The Fey

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Love_Loss_Hope_Repeat
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The Fey

Post by Love_Loss_Hope_Repeat » Mon Mar 20, 2017 5:46 am

This was put together by Goat (former Admin of Cormyr and the Dalelands), and I figured it would make a good reference for those of you who are interested in fey or anything else down that alley. I've found it very useful in the past (Thanks, Goat!):

Guide to the Goat
~ And Other Fey

Author’s Note: The following was written by me in order to help in educating other players in aspects of fey, especially regarding satyrs. It is in no way an “official” document, but merely a reference and a brief overview on the nature of the fey creatures of our game world and others.

"When the first baby laughed for the first time, the laugh broke into a thousand pieces and they all went skipping about, and that was the beginning of the fairies.” Peter Pan, J. M. Barrie

The wind whistles through the thickest parts of the forest, rustling leaves as it passes unhindered through sylvan glades bathed by the light of the full moon. Nearby a creek flows around countless boulders, filling the night with sweet, natural music, creating a peaceful respite for any traveler in these majestic woods. Throughout this majestic forest, the creatures that inhabit it slumber the darkness away except for those locked in the eternal celebration of life. Hooves stamp, and pipes bray loudly, chimes tickle by the dozen and a cacophony of music not unlike that of the stream in its own right, bursts forth from an isolated clearing, far, far from any mortal’s sight. Drink flows freely and laughter echoes from the branches, forever drowning out any sorrow the world might fling their way.

These creatures that celebrate are the fey; the faerie folk of countless legends and myth. Beings born of nature and steeped in superstition, and in some cases fear. What constitutes these mysterious sylvan beings and how do they operate from a day to day basis? What exactly are they capable of? What types are there? What are they afraid of? How would you attract one to you? These questions mortals have asked for centuries regarding the fey folk, and countless superstitions have blossomed from these inquiries. Perhaps, in exploring the known characteristics and superstitions regarding these beings, we might be able to divine some of their properties.

What is a fey?

To be blunt, a typical fey is described to be any diminutive human-like being that possesses various magical powers that are often used to play pranks or otherwise intervene in human affairs. Not too surprisingly, many different cultures have their own views of the fey and possess countless names for them. Here; however, we shall simply focus on what might apply to our own world. One might often hear the fey referred to as faeries, sylvan folk, fairies, fay, fae, faery, the fey folk, or simply as used here, fey. In some cases, elves goblins or even some dragons can be considered fey, but it is usually wise to forgo this association in the presence of a true faerie being. It is worth noting that each and any of these spellings are correct and that there are countless other ways just as proper to refer to fey. Many simply break down this broader term into those used to reflect individual races or species of fey.

Divisions of the Fey

The Seelie Court

It can be said that the Seelie faeries represent the purity of nature and possesses all its beauty that countless artists and minstrels have tried to capture over the millennia only to be driven to madness by the sheer perfection of it or fail miserably. In truth, when many hear the word fey, they conjure images of stunningly beautiful creatures of nature. These ideas are exactly what the Seelie faeries are: pure manifestations of beauty and utmost perfection. These faeries are typically benevolent in nature, content to live in peace with humanity. It can be said that while they are certainly mischievous, they are usually not malicious in intent. Any Seelie faerie might also be referred to as being of the “Sun.” Thus, a ‘sun satyr’ would belong to the Seelie Court versus a ‘moon satyr’ who would be more malignant towards humanity (and other goodly fey in general!) and be a member of the Unseelie Court.

The noble fey that make up the Seelie Court, or the ruling body of the goodly fey, are, ironically enough, less tolerate of humanity than other faeries. These freeorin, or noble faeries, are the cream of the crop, so to speak and are extremely elitist in attitude towards humanoids and other faeries. In fact, only pure-blooded fey are allowed to attend the Seelie Courts meetings or be in the presence of their nobles. On the rare occasion, a noble of the Seelie Court might sponsor an extraordinarily beautiful or talented creature (usually an elf or something with ancestral fey blood), but unfortunately, they can never obtain any rank within the court structure itself.

The supreme ruler of the Seelie Court is known as Queen Titania. In fact, in most cases, she, along with her consort King Oberon and a handful of other faeries serve as the deities of many of the goodly fey.

The Unseelie Court

If the Seelie Court can be said to be the epitome of the beauty of nature, then the Unseelie Court is the exact opposite. In truth, the Unseelie Court is nothing but a macabre mockery of the perfection of the Seelie. These are the creatures of nightmares, many of which are twisted and deformed, resulting from centuries of indiscriminate breeding with fey and non-fey alike. It should be noted, that despite the reputation for the Unseelie fey being horrendous creatures, many of them are, in fact, deceptively beautiful like their Seelie cousins.

If appearances can be said to foreshadow these fey’s attitudes towards other humanoid races, then it would definitely hold true in this case. The Unseelie are generally hostile in intent towards other races, going out of their way to play harmful pranks on, steal from, injure or even kill any who cross their path. Sadly, these faeries often strive to enslave, torture and kill all other “lesser” races, even other faerie who do not hold similar views are subject to this horrible fate. In fact, the Unseelie are commonly at war with the other fey, at one level or another.

The Unseelie Court is ruled solely by the fickle and darkly beautiful, the Queen of Air and Darkness. Every Unseelie bows to her whim, seeking nothing more than to acquire her favor, which is often said to be a double-edged sword, often proving to be as dangerous as it is beneficial.

Where do fey reside?

The Material Plane

The faeries in question typically reside in a woodland setting and are heavily associated with other sylvan beings. On occasion, they might venture into lands inhabited by humans or other creatures to barter, to cause mischief, or even simply to sneak around out of curiosity in one of their most favorite pastimes of ‘people watching.’

As there are dozens of types of fey, the habitats vary greatly from each individual, but it usually holds true that a traveler would most likely find the majority of fey in the forests, as previously stated. Others live exclusively in water or underground. Some even prefer to make their homes in specific types of plants.

The Plane of Faerie

It should be made known that in the multiverse, fey possess their own plane, known simply as Faerie in most worlds. This strange plane is relatively unique compared to most, as it is easily accessible in most situations. Most fey who are on the material plane can easily return to Faerie simply by finding associated crossroads or backroads. Humanoid creatures; however, might have great difficulty perceiving these magical doorways, which are often activated by frivolous means. For instance, one might walk backwards around a particular tree stump seven times, then forward three times, before jumping on the tree stump. More on this particular phenomenon will be covered later.

The Faeries:

Physical Attributes and Physiology

It can easily be said that the number of varieties of fey is nearly equal to their population. In most cases each individual fey creature possesses unique qualities that are completely disassociated from their parents own physical appearance. The only general exceptions to this rule would be dryads, nymphs and satyrs, who, because they reside for most of their lives on the material plane, breed ‘true.’ More or less, this simply means that they retain dominate physical characteristics of their parents, even though there are no male nymphs or dryads, and no female satyrs. Beyond satyrs and the various types of nymphs, the birth of a new fey is entirely unpredictable in what the resulting ‘infant’ will be.

With that being said, the physical nature of most of the fey folk would obviously vary greatly from one individual to the next. They might have the wings of a butterfly or a bat, possess the legs of a grasshopper, might have antennae, or the lower body of a goat or deer in the case of satyrs, have leafy appendages resembling plants, or other countless, whimsical combinations. While these creatures can range in height anywhere from a scant few inches to towering giants of ten feet or more, the average faerie is between two and five feet tall.

The coloring of faeries can be nearly anywhere in the spectrum, and can even change over their lifetime, or in some cases, simply by mood. Certain ‘types’ of fey do; however, have certain colors associated with them as well, such as a dryad’s earthy browns and greens, or a satyr’s more humanoid coloring.

In theory, fey do not need to sleep. Even the reverie of the elven people is not needed. Instead, a scant four hours of dozing or otherwise non-strenuous activity such as reading, writing, or some other simple thing, is all that is needed versus eight hours of reverie or even human sleep. This does not mean that fey do not sleep; however, as many, in their extreme laziness, find it quite comforting to doze or nap the day away.

Personality

Many mortals would say that the fey folk in general are childish in their emotional extremes, ranging from happiness one moment to heart-wrenching sorrow the next. As a whole, they tend to be whimsical and frivolous, frolicking about with just about anything given the slightest provocation. More often than not, when angered, they lash out immediately with practical jokes meant to humiliate the target and hit close to sensitive issues (Besides, what’s more fun? A fight that’ll last all of a few minutes or humiliation of the person that you can relish for weeks on end!). Unsurprisingly, given their short attention spans, they rarely hold lasting grudges.

Being curious to a fault, fey have a knack of sticking their nose into other people’s business where it assuredly does not belong. One might even go so far as to say that the old saying “Curiosity killed the cat” should be changed to “Curiosity killed the fey.”

Many fey, despite their mischievous reputations, actually delight in helping humanoid creatures in tasks. Unfortunately, this supposed help does not always work out as the faerie planned. They often take the human’s request too literally or misinterpret the various nuances of speech. Many tales abound of humans receiving faerie aid, only to have it backfire disastrously; of course, the poor fey had no intention of doing so (most of the time at least).

It can also be said that fey, as a whole, have little to no sense of accountability whatsoever. In their eyes, they are never at fault for their actions and will be quick to pin the blame on others, regardless if it makes sense or not. One notable example would be a fey mistakenly catching her companions within the confines of a sleep spell. When later chastised, she simply responded with “Well they should have moved!”

Time

Due to the very timeless nature of fey society, these creatures have little regard for the human obsession with tracking time. Of course, this can be expected from creatures whose lives span over many centuries or millennia (it is even rumored that certain fey, or all of them, depending on who you ask, are actually immortal). As such, fey generally have no concept of the passing of time. Day is day and night is night, and each is sure to come in a never-ending cycle. When referring to past events, a fey simply needs to know that it happened, and cares little for when, much to the frustration of their human companions in many cases.

Life and Death Cycles

Life and death are just two sides of the same coin, each one no more natural or unnatural than the next, and as such, fey see death, if it can really even be called that, as simply a continuation of their own personal journey. It’s not really an end, so to speak, but in reality a new beginning. While most fey do have an extremely long lifespan spanning across several centuries or millennia they tend to know that their own demise will come naturally within up to a century of their passing. Many might ask how they know of such a thing, and a fey will respond that it’s just a feeling in their bones: they just know, and sure enough, it’s true. When this time comes, the elder fey is typically followed by younger members of society who enjoy the teachings of his or her wisdom and life experiences.

When the final days approach a tremendous party is thrown to celebrate the life of the elderly individual- after all, that’s what fey do best, celebrating life, when the final passing comes with the rising of the moon, it is a time of joy and festivities, rather than loss and sorrow.

In the rare event that an unnatural death occurs, the fallen fey is remembered in a similar passion, though it has a slightly different, perhaps sadder and more solemn context than the festivities of a usual passing. While fey might experience anger or sadness at a death of a friend or family member, they continue to move on, knowing that living their own lives to the fullest is what truly matters. Humans often have difficulty understanding this concept, and many accuse fey of not feeling true emotions at all, but this is hardly the case.

Names

Names are some of the most important aspects of all faerie society, and this is made doubly so by the fact that anyone can take advantage of a creature’s True Name, fey being no exception to this type of magic, and because of this, all fey respond with absolute horror at the human custom of freely exchanging their actual names. It is considered a grave insult to fey to be bluntly asked for their name, but with a simple (albeit silly) change of semantics, the situation is smoothed over by simply inquiring “What do you wish to be called?”

