If you want, you can choose to draw your map from scratch. Nonetheless, certain items had been developed by the drow, or based on magic from before the Descent,[230] and most of those items were created to be only usable by drow, due to their paranoia. When Matt proposed a city next to an Underdark sea, I thought that seemed like a good addition, especially since the Great Breach makes the area more accessible for DMs whose parties arent currently below ground. The fact that drow didn't relive memories of past lives during their trances was viewed as an indication that, unlike the elves, their souls didn't reincarnate. A purple opal in the shape of a snake. Alignment They're built on a terrain of blackstone . Above all else, veneration of the Spider Queen is paramount, and anyone who dares to worship another god or goddess is slain if they are a drow or exiled from the city if they are not. There were many rituals as well, like the graduation ceremony for the graduates of the mage, priest, and warrior schools. If the creature had a spider-like appearance, the drow would praise it as the work of Lolth and occasionally feed it with captives or lured adventurers. Elves range from under 5 to over 6 feet tall and have slender builds. But I thought Id share that with you and see if anyone had any thoughts. 98. Drow14Drow Gunslinger4Drow Elite Warrior5Drow Mage7Drow Priestess of Lolth8Drow House Captain9Drow Shadowblade11Drow Arachnomancer13Drow Inquisitor14Drow Favored Consort18Drow Matron Mother20 Drizzt Do'Urden was a drow. [73][85] Especially famous was the powerful drow knockout poison, made from a slippery black fungus that grew in certain Underdark caverns, and commonly applied to crossbow bolts to easily put enemies to sleep. Ghaunadaur had no gender restrictions,[32] while Vhaeraun's faith had a gender barrier that made it harder for women to become his clerics. A bright pink feather. The best "normal" romantic relationship between two drow was similar to the one between a spoiled brat and her well trained, obedient dog, with the owner having the right to put the dog down for any reason. Instead, the relationship between drow and their children was frequently one of mutual exploitation, each using the other as a tool only so long as they still needed them. Whats this, that and the other special-looking building? [28] They lived in about forty city-state scattered around the Upperdark and Middledark,[108][117] primarily in the latter. [43] Given that they couldn't do anything effectively in bright light, drow were inactive on the surface during the day. Whipping and torture were the most common penalties since the priestesses enjoyed punishments that could be inflicted multiple times. The eight crimson petals and center resemble a spider. Noble drow families banded together for mutual protection and not out of affection. Of course, there are rules of behavior; every society must boast of these. 99% Upvoted. The water is the color of rust. See more ideas about dungeon maps, tabletop rpg maps, fantasy map. [75] As was common for elves, drow speech was quite eloquent and their speech was almost musical. 2. If you haven't killed the drow killing Adalon would be a less wanted option. [73] Normally somewhere between half and two-thirds of a given drow settlement's population consisted of slaves or other non-drow without rights,[28] although only Houses possessed significant amounts of slaves. A tiny cage with a phosphorescent spider. First developed in 1990 by author R.A. Salvatore for The Dark Elf Trilogy, Menzoberranzan was heavily influenced by Mario Puzos The Godfather. Eventually Illeah and Zeeboo get to the building with the two swords and go inside. [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. [31], Despite their excellent craftsmanship, drow cities tended to be a chaotic and messy sight because of the lack of a uniform architectural style. On some level drow recognized that the children were the future of their race, the vulnerability of young drow to magic for example having led to the development of the potion of magic resistance. Symbol of a lawful good deity etched in the stone of a doorway. A sign in the window reads Daily Demonstrations, Volunteers Welcome! in Undercommon. 3: The various elemental portals. 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. Designed to take 10th-level characters as far as 18th level, City of the Spider Queen draws the heroes into the deepest reaches of the Underdark and plunges them into an epic adventure with dire consequences. Average height4755 (140170cm)Average weight82152lb (3768.9kg) This is a list of the drow houses of the notable drow cities Menzoberranzan and Ched Nasad and their ranks over time. Others only smell rotting meat. [114], Drow lifespans were comparable to the rest of the elven race (and therefore far surpassed those of humans),[23] but the constant strife of their society kept their numbers low,[262] dropping their actual rate of population growth to dwarf-like levels. . Meet Solaufein in the Male Fighters' Society. There is a party of Drow guarding the sphere. They were also known for their stone bridge, balcony, and buttress designs, as well as their intricate spiral tunnels. Surface tales of the drow speak of dank caverns, hovels dripping with mold, a vile and harsh existence far from the warmth of the sun. If you find these tools helpful, please consider supporting this site. Common, Elven (the drow dialect), Undercommon, Drow Sign Language [86] Naturally, the drow had some countermeasures against poison, like the ring of antivenom. I've been waiting for an excuse to start role-playing her for a long time now. Drow weapons and armor were made out of a substance called adamantine, an alloy of adamantite, and then turned into drowcraft items. [242], The drow were particularly proficient in designing ways to move and store goods, from trade-containers to harnesses for beasts of burden and mounts. The adventurers stumble upon a secret ceremonya bonding ritual between two drow lovers. [74], Drow names often included double letters and were designed to be pleasant to the ear. However, drow adventurers, outcasts, and slave-traders often learned more languages,[55] as did their warriors. 