Culture of the Drow Elves
The Drow Elves are given to many sterotypes, many of which are based in fact, some of which are based in Terror of their very name. Most Drow Societies are Llothian Based, meaning that they worship the Spider Demon Lloth. In these Societies, Females are the more Dominant Gender, but more specifically Female Priestesses. Drow Society is very typical of Suface Human Societies, in some fashions, except for the Gender Reversal. Women are physically stronger than Males, and are usually the Bread Winners of a Drow Family. Males are not kept as Slaves, as is thought on the Surface World, but actually serve functions within the Drow Society, from Crafting, to Cooking, being Soldiers, Wizards. Males do not typically bow to every female they pass on the street, but if spoken to by a female, they will most likely Nod their Head in respect. This does not apply to Priestesses, however. All Males bow before Priestesses, and are never at a Higher Elevation that a Priestess. If a Priestess is unmounted, then all the Males and Females of lower rank are unmounted. Priestesses will typically nod their heads in respect to Priestesses who outrank them. Males will occassionally serve in the Clergy of Lloth, but are restrained from any function higher than Accolyte. Females seem to be Naturally Imbued with a predisposition to Llothian Magic, which is different than Common Magic. Males are at least a Females Equal, if not Superior in studying the Arts of Common Magic. Males, however, will never be able to grasp even some of the simplest spells of Llothian Magic, as it will simply not function for them. All Drow, Male or Female, have a natural tendacy with Common Magic, due to the Mithryl Radiation of the Caverns of the Underdark.
There are two types of Drow Houses in Drow Society, the Qu'ellar (Noble House), and the El'lar (Common or Trading House). A Qu'ellar is a Leading Division of Nobility and Royalty within a Drow City. Noble Houses fund their own Military, which are considered to be part of the Military of a City, but are more specifically used for the Noble Houses own Intrests. Drow Noble Houses are very similar to Fief's, except that there is no Fuedal Lord. They act independently to ensure their own affairs and favour to the Spider Goddess. Noble Houses are ranked within a City by their prosperity. The Highest Ranking House, the First House, is also the placement of the Valsharess, or Queen of the City. The Queen of the City is not neccassarily an Absolute Ruler, more in that she has more influence than the Matron Mothers of other Houses, and her favour with Lloth is more definate. Houses advance through a process of Elimination. This Elimination is not neccassarily Open Warfare, but in Name only. The Rule of Law for the Drow is that if a House seeking Rank attacks another House, during the first Assault, the Nobles of the attacked House must all be killed. If they are not killed, they may accuse the attacking House of open Warfare. If this occurs, then the House who failed in their attack is eliminated by the combined might of the Entire City. If the attacked House's Nobles are all killed, then it is as if the House never existed. They are removed from Rank, and their Resources either escape, or are absorbed by the other Houses. All Houses beneath them in Rank will advance one place. Higher Ranked Noble Houses will smetimes assault lower ranked Houses if they feel threatened by them, a sense of, "Planning for the Future," incase they ever decide to want the Higher Ranked House's Place. The El'laren (Common Houses) are outside of the Noble Houses's ranking system, which is sometimes refered to as, "Lloth's Sick Game." Instead, their prosperity is determined more by their Wealth or Trade Agreements that they have established with High Ranked Noble Houses. As the Merchant Houses are the Life Line of the Noble Houses, it is not unheard of for the Noble Houses to want to protect these arrangements. Common Houses that are not Trading Houses, and are led by a Female (Usually Great Grandchildren of other Noble Houses, not considered Nobles themselves) will sometimes be Elevated to Noble Status by the Valsharess of a City, to replace a dwindling number of Noble Houses. Drow Houses seldom band together as a City, except to Repel great threats to their survival. If an Army of Underground Dwarves decided to invade a Drow City, it would most likely be stopped by the Noble Houses on that perimeter. However, if an Army of Mind Flayers, accompanied by Hordes of Oger Servants decided to invade a Drow City, all of the Noble Houses would organize, immediately, to stop them. During the Battle, however, it would not be uncommon for Houses that are Rivals to one another to take, "Accidental," shots at members of each other. Many grudges and insults are settled in this way.
