## Echo Economies The echo worlds are the Feywild and the Shadowfell are somewhat mirror versions of the material plane. The Feywild is vibrant and filled with life, while the Shadowfell is more dead and darker. Despite the Feywild being a large expanse of wilderness, and the Shadowfell a land filled with death and despair, there can actually be an active economies. ## Feywild The Plane of Faerie could at first appearance look quite similar to the normal material plane, but like its occupants the more one experiences it the more they see how things work differently. The Feywild is at a constant sunset, and the land can resemble places on the material plane, but as if in a dream, it being filled nature. With the time of day not changing there are not seasons like on the material plane, but specific locations may themselves be set at a specific season. Food is plentiful. ### Effects on non-fey What can happen when one leaves the feywild can be well known, that they might have found that time changed differently, but those without fey ancestry may have their memories of time there missing. Even if memories of time there are not missing, truth is that most find their memories sort of hazy, like it being the dream it is. Proper record keeping for those experienced to trade between the two is important. What can be overlooked is that people also have their minds affected while there. It is a land filled with life, but also sensations and distractions, those not used to the Feywild may find themselves having trouble to focus on a single goal. One may find their sensations in overload with enchanting music, fascinating food, and exciting atmosphere. While this may sound very pleasant, many may find fatigue to start to set in from the constant bombardment without rest. ### Eladrin Elves are actually a pretty common race in the Feywild, they each have an ancestry of fey, and can both physically and culturally work well within the plane. Able to resist its trappings and work better than most humanoids with many of the denizens. The Eladrin are a subrace of elf that are most at home within the Feywild, in fact many of them can actually even be fey themselves. #### Passion and Emotion Eladrin like most elves like beauty with a passion, but eladrin are not able to hold back their emotions, especially along the lines of emotions particular to the season they are in. The Eladrin may take great interest in things that happen to catch their eye. Trading with an Eladrin requires keeping in mind the extreme reactions they can have. #### Meeting Humanoid and Fey Although elves are closer than other humanoids, even elves can have a hard time keeping up with what fey think and may want. Eladrin have a much easier time, able to fit on both sides. Eladrin can have an easy time interacting with able to work with what the higher fey may want, their politics, and with guests to the plane. Those wishing to do trade with the fey, would do well to seek advice from the eladrin. As well as practice for fey. ### Fey in General Fey are generally chaotic creatures, they don’t hold back their feelings, and are very creative beings. To a fey, humanoids will tend to appear really dull, not showing their emotions, and acting in manners that comparatively they can appear lifeless or like a robot. A reason a fey may interact with humans is that wants to show an emotion any emotion and doing these can greatly humour a fey. #### Fey Deals Stories of fey deals can be widespread and varied in what is asked in return. The simplest deals may just be food and drinks that fey cannot make themselves, which would probably be to have them not bother you or doing small tasks. The Feywild is a land of plenty, so fey don’t generally have much need to trade for living. Other deals can appear much stranger, such as asking for a firstborn child, your memories, or even one’s voice, rarely for anything as dull as gold. This can seem confusing to humanoids, as they appear to be both priceless and without any actual value, but fey have the ability to see an actual value in such things. Elves especially value memories, with older elves often have magical items that allow the extraction and keeping of memories. An Eladrin skilled in it, may be able to provide the service of providing other humanoids with fair appraisals of what a fey may be interested in, to allow fair trading. The higher fey may keep a large account of different deals made, and may even trade them like currency. \page ### Archfey Chief among fey kind are the archfey, although what exactly an archfey is other than a strong fey is not often very understood. It is known that some people make pacts with archfey, to become a warlock, although what the archfey gets out of such pacts can be vague. Some things a archfey get out of pacts, can be what many fey often want, with interesting stories, but there can be others. Fey having a territory is something common, in the material plane but also in Feywild where areas may have fascinating natures as a reflection. If the Feywild was just a reflection of the material plane, one would think it constantly change from the material plane, an archfey is often one who has gained domain over a section of the Feywild and may influence the land to the version they liked. The land is not free from influence of the material plane, and why agents there to protect the nature can be important to make it easier. Maintaining fey crossing for moving people across the planes is also important. Apart from these, there are also politics of sorts between the archfey where they have competitions and games. This is especially strong