Post/Author/DateTime	Post
alesian 08-04-07, 12:08 AM	Fey Heavy Campaign World Focus/Goals Interaction between the various fey courts, the mortal world, and the giants will be a major focus of the campaign setting. Players will have the option of playing a fey character. Usurping a fey lord or giant king and gaining a court in one of the non-material spheres is also a definite possibility. I also want to draw from real world mythology as much as possible, but there are obviously areas where that simply isn't possible. Note that I include as fey creatures that do not actually have the fey type. This is just flavor, and does not actually mean that they have a change in type. The World The world is divided into several spheres, which are the equivalent of planes. The Material Plane is the Worldly Sphere, which is made up of the spheres of the body, the mind, and the soul. Together and apart from the Worldly Sphere is the Fairy Sphere, the Otherworld. Inside the Worldly Sphere lies the Elemental Spheres, where the old mortal races are known to dwell. The two other spheres are the Heavenly Sphere and the Hellish Sphere. The existence of these spheres is entirely theoretical. The Fey The Fey, also known as the Old Gods, are the mirror of the Worldly Sphere and its creatures. The Worldly Sphere is made up of creatures divided between flesh and spirits who favor the flesh; the Otherworld is made up of creatures composed of both flesh and spirit who favor the spirit. While mortals are divided between their body, mind, and soul, the fey are much closer to being united in these things (although it is disputed if fey even actually have souls). Once the Fey were worshipped by the creatures of the Wordly Sphere as gods; this is the origin of their secondary name. But the fey rarely actively courted worshipped, and new religions have largely displaced or stamped out the worship of the fey. People on the outskirts of civilization such as peasants and barbarians still occasionally engage in worship of the fey. Fey Society The Fey embody the idea of Dynamic Equilibrium-they are in a constant state of change that creates a state of natural balance. In its most basic form, this balance is represented by the struggle between the Seelie and Unseelie courts, who claim primacy over all of the other courts (although this primacy is often disputed, most notably by the Seasonal Courts.) Another major split is between the Trooping Fairies (as embodied by the Seelie and Unseelie Courts), who move around constantly, and the Solitary Fairies, who remain in the same place. The Seelie Court claims nobility, light, heat, growth, summer, honor, and tradition as its dominions, just as the Unseelie Court claims treachery, cold, darkness, winter, decay, and transformation as its dominions. Note that these dominions are not exclusive. These are just the claims that the two Courts will typically make. The Seelie Court has been the dominant Court for some time, but recently the Unseelie Court has begun to make aggressive moves against their ancient adversary. The Fey Courts Seelie Unseelie The Seasonal Courts The Seasonal Courts are a counterpoint to the dualism of the Seelie and Unseelie Courts. They regard the Seelie and Unseelie Courts as a group of self-righteous nobles with no true standing in the natural world, and believe that they should keep their petty conflicts in the Otherworld. Spring- The Spring Court does not acknowledge the existence of the Autumn Court. Summer- The Summer Court is in a state of theoretical war with the Winter Court. Autumn- The Autumn Court does not acknowledge the existence of the Spring Court. Winter- The Winter Court is in a state of theoretical war against the Summer Court. The Fey Lords These are the rulers of the various courts of they Fey and the occasional subjects of worship by barbaric and outcast people. Cernunnos- The ruler of the Seasonal Court of Autumn as well as the Fey embodiment of youth. He is also regarded as the fey representation of the masculine ideal. He is symbolically slain in the fall and reborn in the spring each year. The Unseelie Court has made aggressive overtures to him as they begin to mount a campaign against the Seelie Court. He has so far resisted these overtures, which has greatly angered the Unseelie Court, which regards Autumn as rightfully belonging to its dominion. It is rumored that the Unseelie Court has found a potential replacement for Cernunnos who is being trained to kill Cernunnos and take his place as a puppet ruler of the court of Autumn. Cernunnos appears as a handsome male youth, young in the spring and mature in the fall, with red hair and the horns of a stag, wearing nothing other than a cloak of fallen leaves. Baba Yaga- Baba Yaga is believed by many to be the source of the Unseelie Court's recent movements against the Seelie Court. She has a fascination with mortals that has led her to make many pacts and bargains with humans who have wandered into her court. Among mortals, it is rumored that she has a taste for the flesh of children, and that she resorts to numerous tricks to obtain this delicacy. She is also believed to have been the creator of hags, having bargained with mortal women to give them magical power in exchange for their beauty. She is the foremost of witches, practicing magic that even the leaders of the Seelie and Unseelie Courts seem to fear. She appears as an incredibly ancient old woman, dressed in peasant's clothing. The Morrigan- The Fairy Queen of Battle, Warfare, and Betrayal. She is the foremost of fey associated with death, and is served by spirits and banshees when she enters Worldly Sphere in order to steal the souls of those who have died in battle. She is fascinated by mortal bravery and disgusted by mortal cowardice. If she finds a mortal who meets her standards of honor and bravery, she will appear to him and attempt to court him. Should he refuse, she will swear vengeance upon him-and the Morrigan always has her vengeance. She appears as darkly beautiful woman armed for battle, simultaneously wonderful and terrible to behold. Ariel- Ariel is the sylph princess of air and the guardian of maidens. She is the leader of the sylph, and has considerable traction among the harpies as well (it is whispered by some that she is not actually a sylph, but a harpy, something