Dungeons & Dragons' upcoming adventure book, The Wild Beyond the Witchlight, takes player characters into the Feywild, the Plane of Faeries. It is inhabited by sylvan creatures such as elves, dryads, satyrs, and pixies, as well as hags, giants, and other troublesome creatures. These kinds of creatures have played a role throughout D&D's history, and some were inspired by real-world folklore, including the Norse's Alfheim and the English's Fairyland. But such folklore has always been painted in mystery and been inconsistent.

Whether you're looking to prepare for adventures in the Feywild — or have a wizard's curiosity about the plane — here's what we know about its history and what you can expect when you travel there.

What is the Feywild?

The Feywild is a parallel plane to the Material Plane. Unlike the Material Plane, the Feywild is fueled by wild, magical energy drawn from the emotions of its inhabitants. Because of its connection to the Material Plane, the Feywild has similar topography and geography to the mortal world, though exact locations are constantly shifting and are therefore impossible to plot.

Although the general geography of the Feywild and the Material Plane is similar, the Feywild has a much more primal landscape. Nature rules in the lands of fey. Where you would find sprawling cities in the Material Plane, you might discover only hunting outposts or desolate ruins in the Plane of Faeries. Similarly, locations with patches of wilderness in the mortal realm could be vast, impassable forests in the Feywild.

This raw, primal magic makes the Feywild an extremely dangerous place, even for those who call it home. Adventurers, or those unlucky enough to unwittingly stumble into this land from the Material Plane, must ensure they are not lulled into a sense of complacency by the Feywild’s beauty. The sporadic, magical nature of this land can kill mortals as quickly as any of its dangerous inhabitants.

History of the Feywild in D&D

The Feywild as we know it in D&D fifth edition was first introduced in the fourth edition book Manual of the Planes. This realm of magic and chaos is seen as the spiritual successor to the Plane of Faerie featured in the third edition book Manual of the Planes.

The fourth edition first introduced the idea that eladrin, powerful elf-like beings that make up a large portion of the plane’s population, originated in the Feywild rather than the Plane of Arborea as discussed in previous editions. The fifth edition supplement Mordenkainen's Tome of Foes has expanded on this sentiment, stating that eladrin are elves that might be native to the Feywild, or were at least exposed to the presence of the Feywild for more than a century.

The Feywild’s history might be difficult to chart across editions, but it is known to have the following traits:

• It is a reflection or echo of the Material Plane
• It is readily accessible through ancient or untamed places
• The plane is brimming with powerful, wild magic
• It is neither inherently good or evil, rather it is chaotic neutral
• Time flows strangely when compared to the Material Plane (see "Time Warp")

Getting to the Feywild

Due to the Feywild’s close relationship with the Material Plane, crossing between the two is considered so easy that it is sometimes done by accident.

Fey crossings — areas where the two planes converge — can be found in ruins and old forests, often changing locations based on the weather, alignment of the planets, or time of year. These portals are random enough that unwitting travelers can stumble across the barrier between the realms by being in the wrong place at the wrong time. By the time the hapless traveler realizes that something is amiss, the portal might disappear, not to return for an hour, a day, or a century.

While the random convergences of the planes are dangerous and chaotic, there are areas that act as permanent fey crossings for the purpose of intentional travel between the Material Plane and the Feywild. These crossings are usually well-guarded secrets, as the fey don’t want just anybody to be given carte blanche access to the powerful magics that reside in the land of faeries.

If your players are looking for access to the Feywild, they may seek out assistance. For instance, they could navigate a treacherous swamp and bargain with a hag for the knowledge, or protect a patch of wilderness against an industrious noble for a druid who knows the fey’s secrets.

Traveling throughout the Feywild

Whether travelers arrive intentionally or by accident, the chaotic Plane of Faeries does not show favor or mercy. The Feywild is deadly, there are no two ways around it. Because the Feywild has few civilized areas and the roads between them are unpredictable, traveling from one part of the Feywild to another is dangerous. Adventurers looking to move between cities in the Feywild might have to cross through swamps full of poisonous gas or forests that attempt to trap travelers in a never-ending maze.

Even if visitors from the Material Plane manage to survive the untamed wilderness, innumerable deadly creatures call the Plane of Faeries home. Because the magic that shapes the Feywild is more chaotic and powerful than the Material Plane, even its most common creatures can be infused with power that can rival hardened adventurers.

Thus, those who journey to the Feywild — whether on purpose or by chance — must tread carefully, for even the most innocuous-looking clearing or creature could lead to their end. 

The Wild Beyond the Witchlight is D&D's next big adventure storyline and is now available for preorder on D&D Beyond! It brings the wicked whimsy of the Feywild to fifth edition for the first time and offers new characters, monsters, mechanics, and story hooks suitable for players of all ages and experience levels! 

Mike Bernier (@arcane_eye) is the founder of Arcane Eye, a site focused on providing useful tips and tricks to all those involved in the world of D&D. Outside of writing for Arcane Eye, Mike spends most of his time playing games, hiking with his girlfriend, and tending the veritable jungle of houseplants that have invaded his house.