Editing Eilistraee (section)

==Worshippers and Beliefs==
[[File:Sword Dancer of Eilistraee.png|250px|thumb|right|A typical Sword Dancer of Eilistraee]]
Eilistraee's [[cleric|clergy]], collectively called "Sword Dancers", is mainly composed of elven or drow women (usually skilled dancers, musicians and diplomats), whose duty is to make sure that the communities entrusted to them thrive in the surface world and establish friendly relationship with other races. They are protectors, healers, and teachers--of survival skills as well as arts--and take care of the physical and emotional well-being of their people. Most Eilistraeen communities form around shrines or temples, and are led by the clergy. Therefore, they are often goodly matriarchies--where men are valued and treated with affection and respect (unlike the Lolthite matriarchy). When in positions of leadership, men often take the role of advisors and decision makers in certain areas of expertise; lay men and lay women have the same roles: gatherers, hunters, workers, scouts, etc... For a time, in order to become clerics, male drow had to spend some time as women through a ritual known as Changedance (according to Ed Greenwood, this was because, due to the goddess' nature and role of nurturing mother for the drow, it was only possible to fully cleave to her as a woman and certainly not be because he is horny). This is no longer needed in the current era, as of 5e/post-Second Sundering, and male clerics (and therefore possibly leaders) are becoming more numerous. 

Aside from tending to their communities, the priest(esse)s encourage the dark elves to return to the surface world, and reach to them whether they are fugitives, raiders, or inhabitants of the Underdark. They show that a different kind of life, far from Lolth, is possible, and assist the drow in making this choice by giving them aid, food, acceptance, and safe places to live. The clerics rely on a portal network and on a series of tunnel to lead missions underground (or infiltrate within Underdark settlements) to look for drow who are in need of their help and that can be brought to abandon the Way of Lolth (mostly slaves, commoners, fallen and hunted nobles, or drow who are generally unsatisfied). The priest(esse)s then work to gain their trust: generally, they avoid to force their view, but rescue them, hide them from their enemies, look after them, and offer sincere kindness. When the drow are ready, they are given the message of Eilistraee and a new opportunity: 

{{Quote|''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 clerics of Eilistraee work to uphold the ideal of harmony among all races (obviously including the drow) so that their people can be accepted and live in peace, and all races can be united against suffering. As the goddess shows, this includes actively providing aid and protection to the needy, no matter their race or condition. Be it by bringing healing to the wounded, food to the hungry and clothing to the poor; by helping to rebuild, or by offering shelter to travelers, homeless and outcasts (even under their own roof), the faithful strive to lend a helping hand. They constantly prepare for such occasions, by growing and storing food, preparing cures, and regularly patrolling the lands in harsh climates.

The Dark Maiden teaches to help those who fight for good and to show kindness to all, but also to "repay violence with swift violence, that the fewest may be hurt, and danger fast removed from the land"--basically, make people's lives better, but take no shit. However, "swift violence" doesn't necessarily mean killing. On the contrary, evil isn't always monster that can be slain with the simple blade; sometimes the only way to truly defeat it passes through understanding and healing. The sword is needed for defense, but there's strength in compassion and in letting a life bloom and rise from their evil as well--otherwise, there would be no redemption for anyone. That said, clerics of Eilistraee are known to fight threats that endanger not only themselves, but also other races, especially on the surface. The Darksong Knights are an example: these warriors, paladins and clerics devoted to the Dark Dancer choose to actively fight Lolth and her pawns, working to thwart their plans and to hunt down the Spider Queen's demonic minions. Another example is the efforts of the church of Eilistraee to fight slavers. Freedom is an important tenet for them, especially due to the oppression that the drow have to endure under Lolth, so they strive to hunt down those who would see others in chains, and offer shelter and protection to slaves.

