Dark Elves, or Ssri'Tel'Quessir in the native elven tongue, were a subspecies of ancient elves with dark brown skin and black hair and were the ancestors of The Unknown. Dark Elves were corrupted by Lolth, seeking greater magical power to conquer the other elves of Faerûn. As a result, Corellon Larethian cursed the entire subspecies, twisting them into The Unknown and driving them from the surface world into The Underdark.