The ArDrow are a curious case. Most of the original settlers were not, all things considered, nice people. They were simply less vicious and mean and bloodthirsty than their fellows, or less competent at those traits than those they had left behind.During the Age Of Spelljammers there were a number of odd races discovered, and some cultures quite disturbing to those who grew up in places like the Hegemony or my own Cuel Parth. These dark elves came from a society that was as bad in its way as that of the Feryl. Escaping the culture and moral structure of your people is a feat seperate and sometimes more difficult than simply physically fleeing your homeland. Many of those early drow still followed many of the same actions as their brethren.
Their escape was accomplished by an adventuring wizard and his allies and not all embraced this idea of leaving the only goddess they'd known behind. Not all went for the concept of living alongside other races. Not all came.
They ended up in the Shifting Wastes, a set of plains south of the trade city of Legere - where a wizard's war had blasted the landscape into odd shapes and the weather included a bizarre phenomenon called 'Purple Rain.' Eventually the land became Kharonia, taken over by the wizard Kharon who promised he'd be fair to the elves, and he was - but that was later.
People without a patron have no one to intercede for them after death, and they were cut from their spider-goddess/demon. Those who had decided to follow the wizard asked what his patron was and he answered Etragar the Healer and his wife Hoshime. The path of the Blue and the Steel temples.
The vote was to follow this path, though some found it difficult to walk a road so different from their original path. There was an eventual outcry from this people that if this was to be - they needed a sign that it would all work out.
Prior to that, they all had red eyes, or the vast majority anyway. Within the space of a day, all had eyes the color of gems. Some blue, some white, some still red but more friendly in shade, some green or yellow and so on.
As far as signs went, it wasn't that terribly impressive, but it was definitely a sign and a less harmful one than their previous goddess would have given them. There were other changes, not as easy to see, but from then on they were not drow but ArDrow.
The first generation had some serious issues and problems from their arrival. The second one, the first born, had less problems and more issues. The third one broke most of the ties and cultural bits of their predecessors. The fourth generation, ah, there was the one showing the most promise. Building on the work of the third, they became the philosophers and treaty-builders. They were also the most fertile. The first generation was barely over a hundred. The fourth generation saw nearly six hundred of the ArDrow and their culture is a fine hodge-podge drawn from any source they took a fancy to.
At the time of this writing, there have been six generations of ArDrow and their number is well over twelve hundred. They have gone from a group of frightened refugees ready to fall back on their old habits to a society of scholars and merchants and weavers of powerful magic.
Even I, a dwarf with no love for elves of any shade or color, have to admit that's an accomplishment to take pride in. Well, at least they're not wood elves.
A Trader's Life For Me, chapter 9, by Dunr Brunj of Cuel Parth
Ranma wasn't sure what to make of the elfmaids surrounding him.
There was one with skin the color of charcoal and reddish hair cut short to frame her face, dressed in that leather plate armor that he'd seen a lot of the sailors wearing - except this had fancy designs stitched into the borders like scrollwork. Really short too - but then most elves tended to be a little shorter than he was. She had some kind of mace strapped to her back.
The second one was a tall blue-eyed blonde, slender, with her hair coming down as long as Shampoo's hair. She was wearing leather armor too, but it looked more battered and scuffed up. She had daggers on forearm sheaths, another pair showing at her boot-tops, and another pair on her belt.
Third was an elfgirl with black-looking skin, startlingly green eyes, and white hair tied in a really long braid that hung down to her mid-back. She was wearing a green tunic and hose that fit fairly tight around her and she seemed to be looking at him in kinda the way he remembered his father looking at an All-U-Can-Eat Chinese Buffet. His eyes found the twin khukri on her belt, but it was the sorta baseball hat she wore that really made him wonder what her story was. That look was kinda scary though.
Fourth was some gal that was blonde like number two, but her hair was coiled in a loop on her head. Martial artist of some kind, Ranma judged. Tight half-finger gloves padded at the knuckles. Tight clothing of some stretchy material that flared below the knees and elbows. Had some headband tied on that trailed in two strips away. Silly, it'd be easy to grab those in a fight.
Fifth was an elf with short blue hair, looked like a scholar of some kind. Short - about on a height with the first gal. Tunic, long skirt, vest with a lot of pockets. Even with his limited experience, Ranma was able to place that and the staff the girl had - top having a couple of colored beads and a feather drooping from it - wizard.
"So where did you come from?" asked the fire elf.
"What's your name?" asked the elf with all the knives.
"Is it true what they say about humans?" asked the ardrow, one eyebrow lifting as she licked her lips in a suggestive manner.
"Where were you heading?" asked the martial artist. "Are you a fighter? You've got the build."
The wizard type mumbled something and flushed red. Her glasses steamed up for no reason Ranma could determine.
The cheetah-girl's ears perked up and she poised to scribble notes down.
"Ah, that is, I -" Ranma wondered if it was too late to try clinging to the side. He pointed off to the side. "Oh my gosh! A UFO!" "Really? What's an oofoe?"
"I don't see anything."
"Is it a cloud formation? Does it have a special significance?"
"..."
splash
"Hey! Where'd he go?"
"Who's this girl?"
The redhead smiled and gave her most innocent look. "I have no idea what you're talking about."
"Gee, I wonder. Same hairstyle, same clothing, same aura," said the martial artist with a distasteful expression. "Fine, hume. Play your little games. If you want to insult us by taking us all for idiots..."
"A transformation curse?" The blue haired elf adjusted her glasses, which glinted in menacing fashion as the girl wearing them went from embarassed and hormonally addled to professionally analytical.
Ranma took a look at the disgusted expression on one face, the intense stare from another, the catgirl's frantic sketching, and the disapproving looks from the others. Not really an improvement.
When she did speak, the catgirl sounded like she was trying to get the words out and they were coming out faster than she could make them comprehensible.
No, Ranma decided, that hadn't helped at all. Figured in a world with magic this common that he wouldn't be able to duck out with a quick splash of water. In fact, they seemed put off by his assumption that they'd be fooled.
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(Posted Fri, 23 Apr 2004 10:18)
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