The Underdark is a hostile place and is often a home of last resort for the desperate. Any number of races have found their way into the Underdark, driven underground by war, hiding from the ravages of natural disasters, some are even the horrors that stalk the tunnels preying on those foolish enough to enter.
The Drow are the iconic race of the Tarantulas, however it is in no way the standard. The only common part is that most races come to the Underdark out of some form of desperation and drive to survive, and their mindsets - even if generations removed from that event - usually reflect that survival instinct.
The Underdark is controlled by the Drow. The Drow were driven underground during a war with other elves that happened many thousands of years ago. Since being driven underground, an empire grew, and they stretched to cover and control most of the habitable sections of the Underdark. Due to the enormous scale of the Underdark, the sections between these habitable areas are largely uncontrollable, giving rise to many small groups, creatures and a wide array of interesting threats.
All this means that when it comes to choosing your character’s race, absolutely any option is open to you!
To try and help you get started, on the following pages we have provided some information about the most common race choices and what they look like (although there is NO minimum costume or makeup for starting races at Lorien Trust).
Common Races
Drow. The chosen of Lolth make up the majority of the Underdarks inhabitants.
Dark Elves. Those who sided with Lothiriel in the Sundering and retained their Elven nature.
Elves. Whilst unusual to see across the wider Underdark, their are areas with higher concentrations of Elves.
Norn. Ice Elves residing the Northern Wastes, formerly of Clan Mistrivven now devout followers of Dracos
Duergar. Deep, or Grey, Dwarves who have integrated themselves into the underdark, if not into Drow society.
Other known sentient Underdark races
Illithids. Known in legend as the Mind flayers. A power but now-lost race due to the Cataclysm of Fire eradicating them from existence.
Aztar. A Beast/Lizardkin species, recently released from centuries of entrapment under the psionic magic of Illithids.
Svirfneblin. Rarely seen offshoots of the Wee Folk, even the Dark Elves consider them dark and twisted creatures.
Other Underdark inhabitants
Slave races and slavery in the Underdark is common place in the underdark, and many of the surface races can be found working as slaves, earning a living as mercenaries for hire, or as free men who would be tried as criminals upon the surface and chose a life in the darkness over their punishments upon the surface.