Drow

## Description:

Drow are a sub-race of Elves, but are so distinct and far removed that they are often given their own special racial classification. Located in the Abandoned Abyss deep below the Earth's surface, the Drow are crammed into tight caves and tunnels, and as such are slightly shorter than their Elven cousins. Drow often stand at a range between five (5) feet seven (7) inches and six (6) feet. In terms of weight, Drow are generally lighter than normal Elves, their natural physiques favoring agility over martial ability, ranging in weight between one hundred (100) and one hundred and twenty (120) pounds.

The first and most prominent difference between Drow and the surface-dwelling Elven races are the Drows' skin color, which can be black, purple, or obsidian (dark blue and black). Drow hair can be black, white, purple, or yellow/grey as the Drow ages. Drow eyes are similarly colored, and can be bright red, black, yellow, or green and brown (*Note: The latter two colors are often seen as a sign of human heritage, and those who inherit them are usually shunned or placed lower in the caste system*). Drow eyes can change hue depending on mood and status, turning more red when angry and yellow when under the influence of a spell or poison.

Drow are seen as being unusually attractive, even amongst other Elven races, thanks to generations upon generations of eugenics practiced by Drow society in an attempt to exemplify their supposed superiority. These good looks are often used for manipulation, seduction, and intimidation and aid in the social stratification of Drow culture.

The Drow are naturally more intelligent than most other races, including their Elven cousins, but suffer from a number of shortcomings that make this intelligence rather useless; Drow lack the wisdom to make use of their intelligence beyond small scale military operations. While their smarts allow for incredible feats of technology, Alchemy, and Magic, it only further boosts their egos and clouds their judgement.

Drow reproduce sexually, like most other sentient species, with the female giving birth to as many as a dozen or more children over the course of her biological ability to do so. This birthrate is caused by a constant drive for more soldiers and nobles amongst Drow society, as the constant wars and raids put a strain on manpower. Unlike other Elves, the Drow are intelligent enough to see that more soldiers are an advantage, and as such prioritize childbirth more than their Elven cousins, although they tend to treat their children much worse.

The Drow possess a lifespan very similar to their Elven cousins, the average Drow living up to one thousand (1,000) years. The effects of aging—manifesting themselves as the yellowing or greying of the hair, as well as the loss of the child-birthing ability in women—begin at around age five hundred and fifty (550). A Drow's life can be extended through scientific means, living a life relatively devoid of physical hardship, and/or favor from the Drow god.

### Personality

While it may not be fair to generalize the entirety of the Drow race based on their personality, all of them are equally influenced by the society in which they are raised, and as such possess a number of common traits. There are, however, a number of Drow who do not share all or any of these values.

All Drow living in a Drow city or society have but one goal in life: success. Drow are some of the most stubborn and determined of individuals, willing to do anything to reach their goals. Drow are raised in a world where even the slightest of mistakes is likely going to prove itself a lethal one, and as such Drow strive for perfection and success. With a moral code based off success and wealth, it is obvious to see how the Drow are willing to murder, steal, backstab, cheat, lie, manipulate, and do whatever else it might take to achieve their goals. Living in a strict caste system where the only way to progress up the social ladder is via schemes and underhanded tactics lends its members to become sneaky and driven individuals.

Drow are also infamous for their often untamed anger. A Drow will rarely back down from a challenge, regardless of their chances of success, often caused by their determination or arrogance. Many a Drow soldier have been bested in combat simply by angering them into making a reckless mistake. As individuals led by a sense of superiority, a Drow's honor is sacred, and it takes only a few comments or slandeous remarks to warrant a fight. Drow prefer to solve every issue or obstacle with violence, and, much like the rest of their society, believe that might makes right.

The Drow's belief own superiority to the point that many suffer from arrogance, especially when dealing with other races. Even the races whom the Drow view as martial equals are still seen as inferior in all other ways. This arrogance leads Drow to overestimate their own abilities, and underestimate their foes. Playing to this idea will often prove successful in combating the Drow.

Their ideas of superiority has lead the Drow down a path of particular cruelty—against both other races and members of their own kind. The Drow believe that all other inferior races deserve nothing more than suffering, torture, and pain for the sin of inferiority. Drow treat their slaves with little regard for their safety or well-being, and enjoy tormenting them. Slaves rarely die of natural causes. Drow prisoners are tortured so relentlessly that it impresses even Demons. The Drow are infamous for their knowledge of torture and pain, enemy combatants often preferring to take their own lives instead of be taken prisoner. Drow even treat their own kind like trash, the aristocracy willing and able to kill anyone of a lower class for no reason. The Drow are seen as evil and sadistic for this high value of cruelty towards others.

