"Drow" in Elvish
"Colláñe" in Elvish
In the years following the Second Age, the Elf lord Duirdannion was deceived by the God Donere (who took up a different guise) to resettle his people into the Underdark, where they would be free from the chaos which had claimed much of the Overworld in the wake of the onset of mortality and the end of the Deshenite Kingdom. However, upon arrival, the Elves in Duirdannion's company found themselves trapped in the Underdark by Donere, who attempted to enslave them and bend their minds to evil. However, Donere had overestimated his strength and underestimated the resiliency of the Elves, and the Elves were able to make a home for themselves in the Underdark, adapting to their new home. This began thousands of years of war between the Elves of the Underdark and the monsters sent by Donere to break them. The Elves endured, but the constant siege forced them to take up a more martial and harsh culture. Millennia passed with the Underdark remaining closed entirely, and the Elves developed their characteristic appearance, grey-black or purple skin and white or grey hair as they adapted to their new home. Some also have red eyes, but this is not universal. During the Death Walker Crisis, the Underdark re-entered the material plane, and they were able to engage with and enter the Overworld once again. However, accustomed to the life they had built in the Underdark, many elected to remain nonetheless. Thousands of years in the Underdark had left them very changed, and they referred to themselves not as Elves, but as the Drow when introducing themselves to the Overworlders.
Some have returned to the surface however and make lives among the Overworld of their ancient ancestors. Life is hard in the Underdark, a realm created by Donere and populated with many of his worst creatures, and this has made the Drow a hardy and harsh people. To outsiders, they seem aloof, slow to trust, suspicious, and reserved. However, despite common misconceptions by Overworlders, Drow are not evil, nor are they cruel.
Despite the inhospitality of the Underdark, the Drow have bent it to their will. Interspersed throughout the Underdark are vast and mighty Drow cities, many of which tower to the roof itself, which serve as happy sights for stranded adventurers or weary travelers.
On the Overworld, the Drow commonly live in locations that are bereft of sunlight. such as naturally cloudy areas, abandoned Dwarven cities, in the shadow of mountains, or near active volcanoes. Their adaptation to life in the Underdark means that sunlight is harmful to them, forcing them to avoid the sun if possible.
Drow often adorn themselves with facial tattoos.
The Underdark is exceptionally metal-poor, leading the Drow to source their armor from insect chitin instead of metal. This causes many to refer to the Drow derogatorily as "Bug Men."
Etymology
The Drow are generally referred to by three names.
The Drow call themselves "Drow", meaning "Deep Ones".
Most people in the Overworld call them "Dark Elves" in reference to their dark skin and home in the sunless Underdark.
Other Elves typically refer to Drow as the "Colláñe" meaning "Those Who Wear Cloaks", in reference to the Drow practice of wearing cloaks when in the Overworld to shield themselves from the Sun.
The Underdark is incredibly metal-poor. As such, most Drow do not wear metal armor, opting for the use of chitin sourced from the various insectoid monstrosities which inhabit the Underdark.
Metal armor is used sparingly. Most of the Drow realms equip their most elite soldiers with metal armor, usually colored gold. Soldiers and Drow lords of high renown often wear metal face masks, carved in a likeness of their face.
