From d9bertil@dtek.chalmers.se Sat Jan 11 10:42:44 1992
Path: oucsace!oucsboss!att!linac!pacific.mps.ohio-state.edu!zaphod.mps.ohio-state.edu!wupost!uunet!mcsun!news.funet.fi!sunic!chalmers.se!dtek.chalmers.se!d9bertil
From: d9bertil@dtek.chalmers.se (Bertil Jonell)
Newsgroups: rec.games.frp
Subject: Drow: origins and appearance (12k)
Message-ID: <8138@chalmers.se>
Date: 11 Jan 92 15:42:44 GMT
Sender: news@chalmers.se
Organization: Chalmers University of Technology, Gothenburg, Sweden
Lines: 178


  There are some subjects that regularly appear on rec.games.frp time and
again: Subjects like "Orcs and Racism" and "Lets spl*t this group". Another 
one of those subjects are "Why are Drow black?". Here are my views on the 
matter, somewhat more refined now than the last time:)

  The Drow originated as surface-dwelling nocturnal elves. From this they got
their superior infravision, their coloration and their general "sneak around"
abilities (surprise mods). The color can be explained as camouflage against 
infravision: Infravision sees differences in temperature between an object and 
its surroundings. A creature with a high body temperature will thus be easier
to detect with infravision than a creature with the same temperature as its
environment. 
  One method of foiling this is undeath as it will reduce the temperature of
the whole body, but that has its own obvious drawbacks. Another method is to 
keep the body temperature constant, but reduce the temperature of the skin.
To do this the skin has to be insulated from the rest of the body and made to
adapt its temperature to the environment. Insulation is done through a layer
of subcutaneous fat. 
  [Half-joking paragraph begin here]
  The presence of this extra subcutaneous fat on Drow compared to other elves
is apparent from all the pictures of very volupteous female drow that TSR
has published. I remember one person on rec.games.frp joking about "Lolth-
brand silicon inlays" when commenting on the cover of "Queen of Spiders".
  [End half-joking paragraph]
  Temperature adaption of the outer skin surface is achieved through the 
coloration: Black, especially dull black, will tranfer heat much faster than
other colors and in the combination with insulation this will make the 
temperature difference between their skin and the environment lesser, thus
reducing their IR-signature.

  
  On to the origin of the Drow, quotes from the book "Explorative Theology"
that the characters in my campaign found in a remote location. The first part 
is an account on how the story in the second part became known. It is unknown
whos story this actually is, since the first part of the story paints Lolth as 
the totally innocent victim of a conspiracy, and Alith as the skillfull evil
plotter, and the latter part shows how Aliths conspiracy falls apart and how 
Lolth hold on to her grudge even when given the chance to regain what she had
lost. The most likely explanation is that it is composed from two different 
highly biased accounts of the events. The capitalization of certain names
is intended to note those names that shouldn't be spoken. They were written in
another font in non-ascii version.
  I blame any errors on the translation:)

*************
New Findings on the Layers of the Abyss from "Explorative Theology"

On the fourscore seventh layer of the Fell Abyss resides ALITH, Demon Mother 
of Parasites in her castle of black iron that floats cold and dead in the dark 
void. This layer IRONVOID is inherently hostile to life, which our unfortunate 
colleague immediately discovered. When we recovered him, his eyes had burst 
and his skin had turned blue-black under a fine film of blood. After some 
additional research, we managed to locate the iron castle and penetrate it 
tacitly under the guidance of brother Spalab. The sterile look of the castles 
outside was quite deceiving because from the inside it seemed very much alive. 

Damp unwholesome fog hung thickly in the passageways and the walls pulsated 
horribly. At the outer edge of our vision we could discern movement and faint 
high-pitched screams and hisses assaulted our ears. From time to time, with 
unpredictable and unsettling intervals, tremors shot through the floor 
accompanied by deep rumblings from the bowels of the castle, which shook us to 
our bones and totally drowned out our feeble voices. These happenings had a 
numbing effect on our minds so when the creature struck at poor Regineli we 
were totally surprised. I will not describe its appearance here as I have gone 
to great lengths to forget it. The frightening visage of Regineli being torn 
apart in a second proved to be the last straw for Nestal who had been close 
to her. After the battle's conclusion we were forced to immobilize him and 
pack him as an item. Despite our collective power in the Art, the creature 
stood its ground for a surprisingly long time but in the end it fell. 
Undaunted, we resolved to travel deeper into the black castle in an effort to 
root out its secrets.

As we closed in on the center the occurrences of hostiles became increasingly 
common. Just at the inky gates to the central chamber it finally proved to 
much for us and we had to turn back. Fortunately we managed to make an a
ccurate representation of the gates using the Krekensol's Minor Model formula. 
Below is an as correct translation from the Demonic tongue as is possible. It 
seems to be the original text from which the arcane "Secret Whispers" tablets 
are drawn but it includes parts that were previously unknown. We have not been 
able to find out why ALITH would let such an, in the end unfavourable account 
decorate the gates to her throneroom:

