Dungeons and Dragons Lore: Yochlol 

I am in the middle of a 2 week gauntlet of 14 hour nights working between 3 jobs in an attempt to survive in America during this pandemic. I was feeling down and empty however am revitalized seeing an Aj video in my feed before I go to sleep for the next of 2 more nights. Thank you for your fantastic work, it helps a lot.

Moral of the story: If it’s in D&D and has at least 8 legs...just, run. No other way of putting it than that.

The really interesting thing is that the Demon Web Pits are one of the few places where you can cross from Eberron to the normal D&D multiverses because Lolth fucked up and blew a hole into it...and then got the attention of Vulkoor and was forced to retreat with hints that Vulkoor is often, still, hunting her as prey in her own domain. And the entire thing was, potentially, Jubilex's fault there

The subtitles on this alone make this video worth watching "yacht alchohol" "loft the goddess"

I've always been fascinated by the Yochlol. I never really felt they "fit" with other demons and was always so confused that they didnt work for Jubilex. This video was incredible. Thank you for answering the question, "why do I like this demon so much?"

Food for thought. Vampires can transform into a creature and a cloud of mist. The creature transformation can be influenced by proximity to a demon lord as evidenced by the Gnoll Vampire in Icewind Dale - Rime of the Frostmaiden (p 290). Lastly vampires can be created by succubae.

"Like most demons the oklahoma are murderers" i totally agree with the subtitle

I have often wondered if Drow actually find spiders attractive or if they simply pretend to....

What are the chances of us getting a Draegloth video? I have had a special place in my heart for them ever since the war of the Spider Queen series. When I run underdark campaigns my players have learned to be very cautious in their dealings with priestesses blessed with Draegloth by their side. I'm loving the spider series, I hadn't thought about the Aranea since the late 90s. Red steal was a great box set and that video made me dig it out the attic. Thanks man please keep up the good work!

Mother of Darkness Mother of Fate Mother of Spiders Mother of Hate! Mother we call you Hear our prayer Send your maiden Blood we swear! Demonskein's servant Fear and smoke Yochlol of terror We thee invoke! Mechrola'vlos! Mechrola'vlos! Mechrola'vlos! ---- A ritual that my Lolthian priestess Vierdra Zau'afin performed to summon the Yochlol Mechrola'vlos (tr. drowic: Bloodswallow)

Before banishment, I hear tales that when she was asked what brought on her treachery all she said was... "I did it for the Lolths..." Sorry had to

Would not suprise me if Lolth had ability to see and speak thru every one of them, like Orcus do with bodaks

My players once were being hunted by a priestess of Lolth who were trying to recapture them. After suffering a string of setbacks and confronting the players, also to lose to them, she called upon Lolth for help. Her Goddess sent a Yochlol to brutally punish her in front of the players and drag the priestess back to the Demonweb Pits. Lolth doesn't reward failure.

I made an ooze dungeon in which the boss was a Yochlol. It was in the underdark and themed on the elder eye.

I used these in a recent adventure. I had them operate mechanically a bit different by rearranging the lore. I had them drow, that could change into spiders, that turned into shapeless goo that reanimated (as minions) at attacked once again. Also a crit, they gooed as it disrupts their controlled shapes of spider/drow. Fun times. Players "What the hell are they?!" Me "I wish I knew" Players "What?! You don't even know?!" Me "Well, they are complicated" Players "Do we know what they are?" Me "I don't know. Let's find out."

I feel like I understand how screwed Wulfgar and crew really were when they fought this. I never realized there were only four!

If Yochlol are able to reproduce, I want to see the horrific spawn produced when commanding one to lay with a Draegloth!

*Relevant and Supportive Comment*

This was cool! I like the connection to Gaunadaur, there's definitely too many connections to overlook. But I'm also psyched for more Lolth stuff - I kind of like the idea that Lolth's primary character trait is being vindictive - she's the ultimate crazy ex in so many ways. She's emotionally manipulative, physically violent, and petty. It makes me wonder if there's more to her history than other elves let on? I specifically remember the 5th edition devs mentioning in an interview that the Drow see Lolth as a source of concrete support that the elves could never really get from the flighty, distant Correllon. Maybe Lolth and the Dark Elves have a lot in common in that respect? The Ilythiiri weren't great people, but they suffered a great deal in the Crown Wars to the Aryvandaar, who weren't really much better, but still got support from Correllon.

