I know there's probably someone who can answer this off of the top of their head, so I thought I'd try posting a question here: I'm working on my character's backstory, and I need to place a scenario where his mother, a Drow, would have had the opportunity to secretly observe a Wood Elf mother and her child once every new moon? What Drow city would I say his mother lived in, and where would she find Wood Elves on the surface, close enough that she could do it every month?
Can some true Drow geek or Elf geek (not an insult but a badge of honor) help me decide?
From my understanding, pretty much Any Drow City is going to be several days worth of travel from the surface, which makes such a proposition difficult to say the least, unless a portal is being used. If a teleportation circle or portal is used, Any city is fine, as distance doesn't matter. Some options:
1) Ust Natha is the closest to the surface of the cities (being the "first") Drow city, and regularly has conflict with surface elves. Perhaps they would go so far as to send out an expedition every month, or perhaps she spent so much time patrolling the paths to the surface she knows the route by heart and is just that much of a bada** that a multiple day journey through the underdark on her own is reasonable for her. (Surface wise it's near Tethyr)
2) Sschindylryn is a non-Lloth following Drow city, and of all places it is most reasonable a wood elf would be allowed to exist there or near there. As a mercantile power, too, it's not impossible they had trade routes going to somewhere on the surface. They also focus on divination magic and magic which facilitates travel. (Surface wise it's near the forest of Cormyr)
3) Undrek'Thoz is a confederation of cities linked by Portals. If any city were to have a potentially all but forgotten portal to somewhere on the surface it'd be this one. (Surface wise it's "under Thay", but, you know, portals don't care about distance)
4) Sshamath is the most magic-heavy Drow city overall. Not just portals but scrying magic would be very common, which is by the way a fine way for a Drow to safely observe surface folk without requiring a physical trip to the surface each time. Just saying. It's under the Far Hills.
Personally I'd choose Sschindylryn, have her be part of a trade caravan making regular trips to the surface but not necessarily always on a full moon, and be their magical scout, focused on divination magic. I'd have her be somewhat obsessed with this pair and scry them on the regular, including but not limited to on new moons. It fits the non-hostility, it accounts for regular physical trips up, it makes the idea of spying on them much less daunting than requiring being there in person Every Time, it checks all the boxes for me. It's your character though. Good luck.
Both drow and wood elf mothers? Who's the father, or is this a magic thing? Well, curiosity aside...
Drow aren't always stuck in the Underdark save for the occasional raid. There's a notable chunk of them that are followers of Eilistraee that live in elf enclaves on the surface. There's a number of secret organizations that work on the surface as well, such as Bregan D'aerthe, and are often linked to the god Vhaeraun. These organizations are everything from distinct from the drow city-states, and do their own thing, to being a kind of trade organization for the drow cities.
Drow, as a rule, tend to favor stealth and trickery, primarily due to both their racist reputation as well as their sunlight sensitivity. Culturally, they tend to be cruel, but that's more a matter of upbringing than something innate. There are even some drow that spend decades on the surface in disguise as a normal elf - and the reverse as well, high/wood elf spies in drow cities of the Underdark. Easily, one of these spies could have had a fling as part of their cover and became the mask. Its very unlikely for a devout follower of Lolth to be attached to a surface elf, or have a kid with them, as "Devout" in this case would call for the child's sacrifice. But then, the majority of high noble drow tend to be the Lolth spider kisser fanatics, and stay in the cities, while there are more secular drow, or followers of other gods, that do other things in lower castes.
As for what cities? That's going to depend on your setting. Menzoberranzan is the most famed of drow cities, thanks to a certain drow ranger novel series, set in the Forgotten Realms Sword Coast area, and they have a rather wide reach; its also kind of the Ur-Example that most drow cities fall under, so you generally can't go wrong assuming its something like that. Click here for a list of all known cities in the Forgotten Realms. If your setting is in a different world, such as Eberron or Mystara, then things are going to be rather different in those places.
If you want more help, we'll need a bit more detail about when and where this game takes place.
