Fae Lore

Origin of the Faewyld

When the worlds were created, the Primordials sorted its essence and cast out everything that they deemed too bright or too dark. These essences came to be known as the Faerie and the Shadowfell, parallel worlds that were inextricably linked to the Prime Material Plane. The creatures who inhabited the Faerie occasionally passed into the Prime Material Plane, and it is from these lineages that we have elves and other Fae creatures. During this time there was just Faerie, with a Faerie Queen and King, and all inhabitants lived in this "City of Everlasting Change." One could say they were the original Court. One day there was an uprising. Groups of Fae no longer wanted to be part of the entirety of Faerie. They wanted to hold a hierarchy of their own thus branching off from Faerie. These Fae were the beginning of the Unseelie Court. Several wars were fought and soon faerie was lost and in it's place Faewyld began. The overlap with the Prime Material Plane waned with the passing ages, and the Faewyld drifted from the realm it mirrored. It was no 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 unique ability to pass between the worlds, either through their own power or through a natural ability to find bridges between the planes. Highborn Fae are commonly referred to as "Sidhe". It is important to address them as such when referring to them if not using their official title.

Fae Factions

Denizens of the Faewyld are usually referred to as fae. These tricky, magically-infused creatures are as dangerous as the environment they have been shaped by. One of the most dangerous parts of the fae is that there are few truly dim-witted creatures amongst their ranks. Even small, woodland creatures can exhibit intelligence similar to that of an adult humanoid. As with most intelligent creatures, fae of similar mindset and ideologies have banded together to form a number of powerful factions in the Faewyld. Some, like the seelie and unseelie courts, are made up of fae creatures that are native to the Faewyld. These factions are led by extremely powerful, God-like creatures called arch fae. Other factions consist of creatures that have migrated to the Faewyld and made it their home. These creatures have been shaped by their time in the Faewyld, causing them to lose traits passed down by their ancestors and adopt more fae-like mannerisms.

The Courts of the Fae

The Faewyld is ruled by the two major Courts, along with several smaller kingdoms, countries, and towns. The Seelie Court, comprised of the Summer and Spring, rules in the west, and the Winter Court, Comprised of the Winter and Fall, rule in the east. The Courts are set up in roughly the same layout. Both Courts have three female rulers: The Mother (the Queen that was), the Queen (the Queen that is), and the Lady (the Queen that will be) and the King. If the Mother dies in some way, the Queen and Lady both move up, with the Queen ascending to Motherhood and the Lady ascending to Queenhood, and a new Lady selected from the ranks of sidhe, and occasionally mortals, available to the new Queen. Although this is a rare occurrence, the Queens and Ladies of both Courts surround themselves with potential candidates in the unlikely case that a replacement is needed. It is possible, if the Lady dies suddenly, for a possible replacement to immediately absorb her power and become the new Lady. After a replacement, although every Queen and Lady keeps her name, the Queens of a Court will gradually adopt the personality of the one before them, suggesting that the titles, not the title-holders, are the true rulers of the Courts.

People tend to think of Fae as lovely creatures of almost unearthly beauty and grace. This image epitomizes the Fae of the numerous courts of the First World. Many artists and bards, both Fae and otherwise, have striven to capture the beauty of the Fae Courts; most have gone mad, and none have truly succeeded. Pure manifestations of nature and beauty, the members of the Fae Courts view themselves as the pinnacle of perfection. A court Fae can trace his or her lineage back several millennia, showing nothing but true Fae back to the Fae wild's creation.

Fae high society and the Fae realms, be they on the Plane of Faerie or other Fae high-society enclaves on the Material Plane, contain the only creatures whose opinions matter. Politics thrive in this elitist environment. Fae form cliques and factionalize amongst themselves in endless organizations, where status can be won by hosting guests (willing or unwilling) or attracting followers with great skills in a craft or performance art.

Fae Courts occasionally tolerate the company of non-Fae who are beautiful or gifted creatures, preferring those of 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 Fae Courts for outsiders is extremely rare, even more so if the outsiders are not of pure Fae blood. Upon entrance to the court, visitors must be prepared with valuable and unusual gifts for its rulers, or they might find themselves lost in an endless hedge maze. Suitable gifts can include Figurines of Wondrous Power, or magical gems and jewelry.

The physical appearance of the Fae Courts tend to mirror nature, to which the Faewyld is intrinsically linked. The Seelie Court is a good example; White ash trees, strong and stately, with their branches intertwining to create a living ceiling, line the throne halls 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, and queen who sits upon 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 Fae nobility.

Traditions among the Fae Courts

"The Unseelie and Seelie are two sides of the same coin or let us say . . . the same side of two coins." There are various courts of the First World, and each has its own rules, forms of nobility, and different groups rule under different standards. Generally speaking, Fae see themselves as superior to other creatures, having "purer" blood that dates back before the creation of the very Prime Material Plane. This tie is what separates the Fae from elves and other woodland beings, who in the Fae mind, merely ape the traditions of activities of the true folk. Nonetheless, there are several ancient traditions that all the courts follow and adhere to. These traditions have allowed all the various courts of Fae to interact and are considered inviolate and unbreakable, regardless of one's allegiance to a Fae Lord. These include.

