webs spreading out to the four minarets
flanking it at the corners.  Less than one hundred priests and
followers of Zanassu dwell within the temple, impatiently awaiting
opportunities for hunting or wars, but content to serve The Spider Who
Waits and the community by defending the temple. Recent expansions of
the aranea's territory into the southern reaches of the Forest of Mir
have given Zanassu's clergy the opportunity to war with the community
of wereboars who are resisting the incursions, but the primary worry of
the Spider Demon's priests is the concern that they may lose their
fullblood status as fewer and fewer of the aranea keep only drow
changeforms.

According to legend, the aranea were created by Calishite wizards
during the Night Wars to infiltrate the ranks of the drow and destroy
them from within. With the defeat of the dark elves and the end of 260
years of warfare in -530 DR, the aranea were cast off by the Calishites
and either killed or driven into the Spider Swamp. Among the dank fens
of the Venomire, as the Spider Swamp is also known, the aranea
developed a relatively pacifistic, neutral culture, trading in silk,
herbs, and poisons with the coastal city of Volothamp. During this time
some aranea began to manifest humanoid forms other than that of dark
elves, facilitating their ability to move unhindered through Calishite
cities and towns. When Qysara Shoon V cast the spider-people as
scapegoats for a plague that ravished Almraiven in the Year of Full
Cribs (290 DR), the aranea were nearly destroyed by the resultant
backlash from Volothamp's military and populace. In response, some of
the aranea turned to Zanassu, then a minor Abyssal Lord, to defend them
against the Shoon Empire. Zanassu was banished back to the Abyss by the
qysara in the Year of Frostfires (292 DR), but by that time the Spider
Demon's cult had taken root among a large fraction of the oncepeaceful
aranea. Since early in the 4th century Dalereckoning, the aranea have
dwelt relatively peacefully in the City of Maridsorrows, their safety
secured by the militant followers of Zanassu.

For ten centuries, Zanassu's aranea priests foretold the triumphant
return of their deity after his ignominious defeat by Qysara Shoon V.
While the Spider Demon was rumored to have stalked the Spider Swamp on
multiple occasions during his millennial absence, his avatar did not
actually return to the Apostolaeum until the Year of the Wandering
Waves (1292 DR), 1,000 years to the day after his banishment. For 66
years (a baleful portent given the Spider Demon's lair in the 66th
level of the Abyss), Zanassu-or a powerful tanar'ri claiming to be
him-dwelt within the heart of the Apostolaeum. Zanassu did not emerge
from his temple until the Fall of the Gods in the Year of Shadows (1358
DR), at which time the Lord of the Venomire stalked northward toward
the Forest of Mir and did not return. During the nearly seven decades
of his rule, Zanassu's minions infiltrated the corridors of power in
Volothamp and the surrounding region so thoroughly that the
then-reigning vizier, Ramslett N'door and a number of his senior
advisers fell victim to Zanassu's charms. During the Time of Troubles,
however, Zanassu's hold over the government of Volothamp swiftly
dissipated in the magical chaos of the time. With the strife of the
Darkstalker Wars of the Year of the Serpent (1359 DR) following on the
heels of the Avatar Crisis, 66 years of unseen tyranny vanished with
barely a trace.

Affiliated Orders: The city of Eryndlyn, located in hidden caves
beneath the High Moor, is characterized by barely contained hostilities
between the worshipers of Lolth, Ghaunadaur, and Vhaeraun. During the
Time of Troubles, the avatar of Selvetarm rampaged through the drow
city, attacking strongholds of the followers of Ghaunadaur and
Vhaeraun.  Priests of Lolth hailed the monster as the swordarm of
Lolth, sent to demonstrate her absolute rule. The avatar of Selvetarm
was finally driven into the wild Underdark by an alliance between the
victimized cults, but not without great losses. It is unknown whether
Selvetarm's avatar still remains in the Underdark or if he has returned
to the Abyss.

As a result of Selvetarm's rampage through Eryndlyn, droves of drow
worshipers in that strife-torn city have allied themselves with the
priests of Lolth. A new military order called the Selvetargtlin-a name
also associated with the clergy at large-has shifted the balance of
power in the cult of Lolth's favor and consequently driven the
worshipers of Ghaunadaur and Vhaeraun into an uneasy alliance. It is
uncertain how this will affect the long term balance of power in the
city.

A few drow in Eryndlyn began to worship Selvetarm in his own right.
This displeased Lolth's clergy immensely, and the blasphemers were
quickly driven from the city and into exile. These drow are believed to
have recently settled in the Underdark beneath Waterdeep in the hopes
of building their own city. Patrols of Selvetarm's faithful have been
encountered exploring the dungeons of Undermountain-where they recently
constructed the Chapel of the Sericeous Sargh, detailed above- and
searching for new magic with which to defend the exiled cult.  Priestly
Vestments: Priests of Selvetarm wear long, rich, scarlet robes lined in
chain mail. They wear their long hair in thick braids, the tips of
which are soaked in blood and allowed to harden into rock-hard clumps.
(In desperation, a priest can employ his braids in close quarters as a
flail by whipping his head to and fro. Such attacks are made at at a -2
attack penalty and inflict ld4 total points of damage.) Steel gauntlets
are worn on the hands, each of which sports a sharp blade-equivalent to
a dagger-on the back of the hand emerging from the knuckles at the base
of the fingers.  The holy symbol of the faith is a platinum disk at
least 3 inches in diameter with an embossed depiction on both its
obverse and reverse in jet black enamel of a crossed sword and mace
overlaid with the image of a spider.

