The Fey are a mythical ancient and powerful people said to exist long before the first humans.
The legends say that when humans first came into the North for a time they shared the land
with the Fey but as humans grew more numerous the Fey decided that it would be better for them to live
apart. Weaving a great magic they 'folded' the world creating two similar worlds that were
separate yet joined by many secret gates and pathways.
The world that the Fey created for themselves is called the Feyworld and it is perilous for mortals
to venture there not least because time can flow differently in that realm. There are stories
of men returning form the Feyworld to their villages to discover that, if they are remembered at all, they were
considered a distant ancestor who was lost in the forest.
The word 'Fey' is both used to describe the race of supernaturally beautiful humanoids who rule
the Feyworld and also all the lesser races, beasts and monsters of that world. Sometimes it is
said that the latter deliberately journey to our world to interact with its inhabitants either
in the form of harmless pranks or more malicious and dangerous tricks. The rulers of the Feyworld rarely
journey to our world but it is said that despite the separation of the two worlds in some ways
they are still inextricably linked. A malaise in one world will have repercussions in the other and
therefore the events in our world are still of interest to the Fey. From time to time therefore
one of the great of the Fey will ride forth and select a mortal to do their bidding.
For a mortal to deal with the Fey is perilous for they are too powerful and beautiful and difficult to
resist. Tales say that the Fey generally offer mortals either magical powers or a magic item in return
for fealty. In return the mortal has to perform tasks that are trivial, nonsensical or downright impossible
e.g. they may set commoner on a quest to marry a princess.
It should be noted that the penalty in Cambrian law for a witch or warlock to accept power from the Fey is
the same as if they had accepted power from a demon. In both cases the offender is burnt at the stake.