Life Cycle

Pregnancy and Birth

Unlike the other elves Drow are as fertile as humans or orcs. They can have up to ten times the number of births as females from the other elven races. Multiple pregnancies of two three or even more common, but actual multiple births are very rare. The strongest of the foetus eliminates the others. It is not clear if this is a bizarre twist on the phenomena seen rarely in humans. Sometimes in humans the strongest twin takes all the placental nourishment and the other withers or if the unborn actually attack each other. The losing foetuses are absorbed into the mother?s body so they cannot be examined to establish what actually happens. Another phenomena seen in humans is that a stronger twin can move about a lot more than a weaker one, and cause the second twins umbilical cord to become blocked.

When a foetus succeeds in eliminating a rival the mother experiences an intense rush of euphoria known as ?chad-zak?. This is also unclear. It may be purely hormonal, or perhaps a warped form of the bonding other elven mothers experience with their unborn children.

The birth process is painful, but not very dangerous for the mother. However she does not experience the usual rush of pleasurable hormones when the child is delivered, or the close bonding most mothers experience when the newborn infant is placed to their chest.

Infancy and Early Childhood

Drow children have instinctive homicidal impulses from before they can walk. Infants from noble family may be handed over to an older family member to be raised, but it is more common for very young Drow to be kept in a communal cr?che. This arrangement is not to care for the young; it merely makes it easier together to weed out weaklings. The babies are encouraged to compete for food and space, and violence is rewarded. Only the strongest and the cleverest survive ? weaker ones killed, merciful one sacrificed. Female Drow feel no maternal affection, and it would never occur to them to visit their infants. The occasional male Drow can be seen visiting his child, but this is seen as an indication of weakness in both father and child.

Childhood

By the time a Drow child reaches the age of 8 (or maybe that should be if they reach 8) they can walk, and speak fluently. This is very young compared to the other elves. Between the ages of 8 - 19 the child is sent for schooling in the care of junior priestesses. The child?s life is now ruled by a very harsh regime, enforced with severe physical punishment which are often totally unrelated to anything the child may or may not have done. This does not have as much effect as it could have - only bullies, the crafty and the strong have survived this long anyway. This punishment can cause sever pain, and leave scars but it is never fatal. Children are a potential asset to a House and should not be squandered in a fit of rage. Even if an infringement indicates a truly weak and unsuitable child the house gains more benefit from sending them to the sacrificial alters.

The teaching mainly consists of religious doctrine but it also covers combat manoeuvres and other fighting skills, literacy, mathematics, alchemy, natural history, artisan skills. Fierce competition is encouraged, especially in the combat related disciplines. 1 in 3 children are killed by their classmates, and this is more often due to a dagger in the dark than a ?lethal accident? in combat.

Those children with a high affinity for magic are given to wizards as apprentices.

Adolescence

Drow between the ages of 20 and 80 are considered to be adolescence. The extreme competitiveness of earlier years drops back a little. The emphasis is more on a Drow finding a role, so her usefulness alive outweighs her potential usefulness as a sacrifice. The young Drow must find a mentor to teach them, much as Zaknafein taught Drizzt. A mentor has life and death power over her pupil, but so do all adult Drow. Even if the Drow is attending an organised school or academy, they are still apprenticed to a mentor to provide extra tuition and discipline.

As the adolescent gains skill and experience and builds up a network of contacts they move closer to the point where they are no longer a student, but can be independent. At this point the adolescent waits for something terrible to happen to the master, or even arranges this ?something terrible? so they can take over her position in the Drow city. As this time draws closer once again there is strong rivalry between apprentices, and with others who have a claim on the master.

In most cities it is a crime for a parent to mentor their child. This is partly due to the fact Lolth wants to create even stronger competition over the master?s place, apprentices vying with offspring. It may also be partly as a result of the disastrous result of Zaknafein teaching Drizzt.

Adulthood

Only 1 in 20 adult Drow are considered to be noble. The rest are commoners, and in many ways these are the lucky ones. Although they may be mere soldiers, servants and playthings of Drow with higher status the terrible eye of the Spider Queen does not fall on them as often, or as strongly. Commoners are unlikely to face the tasks and trials Lolth puts before the nobles, but they know they could die at anytime as a result of the incessant strife between rivals. Lolth will consume them utterly when they die, so they pack their lives with as much hedonistic pleasure as they can.

Death

In theory Drow can live into their 500s. In practice very few Drow survive past the age of 400, and it is almost unheard of to see a Drow face marked with signs of aging. The Drow culture has no room for venerating and respecting the dead. They are merely rivals who have been removed.

Dying of old age or disease a sign Lolth has withdrawn her favour, both from the late Drow and their family. If this does happen the corpse is usually left to rot in ignominy. If the priestesses wish to make an especial example of the offending dead Drow and family the corpse is tied up with spider silk and hung up above the door where the stench and the falling body parts serve as a potent reminder.

To die in battle or to be murdered is very different from this. Such Drow are ?blessed? by Lolth. Their bodies are prepared ? the flesh is removed from the bones while the rest of the body is dissolved in acid. The cured flesh is used to decorate garments or to make ritual bowls.

Adulthood & the Tests of Lolth

The adulthood of those who are followers of Lolth is marked by a series of tests or punishments. Those following other deities are not subject to these tests. They are, however, targets for the Spider Queen and may end up as the subject of a lethal task.

The first test comes as part of leaving adolescence, the trial of skill and self confidence described above. More tests can occur marking each stage of an adult?s life. Each test is different for each individual and at each stage of their life ? most are arduous, difficult or life threatening.

All Drow are tested, but some show signs that they are to be subjected to a special more intense testing known as Llothtanchwi, the Punishments of Lolth. These tests are known as punishments for the toll even the survivors pay in suffering, fear and pain. The signs include hyper-keen senses; possibly visions, and a terror of an impending event. Those showing these signs are called zwy?il or candidates. Throughout their lives zwy?il will be subjected to a series of tests at regular intervals. The tests have no intrinsic benefit or gain other than survival. However passing such a test leads to a step up the hierarchy in whichever walk of life the zwy?il follows. All priestesses of Lolth are zwy?il.

