Post/Author/DateTime	Post
WizO_Sith 03-02-05, 05:19 PM	You know the drill by now, this month's theme is "Fey"... Discuss, debate, go nuts! (as always, keep the discussion within the bounds of the WotC online Code of Conduct (www.wizards.com/coc))
Gurv 03-02-05, 06:32 PM	Ok. We don't usually do very well with the monthly themes here on the Eberron Boards. But I think we can do it this month, because we have a few things that the others don't have: 1) Thelanis, the Faerie Court 2) The Greensingers Since there isn't a lot of information on either, I think we should get to discussing them. Has anyone used them extensively in their games yet? A few thoughts: Thelanis doesn't become coterminous very often. It has one of the longest orbits of the planes, but once it gets here, it sticks around. For those 7 years the fey must flood into Eberron; after that they must stick around for decades (they're generally immortal). Of course, by the time Thelanis is remote, the fey are few again. Another interesting factor is the Flowing Time trait. 225 years on Eberron is only a little over 32 years on Thelanis. Which means that even a short-lived human could disappear to the plane and return to Eberron hundreds of years later, assuming he could deal with the 'catch-up phenomenon'. Imagine the plot hooks that could entail: if Thelanis became coterminous today, anyone trapped there would have missed the entire Last War! Separate, but related, are the Greensingers. How have people been portraying the them? I haven't used them yet because I am afraid they will make true every stereotype about tree-hugging druids that has ever been told. I need to know more about what role they play in Eberron before I can present them to my players. What makes them anything more new-age hippies and why should anyone take them seriously? The other druid sects have ancient enemies, stated goals. What the heck do the Greensingers do all day? I'd like to see them have a bigger place in the scheme of things. Ok, let's get some more input for this month's theme. As the Sith said: Discuss, debate, go nuts!
DolArrah 03-02-05, 06:59 PM	Thelanis: I think that that idea is very cool, the 'guy being trapped on Thelanis and missing the last war'. I think that if it was an elf, they could survive, and would have a whole new perspective. Maybe, a dragon is posted on Thelanis and every time it becomes contermineous, it provides a new perspective on a problem at hand. Then they send that same dragon and another, preserving history. Also, you could keep a very old dragon, like from the age of dragons, alive on the plane. Then, people could to come it for ideas. Greensingers: I think that they are more music oriented than 'tree-hugging druids'. They are more like the fey they worship than anything else. They are whimsical, intelligent, fun, and care a lot.
deClench 03-02-05, 08:51 PM	Greensingers: I think that they are more music oriented than 'tree-hugging druids'. They are more like the fey they worship than anything else. They are whimsical, intelligent, fun, and care a lot. I agree. If any would be the "tree-hugging" type, it would be those Wardens of the Wood. The Greensingers only need be chaotic. Think of the lust of the satyr, the intensity of the Wild Hunt, the viciousness of the Redcaps -- no hippies here. So Greensingers need not be cuddly and sweet, just as druids no longer have to be TRUE neutral. I have gotten much more interested in the fey since they've started to introduce more of them in the monster compilations. Those from MM1 were the standard fair. But sonce, the books have grasped the darker side of the fey: the Wendigo (FF), Redcaps (MM3), the Splinterwaif (MM3). It's adding a darker dimension to a creature Type that I've never thought twice of before. I'm currently trying to introduce a fey arc to my campaign. Plus there was a lot of fey related material on the WotC website -- not sure if those articles are still going, but many were quite interesting. Thelanis offers a lot of potential, but I'm not sure how much I want to play with the planes just yet. Love the hook about the person/creature missing the last war for being on Thelanis btw! How soon until it's coterminous? I would love to see more info about Thelanis or fey on Eberron.
Lujayne34 03-02-05, 09:12 PM	In the novel City of Towers by Keith Baker there is an outcast of House Cannith. The reason he was cast out was that he married a dryad. A Darkwood dryad. His behavior supposedly changed and they thought she had charmed him. It might be an interesting plot hook to pair up a member of House Phiarlan, Lyrandar or even Vadalis or Orien with some kind of fae.