• Fae society is incredibly diverse and mostly matriarchal. This means that men will tend to be of lower status than women of comparable rank, and children will usually take their mother's surname.
• One's Word is One's Bond: Once word is given, one is honor-bound to fulfill it, and all others are held to the same standard. An oath-breaker may be punished by death. Careful wording of oaths, however, can create allowances (also known as "loop-holes"), so one should take great care when asking Fae for promises, or when giving their word to a Fae.
• Giving Gifts: Unsolicited gifts are held with suspicion. A gift suggests an unspoken obligation to the giver and is an especially grave insult if the giver is unknown. The price of a gift must be made clear upon giving, lest one anger the Fae, even though an ignorant non-Fae might simply be trying to show kindness. If a Fae gives a gift, there is always a reason, and the Fae will, at the very least, make these obligations clear in some fashion or another.
• Tears as Gifts: The only exception to gift-giving, is in the shedding of "Fae Tears" (or other fluids, such as blood among the Unseelie, or Shadow Courts), as gifts to those who caused the flow. Emotion, including great passion, are also viewed as gifts, and a Fae generally shows attachment towards those who have elicited great emotion, and therefore the gift of emotion. It is, however, not necessarily a good thing to attract the attention of an Arch-Fae, especially among some of the darker courts.
• Acknowledge Beauty: It is considered rude not to acknowledge the beauty of the Fae. Seemingly flirting at all times, it is really a simple reality of politeness and etiquette among the Fae, Overt sensuality among the Fae is therefore quite common.
• Protect Life bearers: Low levels of fertility among most of the Fae, having forced many to keep their bloodlines pure and vital under what most non-Fae creatures might view as racism. This tends to result in most Fae looking down on half-breeds with other races, though they will never harm either children or the pregnant. Aufs (An Auf was believed to be a Fae that had been left in place of a human stolen by the fairie) have a history of popular acceptance among the Fae courts, as their children tend to remain pure of blood and favor the Fae in the pairing, with pure-blood Aufs only resulting from mating with their own kind.

The Laws of the Fae

Nearly all fae are bound to a specific set of rules. Some fae can break some of these Laws (see Sidhgard below), but for the most part, they can be seen as a static code among fae. Fae are physically unable to break these laws. Moreso, they do not see these laws as boundaries, but simply as the way things are. A fae creature cannot comprehend the idea of telling a lie, for example, although they know that mortals are able to, and are always on their guard. The rules of the fae are known as the Laws, and are worded in three simple commandments.

Each member of the Fae Court must abide by three basic rules. Although the non-Fae in the faewyld are not magically obliged to follow these rules, abiding by them is a sign that they will deal in good faith.

1. Speak No False Words: A fairy cannot knowingly tell a lie. Words have power in the Faewyld, and for a Fae creature to lie about the nature of a thing would be akin to insulting the thing itself. This does not mean that a fairy cannot or will not engage in falsehoods or spread deceit, or trick an adversary into believing a falsehood. It simply means that a fairy cannot speak false words. By nature, fairies never tell the full truth, weaving their words in such a way as to avoid lying while at the same time leaving an impression of something false or incomplete in the mind of the one they are talking to. The closest thing a fairy will give to an absolute truth a fairy will give, outside of certain circumstances, is their answer to a question asked three times in succession. If asked in such a way, a fairy is bound to give some sort of answer or promise that is true and not misleading. In such a scenario, a malevolent fairy will often do everything in their power to warp the truth after the fact, making the situation seem much more confusing than it really is, or vice versa.
2. Break No Oaths: A deal made by a fairy is absolute, and a fairy cannot willingly break a deal, oath or promise. Doing so would be akin to speaking a falsehood, so Fae, by nature, try to make deals with other creatures that they want power over, often with the payment owed to them seeming much smaller or easier to pay than it truly is, or else not mentioning a return payment until after the deal has been accepted. Failure to pay within the given time results in the fairy having power over the dealbreaker, which was the original goal. A deal a fairy offers will always be equal, and anything offered by a mortal, should it be anything other than equal payment, will be seen as either an opportunity or an insult. Fairies hate to be in debt, and cannot give or take anything for free. Accepting a gift from a fairy is the same as accepting an open-ended deal, and the fairy can extract payment as they see necessary. At the same time, giving a gift to the fey puts them in debt, which they hate. While they are forced to repay their debt, they will also look for an opportunity to harm the gift-giver, except for very special circumstances. Similarly, promises made to or by the fey are binding, and must be fulfilled. An oath of fealty can only be broken through an agreement on both parties. Additionally, a vassal must fulfill all of the orders of their master, and their master cannot order them to break any previous oaths, and can only inflict harm on them if they fail to complete their orders to the master’s satisfaction. Prisoners are automatically considered vassals. Promises are sacred pacts among Fae that must be followed, though some Fae will often manipulate the circumstances to ensure that they do not have to abide by the promise's intent.
3. Harm No Outsiders: A Fae cannot harm outsiders. However, usually Fae creatures operate under differing definitions of what "Harm" entails, and often have conditions that allow them to stop regarding strangers as "outsiders". Fae belonging to any court, even temporarily, cannot directly harm a Fae or mortal that does not belong to the same court, or is not ranked lower than themselves, unless if they are slighted by the individual beforehand. Duels are accepted, and open combat between the Courts is also allowed. Because of the specifics of this rule, predators who wish to hunt prey that does not belong to them try to enter a deal with their prey or cause their prey to slight them, allowing them to hunt to their heart’s content. Different types of Fae have different definitions of a slight, and these definitions are absolute. For example, if a creature intrudes on a Malk or Kinnie Ker colony’s territory without offering something to the resident Fae or proving their strength in some other way, it is considered fair game, and is hunted down mercilessly.