Adventuring Garb: Selvetarm's faithful employ the best armor and
weapons available, although they eschew the use of shields-with the
notable exception of spiked bucklers-and missile weapons such as bows
and crossbows. Most dark elves who venerate the Spider Demon employ
drow boots, a drow cloak, and drow chain mail inscribed with
Selvetarm's symbol on the breast. Most Selvetargtlin are trained in the
use of two melee weapons. Favorite combinations include sword and
dagger, sword and mace, and sword and axe.

Specialty Priests (Spiderswords)

REQUIREMENTS:      Strength 13, Wisdom 9
PRIME REQ.:        Strength, Wisdom
ALIGNMENT:         NE, CE
WEAPONS:           Any; no missile weapons
ARMOR:             Any; no shields except spiked bucklers
MAJOR SPHERES:     All, animal, chaos, charm, combat, healing, sun
                   (reversed only), war
MINOR SPHERES:     Divination, elemental, guardian, protection,
                   travelers
MAGICAL ITEMS:     Same as clerics and warriors
REQ. PROFS:        Blind-fighting
BONUS PROFS:       Tracking

* Spiderswords must be drow or aranea. * Spiderswords are not allowed
  to multiclass. * Spiderswords are immune to all spider venoms.

* Spiderswords are immune to magical fear and need never check morale.

* Spiderswords receive Constitution hit point adjustments to their Hit
  Dice as if they were warriors.

* Spiderwords can select nonweapon proficiencies from the warrior
  group without penalty.

* Spiderswords can incite a berserker rage in themselves. The rage
  lasts for 10 rounds. During this time, a spidersword has a+2 bonus to
  attack, damage, and all saving throws. A spidersword may use this
  ability once a day. If the spidersword runs out of enemies to fight,
  he must either attack the closest living target in the area (even a
  friend) or suffer 5 points of damage for each of the remaining
  rounds. This is a conscious choice of the berserk spidersword.

* At 3rd level, Spiderswords can cast remove fear or protection from
  good (as the 1st-level priest spells) once per day.

* At 5th level, Spiderswords can cast aid (as the 2nd-level priest spell)
  or enchant an edged, slashing weapon to ignite with a fiery
  blue-white glow visible to all once per day. It strikes with a +3
  attack bonus (but not damage bonus) in the next round in addition to
  any other bonuses it would normally accrue.

* At 7th level, Spiderswords can cast prayer (as the 3rd-level priest
  spell) once per day.

* At 7th level, Spiderswords can make three melee attacks every two
  rounds.

* At 10th level, Spiderswords can cast charm monster (as the 4th-level
  wizard spell) once per day.

* At 13th level, Spiderswords can make two melee attacks per round.

* At 15th level, Spiderswords can cast haste (as the 3rd-level wizard spell)
  once per day. They do not age from using this ability.

Selvetarmite Spells

2nd Level

Fortitude (Necromancy)

Sphere:           Necromantic
Range:            Touch
Components:       V, S, M
Duration:         2 rounds/level
Casting Time:     5
Area of Effect:   Creature touched
Saving Throw:     None

This spell gives the recipient the ability to ignore mortal wounds and
continue fighting for ld4+l rounds after being brought to 0 to -9 hit
points.  Beyond that the creature dies instantly. The effects of the
spell end once the subject dies or collapses into unconsciousness.

The material components of this spell are the priest's holy symbol and
several drops of cave bear blood.

4th Level

Venomous Blade (Necromancy)

Sphere:            Necromantic
Range:             Touch
Components:        V,S,M
Duration:          Special
Casting Time:      1 round
Area of Effect:    One bladed weapon
Saving Throw:      None

By means of this spell, a priest can enspell a single bladed weapon so
as to envenom the wounds inflicted by the three first attacks with the
blade. Any creature so wounded automatically suffers 1 additional point
of damage per round in subsequent rounds until the wound is bandaged or
10 rounds (1 turn) expire. Note that successive wounds continue to
cause damage in the same manner as the first. The spell fades after
three attacks or 24 hours expire, whichever comes first.

Similar to wounds inflicted by a sword of wounding, injuries caused by
a venomous blade cannot be healed by regeneration nor by potion or
spell short of a wish. Damage usually can be healed only by natural
means-rest and time. However, the underlying magic that prevents the
wounds from healing is can be removed by an entire elixir of health or
a cure disease cast by a 9th-level caster. After such a measure is
employed, the impediment to magical healing is removed.

The material component for this spell is a poisonous sludge of venoms
or other noxious ingredients that must be smeared on the blade to he
envenomed.