'In the dawn of time the two sisters, ALITH and Megwandir resided in the 
forests of Faerie. ALITH's were the faerie animals of the Starry Nights and 
Megwandirs were the Elves of the Starry Nights. But they were both young to 
Faerie and they were distrusted by many. Megwandir had eyes for Tarsellis of 
the Ice Elves but his brother in arms Solonor walked up to him and said 
"Tarsellis, my comrade in arms, why do we not hunt together any more? Why are 
we never out in the deep woods and among the high mountains and stalk the deer 
and the bear? Ever since this Megwandir and her dark Elves arrived you have 
had eyes only for her. You are forsaking your people for this interloper! You 
should cease this insanity and return to your proper path!" but Tarsellis 
refused and Solonor valued him so much as a friend that he didn't bring the 
subject up again. But ALITH, who was the younger of the sisters, had grown 
bored with her subjects. She craved power and Elves of her own to rule over, 
and she had heard what Solonor had said. She also had eyes for Tarsellis but 
as long as Megwandir was in Faerie she had no chance. So ALITH took the guise 
of Megwandir and walked up to an archer of Solonor and seduced him. When 
Solonor heard of this his mind grew cold and he walked up to Tarsellis and 
spoke "Your precious Megwandir have deceived you! I urge you to see her in the 
light of truth and banish her!" but Tarsellis reason became clouded with black 
rage and he struck Solonor down in anger and swore to kill him if he repeated 
his accusations. Solonor understood that Tarsellis had fallen under Megwandirs 
spell and did not know what he he was doing. And Solonor walked up to 
Rhiannon, Queen of Faerie and told his story, but Rhiannon turned him away and 
said "What they do is their business and theirs alone, I do not judge against 
my half-sister." And Solonor walked up to Megwandir, confronted her and spoke 
thus "You have cast a spell over my brother in arms and you are deceiving him 
and causing him to leave his people to fend for themselves. I leave you two c
hoices, leave Faerie along with your dirty Elves or face my wrath!" but 
Megwandir called him mad and turned him away. And Megwandir walked up to 
Tarsellis and spoke to him of what Solonor had spoken to her and for the 
second time Tarsellis reason became clouded with black rage and he sought out 
his brother in arms Solonor and attacked him. When Corellon heard of this 
outrage in Faerie he walked up to them and told them to desist or be cast out 
of Faerie. They both walked to their places and Tarsellis' Ice Elves 
immediately cast down all their bows in contempt for Solonor and moved their 
dwellings to the high mountains. All the time, ALITH had stood quiet and 
watched what happened. Now ALITH walked away from Faerie and conjured up the 
Parasite to which she spoke "I am ALITH of Faerie and you are Godless. Accept 
me as your Goddess and support me and I will grant you power and victims 
aplenty." and the Parasite accepted her as its Goddess. Then ALITH gave the 
Parasite the guise of Megwandir and sent it to the archer. And the Parasite 
walked up to the archer of Solonor and spoke "We cannot continue, my Love. 
I cannot allow Tarsellis to discover about us so I will kill you." and the 
Parasite killed the archer of Solonor. When Solonor found the remains of the 
archer he carried him into the Holy Grove and threw him before the feet of 
Rhiannon and Corellon and spoke "Look what Megwandir have done! She have 
defiled the very ground of Faerie! She must be driven out!" and Rhiannon and 
Corellon agreed. When their forces fell upon the capitol of the Elves of the 
Starry Nights Tarsellis was with Megwandir and they woke to the clash of 
Swords. Solonor and Corellon burst through the doors and attacked Megwandir. 
Tarsellis sided with her immediately and while they fought back to back the 
Ice Elves arrived and drove away the attackers. Solonor, Corellon and Rhiannon 
called in their peers and their Elves to launch a second attack but when 
Megwandir and Tarsellis discovered this they told the dark Elves and the Ice 
Elves to retreat up into the mountains and hide in the caves. During the 
battle, ALITH again gave the Parasite the guise of Megwandir and sent it to 
one of Tarsellis Ice Elves. And when the Parasite seduced and killed the Ice 
Elf in the presence of Tarsellis he suddenly realized that the words of his 
brother in arms had been the truth. And Tarsellis set upon the Parasite with 
sword and spear but it had been aided by ALITHS magic and struck him down and 
infected him with Corruption. When Tarsellis woke with Corruption burning in 
him he walked up to Corellon and repented the error of his ways and asked for 
permission to kill Megwandir and eradicate her Elves of the Starry Nights. 
And ALITH walked with him and spoke "I renounce my sister cause she is Evil. 
I will fight against her to keep Faerie pure. But I ask for mercy on behalf of
the Elves of the Starry Nights cause they are just following their Lady even 
though she is Evil" and Corellon spoke "The dark Elves will be given a chance 
to surrender and those who do will be spared. When Megwandir is banished you 
will take her position of Lady of the Elves of the Starry Nights". And the Ice 
Elves turned upon the Elves of the Starry Nights and Tarsellis turned upon 
Megwandir and attacked her. And ALITH fought beside him to help dispose of her 
sister and rival. But Megwandir and her Elves escaped into the bowels of the 
mountains and fortified the deep caves. There Megwandir sat with her Elves of 
the Starry Nights in the darkness and let her anger grow into a white-hot 
range and she spoke "My sister ALITH and my Tarsellis deceived me and tried to 
murder me. Corellon and my half-sister Rhiannon tried to murder me and your 
cousins tried to slaughter you! I will bring them deception and slaughter like 
nothing they have seen. Megwandir of the Starry Night is dead. The Elves of 
the Starry Nights are dead. Now I am LOLTH of the Spiders and you are the Dark 
Elves!". But when Tarsellis had spoken and fought beside ALITH, the Corruption 
in him had burned hot. And when ALITH came to him again after the battle the 
Corruption flared up again and he understood that ALITH, not Megwandir was the 
source of it so he set upon her and chased her from Faerie. And Tarsellis 
walked down into the caves to find his Megwandir, but Megwandir was dead, and 
LOLTH and her Dark Elves had finished their preparations. They set upon 
Tarsellis in the caves and drove him up to the surface, and when he fled they 
followed him and poured out over Faerie. And LOLTH and her Dark Elves scourged 
Faerie until they were driven back to their holes, but the Forests of Faerie 
burned....'

-bertil-
--
"It can be shown that for any nutty theory, beyond-the-fringe political view or
 strange religion there exists a proponent on the Net. The proof is left as an
 exercise for your kill-file."


