The Feywild
The Feywild is one of the Inner Planes-- a magical realm that is at the same time familiar and alien. In most parts of the Material world, the Feywild exists as a sort of a reflection of the Material; its landscapes are similar, its seasons mostly the same, and its peoples not so unrecognizable (for the most part) from mortals. However, if one delves deeper they will find this reflection to be far more beautiful and wonderous than seems possible-- and at the same time, far more twisted and uncanny.
The Feywild is a plane ruled by emotion; the True Fey that hold the most power in the realm operate purely based on their own whims, and the landscape itself has been known to twist and change in response to the emotions of those who are passing through. That landscape tends to be unnaturally beautiful, described as dream-like by many who have ventured through the plane; one might see multicolored foliage always in bloom, sun-dappled fields of wildflowers, or soft faerie lights bobbing in a gentle breeze. The sun never quite rises or sets in the Feywild, remaining dusky and low in the sky. The plane is thus always in twilight, with the density of foliage or other aspects of the landscape dictating how much light passes into a given space. While not a perfect mirror, landmarks of the Material Plane might be recognizable in some form in the Feywild; buildings and structures, too, often appear in similar areas (even if what sort of structure actually stands in that area differs wildly between Planes). Not every part of the Feywild is beautiful, however; there are swamps filled with unnaturally sharp brambles, barren expanses of glittering ice, and dark woods where no light from the low-hanging sun can penetrate.
The strange, emotion-fueled landscapes are not the only thing that sets the Feywild apart from the Material. Time works differently here, and often does not follow set rules on how it behaves. There are stories of a traveler disappearing for a day, only to be found the next day ten years older; on the flip side, adventurers have spent a day traversing the Feywild only to find that a month has passed in their world. The twisting, enchanting landscape of the Feywild makes it easy to become lost, but it is this warping of time that makes it truly dangerous to do so (that, and the various denizens of the Feywild who might waylay a mortal visitor for one reason or another).
Speaking of denizens, the Feywild is populated by an assortment of wonderous creatures. There are a host of beasts and monsters that make this plane their home, alongside the Fey peoples that populate it. These populations are divided between True Fey (who are distinct from mortals, and are bound to follow the Rules of the Fey) and Fey-touched (mortal peoples who live in the Feywild and have been influenced in some way by its magic). Ruling the various realms of the Feywild are Archfey-- True Fey of incredible power (the oldest and strongest of which are nearly god-like in their abilities). The Queens of the Seelie and Unseelie Court are the most well-known of these Archfey, but there are many more scattered across the plane (that may or may not be interested in the lives of mortals).
Raen'dor, until recently, was not like most parts of the Material world; rather than the Feywild mirroring the realms, it directly overlapped and shared space with them. Whereas most portals between the Material Plane and the Feywild (known as fey crossings) are small and well-hidden, crossings between Raen'dor and the Feywild could span miles-- it was actually difficult to tell in certain areas, such as the Ardenwood, whether one had crossed over at all (or which plane one might be on).
The Realignment changed everything. It became abundantly clear where the Material ended and the Feywild began, because the Fey side of things was suddenly no longer easily accessible. While there are still smaller fey crossings scattered throughout the realms (particularly in regions where the Feywild had previously overlapped with the Material), journeying between the two planes has become far more difficult in the last decade.
Regions historically known for Fey Crossings include:
- The Ardenwood
- The Jungles of Na'vida
- The Waking Wetlands
- The Sullerwoods
- The Wintercourt Wastes
Included Organizations
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