The Fae

The Realms Beyond the Mortal Veil: The Interwoven Planes of the Gloomwood and the Fae

The Gloomwood is more than just an ancient forest; it is a borderland of realms, a place where the barriers between mortal, fae, and darker domains are thin, shifting, and at times, nearly nonexistent. The very roots of the trees drink not only from the soil of the earth but from echoes of lost ages, forgotten gods, and hungering spirits.

Among these interwoven planes of existence, four stand out as the most influential upon the fate of the forest and those who dwell within it:

• The Mortal World (Ravenshollow & The Gloomwood)
• The Fey Court & The Fae Realm
• The Hunter’s Domain & The Wild Hunt
• The Underworldly & The Hollow Below

Each of these realms bleeds into the Gloomwood in some way, shaping the creatures that dwell there, the balance of power, and the perilous pathways that mortals may stumble upon.

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The Mortal World: Ravenshollow & The Gloomwood

This is the realm of men, beasts, and witches, where Ravenshollow clings to its fragile survival against the growing shadow of corruption. The Gloomwood itself is alive, a place where spirits whisper, the trees seem to shift when unwatched, and forgotten beings slumber beneath roots and stone.

However, the forest does not belong entirely to mortals. It is a place where the fae still hold dominion, where the Wild Hunt runs beneath blood-red moons, and where the Underworldly creep up from the depths to steal away the unwary.

Ties to Other Realms

• The Fae Realm overlaps in places where the veil is thin, particularly at the Greenwood Edge, the Feywild Glade, and the Dream Tree.
• The Hunter’s Domain bleeds through in the howls in the night, the deep places where prey is always hunted, and the rites of those who still honor the Old Ways.
• The Hollow Below, the Underworldly realm, touches the Gloomwood where mist gathers at unnatural times, where forgotten ruins hold deep stairways, and where the unwary vanish forever beneath the roots.

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The Fae Realm: The Court of Twisting Paths

The Fae Realm is a place of shifting beauty, eternal twilight, and cruel splendor, where the Fey Court rules over glades that never wither, rivers that sing secrets, and palaces woven from moonlight and the bones of forgotten gods.

It is not one place but a series of shifting domains, each belonging to different fae lords and ladies. Some are lush and wondrous, filled with music and feasts, while others are twisted and cruel, ruled by fae who see mortals as nothing more than fleeting amusements.

The Fey Court’s Influence on the Gloomwood

The fae have always had a presence in the Gloomwood, their magic pulsing beneath the roots and running through the veins of certain beings. While they once treated with the ancient spirits of the land, they never fully pledged themselves to the witches, seeing them as usurpers of power rather than rightful protectors.

Some of the fae remain untouched by the corruption, watching and waiting, choosing their allegiances carefully. Others have fallen—twisted by the same darkness that now seeps into the forest, becoming shadowed mockeries of their former selves.

Gates & Crossings Between the Realms

The Fae Realm and the Gloomwood are connected by natural crossings, places where the veil between worlds is paper-thin.

• The Feywild Glade – A shimmering threshold where the Dream Tree stands, its roots reaching into both the mortal realm and the Fae Court.
• The Pools of Moonlight – Hidden in the depths of the forest, these waters serve as a mirror between worlds, showing glimpses of the Fae Realm beneath their surface.
• The Whispering Paths – Trails that shift beneath the feet of travelers, leading those who stray too far into places where time does not move as it should.

Many never return from these places, while some emerge years later, unchanged, only to find the world has moved on without them.

The Forgotten Kin

The Feral Elves: The Forgotten Kin

While many of the elves of old joined the Fae Court, there are those who chose to remain in the Gloomwood, bound to the land itself. These are the Feral Elves, who ride wolves beneath the moon, who shun human ways, and who see the corruption as the fault of mortal weakness.

They do not serve the witches. Instead, they believe that humanity was never meant to wield the powers that the witches stole. The fae of the court may see them as lesser, lost kin, but they hold their own traditions, rooted in the ancient balance of predator and prey.

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The Hunter’s Domain: The Eternal Wild Hunt

Beyond the mortal realm and even beyond the shifting beauty of the Fae Court, there exists a realm of unending pursuit, where the Hunter rides beneath an endless moon, his hounds baying for the scent of the weak, the lost, and the unworthy.

This is a realm of primal fear, where all are either hunters or hunted. It is a world of forests that stretch into infinity, where blood seeps into the roots and where the cycle of life is not one of growth, but of endless pursuit.

The Hunt’s Influence on the Gloomwood

• The Hunter’s shadow can be felt in the deepest parts of the forest, where prey is always being stalked.
• The Dark Riders were once part of this hunt, before they became corrupted, believing the dark entity to be their true master.
• Some mortals dream of the Hunt and wake changed, feeling the urge to run, chase, or kill.

The Wild Hunts that happen in the mortal world are mere echoes of the eternal Hunt that rages in the Hunter’s Domain.

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The Hollow Below: The Underworldly & Their Queen

Beneath the roots of the world lies the Hollow Below, a place neither living nor dead, where the Underworldly rule as cruel masters of their stolen kingdom.

This place is not a natural underworld, but a realm built upon stolen souls, lost wanderers, and those who were foolish enough to dig too deep into the dark places beneath the forest.

The Queen Below is the ruler of this realm, her court a place of haunting beauty and suffocating power. She is neither alive nor dead, an ancient being who exists to take, to claim, to rule over all that is forgotten.

How the Hollow Below Ties to the Gloomwood

• Certain deep ruins or caverns are said to lead into this domain, though none who venture there return.
• The Underworldly rise in the mist, veiling the land in their strange enchantments, stealing the unwary back to their dark queen.
• The rivalry between the Queen Below and the Fey Court is old, for they both seek dominion over things lost and forgotten.

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Final Thoughts: The Gloomwood as a Convergence

The Gloomwood is not just one place; it is a crossroads of power, a place where ancient forces bleed together, intertwining their influence over the land.

• The Fae Court seeks to protect its old dominion, both in the forest and beyond.
• The Hunter’s Realm watches, waiting for a time when the Great Hunt might run once more.
• The Underworldly take what they can, drawing the lost and forgotten into the Queen Below’s grasp.
• And in the shadows of it all, the corruption grows, whispering promises of power, waiting for those willing to surrender their souls to the dark.