This oddity in naming might also stem from the very whimsical nature of fey themselves. It has been thought that many of them simply do not remember their actual names. In truth, many fey simply call themselves by whatever suits their fancy at the moment, taking inspiration from their mood or surroundings or some object they currently find pleasing. As such, it is common to find fey named Fern, Ivy, Cobweb, Star, Bluebell, Sand, Flower, or any other seemingly random name. If a fey finds a name that is more attractive to him or her, they will simply take it and discard the old one. In fact, the names that usually stick with most fey are only those names that are used on a daily basis by their companions or ones that hold special meaning to them.

Titles given among fey nobility are similar. Many noble fey of Faerie, known as feeorin, simply go by nicknames or perceived titles, making no effort to correct it should they not be worthy of such a honorific.

Entertainment

As one might guess, most fey are both highly attracted to and amused by the traditional means of entertainment such as song, dance, poetry, theatre, and even athletics to an extent. These creatures relish any opportunity to show their own physical prowess or other natural talents, perhaps resulting from their carefree or otherwise lackadaisical nature.

Interestingly enough; however, are some of their favorite past times of eating and drinking, which they in their own right, make more like an art itself. It is said that fey take great pleasure in a finely cooked meal, even if what is being prepared is somehow questionable in nature, such as things humans or other beings might not normally consider food. Most fey will simply point out that it’s the anticipation of the meal, the exotic flavor, and the curiosity of not knowing what exactly it is that they are eating that makes this such a delightful pastime. While humans or elves might be known to throw grand banquets of nine or ten courses, these often pale in comparison to the galas thrown by the faeries. Such events often consist of dozens of courses of exotic foods and last all through the day and often deep into the night (though a few have been known to last weeks on end!), and many mortals who attend them, accidentally or otherwise, have been known to simply drop dead from exhaustion from the nonstop activity.

Like humans gazing upon animals in a menagerie or zoo, faeries often go out on excursions that they prefer to call “People Watching.” Because most of them often possess some means of glamour, a faerie’s magical power, in which to conceal themselves, they flit about unbeknownst to those which they are watching. Due to their very nature and habitat, fey are often limited to viewing the activities of rural folk or solitary beings that dwell in the woods, but they find them no less interesting.

Another novelty of fey life is the act of bartering. Most humanoids take going to market to granted, simply as a means to acquire what they need and return home. Fey make this a form of art and entertainment all in one, delighting in what they can trade with each other and what new, interesting things that they can acquire. This being said, it is common in a fey market not to see traditional exchanges of gold and silver coins for a good, but instead odd ideas and promises for equally vague or intangible and material things alike. A few examples might include an individual being offered a pile of gold for their first born, a wish for the last six months of their life, and seven truths and seven secrets for a person’s death rattle and final breath.

Interactions with Other Races

Nearly all fey possess an overwhelming curiosity that leads them to seek out new experiences and places and perhaps the most interesting thing a fey can do is to meet new people! Unfortunately, like almost all other racial groups, they possess their own stereotypes of those around them. When dealing with any race, fey are much more likely to interact with individuals that are commonly associated with nature, be they simple farmers or druids or rangers. This is most likely due to the fact that these individuals are constantly exposed to places that fey might call home, as well as the fact that they can more closely identify with the creatures.

Unsurprisingly, when dealing with races in general, faeries more closely with elves than any other race. In fact, in most cases, the elves are considered to be cousins to the fey folk. Interestingly enough, on the opposite end of the spectrum, fey have a strong intolerance for anything dwarves, regardless of the individual’s personality traits. This is directly due to the faerie legend of the Black Diamond and its corrupting powers that turned Queen Titania’s sister into the evil deity now known only as The Queen of Air and Darkness. While fey do not normally hold grudges in such a fashion over the centuries, the sheer magnitude of this event and the introduction of what became the Unseelie is simply unforgivable in their eyes.

Humans and other races like Halflings and gnomes in most cases are treated with a particular cautious curiosity when approached by fey. Because they are so different from the fey themselves, this undoubtedly makes them more interesting to faeries. While it can be said that fey will interact with nearly any race on a limited basis (with varying degrees of outright distrust in the case of dwarves or caution with most others), it can be said that as a general rule, fey abhor all undead, as they typically represent a corruption of the very life that fey hold so dear.

Lures and Banes

Unlike many creatures, fey are magical beings and thus are attracted or repelled by a number of mundane and magical items both. Any item that attracts a fey’s attention is known as a lure, and anything that repels fey is considered to be a bane, perhaps the most notable of which is cold iron. It is said that a faerie is well aware of any lure around for quite some distance, but are usually completely naïve of any bane in the vicinity until they are right upon it. As one author is quick to note, fey do not make a habit of recording what these lure and banes are, and the following are merely the observations of humanoid scholars, many of which with little explanation. It should also be noted that what works for one fey, will not necessarily work for another. Not all faeries are repelled by inside out clothing, just as not all of them will be head over heels for a handful of black sand.

Lures:

· Alcohol: Wine, mead, ale, spirits! Any of this is liable to attract the attention of fey in the area, especially that of satyrs and their cousins.
· Black Sand: Thought to attract the attention of any fey residing in water especially, perhaps due to its singularly exotic nature.
· Blackberry Brambles: Blackberries are thought to be a delicacy among fey, as well as the bush itself housing many of the smaller varieties.
· Blackthorn: Thought to be sacred to all faeries.
· Bluebell Flowers: Fey often delight in enchanting these tiny flowers to actually ring like bells when disturbed.
· Colorful Magic: All fey, though especially pixies and bogies, are attracted to brilliant flashes of light or displays of showy magic colors. It should be noted; however, that many fey view human magic in contempt in comparison to their own natural abilities.
· Eggs: Fey are highly attracted to the eggs of any mortal creature, if only because of the intense wonder and anticipation they feel when waiting for it to hatch. One story holds that chimeras and griffins resulted from eggs from the Material plane being transported to Faerie, where they hatched.
· Hollow Trees: Also called bull or bell oaks, these trees are thought by many to be the homes of fey.
· Holly: This particular plant is known to attract and even house a number of smaller fey.
· Love Poems: The act of reading these poems aloud has been known to draw forth many curious faeries in earshot.
· Music: Like poems, any faerie within earshot is liable to be drawn to the sound of music.
· Paintings: Due to the fact that many fey lack the dedication to complete such a task, they are often caught marveling over a particular skillful painting for hours on end.
· Rowan: Fires built of this wood are said to attract fey in the area.
· Sage: As above, burning a bundle of sage is said to attract fey, especially dryads.
· Salt: Oddly enough, salt is both a bane and a lure. When thrown across the face of ice, it is said to attract any fey who might be residing nearby, especially if they have ties to the element.
· Willow Trees: According to some lore, the wind whispering through the willows is actually said to be the voices of hidden fey whispering in one’s ear. It should also be noted that performing any act of magic, song, dance or other artistic endeavor underneath a willow tree increases the chance that a fey creature will be attracted to it.
· Writing Implements: Many fey are fascinated by idea of writing. While they are certainly capable of it and many do, in fact know how to read and write, it nevertheless fills them with curiosity and catches their attention.

Banes:

· Ash Berries: a Folklore state that by placing the berries of the ash tree around a sleeping child makes them less likely to be abducted or attacked by the Unseelie fey.
· Bells: The clatter of bells is known to drive away less hardy fey.
· Clothing: “Turn your cloaks for the fairy folk are in the old oaks!”
By wearing one’s clothing inside out, it is said to so disgust any faerie that they will leave the wearer be. Also, wearing mismatched paired clothing (such as socks) or having them inside out will duplicate the effect. One legend also states that by tossing an inside out article of clothing in the midst of a faerie ring or dance will cause the reveal to cease almost instantly.
· Cold Iron: This is perhaps the one nearly universal bane for all fey. Many legends claim that cold iron is deadly to faeries, and by carrying a dagger, or even a sliver of this metal in your pocket is enough to make them leave you be.
· (Un)Holy Objects: Symbols, pray books, holy water, even mold from holy ground is said to be able to repel fey.
· Red Ribbon: When tied to the chests of livestock or infants, it is said that red ribbon will discourage fey from making mischief with the wearer.
· Salt: While many fey actually will eat salt in small amounts, a line of pure salt cannot be crossed by any fey.
· Silver: Silver coins in particular are said to repel faeries. By throwing them at the unfortunate being, it is often said that they will become terrified and flee from the area.
· Water: In some cases, running water is known to repel fey.
· Whistling: Perhaps the easiest way to drive the most innocent and sweet fey into a rage is to simply whistle. Surprisingly enough, fey, despite all their musical and artistic prowess, cannot manage this small task that many humans take for granted, and are so immensely jealous of it that they will become quite angry at the unfortunate whistler.

When Dealing with Faeries…

Stories and tales abound about mortal dealings with fey and why one should always be on guard in such situations. Fey, as one would expect, have completely different ideas of what would be appropriate decorum in various situations than humans would. As such, a general rule of thumb would be to always be extremely polite when dealing with these creatures, as one never quite knows what they might be capable of. This is especially true if one were to venture beyond the Material Plane and into the world of Faerie itself, but these same general rules apply regardless of the situation.

1) Never forget your manners!
Above all else, this is perhaps the most important rule! Fey are often sticklers for manners (granted that what they deem polite and impolite is often completely different from human standards). Any fey, no matter the situation should always be treated with utmost respect and reverence. While it may hold true that many of them might seem to be incapable of causing significant harm to those who rouse their anger (after all, many fey’s choice of punishment is a severe barrage of pinches), they are quite capable of summoning their friends, or even denizens of the forest in some cases, to reinforce their opinions.

2) Do not accept any gift from fey or repay more than you borrowed.
“It is often better not to give a gift at all, than to give too little or to give too much; for a gift begets a gift.”

Fey may love to give gifts, but in most cases, they always expect one in return. The catch is, that whatever you receive, you are expected to return something of exactly equal value- but something completely different (After all, who likes receiving the same thing or something remotely similar). A word of caution: while it may seem polite to return something of great worth, doing so makes the fey feel that they are in debt to you, and in extreme situations if they are unable to provide proper compensation, they might view themselves as a slave to the giver, or vice versa.

3) Do not accept food or drink from fey.
While this rule mostly holds true for humanoids who have somehow wandered into Faerie, it can have influence on the Material Plane. Many fey are tricksters, and some will try and lure humanoids into danger by offering them intoxicating food or drink, some of which may be hazardous to the health of the consumer or in attempt to lure them off the forest path to get them lost in the woods. Fey are also infamous for encouraging humans to overindulge in fine food or drink, especially alcohol, often taking advantage of their inebriated companions lack of wisdom.

Faerie Magic and Attitudes towards Such

Fey could arguably be some of the most magically profound creatures in the multiverse. Their very beings are purely magical in nature and in most cases completely different from the magic commonly associated with arcanists. Fey magic is generally known as “glamour” no matter what form it is used in (even if in conventional arcane spells). This is typically because fey creatures often appear as outlandishly beautiful to humans and other races and are rumored to have the ability to boost their appearance, or on the rare occasion should the situation demand, actually make themselves appear less attractive, or even make themselves disappear entirely using their glamour.

