Drow (Dark Elves)

A subrace of Elves, the Drow are visually striking, with stark white hair, skin ranging from hues of dark purple to deep obsidian, and sharp, extremely pale white eyes.
A martial people, Drow recieve military training in one of three disciplines. The majority of male Drow are trained as warriors, with a select few instead undergoing training as magic users. Female Drow invariably undergo ordination into the Priestesshood of Lolth, assuming all positions of authority within the Drow's matriarchal society.
Long ago, following the events of Lolth's betrayal of Corellon in the Plane of Arvandor, the subsequent expulsion of elvenkind from Arvandor to the other Planes, including the Prime Material Plane, and a drawn out war with their cousins, the surface Elves, who objected to their worship of Lolth within Drow society, the Drow were driven from the light and forced to live beneath the surface, in the deep labyrinthine underworld known as the Underdark. They have since adapted to life underground, to the extent that most find exposure to the Sun to be extremely uncomfortable. This adaptation allows Drow to see perfectly well in complete darkness.
Never quite forgotten by their surface kin, to most of the mortal races of Vallanna, the Drow are a myth, a fairy-tale told to naughty children, or a warning against serving the dark powers. The vast majority will go their entire lives without ever seeing a Drow, and most that do live to regret their encounter.
Travel to the surface is uncommon for Drow, and usually takes the form of small raiding parties, which occasionally are sent to strike against the surface peoples, directed by the Priestesshood of Lolth, to carry out the whims of their dark goddess.

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

Elvish, Undercommon, Drow Hand-Sign.

Ideals

Gender Ideals

The Drow are a society ruled by women. Each great house is led by a Matron Mother, who will make all leadership decisions for her house. Lesser positions of power within a house will be filled by her daughters, or other female relatives not considered a threat to her supremacy.