History Webcomic / Drowtales

** And now Snadhya [[UpToEleven has shot to the top of the list]] as of Chapter 46. The other examples here may be abusive or neglectful, but none have stooped to [[spoiler: straight-up murdering their children. This wasn't even a rage kill, or a tearful ''"I did what I had to do"'' moment; she brutally ''tears Kalki apart'' after calling her a worthless tool, whilst maintaining a perfect poker face.]] Yikes.

* CreepyChild: Kharla and, to a lesser extent, Naal. Even Ariel has her moments, and when [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive/20091104c01p030.jpg this page]] came online one forum goer responded with a picture of Samara from ''TheRing''.

The chronologically first chapter is [[CaptainObvious the prologue]] while the (currently) oldest published chapter is chapter 9.

** Character specific examples can be found on the CharacterSheets but one memorable example is that of Jer'kol, a character who pre-timeskip pretended to be Ariel's father. His [[CaptainObvious true]] nature became much clearer later on when it turned out that [[spoiler:he was working for Syphile to kill Ariel]].

* DropTheCow: In the ''Daydream'' subscription section of the site, where the users put in options for how the story will progress, this often ends up happening, though the frequency seems to have decreased in later years. Most commonly it's because a story [[{{Rule34}} devolves into porn]] or just becomes incomprehensible and too silly, and the story is frequently put back on track in a humorous manner such as one character telling the story getting punched out by another or [[RageAgainstTheAuthor the characters themselves revolting]]. One especially memorable incident had a character that the readers had been tormenting go {{Rambo}} on them.

** [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=1364 The summon near the ceiling]] looks like PacMan.

* BigDamnKiss: After years of friendship, hinting, and [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=8416 in-series shipping]], [[spoiler: Faen finally [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=9466 works up the courage to kiss Ariel]]]]. Followed by a textbook case of PostKissCatatonia.

* WomanInWhite: Mel often appears like this due to her choice of clothing.

* DroppedABridgeOnHim: The nether summoner [[spoiler:Sene'kha]], when she was [[spoiler: stabbed by her sworn enemy, captured by another clan, imprisoned, turned over to her sworn enemies by the daughter of one of her victims, then beheaded and finally ''set on fire'', '''''in that exact order'''''.]] And, depending on your view, [[spoiler:Rik'shakar]].

* EloquentInMyNativeTongue: [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=date&id=1307 Vaelia]].

* EveryoneIsArmed: A side effect of Chel's ever escalating CivilWar. Due to the nature of the Sarghress clan, this trope is particularly prevalent in Sarghress controlled districts, to the point that the commoners even form TheCavalry when the Sarghress get in over their heads.

* ForegoneConclusion: Lots of readers knew from [[DramaticIrony concept arts that]] [[spoiler: Ariel will not accept Mel as her mother, instead the tension readers had during that scene was focused more on ''why'' Ariel rejected Mel]]
* {{Foreshadowing}}: Look closely at [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=7169 the cover of Chapter 28]], especially [[spoiler:the position of Kiel's hand on her stomach]]. Now recall that in that chapter [[spoiler:she nearly dies due to poisoned food]].
** Also, check behind Sate'ja's head on [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=7676 the cover of chapter 31]]. It's [[spoiler:[[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=5877 Diva's tower in ruins]]]]. And why was Chrys'tel there? [[spoiler:To try and meet Diva'ratika]]. Guess what happens later in chapter 31.

* FusionDance: [[spoiler:Ragini and Diva'ratrika]] in the backstory, who became [[spoiler:Liriel]].

* GlowingEyesOfDoom: Faen, when she intensively uses her empath powers, or during her episode of PowerIncontinence.

