Midnight Elves

Once the forsaken, now redeemed. Midnight Elves are the decedents of the Drow when Erandul the Moonsworn defeated the Spider Queen Lolth two and a half generations ago. Free of the taint that Lolth introduced to the Drow, Midnight Elves nonetheless look eerily similar to their dark predecessors, save for their eyes, which are a clear blue instead of the pure white of the Drow.
Midnight Elves are mostly unified in restoring the glory of their empire, and seldom venture far from its boarders. At this time, the Midnight Elves are focused on reconstruction and protection, ruthlessly repelling any who would enter their caves without permission, be they dwarf, darkling, or elf.

Naming Traditions

Feminine names

look to common elf names(Dungeons and dragons 3.5e)

Masculine names

look to common elf names(Dungeons and dragons 3.5e)

Family names

look to common elf names(Dungeons and dragons 3.5e)

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

Most midnight elves speak Undertongue, a mix of elven and draconic that uses the dwarvish alphabet for writing. The Watchblades also maintain a secret language of their own, using the script of the drudic alphabet, but with each symbol meaning a different thing.

Culture and cultural heritage

Midnight elves tend to live practical and simple live focused on rebuilding their old empire as a thing of beauty, and spare little time for creature comforts. As a whole, the midnight elves are rather somber folk.

Shared customary codes and values

The midnight elves rejected their history of cruelty under the spider god Lolth in a dramatic fashion, rejecting all of the practices and customs instilled into them by the Spider Queen. At the moment, the only custom that all midnight elves observe is the day of freedom, a day where, for a candlemark, silence is observed in remembrance of all the people sacrificed to the Spider Queen.

Average technological level

The midnight elves maintain a late medieval technological level consistent with D&D 3.5e.

Common Etiquette rules

the worst one can do to any midnight elf is break an oath, even one as minor as showing up to a certain place at a certain time. Sarben Oathkeeper once refused attendance to a feast held in his honor due to his prior comitment to spend the night in a tavern with his companions.

Common Dress code

Both men and women favor lined leather, and other warm clothes in the cool caverns. An emphasis on warmth and practicality born of both necessity and the lack of light underground means that midnight elves will often not understand what a dress is, or what it is intended for.

Common Customs, traditions and rituals

The two most commonly observed traditions are the day of freedom, and Nalist-ati, the day of reckoning, Erandul Moonsworn's birthday and the day he defeated Lolth.

Birth & Baptismal Rites

When a mother gives birth, she will remain in her house with a midwife and her family. newly born children have the cresent moon painted on their forehead, in remebrance of Erandul's mark.

Coming of Age Rites

Before a midnight elf is considered of age, they must carve a home out of the walls of a cave and live in it for two years. After this period, the midnight elf is considered a fully fledged adult.

Funerary and Memorial customs

when a midnight elf dies, their corpse is burned with trinkets donated by friends, family, or admirers that either originally came from the deceased or remind the downer of the passed. the ashes of the deceased are then taken to Nalar, and buried in the Field of the Free.

Common Taboos

Any midnight elf who breaks a vow is shunned for an amount of time until he atones for his broken vow in some way.

Common Myths and Legends

All midnight elves remember and revere Erandul Moonsworn, and tales of him are so numerous that sometimes it is hard to tell what is real and what is an illusory memory.

Historical figures

Erandul Moonsworn is the most famous and sacred figure in midnight elf history. He led the Drow in a rebellion against Lolth, and ended up defeating her in single combat, a feat that has never been accomplished before or since.

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

The most beautiful thing to a midnight elf is pure blue eyes. The most beautiful eyes are either sky or electric blue.

Gender Ideals

Men are expected to be proficient with the use of bladed weapons and know how to navigate cave systems by their coming of age, while women are expected to be skilled in the use of the hand crossbow and the art of trapmaking. both genders are also expected to be able to play a musical instrument of some sort. the most common instruments among midnight elves are Initar, flutes, and violins.

Courtship Ideals

Courtship between midnight elves is a very secret affair. when the man or woman decides to woo another, they will start by leaving secret gifts with bare hints of the gifter's identity (for example, a barkeep who decides to woo someone might leave a freshly baked pie on their doorstep). If the recipient of the gifts responds by leaving gifts of their own, then the next stage of courtship begins; the original gift-giver meets with their potential paramour, and if face-to-face meeting repeat, then a relationship may evolve that may or may not lead to marriage.
While it is not uncommon, it is also not unheard of for a couple in a committed relationship to court a person outside their relationship, with mixed results.

Relationship Ideals

In a good midnight elf relationship, the couple will strengthen and protect each other. while lying is accepted as something all people will eventually do, the worst any midnight elf can do is betray their partner. one of the most famous midnight elves besides Erandul, Sarben Oathkeeper, is famous for refusing an offer of nobility for services rendered in high elven lands because his partner was exceptionally weak to sunlight, and could not leave the midnight kingdom.

Major organizations

The Watchblades serve as the most prominent military arm of the midnight kingdom, to which approximately 99% of all midnight elves belong to. Created to uphold Erandul's, legacy, the Watchblades act as judges, law enforcement, and border guards. each watchblade must take an oath to protect the midnight kingdom with their life, and a few watchblades who have fallen in battle have returned to the organization as ghosts, serving as guardians even in death.

Related Organizations

• Watchblades