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| Dark Elves like it - dark! |
You may have asked yourself this question after reading the tile of my cozy little blog.
While popular depictions of Drows or Dark Elves are found in Dungeons and Dragons, The Lord Of the Rings, The Elder Scrolls, Warhammer, Baldur's Gate etc. I find their definitions often quite limiting. Its actually pretty type-casting ;-)
The typical Drow you find there is: stealthy, deceiving, brutal, dark and in general not really likable.
Thats perhaps a nice characterization if you use your Dark Elf identity only for role-playing purposes (we are indeed really good assassins and hunters) but I like to bring in more depth – more of myself.
So I made up my own definition. I picked up attributes and characteristics from various sources like Nordic and German mythology and fairie tales, Richard Wagner's Ring of the Nibelung and the Elder-Scrolls-series.
Being into 3D design and in general being a person who likes to create things, I find the Dwemer, a race of Steampunk Elves from the Elder Scrolls very likable. Also Richard Wagner's approach of featuring Elves as rather industrial, underground dwelling creatures did appeal me. Thats actually characteristics you usually associate with Dwarves and both were indeed synonyms in classical folklore (of course everyone prefers a sexy Dark Elf over a short, stocky and bearded Dwarf!).
Another aspect is the seducer who haunts people's dreams. This goes actually back as far as to the ancient Babylonians and Egyptians, but is also well represented in German folklore – as the nightmare-causing Dark Elves, called Nachtalben or Schwarzalben. The german term for nightmare - „Albtraum“ - actually means „Elf-dream“.
The term Drow originates from the Orkney and Shetland islands, where we live in earthen-mounds (probably bronze-age burial mounds) and have the tendency to abduct humans. Preferably musicans, because we simply love music.
As you might have figured by now, I am not the typical role-player you will encounter. The opposite is actually the case. I use my Drow identitiy as an aspect of myself. When you talk to me, you speak with my real self. Pointy ears and grey skin added ;-)
Sincerely
- Somehow Peccable, Drow Scientist