Don_Orro 03-02-05, 11:38 PM	The way I see it, those Fey just can't be trusted. Sure, they may want to be your friend, and they may not intend to hurt you in any way. You may even have the best time of your life hangin' out with 'em. That doesn't change the fact that they've lured you onto another plane of existance, more than likely given you potent alchohol or some flower you shouldn't have eaten, and sent you back home a hundred years or more later. Then they think it's funny when you get all old and fall over, then they call yoy a party pooper when you're dead because you won't play anymore. :nonono: That's not the type of people I would want to hang aroud with.
darkthought 03-03-05, 12:20 AM	The way I see it, those Fey just can't be trusted. Sure, they may want to be your friend, and they may not intend to hurt you in any way. You may even have the best time of your life hangin' out with 'em. That doesn't change the fact that they've lured you onto another plane of existance, more than likely given you potent alchohol or some flower you shouldn't have eaten, and sent you back home a hundred years or more later. Then they think it's funny when you get all old and fall over, then they call yoy a party pooper when you're dead because you won't play anymore. :nonono: That's not the type of people I would want to hang aroud with. Heh, no doubt. I'd rather hang around the Vol cultists in Karrnath. Dour, grumpy and cold. That way you'll know you'll always be the life of the party. Think of the lust of the satyr, the intensity of the Wild Hunt, the viciousness of the Redcaps -- no hippies here. And don't forget the nymphs doing nymphish things... bwahahahaaaa... :evillaugh
okaynowa 03-03-05, 06:36 AM	To paraphrase Douglas Adams: "The other druid sects considered themselves superior because while they were busy protecting the land and blasting aberrations, the Greensingers just frolicked in the glen and sang faery songs. The Greensingers considered themselves superior for exactly the same reasons." On a more serious note, the Greensingers might organize themselves into "courts" instead of circles, mimicking traditions associated with the fey. I can see the Greensingers being a faction that switches sides often in conflicts between sects. During their winter/Unseelie moods, they side with the Children of Winter. During their summer/Seelie moods, they side with the Gatekeepers. In general, though, I don't see Greensingers in my campaign caring about Big Things unless the fey are involved. They'll defend a dryad's tree, but don't care about the tree next to it. They'll defend the glen because it's a great place to party, but could care less about the rest of the forest. I suspect there's a good number of multi-classed druid/sorcerors or druid/wizards among the Greensingers, given the fey association with matters arcane. A bigger question might be, how does the average Eberronian view the fey? Are they as scared of them as real world people traditionally were? Given that there's daelkyr out there waiting to turn people into psience projects, do people still take legends about glaistigs and kelpies to heart? There's an adventure idea-- a mixed-alignment group of fey could get together to "re-educate" a rural region about the power of Thelannis and faery, engineering a few kidnappings and troopings to remind folks who their Good Neighbors are.
Splendide 03-03-05, 07:45 AM	The fey believe in natural justice, and this aspect may be underplayed. If a little boy is lost in the woods, the mostly likely thing a fey will do is see what happens to them. They won't stop wolves from eating him, or vampire bats sucking out his blood, unless they can see a good reason to (eg. too many bats in the area. already). Saving them might happen if they feel he's lost there for unnatural reasons, but everything has to eat. I think you could expect Greensingers to be similarly amoral. They're like the high-ranked flunkies to the Hollywood fey, and really only care about their own interaction with these focused forces of nature. Their interest in regular people quite probably relates directly to how they can help them in their interactions with the fey. "Really, you have a source for deep-frosted goodberries? We should talk." On okaynowa's point regarding the regular peasant view...imagine Daelkyr as crazy terrorists that get a lot of press. Yes, they're terrifying, but you know what? Most regular fear you get is going to be coming from local criminals that nick your stuff, beat you up and all sorts of other minor terrors...much more present, but less specifically publicised. Fey would be on that level.
Altaris 03-03-05, 11:03 AM	Frankly, I've never used Fey in any DnD game I've run. And I've only encountered them in one or two particular settings, such as Ravenloft. In other systems where the Fey are used, such writers AND players do a very BAD job of presenting the fey as they ought to be. I agree, never trust a fey. Sure, they may have a place in Eberron and you could probably have some cool storylines with Thelanis. But in my opinion, their place is in the woods ignoring and being ignored by the more cosmopolitan denizens.
