This dreaded, race were once part of the community of elves that still roam the world's forests. Now most of these dark elves inhabit black caves and winding tunnels under the earth, where they make dire plans against the races that still walk beneath the sun, on the surface of the green earth.
Drow have black skin and pale, usually white hair. They are shorter and more slender than humans, seldom reaching more than 5 feet in height. Male drow weigh between 80 and 110 pounds, and females between 95 and 120 pounds. Drow have finely chiselled features, and their fingers and toes are long and delicate. Like all elves, they have higher Dexterity humans. Drow clothing is usually black, functional, and often possesses magical properties
Long ago, dark elves were part of the elven race that roamed the world's forests. More than thirteen thousand years ago, the Crown wars raged among the fair folk, and for three thousand years the elven nations of Aryvandaar, Miyeritar, Shantel Otherier, Keltormir, Illythiir and others battled one another in a series of five great conflicts. At the end of the fourth crown war, Circa - 10,000DR, the corrupt dark elven iiythiir, and others were transformed by Corellon's magic into drow as directed through the protectors priests and high mages, and banished to the lightless depths of the Underdark.
The drow no longer wish to live upon the surface of the earth. In fact, few who live on the surface ever see a drow. But the dark elves resent the elves and faeries who drove them away, and scheme against those that dwell in the sunlight. Drow live in magnificently dark, gloomy cities in the underworld that few humans or demihumans ever see. They construct their buildings entirely out of stone and minerals, carved into weird, fantastic shapes. Those few surface creatures that have seen a dark elf city (and returned to tell the tale) report that it is the stuff of which nightmares are made.
Drow society is fragmented into many opposing noble houses and merchant families, all scrambling for power. In fact, all drow carry brooches inscribed with the symbol of the merchant or noble group they are allied with, though they hide these and do not show them often. The drow believe that the strongest should rule; their rigid class system, with a long and complicated list of titles and prerogatives, is based on the idea. They worship a dark goddess, called Lolth by some, and her priestesses hold very high places in society. Since most drow priests are female, women tend to fill nearly all positions of great importance.
Drow fighters go through rigorous training while they are young. Those who fail the required tests are killed at the program's conclusion. That is why dark elf fighters of less than 2nd level are rarely seen outside a drow city. Drow often use giant lizards as pack animals, and frequently take bugbears or troglodytes as servants. Drow cities are havens for evil beings, including mind flayers, and drow are allied with many of the underworld's evil inhabitants. On the other hand, they are constantly at war with many of their neighbours beneath the earth, including dwarves or dark gnomes (svirfneblin) who settle to close to a drow city. Dark elves frequently keep slaves of all types, including past allies who have failed to live up to drow expectations.
In the centuries they've spent underground, drow have learned the languages of many of the intelligent creatures of the underworld. Besides their own tongue, an exotic variant of elvish, drow speak both common and the subterranean trade language used by many races under the earth. They speak the languages of gnomes and other elves fluently. Drow also have their own silent language composed of both signed hand movements and body language. These signs can convey information, but not subtle meaning or emotional content. If within 30 feet of another drow, they can also use complex facial expressions, body movements, and postures to convey meaning. Coupled with their hand signs, these expressions and gestures give the drow's silent language a potential for expression equal to most spoken languages.
Combat:
The drow's world is one in which violent conflict is part of everyday life. It should not be surprising then, that most drow encountered, whether alone or in a group, are ready to fight. Drow encountered outside of a drow city are at least masters of combat. Drow wear is finely crafted non-encumbering, black mesh armour. This extremely strong mail is made with a special alloy of steel containing adamantite. The special alloy, when worked by a drow armorer, yields mail that has the same properties of chain mail. Even the lowliest drow fighters have, in effect well equipped.
Dark elves also carry small shields (bucklers) fashioned of adamantite. Like drow armour, though only the most important drow fighters have Bucklers of hardening or invulnerability. Most drow carry a long dagger and a short sword of adamantite alloy. These daggers and swords can have any one of various poisons applied to them (Lesser, Normal, Greater and Deadly poison), and drow nobles may have swords or Kryss of Power even Vanquishing. Some drow also carry small bows or crossbows that can be held in one hand the drow are well known for their deadly archers.
Drow move silently using stealth and have superior infravision. They also have the same intuitive sense, and can detect human presence. A dark elf is not easily surprised. All dark elves receive training in magic, even non mages have a high level of magic resist
Dark elves do have one great weakness+bright light. Because the drow have lived so long in the earth, rarely venturing to the surface, they are no longer able to tolerate bright light of any kind.
Ecology:
The drow produce unusual weapons and clothing with quasi-magical properties. Some scribes and researchers suggest that it is the strange radiation around drow cities that make drow crafts special. Others theorise that fine workmanship gives their wonderfully strong metals and superior cloth its unique attributes. Whatever the reason, it's clear that the drow have discovered some way to make their clothing and weapons without the use of magic.
KE5JRO Home
Alasiya.Net Home
