Races with Flavor: The Nacrisseans
The Nacrisseans (pronounced nuh-CRISS-ee-uns) are a cursed race of dark elves. Long ago, their leaders made a pact with the demon-goddess Lolth, granting them power at a terrible cost. The Nacrisseans live under a multi-faceted curse which has affected them as a race most fundamentally.
The Nacrisseans are forced to shun the light of the sun, living beneath the ground. They forge vast citadels in the darkness, plotting and scheming against those above them. They would never admit it, but they are intensely jealous, above all else, and believe that if they cannot see the sun then no one should.
The male Nacrisseans are tough brutes, and from a young age they are given a tincture to further toughen them and decrease their willpower, making them easily-cowed laborers and shock troops. The females, on the other hand, are strong and capable leaders, mages, and even warriors. They are not nearly as strong as the males, but they more than make up for it with finesse.
Female Nacrisseans wear elaborate clothing emphasizing leather straps and draping cloths. In battle, they use armor and weapons of the finest craftsmanship. The males wear simple smocks or loincloths, and in battle are given rough armor and heavy weapons lacking subtlety and emphasizing raw power. Male Nacrisseans always wear an unusual, chitinous mask, for their feminine masters do not wish to see their deformed faces.
The final curse the Nacrisseans must endure is that of infertility; every male Nacrissean is completely sterile. They raid Elven lands, stealing babies. The females are raised as hand maidens and laborers, while the males are groomed and eventually pressed into servitude in a powerful female’s personal harem.
Needless to say, Nacrissean society is strictly matriarchal. It is also plagued by infighting, which is lucky for the rest of the world. If the Nacrisseans did not spend so much time fighting each other, the power they could muster would truly be frightening. The Nacrisseans, like all elves, have long memories, and they hold grudges. It is not uncommon for an assassination to be ordered in retaliation for a centuries-old slight.
Note: Images of the Wraith from Stargate Atlantis are used in this article. They are copyright of MGM, and I have used them without permission. Please don’t sue me.
What makes ‘em unique? I mean, they’re drow elves with the traditional female leadership raised up a notch. In other words, why are they nastier than any other racial bad guys?
Primarily what makes them unique is the males. Traditional Drow males are second class, to be sure, but the male Nacrisseans are almost tragic in the fact that they’re drugged up from a young age. They’re as much slaves as the elves which are kidnapped by the Nacrisseans.
Ultimately you’re right, though, they’re not that different, fundamentally. They seemed a bit more different in my head, because originally I thought of them feeding on their enemies like the Wraith do, but I took that out because I didn’t want to steal them wholesale.
*shrug* You win some, you lose some. For what it’s worth, I think I succeeded a bit better at making a uniquely flavored race in tomorrow’s post… Let’s just say that they’re dwarves which build their own mountains to live in.