For example, exchanging a hand with a claw or sword for combat was possible. It's mostly meant to be a backdrop for encounters your party might have in the city, but I figured I'd throw a tavern, a shop and a small market in there to give it a little extra utility. They usually have silver, grey, or white hair with pale, purplish skin. For lack of better terminology, one simply couldn't truly feel the Divine Dance of Eilistraee "properly" except as a female, and so her rare and secretive male priests had to spend some time as a female, not just for the duration of a ritual called the Changedance, but in everyday ways. Drow : Eric Boyd : Ultoksamrin : Formerly Shield Dwarf\ Now Drow followers of Vhaerun : UD/DGTU : Ultoksurllur : Deep Gnomes? Males never held any authority unless they managed to become an officer. 3: The various elemental portals. [2], The house ranks in the early Sable Years, in the Year of the Singing Skull, 1297 DR:[1], The house ranks in the later Sable Years, in the Year of the Adder, 1328 DR:[1], The house ranks during the Time of Troubles in the Year of Shadows, 1358 DR:[1]. BoLS Comments Rules Free shipping for many products! This Underdark city-state is the most famous drow stronghold in the Forgotten Realms and is the ancestral home of the famed ranger Drizzt Do'Urden, who left it at a young age. Both men and women can become masters of the magical arts, though the way is dangerous and difficult. Prisoners of such violent activities were the source of slaves in their cities. [32] A child born with physical malformations or imperfections, due to the drow obsession with beauty, was killed shortly after birth. [25] Though their alluring appearance could be used for seduction, it was more often utilized to instill fear. [145], The drow didn't see slaves as a valuable commodity, but as a cheaply and easily replaceable tool that they were allowed to treat cruelly and exploit at will. [28] If a drow was not where they believed they should be, their pride demanded they blame someone else (sometimes everyone else) for their incorrect position. The eight most powerful matron mothers collectively form the citys government, known as the Ruling Council, and the back-and-forth struggle for dominance amongst both the matron mothers and the houses they represent defines Menzoberranzan. [114] Since traits like kindness or compassion were considered dangerous and exploitable,[30] children who showed such weakness were punished. Someone shouts Run. An angry mob bursts from a nearby street. [114], A working long-term relationship between drow was likely not the result of love, but due to tangible reasons, like complementary careers, political influence, attractiveness, or the male having a history of fathering many female offspring. All members of drow noble houses attend this elite institution, choosing one of its three separate schools: Bregan Daerthe is an outlier in Menzoberranzan a society of outcasts that defies all rules yet somehow manages to prosper. Drow City streets. installs art throughout the city. There was an underground city near the marshland! [92] Patrol leaders were equipped with a hand crossbow, javelins with an atlatl, and a moderately enchanted mace to indicate their authority. This Virtual Boxed Set features: Five original Drow City products, including: - Drow City: seven maps featuring the whole city. [29], Drow generally kept their hair long, and decorated it with pins and webbing made of precious metals. Draw the major lines of your composition. 85. [44][45] Most were incapable of trusting other creatures, no matter their race,[46] and were taught from an early age not to do so, as they were expected to advance at the expenses of others by any means, including treachery and even outright murder (although not overtly). [88] Prolonged covert warfare between two houses, by means like assassination, were not exactly forbidden, but it was only tolerated for a time counted in years, after which the drow city's ruling council forced the two houses to enter open war. Playing Out of Abyss. [203] The Way of Lolth, for example, made clear that Lolth was the only true divine being, and to follow any other faith would bring down a series of awful punishments on the perpetrator, including death. 