Promenade of the Dark Maiden

The Promenade of the Dark Maiden was the most sacred temple to Eilistraee. It lay beneath Waterdeep, northeast of Skullport in Undermountain.

Geography
Located near Skullport, on the third level of Undermountain deep beneath Waterdeep, the Promenade 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 temple was composed by four major caverns. One cavern contained many buildings which served as living quarters for the faithful. Another cavern, named the Cavern of Song, served as open space and as an amphitheater for the hymns of the Dark Maiden's worshipers. The third cavern served the priests as living quarters and the fourth cavern houses guards' barracks, storehouses, armories, and living quarters. A large side cavern led 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 (even if the statue is actually modeled on Qilué's appearence). Adjoining the main temple was the Hall of Healing (once a temple of Moander that had been destroyed by an unknown band of adventurers in the service of Tyr) which served as a sick nursery for the care and tending of the temple's wounded as well as all of those that were rescued by the Dark Ladies (including adventures lost in the Undermountain). A one-way teleport from the sixth level of Halastar's Halls delivered adventurers to the northwestern corner passage north of the Hall of Healing itself. Priests of the Promenade healed any who came to the Hall, especially offering the hand of friendship often denied to those of the races who were more frequently than not met with prejudice.

History
The Promenade came into being because Eilistraee (in the form of a 9-foot-tall, stunningly beautiful drow maiden) appeared to Qilué Veladorn when she was only a child, asking her to lead her playmates to aid nearby drow in need. Later, a greater mission was awaiting them. The goddess gifted all of the drow children with singing swords, asking them to destroy the Pit of Ghaunadaur, a mile-deep shaft whose upper terminus opened into the third level of Halaster's Halls, from where the slime god could have creeped to the surface world. Surrounded by the glowing aura of Eilistraee's favor, Qilué led her friends from their tiny drow settlement of Buiyrandyn in this quest, fighting their way --with the protection of the Dark Maiden-- to the Pit, where Qilué faced an avatar of Ghaunadaur itself. Eilistraees power, bolstered by Mystra, flared forth from the childs body as ravening fire that burned away at the elemental god, until it fled for its life, much reduced in strength. The remaining servants of the god fled with their master, and the fire pouring from Qilués body melted all the downward fissures and tunnels in the temple that they had used in their escapes, sealing them. Then the child collapsed, and her playmates heard the voice of Eilistraee warning that Ghaunadaur had only been defeated and would take revenge if they allowed it to return to this place of its power. The voice said:

''You must make a stand here close to the surface world, and you must be ever vigilant against the return of Ghaunadar. For a mighty city of humans shall rise above this place, and if you are to make peace with humankind and your elven kin of the surface world, this place is best suited for you.''

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 it was via a long, twisting staircase capped by Eilistraee's Mound.) Qilue and the rest of the Chosen of Eilistraee (the title that the drow gave themselves) then took up responsibility for patrolling the region (which often led other inhabitants of the area to mockingly refer those patrols as promenades, even though the Chosen proudly used the term as a name for their temple).

In the years since their victory, the Dark Ladies (clergy of Eilistraee) continued fighting an ever increasing number of battles (especially with the minions of Ghaunadaur). After centuries of conflict, fearing further losses among their people, the Chosen began construction on a temple complex where they could receive the guidance and aid of their goddess.

In the 1355 DR, the Year of the Harp, the construction started in an isolated area of the Sargauth Enclave, which was once cut from Skullport when the outpost of Netheril fell centuries ago. Despite the initial concerns of many Skulkers and the close proximity of their settlements, the Chosen of Eilistraee and the various factions of the Port of Shadow have settled into an uneasy truce over the next 15 years.

Although the construction continued, the temple was largely completed and habitable by the end of the 1357 DR. Afterwards, the Chosen of Eilistraee kept patrolling the surrounding tunnels of Halaster's Halls, but with the added security of a fortified redoubt to which they can retreat when prudent.

