The Drow migration to the surface?

[2D8HP]

That's what I like about Drow. It's my preference to play them as characters.
And that is the major symptom of what I dislike about Drow. Their fluff just doesn't leave many openings for player characters, both because it is inherently restrictive (hence the tendency to only have the two flavors) and because it's poorly expanded on.
He begins to rise to his feet as you enter, but suddenly gasps and clutches at his chest as he spots the drow entering the room. After a moment, he gathers his wits, mopping at his brow, and mutters, "My apologies, gentle folk, I sometimes forget the new times we live in."

Those posts have got me wondering, the first I ever heard of the Drow was in the '77 Monster Manual where they're described as "only legend" under the Elf entry, and then they were mysterious behind the scenes villains in the "Against the Giants" modules, until you follow their trail in the "D" modules into the Drow city of Erelhei-Cinlu, but it is clear that the existence of Drow are initially unknown to PC's.
Fast forward to the 5e PHB and the Drow are a recognized PC race, so I'm wondering about "fluff" reasons to explain the migration (maybe one was given during the 2e to 4e years that I missed when I wasn't getting to play D&D).
Is there a civil war, or invasion of Llurth Dreier and/or Menzoberranzan and the Drow are refugees?
A few pioneer Drow came to the surface world and, found opportunities and came home with riches, and other Drow followed?
A "gap year" (decade?) in the human lands becomes fashionable after "Do'Urden's Guide to Faerun on five copper pieces a day is published"?
How many, and for how long?
What do you suggest?

[Irennan]

Drow have had a presence on the surface of Faerun for millennia. This is mostly due to Eilistraee (http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Eilistraee) and Vhaeraun (http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Vhaeraun). They were both created by Ed Greenwood and then made official in 2e, so maybe that's why you missed them. Since they had both disappeared in 4e, and since both have returned in 5e, perhaps that's prompting more drow to travel to the surface. From one of those articles:

"Both deities personally let their return be known, manifesting through their avatars to their followers, who enthusiastically spread the word.[12] Eilistraee was seen dancing and speaking to mortals in many places, especially along the Sword Coast. For example, the citizens of Waterdeep witnessed the Dark Dancer, as she danced in the moonlight, near the walls of the city, up the road to Amphail. This led many moondancers to the City of Splendors, with the goal of creating a shrine to their goddess within its walls.[11]"

Other reasons might be increasing trade of the surface, as an increase in population might lead to seek more space and resources (and not all drow cities are bent on destroying and torturing everything and everyone they come across. Sshamath (http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Sshamath) is a good example of a reasonable drow city, for example).

[VoxRationis]

Those posts have got me wondering, the first I ever heard of the Drow was in the '77 Monster Manual where they're described as "only legend" under the Elf entry, and then they were mysterious behind the scenes villains in the "Against the Giants" modules, until you follow their trail in the "D" modules into the Drow city of Erelhei-Cinlu, but it is clear that the existence of Drow are initially unknown to PC's.
Fast forward to the 5e PHB and the Drow are a recognized PC race, so I'm wondering about "fluff" reasons to explain the migration (maybe one was given during the 2e to 4e years that I missed when I wasn't getting to play D&D).
Is there a civil war, or invasion of Llurth Dreier and/or Menzoberranzan and the Drow are refugees?
A few pioneer Drow came to the surface world and, found opportunities and came home with riches, and other Drow followed?
A "gap year" (decade?) in the human lands becomes fashionable after "Do'Urden's Guide to Faerun on five copper pieces a day is published"?
How many, and for how long?
What do you suggest?

In my setting, the appearance of drow adventurers is due to economic malaise and territorial losses due to invasions by a young, vigorous dwarven empire. Most would-be Drizzts don't last long, however; they lack survival skills appropriate to a pre-industrial culture and therefore have a tendency to die miserable deaths of malnutrition, dysentery, or venereal diseases within a year of coming to the surface (and that's assuming people don't kill them, since the drow don't have a good reputation owing to their frequent slave raids).

[Aembrosia]

RA Salvatore wrote a book about a heroic drow that was super popular and so in the new edition of D&D the race was shoehorned into common adventuring races.

I'm too lazy to find a source but someone asked Chris Perkins why X race wasnt in the PHB but Drow were and his response was "if you want to play X then write a best selling novel featuring an X hero." in his defense he was joking.

Aside from that - I dont know how much of this is 'canon' - a drow archmage in menzoberanzen tried to pull Lolth (thought he was pulling lolth) out of the abyss but instead got Orcus, Demogorgon, Frazurblu, Juiblex, Baphomet, yeenoghu, zuggtmoy and grazzt. So now they're all in the abyss. Grazzt rounds up some fire giants, gives them demon powers, then takes over menzoberanzen; and also Szith Morcaine for good measure. Which, yes, would have displaced a whole lot of drow willing to work with goodly races to do some... ehh... goooood. begrudginly perhaps.

[Irennan]

RA Salvatore wrote a book about a heroic drow that was super popular and so in the new edition of D&D the race was shoehorned into common adventuring races.