The Drow are, however, incredibly hedonistic. Thanks to a constant surplus of slaves, the Drow themselves rarely have to undertake any sort of menial labor, and as such even the middle classes spend much of their lives drinking, dining, drugging, and enjoying the finest luxuries of life in the Abyss. The Drow dump an amazing amount of time, effort, and resources into art, music, architecture, theater, literature, and the crafting of expert tools and weapons. Artists are valued by even the biggest of noble houses, the Houses often employing a minimum of 6 experts to create masterpieces for the wealthy aristocrats. Master weaponsmiths capable of producing items perfect enough to be enchanted are valued hih enough to receive special privileges and honors amongst Drow society. Bards are also seen as special, and are employed with a number of benefits and privileges.

Drow enjoy hoarding all of their culture and resource as tightly as they can, attemptig to ensure that they hold on to as much as possible for as long as possible. In a society where wealth and power is seen as a greater favor from their god, the Drow are understandably incredibly paranoid. They distrust all other races—including those they view as martial equals—and are quick to turn on anyone they suspect to harbor even the faintest of complaints or dissent. Living in fear of slave rebellions, invasions from the surface world, or losing favor from their god, the Drow are always planning further defenses and plans to avoid as much responsibility as possible, should a plan go awry. No alliance, friendship, or even romantic relationship is safe when a Drow believes themselves to be in danger. Drow are likely to betray even their own family members to get a leg up, and are not afraid to cut ties with any ally over something as silly as a perceived insult or slight. The Drow paranoia often pays off for them, in the end, however.

Not all Drow share these ideas, however. An estimated 25% of the Drow population harbors more moderate or outright good views, but often make the mistake of expressing this love and generosity as children, only to have it brutally beaten out of them by members of their family or merchant clan. In a society where love and kindness are seen as a weakness, anyone who demonstrates a readiness to express those feelings or inclinations are either killed or taken advantage of until they are killed. Some Drow manage to escape the confines of their of caste system and join a surface society, but discrimination and racism are rife across the world. Any Elf will almost immediately be hostile to any Drow on sight, and many of the Elven nations and empires send out teams of assassins and spies to covertly kill off any and all Drow that show themselves on the surface—friendly or otherwise.

### Abilities

Drow possess many of the same abilities as their Elven cousins, and are clearly superior to any normal human, almost to the point that it makes their arrogance well-founded. Drow are far stealthier, quicker, and more agile than any human, and are often more agile than even other Elves. Drow are not, however, as physically capable as their cousins, and instead make up for this shortcoming with magical ability. Drow are also capable of seeing heat thanks to their innate infravision, and also possess eyes so finely tuned that they can see perfectly clearly in the pitch darkness of the Abyss. Drow hearing is also beyond any normal Elf, a trait developed by necessity, and allows the Drow to hear oncoming rock slides, cave-ins, and creatures farther down in the tunnels. Drows' sense of smell is far inferior compared to that of other Abyssal creatures, and is the same as a normal human's. Drow also possess an innate ability to carve and manipulate the rock around them, albeit in a capacity far less than the Dwarves. An estimated 70% of Drow possess this ability. The Drow also immunize themselves to most, if not all, poisons and toxins found in the Abyss by taking increasingly high dosages over the course of their lives.

Drow are also born with a natural resistance to magic, as well as the ability to detect it—all traits shared with their Elven cousins. Drow are also natural spell casters, and can be taught any field of magic with great ease. Nobles are born with the ability to cast certain spells with nothing more than practice.

Drow are severely weakened when placed in sunlight, however, and lose the ability to cast spells altogether. Bright light damages their eyes, temperate temperatures can overheat them, and it takes over a decade of controlled sun exposure to allow a Drow to stand in the sun for more than a few minutes without suffering a terrible sunburn. Even after this period of adaptation, any innate spells are severely weakened, and the Drow must rely on spells that they learned elsewhere.

### Culture

The Drow culture sets its purpose as twofold: subjugate all other races and kill any that fight back, and allow their god, Ludrah, to drive the Elves to extinction. In order to accomplish these missions, Ludrah claimed that the Drow needed to live lives of constant conflict to prepare them for their holy crusades against the other races of the planet. This is how the Drow caste system was developed, and how it remains to this day. Drow believe that obtaining the favor of their god will lead them to greater power and a bigger place in the eventual new world order, and as such view success and the accumulation of material wealth to be a sign of greater preference from their spider goddess.

Drow civilization is split up into a number of massive cities, located in various places around the Abandoned Abyss. These cities do not respond to a single centralized government body, as one might expect, but instead answer to the will of the largest local Noble House. Usually, the Houses were determined by whomever arrived in the city's founding spot first and claimed the most land, but history can see the rise and fall of new Houses frequently. Noble Houses live in massive estates that are connected to the main city, although walled-off from the rest of the chaff, and are all centralized around a large temple to Ludrah.

