Difference between revisions of "Drow"
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Revision as of 17:26, 18 December 2006
- This article refers to the mythical race of Dungeons & Dragons. For the "drow" of Scottish folklore as well as other examples of dark elves and black elves from mythology, folklore, and fantasy fiction, see Dark elf.
Drow are a species of elf in the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. Etymologically, the term is probably derived from the Shetland Isles Drow (Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1970) states: "Drow, n., [scot.] A tiny elf which lived in caves and forged magical metal work."). The word's origin is identical to the origin of the word "troll," which both go back further to the Scottish Gaelic word spelled "trow." The original Scottish Gaelic word is pronounced "dtrow" with a soft "dt" sound, and the original pronunciation sounds similar to "troll." The word is also found in Cornish and Welsh with slight pronunciation differences. The race itself seems based on another dark elf, specifically the Dokkalfar of [orse mythology.
Drow, or "dark elves" as they are called by most surface dwellers, are an offshoot of the elven race. Drow are characterized by white or silver hair, obsidian black skin, and red (or rarely gray, violet, or yellow) eyes, as well as innate spell powers and spell resistance. This is balanced by their weakness in daylight. Also, drow weapons and armor (usually made of adamantite or another metal unique to the Underdark) slowly lose their magical properties if exposed to the sun. Drow also employ the unusual dart-firing hand crossbow.
Half-drow are the result of crossbreeding between humans and drow, and share characteristics of both.
Drow characters are extremely intelligent, charismatic and dextrous, but share surface elves' comparative frailty and slight frames. As a race they are usually evil. Drow males are commonly wizards or fighters. Females are almost always clerics and almost never wizards.
Drow hate elves, but wage war with almost any surface and subterranean races, such as mind flayers, svirfneblin, duergar, and kuo-toa for spoils and territory. Their society is matriarchal, with priestesses of the goddess Lolth (Lloth in the drow tongue) in the highest seats of power. Males are either enslaved or (rarely) respected if they are powerful wizards, but never allowed to rule. The drow sometimes use their dark arts to turn human slaves into living sculptures.
Famous BD Drow
See Also
- Drow_Me_the_Way (The BD Drow Guide)
External links
- Internet Archive of a drow webpage
- The Dark Seldarine of the War of the Spider Queen
- Site of House Zauana, soon to be totally written in the Drow Language. Also providing a Forum for all Drow, amongst other features.
Further reading
- Turnbull, Don, ed. Fiend Folio (TSR, Inc., 1981).