Darkest90 03-04-05, 12:46 AM	I'd rather trust a bank full of changelings with my fortune than to trust a fey to shine my shoes. In Eberron especially, I see the fairyfolk as an extremely chaotic people with an unlimited supply of tricks. They live for nothing but fun, and their age-long ideas for enjoyment puts them to foul ends. They care little except themselves and are indifferent to the mortal races. When Thelanis turns around, the fey tricksters rush into Eberron for a sort of vacation to chill out, cause chaos, and do as they please. They see the Eberronese as an easy target to dupe, swindle, and humiliate. Anything to get a laugh. The Greensingers are probably those druids who revolve around a couple of ideals. While they concentrate their powers on nature, they believe it to be a toy, a mere tool that can be manipulated for amusement and self-gain. They see the hedonistic lifestyle of the fey as a perfect one, and seek to imitate their chaos. So, the Greensingers, in my opinion, are less of an actual organization, just a loose coalition of unselfless druids who party together, show off their powers, try to become cool enough to hang around fey, and generally become a nuisance to those around them. Just my 2.
okaynowa 03-04-05, 07:04 AM	Okay, we have a general idea of what the Fey are like. But how can they play a part in what's supposed to be a pulp action style setting? Here's a quick take on some classic pulp tropes reinterpreted with the Good Folk: 1) The Fey as Undiscovered Tribe Pulp explorers are always coming across undiscovered/long-lost tribes dwelling in out of the way places (conveniently near the lost treasure, usually). During the party's next expedition to Xen'drik, make those dangerous locals a band of fey whose territoriality just might be overcome by the PCs' appeal to their curiousity. Perhaps the fey have made a sought-after artifact the centerpiece of their favorite game, and will relinquish it only after the party can beat them at said game or provide an adequate replacement. 2) The Fey as "Uninterested" 3rd Party Given their chaotic nature and disassociation from mortal life, the Fey have managed to maintain a Swiss-like neutrality in the historic conflicts of Eberron. They have not suffered the setbacks that the goblinoids, giants, and elves have, and so their power base is still intact. A Dragonmarked house or struggling nation could be tempted to tap that power for their own needs, but can the Fey be induced to get involved? Or, can they be trusted as arbiters in an inter-house dispute? How neutral is their territory, really? 3) The Mysterious Patron Pulp heroes are often employed at the whim of shady individuals-- and what's shadier than an Unseelie fey working against another member of the court? Pulp stories and fey legends share kidnapping and rescue as common themes (Oberron and Titania in A Midsummer Night's Dream were basically involved in a custody battle), with theft and restoration of property as a close second. A disguised pixie may pay the party to "just hold onto this box" for a little while, leaving them to deal with the band of spriggans looking to recover it. A satyr may hire the party to track down a missing heir armed only with a vague description of the human mother (or, same mother may hire the party to enforce an inter-realm paternity suit). 4) The Fey as Q-Section Even in a magic-familiar setting like Eberron, fey magic should be something unusual and unsettling. A clever DM can use one-shot fey items or enchantments as Macguffins or "get out of jail free cards" for the party. These items may bend the rules a bit to serve the plot (such as a door-in-a-bottle, or a stone that briefly reverses the flow of a river), but their uniqueness and short duration should keep them from extreme abuse. Besides, who wants to see Bond using the same old gadgets every time? What other classic themes could stand a Fey twist to them?
fizzbang 03-04-05, 11:55 AM	Maybe it's just because I used to run too much Changeling, but it always begs me when people assume that fey are just whimsical glitterfairies with a penchant for awkward pranks. deClench and others were right on the money when they pointed out the dangerous and destructive aspects that fey can embody, and it's important to remember that even the "nicest" ones of them can be staggeringly self-centered, amoral, or simply alien: other creatures may not even register as actual beings to some of them, much less as ones whose feelings should be taken into consideration. Next time you're running a plot that calls for a Terrifying Sociopathic Evil from Beyond, try replacing it with a fey who's just "having fun". It works surprisingly well. In Eberron, I'd see the Gatekeepers as walking a delicate line between being ambassadors to these tremendously powerful groups and also being guardians against the more dangerous fey. They've got to try to get the favor of the many conflicting camps and courts of fey while still shielding the average people from their attentions. As such, they may never really know who they can call allies from one night to the next. And they have to deal with people thinking that all they do isplay in the woods with pixies... For a suitably dark noir Greensingers plot, try something like this for size: A small, quiet village suddenly finds that all of its children have been kidnapped in the night. The Greensingers suspect it's the work of fey, and quickly begin searching for the culprit and the location of the children, but every lead tells them a different story. The grieving villagers throw blame in every direction, various fey point to each other and offer wild explanations, and the elders of the village are strangely quiet about the whole deal. The only reliable information comes in the form of an attack from a rampaging fey; after the fight, the clues suggest that a very powerful fey associated with the Winter Court in Thelanis sicced it on the party to put an end to their questioning. The Greensingers prepare a ritual to safely travel to Thelanis and avoid threat of time aging, so that they can find more information and rescue the children. Once