Eilistraee

Eilistraee (pronounced eel-iss-TRAY-yee or eel-ISS-tray-ee ), also referred to as the Dark Maiden, was the chaotic good drow goddess of song, swordwork, hunting, moonlight, and beauty. She was the patroness and protectress of those rare dark elves who yearned for a return to life on the surface Realms, at peace with other races, and to abandon the endless conflicts and intrigues that dominated the lives of most drow.

Eilistraee is a melancholy, moody drow female, a lover of beauty and peace. The evil of most drow banked a burning anger within her (but she was comforted that some worked their way free of the Spider Queen's web), and when her faithful were harmed, that anger was apt to spill out into wild action. It was not her way to act openly, but she often aided creatures she favored (whether they worship her or not) in immediately practical ways. Eilistraee was happiest when she looked on bards singing or composing, craftsmen at work, lovers, or acts of kindness.

Eilistraee appeared as an unclad, glossy-skinned female drow. She was 9 feet in height with ankle-length, sweeping hair of glowing silver. Her hair and wandering silvery radiances cloaked her body in a smoothly, continuously moving array of beauty. She was usually seen only from afar, but her song (of unearthly beauty, driving many to tears) was heard whenever she appeared. At times she could also appear during celebrations dedicated to her, leaping from the flames of the bonfires and joining her faithful in their dance, or manifest herself by night cowled, radiance dimmed, to travelers in the woodlands (usually to test their kindness)

She was worshiped by song and dance, if at all possible, in the surface world under the moonlit night among the woods and worship of her was usually accompanied by a feast.

Eilistraee took the role of a nurturing and protecting mother-goddess for the whole drow race. She chose to share their exile so that she could be with them when they would have needed her the most, to provide a light in the darkness and a beacon of hope to her children in the difficult times that -as she had foreseen- would have come upon them. Eilistraee helped the drow to strengthen grow and flourish in a hostile surface world, aiding her faithful in hunting and swordcraft and practical matters (for example, the sound of her hunting horn could be heard when her faithful were in danger -or when people needing help were nearby-, heartening them and scaring away dangerous creatures; her silvery radiance guided drow lost in the darkness or lightened childbirths that occured in the dark; hers was the force who brought the stag within the reach of the hungry drow. Eilistraee also manifested, usually through her moonfire, in the moments when her children needed her visible blessing and support/comfort and when a new drow converted to her faith and joined her dance -about 68% of the times in the latter cases- ).

The Dark Maiden also taught and showed to the drow the kindness, love and joy of life that were taken away from them, and all dark elves - from the highest matron mother to the lowest male slave - received dreams or visions from Eilistraee, showing them a different, better life (especially when they were close to the surface). Lolth was powerless to stop these visions (as too much intereference from two goddesses could easily bring a mortal's mind to insanity), and the drow definitely felt and came to know about the Dark Dancer at one point in their life, but many of them either did not understand said dreams or chose to ignore, disbelieve, or reject them. Even then, while not many refused Lolth to cleave to Eilistraee, many secretely yearned for the goddess and all that she wished for them (in fact it was not unusual of them to choose to spare a stricken worshipper of Eilistraee if they thought no priestess of Lolth was watching, or to fail to pass on to other drow something they might have seen of the activities of faithful of Eilistraee, or to stop to watch a dance of Eilistraee worshippers rather than disrupting it)

History
Eilistraee was the daughter of Corellon Larethian and Araushnee, who later became Lolth, and the sister of Vhaeraun. She was banished along with the other drow deities for her role, albeit inadvertently, in the war against the Seldarine. Eilistraee insisted upon this punishment from her reluctant father, because she foresaw that the dark elves would need a beacon of good within their reach.

In Flamerule of 1379 DR, Eilistraee, while inhabiting the body of Qilué Veladorn, was killed by Halisstra Melarn using the Crescent Blade. Meanwhile, a High Magic ritual performed by Q'arlynd Melarn transformed those drow not tainted by Wendonai's blood and the followers of Eilistraee back into their original dark elven form, and Corellon Larethian thus permitted the souls of Eilistraee's faithful and the newly transformed dark elves to enter Arvandor.

