#eilistraee worship

[beloved-of-storms-and-sands]

Hello!

I'd like to ask if you're willing to share anything about how you honor and/or work with Eilistraee?

I'd like to learn more about her in an pagan/spiritual context as I keep coming back to her as I explore my own path.

Hello-hello! Thank you for your question.

While you asked how I personally work with Eilistraee, most of my answer will be what, where, and who you can look into to build relationship with Her. The reason is that my practice is personal and obscure is some ways. I use a lot of UPG, syncretism, astrolatry and other things, that for most people won't be the way. I will mention some of it in this post, and, if you still be interested, you can send me another ask and there I will talk only about my experience and associations.

With that out of the way, let's start.

First thing you can look into is her fandom page. This page about Eilistraee was one of the best in whole fandom site and there was a reason for it. The reason I love it so much, because people made fantastic work and put together Her history and ways drow honour Her. First of all, you just need to read it to get acquainted. And there are sections about rituals and how She helps her followers. We'll focus on rituals. Most of them are fantasy, like, for example, hunting monsters, but it will be useful to know them, they can be somehow transformed into a modern style or for a person personally. There are also more realistic ones, like, for example, hair care, and you can do them right now.

The second source to look at is Artemis and Diana. The authors admitted that they were inspired by Artemis when creating Eilistraee, and since Diana is Artemis's Roman counterpart, you can also look at her. Only, I will say that in my practice I look more at all aspects of Artemis-Diana except for the natural one. In particular, hunting, the Moon and moonlight, and freedom.

Eilistraee has other aspects besides those of Artemis-Diana. We will talk about them here.

Hunting, look at other Deities associated with hunting animals and monsters.

Freedom. A very vague concept, can be understood as both running through the forest, as well as fighting for your rights. It all depends on how you perceive it, I think Eilistraee will not be against both.))

Beauty, you can look at any Deities associated with beauty. Just remember that Eilistraee is the Goddess of beauty, but not love.

Dancing, singing, playing instruments, and I attribute all other art to Her, you can look at the Muses and the creative aspects of such Gods as Apollo, Het-Heru, Bragi, and others.

Blacksmithing, look at Hephaestus and Vulcan.

Moon and moonlight, look at any Moon Deity.

Swordwork. This is something unique that I haven't seen in other Deities, but as the name suggests, look at everything that has to do with swords. History, how they are made, how to care for them, how to use them, types, and all that sort of stuff.

It would be good to look at Her family and relationships with Them. I honor Her father, brother, and nephew before He was turned by L/olth. It would be helpful to look at Her allies, enemies, loved ones, and unloved creatures. Also look at the history, culture, and life of the drow, both underground and surface. I have a special connection because of My DnD character.

I use Astrolatry in my practice, so if you're interested in that, you can check it out too. The planets that I associate with Her are the primary Moon, obviously, and the secondary Venus and Mercury.

My personal gnosis includes aspects of all art and also light, both in spiritual and physical terms.

That is all for now. If you have any questions, let me know.

[coldtortelloni]

[hootshooligan]

I think I need to learn more about drow considering Alias literally got involved in an entire war with them

[liianke]

Olllllld warmup of my Tav: Onyx. This look is a liiiiittle outdated to what they look like now but I really like how this turned out, so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

I’m working on a few comics about them, their backstory, and their relationship with Gale, so stay tuned ^^

[swordmaid]

there’s like specific parts in act 3 I really like for shri’iia’s oathbreaking arc bc I think it’s not linear, and even if shes pursuing that path there’s still a chance for her to regress/turn back and remake her oath/follow lolth again. like I don’t think fully turning away from lolth is something she’s able to do in that moment considering that she was quite literally raised in that cult, and even though she recognises now how lolth only has victims not followers I think she is still able to find some comfort in the spider queen’s shadow (no matter how hostile it is) just because it’s what she was raised under, and what she knows. to her, it’s home.

