D&D 5E New Drow cultures coming in Starlight Enclave, the Lorendrow and the Aevendrow

[Dire Bare]

Do these aeven drow look the same complexions as the uda drow? White hair, black skin (gray skin ranging dark to light)?

Does the novel intimate what innate magic the aeven do have? If not the Darkness and Faerie Fire that uda has?

Is it normal darkvision or sensitive darkvision like uda?

The aevendrow have the same skin and hair coloration as Menzo drow generally . . . but are sometimes described as having colored hair, unsure if natural or dyed (like purple). Shades of gray for skin tone, which is how "classic" drow have evolved anyway in D&D. They are described as being somewhat more "plump" than their underdark cousins . . . not fat, just not super lean.

It's hinted that aevendrow don't have any spell-like abilities at all, that the Menzo drow's abilities are a result of exposure to faezress, the strange magical energy of the underdark. It hasn't been consistent, but Menzo drow have been described as losing their spell-like abilities after coming to the surface in older Realms sources.

I don't think they ever address the darkvision of the aevendrow in the novel that I remember, although they certainly have it as elves. While they live in ice caverns, they aren't really an underground culture, so I'm guessing they don't have light sensitivity or super darkvision.

 

[Henadic Theologian]

SO does any of this matter? they just said books aren't canon to the game?

Its still canon to the Novel line and its trying into their future plans for the TRPG as well, its WotC pushing these changes, which will undoubtedly be reflected in the 5e TTRPG, most likely in an FR setting book revisit.

 

[Dire Bare]

I love the arctic flavor of the aeven. The seasons of day and night is a nice theme.

So they are connected to the Underdark by tunnels, even if they are near the surface under the ice? That surprised me. I guess their ancestors "fled" uda via the Underdark passages northward?

I hope their traits can get the magical flavor somehow, even if not innate spellcasting.

They are not connected to the underdark at all, at least, not as described in the novel. The ice caverns they live in are within a glacier and not truly underground. The city of Callidae exists because of a warm spring that flows through their ice caverns, but they don't really know the source of the spring. Jarlaxle comes to believe the springs are fed by heated caverns below the surface, filled with special magical crystals that emanate incredible heat, but they don't get the chance to prove his hypothesis . . . although Salvatore gives the impression Jarlaxle is probably right. Jarlaxle and Zaknafein have encountered these types of caverns near Menzoberranzan, and posit they must exist underneath Callidae too. It involves baby remorhazes being fed crystals by frost giants . . . . man, that's weird to type . . .

 

[GMforPowergamers]

Its still canon to the Novel line and its trying into their future plans for the TRPG as well, its WotC pushing these changes, which will undoubtedly be reflected in the 5e TTRPG, most likely in an FR setting book revisit.

since I am in like 3 arguments here let me begin this by saying "I in NO WAY mean to insult or to suggest I know more, but"
isn't that the opposite of disconnecting the canon from the novels?

 

[mrpopstar]

Interesting how each of the different groups are protected from the sun in some way: One below ground, one beneath shade canopy, and one beneath the ice. -- I wonder what the justification for that will be?

 

[Dire Bare]

SO does any of this matter? they just said books aren't canon to the game?

Sigh.

Not quite. Everything is canon . . . until it isn't. It's not that the novels don't count, it's that the D&D team doesn't feel beholden to what's in the novels, they can change what they want. However, in practice, they do a good job keeping the game books in line with larger D&D lore, with the changes being tweaks mostly. It's clear that the D&D team and Salvatore collaborated on these new additions to the drow in the Realms . . . but if/when they release "Drizzt's Guide to the Drow", they are free to tweak the details if they feel it will make a better product or story.

And besides, regardless of how much the novels "count" towards D&D lore . . . if that's why you're reading them, you're doing it wrong. Read the books because you enjoy Salvatore's storytelling, and enjoy them for what they are. Don't sweat the details when the differ . . . because they already do!

 

[Dire Bare]

Interesting how each of the different groups are protected from the sun in some way: One below ground, one beneath shade canopy, and one beneath the ice. -- I wonder what the justification for that will be?

Justification? I think it's just to give the various drow cultures some points of similarity with each other, and difference from surface elves. There was an image released on WotC's site, and described in the novel, of one of the fully enclosed ice caverns of Callidae being lit much like Menzoberranzan, with faerie fire lighting up the buildings.

 

[mrpopstar]

Justification? I think it's just to give the various drow cultures some points of similarity with each other, and difference from surface elves. There was an image released on WotC's site, and described in the novel, of one of the fully enclosed ice caverns of Callidae being lit much like Menzoberranzan, with faerie fire lighting up the buildings.

Why do the Lorendrow live beneath tree canopy AND darkened living quarters? Drizzt got himself accustomed to the sun, could these drow who've lived here for however long not have done the same? Just seems odd.

 

[Dire Bare]

Why do the Lorendrow live beneath tree canopy AND darkened living quarters? Drizzt got himself accustomed to the sun, could these drow who've lived here for however long not have done the same? Just seems odd.

The udodrow of Menzoberranzan live in darkness, completely underground. So they have developed a light sensitivity and enhanced darkvision, which fades after spending enough time on the surface. Both the aevendrow and lorendrow live in shade . . . they are no strangers to the sunlight. They are not (yet) described as having any degree of light sensitivity or enhanced darkvision. The ancestors of all three cultures were surface elves of dark skin.

Why did the aevendrow and lorendrow choose to live in shadow, in cave-like environments? Why not? It isn't covered in any of the material so far, and was long enough ago it wouldn't be in the memory of any living elf. I don't think there is an in-universe reason given, and personally I don't really need one. The meta reason, as I see it, is to give the drow cultures points of similarity with each other, and that's pretty much it.

I'm not sure how detailed Realms lore is of the Crown Wars, when the drow lived on the surface, and everybody was fighting everybody . . . perhaps the proto-drow cultures preferred a degree of shadow and darkness even then. I like that idea, gives them more difference from their more foresty cousins beyond the color of their skin.

 

[Dire Bare]

They aren't monotheistic, one of the Aevendrow referred to Mielikki as a sister Goddess to the Paladin's Goddess. And another Aevendrow mentions Wind Gods.

I think the "wind gods" you are referring to is just one, and not a god . . . Qadeej, the vaati wind duke spirit trapped in the glacier, much like the primordial trapped in Gauntlegrym beneath Mt. Hotenow. But I could have missed something.

Other than the aevendrow revere at least one god, Mielikki's sister goddess . . . they really give next to no detail on the religion of Callidae. Which is irritating considering how important the religion of Lolth is to Menzoberranzan, and to the story Salvatore has been telling over the last four books or so.