Many clerics work as diplomats and emissaries living near (or sometimes within) other races' communities or cities, trying to integrate the drow followers of Eilistraee among the locals. Usually, the priest(esse)s try to find people who would be more open to engaging in trade or coexistance with the drow; they then explain their history, goals, and beliefs, and make an offer in exchange for sponsorship. The offerings range from something as simple as their performance, to healing, travel magic (throuh their Moonsong, especially useful to merchants), knowledge of the Underdark, or exotic goods crafted by the drow. If the deal goes through, the clerics proceed to solidify the new friendship and coexistence (for example, they did this with the old Myth Drannor--under Coronal Tannivh--with Elventree, Raven's Bluff, and--lately--Waterdeep).
[[File:Priestess of Eilistraee.jpg|250px|thumb|left|A priestess practicing her art]]
Besides their work towards their main goal, the faithful of Eilistraee are taught by their goddess to be beacons of hope--not only by fighting for good, but also by nurturing beauty, and practicing and spreading music, arts, and all that is good in life (such as cooking tasty food) as much as possible. The clerics have to be proficient in playing (and crafting/repairing) at least one instrument, to be good singers and graceful dancers, and to teach their skills and knowledge whenever possible. They use any opportunity to learn and compose new music, as well as experimenting with new recipes and spices. Eilistraeens who go adventuring are encouraged to travel and bring joy wherever they go, be it by kind acts, by sharing their arts, stories, and performances, or by trying out recipes to delight those met along the way. They strive to spark passion into people, so that no moment is lost to the grayness of bore and melancholy, and resignation may always be overcome. 

Such focus on arts and beauty is not just hollow optimism. Suffering is well known to both the goddess and her followers, but the act of fully, freely embracing the beauty that the world has to offer can still resonate with the dark elves (despite being absent or corrupted in the Lolthite society). Many unconsciously feel the need to rediscover such joys, which become a way to lure the drow to a life that they have forgotten, and to speak to that part of them that was silenced by Lolth's hatred. Song and music, as well as dance, are also a powerful mean of self-expression, and mark the rhythm of the daily life in the Eilistraeen communities. Even the iconic magic of the Sword Dancers, the Spellsong, is based on music capable of healing, creating and protecting, and their distinctive fighting style relies on a series of evasive, graceful movements that combine dance and swordplay into one.

Finally, the clerics of the Dark Maiden are also known to be proficient smiths who specialize in the making of blades, and skilled users of the Dancing Swords (for the symbolic resonance of these items with their goddess' portfolio).

Mechanically speaking, in 5e D&D a College of Swords [[bard]] whose spell selection focuses on healing, support, enchantment and illusion, would be a good fit to represent a Sword Dancer of Eilistraee (while the rest of her clergy is well represented by the Nature, Life, and Light [[Cleric Domain|domains]] that they get. [[Cleric Domain#Mearls' Creations|Mearls' Beauty domain]] is thematically perfect too). In 3e D&D there was a prestige class for it; in 2e, there was a cleric kit.

===Militant Orders===
;Darksong Knights
[[File:Darksong Kight.jpg|250px|thumb|right|A paladin of Eilistraee]]
The Darksong Knights are an order of elite [[fighter|warriors]] and [[paladin|paladins]] who serve as a bulwark between the followers of Eilistraee and the zealot crusaders and the fiendish servants of Lolth. Similarly to the Sword Dancers, their fighting style is graceful and acrobatic, but they favor heavier armor than their priestly counterpart, and receive specialized training aimed to face the creatures of the lower planes. The Darksong Knights make a sacred oath, swearing to uphold the teachings of the Dark Maiden, and to tirelessly hunt the Spider Queen's handmaidens—the yochlol—as well as all demons. Fiends caused the downfall of the drow in the ancient times, and no matter what tricks they use to corrupt mortals, the Darksong Knights give them no quarter. They are especially active in southern Faerun, the lands once occupied by ancient Ilythiir. In mechanical terms, in 5e D&D this order would likely include Oath of the Ancient, Vengeance and Devotion paladins, and probably also Horizon Walker [[ranger|rangers]]. In 3e D&D, there was a substitute levels option for the fighter class to represent the Darksong Knights.

