"Good" Drow....and the Surface.

[Narsil]

Allright, I give up, my search-fu must have rolled a 1 ! ( And I could have sworn that I have seen posts on this very forum related to this topic…..oh well.)

I am looking for a definitive, final answer as to the "status" of good-aligned Drow and/or followers of Eilistraee.... on the surface.

I am searching for sources of canon lore that will clarify a few things :

1) Are there many (any) good Drow/Eilistraeens living permanently on the surface during this time, and in this region of the Realms ? If yes, where are they generally located?

2) If so, are they widely KNOWN about, or uber-secret / fairy tales to 99.99999999999% of surface folks ? Is the concept of “Good” Drow utterly ludicris, perhaps in an extremely rare one-in-a-million circumstance, or somewhere in between for the majority of peoples ?

I realize all our characters are "special-snowflakes" , and are free to think & act how they choose, but I am interested in the "typical" reaction to be expected from surface dwellers to such concepts. Particularly from other elves. ( And I also realize the KoS status of Drow on the surface, being at least partially IC-based on the Dukes' laws & such.)

I've found a few online references to the (UGH) infamous Drizzt first appearing on the surface during this current year ( 1350). I don't own any of the wonderful sourcebooks, but wonder if the 2nd Edition book "Drow of the Underdark" might have something to serve as a guideline to some of my questions ?

In many of the online reference guides for Shevarash, it states : " Shevarash has moderated his hatred toward Eilistraee and the good-aligned drow who worship the Dark Maiden. He does not kill them out of hand, but he still dislikes them thoroughly. "
However, many of these sites seem to be using the current, (in the future for OUR server) 4th Edition rules & lore.

In fact, in the same references for Eilistraee, I found : " While the Dark Maiden and the Seldarine remain allies, it is a strained relationship that reflects the divisions that persist among the elves. Among the elven powers, Eilistraee is only close with Erevan Ilesere, and she has only recently worked out an uneasy truce with Shevarash."

Recently...as in.... Time of Troubles ?? ( And thus not YET in our server's timeline.)

So, you can see my confusion. I simply am looking for something to serve as a lore-accurate, canon-correct guide for my roleplay.

Thanks very much for any info and references you folks can send my way !

[flipside43]

I did a quick search and on the Candlekeep forums they have these temples listed for Eilistraee:

The Mouth of Song (North of Quaervarr)
The Promenade of the Dark Maiden (Undermountain)
The Shadowtop Glade (Harrowdale)
Dancing Dell (Ardeep)

I believe the closest of these would be Ardeep but im not a geography guru by any stretch.

I'll still stick to my motto: the only good drow is a dead drow

[Hitman Hard]

RELATIONS WITH OTHER RACES: Drow relate with the other races of BG:TSCC as follows:

Quote:
The drow do not interact well with the various other sentient races of Faerûn. At best, the drow think of other races as merely laughable or contemptible. They hold low opinions even of their erstwhile allies, such as the kuo-toa. Against most other races, the only way the drow know to react is with hatred and outright war. They have built up powerful city-states based on the notion that the path to power lies in the subjugation of lesser races and the eradication of those who pose a threat to their homes.

The true focus of drow hatred, though, is reserved for the surface elves. They act quickly and cruelly to seize any chance to bring pain, suffering, and death to other elves they encounter. Even the few evil surface elves are seen as enemies. Drow sometimes enter into truces with other races or individuals if doing so helps them realize their sinister goals, but these truces are by their nature temporary affairs. It's only a matter of time until the drow turn on their allies. (RoF, 37)

If you see a drow claiming to be one of the Eilistraee the prompt response should be Eli what? *Slits throat*

Simply because your character wouldn't know anything about the Eilistraee.

[Narsil]

If you see a drow claiming to be one of the Eilistraee the prompt response should be Eli what? *Slits throat*

Simply because your character wouldn't know anything about the Eilistraee.

THIS is what I was actually thinking might be the case. But the sources seem..... conflicting.

And just to be clear, I am actually asking for this info in support of RPing my character very much along this train of thought.....Shevarashian or NOT.

That's a heckava lot of Temples to be simply: "Never heard of her."

Are those Temples by chance established AFTER the current server timeframe (1350 ) ?


Seems I am not TOTALLY imagining it as being unclear.

[TheKai]

I would think knowledge of Eilistraee would be somewhat common knowledge among elves? At the minimum, able to recognize the name and what she stands for as a product of an elven up bringing? Surely any elf that grew up amongst elves would have a basic understanding.

[Storm Munin]

Followed by a dodge and possible loss of body parts by the offender, if the good drow were lucky.
It is even in the dogma of said faith.


I however agree on your assessment, any drow on the surface would be treated as the reviled monsters the drow as a race are. Which is why we have the KoS rules Id say.

True, a very limited part of the populance would reach out even to such individuals because of who they in turn are, their beliefs and other motivations.
I doubt it can be quantified since it would be up to the individual player to decide what his or her toon credibly would do should the encounter become reality.

The finest interpretation I have seen on the server in relation to discovering drow being about was by a player who played a lone dwarf toon who stumbled upon a drow event on the surface a few years back.
Finding a scene of carnage with dead amnish bodyguards and a quite deceased cowled wizard intermingled with more or less conscious bleeding drow the paling dwarf ran like his beard was on fire. Emotes included, thank you.


