Notes to self
Drow campaign ~ Year Zero
Suicide attack on major drow temple/cavern perpetrated by outsider/enemy/former-slave race
- supposedly collapsed cavern by destroying supporting columns
- drow architecture is poorly buttressed and primarily magically supported therefore destruction of columns alone should not have brought cavern down, perpetrators lacked magical might to dispel buttressing spells solely by themselves
- conspiracy theories of collaborators include - powerful external enemy mastermind, a la illithid, rival priesthoods seeking greater power, merchant guilds that profited from subsequent war effort, and possibly dominant noble house itself
Dominant Noble House is actually out of favor with Lolth, but utilizes tragedy to galvanize drow into engagement of multiple military campaigns
- first against legitimate enemy / source of supposed suicide attack
- second against unrelated enemies, drawing specious connections between them and attack, while an additional personal motive exists in noble house for attack (perhaps previous failed military campaign), also some resource to be gained? (slaves?)
- merchant houses in cohoots with dominant noble house manufacture and acquire weapons, magic, supplies, rising in power and wealth as a result
- as cost in drow lives increases, begin supplementing forces with increasing numbers of half-breeds, inferior races and mercenaries
- meanwhile, the multi-front poorly executed war and occupation is likely to inspire and invite attack from truly powerful enemies (a la illithid, aboleth)
Xenophobia and perpetual war against the outside world is the glue that maintains drow society, otherwise they would turn in upon themselves. The dominant noble house knows its own weakness and vulnerability and thus foments and perpetuates the multi-front war to keep the focus on outsiders and maintain its power base.
Those who question the war are questioning the will of Lolth, who supposedly speaks through the dominant noble house, as well as showing disloyalty to the drow race, which stands perpetually at the brink of extinction.
Other concepts to explore
- societal arrogance as achilles heel
- use of propaganda
- selective breeding (a la Bene Gesserit)
- pacification of the lower classes through magic/alchemy
- varying degrees of evil motivation, how serving the good of the many can serve the good of the one (lawful/neutral even good acts by evil characters)
- revolution as societal rebalancing/reset
- apocalyptic visions (the Presence), as Lolth expresses displeasure
Additional notes on related races
- Derro - sadistic, insane, potential perpetrators of terrible act, but for their own purposes or someone elses? lacked power to do it alone
- Duergar - nearby city-state ruled by tyrant, possessed magical prowess (stone elementals, fire pots) to perpetrate act, though denied involvement... Drow lay seige, slay tyrant and occupy city-state, expecting to make slaves of populace which proves, due to previous experience as slaves of illithid, particular resistant
- Illithid - demonstrated foreknowledge of cataclysm by vacating merchant embassy before cavern collapsed, close ties to drow merchant houses, potential monetary gain as well as desire to see Duergar destroyed
Suicide attack on major drow temple/cavern perpetrated by outsider/enemy/former-slave race
- supposedly collapsed cavern by destroying supporting columns
- drow architecture is poorly buttressed and primarily magically supported therefore destruction of columns alone should not have brought cavern down, perpetrators lacked magical might to dispel buttressing spells solely by themselves
- conspiracy theories of collaborators include - powerful external enemy mastermind, a la illithid, rival priesthoods seeking greater power, merchant guilds that profited from subsequent war effort, and possibly dominant noble house itself
Dominant Noble House is actually out of favor with Lolth, but utilizes tragedy to galvanize drow into engagement of multiple military campaigns
- first against legitimate enemy / source of supposed suicide attack
- second against unrelated enemies, drawing specious connections between them and attack, while an additional personal motive exists in noble house for attack (perhaps previous failed military campaign), also some resource to be gained? (slaves?)
- merchant houses in cohoots with dominant noble house manufacture and acquire weapons, magic, supplies, rising in power and wealth as a result
- as cost in drow lives increases, begin supplementing forces with increasing numbers of half-breeds, inferior races and mercenaries
- meanwhile, the multi-front poorly executed war and occupation is likely to inspire and invite attack from truly powerful enemies (a la illithid, aboleth)
Xenophobia and perpetual war against the outside world is the glue that maintains drow society, otherwise they would turn in upon themselves. The dominant noble house knows its own weakness and vulnerability and thus foments and perpetuates the multi-front war to keep the focus on outsiders and maintain its power base.
Those who question the war are questioning the will of Lolth, who supposedly speaks through the dominant noble house, as well as showing disloyalty to the drow race, which stands perpetually at the brink of extinction.
Other concepts to explore
- societal arrogance as achilles heel
- use of propaganda
- selective breeding (a la Bene Gesserit)
- pacification of the lower classes through magic/alchemy
- varying degrees of evil motivation, how serving the good of the many can serve the good of the one (lawful/neutral even good acts by evil characters)
- revolution as societal rebalancing/reset
- apocalyptic visions (the Presence), as Lolth expresses displeasure
Additional notes on related races
- Derro - sadistic, insane, potential perpetrators of terrible act, but for their own purposes or someone elses? lacked power to do it alone
- Duergar - nearby city-state ruled by tyrant, possessed magical prowess (stone elementals, fire pots) to perpetrate act, though denied involvement... Drow lay seige, slay tyrant and occupy city-state, expecting to make slaves of populace which proves, due to previous experience as slaves of illithid, particular resistant
- Illithid - demonstrated foreknowledge of cataclysm by vacating merchant embassy before cavern collapsed, close ties to drow merchant houses, potential monetary gain as well as desire to see Duergar destroyed