### Hierarchy

Drow society is split into Noble Houses, all of whom fight for power, influence, and the favor of their goddess, Ludrah. Each Noble House is broken up into the following hierarchy:

1. Matron: The leader of a Drow Noble House that is, on top of being the oldest female in the House, is also a very powerful and gifted magic-user and devoted worshipper of Ludrah.
2. Priestesses: The daughters and other female members of a Drow House are ranked by age, and all possess great influence and magical prowess inside and outside of their House.
3. Weapon Master: Commonly believed to be the highest rank a male Drow can achieve in a Noble House, the Weapon Master is the head of security and master strategist for a Noble House, also charged with the supplying of the House army and management of all other militant aspects of the House; commonly a master blacksmith.
4. House Wizard: The leading magic-user for a Drow House, also a position commonly filled by a male Drow, is in charge of most of the magical education and management for a Drow House.
5. Patron: The prettiest and most appealing male concubine that acts as the personal consort to the Matron; depending on the Noble House and the individual Matron, Patrons can have varying levels of influence and power, but their positions are totally subject to the Matron's whims.
6. War-Leader: Similar in rank to Captains or Commanders of a guard or army, these male figures lead the Drow footmen into battle personally, under the orders of their Weapon Master.
7. House Mage: Magic-using Drow that work alongside the footmen and the House Wizard.
8. Servants/Slaves: The most numerous and least honorable position within a Drow House that take care of the menial labor and unskilled work.

#### List of Drow Houses:

1. House Berezraen
2. House Kulziuzu

#### Military

Drow militaries are more closely referred to as the private and zealously dedicated militias, owned and commanded by a Drow Noble House, it's Matron and Weapon Master more specifically. Drow armies can consist of Drow, Demons and entities from other Realms, mutants, monstrosities, and even tortured slaves. The following is a list of common soldiers and combatants, in general order of importance:

1. Drow Priestess: Although rarely seen on the front lines, Priestesses of Ludrah were commonly seen in the rear formation, commanding their forces and blessing them with aid from Ludrah herself to taint the earth and mutate the foe; many used polymorphing spells to grant themselves temporary magical access to spider-like features, casting magical darkness, spewing acid and poison, and cursing the foe.
2. Drow Suitor-Guard: Imposing, handsome, and violently territorial Drow men dedicated to protecting Drow Priestesses, often chosen out of the strongest and most deadly Drow warriors under a House's control that fanatically defend their charge, who commonly uses the Suitor-Guard as a personal harem when not in combat; contingents of dozens or more of Suitor-Guard are usually assigned to a House's Matron.
3. Drow Torturer: A Drow so skilled in the delivering of suffering and pain that Ludrah herself often blesses these individuals with additional gifts and a sadistic pleasure and even sustenance gained from causing pain and suffering in others; employed by Drow Noble Houses to torture rivals, slaves, and captured enemies.
4. Drow Assassin: Stealthy Drow warriors known to be mistaken for the Ninja of Japanese legend for their incredible infiltration, stealth, sabotage, and assassination skills, employed or born into a Drow Noble House to discreetly dispose of enemies and rivals outside of the public eye; often experts in poisons, explosives, and skilled magic-users.
5. Drow Mage: Drow spellcasters charged with supporting, healing, and aiding the footmen in combat; work under the House Wizard as assistants when not in combat.
6. Drow Footman: Drow soldiers, trained over many decades, usually from childhood, to hone their craft and skill in killing; employed and/or raised by a Drow Noble House under the House's War-Leaders and Weapon Master.
7. Drougloths: Giant, hulking abominations created through an unholy union between Drow and a Demon, known for their cunning intelligence, immense strength, four (4) arms, an animalistic desire for combat and blood, and a taste for human flesh.
8. Driders: Influential oracles, guards, and nobles of Drow society used as shock troopers and border guards to a Noble House's domain created through the blessings of Ludrah; the subsequent mutations turn a normal Drow into a centaur-like creature with the legs of a massive spider, although it is not uncommon for Driders to be gifted with pincer-filled maws, many eyes, poisonous spit, or the ability to spin and shoot massive webs.
9. Slaves: Tortured and brainwashed fanatics, driven to fight for a Drow Noble House out of fear for the painful suffering sure to be endured by the poor sap who kills the fewest foes or flees in an act of cowardice.

