Dark elf

Dark elves, known as Ssri-tel-quessir in the elven tongue, are frequently confused with Drow. It doesn't help that the two terms are often times used interchangeably, even by elves themselves.

Dark elves have dark brown skin, as opposed to the ebony skin that Drow have. They are also not tainted with Wendonai's blood.

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History
Dark elves, like the other elven races, came from the Feywild (the plane of Faerie) many millenia ago. A group of green elves and dark elves formed the nation of Miyeritaar in what is now the High Moor, and a group of predominently dark elves formed the nation of Ilythiir much farther south-east.

note: add references, dates, and more info on the devastation of Miyeritaar and the fabled city of Rhymanthiin, the Hidden City of Hope.

Wendonai is a balor lord who, in -11500 was tasked by Lolth to seduce the Sethomiir clan, rulers of the Ilythiiri into her worship and grant them evil magics. He succeeded and was probably the greatest (but by no means the only) influence on the fall of the dark elves.

During the First Crown War, the Ilythiiri made several unsuccessful attempts to conquer southern Faerûn, and at the time of the Fourth Crown War, they turned to Lloth and the other outcast Seldarine in the Demonweb Pits who gave them powerful magic and fiendish allies as a reward for allegiance. After many malicious acts and abuses of elven magic, Corellon Larethian banished the "Dhaerow" (traitors) whom Lolth used to be responsible for (and most of whom still secretly worshiped her) to the Underdark. It was at this time that all dark elves were physically transformed into Drow, their skin becoming much darker.

In 1374 DR Khelben Arunsun brought together many powerful mages in order to restore the denizens of the lost city of Miyeritaar's High Mages and cleanse part of the High Moor. In order to make the magic permanent, he and the Grand Mage Ualair the Silent sacrificed their lives to create Rhymanthiin, the Hidden City of Hope.

More recently, Eilistraee has managed (through her death) to redeem those drow that were not tainted with Wendonai's blood. They physically reverted to their brown-skinned dark elf form, and their fate was from that point on their own to make. Drizzt is not among these "redeemed dark elves", and his skin is still ebony and runs with the taint of Wendonai's blood.