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The dark elves believe that Selvetarm walked in soli-

tude for many centuries, spurning both Lolth and Corel-

lon, for he was not wholly given over to evil but neither

was he fully aligned with the forces of light. Eventually

his path crossed that of Eilistraee, and he began to ap-

preciate the goodness of the Dark Maiden, as exhibited

in her teachings and deeds. By aiding in Selvetarm's

redemption, Eilistraee hoped to begin to heal

the

breach between drow and the Setdarine.

That hope was

dashed, however, by the insidious plotting ofLolth.

The Queen of Spide rs had long resented the existence

of Zanassu, a minor demon

lord that competed with

her for divine authority

over spiders. She hated almost

as much the possibility

of Eilistraee's winning an ally

among the drow pantheon. A prime opportunity arose

when the spider demon lost much of its power in a con-

flict on the Material Plane. Lolth convinced Selvetarm

to

destroy Zanassu in its depleted state and seize the

spider demon's burgeoning divine power. She did so by

suggesting to Selvetarm that a victory would win him

favor in the eyes of Eilistraee, whom he greatly admired.

But when Selvetarm prevailed in battle over the

spider

demon, the wholly evil and chaotic nature of the divine

power he absorbed overwhelmed Selvetarm's
innate

goodness and weakened him enough that the Spider

Queen could bound his will tightly to her own.

Enraged by Lolth's duplicity, Selvetarm

is an engine

of destruction, an eight-limbed maestro of slaughter. If

allowed to operate unchecked, he

could rend his way

through an entire cl row city

in a berserk rage. Keeping

him restrained is one of

the few acts of Lolth that can be

described as merciful.

Because of

his status as a captive, Selvetarm draws

little attention from drow of high status. Low-caste

drow warriors

who are themselves slaves or indentured

servants,

or who have no chance to rise in rank, can be-

seech Selvctarm for prowess in battle without suffering

any shame. Anyone of high standing or who hopes to

attain high standing shies away from openly expressing

reverence for Selvetarm, though such an individual

might still beg his aid privately.

VHAERAUN

Vhaeraun stands for the dark elves' superiority over

other races and for the primacy of individual drow over

other drow. He is a god of arrogance, and thus he con-

dones all acts of avarice,

fair and foul alike. Those who

take what they

want from whom they wish, whether

through s t

ealth or bullying, pay homage to Vhaeraun.

He is patron to thieves and often the object of prayer be-

fore drow embark on a raid.

Among the male gods of the Dark Seldarine, he is as

widely recognized and accepted as Keptolo. But Vhaer-

aun represents a different aspect of drow masculinity:

strong, silent, obedient, swift, and deadly. He is thought

of as Lolth's favored son, in contrast to Keptolo's

role as

her beautiful consort.

Due to his high status in the Dark

Seldarine (for a

male} and because of his arrogan

ce, a few of his wor-

shipers look on him as

an advocate of equality between

male and female drow.

That heresy, when it is expressed

openly. is liable to be savagely crushed by the priest-

esses of Loi th. So most of Vhaeraun's male followers

honor him simply by trying to carve out better lives for

themselves, and that activity is tolerated. Even so, adher-

ents of Vhaeraun don't appear in public without wearing

masks. This practice exis ts in part because Vhaeraun is

CHAPTER 2 I ELVES