The classic First Edition module The Temple of Elemental Evil was one of the earliest mega-dungeon adventures published by TSR. In this sprawling mini-campaign, the adventurers encounter a mysterious pair of doors sealed with chains.

Erol Otus’ evocative and lurid painting on the back cover of Keep on the Borderlands captures the module’s central themes of adventure, exploration, and enchantment. The darkened silhouette of the Keep rises against the orange afterglow of a summer sunset. This moment suspended in time captures the twilight threshold between safety and peril, certainty and the unknown.

This essay takes a look at the role of the Demon Queen of Spiders, Lolth, and the rival god-worshiping drow villains in the classic D&D "Dro