Drow (Dungeons & Dragons) - Society

Society

Drow society is primarily matriarchal, with priestesses of their evil spider goddess Lolth (sometimes spelled Lloth) in the highest seats of power. Males are considered inferior to females within drow society, and while some males may be respected if they are powerful wizards (notably exemplified by Gromph Baenre), they are never allowed to rule. The drow sometimes use their dark arts to turn humanoid slaves into living sculptures. However in the original world of Greyhawk campaign setting created by Gary Gygax, Drow rank structure was based much more on personal experience level and proven personal abilities rather than on gender. Males were almost as likely to have positions of authority over both males and females, and the tradition of Matriarchy, where the highest ranking member was always a female, was not a special directive of the Demon Queen Lolth but rather had been a reality in Drow society since the earliest times attributed naturally to a few ability scores by the male gender being on average inferior, and particularly due to the 'wisdom' ability rating being on average quite inferior to the females. The vast majority of Drow Elves both male and female in the original campaign setting of Greyhawk have no authority or ranking at all and live an idle and degenerate life in the great city of the Drow.

Drow society is based upon violence, murder, cunning, and the philosophy that only the strong survive (though in Drow tongue, a quirk of the language creates a reversal of cause-and-effect; more correctly, it can be translated as "those who survive are strong"). Hence, most Drow plot endlessly to murder or otherwise incapacitate their rivals and enemy Drow using deceit and betrayal. Drow, particularly in higher positions, are constantly wary of assassins and the like. One of the quirks of this constant infighting is the relatively short lifespan of the average Drow. While being just as long lived as their surface cousins, living as long as a thousand years; you are very unlikely to meet an elderly Drow. Consequently, they are the only race of Elves that matches the fertility of 'lesser' races, such as humans. Their society, as a whole, is seemingly nonviable. The only reason they do not murder themselves to extinction is by the will of Lolth, working primarily through her clergy. Lolth does not tolerate any Drow that threaten to bring down her society, and the clergy make certain that perpetrators cease their destructive actions by either threatening or killing them, depending on her mood and how likely it is to be a successful deterrent.

There are exceptions to the rule, of course. Some communities of drow worship other gods (like Vhaeraun or Eilistraee), and thus, their hierarchy changes, reverses the roles of males and females, or (such as in the case of Eilastree) even approaching something like a workable, progressive society.

Most drow societies hate surface elves, but will wage war with almost any surface race and other subterranean races, such as mind flayers, svirfneblin, duergar, kuo-toa, dwarves, and orcs, for spoils and territory.