The Feywild

The **Feywild**, also known as the **Fey Realm** and the **Plane of Faerie**, is one of the Planes of Existence in the *Parthia:TOTI* universe. It overlaps the Material Plane, and is considered the opposite of the Shadowfell.

## Geography

The Feywild is in many ways a twisted mirror of the material plane. The two planes have the same continents, oceans mountain ranges, climate zones and so on. At a smaller scale the two are similar but not identical. The obvious difference is the lack of civilisation’s influence in the Feywild. Where the material plane has been heavily modified by agriculture, forestry, cities and so forth the Feywild has maintained a more natural environment. This can be easiest observed at the sites of major cities. In the material plane there may be a thriving metropolis with tens of thousands of inhabitants, in the Feywild the equivalent site may have only a small collection of huts or even just a clearing for seasonal travellers. This doesn’t mean the Feywild is devoid of buildings. Many archfey will construct elaborate castles and gardens for their own amusement but these structures are rarely inhabited for long and are either abandoned or, more often, simply vanish when their creator moves on. Exceptions to this would be forts built in times of war but even then, the forts rapidly disappear when they are no longer needed.

## Fey Crossings

**Fey Crossings** also known as **Fairy gates** refer to places where travellers may pass from the material plane to the Feywild and vice versa. Some gates are always open, but most are only active at certain times of day or year. Commonly they open at dusk, dawn, midnight, or midday and may be more active at midsummer and the equinoxes. Physically a gate may be entirely invisible save for a slight shimmer in the air however the energy of the Feywild leaking through the gates often causes physical signs to appear such as rings of mushrooms, springs which flow with healing waters, glowing fungi in caves, impossibly narrow or intricate ice or sand structures or, in ocean settings, whirlpools. Travelling through a gate is generally as simple as walking though it though some may require one to spend a certain time period in the vicinity, and occasionally they require the traveller to sleep within the area of the gate.

## Convergent Zones

As well as the Fey Crossings, there are also large areas where the fey and material worlds are so close as to be indistinguishable. In these areas fey and mortals interact freely and once you enter such an area it becomes impossible to discern whether you will exit into the Feywild or the material plane. These areas are those untouched by civilisation and can be found at mountain ranges like the Icebound Peaks north of the Merriam Vale deep within forests like Il Verde Impenetrable in Il Continente Meridionale, in deserts like the Amel Desert in Gaul, and in certain areas of the underdark. The permanent mixing of the two worlds causes navigation and the flow of time to be unpredictable. A perpetual mist shrouds these areas.

Some fey, including all archfey have an innate knowledge of the locations of both Fey Crossings and Convergent Zones. There are also magic items that can be used to detect these locations.

## Effects on Travellers

Travellers to the Feywild are subjected to the powerful magic of that plane and are usually permanently changed by the experience. Those who stay for a long time or who dwell near a fairy gate may begin to tap into fey magic, usually only in minor ways but sometimes gaining enough power to become a sorcerer, druid, or ranger. Temporary visitors do not gain these powers but are still affected in three main ways. Firstly, anyone who eats Fey food will forever find normal food to be bland and joyless. Secondly, when leaving the Feywild the memories of it quickly become vague and dreamlike unless the person is extremely strong willed. Thirdly, time in the Feywild flows differently to the material plane, usually Feywild time is slower so a year there may be a decade outside. (*A note to DMs, using this to cause a huge time skip will lead to most plot threads, backstory hooks etc becoming irrelevant. Using it for smaller time skips of a few days or weeks can add tension as the players’ enemies will have had plenty of time to further their schemes).* For more mechanical information on these effects see the DMG. As stated in the DMG powerful fey can prevent these effects both on themselves and on mortals who earn their favour.

As well as the effects on entering and leaving, travel within the Feywild can be confusing. In the material plane journey time is dependent on distance and terrain. In the Feywild these still have an effect, but emotional state also has an impact. If a traveller fears or hates the place they are travelling to the journey will stretch out and take longer than expected, conversely a place the traveller looks forward to arriving at will take little time to reach. Emotional links can also aid in navigation. Looking at a picture of a loved one or holding a lock of their hair will give some idea of their location while mementos of a location can be enough to find it again when a map and compass fails. *(For DMs I have found it fits the nature of the plane better to make these effects unreliable and subconscious rather than an actual navigation method used by the fey.)*

## Flora and Fauna

The plants of the Feywild are similar enough to those of the material plane that a traveller may not realise they have passed into a different dimension. Looking closer though there are differences. The colours and smells of fey plants are much stronger and plant growth is thicker and more verdant in the Feywild. There are also several plants solely found in the Feywild many of which have unusual properties such as bark which appears to be made of metal, leaves which glow brightly at night or berries with weak healing abilities.

Animals are also similar and most material plane animals also exist in the Feywild. The Feywild does have some unique animals which (notably blink dogs and yeth hounds). There are also many more examples of megafauna in the Feywild than in the material plane. Mammoths, aurochs, giant sloths, and giant armadillo all still exist and are common in the Feywild where mortals have driven them to extinction in the material plane *(How big a difference this makes obviously depends on if these creatures are common in the material plane in your world)*. One specific animal species that is worth noting is the white elk. These deer have silver coloured fur and antlers and glow with moonlight. They are extremely difficult to catch and capturing one alive is a requirement to join the ranks of the wild hunt. Under extreme circumstances the deer can travel into the material plane and it is believed that catching or slaying one can earn a mortal hunter a favour from the fey. *(A stat block for these deer is included at the end of this post)*

Domesticated beasts are rare in the Feywild. Fey do ride animals and use wolves or dogs for hunting, but these are not domesticated in the same sense as a horse or dog in the material plane. Instead, they are wild animals that are caught or that willingly come to offer their services to the Fey.

## Materials used by the Fey

A quick note on materials used by the fey. Most of the buildings and objects used by the fey are made of wood. These woods are taken from trees which are not the same as those in the material plane but are similar enough that I have referred to them with the names of familiar trees where the wood is specified. Stone is also used by some fey as a building material. Clothing is generally woven from grasses and other plants or made from the skin of hunted animals although sufficiently powerful fey may create their clothing by magic. The lack of widespread farming means woollen clothing is relatively rare. Where metals are required (mainly for weapons and armour) bronze or mithril is commonly used. The fey don’t really mine or smelt metal, most of it is created magically or traded for. Iron (and alloys like steel) are never used by the fey.

## Inhabitants and Culture

The Feywild is home to a diverse array of inhabitants, including powerful Archfey, mischievous sprites, and enigmatic creatures. The culture of the fey centers around nature, enchantment, and the capricious beauty of the plane. Concepts like morality and alignment are foreign and twisted seeing to travellers in the Feywild. Fey society reflects the untamed wilderness, and their interactions with mortals often lead to unpredictable adventures.

*For more information on the Feywild's inhabitants and culture, please refer to the Fey Courts.*