Drow

## Purpose

The drow society nominally has two purposes, called "the First and Second Part of the Destiny of the People". The former is about forcing all other races of the Underdark into subservience, while the latter is about driving the entire surface elven population into extinction.

On a personal level, each drow tries to gain and maintain the favor of Lolth, as well as to amass material goods, like wealth and slaves, and to gain status inside their society, in which the concept of inherent value of life does not exist. Depending on the station of a drow, there might be a difference in the kind of plans they support and execute. Drow of higher standing support endeavors to boost their own prestige by increasing their own people's power and influence. Drow of lower station either seek to claw their way to the top by imitating and seeking the favor of the nobles in power, or violently lash out at the society that abandons them by attempting to drag everyone down and sow chaos.

## City-States

Drow live in city-states in the Underdark, built in huge caverns near natural resources such as aquifers and mineral deposits. These city-states are a sort of dark reflection of the dark elves’ moon elven cousins on the surface, ruled similarly by theocracy but devoted to Lolth rather than Sehanine, and with wealth distributed by ability to hoard it rather than by need. (While Selasian city-states are often not as egalitarian in practice as they are in theory, the ruling classes of the moon elves at least profess to be in favor of equal distribution of resources and public amenities for all, while the dark elves have no such concepts and advocate a cutthroat world of survival of the fittest.)

Drow cities, also known as strongholds, exist within a constantly shifting political landscape of subterfuge and war. Nearly every city-state has warred with every other, and no true alliances exist between them, only temporary pacts and treaties that are inevitably twisted or broken by one or more parties. While drow strongholds are city-states in name, they are in reality not governed by any law other than the whims of the ruling noble houses and lack the organization of a true state. The most powerful houses claim the titles of nobility and seize the best lands and resources for themselves, the next most powerful groups make a living as merchant clans, and the remaining unfortunate masses live in desperation, oppression, and poverty, surviving only as serfs, thieves, or slaves. Some lower class women manage to climb the ranks of drow society by becoming priestesses of Lolth within their local temple, but the highest ranks within Lolth’s clergy are almost always reserved for noblewomen.

The castles of the noble houses are located in close proximity to each other, and a public temple to Lolth is often built within the ruling house’s territory. Commoners live either in caves, shantytowns, or the servants’ quarters of the noble house which they serve. Wealthier merchants might live in more opulent villas built into natural rock formations within the cavern in which their city is situated--although they generally do not own any farmland, they may have personal servants and slaves.

Nobles, on the other hand, claim large swaths of land within the stronghold as their own. On occasion they might claim territory outside the main cavern of the city as well. This land is worked by the servants of a noble house and prisoners of war forced into slavery, who produce meat and crops for the nobles to do with as they see fit.

The borders and landmarks of a given city-state, as well as the working places for slaves outside of the city, are marked with continuous faerie fire. (Lighting within a drow city is created both through magical and mundane means, with the former being far more common.) The gates of a city, as well as its important buildings, are usually protected by jade spider guardians.

Drow settlements are located near places where the border between the material and ethereal is thin, supplying abundant mana in the natural environment. Thus, these settlements are almost always stationary, and therefore relatively easy to locate and attack. Drow often use shriekers, a type of fungi that grows in mana-rich places, to warn them of incoming danger.

The radiation from the ethereal has the unique capability to cause mutations in creatures. For example, a flying roper can be born in a mana-rich environment. If the product of such mutation is powerful, drow try to avoid fighting it and try to contain it in a certain area so that would-be-intruders have to face it instead. If the creature has a spider-like appearance, the reaction of the dark elves is typically to praise it as the work of Lolth and sometimes even feed it with their captives, or with intruders whom they lure into the monster's lair.

The majority of drow cities are found in the Middledark as a protection against aggressions from the surface. Traveling all the distance down to the Middledark with an army from the surface is not a feasible undertaking, and thus drow city-states worry less about invaders from the surface and more about acts of aggression from each other.

## Noble Houses

Drow are ruled by their aristocracy, made up by the families that had the strength to violently occupy the best lands. Such houses are founded by powerful drow individuals with special powers, who then pass their traits to their offspring. Nobles also further augment their abilities with magic items.

Noble Houses constantly fight each other but are also characterized by internal strife, as secrets and treachery are encouraged by the doctrine of Lolth. Within a family, noble drow parents view their children as vehicles for tHouse Mistress of Fangs and Venom, who serves as assassin-in-chief and orchestrates the deaths of the house’s enemies. heir own advancement, effectively seeing them as pawns which sometimes must be sacrificed for potential gain. Noble drow stay with their family as children as a protection from outside violence, and as adults because houses prove to be good tools for societal advancement. In summary, noble drow families band together for mutual protection and not out of affection.

