Feywild
Plane of Faerie
“The Plane of Faerie, sometimes referred to as the Feywild, is a vibrant echo of the Material Plane, and in this it is similar to the Plane of Shadow. Along with the Plane of Dreams, these echo planes coexist with the Material Plane, highlighting and accenting different aspects, and for the Feywild, life, nature, and its various dangers are pushed to extreme levels. The seasons are varied and static, changing from one to another in stark contrast in varying regions, and the capricious archfey that rule over it all have their own petty squabbles and political discourse. Lost relics and overgrown ruins of ancient primordial elven people litter the Feywild, but travelers should be warned that rarely are these treasures left unprotected.”
Lillandri the Moon Mage
On the other side of a thin planar barrier surrounding the Material Plane sits a place of wonder and beauty, terror and darkness, hope and fear. It is the realm of ancient archfey and powerful elves from times long since passed where the seasons stand frozen at the whim of bickering fey courts. This is the Plane of Faerie, also known as the Feywild, and it is a place of terrible beauty and glittering shadows.
Like the Plane of Shadow and the Plane of Dreams, the Plane of Faerie is an echo of the Material Plane, sitting like an overlay over the entire plane. Most people do not know it exists, though in certain areas known as ley lines the border becomes blurred, and in other regions spontaneous gates and portals open up allowing free travel between the two. Capricious fey creatures, from sprites and pixies to hags and quicklings, populate the realm. Many owe allegiance to one of the faerie courts, including the Summer Court, the Gloaming Court, and the Winter Court, but not all do, and some actively work against the powerful archfey that rule these powerful organizations. Fey are not the only inhabitants of the Plane of Faerie. Long ago, a race of giants pierced the planar veil and marched a mighty army through with intents to conquer the lush and bountiful land. They were not successful, and for their transgression they were cursed. These fomorians lurk in the darkness and shadows of the Feywild now, striking against all native creatures with as much power as they can muster, and their ruined fortresses still dot the landscape.
The Plane of Faerie is a place of natural danger, where the weather can turn deadly with no warning and the beasts of the forest prey on travelers with malice and hunger in their hearts. Time is a strange thing in the Feywild as well, and some travelers that leave find that more or less time has passed since when they left. For mmortal fey creatures, this isn’t a problem, but mortal short-lived creatures can find their lives wasting away the instant they leave. This is one of the many reasons travelers to the Plane of Faerie end up staying. There’s also an intoxicating flavor that permeates the plane, and for non-fey it can prove an addicting experience. It’s difficult to describe – the air is thicker, more alive, and all scents and aromas are enhanced a hundred-fold. Beyond this olfactory enhancement, the very land of the Feywild is lush and vibrant, filled with life and beauty, but there’s always a trick in the Plane of Faerie. Sometimes, a verdant forest clearing dappled with pure sunlight turns mortals into gold, as is known to happen in the Golden Glade, while in the vast swamp known as Murkendraw creeping yellow vines obey the commands of the hag covens that fill the region, choking and pulling down travelers.
Treasures abound in the Plane of Faerie as well, relics from ancient kingdoms of primordial elves known as Eladrin. The Scepter of Starlight, the Diamond Staff, and the Leaves of All Seasons all originated from the Feywild and have found their way across the multiverse at one point or another, yet they always seem to find their way back to the Plane of Faerie.
On the other side of a thin planar barrier surrounding the Material Plane sits a place of wonder and beauty, terror and darkness, hope and fear. It is the realm of ancient archfey and powerful elves from times long since passed where the seasons stand frozen at the whim of bickering fey courts. This is the Plane of Faerie, also known as the Feywild, and it is a place of terrible beauty and glittering shadows.
Like the Plane of Shadow and the Plane of Dreams, the Plane of Faerie is an echo of the Material Plane, sitting like an overlay over the entire plane. Most people do not know it exists, though in certain areas known as ley lines the border becomes blurred, and in other regions spontaneous gates and portals open up allowing free travel between the two. Capricious fey creatures, from sprites and pixies to hags and quicklings, populate the realm. Many owe allegiance to one of the faerie courts, including the Summer Court, the Gloaming Court, and the Winter Court, but not all do, and some actively work against the powerful archfey that rule these powerful organizations. Fey are not the only inhabitants of the Plane of Faerie. Long ago, a race of giants pierced the planar veil and marched a mighty army through with intents to conquer the lush and bountiful land. They were not successful, and for their transgression they were cursed. These fomorians lurk in the darkness and shadows of the Feywild now, striking against all native creatures with as much power as they can muster, and their ruined fortresses still dot the landscape.