there, they seek out the aid of the Summer Court, asking for their aid to right the terrible wrong performed by the opposing court. The smiling queen offers her deepest sympathies (which may almost sound sincere) and explains that it sounds as if it was an act by the Winter Prince, but informs them that no direct action can be taken by the Summer Court, lest the conflict turn into outright war. However, she does offer the covert aid of a guide, a human raised in Thelanis who can assist them without tipping the balance of power. Furthermore, she warns them that any harm that comes to the Winter Prince will surely provoke the traditionalist fey of both courts to take their vengence out on the humans for interfering in their world. With the assistance of the guide's understanding of the courts, the party infiltrates the Winter Court and slowly uncovers more and more of the truth behind the kidnapping. Apparently, the kidnapping is part of an ancient pact between the fey and the people of the village: in return for the fey's protection of the village, every cycle of Thelanis, they take seven children to be raised in their own courts. Without these children, who are raised well and cared for, the rulers of both courts lose their immortality, and the fey return to uncontrolled rampaging. Meanwhile, the Summer Queen has her own plans. The guide is one of the children stolen from the last cycle, raised by the Queen as part of a long-running play for power. She has taught him a ritual that will allow him to become a full-fledged fey by stabbing a powerful court ruler with a specially prepared cold-iron blade. His real purpose in aiding the party is to get close to the Winter Prince so that he can kill him and gain his power. From there, complex fey court rules will allow him to take the throne and blame the party for the old Prince's death. The Queen will have an ally in the opposing court, the children (and her immortality) will be safely kept, and who cares if the fey of the courts take revenge on the humans? Yeah, fey can make for just as much intrigue and uncertainty as anything else in Eberron...
Lokiyn 03-04-05, 05:04 PM	I think fey are delicious, expecially when made in terran brandy. Hmm that gives me an idea, and a question. Why isn't there any interaction between spellcasters and fey in the form of hunting. Oh course i tend to view anything that is magical in some form or another as spell components, but thats just me. Heh i can see certain unsavory organizations organizing fey hunting partys when the plane is coterminous. Most people would view them as heros for getting rid of the pests. i wonder what fey blood is like for a vampire... being highly naturey does it make the vampire's body fresher and younger making them closer to thier living state of being?
Foxboy2000 03-04-05, 11:31 PM	I had a bard whose first interaction with bardic music was through accidentally countering a group of Petals (MM III) by singing along with their sleep effect. Seems that a baritone's harmonics disrupt the piping choral effect of a band of fey. ;) Of course, I loved it when my party completely underestimated a redcap (again, MM III). They never expected him to crit 5 times with a scythe a size too large for him.... :evillaugh
Crimsonsun 03-05-05, 04:48 AM	Of course, I loved it when my party completely underestimated a redcap (again, MM III). They never expected him to crit 5 times with a scythe a size too large for him.... :evillaugh Hey now, I had no problem with that redcap! :D
Ksaturn 03-05-05, 05:59 AM	I have recently created three monsters, all of which seem to be fey... go figure... I haven't hammered out the rules and details so if you want to use them figure it out on your own... someone has too... The Tormented. This unlucky fellow(usually NG) wanders about having nightmares and generally avoiding people. If he gets stressed out he reflexively begins summoning fiends(as per the summon monster spell), but in his eyes his nightmares have become reality. To use him... A local drunkard/beggar is being mugged in the alley. The muggers are found dead the next day, torn apart, and the place reeks of foul magic. One of the muggers’ parents was relatively high in the local bureaucracy and has inquisitives and the guard all over it. You can already hear the paladin's horse... "There’s a demon/cultist/monster or some-such on the loose at so-and-so village Mr. Silverflame guy"... Will a paladin kill an ‘innocent monster’? What if he has a wisdom of 8 and no detect evil… enter the Pcs… Nymph, Lust. This luscious creature(Usually CN) meanders about acting feyish and nymph-like. Its touch causes wisdom damage, which is rarely noticed or missed. Similar in action to the MM's Nymph(or love nymph), this one generally is more about Passion than Compassion(and isn't as strong with roughly 2 HD). How to use her? Some unscrupulous men capture one for their own pleasures. George the Paladin-wannabe(LG Warrior 3 maybe?) comes to the rescue. Things didn't go as he planned and the next mourning is he unconscious, unclothed, and bereft of any wisdom to be found by several angry bandits who lost their prize. To make matters worse the girl is coming back with her Treant/animal/greensinger friends who are really put off and feel like killing humans... like the nearby village... Enter the Pcs... Nymph, Blood. This sinister creature(usually CE) stalks about seducing the unwary. It drinks blood much like a vampire(con damage or something), though it has no vampiric qualities whatsoever (and only roughly 4 HD). Plus the victims are usually to busy to notice... and for the campaign you should... add George(assuming he survived the last mess) who bumbles in and rescues a 'innocent young girl' from being burned at the stake by a 'bloodthirsty mob' of villagers. He is found alone, without cover, and very weak the next day by an angry mob who notice the bite marks on his neck... listen you can already hear it... "A stake through his heart!... No! Burn him like the witch!...ect." meanwhile the vengeful fey is picking of villagers, determined to finish her meal before they kill him... enter the Pcs....
