Origins:

More than thirteen thousand years ago, the Crown Wars raged among the Fair Folk, and for three thousand years the elven nations of Aryvandaar, Miyeritar, Shantel Othreier, Keltormir, Ilythiir, and others battled one another in a series of five great conflicts. At the end of the fourth Crown War, circa -10,000 DR, the corrupt dark elven Ilythiiri and others were transformed by Corellon's magic into drow as directed through the Protector's priests and high mages, and banished to the lightless depths of the Underdark.

The first drow civilizations arose in the Underdark of southern Faerun circa -9600 DR. The first great kingdom of the drow was Telantiwar, with its capital in the great cavern of Bhaerynden, the conquered heart of the first great kingdom of the Stout Folk (dwarves), which was seized by the drow in -9000 DR. The drow fought among themselves, noble against noble, priest against priest, for rule of their new realm. This war ended amid great magical explosions that brought down the roof of Bhaerynden. The ceiling collapsed entirely, burying many drow and the shattered dwarven cities they have seized. The cavern, now open to the sky, became known as the Great Rift. Gold dwaf ancestors later resettled the chasm and surrounding caverns to form the Deep Realm.

In the following diaspora known as the Scattering, the surviving drow nobles and priests gathered what people, slaves, and equipment they could seize and fled into the wilds of the Underdark. Since that time, countless cities and smaller settlements have risen and fallen in an increasing radius around the territory held by the empire of Telantiwar --- Role Playing Drow


General Appearance:
(This is a general appearance and NOT law.)

Slanted or almond shaped eyes, delicate or very sharp facial features with spun-glass like bone structure. Deceptively breakable in appearance. Ears that can be slightly pointed and stationary (like human's ears) or grow long, sharp, and droop with mood (like animal ears).

Skin color: Brown, dark brown, black, blue black, dark charcoal grey, light grey, light brown and albino white. Other shades depend on mixed blood or not.

Note that it is said drow unadjusted to sunlight or born and raised in the Underdark burn extremely easily in daylight and take many years to accustom their skin to the sun.

Hair color: White, yellow-white, platinum, silver-white. Some drow may choose to color their hair. Drow, however, other than eyelashes, eyebrows and hair atop heads do not seem to grow hair on their faces, arms, legs, or other body parts. As for the rumor about..well..you know? Yes. Well. Try and ask a drow someday!

Other shades of hair depend on mixed blood or not.

Eye color: Yellow, red*, brown, and black are considered common. Violet, blue, green and other shades are considered rare. Other shades depend on mixed blood or not.

*Some drow are played as having red eyes, I have personally decided to keep red for the indication of Suliss'urn using her infrared.

Height: Females are on average taller or far taller then men, more robust and muscular. A good average height for a female could be five foot to an five foot five. Six foot and beyond is considered rare and extreme.

Males are delicate, lithe, generally prettier and slimmer. A four foot male is not uncommon, and can range from that to five foot and a half. Six foot and beyond is considered rare and extreme.

Eyesight:
The ability of Darkvision, or infrared can be both a blessing and curse. While a drow can see in the dark with the barest touch of light plain as day, much like a cat--or see in heat without any light; drow born and raised in the underdark are often unable to adjust to sunlight completely.

Non-magical lights, such as fire, torch light and sunlight can blind a drow. It can take years for a drow's eyes to be able to see in anything stronger than a candle flame.


Traits:

Heightened sense of hearing, sight and scent. But not god-like.
Darkvision or Infrared
Dexterity
Immunity to Sleep spells
(**Some claim that elves/drow do not sleep, either, but enter into a meditative like state weekly to recuperate their body.)

Fighting Styles:
Fighting Styles of the drow

Poisons:
Drow Poisons, by Susannah Redelfs.
Elf/Drow elf. d20 SRD

Common Spells for all drow:
(Drow worshipping different gods may be granted many different spells. Most drow have access to these magics)
Drow can use the following spell-like abilities once per day: dancing lights, darkness, faerie fire. Caster level equals the drow?s class levels.

Dancing lights
Evocation
Level: Brd 0, Sor/Wiz 0
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Effect: Up to four lights, all within a 10-ft.-radius area
Duration: 1 minute (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

Depending on the version selected, you create up to four lights that resemble lanterns or torches (and cast that amount of light), or up to four glowing spheres of light (which look like will-o?-wisps), or one faintly glowing, vaguely humanoid shape. The dancing lights must stay within a 10-foot-radius area in relation to each other but otherwise move as you desire (no concentration required): forward or back, up or down, straight or turning corners, or the like. The lights can move up to 100 feet per round. A light winks out if the distance between you and it exceeds the spell?s range.

Dancing lights can be made permanent with a permanency spell.

Darkness
Evocation
Level: Brd 2, Clr 2, Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, M/DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Target: Object touched
Duration: 10 min./level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

This spell causes an object to radiate shadowy illumination out to a 20-foot radius. All creatures in the area gain concealment (20% miss chance). Even creatures that can normally see in such conditions (such as with darkvision or low-light vision) have the miss chance in an area shrouded in magical darkness.

Normal lights (torches, candles, lanterns, and so forth) are incapable of brightening the area, as are light spells of lower level. Higher level light spells are not affected by darkness.

If darkness is cast on a small object that is then placed inside or under a lightproof covering, the spell?s effect is blocked until the covering is removed.

Darkness counters or dispels any light spell of equal or lower spell level.
Arcane Material Component

A bit of bat fur and either a drop of pitch or a piece of coal.

Faerie Fire
Evocation
Level: Drd 1
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Area: Creatures and objects within a 5-ft.-radius burst
Duration: 1 min./level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: Yes

A pale glow surrounds and outlines the subjects. Outlined subjects shed light as candles. Outlined creatures do not benefit from the concealment normally provided by darkness (though a 2nd-level or higher magical darkness effect functions normally), blur, displacement, invisibility, or similar effects. The light is too dim to have any special effect on undead or dark-dwelling creatures vulnerable to light. The faerie fire can be blue, green, or violet, according to your choice at the time of casting. The faerie fire does not cause any harm to the objects or creatures thus outlined.

Random Drow F.A.Q.s:
Not all drow are matriarchal. The overwhelming majority are, but cities where the Spider Queen is not worshiped one may find different societal roles being taken. Some cities have males as the dominant while females are submissive while in other cities they live side by side as equals.

Drow like Drizzt should be rare and uncommon, though they do exist.

Drow hold a trait in common with their surface brethren, as much as they would deny it as being common--Drow adore things of beauty. Art, sculpture, people, gems, jewels or animals. What they find beautiful of course is up to the individual drow.