The Venomspire
Lolth’s Abyssal Gatehouse
Location: Abyss / Layer 4—Grand Abyss
Perched like a malignant tumour on the jagged cliffs of the Grand Abyss, the Venomspire serves as fortress, dark temple and gatehouse, guarding the infamous Veil of Swarming Glass, a gate leading to the Demonweb Pits. This sprawling, grotesque structure is a paen to the Lolth’s dominion over chaos and cruelty, and a place where even the tanar’ri tread reluctantly.
The Venomspire is an asymmetrical fortress built from obsidian and silken webbing. Its many spires twist unnaturally, rising like jagged fangs from the cliff face. The fortress is both a defensive bastion and a shrine to the Spider Queen.Â
The entire structure radiates a strange black light, and diaphanous strands of web stretch out into the chasm like tendrils searching for prey. In fact, that’s exactly what they are doing. The Whispering Webs that emanate from the Venomspire stretch across the width of the Grand Abyss, creating an almost-invisible net of spider silk that is nonetheless as strong as Baatorian green steel. As petitioners plummet through the chasm, the particularly unlucky ones are ensnared by the webs. Vibrations from their struggles alert Lolth’s children—spiders the size of large horses—who silently reel in, catch, wrap and spirit away these poor sods to be sacrificed to Lolth, or just bled dry for dinner.
At the heart of Venomspire lies the Veil of Swarming Glass. This shimmering gate appears as a fractured mirror made of countless shards, each reflecting distorted images of writhing spiders and endless webs. The portal hums with an eerie energy, and its surface constantly shifts, as if alive. The walls of the chamber are adorned with carvings of spiders and drow locked in ecstatic torment.
The Venomspire is commanded by Matron Velyndra Xil’quess (prime drow cleric of Lolth [she/her] / CE), a high priestess whose ambition and cruelty are matched only by her devotion to the Spider Queen. Velyndra is a cunning tactician and ruthless enforcer of Lolth’s will. Her body is adorned with intricate tattoos of spiders that crawl across her skin when she channels divine magic.
The bastion is defended by a cadre of elite drow warriors known as the Fangs of Lolth, each clad in spidersilk armour that is laced with venomous enchantments. Lurking in every corner of the fortress are swarms of Abyssal spiders, who act as both spies and assassins. Velyndra is almost always flanked by her personal retinue or yochlol handmaidens, shape-shifting tanar’ri who serve as Lolth’s emissaries and enforcers.
For planewalkers barmy enough to use the Veil of Swarming Glass gate, here are some survival tips. Don’t think you can just waltz into Lolth’s domain without consequences. You’ll need either an invitation from Matron Velyndra or some form of offering—preferably something rare, valuable or sacrilegious enough to amuse her. Even with permission though, trust no one. Remember, drow politics are as treacherous as their envenomed daggers, and the berks will gleefully turn on you if it serves their ambitions. Conversely, a cunning cutter could take advantage of this trait and turn them against one another.
Also important, avoid drawing attention. Arachnid eyes are everywhere in the Venomspire—watching and waiting. Any sign of disrespect toward Lolth or her servants will surely bring swift retribution. The best way to deal with them is a naked flame.
On the plus side, at least you only have to worry about the drow. And the spiders. Oh, and yochlol. Other kinds of tanar’ri however, avoid the Venomspire. Presumably that’s because as a goddess, Lolth’s power far exceeds most tanar’ri lords. After all, she made the yochlol to enforce her brutal will. Perhaps the other tanar’ri avoid this place as they prefer to keep their shapes the way they are.Â
Source: Jon Winter-Holt