Drow bard racial name - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Drow bard racial name

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
michael_lightbringer
Mar 18, 2008 21:19:55 A couple years ago I read the War of the Spider Queen series. In that series there was a drow who had bard levels. They gave the racial name for that in one of the novels.

I loaned my books to my cousin and even if I had them I don't remember which book(s) had the name. I'm hoping a drow buff could clue me in on what the name was.

As an aside, I seem to recall that Eberron has a different deity for drow. Anybody know if the language is the same? Would Eberron drow have the same name for a bard as FR drow? I'm working on a bio for my bard/wizard in DDO and recollected Hallistra having good fluff on drow bards in War of the Spider Queen.
#2
stormlord
Mar 18, 2008 23:17:10 The drow bards are called the bae'qeshel, or dark minstrels. This information appears on page 34 of WotSQ book III: Condemnation. If there is an earlier reference I missed it while quickly scanning through the books.

I know little about Eberron and can not give a firm answer on that question, only my opinion. Personally, I think they would speak completely different languages in a real sense, but for game flavor and/or character flavor I see no real harm in just transporting the language over.
#3
lord_karsus
Mar 18, 2008 23:22:43 -I don't remember, off-hand, what the style was called, but it was something like "Baelquesh". Something of a similar vein.

-Anyway, the language of the Drow of Faerûn, and the Drow of Eberron's continents are not going to be linguistically similar, as the two are not of related cultures, and therefore, linguistic lines. The Drow of Faerûn have never come into any sort of contact with the Drow of Eberron, as far as we know. To make things more smooth for the game, there is no reason to simply say that "Drow is Drow".
#4
michael_lightbringer
Mar 18, 2008 23:24:44 Thanks for taking the time to look up the FR name for drow bards. I think (when my muse strikes again) that I will use bae'qeshel as the fluff for the crunch of having a level of bard for my drow wizard. Unless a person who is an expert on Eberron posts saying that it would definitely not be the terminology in that land.
#5
zanan
Mar 19, 2008 8:47:55 The tradition wanted here is actually the one practiced by Halisstra Melarn of Ched Nasad, the so-called bae'queshel telphraezzar, which means Whisperers of the Dark Queen. A tradition that came down to the modern day drow from the Ilythiiri, kept up by some houses. It is the lore of the ancient keening songs of the dark elven race.

That's about all there is, source is Dragon 312. Do note that neither drow word needs to be a direct translation into common. Novels and the odd game aside, the only official glossary of that language for the Realms can be found in The Drow of the Underdark, while the 3,5E book Drow of the Underdark as well as Dragon 267 (I think) also features glossaries, which do vary from one another and the first one (for whatever reason).
#6
Shiftkitty
Mar 19, 2008 15:01:40 All drow in my game speak the same language but with drastically different dialects. I created a backstory to explain this which is quite lengthy, so I'll spare you. Suffice to say that when Gromph received communications from two of his sons who were sent to Xen'drik, he noted that they had picked up "Xen'drik accents". Also, some slang and idioms are unique to various cultures. I borrowed heavily from Elfquest to flavor my Xen'drik drow, as it wasn't that big a jump from the semi-nomadic forest-dwelling Wolfriders of Elfquest to the semi-nomadic jungle-dwelling drow of Eberron, IMO. (Of course, Cutter and Skywise didn't worship a scorpion god, and Leetah never would have been able to negotiate with the Xen'drik drow.)
#7
zanan
Mar 20, 2008 4:56:05 ... the only question would be: what has Gromph of FR's Menzoberranzan to do with Xen'drik
#8
Shiftkitty
Mar 20, 2008 10:06:58 Oh, I should have explained. I don't play canon. I've melded any worlds that I like into a huge campaign over the years. When Eberron made the grade, the existence of the Xen'drik drow piqued the archmage's interest, so he sent two of his sons to see what use the Xen'drik drow could be to his schemes.
#9
markustay63
Mar 21, 2008 0:57:55 I have a bigger problem with the Drow 'Elfquest' Elves then I do with Gromph.

Let them ride giant spiders instead of Wolves, and maybe that would make sense.