she denies). Because of her power over air, she functions as the the messenger of the Seelie Court. It is rumored that she was once enslaved to a human sorcerer, and that after a long period of serving him she was eventually set free. She is allied with Licorne and is close friends with Puck. This is not suprising, given her mischevious nature and her association with maidens. Like many fey, her gender can be ambiguous, and she has been known to appear as a male. Whatever form she takes, she is small and wispy with translucent insect wings and antennae, and is clothed in tightly woven spider webs. Licorne- The maiden of Unicorns and the Sage-Queen of the ki-rins. She is not a unicorn herself-in fact, some believe that she may not actually be a fey at all. Unicorns are known to favor virginal maidens, so the possibility exists that she was originally a mortal maiden that one the hearts of the unicorns. Her connection to the ki-rin is equally mysterious, but ki-rin and unicorns are known to be closely related, so the ki-rin may have been involved in her ascension to the head of the court of unicorns. She is believed to have ties to the Heavenly Sphere, a fact that she has never denied and has led to neither of the two Courts being willing to attempt to get her to join them. Despite this snub, she seems to favor the Seelie Court. The Sea King- The King of Mermaids and the ruler of the Ocean. He is aligned with the Seelie Court, and is the male counterpart of the Sea Witch. In addition to being the ruler of mermaids, his court also holds dominion over Tritons and nereids. He is associated with the open sea and the creatures that make their home there. He is known for his utter disregard for mortals and the world outside of the ocean-an attitude that is rumored to have cost him deeply in the past. The Sea Witch- The Female counterpart of the Sea King, she is a dealer of pacts and sinister magic. She is a member in high standing of the Unseelie Court. Like Baba Yaga, she is notorious for making pacts and bargains with others, but unlike Baba Yaga, she prefers to make deals with fey creatures. She is associated with the depths of the ocean and the bizarre and seemingly unnatural creatures that emerge from the abyssal zones of the ocean. The merfolk who serve her typically take on the appearance of these creatures, having the lower bodies of eels and octopi in addition to other bizarre deviations from typical merfolk anatomy. Her form is similar to this, made up of an agglomeration of sea creatures surrounding and regal looking (but monstrously enormous) woman overgrown by dead coral. Pan- The Master of Revelry and the Lord of Satyrs. He is aligned with the Seelie Court, but he is a member in rather low standing because of his power over the emotion of fear and the low brow nature of his activities (despite this high minded attitude among the Seelie, many of the nobles are known to enjoy his parties and revels.) Satyrs are his primary followers, but centaurs can also be counted among his court. Inari- The Mistress of Foxes and the Lord of Tricksters. She is a rival of Puck, and his pseudo-integration into the Seelie Court has caused her to align herself with the Unseelie Court. The genesis of this rivalry is largely unknown, but it seems to be more of a competition between friends than a battle between enemies. The Kitsune are her servants, although she is rather lax in guiding them, and many of them have turned to radically different causes and courts. Even though she is associated with foxes and tricksters, she is also associated with food and bounty, and thus she often finds traction among Robin Hood type thieves. She is androgynous in her appearance, ephemeral and fox-faced, and has been known to take a male or neuter form. Puck- The Jester Lord of the Seelie Court, a former half-elf who ascended and became a true fey. His name before his ascension is said to have been Robin Goodfellow, and mortal wizards have attempted to use this name to bind him to their service. It is unknown whether any of them succeeded. He is a rival and possibly an ally of Inari. Queen Titania- To be written Lord Oberon- To be written Fey Races In addition to the core fey races, many other creatures without the fey type are considered to be fey. Some of them have a change in abilities; some of them do not. Dwarves, gnomes, and elves are all fey races. Dwarves and elves will have their statistics changed (with the standard PHB elves replacing the half-elves) in order to better represent their fey nature. Centaurs, treants, and kobolds are also considered fey, and have modified stats just as dwarves and elves. Unicorns, sylphs, salamanders, and harpies are considered fey, but do not have modified stats. Satyr- The fey spirits of wild revelry and animalistic urges. Satyrs are musically inclined, favor woodwind instruments, and are credited with the invention of several. They are far more common in the Seelie Court than the Unseelie Court because of Pan's association with the Seelie Court, but they can be found in any Court (although they are least common in the Court of Winter). Dryad Nymph- Nymphs are the absolute representation of the beauty of nature. Nearly all fey will go out of their way to protect a nymph, no matter what court they belong to. Nymphs are well represented in the Seelie and Spring Courts, and far less common in the other courts. Pixie- Fey spirits of mischief and deceit, pixies are outcasts in the Court system of the fey. Pixies claim that they once ruled the Grand Court of Fey, a grand place where they were recognized as the most perfect creatures in creation. The court was eventually destroyed by the coming of the Seelie and Unseelie Courts, who reduced the pixies to a position of servitude and enslavement. This claim is not helped by the fact that the pixies are notorious liars and tricksters, and is generally regarded as being untrue. Pixies rarely join courts, but can be found in the Court of Spring. Nixie Grig Sylph- The fey spirits of elemental air, sylphs are flighty in nearly every aspect of their personalities. They are associated with winged insects in addition to their power over the element of air. Treant- They are akin to dryads, and some scholars believe that they are in fact the male equivalent of dryads. Unicorn- Unicorn seem to be