between the two factions of the Seelie and Unseelie court. ### The Summer Court The Summer Court, also known as the Seelie Court, is led by its queen, Titania. And those who hear stories may think of them as the good fey, although this not an entirely full picture. Those in the Seelie court tend to be more welcoming to newcomers, their lands open and filled with colour or music. But it is warned that attention from the court can be a bit much for humanoids and getting on their bad side can be surprisingly easy and harsh. Well known are the parties of the Seelie Court, sometimes a private affair, others may be open to guests, acting as a test and opportunity for building relations. Attending a party may seem like a simple affair, especially with the reputation of the court being warm, as well as chaotic but without random violence, although not harmless to a humanoid. Events can be long, food can be overpowering, and drink beyond a human’s capability, and through it all the Summer Court loves happiness, excitable nature and comradeship. A humanoid may not be able to keep up with expectations of the court and bringing down the mood can earn ire. ### The Gloaming Court The Gloaming Court, also known as the Unseelie Court, headed by The Queen of Air and Darkness. Among the among humanoids in the material plane they have a bit of a reputation of being evil, indeed some of they fey in it may be evil, but the court itself and the queen are not actually evil. Their territory tends to be marked by sharp tangled brambles and marshes, that keep intruders out or slows them down. The areas also tending to feel a little darker and colder. Reasonably well known are the hunts, either members of the court hunting intruders or an organized hunt as a social gathering. Caution must be taken for entering their territory, providing gifts to be made a guest and getting a member to escort you should be a requirement to not be hunted yourself. As terrible of a reputation it can have, and dislike of the Seelie Court, the Unseelie land is not actually inhospitable Dark and gloomy, the Gloaming Court finds as much beauty in sadness as the Summer Court has in happiness. Indeed, the queen is often known as the dread ruler of her court, with her and those who share her sentiment often drawing out sadness out of people, it does not tend to be out of malice. Sadness is not seen as hopelessness, and a showing of bitter and cold feelings should put one in good tidings with the court. ### Pixie These tiny fey are among the friendliest and least threatening fey. They are somewhat cautious due to the value a captured pixie can have, that dust from them can have potent magical properties. They play pranks to gage one’s character and reveal themselves to people they don’t think are a threat. A pixie that you gain the trust of, can be very helpful with their magic and as guides. Pixies don’t tend to need anything big, their homes can be practically invisible from any other plot of nature. ### Sprite Sprites can be quite similar to pixies in tiny size, and generally being good, but sprites much less friendly. They can magically learn one’s nature, but more often than not will chase strangers away from their territory, and only likely to get involve in some trade if they feel a greater threat is involved. Still, sprites are quite able at things like weapon creation for their small size, and creations of things like poisons. They do wish to protect nature but could offer interesting creations. \page ### Satyr The human sized satyr is reasonably common, especially in interacting with humanoids. Satyrs are very curious of all the best food, drink, music, and sights. They tend to be very hedonistic, and not care about consequences. Along with generally providing information and acting as a guide, satyr can offer creativity, and a collection of music they have come across. This may allow some leverage. ### Dryad The treebound dryads are limited to the land that their tree is in, and work with other woodland guardians to protect nature. Dryads are really nature based, so they don’t create much, and mostly offer guidance with the area, and protection from beasts. Dryads may be shy, though they can have curiosity with a humanoid they find attractive and may charm them. ### Korred Fey can have little interest in metals of the earth, such a way as mining, but Korred’s by their nature are, not in wanting to mine but as a sense of nature as other fey may see trees. If fey were interested in getting some precious metals in the Feywild, a deal may have to be made with a korred. They are secretive but can offer a lot with their knowledge and their magical hair. On the material plane korreds are shy, and try to avoid contact, although may take offense to certain mining and come into conflict with others. Korreds tend to be prime targets of those who seek the riches of the earth, such people may try their best to appeal them. They also consort a lot with elementals of earth, being possible links between the Feywild and elemental plane. ### Brownie The Brownie is a tiny fey, often the talk of small rural areas, in ways they are often compared to Halflings with their preference of environment. Brownies are shy, acting mostly at night yet largely help humanoids in the areas that they live, liking to do small jobs and fix things, making them a rather useful fey to have for households and farms in the area. In return getting things like cream and sweets, but it is warned that they can be easily offended. The gifts given to the brownie should never be called a payment, which makes them an interesting part in