Shriyrr Do't'tar twisted in a writhing dance as she completed her ritual and felt the warm breath of the Spider Queen on her back. For a moment, she froze, for it was when the Spider Queen seemed happiest with you that you had to fear her mercurial nature the most. Of course, when the Spider Queen was most angry with you, you had to fear her wrath. Shriyrr left for other peoples the foolish beliefs that their gods were constant, or loved them, or were anything other than powerful being who had to be appeased, before they could be used.

But this day, the Spider Queen let herself be used and her power infused the nest surrounding her. They would breed more rapidly now. She would have to go to every nest in this blessed part of the Underdark and repeat the ritual, or this nest would expand, only able to truly be opposed by the other nest she had already completed this ritual at. And that would not do. She would recreate the lessons of the Spider Queen, competition bred strength. Every nest would breed faster. More would spill onto the surface, perhaps causing some trouble for the weak surface dwellers, but that was only an amusing side effect of the true purpose of her actions. The war beneath would rage until the whole was stronger, until the whole was strong enough.

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She had some influence over the spiders, due to her blessings,, but they were simple creatures and saw little need do more than tolerate her. But when they were all strengthened, then she would summon her twin to this place, to lead this army of spiders. Not against fellow drow, of course, that would never work, even if her sister were willing to be around other drow, the Spider Queen’s blessings were fickle, but any drow outpost would have many protected from spiders, too many for one drow and one drider to conquer. But there was a city of the rock grubs nearby and with enough spiders they could surely overcome its defenses and rule it as they wished.

The Do’t’tar sisters, conquerers. Queens. Together. Yes, it was the plan, it would work. Which meant she had to go to the next nest once she rested. She sank to the ground, flowing gratefully into the trance, where she saw her and her twin’s shared trip to the Daemonweb, Lolth’s domain, to be tested. One had risen, blessed, the other had fallen, cursed. And only the two of them knew the truth, they had performed identically. The Spider Queen had chosen one to punish and one to reward at random. Because it amused her to so split the sisters who had, against all custom and tradition, trusted one another and not been betrayed for it.