tied to the restoration and the purity of nature, represented through their attraction to pure maidens and their ability to drive out poison and heal wounds. Dwarf- Also known as Dark Elves, dwarves are the craftsman of the Fey. They claim to have emerged spontaneously from the earth when existence was first created, and this is the mythical source of their skill in craftsmanship and metallurgy. They are well represented in both the Seelie and the Unseelie Courts, as well as in the Courts of Summer and Winter because of their skill in creating weaponry and other metal devices. Elf- The nobility of the Fey, also known as the Light Elves. They are a major presence in the Seelie Court and the Summer and Spring Courts, but can be found in nearly any fey court. They are warriors and poets, kings and bards, terrible foes and eternal allies. They tend to look down on all but the greatest of mortals, who they regard as kin (typically claiming that a mortal hero is of elven ancestry, and often, at death, offering the hero a place in the elven courts in the Otherworld. However, this practice has declined as the fairy faiths have been replaced by modern religions). Kobold Gnome- Gnomes are the fey embodiment of elemental earth. As such, they hold power over the earth and its bounties, and the creatures that dwell in the earth are their servants and kinsfolk. Salamander- Salamanders are the fey embodiment of elemental fire. Their appearance is like that of a scaleless lizard, everburning and red hot. The fact that a mundane mortal amphibian has become their namesake is a point of shame among the salamanders, and the will go out of their way to avoid places where these creatures live (not that they would want to go to damp, wet places anyways). Salamanders are spontaneously "born" whenever Harpy- Harpies are fey spirits that inhabit islands and coast lines, singing songs that drive mortals to their deaths. In addition to their association with music and birds, harpies are also fey spirits of knowledge-the frequently insert secrets into their songs to make them more enticing to mortals. Harpies have the wings and abdomens of birds, and the head and torso of a woman. They are quite enticing in their physical appearance, but they are also known to have a taste for the flesh of mortals. Harpy musicians are common in the Court of Winter and occasionaly appear in the Unseelie Court. Centaur Oreade- Fey spirits of mountains, Oreades have a reputation for for grimness and pessimism-at least when presented with the problems of others. When it comes to their own domains, oreades can actually be quite optimistic. The mountains have existed forever, they say-why should they worry and fret? No amount of mortal interference can lay low a mountain. Fossergrim- Fey guardians of waterfalls and tranquil pools, fossergrim have a reputation for trickery that is not undeserved. They are also known for their musical talent with stringed instruments, making them quite popular with the musically inclined satyrs. The especially favor the violin, and will use the instrument to play melodies so dour and foreboding they can rob a person of their happiness in an instant. Fossergrim are most typically found in the Court of Autumn and Winter and the Unseelie Court. Selkie- A woman who cries seven tears into the ocean unknowingly calls the attention of a selkie, who seek to form a romance with her. This will always lead to heartbreak for the mortal, as a selkie will eventually feel longing for the sea and abandon his mortal lover. That is unless she can steal his skin and hide it in a place where she cannot find it. Triton- Fey Among Mortals Occasionally, a fairy decides to give up its life among the Fairy courts in order to live out a lifetime among mortals. The fey who choose to live a life as a mortal do so for varying reasons. Some simply grow bored with life as fey, and wish for new experiences as mortals. Others become mortals in order to break the stagnation that sometimes develops in the Dynamic Equilibrium. When their mortal lives are ended, they return to the Otherworld and are able to gain positions of power in the courts, or even found new courts. Other fey have more melancholy reasons for choosing life as a mortal. Fey can age and die, and some fey fear that their fate after death is oblivion. These fey believe that they can find the secret to an afterlife by living a life as a mortal (though whether or not any of them have been successful is in doubt.) Axebound Dryad The process in which a dryad becomes a mortal is a painful one. She most forge an ax from cold iron, and craft the shaft using wood from a falled tree that was at least one hundred years old upon the time of its death. She must then cut down her own tree, symbolically severing her ties to the Otherworld. This is an extremely painful process, and not all dryads are able to survive the attempt. Description: An axebound dryad appears as an attractive humanoid woman with dark greenish hair and a slight greyish tint to her skin. They typically have several scars on their abdomens-memories of the process by which they gained mortality. +2 Dexterity, -2 Constitution. Axebound dryads are nimble and slight, but the pain of severing themselves from their tree leaves them physically scarred and weakened. Medium Size Base land speed 30 feet. Nature's Boon- Axebound dryads gain a +2 bonus on Knowledge: Nature and Craft: Woodworking checks. Cold Iron Blessing- Any cold iron weapon wielded by an Axebound Dryad deals an extra +1d6 damage. However, they also take a -2 penalty to the attack role when using a cold iron weapon. Axebound dryads are proficient with long and short bows and hand axes. Starting Languages: Sylvan, Common. Bonus Languages: Elven, Dwarven, Gnome, Terran. Skinned Selkie The selkie's transformation into a mortal is rarely a willing one. A mortal who has taken a selkie lover, in an attempt to ensure that they are never abandoned, may attempt to burn the selkie's skin. This never works properly-instead, the selkie is immediately alerted to what is occuring, and appears by the fire. They snatch the skin from the flames, and immediately attempt to don it. Instead of being transformed, the skin is burned to their flesh, and they have become mortal. Description: A skinned selkie appears as a handsome human