Post by DM on Jun 15, 2015 21:49:35 GMT
Half-Drow
In most lands, half-drow are rare. Since so many drow are irredeemably evil, they only mate with humans by way of rape or slavery. The only exception are the half-drow of the land of Dambrath in the Shining South, who arise from the centuries-old drow subjugation of the human folk of that land.
The Crinti (drowic for "noble ones"), also referred to as Shadow-Amazons by the Halruaans, are the half-drow and half-elf aristocracy and ruling class of Dambrath.
Half-drow have dusky skin, silver or white hair, and a broad range of eye colors. They are often just as dark-hearted as their elven parents, but with a bitter resentment that comes from knowing that they are considered second-class members of drow society. In human society, half-drow are distrusted nearly as much as their full-blooded cousins. Despite this, good half-drow are much less rare than good drow. Whether this has to do with the influence of their human blood, or the desire to rebel against the drow who treat them so poorly, is difficult to tell.
Around 500 years ago, the barbaric human kingdom of Dambrath warred with the powerful drow city-state of T’lindhet beneath the nearby Gnollwatch Mountains. When the drow won, they enslaved the humans of the region. Over the course of several human generations, the conquering dark elves took human lovers from their slaves, resulting in a large number of halfdrow.
Today, such people make up about 15% of the country’s population.
In time, the ruling drow nobles came to spend less and less time on the surface, returning to their subterranean city and leaving their surface conquests in the hands of their half-breed children. The great Houses of T’lindhet carved up the broad lands of Dambrath into their personal fiefs, and their halfdrow scions served as good stewards for their vast estates. These great old families of half-drow rule Dambrath to this day, each nominally loyal to an ancient House of T’lindhet. Drow blood is a sign of power and wealth in Dambrath, but when the halfdrow of the surface visit their ancient families below the Gnollwatch Mountains, they find that their full-blooded drow relations treat them as inferiors.
Dambrathan half-drow combine cold, condescending arrogance with secret shame.
Although they consider themselves the better of the humans over which they rule, they know that their drow cousins feel similarly about them. They spend a great deal of time trying to prove themselves to everyone around them, including each other.
Many half-drow become adventurers to escape the bigotry they face in just about every community they find outside Dambrath. Dambrathans, on the other hand, often range far outside their homeland to garner the wealth and fame that can prove their superiority back home.
In Dambrathan society, half-drow are aristocrats by birth. They grow up pampered, but a great deal is expected of them. When they become adults, they must do their best to prove that they are worthy of their blood. If they fail, they disgrace their entire family, and may be disowned and expelled from the country in shame.
Elderly half-drow who have proved themselves can settle down and teach the younger ones what they know. Otherwise they must keep at their chosen profession until they finally are deemed worthy. In any event, elderly half-drow rarely live long after age begins to weaken them, since there are always younger relations hungry for the opportunity to claim the wealth and station of an aged half-drow.
Outside Dambrath, many half-drow are solitary souls, preferring to keep their own counsel than sully themselves with the opinions of others. Other times, they band together into a self-important group, often bullying those they feel they can intimidate.
In most lands, half-drow are rare. Since so many drow are irredeemably evil, they only mate with humans by way of rape or slavery. The only exception are the half-drow of the land of Dambrath in the Shining South, who arise from the centuries-old drow subjugation of the human folk of that land.
The Crinti (drowic for "noble ones"), also referred to as Shadow-Amazons by the Halruaans, are the half-drow and half-elf aristocracy and ruling class of Dambrath.
Half-drow have dusky skin, silver or white hair, and a broad range of eye colors. They are often just as dark-hearted as their elven parents, but with a bitter resentment that comes from knowing that they are considered second-class members of drow society. In human society, half-drow are distrusted nearly as much as their full-blooded cousins. Despite this, good half-drow are much less rare than good drow. Whether this has to do with the influence of their human blood, or the desire to rebel against the drow who treat them so poorly, is difficult to tell.
Around 500 years ago, the barbaric human kingdom of Dambrath warred with the powerful drow city-state of T’lindhet beneath the nearby Gnollwatch Mountains. When the drow won, they enslaved the humans of the region. Over the course of several human generations, the conquering dark elves took human lovers from their slaves, resulting in a large number of halfdrow.
Today, such people make up about 15% of the country’s population.
In time, the ruling drow nobles came to spend less and less time on the surface, returning to their subterranean city and leaving their surface conquests in the hands of their half-breed children. The great Houses of T’lindhet carved up the broad lands of Dambrath into their personal fiefs, and their halfdrow scions served as good stewards for their vast estates. These great old families of half-drow rule Dambrath to this day, each nominally loyal to an ancient House of T’lindhet. Drow blood is a sign of power and wealth in Dambrath, but when the halfdrow of the surface visit their ancient families below the Gnollwatch Mountains, they find that their full-blooded drow relations treat them as inferiors.
Dambrathan half-drow combine cold, condescending arrogance with secret shame.
Although they consider themselves the better of the humans over which they rule, they know that their drow cousins feel similarly about them. They spend a great deal of time trying to prove themselves to everyone around them, including each other.
Many half-drow become adventurers to escape the bigotry they face in just about every community they find outside Dambrath. Dambrathans, on the other hand, often range far outside their homeland to garner the wealth and fame that can prove their superiority back home.
In Dambrathan society, half-drow are aristocrats by birth. They grow up pampered, but a great deal is expected of them. When they become adults, they must do their best to prove that they are worthy of their blood. If they fail, they disgrace their entire family, and may be disowned and expelled from the country in shame.
Elderly half-drow who have proved themselves can settle down and teach the younger ones what they know. Otherwise they must keep at their chosen profession until they finally are deemed worthy. In any event, elderly half-drow rarely live long after age begins to weaken them, since there are always younger relations hungry for the opportunity to claim the wealth and station of an aged half-drow.
Outside Dambrath, many half-drow are solitary souls, preferring to keep their own counsel than sully themselves with the opinions of others. Other times, they band together into a self-important group, often bullying those they feel they can intimidate.