D&D General What Does an Archfey Want?

[jayoungr]

(The game is 5E, but since this is a story related question, I'm using the "D&D General" tag.)

A couple of PCs in my game have sworn service to an archfey known as the Queen of the Dark River. She looks like a reverse freshwater version of Blipdoolpoolp, having the body of an enormous pure white crayfish and the head of a beautiful woman. She lives in a temple complex situated on an underground river, where she is attended by a small colony of freshwater kuo-toa.

The PCs encountered her when they were searching for the source of magic that was seeping into the underground river, which flows into a nearby swamp and causes spells to misfire there. They also returned some "swamp pearls" that had been stolen from her. I kind of thought that was the last we'd see of her, and the storyling I have planned will take them to the surface world for quite a while, but the players seem interested in continuing to interact with her. It seems like I should have her make some demands on them as they continue their adventures, but I don't know what to have her ask for. Does anyone have any suggestions?

 

[Cap'n Kobold]

Archfey are interesting and useful for DMs because they are not driven by "logic", and can have motivations and desires that don't make in-game sense.

You could have her ask for things that would benefit the Kua-Tuo colony, or increase the amount of magic flowing into her temple. Or just for anything that will be useful to move the plot forward, even if apparently unconnected.

 

[Quickleaf]

(The game is 5E, but since this is a story related question, I'm using the "D&D General" tag.)

A couple of PCs in my game have sworn service to an archfey known as the Queen of the Dark River. She looks like a reverse freshwater version of Blipdoolpoolp, having the body of an enormous pure white crayfish and the head of a beautiful woman. She lives in a temple complex situated on an underground river, where she is attended by a small colony of freshwater kuo-toa.

The PCs encountered her when they were searching for the source of magic that was seeping into the underground river, which flows into a nearby swamp and causes spells to misfire there. They also returned some "swamp pearls" that had been stolen from her. I kind of thought that was the last we'd see of her, and the storyling I have planned will take them to the surface world for quite a while, but the players seem interested in continuing to interact with her. It seems like I should have her make some demands on them as they continue their adventures, but I don't know what to have her ask for. Does anyone have any suggestions?

"Hang my pearly charm atop the bedpost of Little Jesefer Weep's bed."

The pearly charm darkens the longer the PCs keep it without performing the task, eventually turning into a curse token afflicting the wielder and/or party.

Jesefer Weep is a human girl who suffers from night terrors. She's also an innate magic-worker – a dreamer (hmm, not unlike the kuo-toa who "dream" gods into reality). These night terrors may be due to a traumatic attack on her village in her infancy or they may be caused by a night hag who recognizes Jesefer's magical potential.

The charm will soothe Jesefer's terrors and allow her (and her parents) to get some well-needed rest. However, it also channels her dream energy to the Queen of the Dark River.

 

[Bill Zebub]

They just wanna have fun.

 

[Viking Bastard]

As I have portrayed archfey in the past is that they’re mainly motivated by two things: their own amusement and social standing.

And an archfey’s esoteric sense of humour is so alien and incomprehensible to mere mortals, and the social mechanics of the fey world are so complicated and convulated, that it can really be anything

 

[dave2008]

"Hang my pearly charm atop the bedpost of Little Jesefer Weep's bed."

The pearly charm darkens the longer the PCs keep it without performing the task, eventually turning into a curse token afflicting the wielder and/or party.

Jesefer Weep is a human girl who suffers from night terrors. She's also an innate magic-worker – a dreamer (hmm, not unlike the kuo-toa who "dream" gods into reality). These night terrors may be due to a traumatic attack on her village in her infancy or they may be caused by a night hag who recognizes Jesefer's magical potential.

The charm will soothe Jesefer's terrors and allow her (and her parents) to get some well-needed rest. However, it also channels her dream energy to the Queen of the Dark River.

I think I would like to play in one of your games @Quickleaf, you come up with the best stuff!

 

[Quickleaf]

I think I would like to play in one of your games @Quickleaf, you come up with the best stuff!

Thanks Dave, that's very kind of you to say.

I haven't been playing much D&D lately (just playing in Blades in the Dark every other week), and I miss it. Thought about running a play-by-post again, but those can be so slow. I've been learning a lot from you and other GMs though, trying to expose myself to more games & other styles of play, just taking it all in like osmosis.

 

[Stormonu]

Who know what stirs behind

Those opal eyes of Queen Dark River?

A pearly charm for pleasant sleepers

An iron hook for restless dreamers

Those mother's eyes seek deeper, deeper

There she dabbles in weeping streams

And fills her pots in laughing brooks

Smile, my child and bring her laughter

And never with you trouble gather.”

<Edit: replaced "fiery eyes" with "opal eyes" and "firebrand" with "mother's".>

 

[Minigiant]

PURPLE!

 

[jgsugden]

In my Homebrew, the Archfey live in the Feywild, and the Feywild is associated with the Positive Energy Plane. This is why the FeyWild is so full of life - and also explains why so many residents of the Fey Wild are fickle, playful and frivolous .... because they're literally high on life.

When I want inspiration for what an Archfey might want, I just think about the people I've known in my life that enjoyed a variety of illicit substances. Sometimes they want love, sometimes a good brownie, and sometimes a huge thrill. They tend to be very random - and to not make a lot of long term sense ... but whatever they want has to make sense in the short term.