D&D: Eilistraee – The Other OTHER Moon Goddess
How many elven goddesses of the moon and/or moonlight are there? We may never know for sure, but we do know Eilistraee is one of them.
When it comes to Faerun and especially elves, they do love the moon and the starlight. Maybe it’s because the mythic isle of Evermeet is said to be cloaked in beautiful twilight? Maybe it’s because elves are secretly nocturnal. Have you ever seen an elf at 8 am? I didn’t think so.
Even the drow love the night. Mostly because they often strike in the darkness for the glory of Lolth–at least the Udadrow do. But those who reject Lolth’s tyranny might find solace in Eilistraee, the drow goddess of beauty, song, dance, freedom, swordplay, and of course, moonlight.
Often referred to as the Dark Maiden or the Lady of the Dance, Eilistraee is a free-spirited, kind-hearted goddess with a fiery, rebellious streak. And when you’re a deity in the Dark Seldarine, Lolth’s court, rebellion means turning to good and freedom. As such, she often provides succor to drow looking to escape the labyrinthine politics and…labyrinths…of Menzoberranzan.
Her people live on the surface where they may see her shining in the sky. But it was not always the case. When Lolth betrayed Corellon Larethian and the drow who followed her descended to the Underdark, Eilistraee tried to be a mother goddess to her people. She wanted to instill in them the hope of a new life, fighting through her followers to try and encourage the drow who wished to flee Lolth’s tyranny.
But, all the deities in Lolth’s divine court opposed her. And her followers were often slain in the streets. Oppressed and hidden, Eilistraee’s followers became little more than a rumor. So much so that, during the Spellplague, Eilistraee was defeated–believed slain–until Eilistraee returned, both to Faerun and her followers.
Eilistraee typically appears as a tall, willowy drow of glowing beauty. With obsidian-dark skin and hair that shines as bright as moonlight, Eilistraee is almost never depicted clothed. This leads to rumors that her followers also perform their ceremonies and rites unclad, though, who can say if these are truths or salacious whisperings?
Such words hold little sway over Eilistraee. Little does–she had to overcome an unimaginable melancholy to instill hope in her followers. Hers was not a monumental battle against a single powerful foe, but rather, a battle of day by day. A battle of mundane moments. Finding peace and life and joy in the little things in life.
Eilistraee lives in those moments. In artists composing and performing, in people doing acts of kindness, or in lovers in tender moments. But she especially loved the sword.
Sadly her skill at swordfighting couldn’t save her when the deities in Lolth’s court drove her. She inhabited the body of one of her most beloved followers during a ritual meant to slay a powerful foe but instead was killed through Lolth’s trickery. For more than a century she lay fallen, silent, but in the Second Sundering returned to life, reclaiming her place as the rebellious spirit that all drow who seek freedom, joy, love, and the moon, can follow.
Happy adventuring!
