Introduction

In the tapestry of existence, there exists a parallel dimension of boundless enchantment—the Feyrealm. Defined by its capricious and whimsical nature, this realm is a world of fluid geography, where the ordinary rules of time and space bend beneath the weight of wild, untamed magic. The Feyrealm is a realm that defies the conventions of the mortal world, a place where reality is as elusive as the light that dances through ancient, magical forests. The citizens of this realm collectively called the fey embody their home’s nature to a tee, they are capricious and whimsical, often holding strange values and with strange moral codes. As we embark on this journey through the Feyrealm, be prepared to embrace the unexpected, for the fey are as many creatures of spontaneity and wonder as they are mystery and beguilement.

The Fey

The term fey refers to any being that calls the Feyrealm home. The beings that encompass the fey include everything from fairies and goblins to races and creatures of the mortal world that had wandered into the Feyrealm.

The power of the Feyrealm courses through the bodies of the fey, all fey have some form of magical power, the most common is the power to teleport and the power to fade from view. The fey draws their powers from the wild magic that saturates the Feyrealm itself. Prolonged time away from the Feyrealm’s wild magic will cause any fey being to lose its powers. The best-known examples of this are the goblinoid races found in the mortal world, all three of these races had wandered into the mortal world in the ancient past and over time lost their powers. Needless to say, they did not adapt well to not having their powers. However, other examples do exist such as Fairies losing their wings and ability to fly after spending a year in the material realm and satyrs, losing their ability to beguile for example. Once the power is lost, even returning to the feyrealm will seldom restore the loss of powers beyond a shadow of what the bearer once had.

Conversely, any being from the mortal realm that spends more than three months in the Feyrealm will become a fey. Partaking in food or drink from the Feyrealm will cause the transformation to occur even faster. In time, they start to manifest some form of magical power and will usually stop aging. It is also reported that when they return to the mortal world, they will feel a tugging sensation deep inside like the Feyrealm is pushing them back. They will also feel a deep longing to return to the feyrealm.

The tiers of the fey

While the fey might all seem all powerful to the careful observer, they might notice vast gulfs in power between a common goblin and a hag and an even greater gulf in power between a goblin and a duke of one of a fey courts. The fey naturally rank themselves into fey, high fey and sovereigns based on their power.
The ordinary citizens of the Feyrealm are known as the fey. Goblins, hobgoblins, faries and saytrs are all fey. They are the most common form of fey once can encounter.
The High fey, on the other hand, represent a more complex and formidable tier within fey society. While certain beings like hags and unicorns are born as high fey by default, the majority ascend from the ranks of ordinary fey through various means. Becoming a mage is the most common path to high feyhood, with becoming a warlock the most common path. Being an adventurer is a close second to mage craft in gaining the sought after elevation to high fey, as the wild magic of the Feyrealm seems to reward those who achieve great things for good or ill. Fey Sovereigns, the rulers of the great courts, hold the power to elevate fey to the status of high fey, recognizing and rewarding exceptional individuals for their deeds or potential.
High fey who amass significant power, whether through magical prowess, the acquisition of devoted followers, or both, can ascend to the esteemed rank of a Sovereign. These powerful beings carve out their own domains within the Fey Realm, shaping landscapes and influencing the very fabric of reality with their presence.

The Mindset of the fey

It might seem that the culture, norms and outlook of the fey change from species to species and society to society, but there are a few rules and norms that are common to all the fey. It is assumed by scholars that the feyrealm itself enforces these rules, for none among the fey are willing or possibly even able to break them. Key among them are the Law of Reciprocity, The Law of Hospitality, Gift Giving and the Laws of Contracts and Promises.

The Law of Reciprocity

Reciprocity is the beating heart of fey interactions. The fey always honor this law. Those who show kindness receive kindness in return, but perceived offenses will demand retribution. Debts and promises are always honored. When the fey take something, it is always replaced with something of equal value. However what constitutes something of equal value is as fluid as the ever-changing landscapes of the Feyrealm.

The Law of Hospitality

Hospitality is a sacred among the fey. Fey will show courtesy and generosity to those who enter their home, but only those who return the favor and obstain from acting rudely . However, what is considered polite and rude can vary wildly between domains and the diverse species of fey. A courteous gesture in one court might be rude in another.

The Art of Gift-Giving

Gift-giving among the fey is an art form, marked by thoughtfulness and often entwined with emotion and sentiment. Fey gifts carry a depth that transcends the material, reflecting the giver’s understanding of the recipient’s desires and dreams. However, a word of caution echoes through the Feyrealm—never accept a gift of a fey without considering the consequences. Displaying gratitude may unwittingly bind the receiver to the giver, as the fey, obsessed with reciprocity, may demand a favor or gift in return. In some rare cases a gift may even cause a contract to form between giver and receiver.

Bargains, promises and Contracts

It is an often repeated piece of advice in the mortal world, be very careful when you make a promise to a fey. Promises, bargains and contracts have special power in the feyrealm. The feyrealm itself enforces every vow made, every debt incurred, and every deal struck. The fey knows that all debts must be resolved in time, so they are very careful to avoid making promises that they cannot keep or contracts that are impossible to fulfill. However, it is very common for them to take advantage of mortals using contracts. It is also very, very easy for mortals to find themselves in a contract unwittingly. Stealing from a fey, receiving a gift from a fey, making a verbal promise, or killing an indebted creature are among the ways one might get yourself into a contract with a fey creature. Breaking a promise, bargain or contract is generally inadvisable, the Feyrealm itself will deal harsh but often whimsical punishments on any contract breaker. Usually, the only way out of a contract is either the wish spell or divine intervention

Dealing with mortals

All fey, immortal in the sense that time’s touch does not wither them, find themselves within a realm suffused with a mild, rejuvenating magic. Wounds that might prove fatal for mortals often become mere trifles for the ageless fey, a testament to the living nature of their enchanted home. However, this resilience does not soften the complexity of interactions between fey and mortals.