From my understanding, pretty much Any Drow City is going to be several days worth of travel from the surface, which makes such a proposition difficult to say the least, unless a portal is being used. If a teleportation circle or portal is used, Any city is fine, as distance doesn't matter. Some options:
1) Ust Natha is the closest to the surface of the cities (being the "first") Drow city, and regularly has conflict with surface elves. Perhaps they would go so far as to send out an expedition every month, or perhaps she spent so much time patrolling the paths to the surface she knows the route by heart and is just that much of a bada** that a multiple day journey through the underdark on her own is reasonable for her. (Surface wise it's near Tethyr)
2) Sschindylryn is a non-Lloth following Drow city, and of all places it is most reasonable a wood elf would be allowed to exist there or near there. As a mercantile power, too, it's not impossible they had trade routes going to somewhere on the surface. They also focus on divination magic and magic which facilitates travel. (Surface wise it's near the forest of Cormyr)
3) Undrek'Thoz is a confederation of cities linked by Portals. If any city were to have a potentially all but forgotten portal to somewhere on the surface it'd be this one. (Surface wise it's "under Thay", but, you know, portals don't care about distance)
4) Sshamath is the most magic-heavy Drow city overall. Not just portals but scrying magic would be very common, which is by the way a fine way for a Drow to safely observe surface folk without requiring a physical trip to the surface each time. Just saying. It's under the Far Hills.
Personally I'd choose Sschindylryn, have her be part of a trade caravan making regular trips to the surface but not necessarily always on a full moon, and be their magical scout, focused on divination magic. I'd have her be somewhat obsessed with this pair and scry them on the regular, including but not limited to on new moons. It fits the non-hostility, it accounts for regular physical trips up, it makes the idea of spying on them much less daunting than requiring being there in person Every Time, it checks all the boxes for me. It's your character though. Good luck.
Thanks for the insights and constraints I hadn't thought of... You've given me a lot to think about.
Both drow and wood elf mothers? Who's the father, or is this a magic thing? Well, curiosity aside...
Drow aren't always stuck in the Underdark save for the occasional raid. There's a notable chunk of them that are followers of Eilistraee that live in elf enclaves on the surface. There's a number of secret organizations that work on the surface as well, such as Bregan D'aerthe, and are often linked to the god Vhaeraun. These organizations are everything from distinct from the drow city-states, and do their own thing, to being a kind of trade organization for the drow cities.
Drow, as a rule, tend to favor stealth and trickery, primarily due to both their racist reputation as well as their sunlight sensitivity. Culturally, they tend to be cruel, but that's more a matter of upbringing than something innate. There are even some drow that spend decades on the surface in disguise as a normal elf - and the reverse as well, high/wood elf spies in drow cities of the Underdark. Easily, one of these spies could have had a fling as part of their cover and became the mask. Its very unlikely for a devout follower of Lolth to be attached to a surface elf, or have a kid with them, as "Devout" in this case would call for the child's sacrifice. But then, the majority of high noble drow tend to be the Lolth spider kisser fanatics, and stay in the cities, while there are more secular drow, or followers of other gods, that do other things in lower castes.
Thanks as well... What I shouldn't decide is just as important as what options make sense.
Why the surface elf mother? I wanted to use what was done to his mother as the reason for him leaving the underdark, but couldn't see him being driven towards revenge the way I want him to be if his mother was to him like, say, Matron Mother Malice was to Drizzt. So I wanted a reason for his mother to secretly raise him in a better environment, but pay a severe price for having done so. I thought that her seeing how a wood elf raises a child and what pregnancy means to a surface elf would be a seminal moment for her and initiate the events that would definitely his life, trials and tribulations.
Thanks for your input as well... It's going into the creative pot as well.
As for what cities? That's going to depend on your setting. Menzoberranzan is the most famed of drow cities, thanks to a certain drow ranger novel series, set in the Forgotten Realms Sword Coast area, and they have a rather wide reach; its also kind of the Ur-Example that most drow cities fall under, so you generally can't go wrong assuming its something like that. Click here for a list of all known cities in the Forgotten Realms. If your setting is in a different world, such as Eberron or Mystara, then things are going to be rather different in those places.
If you want more help, we'll need a bit more detail about when and where this game takes place.
