Drow(Crow) or Drow(Cow)...how do you pronounce it?
Ha! A trick question! There is no drow living on Krynn.
The "dark elf" they're referring to (mostly) are those that are shunned/ostracized/disowned/discommended by the Krynn elf society.
I know that they currently are not there, but if you wanted it for your campaign, how would you do it?
Now that that unhelpful answer is out of the way, I'd make them arrivals from the proverbial "across the sea," coming to Ansalon to liberate their light-skinned brethren and help them recover their ancestral homelands.
Of course, this help comes at a very, very high price... (game begins here)
By the way. Its pronounced Drow (as in ow! I've stubbed my @#$%ing toe!)
I seriously suggest looking into the Wild Elves adventure (which has drow in it). Other than the spelljamming material, it really was a good adventure
If you go with the Grey Gem theory you can have it that the energies of the Gem changed the rogue elves into Drow.
I seriously suggest looking into the Wild Elves adventure (which has drow in it). Other than the spelljamming material, it really was a good adventure
I have looked at that adventure.
Grey Gem theory is good ... just trying to fill in missing pieces... no biggie.
Look for the old 2e DL adventure Wild Elves. Remove any mention of spelljamming and replace it with dark elves (the banished variety not the underdark) that have been warped by the passing of the Grey Gem and there you go.
By the way. Its pronounced Drow (as in ow! I've stubbed my @#$%ing toe!)
(shudders at the thought of spelljamming drow in Dragonlance) And some people say separating the cosmology wasn't a good idea... :P If I remember correctly, that's also the way they pronounced "drow" in the second "Dungeons and Dragons" movie, so I guess that's pretty close to being correct!
If I remember correcly, that's also the way they pronounced "drow" in the second "Dungeons and Dragons" movie, so I guess that's pretty close to being correct!
Why it wasn't a good idea, Orodruin, by whatever do you mean?;)
Why it wasn't a good idea, Orodruin, by whatever do you mean?;)
Come on ... all things can be good if properly applied in the right areas.
One option to introduce the drow to your campaign is to have it be part of a long-term disir plot to infiltrate and conquer the surface via the elves. A small cabal of Queens makes plans to have the disir maruaders capture surface elves and bring them to the disir colonies deep beneath the surface of Ansalon. The Queens incorporate elven DNA into their next batch of eggs, producing half-disir/half-elven monstrosities. These in turn are further hybridized and mutated, aging rapidly to maturity and then used to create more eggs. The final result is a light-sensitive race of magically gifted warrior elves, with an ingrained matriarchal outlook. Due to minor problems with the breeding program, the elves are pitch-black and have white hair, but otherwise appear as beautiful as any other elf.
The cabal of disir Queens then sends these elves to the surface, hunting at night, slipping in and out of the refugee elven communities. Eventually, the plan is much like Clark mentioned - under the guise of being helpful new arrivals, the disir-elves, or drow, help the surface elves out, but in return they seek more and more influence. Then, when they have enough power, the drow open the way for the disir to surge to the surface and take over.
In this version of the drow, I would drop the spider references and replace it with insect references. Basically, make these drow into "elves if H.R.Giger were designing them." Lots of strange bioengineered stuff, ribbed cavern walls, goo everywhere, mostly hidden from sight in darkness.
Cheers,
Cam
Dragonlance has a dangerous, cunning, and pervasive underground race already - the disir. This race of subterranean mutated insectile marauders is known for its propensity to adapt and evolve, thanks to its Queens. Each Queen, through faith in Morgion, knowledge of dark magical rituals, and an innate ability to synthesize other races and traits in its offspring, can give birth to dozens of mutated eggs that contain hybrid larva.
One option to introduce the drow to your campaign is to have it be part of a long-term disir plot to infiltrate and conquer the surface via the elves. A small cabal of Queens makes plans to have the disir maruaders capture surface elves and bring them to the disir colonies deep beneath the surface of Ansalon. The Queens incorporate elven DNA into their next batch of eggs, producing half-disir/half-elven monstrosities. These in turn are further hybridized and mutated, aging rapidly to maturity and then used to create more eggs. The final result is a light-sensitive race of magically gifted warrior elves, with an ingrained matriarchal outlook. Due to minor problems with the breeding program, the elves are pitch-black and have white hair, but otherwise appear as beautiful as any other elf.
