Drow Elves

Dark Elves of Lolth, the Spider's Deep Purple

The Elven People struck out, trekking east across the continent. Finding the Feywilds near a hand, they slowed and stopped and made a home in Elvendell, where peace and life could develop and prosper.
Bu there were also those Elves who were driven by a deep desire to wander forth even further into the depths of the continent. They were of a separate nation, a nation that didn’t often agree with the good notions of the collective. They made allies of the wicked Feys in the Feywilds, and they pushed their migration out beyond Shadowhill in the west, and into the Darkest Mountains, where their descendants are said to reside still. It is not known whether these Elves brought about the Shadowfell of the east, or whether the latter warped them to fit its own image.


These Elves, known to the others as “Drow,” made a home of the Never Forest (as Humans call it) and created a new homeland, spreading their wickedness and love of dark magic all the way the peninsula and islands of the extreme southeast. Legend has it that something challenged their power, or they grew cautious for some reason, and they withdrew back into the mountains, leaving a twisted and evil land of ruins and darkness behind them.

The Drow have strongholds in various locations throughout the Forest, but the settlements are smaller and much less extravagant. They are tunneled into rock faces, but many of them are just glorified (if quite large) caves, and their religious and magical aspects are played down. Much of their activity is sending slave-hunting parties down into the Never Forest, and keeping them here for “training” (an awful, torturous process). There are shrines to Drow divinities, and priestesses to watch over the settlements, especially to Lolth. Spiders are kept as in the mountains.

Darkest Forest Drow are still under the authority of the High Lady Queen (or really the Drow Highest Priestess of Lolth, but that’s another story). They feel more free (and are) to act as they please. Some of these settlements have declared themselves independent, and they seek to spread their power throughout the forest and down into the Never Forest. For the forest linkl here: Shadow Forest / Never Forest
The Drow and the Deep Gnomes (Svirfneblin, "Deep Gnomes") cross paths more frequently at this latitude, and they are spiteful enemies. Two extremely evil races vying for the same hunting and fishing territory, using each other’s resources...


DROW IN THE DARKEST MOUNTAINS
Drow in the Darkest Mountains live in high altitudes in bitter cold and near-constant darkness. Over the centuries, these Drow have become excellent stoneworkers and miners, and with the work of their slave class, they have tunneled into the mountains and made cities, parts of which might even rival the dwarves.
Darkest Mountain Drow are probably the most religious, and the most familiar with the Lolthic religion. Their communities are dominated by cannibalistic priestesses of lolth, and the constant presence of giant spiders, guarding or policing or just wandering for sport.
Caste is very important to these Drow, and where you stand in the hierarchy directly determines your quality of life, the fear you engender, and probably your life span. Drow can only cycle up on the hierarchy through acts of horror, murder, or domination. It rarely happens smoothly. Someone is always out to get you...

DROW: THE UNDERDARK and SHADOWLANDS

Generally these Drow live in clans that roam the underdark looking for lesser creatures to dominate. Drow cities are rare in the Underdark, and in the Shadowlands one will usually find only sparse forest villages. Drow here have been wandering and exploring and plundering for hundreds of years, spreading their influence far and wide. It is always a possibility to run into them, and most likely this will be an ambush. They lurk in dark forests, in ruined cities, or in cave complexes, among all other places. To survive in the evil and dark, they have developed very keen senses and stealth abilities.
The Drow are universally despised by the creatures of the Dark Places, and alliances will only happen under threat of violence or injury, or charm... Dark Drow have tapped into the arcane power of their home. The Dark Places are home to the most powerful sorcerers of all the Drow heritages.

Underdark

FLESHWARPING

• Fleshwarping is a process the Drow continue to develop, a series of torturous modifications made on living things they capture or betray. The variety is wide, although many subjects die during the process. The prominent Fleshwarps differ in different areas, or cultures, of Drow habitation.
• Drow in cities, below the ground, like the GHONBATINE (sp?, B2, cr10), reptilian monsters that overwhelm foes with toughness. These become important soldiers if any large scale "takeover" is staged. They are truly abberative creatures, horrid, hideous, overwhelmiong.
• The most common Fleshwarp in all of Summer's Tale is the DRIDER.  These are created in a wide variety of challenge levels, for different purposes.  Some of them break free from Servant Status and become cruel leaders in their own right.

Numerous Drow Types and Stats in MM3.5
Other Creatures of Relevance

• Demons, Visiting for Various Reasons
• Drider (in 3.5)
• Drow Ghost (in 3.5)
• Drow Half-Dragon figheter (in 3.5)
• Dark Mind Spider (Saletha-Minkdrow in the Elven Language)--"LITTLE BOYS of the swamp" (in 3.5)
• Fleshwarps (not yet done PF2e)
• Shadow Mastff, not yet MMIcr5
• Spirit Naga (B2CR9, MMIcr9 5ecr8)... and their twisted constructs, the NAGATHA (MMIVcr4)
• Were-rats in sewers
• Shadows and Greater Shadows (in 3.5, and PF2e)
• Spectres (in 3.5 and PF2e)
• Tenticulous, Karstid, aka Tentacled Darktipus(in 3.5)
• Monstrous Giant Spiders of Various Kinds (these creatures holy to the Drow)... all three platforms
• Shadow Spider (MMII not yet done)
• Lolth-Touched creature: template (MMIV)
• ALL SPIDERS BELOW IN MM 3.5
• Spiders, Drow Constructs
• Spiders, Demon Bear
• Spider, Darkmountain
• Spider, Drowspawn
• Spider, Horrid Guard
• Spider of Lolth
• Spiders, Poison Swarm
• Spiders, Shargo-Nagethi
• Spider, Zakkoleth
• Zakkoleth Fungus (fungal smud)