Aside from that - I dont know how much of this is 'canon' - a drow archmage in menzoberanzen tried to pull Lolth (thought he was pulling lolth) out of the abyss but instead got Orcus, Demogorgon, Frazurblu, Juiblex, Baphomet, yeenoghu, zuggtmoy and grazzt. So now they're all in the abyss. Grazzt rounds up some fire giants, gives them demon powers, then takes over menzoberanzen; and also Szith Morcaine for good measure. Which, yes, would have displaced a whole lot of drow willing to work with goodly races to do some... ehh... goooood. begrudginly perhaps.

Nah, that was solved quickly, as it was only an adventure (so its canon result is "things go back to normal"). In a related novel, Demogorgon attacks Menzo, Drizzt kills him. One of Drizzt's swords was somehow supercharged by the spells of the whole Menzo and he 1 hit ko Demogorgon. He was going insane due to DG's presence, but a lot of illithids that had teamed up with the drow protected his mind. The other demon lords were supposedly dispatched in other unspecified ways. Or something along those lines.

[Aembrosia]

Nah, that was solved quickly, as it was only an adventure (so its canon result is "things go back to normal"). In a related novel, Demogorgon attacks Menzo, Drizzt kills him. One of Drizzt's swords was somehow supercharged by the spells of the whole Menzo and he 1 hit ko Demogorgon. He was going insane due to DG's presence, but a lot of illithids that had teamed up with the drow protected his mind. The other demon lords were supposedly dispatched in other ways. Or something along those lines.

That sounds like a book ive never read, in context probably by Bob.

Im citing Out of The Abyss, a campaign written by chris P, adam lee and ... something whitters I forget his first name.

[Irennan]

That sounds like a book ive never read, in context probably by Bob.

Im citing Out of The Abyss, a campaign written by chris P, adam lee and ... something whitters I forget his first name.

Yes, RAS' books and OotA were tied.

[Pronounceable]

Drizzt one shots Demogorgon
So that's why there's such a dumb story arc in Neverwinter. At least Monkeyfaces is a proper bossfight from what I've seen, except he's a daily quest so gets beaten up hundreds of times every day.

[Zaydos]

Well as stated some of this is the difference between Greyhawk and Forgotten Realms, so part of it is which are you using, GH or FR? Or something of your own.

Personally, though, I'd say that the murderous in-fighting that Lolth pushes on her people has been causing their decline, and with it has come a decline in traditional ideas of drow honor. Instead of houses fighting to the death, lesser members begin to flee their falling house like rats from a sinking ship and that means fleeing to the surface where it's harder for other drow to follow.

[2D8HP]

Drow have had a presence on the surface of Faerun for millennia. This is mostly due to Eilistraee (http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Eilistraee) and Vhaeraun (http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Vhaeraun). They were both created by Ed Greenwood and then made official in 2e, so maybe that's why you missed them.
Well as stated some of this is the difference between Greyhawk and Forgotten Realms, so part of it is which are you using, GH or FR? Or something of your own.Decades ago I used Greyhawk and "homebrew" (it was all D&Dland to me), now it's mostly modules (love Phandelver, don't like the "Factions") and all my "Realms" knowledge is post 5e, and I'm still seeing it from a Greyhawk "lens", but while it's not canon, I regard Fareun and the "Great Kingdom" as on the same globe, just other sides of it.

[CaptainSarathai]

RA Salvatore wrote a book about a heroic drow that was super popular and so in the new edition of D&D the race was shoehorned into common adventuring races.

Yeah. This. And the edgelords, pretty much.
At least the gothy little s---s get Blinded in the sun.

[JackPhoenix]

Drow lived on the surface ever since giants created them, except Umbragen. Though they are pretty much confined to a single continent that's not the default playing location.

Wait, wrong setting...

Point is, you're mixing different settings, original drow and Against the Giants were set in Greyhawk, FR drow are much better known (and FR is the default setting in 5e). Other settings have different takes on the race.

[NecroDancer]

Drow lived on the surface ever since giants created them, except Umbragen. Though they are pretty much confined to a single continent that's not the default playing location.

Wait, wrong setting...

Point is, you're mixing different settings, original drow and Against the Giants were set in Greyhawk, FR drow are much better known (and FR is the default setting in 5e). Other settings have different takes on the race.

Is that setting Ebberon?

[2D8HP]

Is that setting Eberron?I think it was. I never played it but I did buy the Eberon setting book. It seemed pretty cool, it had the setting being a fallen "Tippyverse" be more explicit.
One of the strangest parts of it was that magical robots called "Warforged" which were a bit like golems were a PC race!
IIRC the Drow were the inhabitants of an island jungle, and were linked with scorpions rather than spiders.

[JackPhoenix]

Is that setting Ebberon?