The head of a noble House is a matron mother, always bearing (or claiming to bear) the blessing of Lolth. Below her, in descending order of influence, are House Mistresses, then all other female members (ranked according to age), the male officers (weapon master, house wizard, and patron—the matron's consort), and the other male members of the house (war-leaders, who answer to the weapon master, and house mages, subservient to the house wizard), who are also ranked according to age. Below the non-officer men are servants and prisoners of war held as slaves.

House Mistress is the title bestowed upon the highest ranking noblewomen of a house besides the Lady Matron herself, and there are four House Mistresses, each with her own domain, who hold rank within a noble house.

The House Mistress of Fangs and Venom serves as assassin-in-chief and orchestrates the deaths of the house’s enemies. She is granted total dominion over the lives of those lower ranking than the Lady Matron and Lord Consort, and is permitted to kill anyone who is a threat to the house--unless she is caught, in which case she is considered a failure at her job and may be executed. The House Mistress of Night and Secrets is tasked with the job of covering up the wicked deeds of the Fangmistress and making sure the secrets of the house stay secret. The Nightmistress may even keep a member of the house’s secrets hidden from other nobles within the house, if that secret getting out would jeopardize the house’s standing and stability. The House Mistress of Silk and Webbing is an expert in manipulation and blackmail who devises clever social traps in which to catch the house’s foes. If the Silkmistress is effective enough at her job, the Fangmistress may never have to kill enemies of the house, for the Silkmistress has tricked them into causing their own fall from grace. The House Mistress of Eyes and Tremors commands a vast network of spies and keeps dossiers on all enemies of the house, carefully documenting their strengths, weaknesses, and secrets. The Eyemistress works closely with the Fangmistress and Silkmistress so that they might use the secrets of enemies which the Eyemistress knows in order to better exploit the weaknesses of their foes.

Women have absolute power within their household, and own all governmental and militaristic power within the city. Men hold authority only if they manage to become an officer, and none of their ranks, nor those of non-blood-related members, have any job security, for all it took was the matron's whim for their position to be changed. In most cases, a matron only loses her position if murdered, often by another noblewoman within the house seeking to ascend in the hierarchy. These types of murders are never confessed to, of course, but oftentimes the reality of the situation is common knowledge and simply an unspoken truth.

## Merchant Clans

The success of the merchant clans is important for the survival of the drow race. Drow merchant clans are the primary mercantile organizations in the Underdark, and their presence is common along Underdark trade routes. Contrary to noble houses, clans can be run by drow of any gender, but a majority of merchant clan leaders are men as many drow women consider interaction with outsiders to be too demeaning a task and prefer to focus on more refined pursuits. For a woman to toil as a merchant is considered by some to be a waste of her potential, which could be better used as a Spider Priestess or as a socialite vying for a position within a noble house.

The organization of a merchant clan varies, but some general statements can be made. They are run by a council of mages, referred to as the "inner ring". The inner ring of drow merchant clans are nearly always dark elves themselves, but many of the "second ring", as the managers of a merchant clans were called, may be non-drow. The lowest ranking members, almost exclusively non-drow, called "assets", make up the labor and military force of the organization.

Within the drow society, merchants with a particularly rich experience and worldly mindset are the only individuals likely to form genuine friendships with so-called lesser peoples, like svirfneblin and duergar.

## Temples of Lolth

Other than being born into nobility or climbing the ranks of a merchant clan, there remains only one way of ascertaining status within drow society. Joining the clergy of Lolth as an acolyte can provide an escape from the wretched suffering of the dark elf lower classes, as it is faithfulness to the Spider Queen that is rewarded by drow society above all else.

### Doctrine

#### Monotheism

Only Lolth is considered a true deity by her faithful and worship of others is strictly forbidden. While Lolth once had subservient deities known as the Dark Seldarine, it is said that as dark elves began to pray to them in Lolth’s stead, she devoured the Dark Seldarine one by one. Now, any drow who worship deities other than Lolth do so in shameful secrecy, terrified that they might invoke the wrath of Lolth upon themselves and their patrons.

