"The Underdark, Deepearth, the realms below,the night below, the Lightless lands"
The Primary Goddess of the drow is Lolth the Spider queen, goddess of spiders evil and darkness, chaos, and assassins. Other powerful deities include Ghaunadaur and Vaeraun the Masked Lord, the god of thievery, drow males, territory, and evil activity on the surface world. Lesser powers include Kiaransalee the Revenancer, goddess of the undead and vengance, and Selvetarm the champion of Lolth, god of drow warriors. Finally, although she is venerated in the Underdark, Elistraee the Dark Maiden is the good aligned godess of song, beauty, swordwork, unting, and moonlight who seeks to redeem the drow and lead them back to the lands of light.
Due to the dogma of lolth, the spider queen, most Drow cities are theocratic matriarchies dominated by the clergy of one of the handful of the dark powers venerated by the dark elves. In the cities that follow the way of lolth, the populace is ruled by several dozen noble houses from the ruling council, ranked in a strict hierarchy. A small group of elite noble houses form the council ruling, led by the premier high priestess of the first house. Each noble house in turn is ruled by a coterie of hight priestesses related and ranked in preeminence, with the highest ranking priestess of each noble house bearing the title of matron mother. A constant, intense, treacherous, and deadly competition seethes among the various noble houses, mirrored by a constant struggle among individual priestesses, to increase relative station. These battles follow rules of behaviour best characterised as "if it cannot be proven, then it did not happen".
The war among drow nobility allows other groups to also achieve some power and influence. Drow wizards, who are usually male, often ally with a noble house. Merchant trading companies receive noble backing. Mercenaries sell their blades, all shifting the balance of power. In a drow city where other powers check Lolth's priestesses, they may even assume rule of the city. But the constant struggle for station does not stop.
Drow wizzards and priests are known throughout the Underdark and surface world for producing unusal weapons and clothing with quasi-magical properties. Drow societies live and die by the proximity of faerzress to their cities. Though the enchantments fade In sunlight, they are terrors in the Underdark. Drow cities are similar to surface cities in that they are laid out horizontally and consist of buildings clustered into districts, intertwined with wide avenues, narrow alleys, and plazas. Drow cities are notable for their intracate spiral tunnels, boldly flying stone bridges, balconies, and buttresses. Dark elven engineers hollow out and shape stalactites, stalagmites, and cave columns for habitations. Rock is always cut and shaped, never left unworked. Drow city environments are a maze of well-patrolled tunnels that serve both as a training ground for drow warriors and a defensive fortification as they fall back through a warren of deceptions and traps. The most obvious signs of drow activity outside a city include gaurded caverns where magical items are forged, heavily warded channels through which water is diverted to the city, and ore and gem mines worked by dwavern and svirfneblin slaves are overseen by dark elf taskmasters. Often a small region of caverns and tunnels is given over to drider outcasts and used as a means of dispensing prisoners unsuitable for sacrifice. Darks elves are great merchants and trading is the only excuse for dealings with surface dwellers. Dark elves extend their own prejudices to other races. While the dark elves will ingly trade with nearly any race, if a willingness to trade is reciprocated, dark elves consider themselves inherently superior and will destroy their trading partners without hesitation. Dark elves reserve their greatest hatred for surface kin, and even conduct surface raids for the purpose of killing and enslaving elves. Because many other races loathe the drow, dark elves are never without enemies.
Known Drow House Names
Aleanrahel, Aleval, Arabani, Arkhenneld, Auvryndar, Baenrae, Barrison'del'armgo, Claddath, Despana, DeVir, Do'Urden, Eilservs, Everhate, Fey-Branche, Fey-Branche, Freth, Godeep, Helviiryn, Hlaund, Hun'ett, Kenafin, Kilsek, Maerret, Melarn, Mylyl, Noquar, Ousstyl, Rilynt'tar, Teken'duis, Tormtor, Zauviir
Known Drow Cities of the Underdark
Abaethaggar, Abburth, Baereghel, Chaulssin, Charrvhel'raugaust, Ched Nasad, Cheth Rrhinn, Erelhei-Cinlu, Erelhei-Cinlu, Eryndlyn, Faneadar, Guallidurth, Haundrath, Ithilaughym, Llurth Dreier, Luihaulen'tar, Maerimydra, Menzoberranzan, Orlytlar, Rilauven, Sshamath, Sshanntynlan, Szithlin, T'lindhet, Tyrybblyn, Uluitur, Undraeth, V'elddrinnsshar, Waethe Hlammachar, Yuethindrynn
Known Drow Surface Cities
Naeloth City of the 'IIythiiri Dobluth Akh' Empire
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