Here is a thought. This demon doesn't pursue mortal relationships for normal demon reasons. They do it because they are emotional junkies. The highs and lows of the relationship are irresistable to them. So it isn't that they do not truly care but rather once their current supplier is dead they have to move on to the next or risk withdrawl from not getting that sweet, sweet emotional fix.

Wait, the way you described emotional attachment from them didn’t sound like actual emotional attachment. It just sounded like an abusive relationship propagated by a sociopath. I know from experience, since uh, my track record with relationships of all kinds has been somewhat of a dumpster fire.

You forgot to add your intro music, brother. Thanks for another fantastic entry.

So that's what the thing in my attic is called. Now I just have to figure out how to make it turn into its human shape.

I just read the War of the Spider Queen books the last couple months (and all the Drizzts books the last couple years), while I am very much not fond of spiders the lore of the Drow and lolth is quite interesting, the chaos makes for good stories and even better possibilities within the story telling. The next on my list of D&D might be the books regarding the Lady Penitent. In most of the books I've read so far it seems that the Yochlol tend to not bother wearing clothing when in humanoid forms, seems part of the their prideful and chaotic nature to enjoy the arousal and discomfort caused by it.

Fun fact spider silk is incredibly strong and with giant spiders it would be possible to have a spider silk gambison with the properties of a kevlar vest,

I've always had a great respect in how R.A. Salvatore described the cunning, conniving and terror of the Yochlol. Ive always found the statblock to be immensely lack luster given their lore. They should have the full plethora of mental spells, divination, greater summoning abilities and greater DC. I also feel that Lolth and her direct servants should possess far more potent poison that ignores immunity treating it as resistance and completely ignoring resistance. She and her cohorts trap and torture full fledged Tenari. Atleast this is what i do in my Lolth based games.

With Lolth having so bad a reputation I imagine she has quite a few enemies amongst even the other Demon lords?

man, i cant wait for BG3 to be fully released

Since yochlol are created from succubi does that mean Lolth is in direct conflict with Malcanthet?

Great video AJ. I have a greater god of all arachnids (called "The Manscorpion" by most humans) in my campaign who trolls Lilith (my multiverse's version of Lolth) by calling Yochlol "Mere roper demons". He took his godhood, as a divine ascending demigod, from his much more powerful mother. Lilith often seduces him as part of her insidious games, he suspects (or knows) what she is up to but cannot resist those advances. They have one of my multiverse's most complex dysfunctional relationships ever... and some Yochlol serve as guards in Manscorpion temples out of loyalty to Lilith as a begrudging part of an agreement. One is a bound concubine forbidden to transform into her true form. Those ones fight to the death and hope to die in combat, releasing them from that servitude. I thought I made Yochlol very interesting. Turns out, I did not do them justice. And yes, those two have a lot of born-out-of-hate b^stard offspring... just ripe for being BBE's.

Imagine roaming around in the Demonweb Pits, and then the DM describes the scene as the party comes across the body of an Elder Red Dragon found in the massive webs, as part of the foreshadowing.... Whole Party: *Chuckles* "I'm in danger!".

Always happy to see a monster lore from you, AJ!

Useful info for when I inevitably run a underdark campaign and I get to show my party how mess up the drow and there gods are.

DnD is actually quite dark often times ... I mean it can't be a nice experience to be turned into ooze, even if you're a demon

Now I can't help but wonder: what _would_ happen, if a Yochlol actually fell in love with another entity? I mean, it's possible for a succubus/incubus to fall in love with a mortal, with the result of the mortal being transformed into a true Vampire by the succubus' kiss. Or the succubus going on a Journey of redemption in hopes of gaining the attension (or maybe pity) of a deity, so they transform the demon into a mortal or possibly a lower celestial, so they can be with their mortal lover. But what would happen, if a Yochlol _truly_ fell in love with a mortal? Would it (she?) immediatelly be destroyed by Lolth? Would the mortal be turned into something else (like with the succubus and the Vampire)? And if so, would that be something involuntary like with the succubus, or would that be bestowed upon the mortal as a punishment (or maybe a "blessing"?) by Lolth for the feat of actually making one of her loyal handmaidens fall for them? Or would there be a chance of redemption for the Yochlol? Maybe via divine intervention by someone like Eilistrae, or a more powerful god with redemption in their Portfolio?