### Religion

The Drow faith is an incredibly matriarchal henotheistic system of belief, or one that worships a single god out of a wider pantheon. The Drow faith is very inward-looking, and is focused on the worship of Ludrah in the hopes of receiving blessings that grant advantages over one's foes and rivals. Divine interaction for the Drow occurs through the rituals of the Priestesses, the tests imposed on individual Drow of interest by Ludrah, and the blessings received from Ludrah. The Drow faith involves a strict hierarchy, described previously, and a violent system of progression through the ranks. For the Drow, there is no Afterlife if Ludrah does not approve of the Drow's actions during life, and may damn them to the Demonweb, a Realm of eternal suffering and pain brought about by the mutated servants and other rejects of Ludrah as they fight one another for eternity in a massive maze of cobwebs, poison lakes, and agony; there is no pleasant Afterlife for the Drow. The existence of the supernatural is a common, accepted, and manipulated aspect of reality for the Drow. Forms of worship include solemn, silent, individual prayer, sacrifices to Ludrah, passing the tests of Ludrah designed to keep the Drow in fighting shape for their eventual revenge against the High Elves, and obedience to Ludrah's Priestesses. Holidays for the Drow are essentially nonexistent.

#### List of Elven Gods:

1. Syndaril Corelleth: Leading deity of the pantheon, associated with leadership, honor, immortality, and master craftsmanship; worshipped by the High Elves.
2. Lunanine Crescentil: Wife of Syndaril, associated with the moon, night, secrets, journeys, magic, and charged with the protection of the Elven deceased and their spirits; worshipped by the Moon Elves.
3. Solaris Dawnwake: Sister of Lunanine, associated with the sun, heat and summer, day, new life, joy, and love; worshipped by the Sun Elves.
4. Ludrah: Outcast sister of Lunanine and Solaris, associated with darkness, spiders, coldness, mutation and transformation, greed, and evil; worshipped by the Drow.
5. Mother Nature: Non-Elf Great Martyr known to take the appearance of an Elf who oversees of all nature and life across the Multiverse, associated with the natural world, forests, life, and the positive aspects of death; worshipped by Wood Elves, possibly unknowingly.

#### Clergy

The clergy of the Drow faith are the Priestesses of Ludrah, discussed previously, and conduct the rituals of the Drow.

The clergy live hedonistic lives of luxury and authority, as all female Drow are automatically made Priestesses upon their coming of age.

#### Cultural Aspects

Symbols of particular importance to the Drow are spiders, webs, and the cold darkness of the Abandoned Abyss. Holy colors for the Drow include purple, dark blue, and black. Religious knowledge is passed down via religious tomes, and communications from Ludrah herself. The Drow creation myth describes the Drow being created first, High Elves being created second as the superior descendants of Drow, and then has the Drow be persecuted for their special favor from the gods. The Drow were created by Ludrah as revenge against the other gods who despise her.

The deadly sins for Drow are cowardice, rejection of Ludrah, and disrespect for a female Drow of any kind. The highest virtues are hatred towards all other sentient races, cunning, and indulgence in luxuries and the arts of all kinds.

All forms of art are closely related to the Drow, who love art in all its forms and are known to kidnap master artists from the surface in order to enslave them for work in their Noble House.

A Drow comes of age when they reach biological maturity at the age of eighteen (18), although Drow then slow their physical aging significantly. A Drow's coming of age ritual is a test given directly from Ludrah, and can vary in specific details; failure is often punishment, mutations, exile, death, or eternal damnation in the Demonweb.

Drow consider marriage to be a tool for political power and an increase in influence, and is almost never done out of love. While Drow do possess the capacity for such emotions, admittance of that fact is often beaten out of every Drow in early childhood.

Drow perceive death to be a necessary inevitability, and spend their lives glorifying Ludrah and preparing their race for the coming vengeance against the High Elves and their gods. To die for the advancement of either goal is a honorable death to a Drow.

Taboos include the disrespect of women, genuine love within a couple or harem, poverty and low social standing, and failure in the eyes of one's superiors and/or Ludrah.

Only Drow are privy to the specific details regarding their rituals and true beliefs and attitudes, and not even the closest of slaves of other races are allowed access to such learning or knowledge; outsiders are seen as inferior mistakes, abominations, and/or slaves to be captured, used, and/or sold.

## Forgiven Drow

When a Drow rejects Ludrah outright, through repeated prayers to other gods and acts against the priestesses and Ludrah's followers, Ludrah's hold over that Drow may eventually be lifted. A lengthy and difficult process, these "Forgiven Drow" are cleansed of the mutations and adaptations that made them so acclimated to the Abandoned Abyss and are returned to the position of a High Elf, no longer influenced by their previous culture, faith, god, or people. These Forgiven Drow lead new lives and begin new bloodlines of the High Elf race, and are often driven to combat the groups they once called brethren.