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Cosmar
Seeker
88 Posts |
 Posted - 23 Dec 2019 : 04:00:12
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How would drow society view bastard children born in noble Houses? Do they even have such a concept, or is any child born of a female noble considered a noble and member of that house, regardless of who fathered the child?
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36779 Posts |
Posted - 23 Dec 2019 : 04:34:37
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quote:
Originally posted by Cosmar
How would drow society view bastard children born in noble Houses? Do they even have such a concept, or is any child born of a female noble considered a noble and member of that house, regardless of who fathered the child?
First, look at the words of Ed, from the 2E Drow of the Underdark, page 14:
quote:
Noble Houses are led by a matron mother, the senior female priestess. In Lolth-worshipping drow communities, her rule is absolute, enforced by the priestesses beneath her (usually her daughters). All females of the mother's blood, in order of their age, follow in rank, although they wield no authority until they are trained and of age (past puberty).
Below the daughters come the male officers of the House: the weapons master (leader of the fighters), (chief) House wizard, and the patron (current consort of the matron mother). These ranks may be combined, and even held by the traditional next rank down in the hierarchy: the male heirs of the House.
Male heirs are also ranked by age: elderboy, secondboy, thirdboy, and so on. They are not allowed to look at the faces of other drow, or speak unless spoken to or bidden. This treatment teaches them their subordinate place in drow society.
Below them come the "war-leaders" of the House (veteran warriors, who lead House patrols, attack squads, and guards, under the command of the weapons master), and the House mages (under the command of the House wizard).
Beneath these "blood" members and officials of the House rank its common warriors, its craftspeople, its servants, and its slaves. All ranks are decreed, and can be changed at the whim of, the matron mother. Her position changes at death -- often at the hands of her eldest daughter.
Looking at all of that, bastards aren't really mentioned... But then again, neither is marriage. It's just not a drow thing, at least under Lolth.
Drow women -- especially matron mothers -- take consorts whenever they choose. Since they're usually priestesses (who should, one would expect, have magical means of enhancing or negating their fertility), and since Ed has spoken of women in the Realms having access to contraceptives, then it means a matron mother isn't going to get pregnant unless she chooses.
So her kids would automatically be noble. But even those kids could be cast out or more likely sacrificed, if the matron mother felt it necessary.
As for the next generation... I'd assume that daughters of the matron mother wouldn't dare to conceive without her blessing, and that the status of their kids would also be entirely dependent on the matron mother's whims. I'd also expect that such permission is rarely given, mainly as a way of controlling and keeping those daughters in their subordinate positions. Having multiple generations, all looking to advance over the bodies of their elders, in one house, is just asking for trouble.
I'd think that the closest thing you'd have to bastards, in drow society, would be from dalliances outside the house -- such as from male nobles maybe keeping a (non-drow) slave as a mistress, or something like that. And as far as the nobility are concerned, those bastards would be lower than commoners (since they're not pureblooded drow). Any of them brave enough to step forward and try claiming a noble title would likely be laughed at and killed immediately, if not tortured for their temerity. |
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Edited by - Wooly Rupert on 23 Dec 2019 04:39:51 |
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Dalor Darden
Great Reader
USA
4211 Posts |
Posted - 23 Dec 2019 : 15:58:54
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| I think the closest you could come to the concept of "bastard" would be the son of a Matron Mother having an unsanctioned child with a "commoner" drow. That would make the child a grandchild of a Matron Mother, but (as Wooly mentioned) that child would have a dangerous time ever even thinking of trying to claim any sort of birthright. |
The Old Grey Box and AD&D for me! |
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Barastir
Master of Realmslore
Brazil
1600 Posts |
Posted - 26 Dec 2019 : 11:42:01
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quote:
Originally posted by Dalor Darden
I think the closest you could come to the concept of "bastard" would be the son of a Matron Mother having an unsanctioned child with a "commoner" drow.
Maybe not a son, but a daughter... |
"Goodness is not a natural state, but must be
fought for to be attained and maintained.