Twisting the Rules

All Fae 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 Fae cannot tell lies, but as most Fae 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 Fae can use to gain an advantage in a battle of wits.

Social codes in the Faewyld

Because each faction holds devastating power, there are ancient and elaborate social codes that help maintain the balance between the fickle members of the Faewyld. These social codes are imperative to ensure that the Faewyld remains in a relative, if somewhat uneasy, state of peace. Open war between any two of these powerful factions could cause the total destruction of the plane and hold serious ramifications for the multiverse as a whole. Most creatures in the Faewyld are so adept at complex politics and subtly worded contracts that they can ensnare mortal travelers in unfavorable deals with relative ease. Mortals that are able to abide by the etiquette befitting members of the Fae, and spar using clever negotiations, are likely to gain favor faster than those who tend to approach situations with brawn.

What do the Courts do?

In a nutshell, the Faerie Courts are the paramount social structures of Fae society. The Courts are very strong political allegiances that enforce their philosophy on existing members, recruit for new members, build armies, hold say in seasonal power, and blood nobility in an odd communist society only the nobles truly have.

The Mothers: The Mothers are widely considered to be two of, if not the, most powerful creatures in existence. Magic is as easy to them as breathing, and they need only think and let it be done. They are old and grisled, much like the ancient hags, and simply go by Mother Summer and Mother Winter. There are rumors that they might perhaps be two of the legendary Fates, who spin the lives of mortals and immortals alike, but it is unclear who the third might be if this is the truth. The Mothers live in a secluded cottage in the middle of a forest in the Faewyld. Only a select few know the location, and those who truly need to find it are drawn there. The Mothers spend their time in the cottage, taking in incomprehensible amounts of information about the planes so that they can share it with those who come to them. Mother Summer appears as a kindly grandmother figure, who talks kindly to those who approach her with respect and appears to be happy to share information, although she gives only what is necessary at any given time. Mother Winter, on the other hand, appears as an ugly crone who forces those who come to her for aid to prove themselves through will, magic, and strength, all of which she has plenty of. She does not take kindly to being interrupted, and spends her days weaving powerful magic artifacts, which Mother Summer occasionally gives to adventurers who need them in exchange for their aid in solving a problem. The Mothers are much less manipulative than other Fae, and are significantly more straight forward. Attempting to double-cross them, however, is almost guaranteed to lead to a painful death.

The Queens: The Queens of the Fae Courts are polar opposites of each other. They are incredibly powerful, and although they are not comparable to the Mothers, they use their powers for much more than subtle aid, defense, and creation. The current Summer Queen, Titania, is a jealous, protective Archfae who sees herself as a mother to the Faewyld and the material plane. She accepts no insult, destroying those who attempt to betray or get the upper hand against her, and sees an attack on a summer Fae, whatever the reason, as a personal attack on her person. While she will not attack individual or even groups of Fae who attack mortals on the material plane, she makes it her personal duty to stop Winter from gaining land and power in the Faewyld, and large groups of winter Fae on the material plane are seen as a threat that must be stopped immediately. Mab, on the other hand, is coldly logical. She values creatures for their use to her, and does not take steps to defend or avenge them. In her eyes, the death of a servant proves that that servant was not worthy of survival. She calculates every move, and creates plans so vast and complicated that even after they have come to completion, whether a success or a failure, her influence is barely noticeable until she chooses to involve herself. She treats winter Fae as pawns, giving orders that make little sense or that are not even meant to succeed, but that put her in a position to increase in power, stop the advancement of an enemy, take revenge, or put her in control of more servants.

The Ladies: The ladies are essentially Queens-in-training. Their powers are potent enough to command the Fae legions, but they still answer to the Queens, who could smite them with little to no effort. Aurora, the current Summer Lady, embodies the spirit of kindness and compassion. She might not be forthcoming with information, like most Fae, but she is hospitable and uses her magic for light and healing. Because of her nature, she cannot give things away for free, but nearly always asks for minor payments. Maeve, the Winter Lady, is the opposite. She is cruel and manipulative, taking pleasure in causing pain, especially those who cannot defend themselves. At the same time, she delights in power, and if a creature manages to stand up to her, she happily offers it a place of servitude in her personal entourage. Maeve tries to make deals with mortals that she takes a liking to in order to trap them in eternal servitude to her.

The Court of Stars

The Court of Stars is the name of the assembly of the Green Court, Summer Court, Gloaming Court, Winter's Court, and any powerful unaligned creatures that wish to attend. Any two rulers of the other Fae Courts can call the Court of Stars to discuss matters pertaining to the well being of the Faewyld. During the time when spring and Summer or prevalent the Court of Stars is governed by Mother Winter who acts as the Speaker of the court, When Autumn and Winter are prevalent this duty falls to Mother Winter.