Despite Halisstra's actions, it might be that Eilistraee wasn't truly killed. When the Lady Penitent used the Crescent Blade against Qilué Veladorn, the latter was being inhabited by the Dark Maiden, basically becoming an avatar (since deities cannot fully manifest themselves on the material pane ). That would mean that the blade didn't hit the goddess herself, but a part of her essence infused in her chosen's body (albeit probably one holding much of the goddess' power). Another point is that deities can only be truly killed while in their planar realm or by being starved of followers, therefore Eilistraee's survival cannot be excluded a priori. Furthermore the Crescent Blade could not destroy souls anymore after being reforged, as it is shown by Cavatina Xarann's soul surviving it.

Post Sundering (circa 1489 DR), Eilistraee is alive once again and she is one of the deities with whom the returned Mystra is currently sharing the Weave. She and her brother Vhaeraun are separate again and mortals are aware of her reappearence, but her power, conditions and what she is currently up to are not clear yet. There are also reports of mortal worshippers personally meeting manifestations of and avatars of Eilistraee

Relationships
Eilistraee's allies were the Seldarine, Mystra, Selûne, Lurue, Haela Brightaxe, Callarduran Smoothhands, and the good deities of the Underdark races. Her enemies were the evil deities of the Underdark, especially the rest of the drow pantheon.

While the Dark Maiden and the Seldarine remained allies, it was a strained relationship because of the division between the elves. Among the elven powers, Eilistraee was only close with Erevan Ilesere, and she had worked out an uneasy truce with Shevarash. Eilistraee was also close with the human goddess of magic, Mystra; Qilue Veladorn, seventh of the Seven Sisters, served both goddesses as Chosen of Mystra and as Chosen of Eilistraee. The Dark Maiden hated the corruption and evil that both Lolth and Ghaunadaur represented, and she mourned her brother's cruelty and selfishness.

Teachings

 * Protect and aid all folk in need, weak, strong, grateful, and churlish alike, promoting harmony, peace and acceptance among all races. Be always kind, save in battle with evil. Repay rudeness with kindness and help others in acts of kindness whenever there are ways to do so. Repay violence with swift violence, that the fewest may be hurt and danger fast removed from the land. In particular, whenever and wherever possible, faithful of Eilistraee should 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. 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:
 * 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."
 * 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."


 * Strangers are your friends. Any hungry travelers met with, who offer no threats, are to be fed -- the faithful are to carry food at all times for this purpose, and to set it aside 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 the Dark Maiden, that they may do the same, and none shall go hungry. The homeless must be given shelter from storms, under your own roof if need be. In harsh winters, patrol the lands about to find and take in the lost, the hurt, and those caught in the teeth of cold. Try to convert at least one stranger per moon to the worship of Eilistraee.

Encourage happiness and gaiety everywhere; lift hearts with kind words and acts, jests, songs, and merriment. Nurture beauty, music, and dance. Learn and practice new songs and dances and how to play, make, and repair musical instruments, to gift joy to friends and strangers alike and to pass this learning on whenever possible. Assist hunters and hunting, learn new recipes and spices to cook and how best to hunt for game. Practice swordwork and learn new ways with the blade. Whenever possible, food should be eaten with the accompaniment of song and merriment; except for properly sad occasions. When faithful and allies fall in battle, any priestess present must, if possible, provide burial, a funeral song, and comfort to the bereaved.

Wealth is to be used to buy food, musical instruments, good swords and armor, and other tools to serve the will of the goddess. When on the road and while adventuring, feed, aid, and defend the needy along the way with a prayer to the goddess. Lend assistance to those who fight for good, asking as price no more than an object that can be used to the benefit of the goddess’ works.

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.

Worshipers
The church of Eilistraee was little known and poorly understood by inhabitants of the surface world. Her worshippers were figures of myth in both the Underdark and the Realms above. They were the subject of superstitions and prejudice (such as the belief -held by surface dwellers- of them being the disguised vanguard of the Spider Goddess's plan to take over the surface, and that -held by those drow who follow the Way of Lolth (or other evil gods)- of them being surface elf invaders and spies masquerading as drow.

Rare was the individual -dark elf or not- who appreciated that Eilistraee was forging her own path, one that welcomed beings of all races who revel in life and the free form expression of all that entails.

Her worshipers mostly consisted of good or neutral-aligned drow hoping to escape the Underdark's evil, Lolth-worshiping matriarchal society, and regain a place in the surface world. Among her followers were Tel-quessir (and also the human half-breeds of Tel-quessir), humans, gnomes, and shapeshifters. They shared the desire of seeing all races living in harmony, without pointless discrimination or wars, and worked towards that goal (and those among them who were drow also fought to build their own place in the surface world).

