Half-Drow

[Mr. Cheez-It]

In most lands, half-drow are rare.  Since so many drow are irredeemably evil. They only mate with humans by the way of rape or slavery.  The only exception are the half-drow of the land of Dambarth in the Shinning South, who arise from the centuries-old drow subjugation of the human folk of that land.

Half-drow have dusky skin, silver or white hair, and a braod range of eye colors.  They are often just as dark-hearted as their elven parents, but with a bitter resentment that comes from knowing that they are considered second-class members of drow society.  In human society, half-drow are distrusted nearly as much as their full-blooded cousins.  Despite this, good half-drow are much less rare than good drow.  Whether this has to do with the influence of their human blood, of the desire to rebel against the drow who treat them so poorly, is difficult to tell.

Outlook

Dambrathan half-drow combine cold, condescending arrogance with secret shame.  Although they consider themselves the better of the humans over which they rule, they know that their drow cousins feel similarly about them.  They spend a great deal of time trying to prove themselves to everyone around them, including each other.

Many hlaf-drow become adventurers to escape the bigotry they face in just about every community they find outside Dambarth.  Dambarthans, on the other hand, often range far outside their homeland to garner the wealth and fame that can prove their superiority back home.

Characters

The half-drow are often fighters and wizards- two quick paths to power on the surface worls.  Unlike the caste-driven society their drow forebearers came from, half-drow show all the adaptability of other half-elves.  Accordingly, many of them opt to multiclass.

Society

In Dambrathan society, half-drow are aristocrats by birth.  They grow up pampered, but a great deal is expected of them.  When they become adults, they must do their best to prove that they are worthy of their blood.  If they fail, they disgrace their entire family, and may be disowned and expelled from the country in shame.

Elderly half-drow who have proved themselves can settle down and teach the younger ones what they know.  Otherwise, they must keep at their chosen profession until they finally are deemed worthy.  In any event, elderly half-drow rarely live long after age begins to weaken them, since there are always younger relations hungry for the opportunity to claim the wealth and station of an aged half-drow.

Outside Dambarth, many half-drow are solitary souls, preferring to keep their own counsel than sully themselves with the opinions of others.  Other times, they band together into a self-important group, often bullying those they feel they can intimidate.

Deities

Half-drow can choose any human or drow deity as a patron.  Dambrathan half-drow always choose either a patron among the drow pantheon or, better yet, Loviatar.  Good half-drow almost always take Eilistraee as their patron.  For many half-drow of good heart, choosing Eilistraee is a compromise between both sides of their heritage, one that they can happily live with.

Loviatar's faith has a peculiar place among the folk of Dambarth.  The goddess of pain and suffering had a following in Dambarth before the drow conquered the land.  In fact, without the aid of Loviatar's cult, the drow might never have taken that country at all.  In respect for her, the worship of Loviatar is still the official faith of Dambarth, and most half-drow who live there follow this line.

Relations with Other Races

Most half-drow don't get along well with anyone outside other half-drow.  Dambarth is really the place for such people.  Good half-drow are often friendly when approached with acceptance or understanding, but standoffish otherwise.  They know all too well how most people feel about their drow kin and, by extension, them.