so the parts im talking about is post cazador and post house of grief. hag romance aside (and it’s such a Big Thing for hag romance too) I like doing that quest for Shri’iia because her new oath now compels her to free the unfortunate spawns when before she would’ve left them to their fate and not give them any thought. But now she does care, and she knows what it feels to not be given a choice and what matters to her isn’t essentially freeing them - but rather, giving them the chance to choose for themselves. if they choose to run away and be free then she will help them, but if they choose to just die then she’ll help them too. The ability to choose and to have that free will is what matters to Shri’iia, and that’s like the very definition of her new Oathbreaker oath.

but then there’s also the hag romance conflict where Astarion - out of his own fear - thinks that he should ascend instead. He thinks he needs that power so no one can control him, and he could be free. And prior to the Cazador fight I think they’re also starting to argue about the ascension esp when she found out other souls are bound to the rituals bc her oath compels her to free them, but he thinks he needs that power so no one can touch him anymore. So it’s a touchy subject for the both of them, and the romance between them is still something new and fragile and they’re both learning how to love so it’s a veryy hmmm tense situation.

And in the moment where he asks for her help so he can ascend, I can actually see her threatening to kill him if he doesn’t back down. And I think that’s the point where she actually realises two things - a) she’s in love with this man because the thought of killing him will break her but she knows herself enough that she will do it b) even though she thinks she’s free, she’s still oath-bound. This new oath isn’t fully liberating her; she’s still following her own set of tenets and those can still be used against her or to control her. And i think that realisation will disarm her a little bit because she thinks she’s changed, and she’s a more idealised version of herself but then isn’t she still the same …? She’s still mindlessly following her tenets but they just took on a different form now. And there’s still a chance for someone to come along and deceive her, and use her the same way her Matriarch has used her so what changed exactly? And I think it’s soooo important for her to experience that doubt bc she can’t just be jumping from one cause to another without actually thinking about it, and fully realising what it is.

So post Cazador fight I just imagine her having this moment of crisis bc a) she’s in her feelings and she’s scared that she’s in love LOL b) she’s now doubting herself and this oath and now shes feeling bewildered and unsure similar to when she first broke her oath to lolth. But unlike before she will not spiral ! bc she has a support system this time ! and she’s not alone anymore !

and the other part is with the house of grief. unsure if it’s the default option but I like the route where shadowheart refuses to kill viconia so she doesn’t grant her that satisfaction and shri’iia is the one who executes her instead. and for shri’iia she has no emotional ties to viconia, she’s probably heard her name in passing as traitor of lolth and now she’s here to execute her. and it’s like she has her old oath again where she’s hunting down and executing lolth traitors but now she doesn’t feel the same gratification or satisfaction bc she understands why they would choose to betray lolth, and why they would risk it all and try to escape to the surface even though everyone up there hates them. it’s so important for her to understand that perspective, and to understand the things she did to gain the spider queen’s favour is deranged and fucked up and it was not love at all. and it also makes the route where she essentially regresses and runs back to lolth even more tragic bc she knows what’s it’s like to be free, and she knows why others choose to escape, and she understands it but she turns around and chooses to return anyway. it’s a tragic choice but it still makes sense to me imo ..!

anyway killing viconia is like the last time she kills a drow traitor. unsure if I want to keep the mirror of loss canon for her on one hand I kinda like the idea that she gives up all the memories of her matriarch, and every intel she has gathered for her, and every info that’s damning to the other noble houses to the mirror bc it’s like she’s closing that part of her life so to speak and she’s fully turning away from it but also I’m like this team is currently anti shar and we’re out here supporting bestie shadowheart we can’t be using any shar related things bc that just seems rude… so maybe it’s not canon… and now thinking about it more i don’t like how she’ll just forget all her time down there when it’s more significant that she actually does remember, and actively remember.

anyway shri’iia having a moment where her belief in her ideals wavers (which is such a 👀 moment for her bc she’s a paladin and her power relies on those beliefs) but in the end she understands that even though is following those tenets it doesn’t inherently mean she’ll be a mindless follower of it, and it’ll be used against her, and she’ll have no choice in her own actions. the presence of choice is still there and every choice is hers to make as well as every consequences are hers to bear. and just because she follows it and she wholeheartedly believes in it, I think she’s not entirely bound to it to the point of damnation. she is able to refuse and to ignore if she needs to, bc the only approval that matters - the only decision that matters - the only choice that matters - is hers..!! and that’s what this freedom means, and it’s something that was out of her grasp before but now it’s hers and it’ll be hers forever wooohoooo