DROW GLOSSARY

Cities > > Drow Cities e.g. Scroltha OR. Drow Cities, Sewers

• Banthasa: The third largest city in Drow lands, tunneled directly into an enormous basalt intrusion
• Croth-I’n: The fourth largest city, and the only other major metropolis among the Drow. It is a series of tunnels that move between geodes, or between large caverns carved into basalt
• Lolthara: The “spider city” ruled over completely by Lolthans and the goddess Lolth herself… This is the city where spiders are made, and new designs tested and completed
• Scroltha: The second largest city in Drow lands, located inside the hollow of, among the great amethyst crystals of, a gargantuan geode.
• Yoola-yor-eth--Dwelling of the Queen: The largest city-complex in all of the Drow’s mountain region, created in a place where granite and amethyst meet basalt; wildly beautiful designs in the cavern ceilings, etc.

Class System

• Barkathar: a special class of Drow Mage
• Jremmeth: Upper caste Drow
• Sun-Tekk: Drow beggar caste
• Tekketh: Drow Commoner Caste

Councils

• Barkara Rel’in: the network of councils governing the work of the Barkathar in Drow lands, at least 2000 years old, so it is said
• Bar-koth council: a sub-council of the Barkara Rel’in, operating in Scroltha
• Great Council of Lolthara: Highest Council, just below the Queen (she sits at its head)

Deities:

• Barka: the abstract deity “force” used and revered by the Barkathar
• Drooth: Lord of Battle and Martial Prowess, a less god among the rest
• Halloth: Lady of Death, goddess
• Kellith: Lady of Darkness and Magic, demi-goddess
• Lolth: the Great Spider Goddess, reputedly the most powerful goddess in the Drow cosmology; certainly the most worshipped
• Shoola Sal-eth: The Drow Storm Queen Goddess

Materials of the Drow: LETHARGY POISON Lvl 2 Poison From a purple mold found in the Underdark. Drow and others use this poison in a "hit and run" situation, when they want their victims alive. More than one exposure does not require multiple saves. 7 gp per dose; Held in two hands; interact >>>; Bulk L
Sprikoise: A variety of turquoise that "grows" only in the presence of Drow life.  It is a kind of turquoise, deep purple to lavender, that metamorphoses under the right conditions.



Minimyms: a race of smaller, furred humanoids of the Shadow-forest, killed or enslaved by Drow raiders and slave-drivers… there are many of them among the Drow mountain lands, and very few left free in the southern forests (in areas where the shadow has not touched; there are very few such areas Towers First Highest Tower in Scroltha: that of the Queen’s Regent in Scroltha Second Highest Tower in Scroltha: that of the Drow High Lady Regent of Scroltha
Tykloka: Zyprexa’s Barkathar teacher and mentor
Zakkoleth: A fungus extremely toxic to the Drow; has driven them out of many southern Shadowlands; Zyprexa experimenting with distillations to be used against enemies

Drow Mythology, deities, etc.:
Drow Myth, Legend, Religion

ATTRIBUTES for DROW PLAYER CHARACTERS

If you might play a Drow, check out these stats and game-rules for the Drow. Drow have a "Level Adjustment" of +1, which means they start with the equivalent of 2nd level powers, and to advance to level 2nd of their own, they must earn experience points as would a character of 3rd level, and so on. (So because they start powerfully, they're always a "level behind" conventional characters.
Look here for attribues: Drow Player Character Attributes

The High Elf Shadowfey, an Enemy to Reckon With

If there is an Elven Ancestry capable of dominating the Drow in cruelty and evil, it is the High Elf Shadowfey, an evil Elven people that make their home in the warped and twisted forests of the Shadowlands. Their society is incredibly sophisticated; they build fantastic (and phantasmagorical) castles and keeps on hills and higher land. Their location in the Shadow Forests make their dwellings impregnable, and a young Shadowfey might brood in hatred and anger for 100 years or more before leaving home and venturing out in the world.
Generally, Shadowfey Elves have powers to create portals to the material world, and on their hunting parties and raids they emerge and kill nearly everything they see, as long as it cannot or will not serve them. Many are the gruesome hunting trophies with which they return to the Shadows. The Shadowfey also sometimes meddle in the politics of the material world, using disguise and deceit to undermine the life and sanity of their subjects.'
More than anyone else, the Shadowfey hate the Drow. Even the most powerful Priestess of Lolth dreads a day when the Shadowfey might come and lay waste to all they hold dear (which is usually just themselves).

RUMORS ABOUT THE DROW (some true, some false)

• Drow are plotting with the Empire to rule wickedly over vast populations.
• The Drow underdark is a vast, interconnected web of passages paved with indigo silk and silver.
• The Drow entertain gruesome creatures that are half spider half elf.
• The Jack City underdark has Drow passages that lead directly to the Vastness below the Gutter in northern Tellarus.
• The Drow underdark is an immense catacomb filled with the skeletons of ancient goblins and gnomes.
• Live in an underground wonderland, a fairy-land of princes and princesses, and kings and queens.
• The underground is full of dead bodies, just piled and piled up: Five thousand years of dead people in every cavern, victims of some demoness coming up from the Underdark, and up through holes around Jack.
• Caverns and passages lead all the way to the other side of Tellarus; Drow are like demons demons, emerging and taking over the Imperial Government. . . . The Empress herself was murdered by the Drow, or is of Drow stock herself, impersonating a real human.
• Gigantic Spiders roam the Underdark, coming to the streets of Jack, up to devour the sick, the young, and the old.
• If you know where to look, Drow holes are everywhere...