alright, who bleached the drendali?

[The_Livewire]

Dead God Trillogy book 1:
"An elf stepped into the attenuated column of light leaking down the hole, but not an elf of the kind Vladawen had once been, nor the afflicted sort he was now. This specimen’s skin was dead black, and he carried a purplish geometric tattoo upon his brow."

Scarred Lands Player's guide wrote:
"They are tall and slender, with soft white hair and skin so pale as to make them seem almost albino. Their eyes, howeve are not those of an albino, but the same rich, lustrous blues, greens, golds, and violets of their surface elf cousins."

[Leetsepeak]

They may have done it to avoid the whole Drow blackface type of issue.

[Charlaquin]

Are these guys subterranean? Pale makes a lot more sense, there's not much use for melanin underground.

[marin]

Are these guys subterranean? Pale makes a lot more sense, there's not much use for melanin underground.

Yep, they're subterranean.

[The_Livewire]

They may have done it to avoid the whole Drow blackface type of issue.

That was my first thought too. I remember though, the offended sensibilities when the Forgotten Realms drow were 'redeemed' and became lighter skinned. So now that the drendali aren't 'always chaotic evil' I was wondering if they thought that through. Plus it's a frakking magic world. Underground = black skinned doesn't have to make sense. :-)

[Leetsepeak]

Since it's a magic world, does it matter? Is them having black skin that might look a bit too much like blackface so important?

[andrewm9]

That was my first thought too. I remember though, the offended sensibilities when the Forgotten Realms drow were 'redeemed' and became lighter skinned. So now that the drendali aren't 'always chaotic evil' I was wondering if they thought that through. Plus it's a frakking magic world. Underground = black skinned doesn't have to make sense. :-)

I don't remember so much offended sensbilities so much as it was stupid plotline that seemed forced which they seem to have competley retracted in 4th edition and 5th edition FR.

[The_Livewire]

I don't remember so much offended sensbilities so much as it was stupid plotline that seemed forced which they seem to have competley retracted in 4th edition and 5th edition FR.

Hmm, I can't find it, and I'm going from a grognard's memory. Attempting to find it leads to much whining how trying to look like a drow is racist or something.

As I understood it people were complaining that the 'redeemed' drow were brown and the irredeemable drow were back (obsidian) skinned, indicating the dark skinned ones were evil and irredeemable.

That said, I never read the books past the first part of the trilogy (and I liked Lisa Smedman's work). I never touched 4e and am glad if they've fixed that nonsense.

I just don't se why they had the drendali 'lighten up'

[Charlaquin]

As I understand, the new edition is kind of a reboot, right? Why not take that as an opportunity to give the subterranean guys a skin tone that makes sense for creatures that are rarely if ever exposed to sunlight? Like, sure, it doesn't have to make sense because magic, but they had an opportunity to change it to make more sense from an evolutionary biology perspective, so they took it.

[Omegaphallic]

The Drow's skin isn't black because they live underground, it black because they were punished by the Elven Gods.

Its the black of someone dipped in spiritual tar, not the rich lovely brown of an African American. The white hair is a good metaphor for white feathers, the Drow have been banished and tarred and feathered for the crimes of their ancestors, which very unfair.

But none of that has to my knowledge anything to do with The Scarred Lands, its Forgotten Realms info, so I see no reason these Dark Elves can't be Albinos.

[The_Livewire]

No arguing they can reboot all they want (Pathfinder elves are from another planet, and their drow are tainted by demons and Rovagug.) I'm just curious why the change.

[Charlaquin]

No arguing they can reboot all they want (Pathfinder elves are from another planet, and their drow are tainted by demons and Rovagug.) I'm just curious why the change.

Again, because it actually makes sense from an evolutionary biology perspective.

[Rose Bailey]

I wasn't involved in that part of the project, but I suspect the inconsistency is accidental. Scott and Stew would know for sure, though.

[haaz]

I woudln't be so sure that it is accidental. The new setting makes some effort to present good or evil being independent on the actual race or tribe, so I wouldn't be surprised that it is done on purpose.

Anyway, I find it funny because I'm running a subterrean campaign in the Scarred Lands and I have placed a race of lizardmen who, after having lived down here for millenia, also have pale scales instead of green (or whatever color lizardmen typically have) ^^

[The_Livewire]

Again, because it actually makes sense from an evolutionary biology perspective.

Are you speaking from a writer/developer/official capacity?