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Dawn of Time > Player's Guide > Drow  

Drow

Drow - The Remains of the lost 5th Clan Elves
A Drow is a social construct used by society to identify who people are, where they fit in and how they are to be treated. Over the years, a few Drow have left the Drow City. There is no telling what could have happened out there so this leaves flexibility for nearly any storyline or background that players may come up with outside of the underground Drow culture of DoT. Players that choose a Drow do not need to be from the Drow City, perhaps they were raised by humans as an orphan. In this case, it will be like raising a bug bear or a goblin as a child. It would be more like a strange pet and this is how they will be treated by many.
 
The Drow are lead by Xitelex and characters may have a calling to her if they develope into high levels.
 
They live in the Drow City deep underground. The Drow city is a real in-game place that is highly hostile an only intended for the highest level of players.
 
This should cause a great deal of distance that Drow have with the people of the Material Plane. Drow are an ancient race that originates from the 5th Clan of Elves (Moon Elf).
 
The Drow are a matron run society. Their women are the most feared creatures underground as they enslave the males using magic, charisma and corruption. Drow are jealous of the living, they dispise beauty and they mock emotion.
Drow Lifestyle Classes
Drow Organizational Classes
History of the Drow
The Drow, a long time ago, were once members of the 5th Clan of Elves (Moon Elf). Like their brothers and sisters they were a proud people, taught the merits of order and tradition. When the 5th clan came to the valley during the fall a great tragedy struck them as a massive earthquake swallowed a great number of their people, leaving the 5th clan greatly weakened. For a time the elves marked the location of the tragedy, honoring the fallen and hoping their spirits found their way to their ancestors. They could not have known that their brothers and sisters were still alive.

Unknown by the surface, a dark and terrible race plotted the fall of all surface creatures, dreaming of when the ignorant beasts would finally know the face of their true masters. As the world fell apart during the fall these twisted beings saw their chance to extend their power even further.  Using their mighty powers they forced the earth apart and caused the earthquake that swallowed so many members of the 5th clan. Wounded and scarred the Elves were helpless as lumbering monsters caged and took them deeper into the darkest parts of the world.

The dark creatures were exulted with their catch, and quickly set upon the elves so that they could serve as immortal servants for their superior masters. What was done to them few can say, and all who know will not say, but in the dark corners of the underground the Elves were changed, broken, made into a twisted mockery of their once proud race.

In order to better control their new servants they had all of their emotions stripped from them, making them no better than waking corpses. However a brain that is stimulated in no way is a dead brain, and such treatment would damage their stock, so in order to keep them stimulated and ‘happy’ slaves that had done well were allowed elixirs of emotion. These elixirs came with a number of different emotions, they even came with different concentrations of emotions, but regardless of what type of emotion they held they were highly prized by the elves that felt nothing for most of their days.

This servitude would have lasted forever if not for one of these elf slaves. Like her brothers and sisters she had no name, no glorious past life on the surface, she was just a servant to her superior masters. But unlike the other slaves she could feel an ache in her chest. She could not understand it and pondered if something was wrong with herself, as her master would be displeased with any imperfection. It lingered on, her master never noticing it, and she tried to put it at the back of her mind so she could work uninterrupted.

It was during her appointed meal time when the voice cried out “Don’t eat the food!” startled she dropped her paste from her scooped hand, thinking her master must have been displeased about something. Yet he was not in the room with her, nor did she feel his presence in her mind. She could not understand or know where the voice had come from, but as a slave she must follow orders, so she did not eat.

The next day she felt a fever come down on her, but a weak slave is an unwanted slave, so she tried to hide that fact. As the day went on it grew worse and worse, she had a massive headache that distorted her thoughts.  The next day she didn’t eat any food again and suddenly the fever was gone yet she felt strange all over, her head felt tingly. She was about to head out of her pen when suddenly an image flashed in front of her eyes. At first she felt worried, not knowing what the image she was seeing was, but like a good slave she did as was commanded. With her hand shaking she spoke words she couldn’t know, moved in a way she didn’t understand, then she felt a glow surrounded her and she was calmed.

But then in a sudden rush of shock and fear she realised... she was worried. Such illegal displays of emotion were forbidden, and she knew her masters would sense it and punish her severely. Yet nothing happened, no outcry came, no punishment, she went about her day normally.

She returned to her pen and thought on what was going on with her, and that was when the voice returned.
“Do not be alarmed, I’m here to help you” the unlikely voice said, it was naturally calming, kind and sounded more like a song then spoken words.

“W-who are you?”, she spoke in hushed words, knowing that she would be punished if she spoke when not commanded to.

The voice replied, “... I am you... or at least a forgotten part of you... but for now you must focus on surviving and helping our people.”

“I... I don’t understand”, the slave muttered.

“There’s no need to for now, all you need to do is listen to my instructions... You’ve already cast a protection spell on yourself so now your mind can not be read... But it won’t be enough to fool those monsters, you must act like you still have no emotions, ok?”, the voice asked.

“Alright”, the slave replied.

“For now do not eat the food they hand you... eat anything else whenever you can... We’ll talk later.”, the voice said, then disappeared.

“Wait!... Please... Please don’t leave me...”, the slave begged.