Vhaeraun
--------

(The Masked Lord, the Masked God of Night, the Shadow)
Lesser Power of the Carceri, CE

PORTFOLIO:           Thievery, drow males, territory, evil activity on the
                     surface world
ALIASES:             Vhaerun
DOMAIN NAME:         Colothys/Ellaniath
SUPERIOR:            None
ALLIES:              Mask, Shar, Talona
FOES:                Cyrrollalee, Deep Duerra, Eilistraee,
                     Ghaunadaur, Laduguer, Lolth, the Seldarine,
                     Sharess, Blibdoolpoolp, the Blood Queen,
                     Diinkarazan, Diirinka, Great Mother, Gzemnid,
                     Ilsensine, Ilxendren, Laogzed, Maanzecorian (dead),
                     Psilofyr
SYMBOL:              Black half-mask
WOR. ALIGN.:         LN, N, CN, LE, NE, CE

Vhaeraun (Vay-RAWN) is the god of thievery and the furthering of drow
aims, interests, and power in the Night Above, as the surface world is
known to the faithful. He is also the god of drow males opposed to the
matriarchy of Lolth, teaching that males are as skilled and valuable as
females, and thus passively opposing the teachings of Lolth's
priesthood on this point. He believes that drow should work with the
other elven races for common advancement and never associate or trade
with duergar, svirfneblin, or other dwarven and gnome races. (Humans
and halflings can be tolerated.)

Vhaeraun is vain, proud, sometimes haughty, bears grudges of legendary
length, and never forgets slights or deceptions. Any underhanded means
and treachery is acceptable to him if it furthers his aims or is done
in his service-but if others so treat him or his people, it is a deep
sin that cannot go unpunished. He actively involves himself in drow
affairs and moderately often sends an avatar to assist the work of his
priests if the proper rituals are performed and the need is genuine.

Vhaeraun is the brother of Eilistraee and the son of Araushnee, who was
cast out and became Lolth, and Corellon Larethian. The Masked Lord was
cast out of the Seldarine and banished from Arvandor, along with his
mother and sister, when his complicity was revealed in Araushnee's plot
to destroy Corellon. While he hates all of the Seldarine, Vhaeraun
harbors a
particular enmity for Sehanine Moonbow, who escaped the Masked Lord's
prison at great cost to herself and unmasked the culpability of both
Vhaeraun and Araushnee. Likewise, the Masked Lord nurtures an abiding
hatred of Eilistraee. The Dark Maiden always held Corellon's favor more
than her hateful brother, and she thwarted Vhaeraun's early efforts to
bring all the Ilythiiri (southern, dark-skinned elves) under his sway,
enabling Lolth and Ghaunadaur to make great inroads among those who
would become the drow. Vhaeraun reserves his greatest hatred for the
Spider Queen who gave birth to him long ago. The Masked Lord lacks the
strength to challenge Lolth directly, so he works against her in
shadow, undermines her in silence, and looks to unite the other drow
powers against her.

Vhaeraun's Avatar (Thief 30, Fighter 25)

Vhaeraun frequently dispatches his avatar to answer a summoning ritual
performed by his priests. He appears as a well-muscled, slim, graceful,
handsome drow male with eyes and hair that change in hue from red (for
anger) to gold (triumph) to blue (amusement) and green (puzzlement or
curious interest) to reflect his mood. He never wears armor of any
sort, but he always wears a long, flowing black cloak.

AC-2; MV 15; HP 191; THACO -4; #AT 7/2
Dmg ld8+10 (long sword +4, +4 STR, +2 spec. bonus in long sword) and
1d6+5 (short sword +1, +4 STR)
MR 65%; SZH (16 feet high)
STR 18/76, DEX 24, CON 18, INT 20, Wis 14, CHA 21
Spells P: See below, W: See below
Saves PPDM 3, RSW 4, PP 4, BW 4, Sp 5

Special Att/Def: Vhaeraun wields Nightshadow, a jet-black long sword +4
of quickness that is invisible in darkness and Shadowflash, a silver
short sword +1 that can flash with an eerie light equal to a continual
light at will. (Those who witness such a flash, apart from Vhaeraun,
must succeed at a saving throw vs. spell to avoid being blinded for
1d4+1 rounds.) While holding Nightshadow, he can create a magical
bladebend effect once every 6 rounds. The bladebend causes the blade of
any one edged weapon currently held within 70 feet of Vhaeraun to twist
about to strike its holder for maximum damage. (The blade then
instantly returns to normal.)

Those looking at Vhaeraun's cloak in darkness can see through it the
stars, the moon, or whatever else is behind it even if Vhaeraun is
obviously within the portion they are observing. Vhaeraun's cloak melts
into nothingness if removed from him or if he is slain. Its folds can
harmlessly absorb seven spells of any level per day and also attract
both magic missiles and area-of-effect spells such as fireball,
completely protecting the wearer (and nearby beings who would otherwise
be harmed) as if the cloak were some sort of infinitely charged special
brooch of shielding.

Vhaeraun can use magical items given to him by worshipers regardless of
class restrictions, so long as they function for beings of his
alignment.  The Masked God has no spellcasting ability of his own, but
in addition to his physical attacks during a round, he can duplicate
any priest or wizard spell in the mind of a priest or follower of his
faith who is within 180 feet, regardless of school or sphere. Vhaeraun
always passes without trace and can turn invisible at will. Vhaeraun
can cast bladebend once every 6 rounds, and such attacks always hit for
full damage.

He is immune to the effects of illusions (apart from those created by a
divine being) and cannot be charmed. He can only be struck by +1 or
better magical weapons.