trade. Also, a brownie may fix clothes, and their own clothes can be anywhere from beautiful to being left to tatters, but a brownie should never be gifted clothing. They are generally good creatures, but they see another creature gifting them clothes as the greatest insult and may hit back. ### Quickling The quicklings are fey of the Unseelie Court and can be a common occurrence speeding through their land. They also act as a good example of what may befall getting the ire of its queen; where they were once a group of brownies like fey that took part in the court’s territory, but became lazy with little motivation. The Queen punished them by speeding up their time, may seem a boon, but actually a curse, something the queen hoped they would understand tragedy and act. Now the quicklings take part in pranks of misfortune, getting joy out of upsetting their slow targets, but also perhaps hoping to earn back favour of the Queen of Air and Darkness by inciting feelings like sorrow. Giving the right price, a group of quicklings may offer a service that is aided by their quick speed. ### Boggle Boggles are a good example of fey that can randomly be created from feelings of people of the material plane, near edges of feywild. They do go out of their way to humour themselves with pranks, and although they are not malicious, they may not understand the real damage they may cause, especially economically where they can break or steal items important for livelihood. A charismatic or strong of will individual who can entertain a Boggle, may be able to have them act in their favour as allies. Stopping a boggle from being bored can essentially be considered payment, although such a thing can be unreliable in effectiveness, where one might act out if it becomes bored. ### Darkling The darklings are an example that the Summer Court, Queen Titania, can punish in cruel manners, that effects the fey’s kind generation later. Darkling are exceptionally careful of light, so are usually only found in the dark tunnels of the Feywild, rarely going to the surface with the ever setting sun. On the material plane, they tend to live bellow the streets of other races, managing to make themselves as pretty good thieves, or services like assassination. They do have a large appreciation of art despite the aging of light, which can make good payment for services. The death of a darkling may damage anything it was carrying, so care must be taken if they have something precious. \page ### Redcap The redcap is a fey that most other fey absolutely despise. Made from murder itself, the rely on creating more murder, which can spawn more redcaps, so many archfey especially may actually pay for exterminating them. Key objects of redcaps, other than their namesake caps, is their iron boots and sickle. Being a part of their own birth, these items are not forged in normal sense. Not well known, but many fey dislike pure iron like those found in with the Redcap. Perhaps not enough to cause a substantial effect, but enough to be uncomfortable to them. ### Hag Hags are ugly creatures, that are unlikely to be in any good standing with the courts, although some archfey may respect their abilities. Hags can be very varied, with a different nature of each subclass. Regardless, although Hags can be very vicious and dangerous to deal with, and generally creators of chaos and evil against ordered and good societies, they can offer quite a bit of value. Their magic is strange, although they may seem less sophisticated than wizards, often using atrocious materials they can do things that other magics cannot. #### Hag Coven A lot of hags can change their appearance, allowing them to hide well in the material plane, yet regardless, hags tend to be able to sense the location of another. Often a hag will team up with two others, of any type, and can become more powerful, especially in influencing the areas around them, and the extent of what they could accomplish for someone. #### Sea Hag The sea hags are likely the ugliest of hags, horrifying so, and despise everything beautiful. Being beautiful is likely to put you at a disadvantage in negotiations and make the hag far more compelled to make the deal punish anything beautiful. As the name implies, they tend to live in the sea, and commonly deal with evil aquatic creatures. #### Green Hag The green hags tend to be the most common idea of hags, and an added reason that people tend to be wary of odd things in damp and dead forests or swamps. Deceptive, green hags like to hide their true identity, and gain joy from manipulation and seeing things go bad. Making deals go bad into tragedy, can be their main wish for making deals, unless one aims to actively cause more tragedy. Their choice in location and love of tragedy could make them seem like a good fit to the Gloaming Court, but with the ugliness that show on their form they enjoy seeing others feel hopeless. Those in the Gloaming Court may instead see them as a dark reflection of themselves. #### Night Hag The night hags were an evil with so much joy of corruption, that an active effort was made to remove them from the Feywild, with them ending up in Hades, and now spread over the Lower planes. Rather than the Feywild, they probably could be considered part of the Lower Planes economy. Befitting lower plane economics, night hags deal a lot in souls. To get souls, night hags can use their ability to change their shape and corrupt them. Effecting someone important, night hags can greatly affect a community. #### Annis Hag The Anis hags are among the most brutish of hags. Corruptors and devourers of children, and