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Frequently asked (or once asked but interesting) questions:
A: Drow, also called "dark elves" (do not confuse with grey
elves or shadow elves), are an elven race living primary in the Underdark
of Faerûn. They are slimmer and slightly shorter than other elven
races - reflects live in cramped places - which makes them more agile
but less "durable" than other elven races. All other abilities
are the same. Their skin is usually obsidian black. They have pale stark
hair, that is usually white but can have every pale shade, like silver,
greyish (males) or yellowish (females). Theis eyes are pale as well,
while red (retina completely lacking color) is quite common. Other eye
colors are green, brown, violet, blue (very rare) and grey. The color
of their lips and tongues range from red to violet. They have pointy
ears, good hearing and superiour infravision (seeing heat radiation).
Most drow have some innate magical abilities and every drow has access
to certain spells - not only the wizards.
A: Drow got to Sosaria (the planet of UO) the same way Lord British
and the Avatar got there - through a black gate/portal. Lord British
departed from Britannia through one of those not long ago. Assuming
black portals lead to the shadow plane, which is filled with portals
to other planes and realms, they provide rather easy, although dangerous,
way to travel bethween Faerûn and Sosaria. The lower Underdark
is of Faerûn is full of those with appropriete nasty stuff waiting
behind them for a dinner of tender adventurer meat. There are also a
couple more convinient placed ones - of course such gates are usually
well-hidden and heavily guarded.
Q: Where do they come from geographically?
A: Drow originate from Faerûn (Forgotten Realms campaign setting).
Faerûn is a planet bearing a large system if caves and caverns
under it's surface - the Underdark. The upper and middle parts of that
cave system are home of most drow.
Q: Where do they come from historically?
A: (short version) Drow were created by Corellon Larethian, leader
if the Seldarine (elven pantheon), together with all other elf races.
As time passed, the drow developed a great hunger for wisdom and started
to study more and more powerfull magics. The elven deitys restricted
the access to the more powerfull stuff and set his wife, Araunshee,
to keep a watchful eye over the wizards. Yet the evil gods, like Ghaunandar,
Shar, Vhaeraun, etc, offered access to the wisdom that was kept restricted
in exchange for worshipping them. The wizards, in their hunger for wisdom,
accepted and started to study the dark art. The other elves did not
like to see that - they started a war against the (rather few in comparation)
wizards. The attackers persuaded other races to help them, like the
humans. It was a great war of all elven folks and the wizards fought
hard - yet they were too few and had to flee in order to survive. They
fled into the dark caverns of the Underdark. During all the time Araunshee
supported the wizards. Corellon was furious abiut her "betrayal"
and banished her and their son Vhaeraun into the abyss and in same move
marked her protegés with their unique appearance - jet black
skin and blood red eyes. Araunshee, banished into the abyss together
with her son Vhaeraun, killed some of the old gods resident there and
took their portfolios - spiders, demon pits, assasins, chaos, evil,
etc.. She also took a new name - Llolth - and kept her position as watcher
of the drow. The drow, filled with hatred, needed long time to organise
a sort of civilisation but now their civilisation is one of the greatest
across Faerûn.
Q: Why do drow still live underground?
A: After hundrets of years below they grew used to the Underdark where
they are a strong presence and almost lone rulers (ilithiids are next-strongest
presence). In the Underdark they are kinga - on the surface they would
be shunned and hunted by every single other race. Their eyes are not
used to bright light anymore - it takes weeks to train a drow's eyes
so he can see at sunlight. Their ears are too sensible to the loud surface
world. Quasi-magic items that get crafted with the help of the only
in Underdark common faerzress lose their power and adamantit items,
superior below, crumble to dust under the cruel orb of the sun.
Children get taught: "They forced us in the caverns but here we
grew stronger than we ever could under the cruel flaming orb of the
sun and we don't want their pathetic surface realms anymore." Of
course there are exceptions from the rule and some (very very rare)
drow feel the wish to travel to the surface and live under the sun -
they do that at great trade-offs.
Q: In what kind of society do drow live?
A: Since Llolth is the head of the drow pantheon (although not all members of it recognise her as such) and prefers female drow for her clerics (read: prefers to give spells to female clerics), many cities are matriarchal and get ruled by matron-mothers (Ched-Nasad, Menzoberranzan). There are a few towns that get ruled by (male) wizards as well (like Sshamath) - the genders are rather equal there although silent wars bethween the clergy and the wizards are always going on.
About 20% of drow population belong to noble houses, which get ruled
by matron-mothers - there are dozens of those noble houses and all but
8 highest ranking ones are unimportant. The rest of the population are
commoners and members of merchant clans. Per every drow there is usually
about two-three slaves. Slaves are treated very bad and there is always
need for new ones, which makes slavers a popular and profitable profession.