* {{Goth}}: Bel'drobbaen clan, call your office. [[LampshadeHanging Lampshaded]] [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=5300 here]].
* GovernmentInExile: With the exception of the Sarghress, the clans of Chel'el'sussoloth started out as the surviving families of Dark Elf royalty and their subjects. But it's persisted for a millennium, and the fact that they haven't adapted since then causes problems that become more and more evident as the series goes on and the office of the Val'Sharess is shown to be either indifferent or powerless.
* GrandTheftMe: [[spoiler:Diva'ratrika on Ragini]], [[http://www.drowtales.com/longestwait.php?order=date&id=1 which has its own story]]. Interestingly, at first it was ''not'' canon, [[AscendedFanon until the author gave in and made it canon.]]

* HeadInTheSandManagement: The attitude most of the other clans had towards the Nidraa'chal prior to the war, where the Sarghress and Kyorl'solenurn [[http://www.drowtales.com/longestwait.php?order=date&id=8 refused to pick sides]], instead leaving it up to the Sharen. The Kyorl [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=4276 eventually changed their minds]] and sent their troops in to "purge" the demons, while the Sarghress' position consisted mainly of [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=4245 preventing any demons from entering their territory]].

* HeroicSacrifice: Sharess saved her people during the Surface Wars by separating her aura from her own body so she could hold back the nether demons. The Sharen version of the incident is that she became a goddess afterwards, but Quain'tana, who respects Sharess as a leader and for achieving "the greatest death one could hope for", resents the Sharen for cheapening Sharess's sacrifice by turning her into a symbol of control.

* HiddenElfVillage: The Jaal'darya clan are a variant on this, since no one knows precisely where their fortress is located. The Light Elves of Vahaheimr are an even better example, sequestering themselves in the mountains with little to no contact with the outside world, as well as an ''extremely'' xenophobic attitude.

** It's tiny, but at the end of the tragic chapter 27, [[spoiler:we see demon-Naal picking up a doll she bought at the market, and clutching it to her chest, implying that her mind is still there, somewhere. Confirmed in chapter 32, when she pushes Kiel away rather than eat her]].

* ImmigrantPatriotism: The Illhar'esses of the Jaal'Darya, Nal'Sarkoth and Illhar'dro clans are not natives of Chel (hailing from Damadi, Mimaneid and Val'Raveran respectively), but the three of them are collectively amongst the most outspoken at the Council in chapter 16.

* InadequateInheritor: Quain'tana has gone through ''at least'' three heirs.

* ItRunsInTheFamily: Being somewhat naive seems to be a trait shared by both Ariel and [[spoiler: her actual mother Mel'arnach]].

* LostSuperweapon: [[spoiler:The Illhar'dro's engineers manage to bring an [[CoolAirship ancient airship]] back to life. Zala'ess comes to Nuqrah'shareh hopping to borrow it for her own war. But the Nidraa'chal manage to steal it, use it to stage attacks on colonies Snadhyarune doesn't control, steal all of the colonies' food, [[FalseFlagOperation and pin the blame on the Sullisin'rune and the Sarghress]].]]
* LovableNerd: Yafein.
* MamaBear: Zala'ess is implied to be this, and she wanted to kill her daughter Vy'chriel's protector twin Yaeminira after the latter murdered her real daughter, and only grudgingly allowed her to [[ReplacementSibling take her place]] at the urging of her own sister Sarv'swati. It's also been suggested that Zala'ess' main redeeming quality is her love for her children. Shimi'lande is also implied to be this for ''the entire Drowussu race'', seeing as she serves a sort of mother to all of them.

* MeaningfulName: WordOfGod says that Syphile's name comes from the word Syphilis, since her original character was in an RPG and the name was made up on the spot.

* MenAreTheExpendableGender: For the most part, the Drowlaths view their males as this at best, so most infantry soldiers who serve in the war are male. In-story, the trope is averted as casualties are roughly 50/50 along gender lines, but because there are fewer male characters who have large roles this has the effect of making male deaths hit the audience harder, the inverse of most fiction, and WordOfGod confirms this is deliberate.

** Kiel also [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=9815 does this to Snadhya'rune]] in a chibi page for chapter 44. WordOfGod also indicates she was originally going to do it in the chapter proper, but it would have been a LevelBreaker, so it was kept as a parody page since it was something she would have done.