Other Manifestations

Vhaeraun prefers to appear as an avatar but only comes when summoned by
a magical ritual. (In fact, he forbids his priests to use spells from
the summoning sphere or sphere as they are only to summon him.) When he
cannot send his avatar (in other words, when the ritual of summoning
has not been performed), he sends a flitting black shadow. It cloaks a
favored being about the face like a half-mask and remains for 9 rounds.
During that time, the favored being is empowered with true seeing;
empowered to strike creatures normally hit only with the most powerful
magical weapons, such as those struck only by +3 or better magical
weapons, even if the weapon employed is not magical; unable to fall,
fumble, or miss its footing or a leap or catch; able to move silently
and pass without trace; and healed of 2d4 points of current damage.
This manifestation never favors the same being more than once per day.

Vhaeraun may also send a manifestation to signify his displeasure or
his defiance of rivals or enemies of his people. This takes the form of
a floating, insubstantial half-mask of shadows that drifts silently to
confront the beings he wishes to (passing any magical barriers, and
entering any place, regardless of guards, holiness to another deity,
etc.). The mask can only move and (twice per appearance) utter a
chilling, mocking laugh.  Those hearing it must succeed at a saving
throw vs. spell or be affected as if by a fear spell.

The Church

CLERGY:           Clerics, crusaders, specialty priests, thieves
CLERGY'S ALIGN.:  NE, CE
TURN UNDEAD:      C: No, Cru: No, SP: No, T: No
CMND. UNDEAD:     C: Yes, Cru; No, SP: Yes, at priest level -2, T: No

Vhaeraun also acts through the appearance or presence of gehreleths
(farastu, kelubar, and shator), mephits (air, smoke, and earth), shadow
dragons, shadow fiends, yeth hounds, and undead shadows. More commonly
he sends a region of absolute, impenetrable darkness, black cats,
ravens, dead spiders, agni manis, black opals, black sapphires,
blackhued chalcedony, crown of silver, hematite, horn coral, black-hued
jasper, jet, black-hued marble, obsidian, black-hued onyx, black-hued
pearls, ravenar, or samarskite to show his favor or displeasure and as
a sign to inspire his faithful.

All clerics (including cleric/thieves, a multiclassed combination
allowed to drow priests of Vhaeraun), crusaders, and specialty priests
of Vhaeraun receive religion (drow), religion (elven), and
reading/writing (drowic) as bonus nonweapon proficiencies. All priests
of the Masked Lord must be male, with the rare exception of suborned
priests of Lolth. Priests of Vhaeraun may not cast any spell from the
sphere of summoning or the school of summoning that does not directly
summon the avatar of the Masked God of Night or request his favor (such
as blessing of Vhaeraun).  Spells that are strictly of the conjuration
school are permitted Vhaeraun is little known on the surface world
among nondrow or in the Lolth-dominated cities of the dark elves in the
Underdark. Among those nondrow aware of the activities of his followers
in the surface world, the Masked Lord is often confused with the human
god of thieves, Mask.  Very few surface dwellers appreciate the threat
Vhaeraun and his followers represent to the established order. In the
wilds of the Underdark, the faith of Vhaeraun is seen to be slowly
expanding in power and influence, and the followers of the Masked Lord
are viewed with fearful respect. To priests of Lolth, priests of
Vhaeraun are the enemy, to be hunted down by any means possible-torture
of suspected drow is a favorite tactic-and eradicated on the altars of
Lolth to earn the maximum glory of the goddess and derive the most
personal enjoyment out of one's efforts. To dissatisfied, city-dwelling
drow, particularly males, who somehow learn of the Masked Lord,
Vhaeraun's faith is seen to offer a means of escape from the
enslavement the Spider Queen.

In the Underdark, Vhaeraun is worshiped in deep caverns cloaked in
multiple, overlapping darkness spells. Such temples are typically
natural amphitheaters, with soaring ceilings studded with sparkling
beljurils spaced to resemble stars. In the Night Above, the Masked Lord
is venerated in shallow woodland caves cloaked by layers of leaves of
deep forest canopies that allow little light to reach the forest floor.
Such shrines are typically located near or in small communities of
surface-dwelling drow who seek the return of the drow to the Night
Above as the Masked Lord has called for. One such temple and community
may be found in the western fringes of the High Forest, just two days
south of the River Dessarin's headwaters near the Lost Peaks.

Vhaeraun's clergy are known collectively as the Masked. Novices of
Vhaeraun are known as the Uncloaked. All other members of the clergy
are known as Nightshadows. Titles used by Vhaeraunan priests vary
widely across temple hierarchies, but typical titles (in no particular
order) include Ascendant Darkness, Black Moon, Dark Mantle, Deep Rogue,
Enveloping Night, Raven's Caw, Shadow Hunter, Silent Sable, and
Twilight's Herald. High-ranking priests of the Masked Lord have unique
individual titles. Specialty priests are known as darkmasks, and
traitorous priests of Lolth are
known as masked traitors. The clergy of Vhaeraun includes only dark
elves, over 99% of whom are male. Vhaeraun's clergy includes specialty
priests (55%), thieves (25%, including nonpriest multiclassed thieves),
clerics (10%), cleric/thieves (7%), crusaders (2%), and masked traitors
(1%).

Dogma: The shadows of the Masked Lord must cast off the tyranny of the
Spider Queen and forcibly reclaim their birthright and rightful place
in the Night Above. The existing drow matriarchies must be smashed, and
the warring practices of twisted Lolth done away with so that the drow
are welded into a united people, not a squabbling gaggle of rival
Houses, clans, and aims. Vhaeraun will lead his followers into a
society where the Ilythiiri once again reign supreme over the other,
lesser races, and there is equality between males and females.