Oh, wait... they're from X'endrik?

Better make it Giant Scorpions then. ;)

Anyhow, I thought this was going to be a "name my Bard" thread. I never had a Drow one, but I did have an Anchorome Elf bard named Elvish Presley. :D
#10
Shiftkitty
Mar 21, 2008 10:16:47 Ah, no. They don't ride giant anythings. I said I "borrowed" from Elfquest. I didn't convert Wolfriders over to Eberron. I took some of what Wendy Pini used for their culture, and even some of their phrases, my favorite being "puckernuts!" and sprinkled it here and there. For the base culture, I took things from the Native American cultures (which I think is also where she swiped things from).They may hold arachnids, scorpions in particular, in high regard, but they don't have the relationship with them that the Wolfriders have with wolves. A scorpion will sting a drow as readily as they'll sting anybody who asks for it.

No Elfquest drow here! (Although I'd LOVE to see a Wendy Pini rendition of the drow! I think she'd nail it completely, especially if she made them anywhere near the arrogant and scheming Gliders.)

And I was waiting for someone to do an Elvis elf. I didn't want to be the one, though! :D
#11
markustay63
Mar 23, 2008 1:12:05 Yup, and he wore Blue Suede Boots of Elvenkind. :D
#12
Shiftkitty
Mar 23, 2008 9:59:29 All the while swinging his hips to "You Ain't Nothin' But A Blink Dog"...:D
#13
lord_karsus
Mar 23, 2008 10:37:34
#14
Zireael
Mar 23, 2008 13:17:02
That's about all there is, source is Dragon 312. Do note that neither drow word needs to be a direct translation into common. Novels and the odd game aside, the only official glossary of that language for the Realms can be found in The Drow of the Underdark, while the 3,5E book Drow of the Underdark as well as Dragon 267 (I think) also features glossaries, which do vary from one another and the first one (for whatever reason).

What is the odd game? The rest I know. And how come they differ???
#15
SmartPaladin
Mar 23, 2008 13:30:55
All the while swinging his hips to "You Ain't Nothin' But A Blink Dog"...:D

I think that was a natural D20. :P Seriously, that post was just full of Win. Here's a cookie!

Wasn't there also a bae'qeshel in Elaine Cunningham's: Windwalker?
#16
zanan
Mar 23, 2008 17:17:38
What is the odd game? The rest I know. And how come they differ???

Descent to Undermountain has a few drow phrases, and words methinks, as does BG II. All info of FR material - adventure, novel, or game - adds to the first glossary given in Ed Greenwood's The Drow of the Underdark. The Dragon recreated a new list of drow terminology for creating names et al, partly using old words (which not always make sense). The new Drow of the Underdark apparently ignored that Dragon and used its own name-creator glossary, likewise ignoring Ed's glossary or meanings. As Ed's work was, Dwarves Deep and the dwarven glossary aside, the only book which contained a glossary for a fantasy language within Realmspace, it is very odd that neither the Dragon nor the DotUD authors actually looked them up for reference.
#17
Shiftkitty
Mar 23, 2008 18:37:00 I've used several sources for names in my game, explaining the different versions of the same name in a similar way human names might carry the same meaning but sound different (such as John, Ian, and Ivan), i.e., ancient regional dialects. An actual vocabulary for everyday speech, however, I do not use. I do think they should have started with the original from Ed Greenwood and built off of that. Keep it coherent and you might have people speaking drow as a second or third language the way some Trekkies speak Klingon. (:embarrass I don't speak it, but I have been guilty of yelling 'Kai Kassai!' as I force my way into tight traffic! :embarrass )
#18
rinonalyrna_fathomlin
Mar 23, 2008 20:16:02
All the while swinging his hips to "You Ain't Nothin' But A Blink Dog"...:D

But can he "Crank that Soulja Boy?" That's the crucial question, here.
#19
lord_karsus
Mar 23, 2008 21:13:57 -What's what? Can we D&Dify it by saying "Favored Soulja"?
#20
rinonalyrna_fathomlin
Mar 24, 2008 9:43:02
-What's what? Can we D&Dify it by saying "Favored Soulja"?