21. [54], A drow's innate dancing lights spell-like ability [9][8][59][15] could create a larger number of light motes than the normal spell, and provided better control as the power of the caster increased; for example, the light spheres could be moved further away from each other than normal. This usually marked a new direction for the House, and sometimes even its destruction, because the murder of a matron was seen as a sign of disfavor from Lolth. 76. surveyor. Female It has stood for over eight centuries among the severe cliffs of the great cavern Cocyrdavarin . Zeeboo disguises himself and floats on the magic carpet right in front of Illeah. Alright, I've had THE BEST idea for a character that would fit so well into a campaign in the Underdark. Their over-reliance on it meant that drow settlements were often stationary, leaving them relatively easy to locate and vulnerable to attack by various the forces of the Underdark. When I say I'm drawing a "city map," it usually means something like Brazenthrone or Finbarr's Marsh. [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. Click Draw a line and select Add a line or shape. [34], Compared to other sentient beings, drow were notably intelligent, as having an analytical mindset and being observant at all times was needed to survive in their society. Noble drow stayed with their family as children to protect themselves from outside violence, and as adults because Houses proved to be good tools for societal advancement. [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]. Some drow found virtue within themselves in spite of all the terrors they witnessed (or perhaps because of it). They enter the city is this fashion. Each family is led by a matron mother, since Menzoberranzan is a matriarchal society where men are regarded as inferior beings. [28], As one might expect, this atmosphere of utter condescension meant that most drow generally felt entitled to do whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted to do it. [99], Drow architecture, like typical elven works of construction,[100] put an emphasis on beauty and was considered a marvel to behold. To me, this made for the perfect story to tell through a vertical build: Drow that live below ground, venture upwards to the Surface, and cause destruction along the way. [43] Nonetheless, noble drow valued commoners more than slaves, and usually sacrificed them only if a slave was not at hand. However, contracts with "lesser races" were not seen as actually binding, and were readily broken as soon as they stopped being beneficial to the drow party. 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. They eventually grow into cave drakes, but buyers are unaware. Others turned to better ways either out of guilt or simply because they were no longer forced to obey Lolth's dogma. 2e Last edit: 4 weeks ago. [26], Reports varied on the physical differences between the drow sexes. Her mother was awakened and saw her as no more than a pathetic half-breed, and sold her into slavery for a couple of gold pieces. Someone shouts Run. An angry mob bursts from a nearby street. [32], The drow held some respect towards races capable of resisting their aggressions,[28] and could perceive certain races as at least possible equals (though never superiors) with whom they had mutual gain or non-aggression pacts. A bard performing the ballad Heart of a Matron. 26. [125] This was less due to any supposed inferiority of males, but because becoming one required a greater understanding and sensitivity of the "life of the other gender. This reddit is for posting battle maps for tabletop RPG's and related content, such as map creating tips, map ideas, or map play tests. Drow of higher standing supported endeavors to boost their own prestige by increasing their own people's power and influence. [118][88], While violence and property crime was punished in drow society, it wasn't because such acts were believed to be morally wrong. [199][200], The majority of all drow worshiped a group of divine entities they collectively referred to as the Dark Seldarine, a name intended to mock the original Seldarine. This is balanced by their light sensitivity. If a priestess particularly liked the products, this could cause a business to go bankrupt despite the owners' efforts, leaving the destitute workers with no choice but to enter a contract that essentially made them slaves to the priestess. Go down to 'Engineering' and select 'Map.'. You can build an entire functional town in about an hour. Most raids only involved small bands, and started with scouting operations, followed by either open bloodshed or by infiltration to kidnap potential slaves. This is done using great circles, what gives a better visualization than using straight lines. Since then, he's never looked back and loves roleplaying games for the chance to tell the tales that have been swirling in his head since childhood. [Encounter] An abandoned warehouse filled with egg-sacs of various sizes. Withe has an angular face, with silver hair and blue eyes. [46] Normally the drow had poor opinions of even their erstwhile allies, and viewed other races, at best, as merely laughable or contemptible.