What Races Do Drow Enslave? A Deep Dive into the Underdark’s Slave Trade
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The drow, or dark elves, are a formidable and terrifying race known for their cruelty and cunning. Residing in the subterranean world of the Underdark, they have established a complex and brutal society fueled by the worship of the spider goddess Lolth. At the core of their culture lies a pervasive practice: slavery. But which races fall victim to the drow’s enslavement? The answer is diverse, reflecting the drow’s pragmatic and ruthless approach to power.
The drow enslave a wide variety of races, with a focus on those who are either physically strong or possess skills that can be exploited. The primary targets, however, include:
- Hobgoblins, Orcs, and Ogres: These races are perhaps the most common drow slaves. Their physical strength makes them ideal for manual labor, while their often aggressive nature is seen as easily manipulated through fear and brutality.
- Other Humanoids: The drow’s slave raids are not limited to monstrous races. They readily enslave other humanoids, including humans, dwarves, gnomes, and even other elves. The drow view all races outside their own as inferior and therefore expendable. The perceived value of a particular humanoid slave tends to be based on their physical abilities, skills, and any particular aptitudes the drow find useful.
- Surface Elves: While the drow may enslave other races for practical purposes, their hatred for surface elves is legendary. Any surface elf unfortunate enough to fall into drow hands faces a particularly cruel fate. They are often reserved for the most sadistic forms of torture and are used as examples of the drow’s power and disdain.
The drow do not enslave just anyone. They are selective in their methods, rigorously testing their slave stock for tractability and aptitude. Capable and stronger slaves command a higher starting bid, while unruly slaves are subjected to torture and abuse until they become compliant or perish. The drow slave trade is a well-oiled machine, supplying labor for their cities, armies, and various enterprises.
The drow’s willingness to enslave is not just about labor. It is also a tool for maintaining their social structure. Drow society is matriarchal, with powerful priestesses of Lolth at the helm. The use of slaves reinforces their dominance, demonstrating their power over other races and their own male population.
Drow Slavery: A Grim Reality
The Selection Process
Drow slavers employ a cruel and efficient process for selecting their slaves. After capturing a group of individuals, they are subjected to various tests that assess their:
- Physical Strength and Endurance: Slaves need to be able to handle grueling labor, so strength and stamina are highly valued.
- Intelligence and Aptitude: Those showing intelligence or possessing particular skills like magic or crafting are more valuable than those who are seen as dull or useless.
- Tractability and Obedience: Slaves who resist or are difficult to control are often brutally broken or killed to encourage compliance in others.
The Treatment of Slaves
Once acquired, drow slaves are treated with extreme cruelty. They are subjected to:
- Constant Labor: Slaves perform the most undesirable and dangerous tasks, from mining in deep tunnels to constructing elaborate drow cities.
- Torture and Abuse: Drow view slaves as property to be controlled through pain and fear. They are often subjected to random torture or abuse, not for any specific reason but simply to establish dominance and crush any remaining sense of self-worth.
- Psychological Manipulation: The drow employ psychological warfare to break their slaves’ spirits. They use fear, isolation, and manipulation to control them.
- Exploitation of Skills: Slaves with valuable skills or magical abilities are often forced to use these to benefit their drow masters.
The drow slave trade is a brutal and demoralizing institution that underpins their entire culture. Their view of other races as inferior justifies this barbaric practice. For those caught in the drow’s web, escape is often impossible, and the alternative is a lifetime of misery.
Frequently Asked Questions About Drow and Slavery
Here are 15 frequently asked questions that delve further into the intricacies of drow society, their relationships with other races, and their practices of slavery:
- Do drow work with other races? Drow form temporary alliances with other races only if it serves their purposes, particularly if it can lead to harm for surface elves. However, these alliances are tenuous, and the drow always consider themselves superior and seek to exploit their allies.
- What is drow culture based on? Drow culture is based on violence, murder, cunning, and the philosophy of “survival of the fittest.” Their matriarchal society is ruled by priestesses of Lolth, their evil spider goddess, and power is obtained through ruthless ambition.
- What do drow do to troublesome slaves? Troublesome slaves are subjected to extreme torture and abuse until they become obedient or die. The drow view any form of resistance as a sign of weakness and react accordingly.
- What race is a drow? Drow are a dark-skinned sub-race of elves, also known as dark elves, deep elves, night elves, and under-elves. They primarily live in the Underdark.
- Why are drow elves black? Drow are cave-adapted albinos who have evolved to capture radiation energy through pigment, resulting in their nearly coal-black skin, white hair, and pink eyes.
- What kind of drow is Drizzt? Drizzt Do’Urden is an atypical drow who has rejected his people’s evil ways and their home in the Underdark, choosing a path of good.
- Why do drow hate elves? Drow hate other elves due to a history of treachery and the alignment of the other elven races with good. The enmity between drow and other elves defines them.
- Are there female drow wizards? While most drow wizards are male, exceptions exist. There are notable cases of female drow being granted permission to study arcane magic, although it is highly unusual within their society.
- Are female drow stronger? While not physically larger, female drow are generally better trained and physically stronger than their male counterparts. Priestesses of Lolth also receive blessings that enhance their abilities.
- Why are drow sometimes depicted with purple skin? Drow are primarily described as having jet black skin. However, they are often artistically depicted with purple or grey skin to make shading and details easier.
- What languages would a drow know? Drow primarily speak Elvish and Undercommon.
- Are there male drow? Yes, there are male drow. In their society, they are generally subservient to females, acting in positions of leadership only under the authority of the female drow.
- What is the lore of pregnant drow? Pregnant drow often carry multiple fetuses, where the strongest fetus feeds on its siblings in the womb, leading to a high number of single births despite having begun as multiple.
- Can a drow and an elf have a child? Yes, a drow and an elf can have a child. The child would typically be an elf with drow traits, like darkvision and a darker complexion.
- Does sunlight hurt drow? Yes, drow have sunlight sensitivity, resulting in disadvantage on attack rolls and sight-based Wisdom (Perception) checks while in direct sunlight.
Understanding the drow and their practices of enslavement requires a deep look into their dark culture, their motivations, and their history. Their actions are a grim reminder of the depths of cruelty and power that can exist. While a fascinating race to explore in fantasy settings, the drow’s brutal reality of slavery makes them one of the most unsettling and captivating dark forces in lore.