Fey deities

The fey deities of Dungeons & Dragons are present in many campaign settings. These deities exist to support the operation of the alignment and religious systems of the world; particularly to facilitate the operation of magic and alignment for role-playing. These deities may be included in the story themselves. They are arranged in the Seelie Court.

Publication history

The Seelie Court was introduced in the book Monster Mythology (1992), which described Titania, Oberon, Caoimhin, Damh, Eacthighern, Emmantiensien, Fionnghuala, Nathair Sgiathach, Skerrit, Squelaiche, Verenestra, and the Queen of Air and Darkness, including details about the priesthood of each god.^[1] The role of each of these gods in the cosmology of the Planescape campaign setting was described in On Hallowed Ground (1996).^[2]

Seelie Court

The Seelie Court is its own planar realm that travels between the various Upper Planes as its members desire, most frequently on the Beastlands, Ysgard, and Arborea. It is divided into two circles. The Inner Circle is closely associated with Queen Titania, and includes her consort Oberon, their children Damh and Verenestra, their court jester Squelaiche, and Eachthighern, their steed. The Outer Circle is more loosely allied, and either do not consider Titania to be their liege, as Skerrit does not, or spend most of their time away from the court, as Fionnghuala does.

Caoimhin

In many campaign settings for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Caoimhin (pronounced "koo-ev-inn," meaning "kindly") is the killmoulis deity of food and shy friendship. His symbol is a tiny bowl and pin. Caoimhin is a large-nosed, mouthless brownielike creature only a foot in height. He wears gossamer armor covered in thick woolen rags to help him keep warm. He grumbles nervously from time to time. Caoimhin dwells in the Seelie Court realm.

Damh

Damh (pronounced "dav," meaning "horned beast"^[1]:118) is the fey deity of dance, song, and celebrations. His symbol is flutes, pipes, and a drum. Damh appears as a male korred with long, tawny-auburn hair tied into braids. He carries a set of pipes, a wooden flute, and a harp. A physically powerful god, he may ambush hostile invaders into fairy lands. He is a god of the Inner Circle of the Seelie Court, Damh is the son of Titania and Oberon.

Damh's main worshipers are korreds, satyrs, and atomies. According to Monster Mythology, Titania worries so much about the various sylvan races that Damh felt compelled to take over some of her responsibilities and, therefore, lighten her load.^[1]

Eachthighern

Eachthighern (pronounced "ek-tee-arn," meaning "lord of horses") is the unicorn deity of Healing, Loyalty, and Protection. He is also the god of pegasi. His symbol is a unicorn horn. Eachthighern is depicted as a winged unicorn with a white coat and slight gray dappling on his belly. There is a gray fringe on his mane and beard. Eachthighern is a member of the Seelie Court. Myths differ on his parentage, but most often he is regarded as a son of the ki-rin god Koriel. Sometimes he is said to be the offspring of a humanoid trickster god, such as Erevan Ilesere, who took on female form in order to conceive and give birth to Eachthighern.

Emmantiensien

Emmantiensien (Emm-ann-tee-enz-ee-an) is the god of treants, trees, and deep and hidden magic. His name is a contraction of a Treant word meaning "one who is slow to rouse but is great in might when stirred to action." His symbol is a pair of acorns. Emmantiensien appears as a vast treant with well-sheened bark, his roots curled around a magic crystal fashioned by some unnamed and unknown deity. With this crystal, Emmantiensien can call forth power which no other sylvan deity can employ, not even Queen Titania. Emmantiensien is closely allied with Rillifane Rallathil and Corellon Larethian. Emmantiensien is revered by treants.

Fionnghuala

Fionnghuala is the deity of swanmays, communications, and sorority. Her symbol is a white feather. Fionnghuala is a small, very slender human woman with red hair and green eyes. She wears white feathered patches on her shoulders and on the crown of her head, and gossomer armor. She may also appear as a giant swan. Fionnghuala is revered by swanmays, a secretive organization of female human rangers with the ability to transform into swans. They continue to worship the deities who were their patrons before their transformation as well. Fionnghuala has no clerics.

Nathair Sgiathach

Nathair Sgiathach (pronounced neigh-er skey-ak)^[3] is the fey deity of mischief and pranks. His symbol is a smile. Nathair Sgiathach appears as a tiny, 2-foot-long (0.61 m), thin-bodied dragon with a prehensile tail, gossamer butterfly wings, and a huge smile. Nathair Sgiathach is an offspring of the draconic deity Io, and a member of the Seelie Court. Another draconic deity, Hlal, is also portrayed as a faerie dragon, and the two may be one and the same. Nathair Sgiathach is revered by pseudodragons and faerie dragons alike, as well as sprites, pixies, and grigs.

Oberon

Oberon is the fey deity of nature, wild places, and animals. His symbol is a white stag. Oberon appears as a male fairy of perhaps unusual size (4' 6") with no wings, and strongly muscled by fey standards. His cloak is made of green leaves stitched into brown leather. Oberon is the consort of Titania and a member of her Seelie Court. He is the father of Damh and Verenestra. Eachthighern allows Oberon to ride him. He is called King Oberon, but this is an honorific due to his marriage to Queen Titania; he has little political authority among the Seelie Court. Oberon is allied with Corellon Larethian and Sehanine Moonbow.

Oberon's home is the wandering Seelie Court, but he is happy to roam the Beastlands and Arborea hunting stags and the like. Oberon is revered by all nonevil fey, who pray to him for protection.

