Editing Drow (section)

===Eilistraee===
{{Infobox character
| name = Eilistraee
| first = ''[[The Drow of the Underdark]]'' (1991)
| creator = [[Ed Greenwood]]
| alias = 
| race = Deity
| gender = Female
| title = The Dark Maiden, The Dark Dancer, Lady of the Dance, Lady Silverhair, Moon Maiden, Dancing Goddess, Dark Lady, The Masked Lady(<ref group="note">After the 1489 DR, Eilistraee no longer holds this last title, which she earned when she took over her brother [[Vhaeraun]]'s portfolio. As described in the [[Eilistraee#The Sundering and Rebirth|history section]], both of them are alive, but separate entities once again</ref>)
| alignment = Chaotic Good
| home = [[Arvandor]]
| series = [[Forgotten Realms]]
| lbl21 = [[List of Dungeons & Dragons deities#Ranks of divine power|Power level]]
| data21 = Lesser
| lbl22 = [[List of Dungeons & Dragons deities#Portfolios|Portfolio]]
| data22 = Song, beauty, dance, swordwork, hunting, moonlight
| lbl23 = [[List of Dungeons & Dragons deities#Domains|Domains]]
| data23 = 
| lbl24 = [[List of Dungeons & Dragons deities#Divine hierarchy|Superior]]
| data24 = [[Lolth]]
}}'''Eilistraee''', also referred to as "'''The Dark Maiden'''", is a fictional deity in the [[Forgotten Realms]] campaign setting. Eilistraee's name is pronounced as EEL-iss-TRAY-yee",<ref name="Demihuman">[[Eric L. Boyd|Boyd, Eric L.]] ''[[Demihuman Deities]]'' ([[TSR, Inc.|TSR]], 1998)</ref> "eel-ISS-tray-ee",<ref name="TDotU">[[Ed Greenwood|Greenwood, Ed]]. ''[[The Drow of the Underdark]]'' (TSR, 1991)</ref> "eel-iss-tray-yee"<ref name="FRCS3E">{{cite book |last=Greenwood |first=Ed |author-link=Ed Greenwood |title=[[Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting#3rd edition|Forgotten Realms: Campaign Setting]] |last2=Reynolds |first2=Sean K. |author-link2=Sean K. Reynolds |last3=Williams |first3=Skip |author-link3=Skip Williams |publisher=Wizards of the Coast |year=2001 |isbn=0-7869-1836-5}}</ref> or "eil-iss-tray-yee".<ref name="FAP">[[Eric L. Boyd|Boyd, Eric L.]], and [[Erik Mona]]. ''[[Faiths and Pantheons]]'' (Wizards of the Coast, 2002).</ref> In the game world, she is a goddess in the drow pantheon, and her portfolios are [[song]], [[dance]], [[Swordmanship|swordwork]], [[hunting]], [[moonlight]] and [[beauty]].<ref name="Demihuman" />

==== Creative origins and Forgotten Realms storylines ====
Eilistraee was first created for the original home campaign run by [[Ed Greenwood]] himself, appearing by manifestation, dream vision, and in person. At the behest of editor [[Newton Ewell]], who wanted a deity for good drow in the game, Greenwood used the opportunity to make the Dark Dancer official and added Eilistraee to ''[[The Drow of the Underdark]]'' (1991) and thus to the official Forgotten Realms.<ref name="EdVerse">{{cite web |title=Disqus - Edverse Home |url=https://disqus.com/home/discussion/edverse/hello_internet/ |access-date=2 January 2018 |website=Disqus.com}}</ref> He meant for Eilistraee to take the role of a nurturing and protecting mother-goddess for the whole drow race.<ref name="Greenwood 2006 I3">{{cite web |title=Candlekeep Forum - Questions for Ed Greenwood (2006) |url=http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=5812&whichpage=27#129882 |access-date=2 January 2018 |website=Forum.candlekeep.com}}</ref> Greenwood denies a connection to [[Artemis]]/[[Diana (mythology)|Diana]] of [[Greek mythology|Greek]] and [[Roman mythology]].<ref name="Greenwood 2006 I2">{{cite web |title=Candlekeep Forum - Questions for Ed Greenwood (2006) |url=http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=5812&whichpage=27#129882 |access-date=2 January 2018 |website=Forum.candlekeep.com}}</ref>

