Drow

"Station is the paradox of my people, the limitation of our power within the hunger for power. It is gained through treachery and invites treachery against those who gain it."

~ Drizzt Do'Urden, Drow Prince

The drow, often referred to as dark-elves, are a subrace of elf that are found throughout the Forgotten realms. Descended from an earlier subrace of dark-skinned elves, the drow were banished from the surface world for following the goddess Lolth down the path to evil and corruption. Now they have built their own civilisation in the depths of the Underdark, patterned after the Way of Lolth.
Drow have black skin that resembles polished obsidian and stark white or pale yellow hair. They commonly have very pale eyes (so pale as to be mistaken for white) in shades of lilac, silver, pink, red, and blue. They tend to be smaller and thinner than most elves.

Civilization and Culture

Culture and Cultural Heritage

Drow society is primarily matriarchal, with priestesses of their evil spider goddess Lolth in the highest seats of power. It is based upon violence, murder, cunning, and the philosophy that only the strong survive (though in Drow tongue, a quirk of the language creates a reversal of cause-and-effect; more correctly, it can be translated as "those who survive are strong"). Hence, most Drow plot endlessly to murder or otherwise incapacitate their rivals and enemy Drow using deceit and betrayal. Drow, particularly in higher positions, are constantly wary of assassins and the like. One of the quirks of this constant infighting is the relatively short lifespan of the average Drow. While being just as long lived as their surface cousins, living as long as a thousand years; you are very unlikely to meet an elderly Drow. Consequently, they are the only race of Elves that matches the fertility of 'lesser' races, such as humans. Their society, as a whole, is seemingly nonviable. The only reason they do not murder themselves to extinction is by the will of Lolth, working primarily through her clergy. Lolth does not tolerate any Drow that threaten to bring down her society, and the clergy make certain that perpetrators cease their destructive actions by either threatening or killing them.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Most drow grow up believing that surface-dwelling races are inferior, worthless except as slaves. Drow who develop a conscience or find it necessary to cooperate with members of other races find it hard to overcome that prejudice, especially when they are so often on the receiving end of hatred.

Lifespan

Well over 700 years

Average Height

5'0" - 5'10"

Average Weight

100 - 135 pounds