[73]. Based on Challenge rating It is a pocket dimension, and a humanoid is trapped inside as punishment. [112], Most members of a Lolthite drow society lived under oppression, in a state of perpetual desperation and poverty. Within D1-2, D1 takes place pages 2-11, D2 pages 12-21 The module is designed for characters of about 10th level, with a party size of 7 to 9. [22] Drow had white, black, or purple teeth, while their gums, tongues, and throats could be red, pink, or purple. It was also the primary means by which they found water, by listening to the dripping sound it made. For example, exchanging a hand with a claw or sword for combat was possible. 4: The Iron Globe. [28] They were an emotionally stunted people[32] with a tenuous grasp on sanity (a trait they placed less importance on than cunning and deviousness) and scarred minds, among which relatively undamaged individuals were considered abnormal. [72], Lolthtouched drow sometimes trained to slip into the cover of their created darkness,[71] or learnt to hit the targets of darkfire not just more accurately, but also harder, similarly to how drow wanderers did.[77]. A beautiful complex maze behind a manor house features deadly flora and fauna. Begin typing your search above and press return to search. What do you think? [55] Most drow only knew two languages, namely Deep Drow and the Sign language, since they usually stayed in their cities and therefore had limited exposure to or need to learn other tongues. There was an underground city near the marshland! 2. A source cannot be found. Your adventurers took the risk of traversing the Underdark in pursuit of the dark elves. 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. It was considered a lost path, i.e. These patrols were special, for they had an additional cleric with healing duties who also worked as a spy for the church of Lolth. [203] With few exceptions, every entity within the Dark Seldarine demanded absolute fealty from its adherents. Remains until the curse is removed. 25. The piwafwi was a notorious example, although insignias were also important to the drow houses and granted special powers like, sometimes, levitation. Violation of the fashion code, disregarding exceptions due to authorization by the appropriate individuals, was always punished by death. Neutral evil The curious gaze marvels at towering stone structures, intricate web-patterns, and down dark alleyways kept immaculately clean by legions of slaves and servitor creatures. In general, drow women chose their partners as animals would be chosen for breeding purposes, with males expected not to resist the other's affections. By rejecting non-essential cookies, Reddit may still use certain cookies to ensure the proper functionality of our platform. A cavern of rainbow-colored mushroom cheese, a drow specialty. [45], Many drow on the surface were actually spies still loyal to Lolth, sent to infiltrate the enemy and gather information for their matrons. The trance lasted around four hours, and provided the same benefits as a member of any other race having a full period of rest. For the most part, there was no prescribed criteria for how justice was to be performed, and punishments could very easily be wildly disproportionate to the crime. So, Vlyndarastyl is a drow city thats accessible by airship, which isnt a characteristic shared by many other cities two miles underground. In fact, traveling all the distance down to the Middledark with an army from the surface wasn't a feasible undertaking. 38. [36], When drow nobles warred against each other, the attacking side had to eradicate the entire enemy family in a single attack. Welcome to Drow City, the most dangerous, deep, mysterious and fascinating underground settlement ever mapped!. 46. It was a map of an underground city! [95] When a drow died in battle, they were sometimes reanimated as a zombie if the lower half of the body was still functional. He wears chain mail and wields a battle axe and shield. Build, create and embed interactive Google maps with drawings and labels. Gems were usually worked in rings, wristlets, gorgets, belts, pendants, or collars. Your campaign might need the terrifying Menzoberranzan or the wacky, psuedo-medieval Las Vegas of Orlytlar where everyone is welcome, don't be afraid of the dark. [23] Their bodies were wiry and athletic,[22] while their faces were chiseled and attractive,[23] though they were shorter and thinner than other elven sub-races. For example, it was a commonly accepted gesture to drop held weapons and fall on a knee as a sign of surrender. 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 . But it's time for you to delve into its dark cities, one more interesting than the last. He and I were talking about an idea I had for the future which Id like to let you in on. A blood-weave artist known only as K.Q. Size The massive City of Zirnakaynin (pronounced zeer-nuh-KAY-nin) [1] is one of the largest drow settlements in the Darklands. [48] In fact, the mere inconvenience of maintaining the bond could be a reason to end it. [202] Though having a group name might suggest some sort of alliance, the Dark Seldarine was a pantheon only in name. Forgotten Realms Wiki is a FANDOM Games Community. FREE SIGN-UP! For other possibilities, try the following suggestions: Players and Dungeon Masters seeking more information on Menzoberranzan may want to peruse older D&D products or explore the city's entry in Fandom's Forgotten Realms community. [75], Drow priestesses and wizards often created magical scrolls to give their warriors an edge during their patrols. [198] An art form unique to the drow was the use of continual faerie fire to create murals or to highlight temples. 