Yes!

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 michael_lightbringer Mar 18, 2008 21:19:55	A couple years ago I read the War of the Spider Queen series. In that series there was a drow who had bard levels. They gave the racial name for that in one of the novels. I loaned my books to my cousin and even if I had them I don't remember which book(s) had the name. I'm hoping a drow buff could clue me in on what the name was. As an aside, I seem to recall that Eberron has a different deity for drow. Anybody know if the language is the same? Would Eberron drow have the same name for a bard as FR drow? I'm working on a bio for my bard/wizard in DDO and recollected Hallistra having good fluff on drow bards in War of the Spider Queen.
#2 stormlord Mar 18, 2008 23:17:10	The drow bards are called the bae'qeshel, or dark minstrels. This information appears on page 34 of WotSQ book III: Condemnation. If there is an earlier reference I missed it while quickly scanning through the books. I know little about Eberron and can not give a firm answer on that question, only my opinion. Personally, I think they would speak completely different languages in a real sense, but for game flavor and/or character flavor I see no real harm in just transporting the language over.
#3 lord_karsus Mar 18, 2008 23:22:43	-I don't remember, off-hand, what the style was called, but it was something like "Baelquesh". Something of a similar vein. -Anyway, the language of the Drow of Faerûn, and the Drow of Eberron's continents are not going to be linguistically similar, as the two are not of related cultures, and therefore, linguistic lines. The Drow of Faerûn have never come into any sort of contact with the Drow of Eberron, as far as we know. To make things more smooth for the game, there is no reason to simply say that "Drow is Drow".
#4 michael_lightbringer Mar 18, 2008 23:24:44	Thanks for taking the time to look up the FR name for drow bards. I think (when my muse strikes again) that I will use bae'qeshel as the fluff for the crunch of having a level of bard for my drow wizard. Unless a person who is an expert on Eberron posts saying that it would definitely not be the terminology in that land.
#5 zanan Mar 19, 2008 8:47:55	The tradition wanted here is actually the one practiced by Halisstra Melarn of Ched Nasad, the so-called bae'queshel telphraezzar, which means Whisperers of the Dark Queen. A tradition that came down to the modern day drow from the Ilythiiri, kept up by some houses. It is the lore of the ancient keening songs of the dark elven race. That's about all there is, source is Dragon 312. Do note that neither drow word needs to be a direct translation into common. Novels and the odd game aside, the only official glossary of that language for the Realms can be found in The Drow of the Underdark, while the 3,5E book Drow of the Underdark as well as Dragon 267 (I think) also features glossaries, which do vary from one another and the first one (for whatever reason).
#6 Shiftkitty Mar 19, 2008 15:01:40	All drow in my game speak the same language but with drastically different dialects. I created a backstory to explain this which is quite lengthy, so I'll spare you. Suffice to say that when Gromph received communications from two of his sons who were sent to Xen'drik, he noted that they had picked up "Xen'drik accents". Also, some slang and idioms are unique to various cultures. I borrowed heavily from Elfquest to flavor my Xen'drik drow, as it wasn't that big a jump from the semi-nomadic forest-dwelling Wolfriders of Elfquest to the semi-nomadic jungle-dwelling drow of Eberron, IMO. (Of course, Cutter and Skywise didn't worship a scorpion god, and Leetah never would have been able to negotiate with the Xen'drik drow.)
#7 zanan Mar 20, 2008 4:56:05	... the only question would be: what has Gromph of FR's Menzoberranzan to do with Xen'drik
#8 Shiftkitty Mar 20, 2008 10:06:58	Oh, I should have explained. I don't play canon. I've melded any worlds that I like into a huge campaign over the years. When Eberron made the grade, the existence of the Xen'drik drow piqued the archmage's interest, so he sent two of his sons to see what use the Xen'drik drow could be to his schemes.
