Reaction towards drow

[muhcashin]

Everyone knows how a surface dweller reacts to a dark elf. But what about those who inhabit the Underdark. How do they feel about drow. I mean, dark elves aren't that exotic and mysterious.

I ask this because I'm running CotSQ and my PCs play drow characters from House Jaerle investigating recent raids that weren't conducted by the Cormanthor Drow. Anyways, they sneeked into Szith Morcane, and met the merchants in the Bazaar level. They exchanged a few words with a mindflayer and a some duergar. I portrayed the gray dwarves like their surface cousins but a bit meaner. As for the mindflayer, I played him like a master of mind games. But none of those NPCs reacted with contempt, fear or hostility. Is that the way to go? Or do Underdark races hate each other?

 

[Olive]

i would have thought they would have all hated each other, but would have worked together despite that. I mean who WOULDN'T hate drow except for other drow? same for duegar...

 

[Judas]

The Illithid as a whole would feel the drow are a threat, but would be complacent on merchantile transactions between them.

Dueragar would most likely feel hatred and/or fear, as most deep dwarves in drow cities are slaves. Each individual would have different levels of each emotion.

And in most rare instances you'd have the opposite of the norm. You might have an illithid or duergar that actually "likes" drow and is generally friendly.

 

[ArcOfCorinth]

I mean who WOULDN'T hate drow except for other drow?

Ah, but you forget. Drow tend to hate one another as well.

 

[Rashak Mani]

Drows hate other Drows especially not the opposite !

 

[Cernunnos]

I think the Menzoberranzan box set had something about it... I vaguely remember the whole adventure set up to bring the PCs to the drow city was to have them guard a suface-to-Underdark caravan. While all the races are locked in internecine conflict in the Underdark, money has a strange way of motivating them to work together. It seems the duergar especially make a nice trade in weapons to surrounding races (ditto for the drow, but I always got the impression they'd be more likely to go back on a deal). There is a healthy trade is slaves to the illithids (they have to eat, after all, and buying them beats chasing them down), and a healthy amount of smuggling of rare substances to the surface. Seems to be the main trades are slaves (cannon fodder and food), weapons and magic, and luxury items imported from the other side.

 

[Hand of Evil]

Drow are evil and by nature not to be trusted. Other evil creatures by nature would realize this and not trust them, oh, they may trade but each transaction would be under the watch eyes of armed warriors.

 

[Irda Ranger]

Just a little thinking out loud ...

Drow are a fact. You (as an Underdark citizen) can't make them go away, and xenophobicly killing every drow you see is bound to get you dead at some point. Therefore, hotility and violence probably aren't the first reactions.

However, probably everyone in the Underdark has a family member or friend (even if its a old college roomate's ex-girlfriend) who has been taken captive and enslaved by the Drow, and therefore friendly trust isn't going to be the first reaction either.

I would say that most Underdarkers would greet Drow with great wariness, eyes over both shoulders, but polite and willing to talk to see what's what. Being rude gets you dead. Being a coward and running away gets you dead, because Drow would probably shoot you in the back for the sport of it.

The other race's alignment & culture also will have something to do with it. Duergar, Goblins and other "enslaved" races will probably kill any Drow they think they can get away with. If the Drow are obviously cut off, and there are no reinforcements coming, well, the only Good drow is a Dead drow.

Mindflayers and other "slave taking" races will treat Drow as dangerous rivals, but respected enemies. There will be more long term thinking, and more openness to striking bargains. The powerful respect power though, and any weakness will probably get the Drow enslaved themselves.

Deep Gnomes and other good races will probably never treat or deal with the drow in any way. They will be wary, closed to bargains, and probably kill drow who are alone. The only safe drow is a dead drow.

I guess to sum up, Drow have spent millennia making sure they don't have any friends in the Underdark, and so now they don't. All other races greet drow with distrust, hate, resentment, fear, envy and respect of their power. That is all.

The Dark Side are they ...

 

[Gallo22]

Why not just run Drow the way you want to run them Muhcashin. Sounds like alot of fun the way you are doing it. I hated the way Dragon magazine potrayed them some issues ago. The would never survive as a race if played they way Dragon described them. I see drow as Lawful Evil, very clever and intellegent. Not mindless Chaotic Evil idots trying to kill each other like eating breakfast everyday. I see them kind of like the Romulins or Cardassians in Star Trek. Play them and enjoy the race as you see them. You'll have more fun that way!!

Just my 2 cents worth

Gallo22

 

[Irda Ranger]

I see them kind of like the Romulins or Cardassians in Star Trek.

Gallo22

Good call! Cardassians are a little too "in your face" though. I would say the political, long lived, scientific, stealth obsessed Romulins would be more appropriate.