Yep, Eberron. Eberron drow (all elves, really) were created from eladrin as a slaves to the giant empire on a jungle continent of Xen'drik. They eventually rebelled, most elves fled to islands of Aerenall, drow stayed on Xen'drik. They are pretty savage compared to "regular" drow, worship scorpion god named Vulkoor, use boomerangs and generally aren't fond of the visitors. No matriarchy, and they aren't evil, just xenophobic and territorial. Nomadic, fight with monsters and scattered giant tribes leftover after fall of their empire (dragons destroyed the whole giant empire after they threatened the whole world with the ritual they wanted to use to stop the elven rebellion and cursed the continent with two interesting curses, one messes up with the time and distance during travels, other drives settlements over certain number of people to murderous frenzy).

https://sites.google.com/site/dimitrizanella/drow_xendrik.jpg

That's only one of the drow cultures, though. Another major group is Sulatar. They are more civilised and they stayed loyal to the fire giants during the rebellion. They live in actual cities (or better maintained ruins thereof), are experts in fire magic and elemental binding, and believe in Promise of Fire, belief that the world will end up in flames. Even more xenophobic than Vulkoorim, don't like strangers stealing their stuff... knowledge of elemental binding was stolen from them and is now used in Khorvaire to create magic weapons, airships and all other interesting stuff.

https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/46/72/78/467278b0ccdfff46e14b2cfb1226486a.jpg

Last major group are the Umbragen. They fled underground after the fall of giant empire, but got almost wiped out by the aberrations imprisoned there. They made a pact with the mysterious being/force named Umbra to survive. They are infused with shadow magic, serve Umbra in its mysterious goals, and fight aberrations and fiends of Khyber (basically, Underdark). They were featured in the videogame Dragonshard as antagonists unplayable in single player, with shadow elves and enslaved beholders. They have the biggest cities, as they are not affeced by dragon curses

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_3HN1bKHCN4U/TDrWlMqckKI/AAAAAAAAAZE/x3Zy_97xF44/s1600/umbragen.jpg

[Willie the Duck]

Yeah, their drow are different (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/OurElvesAreBetter).

It depends on what you are looking for, OP. If you want an honest explanation, it is RA Salvatore and his Drizzt novels. Somehow in the 39 years since the MM, drow have be become popular, then passé, then a joke on how popular they were, and then the joke got passé, and finally the Eberron guys did something new with them. In your campaign, however, there could be any number of explanations why these formerly near mythic creatures suddenly appear under every overturned leaf (and also have started wanting to be treated like your average adventurer, rather than assumed villain).

[Plaguescarred]

IIRC the 2nd edition supplement Drow of the Underdark or The Complete Book of Elves did say drows in the Forgotten Realms were originally surface dwellers with bone-white skin that had to take refuge in the underdark which after a certain time spent down there eventually turn black. It's been a long time since i've read those but someone remember ?

[Willie the Duck]

Pretty sure it was in one of those. And yes, before anyone jumps on it, it is silly that something bone white would darken underground, where pigment is unneeded.

[Zaydos]

Pretty sure it was in one of those. And yes, before anyone jumps on it, it is silly that something bone white would darken underground, where pigment is unneeded.

I want to say it was The Complete Book of Elves because I remember thinking that the pigmentation thing was stupid as a child and I didn't have the other one. I had The Complete Book of Elves it made me not like elves as much.

[DizzyWood]

In the world I am working on most of the Drow on the surface got there to avoid the constant infighting and chaos of the Underdark and Lolth. Over the generations they have lost sunlight sensitivity but prefer to live a nocturnal life style. They make there homes in deep forest or in various underground communities in major cities. They are very accepted in land that are under threat from the Deep Drow and make a good living garding scouting and protecting against various threats from the Underdark.

I mean after generations of a crazy Lolth worshiping matriarchy the Blood Senate looks like a reasonable alternative.

[Plaguescarred]

At least someone else also remember it so i'm not crazy :smallbiggrin:

[Irennan]

IIRC the 2nd edition supplement Drow of the Underdark or The Complete Book of Elves did say drows in the Forgotten Realms were originally surface dwellers with bone-white skin that had to take refuge in the underdark which after a certain time spent down there eventually turn black. It's been a long time since i've read those but someone remember ?

Idk about CBoE, but it surely wasn't in TDotU. In the Realms, drow were dusky skinned elves, *all* of whom were indiscriminately cursed by Corellon after a group of them started to worship Lolth.

[Âmesang]

I figure "corruption" makes more sense—their outsides matching their insides (black hearts).

I've the sudden urge to play Dungeons & Dragons Online due solely to their drow-based crossover between EBERRON® and FORGOTTEN REALMS®.

Back when I had contemplated my own setting my plans for the drow were that they came from the "moon" (actually their home land risen far, far into the air—think Anemos from Golden Sun). Being so high up, well beyond "normal" living conditions, plus their solitude giving them plenty of time to train themselves physically and mentally, it was my explanation for their unusual coloration, spell-like abilities, spell resistance, &c., &c…

These drow would have been more neutral than evil, but still fairly standoffish and isolationist, only coming back down to earth for the occasional exploration and being considered a myth by most (so sort of making them, like, "dark" eladrin?).