The Drow queen in white with the dodecahedron staff is artwork of the Brightqueen, a Drow queen of an empire that no longer worships lolth

The greatest questions of the D&D. Who is AO, where did he come from and what are his motivations? Is the Multiverse infinite and if so does any of it really matter? What would happen if Vecna revealed all of the secrets he holds? And the two most important ones. What will AJ cover next? And what will my DM make me do to become a half Prismatic dragon?

This looks promising i must watch! ☠️🏴

*Pictures a wizard nearing his goal of conquering his own native prime material plane with an army of succubi, planning his incursion into underdark aiming to premtively strike the drow beneath the settlement everyone thinks his army will attack next. Marching deliberately by night and sleeping in the open sunlight by day his colom ends up marching into the direct path of a drow army. Although the initial skirmishes with drow scouts go well. The deep elves seem more maniacle and martyrus than usual saying things like "Totally worth it!" As they are killed. Or "I would imbibe me if i were you. I would take my advice. I'm your exit. Yes i do idolise her, but this time she's gotten touch carried away." as they liquify themselves when captured by a suitable audience with tounge held suicide pills. Things change however as the drow front lines come into view, as the moral of his invincible extra planar army of boundles feats of dexterity starts to wavier. And just before he can give a "which one of you ancient fiends here has not yet made the better of a dousen elder children, a bethrawled many more still..." speech the drow lines start to shuffle to reveal an avatar of lolth at which point his entire army breaks ranks and contracts flying for the glistening moonlit hills screaming in horror as he watches, turning around to see a star lit train of dropped equipment and supplies. He realises that he never learned a flying spell, as all the mounts he and his army rode in on are politely liquidated around him, turning the ground into a crimson swamp of dying dreams he makes for the obstruction of the train and a certain carrige he can clearly see with a fast casting far reaching telliportation spell. Only to feel an post elvish alien smile burn into his back as the corner of his eye catches the shadowed silhouette of the avatar after just ten of the 70 or so paces he would of desperately needed. As the air around him became thicker with a fiberous texture with each and every more futile step he took, feeling the avator no closer behind him & being genuinely horrorified of the look on her face. He said: "Why are you this way? Why do you have to be this way? Why don't you just kill me like a normal god?" To the reply of: "And you're complaining about my mistreatment of you? Conquest is natural, Armies are natural, seduction and domination is inevitable. But disrespect is a choice. I was made this this way by it." The wizard notices his airborn army seems to have stopped moving, just as he can nolonger move. He realises that he is in a web, as he wonders how the entire body of his lofty ambitions have been captured so far above the ground he asks: "How?" to the reply of "Elves might be disappointing, but spiders can "fly". I was never more than ten feet away from you. Elves see more than most would like. My new army up there is going to need a general." As the wizard is almost completely incased in silk cocoon he whimpers: "No..." To the reply of "Yes. Your body will be disrepected. Your god will weep. The elves will watch the thing it becomes. Although they would prefure not too. But they will follow you, and intime ideolize your malformation in the beauty of it's strength. You will survive this fall from grace." To which the avatar then packs nine spiders into his destinguishable solely uncoverd gasping mouth, one by one for the later metamorphic gestation of that night.* 🕸_🕸 i love how in D&D there is always a monster, said monster is afraid of. ❤ this vid.👍

I thought the part about them actually forming relationships with people interesting.

You might be stuck in the demonwebs, but I’m stuck in the planes of nostalgia. I’ve been thinking about listening to the audible version of the Drow and Drizzt trilogies and this video just had me all giddy. Looking forward to you covering Lolth, Lady of Chaos and Weaver of Destiny.

Every video you upload i make sure to watch. Like damn at this point when I read anything about D&D I hear Aj voice reading aloud. The music always matches the videos so well too. Some are great for listening while slowly being lulled to sleep.

Thanks Mr. Pickett

Roflmao! It’s the “pleasure G.E.L.F.” From Red Dwarf!