The Seelie Court

• The Summer Court is associated with summertime and midday. It often symbolizes life, strength, and journeys. The Summer Court is selective about who it allows among its ranks, and the hierarchy is mostly comprised of pure-blooded Fae creatures. The Summer Court represents what people see as the benevolent side of the Fae. The fae of this court are generally considered more polite or mannered, albeit they are still very capable of cruelty (but will be more hush-hush, or subtle about it). The Summer Court has free reign over summer solstice and spring equinox months and are strongest during that time. Needless to say, the fae of this court are frivolous, venereal, hot-headed and what have you. They are the epitome of summer.
• The Spring Court, sometimes called the Green Court, is associated with spring and the dawn. It often symbolizes birth and the promise of new beginnings. As Oberon is often with Titania in the Summer court, the Green Man deals with day-to-day matters. The Spring Court is seen as the much "calmer" ones to the benevolence of the Fae compared to Summer. The fae of this court are generally polite and bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. These fae are more apt to lure humans in with sweet dew. They also have blossoming curiosity. The Spring Court is strongest during the ends of winter and throughout the spring season, despite the Summer Court having reigned. These fae are peppy, quiet, seductive, emotional, and vernal obviously. The epitome of spring.

The Seelie Court is more often associated with light magic and kindness toward (or at least coexistence with) humans. They occupy more traditionally "picturesque" natural spaces like gardens, meadows, waterfalls, and forests. Seelie faeries are more likely to live in kingdoms or traveling troops than their Unseelie counterparts. However, just like all fae, they are prone to mischief and do not take slights or insults to their kind lightly. The seelie Fae are loyal to the arch Fae Queen Titania and her Summer Court. The Summer Court is primarily made up of sylvan creatures, such as centaurs, dryads, satyrs, pixies, and sprites. Although neither the seelie nor unseelie are particularly concerned with the safety and well-being of mortals that cross into the Faewyld, the Summer Court has a greater tolerance for mortals, and members usually have less of a desire to eat them. The Summer Court, however, is known for abducting playwrights, musicians, and poets from the mortal world so that they can provide entertainment. These artists become enraptured by the lavishness and beauty of the Summer Court and might be surprised to find that dozens of years have passed in the Material Plane by the time they stumble out of a Fae crossing. Seelie Fae tend to live with a boldness and aggression that suits the warm temperatures and bountiful harvest of summer. Though, like the hot days of summer, a summer fae's welcoming nature can quickly turn to a thunderstorm of anger. Once angered, members of the Summer Court are eager to vent their wrath upon those that wronged them.

The Seelie court has 3 Queens, a King, and a Knight.

• The eldest of the Queens (Aard} is called either Mother Summer or the Queen that was. She represents the Seelie Court but has no official power save as the Wisdom of the Seelie in the Assembly of the Court of Stars, and is an extremely powerful being, with unseen connections.
• The next queen (Titania) is often referred to as the Summer Queen or the Summer Maiden. She controls Summer Court and is the true ruler of the Seelie. She is the daughter of Mother Summer.
• The youngest Queen (Aurora) is referred to as the Lady, Summer Lady or The Queen who Is To Come. She is considered to be a Queen in training. She is the Daughter of the Summer Queen.
• The Seelie King (Oberon) is referred to as the "Lord of Beasts", "Elder-King" or "King of the Fae". He rules the Spring Court.
• The Summer Queens and King, cannot directly interfere with or kill anyone who isn't attached to their court through birthright or bargain, though they can do so indirectly, with trickery, guile or glamour. In order to circumvent this limitation, a Summer Knight is appointed to do so (see Mantles of Power below).

The Seelie Court is filled with the beautiful faerie entities that many expect the fae folk to be. Those of the "higher-ranked" Seelie are typically enchanting, beautiful, and gorgeous beyond measure, enough so that any mortal that set eyes upon them would fall deeply in love. The Seelie fae are generally honorable and loving. They believe in the idea of love as a transcendent quality, oftentimes matching themselves with humans they deem beautiful. For the Seelie, beauty and youth are the necessary elements that determine their interactions with mortals. Then, of course, there are certain creatures of the Seelie Court that can be known at times to play mischief upon mortals. However, their actions, while inconvenient, never amount to true and violent harm.

The Unseelie Court

The Unseelie, the "Unholy" or "Unblessed" Court consists of the malicious and more evilly-inclined fairies. Unlike the Seelie Court, offense is not necessary to bring down their foes or anyone they choose to bother for that matter. As a group, or the 'host' as we Fae call it, they appear at night and assault travelers either 'physically', emotionally, and/or mentally - especially spiritually ignorant folk. Like the faeries of the Seelie Court, neither are the faeries of the Unseelie court always evil. However, when one of them is forced to choose, they will naturally prefer to harm than help. The Unseelie court is made up of the Autumn Court and 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's hierarchy is comprised of any Fae creature with Fae blood. The Winter Court represents what people see as the malevolent side of the Fae. The fae of this court frown upon humans. They're more inclined to talk about their open cruelty. This makes them look none other than evil; however, one chooses to define evil. The Winter Court has free reign over winter solstice and autumn equinox months and are strongest during that time. By and by, the fae of this court are sensible, chilled, dark, baleful, and what have you. They are the epitome of winter.
• The Autumn Court is sometimes called the Gloaming Court and is associated with autumn and dusk. It symbolizes transition, liminality, the boundary between life and death. The Autumn Court is seen as the equally malevolent side of Fae in comparison to Winter, but much more middling. The fae of this court are generally the ones doing the "dirty work" and "trooping". However, these fae can have much nicer sides than any of the Fae and return great favors. The Autumn Court is strongest during the ends of summer and throughout the autumn season. These fae are strong, mystique, eerie, ravishing all the same, and devious. The epitome of autumn.