The cabal of disir Queens then sends these elves to the surface, hunting at night, slipping in and out of the refugee elven communities. Eventually, the plan is much like Clark mentioned - under the guise of being helpful new arrivals, the disir-elves, or drow, help the surface elves out, but in return they seek more and more influence. Then, when they have enough power, the drow open the way for the disir to surge to the surface and take over.
In this version of the drow, I would drop the spider references and replace it with insect references. Basically, make these drow into "elves if H.R.Giger were designing them." Lots of strange bioengineered stuff, ribbed cavern walls, goo everywhere, mostly hidden from sight in darkness.
Cheers,
Cam
And we all wondered why they keep Cam around. LOL :D
That's awesome, bro, I love how you worked that up.
Come on ... all things can be good if properly applied in the right areas.
Ah, yes...the "Ointment philosophy"....I know it well.
Personally, I liked the old Multiverse, but, to each silent majority of dissenting fans to his/her own...;)
Ha! A trick question! There is no drow living on Krynn.
(Bolded for emphasis.)
True! The "drow" mentioned in Dragons of Autumn Twilight is undead... and wasn't a "drow" in the usual sense of the term. A banshee elf, IIRC.
Cam, that sounds like a good idea.
Now incorporate Jiathuli into that in some way and you'll have yourself a great idea
Why it wasn't a good idea, Orodruin, by whatever do you mean?;)
Heh, heh. I guess we could just chalk in down to taste. Everybody has some... but some have more than others! :angelhide
Look for the old 2e DL adventure Wild Elves. Remove any mention of spelljamming and replace it with dark elves (the banished variety not the underdark) that have been warped by the passing of the Grey Gem and there you go.
The Greygem is something I would avoid, personally. It seems to be the all-too-easy excuse to place any new race or creature in Dragonlance.
I would rather think of it in more imaginative terms. For example, a group of elves betray E'li (Paladine) and attempt to destroy one of his temples in Silvanesti. These rogue elf clerics are cursed by Paladine, who says that they shall forevermore resemble the darkness in their hearts. Since they embraced the darkness in their souls, so too shall they embrace the darkness below the earth.
I would rather think of it in more imaginative terms. For example, a group of elves betray E'li (Paladine) and attempt to destroy one of his temples in Silvanesti. These rogue elf clerics are cursed by Paladine, who says that they shall forevermore resemble the darkness in their hearts. Since they embraced the darkness in their souls, so too shall they embrace the darkness below the earth.
This is a good idea as well ....
Thanks for all of the inputs.
The Greygem is something I would avoid, personally. It seems to be the all-too-easy excuse to place any new race or creature in Dragonlance.
I would rather think of it in more imaginative terms.
So, I'm unimaginative? Thanks :P
J/K. You're right. An original origin would be better than the "catch all" use of the Greygem.
Now the Tamark are invading it ... and the drow sail over the see to escape the Tamark ... they arrive on Ansalon - and they *will* stay - they have nowwhere else to go (most ships damaged, insufficient supplies, they know of no other landmass ...)
(Bolded for emphasis.)
True! The "drow" mentioned in Dragons of Autumn Twilight is undead... and wasn't a "drow" in the usual sense of the term. A banshee elf, IIRC.
I was actually going to mention that! I was about to say, "Does nobody remember the drow in Autumn Twilight?" (which I just finished reading for the third time).:P
I was actually going to mention that! I was about to say, "Does nobody remember the drow in Autumn Twilight?" (which I just finished reading for the third time).:P
It has been a while. I thought it was a name for "undead elf."
As for implementing it into a game, I have the "Overdark", a forest cursed and run but a cursed race of Drow put here and abandoned by Lolth. Everyone's comments are great, thanks!
You know, Majere might be an interesting choice for a drow deity. He's got the copper spider as a symbol. Of course, the drow's insect of choice could be the mantis.
*cough*Jiathuli*cough*
*cough*Jiathuli*cough*
Jiathuli isn't a deity. The drow can worship her, but drow clerics won't get any spells from her.
Of course, that could be part of the great lie. Maybe spells actually came from Takhisis, then upon Takhisis' death, the drow found out the truth.
Jiathuli isn't a deity. The drow can worship her, but drow clerics won't get any spells from her.
Of course, that could be part of the great lie. Maybe spells actually came from Takhisis, then upon Takhisis' death, the drow found out the truth.
Or you could bend your perception a little bit and up Jiathuli's power level to that of a demon prince.
Can I ask, who is Jiathuli?