* NoPeriodsPeriod: WordOfGod is that fae do not get periods, which helps explain how even very old fae can still have children at upwards of 1,000, but female humans [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=6542 do]], unfortunately for Vaelia.

* PunyEarthlings: The story arc from chapters 20 to 22 has Ariel, her friends and a group of Highland Raiders storm a human city and kill the king with comparatively little effort. Whether or not this was [[TheyWastedAPerfectlyGoodPlot bad writing]] or indicative of the power levels of the species involved (see GameBreaker above) is best left to the forums. WordOfGod was that the story arc was intended to be longer and include the Hermiones, another group of humans, but had to be cut down for the sake of time.

* ShoutOut: The Sarghress clan symbol has an uncanny resemblance to Guts' brand in ''{{Manga/Berserk}}'', and WordOfGod is that the anime series [[http://www.drowtales.com/wordpress/?p=3679 was very influential on him]].

* TheUndead: WordOfGod is that there are no undead in the DT world, though having your aura separated from your body, as Sharess and [[spoiler:Diva'ratrika]] both did is close and auras can be used to power summons or golems, but you won't see any zombies around except for people who have been fully possessed by demons, which somewhat resembles zombies in the form of TheVirus.
* UndergroundCity: Chel'el'sussoloth and every other city made by the Drow.
* TheUnfavourite: Syphile is this trope in drow form.

* TheAgeless: The fae races (drow, light elves, faeries) provided they live with enough other fae to generate a surplus of mana. Otherwise they will suffer from mana deprivation and will start to age much like humans do. This is what has happened to Rosof and Tralyn. If one goes back to a large enough group of fae again, before the aging has gone too long, the process can be halted. This is likely the case with Tralyn (not confirmed). For Rosof it was too late and he is slowly dying despite being among the people of his clan again. Also, plain statistics makes for fatal accidents killing people off sooner or later. The average lifespan of drow is around 200 years for a commoner/non-Val and around 1000 for Val matriarchs and [[spoiler: Dark Elves]].

** Ragini.

* AlasPoorVillain: For all the horrible, awful things [[spoiler: Kalki]] has done, and even though she got very little sympathy for [[spoiler: having her arm torn off to replace Ariel's]], it's still hard not to feel sorry for her when [[spoiler: a completely fed up Snadhya murders her horribly via summon]]. The fact that she says ''"Mom?"'' in disbelief as she's left to her fate, along with the confirmation that Snadhya has ''never'' seen her as anything other than a tool, let alone a child, only makes it more tragic. Especially considering that [[spoiler: Snadhya's "parenting"]] is a major reason why [[spoiler: Kalki]] turned out the way she did.

* BabyFactory: After the timeskip [[spoiler:Mel'arnach]] is being used this way, having delivered two sons and having a daughter who's born during the story in order to [[spoiler:give Quain'tana more heirs]].

* BigBad: If anyone can be classified as such, it's probably Snadhya'rune who is more or less single handily responsible for the current civil war.
** [[spoiler: As of the start of chapter 47, it's been confirmed to us and the protagonists that Snadhya'rune is, indeed, the Big Bad.]]

** As point of fact, essentially every other chapter will cause the entire fandom to scream this. The forum posts for bascially the entirety of Chapter 33 are a particularly good example.

* DeadlyDecadentCourt: The case can be made for several of the ruling clans, but the human kingdom of Nagyescsed seems to be the best example, seeing as how the king was [[spoiler:collecting elves to kill so he could bathe in their blood]] and [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=1164 the]] [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=1167 suggestion]] that the kingdom just needed a decent push to fall over [[spoiler:as it did, courtsey of Ariel and company]]. The Sullisin'rune are also experiencing problems from this.

* TheDollEpisode: Any time Kharla shows up.

* [[DroppedABridgeOnHim Dropped A Bridge On Her]]: The nether summoner [[spoiler:Sene'kha]], when she was [[spoiler: stabbed by her sworn enemy, captured by another clan, imprisoned, turned over to her Sworn Enemies, then beheaded and finally ''set on fire'', '''''in that exact order'''''.]] And, depending on your view, [[spoiler:Rik'shakar]].