The unseelie consists of the members of the Faewyld that lurk in the dark and cold. These isolated creatures are usually the hunters of their ecosystem, wanting to kill rather than grow. Creatures that follow the Queen of Air and Darkness and her Court usually consist of darkling, red caps, displacer beasts, and other blood-thirsty creatures. The nature of these beings makes them more unpredictable and dangerous than their seelie counterparts. While it might be possible to bargain with a centaur to gain passage through a glade, you likely won't get the chance to see a Yeth hound before it strikes. Fae of the Unseelie tend to view the world with a somber, cold grace, like that of a silent winter's night. Less frivolous than their summer counterpart, the winter Fae still revere beauty in their own right. Gathering in castles of intricately designed, sculpted ice, the Gloaming Court's parties are more apt to contain a single violinist playing for a silent crowd of winter Fae, rather than a cavorting mass of dancing summer Fae.

The Seelie court has 3 Queens, a King, and a Knight.

• The eldest of the Queens (Skuld) is called either Mother Winter or the Queen that was. She represents the Unseelie Court but has no official power save as the Wisdom of the Unseelie in the Assembly of the Court of Stars, and is an extremely powerful being, with unseen connections.
• The next queen (Mab) is often referred to as the Winter Queen or the Queen of the Evergreen. She controls the Winter Court and is the true ruler of the Unseelie. She is the daughter of Mother Winter. She is the primary Arch Fae of the Seelie and wields a power that rivals most gods.
• The youngest Queen (Maeve) is referred to as the Lady, Summer Lady or The Queen who Is To Come. She is considered to be a Queen in training. She is the Daughter of the Winter Queen.
• The Unseelie King (Cerunnos) is referred to as the "Dark Lord", "King of Wild Things" or the 'Horned King". He rules the Autumn court.
• The Winter Queens and King, cannot directly interfere with or kill anyone who isn't attached to their court through birthright or bargain, though they can do so indirectly, with trickery, guile or glamour. In order to circumvent this limitation, a Winter Knight is appointed to do so (see Mantles of Power below).

The Unseelie Court is filled with fae folk that abhor the mortal realm, often approaching humans with the intent of bringing destruction in their wake. It is NOT a pleasant experience when it comes to encountering any faery of the Unseelie. The Unseelie is the polar opposite of the Seelie. These faeries are ugly, malicious, and downright evil. They are the hideous orcs to the beautiful elves, the dark side of the moon. Where the Seelie saw responsibility in their magical powers, the Unseelie saw their "glamour" (or power) as the ends to every means; the Unseelie faeries used their magic for whatever purpose that served their wants. The Unseelie spit at honor. They decide everything by putting their passions first. They are practically the lowest of the lows, and they don't care what anyone--let alone mortals--think on the matter.

Mantles of Power

Because the Fae cannot break their Laws or change their nature, each court employs a mortal, which goes by the title of "Knight". The Knight takes on the Mantle of their Court, which improves their senses and grants them magical abilities,in return for their lifelong service. While the Knight still has free will, they are required to do as their Queens say, or else risk punishment.

The Summer and Winter Knights both tend to live on the Material Plane, traveling to their Court's stronghold in the Faewyld on special occasions. They are also contacted by a representative of their Court when they are required to do something. Favorites of the Queens typically receive orders from them, while others get their orders from other sidhe. Of course, because there can only be one Knight and the only way to lose Knighthood is death, few Knights ever realize this.

The Knights also take on some of the weaknesses of the Fae. Some cannot touch iron, cross running water, or enter a dwelling uninvited without being harmed or losing their powers temporarily. It is random as to which weakness or weaknesses they will aquire or if any at all.

The Summer and Winter Knights have very different assignments. Mab typically calls on the Winter Knight as an assassin, to kill someone that she cannot have a Fae harm due to their Laws. The Summer Knight, on the other hand, is most often called to stop the Winter Knight. As such, the Knights most common relationship is one of rivalry and constant fighting. Knights are most commonly slain by each other, rather than by the Fae or by their assignments. A knight's Mantle comes from the Queen and, should there not be a suitable vessel available for its transfer, returns to her at the wearer's death.

When a Knight needs to be replaced while still alive, the Queen will often go about this replacement by having the new Knight execute the old one. This first assignment grants the new Knight their power and proves their loyalty to their Queen.

A Note on the Sidhgard

Because the Knight is not a Fae creature, most do not know much about the Faewyld. In order to stop the Knight from perishing due to ignorance, each Court assigns a Fae, typically an Eldarin, to work with their Knight as a combination of a squire, guide, and assistant. This Fae, a sidhgard, is assigned at birth, and serves until their death. They are expected to do everything within their power to assist the Knight, and as such, are exempt from the laws of the Courts.

The Wild Hunt

The Wild Hunt is sometimes known as the Goblin Court, and is a ghostly horde of battle-hungry spirits that travels the world in a never ending chase. Comprised of snatched human souls, violent and disquieted spirits, and faeries or humans guilty of crimes against the fae, the Hunt brings chaos wherever it goes. They are brought together during seemingly random years, on the eve of the Feast of the Moon, to hunt their quarry throughout the Shadowfell, Faewyld, and material plane. They split into three groups, one for each plane, so that each Huntsman can hunt as much as possible. They move like one single tide, a force of nature. They cannot be stopped, and their path cannot be changed by any other than their leader. They make use of shadow creatures, which they bind to their will, and occasionally displacer beasts and other beast-like fey and monsters that share predatory urges to ride on and to force their prey out of hiding. They do not harm structures, and creatures that show a predatory nature are permitted to join the Hunt. A powerful and determined creature is capable of taking control of the Hunt by fighting the current leader while riding, and if they do, they are granted control of the Hunt until they give it up. The Feast of the Moon rituals were enacted long ago to keep civilized creatures indoors when the Wild Hunt is free.

