What is up with Druchii skin and hair color?

[Chihuahuadevildog]

I just gotta ask, what is up with the Druchii skin and hair color? I understand guess GW did not want to violate copyright infringement regulations of gygax's D&D crew by actually making the druchii look cool, despite the fact that they apparently swiped the name dark elf. Anyways, didn't tolkein write about dark elfs in silmarillion? Please educate me about this. But why the dark hair? It seems that most paint high elfs and wood elfs to be blond and the DE always are dark haired? why? selective breeding or something? This just seems lame. I guess you purist DE players will be angered by my indolence but i just think the traditional druchii paint scheme blows.

[Eldacar]

Druchii have pale skin and dark hair because they're descended from Nagarythian genetic stock, which tended towards that moreso than the blonds, reds and silvers more common in places like Caledor, Avelorn and Saphery.

[Mostlyharmless]

eldacar has this one right. one might also note that a lack of sunlight tends to make one's skin very pale, and Naggaroth(sp) ain't exactly a land of sunshine and beaches.

[Quatters]

Also if GW made Druchii like their DnD counterparts, how the hell did they get black skin?

[Eldacar]

Also if GW made Druchii like their DnD counterparts, how the hell did they get black skin?

Er... Dark Elves don't have black skin.

[Mostlyharmless]

he's talking about the dnd dark elves, or drow. those have black skin.

[Lordofthenight]

Drow (D&D Dark Elves) have greyish black, and white hair.

http://i28.photobucket.com/albums/c222/ ... t/drow.jpg

I'd assmue it was due to their magic, as the entire race is capable of casting spells. I'm sure there's a more techniqual reason, if I looked.

[Eldacar]

he's talking about the dnd dark elves, or drow. those have black skin.

I'm well of the D&D Drow race (and I don't need a picture, either). What I meant was given what he said, it looks like he wants to know why Druchii have black skin. Which they don't.

[Annatar]

Anyways, didn't tolkein write about dark elfs in silmarillion? Please educate me about this.

Its been awhile since i read Tolkien´s books . But here´s what I remember:

There are no really evil elves in Tolkiens world. Some where corrupted and degenerated by Morgoth. These where the origin of the Orcs.

The terminus"dark elves" (I think Moriquendi is the Sindarin name) is used, but it just refers to the fact that these Elves have not seen the lights of the two trees in Valinor.

[Karond kar]

Well they probably dont get much sunshine up in naggaroth and plus it makes them look cooler

[Belial]

he's talking about the dnd dark elves, or drow. those have black skin.

I'm well of the D&D Drow race (and I don't need a picture, either). What I meant was given what he said, it looks like he wants to know why Druchii have black skin. Which they don't.

I think what he meant was, that if GW made the dark elves like DnD, then how would GW explain how their Dark Elves got dark skin, as opposed to the the high elves.

[Tastyfish]

The Drow were cursed by the elven gods for turning evil, and had their skin turned black (though what 'black' refers to changes quite a bit from book to book, sometimes its grey, sometimes its literally black and sometimes its brown - Drizzt is described as having mahogany skin or 'a woodelf who has spent too long in the sun'. They grey was likely chosen to make them a bit more PC and because actual black doesn't come out well in artwork).

The Druchii aren't the only pale skinned Dark Elves, Dragonlance, Fighting Fantasy and Tolkein also have just 'elves who have gone bad'.

[Sezax]

i think that answer isnt nature selection, but sexual selection. MAYBE elves were nearly all blond in tha ages of past, but than Aenerion rescued Morathi. She was ikon of perfect beauty for whole Nagarythe. Black hair so became ideal of beauty and through the sexual selection dark elves become after centuries mostly blackhaired. Of course maybe black hair were loved by people of Nagarythe even before Morathi

[Fingol darkwater]

There were just more of them with black hair in Nagarythe. Elven features differ from province to province- eye color, nose size, height, whatever (not to say that a Druchii can't be blonde or an Asur can't have dark hair, Malekith himself was a blonde). Since Druchii are mostly decended from the kingdom of Nagarythe, they're going to have a more uniform look.