spreading paranoia into settlements, wrecking their productivity. They are also quite adept at organizing groups of ogres and trolls, something that may require them to think over food for these giants. #### Bheur Hag A Bheur stays in cold climates, targeting settlements in their winter, for a wish of creating selfish actions. They otherwise have their own homes in all year cold climates, or places in the Feywild that are stuck in a strong winter, her being able to make winter weather even stronger. A bheur hag may provide help to an individual who comes to them, if they are selfish enough and will cause more pain if they help. ### Baba Yaga Baba Yaga is an entity who has gained a bit of myth to her real nature. Baba Yaga is an archfey that was most likely a hag, although there can be contradicting information of whether she is a single archfey. She is known to be accompanied by many ugly fey and other creatures and may even have a Court of her own. What is most relevant with her is how she is connected with stories of deals. Sometimes Baba Yaga will straight up eat someone that approaches, and other times she can be incredibly helpful. Many stories point that despite being a hag of sorts, it is bad people and the likes of very naughty children she will eat. Those who come to her with pure intentions, may well get a lot of help, and without too harsh of payment. Reasonings may be that like many fey, she is influenced by the minds/emotions of others, and it is reflected in her. Another is the possibility that she somehow is paid in simply helping such pure people, aiding in her aged appearance. It is a lucky chance that such powerful fey can help to do good, even if for selfish reasons. \page ### Centaur A first aspect to be said of centaurs is that they are not restricted to the Feywild, in fact they can be even more common in the forests of the material plane. Regardless, the sylvan lands are a point of heritage for the centaur, and a contrast between two lands can be of note. #### Natural Impact A defining aspect of the centaurs in culture is their dislike of heavy alteration to the environment, the likes of human and dwarven settlements that totally change the landscape from its natural state. This can make them feel more at home in the Feywild, where there are rarely such locations, and the likes of elves are more accommodating in natural aspect. Elves can be the most common parties they trade with, the centaurs often mixing the languages of elvish and sylvan. In the material plane they will avoid more developed locations like elves and dwarves and may have a dislike of them. But may be friendlier to travellers leaving little impact, or in halfling settlements, where a sharing of laid back nature when with plentiful resources can be shared. #### Centaur Needs A centaur can generally be noted as having a larger body than that of standard humanoid’s, which can make them strong, but they also require a lot of food, often 4 times as much as a human. Their favourite foods are grains such as oats and wheats, but are also fond of strong vegetables, dairy products and meat. They are also very fond of alcoholic drinks like wine. They may trade for some things, but are quite good at foraging, keeping livestock, and some farming to a minimal degree of effect on the land. #### Centaur Land Matching their idea of minimal impact, centaur do not really understand the concept of owning land, not seeing any impact beyond what is actually occupied. They keep in mind in what they can live off the land, which is not such a problem in the Feywild where they can keep longer term and sophisticated settlements. In the material plane though, centaurs are much more nomadic, moving on when they see to it that they are not a real drain, perhaps planning that their nomadic life may take them back there again. This does mean that beyond their usual dislike of altering the landscape, cultivation can be even less prominent, creating a reliance on trading. #### Centaur Trading Elves will be the people they are most likely to trade with, since they share language and some sensibility. Such items they can trade are excess food, pelts, and woodwork. Centaurs tend to have little interest in coin, beyond being able to quickly trade it for more useful or interesting items, perhaps they will have jewellery, but trade it as soon as they get bored with it. This low regard for coin can have them simply take it to get what they want, not understanding what may be wrong. Centaurs love to drink, and perhaps held from excess due to understanding the price needed along with their size. Centaurs can have a bad reputation for being drunk, but this is often from younger centaur that may wonder into human areas, and spend a lot on drink from new freedom, not understanding excess and how other humanoids can be so fragile. #### Centaur morals An understanding of specific centaur morals can be important with trading with them. Centaurs value freedom and honour the spirit of a deal rather than the word and can have a reputation of liars when they back out of deals from them being unfavourable to them or their people. The wellbeing of their people is most on their mind for their roles and may not agree to anything that does not help their people. A people that may be easily offended by attacks on their pride and can be very stubborn. They can be terrible liars, being very truthful, although may simply omit information to those they do not trust. Those that they do trust they may share very openly. #### Centaur Settlements As mentioned earlier, those in the Feywild are more likely to have longer term