Interestingly enough, a fey’s source of magic is life itself, and as such they draw their magic from the land or their own life force, projecting it outward so it effects the rest of the natural world. Some fey fear that if they draw too much naturally, that they will inadvertently harm the land or someone that they care about, but this is not necessarily always true, as there are several ways that fey acquire fuel for their glamour, so to speak. The first, known as the Breath of Life, is typically only practiced by Unseelie faeries. By sucking away the breath of a living victim (usually a small child) the fey leave the person severely weakened or even dead. This in turn, helps power their glamour with the life force of another victim directly.

Another option is to know and have power over their own True Name, which each and every creature possesses. While this might seem easy enough to find out, it does come with increased danger, as if any being discoveries your True Name, they gain a certain amount of power over you (as is the case when a mage summons a demon from the Abyss, they are in fact, calling the demon with its true name). Secondly, discovering your own true name can take months or years, and obviously, many fey lack the patience to meditate on the issue for such extended periods even though time is relatively meaningless for them.

Finally, fey are known to have a certain type of magical sand, believed to come from the Sands of Time in the lands of Between on Faerie itself (In fact, the Sand Man, as some humans believe drizzle sand in children’s eyes to make them fall asleep, is actually a faerie himself legends say!) Such magical sand is priceless in value and is often sought after by mortals to augment their own spellcasting powers. The use of such is generally believed for it to take the place of spell components so commonly associated with the wizardly arts. Interestingly enough, Unseelie fey cannot use this type of magical sand for whatever mysterious reason.

As one might expect, with all this magical prowess, fey typically take magic for granted. This does not necessarily mean that they abuse its art, as it comes naturally to them, but more so akin to how humans might take the abilities to eat, breathe and communicate for granted in most cases- its just simply something that they do and always expect to be able to do. As such, fey typically have at least a small amount of contempt for spellcasters of other races and are generally unimpressed by most magical phenomenon (though admittedly, they do love dazzling displays of color in spellcraft!).

Human Superstitions Regarding Faeries

Humans are a superstitious bunch, there’s no denying that, and what better than to fabricate beliefs about than magical beings that they don’t understand! Some individuals sadly take these superstitions to heart and believe that they are a true reason to fear the faerie folk (A radical few even become the mysterious ‘Cold Iron Warriors’ of legend, slayers of all fey, good or evil) The following are a small collection of the many superstitions, true or false, that humans have regarding faeries.

· Mischievous faeries can bewitch cows, causing them to produce no milk. This can be especially frustrating in rural communities, and a simple cure has been devised to ward off faerie attacks and cure “Faerie-struck” livestock. The owner of the cow must simply find a well that has been blessed or rumored to have mystical powers and lead the animal around it three times, casting a single stone in each time around. To prevent the cow from being “attacked” again, simply tie a red ribbon around its tail, which is a known and relatively proven way to ward off real faeries, regardless if they were the cause of the lack of milk or not.

· A newly wed couple should always retire to their bedchamber at the same time, especially on the night of their wedding. Should the bride be left alone, the faeries, which are attracted by the festivities revolving around the wedding, might very well steal her away to Faerie due to her fine clothing.

· Leaving out eggshells after cooking is known to attract fey due to their natural obsession with eggs of all kinds. In order to prevent them from gathering in your kitchen or even near your house, it is wise to fully crush any eggshells after they’re broken open for the yolk.

· If milk is spilled upon the open ground it is considered good luck to leave it there to appease the fey as a small gift, rather than try and clean it up.

· There are also those who believe that leaving scraps of food in their hearth or other easily accessible location as gifts to small fey of the area leads to good luck and a general benevolent feeling amongst any faerie visitors they might have.

· It is also commonly believed that fey are the direct cause of erysipelas, or the infection of the skin and mucus membranes which causes them to turn a grotesque shade of red, and it is actually a form of vengeance amongst those who have somehow sparked their wrath.

· Favorite targets of fey mischief, especially when dealing with the Unseelie court, are small children, due to their small size and relative inability to ward off attack. Similar to warding off faerie attacks on livestock, it is wise to tie a red ribbon to a small child, or even leave a pair of iron scissors; blades face up, tied to their crib. Should misfortune strike and one believes that their child has been “faerie-struck” (that is, given to convulsions or some other ailment) a “sure cure” is to light a large fire and throw in several types of herbs. What these herbs are vary greatly from location to location and local lore, but it can be assumed that they are most likely some sort of a bane to faeries. After the fire dies down and begins to smoke, the child should be carried around it three times while the parent performing the ritual recites a prayer to protect from evil to the deity of their choice. Afterwards, to complete the process, a small bag that contains an iron nail should be tied about the child’s neck with three loops of red ribbon.

· A sure way to pierce through faerie glamour (the general magic of the fey folk, believed by some to conceal them from human sight at all times) is to look through a self-bored stone. Such a stone must be made naturally, resulting from the erosion of a small rock so that a natural hole is made all the way through it. When looking through such a stone, a human can supposedly see fey clearly, just as all other animals can.

· Many stories abound of fey being malicious creatures that are known to enchant humans so that they are so entranced with the fey’s beauty that they slowly wither away. One such story claims that a proud, young knight once caught a glimpse of a water sprite bathing in a pool in the forest and instantly fell in love with her. So caught up with her beauty, that he sat by the pool until he starved to death, hoping to catch a glimpse of her just one more.

· Another popular tale circulated among humans is the supposed legend that a noble family threw a grand party at their castle, only to have an unexpected guest. In the story, the Queen of Air and Darkness herself arrives just in time for the dance to begin. Using her fey powers, she enchants all the women present so that they fall into a deep, magical sleep. At the same time, the men present became caught up in her faerie glamour, and began to dance with her unceasingly until they all slowly died of exhaustion. The women, when the spell was finally broken, woke to the horrible sight of the corpses of their husbands and sons scattered about the dance floor after their ethereal dance.

Interestingly enough, the fey themselves tell versions of this legend as well, suggesting that perhaps it is based on factual events and that it is a particularly favorite punishment of the Queen of Air and Darkness. In the fey version, a lady-in-waiting of the Queen of Air and Darkness, named M’Ara feel in love with one of the queen’s prestigious Dark Hunters, Shadowsigh. The pair planned to flee the faerie lands on the night of one of the macabre festivals of the Unseelie Court, the New Moon Celebration.

The Queen instead learned of their trickery and love, and “gifted” M’Ara a beautiful costume to wear to the festival, complete with magical slippers. When the unfortunate faerie donned the slippers, she began to dance uncontrollably and no matter how much she cried and begged, couldn’t stop. The story goes on to say that by midnight, she was dead from exhaustion. As for Shadowsigh, it is rumored that he still serves the Queen of Air and Darkness and that she largely ignores his indiscretion, save for the night of the New Moon, when she brings him M’Ara’s slippers, which he himself must wear for the evening.

· Many sailors insist that water faeries, such as mermaids or nixies, rescue drowning people. This superstition does, in fact, hold a bit of truth to it as one might expect the occasional intervention by a goodly fey. However, a darker side of the tale states that some of these water creatures actually entice the sailors into the water where the fey drowns them or keeps them afloat long enough so that they die of thirst.


The Faerie Deities

Titania
Greater Goddess
Chaotic Good
Portfolio: The Faerie folk, Magic, the realm of Faerie and friendship.

Titania is the Queen of Faeries, even of those who have deserted the ways of the Seelie and have ventured towards the arms of her evil sister, the Queen of Air and Darkness. She teaches all the faeries that mercy and goodness are to be upheld at all times. She often is seen as a beautiful, but tiny female faerie with gossamer wings and an absolutely perfect complexion.

Oberon
Lesser God
Neutral Good
Portfolio: Nature, wild places, animals

Known as the Lord of Beasts in the Seelie Court, Oberon is unusual when seen next to his kin. He is distinctly quite a bit larger than normal fey, possesses no wings and is surprisingly, heavily muscled. While he is often referred to as King Oberon, more an honorific than anything, due to his status as consort to Titania.

Caoimhin (koo-ev-inn)
Demigod
Neutral
Portfolio: Food, shyness and friendship

Rarely seen for more than a few moments, Caoimhin is an extremely shy deity and is rarely seen alone without the company of at least one other member of the Seelie Court sylvan deities. Notably, he is enticed by warm clothing, food and recitations of bards and music, particularly stringed instruments.

Damh (dav)
Lesser God
Chaotic Neutral
Portfolio: Song, Dance, Celebration, Satyrs

The patron god of satyrs and their kindred, Damh loves all forms of music, song dance and just about any type of joyous festivity. While he’s a very old deity and on good relations with other druidic deities in various pantheons, he has a fondness for dryads and is (unsurprisingly) self-indulgent and rarely will postpone personal gratification.

Eachthighern (ek-tee-arn)
Lesser God
Chaotic Good
Portfolio: Healing, Loyalty, Protection, Unicorns, Pegasi

This unicorn deity is revered by all the fey folk as a protector, and is notably the mount for a handful of deities, such as Oberon, Fionnghuala, and it is rumored that Hanali Celanil of the elven pantheon has a particular relationship with Eachthighern.

Emmantiensien (emm-ann-tee-enz-ee-an)
Intermediate God
Chaotic Good
Portfolio: Treants, trees, deep and hidden magic

The Treant deity is known as the sage of the Seelie Court and has seemingly been around forever. Like Yggdrasil (often rumored to be the World Tree), he is a World Tree, his roots stretching out through eternity as if he had always existed.

Fionnghuala (fin-ell-ah)
Demigoddess
Neutral Good
Portfolio: Swanmays, Sorority, Communication

Once a mortal human, Fionnghuala served the fey folk for many years before being slain in a battle against the Queen of Air and Darkness while protecting Oberon’s avatar. Feeling pity for her lost mortal friend, Titania rose the human woman from the dead, and granted her the gift of a white swan’s feather, which now lets her acquire the form of a swan.

Nathair Sgiathach (neigh-er skey-ak)
Intermediate God
Chaotic Good
Portfolio: Pseudodragons, faerie dragons, mischief, pranks

Despite the fact that he is a dragon himself; however small, Nathair Sgiathach does not often concern himself with the affairs of his larger kin. Instead, he chooses to spend his time playing tricks and otherwise indulging his ample curiosity.

Skerrit
Lesser God
Neutral
Portfolio: Centaurs, community, natural balances

The god of the centaurs is in truth an ally to the faerie folk, seeing a mutual benefit for both peoples should their allegiance continue.

Squelaiche (skell-lie)
Demigod
Chaotic Neutral
Porfolio: leprechauns, trickery, illusions

Known as the Court Jester of the Seelie Court, Squelaiche is always prepared with a joke or quip, sometimes even at the expense of Queen Titania herself. While he might play the part of the Fool, he is certainly an intelligent creature and readily defends the sylvan folk should the need arise.

Verenestra
Lesser Goddess
Neutral
Porfolio: Nymphs, dryads, sylphs, female faeries, charm and beauty

Like those who worship her, Verenestra is a fickle and vain goddess, though is completely loyal to the Seelie Court despite her nature. Unsurprisingly, she is very snobbish and avoids contact at all costs with other female deities of love, beauty or romance.

