Drow?

[Trizt]

Tim Nutting wrote:

>The Drow were created (According to the Complete Book of Elves) when some
>chose to follow Lolth against Corellan Lothlorien (sp?) in a great and
>ancient war.
>As there are no elven gods on Aebyrnis, how can there be drow, cursed with
>black skin and forced to live underground?
>If Planar Portals is the answer then what the hell, lets just throw in a
>few Immortals while we're at it, eh?

I think it was Ed who said that it wasn't impossible with planar
travlers to visit Cerilia, and as proof of that you have one of the
Hydras heads which has Psionic powers.

But if you don't like this, you can always make an option that elves of
some strange reason has some basic awnsheghlien forms, one which
resembles of Manslayer, one which resembles the "green elf" and one last
which resebles of the traditional drow.

As I have thought of it all time (since I bought BR), is that this is
the world where some powerful elves fought against each other about the
power of the realm. Some of thise became quite powerhungry as Corellan
and Lloth. Lloths followers came mainly from the southeast deserts, and
was natrually dark colored, while the forest living elves, of who a few
followed Corellan, where pale colored. Whit time they did take their war
away from Cerilia, and outside the homeworld they learned about the
minor races use of gods, which they teached to their followers and in
that way become more powerful them selfs.

But anyhow, it's all upto you to if you want to have drows in your BR
campagin. I think it's an adventure from TSR which mentions/hs drow, you
could explan their existance by magic, they are really normal elves, but
they have a magical item which gives them the same powers as if they
would be drows.

Oki doki, there was some suggestions... pick one of them or just make
your own explanation.

//Trizt
------------------
E-Mail: trizt@iname.com URL: http://www.student.gu.se/~jaah0002
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[Kyle Foster]

I personally like the fact that there are no drow in BIRTHRIGHT. I
think they have been over used of late and lost some of the terror they
once inspired in players. (This could just be because I ran a really
long FR game and got really sick of Drow and the like).

I think BIRTHRIGHT is closer to the Celtic and Norwegien concept of
Light and Dark , or Seelie(sp) and UnSeelie(sp) courts in some ways.
The Elven realm in the Vos guide comes pretty close to the unseelie
court in some ways.

I also prefer the fact my players can't tell a "good" elf from a "bad"
one. Though I think that an elven character could probably recognize an
elf who had truely embraced evil along the lines of the Fiest RIFTWAR
saga. No one else could recognize an "evil" elf by appearnce, but the
elves could instictivly recognize the wrongness and pain in the evil
elfs spirit.

Those are my thoughts for what they are worth.

Kyle
- --
"What's so amazing about really deep thoughts?" - Tori Amos, "Silent
All These Years"

[Trizt]

Kyle Foster wrote:

> I also prefer the fact my players can't tell a "good" elf from a "bad"
>one. Though I think that an elven character could probably recognize an
>elf who had truely embraced evil along the lines of the Fiest RIFTWAR
>saga. No one else could recognize an "evil" elf by appearnce, but the
>elves could instictivly recognize the wrongness and pain in the evil
>elfs spirit.

I have to agree that players shouldn't be able to see in the appearance
of a beigin if it's good or evil. To shacke them, I have introduced
kobolds as nice guy's (it was in a FR campaign, where the PC's came to a
small tavern somewhere in nowhere. A huge amount of hobgoblins was
plundering it. When they saw something small fighting against a huge
bounch of hobgoblins, they thought it would be a dwarf fighter, but when
they had got rid of some of the hobgoblins so they could see what was in
the center, they saw a kobold in platemail. This kobold priest became an
important healing source for the party, which did lack an own priest),
showed a more civilisated version of goblins (living as
english/southeuropean pesants, with other words almost as slaves) and so
on.

But something I can think of, is that there exists darker colored elves
in Cerilia, in the same way that the Cerilian humans do have other skin
colors. But the color will not have nothing to do with special powers,
disadvantiges or ability scores.
Think of the disappointment for the players when their most loved PC's
has just been executed for the murder of the most lawful traider in
whole Cerilia.


