How do Drow measure the passing of time / seasons?

[Terquem]

I started writing a silly story about two young Drow in love and I realized I don't really have a good idea of how a race that lives underground would think about the passing of time, and seasons. Would they even have seasons?

Is there something I can make up in the underground realm that cycles in a way that the Drow would have learned to use this cycle to describe what time of day it is?

What are your ideas?

[David knott 242]

If there is a body of water nearby, they could use the tides to measure days and lunar months -- but noon and midnight would be indistinguishable by this method. If maintaining a day/night cycle is important to your story, then your city probably needs a magical light source that alternately provides dim light and no light over a 24 hour period.

If there is a river that started on the surface before flowing into the Darklands, there could be an annual cycle of the river drying up and flowing again that could be used to measure years.

[DungeonmasterCal]

If I recall, in the original Drzzt stories, the main city had a huge stalactite that brightened and dimmed to reflect a sort of night and day. I couldn't stand the novels, so I may be incorrectly remembering something.

[Digitalelf]

DungeonmasterCal wrote:

If I recall, in the original Drzzt stories, the main city had a huge stalactite...

Yeah, it was called The Narbondel, and at the beginning of each 24-hour cycle, A wizard would cast a spell on it that would cause it to heat up (originally however, the "heat" was only seen through infravision as the Dark Elf Trilogy of novels were written during the days of 2nd Edition AD&D).

[ngc7293]

I seem to remember in the Second Darkness AP the city was lit by fungus. You might post in that area for further info. I am sure the book had more info about light and dark.

Also, I'm sure there was a Pathfinder book about the Drow.

[EileenProphetofIstus]

I would suggest the use of clocks utilizing a system based on complex gears, perhaps acquired from Gnome slaves. Clocks can also use other systems such as water or sand. Precision craftsmanship could make these clocks small enough to be carried (not watch size, but rather mug sized).

If you play 5th edition the Drow could be granted the Keen Mind Feat or at least the part that reads:"You always know the number of hours left before the next sunrise or sunset."

And possibly: "You always know which way is north".

If you don't play 5th edition these abilities could be borrowed and simply tacked on to the race as a feature. Being that it is not skill, feat, or combat related it is unlikely to cause any kind of game balance issue.