The Queen of Air and Darkness
Intermediate Goddess
Chaotic Evil
Portfolio: Magical Illusions, Darkness, Murder

Known once the beautiful sister of Queen Titania, the Queen of Air and Darkness’s name has long since been lost to the sands of time, leaving only this honorific, if it can be called one, to name her, rather than a true name. No more than a twisted husk of her former glory, the Queen of Air and Darkness is an incorporeal being, though if perceived through magical means, might appear as a female faerie of stunning beauty with stark white skin, pure black eyes with red pupils and inky black hair. The direct opposite of her sister now, she seeks only to destroy the faerie folk and the lands they hold dear.

Places of Fey Power

Crossroads


The Fey Mounds

While fey have exceptionally long life spans and are immune to all sorts of common ailments, they do, on occasion, pass from this existence to the next. When this occurs, the friends of the fey creature often bring the body of their deceased companion to what has simply become known in the Common tongue as a fey mound. While the faeries have their own name for this special place, it is almost impossible to pronounce outside of their tongue, and as such the term ‘fey mound’ is almost universal.

In short, a fey mound is essentially a magically enhanced burial ground for all types of fey (the creatures are not prejudiced in what type of fey uses it), and is typically located deep in the forest so that no one will accidentally stumble upon it. Whenever a fey creature dies, its companions bring it to such a place and cover the remains over lightly with leaves, branches and dirt; and as such, it is often possible to see layers upon layers of bone beneath all the organic material, especially if the fey mound has had a recent interment.

It is rumored among many arcane practitioners that the resulting “mulch” of decomposing organic material from such a fey mound is an extremely valuable spell component; however, anyone caught stealing from a fey mound is punished unremorsefully with a quick death (if they can even get close enough to the mound to steal!).

Considered hallowed ground due to the unique magical nature of the remains located within, a fey mound possesses several curious properties that radiate out around it, as if in a sphere of magical energy. The effects vary depending on how close a person gets to the mound, but a general idea can be found below.

Distance from the Mound - Effect

100-51 feet - A silent image of the newest dead fey and ghost sounds of whispering and giggling.
21-50 feet - Hallucinatory Terrain
11-20 feet - Sleep
Up to 10 feet - A form of Lesser Geas (As chosen by any presiding Dungeon Master)
~From Magic of Faerun, p.# 43

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Re: The Fey

Post by Love_Loss_Hope_Repeat » Mon Mar 20, 2017 5:46 am

Seelie and Unseelie Courts
By Gwendolyn F. M. Kestrel and Faith M. Pricef

"They are two sides of the same coin, or let us say... the same side of two coins." -- Tom Stoppard, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead

The Seelie Court
"...the single assumption which makes our existence viable -- that somebody is watching..." -- Tom Stoppard, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead


People tend to think of fey as lovely creatures of almost unearthly beauty and grace. This image epitomizes the fey of the Seelie Court. Many artists and bards, both fey and other, have striven to capture the beauty of the Seelie Court. Most have gone mad; none have truly succeeded. Pure manifestations of nature and beauty, the members of the Seelie Court view themselves as the pinnacle of perfection. This elitist attitude restricts status in the court to only pure-blood fey. A court fey can trace his or her lineage back several millennia, showing nothing but true fey (no templates, no transformations such as from the monk class or various prestige classes, and no other creature types by blood or breeding).

Fey high society and the fey realms, be they on the Plane of Faerie or fey high-society enclaves on the Material Plane, contain the only creatures whose opinions matter. Politics thrive in this elitist environment. Seelie fey form cliques and factionalize amongst themselves. In the endlessly politicking and gossiping world of the Seelie Court, status can be won by hosting guests (willing or unwilling) or attracting followers with great skill in a craft or performance art.

Seelie Court fey occasionally tolerate the company of beautiful or gifted creatures, preferring those of fey, elven, or celestial blood. These "court friends" may provide companionship and amusements, but only those with pure lineage may hold positions of importance.

Admittance to the Seelie Court for outsiders is extremely rare, even more so if the outsiders are not of pure fey blood. Upon entrance to the court, visitors must be prepared with valuable and unusual gifts for the Queen of Light, or they might find themselves lost in an endless hedge maze. Suitable gifts for the Queen include figurines of wondrous power, gems of brightness, and magical jewelry.

The physical appearance of the Seelie Court mirrors nature, to which the fey are intrinsically linked. White ash trees, strong and stately, with their branches intertwining to create a living ceiling, line the throne hall like marble columns. Gossamer streamers of iridescent blues, pinks and purples wind their way through the boughs. Phosphorescent flowers gleam like lanterns amidst the treetops. Semi-precious jewels of amethysts, tiger's eyes and topaz decorate flowers that float down the waterways lining the path to the throne. Statues carved of gold and adorned with gems further attest to the wealth and beauty of the current ruler, as each queen must display more splendor than the previous one or risk the gossip and scorn of her subjects. The throne itself, a and queen who sits on it, are the focal points of the room. The throne of the Seelie Court is shaped like a large ice dragon, as brilliantly cold and glittery as the fey nobility.

Queen Tatiana and King Oberon are the current rulers of the Seelie Court. An undisputed beauty, Tatiana looks unfavorably upon female courtiers or visitors whose appearance rivals hers. This attitude is caused, in part, by the occasional wanderings of King Oberon's affection.

The Seelie Court fey find the Unseelie Court fey absolutely repellent.

The Unseelie Court
"Blood is compulsory."
-- Tom Stoppard, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead

Unlike the selective, restrictive Seelie Court, the Unseelie Court welcomes anyone and everything with even a drop of ancestral fey blood. Fey can and do breed with anything, creating odd, mixed creatures. Most species consider the offspring grotesque monsters. The mutant creatures gravitate towards the Unseelie Court, which welcomes them and gives them an environment where peculiar physiologies and abilities are the norm.

The Unseelie Court is a more hospitable place for non-fey as well. Court nobles eagerly provide patronage for creatures who are extremely strong, dexterous, clever, beautiful, or talented. Obtaining the sponsorship of a court noble is not without its rewards, nor without its dangers. For instance, a gifted bard whose playing impresses a fey nobleman might be invited to his castle as a guest. Once there, the bard will be feted and asked to play every night -- and never be permitted to leave.

Ruling over all these oddities is the Queen of Air and Darkness: a fey of unsurpassed beauty and grace. The Queen of Air and Darkness has no current consort and no surviving children. The court is rife with gossip and political maneuvering as each noble curries the queen's favor in the hopes of being named the royal heir.

Outsiders not of fey blood are rarely admitted to the Unseelie Court. Visitors must be prepared with unusual and powerful gifts for the Queen, or they might find themselves the quarry of a nightmarish hunt. Suitable gifts for the Queen include figurines of horrific power, gems of darkness, and cursed jewelry.

After a millennia of indiscriminate breeding, the physical appearance of the Unseelie Court mirrors the macabre. Twisted columns, trees forced into unnatural growth by royal gardeners, are scattered haphazardly through the hall. Curtains of shadows hide blood-soaked alcoves. Drawn back for times of celebration, the gaping crevasses reveal uninvited guests captured for the amusement of the court. Riotous blooms of nightshades and blood warts glow red in the evening, providing a maddening light to the misshapen court. The throne of the Unseelie Court is shaped like a great shadow dragon, a creature of midnight and darkness, like the queen herself.

The Thrones

Both the Queen of Air and Darkness and Titania, Queen of Light, hold court from ornately carved, dragon-shaped thrones. Commonly thought to be magical, the thrones' abilities are a matter of much speculation among the Courts. None but the queens know the truth.

Both courts are matriarchal monarchies. Sometimes males endeavor to take the throne, but none have survived the Rites of Succession. Each prospective ruler undergoes a lengthy rite of passage. Not every candidate survives these secret tests and rituals. The heir undertakes the trial when the former queen dies or expresses a willingness to abdicate her throne. In the final Rite of Succession, the aspiring queen ascends to sit on the throne. Sometimes a candidate dies at this point, rejected in some fashion by the throne. If the prospective queen lives through this final ceremony, the court acknowledges her as its rightful ruler.
Last edited by Love_Loss_Hope_Repeat on Mon Mar 20, 2017 5:47 am, edited 1 time in total.

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Re: The Fey

Post by Love_Loss_Hope_Repeat » Mon Mar 20, 2017 5:46 am

The Seelie Court's Turning of the Seasons Celebrations
By Gwendolyn F. M. Kestrel and Faith M. Price

The fey thrive on parties and galas, seeing them as a chance not just to break up the monotony that can come with a near-eternal lifespan, but as a tool in their endless quest for social status. Celebrations offer opportunities to flaunt connections and curry the favor of those in power. Hence, the fey celebrate a myriad of festivals throughout the year.

Much of the fey's power and longevity derives from the living energy found within nature on the Faerie Plane that serves as their home. Because of this, festivals often serve as a reminder of their dependence upon the flora and fauna in which they dwell, as well as upon the heavenly bodies that control life cycles. While many festivals are newly created and draw mainly local fey, celebrating the Turning of the Seasons is a Seelie Court tradition from millennia past. These festivals draw fey from every plane and region.

Summer Solstice

While an occasional absence from the lesser solstice and equinox celebrations is vaguely frowned upon, no fey of any good standing in the court would wish to miss the spectacle of the Summer Solstice, a month-long celebration that begins on the longest day of the year. It commences with an elaborately choreographed dance that tells the history of the Seelie queens, starting with the most ancient of queens, the Queen of Original Illumination. This opening ceremony can take up to five days, and is held on the grounds surrounding the court of the present Seelie Queen.

Following the dance, fey sponsors bring forth their protégés to perform for the court. Stories are told, poems recited, and ballads of great beauty sung, all honoring either the queen or nature. After the queen has listened and seen all the players, she bestows a prize on her favorite. The artist may receive a blessed pen or voice-enhancing bauble, but the fey sponsor receives the true honor and her prize is far greater. To her, the queen gives a garland of starfire. Each flower on the garland is made from the essence of the stars.

Garland of Starfire: This beautiful garland has eternally fresh flowers. Plucking a flower from the garland activates the spell associated with it. When created, it has between two and five blossoms (1d4+1). A tiny violet creates dancing lights. A purple carnation conjures glitterdust. A multi-hued dahlia produces a prismatic spray. A yellow rose brings forth a sunburst. The garland occupies the headband, necklace, or amulet space.

Caster Level: 15th; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, prismatic spray; Market Price: 375 gp per violet, 1,500 gp per carnation, 5,250 gp per dahlia, 6,000 gp per yellow rose; Weight: --.

During the Summer Solstice festival, the queen also chooses a new Master of Gatherings. He takes responsibility until the next Summer Solstice for ensuring that the court is suitably amused with entertainment at all court gatherings. Winning this office is an extremely prestigious honor, but dangerous as well, since the queen does not tolerate failure or mistakes.

The celebration ends with the giving of gifts to the queen. Each noble knows that her gift will be judged by the queen and all the fey in attendance, and that social status may be gained or lost based on her choice. Gifts are often prepared months in advance, resulting in elaborate offerings, each more unique than the last.

Members of the court are not the only ones who use this occasion to gain favor. Any of the common fey can petition the queen's steward to have his gift opened personally by the queen. If she finds the offering amusing, the giver may receive a small token of the queen's appreciation. If the gift is judged ordinary, the fey may find himself an object of ridicule or much worse.

Fall Equinox

The Fall Equinox is celebrated in the oldest forest, the Oaks of Beginning Earth. This five-day celebration begins with the Feast of Bounty. Rich food and wine are brought forth, and toasts of thanks are proposed for the provisions of the year. The feast can last for several days, as each fey in attendance is expected to make a toast.