I know you need details😀 but I'm working from the general backwards... The when and where haven't been decided yet and honestly are much less important to me than having a credible backstory for a future DM to use. Your previous post as well as the other have given me a new way to think about it, but I'm much more likely to change a detail to fit the story than the other way around; I have no other reason as this point to prefer one city over another, apart from the ones you all gave me. In a sense, that's part of what is making it difficult to decide. Thanks again for your ideas... If you have any more even with my lack of soecifics, I'd appreciate them just as much.
I would look to the drow of Clan Auzkovyn or House Jaelre in the Cormanthor woods.
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Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
They're from a book series, seems mostly to be from the book "Condemnation" by Richard Baker, though there are certainly others listed in the sources at the bottom, if they've piqued your interest.
First question I have is why a moon elf? What's the motivation/attraction? If you're going for a spiritual connection, then what's the pull toward the moon? And why the moon? Why not the stars? The Underdark, to quote RA Salvatore, is a starless night. Is your character's mother rebellious? Is she drawn to its phases? Just the new moon? Because the new moon is dark, unseen? There's a mystical connection there...
First question I have is why a moon elf? What's the motivation/attraction? If you're going for a spiritual connection, then what's the pull toward the moon? And why the moon? Why not the stars? The Underdark, to quote RA Salvatore, is a starless night. Is your character's mother rebellious? Is she drawn to its phases? Just the new moon? Because the new moon is dark, unseen? There's a mystical connection there...
Happy adventuring!
Sorry for the late reply... I lost my own topic :)
AdventureHalz, excellent points, all.
All these things are to explain why she begins to want different things for her son that Drow society probably isn't going to afford him. It leads up to a her making a choice like in O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi".
If you haven't read it, it's a story about a couple poor in money but rich in love for each other. For christmas, the husband secretly sells his watch to buy his wife some expensive combs, and his wife secretly cuts off and sells her beautiful long hair to by her husband a gold chain for his watch.
Initially the new moon was just tactics; she chose the two darkest nights of every 59 nights. But then she realized that the cycles of this celestial body seems to have something to do with the cycles within her own body and the miracle of creation that she's called up to do. That's the first incongruency with what she's been taught that she sees; why are surface elves blessed with this orb in the night sky, while Drow are not, if it's so important to procreation?
I haven't gotten to A Starless Night in the series yet, but that did occur to me: the first time I saw the Milky Way camping, and outside of the city where I live, I was dumbstruck and I understood why all cultures were obsessed with it before Galileo ruined it by surmising what the stars were :) There is no doubt in my mind that the first thing a Drow on the surface would be struck by is the Milky Way, how preternaturally beautiful it is, and wonder why the surface elves get this gift from the gods and we do not.
These are just two small things that lead her to think (as small thoughts often do) about the larger question about the place Drow occupy in the world, and the life her son is going to have, if she doesn't do something grave.
Thanks so much for your points... they've made me think.
crzyhawk, how did you know about a specific house in the Cormanthor woods? Is there some source material I can read? Thanks for the suggestion.
Sorry I didn't reply to this sooner, I just noticed it. I'm a bit of a drow fanboi, so I hoovered that stuff all up. I believe Clan Auzkovyn was first mentioned in the war of the spider queen series. House Jaelre popped up earlier than that, I want to say maybe in one of the daughter of the drow series? I've come across them when looking up other stuff in Google, so they kind of stayed in my mind. Anyhow here are some FR wiki links for them:
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
First question I have is why a moon elf? What's the motivation/attraction? If you're going for a spiritual connection, then what's the pull toward the moon? And why the moon? Why not the stars? The Underdark, to quote RA Salvatore, is a starless night. Is your character's mother rebellious? Is she drawn to its phases? Just the new moon? Because the new moon is dark, unseen? There's a mystical connection there...
Happy adventuring!
Sorry for the late reply... I lost my own topic :)
AdventureHalz, excellent points, all.
All these things are to explain why she begins to want different things for her son that Drow society probably isn't going to afford him. It leads up to a her making a choice like in O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi".
If you haven't read it, it's a story about a couple poor in money but rich in love for each other. For christmas, the husband secretly sells his watch to buy his wife some expensive combs, and his wife secretly cuts off and sells her beautiful long hair to by her husband a gold chain for his watch.