Combat

There are four key themes that govern the Drow?s style of combat.

The first is that they are fully aware that they are much smaller and frailer than most of their foes. They prefer to attack in overwhelming numbers, and will avoid melee if at all possible. If they do engage in melee, they prefer an attack and dodge style of fighting that makes the best use of their nimble hands and fast feet, while minimising the risk to them.

The second theme is that each individual Drow will be trained in one of several fighting styles, that most suits their strengths and weaknesses. Despite what some surfacers think only a very few Drow are trained in a dual weapon style, and a truly ambidextrous fighter like Drizzt is very, very rare. Drow use a variety of differing weapons ? maces, scimitars, swords, whips, halberds and more.

Thirdly magic plays an important part. Priestesses are skilled in spells of both defence and attack, and Drow wizards are skilled in battle. As well as this individual Drow fighters have a variety of tricks that use their innate ability to produce darkness, flames and dancing lights.

Lastly combat is probably the one activity where Drow work as a true team. A Drow party will be made up of those trained in several fighting styles that complement each other, and work well with the skills of the party?s magic users. During a combat each member of the team knows exactly what the role is, and will trust the other members to perform their roles ? well, trust as far as any Drow ever trusts another. Even in the danger of a battle Drow may seize the chance for a dagger in the back of a rival.

Many Drow carry light crossbows. On first glance the bolts from these weapons may only cause minor damage but they are frequently coated with poison. Other weapons may also have a lethal coating of poison. Sometimes the poisons are used to incapacitate a foe rather than to kill - thus providing captives for sacrifice and/or slavery.

Drow Magical Weapons and Items

Blingdenstone Warpick

Many of these are now in Drow hands following the overrun of Blingdenstone

Mace of the Dark Children

The wielder controls the undead.

Scourge of Fangs

This whip is the famous archetypal weapon of the Drow priestesses. It has a handle of adamantine, and up to five serpentine constructs as lashes. The snakes are extensions of the will of the priestess, hissing and writhing in response to her thoughts, and emotions. At the wielder?s mental command, the snakes will attack. Each snake attacks as a separate creature and the priestess can choose how many of the serpentine heads take part in each attack. If a good hearted is foolish enough to pick up one of these whips, the snake heads will turn on them. If a snake head is destroyed, it falls off the whip. The remaining heads continue to function normally until all are destroyed.

Staff of Fiendish Darkness

First seen in the hands of Drow and humans who served powerful demons and devils. The staffs are made of polished bone or ebony, and are so evil they will harm any person of good heart who holds the staff.

Drow House Insignia

These are distinctive metal tokens worn on a chain, with the symbol of the wearers noble house. They are usually enchanted with a simple spell that can be used once a day.

Poison

The Drow are adept at extracting poisons from the plants, fungi and minerals of the Underdark. This art is taught to almost all Drow. In typically Drow fashion these poisons do not usually kill quickly or cleanly. They can cause paralysis, or extreme lethargy and withdrawal that leads to death by starvation and dehydration. Drow assassins delight in using the body of one victim to create a dessicator poison that will kill the next victim of the same race

Spider Masks

These masks are only given to high ranking priestesses of the Spider Queen as a sign of her favour. Once donned the mask covers the entire face and to all intents and purposes becomes part of the wearer. If a Drow is foolish enough to remove the mark of Lolth?s favour she risks the full fury of Lolth and may be instantly killed. Other Drow recognise that those who wear the masks are high in Lolth?s esteem and treat them with great respect and not a little fear.

Piwafwi

The drow weave dark cloaks that at first glance look like ordinary cloaks. However when the hood is drawn they help a drow melt into the cold shadows - becoming almost invisible to both normal and dark sight.

Surface Dwelling Drow

The numbers of Drow living on the surface are steadily rising. They have moved into abandoned Elven strongholds like the old Elven Court at Cormanthyr and the forests of Mir. These Drow include individual hunters, groups of raiders and entire families all fleeing the chaotic strife of the Underdark for the rich lands of the surface.

There are some groups who have abandoned the typical Drow view of the other races as lesser beings to be preyed upon ? especially the followers of Vhaerun and the Auzkovyn clan of Cormanthor. Their observations of the surface races simply do not tally with what they have been told. In fact more surface Drow follow Vhaerun than Lolth, and often find the followers of Lolth to be more of an enemy that any other race.

Purely military organisations are led by a powerful individual, usually a spell caster or a cleric. Family groups are usually led by a charismatic drow who uses persuasion scheming and manipulation to hold her position. Like Underdark Drow, they frequently assassinate their rivals, so the leadership can change rapidly.

The 8,000 strong House Jaelre is the largest and most powerful group of surface dwelling Drow. This House aims to take many of the abandoned elven cities, retrieve their artefacts and study their magic. They have used carefully planned raids to divert eyes away from their activities in the ancient Elven Court.

The most famous drow residing on the surface is none other than Drizzt Do'Urden of legend and tale. Shindia Darkeyes is a half-drow who serves Xanathar, the Beholder Crime-Lord of Waterdeep. Amryyr of Skullport is a male drow trader and Vhaeraun-worshipper with alliance with 'Nal' Xalyth. Malakuth Tabuirr, a scheming drow merchant who worships Vhaeraun, smuggles poisons, deepwine, drow armor, weaponry, and magical items to Skullport in returns for beautiful human and elven female slaves.

Non Evil Drow

The most famous of all the surface dwelling Dark Elves is of course Drizzt. However he is by no means the only Dark Elf to leave UnderDark. Most of the surface dwelling Drow are evil, but there are small groups of drow living on the surface who are not of evil alignment, and the occasional dark elf in the Underdark. Most of these are followers of Eilistraee, but some worship Lothlonglathe.