65. Constant application of magic was needed to make the water seals function perfectly. Station: In all the world of the drow, there is no more important word. A merchant drops a case of potions at the partys feet and demands they pay for them. 31. This is a big project and Im not going to be starting on it until Brazenthrone is finished, which will be a while still. It was even worse for those women who sought power outside of Lolth's church, for they had to compete both with other females and oppressed and resentful men. [38], As a general rule, drow living within a Lolthite society couldn't afford to show emotions like compassion or love, for they were easy to exploit[30] and drow often preferred emotional cruelty over causing physical harm. and our [58] They could further enhance the spell-like ability to cast it more often, and learn to deepen it so that a daylight spell could not overpower it any more. Female Drow Names. War is brewing. The card bears a likeness to an ally of the party bowing to the Spider Goddess. To stick a dagger in the back of a rival during the chaos of a larger battle or in the quiet shadows of an alley, however, is quite acceptableeven applauded. [72], Like dancing lights, faerie fire could be used as a diversion, but the ability to change the colors of the lights allowed for the creation of color signals for the purpose of long distance communication. [43][30], This was when a drow's parents were actually in the drow's life. [58] Reports varied if it could also be cast once per day, as with the other base powers, or at will. The artwork is strange and beautiful, if twisted. Rise of the Drow: Collectors Edition (Preorder), Your email address will not be published. Yes, the silver dragon. There were no concepts like "guilt until proven innocent" or "proven beyond a reasonable doubt". Speed. A necklace of mimic teeth. [72] As a rule of thumb, only 5% of surface inhabitants had the superficial knowledge that the drow were "inhabitants of the Underdark who conducted raids on the surface", not including elves and eladrin, who had close historical connections. [9][285][266][48][286] One might imagine that the drow would constantly boast about this heritage, but the truth was that they didn't appreciate being reminded of their origins, for it also reminded them of their deep fall from power. Required fields are marked *. 2: The Imprisoned Mage. How to draw a MAP step by step Art Pro 106K subscribers Subscribe 2.5K Share Save 264K views 6 years ago Art Pro - Learn how to do an illustrated map with pencil, ink, watercolor and digital.. The former was about forcing all other races of the Underdark into subservience, while the latter was about driving the entire elven population into extinction, seizing their lands and holdings in the process. It leads the party to a dragons treasure hoard if they can decipher the map. [72], Besides the obvious utility of cancelling light sources, the drow ability to creaste darkness was an integral part of their combat strategy, as it could be used to limit sight or otherwise hamper their enemies. 20. A drow vandal, petty thief, or burglar would face charges, but the stolen goods would not be hunted down since, in drow eyes, the fact that the previous owner couldn't defend it meant that they didn't deserve to keep it. Known house ranks in the Year of Maidens, 1361 DR: The house ranks during the Silence of Lolth and the War of the Spider Queen from the Year of Wild Magic, 1372 DR, to the Year of Rogue Dragons, 1373 DR:[1], The house ranks at the time of Lolth's creation of the Demon Weave in the Year of Deep Water Drifting, 1480 DR:[1], The house ranks at the time of the Darkening in the Year of the Awakened Sleepers, 1484 DR:[34][35], A ninth seat on the Ruling Council of Eight was awarded to the Mistress of Arach-Tinilith, who was Sos'Umptu Baenre at the time. Fey I love how this article manages to be an ad, thus supporting a platform I love, while still being useful lore and worldbuilding-wise. However, with the exception of the First House, insignias weren't openly displayed except when inside the House territory or the clan's base. For every hour spent here one level of exhaustion is healedif one is not eaten by the mazes denizens. It is a peril- Do Urden (himself detailed in Book II of ous wilderland of dark caverns, crevices, this boxed set, his statistics updated from and labyrinthine passages: The Realms Be- document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. A massive caverns entrance sign reads Spider & Lizard Rider Training Facility. [199][200], Similarly to the Aevendrow, the greenshadow elves, or Lorendrow, were a practically unheard of group of drow that rejected Lolth's teachings. A d100 list of found objects, unexpected sights, and strange encounters for your players to experience within a drow city. 92. More on the adventure below: Out of the Abyss offers a detailed look at the City of Spiders in the aftermath of Gromphs summoning of the demon lord demogorgon, who rampages through its streets before plowing deeper into the Underdark. 