Lara Flynn 03-05-05, 07:19 AM	Fey are wonderful. (As indicated by my sig - I love them) Never trust a fey? It's just their perspective. They aren't really egoistic, they just push egocentrism to the very edge. Fey do not seek to harm anyone and while they probably would defend their glen more then the woods right next to it they simply try to maintain the natural order as long as it doesn't cause one of themselves to do the whine cry thing and sob for several years. But yes in a pulp noir game fey are the perfect troublemakers when they should not. It's like this stupid sidekick of the hero who tries to help him and just makes the whole thing even worse. (See Mr. Jones and his various aides) And for the Greensingers: Are the fey involved into the prophecy? Perhaps there role is highly important and surely they themselves couldn't care less. Fey: "Hey I'm somehow into this picture on the wall?" "It's a dragonmark? I don't like it, let's go..." Probably they fey don't realise what's the impact of their actions and perhaps it's a huge one. And yes the Daelkyr are evil and their reign in Eberron was awful but imagine - what if the mighty fey somehow trigger an event 10 times worse by "just playing". An ancient dragon once told the Greensingers that he believed that a part of the prophecy is exactly about that. From that moment on those guys have concentrated on understanding the fey while keeping their own perspective in mind to foresee the events those little creatures will trigger. Guarding stupid seals and fighting evil overlords? Pah, that's not a task for the Greensingers. Their mission is far more important. They have to play with the fey!
JohnnyONeal 03-08-05, 10:05 AM	My favorite thing about the Greensingers is the potential to play a high-Cha druid with excellent Bluff and Diplomacy skills. It's just a shame that druids can't be chaotic good... To me, the neatest thing about Thelanis is that it represents the opportunity for very low-level planar adventuring. Sure, you have to make sure the PCs don't spend too much time there, but the time limit makes an exciting addition to the game if you convey it clearly. And a trip there could happen as early as 2nd level! :dice: A group of warforged pay the PCs to recover their kidnapped brother from Thelanis. To get there, the PCs must swim through an underwater coterminous zone protected by nixies. They find the warforged quickly, but he's embroiled in a conflict between his original kidnappers (some friendly pixies) and a group of Unseelie types (thornwaifs, darkwood dryads, evil grigs, and a redcap ringleader). The only way to convince the warforged to come home is to help him fight the evil fairies on their turf: a winding, starlit topiary maze. (Alternately, the warforged could be a wanted criminal. Or House Cannith or the Lord of Blades want to see him back in Khorvaire to study the effects of advanced age on the seemingly immortal warforged. Whatever the motivation, I think it could be a fun, unexpected adventure. You'd just have to throw in some non-fey encounters to keep things interesting: some traps, animals, plants, undead, et cetera. To avoid having the PCs spend the night in Thelanis, a fairy could heal their wounds after the first four encounters.)