Priests of Vhaeraun must encourage, lead, or aid bands of drow and
allied chaotic evil creatures in thievery and instigate plots,
intrigues, and events to continually increase drow influence and real
power in the surface Realms. They must manipulate trade, creatures, and
intrigues designed to lessen the power of and frustrate the plans of
drow priests (particularly those who serve Lolth), and continually
foment rebellion or disobedience among drow males. Drow thieves in need
must be aided (even if female):  healed, bailed out of jail, or
forcibly rescued. Drow men oppressed or under attack by drow women must
be physically aided in any circumstances. Cruelties against drow men
must be avenged.

Day-to-Day Activities: Vhaeraun's priesthood is nearly exclusively male
and practices passive opposition to Lolth's priests. They are also
active in the surface world, and some preach a heresy of the unity of
elven races and their need to work together for dominion. They
specialize in intrigue, trickery, and treachery and foment disobedience
and rebellion among males. In drow communities, Vhaeraun's priests
often disguise their allegiance, for obvious reasons.

Contact and marriage with other elven races is encouraged. Half-drow
usually breed true back into the drow race; Vhaeraun sees this practice
inexorably raising drow numbers in surface lands. Every priest works to
establish some sort of permanent drow settlement on the surface world,
and either support that settlement's needs personally, or (preferably)
make it self-supporting. (The settlement of Vhaeraun worshipers in the
High Forest, as discussed above, was established by the drow wizard
Nisstyre, captain of the merchant band Dragon's Hoard, before his death
in a clash with the Dark Maidens of the Promenade in chambers beneath
Skullport.) Poison use, manufacture, and experimentation is also
common. Especially effective spells, poisons, and tactics devised by a
priest are to be shared with the Masked Lord-and thence, all clergy.

Holy Days/Important Ceremonies: The most important attacks,
negotiations, and other activities of the clergy must occur at night.
Priests of Vhaeraun utter prayers to the Masked God of Night whenever
they accomplish something to further his aims. Offerings of the wealth
and weapons of those they vanquish (enemies of the drow, or regalia of
female drow priests) are to be melted in black, bowl-shaped altars.
Offerings of magic and wealth are made regularly. The more and the more
value, the more Vhaeraun is pleased, though he favors daily diligence
more than rare, huge hauls.

Midwinter Night, known to Vhaeraun's followers as the Masked Lord's
Embrace, is the most sacred time of the year to the followers of the
Masked Lord. This annual holy day is celebrated by the Masked Lord's
followers with daylong introspective rituals of total sensory
deprivation. Each worshiper is expected to cloak himself in a region of
magical darkness and levitate at the middle of the effect for a full 24
hours while contemplating Vhaeraun's teachings and dreaming up schemes
to advance the Masked Lord's goals in the coming year. All followers of
Vhaeraun who wish to perform this ritual are granted the ability to
employ both spell-like effects on this day, with the necessary extended
duration, by a special boon of the Masked Lord.

In the Night Above, nights of the new moon are considered sacred to the
followers of the Masked Lord. Such occasions are observed with midnight
stag hunts that range over miles of shadowy woodlands, such as the
Forest of Lethyr, the Forest of Mir, the Frozen Forest, the Lurkwood,
Rawl-inswood, the Trollbark Forest, and the Winterwood. Packs of
Vhaeraun worshipers, mounted on riding lizards brought up from the
Underdark, run down a noble hart and then sacrifice its rack of antlers
and still-beating heart to the Masked Lord in dark rites that pervert
the ancient ways of the surface elves.

Major Centers of Worship: One of the largest, if not the largest,
concentration of dark elves on the surface of Faerun is found in the
northern reaches of Sarenestar, also known as the Forest of Mir, on the
border of Tethyr and Calimshan. The drow who reside within this great
timberland are concentrated in three separate settlements, all
connected by tunnels and caverns created during the Night Wars. Each
city consists of a few buildings dotting the surface and extensive
caverns below. Unlike the egalitarian Holldaybim where both males and
females rule, most of the drow who inhabit Daltnothax and Iskasshyoll
are ardent Vhaeraun worshipers.  Both patriarchal societies have been
engaged in a centuries-long conflict with the Spider Queen's followers
in Guallidurth, a drow city deep beneath Calimshan from which their
ancestors escaped long ago. As part of this unending, intermittent
conflict, the small temples to the Masked Lord found within Dallnothax
and Iskasshyoll-the Hall of Midnight Bloodshed and the Onyx Labyrinth,
respectively-have been sacked on several occasions by Lolth's
worshipers. Both shrines serve their true purpose, however, by
diverting attacks from the true center of the Masked Lord's worship in
the region, a vast underground temple hidden beneath the flanks of
Mount Sarenegard known as the Vault of Cloaked Midnight. Under the able
leadership of Envenomed Edge Masoj Naerth, the southern Nightshadows
have recovered much of their strength since the near disintegration of
the Calishite-based cells of the Dark Dagger (see below) in the
Darkstalker Wars of the Year of the Serpent (1359 DR).