//Trizt

---------------------
E-Mail: trizt@iname.com URL: http://www.student.gu.se/~jaah0002
---------------------

[Mark A Vandermeulen]

On Tue, 7 Apr 1998, Tim Nutting wrote:

> As there are no elven gods on Aebyrnis, how can there be drow, cursed with
> black skin and forced to live underground?

Well, for those who like to have drow running around, it IS possible that
Drow are elves who chose to retreat into the Shadow World after the defeat
at Deismaar. Someone (I forget who, but I saved the post so I could look
it up) proposed that when the Elves switched sides at Deismaar, some elves
refused to do so. Some, the followers of Rhobhe, refused to fight the
other elves, and focussed their agression against the humans, but other
elves were so enamored of Azrai and so caught up in their own hate and
anger that they were enraged by the "betrayal" of the rest of the elves,
and fought and killed their fellow elves. These are the Dark Elves (or
Shadow Elves) of Cerilia, for after the battle of Deismaar, none of the
other elves would forgive them, and hunted them down. Thus the Dark Elves
retreated underground, and from there discovered portals into the Shadow
World. There, due to the effects of the Shadow World, they were physically
changed into a different form (and thus they could develop the Drow
"mutations" in only 1000 years).

However, I would suggest coming up with a new set of "powers" for Cerilian
Shadow Elves that distinguish them from FR and Greyhawk Drow.

Mark VanderMeulen
vander+@pitt.edu

[DKEvermore]

In a message dated 98-04-07 22:43:42 EDT, you write:

> As there are no elven gods on Aebyrnis, how can there be drow, cursed with
> black skin and forced to live underground?
>
> If Planar Portals is the answer then what the hell, lets just throw in a
> few Immortals while we're at it, eh?
>
> Good Gaming!
>
> Tim Nutting
>
I agree. I say, if you'd like to see some other types of elves (doesn't
necessarily have to be racial, it could be cultural!) why not create them
special, just for Birthright? I did (I posted general description a while
ago, and have sent more complete backgrounds to a couple people outside the
List), and I think it more appropriate to create such Birthright-optimized
races. It adds to the setting rather that diluting it with the "generic"
stuff.

- -DKE

[DKEvermore]

In a message dated 98-04-08 06:54:48 EDT, you write:

> But something I can think of, is that there exists darker colored elves
> in Cerilia, in the same way that the Cerilian humans do have other skin
> colors. But the color will not have nothing to do with special powers,
> disadvantiges or ability scores.
> Think of the disappointment for the players when their most loved PC's
> has just been executed for the murder of the most lawful traider in
> whole Cerilia.
>
hmm.. Maybe. Also note that the suggested descriptions of Tuar Annwn elves
describe them as exceedingly gaunt and pale. I picture them really unearthly
to look at, and not so nice... After all, no sane elf will go to Tuar
Annwn...

Thoughts anyone?
- -DKE

[DustyAbom2]

hey, how about this? There was one main elf that stayed with Azrai: Rhoube
Manslayer. His skin is grayish....how about the possibility that BirthRight
Drow are the elves (and their descendants) that got less signifigant portions
of Azrai's blood at deismaar?

[darkstar]

DustyAbom2 wrote:
>
> hey, how about this? There was one main elf that stayed with Azrai: Rhoube
> Manslayer. His skin is grayish....how about the possibility that BirthRight
> Drow are the elves (and their descendants) that got less signifigant portions
> of Azrai's blood at deismaar?

Bryon Switala wrote up a new Elven race a while back that follows this
reasoning. I have reposted it here as it sort of fits in with this
discussion. The rest of the info can be found on my webpage in the
Adurian section. I am still deciding if to use it or now.

