The Weald
Geography
The Weald or the Faewylde is an Inner Plane whose frequency falls between the Prime and the Chaos Wastes and that appears to be an inverse of the Prime Plane or the Principal World. Its seas correspond exactly with the lay of the land in the Prime Plane, whereas the land corresponds directly to the seas on the Prime Plane. The waters however seem almost endlessly deep and diving deep into them would be monumentally stupid. Despite the physical similarities, travel between the two planes does not put you in the corresponding physical place (so transitioning from land on the Prime Plane does not place you in the Faewylde's seas). Places within the Faewylde do not only correspond to the Prime Plane in appearance, but also in its 'feelings', and when you transition you appear in the place that corresponds to your transition point in terms of feeling. A dark place like an executioner's stage may correspond to a Hag's lair, while a place of worship such as a temple to a God may correspond to a grove dedicated to an important Fae Lord for example. This also means that entering the Faewylde in one place and then traveling only a slight distance within it before transitioning back can place you on the other side of the world in the Prime Plane. It is a plane of eternal twilight, where the 'sun' always hangs low and never sets or rises. Its light is supplemented by floating lanterns, some of which are actually Fae themselves. The other thing that stands out immediately, is the colors. They are vastly different, as everything seems more...extreme in some manner. Whether that is more colorful and vibrant or more dark and gloomy depends on the place and the local Fae. Magic runs freely and powerfully within these lands, and its inhabitants are almost always magically gifted, if not outright magical in nature. The source of this endless magic is the Well of Souls, which is located in its center. It is here that the souls of all Fae return to when they die, and it is this place that infuses the realm and all its inhabitants with its power. The place is guarded by the Ancient Ones, Fae so old that their names and stories have been forgotten. They have retreated into an eternal slumber, and only wake when someone approaches or attacks the Well. The only ones allowed to enter and affect the Well are the Fae Sidhe, four ancient Fae who represent the seasons. When their season begins they approach the Well and spread the effects of their season through the Faewylde via the power of the Well. The Fae not only affect each other or mortals, but also the land around them. The lands belonging to the Godless are dark, gloomy and treacherous with vines lashing out at faces and thorny vines grasping at the knees. It is full of caves and swampland, but what little vegetation grows here is generally healthy. The lands under the Fair Folk are vibrant and colorful, under a clear sky. It is filled with moss-covered standing stones, gigantic trees and colorful plant life, but many of these plants are poisonous or otherwise dangerous. Neither can truly be said to be more dangerous than the other, but both are lethal environments where a single misstep may mean an unfortunate end for any mortal. Famously, time flows differently within the Faewylde and days spent within it could turn out to be seconds on the Prime Plane or centuries instead. In some rare cases creatures who exit the Faewylde at the same time may end up separated in time where they return. This does not appear to affect the Fae themselves, perhaps because they are not beholden to time, or perhaps it is a defense mechanism against non-Fae. More powerful Fae seem to have some semblance of control in this it as well, being able to transition to not only the desired place in the Prime Plane, but also to the desired time. This effect can be mitigated by carrying cold iron imbued with transmutation magic. Such preparations are key if one wants to traverse the Faewylde and have even a slight chance of coming out well.Culture
The Fae do not exactly have organized societies, but they do have their own territories, and care not to tread on another's toes unless they think they can get away with it. The Godless in particular are rather individualistic, in fact they outright hate seeing another of their kind. The ugliness of others reminds them of their own, and this fills them with feelings of revulsion. Certain Godless can hide their ugly natures and are more likely to associate together. An example of this are the Hags, who often organize themselves in groups of three out of necessity, as it allows them to use more powerful magic. The most powerful among them, such as the Fae Lords, will use their outward charm to corrupt the insides of others, and if scorned are a terrible foe to deal with. One should be careful to never encounter one, let alone anger it. The Fair Folk tend to deal with each other more often, but they are no more organized. Contrary to popular believes, they rarely form courts or any of the sort. They tend to simply do as they please, as their nature tells them to. They are always looking for ways to entertain themselves, with no thought towards the consequences. At times they are tricksters that delight in the utter mess that they are causing. Other times, they are simple watchers, aglow with curiosity.The Shadowfell
The parts of the Faewylde ruled by the Godless are dark and gloomy, but these are nothing still compared to the pockets of eternal darkness that collectively form the Shadowfell. They are found in the deepest places and farthest reaches of the Faewylde, but their darkness is not a simple result of a lack of light (which would be impossible considering the ever-present twilight within the Faewylde). These are areas of raw negative energy that pool around the presence of beings known simply as the Dark Powers. They are home to shades of the dead who could not pass, undead reavers, shadow-scarred creatures and manifestations of negative emotions. Few intelligent, living creatures can eke out a living within these bleak lands, where monsters and the dead roam. Most stronghold belong to the intelligent undead such as vampires, who feel right at home here where there is no sunlight. In fact, they are here in such quantities that some believe them to have once been Fae who originate from the Shadowfell. There are a few places that stand out even within the pale, soul-numbing environment of the Shadowfell as particularly hopeless and terrifying. The Planes of Dread, nigh inescapable demiplanes created by the Dark Powers. They form these as a personal prison for evil figures who are the place's most powerful figures and prisoners. The Dark Powers delight in the endless torture of the rulers/prisoners of these places who once sought out their power and paid the ultimate price. Even souls are trapped in these demiplanes, being reborn in new creatures several decades after death with no memory of their previous lives.
Inhabiting Species
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