* DudeLooksLikeALady: Sorane'Saniil. In fact most of the males in Sorane'Saniil's ''entire clan''. Also, given that this world has a matriarchal society, where men tend to fulfill what we would perceive as feminine roles, there are many examples of this throughout all the drow clans.
* DuelsDecideEverything: Standard in Mimaneid, where most conflicts are solved by duels (not to the death) with wooden staves.
* TheDungAges: If you're a human or orc
* DyingAsYourself: The Kyorl'solenurn try to make this happen when someone is taken over by demon, as seen [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=641 here]].

* EmotionControl: [[TheEmpath Empaths]].

* [[TheEvilPrince The Evil Princesses]]: The three Sharen sisters.

* ExoticEyeDesigns: Several variations. All Drow have a red sheen to their pupil that helps them see in the dark that their surface born brethren lack, while tainted characters have red iris that replaces whatever eye color they had naturally, and people who are fully possessed by their seeds or are sentient demons like Khaless [[spoiler:and Naal]] have completely red eyes with white at the pupil and around the iris. And an even rarer variant has a white spiral appear in the pupil, with Sha'sana, briefly [[spoiler:Liriel/Diva]] and [[spoiler:Kiel'ndia]] the only examples so far.

* FantasticSlur: "Drowhiir" is a slur for Drowussu. Light Elves are also sometimes called "White Worms" and humans are called "beast men" and lumped in with orcs.
** Drow also seem to use "motherkiller" in the same context as humans use "motherfucker". It's also mainly been used about Val nobles, but mainly directed to the Sharen, because [[spoiler: The three sisters killed their mother and apparently that's out of the bag]]
* FantasyCounterpartCulture: Not all that obvious but the drow clans are comparable to actual ancient/medieval real life cultures; Sharen: Medieval Persian/Indian, Sarghress: early Roman/Mongol hybrid, Kyorl'Solenurn: Knights Templar/Feudal Japan hybrid, etc.
* FateWorseThanDeath: What Kharla'ggen does to people who "resist her, or catch her eye."
** Also arguably [[spoiler:Naal's demise]].

* GenderFlip: In universe, it's suggested that the story of the [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=6993 Vel'Cahal]] was originally about a male knight, but was later changed to be about a woman.
* GenderRestrictedAbility: Traditional summoning can only be performed by females, due to what WordOfGod describes as something related to their ability to bear children. The ''Origin of the Jaal'darya'' story elaborates on this as being related to the ability to separate one's own aura from that of the child growing inside them when they give birth, with the same technique being used to create a traditional summon. Nether summoning has no such gender restriction which is one reason it's become increasingly popular.
* GenkiGirl: Kyo'nne is the most obvious example.

* GetAHoldOfYourselfMan: Shinae not just slaps, but punches Kiel'ndia out of a hysterical fit [[spoiler: over the demonization of Naal'suul]].

* GovernmentInExile: The clans of Chel'el'sussoloth started out as this, but it's persisted for a millennium, and the fact that they haven't adapted since then causes problems that become more and more evident as the series goes on and the office of the Val'Sharess is shown to be either indifferent or powerless.

* HardDrinkingPartyGirl: Liriel. Her behaviour becomes a lot less funny when you learn that [[spoiler:her drinking is to suppress Diva'ratrika's voice in her head]].
* HarmlessFreezing: Though played straight in the {{chibi}} pages of the prologue, it was subverted in [[AnIcePerson Sillice]]'s battle with [[spoiler: Vy'chriel/Yaeminira]]. Not only did she freeze to death, her fingers actually snapped apart right before the end!

* [[HeirClubForMen Heir Club For Women]]: A ''major'' motivation for Quain'tana.