81. The piwafwi was a notorious example, although insignias were also important to the drow houses and granted special powers like, sometimes, levitation. [71], Drow were as frail as any other elves,[72] and had a fascination with stealth and subtlety. [114], Due to their competitive society, drow tried to instill the ideals of tenacity, cruelty, ambition,[43] self-reliance, and independence in their children. Skin color(s) We produce RPG battlemaps with a high standard of artwork featuring a variety of locations; castles and villages, dungeons and crypts, temples and caverns. Open or create a map. [38], The end result of being raised in this environment was that the drow were untrusting sadists with a constant readiness to stab others in the back, both in the figurative and literal sense. First, the annotated version, the DM notes and this other version. A male drow servant whispers in a male characters ear Your freedom is not your own. Elf About 70% of drow had an intuitive understanding of how fortifications or waterworks were constructed, operated, circumvented, and controlled, an innate "feeling" that extended to works made by other races. Both will provide further insight into this dark metropolis, where poisoned drow crossbow bolts lurk around every corner, and stepping on an arachnid just might lead to the end of your existence. [Encounter] All this exploration has gained the attention of a matron mother. 13. 57. [54] Like with base powers, it was normally impossible to cast mature powers in the presence of intense light. 7. 59. Symbol of a lawful good deity etched in the stone of a doorway. [9][24][10] Due to a process of selective breeding that lasted for several generations,[9] the drow (especially nobles)[24] looked attractive[23] even in comparison to other elven subraces. It binds hands and feet in such a way that the bound prisoner is injured every time they move. [31] Web chokers' were considered fashionable by drow priestesses,[33] who also often used powdered Ormu, an Underdark-moss, as eye shadow. [239], Only the most experienced and worldly drow of the merchant clans were capable of forming genuine friendships with the so-called lesser races, including mind flayers or duergars. $2.99. 93. A drow impersonating a member of the party keeps showing up where the party is. In effect, each was a kind of boarding school for children over ten years old, which normally only allowed them to return home once per year for important family or religious meetings. Justice had never been more than a facade and a means of keeping the pretense of order in chaotic Menzoberranzan. [80] At some point during the early 1370s, these items fell out of favor[81] and the drow started to wear mithral armor when it was affordable, but they kept using armor that wouldn't hamper their natural dexterity. These patrols were special, for they had an additional cleric with healing duties who also worked as a spy for the church of Lolth. They return after a few days but cannot remember what happened. document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); Your email address will not be published. It is very easy to think that you are alone and then suddenly have dungeon alert jump up as a dozen or more Drow attack you. If you find these tools helpful, please consider supporting this site. Perhaps one of these days our path will lead us there!!! Systems of intricately curved pipes that bore through solid rock, fitted with shut-off valves, side-channels, and pumps, collected and diverted water for various purposes, from dietary, to industrial, to waste disposal. save. Drow City streets. 64. 45. You can't enter Drow City and that's it. Mar 15, 2023 - Explore Jacob Bishop's board "D&D Battle Maps: Underdark", followed by 877 people on Pinterest. Menzoberranzan the City of Intrigue, the City of Spiders. [121], Still, males who hoped to find any place of power often resorted to ends as treacherous as the women that ruled the drow. They varied slightly from person to person due to various reasons, including but not limited to genetics, personal talent, and divine favor. Required fields are marked *. Even though capable artisans weren't few among the drow, there was a great shortage of such talents compared to the demand, and both nobles and merchant clans tried to have at least six on their payroll. Go down to 'Engineering' and select 'Map.'