Higher Education

Getting a Degree Can Be Scary

Vult, 992- Aryth, 993 YK

The Umbragen don’t really see themselves as Drow anymore. They refer to themselves as shadow elves and they actually live (primarily) in a realm of Khyber under the Ring of Storms in eastern Xen’drik. We don’t go there right away (thank the Cat Lord). Don’t get me wrong, it sounds absolutely fascinating, but Khyber?!? I think I need to prepare a bit for that especially since I’m supposed to be the brave, adventurous one in our little group. Oh yeah! Another professor was going with his own intern as well. This is Professor Ren’dall Lyrandar. Eldest brother of Baron Esravash d’Lyrandar, and a right arse. He is a professor of arcane magic and studied at Arcanix before moving on to Morgrave to pursue an in-depth study of giantish magics in their ancient homeland, Xen’drik. We did eventually warm up to each other, but he’s kinda like royalty so a common, non-magic using kid didn’t seem to get his immediate respect. I suppose I can’t blame him for that. His intern Jerrold, a second-year student, wasn’t so bad and was a pretty decent wizard. He was a bit skittish though and I found guilty pleasure in occasionally scaring the Khyber out of both him and Gwen. I guess, in my own way, I was kinda an arse as well. We all spend nearly a year with the Umbragen, and we do get to see a bit of Khyber, but before that, here’s a little info on the history of the Drow and Umbragen:

Tens of thousands of years ago the elves were slaves of the giants. This much, most people know. It’s said that the giants created the Drow by harnessing the essence of night and binding it to an elven frame. This is likely more myth but there is no way to truly know. While it’s true that some Drow fought with the giants against the elves, the Umbragen say it was a treacherous few that did this, turning the bulk of the elven population against them. They say that many more Drow fought against the giants just as the other elves did, but the damage was done. When the Aereni fled, the dark elves were left to face doom on Xen’drik alone.

The bulk of the Drow are Vulkoori. Their ancestors took refuge in the deep jungles and developed their own traditions. They are a “primitive” tribal culture; many focus their devotion on the scorpion spirit Vulkoor, while others revere a pantheon of primal spirits. Most are simply concerned with survival.

A third group escaped the worst of the cataclysm by fleeing underground, delving into the realm of Khyber. The underworld was filled with its own terrors, but nothing as dangerous as the final battles between giants and dragons. They finally found safety beneath the area called the Ring of Storms. Here they found an ancient fortress and eventually learned it had been built by an ancient clan of elves called the Qabalrin. Why they were no longer there was unknown, but it was a sanctuary from the greatest of underworld dangers.

Life in Khyber remained a constant struggle. Aberrations howled at the gates, while famine and plague ravaged the tribe as they fought to adapt to subterranean life. Searching for tools to aid in their struggle for survival, the tribe discovered a set of Qabalrin mystical inscriptions. These writings revealed ways to tap into a vast force of spiritual energy—a dark well the elves called the Umbra. (Baker, The Umbragen – Shadow Elves of Xen’drik, 2005) They bound their clan to the Umbra, drawing strength from it. Through this power, along with found teachings of the Qabalrin, the Umbragen are the most advanced of the Drow cultures, but they are locked in a conflict with the horrors of Khyber. A war that they are slowly losing.

A History of the Xen’drikan Drow

This brings me to the “why” of the Umbragen allowing us in to observe their secretive culture (that’s being kind as all three Drow cultures tend towards xenophobia and isolation and the Umbragen have generally been the worst of the bunch). They want the knowledge Professor Ren’dall can provide and the outside viewpoint that a specialist like Professor Gwen can give them. That, and the slow extermination of their culture has given them few other options. There were many that were vehemently opposed to our coming but they are a practical people (cruel and ruthless, but practical) and I think they figured it would be easy enough to kill us when they’d gotten what they wanted from us.

As it turns out, the Umbragen are a highly advanced society and they know it. They look upon us (people of Stormreach, Khorvairen, or anyone really) as primitives. This isn’t too far removed from how the Dhakaani feel about other cultures, but the difference for the Dhakaani is more along moral duty to the whole versus the Umbragen just being more intelligent overall with a culture that they can actually track back almost 20,000 years, and magic, technology, and philosophy that backs that up. Unfortunately, they are driven by their bitter struggle with the Daelkyr who are slowly destroying all of that.