* LaserGuidedKarma: Aside from just generally being a bitch, doing whatever she wants, no consequences - Kalki [[spoiler:cuts off Ariel's arm at her dinner with Snadya, then not a few hours later gets her own arm ripped off by Ariel]] [[AppendageAssimilation as a replacement.]] Further lampshaded by the author comment.

** [[spoiler:Diva has reincarnated (kinda) as Liriel]]

** [[spoiler:Ariel's mother is really Mel'arnach, not Quain'tana]]
** [[spoiler:Syphile dies by Quain'tana's hand after breaking Chrys'tel out of prison]]

* LivingDollCollector: Kharla.
* LivingEmotionalCrutch: Faen to Ariel.

* MandatoryMotherhood: Played with in-story. Even though women are the dominant gender in drow society, having children is a way for them to build up their families and power, and the fact that Snadhya'rune, Diva'ratrika's heir, has no family of her own is seen as scandalous. However, [[spoiler:Snadhya does indeed have a daughter, she just had her conceived and carried outside of her womb, and it seems that Snadhya did indeed want children, just on her own terms.]]

* {{Matriarchy}}: Dark elf and Drowlath society are largely of the flip variety. [[spoiler:Light elves]] and Drowussu are technically patriarchal, but the Kyorl clan exclusively uses females as [[PuppetKing figureheads]] to maintain the Drowlath's respect.
* {{Matricide}}: [[spoiler:The three Sharen sisters send mommy dearest to her room ''permanently'' so they can rule Chel'el'Sussoloth in a demonic triumvirate.]]

** Character specific examples can be found on the CharacterSheets but one memorable example is that of Jer'kol, a character who pre-timeskip pretended to be Ariel's father. His [[CaptainObvious true]] nature became much clearer later on when it turned out that [[spoiler: he was working for Syphile to kill Ariel]].

* MenAreTheExpendableGender: For the most part most drow view their males as this at best. In story the trope is averted as casualties are roughly 50/50 along gender lines, but because there are fewer male characters who have large roles this has the effect of making male deaths hit the audience harder, the inverse of most fiction, and WordOfGod confirms this is deliberate.

* MissionFromGod: The belief of the Kyorl'solenurn.

* MoodWhiplash: Chapter 44 page 13 has Nau being told he needs to produce babies for his clan and his mother is arranging a mate for him to the next page where [[spoiler: Chrys'tel is having a messy miscarriage and realizing that Shinae's stillbirth was not a coincidence.]]

* MysticalWhiteHair: The Drowolath and most other Fae races native to the Underworld.

* NightmareSequence: A couple of these, one for Ariel, a several for Chiri, and one for Kiel. All of them are horrifying.

** In the case of the Elder Siblings raising the children scenario, it is generally the eldest sibling who has not yet had their own first born child, as the birth of a child is seen as the sign of reaching adulthood within Drow Society. Which was really what caused [[spoiler:Diva'ratrika]]'s [[{{Matricide}} undoing]] because by this rule it fell to [[spoiler:Snadhya'rune]] to raise all of her sisters as she was the eldest child, and refused to give into her mothers wishes for a granddaughter. [[spoiler:It shouldn't be any surprise then that the majority of the Sharen Sisters helped Snadhya dispose of their mother.]]

* ThePlan: The Nidraa'chal war turns out to have been [[spoiler:engineered by Snadhya'rune and two of her sisters]] as a cover for [[spoiler:their attempt to kill their mother Diva'ratrika]]. Since this this is a bunch of Drow, everyone is either running one of these, or an UnwittingPawn caught up in the Gambit of another.

* PoliticallyActivePrincess: Most of the female cast counts, since their society is a {{Matriarchy}}, so it's expected. Zala'ess Vel'Sharen is probably the best example, since she's the politician among her three sisters.
** Because Queen Diva is quite reclusive, her daughters perform most of her duties. In fact, [[spoiler: the older sisters convinced Zala to help them wall in their mother in a secret coup.]]

* PowerIncontinence: [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?id=441 Faen]].

* RichBitch: Chrys'tel, though her sister Yami'ni seems to top her in just about every way.