man, typically with dark hair and tan skin. Part of their body is always marred by burned marks that have texture reminiscent of sealskin. +2 Dexterity, -2 Wisdom. Skinned selkies are lithe and agile, but losing their skin leaves them mentally unstable. Medium Size. Base Land Speed 30 feet Fear of Flames- Skinned selkies suffer a -2 penalty on saving throw to spells with the [fire] descriptor. Hold Breath- A skinned selkie can hold his breath for a number of rounds equalling his constitution score x4. Animal's Tongue- A skinned selkie can speak with aquatic mammals, as the spell, at will. Skinned selkies are proficient with nets and tridents Starting Languages: Sylvan, Common. Bonus Languages: Elven, Aquan. Favored Class: Rogue The Otherworld The Otherworld Sphere is the land of the fey, and is the closet of all the spheres to the Worldly Sphere-in fact, some claim that the two spheres are one in the same. The Otherworld is seemingly most close to the the Worldly Sphere in "in-between" places-crossroads and thresholds and borders, solstices and equinoxes. The First Mortals Once, giants walked the world. They were the first of the mortal races, older, they claim, than even the fey and the gods. They battled the divine forces, who they claim feared their power. They were eventually defeated and cast out, forced to occupy the least desirable parts of the Worldly Sphere-the Elemental Spheres. The Giant Kings Thrym- The Father of Frost Giants. During the War of the First, the mythical battle in which the gods supposedly battled the first mortals, Thrym is said to have been slain. But so great was his warrior's rage that he resurrected himself, and led his people to the Elemental Sphere of Ice. This story is denied by clerics and students of history, who doubt that the War of the First ever occured at all. Thrym appears as an enormous Frost Giant clad in ancient armor. Surtur- The Father of Fire Giants. Surtur longs to lead his fire giants in a grand war to overthrow the entire order of creation-heaven, hell, world and other spheres willl all fall before his armies. His desire stems from the ancient snub the gods allegedly engaged in, treating him and his fellow giants as monsters to be slain by heroes, instead of allowing them their proper place in the order of the world. So now he desires to spill open the Elemental Sphere of Flames and burn the world that he and his kin have been denied. Surtur appears as an elder Fire Giant whose face is gnarled by the constant hatred in his heart. Ravana- The King of Rakshasa. Ravana claims that the rakshasa are the perfect embodiment of the Worldly Sphere-not corrupted by spirit or soul like other creatures. The other spheres are dependent on the Worldly Sphere, and the Worldly Sphere is dependent on the rakshasa-and the raskshasa are dependent on him. The rakshasa say that the other spheres form from the belief of the Worldly Sphere's inhabitants, and the gods of those spheres would cease to exist if people ceased to venerate them. Or so the rakshasa claim. Ravana has ten monsterous heads and twenty grasping hands and is of general humanoid appearance. The rakshasas are imprisoned in the Elemental Sphere of Deception. Balor- The Overking of the Fomorians, sworn enemy of the fey. Unlike the other giant kings, Balor's quarrel is not with the divine-it is with the fey races. He long battled them for control of the Otherworld, which he regards as his rightful domain. The Fey eventually defeated him, and he was forced into the Elemental Sphere of the Sea, which is guarded by the joint efforts of the Sea King and the Sea Witch. He is one of the largest beings in existence, and has one enormous eye that takes several men to open. Iblis- The Caliph of the Efreet. He does not consider himself to be a "giant king" and will slaughter anyone who uses that term to refer to him. Instead, he claims that the efreet where the first children of the gods, who abandoned them for the lesser mortal races. When he refused to serve these foul creatures, created from mud instead of forged from divine fire, he lost the favor of the gods, as did the efreet who followed him. He now regards himself as the Adversary of the mortal races, and will go out of his way to destoy and torment them. Iblis and the Efreet live in the Elemental Sphere of Ephemera, which is closest of all the Elemental Spheres to the Worldly Sphere. The Heavenly and Hellish Spheres The Wordly Sphere Humans, haflings, orcs (and half-orcs) are the primary mortal races of the world (although others might exist.) Half-elves exist, but are usually feared for their ties to the old gods (Half-elves use the stats of PHB elves. PHB half-elves do not exist). Differences from Standard D&D Alignment-Alignment will not be used. People in the world will make references to "good" and "evil" (but rarely law or chaos, and never a law-chaos dichotomy), but one of the main factors in the game is that alignments are not teams. Divine vs. Arcane- The split between Divine and Arcane magic largely ignored. Divine spellcasters do not gain their magic from the gods or from faith. Instead, divine magic is just another style or school of arcane magic. Secular magic users are known as "wizards," while mainstream religious magic users are known as "clerics." Positive/Negative Energy- Does not exist. Necromatic and healing spells do not need to tap into a different plane to work, and instead function like any other spell. Turning/Rebuking functions off of holy/unholy power, not elemental manipulation. Transitive Planes- Do not exist. The spells that depend on them function without them, through magical power. I appreciate any comments/criticism/advice. Currently, I'm trying to decide the rulers of the Seelie and Unseelie Courts, and of the Summer, Winter, and Spring Courts. Once I decide on those, I can flesh out the courts more. I also need to decide on the inhabitants of the Heavenly and Hellish Spheres. I'm torn between an angelic and saintly hierarchy or Greco-Roman deities and the like. Deciding on this will help me flesh out the mortal nation, determine the structure of the societies, and the equivalent real world time period to look at.
sigma999 08-05-07, 02:11 AM	Interesting! Nice adaptation of the four seasons as philosophical divisions and alternative to the old Seelie/Unseelie standard.