. This path can then be plotted using the lines () function. A ladder on the side of a cavern wall leads up to a ledge overlooking the entire city. Teaming up with actual will-o'-wisps to make this more effective was a known technique, however, this was viewed as corrupted behavior. A drow fortune teller asks a character to pick a card. Such equipment could not withstand sunlight,[78] but was cheap and easy to produce. Too safe. [203], There were two major faiths among the drow:[73]. They appear unharmed. Malice Do'Urden sacrificing Zaknafein Do'Urden to appease Lolth. [75] Runes could be enchanted with a glyph of warding spell,[236] and drow runecasters could create unique ones for locations of importance. It was a map of an underground city! 40. The aforementioned pumps had two varieties: a corkscrew-type, that worked by water pressure, and a piston type, worked by slaves. A house hierarchy overlaps with that of the church, with the most powerful of a house's women serving the higher roles within the temple. Meet Solaufein in the Male Fighters' Society. Size A pet shop full of exotic Underdark creatures. A walkway lined with bleached skulls of various creatures leads to a tavern filled with similar decor inside. The city occupies an irregularly shaped cavern more than 2 miles wide at its widest point. A hall/alley filled with spider webs which cling to any trespassers. Ambition overrides good sense and compassion is thrown away in its face, all in the name of Lloth, the Spider Queen. [73], As a general rule, the inhabitants of Toril's surface knew very little about the drow. 23. Others only smell rotting meat. 34. [198], About a fifth of the entire drow race was capable of complex works, while only about one-tenth could create items fine enough to be enchanted or turned into drowcraft through the absorption of faerzress. Cityographer Underdark/Drow City Map Icons (Any Editor) From Inkwell Ideas. She was considered unpure, not even fit enough to sacrifice to Lolth, and was sent by this noble to be left to die in a field somewhere by a servant. Type A blacksmith claims to make one of a kind armor using a drop of the patrons blood. [75] Male drow were normally competent fighters,[36] and rangers were also valued as scouts. [48], Apart from its obvious use as a light source, drow used their ability to create dancing lights to surprise the enemy with the sudden appearance of a glowing figure or will-o'-wisp-like light balls. [32], Arcane magic was a route for power for male drow, though open only to a few. Meet Solaufein by the entrance to the Eastern Tunnels. As a result, the other races learned to anticipate betrayal and always had counters to the treachery prepared. Gems of silvery hues were used as contrast when it couldn't be provided by metal. [32] It would be easy to imagine, therefore, that drow females, had it much easier compared to males, but this was merely an illusion. 32. While attacking a House in short succession wasn't technically punished by law, the offending Houses's priestesses would lose Lolth's favor and be unable to cast spells until they performed a great deed to regain it. This hardback details an entire drow city in full, offering Games Masters a fully realized setting for their games, or a focus for players to assault. [23] According to the goblin Nojheim, the beauty standards of the surface races made them prone to turn a blind eye to the deeds of the drow, showing them greater leniency and acceptance. Average height4755 (140170cm)Average weight87157lb (3971.2kg) A perfume bottle. I want to make a larger, region-sized map of the whole loch with 10-12 locations marked: maybe a kuo-toa village, a duergar outpost, a few islands with some ruins, a series of caves, maybe something underwater, stuff like that. Drow were usually only sent in the Lowerdark as scouting parties, or as some kind of punishment for angering a matron. [50] Most surface drow were followers of Vhaeraun, not Lolth,[210] and the vast majority of Eilistraee's followers were also on the surface. [36][23], The moral code of the average drow was informed by the teachings of Lolth. They are restored after a few seconds. What books reveal new Drow cities that aren't with Lolth? [87], Drow practitioners of path magic organized their spells in the so-called Path of the Drow, also known as Lolth's Road, or the Spider Road. For example, some surface drow managed to become traders who traded with Calimshan, Chessenta, Mulhorand, Waterdeep, or Zhentil Keep. Medium [115], Drow Houses were founded by powerful drow individuals with special powers, whose traits would be passed to their offspring (see under Noble Powers), and further augmented with magic items. It brings thewicked whimsy of the Feywild to fifth edition for the first timeand offers new characters, monsters, mechanics, and story hooks suitable for players of all ages and experience levels! [93], Patrols were outfitted with a scroll of protection from earth and stone to guard against cave-ins, while surface raiders or underground furtive attackers used an orb of duo-dimension to allow stealthy attacks.[96]. If Rilauven is somewhere between them, it could be relatively close to both. The eight crimson petals and center resemble a spider. 