Regardless the voice left, as if it was never there. Yet she could still feel emotions she knew were forbidden welling up within her. The next day she acted like a normal slave, gaining no suspicion, and that night the voice returned and began to explain how her people came from and how they were enslaved.

“We... We were once so beautiful?”, the slave asked.

“Yes we were... And your name was Aeletia, you were one of the most fair. Now we must save our people, return to the surface with our brothers and sisters...”, the voice explained.

“... But... They abandoned us...”, the slave said in a deep, unforgiving voice.

“What? No... They didn’t know... They couldn’t have found us down here in the dark...”, the voice pleaded.

“Yes they could... I see these memories... Like they aren’t mine, memories of a people who could touch the stars if we wanted to... a people who hold the world together at the seams... And they couldn’t find us?!”, the slave asked is desperation.

“No... We... Were not that powerful...”, the voice explained.

“Exactly! Look at us!! Were the salves of monsters! We have been transformed to their desires because we were too weak to stop them. Weak! We suffer everyday in total darkness; our silent screams could make their ears bleed if they could only hear us! I say enough! I will free us, but I’ll do it for myself.”, the slave demanded.

The voice begged, “No! You can’t! We have to return to our people... they’ll welcome us back with open arms...”

The slave yelled back quickly, “Shut up! No they won’t! They’ll be disgusted with us! When they look at us all they will see is corruption and filth, we’d be lucky if they didn’t try and kill us!”

The voice struggled to get more words out just before it was interrupted by the slave, “I will free our people... Our new people... Our past is forgotten! We have no past! All we have is hate! I hate everything here! I’ll make it all burn for the pain it has caused us!”

For countless years she worked in secret, plucking old arcane memories from her mind that were locked away, planting the seeds of rebellion in her people. The voice of hate grew louder and louder until by the time her dark masters realized there was a plot within their slaves, it was too late. Ancient arcane might exploded from the slave pens, honed by hate, crafted from desire, the elf slaves had gone back into their dead pasts and used some of the most forbidden high magic known.

In moments it was over, but her dark masters were not so weak, and they escaped deeper into the earth even still.

At last, when they were free she walked amongst them, drinking in their praises and saying, “My people... my brothers and sisters of suffering... I am Xitelex... And we are free from those disgusting creatures... and why? Because we are strong! Why were we enslaved in the first place? Because we were weak! I say never again! No longer is their room for weakness, the only merits in life are power and control! I say we will return to the surface, but not as forgotten elves... but as the new rulers of this world! Once we purge these dark corners of our sworn enemy... We will purge the land above of all life! All shall burn before us! All shall know pain as they take their last breaths! All shall know us as Drow!”

In the darkness below the world, war has been brewing, a race full of hate prepares its weapons... and they shall have true justice... the justice they deserve... as the strongest...
Playing a Drow
Drow society resolves around strength, the weak are enslaved until they grow strong, and all other races are treated as little better then incest’s. Ruled over by the all powerful Xitelex the drow live in a balance of sensual ecstasy and oppression. Strangely the Drow still make use of many of the items used to enslave them, with the reasoning that only more suffering can they grow stronger.

It was discovered that it was a substance placed in their food that took away their emotions, and this food is still served out, but only as the harshest punishment. However, young children born after their slavery are fed this gruel, so that they can feel as their people did.

As a reward for being the strongest, the Drow also still use the potions of pure emotion, weather its going into a dream of endless happiness or a spiral of grief these potions are highly treasured. The most distributed potion is the potion of hate, which is given to their gladiators and warriors so that they will fight even more viscously.

The most perplexing thing about the drow however is that many still have memories of their past lives as elves of the 5th clan, and by some strange turn of fate these memories have taken on a life of their own. These memories speak with wisdom and the teachings of their old ways, but this more than anything enrages the drow. These voices are unwanted, and in some extreme cases are actually tortured. The tragedy is of course that the older drow still have relatives amongst the 5th clan of elves, but there would be no happy celebrations if they met.

The easiest type of Drow to rp would be a young drow of between 200-300 years. Since they are so young they wouldn’t be able to relate to their races suffering as slaves, and may instead begin to feel their suffering is unjustified. So they may try and escape, which would normally result in being caught and fed the dead food (Slang for the gruel that removes emotions) as punishment. But once in a while one is lucky, or has help and is able to escape. Such outcasts are not treated well if they are ever caught, and are usually sacrificed so that their weakness is forever purged. Young drow also do not have the burden of the voice, and may even suspect insanity from older drow when they talk to themselves.

Older drow that escape for whatever reason are usually cold, if not outright murderous. Adjusting to a life outside of drow society may be impossible for these drow, as the memory of their enslavement burns strong and so does their hate for anyone who didn’t suffer with them. Also the voice would play a heavy role for this kind of character, but for some it could be a blessing or a curse still.

Drow Pc’s that are not outcasts would be difficult to play, since most likely the entire player base is their enemy. You should ask the advice of a Dm before making a character like this.

Drow who act openly on the surface would not be treated well, as they have a history of murder and enslavement toward other races.  The fact they also live far away from other races also adds mystery to their race, so they have little reason to be trusted. Worst yet there have been many events of Drow pretending to have turned away from their old ways, only to reveal they are spies or assassins for the Drow. It is not unheard of for drow to be cut down on sight, even if they say they are coming in peace.

Last modified at 5/29/2008 7:10 PM  by KidSysco