Speaking from the experience of having a good drow on the surface for VERY IC reasons right now I can only state that it is a lonely existance, fearing for your life at the sight of anyone else and distrusting everyone he has had no chance of avoiding.


Historically (past 4 years) the good drow fandom on the surface has waxed and waned but always been limited that I know.
Like all snowflakes within snowflakes their existence on the surface when it come to social encounters mostly rely on player friendship and/or players actually playing their character. However well or poorly.
The necromancers openly prancing around with their undead and the devilshaped warlocks are pretty much the same I guess.

As for organized groups your sources seem solid, at least I remember no other location than the place by the lake on the fringe of northeastern High Moor mentioning organized worship.


Should the present numbers of faithfull increase I expect Eilistraeeans to be given the same courtesy as silver shields, dead crows etc when it comes to forming guilds and hopefully DM support.
The difference being that a drow without sound reasons having been discovered anywhere near FAI or a larger settlement, beyond Darkhold or to some degree Roaring Shore, has bloody well earned a permastrike.

Imho

/M

[Narsil]

I wondered that, also.

But, based on what ? The fact that the Seldarine know her ? And thus would the average, Joe Blow, everyday kind of Elf commoner have this knowledge as a result ?

More importantly.....does knowledge of her simple existence have ANY bearing on the knowledge and/or acceptance of "good" Drow ??

[Hitman Hard]

Regadless, bgtscc is a PW not always completely lore accurate and I believe that was the quote of another Dugeonmaster you quoted off me... I just can't find it on the site right now.

[Storm Munin]

As for Eilistraee being known much beyond elven lore I highly doubt it.
It has been some 10.000 years since the descent and I dont realistically see many elven elder's having preached the goodness of the dark elves of yester much since.

Even in elven lore she would probably to the layman be something spoken of in hushed whispers along with the rest of the lost of the elven pantheon (Araushnee, Eilistraee and Vhaerun).

It wouldnt really be in Angharrad's, Hanali, Sehanine and whatwashernames interest to promote the memory of the godess they helped unbed from Corellon's sheats nor the daughter and son.
In particular after replacing Lolth's proper place in the seldarine pantheon as Angharrad.

The lore/canon is in part confusing but I believe the ursurper Shevarash to share the same problem to some extent. The Black Archer... bah, the pride and ignorance of elven males.


Perhaps someone else has a better perspective on it.

Edit:
I just love how the weaver was referred to in passing by the bard song at the EDE funeral event. If intended, jolly well done!

/M

[thids]

I honestly do not think it matters that much if Eilistraee and her faithful are known to the world or not. Drow ARE known for what they are and trusting one easily for her word would be utterly foolish in most cases. I am not saying here that every single character should kos drow, I'm just saying that you shouldn't expect fast acceptance and that your characters relationships with most other characters should take a long while to build. I can think of maybe a few surface characters which would reasonably develop a friendly relationship with an Eilistraeean drow rather quickly, for the rest I notch it down to OOC friendship or RPing a 6 or lower wisdom character.

[flipside43]

That's a heckava lot of Temples to be simply: "Never heard of her."

It's really not that many temples considering the area it covers and if they are publicly known. I don't know when they were established and if they are present in this timeline, least you have the names, it's a start for looking

[Narsil]

Aye. This is what I guess is my OWN issue (having difficulty in an OOC-way with the snowflake-ness of our characters so readliy knowing and TRUSTING "good" Drow, and their lovely goddess )

I am glad that others think in a somewhat similar vein, in the absence of any kind of absolutes and definitive lore on the matter.

Can anyone recall any "semi-formal" positions ofthe DMs / staff on this issue ?

[Deathgrowl]

I personally think the "unknown-ness" of Eilistraee is grossly exaggerated here. She should be known by elves who have a bit of history knowledge. She should be known by elven priests - it's after all important to the relationships. Corellon and Sehanine both have quite good relations with Eilistraee after all.

Qilue Veladorn is a Chosen of both Mystra and Eilistraee and she is one of the Seven Sisters. I don't see how she would be unknown in the Church of Mystra, and perhaps even Azuth.

She has non-drow worshippers. Particularly moon elves, and some humans.

[broham1]

Hidden: show

[Storm Munin]

As for the temple part, the only actual temple around is the Promenade in the vicinity of Skullport, as for the rest they are forest glades with no to little permanent settlement.


The Promenade is recently taken by the faithful as I recall and located beneath Waterdeep next to a underground haven of pirates.

So, maybe a pirate who has visited skullport and somehow come in contact with a priestess would have some confused and garbled idea of what an eilistraeean drow is.
As for probable other encounters I believe them to be more nature oriented and extremely scarce.

Currently there are nondrow faithful and preachers on the server walking the land, whether they are missionaries remain to be seen on my part. With the KoS rules being what they are I dont think they are very open about it.

A "Hi Esmeralda, I am Bob follower of the dark maiden, a pleasure to make your aquaintance."
B "The Dark Maiden? *quirking a brow*
A "Yes, well you know the good drow godess?"
B *stare*
A "Ah, she is good I promise! Hey, whats with the sword now?!"
*B chases A with lethal intent as she is crying out for the guards*

Imho

Edit: I believe Deathgrowl forgot to mention Aasimar in her list of known races of worshippers.

/M