The Feywild
The Feywild is a plane of existence. It is one of the two 'mirror planes', along with Shadowfell, that overlay the Material Plane and mirror certain geographical features and locations. It is characterised by its permanent state of twilight, chaotic passage of time, and the wildness of its native flora and fauna.
Geography
Like the Material Plane, the Feywild consists of a variety of geographical features, including seas, mountains, and deserts, but a much larger proportion of the land is dominated by sprawling forest. Visitors to the plane, unless they target a specific location, are most likely to find themselves within this forest, which is why the popular understanding of the Feywild, even among scholars, is that it is constituted entirely of forest. The trees of this forest are typically larger and more ancient than any found on the Material Plane, not having faced the destruction of natural disaster or city development that has occurred there. While settlements do exist in the Feywild, they have grown naturally around or in collaboration with the forest, or in the case of the courts, exist within demiplanes that avoid the need for landscape development. In line with its mirroring of the Material Plane, there exists an Underdark equivalent beneath the earth of the Feywild known as the Feydark. Unlike the Astral Plane, time does pass in the Feywild, but its passage is irregular and impossible to predict. Most native species do not age and develop in the same way as those which are native to the Material Plane, and even non-native creatures may find their natural ageing becomes disrupted if they spend long enough in the Feywild. Similarly, distance and space do not follow the same predictable rules as on the Material Plane. Visitors to the plane may have difficulty navigating in the ways they are used to, with intent and strength of will both having a significant influence on actually reaching a desired destination. There are no visible astral bodies in the Feywild, and the permanent twilight, though resembling that from a setting or rising sun, appears to be sourceless. Weather phenomena do occur, though less frequently than on the Material Plane, but these too appear not to have any clear cause beyond the whim of the plane itself.History
Like the inner elemental planes and in contrast to the later created outer planes, the Feywild has existed as long as the Material Plane and Shadowfell. Passage to and from the Material Plane was relatively straightforward prior to The Flood, and most of the Feywild's residents retain the ability to do this, with the exception of those archfey who were involved in The Final War. At the earliest part of its history the Feywild embodied wildness and chaos, but within a short time hierarchies formed, with the most powerful archfey founding 'courts': settlements in which they offered protection to residents in exchange for loyal affiliation. Eventually four dominant courts were created, the Seasonal Courts, each headed by one of four sisters. Smaller courts continued to rise and fall, but the seasonal courts remained throughout, until the Autumn Court collapsed shortly after The Final War. Since then, the three remaining Seasonal Courts have continued to hold sway in the Feywild, though there is a constant power struggle, with smaller and younger courts seeking to establish themselves and the many creatures who refuse to swear allegience to any courts at all continuing to create chaos across the plane.The Spring Court
Like the other seasonal courts, the Spring Court exists on a demiplane which can be accessed from a number of portals throughout the Feywild. It was established by Empress Yula, who ruled until grief and despair at the death of her sister and separation from her children following The Flood drove her to madness and abandonment of the Feywild entirely. In the wake of her disappearance the court fell into disrepair, though many residents remained on the demiplane and were quick to pledge allegience to Verdant when she finally returned to take her mother's place. The court itself is built on a hill surrounded by ever-blossoming woodland and wildflower meadows. Buildings and gardens were originally more widespread, but after the fall of Empress Yula most of those outwith the main court fell to the wildness of the native flora and fauna.The Summer Court
The Summer Court was founded by Lady Mab, who continues to rule it. The court is a shrine to natural beauty and the comfort of abundance, but also to passion and excess. Its residents, including Lady Mab herself, are the most capricious and volatile of all the courts.The Autumn Court
This court was founded by Empress Cornelia, on a demiplane of cool breezes and sudden rainshowers. The court buildings grew from the trees of the forest itself, with roots and branches twisting and weaving into complex and beautiful structures. During The Final War Cornelia took the cause of her sister Yula and was killed shortly before The Flood. Following her death the Autumn Court collapsed, and while the demiplane continues to exist, all the portals which used to provide access have long closed.The Winter Court
This court is the most secretive of the Seasonal Courts, embracing solitude and resilience. It is ruled by the Queen of Air and Darkness - her true name widely forgotten and purposely well hidden - and exists on a demiplane of snow-covered forests and icy mountains. The court itself is formed impossibly on the side of one such mountain, its marble towers seemingly grown from the rock itself. The Queen of Air and Darkness is the only one of the four sisters who refused to engage with The Final War, though she, like her sisters, was still excluded from the Material Plane. Despite this she has in the present day the most mortal followers on the Material Plane, and is a popular patron and deity for those who survive in harsher geographical conditions, notably in the northernmost parts of the Frostreach Mountains.
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