nyysjan 03-08-05, 11:06 AM	personally i only own Monster Manual adn don't have MM II or MM III but as far as i see it the Fey (Dryad, Nymph, Satyr, etc.) were not that powerfull or terrible (unless you are a commoner or low level adventurer) so where are the lords and ladies of the Faery courts those truly powerfull beings that would give demons and angels run for their money. in my opinion there should be extra powerfull Fae nobles that would be equal in power with greater demons like Balors and above them there should be King and Queen of the Faery realm not nice extremely chaotic ,almost godlike beings while in their own plane, that rule the chaotic almost insane court of the faery. the faeries were feared in the middle ages and they were not messed with if you knew what was good for you
Demon in Shades of Gray 03-08-05, 12:12 PM	There are a lot of misconceptions about the fey roaming around. First, while mostly chaotic, not all fey are uncaring pranksters. Far from it. There is as much variation in fey personalities as there is in any other intelligent race. Moreso, in fact, due to the fey penchant for extremes. There are good fey, evil fey, cute and playful fey, prankster fey, loving/caring fey, evil fey... There are fey lords and ladies, fey knights, fey paladins, fey demons (figure of speech, they're actually just really powerful gremlins*). *Term for the uglier, twisted, misshapen critters of the Unseelie Court. Used in place of the gothic-era term "goblin" which is used in another place... The constant battles and subterfuge between the Seelie and Unseelie courts has led to any number of bizzare and extreme fey characteristics. Some fey are extensions of ideas (Dryads and tree spirits, Satyrs and drunken revelry, Redcaps and violence). Others are more unique and independent. The one thing you have to realize about fey is the abundance of magic inherent in every single one of them. Magic is as common to them as air is to us, and just as necessary. Everything they do, they use magic to do it better. Not that I'm countering the "fey having fun" plot hook. There certainly are fey out there with destructive tendencies and off-beat senses of humor. But don't rule out serious and heavy-drama plots, either, just because the fey are involved.
Zedium 03-08-05, 01:50 PM	Well, personally I don't think Eberronian fey obey the true Seelie/Unseelie court type, true enough, they are ruled by several high powers. (Page 76 of Sharn: City of Towers) In my personal view, the fey are ruled by several independant courts made up from different kinds of fey and each with different viewpoints, although do seem to gather at some High Court which makes up all the major descissions. Another curious question would be on how the fey are affected by living on different planes. Seeing how there are fey living both on Eberron and on Thelanis, would they be part of the same big group? I guess they are, but it could lead to interesting conflicts between Eberron and Thelanis if they weren't. And how would the presence of the Eladrin and Tritons affect the Thelanis fey? Would the Eladrin concider their Fey neighbours as their equals, or would they see the Fey as amusing but unthoughtful children?
Raster 03-08-05, 03:29 PM	I agree with Zedium that it's not likely that Eberronian fey follow the traditional Seelie/Unseelie...um..traditions. We've got dinosaur riding halfling barbarians and the gnomish secret police, why stop there? Of course, as always whatever the DM says goes. As to Eladrins and tritons, game rule wise, they're outsiders, but they probably think of themselves as fey.
okaynowa 03-09-05, 05:00 AM	It's easiest to fall back on what we're familiar with, which is the traditional fey legends and stories. So, how can we make them more Eberron-ish without making them completely unfamiliar? What legends can be adapted for the fey? Here's some brainstorming-- please kibitz and counter-propose: 1) Fey are traditionally vulnerable to cold iron. Eberron offers us byeshk, to which Xoriat-based aberrations are vulnerable. Perhaps fey could react negatively to this metal instead of cold iron? This would increase the utility of that rare earth to players (I leave it to DMs to figure out the rationale). 2) Dragonshards are a big part of the Eberron setting, and are a good angle to get fey involved. Perhaps, due to their highly magical nature, fey can be trapped in Khyber shards as easily as elementals. A bound fey device would most likely be a powerful tool for illusion or nature magic, but highly unpredictable (given the stronger personality of the trapped being). And perhaps fey magic mutates while stored in Eberron shards-- resulting in different spells coming out then went in. 3) Perhaps Eberron fey "organize" themselves according to the 12 moons rather than the seasons. Instead of the Seelie and Unseelie, they have fey of the Storm Moon troop, the Crowned Moon troop, and so forth, their powers waxing and waning with their chosen orb. 4) One wacky old legend says that you can hide from the fey by turning your clothes inside out. Perhaps each of the Five Nations has a different "charm" against the fey-- in Karrnath, rubbing grave dirt on your elbows scares them off. On the Talenta Plains, the halfling tribesmen believe that the fey can't steal an item while a Silver Flame symbol rests on it. Whether these superstitions have real game effects is up to you to decide, but in practice most of them are slightly absurd and geared towards defending the believer. Adapt, adopt, and improve!