Drow Elves NEVER forget an Insult, and although they may not act upon it immediately, there will most likely be some sort of retaliation. The only exception to this is the Priestesses of Lloth. Drow Elves, especially Males, fear gaining the Dis-favour of Lloth by harming her Priestesses. Athough, it is considered that if a Priestess is Harmed, that she must have fallen out of favour with Lloth. Many stories are abundant of Females that take their temper out on their subserviant Male Mates, but rarely is it spoken of when a Strong Male Mate has reached his limit, and slips a Poisned Dagger into the Sheets of the Bed for his Lover. Assassination and Treachery are a regular part of a Drow Elf's life. Although, not all Drow are Assassins, most Drow will at some point in their Life Assassinate. This type of atmosphere creates a sense of general mistrust, but also a sense of Strength. It is said that only the Folish are killed so Easy. This, also being a part of Lloth's, "Sick Game," weeds out the weak in Drow Society, which is her intention. Drow are very concerned about themselves, being extremely Vain. Drow children who are born with a physical deformity are slain upon Birth, and sacrificed to Lloth. This is usually kept very secret, as if others know that a Female has given birth to a Sick, Weak Child, it will be seen as inherit within their Family, exposing the posibility of weakness. Drow are very much like Pirrahnas, or Sharks, if they smell blood in the water, it is all over for the bleeder.
Station is Everything to a Drow Elf. With a High Station comes the Respect (and fear) of those below, for although Drow are Vain in their own accomplishments, they know that those who are on the High Rung are there for a Reason. With a Higher Station comes more security in one's abilities, as well as the feeding of their own vanity, but also the suspect of everyone below them. There will always be a younger relative, or common soldier who believes that they are more deserving of the position, and may indeed attempt to gain it by disposing of the previous owner of the Station. In Public, Drow are Respectful and Fearful of those n Higher Station, while in Private, they may still be fearful, but they are plotting the, "Accident," or outright Death in an Alley of those above them. Station is to a Drow Elf, how Lloth is favoured to them. A General who fails to win a Battle, and dies of a Heart Attack (Supposadly) to be replaced by a Colonel who successfully finishes the Campagn (And is subsequently promoted into the General's Position), is said to have the Favour of Lloth, whereas the Previous General may have had the Favour at one time, recently lost it. The Favour of Lloth is Fickle and Chaotic, although not without reason. She will not simply keep favour to those who do not worship her, and allow destruction upon those who serve her faithfully, but she will take away the Seat of Valsharess from a trusted Matron for the slightest doubt that the Matron had in her Religion.
As Drow live underground, being forced there from a losing War on the Surface, they have adapted to a more Underground Lifestyle. They have an Increased ability to Manipulate Magic, as well as developed their own infrasion to perfection. They are hesitant to move about the Surface, but will do so at Night, afte Dusk. The Sun is seen as an Enemy itself, to the Drow, as it provides Energy, Sustinence and Warmth to many of their Enemies on the Surface. Almost all creatures on the Surface are seen as Enemies of the Drow, as most of them were the Victors in the Great Wars of Alignment. Drow hate Darthiir, also known as Surface Elves, worse than any other Creature in existance. They will not hesitate to begin the end of their lives upon first seeing their face, and the feeling is mutual. In any Battle, Drow will target Surface Elves above ALL other Creatures, and even the meer sight of them will sometimes throw a Drow into a Suicidal Rage, for the purpose of killing them. Even Drow who have adopted a Moral Sense of Good and Evil and lean alot towards the Good, will be slightly uncomfortable at the presence of a Surface Elf, and again, the Feeling is Mutual. Drow may see Humans as a revolting sub-species, to be handled with care for their Fragile Bodies if captured as slaves, or even have the opinion that Dwarves are sturdy mules, great for trading Ore with, or massacuring in the name of their Goddess, but Darthiir, surface elves, are the Source of their internal Pain. There are very few favours of Lloth that are greater to a Drow than to eliminate Hordes of Surface Elves.
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