Homebrew Winter Court Fey Species Details

Sharing a common connection to their creator deity, the Deep King, fey of the four point courts have an equal measure of traits in common as traits that divide them. A reverence for the natural world and profound connection to the wild magic that lingers just beneath the surface of the material plane is a constant for most fey, but the beliefs and tenants of each vary.

For the fey of the Winter Court life is about struggle. It's about the strength of one's wills and the cold, hardened armor they wear to withstand the harsh trials of the world. Strength is everything. Power is absolute. The weak must be guided to their own greatness, but never pitied. This is the way of the Winter Emperor and of the Winter Court.

Cold as Steel

The Winter fey, much like many other fey, can inhabit many disparate shapes and forms, from the animal like to the more abstract. They could be a bear walking upright, a wolf in armor, or even a humanoid figure made of ice and snow itself. The animal shaped fey take the form primarily of winter creatures and the more humanoid always bring with them a cold chill.

There is no one type of fey regardless of court, but they all embody in some way the cold of winter and strength of the Emperor.

Timeless Bodies, Lingering Spirits

Fey are seemingly immortal and do not die of old age. Fey will continue to live indefinitely and only truly die when they are killed by magical means or choose to return their ethereal forms to the wild heart, becoming one with the wild magic of the world. Doing so is a rite of passage and is celebrated as a noble choice made out of a selfless desire to return what was given to them by the Deep king back to where it was plucked.

The winter fey often choose the glory of death in combat over the pageantry of passing on via ceremony, but they honor the custom as much as any other court regardless.

The Four Point Court

Most fey live their lives travelling the continent freely and rarely attach enough sentiment to a specific place to call it their home. For those who are loyal to their court, however, they do make pilgrimage to the seat of power for their particular court when their court elder calls. Regardless of where in the world they are when call is made, they will hear it and are bound by tradition to return. Those who choose to ignore the call or who have chosen to live outside the courts are branded as "court less" and are free to live their lives as they see fit, but may never return to the courts ever again and relinquish their rights as a member.

It is unknown to the mortal races what exactly transpires during the assembly of the fey courts, though it is commonly accepted that they decide the weather and flow of the seasons. What else they do beyond that remains a well guarded secret within fey culture and even in thousands of years no mortal has ever learned the full truth of the courts.

In Defense of the Weak, In Honor of the Strong

The winter fey are few compared to the other courts but stand out among their autumn, spring, and summer cousins in the world of mortals. Bringing a fierce and intimidating air with them everywhere they go. The winter fey value strength and view it as the duty of the strong to protect the weak, but never out of pity. Where a summer fey may liberate a town by killing their corrupt king, a winter fey would be more inclined to teach the townsfolk the art of warcraft to overthrow the king themselves. They believe the greatest gift you can give to someone in need is the ability to help themselves overcome their own hardships, rather than simply saving them and leaving.

There are few things they despise more than a weak person who wields the strength of others as a weapon, and they generally dislike those who would sell their strength for coin. These beliefs can alienate them from mortals and make them inflexible in adapting to the ways of commerce and trade.

Winter Fey Names

Like any other court, the fey of winter choose their names themselves. The name a fey wears is a banner that waves in honor of everything they stand for and believe in. For those born of winter it stands as a resolution of their strength, their will, or their fierceness in battle. Those who are dedicated to the court will often times wear names that represent their position and serve as a title just as much as a name. (ie. the third fang, the frost blade, white hunter, blade of the emperor, forger of the black iron)

Winter Court Fey Traits

Your fey character has a variety of natural abilities, the result of being bound to the heart of wild magic

Acrtic Climate

You are resistant to cold damage and immune to the ill effects of cold climates. You also ignore difficult terrain caused by ice or deep snow.

Fey Authority

You can cast the command spell once using this trait. You regain the ability to do so when you finish a short or long rest. 

Ability Score Increase

Your Strength and Dexterity scores increase by 2.

Age

Fey are essentially ageless and can live nearly indefinitely. Most fey that currently walk the material plane are anywhere from 200 to 2000 years old.

Alignment

The fey of winter have strong convictions and  usually subscribe to fairly strict ideals of honor, justice, and righteousness. They usually fall into lawful alignment but do not observe the laws of mortal nations and are held to their own code of ethics.

Size

Winter fey range from 6 to over 8 feet tall and have large intimidating figures. Your size is Medium.

Speed

Your base walking speed is 30 feet.

Darkvision

Accustomed to the short days and long nights of the north, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.

Keen Senses

You have proficiency in the Perception skill.

Fey Ancestry

You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed, and magic can’t put you to sleep.

Wildmagic Connection

Fey don’t need to sleep. Instead, they are reinvigorated by connecting to the feywild via deep meditation for 4 hours a day. While meditating, you can dream after a fashion; such dreams are brought on by your innate connection to the feywild and can sometimes bear prophetic imagery. After resting in this way, you gain the same benefit that a human does from 8 hours of sleep.

Languages

You can speak, read, and write Common and Sylvan. Sylvan is like the sounds of the forest. It's a language of intonation and feelings that is felt more than it is heard. It can sound like birdsong and rushing water, or the sounds of trees rustling and stone shifting. Almost inaudible to mortal ears, it can be mistaken for the sounds of nature itself by those who do not know what to listen for.