Looking for Lolths Crazy Tests/Trials for her Preistesses?
Here are all 5 of them!
Even Lolths most devout clerics hate and fear her, and not without reason! Asking Lolth for help is considered extremely offensive and will more likely be met with death than anything else.
Lolth’s main premise is strength begets strength. There is no room for weakness among her followers. With that in mind, the majority of prayers to Lolth are asking instead for trials that the drow can overcome (males may pray to Lolth as well, but can never become a cleric/priestess).
Regular everyday peasants are likely to never receive one of these trials in their lifetime, the higher few may receive 1 or 2 in their lifetime, priestesses and powerful matrons (the family mother) are tested on a regular basis.
“Only the strong can be allowed to thrive, the weak must be culled”
Here are the 5 crazy trials Lolth gives to her priestesses, they can be carried out in different variations (use that morbid imagination).
Definitely, something to think about the next time your boss is giving you a hard time!
Trial 1: The Test of Loyalty
Or the test of friends maybe?
This one is one of my personal favourites for the most dastardly and evil, also the most common. Lolth will go to one of your family members (or a lover or ally) and tell them that you have betrayed her and must be killed via ambush.
Then, right before they are about to strike, she will send you a vision saying that you are now being tested and that you must be able to kill an ally on her command. You may not even be able to recover from the shock of the vision before the attack happens, at which point you are expected to survive and kill the attacker (friend, lover, ally) without any hesitation whatsoever.
Of course, hesitation means you might doubt Lolth… With friends like these, who needs enemies?
Trial 2: The Test of Strength
How strong can these Drow women really be?
Another one of the more common tests, the Test of Strength is a pretty straightforward combat test. It’s generally against a rival Drow or an equally strong, or stronger, Underdark monster.
Being defeated or showing mercy results in failure. Which in this case could get you turned into a Drider or just having your soul devoured by Lolth.
Trial 3: The Test of Lies
The chaos of the Underdark.
This one is full-blown chaos, which Lolth thrives on. For it, you must make specific people (or one person) believe a specific falsehood under any circumstance.
You could be placed under torture, threatened or cause emotional harm to others to make them believe it.
All of which must be endured by you until they have believed it fully and your task has been completed. Otherwise, you fail.
Trial 4: The Test of Mettle
Also the most metal of the tests
Basically, you would need to survive an incredibly dangerous situation.
An example might be that you would be in a confined space (think a bathroom or small bedroom) and then poof, venomous spiders are covering your body, wriggling all over you, biting and crawling all over your skin, in your ears, and if you open your mouth they will take over that too!
Not only do you need to survive the venom, but you must also do so without hurting a single arachnid. Or else.
This test is generally time-based to see if you can hold out until the end, but Lolth only knows how long that time is going to be.
Trial 5: The Test of Doubt
This test is reserved for only the most powerful of Lolths clerics
This test is based on a “believe in me even when I forsake you” principle.
All your powers are taken away (spells, racial abilities) and sometimes you even lose levels (level 15 down to level 10), or is straight-up turned into a Drider as if you had already failed a test without knowing it.
During the time that you are more vulnerable, you must continue to put your faith in Lolth without wavering. All while surviving in this weakened state. This test can last days, weeks or even longer. Sometimes when you get your powers back you come back multi-classed (+3 levels in rogue or develop other skills that were acquired while “on vacation”)
If you complete any of these tests, you will likely receive an increase in prestige, power or blessings given personally by Lolth.
This concludes the 5 crazy trials Lolth gives to her priestesses. There are variations of trails, but these are the main 5.
Sources:
https://anyflip.com/ogyal/ctcg/basic/151-200
https://www.reddit.com/r/DnD/comments/7rf4i2/lolths_test/
https://forgottenrealms.fandom.com/wiki/Test_of_Lolth
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