Huntsmen: Members of the Wild Hunt are called Huntsmen. A Huntsman wields one or more Huntsman's Weapons, which were forged by the Erlking himself. These weapons inspire bloodlust in their wielders, who refuse to part with them. Using these weapons, Huntsmen can wrap themselves in armor made from the energy of the Shadowfell and can call forth shadow creatures. A Huntsman cannot be harmed by Huntsman's Weapons, and neither can the Lords of the Hunt. Most Huntsmen live their lives as normal creatures on their home plane, but when the Hunt calls them, they travel to the Shadowfell, where they prepare for the Hunt. When Huntsmen die, their spirits are drawn to the Shadowfell, where they join the Hunt one last time before drifting away to the afterlife. Huntsmen that become ghosts or have their spirits captured in other ways do not have this opportunity.

Lords of the Hunt: The Wild Hunt is led by three lords. Each one leads one portion of the Hunt to a specific place, and they rotate which leader goes to which plane.

• The Erlking: The true leader of the Wild Hunt. He is an archfey that appears as a nine-foot-tall humanoid with asymmetric features and mismatched eyes. He wears a helmet adorned with antlers, heavy-looking black armor, and a cape made from the hide of an owlbear. He runs down his quarry on a huge black horse with a greatsword large enough that even ogres and trolls would need both hands to lift it. He moves quickly and is much too agile for his size, and uses his sword one-handed.
• Woden: A figure who appears for the Hunt, and is powerful enough to lead it. He appears as a humanoid just as tall as the Erlking. He has a scar over one eye, and wields axes, spears, and a variety of other weapons that he changes out throughout the Hunt. His identity is not known, and some suspect him of being an angel, or perhaps even a god.
• Vold: The Erlking's right hand. He is an archfey that appears as an ogre-sized gremlin with a hunched back. He rides a wolf-like creature made of shadows and hurls spears with barbed tips that embed themselves in the skin of his quarry, bringing them down so his mount can kill them.

The Shadow Court

The Shadowfell: Scattered throughout the eternally-twilight realm of the Faewyld are pockets of darkness. These pockets range in size, with the smallest being a few square miles wide, and the largest being the size of continents. These areas of negative energy are collectively known as the Shadowfell. It is eternally night in these areas, which are ruled by strange forces known only as the Dark Powers. These forces serve as a prison of sorts for villains, creating demiplanes throughout the Shadowfell, which are ruled by their most powerful figure and prisoner. Creatures wandering the Shadowfell can find themselves on strange planes, which sometimes appear on the material plane, and soon realize that they cannot escape without the help of certain creatures and objects, like the Vistani tribe, shadow creatures, and hexblades. Even souls are trapped in these demiplanes, being reborn in new creatures several decades after death with no memory of their previous lives. The Dark Powers delight in torturing the "rulers" of these demiplanes, who once sought evil power and received it, at the cost of their eternal life.

Outside of these demiplanes, shades of long-dead heroes, undead reavers, shadow creatures, and various monstrosities roam the land, which is scarred and bleak. There is next to no color in the Shadowfell, and creatures that come here rarely leave without suffering from the dark, depressing, suffocating atmosphere of the place. Some intelligent creatures eke out a living here, creating strongholds against the monsters and zombies, but they are often twisted themselves, or else are very suspicious of wanderers. Vampires and their spawn feel at home here, where there is no sunlight to harm them, and many believe that the first vampires were once Fae who traveled to the Shadowfell, due to their shared abilities and their vulnerabilities to running water and thresholds.

"Good and evil lie close together." The Shadow Fae of the First World, are fae creatures who are tainted by their approximation to the Shadowfell. As the so-called "children of the shadows", they live in a portion of the Shadowfell, known as the Shadow Rift, a strange and fantastic place that stands as a gaping wound in the heart of the Faewyld, and remains a mystery even to other creatures of that realm. It acts as a counterpoint to the Border Ethereal, which insulates it from the Ethereal Plane itself. Thus, while still a part of the Faewyld, it has much more in common with the Shadowfell.

The Shadow Fae are a diverse people who run the gamut of to ethical spectrum from good to evil, from lawful to chaotic. Most belong to one of the so-called "Nine Breeds": Alven, Brag, Fir, Muryan, Portune, Powrie, Shee, Sith, and Teg. While each breed is unique with its own traditions and beliefs, all Shadow Fae share a few common interests. Effectively, the Shadow Fae form their own independent court, though most are known as "Wildfae", and are commonly found in other Courts.

The Laws of Arak: All Shadow Fae honor the name of their founding father, Arak. The Laws of Arak states that no Shadow Fae will deliberately slay another, and that those who break this law are shunned and driven into exile. Mischief: All Shadow Fae have keen senses of humor and are prone to make mischief from time to time. The form of this humor depends on the personality and moral compass of the Fae, ranging from harmless practical jokes to dangerous and even deadly. The type of Fae involved is also relevant; Sith have a morbid sense of humor, while Portune have a very dry wit; Shee love to mess with other creature's emotions, while Fir have such a strange sense of humor that other Fae do not understand, much less mortals.