settlements, while the more nomadic centaurs are more likely to be more made out of fabric tents that are easy to carry. Regardless, accommodating to their size, their settlements also tend to be well ventilated and large walkways. Females do a lot of crafting, while men do defending, hunting, and looking after livestock. They don’t keep horses and can be confused by the idea, not seeing them as equals, but disliking mistreatment of them. They may also keep cats to keep rodents away, but dislike dogs as loud and getting in their way. Despite a strong sense on freedom, often not recognising laws of a land, they can actually be strong on their own laws in the safety of the tribe or tribes. Understanding politics, which are often decided democratically, can be important in how best to appeal to particular groups of centaur. \page ### Treants Treants are largely living trees, with little need of trading like any humanoid. But they are among the top in the line of defenders of the wild, and highly liked by many creatures that call the wilderness their home, and those who also protect it. They may be referred to as the top of the economy of the defenders of the wild, with the likes of Dryads and werebears that may work under them. Maybe not an economy by most civilization’s standards, but those part of the defence of nature have their own way in recognition of work. ### Fomorian Fomorians are ugly giants that hold domain in the Feydark, the Feywild version of the underdark, which they can also be found in. The Fomorian are yet another example of the curse inflicted by the fey courts, leaving their bodies horribly deformed, although, this is hardly something to pity due to their horrible nature. These parts seem to have caught up on their curse in making them a very barbaric giant, that seemed to have given up on advanced society in making advanced items. Fomorians now seem more set on spreading more unhappiness, sharing their pain, and group with other evil creatures as brutish bodyguards or slavedrivers.   ### Lycanthrope Lycanthropes are a group that can be often ignored as something relevant to economics, either considered mostly rabid beasts, or simply a sub note of their actual race. There is more to it than that though, as lycanthropes can be a people, with nature worth mentioning when not in hybrid form. A leading factor in lycanthrope nature, is their connection to lunar cycles, many humanoids can choose when to transform, but have little choice on full moons where the nature of their lycanthropy are in full effect. Or, that is so on the material plane, that they are often found, but the Feywild lacks lunar cycles, as well as the Shadowfell. Free of the waxing and waning of the moon effecting their instincts, on the Feywild lycanthropes seem able to adjust better to their curse, without it doing a number on their humanoid side, that they can be more in control, and able to build more able societies of their own. Some could gain favour with a fey court, perhaps being invited into a hunt of the Gloaming Court, but often find themselves a target of hunts. A lot of fey do not like lycanthropes, seeing them as too dangerous and ugly, especially if they give into their nature more. Some fey see them as unnatural Lycanthropes may also be found in the Shadowfell, it being a place of scarcity, most there give into their nature even more. Added effects of the plane can take away their humanity, where they may truly be nothing more than beasts. There are plenty of dark masters to serve. Although, this is not necessarily the case, some lycanthropes can be reasoned with, like many people on the plane can be reasoned with. #### Wererats Wererats are often considered runts of lycanthropy comparatively, but especially in economic sense there can be more to them. Wererats tend to have a preference to urban environments, so may be rarer in the Feywild. Wererats become twitchy and suspicious, flocking to the rest of their kind to feel safe and create more as see fit for that. Taking up in the dark places of cities, their hybrid form allows them to hide their identity, as they work sort of like an insular thieves guild, stealing from others. Facing Wererats they tend to attack what is weak, run from what is strong, and likely work for what may dominate them. #### Werewolves Werewolves are the most typical lycanthropes. The curse influences the werewolf to feel the desire to hunt and hunger of raw flesh, and desire of a strong pack. In the material plane the influence can make even the most self-control of individuals be filled with savagery, as the lunar cycle draws out the power and grate on their humanity. Werewolves can be torn between desire to hunt and safety, that those who don’t wish to hurt others will go far out into the wilderness. In the Feywild, the werewolves can be more in control that they can even build communities without worrying that they may lose control and make enemies of neighbours. Most fey do not like werewolves though, and conflict in curses can be common. Werewolves could be a common target for a hunt of the Gloaming Court, but werewolves could gain favour and join in on the hunt from their own instincts. A place that their hunting prowess and tracking ability can come in handy. \page #### Wereboars Wereboars are not the most productive of lycanthropes, they are bullies that tend to hide in remote forests with low economic make. They have small groups, with more of a desire to inflict others with their curse to watch them fight with the nature, which tends to bring them into conflict with stronger entities, leaving only small remote groups. About