The races and their cultures seem to be a constant work in progress, and will continue to evolve and become enriched as various members of the staff get enthusiastic about taking on such projects. You can expect to see lots of fun stuff, not only in the helpfiles but in various areas and the Lyceum as well. Not all races are restricted to one "culture" either!

All three of the "Underdark" races carry some heavy preconceived notions about what they "should" be like. We hope to make most of the races unique in their own way. "Drow" obviously had the most baggage with the broadly read Drizzt books, so we've started there.

I won't go every detail as to why dark-elves are not seen as a threat by the Outlanders, but suffice to say "Defiler" is a Sylvan idea, not an Outlander concept. Outlanders are more concerned with actions of an entire culture rather than bloodlines. Drow actions that are unfavorable can pretty much be pinpointed to particular classes, while massive mining operations associated with duergar and dwarves cannot. Other than profession offenses, the drow pretty much live harmoniously with their subterranean surroundings - they do not mine or deconstruct the earth, but appreciate the aesthetic of the cavernous environs and live as a part of it - Much like surface-elves live harmoniously with their woodland surroundings.

Incidentally, a lot of the races you see listed as distrusted by the Outlanders are not necessarily seen as worthy of widespread extermination. They are merely distrusted. Whether they are hunted or not is not a decree, but rather left up to the individual Outlander's free will. I would invite you to remove the idea of a "Defiler" from your vocabulary.