The Tome Of Drow Lore.pdf - RoseRed

House Arras’zur and House Narrishtah are in frequent
conflict, as each tries to supplant the other and become
the only true secular power in Drak’kamuth and its
surrounding cities. The church of the Dark Mother does
nothing to hinder the struggle between the two Houses,
believing that competition will ensure only the best of the
race survive, and while the Houses are in conflict with one
another they are not challenging the rule of the priestesses.
Both Arras’zur and Narrishtah have grown in power in the
last millennia as ties with other drow were re-established
and dozens of new trade routes sprang up like fungus
throughout the Underdeep. The influx of money and trade
goods has strengthened the Houses and they are beginning
to press against the power of the clergy, who currently cling
to control by a slender thread.
These dark elves believe themselves the quintessential
vision of what the drow were intended to be. They will
willingly trade with others of their race, but consider them
apostates from the true faith of the Dark Mother. This
idea meets with understandable resistance when shared
with other groups of drow. Despite the animosity it
creates, however, other drow are eager to trade with House
Arras’zur and House Narrishtah, as the value of the goods
they offer cannot be denied, from clothing spun of spider
silk to treasures seized during surface raids. It is for this
reason that many other Houses have established a presence
in Drak’kamuth and the surrounding cities. Initially, the
priestesses of the Dark Mother sought to bar any outsiders
from entering Drak’kamuth but in one of the first victories
of the Houses over the clergy in millennia, the Houses were
able to successfully force the issue.
House Arras’zur and House Narrishtah retain a healthy
enmity for any non-drow, especially for the races of the
surface world against which they regularly launch raids.
Most of the slaves in Drak’kamuth are taken from the races
of the surface and it is because of the actions of these two
Houses that most surface races have the perceptions of
drow that they do.
Religion
There is only one religion permitted in the lands of
House Arras’zur and House Narrishtah, that of the Dark
Mother. All other faiths are forbidden, either in public or
private worship. The drow of House Arras’zur and House
Narrishtah and their subjects do pay some worship to the
demigods of the Dark Mother, lesser beings who are thought
to control the same spheres of influence as the other gods in
the drow pantheon.
House Arras’zur
House Features:
� +2 bonus on all Knowledge (religion) checks. Drow
of House Arras’zur, both male and female, are
exceptionally familiar with all elements of worship of
the Dark Mother.
� +2 bonus to all Fortitude saves against poison. Constant
exposure to the spiders in their cities means bites are
common and most drow have built up a minor resistance
to poison.
� -2 penalty on all Diplomacy checks against other races
and with drow who do not worship the Dark Mother.
House Skills: Knowledge (religion)
Favoured Class: Cleric
Predominant Alignment: Chaotic evil
Predominant Religion: The Dark Mother
House Narrishtah
House Features:
� +2 bonus on all Knowledge (arcana) checks. Drow of
House Narrishtah are brought up to be skilled wizards
and sorcerers.
� +2 bonus to all Fortitude saves against poison. Constant
exposure to the spiders in their cities means bites are
common and most drow have built up a minor resistance
to poison.
� -2 penalty on all Diplomacy checks against other races
and with drow who do not worship the Dark Mother.
House Skills: Knowledge (arcana)
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