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The Fae

Fae are manifestations of dreams.

Fae are not bound by biology or logic. They are beings of dreams, story, and forgotten myth, born from the shifting tides of children's imagination. In this world, the Fae are the natural inhabitants of the Realm of Dreams, a metaphysical echo of the waking world.

Feywild: The Realm of Dreams

  • The Realm of Dreams exists alongside the mortal world, fueled by human emotion, fantasy, and story.
  • It is shaped by what is longed for, feared, or imagined, forming lands and creatures out of forgotten lullabies, collective archetypes, and solitary wishes.
  • Fae do not reproduce in the traditional sense. They are born out of dreams, becoming dreams that dream of themselves, given shape by repetition and belief.
  • The first Fae were born by invocations, as echoes of primal stories shared around firelight.

Core Nature

  • All Fae are narrative entities. Their powers are bound to the logic of story and symbol.
  • They thrive on meaning: names, promises, riddles, music, and secrets.
  • Their forms are fluid; their logic follows dream consistency, not reality.
  • Most are naturally immortal, but they can lose their power when forgotten. Dreams never die, but dreamers do.

Elves: The Dream-Bound Kin

  • Elves are not native to the mortal world. They were born as idealized reflections of humanity from the Dream Realm. Beings imagined as more graceful, wiser, or timeless.
  • They now exist halfway between the waking world and the dream, walking both realms.
  • Elves experience time differently; dreams blur into memory, memory into myth.
  • Some elves feel a call to return to the dream, while others anchor themselves through art, war, or love.

Fae Courts and Archetypes

  • The Realm of Dreams often arranges itself into Courts: seasonal, emotional, or thematic.

  • These courts reflect recurring emotional patterns in mortal dreams:

    • Court of Spring: Renewal, desire, temptation.
    • Court of Autumn: Decay, reflection, secrets.
    • Court of Winter: Stillness, grief, starlit silence.
    • Court of Summer: Triumph, glory, passion.

  • Each court is ruled by a High Fae, a being of pure myth.

Sources of Conflict with Heroes

  1. Alien Logic:

    • Fae do not think like mortals. They see no issue in stealing a child for a century if it fits the story.

  2. The Price of Beauty:

    • Every gift from a fatua comes with a cost: often symbolic, sometimes eternal.

  3. Truth vs. Dream:

    • Heroes may clash with Fae who see lies as art.

  4. Dream Pollution:

    • Mortal nightmares can spawn monstrous Fae—twisted versions of hopes turned sour.

  5. Forgotten Promises:

    • Oaths made in dreams are binding in the Fae realm. Breaking one may start a retribution.

Narrative Use

  • Fae are not evil or good, as they follow the logic of dreams. Usually striving for beauty, not goodness.
  • Their presence in the world should feel enchanted, unnerving, and intimate.
  • Encounters may be whimsical or terrifying (often both).

Questions for the DM

  • What dream gave birth to this Fae?
  • What story does this Fae want to be part of?
  • What happens if mortals stop dreaming of them? Or telling their stories?
  • Are the players shaping their Fae adversaries just by thinking about them?