Dependence: While the Shadow Fae have adapted to their new realm in the Shadow Rift, they remain unaccustomed to the ways of mortals and humans. As such, they take a great interest in the mortal realms, and with long centuries of relative boredom and sameness, often seek to escape by amusing themselves through interaction with short-lived, unpredictable mortals. In addition, they often raid mortal communities for supplies, tools, and other things. Seldom violent in nature, they generally involve sneaking into homes and stealing what they need in the dead of night. Some, such as the good-aligned Fae often try to pay for what they take, leaving behind a gem, or repairing a horse's harness. Evil-aligned Fae, however, often make mischief to cover their theft.

Secret Names: All Shadow Fae have two names; one they use in daily lives, and another they share only with their closest friends and family. Using a Shadow Fae's secret name when casting a spell or ritual, grants Advantage on the spell attack, or disadvantage on the Fae's saving throw. Finding out a Shadow Fae's secret name is a difficult task, one that often requires a quest in and of itself. Powerful divination magic might reveal such a name, but any such effort must overcome the creature's natural magic resistance. Naturally, the Shadow Fae will do all in their power to resist such knowledge from being discovered and spread abroad.

Longevity: Like all Fae, Shadow Fae are immortal unless killed. They do not age or die of natural causes, though violence can end their lives as normal. This longevity affects their lives in many ways, as might be expected. The most important of these is their attitude towards marriage and children. While most Shadow Fae do not mate for life, a typical union can still last for several centuries, with a couple having one child every century or so. They often take human lovers, and such arrangements are vanishingly short by their standards, lasting perhaps a decade or two (at best).

Wyld Fae

Although many Fae creatures choose to align themselves with a Court for cultural, spiritual, or political reasons. There are, of course, those who swear no allegiance to any Court, they are known as Wyld Fae. Nowadays, Wyld Fae are seen as having a neutral/balanced/common ground between the courts and they are also seen as some of the most dangerous. Living a life as a Solitary can be simple and good in some respect, but because they have chosen to be cut off from the larger support network, social interaction with others is not as available. Even so, Wyld Fae can find means of interacting with others and can often be an intermediary for many purposes of Faerie and of Earth. Solitaries are usually unpredictable and have been seen as the outcasts (either banished, choosing to leave, or not choosing at all), and the "wild wee ones". There are not many that regret their decision of being court-less.

"Some say the universe is a white slate, yet unwritten. Others say the world is a black abyss, yawning and utterly consuming."
"Half black, half white. Half sorrow, half joy. Half living, half a ghost."
"The Fae Courts are neither one thing nor another; it is a realm of halves. One might think of its as half regret, half done, half dead. But it is just as fair to say half rich, half cured, half won."
"The Courts are a place of neither pure evil nor pure good, but only muddle where true balance lies, where lives are rich and sad and complicated. Half full of villains and half full of heroes, who strive but never fully win. But who never quite lose?"

They have varied personalities. Some act as hunters, others as tricksters, and others in other unique ways. On the rare occasions that the Courts go to war with each other, the Wyldfae must choose a side. It is possible for independent creatures, such as Arch Fae who are unaligned with either Court, fiends, gods, or even particularly charismatic mortals to create vassals out of the Wyldfae. These vassals are then seen as extensions of their own Lord, and do not have to choose a side during conflicts. It is very rare for mortals to have Fae vassals, but it is not unheard of. These mortals are often sought out to serve as Knights for the Courts, should the current Knight fall in battle or else need to be replaced.

The Far Beings and the Purpose of the Courts

Foot Soldier from the Far Realm

Unknown to nearly all beings other than the gods, the Mothers, and Queen Mab, is that the fey exist for a specific reason. The Fae of the Winter Court that reside in the lands of Winter are only a small fraction of the true strength of the Court. Most of Mab's soldiers live their lives by the Far Gates, which seperate the Far Realm from the known multiverse. What is the Far Realm? It is a plane of Madness and Insanity and some claim it to be the dreamscape of the Great Old Ones. The Far Realm has been whispered about since the dawn of time. Ages ago, when life began, the Great Old Ones raged and sought to control the multiverse and enslave all of what they considered insignificant life forms. The Primordials and the Gods joined together and trapped the Great Old Ones into an eternal slumber in a realm of false reality. They then sealed that realm off from the rest of the planes. However, the Great Old Ones had foreseen their imprisonment and seeded the world with their lore, their servitors and artifacts of their own power. The Far Realm was not forgotten, and through the ages, mortals and immortals alike have been driven mad by their whispers and try to open the gates and release their masters. If that would happen, reality would end. Where stray energies from the Far Realm leak onto another plane, matter is warped into alien shapes that defy understandable geometry and biology. Aberrations such as Illithids, beholders, aboleths, kopru and many other creatures are creations of the strange energies of the far Realm and many seek the return of their masters.

Some say that the original inhabitants of the Abyss, the Obyriths (also known as the Qlippoth) were creations of the Great Old Ones. The Demons of Abaddon, in their quest to annihilate the multiverse, serve the Great Old Ones, whether knowingly or not no-one can say for certain. The Chained God, Tharizdun, is said to have been corrupted by the Great Old Ones and he were ever to become Unchained, he would rip open the Far Realm. The entities that abide in the Far Realm itself are too alien for a normal mind to accept without strain. Titanic creatures swim through nothingness there, and unspeakable things whisper awful truths to those who dare listen. For mortals, knowledge of the Far Realm is a struggle of the mind to overcome the boundaries of matter, space, and sanity. Some embrace this struggle by forming pacts with entities there. Anyone who has seen the Far Realm mutters about eyes, tentacles, and horror. The Far Realm has no well-known portals, or at least none that are still viable. Lost portals might still exist, marked by an alien magic that mutates the area around them. The exception to this are the Far Gates which connect to the Faewyld.