Initially the new moon was just tactics; she chose the two darkest nights of every 59 nights. But then she realized that the cycles of this celestial body seems to have something to do with the cycles within her own body and the miracle of creation that she's called up to do. That's the first incongruency with what she's been taught that she sees; why are surface elves blessed with this orb in the night sky, while Drow are not, if it's so important to procreation?
I haven't gotten to A Starless Night in the series yet, but that did occur to me: the first time I saw the Milky Way camping, and outside of the city where I live, I was dumbstruck and I understood why all cultures were obsessed with it before Galileo ruined it by surmising what the stars were :) There is no doubt in my mind that the first thing a Drow on the surface would be struck by is the Milky Way, how preternaturally beautiful it is, and wonder why the surface elves get this gift from the gods and we do not.
These are just two small things that lead her to think (as small thoughts often do) about the larger question about the place Drow occupy in the world, and the life her son is going to have, if she doesn't do something grave.
Thanks so much for your points... they've made me think.
Love the poetry here.... Although, honestly, I doubt most drow would view the Milky Way as a road to enlightenment or guiding torches toward actualization considering their deeply rooted hatred for Correllon and the ongoing war apparatus Lolth demands that her followers dutifully and submissively maintain. Unless, you're going for an outside patron deity who has in some way plucked the heartstrings of your drow mother's spirit rather like a lyre, strumming webs Lolth intended to be puppet strings. She is disturbed and intrigued by the differences she is beginning to notice, sounds and feelings that lead her to cast her eyes skyward, toward those distant lamps flickering in a dome without limits, unlike the caverns of the Underdark, oppressive, within reach with a simple levitation spell.
crzyhawk, how did you know about a specific house in the Cormanthor woods? Is there some source material I can read? Thanks for the suggestion.
Sorry I didn't reply to this sooner, I just noticed it. I'm a bit of a drow fanboi, so I hoovered that stuff all up. I believe Clan Auzkovyn was first mentioned in the war of the spider queen series. House Jaelre popped up earlier than that, I want to say maybe in one of the daughter of the drow series? I've come across them when looking up other stuff in Google, so they kind of stayed in my mind. Anyhow here are some FR wiki links for them:
Wow, thanks. Just... thanks. It's going to take me a while to digest all of that, but from the brief scan I did, it looks tremendously interesting. I'm slowly realizing that I'm really going to have to read all of the books because Drow society has really been fleshed out well.
First question I have is why a moon elf? What's the motivation/attraction? If you're going for a spiritual connection, then what's the pull toward the moon? And why the moon? Why not the stars? The Underdark, to quote RA Salvatore, is a starless night. Is your character's mother rebellious? Is she drawn to its phases? Just the new moon? Because the new moon is dark, unseen? There's a mystical connection there...
Happy adventuring!
Sorry for the late reply... I lost my own topic :)
AdventureHalz, excellent points, all.
All these things are to explain why she begins to want different things for her son that Drow society probably isn't going to afford him. It leads up to a her making a choice like in O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi".
If you haven't read it, it's a story about a couple poor in money but rich in love for each other. For christmas, the husband secretly sells his watch to buy his wife some expensive combs, and his wife secretly cuts off and sells her beautiful long hair to by her husband a gold chain for his watch.
Initially the new moon was just tactics; she chose the two darkest nights of every 59 nights. But then she realized that the cycles of this celestial body seems to have something to do with the cycles within her own body and the miracle of creation that she's called up to do. That's the first incongruency with what she's been taught that she sees; why are surface elves blessed with this orb in the night sky, while Drow are not, if it's so important to procreation?
I haven't gotten to A Starless Night in the series yet, but that did occur to me: the first time I saw the Milky Way camping, and outside of the city where I live, I was dumbstruck and I understood why all cultures were obsessed with it before Galileo ruined it by surmising what the stars were :) There is no doubt in my mind that the first thing a Drow on the surface would be struck by is the Milky Way, how preternaturally beautiful it is, and wonder why the surface elves get this gift from the gods and we do not.
These are just two small things that lead her to think (as small thoughts often do) about the larger question about the place Drow occupy in the world, and the life her son is going to have, if she doesn't do something grave.
