History Webcomic / DrowTales

* GirlsLove: Lots of [[LesYay implications]], and one explicit couple in [[spoiler:Mel'arnach and Snadhya'rune]].

* DeadlyGraduation: Quain'tana orders Ariel to either [[SadisticChoice kill a prisoner or duel a fellow clan member to the death]]. In the current version, [[spoiler:she decides to kill the prisoner, and Quain tells her to [[DropTheHammer make it messy]]]].

** A [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=603 played for laughs]] example is found in drow fashion, where [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=1370 Mel'arnach's dental floss]] doesn't garner much reaction, but [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=740 Nibai's]] is considered risque. The reason? Ni'bai shows her neck. Which actually makes [[FridgeBrilliance quite a bit of sense]] when you consider how warlike drow are and how the neck is a very vulnerable part of the body, and exposing it is asking for a knife to the jugular.

* DeliberateValuesDissonance: Sil'lice [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=6094 illustrates]] the values of different species, which explain why people who are badass, AxCrazy, or [[KnightTemplar extremists]] are portrayed sympathetically and/or positively. Leads to a lot of debate among the readers.

''[[http://www.drowtales.com Drowtales: Moonless Age]]'' is a fantasy manga-style webcomic that has been running since 2001. In the last few years the webcomic itself has undergone significant remakes and has increased its fan base exponentially.

This took place in two stages: A new first chapter and part of a second was made in parallel with the current chapter, up until chapter 12. However, by that point the comic had diverged far enough from its ''own'' changed setting that a redraw and {{Retcon}} was needed for remainder of chapter 2 up until chapter 8. This, combined with the sheer number of pages (over 2500 in the main story alone), is part of the reason the world-setting is a bit of a ContinuitySnarl, especially for newer readers.

''Drowtales'' is ExactlyWhatItSaysOnTheTin, and the drow and their internal conflicts and lives are the main focus, more specifically the high-tier political figures and the strife produced from their struggle for power. The various subplots offer GreyAndGrayMorality, BlackAndWhiteInsanity and EvilVersusOblivion conflicts, so the work is very cynical in this regard and includes a fair share of violence, gore, angst and emotional trauma. Non-drow races had little screen-time so far and were not shown in good light either.

* AnythingThatMoves: Ash'waren, and much of the Sullisin'rune clan in general.

* {{Bishonen}}: Several, and Shan'naal was created specifically because the fans requested a cute guy character who ''wouldn't'' die.

Not to be confused with ''WesternAnimation/DuckTales''.

* EndOfAnAge: At the very end, [[spoiler:Diva, in a GodGuise as [[KingUnderTheMountain Queen Sharess]], commands an exodus of drowkind from the devastated cities of the Underworld, ending the Moonless Age. The WhereAreTheyNowEpilogue picks up many years after the people have settled onto the surface.]]

* HybridOverkillAvoidance: Any type of [[OurFairiesAreDifferent Fae]] can breed with any other type of Fae so long as their reproductive mechanisms are compatible, but non-magical creatures are no more compatible with different species than they are in real life. One elf said to have a [[BestialityIsDepraved beastiality fetish]] acquired himself a human slave harem in hopes of producing an entire clan of HalfHumanHybrids, but it didn't work.

* BareYourMidriff: Ash'waren especially. The fandom nearly exploded with {{squee}} when both she and Quain'tana were in the same scene with bare midriffs.

* FunnyAneurysmMoment: In Chapter 48, when Waes'soloth summons the leaders of the various houses in her clan to discuss what to do after the disaster of [[spoiler: Kharla'ggen possessing the clan,]] several of them make excuses. At first glance they have a distinct INeedToGoIronMyDog flavour - [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=10772 headaches, fatigue, thieves loose in the tower, ''cooking potatoes?!?!?!'' - ]] but [[spoiler: but soon all comedy dies when it's revealed [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=10787 at least one devess has been infected with the parastic flower the Jaal'darya were experimenting on.]] ]]

** Ariel is the butt of many jokes for having been educated in the male's school, but she's still Quaintana's [[AsskickingEqualsAuthority recognized heir]]

* EverythingsBetterWithPlushies: Kharla is very fond of them and can be appeased by new gifts.

* DarkSkinnedRedhead: Some Vloz'ress, though they actually use hair dye.

* TheDollEpisode: Any time Kharla'ggen shows up.

** And Snadhya [[UpToEleven shot up to the top of the list]] by 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.

* FantasticCasteSystem: On a general level, fae < than everyone else. On a specific level, drow and elves < dragons < faeries. Drow''olath'' (dark skinned drow) versus Drow''ussu'' (light skinned drow) on a fairly equal level, but both drow cultures < hybrid drowolath/drowussu.

* {{BFS}}: Koil'Dorath's weapon.

* CampGay: Sorane'Saniil.

* ColorCodedForYourConvenience: Each major clan has a set of colours that represent them; see also "tainted" drow eyes vs. normal drow eyes.

** And while drow in this setting may not be AlwaysChaoticEvil in the way traditional D&D drow are, but they're still far from paragons of virtue. The Author makes the Drow sympathetic and rational without necessarily making them good; they still keep slaves and have death matches with few qualms about murder. Most of this is justified in some way or another, like they don't have a lot of room or resources down there so overpopulation and starvation are very real possibilities, and just because they're not "good" by modern human definitions doesn't mean they don't have feelings, and the fact their society is messed up in the way it is isn't exactly conductive to good feelings, and after the timeskip it seems many commoners have begun to realize this.

* CurtainsMatchTheWindow: Some Vloz'ress, Diva'ratrika, Chiri'nide, Shimi'lande, Ariel, and Mel'arnach. Among first and second generation elves like Diva'ratrika this is natural, while in later generations it seems to be done deliberately using dyes and magic.

* EyelessFace: The Xuile'solen sub-race.

* FanDisservice - It's a pretty safe bet that almost any time nudity shows up outside of Daydream there will be an aspect of this.

** Also, Kharla'ggen. She wears [[AbsoluteCleavage really low cut tops]] and is seen in a bath [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=448 here]] and [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?order=chapters&id=732 here]], but she is [[PsychopathicManchild completely insane with a childish personality]].

** There's also the beautiful, [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=6877 uncovered body]] of [[spoiler:Sharess]], the sexiness of which is mitigated by the fact that she's [[spoiler:a thousand year old corpse]].

* ShapeShifterBaggage: Averted post-retcon.
* ShiningCity: Chel'el'sussoloth.

* AbsoluteCleavage:
** Kharla's dress, but considering how [[AxCrazy absolutely batshit insane she is]] combined with the fact that she has the mentality of a child it may come off as FanDisservice to some.
** [[spoiler:Kalki]] takes this a step further. Her [[GodivaHair hair]] covers more than that outfit.
** And [[http://www.drowtales.com/mainarchive.php?sid=6507 Discordia]].

* MySpeciesDothProtestTooMuch

* NailedToTheWagon: Liriel.

* ObfuscatingInsanity: Mel'arnach, Ash'waren.

* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters: Counting all the reader sponsored cameos, the main storyline alone has a cast of named characters in the triple digits.

* RapunzelHair: Name nearly any female character... although it is justified due to drow culture, as short hair is reserved for slaves. The one exception to the "long hair = noble" rule seem to be the Sharen protector twins like Shinae and Yaeminira, but that's because they exist in a weird state of both being and not being a noble, and unlike those two Khaless does have long hair and seems to be essentially an equal to Snadhya'rune.