* RiskingTheKing: This is the norm among armies, with Quain'tana and Sarv'swati leading the Sarghress and Sharen armies themselves due to a combination of AuthorityEqualsAsskicking and the drow sense of honor.
* RoyallyScrewedUp: Just about every noble family, but the Sharen are the most obvious.
* RoyalsWhoActuallyDoSomething: Those heiresses don't just sit pretty. Orthorbbae prepares them for combat.

* SatisfiedStreetRat: Quain'tana's early history. Also deconstructed, since it left her as a horrible parent.
* ScrewThisImOuttaHere: Said [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=8603 word for word]] in chapter 38. Perfectly understandable given the circumstances.
** Also done by [[spoiler:both the Beldrobbaen and The Black Sun en masse]] after it becomes obvious that [[spoiler:the Sharen are on the losing side of the war with the Sarghress]].

* SecretLegacy: [[spoiler:Ariel's]] true heritage. And [[spoiler:Kalki]] on both sides, though she knows it.

* {{Seers}}: Some people (supposedly) have the ability to look into the future. Pre-{{Retcon}}, this was implied to involve elements of YouCantFightFate. EarlyInstallmentWeirdness remains, but now WordOfGod states that Seeing doesn't involve miracles or looking through time at all. What is claimed to be foresight is actually a misinterpretation of a very unusual form of [[TheEmpath Empathy]]. Rather than seeing the future, they are merely experiencing the senses and future plans of other Fae.
* [[SelfMadeMan Self Made Woman]]: Quain'tana.

* ShowTheirWork: Aside from the Empath "painkillers", the medical tools used by the healer working on Quain'tana would not be out of place in a modern field-hospital, and neither would the procedure that said healer is using to remove the corruption that has been literally plaguing Quain for days. The bits of flesh being removed are also all what one would find during an operation to remove a deeply imbedded fungal growth.
* ShutUpHannibal: Kiel'ndia pulls one on [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=8878 Khaless]], emphasized by her FlippingTheBird with both middle fingers at once.

* SkeletonGovernment: Averted. Chel'el'Sussoloth's political scene is a major driving force behind the events of the story.

* TheGuardsMustBeCrazy: Averted in chapter 46, where one of Snadhya's guards [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=10100 fails to fall for Kiel and Fame's tricks]] so they eventually resort to [[ItMakesSenseInContext throwing a naked Kuso at him]].

** [[spoiler:Snadhya'runes has tainted almost everyone with a deliberately flawed form of tainting that will kill anyone afflicted with it in 25-50 years, while keeping the safe and pure version only for herself and her followers.]] All she needs to do is wait until Chel self-destructs, and take over what is left.

* WhyAmITicking: Naal'suul may count, by virtue of having been unwillingly tainted so badly that she could die and turn into a demon at practically any moment.
** [[spoiler:Chapter 25 revealed that ''nearly every tainted in the setting'' has only around 25 to 50 years to live, meaning that a significant portion of Chel is a ticking time bomb. Including several major characters.]]

* WizardingSchool: Orthorbbae

* WorldOfActionGirls: Yup.

* ChekhovsGunman: The remake chapters show several characters in the background before they become significant, including younger versions of Chiri and Shan in chapter 3. [[spoiler:Liriel, aka Diva'ratrika]] is a big one as well that's only fired as of chapter 23.

* OurSoulsAreDifferent: A Fae's aura is occasionally referred to as their souls. Their auras are entities of {{Mana}}, a special form of energy that keeps them young, in strong health, and allows them to manipulate their environment. When a fae lives alone for a while, it starts to age. It is possible to separate an aura from the Fae's body, resulting in a summon. However, their "souls" are almost as mortal as their bodies, leaving CessationOfExistence as their ultimate fate when their Mana inevitably dissipates.

* LargeHam: As can be inferred in the comic, Quain'tana speaks with a loud, bombastic voice reminiscent of Leonidas in ''[[ThreeHundred 300]]''. Zala'ess has a flair for the overly-dramatic herself.