68. [202], The drow were believed to be more fecund than other elves,[262] though in truth, they simply had a higher readiness to birth as many children as possible during their lifespan. [58] These abilities could also vary in the same person temporarily, depending on their personal (mental and physical) health situation, age, and degree of training. Below the non-officer males (who were normally of the House's bloodline) were servants and slaves. Pointed ears, slim but athletic build, beautiful, affinity to darkness, able to enter fully aware sleep state [118][88], In truth, drow law was nothing more than a formal excuse for cruelty, an ironic parody of order made only to disguise the chaotic, ruthless, murderous ambition of the drow and their infighting. [46], Commoners who gained enough expertise in a certain area, like Zaknafein Do'Urden as a warrior, might be adopted into a noble family. These priestesses of Lolth that normally reigned over drow societies were poor rulers who tossed their cities into a haphazard organization. Formal education or much practice was needed to "read" heat hues, as the drow had no innate ability to discern the meaning of the various patterns from birth. [74], All warriors in a patrol usually equipped with short swords, daggers, up to three javelins (with an atlatl to extend their reach), a hand crossbow with ten poisoned darts, and a buckler for protection. Press Esc to cancel. [199][200] Drow that remained loyal to Lolth were known as Lolth-sworn drow. [90] Making matters worse for the drow, in war situations, the noble Houses schemed against each other so that their rivals would take the heaviest losses, or carry the responsibility for any failure, meaning that they were incapable of forming a truly united front against their enemies. The only thing you can do now is to kill Adalon and pick something important to proceed with your game. hide. [51] Furthermore, even those who escaped the cruelties of the Underdark found it more difficult to form long-term friendships than most races did[23] and had to constantly be on the lookout for pursuers who could kill them. [92]:During wartime, the patrols doubled their numbers of poisoned darts, and every warrior was equipped with up to three potions of healing in steel vials that didn't rust. 5th Edition Statistics[1] 1. 49. 66.4k members in the inkarnate community. 90. These warbands normally included a mix of both male and female drow, with a homogenous patrol likely indicating that the tension between the sexes in their city was reaching a critical point. I wanna read 'em! This is balanced by their light sensitivity. Even just disabling your adblocker will help (it's only text and plain . Language(s) The lowest ranking members, almost exclusively non-drow, were called "assets", and made up the labor and military force of the organization. [94], The drow also had a knack for responding to their enemies' actions, including spellcasting. [75] Those lands were usually found inside the main cavern but sometimes, usually due to space limits, they could be found outside as well. generally unknown to other races.[237]. [23] From birth, the drow were taught that they were superior to other races, and as such they believed themselves to be the ultimate beings. [192] When participating in a meeting, due to their weakness to light, the creation of an intense light source was seen as a hostile act by the drow, that led them to attack.[54]. There were three categories of drow runes and glyphs: the house defense glyphs, used by the most powerful drow to defend their houses and treasures, the way-marker runes, used to guard places with drow traffic but no permanent population, and the sacred glyphs, only found in sacred sites of Lolth. tr. We did not go anywhere nearMenzoberranzan, for obvious reasons. The next morning after chanting ceases, the earth rumbles for 1d12 minutes. Ironically, commoners had a greater number of multi-generation households, since their relatives had less to gain from their death, resulting in families who had many living generations of members. With new rules, intricate politics, visually stunning maps and more, this book is sure to attract attention. Challenge rating Underground [Encounter] Stone steps lead to an opening under a building. Boots of Dark Elvenkind. Their mission is to map the terrain, record all observations of their surroundings and of one another and, above all, avoid being contaminated by Area X itself. Keep going, there is still plenty more to see!!! Within a family, noble drow parents viewed their children as vehicles for their own advancement, a mindset which included sacrificing them for some potential gain. A simple childrens picture book titled Spiders of the Underdark. When read aloud swarms of spiders burst from the pages. 