Elves tend to be associated with having fair skin and blond hair, but it is not uncommon for there to be Elves with darker skin tones or hair color. In the modern era, Elves are usually separated into two distinct tribes, Wood-Elves and High-Elves. However, these two tribes are still descendants of the same Elven ancestry.
Before the separation of High-Elves and Wood-Elves however, there were still once two distinct tribes of elves. The more prominent group was the fair-skinned, blonde-haired, light-eyed individuals that individuals all know in the modern era. But there was once a smaller tribe of elves with dark hair and skin. These individuals were known as the Drow.
History of the Drow
It is written that ancient drow did not have the same dark brown/tan complexion that their descendants have today, but rather a dark gray, sometimes even black hue. The two tribes had an antagonistic relationship with one another, whether this was due to a difference in culture, or just a superficial dislike of differing appearances has been lost to time.
Unfortunately for the drow, their home was located directly on the border of what would eventually become known as the kingdom of Gallia. As a result, they were the first to be attacked during Surtr’s invasion. Pushed to the edge of extinction, the survivors were absorbed into the larger society of the fair-skinned elves during the great clash, holding off Surtr’s forces until Yuné intervened and created the Lethe, beginning The War of Ascendance.
As time went on, the bloodlines of the surviving drow were mixed, and their culture faded into obscurity. In Ferox, for most people, the color of one’s skin is about as relevant as one's hair. The Lethe were all descendants of various humans of a multitude of skin colors. Some skin tones are more prevalent in certain races, like the tan skin of the Salamanders, but for Lethe (and humans), it is nothing more than a footnote on what makes up a person. Most do not know it, but the same cannot be said for High Elves, especially when the drow is concerned.
As a result of Yune’s blessing, the genetics of elves are one of the most dominant. Hair and skin color can be affected as a result of mixed relationships, but the one thing that never changes for an elf is eye color. No matter what the ancestry, those with elvish heritage will always have brilliant blue or green eyes. The only exceptions are those with drow blood.
View of Drow by other Races
The blood from a drow is the only genetic trait (shy of rare birth defects) that can overwrite the blue and green hue native to Elves. As a result, high Elves will often view those with Drow ancestry the same way they would with human ancestry: a stain on an otherwise superior race. For most other races, it seems trivial, an elf is an elf no matter the eye color. However, amongst higher society, an elf with Drow heritage is severely looked down upon.
It should be noted, that the prejudice those of Drow ancestry experience is affected by numerous factors, such as economic standing and geographic location. As a general rule of thumb, High Elves with a higher social standing in a more developed city will be more likely to discriminate against those with Drow heritage. However, a majority of those in Ferox, specifically Lethe and Humans, probably aren’t even aware of the animosity present in Elves towards the drow due to the minor differences present, as well as the fact that Half-Elves are those who more commonly attract their ire. As a result, most Drow are simply viewed as High-Elves or Wood-Elves by those who lack the education or awareness of their history.
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