The Fae of the Winter Court fight an endless war against the Far Beings, Servants of the Old Ones from outside the reality that encompasses the inner and outer planes. Little is known about the Far Beings, save that they seek to wake the Old Ones. They have proven to employ a variety of tactics in battle, often mimicking creatures from the material plane that they have seen through the eyes of their mortal slaves and servants from the Inner and Outer Planes. The Far Beings appear to want to take control of this reality, Wake their ancient Masters and devour the planes if given the chance. It also seems as though they work together, with little regard for their own lives, and they do not seem to have any sort of hierarchy or internal conflicts. However, this knowledge is based only off of combat with them.

Winter exists for the sole purpose of driving these creatures back. They take on powerful forms so that they can fight more effectively. Every Winter Fae is sent to the Far Gates at some point in its life, where it serves for decades before returning or dying in battle. Those that return have their memory of their time spent there erased, in order to avoid contamination by the Far Beings, which can sometimes infect creatures they come in contact with. Many wyldfae also journey to the Far Gates, as do some Summer fairies at the request of Mother Summer. Unlike in the Faewyld, Summer and Winter fairies work together and sometimes develop friendships at the Far Gates. There, the fact that they are from the same world is more important than their Court. These friendships are forgotten along with their memories of their conflict, however.

While Winter exists to protect the planes from the Far Beings, Summer exists to protect the planes from Winter. The Winter Court is ruthless and brutal, and predators that are not fighting at the Far Gates would happily rampage through the planes, slaughtering whatever they please. The Laws were created by whatever power created the Fey, but that is still not enough. As such, the Summer Court's job is to combat the Winter Court. This is the reason for their rivalry and Titania's personality. She is not aware of this, however, and simply sees it as her duty. It is unclear as to what she would do with this knowledge, and the few creatures that know of the purpose of the Courts are sworn to secrecy and instead through focus on the Shadowfell as distraction.

The Nature of the Fae

Although the Fae are capable of making choices, feeling emotion, and acting in surprising ways, the key difference between mortals and the Fae is that the Fae do not have free will. Mortals can change drastically over the course of years, turning a new leaf, so to speak, but the Fae are unchanging in nature. Queen Mab will always be a ruthless predator, for example. She would never even consider the possibility of acting against this nature. Such an act is as impossible as a human sprouting wings and flying to a different plane of existence without any magical involvement. More broadly, the Fae cannot break their Laws, and they cannot go against their natures. Their natures are more fluid than their Laws, however, which allows for different personalities, unlike the rigid Laws.

The Fae see power in the number three. There are three Queens in each Court. Three hags gather to form covens. The Mothers are rumored to be the Fates, of which there are three. In spells and rituals cast by the Fae, the number three is often involved in some way. When hunting in a group, many Fae species prefer to hunt in groups of three. A question asked or a promise made thrice by the Fae forces a mortal to be truthful, and when asked in this way by the Fae shows that they are not actively trying to trick someone.

The Fae deal in half-truths and lying by omission. Except for very specific circumstances, Fae will not be straightforward. They will tell only what they have to, and twist their words in such a way that, while they did not tell a lie, their information is often confusing, muddled, or subject to interpretation, with all of the more likely ways of seeing it actually being false. The Fae do not ponder their words before speaking. Such things come naturally to them. Many who deal commonly with the Fae believe that, even if they wanted to, which they most certainly do not, the Fae cannot give the straight truth unless they are hard-pressed or threatened. Even then, it is difficult to be certain whether information given was correct.

The Fae try to trap mortals in their promises. Even to a close ally, the Fae are dangerous for this. In general, it is a bad idea to accept anything offered by the Fae, including food, drink, and other pleasures, unless you know exactly what the price is. If a mortal enters a deal with a Fae , they all-too-often are made into eternal servants. This can have a variety of meanings. Some Fae consider their servants prey, and hunt them down and devour them, some use them as playthings, and others (mostly the Summer Court) actually have them return to the material plane and simply return to the Faewyld on occasion to give information or work. Similarly, Fae hate being given gifts, because this puts them in debt with the giver. Someone who is owed by the Fae can expect a favor or gift to be given quickly, but this is often a double-edged sword, especially if the gift was not expected. The Fae often give items that, while they may help in some way, often leave a way for manipulation in the future, or else cause danger to follow the owner. The only time it is safe to accept something from the Fae is if you are greeted as a guest in their dwelling and accept the status. Even then, you are only protected from the owner of the dwelling. Other Fae might cause harm in some ways, although the host cannot order this, and is sworn to punish those who attempt it.

Despite what many think, the Fae are neither good nor evil, at least not in the mortal sense. While many actions of the Winter Court seem evil, and many of the Summer seem good, the Fae care little about morality. On the alignment scale, they are neutral at best. They do what they do because they have to, not quite because they want to. Their nature strives them to be power-hungry, predatory, or deceitful, and they are incapable of resisting or changing their nature. A Fae that appears to be going against its nature is almost certainly under the influence of some other creature.