These twisted elves, also called the Drow or Daoine Sidhe, live in deep subterranean
cities and hone their cruelty practicing on one another before they take it
upstairs. (They refer to themselves as simply "elves," distinguishing
other varieties in idiosyncratic ways; some choose to find "pit elf" insulting.) (cf. "House Balor," SHPG pp. 117-118)
- Court: Unseelie
- Birthrights: + 1 Stamina-related trait; free Specialization
in Subterfuge (may be used in human Seeming); Nightsight: pit elves may activate Nightsight (as the two-trait version of the Merit,
including the risk of blindness in bright light) for one scene by spending a
Mana trait; this Birthright does not permit vision in supernatural darkness
(e.g., created by Obtenebration).
- Frailties: As Balor Flaw: Pit elves must take two permanent
Negative traits or some Flaw or Derangement to represent their inbred deformities
and/or madness. They do not gain character points for these. – Also: The
Elves of the Pit claim noble titles (nearly every pit-elf will have one, the
grander the better) but these are not recognized by other fae, even among the
unseelie, and other pit-elves respect them only to the point that the holder
of the title is capable of avenging any disrespect.
- Immunity: Pit elves, from long experience, know treachery when
they see it, gaining a free retest when defending against non-supernatural Subterfuge challenges. -- Note also: Pit elves can handle cold iron without penalty and
take normal (Lethal or Bashing) damage from cold iron weapons.
- Bans: When using a Seeming, the elf's true form becomes
temporarily visible in moonlight (the elf need not reactivate the Seeming afterwards); drow never willingly swear oaths except those of vengeance.
- Weakness: Sunlight (use the rules for vampires).
- Binding: Pit elves may be bound by forcing them to swallow St.
John's Wort (requiring a Physical 'staking challenge'), whereupon they will
fall unconscious; stabbing them with a weapon coated with a tincture of St.
John's Wort can have a similar effect, but only after a number of turns equal
to the pit elf's Rank.
- Regaining Mana: Nearly any method, especially those that harm
other beings in some way.
- Preferred Disciplines: Auspex; Obtenebration;
Quietus OR Thaumaturgy (Path of Corruption; Path of
Curses; some pit elves, the "Chosen of the Queen," also practice
a unique path of Thaumaturgy, The
Blessings of the Spider Queen).
- Origin: Pit elves may have indeed remained on earth in dark
places underground, but they will have always been raised in small drow communities
well away from human settlement. Such drow would not necessarily have any special
knowledge about the mortal world, and would have been cut off from news of the
Otherworlds; the competition for scarce magical resources and the difficulty
in communicating with their Spider Queen would have made them extra vicious.
- Appearance: They're, you know, drow.
Only in very dim light -- admittedly where they are most often encountered --
could they be mistaken for anything remotely human.
- Special: Faction: The Chosen of the
Queen (3M): The Chosen are a sort of "warrior priest" caste
among the pit elves. Forbidden from learning Wizardry, the Chosen will always
learn Thaumaturgy before other Disciplines (taking it as their "in-clan" Discipline), beginning with their unique Path The
Blessings of the Spider Queen. Before taking this Merit the
Chosen must have one trait of Status: Pit Elf; the Faction grants one
trait of Status: Unseelie and one trait of Allies (other Chosen).