Thanks so much for your points... they've made me think.
Love the poetry here.... Although, honestly, I doubt most drow would view the Milky Way as a road to enlightenment or guiding torches toward actualization considering their deeply rooted hatred for Correllon and the ongoing war apparatus Lolth demands that her followers dutifully and submissively maintain. Unless, you're going for an outside patron deity who has in some way plucked the heartstrings of your drow mother's spirit rather like a lyre, strumming webs Lolth intended to be puppet strings. She is disturbed and intrigued by the differences she is beginning to notice, sounds and feelings that lead her to cast her eyes skyward, toward those distant lamps flickering in a dome without limits, unlike the caverns of the Underdark, oppressive, within reach with a simple levitation spell.
Nice way with words you've got there :)
You've hit upon my new problem: His mother can't have these kind of thoughts and still be a Priestess of Lolth. But I wanted her and my character both the be followers of Lolth just to make it clear that he ain't no Drizzt. I made him a true believer who thought that Lolth was right to create such a society because it is the society that the Drow need in order to survive. I haven't quite worked out how to reconcile both of their un-Lolth-like thoughts about the position of males, and the fact that he is a devout worshipper. And I can't just change it because I kind of jumped the gun and dropped almost $250 bucks on his portrait at Avatar Art :) It's still not done, but it looks amazing so far, and I don't want to change it. So that's the latest problem that I can't seem to work out.
Thanks for the continued discussion; I have literally no one else other than you guys that I can talk to about this kind of thing :)
Lolth gives some very interesting options because she's a goddess of chaos. Nothing you do is every /truly/ out of her character because going against the grain and breaking rules is what she's all about. Perhaps your character sees the life the surface elves have, and see the strength and power that comes from unity and trust. In exploring this, originally as a source of strength, her views change, and perhaps she converts to the worship of Eilistraee http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Eilistraee
Without spoiling too much, in later books, some drow speculate that Drizzt is actually favored by Lolth. In one book, Lolth tries to get Drizzt to worship her in return for some help he needs. He denies her, and she helps him anyway. Drizzt amuses her and causes precious chaos among her drow. He's completely beyond her grasp, and given the slavish loyalty most drow have towards her, this denial of her is, for lack of a better word, interesting to her. He sort of plays hard to get with her, and she pursues him because we all want what we can't have, even as a Goddess.
I've currently got a half-drow divine soul sorcerer, who's divine spark comes from Lolth. He can't stand Lolth. He worships Selune, who gives him no power. he chose Selune, for a similar reason to what you mentioned in your previous post. When he came out of the underdark for the first time, it was on the night of a full moon. He was so awed by such an alien (to him) sight, that he fell in love with the moon so to speak, and worships her.
Lolth kind of torments him with the power that she grants. For example, one of his cantrips is Infestation. Instead of fleas and mites, she grants him spiders. Instead of being able to summon a sword or whatever with spiritual weapon, he gets stuck with a whip of fangs and whips enemies with the symbol of Lolth-ite priestess authority. She also speaks to him in his dreams, which annoys him to no end.
I view the relationship similar to that between The Lady and Croaker from the Black Company series of books. He's way beneath her, but caught her attention and he amuses her with his discomfort at her presence in his life. I really, really want to play the character, but I am saving him for the right campaign and situation.
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Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Lolth gives some very interesting options because she's a goddess of chaos. Nothing you do is every /truly/ out of her character because going against the grain and breaking rules is what she's all about. Perhaps your character sees the life the surface elves have, and see the strength and power that comes from unity and trust. In exploring this, originally as a source of strength, her views change, and perhaps she converts to the worship of Eilistraee http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Eilistraee
Without spoiling too much, in later books, some drow speculate that Drizzt is actually favored by Lolth. In one book, Lolth tries to get Drizzt to worship her in return for some help he needs. He denies her, and she helps him anyway. Drizzt amuses her and causes precious chaos among her drow. He's completely beyond her grasp, and given the slavish loyalty most drow have towards her, this denial of her is, for lack of a better word, interesting to her. He sort of plays hard to get with her, and she pursues him because we all want what we can't have, even as a Goddess.
