Preface:
Drow have left a distinct and irreversible mark on Arelith. Be it the domineering Lolthites, the rebellious Vhaeraunites or the secretive Eilistraeeans, one cannot bring up the Underdak without inevitably mentioning the Drow. Half-Drow are a thematic addition to Andunor that possesses an untapped potential. They can, if supported and played well, redefine inter-Andunorian and inter-Arelithian RP. Their addition almost feels intuitive and yet they are nowhere to be found. In what figures below, I will be making a case for the Half-Drow and their addition to the Arelithian Racial Roster.
Half-Drow Lore:
"A half-drow was a descendant of both human and drow ancestries. A half-drow generally had dusky skin, silver or white hair, and human eye colors. They could see around 60 feet (18 meters) with darkvision, but otherwise had no other known drow traits or abilities.
Half-drow were often conceived in bleak circumstance and usually by slaves. However, half-drow could also be the product of consenting parents. Dambrath was founded by such pairings when one hundred and twelve half-elven priestesses of Loviatar and male drow stock from T'lindhet interbred. The half-drow ruling caste there were known as the Crinti and were a mixture of those priestesses, their descendants, and the conquered Arkaiun people.
The Crinti of Dambrath were by birth an aristocratic ruling caste and so tended to be an arrogant, proud people who saw themselves as superior to the humans they ruled over. Much like their pure cousins in T'lindhet there existed a drive for Dambrathan half-drow to prove themselves to their families and houses - often leading to their premature deaths in politicking or by seeking out adventure as a means of proving themselves.
Half-drow of other origins seek out adventure as a way to escape bigotry and suspicion, to prove themselves, or to find freedom from the societies that look upon them unfavorably.
Half-drow tended to worship the Spider Queen, the other deities of the Dark Seldarine, and other reprehensible powers like fiends or evil deities among the Faerunian pantheon.
Some good aligned half-drow who made their way to Aglarond worshiped Eilistraee. Though that goddess was also worshiped quietly by some in Dambrath as well - those tired of the evil of Lolth and Loviatar."
On Half-Drow Concerns:
Before making this post, I asked around to gain an understanding on why were the Half-Drow not added to the Arelithian Racial Roster yet. The only answer I received was that there were concerns about how Half-Drow were conceived in lore. It is alluded that some Half-Drow are conceived through non-consensual means and that factor alone served as an obstacle to their inclusion into the ARR.
My answer to this is rather simple: Half-Orcs are a playable race in Arelith. Half-Orcs, if anything, are more of a concern in how they're conceived than Half-Drow. And yet, Half-Orc PCs do not go out of their way to bring up how they were raised and the circumstances of their birth. This is because the detail is understood to be not only completely unnecessary, but also completely irrelevant to the RP at hand. Arelith is its own homebrewed twist on DnD lore. What stops the team from establishing that non-consensual Half-Orc and Half-Drow births simply do not exist, or that Half-Orc and Half-Drow PCs are strictly prohibited from having the lore of being the result of a non-consensual relationship, much like how Warlocks are prohibited from RPing non-consensual pacts?
For what concerns Half-Orcs, I feel like it only takes a cursory interaction with the Tuskian Warband on the Surface or the Skullsmasher Tribe in Andunor to realise that the vast majority of Half-Orc PCs actually take great pride in their bloodline and lineage. The Crinti of Dambrath are the same: they are proud of who they are to the point of arrogance. This is why I think that the argument against Half-Drow due to the way some of them are conceived ultimately falls moot.
Half-Drow Mechanics:
It is already established that the Half-Drow race is mechanically supported in Arelith. A few Half-Drow NPCs exist within Andunor and the Andunorian PCs regularly fight Half-Drow enemies in the Crinti dungeon near Saltspar. Here's my proposal for how a Half-Drow would mechanically look like:
Starting Attributes: One could either go down the path of the Half-Elves and give them the base attributes of a Human, ergo, 8 base attributes. One could otherwise emphasise the Half-Drow's Ilythiiri heritage by giving them a +2 bonus to charisma and intelligence, at the cost of a -2 malus to their constitution.
Starting Location: Andunor; Outcast brand is not necessary due to them being Half-Drow.
Starting Languages: Undercommon, Xanalress, Drow Sign Language (Optional).
Starting Feats: Sleeplessness, Hardiness vs. Enchantments, extra SR, partial skill affinity to listen, search, spot, low-light vision. A cavalry-centred bonus or feat could also be thematic given the Crinti's mongol-like culture. Innate exotic weapon proficiency, perhaps.
Appearance: Around the size of a human or slightly shorter, but taller than elves or drow. Drow-leaning skin colours and silvery hair.
Aging: Adulthood at 20 years old, Middle Age at 62, Old at 93, and Venerable at 125, with a 3d20 bonus. (Half-Elven Aging mechanics, if only to satisfy the lore as they've no mechanical impact at all.)
Starting Alignment: Restricted to Neutral and Evil, with the option to apply for Good via the portal.
Half-Drow and Arelith:
Half-Drow commonly worship Lolth or Loviatar, both deities holding significant sway over the Drow population of Andunor. Lolth through the Orthodox and Frethian Temples, and Loviatar through the Temple of La'laskra sported by House Xun'viir for over 12 years! La'laskra in particular holds a particular importance in Andunorian lore and is entirely the fruit of over a decade's work by the likes of Va'sarra, Talyrrae and Ilphaeryl Xun'viir, the latter two being prominent, known and active figures in Andunor to this very day. For what concerns Surfacer relations, the Half-Drow are to be considered a monster race and likely only be tolerated within Evil-leaning settlements such as Sibayad and, to a certain extent, Guldorand. The interactions between Drow and Half-Drow leave plenty of room for interesting RP, and their potential for redemption through Eilistraee would empower the already-active Drow and Elven Eilistraeean factions across Andunor and Myon.
That said and done, kindly leave your opinions on adding the Half-Drow as a playable race below!
