Drow

**Culture:** "Cruel and cunning, drow are a dark reflection of the elven race. They call themselves ***Zaukaran***, while surface elves scorn them with the name ***Moredhel,*** they dwell deep underground in elaborate cities shaped from the rock of cyclopean caverns. Drow seldom make themselves known to surface folk, preferring to remain legends while advancing their sinister agendas through proxies and agents. Drow have no love for anyone but themselves, and are adept at manipulating other creatures. While they are not born evil, malignancy is deep-rooted in their culture and society, and nonconformists rarely survive for long. Some stories tell that given the right circumstances, a particularly hateful elf might turn into a drow, though such a transformation would require a truly heinous individual. Drow society is traditionally class-oriented and matriarchal. Male drow usually fulfill martial roles, defending the species from external threats, while female drow assume positions of leadership and authority. Reinforcing these gender roles, one in twenty drow are born with exceptional abilities and thus considered to be nobility, and the majority of these special drow are female. Noble houses define drow politics, with each house governed by a noble matriarch and composed of lesser families, business enterprises, and military companies. Each house is also associated with a demon lord patron. Drow are strongly driven by individual self-interest and advancement, which shapes their culture with seething intrigue and politics, as common drow jockey for favor of the nobility, and the nobility rise in power through a combination of assassination, seduction, and treachery. Conquerors and slavers, drow are driven to expand their territory, and many seek to settle ancient grudges upon elven and dwarven nations in ruinous and dreary sites of contested power on the surface. Male drow favor martial or stealth classes that put them close to their enemies and their homes, as either soldiers or spies. Female drow typically assume classes that lend themselves to leadership, such as bards and especially clerics. Both genders have an innate talent for the arcane arts, and may be wizards or summoners. Drow make natural blackguards, but males are often discouraged from this path, as the feminine nobility feel discomforted by the idea of strong-willed males with autonomous instincts and a direct relationship with a demon lord." *-d20PFSRD/Paizo*

**Biology:** Drow share many attributes with their elven kin, like their fine features, elongated pointed ears, and their tall statuesque builds. Drow skin ranges from coal black to a dusky purple. Their hair is typically white or silver, while their eyes come in varying shades of silver, reds, and purples. Drow men on average are 6'2" (5'9" - 6'8") and about 135 pounds with broad-shoulders but lean muscles. Frow women on average are 6'0" (5'7" - 6'5") and about 115 pounds. Drow have an innate kinesthetic awareness that affords them great natural grace, they are also deceptively strong for how light they are, but in general drow are not exceptionally hardy, they obsess over hygiene and the purity of food and drink as their constitutions are not as reliable in neutralizing potential illness as that of sturdier races.

Barring illness, accidents, or violence, drow are immortal. They age roughly 10 times more slowly than humans until they reach their physical prime at around 300 years of age. Unlike elves who retire their elders to their eternal home, drow believe their hatred is what makes them strong, the older and more psychologically burdened a drow is who still contributes to the benefit of society is greatly honored, but once the eons have finally driven a drow mad, they are sacrificed to Zon-Kuthon.

In the matter of mating and relationships, drow use sex primarily as social capital to be given in exchange for favors, or as a tool of blackmail and humiliation. Romantic love is regarded as hysterical nonsense, and marriage is only ever a pragmatic matter, spouses and children are seen only as valuable as expanding an individual drow's power. Drow are by and large bisexual, often going through phases in their life where they may favor one gender over the other, or even moment by moment. Sadomasochism is the norm, even the more extreme acts of such, and while their superiority complexes keep them from pursuing physical relationships with any other race, they will not hesitate to violate prisoners and slaves in every way imaginable, if only because the suffering it sows amuses them. Pregnancy for drow takes forever, lasting anywhere between 7 - 8 years, however their devotion to dark powers makes childbearing an unusual ordeal for drow mothers. It is not uncommon for drow Blood Mages to carefully select specific dates on which to conceive, and then use the resulting newborn as a component for fell rituals.

**Relations:**

Humans: Drow view humans with contempt and do not regard them as true threats, confident they will easily sweep them from the face of the earth once their more hated foes lie in ruin.

Elves: The enmity between drow and elves is ancient and practically in their very blood. Drow as a society are consumed with loathing for their surface kin, and want nothing more than to scour the very memory of the Eldar from existence.

Dwarves: The drow recognize dwarves as dangerous competition for the deep places underground, and while the drow surely hate dwarven kind, they aren't seen as worth the effort or resources to attack as long as the dwarves in question do not encroach on drow lands.

Half-Elves: Drow care nothing for half-breeds *(Gismraus)* and regard them no differently than one might regard a handkerchief; to be used, wrung, and eventually disposed of.

Halflings/Gnomes: The small-folk have not once factored into the designs of the drow, though if they are successful in dominating the surface world, it is not a great leap of logic to assume that the drow would see halflings and gnomes as not even worth enslaving. Objects of amusement, or as food perhaps, but nothing more.

Half-Orcs: Drow bear the same hatred for orcs and their half-breeds as their elven kin do, but rather than merely shunning half-orcs, the drow have found that the hardiness of half-orcs make for sturdy and ferocious Fleshwarps.

**Alignment and Religion**: "Drow place a premium on power and survival, and are unapologetic about any vile choices they might make to ensure their survival. After all, they do not just survive adversity—they conquer it. They have no use for compassion, and are unforgiving of their enemies, both ancient and contemporary. Drow retain the elven traits of strong emotion and passion, but rather than cultivate serenity through wisdom they indulge in hatred, vengeance, lust for power, and raw carnal sensation. However they also have a strong, perhaps subconcious, desire to be dominated just as they enjoy dominating others, and this tendancy towards a rigid chaste system makes the majority of drow Lawful or Neutral Evil. They are ardent followers of the Archfiends under Asmodeus, and of course the Midnight Lord, Zon-Kuthon." *-d20PFSRD/Paizo/Fabian*