Editing Setting:Unified Setting/Drow (section)

==The Wila==
The Drow (or more properly, the Wila, as Drow actually means "Raider") appear almost identical to their [[Setting:Unified Setting/Elves|elven cousins]]. They share the same comely, short, lithe humanoid form with notably pointed ears. The main and obvious difference is in skin pigmentation. Unlike the fairer elves, Wila skin is jet black in color. Naturalists aren't sure why this is the case. Some suggest that it enhances their ability to absorb both solar and magical energy in a cold, northern climate. The vast majority refuse to speculate. Elven history suggests that elven skin color is determined by ambient magic levels, however. The coloration of the grey [[Setting:Unified Setting/Sidhe|Sidhe]], and the [[Setting:Unified Setting/Caele|Caele]], who are white as milk, supports this.

While Wila are typically portrayed with white hair to contrast with their black skin, their hair can come in a variety of other colors. White, like blonde for humans, is culturally preferred, and so some wila are known to bleach the natural pigment out of their hair to appear more attractive.

As mentioned above, Wila have the ability to absorb ambient magical energy. For the vast majority of Wila, this is an utterly useless ability, the equivalent of a human appendix. Some zealots however have honed this racial quirk into a talent that gives them an edge against mages in battle.

The noble Wila houses meet for political negotiations wearing very little. This has to do with an old tradition of showing that you have no concealed weapons on your person. When the houses established diplomatic relations with the other races, this led to a misunderstanding and now there's a belief among [[Setting:Unified Setting/Humans|humans]] that Wila are a nation of BDSM whores. Only top Wila diplomats ever dress in this fashion however, and they only do so in important meetings.