A very rare specimen among both the gods and the creation of the Realmspace in general, Eilistraee is the only true offspring of the great elven god Corellon Larethian and his drow consort Arushnee, who would later become known as the demonic goddess Lolth. For a time in the early days of the elven gods, Arushnee was Corellon’s chief consort and greatest love. But she grew power hungry and chafed at his rule and allied with many of his enemies, including the orc god, Gruumsh, One Eye and attempted to turn the drow race on the rest of the elven pantheon in a bid for absolute power. Corellon was able to prevent her usurpation however and cast her out of his court as punishment, mutating her into a hideous half-arachnid creature so she could not use her fabled beauty to dissuade him. Corellon also cast the drow race into the Underdark for the crimes they had committed against his followers and his daughter, though she had done no wrong in her mother’s schemes, followed to provide an example of goodness and the hope of redemption (much to her father’s reluctance).

Eilistraee bears her mother’s lost beauty and grace and her father’s love of magic, poetry, grace and dancing. She also has inherited his skill with the blade, and wields the Moonsword, a silver bastard sword of exquisite craftsmanship. Among the gods, her road is the hardest to walk, as she must work against the schemes of her mother and her brother Vhaeraun and has very few followers as Lolth keeps a heavy influence over drow culture. Still her father and his allies give succor where they are able and with time, her church has begun to change the attitudes of the Realms towards her people. She also finds allies in the goddesses of magic, Mystra and Selune.