Homebrew Dark Fey Species Details

Sequestered in high mountains atop tall trees, the dark fey, sometimes categorized as fairies, evoke fear and wonder. Many dark fey aren’t even native to the Material Plane. They hail from the magical moors, and are the descendants of a great phoenix.

They are immigrants, refugees, scouts, and explorers, their outposts functioning as footholds in a land both strange and alien.

Horns and Wings

From below, dark fey look much like aasimar, but with functional wings. Standing upright, dark fey might reach any height of a normal human. They have more sharp facial features, and bone structure. Dark fey have tiefling-like horns.

Feathers wings. Their plumage typically denotes membership in a tribe. Males and females have very similar wings both in shape and colors. Their wings are widely varying in colors such as: bright like macaws or dull like eagles.

Nowhere are the dark fey more comfortable than in the sky. They can spend hours in the air, and some go as long as days, locking their wings in place and letting the thermals hold them aloft. In battle, they prove dynamic and acrobatic fliers, moving with remarkable speed and grace, diving to lash opponents with weapons or with the talon like apex of their wings before turning and flying away.

Homelands

Most dark fey live in the trees of the moors. Dark fey can be drawn into the Material Plane, sometimes to pursue enemies or thwart their foes’ designs there. Accident might also send a tribe of dark fey tumbling into the land of the moors. A few find their way to such a land through portals on their own land and establish nests in high mountains or in the canopies of thick forests.

Once tribes of dark fey settle in an area, they share a hunting territory that extends across an area up to 100 miles on a side, with each tribe hunting in the lands nearest to their colony, ranging farther should game become scarce.

A typical colony consists of one large nest made of woven vines. The eldest acts as leader with the support of a shaman.

Great Purpose

Dar fey enjoy peace and solitude. Most of them have little interest in dealing with other peoples and less interest in spending time on the ground. For this reason, it takes an exceptional circumstance for an dark fey to leave his or her tribe and undertake the adventurer’s life. Neither treasure nor glory is enough to lure them from their tribes; a dire threat to their people, a mission of vengeance, or a catastrophe typically lies at the heart of the dark fey adventurer’s chosen path.

Two other circumstances might call an dark fey to adventure. First, dark fey have historical ties to the great phoenix . Exceptional individuals honor that connection and might seek out stolen feathers of their great ancestor.

Second, dark fey are sworn foes of the fiends of the earth, in particular the gargoyles that serve Ogrémoch, the Prince of Earth. The dark fey word for gargoyle is loosely translated as “demon rock,” and battles between dark fey and gargoyles have raged across the Elemental Planes of Earth and Air, occasionally spilling into a world on the Material Plane. Dark fey on that plane might leave their colonies to lend aid to other humanoids committed to fighting earth cults and thwarting their efforts.

Dark Fey Names

As with much of their speech, dark fey names may sound elven in nature .

DARK FEY  BACKGROUNDS

Backgrounds that are most appropriate for dark fey include the outlander, the gladiator, and the sage.

The small colonies of dark fey are insular and remote, and few dark fey live away from their roosts. In the mounts or the forest in the Forgotten Realms, no more than a few dozen dark fey live away from the nests of their families. Those that do are usually rangers or fighters, constantly patrolling for outside threats.

Dark Fey Traits

As a dark fey, you have certain traits in common with your people. Being able to fly at high speed starting at 1st level is exceptionally effective in certain circumstances and exceedingly dangerous in others. As a result, playing an dark fey requires special consideration by your DM.

Ability Score Increase

Your Dexterity score increases by 2, and your Wisdom score increases by 1.

Age

Dark Fey mature at the rate of humans, but can live up to 700 years.

Alignment

Most dark fey tend to be good in nature, and chaos is not outside their norm. Some may turn towards evil if wronged and shown cruelty by their non-dark fey neighbors.

Size

Dark fey are any average height of a human. They vary in muscle mass and height. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Flight

You have a flying speed of 50 feet. To use this speed, you can’t be wearing medium or heavy armor.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common, Sylvan and your choice of Infernal or Auran.