Dark Elves (Drow)

Dark Elves on the Cloudsea prefer to be called Dark Elves rather than Drow, though, some people have still carried on the name Drow from other realms. The Drow name is used primarily outside of the Always Dark region.

## From Fearun to Cloudsea

The Dark Elves who live in the eastern horn, arrived in the Cloudsea from Faerun. As with many sentient creatures in the Cloudsea, their kind first arrived having been invited by Strigand while in a trance state. The drow, recalling nightmarish memories during trance, would be happened across by Strigand. The good Drow, seen trapped amid a Lolthsworn society, would be a beacon for Strigand’s watchful gaze. Unlike the races that sleep, elves in a trance are in conscious awareness of, and able to commune with the deities of the Cloud realm who come across them. Where other races were spirited away in their dreams, the Drow pleaded with the Owl to take them away from their living nightmare.

## The new Dark Elf Society

And thus began the Dark Elves colonisation of the eastern horn, where in gratitude of Strigand, they served as his first watchers; the original wards against evil in the Cloudsea. Evil however, would remain closely checked, and never find its way into the Cloudsea. While retaining their devotion to training, and passing the ethical Call of the Watcher onto future generations of drow, the dark elf youth would develop keen eyes as an aesthete, appreciating natural beauty in the not only the world around them, but also in the crafts they brought with them from Faerun. Weaving intricate silk garments of unparalleled make and beauty. Being that there are no predators, hence, no spiders in the Cloudsea, the Drow have instead adapted their silk craft to silkworms. Along with their culturally enforced Watchful eye, they also developed a sense for the recognition of splendour.

Their city, Loicolicula, is in the middlemost section of the eastern horn, and covered in echo moss and bioluminescent fungus, the city is furthermore the centre of all lichenkind.

## Return to Nature

Exposure to the dreamy Cloudsea has returned to the Drow their elven connection with the natural world. They have gained the innate ability to Mushroomance, granting them familiarity with all things mycological in nature. They can intimately recognize mushrooms. As well, they may commune with mycelium networks allowing them perception checks at a long distance where fungal networks and lichens persist. Additionally, dark elf artisans may incorporate mushrooms and lichens into their skillcrafts in clever ways. Furthermore the Dark Elves can communicate freely with Myconid rapport spores.

## Call of the Watcher

Being the first servants of Strigand, an adult Dark Elf can choose to learn as a proficiency during their early studies, either one of knowledge: planes, or languages Auran, or Aarakocra. Strigand speaks primarily telepathically through dreams, but in the physical realm in the Auran language. The closeness of Aarakocra to Strigand also makes communication with the Aarakocra a boon for the Watchful Drow.

## Racial Features

* **Ability Scores.**  Dex +2; Cha +1
* **Speed**. 30 feet
* **Age**. Although elves reach physical maturity at about the same age as humans, the elven understanding of adulthood goes beyond physical growth to encompass worldly experience. An elf typically claims adulthood and an adult name around the age of 100 and can live to be 750 years old.
* **Appearance**. In the Cloudsea Dark Elves were nearly identical with their Faerun cousins, save for a predominance in blue and violet eyes.
* **Alignment**. The Dark Elves of the Horn are good natured Drow who were saved from their nightmares in the Underdark of Faerun. They tend towards the freedom of chaos, or benignness of neutrality, but occasionally fall under a lawful predisposition. The lawful Drow tends toward leadership in the Always Dark.
* **Size**. Elves range from under 5 to over 6 feet tall and have slender builds. Your size is Medium. Dark elf women are typically taller than the Drow male.
* **Superior Darkvision**. Accustomed to the depths of the Underdark, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 120 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
* **Keen Senses**. You have proficiency in the Perception skill.
* **Fey Ancestry**. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can't put you to sleep.
* **Trance**. Elves don't need to sleep. Instead, they meditate deeply, remaining semiconscious, for 4 hours a day. (The Common word for such meditation is "trance.") While meditating, elves can dream after a fashion; such dreams are actually mental exercises that have become reflexive through years of practice. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep. If elves meditate during a long rest, they finish the rest after only 4 hours. Otherwise they obey all the rules for a long rest; only the duration is changed.
* **Languages**. Dark Elves can speak, read, and write Common and Elvish. Elvish is fluid, with subtle intonations and intricate grammar. Elven literature is rich and varied, and their songs and poems are famous among other races. Many bards learn their language so they can add Elvish ballads to their repertoires. They also learned Drow sign language; a silent code of hand signals and facial tics, used to communicate without sound.
* **Sunlight Sensitivity**. Dark Elves have disadvantage on attack rolls and on Wisdom (Perception) checks that rely on sight when the target of their attack, or whatever they are trying to perceive is in direct sunlight.
* **Drow Magic**. Drow know the dancing lights cantrip. At third level, they can cast the faerie fire spell once per day, but must finish a long rest in order to cast the spell again using this trait. When they reach fifth level, they can also cast the darkness spell once per day, but must finish a long rest in order to cast the spell again using this trait. Charisma is the spellcasting ability for these spells.
* **Drow Weapon Training**. Drow have proficiency with rapiers, shortswords, and hand crossbows.