STATION AND RANK

Drow society is strongly matriarchal, with females holding all positions of power and responsibility in government, the military, and in the home. Males are effective fighters, and can become priests and wizards of minor power. Outside drow communities, they are rarely encountered without female commanders.
Male commanded drow groups are generally either streeakh, "suicide squads", or are dobluth (outcasts) who have rejected the traditional authority structure of the drow.
Social station is the most important thing in the world of the drow. Ascension to greater power is the ultimate goal in drow society. Assassination is the preferred tool in this job. It must be used discreetly in the city setting, for to openly murder or wage war (on a rival House) brings down the merciless might of drow justice (not because of the act itself, simply as punishment for the boorish act of fighting in public).
Outside the patrol range of cities, however, might is right, and Houses and merchant clans often battle each other openly in the wild Underdark.

SOCIAL ORGANIZATION

There are two major social groupings among the drow. These are the relatively unimportant (according to the priestesses of Lolth) merchant clans, and the staid, monolithic noble houses. In truth, both establishments are vital to the survival of the drow.
Merchant clans vary in organization. They are usually headed by an "inner ring" or council of the most experienced and/or wealthy merchant members, and hence are usually led by males (the "demeaning" and dangerous occupation of trading with outsiders is an almost exclusively male one).
The membership of an inner ring of a given merchant clan consists primarily of male wizards who have either passed or evaded The Test. Removed as they are from drow society at large, the merchant clans have no compunction about dealing with the surface world. In fact, a great number of the "second ring", or managers, are non-drow of various races.
The lowest rank in the merchant clan, the "assets", are nearly all non-drow. These are the laborers and soldiery of the merchant house. Together, the merchant clans form the trade links with the outside world that enable the Noble Houses to survive.
Noble Houses are led by a matron mother, the senior female priestess. In Lolth-worshipping drow communities, her rule is absolute, enforced by the priestesses beneath her (usually her daughters). All females of the mother's blood, in order of their age, follow in rank, although they wield no authority until they are trained and of age (past puberty).
Below the daughters come the male officers of the House; the weapons master (leader of the fighters), (chief) House wizard, and the patron (current consort of the matron mother). These ranks may be combined, and even held by the traditional next rank down in the hierarchy: the male heirs of the House.
Male heirs are also ranked by age: elderboy, secondboy, thirdboy, and so on. They are not allowed to look at the faces of other drow, or speak unless spoken to or bidden. This treatment teaches them their subordinate place in drow society.
Below them are the "war leaders" of the House (veteran warriors, who lead House patrols, attack squads, and guards, under the command of the weapons master), and the House mages (under the command of the House wizard).
Beneath these "blood" members and officials of the House rank its common warriors, its craftspeople, its servants, and its slaves. All ranks are decreed, and can be changed at the whim of, the matron mother. Her position changes at death - often at the hands of her eldest daughter.
In a Lolth-worshipping drow community, it is a deadly thing to slay a matron mother who holds Lolth's favor, so mothers may reign for hundreds of years, kept alive by the magic of Lolth and the diligent service they perform to get and keep it. The assassination of a matron mother is often a punishment for losing Lolth's good will, and marks either a new direction for the House, or - if it is weak, and has strong rivals - the beginning of its extinction.
If one House in the city openly wars on another, and fails to eradicate it entirely in a single attack, the survivors of the ruined House can call down the city's justice on the attacking House. When this occurs, all Houses combine forces to wipe out the offending House. Houses who send assassins and saboteurs against each other for years will be forced into an open battle by the city's ruling council, with the same results as above. This type of no-win scenario allows the internal strife of drow to be strictly controlled, so that drow communities are not torn apart by continual, bloody warfare.
Most internal combat therefore takes the form of eternal maneuvering for small advantages. Underhanded intrigue, poisoned knives in dark alleys, vicious trade rivalries, and dirty dealings are all a part of normal drow life.

DARK ELVEN WIZARDS

The most dangerous of drow, and the most likely to be encountered along outside of their Underdark communities (as opposed to fighting bands) are wizards. Drow wizards, especially males, are often driven into exile out of fear at the treatment they expect from those of rival Houses, jealous priestesses, and the angered authority of Lolth.
Dark elven wizards often become or accompany merchants, dealing with the surface world where their magic serves to protect and disguise them. Their endless need for more magical knowledge and spell components drives them into lots of adventuring, or the frequent hiring of professional explorers.
Some unusual familiars can appear in the company of these folk. Drow wizards favor watchspiders and hunting spiders as familiars, but more often employ snakes, spitting crawlers, pedipalpi, solifugids, and all manner of spiders, instead. The really fortunate ones acquire the companionship of an azmyth.