Queen of Air and Darkness

The Queen of Air and Darkness is the fey deity of Magic (especially illusions), Darkness, and Murder. Her long-lost true name is never spoken among the fey. Her unholy symbol is a black diamond. The Queen of Air and Darkness is a bodiless, invisible being, but she can be perceived magically as a faerie with pale, angular features, blood-black eyes, and a mane of black hair. She is beautiful, but hers is a terrible, eldritch beauty that chills the bone. The Queen is cold and utterly emotionless.

The Queen of Air and Darkness is the sister of Titania, once a princess and heir to the Seelie Court in the deep sylvan realm of Ladinion. The evil Queen, her once bright spirit corrupted and dead, now hates and opposes Titania's Seelie Court and everything they stand for. Because she embodies the corruption that can take root in the heart of the elvish race, Corellon Larethian, Erevan Ilesere, Rillifane Rallathil, Sehanine Moonbow, and Solonor Thelandira also consider her an enemy. The Queen's Unseelie Court can be found on the plane of Pandemonium. There, the goddess rules from a throne of shadows. Her court is filled with evil, twisted fey, elves, and undead. Hell hounds and yeth hounds slaver at her insubstantial feet. The Queen of Air and Darkness is served by unseelie sprites, quicklings, evil elves, and bramble faeries, among others. The Queen of Air and Darkness is blamed with the creation of all evil fey races, including quicklings, forlarrens and spriggans.

Skerrit

Skerrit is the deity worshipped by the centaur race. Skerrit is also known as the "Forester." His symbol is an oak growing from an acorn. Skerrit may appear as any creature of the forest. Sometimes his spirit will temporarily possess various plants and animals in order to do his will. In his centaur form, Skerrit wields a bow and a spear. When he is in the forest, the branches and leaves of the trees move to impede his foes' attacks. Skerrit is a member of Titania's Seelie Court. He is part of the Outer Circle of the Seelie Court. Skerrit's Glade is located on the Outer Plane of the Beastlands, near Ehlonna's Grove of the Unicorns. Though he is probably the best known member of Titania's Seelie Court, he prefers to maintain his own realm separately. Skerrit is worshipped mainly by centaurs and satyrs, and by those sylvan elves who are more neutral in alignment.

James M. Ward created Skerrit for Deities and Demigods (1980).^[4] Skerrit was detailed in the book Monster Mythology (1992), including details about his priesthood.^[1] His role in the cosmology of the Planescape campaign setting was described in On Hallowed Ground (1996).^[2] Skerrit is described as one of the good deities that celestials can serve in the supplement Warriors of Heaven (1999).^[5] Skerrit was described briefly in Defenders of the Faith (2000).^[6] His priesthood is detailed for 3rd edition in Complete Divine (2004).^[7]

Squelaiche

Squelaiche is the leprechaun deity of trickery and illusions. His symbol is a clover leaf or a pointed red hat. Squelaiche appears as a handsome male leprechaun, two feet in height, with a fine silk cloak and a pointed red cap. As the Seelie Court's Court Jester, Squelaiche may speak impudently even to Queen Titania. He is on especially good terms with fellow tricksters Nathair Sgiathach and Erevan Ilesere. Squelaiche is believed to have been born from a magical plant on the plane of Arborea, an example of a deity from the natural world becoming adopted into the fey world. Squelaiche is worshipped by leprechauns and other tiny fey creatures.

Squelaiche’s role has been complicated by Dragon #263, with the Jester of the Fairy Court being called Puck or Robin Goodfellow, who is described as resembling a cross between a brownie and a goblin.^[8] A version of Robin Goodfellow also appeared in the Mystara supplement Tall Tales of the Wee Folk, where he is a sprite who often takes human form.^[9]

Titania

Titania is the fey deity of Faerie folk and Realms, Friendship, and Magic. Her symbol is a white diamond with a blue star glowing in its center, the antithesis of the black diamond symbol of her sister, the Queen of Air and Darkness. Titania is described in Monster Mythology as a beautiful female faerie, only three and a half feet in height, with gossamer wings, pale skin, a perfect complexion and cheek bone structure, and penetrating blue eyes, carrying a diamond-tipped wand.^[1]

Titania is the leader of the Seelie Court, a large confederation of gods, which consists of her consort Oberon, their children Damh and Verenestra, as well as the following gods: Caoimhin, Eachthighern, Emmantiensien, Fionnghuala, Nathair Sgiathach, Skerrit, and Squelaiche. The Seelie Court stands united in opposition to the Queen of Air and Darkness, and is allied with the Seldarine. Titania has some intimate connection with the hag goddess Cegilune, her sister or other half. It is believed that if either Cegilune or Titania were to be destroyed, both would die. Titania is revered by all non-evil faeries, but brownies, bookas, pixies, and sprites worship her as their special patron.

Dragon #155 presented a different faerie queen, the greater goddess Rhiannon.^[10] In Dragon #263, a non-divine Queen Titania was presented, this version a lawful neutral, 20th level druid who carries a silver rod with which she can call up storms.^[8] Another non-divine Queen Titania was created for the world of Mystara in Tall Tales of the Wee Folk, where she appeared as a 25th level warrior sidhe of neutral alignment.^[9] In the latter two versions she is human-sized, and her attendants Peaseblossom, Cobweb, Moth, and Mustardseed, and her young pet human changeling boy, are all mentioned.

Verenestra

Verenestra is the fey deity of female faeries, charm, and beauty. Her symbol is a filigree-edged silver mirror. Verenestra chooses to appear as any demure, slim female faerie of unearthly, fey beauty. She is always barefooted, wearing only gossamer garments the size of handkerchiefs to provide her with a semblance of modesty. She stands four and a half feet in height. Verenestra is the daughter of Titania and one of the Inner Circle of the Seelie Court. Verenestra is revered primarily by dryads, nymphs, and sylphs.

References