#drowic

Most followers of this blog will be familiar with the fan script “Drow Rounded” and its variants. It’s definitely become a popular alphabet, since it comes with a downloadable font and is distinct from other forms of elvish. I myself have used this alphabet in the past (you can even see it in the blog header). I don’t mean to dissuade anyone from using it, and I doubt this post will have any impact on its prevalence, but I do want to talk about it and it’s origins, and why I want to rehash the Drowic alphabet, rather than using the widely accepted fan alphabet.

The origins of the alphabet itself are a bit more murky than I would like, but I’ve done a fair amount of digging. The original “Drow Rounded” font was created in 2002 by Daniel U. Thibault for use with a Elven Kingdom of Arèthane roleplaying group.

If you are unfamiliar, as I was, Arèthane and its various related realms are a homebrew world derived from the Palladium Fantasy RPG System, borrowing various lore from sources, including AD&D, which is how we get drow in the mix.

Not that I am personally a lore purist, but from my initial research, I fail to find any discernible link between the alphabet created for the EKA and any canonical language published as part of any D&D lore, regardless of setting. So while I will humbly acknowledge the “Drow Rounded” alphabet for its prominence (if not provenance) and won’t discourage anyone from using it, I won’t be using it as one of my references with regards to developing a Drowic alphabet for the purposes of this project.

So where does that put us?

Dungeons and Dragons, as far as I am able to discern, has never created an official Drowic alphabet distinct from other Elvish alphabets. Drow are, much to their own chagrin, still elves, and are descended from cultures which shared language and writing systems with surface elves. I want to start there and see if I can’t work my way towards something which feels distinct enough from the various Elvish alphabets while still sharing a common root. To do that… we need to talk about Espruar…

The various creators who have worked on Dungeons and Dragons over the years have not always reached a consensus on lore prior to publishing (understatement of the year?). There are, from what I can tell, three distinct “Elvish” alphabets. Two of them are explicitly referred to as Espruar, which is recognized as the name of the Elvish alphabet in the Forgotten Realms setting. The third is one which was published in the 2014 5E PHB which is labeled “Elvish Script: Sample Alphabet.” There are other Elvish scripts employed throughout various art and other materials, but these are the three I want to look at the most.

As it has seniority, let’s first look at the example we have from the AD&D (1E) Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting Box Set (page 8), which I will refer to as “Runic Espruar.” I find this alphabet to be… busy. It doesn’t come across to me as an efficient alphabet (perhaps if it was a more logographic writing system?) and it seems like it would take anyone an annoyingly long time to write letters like A, Q, and S. It also lacks that… je ne sais quoi – that elegance we expect from an Elvish script (thanks largely to a certain John Ronald Reuel). I think this might be an alphabet that was developed in very early elven history – the Cuneiform of Elvish. I don’t tend to think that this is the alphabet used by any modern elvish society, but could still possibly be something found in ancient lost ruins forgotten by time.

Next, we’ll look at the example we have from the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting manual from 3.5E (page 86), which I will refer to as “Angular Espruar.” Take anything I have to say about this variant with a grain of salt because I’ll admit… I don’t like it. I find it to be very sharp with long, hard lines which gives it a similar feel to languages like Dovah and Daedric from The Elder Scrolls, or Draconic and Dwarven (see also 1E Dethek) from other D&D sources. It does function much better as a written alphabet than Runic Espruar, and comes a little closer to the elegance we would expect, but misses the mark in my opinion. It also does not seem to resemble Runic Espruar in any discernible way… it really does look like it takes greater influence from 1E Dethek. This could reasonably be a writing system developed in the early days of elven contact with other racial groups. The need to communicate quickly and concisely would be emphasized when dealing with shorter-lived races, so a more efficient writing system may have been developed to facilitate such communication. It could also have been influenced by alphabets used by other races (though I’m already far afield enough as it is, I won’t go spelunking quite that deep).

(Click here for a more in-depth fan guide on 3.5E Espruar)

Finally that leads us to the 2014 5E Players Handbook (page 123) “Elvish Script: Sample Alphabet” (ESSA) which is decidedly not Espruar, as the SRD & PHB for 5E are largely campaign setting agnostic. It does, however, contain many of the aspects of an Elvish script I’ve personally come to expect and appreciate, the elegance, shapeliness, and flow of the letters. I want my Drowic alphabet to be something somewhat akin to this in feel.

