Drow

I hope no-one would think that black people saw not enough sun

 

My take on explaining this...
Their eyes are overly sensitive to light, they have darkvision far better than dwarves and orcs. Since their eyes are so sensitive to light (far better darkvision than dwarves for example), maybe their skin is too? To absorb what little light is in the Underdark.
If I am not totally mistaken, a black thing does not reflect much light/energy, it absorbs most of it, which might be a necessary trait down there.
Why this wouldn't affect them more when exposed to sunlight on the surface is beyond me though.
Well, it's scientific at least

 

I was under the impression that plants far below sea level were near black in their color, but I guess I was wrong...

 

I didn't know the drow were plants Azardu. So maybe the drow are black due to that their Chlorophyll needs every scrap of light

Personally I don't think that a comparison with plants are relevant. The underdark may be devoid of light but most probably not of heat.

 

I think it is good to compare with plants... It's all about needing light or not. But the "Drop What You don't Need" theory isn't totally right... Drizzt has also a pale face however he already saw much sunlight again. Drow's sometimes live above the ground.

 

There are "black" corals that dwell in very deep sea regions, where little or no light reaches. However, its only the skeletons of these animals that are black, not the 'flesh'.

Aloha
Vormaerin

 

Ah well, the plant thing was possibly a bit irrelevant (unless you share the theory with some that elves do not mate like humans, but procreate through the use of spores, which is an entirely different subject), hey, I even said I was probably wrong .

However, as for the evolution theory, we can basically weigh the uselessness of pigments up against the usefulness for body heat.
Less reflection of light = more absorption, the reason black clothes get so damn hot in summertime. By using that logic, we can assume that the drow would be able to absorb what little light there is down there as body heat which they, for all the coldness of their society, can't live without (unless they are cold-blooded, not warm-blooded like humans, another subject I won't go further into in this message).

Oh, and none of this would probably be valid if you view the Underdark as a _totally_ lightless place. (I don't.) If that is the case, then it would be just fantasy (probably is, anyway).

By the way, can pigments color something/someone totally black?

 

WHat I know from the spare time that I paid attention at school is that the more sunlight people get (also intensivity of sunlight counts) the darker the skin is

I think pigment can make something totally black when there is TOTALLY no light... but only the words totally no light is unrealistic.

 

What is the difference between the light emitted by those underdark plants mentioned and that of a lightbulb?

 

Hmm, the lightbulbs I found at home were 40W and 60W
But you're right, it's indeed a difference. And the onyx black skin's ability to absorb heat is also a good deal different from white skin. But probably not enough though... Ah well, I still can't conform to the thought that the place is totally pitch black. Maybe it has something to do with that old infrared vision or whatever being changed to darkvision. Someone please explain how darkvision would work in a lightless enviroment.

 

there's no light in underdark in visible spectrum. Other than that, there are plants, elements etc radiating UV light, and heat sources radiating IR light.

It's not the visible light that causes pigmentation anyway.

 

Consider a Cheetah, who's coloration allows it to blend in with grass (you know, what they crouch in).

Consider the Drow, who's coloration allows them to blend in with the dark.

 

New thought : as long as the drow stay underground and only see with drakvision might you think it doesnt really matter what color they are? i mean if drow were neon pink and the next one was turquoise, but they live underground with no light maybe they cant see the difference?

and if say one or two do venture to the surface they'd be dead and stripped so fast noone really cares what color distinction they have.

3rd note. maybe drow are like surface dwelling humans, and vary in skin tone colors from the very pale to teh extremely dark

huh? hows that for thought

 

Good point, I am amased that you people can take this question and debate it to this length when the answer is totally dependant on the individual, after all this is fantasy and we can play/think whatever we want about it. But saying that, keep up the good work, so far it is very entertaining and quite educational as well, assuming that what you are saying about pigmentation etc is correct.