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The Wild Ones: Using Unaligned Fey in Your D&D Game

In Dungeons & Dragons, the Feywild is known for its enchanting beauty, vibrant colors, and the powerful courts that rule over its domains: the Seelie and Unseelie Courts. These courts are often depicted as rigidly divided, with the Seelie embodying light, beauty, and law, while the Unseelie represent darkness, chaos, and subversion. But what about the fey who refuse to be bound by these rules—the unaligned fey?

Unaligned fey are those elusive creatures who owe allegiance to neither court. They exist somewhere between light and shadow, operating outside the political machinations of the Seelie and Unseelie. For Dungeon Masters, these fey are a goldmine of storytelling potential. They provide unexpected allies, quirky adversaries, and valuable wild cards that add rich layers to any campaign. Let’s look at the origins of unaligned fey, ideas for their motivations, and ways to employ them in your game.

Origins of the Unaligned Fey

While the courts command most of the Feywild, unaligned fey exist on the fringes. These fey are often creatures born of wild, raw magic, not bound by the same expectations as the members of the courts. Some legends suggest they came from places within the Feywild untouched by court influence, where magic was free to develop in strange, chaotic ways. Others may have once been part of the courts but left to pursue a life free from the ever-present tension between Seelie and Unseelie.

Their independence can stem from personal choice or deeper philosophical beliefs. Some unaligned fey reject the courts’ laws and customs, while others are simply uninterested, finding no pleasure in the endless schemes and power struggles. They have a sense of freedom unknown to their courtly kin and revel in the uninhibited exploration of fey magic and curiosity.

Using Unaligned Fey in Your Campaign

Unaligned fey provide Dungeon Masters with a creative toolkit for adding depth to the Feywild or fey-touched regions of the Material Plane. Here are some ideas for bringing these fey to life in your campaign:

1. Neutral Brokers: In the world of fey politics, a neutral party can be a valuable asset. Unaligned fey can serve as intermediaries or go-betweens for adventurers looking to avoid entangling themselves in the court’s schemes. Perhaps they have insight or can pass messages between both courts without taking a side, making them ideal for players trying to navigate fey diplomacy without committing to an allegiance.
2. Fey Guides: The Feywild is notoriously dangerous and disorienting, with its shifting landscapes and time-altering properties. A party of adventurers may encounter an unaligned fey willing to serve as their guide through the wilderness—for a price, of course. They might not be the most trustworthy guides, and their fee could be as strange as a memory, a song, or a promise, but their neutrality ensures they don’t have hidden courtly agendas.
3. Mysterious Taskmasters: Unaligned fey can task adventurers with strange quests that seem trivial or bizarre, only to reveal a more meaningful purpose later. These quests could be simple pranks, tests of character, or trials that reward the party with deeper knowledge of fey magic. Because they lack court ties, these fey might not care about the outcomes as long as they get their desired entertainment.
4. Collectors of Curiosities: Unaligned fey are often fascinated with the oddities of the Material Plane, and they may be more interested in trading with adventurers than their court-bound counterparts. An unaligned fey might exchange valuable information, enchanted trinkets, or magical knowledge in return for mundane items, such as a pocket watch or a tin of biscuits, viewing them as priceless treasures.
5. Wild Allies and Fickle Enemies: Without the restraints of courtly allegiances, unaligned fey can be strange allies or chaotic enemies. They may support the adventurers in one encounter,
   

   A faerie guidemother from Magic: the Gathering’s Throne of Eldraine set looks perfect for Elareath the fey spirit. [Art by Mila Pesic]

   then turn against them in the next if it suits their whimsy or if the adventurers fail to uphold a bargain. This unpredictability adds tension and keeps players on their toes, uncertain whether an unaligned fey will come to their aid or revel in their misfortune.

The Relationship Between the Unaligned Fey and the Courts

Though unaligned, these fey aren’t without influence. Both Seelie and Unseelie are wary of them, recognizing their autonomy and viewing them as loose ends in the court’s otherwise tightly controlled domain. However, unaligned fey possess a kind of respect from both courts. Their ability to move between factions and see both light and shadow without commitment makes them valuable and, at times, dangerous.

Unaligned fey can find themselves in conflict with either court, especially if they possess knowledge or abilities the courts would rather keep contained. Occasionally, the courts may seek to sway unaligned fey to their side or exert subtle pressure to manipulate them. On rare occasions, unaligned fey may be forced to work as double agents, juggling complex obligations to both sides in exchange for maintaining their freedom. For Dungeon Masters, these alliances create rich dynamics, allowing unaligned fey to become central figures in a campaign that involve intrigue, subtle power struggles, and negotiations.

How Dungeon Masters Can Use This Information

Unaligned fey are ideal tools for Dungeon Masters looking to add depth, unpredictability, and charm to the Feywild or fey-influenced areas. Here are a few ways to employ them effectively:

1. Add Layers to Feywild Adventures: If your players expect a rigid “good versus evil” approach to the Fey Courts, unaligned fey can shatter those assumptions. Use them to introduce players to the unpredictable nature of the Feywild, where even a seemingly harmless creature could have motives beyond comprehension.
2. Create Intrigue in Non-Combat Encounters: Unaligned fey excel at creating tension and intrigue without direct combat. They can serve as informants, spies, or messengers who keep players guessing and encourage creative problem-solving. They’re a fantastic way to bring complex, role-play-heavy encounters to the forefront of a campaign.
3. A Source of Whimsy and Wonder: Not every encounter needs to be dangerous or politically charged. Unaligned fey can bring whimsical, offbeat interactions that keep players engaged and remind them that the Feywild is a place of beauty and wonder just as much as danger and deception.
4. Introduce Moral Grayness: By presenting players with unaligned fey who have no clear allegiance, you can introduce moral ambiguity, encouraging players to make decisions based on their own values rather than an alignment with any particular faction. This is a great way to keep players guessing and to add depth to the consequences of their choices.

Conclusion: The Value of the Unaligned Fey

The Feywild is an unpredictable realm where the only certainty is change, and unaligned fey embody that chaos. They offer Dungeon Masters a way to add new dynamics to fey interactions, giving adventurers more than just the rigid dichotomy of Seelie and Unseelie. By adding unaligned fey to your campaign, you create an environment where players must navigate unpredictability, moral complexity, and the whimsy of creatures who answer only to themselves.

So, next time you send your party to the Feywild, consider adding a few of these wild cards. After all, in a place as chaotic and magical as the Feywild, what could be more fitting than a little untamed mystery?

Thanks for reading. Until Next Time, Stay Nerdy!