Editing Drow (section)

===In the ''Forgotten Realms''===
{{See also|Menzoberranzan|Drizzt Do'Urden}}
1991's ''[[Drow of the Underdark#Second edition|The Drow of the Underdark]]'', a 128-page sourcebook all about the drow, expanded the drow significantly for the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons second edition version of the ''[[Forgotten Realms]]'' setting.<ref name="DotU2E" /> In the ''Forgotten Realms'', the dark elves were once ancient tribes of Ilythiir and Miyeritar. They were transformed into drow by the Seldarine and were cast down and driven underground by the light-skinned elves because of the Ilythiirian's savagery during the [[Crown Wars]]. The drow had fallen under the influence of Araushnee, who was transformed into Lolth and was cast down into the Demonweb Pits along with her son Vhaeraun by the elven god [[Corellon Larethian]] because of Lolth's and Vhaeraun's attempt to take control of the elven pantheon (which included Araushnee's seduction of Corellon Larethian). Drow society, being strongly matriarchal, allows the females to hold all positions of power in the government, and to choose and discard mates freely. Social station is the most important thing in drow society, making ascension to greater power a drow's ultimate goal. Drow have a strong affinity for arachnids, as most worship the spider goddess Lolth, and spiders dwell freely among drow communities.<ref name="DotU2E" /> The largest drow civilization is the subterranean city of Llurth Dreier. However, [[Menzoberranzan]] is featured most prominently in the novels.

Prior to the Spellplague descendants of the Miyeritar, dark elves later succeed in reversing their transformation and are recreated as a distinct dark elf race.<ref name="ascend">Lisa Smedman—"Ascendancy of the Last"; [[Wizards of the Coast]], 2008 {{ISBN|978-0-7869-4864-2}}</ref>{{page needed|date=February 2017}} According to ''The Complete Book of Elves'', drow are not welcome in Evermeet and are turned away.<ref name="CBoE" /> Drow could also worship Ghaunadaur, Kiaransalee, Selvetarm or Vhaeraun. A special case is [[Eilistraee]], the only drow goddess who is chaotic good instead of chaotic evil; she wants the drow to return to the light. However, all of these alternative deities (except perhaps Ghaunadaur) were killed or forgotten in the last years before the Spellplague,<ref name="ascend" />{{page needed|date=February 2017}}<ref name="sacrifice">Lisa Smedman—''Sacrifice of the Widow''; [[Wizards of the Coast]], 2007 {{ISBN|978-0-7869-4250-3}}</ref><ref name="storm">Lisa Smedman—''Storm of the Dead''; [[Wizards of the Coast]], 2007 {{ISBN|978-0-7869-4701-0}}</ref> but they managed to return to life and regain their followers, about a century later, during the [[The Sundering|Sundering]].<ref name="SCAG">Kim Mohan ed. (2015) ''[[Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide]]''. ([[Wizards of the Coast]]), pp. 23, 108. {{ISBN|978-0786965809}}.</ref><ref name="Death Masks">[[Ed Greenwood]] (June 2016) ''[[Death Masks (Forgotten Realms)|Death Masks]]'' ([[Wizards of the Coast]])</ref><ref name="forum.candlekeep.com">{{cite web|url=http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=19841&whichpage=13#468322|title=Candlekeep Forum – Questions for Ed Greenwood (2015)|website=Forum.candlekeep.com|access-date=28 January 2018|archive-date=3 January 2018|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180103011716/http://forum.candlekeep.com/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=19841&whichpage=13#468322|url-status=live}}</ref>

Amongst the most infamous of drow are the members of House Baenre, while [[Abeir-Toril]] is also home to some famous benevolent drow including Drizzt Do'Urden and his deceased father Zaknafein (both of House Do' Urden), Liriel Baenre (formerly of Menzoberranzan's aforementioned House Baenre), and Qilué of the Seven Sisters. The drow [[Jarlaxle]] is also well-known, as he is one of the few males in Menzoberranzan to obtain a position of great power. He is the founder and leader of the mercenary band [[Bregan D'aerthe]]. These characters are from ''[[The Dark Elf Trilogy]]'' (1990–1991), a series of books by [[R. A. Salvatore]] (except for Liriel Baenre and Qilue). The six drow in the ''[[War of the Spider Queen]]'' series have also gained some renown since the novels have been published.

In 2021, two new Underdark based drow societies, the Lorendrow and the Aevendrow, were introduced; both of these societies have rejected Lolth and are not evil. The Lolth based society of Menzoberranzan is now referred to as Unadrow.<ref name=":1" /><ref name=":4">{{Cite web|date=2021-05-24|title=D&D: WotC Adds Three New Types Of Drow, Retcons Drow Lore|url=https://www.belloflostsouls.net/2021/05/dd-wotc-adds-three-new-types-of-drow-retcons-drow-lore.html|access-date=2022-02-07|website=Bell of Lost Souls|language=en-US|archive-date=2022-02-07|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220207084658/https://www.belloflostsouls.net/2021/05/dd-wotc-adds-three-new-types-of-drow-retcons-drow-lore.html|url-status=live}}</ref> This [[retcon]]<ref name=":4" /> "suggests that the beliefs and evil practices once seen as common to all drow are specifically related to the 'Unadrow,' the culture of drow who have become corrupted by the evil spider goddess".<ref name=":1" />