Hermits' paths

These nine North-South strands are the home of the Dark fae, who fiercely defend them from incursions by demonic forces attempting to spread from Ugaidi by any means necessary. The Hermits’ Paths were more easy to defend than the southern bands of the Lucky lands because only small portions of them entered within reach of the demons, who had their attention spread across all nine bands, while the southern Lucky Lands only had two bands, which could not coordinate quickly enough to prevent their eradication. The Hermits’ Paths are partially so named because those who walk them often never return home, since on these Paths, time moves very slowly, while the rest of the world seems to race past. Therefore even the briefest venture into the Hermits’ Paths may see the wanderer return to find his family decades older than before. This partially contributes to the Dark fae’s melancholic attitudes; any attachments they may form with mortals on Custudio are over in a blink.

Geography

The landscape of the Hermit's paths is more ominous than that of the Lucky Lands; forests are dense and overgrown, mountains are jagged and tall, streams are cold and fast-flowing. However, this is part of the defence against demonic attacks. The fey within the Hermit's paths can navigate this terrain with ease, while an intruder struggles to make headway through an inhospitable terrain.

Fauna & Flora

There are several species of partially carnivorous plants within the Hermit's paths. These are bound to Duskthorn dryads, who are the eyes and ears of the fey lords. Animals within the Hermits' paths are larger and more ferocious than their mundane counterparts, but also intelligent; a benign visitor may persuade these creatures to escort them to a nearby court, rather than be immediately attacked.

Alternative Name(s)

The Courts of the Dark fae

Type

Dimensional plane

Location under

The Feywild

Characters in Location

• Queen of Witches