Drow Elves of Aetrios (Drau)
Drow elves, commonly referred to as dark elves by Mannish cultures that encounter them, awoke deep beneath the surface of Aetrios during the Dawning of the Elves.
Awaking in the sunless Deeps of the continent the elves would name Aetrios, the drow began to create vaste subterranean cities. During the uncounted years before they ventured out onto the face of Meneros, these elven people would encounter many races and cultures unknown to Elves and Men, establishing trade relations with the deep dwarves, deep gnomes, and the duergar.
Culture
Major language groups and dialects
Drow speak Drow Elvish, their separation from larger elven culture causing them to not learn the other elvish tongues. The drow also developed an intricate sign language that uses more than just finger and hand gestures, but also includes body and facial cues.
Many also speak Dwarvish, Gnomish, Goblin, and Undercommon.
Art & Architecture
For millennia the drow used magic to shape homes and cities from the rock of the caverns they chose for their dwellings. This flowing, natural style was unique to each drow community and was sometimes made to blend in with the surrounding cavern.
Funerary and Memorial customs
Drow tend to entomb their dead, sometimes creating entire necropoli for them.
Common Taboos
Drow worship many different deities yet some fall to terrible deeds such as necromany and the worship of evil deities, even demons and devils.
Necromancy is seen as one of the highest taboos in drow culture, yet some drow reject this and embrace the practice with fervor.
Ideals
Beauty Ideals
Drow are of a similar size and build as their sylvan elf cousins, with long limbs and deft, slim fingers, their skin is ashen gray to dark gray, with underlying purple hues not uncommon. Their hair is pale yelllow, silver, or white. Their large oval eyes, usually purple, red, or violet, are expressive and beautiful. Body and facial hair are almost non existant, with males occasionally being able to grow a mustache and long sideburns.
Gender Ideals
All genders are treated equal in drow society.
Some clans prefer their clerics to be female, but just as many have no preference.
Relationship Ideals
Drow are polyamorous and multple spouses are common. Due to the naturally low elven birthrate some female drow will take multiple male partners hoping to find a fertile male which they can grow a large, for elves, family. Particularly fertile male drow have been known to have many wives and a brood of children. These drow tend to be the rulers of their clans and settlements.
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