the only communities that may welcome them are orcs. The majority of fey absolutely hate wereboars, seeing them as ugly and crass beings, that most fey that may deal with them want to offend others. A wereboar that wants to stay in the Feywild, either want to prey on elves that they see act too high and mighty, or one trying to avoid their nature with those who might accept them. #### Weretigers The weretiger curse is somewhat like the werewolf’s, but does not come with the savagery, instead replaced with a pride and perfection of ability. Weretigers regardless like the wild, but unlike much of lycanthropes, they have little trouble with trading, often doing so in remote settlements. They rarely spread their curse and keep it to small groups that keep hunting from getting too competitive. Weretigers may even get along with fey, which may not see them as ugly or offensive. A weretiger taking part in a hunt of the Gloaming court may not even be a rare thing. Although whether weretiger will want to live in the feywild could be questionable, due to the woodlands being more filled, that a weretiger would probably just want to have more company. #### Werebears Werebears can often be referred to as protectors of forests, most of the time able to resist their bestial nature and replaced instead with a desire to protect the natural world. Their nature also makes them reclusive, from a desire not to harm innocents unnecessarily, which means they tend to do less civilized trade. Werebears can really get along with fey, especially those who also like the protection of forests, and may do some level of trade. Often stuck with territories of particular areas, and passed down from masters, they may not feel an interest in moving into the feywild but can find themselves welcomed. Archfey may actually be happy for a werebear to take up duty in their territory, except by some fey that regardless have a hate of lycanthropes. #### Wereravens Wereravens are among the rarest of lycanthropes, their nature makes them especially secretive, and respecting of local law. They are also an incredibly generous lycanthrope, that wishes to do good, being very fair in their business and helping those in need. Wereravens have little call for the wild, and generally have no real population in the Feywild. They are actually more common in the Shadowfell, able to hide among the ravens that are rather common in the plane. Perhaps the plane can lessen their instincts, but more of a case that they are resistant to the effects of the shadowfell, being able to help some of the rare non-evil settlements. Despite the name, there is no direct evidence that wereravens have a connection to the Raven Queen, although they often fly in the flocks of her ravens and work against evil undead that can cause problems. \page ## Shadowfell While the Feywild is like a dream version of the Material Plane, the Shadowfell is a nightmare, although it is more of a reflection of despair and death that exists there. A constant dark sky in colourless landscape. This gives the perception that the land is static and unchanging, without life. Although it may have less life than the material plane, like a counter to the Feywild, and not even counting the undead that walks the landscape life is possible here. #### Effects on the Living While the Feywild is a constant stream of sensations, the influence of the Shadowfell actually leaves a kind of deadening of such. This comes out that rather than distracted by something new, you instead keep repeating the same thing by looking inwards. The plane may suck out certain emotions that one threats over past events not changing or reliving of events that lead to feelings of fear from or madness in trouble telling reality apart. If things get too bad, the living may mutate to reflect losing their identity or concentrating on one feeling that overtakes their being. Those who live in the Shadowfell long term do know tricks to help mental health in preventing good feelings disappearing and negative ones overtaking. #### Shadowfell Landmarks As said before, the Shadowfell is like a negative version of the material plane, like through the eyes of fear or depression. There are cities that are a reflection of those found on the material plane, but most innocent people are warned against going to such places. Undead tend to flock to such cities, some theorise place that they can feel the many living lifeforces of those on the other side, that lesser undead may be seen acting out movements of the living. Undead of many kinds meet to trade various things and build armies. For the living, evil wizards also are common, in searching for forbidden knowledge, as are followers of evil deities. Further out one can find fortresses of the Raven Queen with the Shadar-kai set up nearby, forests overrun by blights, and a rare humanoid settlement. The kind of people to stay in the Shadowfell and not be evil, can be a strange bunch that feel an affinity to the land, with protective wards and barricades to keep out wondering dangers. They are not exactly friendly by most standards but can be salvation from the worst of the Shadowfell, or perhaps outposts set up to watch the land. #### Shadowfell Ecology Some normal animals can be found in the Shadowfell, even if they may look a little scary. Although there can be even more dangerous shadow versions, which meat can have strange properties. Vegetables and fruit can lack taste, although one can live off of them, eating does not give as much joy as elsewhere. But with specially prepared land, taste can be prepared for the likes of things like wine, that can