Fey

The Fey are a race of faeries in Yggdrasil and the New World.

## New World

In the New World, small faeries typically are seen as tricksters but more rural townships see them as guardians of lost children.

## Appearances

Each Fey breaks the molding and no two look the same. Some could have the pointed ears of an elf while another might have grasshopper legs. The tail of a donkey is also a plausible thing.

## Powers and Abilities

The Fey are the greatest manifestations of nature and beauty ever witnessed by mortal eyes. Depending on the Court with which a Fey joins, their powers can widely differ.

## Culture

Fey culture is based around two feuding Courts. Those who are unaligned with either are typically shunned and hated.

### Ranks

Fey-Touched - an offspring of a Fey blooded being; typical pure-blooded and a Humanoid race. Depending on the Court they seek to ally with, they will either be dispirited or welcomed. These half-breeds are gifted with but the smallest of a Fey's beauty which is still considerable among other races.

Changeling - a more powerful variant of the Fey-Touched. They have embraced their gift and with their acceptance comes magical power.

True-Fey - having embraced their Fey ancestry so deeply, any lingering traits of their non-fey parentage is washed away. They now possess the full beauty of a true Fey.

Archfey - leaders and schemers within the respective Courts. If attained, you're words hold weight behind them.

Hags - rare is the fey who forgoes their own natural beauty for greater magical power. Hags are rightfully feared among the courts for their raw physical power and magical knowledge.

### Seelie Court

Pure manifestations of nature and beauty, the members of the Seelie Court view themselves as the pinnacle of perfection. This elitist attitude restricts status in the court to only pure-blood fey. A court fey can trace his or her lineage back several millennia, showing nothing but true fey (no templates, no transformations such as from the monk class or various prestige classes, and no other creature types by blood or breeding).

Fey high society and the fey realms contain the only creatures whose opinions matter. Politics thrive in this elitist environment. Seelie fey form cliques and factionalize amongst themselves. In the endlessly politicking and gossiping world of the Seelie Court, status can be won by hosting guests (willing or unwilling) or attracting followers with great skill in a craft or performance art.

Seelie Court fey occasionally tolerate the company of beautiful or gifted creatures, preferring those of fey, 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 Seelie Court for outsiders is extremely rare, even more so if the outsiders are not of pure fey blood. Upon entrance to the court, visitors must be prepared with valuable and unusual gifts for the Queen of Light, or they might find themselves lost in an endless hedge maze. Suitable gifts for the Queen include *figurines of wondrous power*, *gems of brightness*, and magical jewelry.

The physical appearance of the Seelie Court mirrors nature, to which the fey are intrinsically linked. White ash trees, strong and stately, with their branches intertwining to create a living ceiling, line the throne hall 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 on 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 fey nobility.

The Seelie Court fey find the Unseelie Court fey absolutely repellent.

### Unseelie Court

Unlike the selective, restrictive Seelie Court, the Unseelie Court welcomes anyone and everything with even a drop of ancestral fey blood. Fey can and do breed with anything, creating odd, mixed creatures. Most species consider the offspring grotesque monsters. The mutant creatures gravitate towards the Unseelie Court, which welcomes them and gives them an environment where peculiar physiologies and abilities are the norm.

The Unseelie Court is a more hospitable place for non-fey as well. Court nobles eagerly provide patronage for creatures who are extremely strong, dexterous, clever, beautiful, or talented. Obtaining the sponsorship of a court noble is not without its rewards, nor without its dangers. For instance, a gifted bard whose playing impresses a fey nobleman might be invited to his castle as a guest. Once there, the bard will be feted and asked to play every night -- and never be permitted to leave.

Ruling over all these oddities is the Queen of Air and Darkness: a fey of unsurpassed beauty and grace. The Queen of Air and Darkness has no current consort and no surviving children. The court is rife with gossip and political maneuvering as each noble curries the queen's favor in the hopes of being named the royal heir.

Outsiders not of fey blood are rarely admitted to the Unseelie Court. Visitors must be prepared with unusual and powerful gifts for the Queen, or they might find themselves the quarry of a nightmarish hunt. Suitable gifts for the Queen include *figurines of horrific power*, *gems of darkness*, and cursed jewelry.