Dark Elves / Drow Elvhen

Drow are technically not a seperate ethnicity from the other elf subraces. But rather a rare genetic mutation. Whie rumors persist of dark cults and secret drow societies in underground layers. Drow are fully culturally assimilated into whichever culture they are born into. Drow who live in smaller, more remote communities may never see another like them in their entire lives. The larger capital cities may have a few dozen drow scattered about.    Due to the unique appearence of the drow and the inability to discern the parentage of them, they are often trained and hired as ambassadors or emissaries for nobles or diplomatic missions inside the Sunset Confederacy. If a mission goes well, their patron takes the credit, if they fail; well what do you expect from one of "them"? If all else fails, their naturally dark skin and extended darkvision does align well with assassination missions too...

All drow have the Sunlight Sensitivity feature which makes living in sunlight a painful experience. Sunlight burns their eyes and they have trouble seeing clearly when not in darkness. Torch light or ambient light doesn't trigger this effect however. Due to this, drow will spend considerable time and gold investing in heavy wool or leather hoods to cover their heads when travelling. This doubles as a method of obscuring their features from wandering eyes.

If a drow is fortunate or lucky enough to afford it, they may commission dark glass eyeglasses which help to block sunlight from just their eyes. These "sunglasses" are often a signifier that the dark elf either comes from noble birth or has a very wealthy patron. Dark elves who own these glasses are extremely protective of them and rarely part with them willingly. Fads and trends of non-dark elves wearing these sunglasses comes and goes every few decades.

Dark elves often the subjects of taboo fetish by the elvhen. To lay with a drow in elvhen society would be akin to incest. Many salacious writers, poets, and artists use drow as dark temptors in their writing. Drow unfortunate enough to sink into the underworld are often hired or purchased as prositutes or courtesans to satisfy the curious or fetishistic desires of others. Those drow used in this way are highly protected due to their rarity and are often treated well by their masters. What the drow want for themselves is rarely considered however.

Local folklore and legends on the origins of the dark elves is fraught with racism and superstition. Stories varied wildly between clans and tribes but the most salient points remained. That dark elves were the result of dark shadow spirits impregnating women in their sleep. The child being born with dark black skin, white hair, and blood red eyes. These elves born of darkness, would become witches and warlocks making dark pacts with evil spirits to bring woe to the world. Many children born into this world as dark elves are killed in their cribs. If not by their own mothers, than by a family member, servant, or wet nurse; smothered before they could shroud the community in their evil.   Today, only 1 in 100,000 elves are born with the dark mutation. While stigmas and misconceptions proceed into the modern times, elven society on the Sunset Isles has largely abandonded such backwards hate. The same cannot be said of elven communities in The Crowns. Who still see the dark elves as harbingers of misfortune.

If the Half-Elf / Shar Elvhen are treated with exoctic fascination, then the dark elves are treated like taboo fetish. Their onyx skin and white hair are so rare, their sheer existence turns heads. They can be treated with perverse fascination. Many elvhen artists will seek out drow as subjects of art pieces.