Dark Elf

"You may kill me in some manner of 'justice', but it won't bring back your kin toiling in the deep dark."
-Ovest De'cathinn, dark elven slaver before his execution

In some places, there are those who fear invaders that come at night and snatch people up from their beds. These creatures drag them down into the lightless depths in which they dwell, and they will never know freedom again. For some, this threat is all too real.
Refered to as "dokkalfar" in Bjornland or "drow" in Fasach, dark elves are the malevolent counterparts of the light elves, that live deep beneath the earth in a region known as the Underdark. Many consider then wholly and unassailably evil, and not entirely without cause. Still, there is far more to them than that.

Additional Information

Facial characteristics

Dark elves have similar features to the other elven subraces. They maintain the same delicate frame and angular features, giving them a level of deadly grace. Also similar to other elves, many people find them attractive despite their sinister reputation among other races.
The coloration of the dark elves gives them a very exotic appearance. Their skin is usually always black, or occasionally a very dark gray. In contrast, their hair is usually white, although light gray, silver, or even a light blonde is not unheard-of. Their eyes also tend toward vivid colors with red as the most common, although they could also be blue, green, or sometimes white.

Perception and Sensory Capabilities

As is common among the elves, dark elves have very keen senses. Particularly, their senses of hearing and sight tend to be sharper than those of other races. Dark elves also possess darkvision, as many other races, such as dwarves, gnomes, or tieflings. In the dark, they lose the capacity to differentiate colors.
Unlike the darkvision of most other races, that of the dark elves has much greater range and detail. This is similar to their nocturnal kin, the black elves. This adaptation aids them greatly in their subterranean homes. The tradeoff, however, is that their eyes are sensitive to bright light, especially sunlight.

Civilization and Culture

Culture and Cultural Heritage

More than anything, dark elf society is defined by a sense of cultural superiority. Dark elven cities are grander and more beautiful than anything found on the surface. Dark elven people are infinitely more worthy than those of other races-- at least in the minds of those dark elves.
Dark elven culture is built around a very strict hierarchy. There is a noble class that exists above all others, who rule the citizenry with an iron fist. Those below them on the social ladder serve those above and bully those below. Functionally, those of higher classes can treat those lower as little more than playthings, and if those people ever retaliate, they will receive swift punishment.
These factors combine to create a culture centered around slavery. Since the dark elves believe all others to be inferior, they have no problem with keeping legions of slaves from other races. Going to the surface to capture more is something of a right of passage for a dark elven warrior or mage.
Dark elves tend to be contemptuous of religion. They consider those who pray to the gods to be childish. While they are officially allied with the baatezu, they are far from equals in this relationship. They hold such reverence for archdevils that it nears worship. Dark elven kings and queens even swear fealty to the Lords of the Nine, the rulers of the nine layers of Baator.
As could be expected from a society so steeped in conformity, there are those who don't fit in. Many of these have rejected the evil nature of their kin or the rigidity of their hierarchy. Such renegades are often hunted down and punished harshly. They usually flee, but due to the sinister reputation of the dark elves, they rarely find any shelter.

History

The story goes that the elves were the first mortal folk to inhabit Covenant. When the gods created the world, they began preparing it for their people. Before they finished, the elves came from the Otherworld and settled the unfinished land, tending it for themselves. Carefully and lovingly, they made it their own garden.
When other races emerged, there was a debate among the elves at just what to do with them. Some felt that the diversity they brought only enriched their world and desired coexistence. Others, however felt that since these newcomers came to their land, they had the right to do with them as they wished.
These disagreements turned into a full-scale war. Those who felt that they deserved to rule over other races were defeated. In punishment for their rebellion, they were cast from the light of day and into the depths of the Underdark. They became the dark elves, and their enemies became known as light elves.
They did not take their exile quietly, however. Instead, they swore revenge on their kin on the surface. They even allied themselves with the devils of Baator to aid their cause. Ever since, they've remained in constant conflict with the light elves, and ever since they've made forays onto the surface in search of resources or slaves.

Interspecies Relations and Assumptions

Because the dark elves believe themselves superior than other races, and because they have no qualms about enslaving others, they are treated as the enemy of surface folk. The dark elves frequently raid these people, stealing their treasures and capturing their people for a life of slavery.
Their relations with their fellow elves is even worse. Their war with the light elves is legendary, and technically didn't end even after their exile to the Underdark. Light elves are never kept as slaves, bur always killed in brutal fashion. Black elves are dismissed as irrelevant at best, but are usually considered to be in league with the light elves and treated accordingly.

Genetic Ancestor(s)

• Elf

Lifespan

800 years

Average Height

4 ft. 10 in. - 5 ft. 10 in.

Average Weight

90 - 150 lbs.