Deities
The drow worship an almost infinite number of deities both large and small. Potent, powerful gods of major concepts may have entire cities and festivals dedicated to their worship, whereas small gods, little more than spirits themselves, may guard single trees or solitary, lonely bridges and have only a tiny wayside shrine to be remembered by.
Some of the most important deities that draw wide worship and reverence are listed below, but they are by no means the only gods and goddesses a drow might call on, or be called on by.
Ssa- Goddess of death, poison, stealth, ambition, and patron of murderers (particularly those who slay in secret to better their own standing), she is a cold-hearted and vicious deity. In her eyes, the ends always justify the means and the only unforgivable sin is to stay one's hand due to compassion. She holds serpents to be sacred, and her temples and holy objects are adorned with their image. She has claimed the city of Cissilith under her especial protection.
Van'mali- Goddess of fire, passion, the arts, and war, she is the patron of mothers separated from their children by circumstance (rather than choice). She is a brash and boisterous deity who extols the virtues of courage and creativity above all else. She is particularly fond of dance as an art form, but will lend her creative fire to any artistic pursuit. Her sacred animal is the fire-salamander, a small reptile known for its bizarre mating ritual wherein it dances in the heart of a hot flame. She has taken the City of Embers under her care, and they celebrate the lighting of her braziers every spring. She is said to be wed to Moe'hai.
Moe'hai- God of hearth, home, and healing, he is the patron of caregivers and physicians. A calm and gentle deity, he preaches compassion and charity as the highest of virtues. His sacred animal is the cow (a gentle beast and a fine provider of milk and meat for the home), and his festivals usually occur in the middle of winter when families gather together around their hearths. He is said to be the consort of Van'mali.
Tah'ruul- Goddess of blood, the wilderness, untamed animals, and the hunt, she is the patron of hunters and those who murder not for gain but for pleasure. She holds the wilderness of the deep reaches sacred. Her permission is sought before venturing into the deep reaches (past the patrolled borders of the cities and their settlements), and anything brought back from such dangerous expeditions are held to be her blessing. Her sacred animal is the deer.
Kestali- The Slain Goddess, goddess of the moon, hope, night, winter, and the drow people. Worshipped by the drow since before they left the surface, it is said that she and her children the stars were murdered by her brother the sun. A festival is held in her honor at midwinter, when the strength of the night most outweights that of the day. It is said that this is the anniversary of her death. (Death doesn't quite work the same for immortals, so it is thought that she can still hear prayers and perform miracles, just as when she was alive.) Her sacred animal is the horse, especially white mares.
Sleiannen- Not one being, but an entire multitude, the Sleiannen are the children of Kestali and are embodied in the stars of the heavens. They are less deities in their own right and more serve as guardians, messengers, and helpers to Kestali. They also occasionally punish sinners. Only a few are named:
Aastri- He embodies the concept of Truth and guards those who speak truly against adversity and punishes liars.
Ssivah- She is the direct messenger of Kestali and speaks for her mother. She punishes blasphemers, but protects those whose faith is true.
Thalak- Kestali's most warlike child, he is his mother's hand in the world. He protects the soldiers who would defend her people, and smites those who would cause them harm.
Ssikiss- The Reviled, the god of the sun. No decent drow would be caught worshipping the God of betrayal, jealousy, genocide, and fratricide. However, every society has its malcontents and disenfranchised, and so he finds worshippers even among those he cursed. These misguided souls offer him reverence for many reasons, but usually they want help wreaking harm on someone they envy (usually family) or they offer their prayers in hopes that he will someday forgive them and allow them to return to the Surface.
Little Gods
A ubiquitous part of life in the deep reaches are the little gods, small beings of limited (and often unreliable) power, they spring up where energy gathers. For example, there is a little god of the main bridge in and out of the City of Embers. Chath came into being because, in addition to the energy and purpose and attention to detail the craftsmen put into building the bridge, every drow who enters or leaves the city sees and touches it, lending just a tiny bit of energy to the surroundings. Now, there is a small shrine set up to him in the center of the bridge, where the heron-shaped minor deity can often be seen, preening and basking in the bustle of the crowds as they come and go.
Little gods are never humanoid in appearance, and only rarely take the form of plants. Usually, they wear the bodies of creatures of the region where they came into being. It isn't clear whether they build their forms from the ether, or possess an extant creature that happens to be handy.
There is always something otherworldly about them. Usually, they are larger than mundane examples of the species they resemble. Their eyes always glow. Often their coats or feathers are an unnatural color for their species, and rarely they possess extra appendages (such as wings on a deer-shaped god). Frequently they are adorned in material representations of the reverence of mortals such as jewelry and other valuables that have been given to them over the years.
Little Gods are not powerful. They are immortal unless some truly nefarious magic is brought to bear, but their ability to affect the world around them with their divine powers is limited. For example, Chath (the heron-shaped Little God of the bridge we mentioned before) can only generate small licks and sparks of fire, make himself hot to the touch, and he knows beyond a shadow of a doubt what sort of condition his bridge is in, and often nags the maintenance crews about repairs to even the smallest crack or chip in the stone.
