Drow

*"They remind me of obsidian. Darkly beautiful, but razor sharp and deadly. Don't turn your back on them."- Gral Shoziv, human caver, giving some excellent advice.*

*"Don't let their scrawny frames fool you. They're dangerous foes. Use your hammers and be quick about the bloody work."-Bendan Redchains, duergar taskmaster, training a batch of new recruits.*

*"The masters! We hate them! Kill them on sight!"- Screechier, vril warrior, talking about his race's history.*

## Physical Description:

Drow are known to be incredibly beautiful creatures, almost achingly so. The men are subtly muscular and the women are statuesque. Like most elves, they have slender yet powerful features with slanted ears and eyebrows. Drow faces are sharp and angular but have such beauty that they seem to have be carved by a master sculpture. However, there is no mistaking a drow for another type of elf, they have skin of darkest ebony and hair that ranges from snow white to silver. Eyes lean towards red and gleam with a dark intelligence. Both sexes tend to grow their hair long and proud. They dress in dark clothing, most of which is styled as armor, even if it isn't. Purple and silver highlights are popular as clothing colors. Higher classes of drow flaunt their wealth with expensive jewelry, and gaudy magic items. Tattoos, piercings and body modifications are far from uncommon.

## History:

The history of the drow is a sad one but does little to generate sympathy for a race so vile. Like all sentient races, the ancestors of the drow were slaves to the mind flayers. Some were brought into the Hollow on mind flayer expeditions as servants or snacks, while others fled there of their own volition. Still, the darkness of The Hollow was nothing like the light of the surface and these escaped elves needed a champion. That's when Lolth arrived. The spider-queen had been searching for a race to call her own, and use for her own evil purposes. Some theologians believe that Lolth may have been more involved with the mind flayer occupation than even the illithids realized. Regardless, these newly hidden elves tripped over themselves pledging their service and souls to Lolth in exchange for her protection. Lolth took the elves and remade them in her image, changing their skin and hair colors, altering their internal physiology and ensuring they had the tools to survive in their new homes. It wasn't just a physical change that Lolth wrought on the drow however, she set down laws for the drow to follow, assigned them roles and reworked their society until they were no longer recognizable with the elves they used to be. When the mind flayers were ultimately defeated, they discovered that the Hollow was not as hospitable as they believed it would be, and now had to compete with the drow for territory. It was after the fall of the beholders that the newly freed surface elves discovered that there was another race of elves living in the tunnels beneath Apia that had been forgotten during the war. At first, the interaction between the two groups of elves was frosty but civil. Eventually, after years of diplomatic relations and casual interactions, a decision was made by the high elves to bring their lost cousins back to the Itisal. While there may have been good intentions behind that gesture, it ultimately led to nothing but grief. The exact cause of the war is unknown to the leaders of both sides, and irrelevant, though Lolth most certainly had a hand in it. What matters is the outcome. After all the bloodshed and destruction caused by the elvish civil war, the drow and their allies were defeated and banished from Itisal, never to return. The drow took to this loss poorly and retreated back into their underground cities with malicious intent, swearing revenge against their topside kin. Fortunately for the elves of Apia, the drow spent most of their time engaged in brutal civil wars within their own cities, as powerful matriarchs schemed and plotted against one another, trying to usurp each other's position and become Lolth's chosen. Today, the drow remain a dangerous force in the tunnels below and are often found launching raids against surface communities for slaves and slaughter. Rumors spread of a chosen "Daughter of Lolth" who will bring the drow to the surface in force and wage war across the content, eventually reaching the island of Itisal and plunging it beneath the waves. So far, these are nothing but rumors but the wisest of elven sages are searching the ancient tomes in an attempt to discover the truth of these rumors.

## Geography:

The drow are one of the most prolific races within The Hollow and their subterranean cities, while beautiful, are terrible sights to behold. Rumors of small surface drow communities made up of those trying to flee Lolth's influence cannot be proven.

## Personality:

Drow are arrogant, each either quietly or boastful certain of her or his own value. They are a cruel and malicious people, who seem to enjoy suffering just for the sake of it. The tyrannical priestess' of Lolth typify the race. They are greedy and power-hungry, constantly seeking whatever they desire through whatever means necessary, be it wealth, power, mates or prestige. All that matters is success and the acquisition of the goal, no matter what. This leads to many drow being inherently paranoid as each (correctly) knows her rivals are out to take what she's hoarded for herself. The drow are also obsessed with the veneer of politeness. You must always smile before putting the knife in the back of your foe, it makes the victory taste all the sweeter. Rumors persist of drow who buck the convention of their cruel kin and instead live honorable lives in hidden communities but this remains an unproven rumor.

