Drow

Origins
The “Lord of the Night” as they are titled, the Drow were once the unquestioned masters of Syv Augur, to the west of Syv Nova. Storied for their powerful sorcerers, their near immortality permitted them to reign with exacting and merciless cruelty upon any that would dare oppose their notion of “order.”   When the Gems of Ak’thalon were stolen by Princess Nuria and Prince Vaegri, B’q’rka the Black Emperor’s power waned enough for lesser races in the region to assert some nominal independence. Ever since, the Drow though a hegemonic power have lacked the ability to exert their influence over all that they once ruled with such impunity.

Organization
Dal Intress is the capital city of the Drow and eternally shrouded within darkness. In truth, “Dal Intress” includes a great deal of subterranean kingdom as well, though the intrafamilial caste systems within Drow society permit very few to ever reach that deeply into the city.

Drow routinely rely upon slave labor to enact any change in their society. Though many races that they once looked to as their property have since emancipated themselves, to some extent, the humans, vanara and nagaji remain stock members of their society. It is believed that the God-Queen Dryss resides at the heart of Dal Intress, known as the D’Abyrr (the Dark Web).

The Black Emperor is an absolute ruler in Dal Intress, advised by a council of Elders that have earned their way into the Dark Web. Traditionally he appointed two heirs so that one would always be competing against the other, though in modern times he now draws from a pool of eight that are separated at birth and trained with the expectation of succession. When one is selected from that pool, the other seven are killed.

After B’q’rka’s death and the heirs fled the kingdom, the Council of Princes ruled for a time. Suspicion fell upon them as potentially always intending to rule, which led their leader, H’d’la, to begin what would become the Dread Tumult. Unfortunately the Drow defeat in the Tumult led to another upheaval that saw a distant cousin of the fallen B’q’rka take the helm. Since then, he has served as the Black Emperor.

Various locations are designated as “courts,” which are headed by an archon that reports back to Dal Intress, proper. Archons rule through intrigue and power, making them constantly political but never absent some pretense of might.

Military
Drow are feared first and foremost for their impressive spellcasting ability, though their talent in archery is second perhaps only to the Bumi who abandoned much of their spellcasting history to live off nature. They are dextrous and bold, and with their ability to raise armies from the dead prove formidable in any war of attrition.

Enemies
Drow hate the Low and High Elves without equal.

Religion
They are nearly entirely devoted to Dryss, though some will turn their attention to dark gods or those of malevolence.

Despite the hedonistic and perhaps self-harming culture that drow replicate, they have one particular rule: treachery is not permitted within one’s family. The familial unit is, without question, the cornerstone of advancement in their society. If one ever wishes to serve Dryss within the Dark Web, then they must advance through ranks that only a strong family structure can provide.

Poru-Mani ("The Order of the Silken Touch")
The Order of the Silken Touch was an immediate response to the Drow's disastrous showing during the Dread Tumult. Archon Sretyn, who had always been wary of aggressive wars, maintained authority in Dal Sepsra, southeast of Dal Intress. With the shift in political fortunes that followed the Drow defeat in the Tumult, he began to theorize that the only way Drow society would become whole once more was to abandon the predatory undertone to its presence in the world. After all, the entirety of the world had seemed to unite against the Drow and as he reasoned it out, there was little reason for them not to: the Drow represented not only invasion, but power in its most basic and primitive form. On his own initiative, he began to accept those waried of war into his court.

Though devoted to Dryss, Poru-Mani questions the lessons that others would offer of her desire. A spider's web, after all, is at its strongest when the threads have been fortified: rather than cut a length and diminish the reach of the whole, was it not better to branch out and ensure that they were supported in their time of need? With this mindset, Poru-Mani took the cornerstone of Dryss' teachings: to not betray one's own, and expanded it to include nearly all peoples that the Drow encountered. Thus, it would be better to encourage them to see the error fo their ways through kindness and compassion over brutality.

Were it not for the Tumult's devastating effect on Drow political culture, it is likely Poru-Mani would have been crushed as heretical. However, Archon Sretyn's advanced age and connections made him a better ally than enemy to many: he adjudicated fairly on many disagreements and in turn, gained at least tacit approval to undertake his study. As a result, Poru-Mani sects can be found in small numbers, but each holds to the same core beliefs: the expansion of Drow influence through a kinder, gentler approach to relations with outsiders.

There are those that see Poru-Mani as a slow and sweet acting poison, seeking to infiltrate where previously no Drow would have been welcomed. Nevertheless, even the Zubians have accepted some support from Poru-Mani, who also have diplomatic relations with Dowe'i. Perhaps a cult in the eyes of some, it commands at least some social importance. Key members of the order are Archon Sretyn and Lady Zharka T'sondrin.

Their mantra is "Strength as One."

Historical Significance
Syv Augur might well have been called Dal Intress at one point. The eternal darkness that the drow demand was a cornerstone of its early history. Drow have maintained a harrowing grip on their descendents in the form of fear, as Skyvale and Feryn were both formed as bulwarks against their ire.

It is worth noting that Vaegri and Nuria were intended to serve as countermeasures to one another, yet at a moment of fleeting weakness on the Black Emperor’s part, their usurpation of the gems led to a catastrophic shift in world events. How this came to be has never been fully disclosed.

Because the people of Kin’u and Moksha both sought to maintain positive relations with the Dal Intress, they routinely sold slaves to the Drow in addition to spices and silks. The Drow in turn helped each at varying parts of their history, though eventually the Kin’u broke ties while the Moksha formalized their union. For this reason, people of mixed Kyn and Mokshari descent are to be found in Dal Intress’ slave caste.