I've currently got a half-drow divine soul sorcerer, who's divine spark comes from Lolth. He can't stand Lolth. He worships Selune, who gives him no power. he chose Selune, for a similar reason to what you mentioned in your previous post. When he came out of the underdark for the first time, it was on the night of a full moon. He was so awed by such an alien (to him) sight, that he fell in love with the moon so to speak, and worships her.
Lolth kind of torments him with the power that she grants. For example, one of his cantrips is Infestation. Instead of fleas and mites, she grants him spiders. Instead of being able to summon a sword or whatever with spiritual weapon, he gets stuck with a whip of fangs and whips enemies with the symbol of Lolth-ite priestess authority. She also speaks to him in his dreams, which annoys him to no end.
I view the relationship similar to that between The Lady and Croaker from the Black Company series of books. He's way beneath her, but caught her attention and he amuses her with his discomfort at her presence in his life. I really, really want to play the character, but I am saving him for the right campaign and situation.
You've given me something to think about. Perhaps the heads-I-win-tails-you-lose nature of his mother's deal could cause him to turn away from Lolth, to another Drow deity. Like your extremely interesting sorceror, this could cause all sorts of interesting effects for my character, as Lolth doesn't want to let him go. Previously I thought that Lolth would just destroy a Cleric that lost his faith, but perhaps I can instead turn that into something interesting.
And once again, thanks for pointing out that I REALLY need to read more. :)
Lolth has become more complex in the years since RA Salvatore started writing the Drizzt stories and out of necessity explored his origins in the drow capital of the Underdark. To know where Drizzt was headed he had to know where he came from, and in doing so discovered a paradox. The same paradox that cryzhawk points out: Lolth is an agent of chaos, not an agent of evil. She gets lumped into the philosophy of evil because of her methods and methodology and the dogma of her religion, which in recent years has taken on less of a spider metaphor and more of a contrast to Corellon. The ambiguity that's developed over the novels has put Lolth in a new light.
It's worth saying that Lolth's demands are direct. Her expectations are clear. Not so much with Correllon. He's flighty and amorphous. He is a role model without a mold. Purposefully. Correllon is a guide, whereas Lolth is a slave driver.
I think you're onto something. Once you figure out why your character's mother is no longer narrow-minded about her worldview as a drow, you'll have a better understanding about her motivation, and ultimately the role she will play for your character. Keep chipping away at it.
Lolth has become more complex in the years since RA Salvatore started writing the Drizzt stories and out of necessity explored his origins in the drow capital of the Underdark. To know where Drizzt was headed he had to know where he came from, and in doing so discovered a paradox. The same paradox that cryzhawk points out: Lolth is an agent of chaos, not an agent of evil. She gets lumped into the philosophy of evil because of her methods and methodology and the dogma of her religion, which in recent years has taken on less of a spider metaphor and more of a contrast to Corellon. The ambiguity that's developed over the novels has put Lolth in a new light.
It's worth saying that Lolth's demands are direct. Her expectations are clear. Not so much with Correllon. He's flighty and amorphous. He is a role model without a mold. Purposefully. Correllon is a guide, whereas Lolth is a slave driver.
I think you're onto something. Once you figure out why your character's mother is no longer narrow-minded about her worldview as a drow, you'll have a better understanding about her motivation, and ultimately the role she will play for your character. Keep chipping away at it.
Happy adventuring!
Not Evil, but Chaos. You and the others are really putting on a clinic in characterization. Thanks so much for your points.
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I know there's probably someone who can answer this off of the top of their head, so I thought I'd try posting a question here: I'm working on my character's backstory, and I need to place a scenario where his mother, a Drow, would have had the opportunity to secretly observe a Wood Elf mother and her child once every new moon? What Drow city would I say his mother lived in, and where would she find Wood Elves on the surface, close enough that she could do it every month?
Can some true Drow geek or Elf geek (not an insult but a badge of honor) help me decide?
