Dark Elves

General

Dark Elves are a group of elves that began in the year 183 of the second age. This was as a result of a dark pact, a faction of Elves called the First Elvadari attempted to overthrow their lords with the aid of the abyss, after failure, they retreated deeper into other areas and less lit regions to suit their new adaptations. Despite the rejection of the demonic corruption of their souls, they still bear the genetic and visual changes that it brought, resulting in much darker skin and odd eye tones, such as violet and scarlet.

They also possess a more green blood than others, an almost emerald bright green. They tend to be more dexterous than elves, but less capable of the thorough planning. Dark elves

Personality

Dark Elves tend to be cold and calculating, as well as extremely able at deception. They tend to trick enemies or otherwise make them confused of their own intentions before striking, with little to no warning.

Culture

Dark Elves are heavily concentrated in Arachnea, so they have a very uniform culture. One that focuses on tactics and domination of others above all else. They nation itself is a mix between a Theocracy and Arcanocracy, where those with Divine or arcane ability are elevated to much higher status, as such, families commonly jockey for positions and attempt to arrange marriages where the most powerful and devout offspring can be created.

They value victory above all else, and are firm believers in the ends justify the means. They have large numbers of apothecaries and greater groups of assassins and spies working to assure the next breakthrough and taking in as much information as possible in order to have the upper hand against all of their enemies.

Their hatred of the elves is absolute and heavily instilled in all but the most rebellious children. It is literally in their blood. As such, Drow are typically antagonists and extremely self serving, their greatest ideologies are the law of the jungle as well as pragmatism.

Religion

The Drow Religion focuses upon a single God and a Single Goddess. The God of Lies and Treachery, Artell, as well as the Goddess of Lust and Magic, Lillith. Both are powerful demons of the abyss, although the latter far outweighs the first in terms of raw strength. They are the two that forged the pact that transformed the Dark Elves into what they are now.

As such, both have massive followings amongst the Drow. Human, non-drow, sacrifices are made to Lillith in massive cathedrals built in her honor. Ritualized rape is a common act amongst worshippers and zealots who sack and attack other cities. Artell is much more subtle in his worship, asking that his followers only seek to subvert the churches of others through infiltration. Sometimes, his followers will give decades of life to infiltrate a holy sanctum only to betray. Treachery is his greatest sacrament.

Aside from that, almost all other religions are banned in Arachnea, and the homogenous culture makes it taboo to stray from these two. Not to mention, worshipping an elven god is absolute heresy.

Slavery is wholly accepted by their philosophy of the strong dominating the weak as natural, and indeed most Drow slaves who themselves believe to have been taken honorably are the most submissive to their master's calls, this is not to say they would not pounce upon a moment of weakness. If they weaken, then they have the right to attempt escape, as they have lost the power to keep them.

Factions Along with the nation-state of Arachena, they have a few connected and non-dependant factions as well. The Children of Lillith are the elites of the nation, and carry out their most complex and risky assassination, recovery, and battle missions due to their ability and their capabilities, all with a crusader like zeal that would match madmen.

Similiarly, the daggers of Artell are the spy divisions, commonly sent for years on end in extremely deep cover. Many times, ambassadors and emissaries are part of this group in order to garner greater amounts of information. Widow's Embrace is another group, but has a wholly different purpose, it instead is in charge of assuring the technological progression of the nation, almost wholly focused on military matters, and only upon logistical when it becomes a military strain.

In much the same vein, the First Acadamy focuses on magical innovations.