Friend of the Feywood
The Feywood has been home to the myriad of creatures whose name the forest bears since the first arrival of the Alevar, but as the other Astralar arrived and began their works on Cartyrion, the forest slowed slipped from being a place of idyllic beauty and wonder to a place where dangers could lurk behind each wonder encountered. The Fey themselves have managed to do a sufficient job of keeping those dangers in check, but there are times when they require - and appreciate - aid from good-hearted Folk not of their kind. It is to the noblest, most dedicated, most selfless of these that the Fey grant recognition as Friend of the Feywood.
In the years leading up to the Great Strife, and during the Strife itself, there were many occasions when the Folk - Humans, Gnomes, Halflings, and even Dwarves earned this recognition as they fought back the growing darkness. But the end of the Strife saw most signs of the Folk erased from the Feywood, leaving only the Fey and a few Elves behind. There was little need for Friends, and so none were recognized.
But now, twenty-two hundred years later, things are beginning to change again. Over the past fifty years or so, and especially over the past few, more and more strangers have found the need to travel into or through the deepest parts of the Feywood. Some choose to establish themselves within the forest. Some of these do not have the best interests of the Forest and its residents in mind. But others are arriving to confront the darkness once more - and again, the Fey are willing to recognize the noble, the dedicated, and the selfless.
In the years leading up to the Great Strife, and during the Strife itself, there were many occasions when the Folk - Humans, Gnomes, Halflings, and even Dwarves earned this recognition as they fought back the growing darkness. But the end of the Strife saw most signs of the Folk erased from the Feywood, leaving only the Fey and a few Elves behind. There was little need for Friends, and so none were recognized.
But now, twenty-two hundred years later, things are beginning to change again. Over the past fifty years or so, and especially over the past few, more and more strangers have found the need to travel into or through the deepest parts of the Feywood. Some choose to establish themselves within the forest. Some of these do not have the best interests of the Forest and its residents in mind. But others are arriving to confront the darkness once more - and again, the Fey are willing to recognize the noble, the dedicated, and the selfless.
Yer'd think a ranger huntin' the creatures o' the woods'd not be ther type a dryad'd honor, but Bran 'n' Amalthea've go back a ways 'n' have fought thing in th' Forest that'd set yer teeth on edge.
Requirements
There are no formal, specific qualifications or requirements for one to meet in order to be granted the title; it is a body of behavior observed by the Fey that determines the worthiness of a potential Friend.
Some believe that the Fey would never bestow the honor to one who hews trees to make their home or hunts a stag for their cookfire, but this is not exactly true. Felling trees for shelter within the forest is a natural thing, so long as only enough wood for that shelter is taken. Killing a deer for food is a natural thing, as long as the purpose isn't a trophy rack of antlers over a mantelpiece.
Perhaps the best way to gain sufficient favor with the Fey, though, is to actively work to protect them from the darker forces that share the forest - the creatures that kill for enjoyment and not just sustenance... the creatures that seek to subjugate the Fey or clear them from their homes.
Some believe that the Fey would never bestow the honor to one who hews trees to make their home or hunts a stag for their cookfire, but this is not exactly true. Felling trees for shelter within the forest is a natural thing, so long as only enough wood for that shelter is taken. Killing a deer for food is a natural thing, as long as the purpose isn't a trophy rack of antlers over a mantelpiece.
Perhaps the best way to gain sufficient favor with the Fey, though, is to actively work to protect them from the darker forces that share the forest - the creatures that kill for enjoyment and not just sustenance... the creatures that seek to subjugate the Fey or clear them from their homes.
Mark me... there be no such thing as bein' alone in the Feywood. From the time ye passed the first tree comin' in here, there be eyes on ye... eyes ye'll never see ye'reself.
Appointment
The Title of Friend is formally bestowed by one of the ten Elder Fey that watch over the whole of the Feywood, though these dryads and nerieds rely heavily on reports received from the uncounted lesser Fey of the forest. Even with countless glowingly favorable reports from the "thousand eyes in the forest", though, the final decision to award the honor usually follows some act that either involved one of the Elder Fey, or was personally witnessed by one.
This is certainly true of the three current known holders of the title - the only three since the Great Strife: Theodric Pinnman, the Human fighter who rescued the Nereid Daphinia from a bugbear attack; his wife Branwyne Pinnman, the Human Ranger who worked with the Dryad Cerrithea to deal with numerous threats coming out of the Lizard Fens, and Maydillbass Ginball, the Gnomish Alchemist whose mystical elixirs prevented a pestilence that was targeting the trees of the Forest and the Fey that lived within them. Her actions saved the life of the Dryad Ulmuthea.
This is certainly true of the three current known holders of the title - the only three since the Great Strife: Theodric Pinnman, the Human fighter who rescued the Nereid Daphinia from a bugbear attack; his wife Branwyne Pinnman, the Human Ranger who worked with the Dryad Cerrithea to deal with numerous threats coming out of the Lizard Fens, and Maydillbass Ginball, the Gnomish Alchemist whose mystical elixirs prevented a pestilence that was targeting the trees of the Forest and the Fey that lived within them. Her actions saved the life of the Dryad Ulmuthea.
Duties
There are no formal duties associated with being named a Friend of the Feywood, but the recipient of the honor is expected to continue to conduct themselves in the manner that earned them recognition in the first place. They must continue to respect the Forest and its creatures. They must continue to help the Fey in their struggles to maintain the Forest, and they must continue the struggle against the darker creatures and Folk that show up in the woods from time to time.
Benefits
Those who have been bestowed with the title of Friend of the Feywood do not enjoy an sort of significant monetary benefits. The benefits they do receive are are intangible, but potentially far more valuable. There are many eyes in the Feywood. Some belong to fierce, dark denizens of the woodlands and marshes, but many belong to those who care for the beauty of the Feywood. It is those eyes that will always be willing to offer aid to a Friend of the Feywood: to warn them of impending danger, and to offer whatever aid they can when a Friend is in distress.
Grounds for Removal/Dismissal
There are no known instances in all of history of anyone being stripped of the Friend title. Perhaps this is due to the fact that the title is not achievement-based, but rather behavior-based, and those noble and purposeful enough to have earned it in the first place are not likely to suddenly turn on the forest and its denizens. But in principle, a Friend who begins to deliberately act in any manner that is detrimental to the Feywood or those who live there would lose the right to be called Friend. And despite any precautions taken, there are certainly fey creatures stealthy, small, and magical enough to ensure that the token denoting a Friend could be repossessed.
Cultural Significance
Anyone who lives in or near the Feywood learns the significance of the intricate cloak clasp or brooch pin that signifies a Friend of the Feywood. Though there are no formal entitlements associated with the honor, most Folk will extend special courtesy to them. The few that make a living preying on the merchants and travellers along the road know not to accost the wearer of such a trinket, lest they incur the wrath of a myriad of sprites, pixies, brownies, jinkins, and satyr,
Type
Informal
Form of Address
Friend (used by the Fey of the forest)
Alternative Naming
Feywood Friend, or sometimes simply Friend
Related Locations
Branwyne Pinnman
Maydillbass Ginball
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