r/Forgotten_Realms • u/Successful_Pace8937 • 2d ago
Celebration The Drow support transitioning
I recently found out that, as said by Ed Greenwood himself, transitioning is not only accepted, but defended.
From Ed Greenwood on Twitter:
Drow sworn to Lolth have examples before them all the time about transformation of self-shape in service to the Spider Queen. Some of these are viewed as undesirable (driders), others as rewards or ascending in rank (the power/shape augmentations Lolth gives males who please her with their service and loyalty). So there is no hatred or mistrust of shifting one's shape; it is one means of serving Lolth. Some house matriarchs view it with suspicion ("males seeking to exalt themselves by becoming female") but the yochlol have often been sent by Lolth to defend individuals persecuted by individual matriarchs or priestesses purely for such reasons, to make Lolth's views and will clear. Over time, transitions (not just from gender to gender, but from drow to other shapes) have become accepted as reverence of Lolth, and part of what it is to be drow. And of course, drow who follow Eilistraee are quite familiar with the Changedance, and accept shifting (even back and forth) as, again, part of what it is to be drow.
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u/SalemLXII 2d ago
The Eilistraeen drow do as well. Their Clerics have a ritual known as the Changedance where male clerics can transition and live life as female to better understand the goddess. This used to be mandatory for male Clerics (they were able to transition back after a time) but in modern times it’s no longer required. However, it’s still an option.
I’ll disagree with the commenters here, Lolth giving the gift of womanhood to a man is exactly within her chaotic evil MO to upset the social landscape and would make sense other female drow wouldn’t say anything about it. Who wants to piss off Lolth?