Affiliated Orders: The Dark Dagger, composed of drow who venerate
Vhaeraun, is a whispered name of growing weight in the dark alleys
around the Inner Sea lands. Individually powerful hut few in number,
Dagger agents habitually use poison (which they are largely immune to,
thanks to lifelong incremental dosage procedures). Active in Skullport
(in Undermountain, beneath Waterdeep), in Turmish and the Vilhon Reach,
and to a lesser extent in Amn and Calimshan, the various Points of the
Dagger are now beginning to infiltrate coast cities all around the Sea
of Fallen Stars. They like to take control of local thieving guilds and
fellowships behind the scenes, hire skilled human and humanoid agents,
and establish hidden temples to Vhaeraun. They recruit disaffected
half-elves and humans to worship the Masked Lord, whose symbol is
identical to that of Mask, the Lord of Shadows.

Very rare, but greatly feared in Lolth-fostered drow folklore and among
living priests of Lolth, is the traitor priest who serves Lolth and
another deity (usually Vhaeraun). It is for this reason that male drow
who aspire to be priests in Lolth s service seldom rise very far in
levels: even if they overcome the hatred and resentment of any female
drow clergy they must work with, the Spider Queen simply does not trust
them-they tend to end their days quickly, being used as temple
enforcers or guards. In this role they face many spell battles with
intruders (such as drow trying to settle grudges with enemies in the
clergy) or priests who are rebellious, or feuding, or who have
succumbed to insanity under the pressures of their station or contact
with lower-planar creatures. There are priests who serve Lolth on the
surface, and Vhaeraun underneath. The reverse is almost unknown, though
the destructive potential of such an individual keeps the idea a dark
and secret dream that fires a glint in the eyes of many a high priest.
The glory for training and placing such a one would be very great, but
finding suitable candidates and steering them alive through the perils
of preparation without losing their loyalty to Lolth and to their
handler is unlikely in the extreme-and so far, as far as it is can be
told from the news of the Underdark, so unlikely as to be unknown.

How can such treachery be tolerated by the Spider Queen? Surely she
knows the heart of every worshiper, and could prevail over any
influences of a god of lesser power, such as Vhaeraun? The truth is
that Vhaeraun is not so much less powerful than the Spider Queen-he
simply uses his power in subtle, hidden, behind-the-scenes ways, not in
the tyrannical, exultant, and brutal-naked-force manner so beloved by
Lolth. He also watches over the drow in any place ruled by Lolth where
he does have worshipers (such as the drow cities of Menzoberranzan,
Tiethtyrr, and Waerglarn) often and attentively, looking into their
minds for doubts and misgivings. If he finds great hatred or open
rebellion against the dictates of the Spider Queen (or against her
local high priests) and can find an opportunity for a private audience
with the wavering Lolth worshiper, Vhaeraun manifests as a shadowy
black face mask, and telepathically speaks to the individual. If the
individual is discovered or attacked by others, Vhaeraun typically
leaves-after using spells to destroy the beings who discovered or
attacked his intended faithful. In doing this he manifests a sign of
his power over Lolth and preserves the intended worshiper for another
attempt at conversion later.


A double agent priest or priest continues to advance in Lolth's service
and to gain spells normally. If the individual's loyalty to Vhaeraun is
ever discovered, Lolth typically alerts nearby drow, and refuses to
grant any further spells to the traitor-but does not strip the drow of
any presently memorized spells. If the drow survives long enough to
flee Lolth worshipers and any community they control, she or he
continues at the same priest level and spell power, losing only access
to spells specifically and only granted by Lolth (note that the conceal
item spell is granted by other deities than the Spider Queen, and there
may well be other Lolth- granted spells that have been granted in
parallel for, by rival deities). The double agent becomes a cleric or
specialty priest of Vhaeraun (although the dress and manners of a Lolth
worshiper may be retained for use as a disguise), and typically travels
to near-surface drow holdings or trading communities used by several
races (such as Skullport). Drow tend not to speak the names or want to
remember such traitors-their Houses disown them for safety's sake, and
other drow are urged by the yochlol not to remind people of treachery
to Lolth by keeping alive names of those who have so sinned.

Priestly Vestments: Vhaeraun's clergy garb themselves in half-masks,
loose silk shirts, form-fitting pants, and leather boots, all of which
are jet black. They are never without at least one black-edged bladed
weapon on their persons, and most are bedecked with half a dozen or
more such weapons. The god's holy symbol is a black half-mask that can,
of course, be worn and used like any mask. Priests of Vhaeraun need
only be within a mile of their holy symbol to use it in working spells
given to them by the Masked Lord. It need not ever be on their persons
(except when they first wear it to become attuned or linked to it) or
brandished in spellcasting or dealing with undead.

Adventuring Garb: No priest of Vhaeraun can wear any type of armor
except leather armor, and dark garb is always preferred. Vhaeraun's
clergy favor daggers, short swords, and long swords, but they always
select the most appropriate weapon for the task at hand. The Masked
Lord's priests are well versed in the use of poisons, and typically
prepare several varieties of widely varying onset times, methods of
application, and strengths before embarking on a dangerous undertaking.

Specialty Priests (Darkmasks)

REQUIREMENTS:       Dexterity 12, Wisdom 9
PRIME REQ.:         Dexterity, Wisdom
ALIGNMENT:          NE, CE
WEAPONS:            Any
ARMOR:              Padded, leather, studded leather, drow chain
                    mail, or elven chain mail; no shield
MAJOR SPHERES:      All, chaos, charm, combat, divination,
                    elemental (air, earth), guardian, healing,
                    necromantic, sun (reversed)
MINOR SPHERES:      Creation, elemental (water, fire), protection,
                    time, travelers
MAGICAL ITEMS:      As clerics
REQ. PROFS:         A black-edged bladed weapon, disguise, herbalism
BONUS PROFS:        Alertness, blindfighting

* Darkmasks must be male drow.