boost the spirits a little. #### Domains of Dread Domains of Dread are mini-planes that are within the Shadowfell, they are lands from the material plane that were locked by entities called Dark Powers to contain darklords. The Purpose behind them is shrouded in mystery, as the Dark Powers seem to be evil entities holding other evil beings. Considering some of the repetitive nature of the Shadowfell and these Domains of Dread, where events are almost on a loop, the domains of dread may be prizes of dark events. Somewhat like the memories that the Raven Queen covets. Within the Shadowfell, they can actually be pretty easy to enter, although exit is much more difficult. Often leaving is only up to the darklord within the plane, or after he is killed as it is returned to the material plane, before it is drawn back into the Shadowfell and events restarted. The domains can be a treasure trove of gifts, both dark and possibly good that were brought to fight the darklord. It may be free of the Shadowfell’s effects, but people may no more be friendly there. \page ### The Raven Queen The Raven Queen is an entity that is probably best explained first to understand the elves of the Shadowfell, the Shada-kai. A secretive entity, that although not well known, is said to look over souls as they trave to the Fugue plane for decisions of where they go after death. Making her a marginally important aspect for an economy of gods and souls. What the Raven Queen is mostly interested in is every so often picking out an interesting soul, or a memory/event that captures her attention. She keeps things she has collected in her fortress of memories, where she also resides. She creates a market for memories, and occasionally she might have something of interest that certain individuals may want to trade with her. Although she herself rarely gives anything more than cryptic answers. ### Shadar-kai The Shadar-kai are the elves of the Shadowfell, at the call and mercy of the Raven Queen. Often having their settlements near her places of power, her fortress of memories and other places with large groups of Ravens. Most knowledge outside of the Shadowfell is of their work for their mistress, where they seek to steal or bargain for memories that have or might catch her eye. The technique that they do so is referred to as shadow magic, although it has strange similarities to what fey are capable of. #### Settlements Inside the Shadowfell, there can be more to these elves. Especially for elves they are quite joyless and mournful, which can leave impressions of the duergar in thinking them as evil, but this is not the case. Not as welcoming as most of the material plane may be used to, the Shadar-kai understand perfectly how to avoid the negative effects of the Shadowfell through a control of emotions. They may offer advice to travellers for also surviving in the Shadowfell and a first stop for learning about dangerous creature, other people, and undead. #### Aesthetics The general aesthetic of the Shadar-kai is gloomy, something understood to get less attention and stop jealousy they might otherwise attract. They are not fond of their aged appearance in the Shadowfell, and often wear things like masks and veils. In private, the Shadar-kai do like to keep beautiful things, which they may trade or steal for. One cannot let themselves be gloomy too often, to help their mental health within the Shadowfell. ### Meazel Meazels are often recognized as humanoids that were unstable enough with hate to be mutated by the Shadowfell, yet their hate transcended beyond things like hate to not become a Sorrowsworn. They mostly seen on the boarders of Shadow Crossings and punish anyone in the line of their hate. They like to collect anything valuable of foes they have killed, keeping their lairs a mix of a treasure trove and garbage dump, so they might have something to offer. They manage to survive well despite being solitary most of the time, so their knowledge can also be helpful. Although, Meazels are largely mean-spirited hermits, and thus unreliable allies, more interested in actually ripping someone off than even helping themselves. They have a teleport ability through shadows with another that can be handy, but even if the Meazel does not use it to kill you outright, creatures of the Shadowfell become attracted to you. ### Hexblade A Hexblade is a rather mysterious entity. Their creation seeming to be a magical weapon that was given a mind or soul, or developed one on its own, and was either cast into the Shadowfell or drawn into it. Being drawn into the Shadowfell is from the blade absorbing negative energy from the death of those it killed left an impact in the Shadowfell and sucked it in. Although some say the Raven Queen may have something to do with it. The Shadowfell draws out things like emotions out of the living, and the Hexblade has acted as a concentrated conduit of the plane, drawing those into itself. The process gives a hexblade power over the shadowfell somewhat like how a fey does when becoming an archfey. As a sentient magical weapon, they don’t tend to be self-mobile, but their will can be metered out by servants. Common servant of a hexblade are warlocks, that can act as a conduit for the hexblade’s power, although the hexblade does get something in return. Some cases are the souls of the those slain by the warlock, but others seem more ambiguous, leaving some thought that a hexblade itself could be acting as an agent of the Raven Queen. \page ### Undead The Shadiwfell has a large amount of necrotic energy, with the lack of sunlight, meaning that it is quite hospitable to the