Elzear’bith is an *idiot*. If she could play the long, subtle game, she could expand her influence beyond Black Mountain by doing occasional favors for the "good" people that she can cash in later. Furthermore, there are plenty of evil types on the surface that would appreciate such plays and they could be tempted into worshiping Lolth. Lolth herself wouldn’t likely hold these surface worshipers in high regard… but more worshipers is more power and more potential for chaos.
I am pretty sure that Lolth as a goddess with unstable favour streak and self-contradictory requirements is rather poor choice of worship for a long-term basis. Drow are just lucky enough to be born into her cult an there is no escape from it for them without lethal dose of Lolth's ire.
That is why to stay alive Elzearābith has to balance her usefulness to Lolth and harmlessness to the superpowers. Lolth is after chaos on the grand scale and its combines poorly with any reliable authority and decent life expectancy.
Is the Drow Queen referencing "Puff" or is it just coincidence?
Well, the *author* is certainly dropping that reference. Not sure the phrasing means much to the characters themselves.
Elzear’bith is an *idiot*. If she could play the long, subtle game, she could expand her influence beyond Black Mountain by doing occasional favors for the "good" people that she can cash in later. Furthermore, there are plenty of evil types on the surface that would appreciate such plays and they could be tempted into worshiping Lolth. Lolth herself wouldn’t likely hold these surface worshipers in high regard… but more worshipers is more power and more potential for chaos.
I am pretty sure that Lolth as a goddess with unstable favour streak and self-contradictory requirements is rather poor choice of worship for a long-term basis. Drow are just lucky enough to be born into her cult an there is no escape from it for them without lethal dose of Lolth's ire.
That is why to stay alive Elzearābith has to balance her usefulness to Lolth and harmlessness to the superpowers. Lolth is after chaos on the grand scale and its combines poorly with any reliable authority and decent life expectancy.