Lead by example.
Let your deeds speak your intentions.
Goodness radiated from the heart."
The Paladin's Virtues, excerpt from the "Quentin's Monograph"
(by Ed Greenwood) |
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Dalor Darden
Great Reader
USA
4211 Posts |
Posted - 26 Dec 2019 : 23:55:03
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| A daughter would be seen as pregnant and the Matron Mother able to “remedy” that. A son could sire children and the Matron not realize it. |
The Old Grey Box and AD&D for me! |
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Wooly Rupert
Master of Mischief
USA
36779 Posts |
Posted - 27 Dec 2019 : 02:23:10
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quote:
Originally posted by Dalor Darden
A daughter would be seen as pregnant and the Matron Mother able to “remedy” that. A son could sire children and the Matron not realize it.
A daughter could, theoretically, manage to be out of the house whilst she was showing... But she'd pretty much have to be entirely out of sight, because even if she had good reason for an extended time away from the family, it's a good bet that someone would still get word back to the matron mother.
I do agree with you that it's highly unlikely, for a daughter to have an unsanctioned child, but it's not entirely impossible.
I wonder if there's extra-dimensional maternity wear in the Realms... "Thanks to this cleverly-placed extra-dimensional space, we guarantee your baby bump will never show!" |
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TheIriaeban
Master of Realmslore
USA
1289 Posts |
Posted - 28 Dec 2019 : 03:19:53
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quote:
Originally posted by Wooly Rupert
quote:
Originally posted by Dalor Darden
A daughter would be seen as pregnant and the Matron Mother able to “remedy” that. A son could sire children and the Matron not realize it.
A daughter could, theoretically, manage to be out of the house whilst she was showing... But she'd pretty much have to be entirely out of sight, because even if she had good reason for an extended time away from the family, it's a good bet that someone would still get word back to the matron mother.
I do agree with you that it's highly unlikely, for a daughter to have an unsanctioned child, but it's not entirely impossible.
I wonder if there's extra-dimensional maternity wear in the Realms... "Thanks to this cleverly-placed extra-dimensional space, we guarantee your baby bump will never show!"
Given the court intrigue that can happen, I would almost say that a girdle of concealment is a certainty. Plus, it could have other benefits like no morning sickness, back aches, odd food cravings, or swollen feet. |
"Iriaebor is a fine city. So what if you can have violence between merchant groups break out at any moment. Not every city can offer dinner AND a show."
My FR writeups - http://www.mediafire.com/folder/um3liz6tqsf5n/Documents
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TBeholder
Great Reader
2382 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jan 2020 : 18:17:56
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There was something somewhere about "it's proper to take an official consort", at least for a Matron Mother.
But other than this, the Drow have matriarchy, so "mama's known, papa maybe" is much less of a problem. |
People never wonder How the world goes round -Helloween
And even I make no pretense Of having more than common sense -R.W.Wood
It's not good, Eric. It's a gazebo. -Ed Whitchurch |
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St3v3nMC198666
Acolyte
USA
7 Posts |
Posted - 15 Jan 2020 : 18:37:51
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quote:
Originally posted by Cosmar
How would drow society view bastard children born in noble Houses? Do they even have such a concept, or is any child born of a female noble considered a noble and member of that house, regardless of who fathered the child?
Any who kill or other-wise molest have no concepts only fits. Jarlaxle is as close to the concept of a bastard child as there could be. |
< ( _ + * = _ + * ) > |
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TBeholder
Great Reader
2382 Posts |
Posted - 16 Jan 2020 : 22:42:55
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quote:
Originally posted by St3v3nMC198666
Jarlaxle is as close to the concept of a bastard child as there could be.
Was there something saying his father wasn't the Baenre patron (at the time)? |
People never wonder How the world goes round -Helloween
And even I make no pretense Of having more than common sense -R.W.Wood
It's not good, Eric. It's a gazebo. -Ed Whitchurch |
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Drow nobility and bastards