Some non-drow worshipers of Eilistraee rubbed black dye into their skin.

Activities
The Church of Eilistraee worked to encourage the drow to return to the surface world, reaching to them whether they were fugitives, wounded raiders or inhabitants of the Underdark. They showed to the drow that a different kind of life, far from Lolth, was possible, and assisted them in making this choice by giving them aid, food, acceptance and safe places to live. Eilistraeeans performed missions underground, looking for those dark elves who were in need of their help and that could be brought on the surface (mostly slaves, commoners, fallen and hunted nobles or drow who were generally unsatisfied with the life that Lolth imposed them) and offering them a new life and bringing them the Message of Eilistraee. Many Eilistraeens carried tiny swords to give out to drow in the Underdark that served as keys for safe passage to temples.

As the Dark Maiden 's teachings required, the clerics of Eilistraee actively worked to promote harmony between drow and other races, so that their people could be accepted and live in peace in their rightful place on the surface. This also involved the activities described in the Teachings section, like lending their own sword, helping hands, cures and food to assist people/settlements of any race in need, both to gain their acceptance (dispelling fears and prejudices about Eilistraee' s goal) and because the priestesses of the Dark Maiden believed that it was the right thing to do.

Rites and Rituals
The faith and worship of Eilistraee is not bound by hard rules, it is free form expression through dance and song and all that is needed to celebrate her was a moonlit glade (or some kind of light, if in places that can't be reached by moonlight). Faithfuls disrobe and start dancing, seeking their goddess' blessing. However there are rituals, even if -as described below- for most of those there isn't a definite or rigid procedure:

1)Circle of Song: Beside free form dancing and singing, the main form of ritual worship of Eilistraee is a hunt for food followed by a feast 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, the ritual has to be celebrated in a wooden area and on moon-lit nights. 2)Evensong/Flamesong: The Evensong is an intimate ritual that all followers of Eilistraee perform at the end of their day. It is a wordless message to their goddess (usually involving a personal dance and song) in which they let out all the emotions, experiences and reflections that they have gathered in the day, so that Eilistraee can listen to them. In the Promenade of Eilistraee this ritual took the particular form of the Flamesong, the most important personal prayer for the Dark Ladies and Maids (priestesses and novices, respectively), in which they danced around a flame or a candle. They would sing freely for their goddess and dance following the rythm of the music as it came, until the flame was existinguished. Priestesses usually tried to find an alcove or passage where they could be alone to make a Flame Song. While they did, the Promenade was filled with the eerily beautiful echoes of half a dozen or more of these solos at once, drifting down the passages. 3)Hunt/High Hunt: The Hunt consists of tracking down and slaying/driving away a monster which represents a threat to the people living in the area. It is held whenever Eilistraee warns her followers of the presence of a peril/dangerous creature in the area (through the sound of her horn), in order to prevent it from hurting travelers or the inhabitants of nearby settlements. Hearing the Dark Maiden's hunting horn can also simply mean that someone nearby is in need of help.

Te High Hunt is a night time ritual led by clerics of Eilistraee, in which the faithful hunt a monster as a offering to the goddess. The tradition allows the use of any kind of bladed weapon and armor, but the priestesses are required to wear as little as possible. It is usually held once per season and ends with a circle dance for the goddess if the quarry is slain.

4)Last Dance: Those among the clerics of Eilistraee who do not die in battle are blessed by Eilistraee with the ritual of 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.

5)Oath of the Sword

6)Run: The Run is a ritual that followers of Eilistraee undertake at least once per year. All those who take part in the ritual use particular boiled leaves and berries to make their hair silvery (which usually leads to sarcastic remarks from some drow of other faiths, who enjoy saying that such a color is to indicate their foolishness, although drow who do not worship Eilistraee can also have silver hair) and those who are not drow use natural colors to paint their bodies black. After this preparation, they go on a travel, wandering on the surface world, trusting to their music, kind ways, and sword skills to keep them from being slain as drow. The goal of the travel is for the followers of the Dark Maiden to go where they are strangers, reaching to elven and other races' communities to bring them food, joy (through music and dance), kindness and help of various kinds, not to preach their faith, but simply out of good heart and to show (together with their day-to-day activities) that drow can be rightful non-evil inhabitants of Faerun. Of course, the faithful are encouraged to use this time to also learn (and/or pass on) new songs, music, recipes and sword techniques.

