A Land Far Away

I know little of Drow lore - I am wondering if anyone knows if the sins of the mother or father travels to the child in case the parent is not there to take the punishment or dies.
If the parent runs away, is the child killed in its stead?
If yes - even if the child is not yet born?
Does it depend on the severity of the sin?

There is little notion of "sin" at all in drow culture. The only thing that Ican think of that comes close is "heresy" against Lloth. But the concept that certain things are "sinful" is pretty much lacking.

Now, heredity and the status of one's family is a major issue, particularly in noble houses.

If your mother was disgraced or caused the family to fall in status that will reflect upon the entire clan. But this has nothing to do with any implied morality within her actions. In drow culture you either succeed or fail........sin doesn't play into it.

Yeah, but that's sort of what I was getting at. If you're a heretic to Llolth, what happens to those below you in your clan?
If you commit treachery and have a clan below you, will they all be executed?
And what if the heretic is a man?

if any member of a house displeases lolth, the entire house loses favour until the Matron Mother can rectify this or another house slaughters them all.

If a matron mother causes the displeasure of Lolth, but then a daughter murders the mother, she might regain favour but also inherit whichever task the mother failed at, along with a short time-span in which to fulfil it.

Blindhamsterman wrote:if any member of a house displeases lolth, the entire house loses favour until the Matron Mother can rectify this or another house slaughters them all.

In such an event, how important is it for the Drow that the entire bloodline is wiped out? How far are they willing to go to hunt them down?
Is it only a matron mother's mistakes that can be counted grave enough for the entire house to lose favour, or is it enough that one member of the family for example turns to Eilistraee?

hugely important, if any survivors are left and able to make an accusation against the house that wiped out their family, the ruling houses then brind down Drow 'Justice' which is when the students of the academies are brought together, often along with Drow of the ruling houeses and make a public display of destroying the 'Murdering' house.

Essentially it works thus:

House A is weak for whatever reason, in this case we shall assume because they have lost favour of Lolth

House B is a lower ranking house in the cities heirachy, but feels they are able to decimate the weakened stronger house therefore ensuring they gain in power themselves.

one of three things then happen:

House A Manages to fend off House B, in which case those that are left will make accusation against house B to the ruling houses, and the drow 'justice' mentioned above ensues. Note: House A Does not regain Favour, and are likely in even more danger unless they can right whatever wrong they commited

House B Slaughters Every Noble member of House A, with the exception often being commoners, House B strangely grows in size overnight, coincidently by the same number of commoners not killed at House A. And the Ruling houses (and all the rest of the city) secretly applaud House B for their Cunning.

House B Believe they slaughtered all nobles, but infact did not, one or two Nobles remain alive, they make accusation and House B meets Drowish 'Justice' Usually those surviving Nobles (and often common soldiers that chose to abandon House B) will either be given to one of the ruling houses or be auctioned off.


Essentially, Lolths Displeasure covers the entire Noble family, with only a small number of ways to regain it generally.

Is it only a matron mother's mistakes that can be counted grave enough for the entire house to lose favour, or is it enough that one member of the family for example turns to Eilistraee?

Any member of the family (including the commoners) can bring the disfavour of lolth upon a drow house.

However, I do not believe say... a commoner turning to eilistraee causes disfavour on the house as a whole usually, though it might if it was one of the nobles that did. Usually it takes direct insult toward lolth or her following to cause such a thing (Drizzt had to spare a wood elven child for example to cause disfavour upon his house, and More than a few characters in the War of the Spider Queen Series are far from devout followers but seem to have little effect on their houses)


Good Reading material for Drow:
R.A.Salvatores Drizzt Series, especially the early ones, no matter what anyone says, he essentially created the Drow Society that we all know, regardless of peoples distaste for Drizzt.
The War of the Spider Queen Series (again Salvatore has a hand in them, but they're awesome for giving detail on drow)
The 3.5 Underdark Book.

I see! Very informative, thank you.
Sadly I hardly ever have enough patience to read, but thank you for the tips anyway.

Nobles in Drow Houses are the following:

Matron Mother
Matron Mothers consort (usually a commoner male, that shows particular skills, often as a warrior but also in the ah.... sensual side of things - they are nobles only so long as they are consorts)

Matron Mothers Children (This is all male and female children - Important Note, 3rd born sons are sacrificed to Lolth, and children of the matron mothers children are not nobles, though they likely hold more importance than other commoners)

Maybe the houses weapon master if he wasn't already one of the children.

If the house gained any nobles from one of the afformentioned auctions, these would still be nobles and treated as children of the house also.

Any of the above could make accusation.

Could the Judgement be postponed several years?

I believe it can, though if too much times goes by it's unlikely the ruling houses would bother to act on it, usually such things happen soon after. I *think* It's happened a long time after in a case or two, but without re-reading novels and source books I cannot be sure.

Okay!

Thanks a lot for your answers! They were really helpful.

Just ooone more.
... Do you know if there is any "sin" that would travel from a noble-born man to his children?

Saeasco wrote:Okay!

Thanks a lot for your answers! They were really helpful.

Just ooone more.
... Do you know if there is any "sin" that would travel from a noble-born man to his children?

Think of the man in drow society as farm animal. Many/most drow do not know their fathers, and "fatherhood" is not part of the culture. The man acts only as a "sire" or "stud".

If you want something familial, stick to the mother.

Yup, thought a mans sins will travel to entire family nonetheless, just it's likely the women-folk sacrificied him and regained favour if it was learned that he was the cause!

dergon darkhelm wrote:Think of the man in drow society as farm animal. Many/most drow do not know their fathers, and "fatherhood" is not part of the culture. The man acts only as a "sire" or "stud".

If you want something familial, stick to the mother.

That I know. From what I gather from Blindhamsterman, it seems as though a dishonoured's house surviving male would be subject to honour slaughter as well. And even quite possibly his potential offspring.

Saeasco wrote:

dergon darkhelm wrote:Think of the man in drow society as farm animal. Many/most drow do not know their fathers, and "fatherhood" is not part of the culture. The man acts only as a "sire" or "stud".

If you want something familial, stick to the mother.

That I know. From what I gather from Blindhamsterman, it seems as though a dishonoured's house surviving male would be subject to honour slaughter as well. And even quite possibly his potential offspring.

Absolutely. A male of House A who is still living after the disgrace and overthrow of his house by House B is a dead man.

Options include running for it (likely death in the Underdark), trying to offer yourself to another house C for your services (unlikely since he's disgraced, unless House C has a political interest in secretly keeping alive a member of of House A for future use against House B (or D, E,F), or finally joing a gang like Bregan D'aerthe

http://forgottenrealms.wikia.com/wiki/Bregan_D'aerthe