Drows Nature of Evil

Superiority

Dark Elves know they are superior, especially to surface elves. They are born with abilities that other creatures would kill to have, so it only makes sense that the lesser races should be jealous and hateful toward them.

Egotism

Dark Elves believe in themselves because faith in others is foreign to them. They have always relied on their own wits and skills to survive, and they must continue to believe that they can, or they'll succumb to the depredations of other Dark Elves trying to scramble up the social ladder.

Suspicion

Treachery and lies are expected in Dark Elves society, and a devastating betrayal is admired. Despite their sense of superiority, most Dark Elves fear that other creatures will get the better of them somehow, and they are always on their guards.

Humility

While not commonly associated with Dark Elves, humility is a necessary skill in their cutthroat culture. Confronted on equal or lesser footing with a being of greater power, dark elves will often abase themselves to survive. The dead don't get revenge.

Caution

Dark Elves take calculated risks. Only those with a death wish put themselves in situations that are likely to turn against them. Thus, Dark Elves rarely fight for anything but themselves. For a greater cause, like serving a deity or the survival of their House, some Dark Elves take greater risks, but only the most fanatic fight fearlessly.

Drive

Every action must have a purpose, and Dark Elves take steps toward some end with everything they do. The most driven are usually the most powerful.

Psyche

The Dark Elves psyche is both similar to and vastly different from that of other intelligent beings. Adrift in darkness and treachery, Dark Elves have developed a tortured psychology as a survival mechanism. Before you can understand their culture and history, you must understand the strange forces and emotions that drive them.

Greed

Dark Elves hunger for wealth and power, but this hunger is greater than simple avarice. They see wealth as a means to power, and power as a means of control. Dark Elves need control. They need to feel like they are the manipulators rather than the manipulated. Throughout their lives, Dark Elves are trapped in a web of falsehood and treachery where each step could be their last. The strong rule over the weak and use or kill them at a whim. In such a turbulent and abusive environment, Dark Elves see power and control as security. This is illusion, though, perpetuated by the fact that even those who have gained some measure of control are insecure but dare not admit it-and with good reason: Fear is viewed as weakness, and showing it turns erstwhile allies into deadly foes and servants into power-hungry murderers.

Security is forever out of reach so long as Dark Elves culture does not change.

Hate

All Dark Elves hate all others. This hatred stems in many cases from envy. A Dark Elves who sees someone more powerful, more intelligent, or more secure sees an enemy. Each believes that he should be the most important and powerful--in effect, every Dark Elves desires godhood. But each fears that others will prove to be better. A Dark Elf’s level of insecurity is roughly related to his place in society. When a Dark Elf’s self-hatred and self-doubt outweigh his hatred of others, he fails to take risks and can no longer seize what should be his.

Gluttony

There are very few obese Dark Elves, though note that some do exist. This is not to say that Dark Elves do not engage in binge eating. They do so with great frequency, often holding or being privy to grand parties at least the nobles. But being overweight or too obsessed with food is a weakness, and weakness is deadly. The same is true of alcohol consumption: It's simply too dangerous. This problem is skirted around by practices such as self-induced vomiting and various drugs or herbs to waylay the effects of alcohol consumption. Those few Dark Elves who blatantly live life as obese are in positions of great authority and power, which manages to keep most predators at bay, at least for a time.

Sloth

Dark Elves must constantly struggle and forever be on their guard. Laziness often results in defeat. At the same time, they tire of always being watchful. The desire for power is also a desire for the opportunity to rest. Although all Dark Elves meditate and most participate in leisure pursuits, few understand what it means to truly relax. Even so, some do become slothful and listless. These Dark Elves usually fall by the wayside as their fellows gain power.

Wrath

Anger is a Dark Elf's constant companion. The emotion is considered both normal and inevitable, but a Dark Elf's reaction to it falls in one of two camps. Some believe that anger itself is a tool: red-hot rage gives you strength to persevere over your foes. Others believe that anger should be cool and calculating: Hiding it will give you more opportunities to take vengeance. Most Dark Elves borrow from both schools of thought as the situation demands, but none would argue about the outcome: revenge.

Revenge is an art form among Dark Elves. It comes quickly or takes centuries. It can be long and excruciatingly painful, or painless and deadly swift. All Dark Elves appreciate a well-executed vengeance, even when they are the targets. There are as many flavors of revenge as there are Dark Elves. Each Dark Elf establishes a preferred style at an early age, using this as a kind of signature and warning to others. Some prefer to use the techniques of their enemies in order to place the blame on others, but this in turn becomes their own style, and Dark Elves learn to look through such deceits to find the responsible party.

Pride

Pride is the same as self-confidence among the Dark Elves. A truly humble Dark Elf is destined to remain on the lowest rungs of the social ladder. Most Dark Elves are like bullies. They put up a haughty front, intimidating and degrading all whom they can to hide their own doubts and fears. Anything that shakes a Dark Elf's sense of pride is likely to result in a fit of ill will. Pique breeds petty paybacks, small actions meant to harm without giving cause for full-blown, deadly revenge.

Deceit

Deceit is integral to the nature of Dark Elves. They deceive others to protect themselves, and they deceive themselves to protect their egos. Lying is second nature to most Dark Elves, and telling lies well is a skill fostered from childhood.

Betrayal

Betrayal is a virtual art form among Dark Elves, held as an ideal of the highest factor, a fact which continues to lead to the eventual downfall of the race as a whole. It shouldn't be surprising, taking this into account, which most Dark Elves tend to be paranoid. A certain amount of suspicion is a survival mechanism; even though a foe might not be acting against you now, one is certain to do so in the near future. Yet Dark Elves who become too defensive lose their edge, becoming victims of their own fear.

Lust

Given their tense and deadly society, it is surprising that lust plays any part in life with a Dark Elf, but lust and sex consensual or not is huge factors in Dark Elf psychology. Sex plays many roles. It is a release of tension, a moment of closeness, and it staves off fear of inevitable death. Despite their long life spans, few Dark Elves can expect to die of old age, so procreation is a way to establish a kind of life beyond death. Sex is also one of the rare times when Dark Elves can express a minor degree of tenderness for one another. It is not always tender, of course, but it offers pleasure in being weak or strong, and Dark Elves involved in consensual sex often reverse their normal roles in society. Slaves can be masters, and masters, slaves. In this physical release, Dark Elves come as close to happiness as most of them will ever get. Dark Elves have no real understanding of monogamy or marriage. They have children to further their bloodline and House, and sometimes parents make an effort to protect a child, but both parents will likely have many partners and form no lasting relationship as the child grows to maturity.