So where does that bring us? I think the best place to start with a Drowic script is likely something with common characters or shapes to Angular Espruar, but with an even more concise, efficient script which has diverged from old Espruar (possibly a common ancestral alphabet we don’t have examples from) after the drow descended into the Underdark. There were a few goals I wanted to accomplish while working on this alphabet. First, I wanted the characters to seem unique enough from one another that they’re not frustrating to try and distinguish (a personal problem I have with “Drow Rounded”). Second, I wanted to try and recapture the elegance of a more Tolkienesque Elvish script without actually taking more than vibes-based inspiration from Tengwar. Third, I wanted to make a script that was a script, as in words could be written in a single stroke without lifting one’s pen (something none of my extant references do, which provided a unique challenge for me). Lastly, I wanted to make a usable font which could be shared and downloaded for anyone to use (this last piece, I’m still working on, but keep your eyes open for that in the future). There may still be some tweaks to the script in the future as I work on getting a font made, but I hope you find it interesting in the meantime.

As a proof of concept, but also for fun, I wrote the name of one of my drow characters in the Drowic script.

Abban – ally, not-enemy

Abbil – comrade, "trusted" friend

Akh – band, group

Alur – better, superior

Alurl – best, foremost

Alust – forward-facing, in front of, in the forefront

Aluve – i/we leave you

Asanque – likewise, of course, as you wish

Avinsin – doomed

Bae'qeshel – a rare type of drow bardic magic

Bauth – around, about

Bautha – dodge, to dodge

Belaern – wealth, coinage, treasure, profit

Belbau – to give

Belbol – gift

Bol – unknown, unidentified, mysterious or important

Brorn – surprise

Brorna – surprises

C'rintri – noble drow

Cahallin – produce or harvest, including raid-spoils, but not hunted game or cooking

Colbauth – path, known way

Colnbluth – outsider, non-drow

Crinti – high ones

Dal – from (sometimes shortened to da')

Darthiir – surface elf/elves

Del – of (sometimes shortened to d' or de')

Dobluth – outcast

Doeb – out

Dos – you

Dosst – yours

Dosstan – yourself

Draa – two

Draada – second

Dragazhar – underdark bat

*Drider – half–spider/half-drow abomination

Dro – life, alive

Duk–tak – unholy executioner

*Duergar – deep dwarf/dwarves

Duvall – secret adviser

Elamshin – destiny, the will of Lolth

Elend – usual or traditional

Elendar – continue, continued, continuing or enduring

Elgg – death, destroy, kill or slay

Elgg–hor – the destroyer

Elgghinn – death

Faer – magic

Faerbol – magical item

*Faerie – translation of a term used to refer to a surface elf

Faerl – magical

Faern – magic worker or wizard

Gee'antu – Underdark tarantula

Gol – goblin

Golhyrr – ruse, trap or trick

Golhyrrl' fhaazht – The Dream Trap, strange nightmare dreams given out by the giant fungus Araumycos involving the comfort of the mass and the hopeless chaos of individuality

Harl – down, under or below

Harl'il'cik – kneel

Haszak – illithid

Honglath – bravery, calm, clear thinking or good behavior

Iblith – offal, excrement, often used when referring to humans as well as other non-drow races. Can be used as an insult

Ilhar – mother, also to mother as in to give birth but not to raise young

Ilharess – matron mother

Ilharn – patron

Ilindith – aim, goal or hoped for event

Illiyitrii – a formal dance sometimes involving costumes

Ilythiiri – drow

Inth – plan, scheme or stratagem

Inthigg – agreement or treaty

Izil – as

Jabbuk – master, a man who holds an office of power

Jal – all

Jivvin – to play; to play a game, or have other amusement or fun

Jivvin quui'elghinn – torture until death, apparently a cynical distortion of the term for fun

Khal'abbil – my trusted comrade

Khaless - meaning trust or a drow game called Khaless. Because trust is so lacking in drow society, it is often used in an ironic sense to mean misplaced trust

Khazid'hea – to cut

Kolsen'shea orbb – to pull the legs off a spider, an arcane phrase and idiom

Kulg – blockage, hitch or snag

Kulggen – deliberate rampart or shield

Kyone – alert/alerty, careful/carefully, wary/warily

Kyorl – to watch

Kyorlin – guarding, waiting, watching

Lil – the

Llar – three

Llarnbuss – third

Lueth – and

Luth – cast, hurl or throw

Maglust – alone, apart

Malla – honored, a term of respect preceding a title

Mrimm – guide, key or inspiration

Myrlochar – soul spider (minion of Lolth)

Mzild – more

Natha – a/an

Nau – no

Neideirra – a frenzied dance competition favored in Menzoberranzan

Nind – they, them, their, theirs

Nindyn – those

Noamuth – lost, unknown or wanderer

Obsul – opening, door

Ogglin – enemy

Olist – stealth

Oloth – darkness

Orbb – spider

Orbbcress – spiderweb

Orthae – sacred

Parzdiamo – male playmate who is not the house patron, concubine or courtesan

Pera'dene – scapegoat

Phalar – battle-marker or grave

Phindar – non-intelligent monster

Phlar Lolth ssinssrickla – a blasphemous jest meaning when Lolth giggles.