While the Queen attends the festival, she is not the central focus. The hunt, held on the day of the equinox, is the premier gala event. Each year a new quarry is chosen and armed with certain magical charms and disguises. Hunting parties of all sizes ride in pursuit. The queen presents a horn of bounty to the fey who captures and returns the prey.

Horn of Bounty: A horn of bounty greatly resembles a cornucopia. Once per day, the user can endeavor to play the horn for 10 minutes and make a Perform (trumpet) check DC 15. If successful, the horn produces the effects of the heroes' feast spell.

Caster Level: 11th; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, heroes' feast; Market Price: 26,400 gp; Weight: 1 lb.

Winter Solstice

The 10-day Festival of the Winter Solstice celebrates endings and rest. It begins on shortest day of the year, and is traditionally held among the ruins of the ancient Stonehart Giants. These ruins remind the fey that, as they replaced the giants, at some point they too will be replaced by a newer species.

During this gala, the fey are uncharacteristically tender towards each other. While jockeying for position still occurs among the nobles, many small slights that would normally cause elaborate displays of offense are overlooked. Even the Seelie Queen has been known to (very occasionally) overlook a small breach of etiquette.

Gifts are exchanged among the fey, primarily to show affection and appreciation of friendship. Many fey bring extra gifts as a precaution; to be caught without a reciprocal gift for an acquaintance is considered a grave insult.

The festival ends with a masquerade ball. Glowing Pufferfish of lights glitter in the night, casting a rainbow of colors on the snowy ballroom. Outrageous costumes of feather, flora, and fauna cast the fey in an even more otherworldly light. In this moment, an outsider would see the intrinsic elegance and pathos of the faerie kingdom. During the last moments of the ball, the queen bestows a final gift on the subject whose costume most pleased her. The gift, a cloak of sheltering, protects the wearer from the hazards that mark the winter months.

Cloak of Sheltering: This beautiful gray velvet cloak is lined with silver fox fur. It continually provides the wearer with life-sustaining nourishment. The cloak also refreshes the body and mind, so that its wearer need sleep only 2 hours per day to gain the benefit of 8 hours of sleep. In addition, the cloak continually protects the wearer from cold. When the wearer would normally take cold damage, subtract 15 points of damage per round from the total to account for the cloak's effect. Lastly, once per day, the wearer can speak a command word to produce a comfortable place to stay per Leomund's secure shelter spell. The cloak must be worn for a full day before it works.

Caster Level: 5th; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, create food and water, Leomund's secure shelter, protection from elements; Market Price: 40,800 gp; Weight: --.

Spring Equinox

The celebration of the Spring Equinox marks new beginnings. After the long dark of winter, a breeze of youth blows across the plane. Even the eldest of the fey experience renewed vitality.

This five day festival ends on the equinox, and focuses on birth and play. It is traditionally held in a meadow near the court of the Seelie Queen. Many fey come dressed in garments consisting solely of leaves or spring flowers, and wear garlands of white or yellow on their heads.

Riddles are told and plays produced for the amusement of the queen and her court. It is at this time that any new births, on the rare occasion that they occur, are announced. The period of celebration ends with a scavenger hunt. Impossible clues send seekers across many planes in pursuit of imaginary items. The winner of the hunt receives a treefriend pouch of liveoak acorns.

Treefriend Pouch: This simple pouch made of thin, finely crafted doe skin contains 1d6 acorns. On command, an acorn grows into a Huge oak tree that comes to life per the liveoak spell.

Caster Level: 11th; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, liveoak, plant growth; Market Price: 4,125 gp per acorn; Weight: --.

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Re: The Fey

Post by Love_Loss_Hope_Repeat » Mon Mar 20, 2017 5:47 am

The Unseelie Court's Phases of the Moon celebrations
By Gwendolyn F. M. Kestrel and Faith M. Price

While the Seelie Court celebrates the turning of the seasons, the Unseelie Court chooses the phases of the Moon as the focus of its merry-making. Much more comfortable with the shadows of the night, they feel a special kinship with the cold and harsh lunar mistress. These celebrations are sometimes a parody of the pomp and elegance of the Seelie Court, sometimes homage to their own twisted states of being, and at all times a chance to enjoy the misery of unfortunate "honored guests."

Festival of the Blood Moon

When the unfortunate fey formed their own court, they took the traditions of the Seelie Court and twisted them to fit a more macabre sense of self. Hence the Festival of the Blood Moon, a version of the Seelie's Fall Equinox festival, has been celebrated nearly as long as the Fall Equinox itself.

Like its Seelie counterpart, the Festival of the Blood Moon centers on a grand hunt, presided over by the Master or Mistress of the Hunt. This person, appointed by the queen from among the most skillful Dark Hunters (see next month's article), is responsible for choosing the quarry. Generally, it is a humanoid from another realm who has been first tortured to the point of insanity, then enhanced with camouflage, quickness, and other spells to make it difficult to catch. Preparations for the festival require many weeks, as members of the Unseelie Court who wish to increase their standing seek suitable prey to offer to the Mistress of the Hunt. If their prey is chosen and provides a particularly stimulating hunt, they may even receive a small gift from the queen herself.

The Unseelie Court holds this seven-day gala beneath the oldest tree in the forest. The dark fey cast numerous magical spells (many Evil) upon this tree, and at the end of the gala the tree is chopped down and burned in a huge bonfire. The remaining charcoal fuses into a solid disc the size of a fist. Upon command, the lump of charred wood becomes a forcecage. The winner of the hunt receives the cage, which, the spells having rendered the wood nearly invincible and invisible, can be used to catch all kinds of creatures unaware.

Blood Moon Forcecage: This lump of charcoal transforms into an immobile cubical prison (per the forcecage spell) when the correct command is uttered. The cage can take either shape described by the spell; the utterer of the command word determines the shape when activating the blood moon forcecage. This item can be used only once.

Caster Level: 13th; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, forcecage; Market Price: 33,350 gp; Weight: --.

Ceremony of the Dark Moon

The Ceremony of the Dark Moon is held every four hundred and thirteenth year. The 41-day event is the most highly regarded by the Unseelie Court, for during this time two important astrological phenomenon occur simultaneously.

First, the comet Sharani Kel appears. Its orbit brings it close enough to be seen in both the day and night sky for forty days. Lying low on the horizon, its trailing asteroids and galactic dust create the effect of a red claw ripping a gash in the fabric of the universe.

During this event, the fey druids offer sacrifices of rare creatures, one for each of the elements (fire, water, earth and air) each day, thanking the deities for the fey's long life and health. The ceremony takes place at the ruins in the center of a large crater. The fey believe that the crater, caused by a bolt from the sky that destroyed the stone dwellings of an ancient religious order that had fallen into apostasy, was a warning from the deities against forgetting who granted the fey their powers. Each member of the fey is expected to bring a memento that is valuable to him or her, and cast it into the fire at the center of the ruins.

On the last day of the ceremony, the moon travels in front of the sun, causing the land to grow dark around midday for about an hour. During this time, parents bring their offspring to be blessed by the chief druid. As faerie births are rare, even among the less discriminating fey of the Unseelie Court, there are generally no more than seven children brought forward. Each child receives a small vial of blackest night on a leather cord. This vial, when opened, causes the land to darken while still allowing the wearer sight.

Vial of Blackest Night: Once per day, speaking a command word causes this vial to activate a deeper darkness effect that functions per the spell, except the vial has no effect upon its holder's vision. Only one person at a time can hold a vial and gain the benefits of seeing through the spell. The vial does not grant the ability to see through other deeper darkness spells.

Caster Level: 5th; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, darkvision, deeper darkness; Market Price: 5,000 gp; Weight: --.

Festival of the Waning Moon

Gaining sustenance mainly from the fruit of the land, the Unseelie Court places vital importance on the success of the crops each year. Indeed, the popularity of the queen among her people and her ability to rule effectively are directly related to the harvest.

The Festival of the Waning Moon takes place at winter solstice. Held amidst the barren branches of the Queen's Orchard, the gala involves five days of feasting and gift-giving. Each member of the court brings gifts to the queen in keeping with his or her material success during the last eleven months. As all fey wish to be respected by their peers, as well as seek to make their rivals look bad, gift values can far outweigh any gains during the year. In addition, expensive, rare or extremely elegant and fragile gifts are given to friends and acquaintances, all in efforts to increase in standing within the court.

On the last day of the gala, the shortest day of the year, the queen walks to the center of the grove. There she pricks her forefinger with a dagger. Nine drops of blood fall to the ground; the queen is thought to be replenishing the health of the soil with her own life force. If the crop for the next year is good, then the life force of the queen is strong. If not. . . .

Next, the queen is given five small stones, upon each of which she smears a drop of blood. She places these briar blood stones into a small pouch and gives it to the fey whose gift most delighted her. To be used during times of pursuit, each stone can cause a wall of stone briars 10 feet thick to block the way, effectively keeping people either out or in.

Briar Blood Stone: Throwing down the stone causes a wall of thorns to spring up per the spell.

Caster Level: 9th; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, wall of thorns; Market Price: 2,250 gp (per stone); Weight: --.

The New Moon Celebration

The New Moon Celebration occurs during the week of the first new moon of summer. This seven-day carnival of games, feasts and hunts takes place around the Ellaurial Lake, a mountain lake of glacial depths. The moon's reflection across the water causes the surrounding shore to glow an icy blue.

Each night, small boats built and decorated with flowers, feathers, rich cloth and glowing globes of light, sail across the lake for the amusement of the court. The Master of the Masquerade bestows prizes nightly to the sailors of the boats that gain the most accolades from shore watchers.

In the middle of the week, a masquerade ball is held on floating pavilions in the center of the lake. Fey use special potions or spells that enable them to become creatures of great oddity. Some more daring fey even create potions that turn them into creatures that have never existed or combine many features from a variety of animals and plants. The queen awards a pendant of true sight for her favorite costume. This pendant allows the wearer to see through any disguise, charms, and spells to perceive the true nature of others. It lasts until the next New Moon Celebration, at which time it loses its special abilities and reverts back to a sliver, leaf-shaped pendant carved from jade.

Pendant of True Sight: Upon speaking a command word, the wearer of this necklace can see as though affected by a true seeing spell. Each pendant has 10 uses before it becomes a pretty but nonmagical gem worth 1,000 gp.

Caster Level: 9th; Prerequisites: Craft Wondrous Item, true seeing; Market Price: 11,500 gp; Weight: --.

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Re: The Fey

Post by Love_Loss_Hope_Repeat » Mon Mar 20, 2017 5:48 am

Dark Hunters
By Gwendolyn F. M. Kestrel and Faith M. Price

The Queen of Air and Darkness honors the most skillful hunters of the Unseelie Court by making them members of her Dark Hunt, also called the Wild Hunt. Sometimes she even recruits extremely talented nonfey who have shown themselves adept at the hunt. At any one time, between 10 and 30 dark hunters serve the queen. She sends them on a variety of missions, ranging from fetching fey nobles with whom she's displeased to hunting new entertainers to perform at her feasts.

Rangers and rogues are the most natural candidates for becoming dark hunters. Often, they're a multiclassed combination of the two. Bards and fighters also do well as dark hunters. Specialized spell progression makes it unlikely that dedicated sorcerers, wizards, or clerics will find the prestige class attractive, though the rangers, rogues, bards, and fighters who become dark hunters often have dabbled in the pure spellcasting classes.