[Prince of arnheim]

I think the undeadish or very pale and palid look is good. Someting cold and almost see through blueish. They are from the cold north after.

[Loki]

Think of it this way. Dark Elves came from Nagarythe, which had a tendency to have dark hair and pale skin. Think of it this way, how often do people (at least in America) think of red hair and pale skin when they think of Ireland? Or dark skin when they think of Africa? Its a simple matter of genetics. That's not to say there aren't Dark Elves with some lighter hair colors, they just aren't the norm.

[Tastyfish]

Even around Europe this is quite a bit of diversity in skin, eye and hair colour. As for where the blond dark elves are, either the dark haired trait is the dominant one or the minority of blond and red headed Druchii dye their hair to look more like the Nagarythean ideal.

[Fingol darkwater]

Darker features are usually the dominant ones as a rule. If it works the same way for elves, then lighter hair colors would just disappear but show up in certain individuals from time to time.

[Quatters]

he's talking about the dnd dark elves, or drow. those have black skin.

I'm well of the D&D Drow race (and I don't need a picture, either). What I meant was given what he said, it looks like he wants to know why Druchii have black skin. Which they don't.

No, what I was saying was IF the Druchii were given black skin like thier DnD kin, how would GW explain it.
I know Druchii are not black skinned.

Read my post again.

[Eldacar]

No, what I was saying was IF the Druchii were given black skin like thier DnD kin, how would GW explain it.
I know Druchii are not black skinned.

Read my post again.

The lack of clarity I noted in the grammar indicates that either possibility is a valid interpretation. Look:

"Also if GW made Druchii like their DnD counterparts, how the hell did they get black skin?"

It's a perfectly fine conclusion to make that you think Druchii have black skin a la the Drow. If you were talking about a possibility, then you should have said "Also, if GW made Druchii like their DnD counterparts, how the hell would they have gotten black skin?" - there's less room for error that way.

[Heldrak]

they apparently swiped the name dark elf

Dark Elves are an element of Norse Mythology, so the creators of Dungeons & Dragons can hardly be considered to have a monopoly on the term.

Its been awhile since i read Tolkien´s books . But here´s what I remember:

There are no really evil elves in Tolkiens world. Some where corrupted and degenerated by Morgoth. These where the origin of the Orcs.

The terminus"dark elves" (I think Moriquendi is the Sindarin name) is used, but it just refers to the fact that these Elves have not seen the lights of the two trees in Valinor.

Quite right, with the exception of Eol the Dark Elf (who shuns the light and the company of other elves and whose son Maeglin betrays the city of Gondolin to the forces of Morgoth).

I also have to disagree with the concept of "No evil Elves in Tolkien"- consider the actions of the Noldor under the command of Feanor: They rebel against the Valar and murder their kin the Teleri for their ships so they can escape to Middle Earth and they compound their crime by betraying and stranding some of the other rebels to undertake the treacherous journey across the Helcaraxe (the grinding ice). After their arrival in Middle Earth, they cause further trouble, usurping various Elven kingdoms, and continuing a path of betrayal & murder. Sounds pretty evil to me...

i just think the traditional druchii paint scheme blows.

Why be concerned? You can paint your figures in whatever color scheme you choose. There are certainly plenty of Warhammer Dark Elf armies out there painted in Drow colors if you like those better.

[Darkspear]

Actually I think fans are just to engrossed into the fluff and tried to explain everything.

I believe that dark elves have pale skin and dark hair simply it looks gd with the color scheme. try painting blond hair on GW's "purple and black scheme" and you will realise that black hair and pale skin is the best

[Quatters]

Also it does suit an evil character.

[Hawk]

I agree with Quatters. Might be a bit difficult to make a blond person "look evil."

I think that the skin is pale for two reasons: Some relief from the dark colours, and little sun.

[R4v3n]

most of the time i paint my mini's, they usually have white skin, with either silver or black hair.