#### Hierarchy

According to the Way of Lolth, the violation of a given hierarchy can be met with various punishments, death being the most common. Rather than having an organized, codified judicial system, the general rule is that any dark elf ranking above another has the freedom to slay their inferior extrajudicially for a transgression against drow societal norms. There are certain unspoken rules about who may be killed and by whom, some common ones being that anyone who kills a spider or otherwise slights Lolth must be killed, a servant is to be killed for disobedience to their master, and commoners may be slain on the spot by a High Priestess if they object to her will. It is a crime punishable by death to kill a drow who ranks above you--if you are caught. If you can get away with the murder of your superior, you just might succeed in rising above your station.

The priestesses of Lolth generally must submit to the will of the noble houses, with the exception being the High Priestess of a stronghold. The High Priestess is considered to be the same rank as the Matron of the stronghold’s ruling noble house, and thus clashes happen often between the dark elves in these two roles. However, if a noble Matron clashes too often with the temple of Lolth, she quickly loses favor within her stronghold and may be usurped.

#### Identification

Drow society has a strict fashion code (which includes rules about hairstyles) meant to allow easy identification of a drow's social station and noble house or merchant clan (if any). Any drow who commits an identification faux pas by wearing the wrong hair style, clothes, and/or house insignia is killed, as is a non-drow who tries to pass as a drow.

#### Infighting

The doctrine of Lolth states that the only law of the Underdark is that might equals right, and that the strongest may subjugate the weak however they please. It follows that as different dark elf factions rise in power, others are overthrown, usually in a fashion which is exceedingly violent. A faction such as a house, clan, or temple might seek to quash or even wipe out another, and within such factions, scheming and betrayal is the status quo. Dark elves seeking to gain power must carefully balance brutality with restraint, as striking a balance between the two is necessary to eliminate enemies without losing allies.

### On Gender

The doctrine of Lolth states that those made most in her image bear her blessing, and thus are superior to all others. This means that only dark elf women can truly be considered the chosen of Lolth, and that all other genders are considered inferior, while not completely worthless. Drow men have a strictly prescribed place in society that they must not dare challenge, at risk of being considered treasonous to Lolth and executed promptly. This leads many surface dwellers and other outsiders to believe it is preferable to be a drow woman rather than a drow man, but the gender hierarchy of the dark elves is harmful to all restricted by it. While drow men are belittled and scorned, drow women, too, are limited by their gender in terms of the lives that they are allowed to lead. Additionally, it is oftentimes much more dangerous to be a drow noblewoman than it is to be a drow nobleman. While power is highly coveted by dark elves, as it is the only thing that assures them dignity, the truth is that power is far from a guarantee of safety. Dark elf men are certainly restricted in society by their gender, but they can gain some sway by attaching themselves to women in positions of power, and so long as they do not displease them, can lead relatively peaceful lives. Noblewomen and priestesses, however, live with the constant fear of being killed by someone higher ranking for being seen as a threat to her (whereas drow men are usually safe from such things by virtue of never being taken seriously), or being killed by someone lower ranking in a bid for power.

It is an unfortunate reality that the strict gender roles of drow society can create uncomfortable lives for trans and intersex people. Trans women are almost never questioned in their identities and even garner some extra respect from their cis peers, simply because it is understood by all drow women that to live as a woman in dark elven society is to accept an existence full of cruelty and lethality, and that no one would choose such a life unless it was truly what she felt in her heart was the only way for her to lead an authentic life. A trans woman born into a noble house is likely to be celebrated when she comes out (even as her peers try to size up the threat she might pose to their own status), since all women are seen as potential leaders and as prized assets to their families. In short, the more noblewomen serving the house, the better. Trans women who join temples and become priestesses are simply accepted as having answered the call of Lolth the same as any other woman. They are not turned away or looked down upon, but they receive no special treatment or recognition. Trans women who were already clergy members before they have the opportunity to transition do so with little fanfare, and assume the duties entrusted only to priestesses whenever they feel they are ready. Their transitions are marked only by the rites performed for any woman when she graduates from the status of seminary priestess.

