Understanding the Feywild

Introduction

F
aerie lore is a distillation of superstition,
tradition, and shared belief. Faeries are a way to Th
use stories to impart the rules of communal Highb
living to the younger generation, and to mitigate impo
the effects of tragedies that happen in the not u
community. A mother who killed her child in a
postpartum hallucination would be sentenced
for infanticide, but a woman who recognized the child as a Fe
changeling and smothered it while it slept would be
applauded for her insight and cunning. The
Adventures in the lands of faeries are fundamentally The C
human struggles that are told through an otherworldly Cour
internal logic. The victors are those who show their any p
cleverness and moral virtue by both adhering to the rules and rulers
defining their parameters, lest they become a warning to discu
those who follow in their footsteps. recen
of Tit
Origin of the Feywild The
When the world of Toril was created, the Primordials sorted
its essence and cast out everything that they deemed too The G
bright or too dark. These essences came to be known as the is ass
Feywild and the Shadowfell, parallel worlds that were birth
inextricably linked to the Prime Material Plane. Originally Th
these planes drifted over each other and folded over the As Ob
Prime Material Plane like waves upon a shore. Green
The creatures who inhabited the Feywild occasionally
passed into the Prime Material Plane, and it is from these F
lineages that we have elves and other Fey creatures on Toril.
The times when these planes naturally overlap with the F
Prime Material Plane have waned with the passing ages, and m
the Feywild has drifted from the realm it mirrors. It’s no c
m
longer common for children to wander between the roots of
large trees and find themselves in strange new lands, but
some small villages along certain magical ley lines do still
report these occurrences. Some creatures also have the The
unique ability to pass between the worlds, either through The S
their own power or through a natural ability to find bridges midd
between the planes. Summ
is the
Seelie and Unseelie rivals
“Seelie” and “Unseelie” are classifications in the Feywild that allow
refer to the way that they treat outsiders. comp
Seelie will tend to be warm and welcoming to outsiders, The
and are known to play games with mortals but largely
appreciate them as a source of unending curiosity. The G
Unseelie will tend to be distrustful towards outsiders, and and is
the games that they play with mortals are usually malicious. trans
Th
Cour
Not just faeries! usual
Fey society is incredibly diverse. Although the Fey.
faerie species can refer to tiny humanoids with
wings, it is also a broad term for spirits in some
villages that can include Hags, Vampires, and even
Banshees!

