Metaphysics
Drow magic is based
on the same set of concepts as Elven. Same root exactly. The big
difference is in the way Drow and elves view
the world, and in the emotional baggage they bring
to casting.
Magic, for them,
is the power to manipulate and modify their world. It is the ability to
control not only their own
destiny but that of as many others as they have the power to control. It
is direct access to what makes
the universe what it is.
Bonuses and Restrictions
Identical to that of regular elves.
Moral bonuses/restrictions
As strange as it may seem to talk about Drow
Morality, there are a few restrictions on them based on
how they view the rest of the world. In particular:
Drow are very, very particular about the precise
order in which they learn spells. This stems
from two things: For the teacher, teaching in a given order
makes it easier to gauge the progress of the
student. It is easier to tell when the student is getting so
good that you might have to do something about
them. For the student it is also a benefit -- it makes it
easier to make the teacher THINK you are
less far along than you really are.
Please note that this restriction has become
part of the Fabric of how drow believe you should learn
magic and a drow researching a spell would be
very careful to research the proper order to learn pre-
req. chain for the spell she wants as she would be to learn the spell itself.
Drow, in general, do not share spells with
one another, except where required and where there is
something in it for them. Why would you want
to train someone who would then become a rival and potential
enemy? Finding a Drow teacher is an very ticklish business. While all Drow
have the
potential to be mages, not many have the
training.
Bonuses/restrictions
by tradition
Some of those milder emotional states common
among the Elves are more difficult to acheive by a Drow.
Imagine growing up in Drow society (read the description in BBY) and then
getting in the emotional state
to summon a squirrel. (No, rabid attack squirrels don't count, I'm talking
about the cute, fluffy kind.)
Outward signs
Among females There are different variations
on the hourglass tatoo. The most dangerous of these carries
an hour glass over their Right Breast. The tatoo is enchanted with the
time spell. Others include
mundane tatoos of hour glasses or spiders and each is located in a different
location.
Men use a much more discrete system, akin
to the Tuath system of "Who taught you?"
Program/Spell Lists
Without variation,
students are first taught things of a utilitarian nature. They then start
to study the high-power spells.
Often, the truly powerful things must be researched (see the rivalry
noted above). Healing spells, especially any
beyond Major Heal, are always taught last. If they
are taught at all.
There are two ways to learn magic: openly and
secretly. Women are taught magic openly. It is
in their best interest to learn it, and rapid mastery of high-power spells
brings status quickly.
Spells taught early
on to women come from the elemental colleges, Body, Make/Break, Food,
Mind, and Movement. Enchantment and Necromancy
are among the first things researched by them.
Men who learn magic openly learn solely things
which are utilitarian. Earth, Make/Break, Air spells
up to "Create Air" are about the extent of it. Men are not usually taught
Food spells. There is,
however, a cadre of magic using males who have knowledge of the Illusion,
Movement, Meta, Necromantic, and Enchantment spells. They are extremely
secretive. Over the years,
the path to certain colleges has simply been lost to the Drow. They don't
deal with such things often
enough for anyone to remember how it is really done. (Notice that
learning spells solely from a book is *very*
difficult in this sort of magic.) These schools are:
Animal, Plant,
and Sound. Light was lost to them, but Miranda has recently rediscovered
it.
Metaphysics
Drow magic is based
on the same set of concepts as Elven. Same root exactly. The big
difference is in the way Drow and elves view
the world, and in the emotional baggage they bring
to casting. Magic,
for them, is the power to manipulate and modify their world. It is the
ability to control
not only their
own destiny but that of as many others as they have the power to control.
It is direct access to what
makes the universe what it is.
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