Eilistraee has remained allied to both the Seldarine and the Drow pantheon in hopes that she can return the Dark elves to the surface, and back fromn the worship of evil. Ever since the Drow were banished to their dark caverns there have been small numbers who have shunned the worship of evil gods, and as followers of Eilistraee they have returned to the surface, in small communities around temples to the good goddess. These communities are almost always small and sadly mostly short lived. Exceptions to this are the city of Thal'kathact in the Drow forest, and the city of Winterstone.

There are major temples to Lothlonglathe' in both these cites, and the paladin order of holy knights who uphold Lothlonglathe's priciples of justice can be found here.

The house of T'sarran was one of the original twelve founding families of the city of Thal'katkhact in the Drow forest.Since the beginning several thousand years ago it has always been the strongest. Unlike houses of the Underdark or houses who worship the evil Lloth, the house T'sarran follows Eiliestraee and Lothlonglathe' and it is ruled by either a house mother or Father, depending on birth order, as males and females are equal. The T'sarran family is the high royal family of Thal'katkhact and rule as King or Queen. The house is presently run by King Tindomiel Singcallo and his wife Shyleesa. Princesses of the house include Shatalla(sn is the same) and Tristree T'sarran(sn xbabesisx). The house seeks harmony for all drow, and to re-establish the drows brotherhood with other elven kind, and as such are constantly at war with the Underdark cousins. Strong allies of the house are House Eveningsky and House Sweetkiller . Enemies of the house include House Baenre, house Ujaxibale, and the evil order of paladins led by The unholy knight Valas.

The evil Drow hate these surface dark elves with an overwhelming passion and will destroy their communities if at all possible. The Drow surface stronghold The Twisted Tower was originally a temple to Eilestraee overun and destroyed by Drow.

Deities

Lolth

Titles: The Spider Queen, Queen of Spiders, Queen of the Demonweb Pits, Demon Queen of Spiders, Demon Queen of the Abyss, Weaver of Chaos, the Hunted the Mother of Lusts, Dark Mother of All Drow, Lady of Spiders
Status: Intermediate Deity
Gender: Female
Symbol: Black Spider with female drow head hanging from a spider web
Home Plane: Demonweb Pits
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Portfolio: Assassins, chaos, darkness, drow, evil, spiders
Worshipers: Drow and depraved elves, sentient spiders
Cleric Alignments: CE, CN, NE
Domains: Chaos, Drow, Evil, Darkness, Destruction, Spider, Trickery
Favored Weapon: A spider (dagger)
Relationships: Once mate of Corellon Larethian (then called Araushnee), Mother of Eilistraee and Vhaeraun, she masquerades as well as Moander, an ancient deity of rot, corruption and decay
Allies: The Drow Pantheon (excluding Eilistraee), Malar, Loviatar
Enemies: The Seldarine, Ghaunadaur, Eilistraee, Non-drow Underdark deities, Gruumsh

Lloth, the Spider Queen, is cruel and malicious. The only person in her world is herself. She is constantly plotting to keep her loyal minions in a state of turmoil. This way she can find the strongest and most cunning of her followers to serve her. Drow, being brought up under this religion, are all but perfectly suited to this arrangement. With the Drow's instinctive distrust and wit, all but the wiliest of opponents will be thrown into disarray. Seeing that Lloth is the goddess of chaos, this seems all but fitting. The main object of affection among Lloth worshippers is the spider. It is an offence punishable by death to kill or even maim a spider. Lloth gives unto her most loyal henchmen a poisonous spider to aid, guard, but also to watch in their furtherance of the religion. It has been known that a follower be killed by the so gracious gift from Lloth. Lloth is most frequently found in the form of giant black widow spider. This form can be changed to an extremely beautiful drow female. These two forms can also be combined to produce a giant spider with a lovely female drow head. In any form Lloth is a presence to be feared. Instead of using her material form Lloth will more likely just show that she is watching by having a pair of smirking female lips appear on the nearest spider seen. If her help is needed more directly then she will imbue a follower with great fighting prowess like: always hitting first, weapons never breaking, and an improvement of armour protection. These followers are almost always surrounded by flickering black mauve edged radiance.

The vast majority clergy of Lloth are all women. The Spider Queen favours those of her own gender ,and she encourages her followers to view males as lesser beings. The priestesses of Lloth are the only subjects of Lloth to hold any real power in drow society. If a priestess of any rank says to do something there better not be any hesitation. Punishment for disobedience is usually swift and destructive. A priestess has the feeling that they are the judge, jury and executioner of the society at their feet, and the power given to her by Lloth as justification for any action that she may take. A priestess?s sole purpose in life is to weed out the weak and sanctify the strong.

Clerics of Lolth pray for spells after waking from trance or before retiring to trance. They are always female. Lolth requires regular homage from her clerics: submission in prayer, plus offerings. Lolth?s aid requires sacrifices, traditionally the blood of drow faithful or captured foes, spilled with a spider-shaped knife whose eight descending legs are blades. Ceremonies sacrificing surface elves are performed monthly during nights of the full moon as deliberate affronts to the Seldarine, Lolth?s hated rival. Rituals customarily take place among women only, in sacred room or area, but those requiring extraordinary power or a public display may be celebrated in the open and in mixed company. The most powerful ceremonies defy description and are seldom seen as non-drow.