* Darkmasks are not allowed to multiclass.

* Darkmasks have limited thieving skills as defined in the Limited
  Thieving Skills section of "Appendix 1: Demihuman Priests."

* Darkmasks may select nonweapon proficiencies from the rogue group
  without penalty.

* Darkmasks can cast darkfire (as the 2nd-level priest spell detailed
  in the Lolth entry earlier in this chapter) once per day. Use of this
  ability increases one time per day each time an experience level
  divisible by five is reached (at 5th, 10th, 15th, etc.) to a maximum
  of four uses at 20th level.

* At 3rd level, darkmasks can cast pass without trace (as the 1st-level
  priest spell) once per day for every level of experience above 2nd.

* At 5th level, darkmasks are immune to penalties from light, continual
  light, or spells with similar effects. (This granted power does not
  confer any protection against true sunlight or extend to any magical
  items possessed by a darkmask.)

* At 5th level, darkmasks can cast alter self (as the 2nd-level wizard
  spell once per day.

* At 7th level, darkmasks can cast dark embrace (as the 3rd-level
  priest spell) once per day.

* At 10th level, darkmasks can cast locate object (as the 2nd-level
  wizard spell) once per day.

* At 13th level, darkmasks can magically create a cloak of protection
  +4 once per day for 1 turn. The cloak fades away to nothingness if
  removed or when the duration expires.

* At 13th level, darkmasks can cast Lorloveim's shadowy transformation
  (as the 6th-level wizard spell) once per day.

* At 15th level, darkmasks can create a dagger of venom +2 that injects
  poison on a natural roll of 18, 19, or 20. This costs them three
  months of time (during the final month of which they can pursue no
  other activities other than personal grooming, eating, and sleeping),
  15,000 gp, two black star sapphires of at least 1,000 gp value each,
  and a suitable chunk of either mithral or adamantite to have the
  weapon forged from.  If the black star sapphires are worth over 3,000
  gp each, there is a 50% chance the dagger created can hold a +3
  enchantment (but the poison injection chance does not change).

Specialty Priests (Masked Traitors)

REQUIREMENTS:     Wisdom 9
PRIME REQ.:       Wisdom
ALIGNMENT:        CE
WEAPONS:          As priest of Lolth
ARMOR:            As priest of Lolth
MAJOR SPHERES:    As priest of Lolth
MINOR SPHERES:    As priest of Lolth
MAGICAL ITEMS:    As clerics
REQ. PROFS:       None
BONUS PROFS:      None

Masked traitors are priestesses (including clerics, crusaders, and
specialty priests) who serve Lolth on the surface and Vhaeraun
underneath. The abilities and restrictions of masked traitors, aside
from the changes noted above and later in this section, are identical
to those of the type of priest of Lolth (cleric, crusader, or specialty
priest) they pretend to be on the surface. All suborned priests of
Lolth retain their nonweapon proficiency in ancient languages (high
drow).

* Masked traitors must be drow and are almost always female, but need
  not be the latter.

* Masked traitors are given access to all spells known to Vhaeraun's
  faith, notably chaotic combat (which works only when cast by the
  priest on herself, or another faithful of Vhaeraun, regardless of
  class), create holy symbol, divine inspiration, mindnet, reversion,
  and seclusion.

* Masked traitors can cast blessing of Vhaeraun once per day.

* Masked traitors can cast 'deceive prying' once at will at any time
  after entering the service of the Masked Lord. Thereafter the spell
  must be prayed for normally, occupying a regular spell slot, assuming
  the priest is of sufficient level to cast it.

* Masked traitors receive the personal attention of Vhaeraun in the
  form of useful information imparted to them from time to time in
  their dreams. The Masked Lord richly rewards those who do well in
  his service, and he often (falsely) hints he is willing grant
  immortality to worthy traitors or even elevate them to the role of
  his consort.

* Masked traitors can function without any penalties in full or bright
  light, in part because the eyes of the faithful are shaded with the
  shadow of Vhaeraun's power. Note that this does not negate the
  effects of sunlight on drow armor and weapons.

Vhaeraunan Spells

Priests or the Masked Lord have devised many spells, some of which have
passed into general use. If not combat-oriented, such spells can be
sold to wizards of other races-serving as templates on which to base
similar wizard spells-to enrich the priesthood of the Masked Lord.

In addition to the spells listed below and those spells common to all
drow priests, the Masked Lord's clergy can also cast the 3rd-level
priest spell conceal item, detailed in the Lolth entry in this chapter
and the 5th-level spell air walk found in the Player's Handbook.

