The Courtyard

Ðaoine Sidhe

Court of the Fey

What is this place: About Ðaoine Sidhe

It is twilight... or perhaps dawn... the between times. A cold mist clings about you. You had been walking in a wood... seeking.... seeking something... You recall a dancing light and a ring of mushrooms. Now you remember—a faerie ring, you stepped in a faerie ring. But you are only in the mists between worlds. You can still choose... forward or back. Back is not your way. You take a hesitant step. A castle looms out of the mist before you. The drawbridge is down and the portcullis open. Over the portal hangs a sign:

Welcome, Friend.

Enter any way you wish,

But you may not leave the same way you came in.

Your footsteps echo on the heavy planks of the drawbridge. You pass through the cool, silent shadow of the gatehouse—there are no guards, yet you feel as if nothing unwanted ever passes this threshold—and step into a broad, green courtyard. Manicured lawns and well-tended gardens, mostly shades of green with tasteful splashes of brightly colored flowers, fill the space from wall to wall, tower to tower. Flagstoned paths lead through gardens and to doors scattered around the perimeter of the yard.

No one else is visible, but you feel them, each a distinct presence—elves, dwarves, faeries, even a few worthy humans. They are here with their magic, warrior prowess, faerie grace, and divine blessing. You feel them. They are here, somewhere within these walls. You have found the Ðaoine Sidhe, the Court of the Fey. It is a place of beauty though not of safety, but it is what you have been seeking.

Without a map, and unsure exactly where would be best to start, you decide that a sense of adventure got you here and should be sufficient to lead you on. Confident in your ability to stumble across something, you begin your exploration of the Court....

_________________________

Bardic Circle

As the moon rises, you look out the main gate and see the glimmer of firelight against the dark bulk of the Fey Forest where it crests a nearby hill. Faint echoes of laughter and song carry on the breeze. You have heard strict warnings against venturing into the forest, even during daylight, but you wouldn't actually be going in the forest, and you'd be sure to stay within the Circle of Firelight.

Editor's Glade

A dense copse of trees in one corner of the greensward draws your attention. The trunks, around the perimeter, at least, have grown so close together as to nearly form a wall. The Court's caretaker is known to have a quiet retreat on the grounds where he reflects on both the nature of the Court and that of the world beyond. Perhaps this is his Sanctuary.

Gallery

Down a flight of marble steps, you enter a grand gallery... well, it would be grand if it were completed. Slabs of polished stone rest on wooden beams, waiting to be lifted into place. Dust and rock fragments litter the floor. One corner of the room is curtained off with sheets of canvas. You peek behind... More canvas covers crates of framed drawings and paintings. It must be the Art of the Sidhe.

Grotto of Verisimilitude

You've heard stories of a cavern on the grounds where the theosophical-minded gather to discuss topics of weight and seek to shift the course of the world. A small postern gate opens onto a narrow path between the castle wall and a cliff. You wonder if just maybe it might lead to the Entrance to the Grotto.

Hall of the Sidhe

Across the courtyard, a short flight of low, stone steps lead to a pair of broad wooden doors that stand open. You step closer. The faint sounds of music and laughter drift out on the breeze. Could this be, at last, the Great Hall where the Courtiers Gather?

Leaves of Knowledge

Near the heart of the keep, you find a tripple-keyed door of iron-bound oak that you would likely have passed up had it not been ajar. But, seeing as it is open, what harm is there in a look? You peek around the edge of the door. The room is actually an interior courtyard, open to the sky and occupied solely by a great tree, the branches of which nearly brush the ground. As you are about to go off in search of more promising rooms, you notice a scroll laying between a couple of roots. Now that you think about it, you do remember hearing something about a tree whose leaves hold Knowledge from Beyond the Sidhe Court.

Maproom

At the top of the central drum tower, you find a large domed chamber perhaps 25 yards across. The room appears empty except for some sort of gnomish-looking, mechanical contraption on a raised, wooden platform near the center of the... floor? Is there a floor? This is all almost too much. You could really use a Map and a Guidebook to these Fey Lands.

Scriptorium

Down a marble columned hallway and up a short flight of steps, you find yourself standing before a great wooden door, easily twice your height, bound in black iron. A growling, clanking noise echoes faintly within. There is no lock. Etched in the stone down one side of the door are the characters: S C R I P T O R I U M. Perhaps here you can find someone to give you Recent News and Tales of the Court.

Tower of Magike

As you look around the courtyard, you notice something odd about one of the towers. Actually, you notice that it's hard to notice. Your gaze seems to slide off it, and whenever you do manage to focus on it, the stones seem to turn watery, and your insides go all queasy. Somewhere here, you know, there is a trove of magical talismans and arcane lore. You'd bet it's in there... a Tower of Magike.

Vale of Mysteries

You've listened to all the warnings against entering the Fey Forest. You've heard of all the people who have gone astray within its shadow. But you've been getting a sense of this place. Its magic is certainly fey and unpredictable, but it is not without its own rules and it is not born of malice. Perchance, those who went astray did not take the time to learn the ways of the Court first. Or maybe they did, and found something that gave them a reason not to come back. Maybe the warning is only to keep away those who are not ready to unfold the forest's mysteries. In any case, it is another Puzzle to Solve.

Wardenhall

Just inside the gate, you see a small, stone house, no more than twenty feet to a side, with a thatched roof pierced by a blackened stovepipe. From the structure's position next to the gate, you suspect it is a shelter for the guards, only you have yet to see any "guards." A slight wisp of smoke curls up from the chimney pipe. Perhaps there you will find the Wardens of the Court and Guidance to Submitting Before it.