Trans men born into noble houses of the dark elves face varying levels of resistance depending on the specific situation of their own house. A noblewoman with a trans son might be disappointed when he transitions, as it turns out she does not have a daughter to use as a prized pawn in her political schemes. Conversely, she might breathe a sigh of relief that she no longer has to fear matricide since unlike a daughter, a son does not have the authority to usurp her should she be slain. If she has enough other children, she might not care at all one way or the other. Men who transition while they are serving a temple of Lolth must undergo a ceremony in which they renew their vows of fealty to the Spider Queen as their vestments and holy symbols are taken from them by priestesses, and new ones are provided for them by priests. After his ceremony is complete, a man is no longer allowed by the clergy in spaces of the temple meant only for elite priestesses, though if he was high enough to have access to these spaces before transition, he may be permitted to access them in the days leading up to his ceremony in order to say his goodbyes. Many trans men who once were nobles or clergy members chafe at the idea of being locked into the demeaning existence of a nobleman or priest, and so they part from their previous status or vocation in order to join or begin their own merchant clan. While a male merchant does not enjoy the privileges of clergy or nobility, he leads a much freer existence than noblemen and priests, whose entire existences are dictated by the women around them. For some trans men, the idea of sacrificing the freedom that they enjoyed before transition to be subjugated by those who once considered them equals makes the life of a merchant seem much more appealing in comparison.

The fortunes of those who fall outside the sex and gender binaries vary widely. Intersex drow children are usually required by their families to “pick a side,” whether they wish to or not, although in some unfortunate circumstances a drow parent might force womanhood on an unwilling intersex child in order to have a more “valuable” asset with which to vie for power. An intersex drow who reaches adulthood without (willingly or not) selecting a binary gender to present as may go on to live as nonbinary should they wish to, unless they are part of a noble house or a temple.

Nonbinary drow, be they intersex or perisex, can generally only find respect as members of merchant clans. While a nonbinary drow born into a noble house is permitted to remain a member of that house after transition, they must occupy a role associated with one binary gender or the other--there simply isn’t another role for them to occupy. This is fine with some nonbinary drow, of course, but uncomfortable and dysphoria-inducing to others. Non-binary drow were not even permitted to serve temples of Lolth until recently, since Lolth’s most conservative faithful claimed that nonbinary drow were betraying the way of Lolth for the way of Corellon, Lolth’s most despised foe. In the present day, nonbinary drow may join the clergy, but they are relegated to the status of priest and denied the title of priestess regardless of their assigned sex, specific gender identity, or preferred role. Nonbinary drow who are part of merchant clans receive the same respect as any binary clan member with the same rank, for the most part, although some clans led by dark elves who are particularly conservative or devoted to Lolth might rule that nonbinary merchants cannot ascend above second ring status. Genderfluid drow, specifically, receive the least respect of any gender and are viewed as highly suspect--at least until they have proven that they have no association with or loyalty to Corellon, the patron saint of gender fluidity.

Drow who have received the blessing of Corellon (which grants an elf the innate ability to change their physical sex as it suits them without medical means, and is a trait common among surface elves) are exceedingly rare, and are put to death should their ability be found out. Corellon is the worst enemy of Lolth, and to bear his blessing is grounds for accusation of high treason and sacrilege.

### Spider Priests and Priestesses

While male clerics do exist among the drow, Lolth bars them from achieving power beyond a certain threshold. They serve in low-ranking positions and perform menial tasks, doing the “dirty work” of their temples and on the whole leading lives of toil and drudgery in exchange for a modicum of respect more than they would receive otherwise.

The role of Spider Priestess and the privileges associated with it is open only to women, as the faithful of Lolth believe that one must identify heart and soul with womanhood in order to embody the goddess fully. Her set and binary nature is the antithesis of Corellon’s fluidity, and her traditionally feminine presentation rebukes the androgyny of Sehanine. While drow faithful to Lolth believe that she is so firmly set in her gender because womanhood is the one correct way of being, other scholars have speculated that she renounces the androgyny and fluidity often associated with elves (of the moon and sun respectively) *because* these traits are so strongly associated with her sworn foes, Sehanine and Corellon. In addition, while surface cultures usually have a patron saint that they view as protector of their people, they are (almost) all still polytheistic and worship other gods as well, whereas the drow (or at least drow faithful to Lolth) are completely monotheistic and see other gods as pretenders and frauds. Some scholars posit that Lolth’s single and binary gender represents her singular power and divinity, and that her disregard (and disrespect) for all other genders is an intentional affront to the concepts of duality and multiplicity themselves. Others believe that Lolth enforces such a strict gender binary among her followers simply out of cruelty, as an arbitrary display of her power over them, and that her own strictly binary gender does not run contrary to her chaotic tendencies--rather, her own gender identity randomly happens to be female, and her evil nature leads her to elevate her own traits as being divine and all others as being inferior.

Regardless of what the reasons may be, Spider Priestesses are the favored faithful of Lolth and are permitted much more arcane power than the lower-ranking Spider Priests. While the divide between priests and priestesses within a temple is strict, the internal hierarchy of Spider Priestesses is intentionally chaotic and ever-shifting. Lolth seems to enjoy sowing chaos and discord among her faithful, granting increased favor to one priestess one day and another the next, leering as she watches them argue over who is more righteous and devout from her throne in the Demonweb Pits. Even her most devoted followers are not spared her sadistic whimsy and changeable, arbitrary malice.

