Drow Elves

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"L'elamshin d'lil Ilythiiri zhah ulu har'luth jal"
Translation:
"The destiny of the Drow is to conquer all"

They live below the surface, driven there by surface elves. These elves are usually feared by all. They are shorter than other elves, and have dark almost black skin, white hair and eyes that burn red. Apart from their colouring they look very much like the high elves. They hate all things living above the surface especially good elves. They will not hesitate to destroy any other elves they encounter. Nearly all of these elves are evil, but there are those who have left the underground and joined with others on the surface, rejecting the evil.

   The History of Drow

The elves became divided into two groups. One group desired to hurl great magics upon the humans and dominate them, while the majority of elves wished only to remain within the confines of the forest that had so long provided sustenance. The isolationist or, Grey Elves saw no threat presented by the humans and believed that one day the two races could coexist. But the smaller group, the wiser group, had observed how the warlike humans bred faster and possessed great potential with magery. The smaller group became known as the dark elves.

War between the two groups of elves erupted with the isolationistic majority winning all the battles. But the dark elves, embraced more aggressive tactics inflicting great losses among grey elves. The war grew extremely bitter between the grey elves and dark elves until nearly all dark elves were slain. The dark elves sought refuge from the grey elves deep within the earth where they first encountered the Spiderqueen. She protected them from the fierce creatures and taught them powerful magics. They worshipped her in return and adopted her guidelines.

   The Drow Way Of Life

Drow Life
From very young drow are brought up learning new ways to hate. These incarnations of hate range from jealousy to betrayal. In a world where you can't even trust your own blood what else is left. Male drow, when they are born, have the chance not living at all. This is due to every third boy-child is given to Lolth via sacrifice. If they are chosen to live, they are forced down one of two roads. The first, they can become a fighter and are trained from the moment they can hold a weapon. The second, they can become a mage and then again they are trained as soon as they can make coherent speech. Either road drow male go down is not of there choosing. The choosing is left up to the ruling matron mother of the house in which they belong.
Female children on the other hand are given at least a little choice. Since drow are a truly matriarchal society this only seems fit. They are destined from birth into the service of Lolth and are sent learn how to communicated her will. If the child is not seen fit to serve the Lolth, the Spider Queen, then she is given some, although not much, choice in what she is to become. These women unually rare in that most anybody can do the treacherous work of the Spider Queen.
There are two different social classes in drow life. First are the merchants. These clans, according to the priestesses of Lolth, are relatively overlooked although these clans actually keep the other social group alive. How could one survive without valuable supplies needed from places other than the underdark. Dealing with the surface world are considered demeaning and are beneath the noble houses, which are the second group. The noble houses are by far the best deal out of the two social groupings. Noble houses support more power, which is the lifeblood of drow life. Life in the underdark almost completely revolves around what the noble houses seek to accomplish. Station is the most important aspect of the drow noble houses.
In Drizzt Do' Urden's own words, "Station: In all the world of the drow, there is no more important word. It is the calling of their - of our - religion, the incessant pulling of hungering heartstrings. Ambition overides good sense and compassion is thrown away in its face, all in the name of Lolth, the Spider Queen."
Station is the most impotant thing in drow life. It is the heirarchy in which power is distributed. Each person from the matron mother of the first house to the lowly asset in the last merchant house has a certain amount of station. We would call it in our world authority. The main goal in drow life is to achieve more station. The primary tool to gain station is assassination. Brothers will try to kill each other as long as a higher station is achieved in the process. The main cause of this is Lolth, the goddess of chaos. What better way to cause chaos than to kill a superior? And justice???? Justice is just a pretense to avoid open warfare.