DARK ELVEN DEALINGS

Drow trust no other creatures, including (or especially) other drow. The relations of such a paranoid race with others is uneasy, to say the least.
Possible equals (the drow admit to no race as their superior) such as illithids and duergar are dealt with by a mixture of armed truces, hard bargaining, subtle threats, magic, and mutual gain pacts. Only exceptional drow individuals come to trust another being fully (and live to tell the tale!) in the cities of Lolth-worshippers. Trusting drow are more common among the worshippers of Eilistraee, but even theirs is hard to gain.
The drow are the most widespread and powerful of the known Underdark cultures. Strife among themselves, and a lust for a personal power and commercial gain, always prevents drow from gathering in any concerted effort against foes. This is probably the only thing that keeps many kuo-toa, jermlaine, and disir communities intact; the drow could easily wipe out weaker neighbors if they took up arms in earnest. Oddly enough, rule over all the subterranean races (even to the powerful mind flayers and aboleth) is the ultimate goal of drow - "the First Part of the Destiny of the People," as priests of Lolth put it. The Second Part is the extermination of all other elven races, including the seizing of surface lands and holdings. Lolth and her clergy do not, however, advocate any sort of "holy war". Lolth sees her People best served by the competitive striving of individuals, cabals and factions among drow society and her priesthood, and by the efforts of individual drow communities. In this way, the race grows stronger without breeding in decadence, weakness, and laziness.
Drow even practice cannibalism when their numbers grow too great for a given hold or community. Only the aged are used as food, as the survival of the young is seen as the future of the People. Population pressures like this result because sending out expeditions to found new holds is thought too likely to provoke war with powerful neighbors.
Plans to further drow rule and influence are supported with the greatest enthusiasm by drow whose present social position is good, if they are not threatened by the plan. Drow of low class are most likely to support plans that involve open warfare, or strife among drow.
If drow are treacherous among themselves, they are even more so in their dealings with others. Drow will readily "negotiate" with other races over matters of boundaries, trade, and peace. They will break any such agreements and treaties the moment that terms no longer seem advantageous (bargains with "lesser races" are not considered binding). Most races have learned to be cautious and alert when dealing with drow, and to have several tricks up one's sleeve to deal with the treachery when - not if - it comes.
Above all others, deep gnomes hate the drow. Conversely, in all the Underdark, there is no creature the dark elf enjoys slaying more than a svirfneblin. Other traditional drow foes include dwarves, humans, and other elves of all sorts. Duergar, illithids, and lesser races of the Underdark are traded with, but never trusted or befriended, except by the most worldly and experienced drow merchants.
This is not to say that drow are an unruly, unpredictable mob of violent berserkers, engaged in a sort of endless civil war. (Elminster: Actually, a more apt description to some would be that they are a decadent, status obsessed nest of vipers engaged in an endless controlled civil war.) They strive always for personal ascendancy, yes, but their striving is governed by rules and group loyalties.
Even if freed from the authority of an established House, ruler, or realm, drow instinctively band together in groups. Survival, to these warlike folk (so often at sword's point among themselves) is often a matter of numbers, trusted battle companions, and tactics.

SLAVES

Certain surface dwellers know the rumors of drow slaving to be true. Some human slavers and orc slavers trade with the drow - and have learned not to trust them. Drow place far less value on a slave's welfare than do surface dwellers. To most surface slavers, a slave is a valuable trade good, not to be damaged more than is necessary, for fear of driving down its value. To most drow, a slave is but a pair of hands, without limits that need be thought of; if it is killed, there are a million replacements to be had.
Slaves must give way to drow nobles, and are not allowed to look any drow in the eye. Slaves may only bear weapons when a drow noble allows them to (usually only in gladiatorial "entertainment" fights, or to defend a House under attack).
Slaves encountered in drow society are usually of the goblin races: goblins, orcs, hobgoblins, and the like. Kobolds and jermlaine are too small, agile, and independent to make good slaves (in the minds of most drow), and such creatures as trolls and giants are too large and powerful. Drow only enslave other drow captured in battle, particularly debtors and noble drow whose families do note pay ransoms for their return. Some drow communities don't enslave drow at all, sacrificing or merely killing captives and dangerous criminals.
Humans are valued slaves, but are considered dangerous unless they have no fighting or magical skill; human craftsmen are the most valued slaves, but seldom thrive for long in the dark, cruel drow settlements.