undead. When someone dies and their soul goes towards the Fugue Plane, they pass by the Shadowfell and may escape into it. This fits into the soul economy that leads the Outer planes. ### Skeletons/Zombies Skeletons and zombies are mostly mindless bodies animated by magic. Left alone, they might try to do things their bodies remember from being alive. They can also be trained to do rather simple tasks, acting as easy labour. Without a force, like an order, holding them back, Skeletons and Zombies through negative energy within them feel something akin to hate that is found in living creatures. They will attack the living on sight. Although a skeleton may seem to use serviceable armour and weapons, in actuality these may have been risen with the skeleton and are held together by the same magic that animates their bones. Most cases their equipment crumbles with them. They could be given better equipment, few see them as actually worth the effort. ### Spirits The title of spirit can fit a lot of different creatures, the purest being a ghost, to corrupted like a wraith or specter. #### Ghost Ghosts may act just like they did in life, with minor confusions such that they may not realize they are dead. Ghosts don’t need anything for survival, but they all tend to have something they want to accomplish, and with knowledge from their past lives they may be able to trade for something they need. They tend to be bound to an object or place, so they are not the most common in the Shadowfell. #### Specter Specters are spirits that seem to have lost their identity, possibly being some effect on death, or a lost ghost may become one. They may still know language, but specters aimlessly wonder and attack the living on sight. Simply the other extreme of ghosts. #### Wraith Wraiths are spirits that are suffused with negative energy, with some memories of their past lives. They can actually be a pretty common sight in the Shadowfell, and have a tendency to lead other undead their servants, often with specters in toe. Possibly able to be negotiated with, though their strongest desire is a hatred of the living. ### Wight Wights have similarities to wraiths, knowing memories of their past life, and a desire to kill the living. Difference comes that their nature comes from a deal with a dark entity, which lets them keep a body, and answering their master’s call to ready war against living. They may lead other undead like zombies, but often work under wraiths. The Shadowfell can have Wights wraiths building up undead armies ### Ghoul Ghouls are generally very barbaric creatures that desire to feed, although they do not need to. Pretty simple, they feed on dead bodies and turn to the living, although may work with powerful entities that can help them feed more. They are a fairly common creature in the Shadowfell, generally not very sophisticated. But there are notable very smart ghouls that even run some of the cities found in the Shadowfell. \page ### Vampire The vampire curse twists the emotions of the humanoid it was to a dark evil version. What twists their perception of the living is a deep hunger for their life energy that is the living’s blood, the hunger gnaws at their mind until they may see humanoids as only food. Yet a vampire can know everything it did in life and learn more. Granted most vampires are spawn, and just servants to their master. But granted a vampire feels safe and well fed, they could be an excellent part in trading. It can be not too rare that a vampire set itself as a lord of an area, securing servants for protection and a grave location to rest. Going to the Shadowfell can be a decision of positives and negatives for a vampire. There is no sun there, so a vampire can feel very at home in the shadowfell. A somewhat downside is that the living are fewer for prey, but this does create a market in the shadowfell for the trading of living. Giving vampires a key part in the economy of the Shadowfell. ### Skull Lord The first Skull Lords were a curse Vecna placed on his own generals, although other dark masters have had their creation made as a curse on treacherous leaders. Among the top of non-lich undead in the Shadowfell, they tend to create their own mini nations within the Shadowfell, with the creation of undead armies with wraiths bellow them. They can be the drivers of an economy of building armies within the Shadowfell. Their armies tend to have two Skull lord armies defeat each other like constantly repeating futile battles to prove themselves better than each other. But even if one reaches the top of conflicts in the area, the three minds within a Skuill lord fight over which one should lead, and sabotages itself. ### Liches (Necromancers) The category of lich can be a bit of broad, used here for the economy of the Shadowfell, true liches being very rare, but they are a key portion of what necromancers in the Shadowfell aim for. The exact secrets to lichdom are very hidden, and sold for incredibly high amounts, that many necromancers use the Shadowfell as a place to do research and follow up rumours of undeath secrets. It keeps it as a very expensive venture that also forms a major backbone of Shadowfell economics. A mere attempt of the process can fail leaving all the effort a waste from their death, or cases of them turning into a boneclaw, attached to another evil entity nearby. Liches then lead a search for even greater magic magical secrets, beyond what most living could hope for, creating quite the treasury. The lich then needs a constant supply of souls to feed their phylactery, or risk becoming a demilich, losing most of their mind.