## Commoners

Most members of the Lolthite drow society live under oppression, in perpetual desperation and poverty. However, not every drow born without land or title is doomed to a lifetime of misery. Lucky commoners learn a craft or enter military training, although the knowledge necessary to practice arcane trades is kept almost entirely to nobility, and the highest military ranks are reserved for nobles as well. The most successful artists (and sometimes other craftspeople) who attract the attention of nobles may win their patronage, and if they are truly skilled, might even be adopted into noble houses.

Commoners can also rise to a higher social station by becoming the consort of a noble, if that noble’s house is at odds with all other houses and thus a more socially suitable paramour is not available. Particularly attractive commoners may also be selected by a noble for consort status by virtue of nothing other than their beauty, although in situations like these it is common for the noble to grow tired of the commoner and find an excuse to exile them, or in the worst case scenario, execute them.

The third way for a commoner to climb the ranks of drow society is to become a priest or priestess, although the vetting process for hopeful acolytes is quite thorough and the training required to achieve the status of Spider Priestess or Priest is extremely demanding. Many a commoner who hopes to escape their respective predicament by serving a temple to Lolth is forced to abandon their efforts when they cannot handle the pressures of temple life, or when the Spider Queen herself rejects their worship. The unfortunate seminary priest or priestess who is rejected by Lolth for one reason or another is turned into a drider and cast out from society. Any would-be clergy member who fails in their training for another reason is ostracized or banished, or if their error was particularly unforgivable, even killed.

Commoners who do not succeed in making a living off of a skilled trade and find no other means of escape from their low social standing usually become servants of noble houses, either attending to the nobles themselves, or working the house’s lands alongside imprisoned outsiders.

Despite the despondence and indignity commoners are subjected to on a daily basis, noble drow value drow commoners more than outsiders, and usually sacrifice them only when a prisoner of war is not readily available. And being a commoner isn’t all bad: in general, commoners had a higher chance to live a long life than nobles, resulting in families who have many living generations of members. This is because there isn’t much to gain from killing an elder in a commoner family, as such elders represent a valuable source of historical and general knowledge with realistic accessibility. In times of overpopulation, however, the lower class elderly are seen as a necessary sacrifice in order to ensure the survival of the young and able generations of drow.

## Enslaved Drow & Prisoners of War

The greatest fear of any dark elven warrior is not to be felled in battle, but to be captured. Being captured by the forces of an enemy stronghold during a raid attempt or patrol skirmish is a guarantee of one of two fates: to be put to death later on, thus only forestalling your inevitable demise, or to be bound in service as a slave.

### Life of Slaves

Slavery in drow society is not based on race, species, ethnicity, or any characteristic, rather it is a shameful curse bestowed upon those who are defeated in battle or who commit transgressions against the way of Lolth and her favored ones. While slavery is often a one-way ticket to life-long labor for you and your descendents, it is not a guarantee of a life much more miserable than that of other common drow. Slaves usually toil alongside paid servants in noble houses or alongside wage laborers doing manual labor, and sometimes learn artisanal trades in the service of craftspeople, or receive advanced educations that they might care for and tutor noble children. All working-class drow are scorned and mistreated by the more fortunate few, however, and enslaved drow are no exception to this rule.

### Pathways to Freedom

Slavery is generally lifelong and inherited by any children of an enslaved person, even if their other parent is not enslaved. (Additionally, a free commoner having a relationship with a slave is considered grounds for the enslaved person's owner to claim the free commoner as their property.) However, there are some ways out of a lifetime bound in service which are considered legitimate. A slave may be freed by their owner for any reason the owner sees fit, and receives a Lolthite ceremony wherein their Marks of the Silken Chain are removed through arcane means (see “Escape” below). A slave may also be offered freedom as a reward for exceptional performance in gladiatorial combat, or be offered freedom in exchange for service to the temple of Lolth. In situations such as these, anyone higher ranking than the owner of the enslaved person may decide that the slave is freed and initiate the ceremony to remove their Marks with or without the owning drow’s consent.

Freed drow have most of the rights of other common drow, with the exception being that, having borne the Mark of the Silken Chain, they may never gain a title of nobility nor carry the rank of High Priestess in any temple. The children of freed drow have all the rights of any other common drow, and may ascend as high in the temple of Lolth as their merit allows or be bestowed titles of nobility should a noble see it fit.