17. [22] Intellect, along with force of personality, were mental traits that had been ruthlessly selected for in their socially darwinian civilization over several generations. A drow offers the party riches beyond their wildest dreams if they entertain her desires for 1d6 days. Measure route distance on Google map Neutral evil [203][206] As a result, while deities like Bane, Cyric, and Shar had millions of worshipers[207] but only 135,000, 250,000, and 100,000 dedicated church members respectively,[208] the number of worshipers of a Dark Seladrine member was nearly equal to the size of their church. Awesome article! 33. I've been waiting for an excuse to start role-playing her for a long time now. Alignment Comparison of heights; from left to right: a human, sun elf, wood elf, moon elf, drow, and wild elf. Zedarr, a drow blackguard of Kiaransalee. Ritual worship by non-drow was punished with a heavy fine and temporary exile from the city with second offenses carrying the death penalty, along with first-time offenses by drow. It sports a collar that reads Itsy in Elvish. [105] As far as dwellings went, noble drow usually lived in their mansions while the commoners lived in either small caves or walled, circular houses with dug-out cellars and adobe-like construction, both designed to be as beautiful as possible. Most of the city I never detailed out beyond the map key and the player's spent most of their time at The Broken Dagger Tavern (that they ran) and sneaking off to their hidden refuge . However, the extreme, self-destructive degree to which the Darwinian attitude of the drow was taken prevented them from achieving either of their purposes, barring possibilities for significant growth. 31. [101][28] The drow were the best architects when it came to shaping and hollowing out stalactites, stalagmites, and cave columns. Contents 1 Blurb 2 Index 2.1 Art 2.2 Characters 2.3 Creatures 2.4 Events 2.5 2.6 Locations 2.7 Organisations 3 Appendix Blurb [48] In fact, the mere inconvenience of maintaining the bond could be a reason to end it. [37] Drow "courting" was the domain of women in Lolthite society, and for a male to try initiate a relationship was a form of insubordination and a reason for execution by torture and sacrifice. Your email address will not be published. In some cities, such people were executed rather than enslaved. 95. The flow was regulated by opening a sliding panel, which turned the sphere in such a direction that only the volume of water that filled it could pass through and be diverted towards a side-channel. There also wasn't much to be gained from killing an elder (at least one that wasn't feeble), as they represented a valuable source of historical and general knowledge with realistic accessibility,[32] although they elderly would be eaten if the city was faced with overpopulation. Focus on the features that tie up the map together, such as coastlines, mountains or other major features you want your map to focus on. Erelhei-Cinlu is a large drow city-state located in the Underdark, in the Vault of the Drow. 41. In the event of collapse, rubble was cleaned out by slaves, only for the drow to use magic like stone shape and the barest minimum amount of handiwork for reconstruction. There were no concepts like "guilt until proven innocent" or "proven beyond a reasonable doubt". 1 [22], Drow hair could be stark white,[22][15] pale yellow[9][24] and, more rarely, silver or copper in color. Generate a random star system, including primary planet physics, population, tech level, and other characteristics When turned over it emits a rumbling sound. Dungeons & Dragons, D&D, their respective logos, and all Wizards titles and characters are property of Wizards of the Coast LLC in the U.S.A. and other countries. The ceiling is 1,000 feet high, and stalactites, stalagmites, and columns litter the cavern. 5e [45], Many drow on the surface were actually spies still loyal to Lolth, sent to infiltrate the enemy and gather information for their matrons. Lolth's magic could maintain a matron's life for thousands of years, and this was considered a clear sign of favor from the goddess.[264]. The Black Sapphire, a famous thief was spotted near the slums. Darkvision. [99], Drow architecture, like typical elven works of construction,[100] put an emphasis on beauty and was considered a marvel to behold. They used tricky devices like clothes with built-in items, gas-powered needle-throwers, extensile mechanical hands, wire-saws, and similar devices to defend themselves and break out of cages and prisons.