Ghaunadaur

Titles: That Which Lurks, the Elder Eye
Status: Lesser Drow Deity
Gender: Male (it seems)
Symbol: Purplish eye on purple, violet, and black circles
Home Plane: Demonweb Pits
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Portfolio: Oozes, slimes, jellies, outcasts, ropers, rebels
Worshipers: Aboleths, drow, fighters, oozes, outcasts, ropers
Cleric Alignments: CE, CN, NE
Domains: Cavern, Chaos, Drow, Evil, Hatred, Slime
Favored Weapon: An amorphous tentacle (warhammer)
Relationships: unknown
Allies: None
Enemies: All non-drow deities with a presence in the Underdark, the Seldarine, Malar

Ghaunaduar is even less known than Eilistraee. His nickname is That Which Lurks. He is unpredictable. When he appears he is seen as purplish ooze with tentacles. His "followers" are mostly drow that have fallen from the grace of Lloth or sub intelligent monsters. He has been known to aid followers that just talk highly of his eminence. The chances of his coming, when called, rise if blood has recently been spilled. All that is required of his priesthood is a steady supply of sacrifices. Aid given by Ghaunaduar is usually in the form of combat effectiveness and regenerative healing of harms.

Clerics of Ghaunadaur pray for their spells once per day at a time of imagined significance to the local cult. Ghaunadaur expects such prayers of adulation and praise to be accompanied by a sacrifice. If live sacrifices cannot be procured that often, the Elder Eye accepts offerings of bones and food, burned in oil, as braziers of perfumed incense are also burned. If the worshiper is unable to procure such offerings, he must pray while holding one hand in an open flame (without magical protection). In any place of worship to Ghaunadaur, all cloth furnishings and garments worn by the faithful are to be of hues pleasing to Ghaunadaur?s eye, such as shades of purple, red, black, and metallic colors. Many clerics multiclass as enchanters or fighters.

Kiaransalee

Titles: The Lady of the Dead, the Revenancer, the Vengeful Banshee
Status: Drow Demigod
Gender: Female
Symbol: Female drow hand wearing silver rings
Home Plane: Demonweb Pits
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Portfolio: Undead, vengeance
Worshipers: Drow, necromancers, undead
Cleric Alignments: CE, CN, NE
Domains: Chaos, Drow, Evil, Retribution, Undeath
Favored Weapon: ?Cold Heart? (dagger)
Relationships: rebellious vassal of Lolth
Allies: Hoar, Velsharoon, Malar, Vhaeraun
Enemies: Deep Duerra, Dumathoin, Eilistraee, Kelemvor, Laduguer, Jergal

Overlord of the undead and all of Thanatos, Swords & Sorcery. Originally the drow god of vengeance, Kiaransalee plotted and slayed Orcus, the Abyssial Lord of the Dead. The Lady of the Dead may have slain Orcus but she could not eradicate all memory of the fallen god. It is always possible he will return, and Kiaransalee remains ever watchful. She chafes at the rule of Lolth and seeks to rival Lolth in power and ultimately reign as the supreme drow goddess over Tenebrous, Lolth, and Eilistraee.

Clerics of Kiaransalee pray for their spells at midnight, when the spirits are most restless in their graves. While each cleric performs a handful of minor devotions to Kiaransalee every month, they venerate her on a single annual holy day ? the Graverending ? celebrated each Midwinter Eve. The Graverending is celebrated individually, with each cleric animating as many undead creatures as she can. All such undead ? known as the Vengeance Hunters ? are consumed with thoughts of revenge against their killers and unerringly seek them out over the next 24 hours. If destroyed, a Vengeance Hunter does not rise again. Vengeance Hunters return to their grave, if possible, once 24 hours have passed since their animation or once they have exacted their revenge. Many clerics multiclass as necromancers (an a few have joined the Cult of the Dragon and become wearers of purple) and most eventually transform themselves into undead.

Selvetarm

Titles: Champion of Lolth, the Spider That Waits
Status: Drow Demigod
Gender: Male
Symbol: Spider on a crossed sword and mace
Home Plane: Demonweb Pits
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Portfolio: Drow warriors
Worshipers: Barbarians, drow, fighters, those who like to kill, warriors
Cleric Alignments: CE, CN, NE
Domains: Chaos, Drow, Evil, Spider, War
Favored Weapon: ?Venommace? (heavy mace)
Relationships: Son of Vhaeraun and Zandilar (now an aspect of Sharess), he was almost good and consumed Zanassu, a demon lord with a fondness for spiders and was overwhelmed by his evil.
Allies: Lolth and Garagos
Enemies: All other deities

Selvetarm is the embodiment of the drow passion for prowess in fighting, and the champion of Lolth. He is cruel and malicious by nature, and cares only for battle and destruction. The Champion of Lolth harbours a deep hatred for all living things, including his dominating mistress, and the only beauty he can appreciate is a well-honed and deadly fighting style. Selvetarm can exhibit a great deal of patience while waiting for prey to fall into an ambush he has set, but he prefers the wild abandon of battle frenzy to a careful and deliberate attack. He is the result of a short lived union between Vhaerun and Zandlar the Dancer. For a time he wandered alone and then became drawn to his aunt, Eilistraee. However this exploration of good ended when Lolth drew him into her evil plots.

Clerics of Selvetarm pray for their spells immediately after the first battle of the day, or after military practice if there is no actual battle. Selvetarm?s faithful are expected to observe the rituals of Lolth, as directed by her clerics. Selvetarm does expect all who take up arms in his name to cry out his name in the bloodlust of battle as they deliver the killing blow to a foe. Since there is always the chance that any attack will be a fatal one, the Selvetargtlin tend to constantly scream out their deity?s name during a battle. Many clerics multiclass as fighters or barbarians.

Vhaeraun

Titles: The Masked Lord, the Masked God of Night
Status: Lesser Drow Deity
Gender: Male
Symbol: A pair of black glass lenses that from a mask
Home Plane: Demonweb Pits
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Portfolio: Thievery, drow males, evil activity on the surface
Worshipers: Assassins, male drow and half drow, poisoners, shadowdancers, rogues, thieves
Cleric Alignments: CE, CN, NE
Domains: Chaos, Drow, Evil, Travel, Trickery
Favored Weapon: ?Shadowflash? (short sword)
Relationships: Son of Corellon Larethian and Araushnee (who became Lolth), brother of Eilistraee. His feud with Lolth is subtle, as he lacks the power to oppose her directly.
Allies: Mask, Shar, Talona
Enemies: opposes all the Underdark gods, including his sister.