### Escape

Escape from slavery in a drow stronghold is indescribably difficult, if not impossible. Enslaved drow are subject to a Lolthite ritual which bestows upon them the Mark of the Silken Chain, an arcane tattoo which creates a pattern resembling twisting webbing that encircles both wrists like manacles upon the skin of the unfortunate drow who has been Marked. The Mark of the Silken Chain is considered a source of utmost shame, and accordingly most enslaved drow are granted the mercy of being allowed to cover their wrists so as not to put their Marks on display. Because of this, covered wrists on a working class drow who claims to be free are considered highly suspect, and that drow may be commanded by superiors to remove their wrist coverings in order to prove their freedom.

The Mark of the Silken Chain does more than simply marr the skin, however. This tattoo of black ink, normally subtle upon the grey skin of a drow, glows white and hot whenever the enslaved drow disobeys a direct command issued by any drow who has a “right” to ownership over them--that is, the drow to whose service they were bound by ritual, or the heir who has inherited all of the original owner’s “property.” Accordingly, escape from their eternal servitude is rare for enslaved drow, who experience a searing pain around their wrists and whose Marks are brightly displayed whenever they disobey their masters.

Being an arcane mark and not a regular tattoo, the Mark of the Silken Chain is hereditary, and appears at birth around the wrists of any child born to or sired by an enslaved drow. These children are just as beholden to obedience towards the drow to whom their enslaved parents (or parent) are bound as the parents are.

## Drow Families

### Childcare

Dark elves are locked in constant struggle for limited resources and chances for advancement in society. For this reason, they try to instill tenacity, cruelty, ambition, self-reliance, and independence in their children. Physical imperfection amongst drow isn’t tolerated due to their culture’s obsession with physical beauty, and children born in any way visibly abnormal (such as planetouched, or others with innate magical abilities that mark them physically) are killed shortly after birth--or abandoned in the Underdark, if their parent feels merciful. The rare physical abnormalities that are tolerated are those associated with abyssal tieflings of Lolth, who are few and far between.

Half-drow children are both scandal and abomination in equal measure. Relationships between dark elves and other peoples are extremely frowned upon, and even the rare committed, loving couples in which one member is a drow and the other is not almost never have (biological) children on purpose. In most cases, a drow parent who knows they will give birth to a half-drow child usually terminates their pregnancy early or disposes of the child in some other fashion, such as foisting the child upon their non-drow parent, abandoning the child with the first person willing to take them (and also to keep the secret of the child’s parentage), or simply leaving the child at fate’s mercy somewhere in the Underdark wilds.

Traits like kindness or compassion are dangerous in the Lolthite society, as they make an individual prone to exploitation, and children who show such weakness are punished. The punishment ranged from corporal punishment to neglect (such as starvation), either of which could prove lethal. This abusive treatment is supposed to prepare the children for the cruelty of their future lives, and any child deaths that come about as a result of these punishments are justified with the explanation that the children had been "saved" from an even worse end as adults. Drow children learn cruelty and bloodthirst both as a survival mechanism and as a defensive mechanism to escape punishment. These “lessons” are deeply traumatizing for drow children and create cycles of abuse and generational trauma both hard to comprehend and truly horrible to behold.

Noble drow are not raised by their parents, whom they only rarely see, but by elder siblings and private caretakers, resulting in thin bonds between parents and children. Merchant clans and commoners (who lack the resources to hire tutors) considered raising (and disciplining) their children as the entire family's duty.

#### On Disability

Physically disabled drow face unhappy existences in dark elven city-states and often use magical means to not just create accommodations and accessibility tools for their disabilities, but to hide any visible disabilities altogether so as not to be seen as weak. Pathways to arcane power are gatekept almost entirely by drow nobility and the clergy of Lolth, and so physically disabled drow who need to accommodate for and hide evidence of their disabilities are completely out of luck if they do not have the societal privilege to access these resources. The children of nobles often have arcane accessibility tools provided to them (and glamours applied over them to hide the need for such tools) by the house wizard. Disabled drow who serve temples of Lolth are provided blessings by their goddess that help them mitigate their disabilities--if she is feeling particularly generous, or if the servant in need of her assistance seems useful to her agendas. Mechanical prosthetics and other more traditional accessibility tools common among surface peoples are almost unheard of amongst the drow, not because they do not have the technology to create such things, but because use of them carries such an intensely shameful cultural stigma.