Be nice to Drow? (Forgotten Realms)

[Mobey_Wee]

Hi. I've only DM'ed a few short campaigns, and they have always been my own homebrew (if that term applies here, yeah I'm new) worlds. I'm about to DM my first 4e campaign, and we've decided to go for the Forgotten realms setting.

So to you others playing in 4e toril, how are some of the different areas treating Dark Elf players? In most of my sessions (player and DM) they are pretty much killed on site, but like I said, I've never DM'ed or played in forgotten realms.
Is one country a bit more accepting than the next? I haven't decided where we will begin yet, so this will likely factor in.

There are only 4 of us playing, so the group consists of:
Half Elf Cleric of Sune
Eladrin Wizard
Dark Elf Rogue
and I'm probably going to give them a fighter who will stay a level or so behind. We've played like that in the past, usually the whole group contributes to his combat, but just 1 guy like to keep up with the leveling and stuff, so nobody fights over him.
Anyway yes, Dark Elves, be kind of nice to them? Any advice is appreciated

[Mobey_Wee]

No input, or was it missed because I posted it at 1am?

[AslanCross]

I don't know how they're treated in 4E (haven't really read the 4E FR books) but in earlier editions they were either killed outright, feared, or openly distrusted. Very few people could get along with them.

Whatever their reason for going to the surface, it's just as likely for their "brethren" to hunt them down than it is for surfacers to persecute them. Even if they remain evil (ie, Viconia from Baldur's Gate II), or in Drizzt's case.

3.5 did have surface dwelling drow---they're either worshippers of Eilistraee (good) or Vhaeraun (evil), and as far as I can tell, none of them like each other. Eilistraee's followers do want to redeem their race, though.

Vhaeraun was killed before the Spellplague, and I remember Eilistraee taking his place and trying to convert his followers to good. I don't know if her followers still exist in 4E.

[Inyssius Tor]

Maybe her followers do, but Eilistraee is dead as a doornail. Finally.

There are a lot more of them near the surface now. The formation of the Underchasm, and subsequent massive flooding, probably displaced a lot of deepdwellers. I don't know if the dwarves of East Rift grudgingly accepted the desperate refugees or threw them off the great cliff again, though.

[Mobey_Wee]

Were the available in 3.5 without the +1 LA? I don't think so, but I'm not sure.
It seems that if the forgotten realms player's guide has them as a playable race they would be a little more accepted, but I can't find anything in either FR book, not with races or with area descriptions that mention any kind of acceptance towards dark elves.

Reading Salvatore's "The Orc King" gave very small glimpses of the 4e setting.
Spoiler: Another Dark Elf is on the surface, but he's got Drizzt right next to him vouching for him, so.

I think I'm going to make it pretty hard for him. He's a rogue anyway so it fits. He'll survive, it just won't be easy, not until he raids a banshee lair for a mask at least.

[Dacia Brabant]

Well there's Dambrath, a surface nation ruled by Half-Drow nobles and priests of Loviatar, and they have favorable relations with the Underdark Drow. I'm not sure how they'd feel about an Eladrin in their midst though, and I'd be curious to hear how one of them gets along with a Drow in the party.

I would imagine the big cities like Baldur's Gate would be fine with the occasional Drow as long as he didn't cause trouble.

[Inyssius Tor]

Actually, the indigenes of Dambrath ousted the Crinti during the Spellplague. Their celebrations of Loviatar are pretty much reduced to burning her in effigy at the moment.

EDIT: And the surviving half-drow fled to a drow enclave below the Gnollwatch Mountains before the enclave's pureblooded population systematically butchered them all, so there aren't any sympathetic refugees in the surrounding area.

[Prometheus]

It may be Forgotten Realms, but can't you just make up an answer?

[Colmarr]

The Forgotten Realms Players Guide suggests that drow are, if not accepted, not kill-on-sight either.

There was also a recent Dragon article that pointed out that drow are paragon level monsters so the average commoner would not be able to make the knowledge check DC to identify one. To the average Faerunian, they're just funny(and-perhaps-a-bit-creepy)-looking elves.

Of course, people with direct experience or knowledge of drow (soldiers, adventurers and scholars) have most likely met the evil kind, and as the article correctly points out, they are also the ones most capable of causing trouble for a PC.

[Mobey_Wee]

The Forgotten Realms Players Guide suggests that drow are, if not accepted, not kill-on-sight either.

Thanks, I had looked and didn't see anything. That's what I was looking for.
Balder's gate is another good place.
I will be making up an answer every time they interact still , i was just looking for a general idea of how the people view them, or any specific areas they might be more common (and not evil).
Thanks for the input all.

O and Inys, what happened to Eilistraee? Also victim of Lloth I would guess.

[Lex-Kat]

Maybe her followers do, but Eilistraee is dead as a doornail. Finally.

Wait, what? When did this happen?

[Inyssius Tor]

I avoid the novels like a plague, but the internet says that she was decapitated by the wishy-washy Lady Penitent, Halisstra Melarn. Who died herself shortly thereafter.

[Lex-Kat]

Sounds stupid. I shall ignore it.

[Colmarr]

Sounds stupid. I shall ignore it.

I just read through the Wiki synopsis, and agree.

If that's an example of what the FR had become by the end of the 3.5E era, I cannot fault the spellplague at all...

[Mobey_Wee]

Deneir is also gone isn't he ?

[Dacia Brabant]

Actually, the indigenes of Dambrath ousted the Crinti during the Spellplague. Their celebrations of Loviatar are pretty much reduced to burning her in effigy at the moment.

EDIT: And the surviving half-drow fled to a drow enclave below the Gnollwatch Mountains before the enclave's pureblooded population systematically butchered them all, so there aren't any sympathetic refugees in the surrounding area.

Oh right, I forgot that the Spellplague, a.k.a. 4e FR designer fiat/dartboard method, wiped out 90 percent of Forgotten Realms lore. Nevermind.

(Wow, the Crinti are all gone huh? That's weird.)

Deneir is also gone isn't he ?

Yup, though outside of Candlekeep would anyone actually notice?

All I know is if they had tried to get rid of The Red Knight I'd have launched a crusade.