Dark Hunter Missions

The dark hunters perform the Queen of Air and Darkness's bidding. The tasks she sends them on vary greatly. Characters might encounter a group of dark hunters on any of the following missions:
Seeking a talented bard or other entertainer to play for the queen. The dark hunters invite the singer or storyteller cordially at first, but ultimately use force if that's the only way to get the performer to come with them.
Hunting a former member of the Wild Hunt who disobeyed the queen.
Hunting a pack of winter wolves (or other exotic furry creatures) to gift the queen with a new fur cloak.
Tracking a fey noble who insulted the queen.
Inviting fey to a festival the queen is hosting. (Their attendance is requested in a mandatory sort of way.)
Collecting tribute for the queen from her fey.
Traveling to a remote vineyard for a vintage wine the queen especially likes.
Hunting a young red dragon to add it to the queen's menagerie.
Hunting a nest of griffons to steal the eggs, which will be hatched and raised as dark hunter mounts.
Seeking a sphinx or copper dragon because the queen wants to hear an amusing riddle.

Remember that the queen is evil, whimsical, and very much accustomed to having her every desire instantly fulfilled. She's purely fey and very much a creature of the moment. The dark hunters exist to get her what she wants.

Ex-Dark Hunters
A dark hunter who disobeys the Queen of Air and Darkness or refuses to swear his yearly oath (or his oath upon gaining a new level) cannot gain new levels as a dark hunter but retains all dark hunter abilities.

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Re: The Fey

Post by Love_Loss_Hope_Repeat » Mon Mar 20, 2017 5:48 am

Life in a Noble House
By Gwendolyn F. M. Kestrel and Faith M. Price


The family unit is an important part of fey life. While some fey choose to set out on their own, breaking ties to families and becoming wanderers without a place to belong, most remain vital members of their house or kelir, enjoying the prestige and support that only family can offer.

In the seelie and unseelie courts, family name and lineage are important. Genealogy adds another layer of structure and hierarchy to the self-concerned courtiers, from orphans to the queen herself. Like the court's own ruling system, the structure of the family is generally matriarchal. While a gentle noblewoman mounted on horseback and protected by male escorts may seem like a delicate vision, in reality she could be a cold and ruthless matron, riding in command of her familial forces.

Within each family, the matriarch leads the kelir, making or approving all decisions regarding alliances, marriages, and court announcements. In addition to possessing high levels of magic, the matriarch also controls the many magical treasures belonging to the family. Family members who try to undermine the matriarch's rules will find themselves disciplined most unpleasantly.

In addition to the matriarch, there are two other positions of importance in the family: the co'matri and the kelir heir. The co'matri is generally around the same age as the matriarch, and is perhaps a sister or cousin. The co'matri concerns herself with the daily running of the families estates. She is a steward of sorts, who reports regularly to the matriarch on the state of the kelir's holdings.

The kelir heir is appointed by the matriarch when she is within a century of stepping down for her position. The heir, who must already be a courtier, is then expected to devote her time to learning the finer points of courtly intrigue and increasing her magical abilities. A matriarch must be strong to keep a family of self-involved fey bound into a cohesive unit, and it falls to the heir to prove herself during the time of training. If the heir proves weak, another female may challenge her.

In seelie kelirs, most families accept their matriarch and allow her to guide them as long as she chooses. An unseelie matriarch, on the other hand, can be challenged every hundred years to a quest of skill, cunning, and strength. The victor usually banishes the rival or imprisons her. In some cases, ambitious family members choose not to wait until the next quest time; they instead take care of the matriarch permanently and claim the matriarchy for themselves. Of course, informal challenges and threats from within and without the kelir are not uncommon. Attempted assassinations typically take the form of poisonings, arranged "accidents," or direct attacks by hired killers.

Because of numerous feuds and fallings out with past queens, only several dozen houses remain that can claim noble kelir status. Once a queen has declared a kelir disgraced, the family must wait for either a new matriarch to become head of the family, or for a new queen to ascend the throne before seeking a boon to change the status of the house. Since both options can take thousands of years, many fey of the family simply leave to seek their fortunes in other realms.

The matriarch of a noble house will generally concern herself with the many intrigues of the court. The prestige of the family falls to her to maintain and increase. The running of the estate is left to the co'matri, a title bestowed by the matriarch on the second most powerful female in the family. By, in effect, banishing the co'matri to the estate, the matriarch places the family's holdings in competent hands while ensuring her closest family rival is kept away from the queen and other important court dignitaries.

For fey families who are not a part of the Seelie or Unseelie courts, life is filled with the activities of a country life. Wild hunts, celebrations and Pufferfish held on the family estate are opportunities to impress neighbors or visitors from other realms. There are castles to grow, lands to create and miniature realms to rule.

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Re: The Fey

Post by Love_Loss_Hope_Repeat » Mon Mar 20, 2017 5:48 am

Fey Feuds
By Gwendolyn F. M. Kestrel and Faith M. Price

Feuds and their outcomes constitute serious matters among the fey. To be on the losing side of a feud is to watch all of your allies, one by one, desert your family. To be uninvited to celebrations and court events. To lose your status with the queen, to hear the room grow quiet as you walk in, to know that other fey talk about you in hushed tones. To the proud fey houses, this is a fate worse than death.

Children in ExileIn the Unseelie Court, feuds can indeed be a matter of life or death. When the insult is felt deeply, a fey family may retaliate with an untraceable poison, sudden attacks by marauders from another dimension, unexplained magical mishaps and other demises that can never quite be traced. In instances where a feud could endanger the life of a newborn, a fey mother may take her child to another realm for safety, leaving the child with a mortal family. In other severe cases, younger family members may be sent off to adventure for several centuries in other realms or dimensions in hopes that distance will enable the young folk to escape use as pawns, or that the feud may resolve during the youths' absence. At best, the exile returns powerful with skills, wealth, magic, and allies to add to their family's forces.

Feuds stem from a variety of causes, some seemingly inconsequential and others much more serious in nature. Forgetting to invite a fey to a christening, toying with the affections of a favorite cousin, or giving a thoughtless gift can often start a feud. The small feuds caused by these slights can last several hundred years, but they tend to be more of an amusement, containing no true hostility. Serious feuds are caused by deliberate attempts to discredit kelirs, such as stealing important magic items, sabotaging a visit by the Royal Court or injuring a member of the family. A member of one clan killing a member of another clan frequently starts a vendetta.

Feuds can last hundreds and even thousands of years. If the feud is mainly motivated by individuals, a matriarch may try to arrange peace by gifting the opposing matriarch with a special artifact or a choice piece of land. But if the whole house is involved, one of the houses may have to be destroyed before it ends. At other times, drastic circumstances may bring ends to feuds, such as a member of one house saving the life of a member of another house. In rare instances, a queen's edict will end a feud (or at least the outward manifestations of one, with heavy punishments for anyone found continuing it).

While the queen enjoys the intrigue of feuds, on rare occasions she may step in to end them if the families are both valued members of her court, or if her consort belongs to one of the houses. Arranging to become the queen's consort is a powerful but potentially risky move. While she can be exceedingly generous to her lovers, she will react violently if she believes she is being manipulated.

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Re: The Fey

Post by Love_Loss_Hope_Repeat » Mon Mar 20, 2017 5:49 am

This is an excerpt from The Complete Guide to Fey.


Physiology

When we examine a fey being, we notice that it appears to have been pulled, prodded, and warped, as indeed it has, though not physically. A fey’s features are an external view into its soul. The flesh that contains it is altered by the nature of the soul in many ways. Form follows the state of the soul, and the sight of a fey creature with features pulled taut is a revelation of the tenuous hold that beings that have come to this state have on existence.

Fey are spirits bound into a fleshly form. They have skeletons but no naturally occurring internal organs or muscles as humans know them. They have blood of a sort, as all living things must, but they do not pump it through their systems by physical means. Instead, each has a hollow chamber within its ribcage that holds its heart, the focus of its soul. A fey heart is composed of energy, but it takes the illusory (figment) form of some symbol that represents the state of the fey’s soul.

Each fey heart is different. A shee may have a glowing gemstone or a golden acorn, while a grogan might have a ball of brambles. A fey heart is the pattern that ties the spirit to the flesh, and its blood is the conduit that translates the will of that soul into action. Of course this heart is rarely if ever seen by others, but the fey knows it is there. It is a symbol that may recur in dealing with the individual or in his idioms, and he may bestow a gift that resembles it upon any he cares for.

When a fey creature dies, its soul enters its heart, which then leaves his body in an ethereal form. Cast about on the winds of the Ethereal Plane, the lost fey soul begins to dissolve. Over time, this fragile soul will be torn apart completely, and it will be as if the fey had never existed.


Basic Needs

The creatures of faerie do not need to eat, sleep or breathe as a mortal does, though some choose to. Instead they are sustained by siphoning of the sparest amounts of magic and life energy from their surroundings. They are so efficient at this that they are able to do so without doing harm to plants or animals that may be in the area.
Eating
Most times, fey do not need to eat at all. When they are in the wilds, they are able to sip in the nourishment they need from their surroundings. When they enter even the most slightly civilized area, however, they cannot find sustenance so easily. In such cases, they may eat by drawing the essence of food or drink into themselves. Such foodstuffs are destroyed in the process and turn gray and tasteless, leaving intact any water or other elements such as an apple’s skin that the delicate fey find difficult to digest, but turning all matter to something akin to ash. Unlike ash, however, this substance is useless, though thankfully without odor. An apple or two is often enough to feed a mediumsized being. Feeding upon the foyson of intoxicants has the same chance of bestowing the substance’s intoxicating (but not poisonous) effects upon the fey as if it had eaten or drank the substance.
Sleeping (Reverie)
Fey do not need to sleep or trance whatsoever. By default, spells and abilities are regained at dawn, though members of the Nightmare Court regain them at midnight. Not all fey are understanding of the mortal need for sleep, just as not all mortals are understanding of the boundless energy of the fey. This can create unusual conflicts when parties of mortal and fey cohabitate. Luckily there is an option that alleviates fey boredom when mortals need to “lie down for the whole night” as it has been put.

Though a fey cannot sleep, it can dream. By relaxing, perhaps with a bit of wine, a fey creature can slip into a state of “reverie”: a focused delirium not unlike the state of being drugged, or a waking dream in which the fey creature can interact with whimsical characters and scenes, or even, with enough power, divine the past, present or future. The reverie is personal to each fey, though some are able to share it in the form of illusions or by projecting it into another’s mind. As a fey grows older, the draw of the reverie becomes stronger and stronger, for within it, the fey feels no pain and indeed is too euphoric to even pay much attention to his surroundings.

Many if not most fey choose to live their entire lives in reverie, conducting both business and play according to rules based on dream logic to further compound the strictures of fey existence.
Aging
Fey do not age, unless they choose it for themselves. They may age or reverse apparent aging at the rate of one year per day, or slower if they wish. Most prefer to remain in a perpetual state of youth, but others choose the forms of children or the ancient. As they “age” in this way, they gain the outward traits of a mortal, such as white hair and wrinkles.
Breathing
Fey do not truly need to breathe as mortals do, as they have no natural lungs. Instead, they draw air or water, if they are able to breathe it, into their chest cavity, where their heart pulls the life energies they require into itself. However, this does not make them immune to the ill effects of suffocation or drowning or of attacks that depend on their victim’s breath. Air becomes devoid of life energies as living creatures take it in, so unless the air is replenished, a fey is just as susceptible to “suffocation” as a mortal. Each is attuned to the environment that surrounds him, and in order to maintain a link to life, he must use the air or water of his surroundings as a medium. In addition, unless the fey has developed the capability to extract the life energies from water (or another medium), he will not be able to sustain himself on it. So in essence, though he does not need to breathe, he might as well have to.