The Plane of Faerie is a place of natural danger, where the weather can turn deadly with no warning and the beasts of the forest prey on travelers with malice and hunger in their hearts. Time is a strange thing in the Feywild as well, and some travelers that leave find that more or less time has passed since when they left. For mmortal fey creatures, this isn’t a problem, but mortal short-lived creatures can find their lives wasting away the instant they leave. This is one of the many reasons travelers to the Plane of Faerie end up staying. There’s also an intoxicating flavor that permeates the plane, and for non-fey it can prove an addicting experience. It’s difficult to describe – the air is thicker, more alive, and all scents and aromas are enhanced a hundred-fold. Beyond this olfactory enhancement, the very land of the Feywild is lush and vibrant, filled with life and beauty, but there’s always a trick in the Plane of Faerie. Sometimes, a verdant forest clearing dappled with pure sunlight turns mortals into gold, as is known to happen in the Golden Glade, while in the vast swamp known as Murkendraw creeping yellow vines obey the commands of the hag covens that fill the region, choking and pulling down travelers.
Treasures abound in the Plane of Faerie as well, relics from ancient kingdoms of primordial elves known as Eladrin. The Scepter of Starlight, the Diamond Staff, and the Leaves of All Seasons all originated from the Feywild and have found their way across the multiverse at one point or another, yet they always seem to find their way back to the Plane of Faerie.
Geography
LAY OF THE LAND
The basic geography of the Plane of Faerie is an echo of the Material Plane, at least in rough shape. The further one travels from a fey crossing or portal, the more varied the landscape becomes, but when the two planes become more in sync the spontaneous crossings appear. These usually occur in out of the way places, where a bit of the magic and wonder of the Feywild crosses over into the Material Plane to create a magical if temporary bridge. Seasons and the sun’s cycle can vary wildly, however. Geographic regions across the Plane of Faerie are frozen in a season’s particular grasp, usually summer or winter. The same holds true for the position of the moon and sun – some areas never see the sun dimming, while others are bathed forever in moonlight. The borders between these regions can be extreme. A group of travelers may enter the Feywild in a summer-filled forest where the sun never sets, and while exploring they come upon a mountain range frozen in winter’s fury where the moon hangs high and full in the sky at all times. It is natural to connect these extreme seasonal changes and day-moon phases to the powerful archfey that rule much of the Feywild, but the truth is that only a few of the mightiest exert any real influence over the plane itself on such a grand scale. The Queen of the Summer Court has been known to change a region from winter to summer, or night to day, but these events are rare and usually catastrophic to the natural beings that have taken up residence in the affected area. Locally, however, the mood of the most powerful denizen of a particular small area can affect the surroundings in minor ways, such as the gathering of storm clouds, the movement of brambles, or the rushing of rivers with no apparent outlet. Below the ground in the Plane of Faerie twists an endless maze of brightly lit tunnels known as the Feydark. It is a mirror of the Underdark on the Material Plane, but a natural light, akin to that of a star, infuses the stone and prevents total darkness from blanketing any large subterranean realm. Foul things dwell in the Feydark, from the twisted fomorians cursed by the archfey for their transgressions long ago to goblins and other unsavory beings.
There are regions beyond the strong seasonal variations of summer and winter. Known as the Wild Lands, clouds fill the twilight sky in these areas, and dark and twisted things fester outside the domains of the archfey. Some planar scholars say that the Wild Lands are what the Plane of Faerie would be like without the influence of the fey, and that it is held back only by the combined will of the courts. Sometimes, the Wild Lands breach the barrier between the planes and encroach upon the Material Plane, creating an overgrown tangled nightmare that threatens all creatures.
Ecosystem
Highlights & Impressions
The below listings include notes on highlighting the
nature of the Plane of Faerie as characters explore and
travel through it. These are suggestions of elements
that can be used in descriptions of the landscape and
denizens with the goal of actualizing the “outside” nature
of the multiverse beyond the Material Plane. Use them to
incorporate into encounters and adventures on the Plane
of Faerie.
Vibrant Life. The Feywild is a plane of vibrant life in all forms. Flowers are full and enormous, the grass is lush, and the air teems with electric energy. Bird sing beautiful melodies from barely hidden branches that fill the air with songs that shift subtly between a chorus of joy to discordant notes of sadness. A gentle breeze blows through at all times, rustling trees and carrying the sweet scent of powerful flowers. Everything in the Plane of Faerie is alive and almost humming with energy.
Striking Colorations. Everything in the Plane of Faerie is colored with a palette from a mad painter with no singular vision on the canvas. The grass is electric green and shifts to shades of blue and red with the breeze, and a valley filled with flowers contains every color in the rainbow. The colorations of the objects around the Feywild shift with the emotions of nearby travelers, the stronger the emotion the stronger the color variance, so that a person in deep mourning over the loss of a loved one creates a color ripple of blue, black, and violet wherever they go, while the thrilling touch of a romantic interest can shoot rays of red and pink through the surrounding foliage. The unsettling vibrancy of the color to otherwise mundane objects chills travelers from the Material Plane and reminds them that they are in a very different realm.