7)Sword Dance The Sword Dance is a ritual held when a new sword is forged or acquired by a worshipper of Eilistraee, in order to ask her blessing on the blade. It is performed by planting the weapon in the ground (the point turned down) and dancing, drawing a drop of blood from each of the priestess' limbs, moving momentarily against the blade. If the ritual is successful, the sword will gleam with silvery light, and for three months it won't rust and will be able to hit creatures that can only be wounded by magic.

Artifacts
The Crescent Blade was a magical curved blade with a leather hilt. There was silver inlaid in the blade. On it were the Drow words, "Be your heart filled with light and your cause be true; I shall not fail you." It was said that Eilistraee plucked a pebble from the heavens and tossed it to earth. It grew as large as a boulder and very hot. It was made of moonmetal; if one looked at the moon, they can see the hole in the shape of a crescent. The boulder was forged into a crescent-shaped blade with enchantments, including moonlight—it could cut through armor and stone—protection against evil, and being able to strike quickly. If the wielder was a true priestess, she could use it to sever the neck of any creature, including gods.
 * The Crescent Blade:

The Singing Swords were twenty magical singing silver bastard swords provided by Eilistraee and wielded by Qilue Veladorn and the Chosen of Eilistraee who patrolled the Pit of Ghaunadaur near Skullport. The swords sang constantly (and loudly) when unsheathed, and lost their abilities and bonuses when silenced. The blade's song made its wielder confident and immune to charm, command, confusion, fear, friends, repulsion, scare and suggestion. An emotion cast on the wielder only caused rage, focused on the one who cast the emotion spell. The sword's song also cancelled the effects of a harpy's song, silenced shriekers, and could entrance weak, earthly, living creatures, although this ability could be negated by a bard's counter-song.
 * The Singing Swords

Shrines and Temples
In the northern High Forest, southeast of Everlund was a small clearing with a large flat-top gray rock about six feet tall and five feet in diamater. Pre-Time of Troubles the stone was known as Hastrin's Grayrock, named after an elven ranger who used the stone as a waypoint. After 1358 DR the top of the stone bore a single left footprint the size of a drow female's foot. The shrine is a natural pillar of black rock about ten feet tall,carved with crescent moon-shapped holes that create the sound of several flutes playing when the wind blows. The hilt of a sword protrudes from the top of the rock. Hidden behind a nearby waterfall, is a cave that houses the shrine's followers. In a section of the forest littered with broken chunks of stone is an ancient structure that consists of a dozen sharp sword-shaped columns of black obsidian set point-first into a circular platform of white stone; the column-sword's hilts flattened to support a weathered circular roof of white stone with a round moon-shaped hole at its center. Within the Moonwood north of Quaervarr, is treeless hill where followers of the Dark Maiden gather on moonlit nights. In a cave beneath the hill, is a small shrine to Eilistraee. Located near Skullport, this was the main headquarters for the faithful of Eilistraee with many portals to other parts of the world but also access to tunnels into the Underdark for redemption missions. The Promenade was led by High Priestess Qilué Veladorn, youngest of the Seven Sisters and Chosen of Mystra. She led the priestesses while also giving out missions when something needed her attention. Second to her was the Promenade's Battlemistress, Rylla. She led both the fierce warrior/priestesses of the Darksong Knights (who had training in demon-hunting), and Protectors of the Song, the group of elite warriors, often armed with one of the twenty magical singing swords, whose first duty was to guard the Promenade.
 * The Chondalwood Shrine
 * The Dancing Dell, Ardeep Forest: Soft glowing blue moss, short grasses, and ferns cloaked this smooth bowl valley and the raised ring of earth that surrounded it. In the center of the dell stood the Ladystone, a finger of rock touched by Eilistraee and sacred to her. The Ladystone's powers guarded the dell and could strike at intruders as commanded by the goddess or her priestesses. The origin of the Ladystone was unknown, but it had been here since before the arrival of elves in the Ardeep. Eilistraee herself manifested here on more than one occasion to dance with her priestesses. Drow who venerated Eilistraee often danced here on moonlit nights, sometimes led by Qilué Veladorn.
 * The The Dancing Stone, Elventree
 * The Dark Dancer, Ravens Bluff: A converted warehouse in the docks district of was dedicated as a shrine to Eilistraee in 1370 DR.
 * Darkmaiden's Leap, The High Forest
 * Forest of Lethyr Shrine
 * Forest of Shadows Shrine
 * Forest of Tethir Shrine
 * The Grey Forest Shrine
 * Lake Sember Shrine
 * The Misty Forest Shrine
 * The Mouth of Song, The Moonwood
 * The Promenade of the Dark Maiden

