JADE - Dark Elves
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Beneath the Darkling Forest & Mountains is Jade's equivalent
of the AD&D UnderDark.
Thousands of miles of twisting tunnels, mines, caverns and
subterranean lakes & rivers, inhabited by a variety of Monsters.
The major races dwelling in Jade's UnderDark are
- Goblins inside the Mountains and in the upper sections throughout Darkling Forest
- Dwarves (Grey Dwarves) mostly in tunnels stretching west under the Mithrilldor Mts.
- Dark Elves (Drow) in the deeper areas below the Forest.
All three races rely heavily on slaves from other races,
sometimes taken in raids against the surface dwellers,
but more often bred in captivity for generations.
Life for the Drow is similar to that described in the Dark Elf AD&D books.
Eight Great Families of Drow live in the deep caverns.
Although the Families have Ranches, mines and Hunting Ranges
in various outlying areas, they each occupy a section of the
Obsidian City. Drow culture is based around the worship of
Arachne - Queen of Spiders.
Each House provides a Priestess (Known as a Matriarch).
These Priestesses form the EIGHT who rule the Drow.
There are half a dozen Lesser Families who are waiting to rise
when one of the Great Families fall out of favour.
One of the Eight is selected every 512 days (8x8x8 = a Drow Year)
to be Queen. Selection is normally by Vote but in the case of a
tie will be decided by a fight to the death by champions from the
Families involved.
The Queen can be over-ruled by a vote of the Eight
(though she gets 2 votes).
Female Drow are Priestess/Fighters, some are also Wizards ,
male Drow are mostly Fighter/Wizards, but some are Ranger/Wizards
or Fighter/Bards.
Drow Males have to undergo an Ordeal when they reach 256
(8x8x4) years of age.
The Ordeal varies but always takes place on the Shadow-Web
(a portal a few miles from the City which leads into the
twisting tunnels of Arachne's Shadow-plane).
Mostly the ordeal is simply to travel along the Web,
overcoming various foes on the way and finally reaching
the Goddess at the centre. She then decides the Fate of the
delegate. She will speak with the delegate
(often answers questions - like a powerful Divination or
Commune spell). Usually the Drow will be blessed and
returned to the Obsidian City. Sometimes, for no apparent
reason (though it is rumoured that annoying the current
Queen can do it) the delegate will be transformed into a
Drider - powerful but constantly driven by a vicious,
spiteful anger.
There are probably about 2,000 Drow in total.
The Slave population is about 20,000.
A Bit of History
Drow were created by Arachne from Elves during the Demon War.
They are the hereditary enemies of Elves.
Over the last few thousands of years they have played
little part in the affairs of the Sunlit World.
As Elves have Spirits not Souls, they are born with the
Good/Evil portion of their Alignments fixed as Good.
It takes a Major (MAJOR) effect to change this alignment.
The long-term effect of the Unholy Venom of Arachne on the
Drow is to make all Drow be born Evil.
The Great Houses of the Dark Elves
- Theraphosidae - (Tarantula)
- Araneidae - (Web Weavers)
- Lycosidae - (Wolf Spiders) - Rangers
- Lactrodectus - (Black Widow)
- Argyroneta - (Water Spiders)
- Orthognatha
- Ctenizidae - (Trapdoor)
- Sitticus - (Jumping Spider)
Skorian's Tale - (Renegade Dark Elf)
Illithids
7-800 years ago a group of Illithids broke into Jade and
kidnapped an entire clan of Dwarves from the Mountains of
Mithrilldor.
When they returned to the Outer Worlds, a small group of
renegade Illithids remained. They formed a truce with the
Drow and occupied a remote part of the UnderDark.
In Jade, Illithids only live for about 100 years so
they have had several generations here now.
Their strange Psionic powers have become weaker than
they were but they are still formidable.
On and off they have been employed by the Drow Families
as Spys and Assassins. There are only about 100.
Skorian's Early Years
Skorian was just another Drow, evil and spiteful like
all the others.
He rose to considerable fame, becoming one of the youngest
ever Captains of his House (one of the Great Families of course).
The Turning Point
Shortly before his 256th year (the time of his Ordeal) he was
sent to track down some enemies of his Matriarch and
extract some information from them.
One of them turned out to be an Illithid.
After a brief battle only Skorian and the Illithid remained.
The Illithid seized control of Skorian's body holding him
paralysed while his mind was probed.
However by a supreme effort of will Skorian managed to
scratch the Illithid with a poisoned blade.
Their minds were interlocked as the Illithid died and a
flood of images overwhelmed the Drow.
The images cannot be remembered but they had a profound
effect on Skorian's alignment.
Escape from the Obsidian City
Over the next few years his distaste for Drow life grew and grew,
leading to his allowing a group of slaves to escape much to the
annoyance of the Drow Queen. On the day of his Ordeal,
fearing that Arachne would see into his Spirit and turn him
into a Drider, Skorian fled, pursued by other Drow.
Failing to undertake his Ordeal is the ultimate crime for Drow.
He can probably never go back.
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