#RPGaDay2024 Day 5 – Fairies

Day 5 #RPGaDay2024, Continuing with the alternative prompt challenge list by Skala Wyzwania. For more information, see David Chapman’s Autocratik blog post for RPG a Day 2024.

The RPG challenge theme for today is Fairies. Rolling a 1d10 for the quest. The result is 6, Create a random table.

Dream Gossamer Manifestation Table

After the breaking of the sky vault and the Night of Weeping Starfire, the night became more dangerous, even deadly, to travelers who dared wonder in the time of the Nocturnal Potentates. Ember ash looks like deep red- and orange-colored fireflies that once roamed in the night, but these specks of shattered moon Karadia burn flesh and, once alight, pull other pieces to them, bringing down roaring fires of destruction upon those who travel at night. Worse still, nighttime is the domain of Darkness and its servants, foul creatures from nightmares given form and substance once light fades away. Darkness is the servant of the potentates, and those who dare sleep outside are taken over by its powers and become its thralls. Their flesh warped and shaped, becoming tainted servants of the Potentates. The world’s creatures have learned that to survive, they must huddle and hide at night, except for the faeries.

Fairies came to this world from the realms of dreams upon the marriage of the King of the Fey Realm to Shireen, the High Goddess Of the Night. When the Temple of the High Gods was destroyed, and the paths to the realms beyond were lost after the shattering of the Constellations of the High, many faeries and other fey creatures found themselves trapped in the realm of mortals. But the fey have strong bonds to the now corrupted realm of dreams and can push back against the encroachment of the Darkness.

Faeries are valued by mortal travelers who must venture out at night because they can create a zone of dreams untouched by the Darkness and allow mortals to sleep outside, away from a fire or a home where their dreams are unprotected. Thus, fairies are captured and kept in ornate glass lamps and fed honey and sweets, serving as guides and protectors to those who must venture forth and face the Darkness.

When a faerie sings its song, it safely lights the night, bathing those nearby in purplish green fey light, but most importantly, they create a pocket free of the influence of the Darkness in the dreamland. Mortals can sleep safely here. But as the Darkness is pushed back, pieces of dreams, and even nightmares, remain and are given form in the shadow of the fey song. A random table follows with samples of the object items and creatures given form from the dreams gossamer left behind, examine, or face what is found depending on what appears.

Dream Gossamer Manifestation Table – Roll 1d12

1. There is no solid dream gossamer item or creature present.
2. A child’s toy made whimsical and beautiful by the fey song. It helps whoever touches it recover from any ailment that afflicts them while resting.
3. The memory of a person dear to the dreamer is present. They converse and may share knowledge with those they encounter. The manifestation may stand guard faithfully and can see in the Darkness beyond, warning of any danger, allowing the travelers to rest uninterrupted. They disappear before dawn.
4. A small animal, real or fantastical, they are playful and friendly. If fed, they will grant a small boon to the travelers before they disappear at dawn. Spent rations for the night are replenished. Broken clothes mended, the path to be taken the next day made clear in a dream, making it impossible to get lost that day, the way to water discovered when needed, etc.
5. An animal or beast. It could be a beast of burden or a riding animal. The animal is docile and can provide sustenance; if kept, it may serve the travelers until the next night. It will not disappear at dawn and will continue with the travelers for a day, but its dreamlike nature is evident, and it may spook other animals during the day if these are not tended to. It will vanish at dusk the next day.
6. A trinket of some kind is present: a bag of broken marbles, a buckle, a whetstone, one boot, a worthless bracelet, six teeth inside a tied handkerchief, or a mummified toe on a string.
7. Fey creatures hiding in sleep from the Darkness detect the faerie guide and seek to release it during the night. These creatures will not be immediately apparent; describe this as a result of 1 (see above) to the players. Then, the creatures will attempt to free the faerie from the lamp during the night. Some faeries are content in their lamps and will warn the mortals, while others long for freedom and may welcome help. If the attempt is successful, the effect of the fey song is interrupted, and the travelers are in danger from the influence of the Darkness. Make a saving throw, or equivalent roll, to avoid it.
8. A nightmarish animal or beast. It is dangerous and attacks the travelers. Use a suitable opponent for the group. If near defeat and escape is possible, it will flee and return during the night, recovered from any wound. Unless travelers stand guard, this second attack will be a surprise and catch travelers unaware.
9. A small nightmarish animal, real or fantastical, will bring some woe upon the travelers if not appeased by food or a small sacrifice. They may not benefit from resting, be lost the next day, lose a night’s rations, or find common items broken or unusable. If appeased, it disappears with no ill effect.
10. The memory of a person feared by the dreamer is present; they converse and will share falsehoods with those they encounter. The manifestation will act friendly and cordial and offer to stand guard but will betray the travelers, failing to forewarn of dangers or even calling out creatures of the night to come and attack the sleepers. They disappear before dawn.
11. A child’s toy made twisted and dark by the Darkness. It causes Disadvantage for the night to whomever touches it.
12. Roll twice, combining the two results into one. Ignore this result if rolled again.

I’m having a lot of fun writing these and creating a new setting through these posts. I have not decided on a name for it. I’ll decide along the way. I hope you are enjoying the posts. Have a wonderful day!

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See you tomorrow.