Drow, also called Dark Elves, are a race of evil Elves who live in the plane of the Underdark, notable for their devout worship of Lolth and their female-led societies.
Description[edit | edit source]
- Their skin is nearly pitch black, with shades and hues of deep purple and dark blue thrown in. Almost always, Drow have snow white hair.
- They trance instead of sleep
- Sunlight causes disorientation and sometimes pain.
- They live up to 200 years, though truly exceptional instances of Drow living centuries (and in Lolth's case, over a millennium)
About[edit | edit source]
Society[edit | edit source]
- Women run Drow society because it mirrors the spider matriarchy. The head of a household is known as the "Drow Matron".
- Social standing is the most important thing. To ascend, one must assassinate those above them.
- Spiders live among the Drow. Drow have a great affinity for them.
- There are two major social groupings: Merchant clans (usually run by males, as trading with outsiders is considered demeaning) and noble houses (the "...mothers of whom often live hundreds of years, kept alive by Lolth's magic").
- A Drow Matron's oldest son is known as the "Elderboy", and is often used and abused as a personal servant to their matron, who they have no choice but to follow blindly. Other Elderboys are revered and get personal privileges.
- A Drow Matron's daughter, known as a "House Priestess", serves much like a political office, trying to appeal to the Matron, while at the same time working hard to climb up the ladder and ultimately usurp.
- Drow like to give "...long, skilled massages involving scented oils, hot water and steam".
- Females can choose and discard mates freely, killing the males they've tired of. Marriages last 1-10 years. Any children showing physical deficiency are slain.
- Drow mothers are not given aid in childbirth: "Should she die in the process, she is clearly too weak to contribute further to the race anyway." Drow children are raised by servants and are encouraged to solve problems with violence.
- Drow keep slaves (usually goblins, orcs and hobgoblins) and treat them very poorly. Slaves are not allowed to look Drow in the eye
- Drow drink wines brewed from underground fruits, mushrooms and fungus. They also like inhaling herbs and incense that causes hallucinations or euphoria.
Religion[edit | edit source]
- Torog: The Jailor god of the Underdark is often credited with creating the vast tunnels and caverns which previously were solid stone. Torog was imprisoned himself, and crafted his new plane in the image of his punishments - Dark, damp, haunting, and dangerous. Torog himself is worshiped, but very rarely offers aid or intervention to the creatures of the Underdark.
- Lolth: Nearly a thousand years ago, legends say that Torog emerged to destroy a Drow city because of divine business with the emerging Illithid race. Lolth, a young drow priestess, was said to have stopped the god in his tracks with her powerful magic, and since her childhood, Lolth has been revered by her peers. Serving under her house is an esteemed privilege, to the point that most Drow houses realm-wide have found some way to squeeze into the massive pyramid of matriarchy that Lolth sits upon. While not truly a deity, being the "mother" of all Drow places her in a similarly worshiped stance, with prayer and legends filling in where divine power is absent.
- The Blooding: Before passing into Adulthood, adolescent Drow must visit the capital city of Menzoberranzan and kneel before the the Queen, an ancient drow sorceress known as Lolth, who's power is said to fuel the magic of all Drow. The very top of the Drow pyramid, Lolth is a queen among queens, and perhaps the single most dominant person in the Underdark.
Drow Houses[edit | edit source]
Drow Cities[edit | edit source]
- Lyth My'Athar