Naudachu 03-09-05, 01:29 PM	2) Dragonshards are a big part of the Eberron setting, and are a good angle to get fey involved. Perhaps, due to their highly magical nature, fey can be trapped in Khyber shards as easily as elementals. A bound fey device would most likely be a powerful tool for illusion or nature magic, but highly unpredictable (given the stronger personality of the trapped being). And perhaps fey magic mutates while stored in Eberron shards-- resulting in different spells coming out then went in. This is could be a purpose for the Greensingers: protecting these powerful resources from being used...by good or evil. They free trapped fey when possible and thwart efforts to create fey-powered "doom machines." 3) Perhaps Eberron fey "organize" themselves according to the 12 moons rather than the seasons. Instead of the Seelie and Unseelie, they have fey of the Storm Moon troop, the Crowned Moon troop, and so forth, their powers waxing and waning with their chosen orb. I was thinking this, too. Maybe the relative sizes of the courts could correspond to the sizes (or apparent sizes as seen from Eberron) of the moons. Relative sizes of the moons (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=391286)
Ellipsis 03-11-05, 03:50 PM	Separate, but related, are the Greensingers. How have people been portraying the them? I haven't used them yet because I am afraid they will make true every stereotype about tree-hugging druids that has ever been told. I need to know more about what role they play in Eberron before I can present them to my players. What makes them anything more new-age hippies and why should anyone take them seriously? The other druid sects have ancient enemies, stated goals. What the heck do the Greensingers do all day? I'd like to see them have a bigger place in the scheme of things. I don't think that they're any more tree-hugging than any other druids. And I picture them as happy-go-lucky, carefree, singing, yes, but kicking but while doing so. Not a very good example, but think the dwarf druid in The Thousand Orcs . He's childish, couldn't care less about important stuff, never frowns, but kicks serious orc tush. I think of the Greensingers the same way. Hurt their trees and they won't preach to you about their holiness, they'll just make the trees hurt you.
Brastan 03-18-05, 11:58 PM	Not being very familiar with Fay legends and stories I give it a shot. The Fay of Eberron (the Dragon Between) stock. Eberron Shards enhance magical properties. I would guess the Shards might act like various drugs and intoxicates to Fay, depending what type of magic the Shard is attuned to. The biggest concentration of Fay is in the Eldern Reach but were else can you find Fay in Eberron? What might they be doing? An odd encounter just struck me. What would happen if a whole group of Fay or Court just started traveling across Eberron for their own reasons? What kinds of disruption would occur as they continue their normal behavior in new locations? Due to the shady alignment scales in Eberron you can't always expect certain types Fay to act the same way every time. Not only can PCs get sought between the politics of different Courts, Seelie and Unseelie, but they can also be confronted by two or more different factions with in a particularly type of fay. How mad an adventure would become when you have to deal with good and evil Pixies, both types a part of two opposing Courts( meaning good and evil Pixies on both sides). Also along the lines of shady alignment what would an evil dryad be like?
Isran_Imrador 03-26-05, 06:18 PM	Come and vote for on the best FEY charater! HERE (http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=389894&page=1&pp=30) somewere.... Isran :)
Liane the Wayfarer 03-28-05, 09:31 PM	I would see fey as more oriented along a Progenitor Dragon axis than a moon axis - perhaps they have three "moods" or "faces" as opposed to the Seelie/Unseelie two? A Mask Below, Mask Between, and Mask Above: when in a khyber mood, the fey turn vicious and cruel, when in a siberys mood they reach for their more noble side, and when in an eberron mood they let the dice fall where they may?
Naudachu 03-29-05, 12:51 PM	I've been kicking around ideas for a dark dryad campaign. Instead of a stationary tree or even grove of trees, I was thinking of dark roots spreading out and springing up new growths. So, an entire forest could be linked together. And since this is one continuous organism, the dark dryad could travel along the roots to any outgrowth. I'm still playing with the cause of the original plant, but the picture of a squad of dark dryad popping out of a recent growth of brambles is interesting. All in all the fey seem ambiguous. Sure they seem chaotic, but they are always beaten by some silly rules they must follow. That seems pretty Lawful to me. But a forced Lawfulness. Almost as if to exist on this plane they must play some grand charade. And the native fey are free to be Chaotic?