Vhaeraun is the god of thievery and the furthering of drow power on the surface world. He is also the patron deity of drow males, teaching a heresy (according to Lloth) that drow males are the equals of drow females. Vhaeraun is haughty and proud, like all drow deities. He favours underhanded means and treachery to achieve his goals. His priesthood is exclusively male, and priests usually hide their true vocation in drow communities. Vhaeraun has hair and eyes that change colour with his emotional state (red when angry, blue when amused, gold when triumphant, etc.) Vhaeraun is passively opposed to Lloth. He knows he is not powerful enough to oppose her directly... Yet. Vhaeraun wishes to re-unite the elven people. He considers all elves to be superior to all other races, however, and wishes only to have elves dominate all other races. Vhaeraun's loyalty is to all elves, but primarily the drow race. He would like to see the surface elves serving as the enforcers of the "true masters", the drow, who would rule from the depths of the earth.

Clerics of Vhaeraun pray for their spells at dusk, before skulking into the shadows. The most important attacks, negotiations and other activities of the clergy must occur at night. Clerics of Vhaeraun utter prayers to the Masked God of Night whenever they accomplish something to further his aims. Offerings of the wealth and weapons of those they vanquish (enemies of the drow, or regalia of female drow clerics) are to be melted in black, bowl-shaped altars. Offerings of magic and wealth are made regularly. The more value, the more Vhaeraun is pleased, though he favors daily diligence more than rare, huge hauls. Midwinter Night, known to Vhaeraun?s followers as the Masked Lord?s Embrace, is the most sacred time of the year to the followers of the Masked Lord. This annual holy day is celebrated by the Masked Lord?s followers with daylong introspective rituals of total sensory deprivation. Each worshiper is expected to cloak themselves in a region of magical darkness and sit or stand at the middle of the effect for a full 24 hours while contemplating Vhaeraun?s teachings and dreaming up schemes to advance the Masked Lord?s goals in the coming year. All followers of Vhaeraun who wish to perform this ritual are granted the ability to employ their darkness spell-like ability with the necessary extended duration. In the Night Above, nights of the new moon are considered sacred to his followers. Such occasions are observed with midnight stag hunts that range over miles of shadowy woodlands. Packs of Vhaeraun worshipers, mounted on riding lizards brought up from the Underdark, run down a stag and then sacrifice its rack of antlers and still-beating heart to the Masked Lord in dark rites that pervert the ancient ways of the surface elves. Many clerics multiclass as assassins, divine seekers, shadowdancers or rogues.

Eilistraee

Titles: The Dark Maiden, Lady of the Dance.
Status: Lesser Deity
Gender: Female
Symbol: Nude long haired female drow dancing with a silver bastard sword in front of a full moon
Home Plane: Arvandor (also the Demonweb Pits)
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Portfolio: Song, beauty, dance, swordwork, hunting, moonlight
Worshipers: Good aligned drow, hunters, surface-dwelling elves
Cleric Alignments: CG, CN, NG
Domains: Chaos, Charm, Drow, Elf, Good, Moon, Portal
Favored Weapon: ?The Moonsword? (bastard sword)
Relationships: Daughter of Corellon Larethian and Araushnee (Lolth), sister of Vhaeraun
Allies: The Seldarine, Mystra, Sel?ne, and the good deities of the Underdark races
Enemies: Evil deities of the Underdark, especially the rest of the drow pantheon

Eilistraee is the goddess of the good drow. She is the Matron goddess of all the drow that wish to return to the surface. Eilistraee did not actively rebel against Correlon, but was deceived into becoming involved. One of her arrows fired at the enemy Her arrow was magically deflected by Lolth to injure Corellon. Eilistraee was not automatically exiled from Arvandor, but volunteered to leave as she believed she would be needed. She still harbours hope that some if not all of the Dark Elves will turn their back on evil.

Her trademarks are song and beauty. Not much is known about Eilistraee except that she is quick to anger over the evil that most drow do. Eilistraee will more likely lend aid to a creature she favours instead of appear personally. She will grant favours, small ones, which give the most practical answers. If the situation warrants her appearance she usually will appear as a tall drow female with long glowing hair down to her ankles. The clergy of Eilistraee are female from any race. These priestesses much further the cause of beauty and song. They must always carry one of their goddess?s favoured instruments, the horn, flute, or harp. Their lot in life is to persuade drow to return to the surface world and work to improve surface relations.

Clerics of the Dark Maiden pray for spells at night, after Moonrise, singing them whenever possible. Their rituals revolve around a hunt followed by a feast, dancing (wearing as little clothing as possible), and a Circle of Song. This last is held preferably in a wooden glade on a moonlit night, in which the worshipers sit and dance by turns in a circle, each one leading a song. Worshipers of Eilistraee try to let out all the gathered emotions of the day with an evensong. This is a personal thing, often wordless, and done in private. Clerics of the Dark Maiden who have the coin to do so are expected to hire any strange minstrel or bard they meet for a song or two; lay worshipers are encouraged but not required to do so.