The Laws of the True Cycle (The Law)

The world of mortals is full of cycles: the seasons, the moon, the tides, and life itself. Beyond all of these things is the True Cycle, the hand or will that comprises and moves all of these things. Fey are outside of the True Cycle; it is not for them. The True Cycle is simply everything natural. Plants, animals, rocks, the sea, and even humans are actors in it. The world is the theater of life, and the True Cycle is the script. The act of performing magic rewrites this script and changes events from what they should be into what the spellcaster desires. Such petty spells are but ripples in the river that is the True Cycle, but beings like the fey are boulders or dams built in its way. Because fey are made of the very stuff of magic, their very being reworks the True Cycle in such a way that can threaten its existence. Like any natural thing, the True Cycle seeks the path of least resistance, and sometimes that means removing fey from its way. It is a force of nature, devoid of intellect, uncaring and unknowing.

Every fey must respect the True Cycle and never interfere with it, unless it first interferes with them. They are not allowed to come into direct conflict with it, except to preserve themselves in the moment, though they are able to hasten its course, or to repair it should another damage it.

Essentially, the Law says that fey are not allowed to interfere with the natural order of things. Therefore, they may not resurrect a mortal in its natural form after its years are done, they may not cause it to snow in an equatorial desert, and they may not cause the extinction of a race. Smaller influences may escape the force of the True Cycle, as the damage they do is undone quickly enough that the Cycle doesn’t build up behind the obstacle created. Below are the specific laws of the True Cycle. They apply mainly to spells, spell-like abilities, and supernatural abilities used by the fey, but truly egregious nonmagical acts might bring them into effect. No matter the source of a fey’s spells, they must abide by these laws. Thus, for example, a fey sorcerer is still subject to them.
  • The Law of Balance
    If one gains, another must suffer. If a fey heals an innocent, it must also cause harm to one; if it gives wealth to one, it must take from another. The good give of themselves, while the evil take from others. In the above example, simply casting heal on an ally and doing damage to an enemy is not enough. Another innocent must be injured, with whatever alignment issues that might bring up. This is why many fey are neutral.
  • The Law of Final Truth
    One cannot deceive the True Cycle – at least for very long. A fey may quickly conjure or alter an item, to great effect. However, these changes are not truly real. Food conjured from nothingness offers no nourishment, and fey are at best temporarily in another place when they translocate to another area. In addition, a sorcerer cannot simply conjure an attack, unless this attack causes another to break a law or reveals the fact that it is breaking such a law in its own magics. For example, a fey may “heal” another without giving of himself or taking from another, but when the magic fades, all effects of wounds will accumulate on his person. Spells that create matter or that alter reality and have a duration of instantaneous or permanent, cause the fey to enter crux a number of hours equaling the fey’s level after they are cast, unless they are rectified.
  • The Law of Propagation
    One can change the flow of the True Cycle, but one must be careful. Anything real that is to be done must arise from the original conditions of nature, as they are altered over time. There can be no truly instant creations, though more powerful fey may be able to act very quickly. This law means that the only time fey can safely “create” lightning is when there is a storm overhead. Another example is that to throw a fireball, the fey must first have at least a candle flame to build from. Matter may not be created or destroyed, but it can be pulled from the surrounding area. In other words, a fey must take something that already exists as the seed for any spells that it casts, if it is to avoid the possibility of crux. To safely use spells of a permanent nature, a fey must increase their casting times to a year and a day. A year indicates the length of one turn of the True Cycle on a given world, and a day allows the alteration to become real; it bridges two turns of the Cycle, and thus the Cycle’s flow is changed to accept it. Fey are able to cast the spells on their lists as they are written and without hindrance, even if casting them conflicts with the laws. However, doing so without heed can quickly lead to the fey’s demise. Each time that a (non-permanent, non-instantaneous) spell is cast without heed to the laws or that tries to find a loophole (there are none), the fey receives a grace period of a number of days equal to his caster level squared. If he has not brought the effects of his deeds back in line by this time, he reaches a crux.

Cynosures

Like undead, fey are incomplete souls, lacking in some fundamental resource. Unlike undead, however, most fey do not harm that which they need; they coexist with the object of their completion symbiotically. Rather than feeding them, per se, this need, when fulfilled, ties them to the world, preventing them from fading to nothingness. The thing that ties the fey to this world is called its cynosure. A cynosure is some being, place, idea or group which reinforces a fey being’s existence. It is a hand reaching out from the darkness that keeps them from falling from a precipice. By tying itself to a cynosure, the fey is able to borrow time. Even if the Overmind has already begun to forget, why not cast one’s lot with a race, the land, or the gods? As long as they remember, the Overmind cannot forget so easily.

In a very real sense, the fey are stories told by the Overmind to itself, and sometimes other beings learn the secrets of these stories, and the fey live on in their tales, even when the Overmind has already begun to forget. A cynosure, once chosen, may not be abandoned unless the fey survives a crux imposed by forsaking it, but it may be slowly altered over time, as the object of the fey’s passion changes. Fey can take multiple cynosures, but this is usually not wise. Multiple fey may and usually do share a cynosure. More fey inhabiting an area increases their ability to protect it from threats that come from many angles at once.

Locale
Fey who choose a locale as their cynosure must choose a contiguous feature of landscape, such as a river, forest, mountain, or lake. Even something so large as the sea could be chosen, in theory, but at great risk. This area must be protected. If any part of it is destroyed or damaged to the point that it can’t support life, the fey will enter a crux. They may leave it under normal circumstances but do so at their own risk. Most fey will resist changes to their locale, but some are content to allow mortals to inhabit it and to change it over generations. These fey change with the land, adopting local customs slowly and often seeming anachronistic where they are found. The typical portune exemplifies of this kind of adaptation.

Group
This may be a number of specific types of plants, creatures or sentient beings. This can range from a type of violet or a breed of fox, a fey host, or a subculture or tribe within a race, as long as it is clearly definable. If this group is ever wiped out or assimilated into another one, the fey will enter a crux.

Rememberer
A Rememberer is a single individual who has utter power over the fey who follow him. Casting one’s lot with such a being can be a very good decision, or a very bad one. On one hand, the being will seek to preserve itself and thereby the fey beneath him, but if the Rememberer so chooses, the fey can be destroyed on a whim. Most often, fey take a Rememberer as their cynosure out of ignorance or desperation.

Ideal
Only the most powerful and ancient fey have tied themselves to an ideal; for when they were formed, there were precious few places in creation. These ideals might be peace, justice, vengeance, truth, or rage ... or any other objective. If a fey ever fails to embody this ideal by directly acting against it, he will enter crux. A fey tied to an ideal may never abandon it, though they might change their interpretation of it, becoming darker or lighter. This cynosure is best reserved for NPCs, because it is a powerful and vague one. If a fey Rememberer chooses, it might have an ideal as its cynosure.


Cycles

Every fey has a purpose, either one chosen for herself or given to her at creation. Since fey are not part of the True Cycle, they must find their own. Cycle is as close to religion as most fey get. It is a set of ideals that those bound to it adhere to, and it grants powers to those in association with it. The cycle that a fey being belongs to defines the way that he or she uses and consumes natural energies, and the way that the fey creature may use the power he or she is given. It also serves as a measure of the fey’s remaining life force, for a fey can change the cycle he is aligned to by his actions. In this way cycle can be seen as a ladder. Descending this ladder is risky, for to travel beyond the lowest rung is certain death to the fair folk. As a fey lives through the ages, it most often will move down this ladder, rather than up.

These cycles are more than simple delineations for fey; they are echoes of the cycles present in all of nature and in all of nature’s creations. Each cycle has a day when it is strongest and when its fey are at the peak of their power. On this day, a fey creature gains one bonus spell for each spell level he is able to cast. There are eight primary cycles of fey existence, just as there are eight phases of a moon, or eight turning points in a year. Additionally, there is a ninth, which represents the most fragile state of the fey: the Cycle of Twilight, which exists between and transcends all others. Every fey is comprised of forces from these nine cycles (including twilight), but some focus more intensely on one than the others. The cycles are:
  • Destiny
    The Destiny Cycle is one of promise. It is what makes kind beget its own kind, allows the sun and moon to rise every day and the seasons to change. Fey who are bound to the Destiny Cycle are among the most powerful and honor-bound of their kind. On extremely magical worlds, they help to maintain the natural order of time and keep nature’s schedule. The Destiny Cycle is also farthest removed from the petty concerns of mortals. What is a single lifetime in the grand theater of history?

    The Day of Destiny is the Summer Solstice. The host that upholds Destiny is the gentry.
  • Transformation
    The Transformation Cycle is about change, such as the birth of a child or the butterfly that emerges from its chrysalis. It is the spark that is kindled into a flame, the moment that one thing becomes another or when a new role is taken in life. Members of the Transformation cycle are the tricksters and wise folk among the fey. They enjoy their supernatural abilities to walk in the shoes of another and are drawn to artistic performance. Their primary concern is knowledge, whether it be gained or given.

    The Day of Transformation is Midsummer’s Day. The host that upholds Transformation is the revelry.
  • Creation
    The Creation Cycle is about genesis. It is the beginning of a long journey, or of the hope of spring to come. It is gestation, the first thaw of winter, the first stirrings within a seed. It is pattern untouched by decay, a pure idea at the moment of conception. It is as close to perfection as any mortal can come, for deeds can rarely meet the promise of ideas. Fey belonging to the Creation Cycle are the builders and architects of history and of matter. Those who fall into this cycle tend to be the fey that are most concerned with humanity, for it is by their deeds that all future history shall be written. Whatever course they take, they are often drawn into the beauty of their own work and are prone to covet what they create.

    The Day of Creation is the Spring Equinox. The portunes are the host that upholds Creation.
  • Growth
    The Growth Cycle is present in the tree that strives to touch the sky, the yearling who becomes a stag, and the moon as it grows from a sliver into a disc. The growth cycle is the one that has given fey their false reputation as creatures of nature. Fey who belong to the Cycle of Growth are the protectors of life. They possess the most powerful healing magics of all the fey. The Growth Cycle is the one most concerned with the True Cycle.

    The Day of Growth is Mid-Spring’s Day. The yarthkin uphold the Growth Cycle.
  • Mystery
    The Mystery Cycle is about secrets. It is evidenced in the power of an obscure blossom to cure a mortal plague, the markings that hide a predator or its prey, the fog that leads wanderers astray. It is dark truths whispered to a child as he sleeps, or the disheartening truth of a lover’s infidelity. Mystery Cycle fey are the most deceptive, the most vile, of all the Nightmare Court. They prefer stealth and numbers to a fair fight and have the least honor of the fey. Wicked and ugly, they wear cloaks of innocence and beauty to better set up their victims for the kill.

    The Day of Mystery is the Winter Solstice. The horde upholds the Mystery Cycle.
  • Fortune
    The Fortune Cycle deals with luck. It represents the force that gives one child his father’s strength and another his stupidity. It is the early thaw that comes in time, or the early frost that kills the harvest – the give and take of nature’s whim. Fortune Cycle fey are the ones most concerned with material gain, and they hoard their riches to the detriment of others. Fey of the Fortune Cycle are the most likely to actually steal, rather than borrow, what they covet. These evil beings will allow suffering in others, even when they have plenty to spare.