Dream-like Wonder. To an outsider, the Feywild is a plane of shimmering beauty as if seen through a thin gauze, and that thin gauze ripples and changes with each breath and blink of the eye. A flower may suddenly grow eyes and wink, while a bird’s song could whisper the words of a long lost loved one before vanishing on the wind. There is a very real sense of wonder that infuses everything on the Plane of Faerie, creating moments that seem pulled directly from a dream.
Ecosystem Cycles
CYCLE OF TIME
Time is a strange thing on the Plane of Faerie. The sun does not set if it is risen, and the moon does not wax while it is in the air. Time passes normally for creatures in the Feywild, though it can be difficult to mark its passage considering the unusual and stagnant cycles of day, night, and the seasons. Leaving the Plane of Faerie, however, is when time can catch up to a non-native suddenly. Refer to the Time Loss hazard for more details.Localized Phenomena
HAZARDS & PHENOMENA
Travelers to the Plane of Faerie need to be wary of the natural hazards that come with the region. The most prominent and obvious is the forgetfulness and time loss that can occur when leaving the Feywild, but other phenomena should be known and avoided as well. Befuddling Rain Falling rain is not an uncommon feature in the Plane of Faerie, especially around archfey or other powerful denizens that have a deep sense of melancholy or loneliness. Occasionally, however, the falling rain takes on an otherworldly quality with an ability to confuse and bewilder travelers. This befuddling rain is usually the result of an archfey’s sour mood mixing with a natural weather phenomena in the Feywild, so it’s difficult to predict or control. Befuddling rain does not fall hard, but the falling rain shimmers with all the colors of the rainbow giving it a beautifully distinct look. Non-fey creatures caught in an area of befuddling rain must succeed on a DC 14 Wisdom saving throw. On a failure, they are affected by the confusion spell for 1 minute. Befuddling rainstorms last only 1d4 x 10 minutes, but some denizens of the Plane of Faerie have learned to watch for the signs of the phenomena and strike affected travelers. Gremlins especially love this tactic. Forgetfulness The Plane of Faerie is a land of magic, beauty, and strange wonder, and for non-natives their memory of time spent in the echo plane can fade to a simple dream-like remembrance. This forgetfulness affects any non-fey creature leaving the Plane of Faerie, though creatures with the Fey Ancestry trait (like elves) are also immune. Other creatures must succeed on a DC 10 Wisdom saving throw when they leave the Feywild. On a failure, their memories of their time spent on the plane quickly fade away and are easily confused with dreams and fanciful imagination. Oblivion Moss Some darker forests and mountains in the Plane of Faerie grow a strange plant known as oblivion moss in shadowed corners. It never grows in full or partial sunlight, and some innate defensive mechanism within the non-intelligent plant retreats from such light automatically (albeit slowly). Oblivion moss can sense creatures with memories around it, and when it does so it shoots spores into the air in a 30-foot radius sphere. Any living creature must succeed on a DC 12 Intelligence saving throw or have some of their memories leeched from their mind. While affected, the target must roll a d4 and subtract the number rolled from any ability check or attack roll it makes. The memory loss becomes worse quickly, and after each minute affected targets must succeed at additional DC 12 Intelligence saving throws. For every failure, the memory loss penalty die increases, from d4 to d6, d6 to d8, d8 to d12, and d12 to d20. The memory loss saving throws stop when the target succeeds at one of the saving throws, and the effect lasts until the target finishes a long rest. A greater restoration or heal spell also restores lost memories. Time Loss Time behaves differently on the Plane of Faerie than it does on the Material Plane or elsewhere in the multiverse. Non-native creatures that depart the Plane of Faerie after spending at least 1 day on the plane roll 1d20 on the Faerie Time Loss table below. 1d20 Time Shift 1-2 Days become minutes 3-6 Days become hours 7-13 No change 14-17 Days become weeks 18-19 Days become months 20 Days become years Some powerful archfey have the ability to reverse this effect, though none do it out of charity. Parties that find great lengths of time have passed may need to deal with one of the archfey courts in order to regain their lost time. Wild Thorns Between the lush and verdant lands of the Plane of Faerie exists a twisted, gray region known as the Wild Lands. Harsh thorns tear at flesh, hungry for blood and eager to pull down living creatures into its dull expanse. The painfilled nature of the Wild Lands affects creatures traveling overland or flying over them, as the thorns and brambles expand out to surround and pull down even flying targets. Creatures that are not native to the Wild Lands traveling through such regions must succeed on a DC 14 Dexterity saving throw every hour of travel. On a failure, they gain one level of exhaustion from the draining power of the wild thorns that permeate the land. Any creature that takes a short rest in the Wild Land automatically gains one level of exhaustion as well, and taking a long rest results in an agonizing death that only a wish spell can restore life from.