Timeline

Part I ~ Before the Descent

-23200 Establishment of the first settlements of Ilythiir (Modern: Shaar & Forest of Amtar)
-20000 First skirmishes between Orishaar and Ilythiir begin, and continue off and on for 7 millennia
-18800 Establishment of the first elvish settlements of Miyeritar (Present Day: High Moor, Misty Forest), by green and dark elves due to political differences with the gold elves of Aryvandaar
-17100 to 16800 The War of Three Leaves: The unification of the Satyrwood is thwarted by dark elven Ilythiiri spies and assassins, killing their leaders and framing opposing heirs, driving the three realms to a multifront war. Ilythiir?s influence is not discovered for centuries.
-12000 to -9000 The Crown Wars: The Crown Wars of the Elves are fought during this period, pitting nearly four generations of elf against elf. The two greatest events of the Crown Wars that still have impact on the Realms are the Dark Disaster and the Descent of the Drow. The Dark Disaster utterly destroyed the forest realm of Miyeritar, leaving the blasted plains that are now the High Moors. Perhaps due to the savagery of the Crown Wars or other factors long lost to time, the Dark Elves became corrupt during this era, broke away from their brethren, and after much warfare and cruelty they descended beneath the planet's surface to become the Deep Elves, the drow
-11700 The Second Crown War flares up in answer to the aggressions of Aryvandaar. Ilythiir rises up and viciously strikes out at any who support the gold elves of the north. Its nearest neighbor of Orishaar, as a major trade partner with Aryvandaar, falls swiftly in a brutal surprise attack
-11600 The Ilythiiri destroy Sy?rpiir by fire, separating them from their allied neighbors and burning their homes to the ground.
-11500 Thearnytaar and Eiell?r band together and declare war on Ilythiir, decrying their use of fire and wanton destruction far more than the power plays of the northern elves. They fight a holding action, preventing the Ilythiiri from advancing north
-11450 The Sable Wars: Thearnytaar and Eiell?r, with minimal allies from Keltormir and Shantel Orthreier, invade Ilythiir, intent on destroying or reforming the dark elves before more realms fall. More than half their forces are decimated by the corrupt magics of the dark elves
-11400 Fall of Eiell?r as the Ilythiiri once again use fire to destroy their realm around them and isolate them from aid. They also were helped by traitor green elves, who thought their appeasement actions could help restore peace
-11200 Thearnytaar falls to the savage and now-unrepentant dark elves, who use enslaved monsters and undead to occupy the thorn-and-bramble choked woods. Ilythiir now directly skirmishes with the major realm of Keltormir along its eastern and southern expanses.
-10450 The Fourth Crown War: Ilythiir?s seething counter-attack to avenge Miyeritar sees their open use of the corrupt powers of Ghaunadar and other dark, evil gods for the first time
-10300 The Keltormir elves, opposed on both sides by the Vyshaan of Aryvandaar and the dark elf clan Hune of Ilythiir, strategically withdraw from eastern Keltormir, holding their lines at Highland's Edge.
-10270 The Stone and Claw Campaigns: The withdrawal of Keltormir's forces to close and defend its own borders pitted the forces of Aryvandaar and Ilythiir against each other. They soon closed ranks and fought incessantly for two centuries. Battles raged across the giant-infested mountains and wemic-claimed plains north of Keltormir
-10110 In opposition to the corrupt dark elves of Ilythiir and their continued destruction of the forested elven homelands by fire (an elven enemy of long-standing), over 1,000 priests and High Mages in neutral Illefarn and other free areas spend decades in fervent prayer for salvation by Corellon Larethian and the Seldarine gods.
-10000 Descent of the Drow: Corellon?s magic, as directed through his priests and High Mages, transforms the dark elves, whether the corrupt Ilythiiri or others, into the drow. Whether by magic or by the weaknesses that banish them from the sunlit lands, all drow retreat within two months? passing into the Underdark