All priestesses at the Promenade were free to do as they liked unless given a mission by either Qilué or Rylla. Although the Darksong Knights had more independence they too were subject being given missions. Generally its clerics wore their hair long and dressed practically for whatever they were currently doing. For rituals, they wore as little as possible. Otherwise, they tended to wear soft leathers for hunting, aprons while cooking, and—rarely—armor when battle was expected. When relaxing, they favored silvery, diaphanous gowns. The holy symbol was a small sword; clerics preferred holy symbols of silver, typically worn as pins or hung around the neck on slender silver or mithral chains. They prayed for spells at night, after moonrise, singing them whenever possible. Their rituals revolved around a hunt followed by a feast, dancing, and a Circle of Song. This last was held preferably in a wooded glade on a moonlit night, in which the worshipers would sit and dance by turns in a circle, each one leading a song.

The shrine is located in a series of caves lining both sides of a steep-sided overgrown gully dominated by a grove of towering shadowtop trees. A group of at least fifty Eilistraeens, drow and other elves, dwelt in the Velarswood near Harrowdale, where they had a temple in the northern part of the wood. They often gathered in evensong in gratitude. They were creating a surface home there and generally had good relations with local humans, whom they aided when ill. Eilistraeen priestesses and moon-worshiping lycanthropes from the nearby Howling Hill join together in sacred hunts to Eilistraee and Selune when the moon is full.
 * The Shadowtop Glade, Velarswood

After the evil drow of the The Twisted Tower were defeated by elves of Cormanthyr and Rystal Wood in -331 DR, the tower was left in the hands of their good dark elf allies. Within a century, the tower becomes Eilistraee's great temple in the Realms.
 * The Tower of the Dark Moon (also referred to as The Temple of the Dark Moon), The Twisted Tower, Shadowdale

The temple fell and was reclaimed by the drow beneath Cormanthyr in either 190 DR or 194 DR.

Any follower of the Dark Maiden who mentions her name within the tower is enveloped in a swirl of moonfire.


 * The Yuirwood Shrine

A score of followers of Eilistraee in the High Forest, their camp is near the Dessarin, north of the Lost Peaks and less than a night's travel to Everlund. Formerly led by Ysolde Veldaron, then led by the drow Dolor after Ysolde's death in 1361 DR.
 * Wildwinds Coven, The High Forest

Notable worshipers of Eilistraee

 * Cavatina Xarann, Darksong Knight.
 * Qilue Veladorn, Chosen of Eilistraee (and of Mystra).
 * Ysolde Veladorn, daughter of Qilue ; killed in 1361 DR.
 * Elkantar Iluim, Right Hand of the Lady, Commander of the Protectors of Song, male drow fighter, consort to Qilue Veladorn, killed by Gorlist in 1361 DR.
 * Iljrene Ahruyn, Hand of the Protectors, Sub-Commander of the Protectors of Song, female drow fighter/priestess.
 * Arrikett Uruth, Hand of the Protectors, Sub-Commander of the Protectors of Song, male halfling fighter.
 * Thorn, lythari champion of Eilistraee.
 * Seyll Auzkovyn, converted priestess (formerly of Lolth) in Cormanthor ; killed in 1372 DR by Halisstra Melarn.
 * Halisstra Melarn, briefly a priestess of Eilistraee and wielder of the Crescent Blade before returning to the worship of Lolth before her death.
 * Mathira Melarn, Sword Dancer from Ched Nasad.
 * Nuriel Limbya, half-drow Crinti priestess leading Eilistraeens in Cathyr.
 * Rebekkah Darklyte, drow priestess and founder of The Dark Dancer shrine in Ravens Bluff.
 * Aeril Faenrya, Dark Maiden of Eilistraee

Connections
Eilistraee