Pholar – on, upon

Phuul – are

Plynn – take or to seize

Pyrimo – a small, fierce fish with sharp teeth and powerful jaws; a treasured delicacy in Menzoberranzan

Qilovestualt – a type of drow wine made from fermented mushrooms

Qu'ellar – house

Qu'lith – blood

Qu'uente – guts, viscera

Qual'laelay – argument or disagreement

Quarth – to command, used as part of an order

Quarthen – commanded or ordered

Quarvalsharess – the Goddess (Lolth)

Ragar – discover, find or uncover

Rath – back

Ratha – backs

Rathrae – behind

Rivvil – human

Sargh – skill at arms

Sargtlin – a trained drow warrior

Sarn – beware or warning

Sava – a game popular among drow resembling a more complex version of chess

Shavrak – final, last

Shebali – rogue, free agent, a drow without a house or superior commander, lower ones

Sreen – danger

Ssinssrigg – physical lust or selfish greed; passion, longing

Ssussun – brightness or light

Streea – to die in the service of Lolth, suicide similar to sepuku

Streeaka – fearless(ness) or reckless(ness)

Streeaka droc'uh – phrase meaning mad dragon

Taga – than

Talinth – consider or to think

Talthalra – council or meeting

Thalack – war

Thalackz'hind – attack from afar or raid

Thalra – encounter or meet

Tinguin lal'o shrome'cak – promise of a fungal pie. It referred to something used to "sweeten the deal"; fungal pie was a delicious delicacy

Tlu – to be

Tuth – both

Ul-ilindith – destiny

Uln'hyrr – liar

Ultrin – conqueror, highest or supreme

Ultrin sargtlin – phrase meaning supreme warrior

Ultrine – surpreme goddess (Lolth)

Ultrinnan – conquering, victory, to win or prevail

Ulu – to

Uss – one

Usstan – i, me, or anything referring to oneself

Usstan'sargh wael - you arrogant fool

Ust – first

Valsharess – queen/demigoddess

Vel'uss – who

Veldrin – concealment or shadows. This is also a common, androgynous name

Velkyn – hidden or invisible

Velve – blade

Vidrinath – lullaby (songs priestesses sang to young students at the Academy as they went into Reverie)

Wael – fool

Waela – foolish or unaware/unwary

Wun – in

Wund – among, into or within

Xal – may, might, perhaps

Xittalsh – contest of arms to prove (or win) innocence

Xun – to accomplish or to work

Xund – effort, striving or work

Xundus – achievement or work completed

Yath – temple

Yathrin – priestess of Lolth

Yathtallar – high priestess of Lolth

Yochlol – handmaiden of Lolth

Yor'thae – chosen one (High Drow). The word comes from yorn, meaning servant of the goddess, and orthae, meaning sacred.

Yorn – power/servant/will of Lolth

Z'har – to ride

Z'hin – to walk

Z'hind – expedition, to journey

Z'orr – climb

Z'ress – power or strength; to dominate by force of will

Zedrinset – Chosen of Lolth or avatar of Lolth; this was considered a sacred word.

Zhah – is

Zhaun – to learn, to know

Zhaunil – learning, wisdom or knowledge

Belbau – to give

Cassharl – To dig or mine

D'haruk – Son (informal)

Dalharuk – Son (formal) lit. male from mother

Eeol – Tongue (in your mouth)

Eluur – To stain either intentionally as in to dye fabric, or unintentionally

Eluurir – Stained

Enau – (verb) to empty, clean out, or dump out, or (adjective) empty

Eolla – To taste

Erz'an – to slip and fall

Fen – With

Gran – to get or to have

Hal – to sit

Harl – Under, below, beneath

Iizul – Information

‡ Inbau – to get or receive

Kyn – To see

Kyna – Eye

Lalii – to speak

Luafa – Nose

Luf – To smell

Na – a (a more common form of natha, which is formal and somewhat archaic)

Naal – to lift

Olen – A narrow side passageway through a cavern

Oloth – Darkness

Olotharl – Underdark

Orbb – Spider

Orbbcress – Spider web

Ponan – A man's loin cloth, a common garment among mid-to-lower class and especially poor men.