In the intricate tapestry of the Feyrealm, offenses, both real and perceived, seldom lead to outright conflict. Instead, the fey prefer a delicate web of promises, contracts, and gifts to resolve disputes. This labyrinthine approach to conflict resolution makes dealings with the fey both complex and perilous for mortals who dare to traverse their realms.

While many fey find amusement in toying with mortals for a momentary laugh, akin to the mischievous Puck from “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” the attitudes of high fey can be far more treacherous. These regal and powerful beings, adorned with the mantle of immortality, often view mortals with a disdainful gaze. For them, mortals are but fleeting shadows, inconsequential in the grand tapestry of the Feyrealm. High fey may seek to ensnare mortals through cunning contracts and bargains, or, in moments of annoyance, resort to more drastic measures, including the ultimate consequence of mortality—death.

Woe befalls the mortal who captures the attention of a fey sovereign, a being of immense power and influence. Countless tales echo through the ages of individuals snatched away by fey kings and queens to serve as playthings within their courts and ultimately when their capricious masters have tired of them

The Feyrealm

The Feyrealm itself is as capricious, wild and whimsical as its occupants. The whole world is a baffling, roiling landscape overflowing with wild magic. While there are little chunks of stability throughout the Feyrealm the general rule is that the geography flows, stretches and oozes like molten candy. A forest might slowly recede into the distance as one walks towards it, or a town might be hundreds of miles away from where it was the day before. The laws of physics are even more temperamental, bubbles of space where gravity and time work strangely are one of the more common occurrences in the Feyrealm. These factors combine to create landscapes impossible in the mortal world, mountains float upside down through the sky and water flows up river among other oddities.

One notable feature of the feyrealm reported on by outsiders is the seeming sentience of the world itself. Travelers in this realm often report a sense of being watched when no one is around or the geography suddenly changing underfoot to cause, a humorous pratfall. Other times explores have reported that in times of great need, the world transforming in whimsical ways in order to help them. Reports of starving explorers suddenly stumbling across a basket of cakes and cookies in the middle of the woods, stumbling across safe places to hide while being chaseD or being spontaneously found by fey hunting parties while gravely injured in the middle of the wilderness are common. It seems to many scholars that the feyrealm itself has a personality as capricious and whimsical as its inhabitants

Fey courts

The fey naturally align themselves into feudal societies, with weaker fey seeking protection and guidance under stronger and more powerful beings. The leadership of these feudal states is referred to as a fey court and is ruled by a fey Sovereign. More than simply a political unit, a fey court also represents a particular set of values and a moral philosophy. There are hundreds of such courts of all sized throughout the Feyrealm with the biggest consisting of multiple courts serving as vassals to fey Sovereign. The biggest courts are the 4 Great courts of the fey, the Spring Court, the Summer Court, the Autumn Court, and the Winter Court. These 4 courts dominate the political landscape of the Feyrealm with all the other courts allied with, influenced by or rivals of the 4 great courts.

The Spring Court, is associated with the season of renewal and growth. It embraces themes of rebirth, creativity, and the cycle of life. The Spring Court consider the nurturing and fostering of life, creativity, and the natural order to be good. The Summer Court, champions themes of passion, courage, vitality, and celebration. Virtue is found in actions that bring joy, abundance, and protect the vibrancy of the world The Autumn Court, focuses on ideals of balance, introspection, and transformation. The court believes that actions that promote balance, introspection, and adaptability are morally good. The Winter Court embraces themes of reflection, preservation, and the passage of time. Virtue is found in actions that preserve knowledge, maintain peace, and endure challenges with grace.

Inter-court rivalries are not uncommon, adding an extra layer of drama and conflict to the Feyrealm, although it is very rare for conflicts between fey courts to escalate into violence. Disputes between lesser courts might be settled through elaborate games, performance and rituals that seek to prevent open warfare.

Fey domains

Each fey court rules over a fey domain, shaped by the whims and will of the enigmatic Fey Sovereign that rules the court. These personal realms, ranging from the size of a bedroom to that of an entire kingdom, provide stability in contrast to the ever-shifting wilds of the Fey Realm. Unlike the mutable and unpredictable nature of the greater Feyrealm, Domains remain relatively stable, allowing for the development of civilizations within their enchanted borders.

At the heart of each Fey Domain lies the profound influence of its Sovereign. The Sovereign exercise complete control over the geography, weather, and even the passage of time within their domains. Even the laws of space itself can be bent by the whims of a domain’s sovereign. The landscape is a canvas upon which the Sovereign paints their desires and fancies, from majestic forests to crystalline palaces.

Fey Domains are not only physical landscapes but also emotional tapestries, intimately connected to the subconscious of their rulers. The emotional state of a Sovereign directly influences the essence of their domain. A joyous Sovereign might infuse the realm with perpetual sunshine and lively celebrations, while a somber mood could cast a melancholic shadow, turning the skies stormy and the landscape muted.