2nd Level

Blessing of Vhaeraun (Pr 2; Conjuration/Summoning)

Sphere:           Combat
Range:            Touch
Components;       V,S
Duration:         1 turn or until used
Casting Time:     5
Area of Effect:   Creature touched
Saving Throw:     None

This spell enables any one single use of a thief skill or single weapon
attack of the caster or a touched spell recipient to be performed with
a +3 attack roll bonus or +15% ability bonus. Any damage caused by this
action (harm- ful or beneficial to the recipient) is the maximum
possible on a ld8 roll of 1-6; otherwise, determine damage normally.
The spell lasts for up to 1 turn or until the single use or attack is
made. When the aid granted by the spell is to be used, the spelt
recipient must state so aloud before making the skill check or attack
roll. The latent bonus granted by the spell also dissipates unused if a
successful dispel magic is cast on the recipient before the round in
which the blessing is used.

4th Level

Dark Embrace (Pr 4; Conjuration/Summoning)

Sphere:           Combat
Range:            10 yards+10 yards/level
Components:       V
Duration:         1 tum+1 round/level or until used
Casting Time:     7
Area of Effect:   Special
Saving Throw:     Special

This spell manifests as a dark shadow that flits about the spellcaster
for a few moments before coalescing into a half-mask of black velvet on
the spellcaster's face. Vhaeraun's dark embrace lasts for at most 1
turn plus 1 round per level of the spellcaster before dissipating into
nothingness.  Once clad in the black half-mask created by Vhaeraun's
dark embrace- although not in the same round in which the dark embrace
is cast-a priest can unleash another memorized spell of 3rd level or
less with a single word of power: in other words, a casting time of 1.
Such spells must be touch spells or must be area effect spells that
have no physical manifestation. For example, cause light wounds or hold
person could be delivered by a dark embrace, but a flame strike could
not.

Upon the utterance of the command word, the black half-mask dissolves
once again into a dark shadow that then moves to envelop the intended
target. The dark embrace acts as a carrier of the second spell: No
magic resistance check or saving throw is allowed against it. Instead,
the target creatures receives magic resistance checks and saving throws
only against the spell delivered. Such magic resistance checks are made
with a -10% penalty, and all saving throws are made with -3 penalty.
Only the target creature is affected by the transferred spell, even if
it is normally an area effect spell.

If the spell transferred by means of a dark embrace requires a holy
symbol as a material component, the black half-mask created by the dark
embrace serves as such.

6th Level

Deceive Prying (Pr 6; Divination)

Sphere:           All
Range:            Touch
Components:       V, S, M
Duration:         1 hour /level to a maximum of 1 day
Casting Time:     9
Area of Effect:   Creature touched
Saving Throw:     None

Priests of Vhaeraun use this spell to hide from those trying to
discover their identities. This spell protects the priest or another
touched being from magical and psionic examination (not attack). The
alignment aura, faith, and thoughts of the recipient are overlaid by a
false alignment and set of beliefs chosen during casting, and random
surface thoughts are supplied by the spell in response to what the
being sees happening and the false alignment and faith chosen. The
being can cast spells without breaking this protection, and conduct any
mental activity desired (including the use of psionics or telepathy)
behind the mental screen. A deceive prying spell provides no protection
against enchantment/charm spells or psionic attacks except to give a +1
bonus to the initial saving throw against a charm person or charm
person or mammal magic (not the more powerful charm monster) by making
the attacker's mind assault less precise.

7th Level

Soultheft (Pr 7; Alteration, Necromancy)

Sphere:           Necromantic
Range:            Touch
Components:       V,S,M
Duration:         Special
Casting Time:     1 turn
Area of Effect:   Special
Saving Throw:     Neg.

The material components are a drop of cranial fluid and a small cube of
iron.

This spell enables the caster to steal the soul or spirit of a recently
slain being to empower magic. The caster's holy symbol must be touched
to the corpse within 1 turn per level of the caster of its death. If
the target succeeds at a saving throw vs. death magic, the spell tails.
The spell calls the life force of the dead being hack into the holy
symbol. It escapes again, by itself, if the holy symbol is not touched
to another specially prepared magical object within 4 turns. (Note that
the corpse is not harmed by the soultheft.)

The object to receive the life force must be touched by the holy symbol
as a secret word is spoken. The transfer takes 6 rounds to occur. If
the transfer is interrupted, the life force snaps back into the holy
symbol, but the transfer can be attempted again.

Once transferred, the life force empowers an item to function magically
for 1 month or 10 charges per level or Hit Dice (in life) of the dead
being.  The spell uses a trapped soul or spirit as an engine to power a
previously enchanted magical item. It cannot be used to turn a plain
item into a magical one; in other words, one cannot use soultheft to
turn a sword into a holy avenger +5. The magical item must either be
specially crafted to harness a stolen life force (in which case the
time duration is used) or must be a charged item that is already
enchanted (in which case the recharging function applies). Once this
duration is at and end or these charges are used (such charges are
always used first), the spirit is released unless the spell is renewed.

Renewing soultheft involves simply recasting the spell on the enchanted
item and does not require the original corpse. When such a spell is
renewed, the imprisoned life force must make a system shock survival
check or it is annihiliated.

The being whose life force has been stolen cannot be contacted, raised,
wished back, or otherwise called back to living existence unless the
object empowered by the stolen life force is identified, seized, and
held by the being doing the raising. The enchanted object betrays the
fact that it holds the essence of the particular being to any magical
scrutiny-in other words, a detect magic not only shows a magical aura,
but also reveals the ghostly image of the stolen soul trapped within
the item.

The material component of this spell is the priest's holy symbol. A
suitable enchanted item must also be prepared, but need not be present
at the initial casting of the soultheft. (It must, of course, be
present at any renewal.)

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