Dark elves are the evil cousins of
High Elves and
Wood Elves. Also known as
Teir'Dal, dark elves were created during the
Age of Scale by
Innoruuk, the God of Hate, when he twisted and perverted a number of royal
High Elves from the then-capital city
Takish'Hiz. Dark elves themselves are filled with loathing for all other creatures, including other members of their own race. Although the dark elves are hated and feared by most other races of Norrath, their natural cunning and magical ability have sustained them as a race, and have allowed individual dark elves to gather considerable power.
Homeland
Dark elves live in underground cities, the largest of which is
Neriak, located beneath the
Nektulos Forest.
Neriak is a large, advanced city with many different districts and numerous shops and businesses. Only those of dark elf descent are ever truly welcome in
Neriak, and dark elves without money are generally treated no better than outsiders.
Trolls and
Ogres can sometimes be found in the Foreign Quarter, but they're never thought of as citizens. Because of the large number of necromancers and shadow knights among the dark elf population, undead creatures of all sorts are a fairly common sight in dark elf communities.
Demeanor
Dark elves love treachery, deceit, power, pain, and suffering. They tend to hate everyone equally, though they are generally intelligent enough to conceal their disdain when it suits them. Dark elves are capable of working together or with other races, but only if they believe that doing so furthers their own personal plans. Even the most "noble-minded" of dark elves is likely to think of friends less as people to be trusted and protected than as a valuable resource worth keeping around for awhile.
The motives of a dark elf can be very difficult to ascertain. If he can achieve a goal through trickery or manipulation, only the rarest dark elf will choose to approach the matter directly, hatching instead convoluted, tortuous plots that only the dark elf himself can follow. Many dark elves are driving by a desire to please
Innoruuk, and thus to take whatever actions seem likely to create the most hatred in the world.
Appearance
Dark elves are lithe and dark skinned, with smooth complexions and delicate features. As with other
Elves the range from 5 to 6 feet tall and weight around 100 pounds. Their skin tone ranges from blue-black to black, and their eyes are most often blue or black as well, but can vary from green or yellow to a crimson red or violet. Dark elf hair is usually shades of grey or white. Like all
Elven races, dark elves have delicately upward pointed ears.
Dark elves' dress is generally designed to be both attractive and functional. Garments are often conspicuously tight and alluringly cut, to give the wearer any possible social advantage. Boots or slippers are common footwear. However, dark elves are not fools, and wear armor when appropriate and magical garments if at all possible.
Religion
By far the most common deity worshipped among the dark elf is their creator,
Innoruuk, though there are also large congregations who honor
Solusek Ro. Rare exceptions are dark elf warriors, who sometimes swear allegiance to
Rallos Zek, and some rogues have even begun to worship
Fizzlethorpe Bristlebane.
Quests
Dark elves almost always undertake quests to further their own ends, although these ends can be as simple as the hunger for power and the desire to sow hatred. Most other races have difficulty tolerating dark elves, and many city guards attack
Teir'Dal on sight, making it difficult for dark elves to act openly in large sections of Norrath. As a result, many dark elves ally themselves with members of other races and use their allies as intermediaries in the cities of other races. However, such arrangements generally only last until the dark elf finds a way around depending on others.
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