What is "dark elves"

n. (plural of dark elf English)

In Games Workshop's Warhammer Fantasy fictional universe, the Dark Elves are a race of harsh, warlike and vicious elves. They are also known as the Druchii in most Warhammer fiction books. They are cruel, sadistic raiders with much disdain for all other races, especially their lighter kindred, the High Elves. After a bitter civil war, the Dark Elves were driven from their homeland and settled in Naggaroth. They are typically presented as being the most evil of all races in the Warhammer World.

Unlike 'dark elves' in most of modern fantasy fiction (such as drow in Dungeons & Dragons), Warhammer's Dark Elves do not dwell underground, nor are they dark-skinned; instead many of them are pale skinned and have raven black hair as they are descended directly from High Elves. Their Warhammer 40,000 analogue is the Dark Eldar (as a foil to the Eldar, which was added by Games Workshop in 1998, although the Eldar-Dark Eldar back-story is far less detailed).