The dark elves of this world, known more formally as Shadow Elves, are a humanoid race with a lean, elegant build and a height similar to that of their surface kin. Their skin, however, is a deep, purplish black, and their hair is a stark white or silver. Their eyes are red, and they have excellent darkvision, allowing them to see perfectly in the absence of light. Due to their long residence underground, their skin is sensitive to sunlight, which can temporarily blind them. They tend to wear dark, simple clothing that aids in stealth and blends in with the shadows of their cavernous homes.
Underground Elves: Living exclusively beneath the surface in vast caverns, their appearance is uniform. There are no notable regional variations, as their entire civilization is located in a single, subterranean nation beneath what is known as the Broken Lands.
Dark elf naming conventions are based on the ancient language of their people, which is a dialect of Elvish. Names often have an elegant, melodic sound but are often short and concise. A family or house name is almost always used as a suffix to a personal name, which helps to identify a person's lineage and rank within their rigidly hierarchical society. Names are often given to reflect a trait or a historical figure. Examples include Feeth, Feidor, and Lelkor.
The dark elves have a tragic and complex history. Thousands of years ago, they were a clan of surface elves who were deceived by a powerful magical being. This being promised them a new, perfect world if they would follow it underground. Unbeknownst to them, the entity was an evil Immortal who transformed them, stripping them of their connection to the sun and molding them into a new race, the dark elves. They have since forgotten their surface heritage and believe they were created underground. Their deep-seated hatred for all other races, particularly surface elves, stems from their original clan's banishment from the forests for a crime that they no longer remember, a punishment that was orchestrated by the very same being that deceived them. They are a deeply bitter and vengeful people.
Dark elf society is highly militaristic and matriarchal, built on a strict code of racial purity and conquest. They despise all other races, viewing them as inferior. They are masters of engineering and have built a vast, technologically advanced empire far beneath the surface, powered by magical energies. They are masters of using magical tools and weapons, which they use to enforce their will on others. Their culture is dominated by a desire for vengeance against the surface world, and they frequently launch raids, stealing slaves and supplies. The dark elves revere and worship a being they call the "Radiant One," who is in fact the evil Immortal who tricked them and transformed them into their current state.