[faerielli]

Have to share my drow elf cleric with the tumblr people because I am obsessed with them

[catthattalks]

SO glad bg3 removed the alignment system, because it gives me a reason why my selfish kinda asshole Durge would worship Eilistraee

[angeryvoidchild]

I've decided that Vierna's twin is alive and chaotic evil. I'll try to use him to woo Gale. It'll be hell of a ride, but I regret nothing. Yet. Probably will in about three hours.

But let's be honest, what aligment could possibly have Mezzoberranzean noble with black dragon blood that's so strong it awakened while in cradle?

I'm so sorry, Gale. You deserve so much better...

[arlathen]

i've been trying to come up with a backstory for a dnd character for. like so long? i love the mechanics of clerics but i struggle so hard with the Religion part so i've got all these ideas swirling around like. uhhhh drow. lolth. desert. betrayal???? dragons?????????/

[simplaertes]

dear god i was too afraid to be bitchy in the beginning and now i'm really working from behind to make astarion like me kfjlkdslfjsadlfas........ however in the world of my tav she likes people better when they don't like her (she has issues) so maybe that's not a problem

[vspin]

Tries to make sense of DnD lore timeline for OC

*Confusion intensifies*

[swordmaid]

really do like shri'iia being an oath of the crown paladin when she was still in menzoberranzan meaning that she very much upheld the terror and status quo lolth enforced over her drows. she was kind of an inquisitor in a way, or a crusader, and she hunted down anyone who didnt want to follow lolth. she was very much a part of the people who enforced that fear and paranoia lolth particularly likes, more so as she was kept in the shadow so she just instills dread on others without them knowing. her name is supposed to mean 'silent chaos' btw and she did just that. but then the script flips and now suddenly she's one being hunted. the worst part is shri'iia never understood why anyone would want to defy lolth before, but now that she's seen the other side and she's seen the potential that they were robbed from, that's when she understands why even though they were raised in the dark, some still yearned to see the sun. that's when she understands why her own mother was willing to throw everything away and be an outcast so she's not under lolth's gaze anymore, and i don't think shri'iia regrets what she has done when she was still following lolth - more so that she regrets and scorns that she never knew there were other options besides lolth, and it's possible to live without that constant fear and dread that comes with serving the spider queen.

[goromimii]

The Love Binding -

A love-binding will always take place at night, under the moon (i.e. a non-overcast, moonlit night). The most favourable spot is a forest glade where Eilistraee is often worshipped with dance.

[lunastrophe]

🕷️ Drow Lore

Hello! Here is the list of my posts about D&D drow lore, organized thematically - it will be regularly updated. Feel free to take a look if you are interested in a particular character or topic, or if you are looking for inspirations for your fanfiction or artwork 🙂 I also have Ask Box open.

☕ Ko-fi - link for those who feel like leaving a tip. It is totally not obligatory, though - all my posts are free to read and everybody is equally welcome to send a question!

🕸️ BG3 Drow Lore:

🕷️ Character: Minthara

• Minthara's Social Station in Drow Society

• About Minthara's Past

• Minthara's Past: Age and Name Meaning

• Minthara's Past: Minthara's Mother

• Minthara's Past: Childhood

• Minthara's Past: Minthara's Lover from House Vandree (theories) new

• Minthara And Orin: Before and After Indoctrination

• Minthara's Time in the Cult new

• Minthara About Slayer

• Minthara's alurlssrin

• Minthara's ust-nor

• Minthara's Tattoo

• Nightwarden Title

• House Baenre Family Tree(s) new

🕷️ Character: Nere

• Nere's Social Station in Drow Society

🕷️ Character: Araj

• Araj's Past and Ambitions

• Araj and Her Army

🕷️ Character: Dhourn

• Dhourn's Social Station and Past

🕷️ Character: Kar'niss

• Kar'niss' Past: Szarkai Theory

• Kar'niss' Past: Eilistraean Theory

• How to Feed Your Drider

🕷️ Cult of Lolth:

