Drow

Drow are particularly suited to their ancestral home in the Underdark , and have difficulty adapting to the surface world when they first arrive due to the bright sunlight.

Family pride is of the utmost importance in Drow society. Families are large and expansive, headed by a family Matriarch, the most (magically or martially) powerful Drow woman in the family. This woman is often, but not always, the eldest mother. Internally, there is some jockeying for position when a Matriarch begins to wane in power (typically around her 700th year, if she has survived that long). This period of instability can be protracted, as not all Matriarchs step aside with grace.   Each family also has a Captain, or second-in-command, who is considered the most powerful martial warrior in the family. This Captain takes the role of family protector and primary advisor to the Matriarch. Often the Captain is a sibling or direct descendant of the Matriarch. Though the Matriarch's choice has some impact on the position of Captain, Captains can be directly challenged by a lower-ranking family members and replaced through combat (often to the death).   Matriarchs rule their families like queens, with a firm and guiding hand. Most Matriarchs have several consorts who may hold any number of positions within the family hierarchy. Children of the Matriarch are held to higher expectations than cousins and training begins extremely early in life.   Each Matriarch sits on a High Council that makes the large, realm and city-wide decisions. The city of Shahrizarran has 15 ruling families, with the 3 largest and most powerful holding the strongest sway in decisions. Intra-family conflict is constant, but covert. Fighting in the streets is strictly prohibited, but a slender knife in the night is an expected danger.

As with the other Elven races, Drow have long, pointed ears of varying lengths, along with angular faces and often sharp features.

Drow have keen senses, particularly in the dark.

Drow live comfortably and semi-symbiotically with spiders as pets, mounts, and companions. Typically these spiders are orb-weaver varieties, but an occasional tarantula import is seen as a exotic acquisition.

Like other Elves, Drow are technologically and architecturally advanced. They have discovered beautiful and intricate ways to build their homes into massive stalagmites and stalactites of the Underdark caverns. Drow have also advanced war machines to an art form. Drow of the Demonweb Pits have a highly advanced armada and navy.

There is tension between the Drow and other elven sub-races as a result of ancient legend. The Eladrin in particular hold resentment for Lolth's sundering of the Sylvan Isles, which created the Feywild. Drow typically look upon their elven brethren with a patronizing air, as they do not understand why anyone would worship Corellon over Lolth. If a Drow, an Eladrin, and a Wood Elf walked into a bar, the air would be one of an awkward family reunion.   On the surface of the Prime Material Plane, Drow are very rare, as they seldom leave their Underdark home. A well-armed Drow will be met with the same suspicion as an unknown and well-armed human in most areas.