   The Drow Religion

Lloth: Lloth, the Spider Queen, is cruel and malicious. The only person in her world is herself. She is constantly plotting to keep her loyal minions in a state of turmoil. This way she can find the strongest and most cunning of her followers to serve her. Drow, being brought up under this religion, are all but perfectly suited to this arrangement. With the drow's instinctive distrust and wit, all but the most wily of opponents will be thrown into disarray. Seeing that Lloth is the goddess of chaos, this seems all but fitting.
The main object of affection among Lloth worshippers is the spider. It is a offense punishable by death to kill or even maim a spider. Lloth gives unto her most loyal henchmen a poisonous spider to aid, guard, but also to watch in their furtherance of the religion. It has been known that a follower be killed by the so gracious gift from Lloth.
Lloth is most frequently found in the form of giant black widow spider. This form can be changed to an extremely beautiful drow female. These two forms can also be combined to produce a giant spider with a lovely female drow head. In any form Lloth is a presence to be feared. Instead of using her material form Lloth will more likely just show that she is watching by having a pair of smirking female lips appear on the nearest spider seen. If her help is needed more directly then she will imbue a follower with great fighting prowess like: always hitting first, weapons never breaking, and a improvement of armor protection. These followers are almost always surrounded by flickering black mauve edged radience.
The clergy of Lloth are all women. The preistesses of Lloth are the only subject of Lloth to hold any real power in drow society. If a preistess of any rank says to do something there better not be any hesitation. Punishment for disobedience is usually swift and destructive. Killing is not their style, maiming is more reward for slow wits and procrastination. A preistesses has the feeling that they are the judge, jury and executioner of the society at their feet, and the power given to her by Lloth as justification for any action that she may take. Preistesses sole purpose in life is to weed out the weak and sanctify the strong.

Eilistraee: Elistraee is the goddess of the good drow. She is the Matron goddess of all the drow that wish to return to the surface. Her trademarks are song and beauty. Not much is known about Elistraee except that she is quick to anger over the evil that most drow do.
Elistraee will more likely lend aid to a creature she favors instead of appear personally. She will grant favors, small ones, that give the the most practical answers. If the situation warrants her appearance she usually will appear as a tall drow female with long glowing hair down to her ankles.
The clergy of Elistraee are female from any race. These preistesses much further the cause of beauty and song. They must always carry one of their godesses favored instuments, the horn, flute, or harp. Their lot in life is to pursuade drow to return to the surface world and work to improve surface relations.

Ghaunaduar: Ghaunaduar is even less known than Elistraee. His nickname is That Which Lurks. He is unpredictable. When he appears he is seen as a purplish ooze with tentacles. His "followers" are mostly drow that have fallen from the grace of Lloth or sub intellegent monsters. He has been known to aid followers that just talk highly of his eminence. The chances of his coming, when called, rise if blood has recently been spilled. All that is required of his preisthood is a steady supply of sacrifices. Aid given by Ghaunaduar is usually in the form of combat effectiveness and regenerative healing of harms.

   Drow Cities

Major Houses in Menzoberranzan (in order by rank):

Xolarrin: House Xolarrin has the most soldiers defending their compound than any other in the city. The house boasts 2600 known soldiers and an additional 700 slaves. The house is ruled by Matron Zeerith Q'Xolarrin, a 25th level priestess of Tolmet.

Oblodra: House Oblodra has become the second house of Menzoberranzan through deceit, cunning, and betrayal, with help from their Mind Mages. House Oblodra has approximately 10 nobles who are mind mages and several in the ranks of Drow soldiers. Their soldiers number 1000 with an unusually large slave force of 1100.

Kenafin: This house controls much of Menzoberranzan's trade. They are frequently in contact with the Black Bane merchant company and have hired them for more than fifty jobs since the company's emergence five hundred years ago. The army of this house numbers 450 in addition to a slave force of 600.

Other houses include Tuin'Tarl, Fey-Branche, Symrivvin, Baenre, Mizzrym, Hunzrin, Vandree, Shobalar, Druu'giir, Horlbar, Srune'lett, Duskryn, Agrach Dyrr, Faen Tlabbar, and Barrison Del'Armgo.

Another famous Drow city is Ched Nasad. Located a month's travel to the south of Menzoberranzan, the city is well away from danger's sharp talons. Ched Nasad was formed by House Nasadra after it's members were nearly destroyed for worshiping Panath.

The most famous of all the Drow trade centers is Sshamath. The city is ruled by drow wizards, rather than priestesses and trades in all manner of magical items. In the caravans from this city, one can find almost any type of magical item, from rings to swords to armor.

Another famous drow trade city is the city of Eryndlyn. This city sends frequent expeditions to the surface to acquire rare goods for sale in the Caverns. The Drow of this city worship the god Panath, Tolmet and Tark. There is little rivalry between the sects as most are concentrating on ways to gain power or prestige through barter and sale.

The Drow city of Llurth Dreir tends a large fungi farm. The fungi are harvested and eaten, though some are cultivated to make various drow poisons and potions.

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