From my understanding, pretty much Any Drow City is going to be several days worth of travel from the surface, which makes such a proposition difficult to say the least, unless a portal is being used. If a teleportation circle or portal is used, Any city is fine, as distance doesn't matter. Some options:
1) Ust Natha is the closest to the surface of the cities (being the "first") Drow city, and regularly has conflict with surface elves. Perhaps they would go so far as to send out an expedition every month, or perhaps she spent so much time patrolling the paths to the surface she knows the route by heart and is just that much of a bada** that a multiple day journey through the underdark on her own is reasonable for her. (Surface wise it's near Tethyr)
2) Sschindylryn is a non-Lloth following Drow city, and of all places it is most reasonable a wood elf would be allowed to exist there or near there. As a mercantile power, too, it's not impossible they had trade routes going to somewhere on the surface. They also focus on divination magic and magic which facilitates travel. (Surface wise it's near the forest of Cormyr)
3) Undrek'Thoz is a confederation of cities linked by Portals. If any city were to have a potentially all but forgotten portal to somewhere on the surface it'd be this one. (Surface wise it's "under Thay", but, you know, portals don't care about distance)
4) Sshamath is the most magic-heavy Drow city overall. Not just portals but scrying magic would be very common, which is by the way a fine way for a Drow to safely observe surface folk without requiring a physical trip to the surface each time. Just saying. It's under the Far Hills.
Personally I'd choose Sschindylryn, have her be part of a trade caravan making regular trips to the surface but not necessarily always on a full moon, and be their magical scout, focused on divination magic. I'd have her be somewhat obsessed with this pair and scry them on the regular, including but not limited to on new moons. It fits the non-hostility, it accounts for regular physical trips up, it makes the idea of spying on them much less daunting than requiring being there in person Every Time, it checks all the boxes for me. It's your character though. Good luck.
Both drow and wood elf mothers? Who's the father, or is this a magic thing? Well, curiosity aside...
Drow aren't always stuck in the Underdark save for the occasional raid. There's a notable chunk of them that are followers of Eilistraee that live in elf enclaves on the surface. There's a number of secret organizations that work on the surface as well, such as Bregan D'aerthe, and are often linked to the god Vhaeraun. These organizations are everything from distinct from the drow city-states, and do their own thing, to being a kind of trade organization for the drow cities.
Drow, as a rule, tend to favor stealth and trickery, primarily due to both their racist reputation as well as their sunlight sensitivity. Culturally, they tend to be cruel, but that's more a matter of upbringing than something innate. There are even some drow that spend decades on the surface in disguise as a normal elf - and the reverse as well, high/wood elf spies in drow cities of the Underdark. Easily, one of these spies could have had a fling as part of their cover and became the mask. Its very unlikely for a devout follower of Lolth to be attached to a surface elf, or have a kid with them, as "Devout" in this case would call for the child's sacrifice. But then, the majority of high noble drow tend to be the Lolth spider kisser fanatics, and stay in the cities, while there are more secular drow, or followers of other gods, that do other things in lower castes.
As for what cities? That's going to depend on your setting. Menzoberranzan is the most famed of drow cities, thanks to a certain drow ranger novel series, set in the Forgotten Realms Sword Coast area, and they have a rather wide reach; its also kind of the Ur-Example that most drow cities fall under, so you generally can't go wrong assuming its something like that. Click here for a list of all known cities in the Forgotten Realms. If your setting is in a different world, such as Eberron or Mystara, then things are going to be rather different in those places.
If you want more help, we'll need a bit more detail about when and where this game takes place.
I would look to the drow of Clan Auzkovyn or House Jaelre in the Cormanthor woods.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha
crzyhawk, how did you know about a specific house in the Cormanthor woods? Is there some source material I can read? Thanks for the suggestion.
http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/House_Jaelre
They're from a book series, seems mostly to be from the book "Condemnation" by Richard Baker, though there are certainly others listed in the sources at the bottom, if they've piqued your interest.
First question I have is why a moon elf? What's the motivation/attraction? If you're going for a spiritual connection, then what's the pull toward the moon? And why the moon? Why not the stars? The Underdark, to quote RA Salvatore, is a starless night. Is your character's mother rebellious? Is she drawn to its phases? Just the new moon? Because the new moon is dark, unseen? There's a mystical connection there...
Happy adventuring!
Sorry for the late reply... I lost my own topic :)
AdventureHalz, excellent points, all.