DROW CUSTOMS

Limited space prohibits any outline of the long, twisted High History of the Drow here, from the Dawning Days (that long ago time before the Descent, when drow dwelt in The Lands of Terrible Light) to their present widespread control of the Underdark, great wealth, and mastery of magic.
Instead, a handful of useful customs are given here. For instance, a drow gesture of surrender is dropping to one knee, letting fall any weapons, before the being one submits to (usually performed by male drow, to female drow).
Drow like to give and receive massages - long, skilled massages involving scented oils, hot water and steam. This is close to ultimate luxury for them.
Drow enjoy magic, and exult in wielding its unleashed power. They are fascinated by new spells and effects.
Drow love beauty - the beauty of sculpture and made items (especially weapons) and the beauty of the body. Drow of both sexes are proud of displaying their physiques - and all children exhibiting any physical deficiency are slain.
Drow communities celebrate several annual festivals. There is always a wild feast when wizards, fighters, and priestesses graduate from their decade long training (during which they taste all three branches of drow expertise: wizardry, clerical teachings, and weapons training), involving the worship of Lolth and the summoning of denizens who serve her.
Many drow communities also observe "The Blooding", a rite of passage into adulthood for both sexes, during which the young participants must kill an intelligent or dangerous surface creature of some sort (e.g. a human warrior or wizard). If the community is not near the surface, merchant clans provide captives (for high fees) who are let loose with weapons for the young drow to hunt.
Drow communities near links to the surface world usually hold "The Running" instead: a hunt and revel on the surface in which all who walk participate, once a year. (Understand that what the drow call a "hunt and revel" the surface dwellers refer to as "looting and killing".) The blades of many drow rivals seem to accidentally find each other during the raids on surface communities. Young drow participating in their first Running are expected to carry out The Blooding (as described above). Drow communities tend to vary the timing of this annual event slightly, to prevent surface communities from hiring and readying strong guard contingents to await them. It should be noted that drow can, through training, experience, and repeated exposure, become accustomed to light, and use both normal sight and infravision. This process takes about ten years. The only encountered drow likely to be immune to the detrimental effects of light are veteran surface raiders and wizards (who traditionally study by candlelight).

MARRIAGE AND FAMILY LAW

Among Lolth-worshipping drow nobles, females can choose and discard mates freely (sometimes merely leaving them, but usually slaying them). Among drow commoners and drow of other faiths, marriage is still a transient thing. Marriages usually last from summer to summer, or for a decade, always with possibility for renewal.
In drow merchant clans, security demands that mates be of the same clan, or that an outsider be taken into the clan, if a relationship develops. This clan induction is forever; death usually comes if the outsider decides to leave. In noble families, the honor of the House demands the family name be given (if only temporarily) to mates of other families, or of common blood.
Child rearing is the responsibility of the whole family (House, or clan), not merely of the direct parents. A long-lived female drow, choosing to have children only after an active career, normally gives birth to ten children before her fertility wanes.
Drow rarely live past their seventh century, and 94% of them die of natural causes before age 800. Rare individuals (usually those who are subjected to the least hardship, such as the matron mothers of powerful Houses) may live more than a thousand years, becoming withered and worn. Drow do not show their age until after their six hundredth year.

CLOTHING AND HOUSE INSIGNIA

Most drow wear a magical, shielding cloak, called a "piwafwi". Under its collar, most drow wear a neck purse. In it, noble drow carry their house insignia. Commoners will carry a black medal medallion denoting the house they serve, of the merchant clan they belong to.
In the streets of a drow city, house insignia are usually displayed openly (as adornments) only by the members and servants of the "First House" (most dominant family) of the city. Insignia of lesser houses can be seen on the walls or gates of their strongholds, and are often worn openly inside such strongholds.
The house insignia if nobles that the form of distinctive sculpted images, often equipped for use as brooches. All carry several magical powers - minor abilities known in detail only to members of the House.

DROW STRUCTURES AND SETTLEMENTS

Drow often emulate spiderwebs in the layout of buildings and passages. Traps and falling walls force intruders towards the radial center of the "web" where the drow of most power will be found.
Even a simple villa usually sports traps to discourage intruders, such as "spring-guns" crossbows fired by someone tripping fine, dark trigger-lines of spider silk or waxed cord).
Common drow live in small caves, or in circular, walled houses, with dug-put cellars and adobe like construction. These are always as beautiful as possible, and increase in size and grandeur with the wealth of the owner, until they become the grand villas of wealthy merchants, merchant clans, and noble Houses.

SPIDERS AND THE DROW

Drow have a strong affinity for arachnids. Most of them worship the spider goddess, Lolth, whose priestesses dominate drow society - and whose ritual Test is forced on many drow of 6th level or higher. The Test, is an examination of loyalty and skills, and is thought to be infallible. Failure carries its own horrible price.
Those who pass are rewarded with increased status in their community, usually with immediate promotion within the priesthood. Others are sent on a quest set by the goddess. This usually involves a dangerous mission against specific targets in the surface world.
Even among drow who do not worship Lolth, an affinity for arachnids is strong. Spiders and similar creatures often dwell among drow communities, and are prominent in drow sculpture, art, and fashion. Drow door carvings and frames, for example, are apt to sport a pattern of repeating crawling spiders. Drow homes are often decorated by translucent, draped gray hangings that emulate spiderwebs.
Even games of tag, especially the courting games of hide-and-seek played at festival times by young drow, are known as "spider hunts", and any battle or endeavor in which a drow dies fighting is known as his "last bite".

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