In the Forgotten Realms campaign setting, Eilistraee is the daughter of [[Corellon Larethian]] and of Araushnee (who later took the name Lolth after being punished by Corellon), a free-spirited and kind-hearted goddess, with a fiery streak in her personality.<ref name="Demihuman" /><ref name="Evermeet: Island of Elves">[[Elaine Cunningham]] (1998) ''[[Evermeet: Island of Elves]]'' ([[TSR, Inc.]] and [[Wizards of the Coast]]</ref> When, during her youth, a host of evil deities assaulted [[Arvandor]] (her home), Araushnee's treachery almost made her slay her own father. Even though she was cleared from any guilt, Eilistraee chose to share her mother's exile, because she knew that the drow would need her light and help in the dark times to come.<ref name="Demihuman" /><ref name="Evermeet: Island of Elves" /> Since after the descent of the drow, in the present era of the setting, Eilistraee tries her best to be a mother goddess to her people and bring them the hope of a new life: she fights to lead them back to the lands of light, helping them to flourish and prosper in harmony with all other races, free from Lolth's tyranny.<ref name="Demihuman" /><ref name="Evermeet: Island of Elves" /><ref name="Greenwood 2006 I">{{cite web |title=Candlekeep Forum - Questions for Ed Greenwood (2006) |url=http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=5812&whichpage=27#129882 |access-date=2 January 2018 |website=Forum.candlekeep.com}}</ref> Hers is an uphill battle, however, as her power is little and she is opposed by all the gods of the [[Drow deities|Dark Seldarine]]. But, despite having to overcome many hardships and setbacks, Eilistraee has never given up fighting for her people.<ref name="Demihuman" /> In the 1370s [[Dalereckoning|DR]], her conflict with her mother over the souls of the drow race ultimately led to Eilistraee's defeat and disappearance.<ref name="AotL">[[Lisa Smedman]] (June 2008). [[The Lady Penitent|Ascendancy of the Last]]. (Wizards of the Coast)</ref> It lasted for about a century, until [[The Sundering (Dungeons & Dragons)|The Sundering]] (c. 1480s DR), when Eilistraee returned to life and to her followers.<ref name="forum.candlekeep.com2">{{cite web |title=Candlekeep Forum - Questions for Ed Greenwood (2015) |url=http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=19841&whichpage=13#468322 |access-date=2 January 2018 |website=Forum.candlekeep.com}}</ref><ref name="SCAG2">Kim Mohan ed. (2015) ''[[Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide]]''. ([[Wizards of the Coast]]), pp. 23, 108. {{ISBN|978-0786965809}}.</ref><ref name="Death Masks2">[[Ed Greenwood]] (June 2016) ''[[Death Masks (Forgotten Realms)|Death Masks]]'' ([[Wizards of the Coast]])</ref><ref name="EG476639">{{cite web |title=Candlekeep Forum - Questions for Ed Greenwood (2015) |url=http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=19841&whichpage=22#476639 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828103504/http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=19841&whichpage=22#476639 |archive-date=28 August 2017 |access-date=2 January 2018 |website=Forum.candlekeep.com}}</ref><ref group="note">As said [http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=19841&whichpage=22#476688 here] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828103504/http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=19841&whichpage=22#476688|date=2017-08-28}}, in answer to [http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=19841&whichpage=22#476640 this question] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828103504/http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=19841&whichpage=22#476640|date=2017-08-28}}, only the following lines of text in the reference No. 11 are to be considered official: "After Flamerule 1489, Vhaeraun and Eilistraee are separate deities with the same powers and portfolios they had before 1375, but a new understanding, respect, and even friendship for each other. Some of their followers still war with each other, but the two deities do not. Thus far, Eilistraee’s teachings after the Sundering are the same as before the Sundering"</ref>

==== Publication history ====
Eilistraee was first detailed in ''The Drow of the Underdark'' (1991).<ref name="EdVerse" /> Her role in the cosmology of the [[Planescape]] campaign setting was described in ''[[On Hallowed Ground]]'' (1996).<ref name="Hallowed">[[Colin McComb|McComb, Colin]]. ''[[On Hallowed Ground]]'' ([[TSR, Inc.|TSR]], 1996)</ref> Eilistraee received a very detailed description in ''[[Demihuman Deities]]'' (1998).<ref name="Demihuman2">[[Eric L. Boyd|Boyd, Eric L.]] ''[[Demihuman Deities]]'' ([[TSR, Inc.|TSR]], 1998)</ref> She is described as one of the good deities that [[Celestial (Dungeons & Dragons)|celestials]] can serve in the supplement ''[[Warriors of Heaven (Dungeons & Dragons)|Warriors of Heaven]]'' (1999).<ref>[[Christopher Perkins (game designer)|Perkins, Christopher]]. ''[[Warriors of Heaven (Dungeons & Dragons)|Warriors of Heaven]]'' (TSR, 1999)</ref> Eilistraee then appears in 3rd edition in the ''[[Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting]]'' book (2001),<ref name="FRCS3E2">{{cite book |last=Greenwood |first=Ed |author-link=Ed Greenwood |title=[[Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting#3rd edition|Forgotten Realms: Campaign Setting]] |last2=Reynolds |first2=Sean K. |author-link2=Sean K. Reynolds |last3=Williams |first3=Skip |author-link3=Skip Williams |publisher=Wizards of the Coast |year=2001 |isbn=0-7869-1836-5}}</ref> and was further described in ''[[Faiths and Pantheons]]'' (2002).<ref name="FAP2">[[Eric L. Boyd|Boyd, Eric L.]], and [[Erik Mona]]. ''[[Faiths and Pantheons]]'' (Wizards of the Coast, 2002).</ref>