;Silverhair Knights
Emissaries of redemption, the Silverhair Knights are an order of paladins focused on bringing any and all drow the choice to be free from Lolth. Like the Darksong Knights, they swear to uphold the teachings of Eilistraee, but focus on mercy and compassion. They take an oath to never willingly kill those who can be redeemed, especially the drow (they can use lethal means only if that means saving more lives; even then, a quest for atonement is needed), and--among the followers of Eilistraee--they are the most dedicated to the missions to reach for their kin in the Underdark and bring them to the light. The Silverhair Knights approach the potential converts with caution, by taking many careful steps to make them feel as safe and comfortable as possible, and offer them the path to a life free of endless strife and paranoia. The Silverhair Knights personally escort the drow to safety, and constantly offer their protection to all followers of Eilistraee, especially the new converts, in order to show that the life that the goddess wishes for her children is not a fairy tale, but a concrete possibility. In extreme cases, these paladins can perform a risky ritual that allows them to take the cruelty and suffering experienced and inflicted by a creature upon themselves, facilitating the process of redemption (a skill that earned them the nickname of "Sin Eaters"). After the Second Sundering, Eilistraee herself often chooses to personally provide direct guidance to the members of this order. Mechanically speaking, in 5e D&D, the Oath of Redemption paladin would be a good fit for a Silverhair Knight; in 3e D&D they were a prestige class.

===Internal Differences===
Despite trying to uphold the teachings of their goddess, and despite working for good, the followers of Eilistraee are varied: while it's easier for a drow born on the surface to put the tenets of the faith in practice, converts have a much harder time. They come from a place where paranoia is the norm, and where every smile hides a threat; furthermore, on the surface, many people still react aggressively to seeing a drow. For those reasons, former Lolthites can be very jumpy, distrusting, and in some occasions even outright murderous (fearing that someone who found the location of a community could alert their people and then come to kill the drow). New converts (and even a few old timers) can also still display the sexism common among the Lolthites.

===Rituals===
[[File:Drow Dancers of Eilistraee.jpg|300px|thumb|left|The first ever depiction of a holy rite of Eilistraee, from AD&D FR's "Drow of the Underdark"]]
The followers of Eilistraee practice many rituals, but the iconic form of worship is a nude dance (usually solitary, but sometimes in group) in a moonlit glade (or, lacking that, using any source of light--often a candle), in which they let out all the emotions of the day in a wordless message for the goddess to listen (called Evensong). Some say that this was created as fanservice (and, in part, it likely was) but it can also have a fitting function. The life in a Lolthite society is based on constructs, falsehood, deceit; conflict is constant and trust and spontaneity are taboos. A nude dance in which the drow let out all their emotions is the act of laying down the mask and feeling free to just be themselves and embrace life. Furthermore, in a society of perpetual conflict, where trust is taboo, vulnerability must be hidden. To be free to dance in the nude with others (or while invoking a goddess) is to be free to show one own's vulnerability—it means that vulnerability is sometimes acceptable, forming a bond of trust, and being accepted as a whole. All of this is surely helpful to "heal" a drow who escapes the abuse of Lolth and her society. 

In any case, despite their iconic dances, unlike many seem to believe, the followers of Eilistraee are '''not''' nudists. They wear the most practical garb for a given occasion and armor (generally light) in battle.

A peculiar ritual is the Run, celebrated at least once per year (and lasting at least one month and a half). The faithful venture to places where they are strangers, reaching communities of elves and other races to bring them gifts, food, and their art, showing that the drow can be rightful citizens of the surface world and establishing new friendships.

When a follower of the Dark Maiden who hasn't fallen in battle and who has reached old age feels that their moment is nearing, Eilistraee sings her call to them. The follower goes out in the moonlight to dance to the music, until the goddess herself joins them in a ritual known as "The Last Dance". As the two revel together, the worshipper becomes more and more youthful, the silvery radiance of the Dark Maiden surrounds them, and they slowly fade away. In the end, only the radiance can be seen, and the voices of the goddess and her faithful sing together a tender yet melancholic song.