The Tome Of Drow Lore.pdf - RoseRed

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There are more priests than spellcasters of other stripes in
Lorgreln society, but they are still few in comparison to other
groups of drow (except, obviously, the Sulzthul) and their
services as healers are in constant demand. In order to fill
the void between the abilities of the priests and the demand
for the priests, Lorgreln have mastered the use of all manner
of curative herbs and compounds. While expensive, there
are usually enough herbalists to satisfy demand, and the
Lorgreln remain in good overall health. The herbalists and
physicians of the Lorgreln are constantly seeking to refine
and improve their abilities, and usually keep a fair number
of slaves on hand for experimentation.
Upon death, Lorgreln bodies are consecrated then interred,
if possible, in a crypt in the city of their birth. If for
whatever reason it is not possible to bring the body home,
the corpse is burned.
Clothing
Few other aspects of the Lorgreln reveal the ordered, martial
nature of their society as much as the clothing. Males and
females both go armed constantly, even if it is merely the
ubiquitous cold-wrought dagger of the culture. Males more
commonly go about armed with at least a sword in addition
to the dagger, and a shirt of mail is hardly uncommon.
Lorgreln clothing and uniforms are generally made of
na’orsuin, though stiffer and rougher than the na’orsuin
made by most drow. Styles of clothing for both men and
women tend to be modest and severe, with none of the
scantiness or clinginess commonly found in the clothes
of other drow. All Lorgreln wear, at all times, a sash of
na’orsuin. The colour of this sash and the manner in which
it is tied represent the Host to which the iron drow belongs,
and the city from which he or she hails. Lorgreln from
smaller communities wear their sashes in the same fashion
as that of the nearest large city.
Combat
The Lorgreln are a deadly, disciplined force in combat.
Adept at all manner of squad tactics derived from literally
centuries of practice, the soldiers of the Lorgreln move,
strike and fight as one.
Now that they once again have access to all the tools of
the weaponsmiths, able at last to smelt iron into steel in
a roaring furnace, the Lorgreln are well-equipped with
finely-crafted, sturdy weapons and armour. Still, though,
all Lorgreln carry a cold-wrought iron dagger, to remind
themselves of what their race has endured and how they
have survived.
The Lorgreln prefer medium to heavy armour and large
shields. When venturing into battle, the Lorgreln go
heavily armed, with a short stabbing sword, a long steelhafted
spear and a heavy crossbow as the most common
load, in addition to the ubiquitous cold-wrought dagger.
Lorgreln prefer to fight in a depth of three ranks; the first
rank forming a shield wall, wielding their swords above
and below the gaps, and the second two ranks attacking
with long spears over this wall. This densely packed
formation makes them vulnerable to area-effect spells like
fireball and lightning bolt, but the Lorgreln count on their
enhanced spell resistance to shrug off that threat.
Culture
The Lorgreln became a martial society in order to survive
against and eventually defeat the shangu. Even when the
most immediate threat was past, however, they did not lapse
from their martial mindset. This has made the Lorgreln a
very lawful society, tending towards either lawful evil or
lawful neutral, but certainly with none of the chaotic traits
that mark other elves. Some believe the fact that the race
used, and still uses, cold-wrought iron on a daily basis
bears some responsibility for the Lorgreln’s switch from
chaos to law, that the iron burned out everything in them
that was still tied to faerie. Whether that is true or not, the
lawfulness of Lorgreln society today is undeniable.
Order is highly regarded in the culture of the iron drow,
and submission to authority and the society at large is
considered the duty of the individual. Each Lorgreln
belongs to a specific sect of society, known as a ‘Host.’
There is a Warriors Host, a Smiths Host, a Miners Host, a
Priests Host and so forth, each with its own well-defined
role in society.
Strength in all things is among the greatest of the Lorgreln’s
values, be it mental strength to resist the attacks of shangu,
moral strength to submit oneself to the community or
physical strength to forge and build the tools and cities
of the iron drow. This obsession with strength, combined
with the dimorphism of the Lorgreln, has given rise to a
certain amount of misogyny in the society of the iron drow,
as the females of the race are considered less capable than
the men.
The close ties the Lorgreln enjoy with the duergar have had
a noticeable effect on several aspects of iron drow culture.
From their dwarven allies, the Lorgreln have learned feats
of stonework to equal or exceed what other drow are capable
of. Forsaking the light and graceful lines preferred by most
drow, the Lorgreln build thick, heavy, immeasurably strong
works of stone, be they fortresses, braces to support an
unstable cavern roof or even a simple house.