Q: How is a noble house built up?
A: The head of a noble house is the matron-mother - usually an ambitious
descendant from another house.
Next-ranking are her daughters - born by the matron-mother herself or
adopted - according to their age.
After them come the two sons of the matron-mother. Elderboy first, then
secondboy. The third son gets sacrificed in the hope of improving Llolth's
opinion about the matron-mother. Note that this does usually not get
practiced by commoners.
After them come the house wizard and the weaponmaster (army trainer),
unless the sons are holding those positions already.
Then comes the matron-mother's current lover.
Then the army according to ranks and the rest of the house.
should be about correct ;P
Q: Why do Drow not unite against the surface world and smash them? They sure got the strenght for it!
A: In the question lies the answer - because Drow can not unite. Their
chaotic nature and continueing ambition for personal power and gain
makes them unable to ally for longer periods of time. They would kill
each other in order to become leader of the army and if there were two
equal generals they would try to kill each other in order to gain control
about the other's army. The best exsample for their nature are the constant
wars bethween the noble houses - a house starts as number 100+ and climbs
to the top through eliminating higher ranking houses. And once it is
in the top 8 it has to fight off all those that want it's position.
Q: Who do Drow worship and how?
A: Drow normally worship gods from the drow pantheon, although in some
cases outcast drow change their patron deity to one of the „mainsteam“
gods. (for exsample: Shar, Mask, Tiamat, Mielikki). The drow pantheon
is rather easy to over view:
Llolth as self-proclaimed head of it – she does not bear any other
deitys next to herself anyway. Then Selvetarm, Vhaeraun, Kiaransalee,
Ghaundaur and, the only good-alligned god, Elistraee. All except Elistraee
actively involve themsemves into the lives of their followers. Please
look into the deitys section of the info page for more on this topic.
Q: What languages do they have?
A: Drow have their own language, which originated from elven and was
filled with words from languages of other Underdark races. They can
write in non-runic and in runic letters - runic letters are used for
more official inscriptions, important books and spell scrolls.
In long tunnels voices get carried over miles and are a deadly give-away
of your position. To avoid that the Drow have developed a unique sign
language - the Drow Silent Language - what allows them to comminicate
silently with hand gestures at distances up to 120ft as long as they
can see each other. The silent language is taught in the "Melee-Magthere"
(school of warriors), and is part of the knowledge which every drow
that studies in the "Tier Breche" (the academy) gets on his
way.
For more info about the languages please look on the separate page in
the info section.
Q: What kind of person is the average drow and what drives him?
A: Drow regard themselves as superiour to every other race. They are
haughty (of course not while using you), cruel (after you served your
purpose), hedonistic, malicious and do everything for their own advancement.
Those weak of mind and person do not survive long in the hard reality
of the Underdark, thus a drow's moral is usually hardened against weaknesses.
A weakness is everything that would force him to hesitate and weaken
his own position without using it for personal advancement - such behaviour
can and will get taken advantage of. It is a hard world down there and
in order to survive your 500-900 years you have to be harder and stronger
than it.
Of course there are exceptions, some drow flee to the surface because
they can't take the live among their kin - usually they get slain on
sight by surface dvellers.
A drow goes through everything that promices power - most of all knowledge.
Thus most drow are literate and well-spoken (insulting a noble with
bad manners leads to a quick and dirty death). They are usually versed
in maths, basic spells , at least one combat technique ("run away
and hide") and several languages (after all they have enough time
to study).
Q: What is their favorite color of shoes?
A: On travels and missions Drow prefer to wear light elven boots that
allow them to walk light-footed and without noise, colored in dim camouphlage
colors. In town and at home they wear whatever the current fashion is
- drow are vain types.
Like: magic and spell effects, long
skillfull massages, riches, gems, finely crafted items, hunts, partys,
beauty of body, architecture, clothing and weapons
Dislike: other elven races, light, being without mana, insults, weaknesses
read more on the drow customs page
A: General aim: Personal gain.
Drow are usually chaotic evil (do everything
they want), lawful evil (obey town laws while doing everything they
want) or neutral evil (work primary for they own gain while not caring
much for others).
While appearing without morals and structure they do indeed follow a
strict moral codex, "Do everything as long as you don't get caught"
being one of the prime rules. Wars bethween and inside noble houses
follow a strict rule structure, for exsample.
Generally drow see it as immoral to mix their blood with other races
- half-drow that survive the birth get hunted down. Showing weakness
is always immoral.
A: A drow can live up to 1000 years but that is highly uncommon since in such old age he can not defend himself anymore. Usually a drow lives 700-800 years (if not killed before). They reach adulthood around the 25th year of live and do not show any signs of aging till about the age of 500. For the unskilled observer, is hard to determine whether the drow in front of you is 50 or 400.
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