AegriSomniaPress 08-05-07, 09:22 AM	Very awesome so far, I have a similar set up in my setting but it is only one of 15 realms I would be interested to see your progress continued with this project. Regards, Seth Those That Follow, Don't let humanities last hope be your dieing breath
turalisj 08-05-07, 10:45 AM	Would psionics be allowed at all? (have to ask) Otherwise, very interesting....
alesian 08-05-07, 06:44 PM	Thank you everyone for your comments. I hope to further flesh out the seasonal courts once I decide who should rule the remaining three (summer, winter, and spring). I'm open to any suggestion on this, of course. I don't think that I would allow psionics, because I don't think that they would mesh properly with the setting. Now for crunch! Fey Feats Child of the Old Ways Prerequisites: Worshipper of a fey power Benefit: Your fey patron grants you luck when you are in places influenced by fairy power. When standing at a crossroads, a threshold, or a border line, you gain a +2 luck bonus to your AC and a +2 bonus to will saves. Child of Ariel Prerequisites: Worshipper of Ariel, Child of the Old Ways Benefit: Ariel, the princess of wind, acts to protect you from danger. When outdoors, you gain a +2 deflection bonus to your AC against ranged attacks. Vermin suffer a -1 penalty to attacks against you. Child of Baba Yaga Prerequisites: Worshipper of Baba Yaga, Child of the Old Ways Benefit: You have learned one of the secrets of glamour and a dark power of Baba Yaga. Once a day, you may make a Bluff check against a person, opposed by their Sense Motive Check. If you succeed, your words inflict a curse on that person, making them more suspectible to your magic. They suffer a -2 penalty on all saves against your spells for a year and a day. This effect does not detect as magical and cannot be dispelled. Presumably, each fey patron would have a feat along these lines.
turalisj 08-05-07, 09:15 PM	Well, don't call it psionics. Call it spiritual prowess.
alesian 08-05-07, 11:41 PM	Child of the Morrigan Prerequisites: Worshipper of the Morrigan, Child of the Old Ways Benefit: Your devotion to the Morrigan gives you power when you act treacherously. When making a sneak attack, you deal an extra +1 damage for each die rolled. If you area attacking during a suprise round, you deal an additional +2 damage on an attack.
alesian 08-06-07, 07:02 PM	I appreciate comment/criticism/advice on anything that I post in this thread, btw. Child of Inari Prerequisites: Worshipper of Inari, Child of the Old Ways Benefit: You gain purify food or drink as a spell-like ability usable once a day. Your skill with larceny increases, giving you a +2 bonus on skill checks made to steal unattended objects. Child of Licorne Prerequisites: Worshipper of Licorne, Child of the Old Ways Benefits: You are resistant to poisons, gaining a +2 bonus on Fortitude saves made to resist poisons. Once a day, you may give up this bonus in order to use cure poison as a spell-like ability on someone other than yourself.
alesian 08-06-07, 09:02 PM	The Rules of the Courts Fey tend to be very rules-focused, in a matter that mortals find disconcerting or alien. The fey rules are usually codified as bans or geasa-things that the fey must always or never do. In addition to this, fey have expectations for their mortals followers and rules for those in their court that they expect to be obeyed. Rules of Ariel Personal Bans and Geasa: Ariel must always faithfully serve those she has fealty to, and take on their goals as her own, no matter how trivial or counterproductive they are. Rules of the Court of Ariel: Like most fey, Ariel refuses to allow anyone with cold iron to enter her court. In addition to this, she will not allow anyone to harm a maiden in any form or manner-this includes acts such as the cutting of hair or the breaking of hearts.
alesian 08-06-07, 10:23 PM	Brigid- The queen of the court of Spring, Brigid is the patron of creativity, healing, and the arts. She is the sister of Cernunnos, and close friends with Ariel. She has an unusual relationship with Licorne and Baba Yaga. Some mortal scholars theorize that they are the three perfect aspects of the Divine Goddess- Licorne the maiden, Brigid the matron, and Baba Yaga the crone. Of all the fey powers, she has remained the most popular and widely worshipped since the rise of the new religions. Some of the fey believe that she has secretly sold out to them, thus allowing her cult to go unharmed. She appears as a red-haired woman, clad in green, holding a harp and a hammer. Rules of Brigid Personal Bans and Geasa: Brigid must always drink anything offered to her, and eat any peppers given to her. Rules of the Court of Brigid: Brigid's court is always kept illuminated by a sacred flame that must never be allowed to dwindle and burn out. Mentioning the fact that her brother is the ruler of the court of Autumn is also forbidden-as Brigid does not recognize the court's existence.
alesian 08-07-07, 05:46 PM	Someone, somewhere, must have something to say about all this, whether positive or negative. Cold Bringing Woman- Also known as Skadi or the Snow Queen, Cold Bringing Woman is the ruler of the Court of Winter. Th Court is in a state of constant war with the Court of Summer-in theory. In actuality, the two Courts rarely ever interact. Cold Bringing Woman is the one who slays Cernunnos at the end of every autumn, and her rule lasts until she is driven out by Brigid, who then restores her brother to life. She appears as a blue faced woman covered in furs, carrying winter storms in her bag.