#9 markustay63 Mar 21, 2008 0:57:55	I have a bigger problem with the Drow 'Elfquest' Elves then I do with Gromph. Let them ride giant spiders instead of Wolves, and maybe that would make sense. Oh, wait... they're from X'endrik? Better make it Giant Scorpions then. ;) Anyhow, I thought this was going to be a "name my Bard" thread. I never had a Drow one, but I did have an Anchorome Elf bard named Elvish Presley. :D
#10 Shiftkitty Mar 21, 2008 10:16:47	Ah, no. They don't ride giant anythings. I said I "borrowed" from Elfquest. I didn't convert Wolfriders over to Eberron. I took some of what Wendy Pini used for their culture, and even some of their phrases, my favorite being "puckernuts!" and sprinkled it here and there. For the base culture, I took things from the Native American cultures (which I think is also where she swiped things from).They may hold arachnids, scorpions in particular, in high regard, but they don't have the relationship with them that the Wolfriders have with wolves. A scorpion will sting a drow as readily as they'll sting anybody who asks for it. No Elfquest drow here! (Although I'd LOVE to see a Wendy Pini rendition of the drow! I think she'd nail it completely, especially if she made them anywhere near the arrogant and scheming Gliders.) And I was waiting for someone to do an Elvis elf. I didn't want to be the one, though! :D
#11 markustay63 Mar 23, 2008 1:12:05	Yup, and he wore Blue Suede Boots of Elvenkind. :D
#12 Shiftkitty Mar 23, 2008 9:59:29	All the while swinging his hips to "You Ain't Nothin' But A Blink Dog"...:D
#13 lord_karsus Mar 23, 2008 10:37:34
#14 Zireael Mar 23, 2008 13:17:02	That's about all there is, source is Dragon 312. Do note that neither drow word needs to be a direct translation into common. Novels and the odd game aside, the only official glossary of that language for the Realms can be found in The Drow of the Underdark, while the 3,5E book Drow of the Underdark as well as Dragon 267 (I think) also features glossaries, which do vary from one another and the first one (for whatever reason). What is the odd game? The rest I know. And how come they differ???
#15 SmartPaladin Mar 23, 2008 13:30:55	All the while swinging his hips to "You Ain't Nothin' But A Blink Dog"...:D I think that was a natural D20. :P Seriously, that post was just full of Win. Here's a cookie! Wasn't there also a bae'qeshel in Elaine Cunningham's: Windwalker?
#16 zanan Mar 23, 2008 17:17:38	What is the odd game? The rest I know. And how come they differ??? Descent to Undermountain has a few drow phrases, and words methinks, as does BG II. All info of FR material - adventure, novel, or game - adds to the first glossary given in Ed Greenwood's The Drow of the Underdark. The Dragon recreated a new list of drow terminology for creating names et al, partly using old words (which not always make sense). The new Drow of the Underdark apparently ignored that Dragon and used its own name-creator glossary, likewise ignoring Ed's glossary or meanings. As Ed's work was, Dwarves Deep and the dwarven glossary aside, the only book which contained a glossary for a fantasy language within Realmspace, it is very odd that neither the Dragon nor the DotUD authors actually looked them up for reference.
#17 Shiftkitty Mar 23, 2008 18:37:00	I've used several sources for names in my game, explaining the different versions of the same name in a similar way human names might carry the same meaning but sound different (such as John, Ian, and Ivan), i.e., ancient regional dialects. An actual vocabulary for everyday speech, however, I do not use. I do think they should have started with the original from Ed Greenwood and built off of that. Keep it coherent and you might have people speaking drow as a second or third language the way some Trekkies speak Klingon. (:embarrass I don't speak it, but I have been guilty of yelling 'Kai Kassai!' as I force my way into tight traffic! :embarrass )
#18 rinonalyrna_fathomlin Mar 23, 2008 20:16:02	All the while swinging his hips to "You Ain't Nothin' But A Blink Dog"...:D But can he "Crank that Soulja Boy?" That's the crucial question, here.
#19 lord_karsus Mar 23, 2008 21:13:57	-What's what? Can we D&Dify it by saying "Favored Soulja"?
#20 rinonalyrna_fathomlin Mar 24, 2008 9:43:02	-What's what? Can we D&Dify it by saying "Favored Soulja"? Yes!