Silverhair Knights The Silverhair Knights , also called sin eaters , were an order of priests of the goddess Eilistraee , completely dedicated to the redemption and subsequent protection of drow followers of Lolth , Vhaeraun , and other deities of the Dark Seldarine . They fully embraced the teaching of Eilistraee about showing mercy and compassion , and fought dark elves using only nonlethal means , hoping to make them understand the error of their ways and choose a different life . Beliefs . Silverhair Knights vowed to never willingly kill any drow and were thus specifically trained at dealing nonlethal violence . They aimed to show to other dark elves the strength that could be found in compassion , and that living in peace , without the endless conflict and paranoia that ruled their society , was a concrete possibility . They hoped that other drow would see that the Silverhair Knights honestly meant them no harm , and so would feel safer about joining them . The Silverhair Knights believed that this could lead the drow to choose to abandon the teachings of Lolth and cleave to Eilistraee . Lethal force against another drow was only permitted when absolutely necessary , when it would directly lead to other lives being saved . Even then , a silverhair knight had to atone for her act . For the same reason , those who had caused the death of a drow in their past had to seek atonement from another cleric of the goddess in order to join the order . Atonement was usually through a quest for the church of Eilistraee . History . The Silverhair Knights were a relatively new order by 1372 DR . Activities . The Silverhair Knights operated mostly in areas where drow were in the process of gaining a foothold on the surface , mostly in Cormanthor . When they found an encampment or settlement of drow , their duty was to observe the group from afar , learning about them , and identifying those who could be turned from Lolth ' s ways . Eventually , they would infiltrate the group , approach possible converts , and enable their escape to a sanctuary . Generally , silverhair knights weren ' t active near cities or other large metropolitan areas unless they had to escort drow converts to a sanctuary within . Membership . Silverhair Knights were mostly drow and half - drow priestesses of Eilistraee , but they could be of any race or gender . They were often cleric s , but usually trained also as bard s , fighter s , and ranger s . Relationships . As an order of the church of Eilistraee , dedicated to the redemption of the drow , the Silverhair Knights were primarily enemies of the churches of the evil deities of the Dark Seldarine ( namely Lolth , Vhaeraun , Kiaransalee , and Ghaunadaur . The Silverhair Knights didn ' t hate their drow enemies , and pitied them because of the wicked lives that they led . Abilities . The Silverhair Knights had a wide array of tools dedicated to the redemption of the drow and to nonlethal fighting . They were specialized in wielding their swords to incapacitate opponents rather than outright killing them ( and were quite efficient with said skill ) and had spells capable of incapacitating targets by various means . With the merciful edge technique , they could fight as well trying to only subdue a foe as they could trying to harm them outright . With the blade of compassion technique , they could more effectively weaken and tire an opponent without injury . However , this tactic required great focus , and the Silverhair Knight could not be distracted by a shield or second weapon . Silverhair Knights could make their opponents feel the weight of the suffering and injuries that they had inflicted upon other creatures ( like the " awaken sins " spell ) ; this was more effective against drow . This could distract , weaken , or stun a villain , and even cause mental damage . Silverhair Knights were also blessed with a voice of serenity , gaining a magically trustworthy tone and friendly lilt . This had the power to soothe suspicion and doubt , to make the speaker more persuasive and believable ( even in deceit ) , and to enhance enchantment spells they cast . Powerful Silverhair Knights had the ability to " consume sins " , to take the full weight of cruelty and suffering inflicted by evil beings ' ( mostly fey , humanoids , monstrous humanoid s , and giants , but especially drow ) upon themselves , which gave the Silverhair Knights their nickname : sin eaters . This was a complex and dangerous ritual , taking some minutes , that required the sin eater to maintain uninterrupted physical contact with their subject . The subject creature could be willing or unwilling , usually kept bound in the latter cases , or else unaware of the sin eater ' s intent if the sin eater chose to disguise it . When fully performed , the target creature felt the weight of all their sins on their conscience , understanding firsthand the errors of their ways . In cases of success , the target creatures were freed from their evil , regretted their past actions , and chose a different path from evil , often taking after the Knight , while the sins themselves were absorbed into the sin eater ' s soul and destroyed in the light of their purity and faith . In cases of failure , the sin eaters themselves were overcome by the absorbed sins ; filled with despair , grief , and rage ; drained of their vitality ; and fell into a coma for a full day . This could potentially kill the sin eater , but they would rise again as a ghost , with the same evil ways as the one they had tried to redeem . A sin eater could only attempt this risky ritual once a week , and only perform it on an individual sinner once a year . The Silverhair Knights also developed a number of useful spells . They developed the " awaken sins " spell , after the ability they knew innately . Another was the " moon bolt " spell , which could project bolts of moonlight capable of temporarily draining the strength of their targets and paralyzing undead creatures , and the " moon lust " spell , which could cause a creature to become obsessed with the moon , distracting them . With the " Eilistraee ' s grace " spell , the knights could surround their body with the divine energy of the goddess , becoming more graceful , faster , and projecting a soft silvery light around them . It could also help their sword overcome the protection from damage that some evil creatures had .