Part II ~ Descent - Raising of the DaleStone

c -9600 Rise of the first drow civilizations in the Underdark beneath southern Faerun. Their constant harassment of the Vyshantaar forces over the next five centuries help prevent their annexing Keltormir or any other lands. The drow city of Guallidurth is founded.
-9000 Drow overwhelm the dwarves of Bhaerynden and take vast cavern for their own to form the realm of Telantiwar.
-8000s The realm of Telantiwar is racked by long and bitter civil war. This culminates in the use of powerful magics to utterly destroy the cavern, thus creating the Great Rift.
-7600 Llurth Dreier, City of Ooze, is founded by the drow under the Shaar
-5112 From now until -4835, the Webfire Wars rage throughout the drow city of Llurth Dreier, pitting the faithful of the Spider Queen against the followers of Ghaunadaur
-4793 The drow city of Sshamath, City of Dark Weavings, is founded
-4400 The Dark Court Slaughter: Drow and duergar attack and destroy Elven Court and Sarphil beginning at the start of the year on Midwinter Night. Within days, Elven Court is in ruins and Sarphil is occupied by the drow and duergar. The Slaughter claims the lives of many clan leaders of Elven Court and both the Coronals of Rystall. In the aftermath of the Dark Slaughter, the archer-guard Shevarash, in an anger-tinged prayer to Corellon, vows to become the Seldarine's hand against the drow to extract revenge for the loss of his family. The Black Archer never smiles again, as he sought to kill Lolth and all her followers. The Eighth Rysar of Rystall Wood (the child wizardess Enajharas) and the Sixth Rysar of Jhyrennstar (the prophet of Labelas, the aged Oacenth) begin with somber coronations and the call-to-arms against the drow, their now-revealed enemy
-4070 Shevarash the Black Archer dies, but undergoes Apotheosis to become the Night Hunter and Arrow Bringer. This green elf demigod of the Seldarine is still a hunter and vengeful destroyer of drow, but now hunts Lolth and Vhaeraun directly (though he no longer considers Eilistraee and her worshipers to be among his prey).
-3917 The drow city of Menzoberranzan is founded by Menzoberra the Kinless
-3843 house Nasadra is exiled from Menzoberranzen, and founds the drow city of Ched Nasad
-2600 Work begins on the Twisted Tower
-2549 Despite repeated attacks and attempts to stop them, the drow complete the Twisted Tower this year and build up their presence here
-2439 The Spiderfires: Drow inflict the greatest damage upon the forests since the Twelve Nights of Fire by setting the southern Rystall Woods aflame with a swarm of spiders made from arcane fire. After a long, dry summer, the woods burn easily. This clears nearly 100 miles of forest south of the River Tesh, and severs the southernmost part of the woods around and to the west of the Twisted Tower from the greater Rystall Woods and widens the cleared lands between them and Cormanthor
-1950 Fighting a drow incursion into the western woods, Coronal Sakrattars sacrifices himself to create a blood dragon and destroy the massive horde of drow occupying the last ruins of Uvaeren and the Twisted Tower (though not the tower itself
-1400 Start of the Eleventh Rysar of Rystall Wood. The Coronal Faahresc is a rabid drow-hating warrior who leads his people on numerous raids in the Underdark caverns and the Twisted Tower to the south
-1354 Unified armies of Rystall Wood and Cormanthyr infiltrate and rout the majority of the drow forces around and under the lands of Rystall, Uvaeren?s ruins, and the Old Skull, the granite crag within the hills that lie in the clearings among the three forests. However, they cannot penetrate the Twisted Tower, allowing many drow to escape
c. -1000 The war between factions of the drow and the dwarves causes the world's fire to flow into the Underdark and separate members of each race from Faer?n. These fragments become the ancestors of the dwarves and the Ancient Ones of Maztica.
-790 The Night Wars begin between the drow and many surface powers of southern Faerun. The primary military foe of the drow is Calimshan. From this date until -530DR, the garrisons and towns of eastern Tethyr and Iltkazar come under attack by drow forces.
-750s Drow attacks on Cormanthyr and Rystal Wood begin again in earnest, but only as slash-and-run raids by drow seeking magic, slaves, or destruction. The impregnable Twisted Tower expands twice in the next decades
-741 Tulan el Akada yi Calimport creates the aranea, a lycanthropic arachnid race with the ability to disguise themselves as drow or giant spiders. Tulan's magical controls make the aranea the most effective soldiers in Calimshan's war against the drow
-736 Tulan el Akada's 40 most loyal aranea remain in Calimport and take up residence in hidden byways beneath the city and among caverns in the upper regions of the Underdark (former scouting posts of Shanatar). They begin fortifying the defenses of Calimport against the drow and making a home for themselves in the dark areas where few wish to tread
-733 Tulan el Akada releases over 100 aranea into the Forest of Mir both to propagate and to fight the drow that had taken up residence within
-722 Elves of Yrlaphon suffer drow attacks in winter, and the orc hordes of summer overwhelm them, causing the fall of the city
-697 Drow erupt from beneath the cities of Calimport, Manshaka, and Almraiven, establishing footholds in the cities as well as the outlying wilderness areas that they hold for several decades
-691 Attacks by the drow in Calimport destroy the Caleph's Palace with all the ruling family within it, bringing the Vihad dynasty to a close. The qayadin (general) of the sadimmin takes control as Syl-Pasha Akim el Ehjoliq
-664 The Enslaving of Keltar: The drow nearly destroy this town over the course of a 37-hour battle, given their magical superiority and a globe of darkness that they use to surround the city. Calimport's army arrives after the drow conquer the city and have shipped more than 50% of the surviving population into the Underdark as slaves. While the Calishites free the town and force the drow back into the Underdark, over 3,000 Keltarns are never seen again
-650 Due to drow attacks on Calimshan, the dwarves and humans around the Omlarandin Mountains and the Kuldin Peaks (the lands of Old Iltkazar) become independant of Calimshan's control
-649 The Calimshite army surrounds Calimport as wizards and priests set it magically aflame, the light and fires driving the drow that claimed more than 25% of the city onto the waiting spears of the sadimmin or deeper beneath the city. Once again, the syl-pasha is forced to destroy his capital to save his empire. Large parts of Calimport are purposefully destroyed to bury the drow temples and partially subterranean villas, but some remain relatively intact though buried. Those same wizards who burned the city help rebuild it and seal off all areas between Calimport and the Underdark with stone and new buildings. Despite their diligence, the drow reopen those passages within a decade and reestablish their hold on Calimport Below, now nicely protected by the city above
-620 After more than 60 years of negotiations, Calimshan's syl-pasha strikes some confidential trade agreements with the Matron mother of Guallidurth, the closest drow city, in exchange for the withdrawal of her forces from beneath Calimport and the other Calishite cities. The withdrawal takes another 90 years, as not all forces answer to the Matron Mother of Guallidurth, and a House rebellion within that city also adds fuel to the Night Wars
-530 The Night Wars draw to a close in Calimshan, and the drow never again gain more than a remote toehold in the surface lands. In all, more than 75,000 humans and other beings are captured and enslaved by the drow during these conflicts. More than 150,000 others die fighting the dark elves, though nearly as many drow and duergar die during the wars as well
-524 The Shaft is discovered in Undermountain by the drow of House Tanor'Thal
-470 The Shadow Wars of Cormanthyr and Rystall Wood against the Twisted Tower begin
-331 The elf armies of the Coronals Tannivh of Cor-manthyr and Connak of Rystal Wood finally break the greater defenses of the Twisted Tower and destroy all remaining drow slavers within the tower. The Tower is left in the hands of good dark elf allies, and it is a great temple to Eilis traee within a century. The Soldier?s Blade is lost during this great battle, captured by the drow in their slaying of Lord Orym Hawksong during the fall of the Twisted Tower. The blade and the body of Lord Orym are taken down into the Underdark as spoils of war by the fleeing drow
c-310s In gratitude for their aid in the Shadow Wars, The Coronal allows the settlement of some reformed, surface-acclimated drow into some remote lands of Cormanthyr to the east of Cormanthor
-106 House Tanor'Thal creates the waterfall in the Shaft of Undermountain
-105 Drow of House Tanor'Thal uncover a lost temple to Lolth in Undermountain
-34 The Melairkyn clan of Undermountain is decimated by a drow onslaught; dwarven rulership ends with death of King Melair IV (buried in the Lost Level

