The Prakash drow, also called dark elves, were one of the six main elven subraces. They sported darker skin and were nocturnal, but were also renowned for their wisdom, their serenity, and their considerate and diplomatic approach. They lived underground in open cities embracing all kinds of visitors, gifting them with magic, knowledge, or sometimes just plain inspirational words.

Drow were sometimes confused with night elves, a fey race.

Etymology

Before the Severance, Prakash drow were just referred to as "dark elves", although they were sometimes called "Prakash" as a compliment. In ancient fae, "Prakash" meant "Wiseborn". After the rise of separate Khali drow, the Prakash distinction grew much more common.

History

The drow, along with the other five subraces, were born out of fey by the Silmarilus. They served as the pantheon's loyal children, following its holy guidance, especially that of Sillalaulee, the calm and considerate matron of dark elves.

Dark elves were less common than the other five subraces, even compared to the moon elves that lived in a similar environment. They resided mainly in the Silma Fael as mortal handmaidens of their goddess. Later, with the rise of the Elvish Empire in Oshmondu, a few thousand drow - a total of four Houses - descended from Silma Fael and went to live on the material plane. Very few remained behind.

In 4'157, the drow betrayed the empire and their race, abandoning the "light elves" and retreating to the Caverealm in what was called the Descent. These elves abandoned Sillalaulee and their earlier values, turning into a wholly new race in the Severance.

The few remaining dark elves found themselves completely abandoned or hated. Those on the surface were involved in the horrible Elvish civil war, often seen as "the enemy" by their kin and hunted down by everyone else. Essentially all survivors left, trying to retreat to Silma Fael. But in the holy realm, Sillalaulee was overtaken by grief and abandoned both the Silmarilus and the remaining drow. So the few remaining Prakash left for Bytopia, finding refuge there and embracing their deity's new state of mind. They adopted the Sobling culture and remained isolated from the rest of the world.

Biology

Physiology

Drow were lean humanoids, of a mean height of about 1.5 meters for males, 1.7 for females. They had matte black skin that usually absorbed surrounding light but reflected starlight. It could have various shades, sometimes approaching a dark violet or blue. They often had some deep red scar-like protrusions on their skin that were symmetrical on the vertical axis. Their hair was usually pearl white, but could also be a light shade of pink or violet, and grew thick and straight. They had no facial or body hair. Their eyes could be a wide variety of colors, mainly black, white, and violet. Others were said to have "star-eyes". Drow had good darkvision, better than the average fey, with a range of up to 40 meters.

All three genders were very similar physically, but females were slightly more stout due to the necessity of carrying fetuses, fenales were known for their sleek beauty, and males for their agility and flexible bodies. Although smaller than the other elven subraces, Prakash were renowned for their "plain beauty" and mental fortitude.

Genders. Like most sexually reproducing races, the drow had a male and female gender, each with typical appropriate organs to copulate and feed babies. However, Prakash were hermaphrodites, and could change genders in a few weeks (specimens in the process of change were called "switters"). A third gender, one not designed for reproduction and growth, but for simple optimisation in the centuries of life that didn't revolve around children, was called fenale. Fenales appeared feminine to other races, but didn't have the specific organs and were more thinly built.

Growth. Newborn drow were fenale. They were breastfed by their mothers and were weaned around nine years of age. They were considered mature around 22, when they had acquired the basic skills of life and grew able to switch into the other two genders.

Variations

Prakash were famous for their various subspecies.

Thanor. The most common drow variation, encompassing about one-fifth of all dark elves, were Thanor. They had matte white skin and white hair, but were otherwise physiologically very similar. Thanor were somewhat more sensitive to sunlight, and could easily get sunburns or worse damage. Accordingly, they were night-active and most often resided underground.

Known Cultures

Prakash

The majority of drow followed the Prakash Culture, which was named after their race. They lived in close-knit single-race communities in places shielded from sunlight, in the Feywild either in regions that were naturally constantly dark, or underground. They usually had a council "ruling" the community, which was constituted out of the people that hadn't produced children for the longest amount of time.

¹A Sobling Prakash drow.

Sobling

After the Severance, many Prakash fled their old homes and retreated to havens in Bytopia, becoming the Sobling people. They formed large tears, groups of nomads that traveled the plains by night and disappeared at day. They rarely spoke to each other, kept to themselves, and eternally wept their kin's betrayal.

Sobling styles were relatively unique. They often dyed their hair black or dark blue, and wore clothes of black or blue silk, sometimes with pearl-like and other adornments. They also applied white stripes of paint to their skin in simple patterns.

Thanor

The Thanor formed very small groups, ranging from families of about a dozen to single characters. Due to their sunlight sensitivity, they resided either underground or among other sensitive communities, such as those of darklings. Interestingly, they often sought the company of other, non-elven races.

They were known for having an unerring and sometimes heartless sense of justice, and for being overall just people that could be good allies.