Random Encounter Tables The below tables can be used by the Dungeon Master as a source of inspiration when a party of characters is traveling through the Plane of Shadow. Look at each one as a springboard for new adventure ideas, or as a means of highlighting the nature of the plane for the players. Mithrendain the Autumn City Encounters 1d100 Mithrendain Encounter 01-05 An autumn eladrin working for King Oberon on a mission 06-10 A gang of satyrs playing music 11-15 A pixie taking three blink dogs out on a walk 16-20 Two dryads arguing over philosophy 21-25 A faerie dragon drunk on wine 26-30 A group of adventurers seeking employment 31-35 A band of elven knights protecting a box 36-40 A green hag and a sea hag haggling with a merchant 41-45 A gnome archmage looking for spell components 46-50 A winter eladrin agent of the Prince of Frost 51-55 A grig fiddler enchanting everyone with a song 56-60 An elven druid selling honey from her personal bee hives 61-65 Several sprites playing games 66-70 A darkling elder spying on King Oberon 71-75 A warlock of the archfey being mysterious 76-80 Goblin pickpockets looking for their next mark 81-85 A sprite champion in service to King Oberon 86-90 A curious feystag hiding in an alcove 91-95 A quickling on a dire mission 96-00 King Oberon and personal bodyguards Plane of Faerie Wilderness 1d100 Plane of Faerie Wilderness 01-10 1d6 faerie dragons 11-20 1 triath 21-30 2d6 nightlocks 31-40 1d4 gremlins 41-50 1d8 satyrs 51-60 1d4 korred 61-70 Befuddling rain 71-80 Oblivion moss 81-90 1d6 clawrgs 91-99 1d4 fomorians 00 An archfey and retinue
Tourism
GETTING THERE
As an echo plane, the Plane of Faerie exists simultaneously with the Material Plane, which can make passing between the two surprising and sometimes frequent. There are differences between the two, sometimes wildly different, but when particular geographic and environmental features line up, a temporary gateway opens up. This is referred to as a crossing, a fey crossing specifically, and they can last anywhere from minutes to days. Fey crossings are two-way portals between the Plane of Faerie and Material Plane, allowing denizens of both planes to cross over into the other. Often times, wicked archfey and powerful hags follow the signs in the Feywild and watch for these events to occur, timing their plans and schemes to coincide with the appearance of a fey crossing. Some of these plans involve conquest, but just as often it’s to escape a curse or other magical detriment the fey crossing bypasses. Portals and gates exist that lead to the Plane of Faerie as well. Notably, Bytopia, the Beastlands, and Elysium in the Outer Planes contain many portals leading to the Feywild, allowing the good-aligned and often fey-aligned denizens of those planar destinations to travel and trade freely with the archfey and their fickle courts. The Ethereal Plane contains numerous color curtains that lead directly to the Plane of Faerie as well, and some planar travelers have found color pools in the Astral Plane that can transport them directly to the realm of the fey. In the Material Plane, a gate may exist to the Plane of Faerie under specific circumstances. For example, when morning sun pierces a halo of verdant leaves in an ancient forest, the shimmering haze may just be a one-way portal to the Feywild. Dormant gates may be activated by the possession of a particular type of leaf or forest berry, or by singing the correct incantation honoring the ancient elves who founded many of the great cities in the Plane of Faerie.
SURVIVING
There is nothing inherently violent or threatening in the landscape of the Plane of Faerie, or at least nothing that permeates the entire plane. Winter regions are cold and unprotected travelers can certainly succumb to the elements if they are not prepared, but this is typically no worse than a winter on the Material Plane. Some specific regions of the Feywild do have more localized threats that travelers should be wary of, however.
TRAVELING AROUND
Travel within the Plane of Faerie is unimpeded by any natural planar effect or hazard. Daylight dazzles brilliantly, and even regions blanked by night are usually illuminated by an unnaturally large moon (the exact definition of which defies all logic, as it is not the moon of any Material Plane and doesn’t appear to be any true celestial body). Summer regions are the easiest to travel, and the winter-dominated sections are no more difficult to travel than particularly cold or snowy geographies in the Material Plane. Weather effects can be fierce and dramatic, however, but these do not follow predictable or even logical patterns. Instead, the weather of a region of the Plane of Faerie is dictated by the whims of the most powerful archfey in that region. Cloudless skies with light breezes are usually the result of a content or happy archfey, but raging storms with driving rain, howling blizzards, or other extreme effects can spin up suddenly and without warning
Maps
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Feywild
Type
Dimensional plane
Location under
Related Reports (Primary)
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