Mafro 08-07-07, 07:01 PM	I love the creativity and detail in this campaign setting. The nuances of the fey, their rules, and so on is great. One thing I'm having trouble with is visualizing the various planes and their relations to each other. Have you considered posting this setting on a structured campaign hosting site like Eruvian.com (http://eruvian.com)? I've found having a consistent structure makes it easier to explore the setting, and also can prove inspirational for the creator by presenting different facets of a campaign as fields to be filled out. Looking forward to seeing more...! =)
AnonymousInternets 08-07-07, 07:11 PM	If you're into Fey, you should come over to the Book of Fey project and share some ideas. =]
alesian 08-07-07, 07:31 PM	Thank you both for your posts. Mafro: the planar arrangement is a bit complicated, as it differs from the standard "Great Wheel" cosmology. The Worldly Sphere (basically, the material plane) is the central plane. Adjacent or perhaps underlying the Worldly Sphere is the Otherworld Sphere. The various Elemental Spheres are all within the Worldly Sphere, and are accessible in the Worldly Sphere. For example, the Elemental Sphere of the Sea is deep within the ocean. The Heavenly and Hellish Spheres (if they actually exist) are above and below the Worldly Sphere, respectively. As for the campaign setting site, I had not heard of one, but now that you've told me I'll be sure to check it out. AnonymousInternets: Sounds cool, I'd love to contribute.
sigma999 08-08-07, 01:31 AM	I especially like the "Child of __ feats" and the fact that you included many European folklore and mythological figures. :D Lets get em all into the Feybook... I should take note of your organization. The brevity is easily understood yet conveys ample flavor in every 'bite'.
alesian 08-08-07, 09:59 PM	Thank you Sigma. Kojin-the prince of fire and the lord of salamanders. Kojin is not a salamander himself, but is similar enough in behavior and habits that the salamanders willingly accept him as their king. Kojin is the lord of fire, but his greatest power is over fire turned to a purpose-not fire that burns destructively. He lives in a furnace, and constantly directs his subjects to turn the flames towards productive ends, such as baking and forging. He is usually calm, but when he grows angry his fury is unmatched by any other fey. Kojin appears as a man with flaming hair and two sets of arms, constantly working on some project involving fire. The Court of Spring, Expanded- Brigid is the current ruler of the court of Spring, but she is certainly not the only fey noble to be a memeber of that court. Chloris, the nymph queen of flowers, has long been a figure in the court. She is beloved by petals and shimmerlings, and flowers bloom wherever she is present. She is devoted to the court of Spring, but her views on spring seem to conflict with those of Brigid. She appears as a nymph covered in flowers with hair that features every color of the rainbow, each gently fading into the others. Zephyr, the lord of the west wind, is a more recent addition to the court. Astreaus, the king of the winds, is a memeber of Ariel's court of air-however, he considers himself the rightful ruler of the court. Ariel is fully aware of this, and in order to reduce Astreaus's power base in her court, she ransomed each of his sons (the four winds) to the seasonal courts. Zephyr, the most gentle of the winds, was sent to the court of spring. Zephyr appears as a youth with bright blonde hair and fair skin, or as a white, partially translucent horse.
WorldsLargestDungionFan 08-08-07, 10:16 PM	Question, Could a character (Non Fey) Take this feat, and then be allowed in the game? Nymph Kiss +2 Charisma based skills and +1 bonus to all save and spell like abilitys +1 skill point per level Fey reguard you as a Fey Its a Feat from the Exalted Book, so you have to be good alignment, So All Fey now consider you as fey, So None fey races, as long as there good, Can take this feat? Or Are there more restrictions to things like this?
alesian 08-09-07, 12:19 AM	Non-fey characters are allowed in the campaign without taking the feat. The setting is fey heavy, not fey exclusive.
sigma999 08-09-07, 03:56 AM	Non-fey characters are allowed in the campaign without taking the feat. The setting is fey heavy, not fey exclusive. Yep Fey and mortals are entwined. To have a Fey campaign without, say, humans would be like devils without the Faustian fools to deceive, or any Cleric without gods. It's that duality between known and unknown, monster and humanoid, that makes for good setting. Although I imagine some gamers might want Fey-only campaign, I won't argue with that. As a warning, though, it might resemble Ferngully or Legend without the human protagonist(s) more than expected...
alesian 08-09-07, 02:35 PM	Ferngully FTW! Pele-madame of volcanoes and lightning and the queen of the dance. Pele's power lies in the elemental, destructive manifestations of fire (and thus her power lies over lava and lightning.) She is a member of Kojin's court, but she is not subservient to him. She is quite vindicative in her anger, but she never becomes angry without good reason (at least, a good reason to a fey.) She appears as a either a tall young woman with hair made of obsidian and glass, or a withered old woman beating with the heat of a volcano behind her skin. The Rainbow Serpent-the lord of dreams, of beginnings and endings, and of creation and destruction. He is the most enigmatic of the fey nobles, and has no association with any of the other courts. Some fey believe that he is a manifestation of Dynamic Equilibrium. Others believe that he is the first dream, and he guided the first dreamer into bringing the world into existence. He appears as an impossibly collosal, multicolored snake.
sigma999 08-09-07, 02:49 PM	Haha Pele.. nice. My favorite is still the Baba Yaga reference...
