Dark Elves
"As the rest forgot of us, we found our own salvation. As others broke their shackles, but left us, we found Her. As Her children, we prosper unlike ever before"Dark Elves, also known as "drow" [Elvish for "traitor"] are the deep elves living deep below ground. There, they wage war on dwarves, goblins, the duergar and when it pleases their Mistress, against other dark elves. Much of dark elves history and civilization is unknown and only hints of it can be found at the most learned elvish academies. However, a tale is told among the dark elves themselves on how their culture came into being and explaining their status in the world.
Basic Information
Anatomy
Dark elves often have charcoal-dark skin with eyes that vary from red to purple and grey. Shorter than their brethren, an average dark elf stands at 140-170cm. Dark elves take pride in their hair, which is most commonly either pale white or ebon dark.
Additional Information
Perception and Sensory Capabilities
Dark elves possess an extraordinary ability of sensing their surrounding in dark environments. Their eyes are so suited to underground conditions, that it physically burns and hurts them to be in direct sunlight.
Civilization and Culture
Naming Traditions
Dark elves often have complex names, where house names are added after each subservient families name.
Beauty Ideals
Dark elves highly value beauty and a slim figure. However, these are commodities reserved mainly for dark elf women as their men often wear outfits that serve a practical purpose.
History
Every dark elf child learns a tale as they are growing up. A tale of betrayal, of redemption and of dominance.
As their great work was done, several generations were passed. Generations and elves sacrificed in the deepest depths of the world in retrieval and melting of strange minerals to use in these eldrich constructs. It was then that these mottled, tortured elves were decided to turn into something more "useful" by their masters. Alongside with a subjugated dwarven clan, these elves were twisted with vile magics and turned through the very structures they had built to the drow that the modern world knows today.
Spiders had grown accustomed to the dark elves and rarely left their side as they worked on their masters monoliths and other bizarre constructs. These spiders began the Ploy of Webs, the ultimate plan to free all of the subjugated elves of their masters grip. The spiders had chosen matrons and matriarchs to lead the dark elves to this victory. Strong women to lead their people out of peril. These women were pupils of a greater power that had yet to reveal itself to the rest of the world. This power told them how to use different strings when combined into song and hymn to pull creatures from other, much darker worlds. As these hymns began to rose from the dark elves lonesome huts, so did the spiders spread the message to more and more dark elves.
Their masters, weakened and lame after generations of luxury and servants, were of no match when the dark creatures rose. First, it was the duergar who had their own champion to bash down heavy doors. The brave duergar, who lost an uncountable amount of their kin that day. Then, the attack was followed by the wave of dark elves who rose the metallic steps together with their sinister servants. As the enraged flame of the duergar and the shadows of the drow united, their masters were defeated. The dark elves took no prisoners, and it is strictly emphasised on dark elf literature that every single one of their masters was slain that day.
The duergar, being still at home but having lost nearly everything to their captors departed in silent agreement. Although there was a slight noise of dissent as the dark elves decided to conserve the carcasses of their masters for a much more sinister purpose. As the duergar departed, praises for the dark elf god "Lolth" the Dark Mother filled the web-embroided metallic streets of the dark elves former masters.
The hellish, unrelenting sun scorched their eyes and made them suffer too much to leave their caves except in the darkest of nights. Discovering their freed kin, who had as well been freed from their masters, the dark elves found nothing else but disgustment in their way of life. Wood elves chastised their brothers for their strange, unjust tradition of Houses and matriarchs as well for their use of otherwordly entities to do their bidding. High elves lectured to them of the dangers of their Dark Mother and of the inevitable crisis it would cause to use their dark gifts, granted by their former masters.
Where-ever the dark elves went, they found only those who were repulsed by them and who would not trust a culture built on destroying their masters for a dark matron. With this walk of shame, through the torture of finding safe places to cover from the sun and to protect themselves from the more wild accusations of their former brothers and sisters, the defeated group of dark elves returned home. Where they remain to this very day. Following the Dark Mothers schemes. Building and burning their own webs, as any "Drow" would.