In 1361 DR, the followers of Eilistraee assaulted the Dragon's Hoard merchant company's headquarters, in part because of their involvement in the slave trade of drow children. 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 consortium. That same year, Qilue attempted to help Liriel Baenre travel to Rashemen and in the process, Liriel (who was a priestess of Lolth at the time) inadvertently led Lolth's power into Promenade, destroying wards and making Qilue very angry.

In 1368 DR, the Promenade came under attack by Ghaunadaur cultists who led a full-scale assault on the temple that lasted for several months before the assailants were driven off.

In the 1370s DR, the Promenade was attacked by a new cult of Ghaunadaur, after a demon-ridden Qilué had tricked it into attacking. Nightshadows, former followers of Vhaeraun and later followers of the "Masked Lady" (following the death of Vhaeraun at Eilistraee's hand and her taking on his portfolio), were sent to infiltrate various drow houses who worshiped Ghaunadaur. They stumbled upon portals to the Promenade. Quickly taking advantage of this, the Ghaunadaur followers proceeded to attack in the hopes of releasing their god, but Qilué had placed a glyph of insanity on the prison, so that the cultists who looked on it went insane. Despite this, the cultists were led by an army of slimes and decimated a large portion of the population of the Promenade. In the fierce battle, almost all the Protectors of the Song and Darksong Knights were killed, along with many of the priestesses, followers, and lay worshipers who lived there or were visiting.

During this time, the seals on Ghaunadaur's prison began to slip and one of his avatars escaped. It was soon after tricked into attaching itself to a fleeing Nightshadow who sacrificed himself for the Masked Lady by going through a portal that led to "a plane of endless mazes," dying in the process but trapping the still-attached avatar there.

After the event known as the Sundering (event), in the 1480s DR, Eilistraee managed to make a comeback, she manifested to her followers through her avatar and her cult began to practice again. However her plans for her then ruined temple remained unknown.

Inhabitants and Organization
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 the 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.

Many races lived among the community of faithful, they consisted of the Chosen of Eilistraee (both full priestesses, called Dark Ladies, and Maids, who were acolytes who had not yet been accepted into the faith or attained full priesthood), escaped slaves, rescued drow (or individuals in general), or adventurers and workers, who might not even have embraced the faith (like the halfling Meryl Vyrmoth, the cook of the temple).

The temple guard -- described as a "motley collection of dark elves, humans, dwarves, and halflings" -- called themselves the Protectors of the Song, or simply the Protectors. In 1361 DR, before the assault on the Dragons Hoard, they numbered 24 drow (9 females), 9 dwarves, 27 humans(12 females), and 4 halflings.

Liriel Baenre, Fyodor, and the deep dragon Zz'Pzora fought with the Protectors of the Song against the Dragon's Hoard in 1361 DR.

One of the highest honors bestowed on a warrior of the Promenade was to be granted use of one of the twenty sacred singing swords. These swords were magically powerful weapons, with magical durability and sharp edges which, along with the humming, providing a defense against psychic attacks or spells. The "singing" of the sword would cut through and clear the mind of the attacker. They would also often hum when danger was near. With their semi-sentience they could be mentally ordered to be quiet.

Daily Doings
Daily activities in the temple included food-growing, temple building chores, patrolling the temple caverns and passages (looking for both threats and injured or lost people), practicing diplomacy beyond the immediate temple area and aiding and healing any individual in need that they met (mostly injured adventurers of all races who braved the perils of Undermountain). It was these grateful folks that Qilué used as agents to spread her influence ever farther in the Underdark. The Chosen of Eilistraee worked tirelessly to further the Lady's aims toward the peaceful coexistence of drow with other races of the Realms and to fulfill her instruction about preventing the return of Ghaunadaur. Through the portals leading from and to the Promenade, the Chosen also led missions in other drow settlements, looking for those who needed their help or might have wanted to (or could be brought to) join Eilistraee's faith.