alesian 08-09-07, 11:01 PM	More "Child of..." feats... Child of Pele Prerequisites: Worshipper of Pele, Child of the Old Ways Benefits: Number of Days/Your charisma modifier, you may begin to dance. You gain fire resistance equal to your Perform: Dance check. If you possess the Bardic Music ability and at least 1 rank in Perform: Dance, you may spend a use of your Bardic Music to extend this resistance out to allies up to 15 feet away. Child of the Rainbow Serpent Prerequisites: Worshipper of the Rainbow Serpent, Child of the Old Ways Benefits: You are the master of your dreams. You are immune to sleep effects, as well as the spells Dream, Nightmare, and Weird.
alesian 08-09-07, 11:28 PM	Behold...the queen of the Unseelie court... Carabosse-the dark and terrible queen of the Unseelie Court. She goes by many names-Mab, Maeve, the Queen of Air and Darkness-but these are mainly to confuse her enemies and to prevent anyone from gaining power over her by using her true name. She has neither child nor consort, fearing that either could disrupt her control over the Unseelie Court. She long ago purged the court of most potential enemies, and her power is all but secure. Some people believe that Cold Bringing Woman is just a manifestation of Carabosse, and that the Court of Winter has all but been absorbed into the Unseelie Court. In recent years, Carabosse has led the Unseelie Court to challenge the prolonged dominance of the Seelie Court-and she has been quite successful. Carabosse regards herself as the greatest of nobility, and she is feared among mortal nobles for her habit of showing up at balls and coronations and wreaking havoc if her whims are not met. She appears as an exquisitely beautiful woman, wearing dark dresses years ahead fashionwise. However, it is said by some that pricking her with a cold iron needle reveals her true nature-an ugly old crone with the shadow of a rat.
parad0cz 08-10-07, 08:30 AM	I love the "Little Mermaid" reference! I must admit i love the old Disney musical animations. Have you read the original Hans story? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Little_Mermaid You could do this... in the original story it was a bittersweet ending, not the Disneyfied Happily Ever After(which is alright in its place i'll admit;)) She turns into... a daughter of Air. So then, to tie two of your legends together you have Ariel, lost daughter of the Sea King, and spirit of Air.
alesian 08-10-07, 12:30 PM	Yes, I've read the book. I completely forgot about the daughter of the air thing though, and that's a very interesting idea. This Ariel is based off of the Ariels from Shakespeare's The Tempest and Alexander Pope's The Rape of the Lock. Making her the lost daughter of the Sea King...hmm. That could be a very interesting plot hook.
parad0cz 08-10-07, 12:47 PM	Yeah, i knew about the Tempest, it'd be easy enough to stick prospero in there somewhere. But the same name is too good a chance to miss, especially since you have King Triton and Ursala I love the fey bt the way, and look forward to more stuff!
alesian 08-10-07, 05:59 PM	Shhh! Not so loud, or Disney will hear and you'll never see me again. ;) Child of Kojin Prerequisites: Worshipper of Kojin Benefit: You draw strength from fire, turning it towards productive ends. Whenever you are hit with fire damage, you gain a +1 bonus on craft checks, up to a maximum of your character level. These bonuses last 1 day before vanishing.
Arco Versipellis 08-12-07, 03:43 AM	Jut thought I would mention, the 3.0 book Deities and Demigods has a fey called "faun" in the Olympian Pantheon chapter. They make good bards, but the best part is that they have no level adjustment, which makes them a good PC race option.
alesian 08-20-07, 08:52 PM	The Court of Spring Ruler The Ruler of the Court of Spring is Brigid, Daughter of the Tuatha de Danann, Matron of the Arts, Mistress of Crafts, Healing, and Music, and the Flame of Creativity. She is the daughter of the Dagda and the brother of the Ruler of the Court of Autumn, Cernunnos. She was at one point married and had a son, but they were slain in one of the wars with the ancient enemies of the fey, the Fomorians. Their exact identities are unknown, and there are those who whisper that her husband was in fact a Fomorian prince. Brigid is credited with teaching mortals many practical arts such as blacksmithing, weaving, and horticulture. She also is associated with less “practical” arts-magic and music. Brigid possesses powerful magical secrets that allow her to drive out the Winter Court and bring her brother back from death, year after year. She is willing to teach these secrets to her followers these secrets-if they can prove that they have the wisdom and morality to handle these secrets responsibly. Brigid is believed to have been the progenitor of the bardic arts, and her talent with music is renowned among the fey. Brigid has numerous personal friends among the fey lords. She is close friends with Ariel of the Court of Air and Licorne, the Unicorn Maiden. Her relationship with Baba Yaga the hag queen is more enigmatic, but it is believed that they have some connection. Brigid and Cernunnos remain close, but neither mentions their courtly duties in the other’s presence. Brigid’s ban is that she can never refuse an offer of food made primarily with peppers. Brigid appears as a young woman with bright red hair, wearing rustic green dress. She holds in her hands tools of crafts- frequently a hammer and a musical instrument such as a lute. She is typically accompanied by productive animals such as bees, and is wreathed in a soft golden halo of light. Philosophy, Goals, Duties The Court of Spring embodies the cyclical principle of Rebirth. Spring drives out the cold death of Winter and yields to the growth and vitality of Summer. What died in Autumn is reborn in the Spring, and one of the foremost goals of the Spring Court is restoring that which has been hurt or corrupted. Members of the Spring Court are often healers and midwives, herbalists and wise women, working to