Part III ~ DR year 1 - Modern Times

68 Drow raiding Mount Melairbode establish the prison adjoining the Lost Level of Undermountain
77 By this time, the dwarves are exterminated from all but three levels of Undermountain
148 Drow construct the original Crystal Labyrinth in Undermountain as a training area for their young
194 The temple to Eilistraee and its good dark elves are slaughtered by a new infestation of drow from below; the temple is restored as the Twisted Tower military garrison
211 Drow assaults force Bandaerl Dumatheir of Clan Melairkyn to seal the dwarves within the Deep Temple of the Lost Level of Undermountain
500 Year of the Flame Tongue Josidiah Starym mounts a campaign to recover the lost Soldier?s Blade of Cormanthyr after nearly 800 years; he does this as a way to prove to Eltargrim that the heir of House Starym is noble enough to marry his niece and heir. The opening gambit of this search sees a temporary fall of the garrisoned drow at the Twisted Tower, since that was where the Soldier?s Blade was lost to Cormanthyr, Josidiah and his troupe of bladesingers and akh?faern venture into the Underdark beneath the Tower, vowing to return in a century with the lost treasures
710 Drow attacks in Cormyr claim the lives of three noble families of the realm. While believed dead, most of the nobles survive as slaves in the Underdark
800 Drow influence in the now-Ashaba valley at its height
906 Azmaer the Drow Lord holds Tower of Ashaba. Drow driven from the Twisted Tower. Shadowdale founded
1104 The Magister Immue Dathril runs afoul of something in Undermountain, possibly a phaerimm, that leaves her little more than a pain-wracked head and upper torso. The office of Magister soon passes to the mage who gave her a painless death - the drow Nelnfaen Sauntarae (reigns 1104-1126DR).
1150 The drow queen Nathglaryst of Undraeth clashes with the Harpers along the coast of Turmish. The Harpers disrupt the slave trade between Undraeth and the Red Wizards of Thay
1305 The chitine slaves of Yathchol are emancipated from their drow masters
1346 Rumours of some 80,000 drow living in the Forest of Mir leads to panic in Calimport, although most sensibly laugh at the unfounded rumor and at the panic it causes Tethyr and many Calishite holdings
1348 "Realms of the Underdark"- E Cunningham
1356 The Knights of Myth Drannor close the underground passage to the Drow realm under the Tower of Ashaba, thus ending the trade between Zhentil Keep and the dark elves.
1358 The time of troubles ? gods walk the realms. Lolth appeared to her faithful in Menzoberranzan. The drow of Menzoberranzan raid Mithril Hall.
1361 The drow of the Underdark find a new passage to the surface in the eastern Dragonspine Mountains, after being locked out of Shadowdale in 1356 DR. They begin trade with Zhentil Keep again
1361 "Starlight and Shadows Series" - E Cunningham
1369 Drow expand into the Third Level of Undermountain
1371 Drow form part of the force that mounts an unsuccessful invasion of Evermeet

Half Drow

Physical and Mental Characteristics

Half- drow have the white or silver hair of their elven fathers, but their skins are not the polished obsidian of a full drow - they are a dusky grey. Their eye- colour takes after the human ethnic group of their mothers so can be a wide range of colours. The Drow of Toril are smaller than the other elves, and Faerunian half-drow are closer in physique to the half elves of other worlds than to the common half elf.

Half-drow have the keen eyesight and sharp hearing of all half elves, but their eyesight is particularly good in low light or even darkness.

Distribution

A half-drow is almost always the product of a male drow and a human mother, as the result of planned breeding with salves or rape during raids and wars. As you would expect they are much more common in areas that have suffered drow raids, and it is here you may find the bands of half-drow. However the numbers are small and Dambrath in the far south is the only place where a true half-drow community exists.

A female drow who is raped by a man and carrying a half-drow child has shown her weakness, and her child is the product of an act that is an abomination to the haughty drow. The baby will be killed, and it is highly likely the mother will be killed. Vulnerable drow females simply do not survive.

It is conceivable that a renegade female drow who has turned her back on the evil drow way could take a human partner, and raise a half drow child. However there is no record of this happening and if they do exist, such families must be incredibly rare.

Culture and Outlook

Broadly speaking there are two types of half-drow. The first are bred on human slaves in drow cities. These are raised in an odd half-way position. They are superior to the human and other slaves, but are treated with disdain by the pure-blood drow. Perhaps it is the taint of aggressive and ambitious drow blood that leads them to react to this with anger and bitterness; or maybe it is the effect of the cold and evil way of life in drow cities.

Those drow who are the product of rape are brought up by their mothers in surface human communities. The shame of their violent conception and their tainted drow blood have led many to turn their back on all that is evil. These good hearted half-drow are almost all followers of Eilestraee who plays a special role in helping them reject evil.

Others become resentful. They may become loners who shun friendship, and forever feel that they do not belong. Less commonly some seek out others of their kind and form bands of half-drow who become bandits and thugs.

Dambrath

Around 500 years ago drow from the city of T?lindet defeated the barbarian inhabitants of Dambrath, and founded a surface realm. The noble houses ruled over this land, and established great estates. However their dislike of the surface meant that they gradually spent less and less time on these estates. Their half-drow stewards bed among themselves and created a race of half-drow. Eventually the pure-blood drow completely abandoned the surface, and the half-drow became the new aristocracy. These half-drow are fiercely proud of their drow heritage and still retain the names of the T?lindet noble houses.

Their society may not be as ruthlessly ambitious as that of the drow, but Dambrath noble houses rule with a harsh fist. Half-drow are raised as rich aristocrats, but are expected to be strong and ambitious. Many leave their native land to prove themselves in adventures elsewhere. Loviater, the Maiden of Pain, was the favoured deity in Dambrath when the drow invaded. Worship of her is still very common among the half-drow, although many follow a deity from the drow pantheon.

Statistics

Aging Adulthood Middle Age Old Venerable Maximum Age
Half-Drow 20 62 93 125 130 - 190

Notable Citizens of RhyDin with Mixed Drow Geneology:
Victoria "Ultrinnan" Alexandra Chylde Buckhannah LeVey LeFay De'Amberville Tesser
(List is under construction.)