Qu'eloryn – spider silk

Railok – Petrified or fossilized

Rathrae – Behind (adjective)

Ruura – Face (noun)

Talinan – Brain

Talinth – Think

Ussin – same or identical

Veldrin – Shadows, concealment afforded by varying light

Velkyn – Unseen, hidden, or invisible

Velzul – Secrets

Warn – To hear

Warna – Ear

Wun – In

Wund – Into

Xun – to do or complete

Xund – work or effort (noun)

Yan – piece, fragment, or shard

Zid'heagra – Adamantine

While we don't have many examples of the Drowic words for formal titles (we commonly see things like Matron or Weapons Master but rarely see these words in proper Drowic), so for this particular analysis I will be pulling some open-source words from the Grey Company and expanding some on what exists including analysis and etymology of the word. Words sourced from the Grey Company will be indicated with a ‡ symbol.

First up to examine are the words for Goddess both Lolth and distinctly Not-Lolth.

‡ Quarval-sharess – Goddess (Lolth) ‡ Quar'valsharess – Goddess (Not-Lolth)

It's unclear how these words would be pronounced differently excepting for their obvious differences in pauses, and it seems differentiating between the two would be difficult if someone were to be speaking quickly. Let's note, however, that “valsharess” is present in both and move on to examine the next words in order of Drowic hierarchy.

Ilharess – Matron [Mother] Ilharn – Patron

These both begin with the same prefix “il” which we also see in the word “Ilythiiri” meaning “the people from Ilythiir” which was the major established domain of the dark elves on the surface prior to the First Sundering and the subsequent Crown Wars which ended in the dark elves becoming the Drow and being banished to the Underdark. It's reasonable to make the conclusion then that the prefix “il” is in some cases in reference to a Drow, but more importantly an aspect of Drowness that is greater than average or more pure than average. A quality of nobility perhaps, or perhaps simply of elevated status. We also see significant tie in to the the next word on the heirarchy.

Ilhar – Mother

The existence of a unique word for “mother” gives us two-fold insight into the etymology at play here, because there does not exist a unique word for “father” besides “ilharn” indicating that “father” is about the lowest title worth giving to a male in a family situation. This also allows us to single out the suffix “ess” and evaluate it. Remember we also see the “ess” suffix in both words for Goddess, thus leading me to conclude that the suffix “ess” is indicative of not just nobility, but some divine aspect. In a Goddess (Lolth or not) the “ess” is indicative of her godhood, but in a Matron Mother the “ess” is perhaps indicative of her divine approval because Matron Mothers who fall out of favor with Lolth, as we know, do not live long. This evaluation brings interesting implications to other words referring to other titles less familiar within Drow society proper.

Valsharess – Queen ‡Valuk – King

It is worth noting in both of these cases that the concept of queen and king do not exist in the traditional sense in Drow culture due to their oligarchal city-state political structure. A queen could, of course, be in reference to Lolth as the Queen of Spiders, but considering that she is a Goddess this causes the meaning of “queen” to take on a different aspect. This is, further supported by “Valsharess” being a segment of the words “ Quarval-sharess” and “ Quar'valsharess”, indicating that the word for queen in Drowic may be better equated to the word “demigoddess”. This follows then, because based on Drow political structure a queen in the traditional sense (a woman who rules over a large domain including a significant portion of land, many cities, hundreds of thousands of subjects, and a vast military force) would be a step existing somewhere between a Matron Mother and Lolth herself. It makes sense as well that “queen” and “demigoddess” may be conflated when one considers how counter to Lolth's manipulative intent an actual unified country under a single ruler would be as it fuels neither her desire for constant strategical warfare between her subjects, nor her desire for absolute control over the Drow. By pitting the Drow against each other Lolth is able to remain in the position of total power she is, an a unified monarchy would break that absolute control. Thus the word for “queen” and the word for “demigoddess” and the concept of both are one and the same in Drowic.

This brings us to Valuk. Valuk ends in a common suffix “uk” which is a male indicator also seen in words like “jabbuk” (master) and “‡dalharuk” (son). This allows us to single out the common portion of the word “Val” to indicate something to do with power but not with divinity. It is well established in Drow society that men do not have the favor of Lolth nor any of her divine blessings, they cannot be clerics or priests and cannot hold any kind of divine office. A king still has power over the same domain as a queen though, the same land, the same subjects, the same military. It's reasonable to assume then that the meaning of “Val” is in having an incredible amount of power.

It is interesting to note then that “Ilharn” is not “Ilharuk”, which can get grammatically confusing when considering the pluralization of nouns in Drowic involves appending “en” or “n” to the end of the noun, meaning the word for “mothers” would be “ilharen”. This may be to indicate that Patrons only hold power in a somewhat artificial figurehead-like way, much like any other male (such as allies or consorts) in favor of the Matron Mother holds power. The Patron holds power in much the same way that a mirror is a person, it only really appears so when there is a person in front of it.