Create successful ePaper yourself
Turn your PDF publications into a flip-book with our unique Google optimized e-Paper software.
22<br />
<strong>The</strong> drow regard raiding as being every bit as important and<br />
legitimate a part of commerce as is trading. If something<br />
is easily taken, the thinking goes, why pay for it when it<br />
can simply be seized? This is particularly the case when<br />
it comes to dealing with other races. <strong>The</strong> drow consider<br />
themselves masters of the Underdeep, powerful and strong,<br />
and they see no reason not to simply take what they need<br />
from the weak.<br />
Obviously, the implications of this viewpoint are not lost<br />
on the other races who make their homes in the Underdeep<br />
and trading caravans approaching any areas claimed by<br />
drow, or where drow raiding has occurred in the past,<br />
travel under extremely heavy guard. Though arrogant and<br />
condescending towards other races, the drow are not fools.<br />
If seizing the contents of some gnomish caravan is going to<br />
cost them heavily, they will trade instead.<br />
As stated, some drow cities have the good fortune to have<br />
abundant, universally-prized trade goods literally at their<br />
doorstep, gems and precious metals that can be mined out<br />
of the rock by small armies of slaves. Those drow cities<br />
that have no such resources still must engage in trade and<br />
commerce, not only to grow in power and dominance but<br />
simply to survive. What exactly is offered in trade varies<br />
from city to city, of course, depending on the resources<br />
available as well as the talents and skills of the drow who<br />
live there. However, the most common exports include<br />
various kinds of minor magic (the drow would never share<br />
something truly impressive with another race), finelycrafted<br />
weapons, slaves and sundry mundane but high<br />
quality goods like pottery or glass. <strong>The</strong> fabrics made by<br />
the drow are also in high demand as trade goods, from the<br />
strong and colourful na’orsuin to the light and pale spider<br />
silk fabrics spun in cities where worship of the Dark Mother<br />
is strong.<br />
Not all drow cities generate their income in so benign a<br />
way, however. <strong>Drow</strong> that live near a weak city of another<br />
race rarely bother trading with their neighbours, preferring<br />
instead to extract money, slaves, goods or whatever else they<br />
desire as payment for protection. This is not protection by<br />
the drow against a third party, but rather is protection from<br />
the drow themselves.<br />
Education<br />
As with most civilised races living above or below the<br />
surface of the world, the level of education a drow receives<br />
is commensurate with his station in life. Those drow born<br />
to wealth and privilege can expect an education provided by<br />
the finest tutors available in the city, including instruction<br />
in the arcane arts, if he shows exceptional promise in that<br />
regard. Even after the time the child has been forced to