* TheKingdom: The mega city-state of Chel'el'Sussoloth. The total population and land area is typical for a [[TheKingdom Kingdom]] (a cave network ~50km in diameter with around 100,000 people) culturally it is arguably a [[TheFederation Federation]] with the clans serving as its 'states'.

** Ariel's faction imprisons the [[spoiler:Ys councilors]] with handcuffs made of stone in a room with a weak point they know of. One of them uses [[DishingOutDirt earth sorcery]] to break her cuffs and everyone else's.

** Ariel's faction imprisons the [[spoiler:Ys councilors]] with handcuffs made of stone. One of them uses [[DishingOutTheDirt earth sorcery]] to break her cuffs and everyone else's.

* CardboardPrison: The Sharen ''attempt'' to defy this by building a prison in Chel's outer shell, which is made of crystal[[note]]WordOfGod is that the cavern Chel resides in is more or less a giant geode[[/note]] therefore making it impossible for prisoners with earth affinities to simply bend the bars and break out. This runs into problems when [[spoiler:a shapeshifter is among the prisoners, can turn into one of the guard's comrades and trick them into opening the gate]].

* OrderVersusChaos: Light elves versus Dark elves. While only loosely inspired by ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' after the {{Retcon}}, Dark elves and their drow descendants are still described as being very individualistic and prone to change. Light elves and their drow descendants tend to be more disciplined and inflexible.* OurMonstersAreDifferent:

* OurGodsAreDifferent: Pre-{{Retcon}}, goddesses were the counterparts of demons and also lived in the nether realms. It was possible for priestesses to channel their powers. None of this is true post-{{Retcon}}. Instead, before the first demonic crisis, Dark Elves worshiped the moons. After the demonic invasions, Sharess shed her mortal body and became [[BuffySpeak a reverse-demon-thing]], fought the demons in their own realm, and closed the nether gates from the inside. She was then revered by the Drow as a goddess. However, after the chapter reboots, her religion has been on the wane for a long time and is practiced largely by the Kyorls. Going with this, her presence in the rebooted continuity is diminished greatly, indicating that her abilities are severely diminished or that she's a lot less active in lives of the Drow. In time, other religious views came into existence that worshiped powerful demons as gods, largely by various nether cults such as the Vloz'ress.

* OurSoulsAreDifferent: A Fae's aura is occasionally referred to as their souls. Their auras are entities of {{Mana}}, a special form of energy that keeps them young, in strong health, and allows them to manipulate their environment. When a fae lives alone for a while, it starts to age. It is possible to separate an aura from the Fae's body, resulting in a summon. However, their "souls" are almost as mortal as their bodies, leaving CessationOfExistence as their ultimate fate when their Mana dissipates.

** Chrys'tel tells Kiel that [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=7175 a Vel'Sharen repays her debts]], which recalls Tyrion Lannister and the (unofficial) Lannister family motto from ''ASongOfIceAndFire''. Probably intentional given that the author is known to be a fan of the series.

