Dark Elf

Dark Elves live in the three tiers of Neriak, worship Innoruuk (and in some cases his daughter, Morell-Thule), and have produced every strain of malice Norrath is still recovering from. They are also, functionally, very good casters — low strength, high intelligence, and ultravision in dark places.

At a glance

Field	Value
Starting city	Neriak (Foreign Quarter, Commons, Third Gate)
Continent	Antonica (accessed via Nektulos Forest)
Size	Medium
Vision	Ultravision (better than infravision in deep-dark zones)
Innate	Hide (toggleable), low strength, high intelligence

Available classes

Cleric, Enchanter, Magician, Necromancer, Rogue, Shadow Knight, Warrior, Wizard.

Dark Elves are the broadest caster race on the evil side — they can roll almost every caster class and both rogue-adjacent paths. The Dark Elf Shadow Knight is the iconic character.

City of origin

Neriak is three zones stacked vertically — Foreign Quarter (evil outsiders enter here), Commons (main market), Third Gate (nobility and the Indigo Brotherhood). The Temple of Innoruuk, the Tower of the Dead (Necromancer guild), and the Thex Mal military academy are all underground.

Neriak opens into Nektulos Forest, which opens into Commonlands. A Dark Elf traveling alone aboveground will be killed by most factions on sight, including many "neutral" guards. Plan your routes.

Lore notes

Dark Elves were carved from the souls of enslaved High Elves by Innoruuk himself, who taught them hate as their first skill. They remember this in the way some races remember lullabies. It is the defining fact of Dark Elf identity and cannot be argued away over a drink in Commonlands.

Play note

Hide is free stealth — Dark Elves can hide indoors without Sneak. Combined with ultravision, this makes Dark Elf scouts and solo casters the best at exploring unfamiliar dungeons. A Dark Elf Necromancer is one of the top solo leveling paths in the entire era.