## Society:

Drow society is unequivocally unequal. The tenants laid down by Lolth make various roles clear. The cities are ruled by matriarchs who are also high priestesses of the spider-queen. Beneath them are their daughters, all of whom are lower priestesses. Beneath them are women of other roles and beneath them are men who are treated as having little value beyond cannon fodder and breeders. Some can acquire a modicum of influence for themselves as arcane spellcasters, a role shunned by women who much prefer clerical power. The rules of superiors are openly obeyed without question, though behind the scenes there is much scheming and plotting with the drow unable to trust even their own families. The cities are divided into powerful houses, each of which is one matriarchal family that goes back to the founding of the city, or replaced one that did. Drow society is propped up by slaves, mostly goblinoid, with the drow themselves doing very little actual manual labor, even "free" males, typically avoid such duties.

## Religion:

The supreme goddess of drow society is Lolth, the queen of spiders. One of the most ancient, and evil, deities on Apia, Lolth is all together untrustworthy and vile. Her rules largely shaped the drow into the monsters they are today. The rumors of good drow suggest that some pray to Corellon Laranthan himself or, a lesser goddess called Eilistraee who seems to have taken it upon herself to bring the drow back into the light. This may be pure propaganda however, it is hard to say.

## Alignment:

Most drow are neutral evil. The lawful appearance of their society is mere pretense, a shield to deflect accusation. However, they are too disciplined to be chaotic. Good aligned drow, if they exist, would be neutral good, or purely neutral.

## Relations:

Drow have no friends and no true allies. They maintain temporary relations with mind flayers, duergar and underground communities of kuo-toa but these alliances only last until one party betrays the other. Drow despise other elves of all kinds and do everything in their power, short of putting themselves in actual danger, to sabotage them.

## Language:

Drow speak drow, which is a variant of elvish that anyone who speaks that language can understand with 50% accuracy. They also speak undercommon, from which many drow words are borrowed. Anyone who speaks undercommon also can understand drow with 25% accuracy. Anyone who speaks both can understand drow with 75% accuracy. Some also bother to learn common, mostly to communicate with their slaves.

## Adventurers:

Being greedy plunderers, many drow take to adventuring in an attempt for personal power and wealth. Others are exiles, either self-imposed or the survivors of drow politics who need some way to provide for themselves. Good and neutral drow often take up an adventurer's lifestyle as there is no other easy way for them to find work.

### Names:

Drow names are similar to more traditional elvish names but have harsher elements.

**Example male Names:** Seldsolg Baenduis, Nadhriir Hun'ett, Spiragh Rilynlyl, Vhukos T'syrr, Ilmlan Lueltaer, Yuimdath Waeglinath, Orgoreth Telavar, Sabal Elpragh, Urlryn Blundyth, Solafein Melervs

**Example Female Names:** Felynoyss Meltlar Shi'nanna Rilynani, Lirdbreena Arkenett, Ulviiryn Elprenna, Phaerene Tuae, Niste Beltazza, Tazara Yauntuil Talabrina Mlezziir, Chardalyn Glannath, Baeolin Deett

## Traits:

Drow traits are described below...

+2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution, +2 charisma, -2 wisdom. Drow are dexterous and beautiful. They are more fragile than others however, and drow arrogance can be blinding at a critical junction.

Size: Medium

Movement: 30 Feet

Darkvision 120'

Daylight Sensitivity: While in brightly lit surroundings (such as a daylight spell or the outdoors), a Drow suffers a -2 penalty to attack rolls and precision-based skill checks.

Drow with a Charisma of at least 10 may cast deeper darkness (duration 4 hours), and faerie fire as spell-like abilities with a caster level equal to their character level once per day each.

+2 bonus to saving throws against spells and spell-like abilities.

+2 bonus to Spot and Listen checks.

Immunity to sleep effects. Additionally, drow meditate for four hours a day as elves do.

Drow live an exceedingly interesting life and every Drow has proficiency with the rapier and an exotic ranged weapon of their choice.

Favored Classes: Cleric (female) and Wizard (male)

Automatic Languages: Drow, Undercommon

Bonus Languages: Abyssal, Beholder, Common, Draconic, Drow Sign Language, Dwarvish, Gnome, Kuo-Toa, Terran.