Oh boy the story gears are chugging away, lol A Yougloth grows its attachment to someone. To the point of fanaticism, just below its devotion to Loth. Her and said person are going to die. No way around it. Person reveals its last secret to her. That it's a devoted follower of Eilistraee, and if she accepts her and renounced Loth. She can be reborn anew. She does And threw this mystical mishap (reborn from UA) she is reborn as a full drow. And loses her demon abilities, but keeps her memories of such times. But now follows Eilistraee. Eh it could happen.

Excitement overwhelming

I wonder what a Yochlol tiefling/half fiend would look like? Also would a yochlol care about it child more then other demons do? 🧙‍♂️

Now it's time for an updated drow video, maybe accompanied by a guide to the church of lolth, and maybe duergar too

I thought one of Tharizdun's epithets was The Elder Eye

Seems like Lolth is aiming at making her personal layer into a new transitory plane. I bet in whatever next edition of dndeeznutz will feature a new plane ripped free of the abyss and formed into its own plane that touches every other plane.

Nice! I was just talking to my players about these demons!! I'll be sure to send them this video!

Could a reason for yochlol looking slime like is because lolth hates zuggtmoy, and zuggtmoy hate slime? Also excellent video as always can't wait for the demon web video!

This vid makes Lolph seem pretty nice, for a Deamondlord. At least, from the Yochol's perspective.

With every video, I get more scared that my DM will throw these horrors at my party and I.

I always love waking up to a new vid from you AJ! Looking forward to more.

Virgin: Ya lol, it's a Yochlol, why bother? Chad: We should support AJ's content.

Great video. Next, you should cover the Yochlol's little known, but far more dangerous variant: the Yochlmao

I've never criticized fifth edition because I haven't played it. Something this powerful and magic carrying around a backpack of clothes is just silly.

Time for a new and improved Drow video. This is an edit but even though the voice quality is lower on the old video, people should still check out the Drow video if they're your favorite Forgotten Realms race for D&D, he did "al whol natha rivvil". ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-soOX8pB8KB8.html

Yes AJ!! More Spiders! More!!! WAHAHAHA!!

I think i ran into one of these in a cave once creepy creature! Thank you for this Informative story lore! 🤠👍

Good video AJ

Yochlol intrigue me; so many threads of "loyalty", from creatures who serve the ultimate backstabber, Herself. I'd almost expect every priestess who has one to be ad dubious of it as every other being who should, ostensibly, be on their side. So, I have a weird 5e practice, as a DM; I don't permit deities to serve as Warlock Patrons. In my head, gods have the power to grant full casting, and get a much greater claim on the souls of their faithful, ad a perk. Most Patrons grant what power they do because it is the limit of what they can do; stringing mortals along with breadcrumbs of power, or knowledge, and hoping to keep their service. Sometimes, this leads me to look for "divine underlings" who can be such Patrons. There are people they won't grant clerical status to, but still want sway over, and some underlings are pretty powerful, in their own right. For Lolth, my primary option was Bebiliths; the great huntsman-spiders, who probably grant Drow Arachnomancers their boons, but now I'm thinking of adding these upper-rankrd Yochlol to my list. Their loyalty to Lolth is certain, so they could empower Warlocks in Her name, and maybe be good candidates for Tomelocks (they collect spells), or Hexblades (their fancy greatswords that they don't use). It's a shame I don't have a name of any of these four greater Yochlol, but oh well. As an aside, many deities do employ such celestial or fiendish minions. I wonder who Eilistraee has? Certainly no Yochlol, and She wouldn't want other Demons, but Celestials might not like Her, and Chaotic Celestials (CG) serm rare in 5e; even Cirellon was served by Solars, instead of some CG analog.

Yochlol let's goooooooo

Final the Lolth slime demon.

it takes TREMENDOUS amount of energy for gods to destroy other gods of same level. weak enough that another being could kill you but wait that would take a lot energy to do...etc

The demon who LOLs at YOLO....

Also does lolth have a from similar to her handmaidens, I vaguely remember she was cursed with a spiderform so assumed it was dryder liked perhaps her form was worse...

Anyone else see the Roper resemblance here? Perhaps there is some heritage?

Great content keep it up!

I have a question. If there are GODS in the abyss, why is the demogorgon the prince of demons? How has he not been destroyed by an avatar or lolth, or 2 or her personally?