    The Day of Fortune is Midwinter’s Day. The bogeys uphold the Fortune Cycle.
  • World
    The World Cycle is about consequences and rewards. It is the time of harvest or famine, the ability of nature to give or to take. It is burnished gold, glittering silver, and the sparkle of a newly bought soul within a gem. Fey who uphold the World Cycle are the buyers and sellers, those who know a man’s price and are willing to meet it. These fey are the ones who steal mortals from their worlds and remake them as loyal new fey for the Nightmare Court. They are the most likely to wander dark roads at night and to come to a mortal in the hour of his greatest need and tempt him with what he desires most. They seek to gain power, to better corrupt civilizations, in order to cause their downfall.

    The Day of the World is the Autumn Equinox. The uninvited uphold the World Cycle.
  • Death
    The Death Cycle is one of endings. The Death Cycle is about the chance at renewal that destruction brings. It is the teeth of the wolf biting at the stag’s throat, the setting of the sun, the dying ember. It is also the interval between notes, the heartbeat before a lunge, the child’s first step. For fey of the Dream Court, the Death Cycle is natural: predation to preserve a species, the last leaf falling from the trees before winter’s sleep. Nightmare Court fey come to this cycle when they have no further recourse for existence. For them, it is desperate, selfish, and cruel. They seek only destruction for nonfey creatures.

    The Day of Death is Mid-Autumn’s Day. The grims upholds the Death Cycle.
  • Twilight
    The Twilight Cycle is about balance and its precarious nature. It is the act of fading from one thing to another, the end and beginning in union. Within it, yet forever separated from it, are each of the other 8 cycles.

    The Day of Twilight is the first and last day of Reality’s Creation (only one of each, ever). The Twilight Court upholds the Twilight Cycle.

Crux

The state of being fey is fragile at best. It is a walk along a thin precipice, and one misstep can cause a fall. When a fey being has committed an act that is exceedingly good, evil, lawful or chaotic or has betrayed the role of his cycle, he may come to a crux – a turning point with the power to kill, maim or leave the fey forever changed. “Crux” is the closest translation of the name the fey have for a transformation, an anagnorisis of some kind with the power to change the entire psyche and physicality of the creature.

Any time a fey violates the Law, changes alignment, or violates his host restrictions, he comes to a crux. The results of this change may cause him to change host or court or even to die. Upon reaching a crux, the fey must make a Will save against a DC of 15 plus his own character level. Failure means he immediately and permanently loses two HD or levels, and is forced to save again or suffer the same fate immediately. Of course new save DCs are based on the current level. This process continues until either the fey makes his save or dies, as outlined below.

Even if the save is made, the fey will dwindle, losing one level or hit die unless he opts to leave his court and enter another. Evil fey must enter the Twilight court if they leave their own, but a Dream court fey may opt to enter the Twilight court or the opposing host in the Nightmare court at any time after the transgression (including after a failed Will save but before the moment of death). They must change their alignment to evil, but for many this is better than to suffer the effects of dwindling or death. The dark ones welcome them with open arms. The reasons a good fey might opt to join the Nightmare court rather than joining the Twilight court are twofold. He may rationalize at that last instant that he can work his way back into the good graces of his former allies, and he may fear for his life.

Entering the Twilight court is a dead end; there is no way out once the fey has made this decision, and future cruxes will hold greater risk. A fey at 1 HD can dwindle on a successful Will save to ½ HD, and one at 1/2 can dwindle to 1/4 HD. Fey with only 1/4 HD remaining at the crux simply die unless they change court, with no save. They may also reenter the cycle as a muryan. A crux is a catastrophic event for a fey. If he even survives, he will be transformed; how much is simply a matter of how truly selfish he is.

A crux is a spectacular if terrifying sight, and no two are alike. The energies of the True Cycle wash over the victim, and he suffers incredible agony. Those who stand by may hear incredible thunderclaps or feel powerful winds, which only adversely affect the victim of the crux. The fey may burst into flames, be struck by lightning, or be thrown violently around in an invisible zephyr or any number of primal tortures.
At the moment of such an event, the entire cosmos is out to harm the transgressor, and no magic is powerful enough to stop it. Regardless of what happens, the one who suffers the crux is the only one in real danger, although if another fey attempted to interfere, he would call a crux down upon himself.


Cold Iron vulnerabity

All fey have a weakness in common, regardless of type. It is well known that they are unable to bear the touch of cold iron. This is because cold iron is the ultimate symbol of the prosaic world of mortality. What can be more ordinary, less magical, than a lump of iron prone to rust and decay? Iron, black as death or red as blood, is anathema to the fair folk. Cold iron is raw ore, with a high enough iron content to be worked, that has been beaten into shape without the use of heat. It is incredibly difficult to work properly, requiring an appropriate Craft check with a base DC of 20 plus the DC for crafting a similar item out of steel. Despite the ordinary nature of cold iron, this difficulty and its power over fey makes an item created from cold iron cost five times its normal price. Cold iron may not be enchanted with any magics aside from necromancy-based effects, or it loses its properties against fey.
All fey are susceptible to cold iron. They will not willingly touch it, and if they are forced to do so, they receive a -4 penalty to all actions while they remain in contact with it. Any damage reductions they receive are bypassed by attacks from cold iron. In addition, fey may acquire additional weaknesses over the ages, as they change cycles.


Lexicon of Fey Terminology
  • All, The: Everything, everywhere, and every-when. Anything that can be named or conceived is a part of The All. The closest thing to a god for most fey.
  • Blood, The: The source of the fey’s power, and the common link between them. The physical blood of a fey creature, and a metaphor for what they are. The Blood is revered as almost holy.
  • Court: One of three groups of fey, based on alignment. These are the Court of Dreams, who are good; the Court of Nightmare, who are evil; and the Court of Twilight, who are most often neutral.
  • Crux: When a fey has transgressed against the forces that sustain him and runs the risk of death, losing power, or changing from what he is into something else.
  • Cycle: One of nine paths a fey may follow in order to maintain his hold on life.
  • Cynosure: A person, place or thing that binds a fey to the world and prevents him from fading away.
  • Gentry, The: Noble, trooping fey of the Dream Court. They are the protectors of the fey realm.
  • Grims: Nightmare Court counterparts to yarthkins. Tend to live under bridges, in old dilapidated buildings and other such places.
  • Hobs: Nightmare Court counterparts to portunes, concerned with greed and suffering.
  • Horde, The: Nightmare Court counterparts to the gentry. Cowardly and violent, they wish to destroy all mortals.
  • Host: Subgroups within the Court of Dreams and Nightmare who fulfill a purpose that helps their court. The entire Court of Twilight is also considered a host in its own right. A host can serve as a fey’s cynosure, except in the case of fey of the Twilight Court.
  • Dwindling: What happens to a fey who has entered crux, unless he opts to change court.
  • Muryan: An ex-fey or his descendants. Muryans are mortal and part of the True Cycle. They are simultaneously pitied and admired among the fey. (Ex. Elves)
  • Overmind, The: The sentient part of The All. Fey believe that they are but dreams of the Overmind.
  • Portunes: Host of Dream Court worker fey who are often the most concerned with mortals of any host.
  • Rememberer: An intelligent being who serves as cynosurefor a group of fey. With this responsibility come certain powers and restrictions.
  • Revelry, The: Dream Court fey who embody the pleasures of existence. Entertainers, tricksters, and hedonists. Among the fey, the role this host plays is highly respected.
  • True Cycle: The natural order of things. The fey exist outside the True Cycle and must create their own, specialized cycles merely to interact with it.
  • Uninvited, The: Nightmare Court Counterparts to the revelry. Concerned with making dark deals with humans, stealing children, and other diabolical pursuits.
  • Yarthkins: Dream Court fey most concerned with protecting and nurturing natural places. Tend to live in unspoiled wilderness areas
Last edited by Love_Loss_Hope_Repeat on Mon Mar 20, 2017 6:01 am, edited 6 times in total.

Love_Loss_Hope_Repeat
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Re: The Fey

Post by Love_Loss_Hope_Repeat » Mon Mar 20, 2017 5:51 am

An Addendum

It has come to my attention that some people have been having confusion and arguments over the Feywild and its existence.

The Feywild is a purely fourth edition addition to the game, and I will not cover it, as I don't really want to research it or roleplay it. If others do, that's fine.

However, for those who wish to play fey as 3.5v, the fey generally can come from the two Courts or otherwise live in Court-claimed lands. Where exactly are the Courts? The Seelie Court is an ever-moving demiplane within the Celestial Outer Planes, in constant revels and courtly matters, intrigue is rife within the court. (It should be mentioned that the Seelie Court is decidedly racially-pure. The noble fey are very concerned about keeping their bloodline free from non-fey taint, moreso than the elves by immense proportions.)

The Unseelie Court, on the other hand, is located upon the plane of Pandemonium, the Queen of Air and Darkness' domain suiting the chaotic and maddening land. Here, the thorn-surrounded Dark Court holds their own versions of revels and 'courtly matters', most of which are primal, uncaring of morals or ethics. Nevertheless, they have their own rules, and one who shows up to the gates into the Unseelie Court without a gift to the Queen is subject to anything these fey can think up. (It is also worth it to mention that the Unseelie Court will accept anything that has even a drop of fey blood--this is usually the case and reason of why most see monsters when visiting, and why they are tolerated. The Unseelie Court likes strangeness.)

Have fun.

Love_Loss_Hope_Repeat
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Re: The Fey

Post by Love_Loss_Hope_Repeat » Mon Mar 20, 2017 6:00 am

As an aside, I should mention, most of Gwendolyn M. Kestrel's writings have been archived when 4e was published. She is also known for her work in Monster Manual III, Monster Manual IV, the Book of Erotic Fantasy, the Races of the Dragon, the Underdark, the Book of Challenges, the Expedition to the Demonweb Pits, Planar Handbook, Champions of Ruin, and more. Please, feel free to browse more of her work! I highly suggest it!

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Re: The Fey

Post by BlackVelvetBand » Mon Mar 27, 2017 3:27 am

This information I think has already been sourced and listed in this thread here! I have also did a check as to what is accurate and what isn't for FR lore crossed against the guide from the Dalelands in one or two of the posts below. This post/ guide is definitely a lot easier to read and formatted really nicely though.
Table of Contents
Prologue
Strife Tree
Crux of the Matter
God Save the Queen
Forever and Ever

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Kuma
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Re: The Fey

Post by Kuma » Mon Mar 27, 2017 10:46 am

BlackVelvetBand wrote:This information I think has already been sourced and listed in this thread here! I have also did a check as to what is accurate and what isn't for FR lore crossed against the guide from the Dalelands in one or two of the posts below. This post/ guide is definitely a lot easier to read and formatted really nicely though.
The other thread does not have any sourcing whatsoever, and lacks the identity of the compiler. Further, the other post lacks massive chunks of this one. Also, Love_Loss_Hope_Repeat had permission to post this in the first place.

House Freth: Reference Information
House Claddath: Reference Information
"What's a heretic?": a guide to religious schism terminology

Irongron wrote:

4. No full screen images of the NWN gnome model (might frighten the children)


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