ease the suffering of the sick and ill and bring joy and restoration into the world. In addition to this focus on restoration is the focus on creation, another aspect of Rebirth. The members of the Court of Spring practice all manner of arts, from painting to music to magic to ironworking. Many members of the Spring Court become bards or at least take up an instrument. Quests given by the Spring Court frequently involve finding a rare material for use in the creation of a new work of art, such as a rare rock for use in paint pigment. They are also noted for their love of romance and their fascination with sundry forms that love can take. Symbolism Colors of all kinds (especially bright colors) are closely valued by the Spring Court, especially in the form of flowers that blossom in the spring. Specifically, the Court is associated with the colors pink and green. Brigid herself is symbolically associated the High Priestess tarot card, and as the Matron of the Maiden-Matron-Crone trinity, or as the measurer of the thread of life. When associated with cycles other than that of the Seasons, Spring is Wakefulness (the cycles of sleep), Dawn (the cycle of the day), the West (the four directions) and Birth (the cycle of life) and Wands (the minor arcana). Vassals Currently part of the Court of Spring are the Courts of Flowers, the West Wind and Love. Flowers The Nymph Chloris is the ruler of the Court of Flowers. Chloris is enamored of Zephyr, but he is either unaware of her affections or does not wish to acknowledge them. Some of the nymphs of the Spring Court believe that she would be a better ruler than Brigid, but Chloris has no desire to usurp her patroness. She is radiantly beautiful, with softly multicolored hair and delicate, rosy skin. Flowers bloom in her presence, and colors become clearer and more vibrant. West Wind The Court of the West Wind is ruled by Zephyr, a son of Astraeus, the ruler of the Court of Winds. The Court of Winds is subservient to the Court of Air, and the ruler of the Court of Air ransomed Astraeus’s sons to the Seasonal Courts. Zephyr, the gentlest of Astraeus’s sons, was sent to the Court of Spring. Zephyr appears as a fair youth with pale skin and light blonde hair, with the wings of the dove and hooves of a horse. Love Briar Rose is the ruler of the fey Court of Love, more commonly known as the Court of the Red Rose (although it is not subservient to the Court of Flowers). She was once a human maiden, curse by Queen Carabosse of the Unseelie court. Her parents sought to win her boons by inviting fairy nobles to her christening, but they forgot to invite Carabosse. She arrived anyway, and cursed Briar Rose to sleep eternally once pricked by a spinning needle. She was eventually rescued from this curse by the kiss of her one true love, but Carabosse murdered him and ravaged Briar Rose’s kingdom. Donning the armor of her fallen lover, Briar Rose invoked the gifts the fairy powers had bestowed upon her and defeated Carabosse. She was then transformed into a fey, and became the leader of the Court of Love. Briar Rose appears as a fair human maiden with soft dark hair and rosy cheeks, wearing green clothing and a red shawl. She carries with her the sword and shield of a knight. Members Nymphs abound in the Court of Spring, reveling in the beauty that the season brings to the natural world. Dryads, newly awakened from their winter slumber, often flock to the Spring Court before defecting to the Summer Court later in the year. Petals, pixies, and shimmerling swarms fill the courts, although they are rarely prominent members because of their flighty natures. Virtually any fey related to plants, birth, or beauty can be found in the court, or any fey that is attracted to the court’s philosophy. Relationships The Court of Spring has a particularly adversarial relationship with the Court of Winter. Even though the Winter Court’s main enemy is theoretically the Summer Court, in truth Winter more frequently clashes with Spring. Spring seeks to break the uniformity and sterility that Winter imposes on the landscape, to bring hope to the bleakness that winter creates. For some mystical reason unknown to mortals, the Court of Spring refuses to acknowledge the existence of the Court of Autumn. The Court will acknowledge the existence of members of the Autumn Court, just not the court’s existence as a whole. Briar Rose’s induction into the court has moved Spring into a more unfriendly position with the Unseelie Court, making them tenuous allies of the Seelie Court. The Spring Court is closely aligned with the various Musical Courts, and has a strong alliance with the Forest Court, both because of the Spring’s effect on the forest and the fact that Brigid’s father the Dagda is the ruler of the Forest Court.
alesian 08-22-07, 06:32 PM	Anansi: Anansi is the nominal ruler of the Trickster Court. He does not truly direct the members of Cout, but he does provide them with guidance and advice. He is the King of All Stories, the Spinner of Fortune and the Grinning Trickster. He is said to be the son of the Sky and the creator of the lights of the world, having spun them out of the darkness. He may have once been the representative of the creator of the universe. He appears as an enormous spider with impossibly long and spindly legs, supported on a thousand intertwining silken threads. His head is humanoid, but covered by an intricately carved, grinning wooden mask.
alesian 08-22-07, 09:29 PM	The Dagda- The patriarch of the Tuatha de Danann, the Dagda's offspring have enjoyed much success among the fey Courts. Two of the Seasonal Courts (Spring and Autumn) are ruled by his children, a source of great pride to the Dagda. The Dagda led the fey on many battles with the Fomorians before he gave up rule of the Tuatha and the Fomorians were finally defeated. He now rules the Court of the Forest, one of the most prominent of the Locational Courts. The Dagda appears as a giant man composed partially of leaves, dragging a monsterously large club attached to two wheels behind him.