96. Each month we've been putting together icon sets to expand the options available for each of Inkwell Ideas's software programs This icon set includes the icons we created in May 2018 for Cityogapher. It is cursed and once put on it will not come off without great effort. You can also let fate decide and roll a d100. report. A drow child cries out for help; they are lost and look for their mother. But all of them? For Dungeon Masters plotting to send their players into a ruthless environment of cutthroat danger, or for those simply curious to know more about Drizzts birthplace ahead of his most recent appearance in the video game Dungeons & Dragons: Dark Alliance, read on. [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. [Encounter] Stone steps lead to an opening under a building. The Wild Beyond the Witchlight is D&D's next big adventure storyline and is now available for preorder on D&D Beyond! 72. Keep going, there is still plenty more to see!!! These included the spell-like abilities detect magic, know alignment, and levitate. 74. [121], Still, males who hoped to find any place of power often resorted to ends as treacherous as the women that ruled the drow. [42], To achieve their individual desires required their society to retain at least some level of stability, and they were held tightly to tradition even if that code wasn't actually codified into law. Exile. [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. [35] However, the drow were able to (or at least tried to) hide some of their more heinous traits behind a veneer of sophistication. In a cruel twist of fate, she was caught just outside her mother's room. In fact, the drow responded poorly to social norms being turned into written rules, obeying them primarily out of fear and social pressure (but obeying them nonetheless). Initial exposure to sunlight was dangerous for a drow and cause of heavy sunburns. The citys population is large but not immense, housing approximately 20,000 drow residents as well as an unknown score of slaves, which are usually non-drow races like goblins or kobolds. [58] A common or untrained drow could neither use nor maintain their innate abilities under the effect of light that was as bright as, or brighter than, sunlight, as it impeded their concentration. [197] Noble households often had their own exclusive sculptors and gemcutters. [93], A "pincer" was the name for a collection of several patrols (two to four) led by one commander, usually some kind of spellcaster called an "overleader" or "battle-captain", who had up to four lieutenants called "webmasters". [199][200] Drow that remained loyal to Lolth were known as Lolth-sworn drow. 49. [108], The faerzress radiation near most drow cities provided protection from magical spying via divination, and also made it difficult, or even dangerous, to teleport within the area. 4e Intrigue, danger and a swift and merciless death lurk around every corner. Rumors of an ahool bloodmaster living near the ceiling of the cavern. [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. 5th Edition Statistics[1] [127], Large raid parties, consisting of hundreds of members that sacked entire cities, were rare. They have an . It involves a mutual spilling of blood. They were incredibly secretive in nature and virtually unknown, even by the oldest elves of Toril, living in their icy home of Callidae. 12. History[11] [32] From time to time, artists were adopted by one of the Houses for their skill. A necklace of a bone hand clutching soap. [54], Before the 1360s DR, the drow would gradually lose their base and mature powers, as well as their defenses against magic, if exposed to sunlight. 75. [75] Drow who wandered the surface in an attempt to settle their conflict with Lolth and each other were known as Seldarine drow. Though their leaders were skeptical of it, working to ensure it didn't threaten them, they often saw it as a useful and unexpected tool in their arsenal. An old male drow sits outside the entrance to a major house for 1 hour every day, before leaving a bouquet of Underdark flowers. Talk to Phaere . [58], The drow could use their base powers once every day and, once employed, they could end the spell, move it around at their whim, or downsize it. 4e 1e The drow's ultimately viewed other races as somewhere between targets of extermination and potential slaves,[28] foes to be either dominated or, if they were a threat driven to extinction. [75], The drow loved magical items of any kind, and all powerful families gave some enchanted items to those who served them. [113] They could recognize drowcraft items by holding them,[113] and if given a piece of Underdark-metal, or a cut or worn gem, drow could typically identify it. Pointed ears, slim but athletic build, beautiful, affinity to darkness, able to enter fully aware sleep state. Drow names are, like many elven names, quite melodic. A "Free City" inhabited by all manner of creatures, it can serve as a location to be explored by adventurers, or as great jumping off point for starting an underdark-based campaign without the complicated politics of starting PC's (particularly non-drow) in Erelhei-Cinlu. Lolthtouched powers were seemingly fueled by the same source, and the use of such abilities were tiring for the drow, with only more experienced and well-trained drow able to cast both abilities separately. Merchant clans followed similar rules, but marrying into a clan meant being part of it for life, and trying to leave could be the same as inviting death.

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