The Foursaken Faeries
Hello everyone, and welcome back to Foursaken Feature, where we bring you new and interesting ideas to help improve your fourth edition game. This week, for those of you who didn’t already know, is Fey Week here at Necromancers of the Northwest, and so today we will naturally be dealing with the mysterious world of the fey. Now when most of us think of fey, our first thoughts are of pixies, nymphs, or of one of the various Aos Si or Tylwyth Teg as envisioned by modern fantasy writers, and most of these creatures (as well as some others) are already well represented in Dungeons and Dragons. There do remain, however, numerous creatures of folklore commonly referred to as faeries, particularly in the Slavic tradition, which have been more or less left to lie. Well, no longer. Please allow me to introduce, in their monster debut, some of the more interesting and iconic creatures drawn from the aforementioned folklore.
Vila
This striking fey appears as a particularly attractive human woman, only distinguishable by the sleek, feathery wings extending from her back. Her long gorgeous hair remains constantly in motion as though stirred by an absent wind.
Rusalka
The terrible creature before you resembles a human woman with sickly pale translucent skin and bright green eyes with no visible pupils. Her drab green hair hangs wet about her naked shoulders and her teeth end in narrow points.
A rusalka is a malevolent fey whose appearance often resembles that of a woman who has died by drowning. Because of this, rusalki are often mistaken for undead by those who see them. Rusalki always dwell in bodies of water, usually a lake or river, and can’t survive for more than an hour outside of water, except on the night of the new moon when they can roam on land without worry. Rusalki are quite hostile to mortals and will drown those who dare enter their territory. While generally malicious, rusalki have been known to be placated by offerings of precious gems, with which they adorn the decorative combs they always carry. In combat they prefer to attempt to drown their enemies, but if encountered outside of water they battle fiercely with wicked barbed spears.
Vodnik
Standing before you is what appears to be an old man, dressed in an odd assortment of patchy clothing in dark blue hues. His beard, like his coattails, seems to be soaking wet though the rest of him appears dry, and looking closely reveals a pair of gills on his neck.
A vodnik is among the most humanlike of all the fey and can be either good or evil. Though a vodnik can breathe air as well as water, they always dwell in rivers or lakes where they can control the local fish population. Many vodníci make residence near mortal towns or villages which they have been known to frequently visit, often in disguise. Vodníci are known to enjoy gambling at cards and smoking pipes, and can frequently be seen in taverns on rainy nights doing just that. Generally vodníci get along well with mortals and are often willing to negotiate or trade for their needs. It is also true that vodníci dislike other fey, particularly rusalki, and they have been known to warn mortals of the presence of such creatures, or in extreme cases join in arms against them. Despite their friendliness, vodníci are extremely dangerous and powerful creatures, capable of drowning their enemies or pulling the souls from their bodies. Perhaps most terrible, vodníci all carry special jars that they can use to capture the souls of their dead victims, making them impossible to resurrect. While he lives, only the vodnik who captured the soul may remove the lid from one of these jars, liberating the spirit trapped inside.
