Shae Fir

Capital: Shae Fir The City of Splendor lies along the shore of Dread Lake, with beautiful towers that glow with soft light. The heart of the city is the palace of Fate’s Throne; around it, quaint cobbled streets twist between buildings painted to match different stories. The districts of the city are roughly divided between major archfey. The Forge Maiden’s district clicks and ticks with the sound of fey artifice, glowing with forges and lantern light. In contrast, the warlocks of the Lady in Shadow enchanted their ward with permanent dusk and illusory bats in a gothic display. The result is a clashing patchwork of colors and themes. The houses of Shae Fir are almost comically fae. Their wooden frames are carved to show the stories of Thelanis, with smiling faces and pastel colors. Most have intricate illusory effects as a sign of status.

Summary: The Twilight Court

Magic: Fey, Pacts, Bardic

Titan: The Fabled King & Queen

Capital: Shae Fir (' The City of the Fey')

Location: Dread Lake

Specialties: Entertainment, Fey Magic, Stories

Endlessly coiling vines, shimmering flowers and dancing sprites are common effects, with groups favored by certain archfey emulating their aesthetics. The effect was once joyous, but the current atmosphere of the city makes them distractingly creepy; random laughter and chirping birds echo through the fog, masking the sounds of approaching foes. Even worse, the public spaces of the City of Splendor often contain illusions of people - fae dancers, historical figures and other tests of magical skill. Now, they are like ghosts, with some calling out to approaching figures as though they were visitors of old. As a result, some fiends know that the sound of illusory voices are a sign of sneaking thieves nearby.

The Twilight Court

The spiders sing in lost Shae Fir, Its broken throne so very dear; A ghostly king does wander still - His queen the one who had him killed! Her poison smile sears the eyes; Her silken snare your last surprise. The misty woods around Dread Lake gave birth to Xen’drik’s most dazzling citystate. Here, the lava flows from Tempest’s Spine meet the lake’s icy waters, giving rise to steamy fog and constant rain. Yet, through the haze, the spires of the city of Shae Fir shine in all the colors of the rainbow. The city-state was a fairytale paradise in the twilit mist - a perfect mirror to the Moonlit Vale of the archfey.

Here, the Twilight Court ruled the surrounding lands, sending emissaries to the feyspires and nations of Xen’drik. The giants of the Court were master orators, weaving magic words that moved hearts and minds. No words lay off-limit; enchantments, fey curses and games of intrigue were the norm in Court society, with silvered tongues forging paths to power. Many formed pacts with archfey, embodying the whims and fashions of their patrons in exchange for magic. At the summit of the Court, the Fabled King and Queen became artificial archfey, taking on the role of monarch to lead Shae Fir to prosperity.

Now, the city is a dark remnant of its former glory. Vast skeins of silken web stretch between the ruined towers, all but invisible in the drifting mist. Twisted fey and fomorians lurk and prey on explorers. Above them all, the servants of the Overlord known as the Spinner of Shadows rule here. These spidery fiends use the ruins as their meeting place. It is here that plans stretching across Xen’drik are hatched, bringing misery to mortals far and wide. Deep beneath Shae Fir, the form of the Spinner lies sealed within a Khyber dragonshard, and her influence has long shaped the history of the Court.

Those exploring the fog can find ancient fey treasures and lost magicks within, but only if they can escape the Spinner's fangs. The brood of Zel Erakhni feed on helplessness and fear; many an adventurer has ended their journey wrapped tight in silken thread.