The work of the followers of Eilistraee took precedence over rituals, but their daily life generally observed a routine. A cycle (roughly a daylong period, measured by the movements of the moon, not the sun) began with an informal gathering of all ranks and races dwelling in the temple, for bathing and chatter (with the exception of those on guarding duty). Qilué or any of the Dark Ladies present would conjure moonfire and begin the Charge, a recitation in which all full priestesses joined. The Charge was often heard by folk in Skullport as a rising and falling murmur echoing eerily from afar. It was a call for all in the temple to voluntarily come and join in the Council, a free-speaking meeting chaired by its leader. It was a forum where in all priestesses had equal standing and were expected to speak with candor. The Council would close with a prayer to the goddess given by the chairpriestess and the Chosen would disperse to begin their daily work.

Roughly four hours later (barring particular situation), all would gather in the Cavern of Song. There they would perform the Grand Chorus, one of the greatest rituals of worship to Eilistraee, an ever-changing song of celebration led by a senior priestess who guided the song with an overriding theme or melody. By Eilistraee's will, the Chorus could bring into being shafts of sparkling moonlight, flowing farther and glowing more brightly as the fervor and emotion of the singers rose. If such radiances met with real moonlight, Eilistraee's power made it so that all beings and items that the priestesses were touching or carrying while singing could, at will, be transported along a web of moonlight for as far as it reached in an unbroken path. For example, they could move from the location of the Chorus to any place on the surface that moonlight was falling upon.

The Chrous was followed by a brief rest period and then the priestesses practiced dance and song until a senior priestess wandered about the temple singing the Call to Eilistraee, a haunting melody that drew all the Faithful back to the Cavern of Song. There, said priestess would begin to recitate a second Charge to open another, shorter Council, after which the Chosen would isperse into small informal groups known as tables to eat their evening meal. This meal was followed by a personal work or leisure period until they ended the cycle by taking to their beds.

During this personal time, the Chosen also made their most important, intimate prayers: the solitary Flame Songs. Such a prayer was performed when the priestess felt moved to do so. They danced around a flame or a candle, singing freely for their goddess and dance following the rythm of the music as it came, until the flame was existinguished. Interrupting a Flamesong was considered the height of rudeness, even if strangers would often be forgiven, due to not being aware of that. 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.

Relations
The Chosen of Eilstraee visited Skullport infrequently. But they had some influence there. They helped many slaves and some adventures to escape the trouble with some of the powerful groups of the port, which gained them the nickname of slave shelterers. That brought them the animosity of Gildar Blackthrone and the slave merchant Ahmaergo. They had also trouble with the drow hunters of Malakuth Tabuirr and the jailers of Zstulkk Ssarmn. But there are also allies. The half-drow Ithlyn serves as go-between and surface contact. The Chosen visit from time to time the Fatted Bookworm for supplies and Kaitlynn of the Sisters Three Waxworks for votive candles.

Worshippers of Ghaunadaur were sworn enemies of the Chosen, and they often fought each other. Worshippers of Moander were also hostile (probably due to their god's temple being used as a healing hall by the Dark Ladies).

Since it was often under attack, the Promenade hired adventurers from nearby Skullport to defend the temple and undertake expeditions to further its interests, paying such hirelings in gems. Those who consorted with the Dark Ladies of the temple were not well regarded in Skullport, where folks feared and hated the slave shelterers of the temple. However, there was no shortage of people whose desire or need for wealth was greater than their care for what was thought of them in Skullport. Despite the enmity of drow followers of Lolth and Vhaeraun, drow traders who come to Skullport turned a blind eye to such tenets of faith because the priestesses promoted their trade by sponsoring merchants, providing them with secure warehouse space and with drow guides.

Notable inhabitants

 * Qilue Veladorn, Chosen of Eilistraee and one of the Seven Sisters
 * Elkanatar, consort to Qilué and commander of the Protector of the Song
 * Iljrene, priestess of Eilistraee described as "tiny, kitten-soft doll of a priestess"
 * Rylla, Battlemistress

Novels

 * The Lady Penitent trilogy
 * 1) Sacrifice of the Widow
 * 2) Storm of the Dead
 * 3) Ascendancy of the Last


 * Starlight & Shadows trilogy
 * Daughter of the Drow
 * Windwalker