Eilistraee is one of the Forgotten Realms deities that made a reappearance during the event known as [[The Sundering (Dungeons & Dragons)|The Sundering]] which transitioned ''Dungeons & Dragons'' from [[Editions of Dungeons & Dragons#Dungeons & Dragons 4th edition|4th Edition]] to [[Editions of Dungeons & Dragons#Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition|5th Edition]].<ref name="forum.candlekeep.com3">{{cite web |title=Candlekeep Forum - Questions for Ed Greenwood (2015) |url=http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=19841&whichpage=13#468322 |access-date=2 January 2018 |website=Forum.candlekeep.com}}</ref><ref name="SCAG3">Kim Mohan ed. (2015) ''[[Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide]]''. ([[Wizards of the Coast]]), pp. 23, 108. {{ISBN|978-0786965809}}.</ref><ref name="EG4766392">{{cite web |title=Candlekeep Forum - Questions for Ed Greenwood (2015) |url=http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=19841&whichpage=22#476639 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170828103504/http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=19841&whichpage=22#476639 |archive-date=28 August 2017 |access-date=2 January 2018 |website=Forum.candlekeep.com}}</ref> She is mentioned as such in the novels ''Spellstorm'' (2015) and ''Death Masks'' (2016) by Greenwood.<ref name="Spellstorm">[[Ed Greenwood]] (June 2015) ''[[Spellstorm]]'' ([[Wizards of the Coast]])</ref><ref name="Death Masks3">[[Ed Greenwood]] (June 2016) ''[[Death Masks (Forgotten Realms)|Death Masks]]'' ([[Wizards of the Coast]])</ref> In the 5th Edition sourcebook ''[[Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide]]'' (2015), Eilistraee receives a brief description, and is listed as one of the deities active in the post-Sundering era of the Forgotten Realms.<ref name="SCAG3" /> ''[[Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes]]'' (2018) includes a full entry for Eilistraee.<ref name="MToF">[[Mike Mearls]], [[Jeremy Crawford]] (May 2018) ''[[Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes]]'' ([[Wizards of the Coast]])</ref>

==== Reception ====
Scholar Michael Blume posited that the inclusion of Eilistraee as a benign counterpart to her evil mother Lolth in ''D&D''s mythology of the elves contributed to bringing a complexity to the fantasy drow, beyond racist and antifeminist stereotypes perceived in the writings of [[J.R.R. Tolkien]] and [[Gary Gygax]].<ref>{{cite conference |last=Blume |first=Michael |date=2021 |title=Mitarbeit am Mythos – Fantasy-Rollenspiele in der Bewältigung von Antisemitismus und Klimakrise |trans-title=Collaboration on the myth - Fantasy role-playing games in coping with antisemitism and climate crisis |url=https://d-nb.info/1260578623/34#page=85 |conference=[[SPIEL]] |location=Essen |publisher=Boardgame Historian/[[WWU Münster]] |publication-date=2022 |page=89 |access-date=2025-04-01 |editor-last1=Boch |editor-first1=Lukas |editor-last2=Falke |editor-first2=Anna Klara |editor-last3=Krause |editor-first3=Toni Janosch |book-title=Mehr als nur Zeitvertreib? – Wissenschaftliche Perspektiven auf analoge Spiele |lang=de}}</ref> Rob Bricken of ''[[Kotaku]]'' identified Eilistraee as one of "The 13 Strangest Deities in Dungeons & Dragons", commenting: "To know Eilistraee, you have to know the Drow. The Drow are a race of evil elves who live underground and basically spend all their days murdering each other because they're so damn evil. There has been one good Drow in the history of D&D, and that's Drizzt Do'Urden, who is one of the Mary Sue-iest characters in all of fiction—and he's been the star of countless novels and is the only reason any D&D player has even been interested in the Drow, of which now there is a terrifying amount of material. Anyways, Eilistraee is apparently the goddess of good Drow, which means she has one worshipper on the planet. This is nonsense."<ref>{{cite web |date=28 March 2016 |title=The 13 Strangest Deities in Dungeons & Dragons |url=http://www.kotaku.com.au/2016/03/the-13-strangest-deities-in-dungeons-dragons/ |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160331030901/http://www.kotaku.com.au/2016/03/the-13-strangest-deities-in-dungeons-dragons/ |archive-date=March 31, 2016 |access-date=2 January 2018 |work=[[Kotaku]]}}</ref>