Vara’Nea (VARA-NEE-AH)

Introduction

Vara’Nea is the large underground drow city-state located in the north eastern underdark. The city is located in a huge dome-shaped cavern, some two miles wide and a thousand feet high, mainly carved from calcite and filled with blue faerie fire. Buildings are often covered with the city's main motif: the spider, in honor of their goddess; Lolth.

Customs

Because the drow worship Lolth, the Spider Queen, killing spiders (even unintentionally) is punishable by death by the law of Lolth. When Drow males become of age they participate in what is known as The Running: a hunt and revel on the surface in which all who walk participate, once a year. (Understand that what the drow call a "hunt and revel" the surface dwellers refer to as "looting and killing".) The blades of many drow rivals seem to “accidentally” find each other during the raids on surface communities.

Matriarchal Theocracy

The Drow society is Matriarchal. The highest-ranking male is still lower than the lowest ranked female. Females hold all positions of power and responsibility in government, the military, and in the home. Males are effective fighters, and may become priests and wizards of minor power.
Matrons reach their rank by killing off the previous matron. Usually, it is a matron's daughter who kills her to take her position. If the assassination is done properly, the other house members feel no anger/remorse/ill feelings towards the new matron. Obviously, the previous one was too weak to hold her position, and deserved to die. The more worthy female takes the job in her place, and hopefully instils enough fear in her daughters to keep her position.

Laws

The Laws within drow society are slim, yet breaking any one of them will result in usually immediate execution.

1. Don't get caught. If you assassinate someone, and you pull it off without leaving witnesses or evidence of your being there, you will be congratulated. If you're caught and punished, you're punished for being weak/stupid enough to get caught, not because you committed the crime.
2. No fighting in the streets. This law goes hand-in-hand with the first law, because most battles should be quick, with no traces and no witnesses left behind. If you're going to attack someone, you should take it outside - lure them out, follow them out, whatever, but don't do it in front of the city guards.
3. Males cannot pray in the temple alone. Males should definitely pray to Lolth, but not in the temple, unless there is a female to lead them in prayer.
4. A priestess must be present to perform a sacrifice or other religious ceremony. Priestesses are the only ones worthy to send offerings to Lolth; they are her most direct servants. While others may participate, a priestess must lead the ceremony.

The Spider Queen's Most Favoured 8

Matron Mothers from the top eight houses form a council that meets secretly to make decisions on the running of the city. They are the ones who have the most influence and can turn events in a favourable manner.
Social Standing and the favour of Lolth are the most important things to Drow Houses, it is the goal to become the first house. This is done in many ways. However, the most common one is through murder. The drow have laws to punish these murders but the legal system has enough holes in it to get round the problem of prosecution. The favour of Lolth is one of the most important things in the lives of the drow. Houses in the favour of Lolth progress through the house rankings and their priestesses are able to call upon certain powers of their goddess.

• Xiltiwin- Matron Zebeytree.
• Daevykur- Matron Nathrae.
• Maeafin- Matron Charthra.
• Dinoryn- Matron Larvyll.
• Beltaer- Matron Kiabreena.
• Zaphrune- Matron Brorna.
• Halorel- Matron Xalyth.
• Hunzarach- Matron Aunafae.

Slaves

Being a Slave in Drow society is a terrible fate, slaves are expected to work constantly to produce goods for use by the Drow, immediately and unfailingly execute any and all orders given to them, and survive on the leanest of provisions and accommodations. Slaves are the targets of abuse, derision, and scorn, usually at the hands of the lowest-ranking Drow, who outrank only the Slaves themselves. Drow place far less value on a slave's welfare than surface dwellers. To most surface slavers, a slave is a valuable trade good, not to be damaged for fear of driving down its value. To drow, a slave is but a pair of hands, without limits that need be thought of.

Political system: Matriarchal Theocracy
Worships: Lolth
Racial Populace: Drow 40% Mixed Slave 60%

Notable Figures:

Brynn Velven’Naïlo (HERO)