Difference between revisions of "Drow"
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'''Drow''' | '''Drow''' | ||
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Latest revision as of 17:55, 18 April 2018
Drow
Physical Characteristics:
In many ways, drow resemble eladrin the most physically, and are slender
compared with humans. Drow have black skin and pale yellow, silver or
white hair, the latter being by far the most common. This hair is
carefully groomed and cared for by most drow and worn long with jewelry
and other accessories decorating it. Like eladrin and elves, drow are
incapable of growing true beards, though many males are fond of long
sideburns or small tufts of hair on their cheeks or chin.
Drow eyes are usually bright red, but some are known to have different
colored, commonly much paler, eyes such as blue, lilac, pink or silver.
They usually vary in height between 5'4" and 6', and weigh between 130 to
175 lbs on average. Almost all drow are handsome, especially nobles as
Lolth does not favor meek, plain or unassuming worshipers. Drow have
lifespans far beyond that of humans and comparable with other members of
the Tel'Quessir, although usually somewhat longer. This is, of course,
presuming the drow doesn't meet a premature and violent end, as many
often do, but those that survive the trials of their society and the
horrors of the Underdark can live for centuries, sometimes as long as 700
years or more.
Psychology:
Drow are taught from an early age to trust no one, forging alliances only
when they are confident that they can outmatch their ally if he/she
decides to turn on them. The inherent pride in their own abilities quite
often leads to such alliances being forged, though they almost always end
badly when one party decides said alliance is no longer convenient. Even
drow who escape the cruelties of the Underdark find it more difficult to
form long-term friendships than most races do. Most drow share a hatred
of all other races, especially surface races but hate most of all the
Seldarine and the surface elves ('Darthiir' in Drow) and wish to re-take
the surface world from their hated brethren. It is the only thing that
unites them as a species, leading them to yearn for a return to the
surface that will defeat the surface elves. Drow have an admiration for
stealth and guile, and works of great skill. They are encouraged to
become skilled at armed combat, arcanists (for males) and wielders of
divine powers (for females). Drow scouts are also valuable for the early
warnings of threats they can provide in the tunnels of the Underdark. An
assassin is prestigious in drow culture. Drow are also known for their
allure, which can be seductive but is more likely used as a tool of fear.
All drow enjoy surrounding themselves with things of beauty (drow cities
are always spectacles of breathtaking architecture) and often partake of
lavish revels, indulging in the most pleasurable of activities.
It is important to recognize that though drow are untrusting and devious,
they are not necessarily evil any more than gnolls or tieflings and drow
can become forces of good given the right conditions. However, the mental
scars of drow culture are not easily removed from the minds of an
individual and the terrors of the Underdark and drow society can leave
those who reject its evil with fractured minds and even a loose hold on
their sanity. Others may escape the Underdark relatively unscarred, but
these individuals are rare and considered, by and large, anomalies.
Culture:
Drow society is matriarchal, militaristic, and heavily influenced by
religion. Their city-states are formed in huge underground caverns but
frequently war with one another. These cities are ruled by the most
powerful of the families (or houses) and although the power of the many
families changes often, the top few usually remain stable. Males who hope
to find any place of power in society often resort to ends as treacherous
as the women that rule the drow, hoping to perhaps win a coveted place as
the courtesan of a powerful matron mother.
It can be easy to imagine that drow females, by comparison, have it much
easier but this is an illusion and their prestigious position within
society comes at a high cost. In fact, the teachings of Lolth and drive
to gain more power over others makes competition between female drow,
particularly those who belong to powerful houses, violently competitive
in a way that males do not have to cope with. Matters are even worse for
those who seek power through venues outside of Lolth's church, where the
females have to compete not only with one another but with resentful and
oppressed males.
Drow are arrogant, ambitious, sadistic, treacherous and hedonistic. From
birth, drow are taught they are superior to other races and should crush
those beneath them. Children who resist and show kindness or love are
brutally punished, so as to drive the instinct of cruelty into them. They
value advancement over their peers more than anything else, pulling down
their superiors and crushing their inferiors. This doesn't mean they
treat all of their peers with disdain, however. They appreciate a sense
of subtlety and thus drow are often courteous and urbane, even to deadly
rivals.
Cities are structured around the most powerful families taking the best
areas, leaving the other drow to take whatever land they can. The focus
of a city is often the temple of Lloth and this is often in the grounds
of the ruling family. Magical items that emit faerie fire adorning
buildings are a sign of prosperity. Outside the city, the garrison and
some of the slaves are kept, as well as roth farms.
Often a city will seek to forge an alliance with a powerful Underdark
creature like a deep dragon or a beholder so that they can gain extra
protection.
Although many drow seek to regain the surface world that they feel was
taken from them unjustly, some have become so used to life in the
Underdark that they would prefer to make the best of this realm and have
no interest in the surface. The drow who do choose to live on the surface
do not form any kind of organized society and instead live as hermits and
outcasts. They will interact with other societies when they need to, but
not through choice.
History:
Drow were once known as Ilythiiri (Ssri-tel-quessir in old Elven) and
their nation, Ilythiir, was one of the most powerful, but, in -30000 DR
their goddess Araushnee (see Lolth) betrayed her fellow Seldarine and,
along with Ghaunadaur, Vhaeraun, Malar and others they tried to invade
Arvandor. Afterwards Araushnee was cast into the Abyss, where she took
the name Lolth.
During the First Crown War, the Ilythiiri made several unsuccessful
attempts to conquer Faern (actually they conquered Southern Faerun and
to the north up to Shantel Othreier, and perhaps only the intervention of
Corellon Larethian had stopped them), and at the time of the Fourth Crown
War, they turned to Lloth and the other outcast Seldarine in the Demonweb
Pits who gave them powerful magic and fiendish allies as a reward for
allegiance. After many malicious acts and abuses of elven magic, Corellon
Larethian banished the "Dhaerow" (traitors) whom Lolth used to be
responsible for (and most of whom still secretly worshiped her) to the
Underdark. The drow, as they were now named, have always believed that
they were punished for being "successful" and have remembered this
percieved slight and vowed eternal revenge, still claiming the surface
world as rightfully theirs.
After the so-called "Descent"[citation needed] the warlike drow
immediately began violently trying to establish their own territories in
the Underdark around -9600 DR.[9] They stole dwarven magical items and
used them against their former masters, creating the enmity that still
exists to this day. They also seized the gold dwarf cavern of Bhaerynden,
creating the kingdom of Telantiwar. The drow then began fighting amongst
themselves, trying to establish a single ruler. The attempt failed, only
resulting in a great magical explosion that destroyed this large cavern,
forming the Great Rift. The surviving nobles took what they could and
left to establish their own realms elswhere in the Underdark. This time
was known as The Scattering and produced most of the cities in which the
drow live to this day, such as Sshamath, founded beneath the Far Hills in
-4973 DR, Menzoberranzan, founded in -3917 DR, and Ched Nasad, founded in
-3843 DR.
After the Sacrifice of Lolth's daughter Eilistraee, the pure blood drow
have reverted back to true dark-elf attributes, whereas those who are
tainted with the blood of Lolth's champion, Wendonai, remain forever
drow.
Drow see all other races as inferior, even those to whom they are allied,
and will attempt to enslave any enemies they capture, usually never
willingly releasing them. Drow commonly enslave hobgoblins, ogres and
orcs but also other humanoids. Above all else, drow save their
hostilities for surface elves. They are willing to forge temporary
alliances with anyone that will help them inflict pain or suffering on
the surface elves. They regard all surface elves as "N'Tel'Quess",
meaning "not people".