A dim, lightless underground hall.
Dozens of robed figures knelt before a Spider God Statue.
Cryptic whispers echoed through the dark hall as the worshippers carried a naked female elf before the statue.
Her skin was as dark as night, and her eyes were a bewitching purple.
The bishop at their head drew a delicate knife entwined with vines across the elf's throat. Far from showing pain or hatred, the sacrifice wore a look of fervent devotion.
Blood flowed into the grooves of the Sacrificial Altar. As though shaped by an unseen force, it gathered and streamed in one direction—
"Obiris Strait lies that way. The Matron's guidance is leading us there!"
The worshippers moved like a mass of shadows, leaving their hiding place for the surface.
Silver moonlight washed over them, cold and pale. They raised their heads, revealing beautiful dark faces and purple eyes.
Any passerby in that woodland would have recognized the notorious Dark Elves.
The Elf Calendar had endured for forty thousand years, a testament to the elves' glory. Over those long ages, they had split into countless peoples: High Elves, Blood Elves, Night Elves, Wood Elves, Wind Elves... and the Dark Elves, who stood opposed to them all.
The Dark Elves had once been High Elves. Even their Matron, Spider Queen Lolth, had once been one of them. After betraying the Elven Royal Court and falling into darkness, she led the traitorous elves into the Bottomless Abyss. Calling themselves Dark Elves, they settled there, and she became the Sovereign of one of its layers.
Dark Spider Queen Lolth and the chaos of the Bottomless Abyss twisted their minds without pause. Beneath their beautiful faces, the Dark Elves were frenzied butchers. They hated everything good and took pleasure in torture, murder, and driving others to despair.