• Prayer to Lolth

• Sacrifices and Adjuration to Lolth

• Order of Soul Spiders

🕷️ Cult of Eilistraee:

• Prayer to Eilistraee

🕷️ Other:

• Eliette / Phase Spider Matriarch

🕸️ Drow Culture - Part 1:

(Part 2 - about Drow Social Relationships and Drow Nature - can be found here)

🕷️ Language:

• Glossary from Drow of the Underdark (2e)

• Official and Unofficial D&D Drow Scripts

• Drow Names (sources)

• Common Drow Phrases / Sayings (and their translations)

• More Drow Phrases and their translations

• Drow Phrases from Icewind Dale 2 drow sound sets (and their translations)

• Drow Pronunciation

• Prayer to Lolth (translation)

• Prayer to Eilistraee (translation)

🕷️ Sign language and gestures:

• Sign of Dead Spider (quote)

🕷️ Drow spirituality:

• Lolthite and Eilistraean Clergy and Dogmas

• How Eilistraee Feels About Lolth

• Eilistraee and Corellon (and Seldarine in general)

• Followers of Other Gods in Lolth-sworn Drow Cities

• Eilistraeans in the Underdark

🕷️ Drow cultural values and worldview:

• Eilistraean vs. Lolth-sworn Drow Worldview

• Drow Culture And Menstruation

🕷️ Drow and surfacers / other races:

• Drow And Sunlight

• Drow as "Beautiful" People

• You worship what? (quote)

• Dangerous Drow Merchants - History of Nym

• Drow And Slavery

• Half-drow in Drow Communities

• Valas the Black Raven, half-drow from Rilauven

🕷️ Drow free time:

• About Menzoberranzan Festivals and nedeirra

• Drow Games: Sava And Charhylniss

🕷️ Drow appearance and fashion:

• Drow Fashion and Hairstyles - various information

• Drow Textile Markets

• Drow And Spider Silk: Part 1 , Part 2

• Drow Haute Couture - Matron's Robe

🕷️ Food and drink:

• Poisoned or Not?

🕸️ Driders & Co:

🕷️ Driders in drow culture:

• Driders of the House Melarn

• Sorn and Nadal, Drider Brothers: Part 1 , Part 2

🕷️ Habitat:

• Cavern of Driders (quote)

🕷️ Feeding habits:

• How to Feed Your Drider

🕷️Other spider-like creatures / transformed drow:

• Aracholoth

🕸️ Drow Lore in D&D History:

• Drow First Mentioned (D&D 1e)

• Drow and Concept of Evil Matriarchal Society - about possible inspirations

• Drow Lore Sources

[moonbunecho]

I saw that Mizri was blessed by Eilistraee - does Mizri follow Eilistraee? If so, does that intersect in any way with the Durge aspect? Thanks!

So there’s actually two Mizri’s sort of for context my first playthrough i played her as a Durge then decided to play her again as a Tav so i can have more liberty developing her character and background. So yeah very sorry i never made it super clear for futur posts I’ll definitely specify if its Tav or Durge Mizri (i’ll be honest its mostly gonna be Tav Mizri)

SO! Now to answer your question! Durge Mizri doesn’t worship any gods and even has a disdain towards them after the whole Bhaal, Mystra and Shar situation. She’s also very foreign about Drow culture and religion seeing that she grew up in Bhaal’s temple, so i feel like she wouldn’t even know who Eilistraee is.

BUT for Tav Mizri she’s a fervent Eilistraee follower, after she fled Menzoberrazan to look for her father she got lost in the Underdark. Wounded and exhausted she was guided by the goddess to the surface. To this day every song she plays and sings is in honor of this goddess that saved her life. (Definitely gonna do an illustration showing Mizri’s encounter with her)

Anyways, i hope this was a satisfying answer kxkdjdndn

(Also enjoy this pretty poorly drawn comparison of Tav and Durge Miz!)

[tantlisart]

Sketch of naked drows. I think these are drow who worship Eilistraee obviously. There's nothing more to say. It's strange that I didn't draw Jarlaxle there.