All these things are to explain why she begins to want different things for her son that Drow society probably isn't going to afford him. It leads up to a her making a choice like in O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi".
If you haven't read it, it's a story about a couple poor in money but rich in love for each other. For christmas, the husband secretly sells his watch to buy his wife some expensive combs, and his wife secretly cuts off and sells her beautiful long hair to by her husband a gold chain for his watch.
Initially the new moon was just tactics; she chose the two darkest nights of every 59 nights. But then she realized that the cycles of this celestial body seems to have something to do with the cycles within her own body and the miracle of creation that she's called up to do. That's the first incongruency with what she's been taught that she sees; why are surface elves blessed with this orb in the night sky, while Drow are not, if it's so important to procreation?
I haven't gotten to A Starless Night in the series yet, but that did occur to me: the first time I saw the Milky Way camping, and outside of the city where I live, I was dumbstruck and I understood why all cultures were obsessed with it before Galileo ruined it by surmising what the stars were :) There is no doubt in my mind that the first thing a Drow on the surface would be struck by is the Milky Way, how preternaturally beautiful it is, and wonder why the surface elves get this gift from the gods and we do not.
These are just two small things that lead her to think (as small thoughts often do) about the larger question about the place Drow occupy in the world, and the life her son is going to have, if she doesn't do something grave.
Thanks so much for your points... they've made me think.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha
Lolth gives some very interesting options because she's a goddess of chaos. Nothing you do is every /truly/ out of her character because going against the grain and breaking rules is what she's all about. Perhaps your character sees the life the surface elves have, and see the strength and power that comes from unity and trust. In exploring this, originally as a source of strength, her views change, and perhaps she converts to the worship of Eilistraee http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Eilistraee
Without spoiling too much, in later books, some drow speculate that Drizzt is actually favored by Lolth. In one book, Lolth tries to get Drizzt to worship her in return for some help he needs. He denies her, and she helps him anyway. Drizzt amuses her and causes precious chaos among her drow. He's completely beyond her grasp, and given the slavish loyalty most drow have towards her, this denial of her is, for lack of a better word, interesting to her. He sort of plays hard to get with her, and she pursues him because we all want what we can't have, even as a Goddess.
I've currently got a half-drow divine soul sorcerer, who's divine spark comes from Lolth. He can't stand Lolth. He worships Selune, who gives him no power. he chose Selune, for a similar reason to what you mentioned in your previous post. When he came out of the underdark for the first time, it was on the night of a full moon. He was so awed by such an alien (to him) sight, that he fell in love with the moon so to speak, and worships her.
Lolth kind of torments him with the power that she grants. For example, one of his cantrips is Infestation. Instead of fleas and mites, she grants him spiders. Instead of being able to summon a sword or whatever with spiritual weapon, he gets stuck with a whip of fangs and whips enemies with the symbol of Lolth-ite priestess authority. She also speaks to him in his dreams, which annoys him to no end.
I view the relationship similar to that between The Lady and Croaker from the Black Company series of books. He's way beneath her, but caught her attention and he amuses her with his discomfort at her presence in his life. I really, really want to play the character, but I am saving him for the right campaign and situation.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha
Lolth has become more complex in the years since RA Salvatore started writing the Drizzt stories and out of necessity explored his origins in the drow capital of the Underdark. To know where Drizzt was headed he had to know where he came from, and in doing so discovered a paradox. The same paradox that cryzhawk points out: Lolth is an agent of chaos, not an agent of evil. She gets lumped into the philosophy of evil because of her methods and methodology and the dogma of her religion, which in recent years has taken on less of a spider metaphor and more of a contrast to Corellon. The ambiguity that's developed over the novels has put Lolth in a new light.
It's worth saying that Lolth's demands are direct. Her expectations are clear. Not so much with Correllon. He's flighty and amorphous. He is a role model without a mold. Purposefully. Correllon is a guide, whereas Lolth is a slave driver.
I think you're onto something. Once you figure out why your character's mother is no longer narrow-minded about her worldview as a drow, you'll have a better understanding about her motivation, and ultimately the role she will play for your character. Keep chipping away at it.
Happy adventuring!