The Great Subjugation
Dark elves were among their brothers and sisters as they were chosen by their otherwordly masters to accompany them deep below ground. Before this, they were like any other elf. As these masses of slaves began their exhausting trek below ground, none of them knew that they would kiss their last farewell to the sun for generations to come. Below ground, their masters used them to build great, mystical buildings and sites of eldritch meaning. During this building process, the slaves were allowed to spend their time building their own homes to the large, surrounding caverns.As their great work was done, several generations were passed. Generations and elves sacrificed in the deepest depths of the world in retrieval and melting of strange minerals to use in these eldrich constructs. It was then that these mottled, tortured elves were decided to turn into something more "useful" by their masters. Alongside with a subjugated dwarven clan, these elves were twisted with vile magics and turned through the very structures they had built to the drow that the modern world knows today.
Their skin, to better fit the shadows dim
Their eyes, to bring their muffled cries
Their hair, to remind of a death unaware
Their spirit, to bring their despair bare.
Ploy of Webs
As a broken, mutilated people who had nothing of their former life left than rumors of something greater existing far over the caverns, the dark elves found their redemption, or more likely, their redemption found them.Spiders had grown accustomed to the dark elves and rarely left their side as they worked on their masters monoliths and other bizarre constructs. These spiders began the Ploy of Webs, the ultimate plan to free all of the subjugated elves of their masters grip. The spiders had chosen matrons and matriarchs to lead the dark elves to this victory. Strong women to lead their people out of peril. These women were pupils of a greater power that had yet to reveal itself to the rest of the world. This power told them how to use different strings when combined into song and hymn to pull creatures from other, much darker worlds. As these hymns began to rose from the dark elves lonesome huts, so did the spiders spread the message to more and more dark elves.
Their masters, weakened and lame after generations of luxury and servants, were of no match when the dark creatures rose. First, it was the duergar who had their own champion to bash down heavy doors. The brave duergar, who lost an uncountable amount of their kin that day. Then, the attack was followed by the wave of dark elves who rose the metallic steps together with their sinister servants. As the enraged flame of the duergar and the shadows of the drow united, their masters were defeated. The dark elves took no prisoners, and it is strictly emphasised on dark elf literature that every single one of their masters was slain that day.
The duergar, being still at home but having lost nearly everything to their captors departed in silent agreement. Although there was a slight noise of dissent as the dark elves decided to conserve the carcasses of their masters for a much more sinister purpose. As the duergar departed, praises for the dark elf god "Lolth" the Dark Mother filled the web-embroided metallic streets of the dark elves former masters.
Betrayal
Growing independant, the great matriarchs forbid the members of their house from returning to the surface as the Dark Mother had shared a terrible truth of the elven kind turning against the dark elves. Despite of this, some took it upon themselves to return back. As generations were spent deep underground, the dark elves had only imagined and heard through oral tradition what awaited them above ground. What they found upon their returnal was hell.The hellish, unrelenting sun scorched their eyes and made them suffer too much to leave their caves except in the darkest of nights. Discovering their freed kin, who had as well been freed from their masters, the dark elves found nothing else but disgustment in their way of life. Wood elves chastised their brothers for their strange, unjust tradition of Houses and matriarchs as well for their use of otherwordly entities to do their bidding. High elves lectured to them of the dangers of their Dark Mother and of the inevitable crisis it would cause to use their dark gifts, granted by their former masters.
Where-ever the dark elves went, they found only those who were repulsed by them and who would not trust a culture built on destroying their masters for a dark matron. With this walk of shame, through the torture of finding safe places to cover from the sun and to protect themselves from the more wild accusations of their former brothers and sisters, the defeated group of dark elves returned home. Where they remain to this very day. Following the Dark Mothers schemes. Building and burning their own webs, as any "Drow" would.
Genetic Ancestor(s)
Origin/Ancestry
Elves
Lifespan
Up to 750 years
Average Height
155cm
Average Weight
35kg
Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Comments