Awnsidhelien

The elves of Aduria are few and far between, they are a dark and
reclusive race, suspicious of all other races.
Early in history the elves contested human settlement in Cerilia. During
the War of Shadows they allied with
Azari, but at the height of the battle of Mount Deismaar most elves
changed to the side of the Five Tribes. The
elves that stayed loyal to Azari retreated with the rest of the Empire's
forces and now live in Aduria.
These elves have declared that the Cerilian Elves are their most hated
enemies.
There is only one race of Adurian Elves; they call themselves the
Awnsidhelien (awn-SHEE-lin), or Dark Elves.
The Awnsidhelien hold court in the deepest, most secluded dark woods in
the Adurian forests.
Dark Elves stand slightly taller then most humans, they are far more
graceful and slender. Most average 6 to 6
1/2 feet in height, and weigh 130 to 150 pounds. All have dusky grey
skin, like a light ash, and dark hair. The
total population of dark elves is roughly 50,000 and only about 200
carry the bloodline of Azari, mostly of tainted
strength. Those elves that are blooded have pure white eyes, devoid of
pupils and irises, yet all dark elves
cannot tolerate bright lights. (-2 to attack if unblooded, -4 if
blooded). Dark elves posses an unnatural beauty,
and their voices carry a spellbinding quality.
Dark elves are a brooding race and treat others with coldness. Adurian
elves have been given priestly powers,
same as the goblins, by Azari to prove his power. This makes the dark
elves believe even stronger in their own
superiority over their Cerilian cousins. They are creature created with
faerie dust and starlight, blasted by the
shadow. They have lost touch with the true magic of the land so now have
begun to slowly age. They still live
much longer then any of the other races, but this make the dark elves
value each day a little more then regular
elves.
The dark elves heart is one of conflict, they feel emotions to each
extreme; they can be moved to wild delight in
one instant, dark brooding the next, then suddenly unyielding anger all
in the span of a few minutes. More then
anything else these elves feel the lose of there heritage and the hatred
towards the cousins they felt betrayed
them.
Dark elves have a resistance to sleep and charm spells (90% resistance)
Since they have lost their immortality, they are effected by ageing
attacks, but not normal disease. Adurian
elves have infra vision and can see 60 feet in darkness. They also can
see by starlight or moonlight as if it were
day.
They do not need to sleep, but must rest the same amount of time a human
needs to sleep. If they don't they will
become physically exhausted.
Dark elves have no special attack bonuses and no ability to detect
secret doors or concealed objects, but are
able to surprise opponents as described in the Players Handbook. Dark
elves can pass without a trace in all
natural settings and ignore ground characteristics when moving.
Dark elves follow any non good alignment. Since the lose of their touch
with true magic dark elves regents do
not get the population and source bonuses for ruling provinces. Their
woodland homes are very dark and the
heart of it is a twisted mockery of nature. The society developed that
only blooded females are taught to be
priests, this was because the race wanted to preserve the females for
childbearing, they stayed back and didn't
fight.
Blooded males are the only ones taught true magic, they are mostly
Fighter/Wizards. Non-Blooded Dark Elves
have lost their connection from the True Magic so they can not be True
Wizards.

- --
Ian Hoskins

e-Mail: hoss@box.net.au
Homepage: http://darkstar.cyberserv.com
ICQ: 2938300

[Shade]

At 09:33 PM 4/7/98 -0500, you wrote:
>> The Drow were created (According to the Complete Book of Elves) when some
>> chose to follow Lolth against Corellan Lothlorien (sp?) in a great and
>> ancient war.
>>
>> As there are no elven gods on Aebyrnis, how can there be drow, cursed
>with
>> black skin and forced to live underground?
>>
>> If Planar Portals is the answer then what the hell, lets just throw in a
>> few Immortals while we're at it, eh?
>>
>Sure, and a new Ehrsheghlien, The Avangion (a 30/30 Wizard/Psionicist with
>godlike powers, from Dark Sun). . .oh, wait: The Avangion drove the Drow
>back through the planar portal to the misbegotten realm they arrived from,
>and, her job finished, she followed with them, to insure that no Drow would
>breath Aerbyrnis air again (much like Harkonnens, thouse Drow.)

Yes, this does make a lot of sense. Perhaps we should make this the official
take on drow, hmm?

[Tremiere]

My opinion on elves is simple. There is one type of elf in Cerilia. The
Cerilian elf. They have no gods to follow, otherwise, Azrai would not have
been able to influence their entire race. They believe that they become a
star when they die, and fight dragons (the only other immortals) in the
afterlife (as stated in the book Greatheart). So I think that if Drow were to
exist, they would have to be a string of elves that went underground for some
reason in the past, and have lived there ever since. Naturally, they would
evolve to become something different. Though, I wonder, if elves would evolve
as fast as humans, through natural selection?