The short answer is that Jiathuli is Dragonlance’s answer to Lolth. ;)
The longer answer is that Jiathuli is a spider-like demonic power in Dragonlance and the “Handmaiden of Takhisis” (whatever that means). She’s not a goddess, though she was once thought of as a demi-god (later retconned since DL has no demi-gods).
You can learn more about her in the AD&D 2e module Wild Elves and in Holy Orders of the Stars.
Edit: DH beat me to it.
The longer answer is that Jiathuli is a spider-like demonic power in Dragonlance and the “Handmaiden of Takhisis” (whatever that means).
The night hag Chumaz-Hera was also one of these handmaidens of Takhisis. The idea of a "handmaiden" comes from Lolth, also - she had the yochlol, known as "handmaidens of Lolth," so the borrowing from Greyhawk was pretty extensive.
Cheers,
Cam
Anyway we ran through the Haunted Halls of Eveningstar in the FR campaign where my PC ran afoul of some Drow. From there we went through the Time of Troubles before switching back to DL. I created this scenario where the Drow we ran into in the Haunted Halls swore a vendetta against my FR character and tried to teleport to his location during the Time of Troubles. As magic was running wild then, the teleport got screwed up and the drow pursuing my PC in FR, landed on Krynn so I could use them as NPC's for the Wild Elves module.
You should have seen the look on my players faces when their DL pc's found a note written by the Drow swearing vengeance on their FR pc's.
Dragonlance has a dangerous, cunning, and pervasive underground race already - the disir. This race of subterranean mutated insectile marauders is known for its propensity to adapt and evolve, thanks to its Queens. Each Queen, through faith in Morgion, knowledge of dark magical rituals, and an innate ability to synthesize other races and traits in its offspring, can give birth to dozens of mutated eggs that contain hybrid larva.
One option to introduce the drow to your campaign is to have it be part of a long-term disir plot to infiltrate and conquer the surface via the elves. A small cabal of Queens makes plans to have the disir maruaders capture surface elves and bring them to the disir colonies deep beneath the surface of Ansalon. The Queens incorporate elven DNA into their next batch of eggs, producing half-disir/half-elven monstrosities. These in turn are further hybridized and mutated, aging rapidly to maturity and then used to create more eggs. The final result is a light-sensitive race of magically gifted warrior elves, with an ingrained matriarchal outlook. Due to minor problems with the breeding program, the elves are pitch-black and have white hair, but otherwise appear as beautiful as any other elf.
The cabal of disir Queens then sends these elves to the surface, hunting at night, slipping in and out of the refugee elven communities. Eventually, the plan is much like Clark mentioned - under the guise of being helpful new arrivals, the disir-elves, or drow, help the surface elves out, but in return they seek more and more influence. Then, when they have enough power, the drow open the way for the disir to surge to the surface and take over.
In this version of the drow, I would drop the spider references and replace it with insect references. Basically, make these drow into "elves if H.R.Giger were designing them." Lots of strange bioengineered stuff, ribbed cavern walls, goo everywhere, mostly hidden from sight in darkness.
Cheers,
Cam
This is a VERY interesting idea
While i do believe these concepts are really original and interesting , i would say that there is the possibilitty of a classical approach to the Jiathuli/Lolth scenario that can be applied without messing up the flavor of Krynn. In first or second edition book "Classics volume II" p27 it is written "...and the dark elven, a throwback to days before the age of dreams." This can point out that there has been a period of corrupting the elves into (spider-worshipping)Drow before the age of Silvanos. It never reached the amount of Drow found in other worlds because of Jiathuli's imprisonment early on, by Takhisis, and it is kept secret by the "official" silvanesti historians ,unknown to anyone but a few elven sages, or remote elven races like the phaethons, or the hulderfolk or even cha'asi. ..and maybe Astinus who is going to reveal it when the time is right.
So you can have RARELY drow NPCs and monsters into the dragonlance campaign and play "Wild elves" just fine. The spelljamming scenario of this module can be used to further boost the weak drow population that made it till the 4th age. This rarity explains raistlin's drow , or 1st edition dargaard keep drow or the drider in new tales or whichever sporadic drow maybe.
This scenario also serves into creating a jiathuli cult that can penetrate other elven societies like the Hestites at some point in time, or bargain lost artifacts with the black robes, and of course that would like to ensnare dalamar type "dark elves" into becoming drow ( dark elves beyond redemption)
If Jiathuli is a Lolth manifestation in Krynn it can also bring your player characters to the demonweb pits for a change.