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are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.
The Winter Court
The Winter Court is associated with wintertime and
midnight. It symbolizes death, the end of journeys, and the
clearing of the old to allow new life.
The Winter Court was formerly ruled by the Prince of
Frost, but has been recently overtaken by the Queen of Air
and Darkness. Her real name has been lost to the ages, but
she is said to be a sister to Titania although they are often on
opposing sides. The Winter Court's hierarchy is comprised of
any Fey creature with Fey blood.
The Court of Coral
The rulers of the Court of Coral are sometimes called the
Sea Lords. They are comprised of a group of Fey Lords who
represent the waters of the Feywild.
The Court of Coral is ruled by twin Lords Elias of Shallow
Waters and Siobhan of Deep Waters.
The Argent Star
The Argent Star are a neutral collective who worship the
World Tree, the cosmology that connects the planes. Legends
say that Emmantiensien, the God of Treants, was a
manifestation of their prayers to the world tree.
Emmantiensien has not attended the Court of Stars for
millennia, but followers of the Argent Star attend the Court of
Stars to speak on his behalf.
The Argent Star is led by three ancient LeShay who are
referred to as the Aldermen by those who seek their help.
They await the rebirth of the World Tree at the end of time
and watch his roots grow in the aether of starlit nights.
Unaligned
Although many Fey creatures choose to align themselves with
a Court for cultural, spiritual, or political reasons, many
others do not. There are plenty of powerful creatures that
choose not to follow the Court of Stars, like Baba Yaga and
Hyrsam the Prince of Fools.
There are also some races that do not recognize the
legitimacy of the Court of Stars and do not abide by its rules.
This includes the Fomorians, who are both at war with the
Court of Stars and often engage in bitter civil wars for
supremacy among their own clans.
Rules of the Fey Courts
Each member of the Fey Court must abide by three basic
rules. Although the unaligned and non-Fey are not magically
obliged to follow these rules, abiding by them is a sign that
they will deal in good faith.
1. Speak no falsehoods
A Fey cannot tell lies. Words have power in the Feywild, and
for a Fey creature to lie about the nature of a thing would be
akin to insulting the thing itself. However, this does not mean
that a Fey will not engage in falsehoods. Instead, they will
tend tell incomplete truths and rely on the listener's
willingness to deceive themself.
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are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.
To circumvent this, a fairy can be asked the same question
three times in succession. This will bind the fairy to answer
earnestly, but will often provoke their ire and cause them to
manipulate their answer by changing the circumstances.
2. Keep all promises
Breaking a promise would be akin to speaking a falsehood.
Promises are sacred pacts among Fey that must be followed,
though Fey will often manipulate the circumstances to ensure
that they do not have to abide by the promise's intent.
3. Don’t harm outsiders
A Fey cannot harm outsiders. However, usually Fey creatures
operate under differing definitions of what "Harm" entails,
and often have conditions that allow them to stop regarding
strangers as "outsiders".
Twisting the Rules
All Fey associated with a Fey Court are expected to
follow these rules in good faith, although they
often look for excuses to bend the definitions. For
example, “Speak no falsehoods” means that Fey
cannot tell lies, but as most Fey lack omniscience,
this is generally interpreted as “Do not knowingly
speak falsehoods”. These differences are slight but
unmistakable, and allow many tricks that a clever
Fey can use to gain an advantage in a battle of wits.
8 Rules of Fey Dealings
When dealing with any Fey creature, irrespective of their
position in a Court, it is important to keep these rules in
mind:
1. Choose your words carefully.
2. Never share your full name.
3. Always pay your debts and don’t return more than you
borrowed.
4. Don’t accept gifts and never thank the Fey.
5. Do not eat Fey Food or drink Fey Wine when uninvited.
6. Don’t give Fey cheap clothing.
7. Don’t mention that you have a newborn child at home or
speak the names of children.
8. Don’t step into a fairy ring.
Fey Weaknesses
There are three main weaknesses that creatures in the
Feywild have: Cold Iron, Thresholds, and Running Water.
Cold Iron
"Cold Iron" typically refers to iron that has been forged into a
weapon, but all non-magical pure iron has a supernatural
effect against Fey creatures. In the Prime Material Plane, it is
common in some villages to nail horseshoes above doors and
windows to repel malevolent Fey that may attempt to enter
the house. A death by iron prevents the Fey creature's
essence from returning to the Feywild, and it is usually
regarded as an open threat to brandish iron while in the
domain of another Fey.
A Fey who has ingested iron will usually take great care to
ensure that it is removed from their system. Likewise, an
honorable Fey who uses weapons in combat will ensure that
it is of a sufficient magical caliber to negate the effect of the
metal within.
Thresholds
A Fey cannot broach another's threshold without leaving a
portion of their power behind. Thresholds are physical
boundaries that define magical borders within the Feywild's
internal logic.
Just as words define concepts, thresholds define the
borders between two lands. A Fey cannot cross another's
threshold and it is more common for a Fey to trick the other
individual into inviting them inside.
Running Water
Running water creates a natural threshold in the Feywild. It is
for this reason that many courts use the path of rivers to
define the boundaries between their lands.
Some Fey also believe that ley lines, the flow of magical
energies across the world, are their own form of threshold
and refuse to cross unfamiliar ley lines for fear of leaving
themselves behind.
Traveling to the Feywild
Many who travel from the Prime Material Plane to the
Feywild do so accidentally. Those who attempt to follow will
struggle and usually fail to recreate the exact circumstances
that allowed for safe passage between the two Planes.
Some believe that the Feywild chooses who is worthy of
entering its land and that individuals must gain its trust
before entering.
Time is Relative
Time in the Feywild exists differently than on the Prime
Material Plane. Some places in the Feywild exist in a fixed
point in time, and the time in others may change depending
on how far one is to the east. Regardless, all Fey agree that
there is no universal rule of what the time is at any given
moment.
This makes travel to the Feywild dangerous for anyone
with attachments in other Planes. One could leave to the
Feywild for a fortnight and return to find that their family died
seven generations ago, their kingdom has been long since
forgotten, and that they no longer speak the local language.
Wise travelers agree that it is practical to ensure that all of
one's affairs are in order before embarking on new
adventures in the Feywild.
Stay Together
Because time in the Feywild operates differently than on
other planes, travelers are wise to take precautions to ensure
that they enter and exit at the same time. Due to the
extraordinary qualities that iron has when protecting against
Fey magic, many explorers have opted to bind themselves
together with iron bands to prevent them from separating
during the journey.
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are property of Wizards of the Coast. ©Wizards of the Coast LLC.
When traveling through the Feywild, it is likewise
appropriate to stay within close proximity to your friends,
family, and anything you might want to see again. If someone
leaves for a night, they can't be assured of how old they will
be the next morning.
Returning Home
The magic of the Feywild has a strange ability to make
travelers forget about it. Those who are not physiologically
acclimatized to Fey magic will often forget about the time
they spent in these lands, and often only realize that
something happened when they find themselves significantly
older and adorned in unfamiliar garments.
Traversing the Feywild
Distance
Like time, distance between two places in the Feywild is very
relative. The season, weather, and even the traveler's mood
can have a significant impact on how long it will take to reach
their destination.
Faerie Paths
Faerie Paths are passages through the lands that are used by
the Fey. They are usually brighter and greener than the
surrounding landscape, and often have lines of toadstools on
their borders. Traveling along an established Faerie Path can
significantly expedite a long journey.
Although anyone can use another Fey's faerie path, it is
generally regarded as unwise. Some Fey may feel as though
they have been followed and take offense to the violation of
their privacy. Others may feel that the traveler has used
something of theirs, and expect something in return.
Camp, Food, and Rest
Due to the relative time between places in the Feywild, it is
generally unwise to stop to rest while traveling unless
absolutely necessary. In this case, it is important to create a
circle of salt or iron around the camp to mitigate the effects
of Fey magic while resting.
Most Fey can conjure food and water while traveling to
ensure that they do not owe for any meal. However, if a
traveler must forage while on the road, it is important to
ensure that they leave an offering in equal payment for what
they have taken.
Fey Currency
Some Fey do recognize the value of certain metals and may
accept coin for payment. However, most Fey will trade in
favors or acts. Travelers who find themselves in the
hospitality of a brownie or leprechaun may offer to clean their
house as payment for a meal.
Clever travelers all agree that it is important discuss
payment with fey before engaging in any verbal contract and
to be clear about its terms. A bard who offers to play a song
to pay for a bed to sleep in should be careful to note which
bed and whose, lest they find themselves slumbering in a
nearby riverbed and in the company of something
disagreeable.
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