* OrderVersusChaos: Light elves versus Dark elves. While only loosely inspired by ''TabletopGame/DungeonsAndDragons'' after the {{Retcon}}, Dark elves and their drow descendants are still described as being very individualistic and prone to change. Light elves and their drow descendants tend to be more disciplined and inflexible.
* OurMonstersAreDifferent:
** OurDemonsAreDifferent: [[PureMagicBeing Demons are beings made out of nether mana]] from other realms. There are believed to be an infinite variety. Most of them are extremely dangerous, but only a small number are actively malevolent. Most demons are noncorporeal and can only interact with the physical realm via a host, but a handful of demons can manifest physically like a summon. They also eat mana, which makes fae races attract rogue demons like bug lights, and races without an aura (read: nonmagical) are safe from them unless they manifest or possess a fae. This also makes them able to shut down [[{{Magitek}} elven technology]] by eating their power source, unless hardened against demonic predation. Vel'Akar, sapient demons, are capable of communicating with one another and some demon merged drow via {{Telepathy}}. Finally, demons can also "attach" themselves to a host through their aura; powerful demons will overcome their new host immediately, resulting in possession, while weak demons attach to their host [[SymbioticPossession in a symbiosis called a "tainting"]]. Tainting, among other benefits, mostly serves as an "antibody" against other demons that might possess the host, and thus becomes almost mandatory for summoners.
** OurDragonsAreDifferent: The original dragons were elves that were altered into their present state by life sciences long lost. Dragons vary greatly in size. Surface dragons are intelligent, can fly, and can often speak. The descendants of the dragons that fled underground with the Dark Elves however have degenerated into simple animals.
** OurDwarvesAreAllTheSame: The dwarves are a minor underground-dwelling race. Their greatest cities were wiped out by the drow, who enslaved them and took their caverns for themselves. The dwarves don't stand much more of a chance against the Fae than the other races, but are capable of giving them a bloody nose by ambushing them with cannons and living in areas too hostile for even the drow.
*** OurGnomesAreWeirder: Gnomes are "domesticated" Dwarves who shave their beards and integrate into Drow society either as expats or slaves (freed or otherwise). They are often used as envoys to negotiate with the dwarves.
** OurElvesAreBetter: Not ''nicer'' mind you, nor cooler, and certainly not more "right". And also notable for being taller and stronger than humans. Basically, they are are tougher, and magic gives them a bigger stick than everybody else.
** OurFairiesAreDifferent: All {{Mana}}-bearing animals, such as Elves, Dragons, Nagas, Driders, and Locusts/Fairies, are classified as Fae.
** OurGoblinsAreDifferent: All animals that do ''not'' bear mana (such as humans, dwarves, and orcs) are classified as goblins.
*** OurOrcsAreDifferent: Orcs are a simple, nomadic goblin race that are valued by the drow for their loyalty. They are larger and less intelligent than humans, and make for better warriors. For the Drow, however, they are simply another kind of {{mook}}.
** OurGodsAreDifferent: Pre-{{Retcon}}, goddesses were the counterparts of demons and also lived in the nether realms. It was possible for priestesses to channel their powers. None of this is true post-{{Retcon}}. Instead, before the first demonic crisis, Dark Elves worshiped the moons. After the demonic invasions, Sharess shed her mortal body and became [[BuffySpeak a reverse-demon-thing]], fought the demons in their own realm, and closed the nether gates from the inside. She was then revered by the Drow as a goddess. However, after the chapter reboots, her religion has been on the wane for a long time and is practiced largely by the Kyorls. Going with this, her presence in the rebooted continuity is diminished greatly, indicating that her abilities are severely diminished or that she's a lot less active in lives of the Drow. In time, other religious views came into existence that worshiped powerful demons as gods, largely by various nether cults such as the Vloz'ress.

* PersonaNonGrata: In chapter 45, the Ys council kicks [[spoiler: the Sarghress out of Ys]]. Those getting kicked out are highly suspicious of the motives behind the action.

* HostileShowTakeover: As of April 2012, Kiel has taken over [[https://twitter.com/#!/Drowtales the Drowtales]] {{Twitter}} account. She promptly demanded [[LovableSexManiac a tribute of princes]] ([[BiTheWay but would also accept princesses]]). There are also a series of news posts with Kiel directly addressing the readers.

''Drowtales'' is ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin, and the drow and their internal conflicts and lives are the main focus, particularly the nobles. However, it does not play any specific side or faction as good or evil, treating the drow (and other races) as individuals rather than a [[PlanetOfHats Species of Hats]]. In a sense, one of the main themes of the comic is that no one is evil in their own eyes, or at least thinks that their actions are justified to reach their goal.

* BlackMarketProduce: The trope is [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=839 lampshaded here]]. [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=1294 Chocolate is considered a recreational drug.]] Drowolath cooking relies heavily on SoylentGreen and mushroom beer. Elves who rely on such staples can be identified by their tongues, which have become permanently purple.