According to RA Salvatore these guys just run around naked in drow female form

I am so looking forward to Lolth!

Should Sage Pickett live in a tower (A wizard/"expert" type sage), or be more of a wandering explorer / sage? My 2 competing archetypes are your "sage in tower" that you use in your videos, and Erin Tarn with a thematic re-skin. P.S. Your videos un-railroaded my most recent campaign arc - since Sage Picket was "unavailable", the party put everything on hold to look for you. (I'm just the DM, I wouldn't dream of keeping my players from creating their own campaign arc *grumbles in infernal about weeks of world-crafting and prep work* - I just don't have the appropriate notes regarding the table's favorite cameo)

Yagh tet, nesch .tu manz neh tet dar naszar. Mishe . Tute' me infernis . Ghhhat xhssssst. :: scrapes a blade across stone:: ghhat nesch. :: gurgles from Throat:: ....i need to keep practicing my Abyssal "tounge"...this will never do. Lol.

Nother great video Still thinking of ways to make steel spider even more evil Metalmaster +steel spider whats your thoughts to evil or not evil enough and would a rust monsters be a good counter to steel spider?

19:35 I think the Bright queen might take offence at being lumped in with those other Lolth worshipping Drow.

I think its time you update your video on the drow lol

I picked up a halloween web table sheet and plan on using it with my cave terrain some day it will be epic:)!!!!

very interesting

Three things. The CR for Yochol seems high. Second, I can see one as a minor villain who confounds the players with schemes and deceptions Third, what a great Tiefling parent!

I don't understand one thing. The Yochlol that Lolth created via her Pristesses are beautiful Maidens if not in Battle Form. Is that also true for the for hundereds of years tortured Yochlol ? Or are this Yochlol always in Battle Form ?

I'm a bit confused now. I was always under the impression that when demons were killed on the prime material it didn't harm them much other than that they couldn't return to the material plane for a long time. Are you saying that they will lose power if killed there? I know that if they are killed on the abyss, they die and their essence is consumed by the abyss. Doesn't this essence often form into a new demon? Some explanation would be grand.

Yay!

I just listend to the baldurs gate 1 audio book. There is a part with god awful spiders and ettercaps. It made my skin crawl just hearing it. Fantastic writing

Thanks for all your vids Aj great stuff. Brought back alot of fond memories. In my dnd yrs I ran a cleric/rogue of Akadi. Watched your pantheon vid. Thought about vid on the 4 major primordials and what there purpose is now? 😀

Hermaeus Mora? Is that you?

Does every single deamondlord hate every other deamondlord, or do some have alliances? (apart from being forced to work together, for the blood war?)

Yes

Good stuff! Definitely looking forward to the Demonweb video(s). I didn't realize it was a planar nexus, that's a very interesting tidbit. Sidebar, do you mind if I plug my own monster-making efforts in the Comments here on YT and Patreon?

wonder where lolths demiplane is, obviously the demonpits was where she was banished but surely once she reachieved godhood another plane was formed? or was the demonpits removed from the abyss with portals to it?

@Aj Pickett Aj! Aj! Back me up here, man... Tharizdun is actually Ghaunadaur, and Ghaunadaur is the one who corrupted Araushnee and caused her to go evil. Like, Tharizdun hocked a loogie througha crack in his prison, and that loogie became Ghaunadaur, and Ghaunadaur is out to rot the cosmos Abyss or no Abyss... Come at me, bro‼️ Tell me straight...?

Thanks. Is there a chance for as to get a video on prince Talisim and The Companions and Guardinals and Elysium in general? 6:04 Are all serviter demons their own separate types of demon or are they all part of a greater type, that being the serviter demon, much like the oberenth, tanari and lumare demons?

Seem more related to Ghaunadaur than loth

I hate to ask you this Buddy But what edition is hordes of the abyss? I REALLY want that book!!!!

Ah True sociopaths got ya

Alright. 29 seconds I arrived. That is new, especially because I just woke up. Now then. I need to incinerate these things. When I'm doing my mass deicide I might need to tear some memories out of them and their queen. Maybe I can use the portals?

19:26 The Bright Queen? Wtf

The yochlol likely draw their ability to shapeshift from Lloth directly, because of history of the Elven gods.

Oh r'lyeh?